Homewood committees set public hearing for Oxmoor traffic-calming after staff recommends permanent speed tables

Homewood public-safety and public-works committees on May 19 moved forward on a traffic-calming plan for the north end of Oxmoor Road after staff presented speed and volume data indicating repeat speeding and resident safety concerns.

Staff findings and recommendation City traffic counts supplied to committees showed 85th-percentile speeds between 32 and 36 mph in locations where the speed limit is 25 mph; counts at one location measured average annual daily traffic (AADT) of roughly 2,111 vehicles eastbound and 1,649 vehicles westbound. Staff and the police recommended measures that would calm traffic without blocking emergency access; those recommendations included installing permanent asphalt speed tables or similar engineered devices rather than the short-term rubber products that have caused vehicle damage where used previously in the city.

Committee direction and funding Public-safety committee members and the mayor urged a permanent solution; one committee member cited earlier problems with temporary rubber humps on Roseland that caused vehicle damage. The committee voted to set a public hearing (scheduled by the committee for July) and to proceed with planning and public notice.

Public Works moved to contract a right-of-way and design survey now so staff could provide a defined scope and budget for the project in an upcoming finance request. Public Works voted to forward a budget amendment to finance for consideration of funding for the survey; the transfer and survey recommendation were approved unanimously in committee.

Next steps Staff will prepare required public notices, complete the initial survey and design scope, and return to council with a budget and design recommendation after the hearing. Committee members asked staff to prioritize permanent asphalt speed tables that minimize damage to vehicles and provide safe emergency access.