City outlines traffic‑calming process, data thresholds and $30,000 fund for measures

Community Development Director Bill Prescott reviewed Yakima’s traffic‑calming program at the council meeting, describing the stepwise process the city uses to evaluate resident petitions and the data thresholds that trigger education, enforcement or engineering responses.

Prescott said the program begins with a resident petition (the department requires signatures from 30% of area residents to trigger a formal study) and includes an evaluation of traffic counts, 85th‑percentile speeds and collision history. The city then pursues education and enforcement where appropriate and, for locations with higher speeds, engineering solutions such as speed humps.

Key program rules and data thresholds Prescott summarized: the city treats local streets only (arterials are excluded), uses the 85th‑percentile speed to evaluate concerns, and applies a stepped approach—0–5 mph over the speed limit generally prompts no change, 5–10 mph prompts education and enforcement, and more than 10 mph over the limit triggers engineering measures. He said the city also checks three‑year collision history and evaluates cut‑through traffic before recommending physical changes.

Prescott told council that in 2023 the department received three traffic‑calming petitions and in 2024 received five; four of the 2024 petitions were closed. He said 12 petitions are currently in the queue in various stages of evaluation.

Finance and equipment: staff maintain a $30,000 REIT fund for traffic‑calming equipment and installations. Prescott said $26,000 was spent in 2023 on radar speed signs and repairs and $21,000 in 2024 on equipment and materials; labor costs for design and installation are charged to existing staff budgets and are not included in those dollar figures.

Council questions focused on enforcement and equity. Deputy Mayor Brown and other council members asked whether enforcement changes long‑term driver behavior; Prescott said enforcement can be effective but is usually short term without complementary engineering changes. Council members also asked whether property owners could pay to install devices; Prescott said installations require city authorization because the improvements are in the public right of way and must meet city standards, but staff will follow up with the city attorney and finance office about how privately funded installations would be handled if a petition meets program criteria.

What’s next: Prescott said the department will complete pending counts when weather allows and bring designs and cost estimates for sites that meet criteria. He said speed‑hump installations are seasonal and will be scheduled when conditions permit.