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Council directs staff to study quick‑build traffic‑calming pilots, expand Drive 25 outreach
Summary
The council approved a staff work‑plan amendment requested by the Transportation Commission to analyze quick-build traffic calming (temporary curb extensions, chicanes, pedestrian refuges, dynamic speed displays) and return with a guide and funding options; commissioners and staff highlighted snow‑plow tradeoffs and grant opportunities.
The City Council voted to amend the transportation division work plan to let staff study quick‑build traffic‑calming measures and prepare a consistent implementation guide for pilot projects.
Transportation Commissioner Grant Wright told the council the commission researched program examples in Richfield, Minneapolis and Bloomington and recommended three priorities: sustain the Drive 25 campaign, use community engagement extensively, and pilot inexpensive quick‑build measures — such as temporary curb extensions, delineators, painted bump-outs, pedestrian refuge islands and dynamic speed displays — before investing in permanent construction.
“Piloting quick build traffic calming solutions…can be executed in intersections for, you know, 100 or low 1,000 of dollars,” Wright said, urging trials that can later be removed or converted to permanent features after evaluation.
Staff noted snow removal is a practical constraint for permanent speed humps and raised the need to identify which streets (local vs. state‑aid) are eligible for specific treatments. Andrew Cipione, transportation staff, recommended amending the division’s work plan to analyze strategies, funding sources and a pilot process, and to return recommended policy language to the Transportation Commission and traffic-safety committee before a council review.
Councils approved the amendment by voice vote after questions about seasonality, staffing and pilot removal for winters; Member Pierce moved the amendment and Member Jackson seconded. Several council members asked staff to include seasonal deployment, staff time estimates and grant opportunities when returning with a recommended implementation guide.
