Chester committee sends draft traffic‑calming ordinance to council for first reading

Deputy Mayor Portia West chaired the Chester Public Works Committee Monday and the committee voted to send a draft ordinance governing traffic‑calming devices to the next City Council meeting for introduction and advertising.

The ordinance establishes a formal petition process allowing a majority (50% of a block plus one) of residents on a block to request installation of traffic‑calming devices, described in the draft as “speed tables” rather than harsher speed bumps. The measure would require a public works review and a speed study by the city engineer before the council considers final approval.

The proposal, presented by Public Works Director Andrew Haman, is based on a process used in Concord Township, Delaware County, but lowers the resident approval threshold from Concord’s roughly 80–90% level to 50% plus one. “I would say it could take weeks to months,” Haman said when asked how long the engineer review and speed study might take. “It depends on the location. It depends on any number of factors.”

Under the draft, technical constraints would bar installation within 150 feet of an intersection and on streets with posted speed limits above 25 mph. Haman told the committee that PennDOT guidance and other published traffic‑calming materials inform the engineering criteria; he said such devices generally aim to reduce travel speeds by about 10 miles per hour from the posted limit.

Haman emphasized that the draft favors speed tables over traditional speed humps because tables are less likely to damage emergency vehicles and snow‑plow equipment. He also noted a likely installation cost of roughly $3,000 to $5,000 per device, and said cumulative projects could reach the city’s bidding threshold and therefore be put out to competitive bid. “This would be something that would be done by a contractor providing that service for the city,” Haman said.

Committee members discussed tradeoffs between temporary rubber devices installed on some streets and permanently embedded tables. The committee noted temporary installations at Thirteenth Street and Tillman as a local test and suggested the city consider a post‑installation speed study to measure effectiveness. An unnamed committee participant suggested a formal post‑installation evaluation; Haman said he thought that was “a fantastic idea.”

The committee agreed to forward the draft, incorporating administrative edits suggested by Chief Tom Moore (noted by Haman), for a first reading at the next regularly scheduled City Council meeting. Councilwoman Tamika Gibson moved to place the ordinance on the council agenda; Deputy Mayor Portia West seconded the motion. The committee recorded an affirmative voice vote and the motion carried. Councilman Davis was absent from the meeting.

Next steps outlined by Public Works include circulating the revised ordinance and a separate timeline document to council members, undertaking site‑by‑site speed studies as petitions are received, and having the city engineer review location suitability before any council action.

The committee did not adopt any final installations at the meeting; the action was limited to moving the draft ordinance onto the council agenda for introduction and advertising.