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West Jordan presents traffic-calming toolbox and decision matrix after engineering study
Summary
West Jordan staff and Avenue Consultants presented a traffic-calming toolbox, decision matrix and proposed manual for new developments. The study found speed tables and raised crosswalks effective, mapped existing speed humps and recommended design standards for new streets.
West Jordan Public Works staff and planning consultant Avenue Consultants presented the results of a traffic-calming project funded through a Transportation, Land Use and Connectivity (TLC) grant.
City project manager Chris (City of West Jordan Public Works) and Kirby Sneidman (Avenue Consultants) said their study produced a toolbox of traffic-calming measures, a decision matrix for choosing appropriate tools, and a draft traffic-calming manual to guide development standards.
Consultants mapped the city’s existing traffic-calming infrastructure and found an unusually high number of speed humps — “over 200 across the city,” Chris said — which correlated with few speed complaints in those locations. Avenue categorized calming tools into three groups: road diets and narrowing treatments; roadway obstacles (for example roundabouts and medians); and non-infrastructure measures (education and enforcement).
The team presented a chart comparing tools by speed- and crash-reduction effectiveness and cost. Kirby summarized the takeaway: “Speed tables and raised crosswalks are the lowest cost, relatively speaking, highest bang for the buck in terms of reducing crashes and lower speeds.” Roundabouts scored highly for safety but are more expensive. The consultants found that simply lowering posted speed limits without redesign had limited effect on travel speeds while incurring substantial sign-change costs.
West Jordan staff tested a decision process with internal groups, including maintenance and enforcement staff, using budget constraints to encourage practical choices. The process led participants to spread investments across multiple locations rather than selecting single, very expensive fixes.
Avenue and city staff recommended a short ordinance change referencing a traffic-calming manual that engineering staff can update, and they proposed spacing “speed control points” no more than every 500 feet in new residential street design to keep target speeds near 25–30 mph. The manual is planned for publication in October at westjordentrafficcalming.com and is intended for use by local engineers and developers when designing new neighborhood streets.
Presenters noted trade-offs: maintenance costs, snowplow impacts, potential emergency-response perception issues, and the risk that traffic control measures can shift traffic to parallel streets. Staff emphasized that appropriately designed speed tables should not materially affect EMS response if designed to applicable standards.
Committee members asked follow-up questions about maintenance and emergency service impacts; staff said those considerations informed the decision matrix and the draft manual. No formal action was taken; West Jordan will pursue internal adoption and publication of the manual.
