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Copperton council tables decisions on speed bumps; staff to run traffic study and include options in upcoming transport plan
Summary
After residents petitioned for speed bumps on Apex Road, councilors agreed to request a staff traffic study, evaluate calming options and consider the topic again at a future meeting; staff noted an estimated cost of $10,000–$15,000 per speed bump and recommended a study to avoid unintended safety impacts.
Council members discussed a resident petition asking for speed bumps on Apex Road and other traffic‑calming measures during the May 21 meeting. The council did not approve any traffic‑calming installations at the meeting; instead staff and the MSD engineering team were asked to develop a traffic study and return with recommendations.
Council member Tessa Sitzer said she placed the item on the agenda after residents on Apex circulated a petition. Dan (MSD staff) and others recommended a short traffic study and consultation with the town’s traffic engineer to determine the most appropriate calming measure. Staff noted that roadway construction on Apex (ongoing reconstructions) could skew short‑term traffic counts and asked for time to collect representative data.
Dan and MSD staff said best practice is to perform a study to identify appropriate measures (for example, a raised crossing, a “dip” rather than a vertical speed hump, or signage and enforcement) and to consider the broader network effects: if calming is installed on one street, drivers may divert to adjacent streets. Staff estimated an installation cost in the range of $10,000–$15,000 per speed bump and noted ongoing maintenance costs.
Council members asked staff to include the topic in the MSD transportation master‑plan work that will go out to bid in June and to include community engagement tools to gather neighborhood input. Staff tentatively agreed to return a more complete package — including engineering recommendations, cost estimates and community feedback channels — at a future council meeting.
Why it matters: Traffic calming affects resident safety, emergency vehicle access and town budget priorities. The council chose to defer a decision until staff can provide objective traffic counts, engineering recommendations and cost estimates.
