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Board directs staff to study and price speed bumps after motion; staff warned prior speed-study did not justify installation
Summary
After public discussion and a mixed staff assessment, the Pittsboro Board of Commissioners approved a motion to pursue speed‑bump installation on an identified road, directing staff to obtain prices and perform a study; staff noted prior traffic data had not supported bump installation.
The Pittsboro Board of Commissioners on March 31 approved a motion to move forward on potential speed bumps in a named neighborhood area and directed staff to return with a cost and study recommendation.
Motion and vote Commissioner Mohs (mover) made the motion to pursue speed bumps on Wood Drive (motion text recorded as “to put in his speed bumps, adding on a wood drive at whatever they cost”); a second was recorded and the board approved the motion by voice vote with commissioners responding "aye." No recorded roll-call vote or recorded negative votes were reported.
What staff said Town staff cautioned that an earlier speed study for a nearby street did not show speeds high enough to meet the town’s criteria for permanent speed bumps. Staff said the department had previously tried a type of removable plastic speed hump that did not perform well in place and was later removed. The manager said staff would obtain pricing and run a study, and recommended a policy approach so staff-level decisions could be made consistently rather than installing traffic calming piecemeal.
Why it matters: Traffic-calming installations affect resident safety and require careful engineering and community input; they are also a recurring maintenance and liability consideration.
Next steps The board directed staff to ascertain a price for installation and to perform or update a traffic-speed study before returning with a recommendation; staff also said they would report on policy criteria to guide decisions on traffic calming features.
