Moreno Valley council awards contract to install 22 speed cushions, says design reduces emergency vehicle delay

The Moreno Valley City Council unanimously approved a construction contract Feb. 18 to install 22 speed cushions at nine residential locations as part of the citywide Residential Traffic Management Program.

Public Works Director Melissa Walker told the council the contract — to be awarded to Cali State Paving Inc. — covers placement of speed cushions, advanced warning signage, red curbing, and pavement markings. Walker said the speed cushion design is a "split" or staggered hump that won a Federal Innovation Award under a program sometimes nicknamed "Build a Better Mousetrap."

"Most people are used to speed humps in parking lots or on streets. A speed cushion was a design. It's basically like a split speed hump," Walker said during her staff report. "It allows for our fire apparatus and other emergency apparatus to go over it without having to stop or slow down. One of the problems we had with traditional speed humps is that it slows down our emergency personnel, which is always a bad thing."

Walker said the new squad assigned to Kennedy Park (Station 65) and the city's busy call volumes made traffic calming a higher priority. The project includes signs and curb treatments to improve safety and will proceed with work on the highest‑priority streets identified by staff.

Councilmember questions clarified the site selection process: speed cushions are limited to appropriate residential streets (not high‑speed arterials), require neighborhood petition support and meet engineering criteria. Walker said the city will seek to install additional cushions in future years as funding permits; this contract covers the first round of priority locations.

The motion to award the contract passed unanimously.