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Bluffdale council reviews updated traffic manual with new prioritization and temporary speed measures
Summary
City staff proposed renaming and updating the traffic calming manual to a broader traffic manual, adding a project prioritization system, temporary speed-reduction measures (rubber curbs and rubber humps), and guidance on speed-bump tradeoffs; council members praised the prioritization and reported positive early feedback from Freedom Point Way installations.
City staff presented a reorganized traffic manual that replaces the former traffic-calming guide with a broader traffic manual intended to streamline study processes, clarify when council and public engagement occurs, and prioritize projects by need.
The manual adds temporary speed-reduction measures — for example rubber curbs and rubber speed humps — and clarifies the distinction between speed bumps and speed humps. Staff noted examples recently installed on Freedom Point Way and described a prioritization scoring system to decide which projects should be funded first. “We created a prioritization system to score issues as they come,” the presenter said, noting the updated flowcharts split treatments based on street type.
Council members welcomed the consistency the prioritization provides. Council member Austin said the system will help funnel resident concerns and produce consistent outcomes. Council member Wilding cautioned against one-size-fits-all engineering changes (like installing bulb-outs everywhere) and urged a tailored, cost-effective approach.
Staff outlined tradeoffs for permanent traffic calming such as potential noise, reduced fuel efficiency, impacts to emergency vehicles and snowplow wear. They said the city will continue with initial trials, collect resident feedback and return to council with refinements before formal adoption.
The council requested additional public input and confirmed the manual will be returned for final adoption after a public review period. The presentation included cost context (staff referenced a roughly $5,000 cost for a recent temporary rubber curb installation) and operational notes about testing measures at trail crossings.
