Council outlines responses to speeding, loud mufflers, bus‑shelter concerns and Duke Street delays

Residents at the town hall raised a broad set of traffic and public‑safety concerns, from speeding and loud mufflers to bus‑shelter cleanliness and signal timing on Duke Street.

On speeding near William Ramsey Elementary and North Van Dorn, council members urged residents to file 311 reports and described existing programs for traffic calming and speed‑cushion requests. Council noted Vision Zero priorities guide some corridors; where a corridor is not yet prioritized, staff can still evaluate requests for elevation.

On late‑night loud sports cars, councilors described limits on police pursuits and said enforcement is challenging; they cited an automated‑enforcement pilot in another jurisdiction and noted HB2550 — a bill allowing automated noise‑based citations — was vetoed in the prior session and could be pursued again. "It was HB2550... it would allow automated ticketing based on decibel levels measured from a distance away," the vice mayor said.

Councilman Kirk McPike said DASH contracts with maintenance vendors for shelter upkeep and that staff coordinates with the Department of Community and Human Services and APD to address recurring cleanliness and safety problems near shelters; he asked residents to flag specific locations.

On traffic signals, Councilwoman Jacinta Green said the city is adjusting Duke Street signal timing, will replace detection equipment after repaving, and plans an adaptive‑signal deployment that will adjust green times in real time to reduce delays. Council encouraged residents to consult project webpages and participate in land‑use planning that affects corridor travel demand.

The town hall segment closed with reminders to use the city’s 311 system to create trackable service requests that feed staff priorities and to attend an upcoming CIP work session for funding discussions.