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Fairfield discussion centers on speed humps, rumble strips and other traffic-calming options
Summary
Council participants debated several traffic-calming measures for a neighborhood street — including speed humps, rumble strips and narrowed lanes — voicing safety concerns for children, worries about noise and vehicle damage, and citing rough cost estimates from prior bids.
Fairfield council participants spent a large portion of the meeting discussing traffic-calming options for a neighborhood where residents report frequent speeding.
An unidentified speaker (Speaker 3) described a police ride-along and said one driver passed a flashing 36 mph sign “and they didn't even touch the brakes,” adding: “Somebody's gonna get squished.” That speaker pushed for measures to slow traffic near homes and bus stops and said they had gathered video and bids for different devices.
Speakers weighed three broad approaches: embedded rumble strips, raised speed humps designed for about 20 mph, and physical lane-narrowing with curb or sidewalk features. Several speakers opposed rumble strips because of continuous noise for nearby residents. “Rumble strips is a great idea, but it's noisy for the people that we're gonna be buying,” Speaker 3 said. Speaker 4 warned that fixed humps or strips could damage trailers and recreational vehicles.
On costs, Speaker 3 said they had two sets of estimates: portable/mobile humps quoted “about $6” (as stated in the transcript) and permanent asphalt humps quoted “about $10” (as stated in the transcript). The speaker noted permanent installation would require cutting into the roadway and new asphalt work and cautioned that while cost was a concern, safety and the potential cost of a life-flight helicopter in the event of a serious crash weighed heavily.
Council participants discussed placement and the need for multiple devices along a street rather than a single hump to avoid drivers simply going around them. One speaker suggested using an existing bus stop as a rationale for installing a traffic-calming feature and adding signage to notify drivers.
No formal motion to install calming devices was made; participants agreed the discussion would continue and that staff follow-up and clearer cost estimates would be needed before any action.
The meeting later moved on to planning and annexation topics.
