Resident urges long-term traffic calming on Bolte Road; council says engineer will study options

Greg Brown, a Bolte Road resident of 25 years, told the Cullman City Council on Feb. 9 that traffic on Bolte Road has become faster and more dangerous as new subdivisions were built and called for permanent traffic-calming measures that work when police are not present.

"What we need is a traffic calming measure that physically and visibly slows down drivers," Brown said, adding that residents must cross the road to reach mailboxes and that enforcement alone is not enough. Brown told the council he had raised concerns about two years earlier and appreciated the police department's temporary placement of a speed-monitoring device, but said a long-term, physical solution is necessary to protect residents, including elderly neighbors.

The chair replied that the city engineer had been meeting with staff and collecting data to analyze options and that the city would coordinate with the mayor and police department on solutions. Council member (speaker 8) said he thought the police had done everything possible in enforcement and recommended waiting for the engineer's recommendations. Another council member (speaker 4) said the city is contracted with a traffic-study firm and there may be leftover funds in that contract which could be directed to study Bolte Road.

No specific traffic-calming measure (for example, speed humps or curb changes) was approved at the meeting. Council members also noted that some measures, such as speed bumps, may conflict with emergency vehicle routing and that an expert analysis would be helpful in identifying appropriate treatments.

What happens next: Staff and the city engineer will analyze the collected data and return recommendations to the council; the council discussed the possibility of using remaining traffic-study contract funds to commission a targeted study of Bolte Road.