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Cocke County adopts traffic-calming policy for local roads; petition thresholds and measures defined
Summary
The county adopted a traffic-calming policy that sets petition thresholds, data requirements, allowable measures and design principles for minor and major subdivision streets; Highway Commission procedures and review steps were formalized.
Cocke County commissioners on Sept. 15 approved a countywide traffic-calming policy and procedures after the Highway Commission recommended the policy in late August.
The policy sets a process for residents or commissioners to petition the Highway Department for a traffic study, requires petitions to include signatures from at least 67% of occupied households in a petition area, and directs staff to collect vehicular speed/volume data and three years of accident reports before recommending measures. The policy distinguishes allowable measures by average daily traffic (ADT): education/enforcement and non-physical devices for very low ADT, and physical traffic-calming devices (speed tables, raised crosswalks, chicanes, mini-roundabouts, chokers and medians) for higher ADT where a documented safety problem remains after non-physical options.
Why it matters: The policy creates an engineering-driven, neighborhood-petition pathway for installing traffic-calming measures on minor and major subdivision streets while excluding collector and arterial roadways from physical traffic-calming installation.
What was approved: The Highway Commission's guidelines and definitions were adopted by the Legislative Body; the Highway Department retains final authority to approve, modify or remove traffic-calming installations. The policy also requires a three- to six-month post-installation data review to evaluate effectiveness.
Next steps: Petitions meeting the signature threshold will be considered for traffic studies by Highway Department staff and the Highway Commission. If approved by the Highway Commission and Highway Superintendent, installations will proceed under standard engineering practice and will require neighborhood maintenance of any plantings included in the device.
Attribution: The Highway Commission (Randy Dyke, chairman) presented the policy to the Legislative Body; the Highway Superintendent and county staff will implement the program.
