Council authorizes $500,000 multimodal transportation plan as members press for more equitable traffic calming

Savannah City Council on April 10 authorized the city manager to execute a contract of up to $500,000 for a multimodal transportation implementation plan intended to guide investments in sidewalks, traffic calming, safety and multimodal connections across the city.

Alderman Bernetta B. Lanier and other councilmembers urged the manager and staff to prioritize traffic-calming measures and to ensure historically underserved neighborhoods — including West Savannah and Hudson Hill — receive prompt attention. Lanier said residents repeatedly raised traffic-calming requests and that applications had not yielded devices in those neighborhoods despite incidents and requests.

City staff described a recent change to the traffic-calming process that lowered the barrier to approval: staff now deploys a 90-day temporary period for proposed devices and will install permanent devices if fewer than 50% of property owners object. The manager said the city has more than tripled its production of traffic-calming devices since 2021 and is revising the local streets transportation plan to reflect council values on multimodal connectivity and safety.

Council debated equity of deployment and whether community outreach and the application process are clear and accessible. Speakers noted some neighborhoods still lack permanent traffic-calming devices and asked staff to ensure the new multimodal plan addresses prioritization and the needs of port-adjacent communities experiencing heavy truck traffic.

After discussion, Alderman Amila Blakely moved the contract to the floor; the motion passed by voice vote. Councilmembers said they expect the resulting multimodal implementation plan to include prioritization criteria, guidance on traffic calming, and recommendations for sidewalks and infrastructure investments that reflect the council’s safety and equity goals.