Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Traffic Calming topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council approves six-month speed-cushion pilot for Maple Avenue
Summary
Following resident petitions and a staff recommendation, the council authorized a six-month pilot installing prefabricated speed cushions on Maple Avenue and directed staff to conduct a before-and-after study of effectiveness.
The City of Orange approved a six-month pilot program to install prefabricated speed cushions on Maple Avenue between Main Street and Batavia Street to address chronic speeding on a residential corridor.
Traffic staff presented survey data showing traffic volumes close to the city—ligibility thresholds and cited an 85th-percentile speed that, while slightly below the usual cutoff, combined with the neighborhood—ontext justified a pilot. Staff noted the cushions are segmented so emergency vehicles can pass and that the fire department reviewed the conceptual layout.
Neighbors described repeated close calls, skid marks and drivers using the block as a cut-through. "Cars regularly exceed those posted speed limit signs — drivers don't have enough time to react to a child or a pedestrian," said Maple Avenue resident Lindsay Zontnick, who urged council to adopt speed cushions. Several other neighbors gave examples of near-misses and damage to parked cars.
Council members supported a pilot and directed staff to return with a before-and-after study at the end of the six-month period to assess effectiveness. The motion passed unanimously.
Next steps: staff will install the cushions under a traffic-calming pilot, monitor performance and present findings to the traffic commission and council at the conclusion of the study period.
