Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Traffic Calming topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
CCRPC briefed on Winooski Traffic Calming Manual recommending new evaluation process and pilot projects
Summary
CCRPC staff and Stantec consultants presented a traffic‑calming manual for Winooski that introduces an evaluation process, street typologies and pilot treatments; recommended speed-warrant thresholds and monitoring steps to guide municipal prioritization.
Marshall Distel, senior transportation planner for the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission, introduced a consultant-led Winooski Traffic Calming Manual during the TAC’s Oct. 4, 2022 virtual meeting. Greg Goyette and Mike Rutkowski of Stantec walked members through the manual’s purpose, proposed process and sample pilot projects.
The manual establishes an evaluation process to determine when and where traffic calming is appropriate. Mike Rutkowski said eligibility should incorporate 85th‑percentile speed and crash‑rate warrants; the presentation noted different thresholds for different street types, with guidance that a speed about 5 mph over the posted limit may trigger consideration on neighborhood streets while roughly 10 mph over may be used on collector streets. The manual uses street typologies to match treatments to a street’s function and includes a quick‑reference table for appropriate treatments.
TAC members pressed on monitoring and prioritization. Bryan Osborne asked whether outcomes that fail to meet goals should be escalated to more aggressive treatments; Rutkowski said the manual recommends increasingly intensive options and flags cost and context as limiting factors. The presentation cited Federal Highway Administration guidance that roundabouts are among the most effective calming devices but noted they can be costly.
Members discussed the tradeoffs among devices. Adele Gravitz and Greg Goyette contrasted speed bumps and speed humps: speed bumps can prompt abrupt braking and then re‑acceleration, while speed humps and raised crosswalks tend to maintain a slower, steadier speed. Rutkowski emphasized distracted driving as the leading cause of crashes and said education and signage remain important complements to physical treatments.
Transit operations and roadway geometry were also highlighted. Sandy Thibault observed a lack of transit pullouts in the Gateway typology; Chris Damiani of Green Mountain Transit said drivers rarely use pullouts except on certain corridors where sightlines and signal timing allow safe re‑entry. Bruce Hoar and Norm Baldwin raised truck‑turning and roadway width concerns and noted some treatments may not be appropriate in rural areas.
Marshall Distel said other municipalities can request similar traffic‑calming projects through the CCRPC’s Unified Planning Work Program. The Winooski Traffic Calming Manual, including pilot site suggestions and typology tables, is posted in CCRPC’s studies and reports library for municipal use.
Next steps: municipalities interested in adopting the manual’s tools can pursue a study request through the next UPWP cycle and use the manual’s evaluation approach to prioritize local projects.
