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Council committee advances ordinance to contract citywide speed tables amid calls for more traffic enforcement
Summary
Council advanced an emergency ordinance authorizing contractors to install speed tables citywide; members acknowledged traffic calming tools but pressed for increased traffic enforcement and clearer funding and design for main thoroughfares.
Council members advanced Ordinance 1406-2025 on May 13, authorizing the director of public works to enter one or more public-improvement contracts to construct and repair speed tables "for traffic calming and pedestrian safety purposes." Director John Leair and Commissioner Mavic presented the administration’s plan and a project list that ties proposed installations to traffic-study thresholds.
"This piece will allow us to go out to be able to get contracts to be able to put in speed tables," Director John Leair said, and Commissioner Mavic explained the staff approach: each requested location receives a traffic study of speeds and volumes and those that meet the threshold are prioritized. Staff said they have completed more than 850 studies in three years and that the program uses a mix of ARPA mobility, resurfacing (bond/capital) and council discretionary funds.
Councilmembers pressed for clarity about where speed tables are appropriate and asked whether the devices increase accidents. Commissioner Mavic cited a city study of a mini-roundabout pilot that reduced crashes by 70% and said most evidence from the department’s evaluations shows speed-reduction benefits. Several councilmembers said the root problem in many wards is insufficient traffic enforcement: "We need more police on our streets," one council member said, urging more traffic-enforcement units so neighborhood policing is visible and traffic is deterred.
On funding, staff said the ARPA mobility allocation for the initial program is roughly $770,000 and that installations are prioritized by the study thresholds rather than divided equally among wards. Council members asked for clearer mapping and the project list; staff said the spreadsheet circulated to members includes proposed wards, locations and the funding type (mobility/ARPA, discretionary, maintenance).
Council amended the ordinance to require the director of public works to provide written notice to the clerk when purchases are made under the program and to include cooperative-purchase details; the amendment was accepted and the ordinance was referred to planning, sustainability and finance committees for additional review. No roll-call vote was recorded on the floor in the committee transcript.
What’s next: staff will meet with councilmembers who requested ward-specific briefings and will provide maps and unit-cost estimates; technical design (signing, thermoplastic pavement markings, side posts) and main-street pilot requirements (state reviews for state routes) will be refined before finance committee consideration.
