Residents press county for speed bumps; staff cites studies that don’t meet MUTCD thresholds

A neighborhood resident urged commissioners to install additional traffic calming—speed humps and three‑way stops—to address speeding and cut‑through traffic. John Arnold told the board he has lived in his subdivision for 34 years and said speeding and safety are ongoing problems; he said earlier speed‑bump requests had been denied.

County traffic staff (Matt) explained that traffic‑calming measures follow the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and rely on specific study thresholds. Staff summarized prior studies: a January 2023 study recorded 795 vehicles with an 85th percentile speed of 32 mph; a later study (conducted after a neighborhood request to reposition tubes) recorded 993 vehicles and an 85th percentile speed of 26 mph, which is roughly 1 mph above the posted limit and below the typical 35 mph threshold staff uses to qualify for speed humps. "Out of those 993 vehicles that we recorded, only 26 were doing faster than 30 mph," staff said.

Staff offered to run additional studies, including one with schools in session for a clearer picture, and to provide petition forms if the neighborhood pursues the speed‑hump process. Matt clarified that stop signs cannot be used solely to control speed per the MUTCD and that three‑way stops require specific delay/accident criteria; staff said they can perform accident and delay studies to evaluate the need for stop control.

What happens next: Staff offered to re‑run studies at the neighborhood’s request and to work with residents on petitions and timing for data collection. Commissioners did not take immediate action during the meeting.

(Reporting note: speed‑hump study values were provided by county staff in response to resident comment.)