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Puyallup council backs pilot traffic‑calming program using movable radar signs and targeted enforcement
Summary
Council endorsed a two‑phase pilot: deploy movable radar speed signs to collect data and run targeted enforcement, then consider physical traffic‑calming measures if speeds remain high. Staff identified nine candidate locations and a starting budget of $193,000.
The Puyallup City Council gave general approval to a pilot proactive traffic‑calming program that will begin with movable radar speed signs and targeted enforcement before moving to permanent physical measures where needed.
Development Engineering Manager Ken Cook told the council the program will use a two‑week deployment at candidate corridors — a stealth week that records speeds and a display week that shows drivers their speed. "The overall goal of the proactive traffic calming program is to improve safety," Cook said, adding the city will collect baseline speed and volume data, coordinate enforcement if thresholds are exceeded, and then evaluate longer‑term engineering solutions.
Cook identified nine potential neighborhood locations for initial deployments and said the city's neighborhood traffic calming budget is $193,000. He described a six‑step process that moves from data collection and education to enforcement and, if speeds remain above thresholds, to phase two for permanent installations such as speed humps, neighborhood traffic circles or curb bulb‑outs.
Chief Scott Engel of the Puyallup Police Department said the department will support targeted enforcement where engineering identifies problem times: "We continue to be a department that encourages proactive enforcement... and we're ahead of anybody, frankly, in Pierce County for our traffic enforcement." He also noted a concerning rise in complaints about reckless driving.
Council members broadly supported implementation, requested a follow‑up report on results within roughly five to six months and signaled openness to future funding increases if the pilot shows measurable benefits. Several members asked staff to consider broader connectivity solutions and the possible future role of automated enforcement on major arterials.
The council asked staff to begin deploying the radar units in the near term and to return with evaluation data and potential project recommendations.
