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Council moves to update traffic‑calming ordinance and collect Covington Street speed data
Summary
Council directed staff to work with the city engineer on an updated traffic‑calming ordinance (citizen petitions, cost‑share rules and engineering standards), and staff reported it will conduct two phases of portable speed data collection on Covington Street to support any speed‑limit change or calming device decisions.
Councilwoman Long (speaker 5) renewed a push to modernize the city’s traffic‑calming ordinance, saying the current petition threshold and cost‑sharing scheme are antiquated and have blocked neighborhoods from getting devices for years. She asked the city attorney and public‑works staff to draft changes and consult the city engineer; city attorney Paul (speaker 12) recommended staff ensure any ordinance changes conform to accepted engineering practices and the design manuals used to evaluate speed and device appropriateness.
On Covington Street specifically, Public Works staff (speaker 3) reported the radar‑sign data contained “trash” and was unusable for an engineering study. Staff will do two phases of portable data collection and send the results to the retained engineer; if the study supports a lower limit, the council may vote to request a state permit for enforcement. Staff also discussed trade‑offs—costs of physical devices, potential impacts on emergency response times, and different design options such as speed tables, islands or engineered separators—and said design and maintenance considerations should guide any policy change.
Council agreed to pursue a staff‑led update that includes engineer input, clarify cost‑share options, and return with a draft ordinance and technical findings by next month or as soon as feasible.
