How do we go about getting speed bumps and traffic calming measures installed?

Earlier this week we shared via the Arrive Alive Facebook page a story titled “Bumps will not solve speed problems”. We would like to quote from the first paragraph:

“Johannesburg Transport Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) Rehanna Moosajee said on Monday adding speed bumps to a Newlands street which has seen several people killed will not necessarily solve the problem.”

Speed calming or traffic calming is an important tool for road safety authorities to reduce accidents caused by speeding motorists – especially in areas with large pedestrian movement.

So how do we go about getting speed calming devices installed in high risk areas?

This question has recently been raised via several emails addressed to the Arrive Alive website. We would like to share ons such email:

Example of request for traffic/ speed calming
“Dear Arrive Alive,

Looking at your www – I decided to pulse your organisation for guidance and of course assistance.

We live in the Southern Cape. I wrote a letter to the local authority Mossel Bay requesting traffic calming measures. This is the content of my letter:

BACKGROUND:

. To ignore our situation with persons exceeding speed regulations on our road Voorbrug Way any longer would be foolhardy.
. Our homes enter Voorbrug Way on blind corners and also from wooded properties.
. We have many narrow escapes with near collisions regularly.
. We live in rural areas where our lifestyle is one of calm. Drivers utilising the road ignore contemptuously the well signposted and clear road regulation limiting their speed to 40 KpH.
. We are convinced (know) that speeds breaking this regulation are hourly occurrences.
. The distance of road under review is 1.7 kms.
. We have children – and children remain children. We believe you’ll identify with our fear of accidents involving not only our children but us the inhabitants, visiting guests and our “four legged” family.
. We have family pets killed on the road too frequently. Speed plays its role having caused quite unnecessary loss of life and heartache.
. Rural Great Brak River has wildlife – we witness too often buck species being killed by vehicles on our road.

REQUIREMENT:

The construction of traffic calming devices.

REQUEST:

Please may we meet with you and your staff at your earliest convenience?

. To have a site meeting.
. To determine whether the construction of traffic calming is feasible?

Please advise us soonest.

We look forward to hearing from you and hope this urgent and sincere appeal has a positive outcome.

================
I received a response which in my opinion is a standard letter addressed to persons/entities requesting traffic calming. It’s my opinion they are “warning” me not to expect the response we as residents desire & it’s my opinion the letter content is negative. Do you agree with their assertion as contained in the following response?

Quote:

Dear Mr. XYZ.

A meeting to discuss speed calming measures on site will serve no purpose. The placement of any obstruction on a public road is regulated by the National Roads Traffic Regulations 2000. Council accepted a policy with specific criteria to adhere to the Regulations. The criteria entails inter alia; The average number of vehicles using the road, the number of pedestrians crossing the road, the average speed of vehicles using the road, the number of serious motor vehicle accidents over the past five years which can be attributed to excessive speeding, the presence of public facilities like schools, churches, old age homes etc. and the gradient of the street. If a street does not meet the criteria it does not qualify for speed calming measures.
An investigation will be conducted to gather the information and a decision will then be taken based on the facts obtained.
Feedback will be given to you before 2012/03 30 .
Yours faithfully

Unquote

Is their response reasonable?

As I’m sure you have dealt with requests like this on many occasions – I am sure you have an expert to guide us and hopefully steer us in order we can be best served and of course ultimately succeed with that which we the residents desire.

We the rate payers want this where we live – not where anyone else lives or drives badly.

Lastly – people who don’t reside here and have no respect for the law have more rights than us who do live here and desire to have the law upheld.

Thank you in anticipation.

Conclusion

We have also shared this with road safety specialists in Tshwane. These Requests for traffic calming measures in the City of Tshwane must be directed to:

The Director: Traffic Engineering and Operations
Roads and Stormwater Division
City of Tshwane
PO Box 1409
Pretoria
0001

Fax nr: 012 358 7731

The following information must be provided:

1. Street and area where problems are being experienced
2. Description of the problem
3. Time when problem is being experienced

It is clear from the above that the information required is well governed and that the concerned citizen has done all that is required to provide such information and now needs to wait for the analysis and findings promised by the Municipality.

Also view:

Traffic Calming, Speed Calming and Road Safety