[Summit] What's Next for the Traffic Calming Project?

[Jack Templin]

John,
Thank you for your thorough response--very informative.

I am a new Summit resident so please take my comments in that context.
Overall, I am in favor of the traffic calming project -- both what I've read
in BETA's Plan as well as what I've seen constructed recently on our side
streets. More specifically:

1. I think the best part of the Phase I, is the "cleaning up" of messy
intersections like at Camp/Rochambeau/Dana and Summit/Brewster/Memorial. I
believe these intersections are much clearer and safer now.
2. I am less impressed thus far with the extent to which I have witnessed
the more typical bump-outs (e.g. Summit/Dexterdale) actually slow traffic.
My take on this, is that since at most times, on most of our side streets,
there is only a single vehicle moving in a single direction, drivers still
have two full lanes of width in which to speed, regardless of the new
bump-outs. I would imagine that painting median lines on the side streets
would help, by creating more of the "visual friction" that BETA describes.
(Are there plans to do so?)
3. While not a primary objective, I think overall Phase I is very
attractive, and especially like the new trees.

I commend all involved in Phase I, and hope that Phase II won't be far away.
I would like to see the Hope St. improvements (especially in the "shops"
area) addressed next.
Best regards,
Jack Templin

On 11/7/05, Summit-request at sna.providence.ri.us <
Summit-request at sna.providence.ri.us> wrote:
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> 1. Re: What's Next for the Traffic Calming Project? (John Bazik)
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> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Mon, 7 Nov 2005 10:30:07 -0500
> From: jsb at cs.brown.edu (John Bazik)
> Subject: Re: [Summit] What's Next for the Traffic Calming Project?
> To: Summit at sna.providence.ri.us
> Message-ID: <20051107153007.GA4759 at cs.brown.edu>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> On Sat, Nov 05, 2005 at 12:57:12PM -0500, Jack Templin wrote:
> > Hi All,
> > I read BETA's Traffic Calming Plan yesterday, and have watched the
> recent
> > construction of bump-outs on many of our side streets.
> >
> > I haven't, however, been able to find online any information about what,
> if
> > anything is, next? Are future proposed projects (the Hope Street shops
> > district improvements) from BETA's plan approved? budgeted? Scheduled?
> >
> > Thanks for any information.
> >
> > Jack Templin
>
> This is it for now. The city, our councilman and SNA all agreed that it
> would make sense to do the project in phases, in order to gauge public
> acceptance, evaluate its effect on traffic, and allow for traffic
> patterns to adjust to the changes. The new traffic calming features
> may be sufficient in some places, and may displace traffic onto other
> streets - it's hard to know for sure what will happen.
>
> The total cost for the BETA plan was around $2 million. The project
> you see cost around $700,000, so it's about 1/3.
>
> As always, it's a question of money. Kevin Jackson paid for this
> project from his share of a city bond issue from 2000. Under the current
> administration, I would guess that further bonding is unlikely. We have
> discussed using Federal "main street" dollars to fund the work on the
> commercial corridor (and that was a key reason for leaving it out of
> the current work).
>
> The Dept of Planning is enthusiastic about our traffic calming. I was
> told the other day by a city planner that other neighborhoods like what
> they see over here and want some for themselves. I believe that the
> folks at planning would like to establish a city-wide traffic calming
> program like some other cities have, and do it all in-house. This would
> lower the cost and make it part of what they do, instead of a special
> one-time project, like ours.
>
> But the bottom line is that no further work is budgeted or scheduled.
> Much depends on the reaction, so if you like it, be sure to say something!
> Those who hate it are not holding back.
>
> John
>
>
>
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> End of Summit Digest, Vol 9, Issue 2
> ************************************
>
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