Policy for the Implementation of Traffic Calming Measures in the City of Newark

Implementation of traffic calming measures to reduce traffic impacts on residential and collector streets in the City of Newark shall be evaluated for appropriateness in the following order: (1) resident education and selective speed limit enforcement, (2) street centerline striping, (3) stop signs, (4) chicanes, (5) center islands/medians, and (6) speed bumps. Speed bumps will only be considered as a last resort measure, and then only with the consent of the City of Newark Fire and Police Departments.

Traffic calming measures shall be implemented as follows:

Item 1:

Resident education and selective speed limit enforcement will be initiated on a time and equipment available basis by the Traffic Division of the Police Department upon receipt of any complaints about speeding traffic at a specific location.

Item 2:

Street centerline striping will be evaluated for appropriateness in the event the desired results are not achieved with Item 1.

Item 3:

Installation of stop signs at any intersection in the City will be evaluated by staff upon notice that a special problem or unique condition may exist. Stop signs will be installed only at those intersections that satisfy adopted local stop sign warrants.

Items 2 and 3 may be supplemented with rumble strips (rows of raised pavement markers across the roadway) at key locations that require extra attention to heighten driver awareness of an upcoming change in the nature of the street, such as an approach to a crosswalk or a change in the speed limit. Because rumble strips are a severe noise intrusion in a neighborhood, any request for an installation requires the same resident support as the petition and consent process stipulated for the physical roadway alterations described below.

Items 4, 5, 6:

Physical alterations to the street travelway may affect on-street parking and shall be governed by the following procedure. A request for physical traffic calming measures shall be submitted to the City Engineer in the form of a petition signed by the residents of the street or street segment with an alleged speeding problem. Only one signature per residence shall be counted for purposes of determining the extent of support for the implementation of such measures. A minimum of two-thirds of the residents on a street or street segment shall support the request for implementation of the physical measure. In addition, no less than three of four adjoining residences shall support the installation of the specific physical traffic calming measure at a specific location.

Prior to the implementation of any physical traffic calming measures, the City Engineer shall perform traffic studies to determine traffic volumes and speeds, and work with interested and concerned residents to determine which traffic calming measures are most appropriate and feasible to implement on specific streets. The City Engineer shall provide an informational report to the City Council on recommended traffic calming measures prior to the implementation of such measures. The notification shall be done in accordance with the notification procedures for restricted parking.