The Austin City Council has set aside $100,000 this fiscal year for
installation of speed humps on residential streets, and may budget more for
next year, depending on the success of this year’s program.
Eligible streets must be no wider than two lanes, with a posted or prima
facie speed limit no greater than 30 mph, and must not be used for a bus route.
To apply for speed hump approval, citizens need to present a petition signed by
two-thirds of all households and businesses adjacent to the project street. The
city will then assign points to the project based on accident histories on the
street, presence of nearby “pedestrian generators,” such as schools, and
studies of speeds and traffic volumes.
As of press time, the city has received more than 300 requests for streets
to receive speed humps. At $1,000 per hump, that’s more than three times the
amount budgeted. Streets with the highest number of points will receive
priority in the funding, and residents may have to share in the costs,
according to a sliding scale determined by the number of points assigned to
their project.
Citizens willing to completely finance their own street’s project may have
the speed humps installed without going through the prioritization
process.
For more information, call Joan Hudson at the Department of Public Works
and Trans-portation, 499-7012. – N.E.
This article appears in June 9 • 1995 and June 9 • 1995 (Cover).