The specifics
Director of Development Services Travis Tanner said during the meeting that the city conducted a traffic study on the street from April 2-21. The study found that 71% of the vehicles were not speeding, while 29% were above the speed limit, with 12.6% of those “excessively speeding,” which means driving five miles per hour above the posted speed limit.
Resident Reagan Hiner lives on the block and gave a presentation about the proposal and suggested different solutions the council could enact to help residents feel safer, including:
- Adding sidewalks
- Lowering the speed limit
- Installing surveillance/reporting
- More signs
- Closing off the west entrance
- Adding speed bumps
How we got here
Nineteen out of 23 property owners on Braeburn Drive submitted a petition March 10, requesting that three speed bumps be added to deter speeding, protect pedestrians and curb cut-through traffic on the residential street.
According to the residents’ petition, they claim that the Edwards Marijuana Family dispensary located 100 yards from the entrance to Braeburn has led to an uptick in speeding cut-through traffic.
Although the speed limit is 30 miles per hour, the petition said that Braeburn’s long, wide layout allows vehicles to reach 40 to 50 miles per hour. The petition also states that the scenic appeal of the block makes it a popular shortcut for drivers aiming to bypass lights on Bissonnet Street.
What they’re saying
While residents voiced their support to keep the street safe during the May 5 meeting, several shared different solutions to how the city could slow down speedy drivers and enhance pedestrian safety.
Resident Forrest Jenkins said he believes the speed bumps will just cause “wear and tear” to cars, and drivers will just detour and speed at other streets.
“Why are we spending millions and millions of dollars on our roadways to make them beautiful, smooth [and] nice, just to put hazards on them?” Jenkins said. “If they were safe, we would have them in our school zones, we would have every street surrounding our school zones with speed bumps—but they aren’t.”
Resident Laney Gordon said although she wants the street and her neighbors to be safe, she is opposed to the speed bumps, and believes adding sidewalks to the block would provide better safety for residents.
Meanwhile, resident Bharat Raval said he has been living on the street for 30 years and supports adding three speed bumps to the street.
“What we are trying to do with speed humps is to prevent accidents...” Raval said. “If we can cut down even one accident, one injury, then that's a positive thing.”
What’s next
According to the agenda item, City Council will decide on the project June 2, and if approved, the project will be tested with a temporary traffic device for a period of not less than 180 days. After the 180-day trial period, a second public hearing will be held and then City Council will ultimately decide on the project in a future meeting.
If disapproved, residents can’t file a new request for the same or similar project for two years.
