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Home My WebLink AboutD-1408-99 Speed Humps AMENDED ORDINANCE NO. D-1408-99 AN ORDINANCE OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARMEL, INDIANA, CREATING AND ADOPTING CHAPTER 8, ARTICLE 4, SECTION 8-38 OF THE CARMEL CITY CODE WHEREAS, increased vehicular traffic has resulted in higher traffic volumes and greater speeds on some City streets; and WHEREAS, current signed restrictions, such as speed limits and stop signs, have not fully alleviated these traffic concerns; and WHEREAS, the use of pavement undulations commonly known as "speed humps" can have a calming effect on vehicular traffic that compliments existing signed traffic restrictions; and WHEREAS, "speed humps", in order to be safe and effective, must be installed in a proper manner and with due care; and WHEREAS, the Common Council desires to establish criteria for the approval, installation and use of "speed humps" in the City. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Common Council of the City of Carmel, Indiana, as follows: 1. That Chapter 8, Article 4, Section 8-38 of the Carmel City Code is hereby created and adopted and shall read as follows: "Sec. 8-38. Speed Humps. a) A "Speed Hump" is defined as a raised area in the roadway pavement surface extending across the roadway which creates a gentle vehicular rocking motion that causes most vehicles to slow to approximately fifteen (15) miles per hour (mph) or less at each hump, and for applications of more than one speed hump, to approximately twenty-five (25) mph to thirty (30) mph between properly spaced humps. b) Speed Humps should only be installed in locations where all of the following conditions are met: (i) there is a demonstrated traffic or speeding problem and alternate measures have not sufficiently addressed the problem; (ii) the location is a 2-lane local or residential street; (iii) it is not anticipated that the installation of the Speed Hump will cause the diversion of significant amounts of traffic to another local or residential street; (iv) the road slope and curvature allow for safe installation; (v) the current posted speed limit on the street where the Speed Hump is to be placed is no greater than 30 mph; (vi) the average daily traffic (ADT) on the street where the Page One of Four Pages a) c) Speed Hump is to be placed is no greater than 3,000 vehicles per day (VPD) and no less than 200 VPD; and, (vii) the installation of the Speed Hump is deemed advisable by the City Engineer or his/her designee, based upon sound engineering judgment. When more than one Speed Hump is to be installed on a street, the Speed Humps should be spaced between 250 and 600 feet apart, and should not be placed on City blocks or cul-de-sac streets that are less than 500 feet in length. In addition, Speed Humps should only be considered for installation in neighborhoods or subdivisions where seventy-five percent (75%) or more of the homeowners in the affected neighborhood or subdivision have indicated in writing that they are in favor of Speed Hump installation, except in instances where the Common Council, with the concurrence of the City Engineer, determines that a Speed Hump may nevertheless be appropriate in an area where such homeowner support has not been demonstrated. In any neighborhood or subdivision where the installation of a Speed Hump is being considered, the following Point System shall be used to determine whether the installation of a Speed Hump is justified. In this regard, to be considered by the Common Council, a proposed Speed Hump installation location must be awarded a minimum cumulative total of twenty-five (25) points under the criteria listed below, and otherwise meet the requirements contained herein for Speed Hump installation: (i) Accident History: The number of reported vehicular accidents that have occurred during the previous thirty-six (36) calendar months within two thousand (2000) feet of the area being considered for a Speed Hump shall be tabulated. The proposed location shall receive four (4) points per reported accident per 1,000 feet of the street segment being considered. Any accidents occurring at the intersection of an exiting street and a major arterial or collector street shall not be considered in this point assignment. · Example: 2 accidents on the 1500 foot street segment being considered for a Speed Hump -- 2 x 4 x 1000/1500 = 5.3 points (ii) School Zones: The number of public and private schools located within two thousand (2000) feet of the area being considered for a Speed Hump shall be tabulated. The proposed location shall receive three (3) points for each such school. · Example: 3 schools located in the area being considered for a Speed Hump = 9 points (iii) Average Daily Traffic Volume: The number of vehicles traveling on a given day (24 hour period) through the area being considered for a Speed Hump shall be tabulated. The total number of such vehicles shall be divided by one hundred (100). The resulting number shall be the points awarded for traffic volume. · Example: 900 vehicles travel in the area being considered for a Speed Hump. 900 + 100 = 9 points Amended Ordinance No. D-1408-99 Page Two of Four Pages (iv) Vehicle Speed: The speed of each vehicle traveling on a given day (24 hour period) through the area being considered for a Speed Hump shall be tabulated. The posted speed limit at the proposed location shall be subtracted from the 851h percentile speed of such vehicles. The resulting number shall be the points awarded for vehicle speed. Example: 85th percentile of the speed of vehicles traveling in the area being considered for a Speed Hump is 34 mph. Posted speed limit is 30 mph. 34-30 = 4 points (v) Pedestrian Served Facilities: If the area being considered for a Speed Hump lies within a 1,000-foot radius of a pedestrian served facility, such as, but not limited to, a park, church, shopping center, elderly or group housing facility, the proposed location shall receive three (3) points for each such facility, up to a total of six (6) points. Example: 2 churches and 1 park are located within 1000 feet of the area being considered for a Speed Hump. 3 x 3 =9 points, reduced to a maximum of 6 points d) All Speed Humps installed in the City after the effective date of this Ordinance shall be established by ordinance. e) All Speed Humps installed in the City after the effective date of this Ordinance shall be designed and/or approved by the City Engineer, or his/her designee, using current, locally accepted standards. All Speed Humps installed in the City after the effective date of this Ordinance shall be constructed and maintained by the City Street Department or its designee, using current, locally accepted standards. g) The City Street Department, or its designee, shall post appropriate signs and markings on all public streets on which Speed Humps have been installed, clearly indicating thereon the existence of same. h) The cost of Speed Humps installed and/or removed pursuant to this Ordinance shall be the responsibility of the City. Unless the Common Council directs otherwise, all approved Speed Hump installations shall be constructed in the order which they are approved, contingent upon available funding. The Common Council, after consultation with the City Engineer, may cause to be removed an existing Speed Hump when it has been determined by the Common Council that the Speed Hump: (i) has proven ineffective in resolving the speeding or traffic problem in the area; (ii) has caused the diversion of significant amounts of traffic to neighboring streets, thereby Amended Ordinance No. D- 1408-99 Page Three of Four Pages d) creating a traffic or speeding problem thereon; (iii) has been requested to be removed by the written petition of seventy-five percent (75%) or more of the homeowners in the affected neighborhood or subdivision; and/or, (iv) has otherwise become an inappropriate or unsafe means of calming traffic. 2. This Ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after the date of its passage, execution by the Mayor and such publication as is required by law. 3. All prior ordinances or parts thereof inconsistent with any provision of this Ordinance are hereby repealed as of the effective date of this Ordinance. PASSED by the Co o Council of the City of Carmel, Indiana, this/7 day of ~ ,1999, by a vote f~~ ayes and C) nays. ' ijng__...)1: / MMON COUNCIL FOR THE CITY F CARMEL~ Offi r -, , ir ,/ Billy Walker ATT~~, Diana L. Cordray, I~C,C~leTreasurer Presented by me to the Mayor of the City of Carmel, Indian , 1999. ~ ' Treasurer Approved by me, the Mayor of the City of Carmel, Indiana, this /l day of ~ , 1999. as~~rai~d~,Ma ~5557 J yor ' ATTEST: ~/94~~2 Diana L. Cordray, IAMC, Clerk-Treas~r Amended Ordinance No. D- 1408-99 Page Four of Four Pages