Mayor Walsh, Fifth District Councilor Joe Driscoll and First District Councilor Joe Carni introduced the speed hump pilot program at a new installation on Stafford Avenue in Eastwood.
Syracuse, N.Y. – Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh on Friday September 10th, introduced speed humps on five selected city streets to deter speeding and increase pedestrian safety on residential and park roads. Through a pilot program managed by the Syracuse Department of Public Works (DPW), construction of the humps, which are a wider and more durable version of speed bumps, started this week.
“DPW’s new speed hump pilot program is one of the ways the City is helping to keep pedestrians and drivers safe,” said Mayor Walsh. “In many Syracuse neighborhoods, we’re hearing concerns about speeding on streets where there are children at play and families actively enjoying the outdoors. That’s unacceptable. Our goal is to evaluate effectiveness of speed humps and determine if the program can be expanded in the near future.”
The speed hump sites for the pilot program meet specific traffic and road criteria as determined by the engineering and design process. The pilot sites, which include signage and pavement markings alerting drivers to the speed humps, are:
- Burnet Park Drive (Tipperary Hill Neighborhood – Park)
- Shonnard Street (Near West Side Neighborhood)
- Onondaga Park Drive (Strathmore Neighborhood – Park)
- Stafford Avenue (Eastwood Neighborhood)
- North Edwards Avenue (Eastwood Neighborhood)
Data will be collected to evaluate the impact of the pilot program. Radar speed readers will be located at each of the initial locations to collect before and after median speed and vehicle count information. The City will use the data to evaluate the program and make determinations regarding the pilot sites and potential other locations. All speed humps are designed and constructed to not impede emergency services and plowing operations.
The speed hump pilot is the most recent measure the City has taken to calm traffic. In March 2021, the Department of Engineering sought public input for the City’s Pedestrian Action Plan (PSAP), scheduled to be implemented later this year. The plan includes a project to upgrade crosswalks and create a pedestrian-safe environment by adding more stop signs and traffic signals citywide.
DPW is also working with the Syracuse Police Department (SPD) to place mobile speed trailers with radar signs in different areas for one week at a time. Speeding motorists are met with a view of the flashing miles per hour indicator as a reminder to adhere to the posted speed limit, while the speed trailer simultaneously records the speed for review by the City.
