Speed humps

April 12, 1999

The residents of East Third Avenue have a problem. Cars and trucks speed along the boulevard in increasing numbers, posing a threat to the safety of pedestrians. Some residents believe they risk their lives merely by crossing the street.

And they believe, with justification, that the problem is about to get worse. The city has allowed East Third to decay so badly that its potholes alone keep speeds down. With reconstruction under way this year, speeding will soon be easier than ever.

In response to all this, the Boulevard Neighborhood Association asked the City Council last week to install speed humps. One hundred ninety households asked for the humps in petitions. The council turned them down. With some reluctance, we conclude that the council’s decision is the correct one. But we nonetheless think the city could, and should, provide some help.

A speed hump is not quite the same as a speed bump. A bump is intended to slow traffic nearly to a stop. A hump, a 4-inch rise, is designed to slow traffic but still allow driving up to about 25 mph. Humps allow snowplows to function at reasonable speeds.

Mindful of humps’ effects on driver comfort, the Institute of Transportation Engineers has established national criteria for their use. The institute recommends them only on two-lane streets that provide purely local access where speeding and speed-related accidents are problems.

In 1996, the City Council adopted its own policy on speed humps. Among other things, the policy says they would are to be allowed only on local streets with traffic volumes between 300 and 3,000 vehicles a day and not on any street that is a primary emergency-vehicle route.

East Third fails both these tests. It is a four-lane boulevard and a principal route from the north side of town to the south. Its average traffic volume is 11,000 vehicles a day. Despite some speeding, the Durango Police Department says average speeds still fall under the posted 25 mph limit. And Centura Health-Mercy Medical Center uses the Boulevard as a primary emergency-response route for ambulances.

Some problems attend any effort to find alternative ways to improve safety. One is topographic: The Animas River valley is narrow through Durango, forcing ever-growing volumes of traffic to funnel through a small area. Another is political: Though municipal leaders might deny it, the city has not put its heart into pedestrian protection. The warning signs posted last year on Main and East Second avenues have reappeared this spring, but they are a token effort.

Alternatives are necessary. East Third is a residential street, and its residents — and the rest of us, including summer tourists — should not have to feel constantly threatened by speeding drivers. The city might consider stepped-up police patrols and increased use of "smart trailers," which remind speeders to slow down by telling them how fast they are driving. Another option is prolonged, widespread public education aimed at changing drivers’ attitudes.

A safer East Third Avenue will benefit everyone.