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Dedham is looking at bumpy roads ahead – by design.
In an attempt to reduce cut through traffic and speeding, selectmen approved a traffic calming policy at its meeting on Thursday, Jan. 26.
In the future, that could mean speed bumps, lane narrowing, traffic circles and textured pavement. For now it means residents have a place to go to file concerns about town roads, according to Dedham Director of Engineering David Field.
“We have a lot of requests for traffic calming throughout the town,” Field said. “People always have complaints about traffic volume and speed.”
Traffic calming, defined in Dedham’s new policy, consists of retrofitting roads with features that force drivers to slow down and pay more attention to their surroundings.
While there are many effective ways to achieve this, traffic calming is not appropriate on many roads, according to Field.
Roads designed to slow traffic can divert traffic onto side roads unfit for high volumes of vehicles, Field said.
“Poorly thought out traffic calming does work,” Field said. “Some people may like it and some may not and you don’t want to create a problem.”
Dedham’s new policy establishes a transportation advisory committee to study where traffic calming measures are needed and where they would be detrimental, Field said.
The committee would make a recommendation to the Board of Selectmen, who have the final authority for traffic calming as the town’s road commissioners. Town Meeting may also have the power of pulling funding for unpopular projects, depending on how the funding mechanism is set up, according to Field.
While Field said he has no current recommendations for streets to have traffic calming, he said there have been many requests.
One such request came from former Dedham Police Chief Dennis Teehan, whose daughter lives on Whiting Avenue. Cars frequently speed on that road, whose speed limit is 20, according to Teehan and several Whiting Avenue residents.
“That could be considered,” Field said of Whiting Avenue.
Traffic calming is not stop signs, traffic signals, turn restrictions or speed limits, all of which are regulatory traffic controls.
While regulatory controls seek to influence drivers through the law and require enforcement, traffic calming is designed to be self-enforcing, according to Dedham’s new policy. Drivers are slowed down by the physical characteristics of the roadway, the policy states.
Citizens, town boards and departments may make requests for traffic calming, and a minimum of one resident signature is required on a form. There is, however, room for additional signatures.
To read the full policy and see a traffic calming request form, visit www.dedham-ma.gov/index.cfm?cdid=21045&pid=12649.
Staff writer Dave Eisenstadter can be reached at 781-433-8336 or deisenstadter@wickedlocal.com.
Dedham is looking at bumpy roads ahead – by design.
In an attempt to reduce cut through traffic and speeding, selectmen approved a traffic calming policy at its meeting on Thursday, Jan. 26.
In the future, that could mean speed bumps, lane narrowing, traffic circles and textured pavement. For now it means residents have a place to go to file concerns about town roads, according to Dedham Director of Engineering David Field.
“We have a lot of requests for traffic calming throughout the town,” Field said. “People always have complaints about traffic volume and speed.”
Traffic calming, defined in Dedham’s new policy, consists of retrofitting roads with features that force drivers to slow down and pay more attention to their surroundings.
While there are many effective ways to achieve this, traffic calming is not appropriate on many roads, according to Field.
Roads designed to slow traffic can divert traffic onto side roads unfit for high volumes of vehicles, Field said.
“Poorly thought out traffic calming does work,” Field said. “Some people may like it and some may not and you don’t want to create a problem.”
Dedham’s new policy establishes a transportation advisory committee to study where traffic calming measures are needed and where they would be detrimental, Field said.
The committee would make a recommendation to the Board of Selectmen, who have the final authority for traffic calming as the town’s road commissioners. Town Meeting may also have the power of pulling funding for unpopular projects, depending on how the funding mechanism is set up, according to Field.
While Field said he has no current recommendations for streets to have traffic calming, he said there have been many requests.
One such request came from former Dedham Police Chief Dennis Teehan, whose daughter lives on Whiting Avenue. Cars frequently speed on that road, whose speed limit is 20, according to Teehan and several Whiting Avenue residents.
“That could be considered,” Field said of Whiting Avenue.
Traffic calming is not stop signs, traffic signals, turn restrictions or speed limits, all of which are regulatory traffic controls.
While regulatory controls seek to influence drivers through the law and require enforcement, traffic calming is designed to be self-enforcing, according to Dedham’s new policy. Drivers are slowed down by the physical characteristics of the roadway, the policy states.
Citizens, town boards and departments may make requests for traffic calming, and a minimum of one resident signature is required on a form. There is, however, room for additional signatures.
To read the full policy and see a traffic calming request form, visit www.dedham-ma.gov/index.cfm?cdid=21045&pid=12649.
Staff writer Dave Eisenstadter can be reached at 781-433-8336 or deisenstadter@wickedlocal.com.
