How do you confirm that a speeding problem exists?

When we are informed of a concern regarding excessive vehicular speeds on a City street, staff will initiate an engineering study. This study will determine the extent of the problem and, if necessary, what corrective measures are appropriate. Some traffic engineering questions considered are:

• Is the roadway posted adequately and appropriately with speed limit signs?
• Are the existing signs visible?
• Are there any special roadway geometrics?
• What is the volume of vehicles that use this roadway each day?
• How fast are the vehicles actually traveling?
• Does the reported accident history show a pattern of excessive speed as a contributing factor?

Once all this data is gathered and analyzed, staff get a clear picture of the actual conditions. If the study indicates that a problem exists, corrective action is taken. One of the actions might be the use of the radar driven display board.

Can these trailers be used on every street?

Although many residents would like to have a radar trailer placed on their street, finding an appropriate area to physically place a trailer is not always easy. In order to be effective the trailer must be placed in a location that allows the radar unit to have a clear path to the approaching vehicles. Often times it is not possible to put the trailer in the "absolute" best place to deter speeders because of limited parkway space, ditches or sloping right-of-way, existing trees and shrubbery, driveways, sprinkler systems, delicate lawns, utility poles and many other types obstructions.

Sometimes the residents that request the trailer on their street must be willing to allow it to be placed on their lawn if no other suitable area is available.

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