Neighborhood Street Safety

The City of St. Helens is committed to ensuring the overall safety and livability of residential neighborhoods. One way to meet this commitment is through a collaboration of City staff and property owners to manage traffic in neighborhoods and address documented traffic concerns. The Traffic Calming Program provides a process to request, evaluate, and implement appropriate traffic calming measures. It is the policy of the City of St. Helens that motor vehicles traveling in excess of posted speed limits present a threat to public safety and should be addressed using the least intrusive methods available that will be effective for a given situation. Enforcement is the preferred method of abatement. Where the necessary level of enforcement is unattainable, engineered measures may be considered.

A simple traffic calming tool like a speed hump can reduce car speeds and create a more comfortable environment for those that live, walk, and bike in our neighborhoods. Speed humps are not like the speed bumps you may encounter in a parking lot. Speed humps are gradual mounds of asphalt built into the pavement. They are about 3 inches high and between 12 and 14 feet long and are comfortable to drive over at 20 miles per hour or less.

The goals of the program are to:

• Reduce traffic speeds to a safe and appropriate limit
• Address speeding and reckless driving
• Create a safe neighborhood environment

Speed Hump Request Process

A resident interested in pursuing the installation of speed humps on a street must submit a Speed Hump Request to the Public Works Engineering Division. Engineering Division staff will make a preliminary assessment of the request to determine if the requested location is on an eligible road. If the location is on an eligible road, Engineering Division staff will determine an appropriate target area to circulate a neighborhood speed hump support petition. The target area will be determined based upon the density of the lots and the roadway use.

Neighborhood Support

Applicant shall circulate a neighborhood speed hump support petition in the area determined by the Engineering Division and shall provide documented evidence of community support for the installation of speed humps. Petition must document a minimum of seventy-five percent of the properties within the boundary area in support the installation of traffic calming measures.

Traffic Study

After the Applicant provides required community support for speed humps as required, Engineering Division staff shall conduct a traffic study to determine if the street meets the requirements for speed humps based on the criteria set forth in Section 10.20.50. Speed study shall be conducted for a minimum of 30 days.

Funding, Design, and Construction

If the street meets all criteria for speed humps, additional approval of the following agencies in support of the speed humps is required, including the Public Works Department, Planning Department, Police Department, and Fire Department

After the community engagement process has been completed, residential approval thresholds are met, and traffic calming funds have been received by the City, the Engineering Division shall complete a full engineering study of the site and develop a preliminary design proposal for the requested speed hump

A street which qualifies for speed humps may be funded by the City, when such funds become available, by an individual, or by a group of individuals

The individual or group of individuals funding speed humps must enter into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the City of St. Helens, wherein they agree to pay for all costs associated with the installation of speed humps on the street, including design, permits, construction, inspection, and administrative fees. After a MOU is executed, payment shall be made to the City of St. Helens.

The installation of speed humps shall be scheduled by the Public Works upon approval by the City Council and receipt of funds for the work.

Completion of the installation of speed humps shall be subject to work crew schedules, purchasing constraints, and appropriate weather conditions.

Evaluation, Modification, and Removal

Engineering Division staff shall evaluate speed humps and other traffic calming measures six months after installation. Traffic data shall be collected and compared to the previously collected “before” data. The comparison will evaluate the measures to determine if corrective measures or other actions are needed

With the approval of City Council, speed humps may be removed or altered at any time for the following reasons:

• Emergency response is significantly impacted
• Traffic count for the street exceeds 2,500 vehicles per day
• The City’s Public Works Director determines that it is in the best interest of public safety

Residents within the traffic calming area may request removal of the speed humps only after the measures have been in place for two years by submitting a petition to the City. The petition shall request removal of the speed humps, acknowledge that the residents shall pay for the removal, and include the signatures of at least 75% of the property owners within the calming area. Upon receipt of the petition, the City will assess the property owners within the traffic calming area for the costs and then remove the speed humps.

Speed Humps Commonly Asked Questions

What is the purpose of a speed hump?

The purpose of a speed hump is to reduce the speed of vehicles on residential roads where speeding occurs. Speed humps are not designed to reduce the volume of traffic on residential roads; However, some drivers may divert to other roads to avoid the speed humps.

What is the difference between a speed hump and a speed bump?

Speed humps are generally 3 inches to 4 inches high and 12 feet wide with a ramp length of three to up to 6 feet. Their parabolic shape is designed to permit vehicles to traverse them at reasonable speeds without significant discomfort to the passengers. Speed bumps are usually 2 feet to 3 feet wide and 4 inches to 6 inches high. They usually cannot be traversed comfortably at speeds greater than 10 miles per hour and they can deliver a shock passengers and damage vehicles. Speed bumps are not generally used on public roads and are typically found in parking lots and private roads

Are speed humps effective?

Speed humps have been shown to encourage a reduction in speed of vehicles on residential roads.

How many speed humps is typically installed on a street?

The number depends on the length of the road. For speed humps to be effective, they should be installed in a series, approximately 500 feet to 600 feet apart.

Are there any disadvantages to having speed humps on my street?

• Speed humps may result in an increase in vehicle noise.
• You may notice that some drivers will drive closer to the edge of the road so that only one side of the car goes over the speed hump, placing vehicles closer to pedestrian areas.
• Some residents may feel the additional traffic signs and road painting which accompany the installation of speed humps detract from the appearance of their neighborhood.
• Some drivers may speed up between the humps to make up for time lost while slowing down to go over the humps.
• Some residents may object to street lighting that may be associated with the speed hump.
• There could be a diversion of traffic to adjoining parallel roads from roads where speed humps are installed.
• Emergency response times are delayed approximately 10 seconds per speed hump.