The town council of Signal Mountain is dealing with a traffic problem caused by increased traffic to and from Signal Mountain Middle High School and Nolan Elementary. Mayor Dick Gee said, “This is a tough issue that we wouldn’t have to deal with if everyone would drive responsibly.”
The main concern is for safety and in November the council agreed to try to fix the problem by installing four speed bumps on streets leading to the schools. The goal was to reduce speed and unwanted through traffic.
A traffic count was done by the city for the primary route to the schools in October, which showed 987 vehicles daily.
From Jan. 13 –Feb. 4, after four speed bumps were installed, this average number was 865. No earlier data is available. The council was told that the reduction could have been the result of the speed bumps but could also be a variation caused by other factors.
The town also asked for help from the Municipal Technical Advisory Service’s transportation assistance program, which is a resource from the University of Tennessee that is available for all municipalities. At a special meeting/work session Friday afternoon, the council and a room full of interested residents heard a traffic calming presentation from Matt Cate and Sharon Rollins, representatives from MTAS. It suggested a process to follow and various options that are available.
Mr. Cate told the council that a three-step approach was suggested to help with the problem. The first is educational with the purpose of making drivers aware they are going too fast. Speed trailers and distribution of traffic safety brochures can be used to raise safety concerns, he said. The next step would be enforcement with increased police patrols or presence, and radar checks leading to warnings or citations and fines. If this does not work, engineered solutions could be employed. This step would involve physical changes to the roads. He noted the first two were less costly and less permanent. Ball park costs for engineering studies alone, ranged from $5,000-$30,000 depending on the scope of the study said Ms. Rollins.
The type of speed bumps that were installed in November is intended for use in parking lots where traffic moves five-ten miles per hour, said the traffic engineer. On roadways speed humps - which are 10 to 20 feet in length - should be used on through roads. Other devices available are primarily intended to narrow or create the perception of narrowing a road with the intention of slowing traffic. Some of these methods are pedestrian crossing signs in the roadway itself, flashing beacons, pavement markings, off-sets and pedestrian islands. Also used to slow down vehicles are raised intersections, chicanes that break up long straight-ways, bump-outs of the shoulders of the road to reduce the width, or traffic circles that break up space in an intersection. He said that four-way and two-way stops are not encouraged and problems with noise are created by rumble strips.
After a discussion, and noting objections by some residents to the speed bumps, it was recognized that help from an engineering firm would provide the city with not only the best solutions but also insurance from liability issues.
Mr. Cate said more data would be needed for engineering studies. The mayor said that is not the solution to the immediate problem. There has been “an outcry that we need some help,” and there is a need for action because of safety issues, he said. The engineer replied that the city is under an obligation to take action and suggested beginning with raising awareness.
City Manager Boyd Veal said that from the presentation he sees the need for expertise to formulate an appropriate response to the safety issue because no one in the city is a traffic engineer. The representatives from MTAS said the first step needed was to get neighborhood participation of at least 50 percent approval from the affected residents. Mayor Gee suggested hiring a consultant to determine if there is a problem or a need exists and proposed to “back up and start over” by removing two speed bumps that remain after snowplows obliterated the other two.
This suggestion was met with concern of liability since the town had identified a problem in the locations, prior to installation of the four speed bumps. It was decided to do nothing at this time and table the issue until getting an opinion from Town Attorney Phil Noblett at the next meeting in two weeks.
In other business, the council authorized the purchase of extraction equipment for use by the fire department. Councilman Robert Spalding said this is the best rescue tool of any department in the area. Signal Mountain deals with many road issues involving vehicles that tumble over guard rails. This battery-operated equipment does not require a generator to be taken to the site. The lowest of three bids for the rescue tools was $28,339 and was unanimously approved. It is a budgeted item.
The council also heard new requirements for a loan the city is taking to fund two large projects - a new building for the public works department and a second fire hall. The loan will function as a $3 million line of credit. It will provide $2.5 million for the two buildings and flexibility for other major facilities projects if needed. The money is restricted for use on expansions or improvements but cannot be used to make repairs, the council was told by the representative from the Tennessee Municipal League. Changes have been made to simplify the language used in the document to make sure it is understood. The council was told that once the loan is closed, the terms and conditions cannot be changed for seven years. A vote on this loan will be taken at the next town council meeting.