CCP420 Speed Humps
CITY OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO
COUNCIL POLICY
SUBJECT: Effective Policy
Page Date Number
INSTALLATION OF
SPEED HUMPS 1 of 2 12/07/2005 420
It is a policy of the City Council that speed humps may be installed in residential
neighborhoods when certain criteria are met. The criteria are:
- A petition from adjacent residents on that street requesting installation of speed
humps.
- A posted or prima facie speed of 25 mph.
- An 85th percentile speed of 30 mph or greater.
- Appropriate street geometrics, including a minimum 300 feet of sight distance, no
more than one lane in each direction and street grades not exceeding 10% (steeper
grades may be approved based on an engineering evaluation).
- Diversion of traffic to other residential streets shall be within acceptable limits as
determined by the City Engineer.
These criteria area based on test results developed by other cities, as well as on the City of
San Juan Capistrano=s own speed hump demonstration project. The experience of these
tests has been that speed humps, when properly designed and constructed, and utilized in
appropriate applications, are effective in reducing traffic speeds.
However, the installation of speed humps may be controversial in that:
1. Additional signs and striping may detract from the appearance of a neighborhood.
2. Noise levels may increase as vehicles pass over a speed hump.
3. Some homeowners may prefer not to be forced to negotiate speed humps in their
own neighborhoods.
4. Emergency response time to the neighborhood may be increased by the installation
of speed humps.
Therefore, the approval process for speed hump locations and the design must be carefully
considered.
The speed humps will conform to the following design standards:
1. The speed hump shall be twelve feet wide and three inches high.
2. A warning sign stating ASpeed Bump(s)@ will be installed in advance of the hump or
series of humps. A 15 mph speed advisory sign will be posted below the ASpeed
Bump@ warning sign.
3. Pavement markings including one foot wide, white longitudinal ladder markings, will
be painted on each hump at six feet on center.
CITY OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO
COUNCIL POLICY
SUBJECT: Effective Policy
Page Date Number
INSTALLATION OF
SPEED HUMPS 1 of 2 12/07/2005 420
4 Eight foot high ABump@ legends shall be painted on the pavement in advance of the
hump or series of humps.
5. Speed humps will be located near street lights and property lines when possible and
spaced 250 to 300 feet apart or as determined by the City Engineer.
PROCEDURE FOR CONSIDERING THE INSTALLATION OF SPEED HUMPS
A. Annually, the Engineering and Building Department will recommend to the City
Council a budget for the installation of speed humps. The City Council will approve
an appropriate budget.
B. A petition must be submitted to the City Traffic Engineer, requesting the installation
of speed humps. The petition shall contain signatures from 67% of the adjacent
residents or property owners of parcels that are directly affected by speeding traffic,
defined as having parcel frontage on the street for which speed humps are being
requested.
C. Fire, Paramedic and Police Services will be consulted on the affect to their
emergency response times to the neighborhood if speed humps are installed.
D. The City Traffic Engineer will analyze the requested speed hump locations(s) in
terms of the criteria described in this policy.
E. If the speed hump petition meets the adopted criteria, the City Traffic Engineer will
recommend to the City Council approval of the installation of speed humps at the
requested location.
If the funds budgeted for speed hump installation have been expended, the project will be
placed on a waiting list (in the order received by the Traffic Engineer) for the following fiscal
year.
###