Do You Need Speed Humps in Your Neighborhood?

Although the Gulfport City Council adopted a Traffic Calming Program in January, Police Chief Robert Vincent says based on about two dozen traffic surveys his department has conducted since 2010, very few streets would actually benefit from such a measure.

Of those streets targeted, Seventh Ave South between Gulfport and St. Pete has been the only one to warrant a traffic calming construction project, the chief says.

"Seventh Avenue has the volume of vehicles and the speed to warrant speed humps," Vincent said.

Vincent says for years residents have shared concerns about speeding in residential neighborhoods. Until January, Gulfport Police didn't have a process in place that would allow residents the opportunity to request a traffic analysis.

However, Vincent believes very few streets in town will actually qualify for traffic calming devices like speed humps. The perception of speeding is worse than the reality, he says.

Vincent shared traffic analysis results from a study of the 5100 block of Eighth Ave South, a street that has concerned many residents.

According to these results, Vincent says 2,051 vehicles traveled on the 5100 block of Eighth Ave South during the four days of the survey. Of those, 139 vehicles were tracked going 6 mph over the speed limit, with 28 of those driving 10 over the limit. In this case, Vincent says the numbers do not warrant traffic calming.

Vincent says many variables are taken into consideration in conjunction with traffic analyses conducted by GPD. The type of roadway, the volume of traffic, and the speed of traffic must all meet certain requirements, he says.

The Gulfport Police Department uses Automatic Traffic Recorders from JAMAR Technologies to record volume and speed.

Gulfport Patch has attached the department's traffic calming warrants checklist to this article.

If you would like to fill out an application for a traffic calming project, which includes traffic analysis, check out "Traffic Safety" on the Gulfport Police Department's website.

Related Coverage:

• Speed Humps Coming Soon to Gulfport Neighborhood
• Traffic Calming Program Coming Soon
• Are People Speeding in Your Neighborhood?

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