Wrongly installed Philly speed bumps not up to standards, city controller report finds

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A new report found major concerns about speed cushions – better known as speed bumps – that have been installed on streets around Philadelphia schools.

The report from City Controller Christy Brady’s office found the actual dimensions for 99% of the speed cushions did not match the design in the blueprints.

“We looked at 140 speed cushions, and of that amount, only two were installed properly,” Brady said.

Some of the bumps were built too high, causing damage to vehicles as they passed over. Others were built too low to the ground and were not completely effective.

About 95% of the speed cushions measured in the study were too steep, meaning above a 10% grade.

Brady said many of the bumps were twice the allowable amount under the guidelines, which means drivers coming down streets who don’t slow down received an unexpected jolt, or maybe even damage to their suspension or the plastic skirts under cars that help to improve aerodynamics.

Bruce Williams told 6abc his Toyota Prius took a costly hit from a speed cushion in front of Henry Lawton Elementary in Wissahickon.

“I’m probably doing about 12 miles an hour and I still bumped my skirt on the car,” he said, pointing to scrapes and other damage to the vehicle.

Brady said cars being damaged is very common.

“There’s actually a form on the city’s website that you can fill out if your car is damaged by issues on the road,” she said.

The speed calming measures were installed by city workers and three private contractors.

“Our review shows a clear need for stronger oversight and accountability to protect public safety and ensure the effectiveness of these traffic-calming measures. And what we want are them to be fixed. Designs are correct. The issue is oversight during installation and that is fixable,” she said.

Brady said in some cases the size of the bumps cause drivers to swerve around them to avoid the bone-jarring that they cause.

“What happens is drivers driving on the road are going to encounter something much steeper than expected and that can cause damage to the undercarriage of their cars or unsafe driving patterns, swerving out of the way, maybe even avoiding the street altogether,” she said.

The Streets Department is reviewing the report. Brady said contractors should be held to doing the job right.