At the same time, the city has expanded the program by making more blocks eligible for traffic calming measures. Residents on narrow arterial streets and shorter blocks can now make requests. And they can look up their block online to see if it’s eligible.
State highways and arterials, as well as curving roads or roads with uphill or downhill grades of 15% or more, are not eligible for review.
Once a request is made, the city will assign a preliminary priority score, another tweak to the system. Previously, the city fielded requests on a first-come, first-served basis.
The priority score is based on safety data, pedestrian activity, and equity data, including neighborhood demographics. Final scores will dictate the order in which approved blocks receive traffic calming measures. Additionally, requesting residents won’t have to gather and submit a neighborhood petition until later in the process.
In the past, residents had to submit the petition with their initial request.
“That we heard was quite frustrating when residents found out that their location wasn’t eligible for example, or they found out that they weren’t going to move forward to construction,” said Reynolds.