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SITE NAVIGATION

Vision Zero: Transportation Safety

Traffic Calming

Setting Speed Limits

Vision Zero: Transportation Safety

Traffic Calming

FAQ & traffic investigator map

The Traffic Investigations team responds to customer questions and requests for various traffic safety concerns. Safety concerns are brought to staff’s attention through both a data driven process of crash analysis and customer requests.

The small but mighty team of 4-5 Traffic Investigators conducts approximately 1,000 investigations per year to address traffic safety concerns citywide. When customers contact Transportation, Traffic Investigators interview the customer and use City Code, local, State, and Federal engineering design standards, guidance, and best practices to evaluate site conditions and recommend improvements. Each investigation may take several weeks to complete depending on the complexity of the concern and research needed. Some of the subjects that may be reviewed include school safety, speeding, crosswalks, stop signs, traffic signal operations, and traffic signs and markings clarity.

Commonly requested Traffic Investigations

Speeding - We'll suggest methods or City programs to slow traffic on your street.

Are you concerned about speeding in your neighborhood? Depending on the situation we can suggest speed limit signs and legends, speed radar boards, police enforcement, or speed humps/lumps. Speed radar boards are useful for educating motorists on the posted speed limit and their actual speed. Speed humps are another effective speed control tool. You can get more information about the speed hump program.

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Crosswalks - We'll initiate a crosswalk review in your neighborhood.

Under the California Vehicle Code, crosswalks exist at all intersections unless otherwise prohibited with signs. Crosswalks may be marked or unmarked. The City typically uses two types of marked crosswalks including standard (two white lines) at controlled locations and high visibility “triple-four” crosswalks at uncontrolled locations or locations on the High Injury Network. After careful evaluation, crosswalks may be installed based on pedestrian usage, the need to identify a safe crossing, or to reduce conflicts between pedestrians and vehicular traffic.

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Stop Signs - We'll send an investigator out to evaluate for stop signs.

The most requested sign is a STOP sign. We consider traffic volume, collision history, pedestrian traffic, vehicle speed, intersection visibility, land use and adjacent traffic controls. After careful consideration and an engineering study, a STOP sign may be installed to enhance traffic safety.

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Intersection visibility - We'll suggest signs and markings to enhance safety.

Are you having trouble looking around parked cars, bushes or other obstructions when pulling out of a side street? Traffic and pedestrian safety concerns can sometimes be addressed with proper signs or markings. Traffic investigators will collect information from you and research the site to determine if signs or pavement markings can help. Parking restriction, advanced advisory signs, marked crosswalks, bike lane striping and bike route legends may be installed as a result of a traffic investigation.

Share micromobility (aka shared rideables) is managed by Transportation. More information is available here.

Education around biking and scooting is available through Public Works. Did you know the City has offered a free monthly Urban Biking and Scooting Class since 2017. Learn more biking and scooting!

Speed lumps

Speed humps/lumps are raised "bumps" placed across residential streets. They are designed to calm traffic in residential areas and near parks and schools. The City of Sacramento began constructing raised devices in 1980 in response to neighborhood speeding problems. Speed humps are twelve feet wide, 3 1/4" to 3 3/4" high and extend across the width of the road.

Speed lumps are similar to humps with the exception that they have at least one cut-out five feet six inches wide designed to accommodate the wheelbase of fire trucks and buses. The City has found that speed lumps are just as effective as speed humps and are most commonly used.

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Each year, speed lumps are installed on residential streets or minor collectors that experience excessive speeding. Since this type of traffic calming treatment is best used on lower volume streets within residential neighborhoods, locations of need are typically identified by residents. Any resident may reach out to Traffic Investigations via 311 to request a speed lump evaluation for their street segment. After an evaluation process to make sure a location is qualified per the City’s Speed Lump Guidelines criteria, it is added to the annual list for funding consideration. Speed Lumps can only be installed during cool dry weather. City maintenance crews schedule the installations in either the Fall or Spring.

Qualifying criteria

Unless chronic speeding problems exist on your street, speed lumps are not warranted. A residential street will qualify for the City's Speed Lump Program based on the following criteria:

The two-lane street must be mainly residential or else have a park or school on the street.
The residential street (or the part being considered) must be at least 750 feet long with no four-way intersections.
There can be no other traffic control devices on the street segment such as four-way stop signs, traffic signals, etc.
The speed limit must be 30 miles per hour or less.
Speeding of 5 miles per hour or higher over the speed limit occurs on the street.
Street must be approved by Regional Transit and the Fire Department.

Street selection

To ensure that every neighborhood gets fair and consistent consideration, three speed lump priority lists are maintained for residential streets, bypass streets and streets with parks or schools. Traffic engineers rank the streets on each list according to the following criteria:

Average number of vehicles that use the street per day.
Speed at which vehicles travel on the street.
Number of residences, parks or schools facing the street.

Although a street may be near the top of one of these priority lists, installation of speed lumps is not guaranteed. In order to be considered, there must be enough funding in the program budget to build speed lumps and affected residents must demonstrate overwhelming support. A voting ballot is mailed to all residents living on the street under consideration. One vote is allocated per household and two-thirds of the ballots returned to the city must be in favor of the speed lumps to authorize construction.

Other traffic calming measures

The Transportation Division addresses traffic concerns through traffic calming methods in a variety of ways. There are many devices used to slow traffic, reduce traffic volumes and address other traffic related issues on residential local and collector streets.

Other traffic calming devices that are identified on a case-by-case basis, include traffic circles, curb extensions, pedestrian median islands, and raised elements such as vertical delineators. There is currently no dedicated program with funding allocated for installing these treatments specifically. However, in response to the Vision Zero Action Plan, these are some of the treatments used to address traffic safety issues on the High Injury Network.

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Traffic counts

Traffic volume counts are collected periodically as well as on an as-needed basis to make engineering evaluations. Counts are collected to support various planning and design efforts or to aid in Engineering and Traffic Studies.

Review the traffic count data.

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