For residents of St. Louis city grappling with chaotic streets filled with speeding cars, loud engines, neglected stop signs, and, unfortunately, accidents, the usual course of action involves reaching out to their alderperson and hoping for the best. Some alderpersons may not take action, while those who do often opt for the most straightforward solution at their disposal: speed humps. This year alone, during the 2023-2024 session, the board approved at least 24 bills to install speed humps in multiple locations. They do this simply because they have the power to do so, irrespective of whether it truly represents the best solution for street safety.
According to 9th Ward Alderman Michael Browning, this approach is not an effective way to ensure safe residential streets. “The safety of your street shouldn’t depend on who your representative is,” he expresses.
In November, drawing inspiration from Nashville and other cities, Browning put forth a bill aimed at establishing a “resident-led traffic calming system.” He is currently refining the language in discussions with Mayor Tishaura Jones’s administration. The proposal outlines a process where a group of at least four residents or a neighborhood association can identify a problematic area; the Street Department would then develop a preliminary traffic-calming design; residents and businesses in the area would receive notifications via signs and postcards with QR codes, allowing them a month to suggest modifications; and after considering their feedback, the project would enter a prioritized queue based on where accidents have occurred and where vulnerable populations reside. To enhance transparency, project statuses and an interactive map would be accessible on the city’s website. (Nashville even permits residents in the project area to vote against proposals, rather than merely comment; see their resources here and here.)
According to Browning, this legislation marks the first step in a series aimed at establishing a foundation for the anticipated Department of Transportation, which voters approved last November with an impressive 88.5 percent support. This consolidated department is set to be established in 2029, with the goal of creating a professional environment where alderpersons will no longer need to intervene for speed humps. Browning’s bill is restricted to traffic-calming projects costing less than half a million dollars; larger projects will be managed by the Complete Streets Advisory Committee, which underwent process changes this summer due to an ordinance spearheaded by 1st Ward Alderwoman Anne Schweitzer.
Indeed, the current situation regarding aldermanic control of speed humps stems from earlier solutions to problems that have since created additional complications. In 2014, the city issued its “complete streets” policy in an effort to tackle traffic more holistically. However, by 2021, frustrations among alders due to delays and the high costs of $900 traffic studies led them to reclaim authority over speed humps on non-bus-route streets, funded by their ward capital, the yearly budgets allocated to each alderperson for neighborhood improvements.
This situation introduces an intriguing political dynamic concerning funding. Browning asserts that smaller traffic-calming initiatives will eventually be financed by the city’s transportation department, but until then, they are sustained by ward capital. The bill’s provision that enables residents and city technicians to implement speed humps and bumpouts without aldermanic input could allow ward capital to be allocated contrary to an alder’s preferences—something many may find contentious.
In such a scenario, Browning explains, the city could seek alternative funding sources. However, alders will likely be motivated to cooperate, as they would face electoral repercussions from constituents who approved the project by a simple majority or more. It’s also important to note that alders have not been completely excluded from this process; they, too, can report hazards, thereby initiating a design proposal. Regardless, Browning notes that the cost of a speed hump—from $6,000—represents a minor fraction of the approximately $800,000 allocated annually to each of the 14 wards.
“Our current system is highly reactive, which makes St. Louis one of the cities with the most speed humps in the U.S.,” Browning comments. His objective is to “professionalize city services and utilize experts and data to enhance street safety.”
Browning’s bill, BB 127, has been referred to the public infrastructure and utilities committee, and is expected to receive its initial hearing in the upcoming year, he informs.
