“Affordable” Speed Bumps Are Costly

The city of Brookhaven, Georgia, an Atlanta suburb, is riddled with speed bumps. Drivers frequently use the quiet residential streets to bypass congested Atlanta thoroughfares. Residents, fed-up with the heavy cut-through traffic, are seeking additional traffic-calming solutions from the city. On the table are more speed bumps and road closures. People often point to speed bumps as an affordable solution to a serious problem.

But the facts don’t support that premise.

In Brookhaven, when a significant number of residents petition for speed bumps, the city may begin traffic studies to determine the necessity of the measures.These studies can cost thousands of dollars. The installation of a single speed bump costs about $3,500. And, residents must pay $25 a year to cover maintenance and installation costs. For significantly less than the cost of a traffic study and the installation and maintenance of a speed bump, a community could purchase a radar speed sign from Radarsign. These driver feedback signs are scientifically proven to be effective at slowing speeding drivers.

Because the signs do not alter the roadway, a traffic study is unnecessary. The signs can be installed immediately, and, unlike speed humps, they are well received by the community.

Here’s more on Why Municipalities are Moving Away from Speed Humps as a Traffic Calming Solution.

Charlie Robeson: Radarsign™ Co-founder & Director of Sales and Marketing