City clears the way for traffic-calming devices to be installed on 27th Street between Iowa and Louisiana

Posted by Chad Lawhorn January 24, 2013 at 2:09 p.m.

City clears the way for traffic-calming devices to be installed on 27th Street between Iowa and Louisiana

Here’s a free tip for all those people looking for a new business venture in the future: An auto alignment shop — or maybe a muffler repair business — near the corner of 27th and Iowa streets.

It is beginning to look more likely that the busy stretch of 27th Street between Iowa and Louisiana streets may get a series of speed humps or other traffic-calming devices.

The city has agreed to add 27th Street to the list of areas in the city that are in need of traffic calming. Getting added to that list, however, doesn’t mean traffic-calming devices are going to be built on the street in the near future.

The city currently has 17 such areas on the list, and some have been on the list for years. The city basically says it will start building the projects as funding becomes available, and funding for traffic-calming projects has been a bit hit or miss in previous city budgets.

But David Woosley, the city’s traffic engineer, told city commissioners recently that the combination of traffic speed, volume and the number of pedestrians along 27th Street causes the stretch of road to rise to No. 1 on the city’s list of traffic-calming priorities.

So, it will be worth watching if funding develops. I would guess that the next time 27th Street gets repaved that the city strongly will consider adding speed humps as part of the repaving project. The city has found the traffic-calming work becomes cheaper if it can be incorporated with another project.

Traffic calming on 27th Street will be significant. The city is estimating that the one mile stretch of street will need about six traffic-calming devices in order to be effective. The city is estimating the cost of the project to be about $90,000.

City commissioners briefly discussed the traffic-calming request — which came from a leader of the Indian Hills Neighborhood Association — and approved the idea on a 5-0 vote.

I have a particular member of my household who uses that stretch of road to get to the shops on South Iowa Street from time to time to time to time. (You get the idea.) I’m sure speed humps would create some noise in my house. Perhaps not slower speeds, but noise — like the kind you hear when your muffler has been knocked off by a speed hump.

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twosides 3 months, 4 weeks ago

"traffic calming devices" Is that is what they call the concrete blocks on 17th & 18th st between Illinois and Indiana?

Hooligan_016 3 months, 4 weeks ago

Those small traffic circles are one method of traffic calming, yes.

buffalo63 3 months, 4 weeks ago

shoot! Now I can't go 50mph on 27th while trying to deliver the pizzas or hurrying to shop at Wal-mart.

patkindle 3 months, 4 weeks ago

it is a shame the folks cannot drive in a decent manner and the city is forced to install these devices to slow people down,

hooligan01 3 months, 4 weeks ago

They should put one of those traffic cam things that show your speed and then take your picture if you're speeding. That would be beneficial in both that the people that obey the speed limit wouldn't have to slow down (to go over the proposed "speed humps") and then the city would generate extra money to waste on more art programs.

Curtis Lange 3 months, 4 weeks ago

They should combine the two ideas. Then the city could start a website where the pictures of people's hilarious reactions are posted as they go flying over the speed bumps at 40 mph.

KiferGhost 3 months, 3 weeks ago

The city should hire a lot more police people and enforce the laws on the streets. Instead of tax breaks for our developers let's let them help pay for necessary services.

patkindle 3 months, 4 weeks ago

i enjoy traveling by the exisiting traffic calming devices along louisanna on sat and sunday morning after all of the dopers and drunks have plowed over the signage.... kinda warms your heart

oneeye_wilbur 3 months, 4 weeks ago

My friends are so happy to move from that area and now this action affirms how screwed upLawrence is...they can't wait to get to their home with 900 a year property taxes, seven rec centers for a fee of $444 for two per year.. A couple hours away from the mountains, las begas 41/2 hours, 35 min to Phoenix Airport... Another neighborhoodngroup, Indian hills has screwed up another main artery! Endorsed by schumm and four bad commissioners.

Hooligan_016 3 months, 4 weeks ago

It's certainly not an arterial. If anything it's a collector.

Hooligan_016 3 months, 4 weeks ago

What??

bhall87 3 months, 4 weeks ago

I don't think people quite understand what an arterial road is. Arterial roads are major thoroughfares and are usually the backbone of a city's traffic network. 6th, 23rd, Kasold, Iowa, Bob Billings, Massachusetts, Wakarusa, 31st are arterial roads. Collector roads are low traffic roads used to move local traffic to arterial roads. 9th, Lawrence Ave, Haskell, Louisiana, 27th, 19th are collector roads. And don't take my word for it, take the Traffic Engineering Handbooks's word for it.

melott 3 months, 4 weeks ago

I can get past one of those things at 85, easy.

MarcoPogo 3 months, 4 weeks ago

I had no idea you were that old. Congrats!

SCOE 3 months, 4 weeks ago

get the calming devises like the ones on east 19th st. between haskell and harper. i think they are called potholes. works great in slowing traffic down to a reasonable speed

hiphopsux 3 months, 4 weeks ago

Why not just post more officers on the road and enforce the current laws we have? We know there is an issue, we have people hired to deal with these issues, let's have them do their jobs.

Did_I_say_that 3 months, 4 weeks ago

It only took a few random mornings of an officer standing near the pedestrian underpass, pointing a radar gun down 27th Street, to enforce the school speed zone.

Doing the same thing along other stretches would quickly change the behavior of those choosing to break the law. This would generate revenue rather than have increased construction costs. It has the added benefit of not punishing those who follow posted speed limits.

Hoots 3 months, 4 weeks ago

I drive that street all the time. I can't say that I've seen people flying down 27th. Maybe running a little radar might send a message if needed.

gccs14r 3 months, 4 weeks ago

Hopefully the humps aren't as big as the ones on Mass south of 23rd. I made the mistake of turning down there one time thinking I could get back to Louisiana and hit a rocker panel on one of the asphalt mountains.

mommatocharlie 3 months, 4 weeks ago

so glad I'm pulling up stakes and leaving Lawrence.

cowboy 3 months, 4 weeks ago

Now the city is going to ruin another perfectly good street. What they need on 27th is two ped crosswalks with lights to get the kids safely across. that would do it .

Speedbumps are for parking lots not thru streets.

sunshine_noise 3 months, 4 weeks ago

I wouldn't mind a couple of those humps on my little street where everyone uses as a cut through and speeds down. Just today I pulled onto Mass Street out of Dillons I noticed a pickup in my rear mirror and could tell he was traveling too fast. I didn't pick up my speed, but was at the speed limit because I knew I was planning to turn right at the corner. I put on my signal and turned, but as I was turning the jerk blew his horn as if I was doing something wrong. I so hope he got a speeding ticket when he sped off in front of South Park.

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