photo by: Rochelle Valverde/Journal-World

Lawrence City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St., is pictured on Jan. 31, 2023.

The City of Lawrence earlier this week announced an open call for projects under the city’s newly revised Neighborhood Traffic Management Program.

In a news release on Tuesday, the city invited residents and neighborhood associations to submit proposals that aim to enhance traffic safety and calm neighborhood streets. According to the release, the program is dedicated to creating safer roads for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists in residential areas.

The city first adopted a resolution establishing the Neighborhood Traffic Management Program in late 2018, and it was revised as part of the consent agenda for the March 19 Lawrence City Commission meeting.

This new version of the program originated through a pilot project that had taken place in Old West Lawrence for over a year. As the Journal-World has reported, the Lawrence City Commission last year approved the design of permanent traffic calming measures for the neighborhood after about a year and a half of the neighborhood piloting different configurations of temporary measures. The final design approved by city leaders in April 2023 included 23 traffic calming devices — such as speed humps, speed cushions, a type of curb extension called a chicane and traffic circles — intended to slow traffic and discourage cut-through traffic.

The revisions approved in March are based on feedback from the community, according to the release. The traffic calming project process was revised to reduce the burden on neighborhoods to participate by simplifying the application process and providing staff support to help define the scope of potential projects.

Other revisions add minimum thresholds in the policy for traffic speed and volume to determine when traffic calming treatments could be considered and an initial data collection and evaluation process to determine if a project meets the policy’s thresholds for traffic calming.

According to the release from earlier this week, the program focuses on reducing vehicle speeds, increasing safety and promoting a more pleasant community environment. The process involves a thorough evaluation of each project, considering factors such as traffic volume, vehicle speeds, crash history and public feedback. Then, city staff will work with stakeholders to refine project goals and, if approved, move forward with implementation.

People interested in submitting a project can begin the process by completing statement of interest and statement of support documents, which the release notes are “crucial first steps” in bringing traffic calming measures to local and collector residential streets.

“The City of Lawrence is committed to driving improvements in our neighborhoods through direct management,” Melissa Sieben, director of the city’s Municipal Services & Operations Department, said in the release. “We are thrilled to open this call for projects and engage with our community to provide enhancements to neighborhoods to improve traffic safety and management.”

Applicants must submit their forms to the MSO Department by emailing saferspeeds@lawrenceks.org. The program’s comprehensive process document is available as a reference to guide applicants through the submission process.

More information about the Neighborhood Traffic Management Program, including detailed guidelines and submission deadlines, is available on the city’s website.