Changing City Streets
The advantage of SPEED CUSHIONS is they slow down traffic which has become a very real danger for families. Fast cars are a desired commodity for drivers looking to create some show around them. However too many of these drivers are giving little regard to the dangers created when driving high speed down a block with children, elderly adults, pets, and disabled persons. These are lives held in the balance of having a “good time”. We honestly aren’t living a video game existence where we can reboot for more lives. Each life taken impacts a community around it leaving years of trauma.
When we go home it hopefully is a shelter, a haven from a world full of too many traumas. High speed driving shatters those plans – it isn’t a matter of *if* someone dies, it is *when* will lives be lost. Sadly Detroit’s neighborhood streets become a targeted playground by people inside and outside the city looking for thrills. Thankfully the Detroit Police have asked officers to avoid high speed chases in the neighborhoods… especially after the deaths of innocent bystander children as a result of some accidents. So law enforcement is not as likely to add to a present problem.
SPEED CUSHIONS became a response to slowing down traffic near homes, parks, schools, and shopping. There are blocks which have been transformed already, especially in 48205. You’ll note the green lines on the map above are current installations and the orange lines are planned for 2021. The TRAFFIC CALMING program started in 2018 with 32 cushions.
Annual growth has been extremely high as shown in the table below, and more requests for a speed cushion (click for the form) continue to come in.
Year | Number of Speed Cushions |
---|---|
2018 | 32 |
2019 | 543 |
2020 | 1200 |
2021 | 4500 planned |
The budget in 2021 is $11.5 million allocated from State of Michigan transportation funds. This will impact the amount of money DDOT receives from state funding for buses and improving mass transit. Hopefully the capitol outlays reach a saturation point so mass transit can be improved. There are many facets impacting the safety of our streets.
I’ve not seen business backlash to the installations as speed cushions are only being put on roads with 25 mph limit and planned away from industrial areas.
UPDATE: I have heard from residents online and in conversation regarding concern for emergency vehicles traveling through these road barriers. It is also true that most of these larger vehicles experience less impact than smaller vehicles (which are usually seen as speedy racers). There are two types of speed deterrents – a speed cushion is a device pinned into the road, whereas a speed bump is a mound of asphalt. Speed bumps are less intrusive than speed cushions.
I’ve seen speed cushions around schools and parks mostly, and that dates back to 2019.