Does anyone know of any streets in the City of Toledo (not private property) that has recently, say within the last 8-10 months, had speed humps/bumps installed or replaced?
The question is simple. The reason for asking it is a bit longer. If you wish to know, read on.
After years of dealing with terrible speeders on our road and getting no help whatsoever from the city, we found out that if you take out a petition and a certain percentage of households on the street sign it, you then can have speed humps installed.
We went through the process, my wife doing all the footwork of going door to door gathering the signatures. The percentage of those wanting them was I believe around 85%. So, after all was said and done, the speed humps did end up getting installed and the problem of speeders and cut thu traffic was drastically improved and all was well. Actually, all was better than had ever been.
Advance a little over a year later to last fall. The city decided to re-pave our road as a "preventitive" measure. It did not need repaving at all, especially with so many other city streets in dire need of repair. Prior to the repaving they cut out all the existing speed humps. After repaving was done, they came back and replaced the speed humps, even adding an additional one where several had aked for because it was a long stretch where they did not originally place one.
NOW, here's the problem. When they replaced them, they replaced them with new ones that are so low and wide they might as well not even be there. Vehicles float right over them at any speed with little to no effect that they are even driving over a speed hump. The result of course is back to major volume of cut thru traffic and high speed drivers.
I pretty much went thru the roof when this was done. I contacted everyone I could think of pointing out how stupid this was and pretty much demanded answers. I was told several different things, the primary two being that
1- They had gotten several complaints
2- The original humps were installed incorrectly and at an incorrect height according to city code. By the way, most of my answers came from a Mr. Gary Stookey, an engineer for the city.
Well, after a long delay, I did finally get an answer to my request to know and see the complaints. I was told there were no written complaints, only verbal and that there was no record of who made them.
I also have reason to believe that new humps the city have installed after this are much more normal and higher than what we now have. I've also learned thru the grapevine that somone on our street who apparently has clout with someone in the city was the primary person who complained about them and was able to get them put in much lower. It's a classic case of being "who you know".
Yes, I can contact the city to find out the anser to my question but god knows how long it would take and the hoops I would have to jump thru not to mention the frustration I'll be enduring. I believe I know one street in Ottawa Hills that had them recently installed but I'm not sure if the City of Toledo would have done that or the City of O.H.
I have also twice requested that they do the traffic study again, knowing that will PROVE what I am saying. You know, where they put those counter cables across the road? Those gather a lot of detailed information. I've been told both times there is not enough money/manpower to get this done. I offered to do it for them, setting it up and was told there that would raise the ire of the union. They have a freaking answer for everything.
Anyway, any answers, suggestions, etc. would be most appreciated.
Thanks.
What they did was wrong and I'm trying to decide just how much sweat I want to put into fighting it and getting it corrected.
The roads are so bad in Toledo that it is hard to tell who has speed bumps and who doesn't.If they get any worse ,I will have to buy an ATV to get around town.
I have a suggestion.Have the city remove the speed bumps and have one of those speed cameras installed in place of it.This would be a win win.The city could make revenue ah I mean the street would be safer.You would be rid of those annoying bumps.Everybody wins except the speeders.
buckeye278-
Sounds good in theory but have been there and done that.
You don't just "have" them set up the speed cameras. You beg and wait and beg and wait. Then, when they finally do, it's for a limited amount of time. On top of that, they do not enforce and give citations to the speeders. I discovered all this prior to the installation of the speed humps because they actually did it.
The end result is NOBODY WINS with these.
Right. The point isn't to "catch" the speeders, but to stop people from speeding in the first place. You know, trying to get them to obey the law and stuff!?
Good luck AC, we have a few idiots where I live that seem to think there are no little kids in the neighborhood, etc.
I am sorry.I was just being sarcastic.You will have to forgive me.I thought that speed and red light cameras were about safety and not revenue.What was I thinking?You are right in that you want to stop people from speeding.I would also like to see those that do speed through residential areas get ticketed.I guess it is hard to do both.
I'm not sure how they are where you are but the ones along Clover are too high. The speed limit is 25 but one has to practically stop to get over them and they are placed about ever 50 ft. I should be able to go the posted speed limit. I'd like the city to come knock them out and put lower ones in.. Or at least paint them yellow so you can see the damned things. Half of the signs are covered with trees.
I knew as soon as I began reading your post that it was Woodley Road. Yes, people have used that street as a cut through for years, and it was dearly in need of speed bumps, but the first ones installed were TOO HIGH! In addition, the one closest to Central Ave. was much too close to that major intersection. Cars coming from Strauss and having to hightail it across Central were then smacking straight into Speed Mountain (cuz there's no way that was a BUMP).
I drove Woodley on Sunday and we still slowed down for the speed bumps. I'm just glad we didn't have to worry about our car bottoming out as we did.
The Speed bumps on Woodley are better then what they used to be but they still need to be a bit shorter to keep my (Handicap) van from scrapping the bottom every time I drive over one. We are starting to wear a hole in the exhaust from all the fraking speed bumps we go over with it. It's not a speed issue, we about bring it to a stop on the bumps, but we still are dragging bottom.
I also thought about Woodley as soon as I started reading this. The speed bumps on that road were absolutely ridiculous. They are at least manageable now.
I'm not a big fan of speed bumps myself. They're hard on your car and you can't pass over them at the posted speed limit without bottoming out and maybe breaking a shock absorber.
A few years ago some residents got together and tried the petition for speed bumps in my neighborhood. Their efforts didn't work, which was a good thing.
If the residents don't like the way people drive through their neighborhood, let them get the police out there. That's what the police are paid for.
Speed Bumps, I hate them. Just shoot the speeders.
Madjack, are you implying that the police would show up if someone called them and told them someone is speeding? That is laughable. The police barley come to calls where the criminals are stationary, let alone flying down a residential street.
"Call the Police and get em out here"
Uh huh, yeah, right....LMAO. REPEATED calls (even to 9-1-1)did nothing three years ago, I can just imagine if we tried that now. Not laughing "at" that suggestion, just laughing because I used to think the same thing until I started dealing with the city and trying to find resolutions.
I don't like speed humps myslef. I like kids geting hit or cars geting hit even less.
The cut through traffic is not the real issue. In all honesty the majority of drivers create no problem. The real problem/issue is the increasing number of IDIDOT/RECKLESS who have learned they can easily glide over the humps at a cool 45-60 MPH. After the original humps were installed, it was basically 0. On any given day now, you can find such drivers many times a day.
If I didn't live on Woodley I'd certainly agree with the opinion most have about the original speed humps. However, since I do live on Woodley, I will say I was very pleased with the results they had. Volume, speed, recklesness all decreased dramatically.
with the speed bumps did you get snow removal? I heard plows didnt plow speed bumped streets?
Im not a big fan either, but I am familiar with woodley, and do see your concern - same as with the folks on harvest blvd.
I agree that Woodley did NOT require repaving. But the city deemed it necessary. and did manage to re-install the speed bumps.
Now, it looks like Orchard Trail needs the same solution for the speeders. Traffic has spiked on Orchard trail quite a bit (since Woodley corrected their problem,) to include all the emergency vehicles-ambulances, fire trucks etc.
I too have looked into the speed bumps. I went through the entire explanation of getting the survey, car count, etc. Then, finally the lady told me that there was no money in the budget for speed bumps and it didn't look like it was going to be a priority.
This was probably 4 years ago. So if you got speed bumps, you probably got them previous to that and as far as I hear, there will be no new speed bumps in Toledo.
I would rather have speed bumps on my road and deal with the snow than to not have speed bumps and a plowed street.
I'm not at all suprised at the postings about Woodley Road. Many use it for a shortcut from Central to Sylvania and then the mall. Cuts out the stop lights on Talmadge.
Orchard Trail is now the preferred speedway...no speed bumps, YET!
Yes, we have normal city snow removal. The plows go over them very easily, no problems at all.
Again, living with the cut thru traffic can be summed up as just that, living with it, tolerating it, it's do'able. The huge increase in recklessly fast speeders is the real issue. Well, that and dealing with the city, Mr. Gary Stookey specifically. It's all in who you know, you know!
So anyway, DOES anyone know of any speed humps installed anywhere in the city of Toledo in the last 8-10 months? The last year? Anyone?
I don’t think we have ANY in point Place. That is not to say that people do not speed, but I think because so many streets lead to nowhere that we don’t get a lot of that “cut through” traffic. That obviously plays a big part in the amount of traffic. That’s another thing I like about PP – if someone is on my street they are going to someones house on that street. I wonder if you could call one of the news stations. Remember how they used to stop speeders and film them, lol!?
We got the Sylvania police to put a speed trap near where I live. Three cars plus two on foot with a radar gun. They did this for several hours a day, on intermittent days for a few weeks and the speeding ceased. Instead of agitating for speed bumps, take your petition to city hall and the local scandal sheets.
I've always thought that the police should invest in life-sized pop up patrol cars. Just like a life-sized standup of famous people. Then they could just place them on various roads. From a distance, drivers would believe there was a cop car sitting there and slow down.
Aug 18, 2009 story
The group, Angry Neighbors With Paintball Guns, posted signs at strategic locations throughout the city, warning motorists to slow down or risk being shot at with a paintball gun. The group says it is disappointed that the city has stopped funding its PACE Car program, which was designed to help prevent speeding.
That, is an awesome idea.
Here's the home of Angry Neighbors:
http://theangryneighbors.blogspot.com/
I guess they made the Drudge Report.
Good thought but bad idea. I have often wanted to throw something at people driving down our road thinking its the Norwalk Dragway. Then after reading our city's municipal codes, I decided it wasn't a great idea.
It is a misdemeanor of the first degree, and I would be responsible for any costs to fix any damage done to the vehicle. From what I found a first degree misdemeanor carries a possible sentence of not more than six months and a max fine of 1,000 dollars.
I don't know why it's taken Toledo so long to get up with the speed bumps. Everywhere else I've lived have had plenty of them.
Where I live now also has the rumble strips to remind you of speed and pedestrian crossings. It comes at a cheap price as compared to a life.
As far as patrol car pop-ups. Why pop-ups? Just use a broken patrol car.
The MP's on my last base did this and it DRAMATICALLY decreased speeding along a blind curve. In one month accidents on that busy road went down 30%. What was funny is there wasn't anyone behind the wheel. Just a patrol car that they couldn't fix right away.
The residential street we live on has 2 signs which show the speed limit as 25. It seems that some people turn in to our street and say "Hey, 25 and 25...that adds up to 50! Step on it, Elmer!"
Anyway, we would not want speed humps put in. Most drivers stay close to the posted limit.
I was told several years ago that there is no money for speed bumps. Also the process to get the speed bumps justified is very, very difficult.
ah, the joy of living at the turn-around on a dead-end street! no speed bumps coz no one can even get to 25 before they're at the stop sign at the other end, lol. my house will be for sale soon...
Findlay used to do the fake cop thing on the north edge of town right before the 224 exit and according to a cop friend of my sisters, it worked to slow people coming into town on I-75. the joke was, it had no access to the eway, it was in the parking lot of the nursing home that backs up to the state fence, lol. people just saw it and automatically slowed down. we had some laffs wondering if anyone who slowed down ever realized what was up.
I have no sympathy whatsoever for the original complaint. The Romans were more advanced about roads than we are ... they know to make them FLAT, but we prefer to have SPEED BUMPS and POT HOLES.
My advice to people living on a speedbump-wrecked street is to take kerosene during a hot summer night and dump it all over the peak-line of one of them. With repeated applications, that speedbump should disintegrate in short order. Then work on the next one in line. Don't get caught by the nosy neighbors; hence, my advice to do this at night.
Thanks, GZ. I always wondered if a solution could be found.