New traffic-calming program being considered in Hermitage
The City of Hermitage is considering a new traffic-calming program to help community members find solutions to traffic related issues.
The program was offered to the Board of Commissions by Hermitage City Manager, Gary Hinkson, and is currently being reviewed.
"We didn't want to get into a situation where we just arbitrarily began to pick and choose where we thought traffic calming devices would be utilized," Hinkson said.
If the program is approved, Hinkson said more data on city roads including the width of the roadway would be considered before the city would decide to move forward with an individual project.
The road must be residential to be considered for a project.
The idea was originally brought on by residents on Ridgewood Drive in Hermitage that say there is a speeding issue on their 25 mph street.
"They [police] have actually clocked people going over 50 mph on our road," said Ridgewood Drive resident, Allyson Kalmanek.
"We have too many cars coming in and out," said Ridgewood Drive resident, Karla Dunham. "The ADT is way over and the speeding issues are very serious."
Both Kalmanek and Dunham requested speed humps to be installed on their street and are waiting for the city to approve the project.
"They need to get this data in and they need to get this moving because we're tired of it," Kalmanek said.
Dunham said for years some residents on the street have tried putting out speed signs, parked cars in streets and requested the presence of police to monitor the street. She reached out to the city about this issue once no other options seemed to work.
The Board of Commissions met Wednesday night with Hinkson and some Ridgewood residents to evaluate their options in moving forward with the traffic-calming program and addressing the traffic problems on Ridgewood Drive.
"I support anything that improves the safety and well-being of our residents," Hinkson said. "I believe a traffic-calming program, if it's well crafted and applied properly, would meet those objectives."
As of July 22, Ridgewood Drive is the only road being considered for a project. If the traffic-calming program gets approved, the city can start taking traffic-related requests from residents.
