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Neighborhood Traffic Calming

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The objective of the Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program (NTCP) is to improve community safety and to preserve and enhance City of Greeley neighborhoods by working with residents and businesses to design and implement solutions to the negative impacts created by automobile traffic on neighborhood streets.

Goals: Enhance neighborhood livability and sense of community by reducing excessive speeding and excessive vehicle volumes on local service streets. Encourage reasonable and responsible driver behavior through education and emphasizing personal responsibility

Throughout the United States, citizens are asking their city traffic engineers to reduce speeding traffic on their local streets. Traffic behavior in neighborhoods affects the safety and quality of life for residents, pedestrians, and bicyclists, as well as drivers. Traffic, especially speeding traffic in neighborhoods, is the number one concern of many residents in Greeley. In the past, speeding problems could not be addressed through typical traffic engineering practices. For this reason, the Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program (NTCP) was created. The NTCP is a cooperative effort between Police, Transportation, and Neighborhood Resources to calm traffic in residential neighborhoods. Together, City staff and residents develop plans specific to their neighborhood, to improve the safety and livability on their local streets. There are many tools available to reduce speeding in residential areas: speed humps, traffic circles, neighborhood speed watches, increased police patrols, camera radar, and the smart trailer. Through education, engineering, and enforcement, the goals of calmer, safer streets are achievable.

Implement traffic calming techniques, which will improve public safety without jeopardizing emergency response needs, creating hazards, or reducing mobility. Modify travel behavior through planning, design, respectful communication, and participation to accurately reflect the City's overall transportation policies and values. Also encourage neighborhood participation through a Neighborhood Speed Watch Program called Traffic Tamers.

PROGRAM GUIDELINES

The following guidelines will provide a framework for the Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program.

Any two lane, local, or collector street may be considered for traffic mitigation through this program. Arterials will not be considered for mitigation.
Emergency vehicle access will be preserved.
Arterial streets are the most desirable facilities for through traffic. Opportunities for re-routing traffic from one street to an arterial street will be explored.
Neighborhood livability should be given precedence over marginal motor vehicle efficiencies.
Re-routing traffic from a higher classification street to lower classification because of a mitigation project is unacceptable. Any increase of more than 10% will require a reevaluation of the original project.
Traffic may be re-routed from one street to another of equal classification as a result of a mitigation project, if it provides for a more equal distribution of the traffic burden. If the re-routed traffic speeds are excessive, then the impacted streets will be mitigated.
NTCP projects should be compatible with overall City transportation goals and objectives, as set forth in the Master Transportation Plan. Projects should also complement the transportation-related goals set forth in any completed neighborhood community plans.
Implementation of the NTCP tools will be in accordance with the procedures in this document, in keeping with sound engineering and safety practices, and within the limits of available resources.
NTCP projects should encourage and enhance bicycle and pedestrian access to neighborhood destinations, while maintaining reasonable automobile access.
The NTCP is not designed to mitigate noise from major arterials, redesign the overall transportation/street classification system, or affect a modal shift.
Education and enforcement will always be used prior to the installation of traffic control devices.