Newspaper Page Text
Page 10, September 30, 2024, The Islander
Speed mitigation
Continued from Page 2
safely moving traffic through an in
tersection and can have significant
traffic calming effects. Features such
as channelized approaches, a center
island, and circular design encour
age lower speeds. Studies have shown
roundabouts can lower speeds by as
much as 15 to 20 mph and reduce se
vere crashes by nearly 80 percent;
• Road Diets - the most common
Road Diet converts a four-lane undi
vided roadway to a three-lane road
way consisting of two through lanes
and a center two-way left turn lane.
Studies show that Road Diets, when
implemented in appropriate contexts,
can lower the 85th percentile speeds
and greatly reduce the number of mo
torists speeding excessively;
Explaining the ‘85th Percentile,’
Smith said it is the speed at or below
which 85 percent of all vehicles are
observed to travel under free-flowing
conditions past a monitored point.
• Roadway Setting (i.e., Urban vs.
Rural) - most countermeasures are
versatile and can be applied in a va
riety of locations, but some counter
measures may be more appropriate
in either a rural or urban setting.
For example, an urban neighborhood
may not welcome the idea of rumble
strips due to the additional noise, but
rumble strips are appropriate and ef
fective on a rural highway;
• Roadway Type - whether a road
way is an interstate, a freeway, or a
city street influences the type of coun
termeasures that practitioners select.
For instance, speed humps are not ap
propriate for a higher speed roadway;
• Speeding-related Crash History -
transportation agencies often choose
speed management countermeasures
based on where, when, and what type
of crashes are occurring. For example,
curve delineation and rumble strips
are effective countermeasures when a
roadway is experiencing many speed
ing-related run-off-the-road crashes,
and improving visibility;
• Road Users - practitioners also
consider the users of the roadway and
its surrounding area. For example,
Road Diets are very effective at re
ducing speeds and allow designers to
incorporate features such as bicycle
lanes, pedestrian refuge islands, park
ing spaces, and wider sidewalks to ac
commodate the needs of all road users;
• Cost - budget limitations can
affect countermeasure selection.
Agencies allocate their resources to
achieve the best safety benefits with
their available funding. Practitioners
evaluate multiple alternatives to de
termine the solution that provides the
best result for a specific location or for
the system as a whole.
Traffic and Transportation Engi
neers use the 85th percentile speed
as a guide to set the speed limit at a
safe speed, minimizing crashes and
promoting uniform traffic flow along a
corridor.
Smith said, “This is why the 85th
percentile speed is such a large con
sideration when determining speed
limits. If the speed limit is set to the
85th percentile speed, we know that
85 percent of drivers will be driving
at or below the speed limit, and that
a majority of vehicles will be driving
within 5 MPH of the speed limit.”
Smith also explained the differ
ence between speed humps and speed
bumps.
A hump is a gradual raised area
on low speed streets usually found on
residential or local streets.
A bump is an abrupt raised area
generally located in private driveways
and parking lots.
Glynn County does have a Speed
Hump Policy, that provides a process
whereby property owners in subdivi
sions or neighborhoods can request
the installation of speed humps on
their street(s) with a maximum post
ed speed limit of twenty-five (25) miles
per hour and a minimum length of one
1,000 feet.
There are County requirements in
the Policy that must be met.
Any property owner may request
the County consider the installation
of speed humps in the subdivision,
neighborhood area, or street where
their land is located.
Such requests shall be submitted in
writing to the County Commissioner
of the district where the subject lives.
If the County Commissioner desires to
move the request forward and be giv
en further review, they can present it
to the Public Works Department.
A number of conditions must be
met before the BOC can approve
speed humps.
They include:
• the street must have maximum
speed limit of 25 MPH;
• street must be 1,000 ft minimum;
• average daily traffic must be be
tween 300 and 3,000 vehicles;
• 85th percentile is 11 mph or more
over posted speed limit
• a public meeting will be sched
uled and held.
If property owners decide to pro
ceed, there are more conditions that
must be met that are included in the
Speed Hump Policy.
The BOC listened to Smith’s pre
sentation and took it as information
without taking any action.
Ghosts & Legends of Hofwyl Plantation
Take an eerie journey back in time
at Coastal Georgia’s last surviving
rice plantation. On Friday Oct. 4, 11,
18, and 25, Hofwyl-Broadfield Plan
tation State Historic Site will offer
Ghosts and Legends walking tours
of the site. Visitors can walk beneath
centuries old Live Oak trees, explore
the plantation out-buildings and fin
ish with a lantern tour of the planta
tion house.
Hear the stories of five generations
of plantation owners and the African
Americans who worked here, in both
slavery and freedom. There will be
tales of recent ghostly encounters,
plantation folklore and the rich but
tragic history of the Lowcountry rice
fields.
Info: 912-264-7333 or
https://gastateparks.org/
HofwylBroadfieldPlantation
KTews
As I write this
on Thursday our
hearts and prayers
are with all who
will not sleep much
tonight as the rain
and wind surround
us. Much help will be needed by those
who lose homes and so much more.
We can all do something - even if it is
just donating money to those who are
helping clean up the mess and rebuild
homes. Check with any local church
for needs and contacts for helping.
Flowers were placed in St. Simons
United Methodist Church in mem
ory of Rev. Jim Jenson by his loving
wife and daughters Barbara, Jenny,
Amy, Joy and their families. Suzette
and Jimmy Fincher are welcomed
as new members. Congratulations to
Mary Anna and Mac Morrison on the
birth of Charles Thomas “Charlie”
whose proud grandparents are Kim
and Jimmy Maupin and Scott and
Missy Morrison.
Flowers were placed in St. Simons
First Baptist Church in celebration
of Bob and Patti Natzke on their 58th
Wedding Anniversary. Flowers were
also placed in the church by Buddy and
Brenda Adams in appreciation to the
church staff and LJL Sunday School
Class for their prayers and kindness
during the past year and a half.
Wesley Church at Frederica ex
tends sympathy to Veronica Joseph in
the loss of her mother Rita Pucklis.
We are reminded by this storm that
Thanksgiving may be one day in No
vember but thanksLTVING happens
every day as we share HIS love.
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