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Douglas County Public Works -Neighborhood Tranic Mitigation & Calming <br />http://www.douglas.w.us/DC/PublicWorks/traffic calming.htm <br />3. The potential significant cost of developing and implementing these types of programs <br />deserves thorough analysis and review of alternatives. <br />• 4. Sometimes we can get a little close to activities we perform and need a fresh look to <br />clarify issues and keep staff current with available information. <br />Sorting Out the Problem <br />As you know, transportation problems can be very complex. Issues are not always well understood <br />by experts, let alone the public. Of course, the lack of understanding keeps no one from proposing <br />a cure for the problem. My favorite definition of a traffic professional is: anyone, regardless of age, <br />gender or experience. <br />Particulazly for this issue, there is conflict between public perception and technical reality that pits <br />experts, often engineers, against citizens. Frequently, elected officials are caught in the middle. <br />Public Works specifically asked that Carter & Burgess not provide recommendations on their <br />report. Having had extensive interaction with Douglas County citizens, I believe I have a sense of <br />the public's awareness of the problem as well as the grasp of technical reality and financial <br />resources to offer the necessary and reasonable actions that might identify the County's <br />appropriate role, <br />When individual citizens and neighborhood groups complain about traffic on residential streets, <br />they refer to two specific forms of "unwanted traffic: <br />• traffic using streets as shortcuts <br />• excessive speeding <br />We will attempt to address both of these items. <br />How Bad is it? <br />Nationally, fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel (VMT) have declined about 64% since <br />1970. This decrease has occurred despite a 107% increase in highway travel and a 79°/a increase in <br />vehicle registrations. <br />Almost two out of three deaths occur in places classified as rural. Colorado has experienced <br />similar numbers. In Douglas County, there were 20 fatalities in 1996. Of this total, there were: <br />19 occupants of motor vehicles; 1 motor cyclist; 0 bicyclists; 0 pedestrians; 0 other. <br />70% of all fatal accidents occurred on State Highways. There were no fatal accidents on roads <br />classified as residential, and the percentage of all accidents occurring on County residential roads <br />is 13%. <br />If a rational approach to traffic safety on residential streets is measured by fatalities or even <br />number of accidents, then clearly there is no crisis in Douglas County. Douglas County residential <br />• neighborhoods are safe (especially in newer subdivisions). Our traffic division has conducted many <br />traffic studies on local streets. While there is an occasional problematic area, these instances are <br />clearly the exception and not the rule. The County's current Design and Construction Standards <br />are serving the County well and aze protecting the public health, safety, welfare and quality of Gfe. <br />2 oC6 9/IS/00 5:20 AM <br />