Los Angeles residents can once again apply to have speed humps installed in their neighborhoods, officials announced Wednesday.
The Neighborhood Speed Hump Program, which was paused during the COVID-19 pandemic to direct resources to emergency response and recovery efforts, will resume taking applications Oct. 6.
“Nothing is more important than the safety of Angelenos, and we need every tool at our disposal to slow drivers down and prevent tragic collisions,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said. “Every decision we make about our streets should be with the well-being of our residents first in our minds, and resuming this critical program will help keep our children and families safe while making our roads more accessible for everyone.”
The program allows residents to apply for their street to be considered for speed humps. The city’s Department of Transportation would then conduct a technical review and consider a community engagement process to determine the street’s eligibility.
Over 800 speed humps were installed between 2017 and 2020. The department said it distributes resources equitably across each City Council district. The department considers the speed limit, incline, width and drainage conditions on a street.
“Our residents moved into neighborhoods with quiet streets with reasonable traffic, not thoroughfares used as speedways,” Councilwoman Heather Hutt said. “As we move towards building a better Los Angeles and a safer 10th District, it’s our responsibility to reimagine, redefine and reinvest in the future of our streets.”
The department noted that staff shortages resulted in the delay of construction on speed hump locations that were previously approved, but the budget for this fiscal year has been restored “at a level that allowed the department to clear the existing backlog of construction approved locations while renewing the program to accept new applications.”
