HomeMy Public PortalAboutResolution 2020-79, Ordering Installation Speed Limit Signs On Madison Drive In Woods EstatesRESOLUTION 2020-79
A RESOLUTION ORDERING THE INSTALLATION OF SPEED LIMIT SIGNS ON MADISON DRIVE
IN THE WOODS ESTATES OF RIVERDALE SUBDIVISION
WHEREAS, The City of Riverdale, Iowa ("City") is a Municipal Corporation, organized and
operating under the laws of the State of Iowa, and;
WHEREAS, portions of the traffic code may be adopted by resolution in compliance
with Chapter 138, Section 138.02 of the City of Riverdale Code of Ordinance; and
WHEREAS, after review of the City of Riverdale Code of Ordinance it has been
determined that Woods Estate of Riverdale Streets shall be posted with a 25 MPH speed
limit; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has determined that the following amendment shall be
made to the Speed Regulations:
1. Addition of two 20 MPH speed limit signs (one facing north, one facing south)
on Madison Drive north of State Street (U.S. No. 67); and
WHEREAS, according to Cities Safer By Design (a publication of the World Resources
Institute), "lower automobile speeds, especially those below 30 kilometers per hour
(km/hr) have been found to drastically lessen the risk of fatalities" (attached) - as a
result, the recommended speed for residential areas in the City of Riverdale is 20 mph.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RIVERDALE, IOWA,
Section 1. That the above traffic control regulations and devices shall be approved
and added to the City of Riverdale, Iowa Traffic Control List.
Passed and approved this 22nd day of September 2020.
APPROVED
ATTEST
Ala
Michael Bawden, Mayor Katie Enloe, Deputy Clerk
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CITIES SAFER
BY DESIGN
Guidance and Examples to Promote Traffic Safety
through Urban and Street Design
VERSION 1.0
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WRICITIES.ORG
1.3 Creating a Safer System for All
People: Reducing Exposure and Risks
Looking closer within cities reveals that safety and
design go hand in hand. The safest cities in the
world for traffic safety include Stockholm, Berlin,
Hong Kong, and Tokyo (see figure 1.1). These cities
and others with lower levels of traffic crashes and
deaths share certain characteristics.
Safer cities tend to be ones with extensive mass
transport, good conditions for walking and cycling,
and fewer cars on the road driving short distances
at safer speeds, which lower the energy levels
inflicted from vehicle impact. Data confirms there
are fewer fatalities in places with fewer vehicle
miles traveled and those promoting mass transport,
walking and cycling, thus reducing overall exposure
(Duduta, Adriazola, and Hidalgo 2012). These
cities also have comprehensive traffic safety plans,
which at their core pay attention to reducing vehicle
speeds to make them safe for walking and cycling,
in addition to providing good infrastructure for
these modes. The approach is called safe systems
(Bliss and Breen 2009).
This guide provides design principles to help
achieve this safer environment. It can be explained
under the following interconnected categories
found in research on urban and street design.
■ Connected and compact urban design.
Cities can be safer when they have more com-
pact and connected urban form that reduces the
need for driving and fosters shorter trips. In a
study from the United States, urban sprawl —
places with less density, long blocks, and a lack
of street connectivity —has been "directly relat-
ed to traffic fatalities and pedestrian fatalities"
(Ewing, Schieber, and Zegeer 2003). For every
i percent change toward a more compact and
connected urban form, all -mode traffic fatality
rates fell by 1.49 percent and pedestrian fatality
rates fell by 1.47 to 3.56 percent. In fact,
densely populated New York City had the least
fatalities, while the most sprawling areas of
Atlanta and elsewhere the highest. Other
research shows that this is because people drive
less in the compact, mixed -use areas and that
connected urban form tends to lead to lower
vehicle speeds (Ewing and Dumbaugh 2oio).
• Safer vehicle speeds. Enhancing safety de-
pends on lowering vehicle speeds and reducing
conflicts. Lower automobile speeds, especially
those below 3o kilometers per hour (km/hr),
have been found to drastically lessen the risk of
fatalities (Rosen and Sander 2009). The fatality
risk for pedestrians with vehicles traveling at 50
km/hr is more than twice as high as the risk at
4o km/hr and more than five times higher than
the risk at 3o km/hr (figure 1.2). For example,
bringing traffic speeds down to safer levels can
be achieved through a set of evidence -based
traffic calming measures (Bunn et al. 2003).
■ Managing arterials. Ensuring safety is espe-
cially true with arterial corridors. Pedestrian -
scaled retail configurations have been associ-
ated with fewer fatal crashes as opposed to
layouts of big box stores with large parking lots
along busy urban arterials (Dumbaugh and Rae
2009). Research from Mexico has shown that
most crashes are likely to occur on wide arteri-
als; similar findings are shown in New York
City and elsewhere (Chias and Cervantes 2008;
NYC DOT 2oio). Rather than being built for the
quick movement and flow of vehicles, putting
pedestrians and bicyclists at high risk, cities
can ensure safer design of complex intersec-
tions that involve multiple modes of transport
and limit motor vehicle speeds to 4o km/hr,
especially in mixed land use areas. Roads with
higher speeds ought to be separated entirely
from pedestrians, cyclists, and corresponding
mixed land uses.
• Walking, bicycling, and mass transport
emphasized. Cities with lower levels of
vehicle travel have connected networks of high
quality walking, bicycling, and mass transport
infrastructure. Cities can make bicycling practi-
cal and safe, reducing injury rates as bicycling
increases (Duduta, Adriazola, and Hidalgo
2012). U.S. and European cities with higher
rates of bicycling have fewer overall traffic
crashes. These cities also have good cycling in-
frastructure, high street connectivity and com-
pact urban form (Marshall and Garrick 2011).
On the flip side, there is evidence that bicycling
rates are declining in places such as China and
India —as road space is commandeered for
automobiles, it becomes more dangerous to
undertake this activity (Yan et al. 2ou).
Cities Safer by Design 15