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Philadelphia Streets Will Begin Sprouting Speed-Control 'Cushions'

By Mike Dunn

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Philadelphia Streets Department plans, for the first time, a citywide deployment of so-called "speed cushions," aimed at getting drivers to slow down.

And, unlike traditional "speed bumps," they've been designed so that fire engines, first responders, and certain other vehicles won't be affected.

Speed cushions have been tested in the past, but they soon will become a permanent addition to many streets here, according to deputy streets commissioner Michael Carroll.

"This is the first time that we've done it on a citywide program level," he said today.

Carroll says speed cushions are only about half as high as the speed bumps you find in many mall parking lots, and they're aimed not at making the driver stop, but to simply slow down.

"Essentially, it's a design called 'undulation' in the pavement, which is constructed out of asphalt and then marked with thermoplastic which indicates to the driver that they should slow down to 25 miles per hour in order to get across them comfortably," he explained.

Carroll stresses that these speed cushions are being constructed with two gaps, six feet apart in each lane, so that fire engines and ambulances are not forced to slow down.

"With a cushion, if you're in an emergency vehicle and some of the larger buses, you should be able to effectively aim your tires so that they hit those gaps and you're not brought to a full 25 miles an hour, and you just lose a second or two as you go across.  Those emergency vehicles will tend to have about six feet or so between the tires, so we've designed the cushions so that they'll accommodate that six-foot width, and the tires will fit into those gaps."

Carroll says residents can request speed cushions for their blocks by submitting petitions to the Streets Department.

"We'll receive requests, and that's going to involve a petition process," he said.  "We're going to look for a pretty healthy supermajority of folks that live along a block to agree that they want these."

It's not clear how many of the speed cushions will be installed.  The funding, $1.4 million, comes from a portion of the fines from the city's red-light camera program, funneled through Penndot.

Carroll says some of that money will also go to other traffic-calming measures, including what are called 'pedestrian bump-outs', signage enhancements, and portable displays that show your current speed.

"All of these measures are to provide an extra support, so that people are paying attention when they're driving, they're focused on their driving, and thereby they're driving more safely."

 

 

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