Sandy Springs Council discusses traffic-calming decisions

The Sandy Springs City Council spent its June work session discussing the implementation of traffic-calming devices such as speed bumps on local streets and roads.

After hearing a staff report from Kristen Wescott, Transportation Services Unit manager, on the city’s policy, City Attorney Dan Lee stated that traffic control device decisions shouldn’t be made solely by the public.

“Whether or not a traffic control device is implemented shouldn’t be a popular vote,” Lee said. “It ought to be driven by traffic science, data, and the like.”

Wescott said the city adopted a traffic-calming policy in 2006 with three revisions since then, the latest coming in 2020. Active traffic calming in the city includes speed cushions, speed humps, chicanes, roundabouts, splitter islands, raised intersections, and median barriers.

Council member John Paulson countered that the city’s public works and traffic staff are often met with resistance from neighborhoods when they recommend a calming device. He said the council shouldn’t be put in the position of imposing a traffic-calming device if its against a neighborhood’s wishes.

“I guess it’s got to be a little more cleanly defined, that if staff thinks something needs to be done, we just need to go do it,” Paulson said.

Council member Andy Bauman said when a traffic control device is warranted, the city needs to handle it like it does with intersection projects – prioritize which projects should be done and then work through them.

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If the staff doesn’t think a traffic-calming project is warranted but the neighborhood wants it, Paulson said the city has an existing policy for next steps.

The existing city policy requires neighborhoods that want traffic-calming to get the approval of 75 percent of residents in the area, and 100 percent of the property owners of parcels adjacent to the project. City staff will assess an application from the neighborhood. If the review by staff is favorable, the neighborhood then must pay 50 percent of the costs for the installation, while the city funds the maintenance.

Paulson said he’s been having conversations about speeding and traffic-calming with his neighbors on Northridge Road. He said some neighbors want speed humps, but others are concerned they might slow down fire trucks or emergency services.

Paulson said he’s open to having policy discussions, but wants a broader policy review so that the city doesn’t do anything to jeopardize public safety.

Bauman said it’s the council’s job to remove obstacles and not make it difficult for the neighborhoods to get traffic-calming devices, saying that the cost shouldn’t be a barrier to safer roads.

Some of the neighborhood traffic-calming projects have included:

• Jett Road: Two sets of speed cushions installed in 2024 for $16,500.
• Rivershore Estates (Riverside Parkway): Three sets of speed cushions installed in 2022 at a cost of $22,000.
• Allen Road: Two sets of speed cushions were installed in 2022 for $10,000.
• Rivershore Estates (Riverwood Drive): Three sets of speed cushions installed in 2021 at a cost of $22,000.

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