PINAL COUNTY, AZ–(EMWNews – July 28, 2008) – Pinal County, AZ residents, frustrated

with speeding on their streets, approached the municipality with a signed

petition for traffic

calming. The County’s protocol for traffic calming, according to

traffic engineer Jesus Haro, is to first use nonphysical ways to slow

traffic down. The first step is generally signing and striping. Speed cushions

are used when all else fails.

Speed cushions were first used in the county last summer. After numerous

complaints and a neighborhood petition, Traffic Logix rubber speed

cushions were installed on Magic Ranch Boulevard. The goal of the

cushions was to address the problem of speeding cars on a residential

thoroughfare. The County has since bought another three sets of three

cushions for Quickdraw Way, which were installed at the end of June.

Speed cushions were chosen rather than speed humps because

emergency vehicles can straddle them without significantly affecting

response time. The rubber Traffic Logix products were chosen since they

could be removed for construction and reinstalled. The rubber cushions are

also already molded into the correct configuration, unlike asphalt, which

needs to be carefully measured and is hard to regulate.

The locations that were chosen for the installation of the rubber speed

cushions were areas where residents submitted petitions, which had to be

signed by 70% of neighbors. An evaluation of the roads was then conducted.

Both roads are long and straight, which gives motorists the opportunity to

speed up despite the residential speed limit of 25 mph.

Residents on Magic Ranch Blvd, where the cushions have been installed since

last year, are happy with the speed cushions and the positive effects they

have on their neighborhood.

While the County prefers to use signing and striping to slow cars down,

they are aware that these are not always effective. Traffic Engineer Jesus

Haro commented, “We use speed cushions as a last resort when nothing else

works.” When asked if the cushions were effective, Haro added, “They are.

Even when nothing else has worked, the speed cushions do the job.”

To learn more about Traffic Logix speed cushions, visit the company website

at www.trafficlogix.com.