Peel says no to more speed bumps on city streets

First Ward City Councilman Joe Peel said he’s not opposed to the city conducting a traffic-calming study on Griffin Street.

What he won’t support is the city installing any more speed bumps like those the city installed last year on Church, Main and Pritchard streets.

“I don’t have a problem with doing the study,” Peel said. “But I can tell you that I’m not going to vote to put speed bumps down on any more streets.”

Peel was commenting Monday night moments after Elizabeth City interim Police Chief James Avens addressed council about a proposed traffic study for the 100 block of S. Griffin Street.

Avens said that on July 18 he and 2nd Ward Councilor Rose Whitehurst heard concerns from a resident about motorists speeding on Griffin Street. Avens said if council agreed to the police department performing the study, he would next have to hold a community meeting with residents to hear their thoughts and concerns.

Mayor Kirk Rivers noted that the traffic study was the first step in bringing results of the study to council for any action.

Peel said that while on a recent visit to Asheville, he saw that speed humps, not speed bumps, are frequently used to slow traffic. He said the speed humps did what they were supposed to do by slowing down motorists.

Speed bumps, like those on Church, Main and Pritchard streets, are made of rubber and rise sharply from the surface of the road. While they are effective at reducing traffic speed, they also require motorists to slow down considerably to avoid wear and tear on their vehicles.

“We’re putting down things that you’ve got to go 5 to 15 mph to go over and we’ve got all of those we need,” Peel said.

Speed humps are usually made of asphalt, are much wider and have sloping edges so they aren’t as jarring on vehicles.

“If we’re not willing to pay some money to put down a speed hump, that’s the only thing I’m going to vote for,” Peel said. “I’m telling you up front.”

According to an Asheville Citizen-Times article from 2021, speed humps typically reduce average vehicle speeds by as much as 25%.

City Councilors voted unanimously to move forward with the traffic study. First Ward Councilman Johnson Biggs and 2nd Ward Councilman Javis Gibbs were not present to vote.