By Yasmeen Mohiuddin
A $9 million backlog in city projects and a slash in funding mean plans to install speed humps on Booth Street may not happen until next year at the earliest.
A City of Ottawa traffic corridor study started in 2003 recommended the humps, which cost $2,000-$5,000 each, as a way of slowing down traffic in the area. Residents have complained about the danger and noise that result from speeding.
The city held an information session about the speed humps at the Dalhousie Community Centre on March 25.
Suzanne Hemsing,an official with the city’s traffic and parking branch, said they were still a priority, even though it may take a while for them to be installed.
“The big constraint for us is the dollars,” she said.
Although the goal of the humps is to encourage slower and safer driving, some Centretown residents said they won’t solve the real issue.
“The problem is there’s about twice the volume of traffic on that street than it’s designed for,” said Martha Musgrove, who has lived on Booth Street for 20 years.
She said the speed humps are a good idea, but that they’re just a short-term solution for a problem that’s made half of her house virtually unlivable.
“When we moved in we used to be able to sit on our front porch and use our living room,” said Musgrove. “We can’t do that anymore, there’s just too much noise and dirt from the traffic.”
Other humps installed around Sandy Hill and Lyon Street in Centretown saw traffic go from about 55-65 km/h down to 35-55 km/h, but there are some negative impacts that come with their installation.
Although traffic noise may be reduced due to lower speeds, acceleration and deceleration when going over the humps can cause it to increase.
As well, it could take longer for snow clearance vehicles to do their job.
Hemsing said there’s usually a three-month period after installation when the city gets complaints about the new humps, and it takes some time to adjust to them.
“If speeding is an issue for you then it’s probably a good trade-off to take,” she said at the meeting.
Other residents are worried about the impact the speed humps will have on people who use public transportation.
“A lot of people who use Para Transpo aren’t very robust physically,” said Florence Poole, who has lived on Booth Street since 1981 and is a regular Para Transpo user. “When you get extra bumps or things like that it can hurt your neck or back.”
But Hemsing said there would be signs ahead of any speed humps so that vehicles have enough time to slow down.
Ottawa’s Transportation, Utilities & Public Works department will report to the transportation committee this June after collecting residents’ feedback The speed humps have to be approved before any funding or construction can begin.