Nope, it’s not gas stations or high-density housing that caused this SLC neighborhood squabble

The latest neighborhood battle brewing on Salt Lake City’s east side has nothing to do with the usual sources of consternation.

It’s not high-density housing or a proposed gas station that has drawn the ire of residents. This time, it’s speed humps.

City officials want to make drivers hit the brakes by installing seven speed humps and one raised crosswalk along 1300 South between Foothill Drive and 1700 East, and another four speed humps on 2100 East between 1300 South and Browning Avenue (about 1500 South).

“There are a lot of destinations on 1300 South,” said the city’s transportation director, Jon Larsen. “We’ve been hearing this a lot from residents, that they’re concerned that it doesn’t feel like the safe, community-oriented street that it really could be.”

Not everyone, though, is on board with the plan.

Online petition draws hundreds

An online petition urging the city to “stop the speed bumps on 1300 South” had more than 450 signatures as of Thursday afternoon, revealing an uncommon flurry of opposition to a traffic-calming measure that neighborhoods typically embrace.

The petition’s creator, Wasatch Hollow resident Judson Kemsley, said the pushback isn’t as much about opposing efforts to slow traffic as it is about crying foul at a lack of communication from the city.

“We are not against traffic-calming measures; we’re not against safety,” Kemsley said. “We want our streets to be safe, but we want the city to vet out this process like they typically do, and involve the community.”

Kemsley, who lives along 1300 South, said he was notified about the project a few weeks ago through a postcard sent by the city. Most of his neighbors, he said, tossed out theirs without ever looking at them.

The proposal on 1300 South and 2100 East is part of a wider effort to slow traffic across the city. Last year, the City Council passed a measure to reduce the speed limit on residential streets to 20 mph and adopted a budget that included funding for projects that slow down cars.

Too fast to slow traffic?

Larsen said the city moved quickly to address concerns about safety along the busy street. Late last year, an 11-year-old girl was killed in a crosswalk at the intersection of 2100 East and 1300 South.

While Larsen is used to hearing complaints that the city doesn’t move quickly enough, he understands why there may be frustration when plans seemingly start to pick up speed.

“We’re always trying to find that balance of moving fast on stuff that we know there’s a lot of support for — because there is a ton of support in this community to do this project — but also giving everyone a chance to have their voice be heard before everything is finalized.”

Council member Dan Dugan, who represents the area, said the city conducted public engagement over the past six months, but he recognizes there is room for improvement.

“I was part of a lot of those conversations, and I thought we were doing a good job with it,” he said, “but it doesn’t sound like we did enough.”

Improving safety along the streets of the neighborhood is what inspired Taymour Semnani to challenge Dugan for his District 6 seat this year.

Semnani believes Kemsley is sincere in his concerns but said what’s most important is making the neighborhood safer.

“As a parent, the urgency of keeping your children safe comes first,” he said. “If you can get it, you don’t care how you get it — you just know your kids are safe. So from that perspective, I am in support of the speed bumps.”

Could speed humps be too noisy?

To show their opposition to the project, a number of residents along the street set out yard signs calling for “No speed bumps on 1300 South.” The signs include a scannable code that links to the online petition, which spells out concerns about noise pollution, poor drainage, icy conditions in the winter and slower response times from first responders.

“While they [speed humps] do provide a measure of safety for our community, they also provide drawbacks as well,” Kemsley said. “These are the types of things that we wish that the city would address with the residents so that we can make an informed decision about whether that’s the best thing for our neighborhood.”

Larsen, however, said there isn’t much evidence to support those fears. Modern speed humps aren’t as noisy as the designs of yesteryear, he said, and public safety agencies have expressed no concerns about what the city is proposing.

These speed humps, he said, are comfortable to drive over if someone is going the speed limit.

Kem and Alison Elbrader, meanwhile, voiced their support for the project at a June 13 City Council meeting.

Alison Elbrader said she, her husband and two kids had their own close call when they were “sideswiped” while walking home from the grocery store at the corner of 1300 South and 1700 East.

“While our encounter ended in a dented stroller and a minor scratch, we were only inches from a disaster,” she said. “We were fortunate. Others in our neighborhood were not so lucky.”

Loud voices vs. a silent majority?

Kem Elbrader told council members that support for the project is overwhelming in his neighborhood and that the concerns outlined in the petition are presented without evidence.

“The voices against are loud,” Elbrader said, “but they do not represent the majority.”

The project is tentatively scheduled to be built late this summer.

Larsen said there’s a “small chance” the project will be adjusted based on feedback from residents, but the city has already hired a contractor to start building.

“Especially in today’s environment,” he said, “if you have a solid project and a contractor that’s willing to build it within your budget, that’s a good place to be in.”