I want the city to put a stop sign on my street to slow down the traffic going through my neighbourhood. If we don't do something about it, someone is going to get hurt! The trouble is, many things that we think are appropriate are not good solutions to road safety problems.
How to Deal With Citizen Road Safety Concerns
Addressing Citizen Requests For Traffic Safety Concerns is an interesting document from the Local Road Research Board in Minnesota. This guide was written to provide local agency staff with a best practice approach to addressing citizen’s common requests for traffic safety concerns.
The document's abstract says:
This guidebook focuses on the importance of communication with citizens when responding to traffic safety concerns or requests. It also provides guidance on logging requests, steps for following up on a request, standard responses, and an explanation of why a requested strategy may or may not be the appropriate solution.
Because of the differences between urban vs. rural environments, city vs. county agencies and staff availability, there is no one size fits all approach. This document provides general guidance that can be modified to meet each agency’s needs.
Each request should be investigated to ensure the safety of all modes of transportation.
Knowing What to Expect
What is of interest to the community is that the document contains both information and links to explanations of why the solutions that people often request may not be appropriate choices to solve their problems.
Before you make a request to your local government body for a solution to road safety problems in your area, this is a good primer to read. Requesting something inappropriate is not a good way to start your quest. Choosing correctly makes an initial dismissal more difficult.
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