City Council member Eric Costello says that, after years of petitions from Bolton Hill and his office, the City Department of Transportation (DOT) will take several “traffic-calming” initiatives on West Lafayette Ave. and Laurens St.
In what he called “first steps,” Costello told BHCA’s April meeting that the fixes have been promised for completion by May 31. He said he met with DOT Director Corren Johnson and secured the commitments.
“DOT will install parking striping on the exterior of the parking lane on each side of Lafayette between Eutaw Place and Bolton St., which will result in lane-narrowing and, hopefully, reduced speeds,” he said, adding that a sign refresh will occur for stop signs and speed limit signs on this corridor. A high-visibility crosswalk will also be installed at the eastern end of the intersection of Lafayette and Eutaw.
On Laurens St., DOT will install parking striping on the exterior of the parking lane on each side of the 200 block, which will result in lane-narrowing to reduce speeds. Flex posts will be installed on the east side of the intersection of Laurens and Linden Ave., on both sides of Laurens.
Neighbors have for months complained of high speed traffic heading west to Eutaw along the south border of Sumpter Park, where children often cross on foot or bikes. On Lafayette, residents and nearby residents two years ago submitted a petition with some 200 signatures calling for unspecified steps to reduce speeding in the blocks between Eutaw eastbound to Mt. Royal Ave.
Costello said fire department officials have resisted calls for speed bumps and other obstacles, contending that they interfere with efforts to move quickly east from the fire station on McMechen St. just west of Eutaw. So far, DOT has been more responsive to that concern than to calls for the speed bumps. The council member said that if these announced steps prove ineffective, he will push DOT for additional four-way stop signs at intersections on Lafayette and Laurens.
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