This fall, when the MML Legislative Committee met to discuss potential League priorities, traffic calming measures were a hot topic. While the committee choose not to adopt it as a priority, the group moved forward with the understanding that we would orchestrate a meeting with the State Highway Administration (SHA) to review alternatives along state roads.
On November 7, that meeting took place and was chaired by LC Vice-Chair Denise Mitchell. After a thorough discussion about the problems municipalities are facing along state roads in their jurisdictions, SHA shared some highlights of the SafeZones program and the draft of a new Street Safety Guidance document (which will be shared on their website once it’s finalized).
The SHA Administrator, Greg Slater, later offered to create a workgroup to address a large problem highlighted by the group of officials: the inability to receive speed cameras on state roads within .5 miles of school that the school does not face. Staff explained the history and intent of the original speed camera legislation, and it became clear that this was a regulatory issue. SHA is committed to bringing together members from MML, MACo, education officials, and police to address the definitions at the root of this problem.