LA reviving speed bumps program to address neighborhood complaints

After a seven-year hiatus due to budget cuts, the city of Los Angeles will begin installing speed bumps on surface streets once again. 

Last week, officials briefed the L.A. City Council Transportation Committee on plans to revive the program, which came to a stop in 2009 after budget cuts during the recession.

It can't come too soon for some neighborhoods that have seen an increase in traffic and speeding, in part they say because of apps like Waze that direct drivers through residential areas to avoid tie-ups elsewhere.

The department has received about 800 requests for the traffic-slowing features in just the last three years. 

The typical speed bumps are more accurately called speed humps, which are the bigger, more gradual inclines to slow traffic to about 10 to 15 miles per hour. The city Department of Transportation plans to install 30 of them around Los Angeles over the next year. 

Seleta Reynolds, department general manager, said it will probably take about six months just to get the program going again. The city will need to hire two new employees and coordinate community outreach on the issue. 

"There’s a lot of legwork that needs to be done to get the word out," she said.

Residents who want a speed hump for their neighborhood will need to file a petition with the city with supporting signatures from neighbors. 

In coming months, the department will be building a website to disseminate more information on the program and petition procedure.