Neighborhood Traffic Safety (NTS) Program

Existing residential neighborhoods in the City of Federal Way may be considered for the NTS Program in order to control traffic speeds, reduce cut-through traffic and improve documented pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular safety issues. Neighborhoods are defined by elementary school attendance areas.  The NTS program should not be confused with other City processes required of new subdivisions or commercial developments.  The NTS program consists of three phases (the three E’s) in the following order: 1) Education, 2) Enforcement, and then 3) Engineering. 

The NTS process can be initiated through any of the following ways:

1. Citizen request / complaint
2. Police Department request
3. Public Works Traffic Division data analysis
4. Other

Once a citizen request or complaint about speeding or cut-through traffic is received by the City, a traffic study is conducted to see if the program’s technical criteria (severity score) are met.  The City considers five criteria to qualify a street for traffic calming devices: 

1. Majority Speed: The speed at or below which 85 percent of all vehicles are observed to travel under free-flowing conditions past a monitored point, measured in worst direction.
   1. Volume: The average daily traffic total of both directions.
      1. Location: Half a point is given for streets fronting parks, schools, or designated school crossings.
      2. Collisions: A five-year reported collision history (frequency and severity) is investigated for collisions that may be correctable by traffic calming devices.
      3. Sidewalk: Half a point is given to streets that do not have sidewalk on either side of the street and 1 point is given to streets that do not have sidewalk on both sides of the street.

Depending on roadway functional classification, each criterion is scored as shown in Tables 1 through 4 below.  The total severity score is added for each category for a maximum 16.0 points.  A three (3.0) point minimum severity score is needed to continue with the program regardless of how the points were collected.

I)         Education:

The education phase is intended to increase neighborhood awareness of local speeding issues.  In many cases, a handful of speeders are known to the neighborhood and could use a reminder to change their driving behavior.  A neighborhood watch program may be launched that could use the following tools: 

• Include a general article in your homeowner association’s (HOA) and/or local school newsletters to remind residents about the importance of obeying speed limits, and to warn residents to be on the watch for speeding traffic.  In many cases, the driver is unintentionally speeding and a friendly reminder would be effective.

• Contact the Police Department at 253.835.6775 to request placement of a speed trailer (speed reader board) in your neighborhood.      Depending on the location and driver population, this device may change driver behavior for an indefinite time period.  Volunteers willing to help the Police Department are always appreciated; please call   253.835.6730 if interested in volunteering in this program.

• Form a speed watch group to document incidents of speeding.      Be sure to include any vehicle information: colors, makes, models, license numbers, and the dates and times they pass through a specific location.  This information, when compiled for several weeks, should then be submitted to a selected speed watch program manager.  Several reports of speeding for the same vehicle should then be reported to the Police Department for enforcement so that officers may more effectively target locations at specific times for emphases patrol.

II)        Enforcement:

The second phase of the NTS program is targeted enforcement.  It may take some drivers a stronger incentive (speeding tickets) to change their driving behavior.  This usually works for local residential speeds with minimum cut-through traffic

At least 90 days of education and targeted enforcement must be conducted AND the project meets minimum score of 3.0 points before the project will proceed to the next phase (Phase III – Engineering).

III)       Engineering:

In some cases, education and enforcement alone may not address the issues of excessive speeding, cut-through traffic, or pedestrian/vehicle safety concerns.  The third phase of the NTS program is engineering.  The engineering phase allows for the installation of traffic calming devices such as speed humps, speed tables, raised crosswalks, traffic circles, chicanes, signing, pavement marking, or other approved devices.  These devices shall only be installed when the following general conditions and criteria are met: 

A- General Conditions:

1. Less restrictive means of controlling speed (Education and Enforcement) have been attempted without success.
2. The proposed devices may be installed on residential streets functionally classified as local or minor collector.  Some devices that do not severely delay emergency vehicles, such as roundabouts or chicanes, may be permitted on principal collectors as long as the posted speed limit does not exceed 30 mph. Vertical deflection devices (speed humps, speed tables, raised crosswalks) are not permitted on principal collectors or arterials, without Public Works Director approval.
3. No devices shall be installed within 600 feet of a traffic signal or 250 feet of a stop sign, as measured along the major roadway movement.
4. For vertical deflection devices, no adverse street characteristics exist, such as steep grades in excess of 8%.  In all cases, sight distance standards must be met. Storm drainage problems created by the installation of the proposed devices can be adequately addressed.
5. Each neighborhood (elementary school enrollment area) may receive traffic calming devices once every three years.
6. The City will not install traffic calming devices in cul-de-sacs that are less than 600 feet long.

B- Installation Process and Criteria

Depending on roadway functional classification, each criterion is scored as shown in Tables 1 through 4 below.  The total severity score is added for each category for a maximum 16.0 points.  A three point minimum severity score is needed to continue with the program regardless of how the points were collected: 

Table 1

Local Residential Street NTS Criteria 

Point Scale	85th Percentile Speed	Average Daily Traffic (ADT)	Location School/Park	Presence of Sidewalk	5-Year Collision History
					Total	Injury	Fatal
0.0	0 - 25	0 - 500	No	Both Sides	1	-	-
0.5	26 - 27	501 - 600	Yes	Either Side	2	-	-
1.0	28 - 29	601 - 700	-	Neither Side	3	1	-
1.5	30 - 31	701 - 800	-	-	4	-	-
2.0	32 - 33	801 - 900	-	-	5	2	1
2.5	34 - 35	901 - 1,000	-	-	6	-	-
3.0	36+	1,001+	-	-	7+	3+	2+

 Table 2

Minor Collector Street NTS Criteria 

Point Scale	85th Percentile Speed	Average Daily Traffic (ADT)	Location School/Park	Presence of Sidewalk	5-Year Collision History
					Total	Injury	Fatal
0.0	0 - 25	0 - 1,000	No	Both Sides	1	-	-
0.5	26 - 27	1,001 – 1,800	Yes	Either Side	2	-	-
1.0	28 - 29	1,801 – 2,600	-	Neither Side	3	1	-
1.5	30 - 31	2,601 – 3,400	-	-	4	-	-
2.0	32 - 33	3,401 – 4,200	-	-	5	2	1
2.5	34 - 35	4,201 – 5,000	-	-	6	-	-
3.0	36+	5,001+	-	-	7+	3+	2+

 Table 3

Principal Collector Street NTS Criteria (25 mph Speed Limits) 

Point Scale	85th Percentile Speed	Average Daily Traffic (ADT)	Location: School/Park	Presence of Sidewalk	5-Year Collision History
					Total	Injury	Fatal
0.0	0 - 25	0 - 5,000	No	Both Sides	1	-	-
0.5	26 - 27	5,001 - 7,000	Yes	Either Side	2	-	-
1.0	28 - 29	7,001 - 9,000	-	Neither Side	3	1	-
1.5	30 - 31	9,001 - 11,000	-	-	4	-	-
2.0	32 - 33	11,001 - 13,000	-	-	5	2	1
2.5	34 - 35	13,001 - 15,000	-	-	6	-	-
3.0	36+	15,001+	-	-	7+	3+	2+

Table 4

Principal Collector Street NTS Criteria (30 mph Speed Limits)

Point Scale	85th Percentile Speed	Average Daily Traffic (ADT)	Location: School/Park	Presence of Sidewalk	5-Year Collision History
					Total	Injury	Fatal
0.0	0 - 30	0 - 5,000	No	Both Sides	1	-	-
0.5	31 - 32	5,001 - 7,000	Yes	Either Side	2	-	-
1.0	33 – 34	7,001 - 9,000	-	Neither Side	3	1	-
1.5	35 – 36	9,001 - 11,000	-	-	4	-	-
2.0	37 – 38	11,001 - 13,000	-	-	5	2	1
2.5	39 – 40	13,001 - 15,000	-	-	6	-	-
3.0	41+	15,001+	-	-	7+	3+	2+

1. If a project does not meet the 3-point minimum severity score, the contact petitioner is informed about the study results.  In such a case, additional education and enforcement would be the proposed solution.
2. If the project meets the above criteria, the City will hold a neighborhood meeting to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various traffic calming devices and to develop a consensus solution.  In addition to residents, staff from the School District, Police, and Fire Departments are also invited.  Public meetings are usually advertised by posting signs on the subject roads.
3. Ballots are sent to all properties abutting the streets within 600 feet (measured along street centerlines) of the proposed project location. Ballots are also sent to properties where the proposed devices would be located along their sole access route as determined by the Public Works Director.  Only one ballot will be issued per housing unit address.  A simple majority (more than 50%) of returned ballots is necessary to carry the project forward to City Council for final approval. The ballots are only utilized to measure neighborhood project support and are advisory to Council who may modify the proposal. 
4. If a ballot area extends beyond the City limits, ballot results for ballots returned from properties within the City and from outside the City will be tabulated separately and jointly for evaluation by the City Council.
5. The ballot results may be delivered to the neighborhood utilizing signs on the street or by conducting a second neighborhood meeting.
6. If a project’s severity score is at least 6.0 points, staff may develop a proposal with citizen input and the balloting process may be bypassed. 
7. If the ballot measure passes or if the total severity score is at least 6.0 points, the proposal is presented to the Land Use and Transportation Committee (LUTC), and if passed, is then presented to the City Council for final approval.
8. If the ballot measure fails, a three-year waiting period is required to restart the process.
9. The Public Works Department will review all eligible projects once a year and rank them in order of severity and implemented within available funding.  Geographic equity will be considered with prioritizing projects.

C- Removal Process and Criteria

Traffic calming devices may be removed when all of the following criteria are met:

1)  A City prepared or approved petition signed by owners or residents representing 10 or more lots within the affected area must be submitted to the City. The affected area includes properties abutting streets within 600 feet of the existing device location, measured along street centerlines, and properties which the existing devices are located along their sole access route as determined by the Public Works Director, and

2)  Property owners and residents within the affected area shall be sent a City prepared or approved ballot by first class mail. More than 50% of the returned ballots must vote affirmatively, concurring with the removal of devices. This ballot is advisory to City Council, who may modify the proposal, and

3)  An adequate review period (minimum of 12 months from installation) and subsequent engineering analysis has been performed to determine the traffic characteristics along the route and the impacts to the remaining street system.

Citizens that have any questions regarding the NTS program may call the Public Works Department at 253.835.2700.

City of Federal Way

Neighborhood Traffic Safety (NTS) Program

Petition for Removal of Traffic Calming Devices

 

Date: ____________________

 

Roadway Segment: (On street, from street – to street)__________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Nature of Request_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

	Name	Street Address	Phone Number	Email	Signature
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*Minimum of 10 different addresses required.

 

Contact Person’s Information

Name: ____________________________________________________               Phone Number: _____________________________________

Address: __________________________________________________               Email: _____________________________________________

Please send to: Attn. Jason Kennedy, City of Federal Way, Public Works Department, 33325 8^th Avenue S, Federal Way, WA 98003

1. City of Federal Way Comprehensive Plan Figure III-6. https://www.cityoffederalway.com/sites/default/files/Documents/Department/CD/Comprehensive%20Plan/Final_Chapter_3_with_appendix.pdf