ANAHEIM : Persistence Pays Off; Speed Humps OKd

It’s a scene that has been repeated in many neighborhoods: A once-slow and quiet residential street is gradually transformed into a shortcut for motorists trying to avoid the congestion packing nearby main routes.

But it’s a development that residents of Glenview Avenue and Holbrook Street here have fought for more than two years, with hopes of keeping their housing tract peaceful and safe.

Last week, their persistence finally paid off.

The City Council approved six speed humps for each street, and the speed-control devices will soon be put in place for a six-month trial period.

“It’s just great,” said Marcia Clarke, a member of the neighborhood group that numbered more than 100 members at times. “I guess the words of wisdom are persistence .”

Unlike many groups that bring concerns before the City Council--often with signed petitions to show community consensus--these neighborhood residents also brought detailed plans and well-researched solutions.

“We didn’t just pull speed humps out of the hat one day,” Clarke said. “We’ve worked real hard to get the information and get everything documented.”

The council approved the humps despite reports from the Engineering and Police departments and the city attorney against them. Humps are wider and lower than traditional bumps that are often found in parking lots.

Traffic Engineer Paul Singer said that since humps are not considered standard devices for controlling traffic by state and federal authorities, there is little documentation of their effectiveness. Singer also warned that since there are no formal guidelines for building humps, they might be installed incorrectly, leaving the city liable for accidents that might result.

The Police Department also added other concerns, noting that skateboarders, bicyclists and motorcyclists might use the humps as jumps and that speeding motorists could lose control of their vehicles if they are caught off guard by the devices.

Nevertheless, with a few thousand vehicles passing through the two streets each day, some traveling as fast as 40 miles an hour, the council agreed with the residents that it was time to try something.

Costa Mesa and Yorba Linda currently have speed humps on some residential streets. The 12 humps planned for Glenview Avenue and Holbrook Street will cost about $16,500 and are scheduled to be installed by the start of next school year.