The city is looking into the purchase of temporary speed bumps for Adams Street in response to residents' concerns.
The Transportation and Traffic Commission approved the suggestion and sent it to the Public Works and Planning committee.
Resident Steve Veile brought the request to the commission Thursday out of concern that speeding on the street results in an unsafe environment for students going to or leaving Thorpe J. Gordon Elementary School a block over or Hickory Street Neighborhood Park.
It focuses on the stretch of Adams Street between Woodlawn Avenue and Hickory Street.
Discussion of the issue started in 2019 when now Ward 2 Councilman Mike Lester requested traffic- calming measures in the area.
At the time, the Public Works committee approved additional speed signs, added the area to the police department's list of areas to watch for speeding and added the Hickory-Adams intersection to a list of areas in need of improvements.
Those improvements are part of a project currently in design stages.
However, residents are concerned safety is still an issue.
The residents resubmitted a petition, gathered in 2019, in favor of placing speed bumps on Adams Street.
It received 23 signatures in favor, including from the senior living facility on Adams Street, with one signature opposed.
After Veile filed his request, the Public Works Department conducted a speed study of the area, which found the average pace speed is 21-31 miles per hour with an average of 80 percent of drivers falling within that range. The road's speed limit is listed as 30 miles per hour.
Residents took issue with the study, pointing out it was conducted while school wasn't in session and while the roads were wet.
Engineer Tia Griffin said the study was conducted the last week of school, and it was "gloomy out, but not raining."
On average, during the study, the area near the park saw 1,467 vehicles a day and slightly fewer going toward Woodlawn Avenue but still more than 1,400.
"There are people that are going consistently faster than this," Griffin said. "But we can't design the road for the 3 percent of people out there."
Veile said part of his concern is that people go too fast over the hill and won't see students until they can't slow down enough.
Resident Jane Lester, who is the councilman's wife, attended Thursday's meeting and said her primary concern is the students since Adams Street is a direct route to walk home for some of them.
One thing that's changed since 2019, she said, is the high school students get out later, which means they aren't walking younger siblings home from the elementary school.
"We do also have Heritage Apartments there, which is home for a lot of those students," she said.
The commission agreed in a unanimous vote to recommend the Public Works and Planning Committee install two temporary speed bumps on the road, which are cheaper and able to be removed more easily, as a test to see whether speed bumps would help address the residents' concerns.
It would also mean putting up signs, likely in a resident's yard, to note the speed bump.
Griffin said the department would try to do a nice weather speed count before installation and then do another one later on to see if the speed bumps changed anything.
She estimated it would cost around $5,000 each compared to the estimated $50,000 a permanent speed bump would cost.
In other action, the commission denied a suggestion to place flashing lights on all crosswalk signs near Jefferson City Public Schools.
Resident Melissa Jones made the request after an April accident involving two high school students in the crosswalk by the Lafayette Street round-a-bout.
Jones stated in her request, "I feel like the addition of flashing lights to the crosswalk signs will help keep drivers focused and alert in school areas."
Griffin said city staff could not support the request or a plan that advocates flashing lights as the primary solution for safety near a school.
Other options, she said, include additional sidewalks, shorter crosswalks, improved line of sight for both pedestrians and vehicles, and pedestrian activated flashing lights.
The commission recommended the Public Works Department consider safety improvements when working in high pedestrian areas and periodic maintenance of crosswalks especially around schools.