[g2:2381 class=”right”]The City of El Cerrito is implementing a major street calming project on Fairmount Ave. Phase 1 installation of speed humps, bulb outs, and curb ramps has been completed. Thanks to a traffic safety grant, Phase 2 work will soon begin on a realignment of the Fairmount/Ashbury intersection.
Whereas traffic engineers have traditionally only allowed speed humps on minor side streets, this very innovative project is putting traffic calming where it is really needed: on a major arterial. Fairmount Ave directly connects to the El Cerrito BART station, and the El Cerrito plaza shopping mall.
The project consists of the following improvements:
- Crosswalk Improvements at the commercial district (near Colusa) and near Harding Elementary School
- Three raised crosswalks to help calm and modulate traffic along Fairmount
- Sidewalk bulb-outs near Harding Elementary
- New curb ramps to enhance pedestrian and handicap access
- Street Tree planting program from Richmond Street to Ramona Avenue.
- Realignment of the Ashbury-Fairmount intersection.
A 1-hour, unscientific site visit to Fairmount found traffic slowing for crosswalks in the 15 mph zone in front of Harding Elementary school, greatly facilitating pedestrian crossing. AC Transit buses were slowed by the speed humps, but were otherwise unaffected. One driver was seen driving over a speed hump at 25mph (with only minor vertical impact). Overall, the project appeared very successful in curtailing speeds.