Elorza’s Speed Hump Plan Criticized By Former Top Aide Smiley
Saturday, May 29, 2021
Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza’s speed hump strategy took another bump with criticism from his former top staffer Brett Smiley.
Smiley served as Chief Operating Officer for Elorza and was a key political ally of the mayor. Smiley, whose political consulting business earned more than $130,000 from Elorza's campaign, has recently exited his consulting business.
Now, Smiley says there are too many speed humps and the city needs a strategy. But, the Elorza administration did develop a master plan for improving traffic.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTSmiley has announced he is running for mayor of Providence in 2022.
Elorza has said that the recent increase of "speed humps" in the city -- especially in the Elmhurst section -- is consistent with the city's "Great Streets Master Plan," and is intended to "calm traffic and improve pedestrian safety."
"These speed lumps or raised crosswalks were installed beginning last fall to calm traffic and improve pedestrian safety. In some locations, temporary bumps were installed at neighbors' request, and, after a further study, were made permanent," said Elorza spokesperson Ben Smith in a statement to GoLocal in April.
“In neighborhoods across the City of Providence a shocking number of these humps have emerged and once again, our neighbors are left feeling left out of the conversation," writes Smiley.
"Traffic calming and safety are an important issue. Our neighborhood streets that are used as cut-throughs for other main thoroughfares are dangerous to the families who live there. But, the proliferation of these speed humps, the lack of notice about their placement, and the uneven design and application are yet another instance where the city can’t seem to get the basic things right," according to Smiley.
"The first major concern is that there doesn’t seem to be a plan. I have yet to see a master plan outlining where these are planned and what problems they are trying to solve. In many cases, the installation of speed humps on one street shifts the dangerous traffic behavior to a nearby street. The city then receives requests to install them on the next street, and so on and so on. If we knew what the overall plan was, we might be able to understand and accept their placement," writes Smiley.
READ THE CITY OF PROVIDENCE'S PLAN HERE
And, Smiley criticizes the lack of communication by the city. He writes, "This feeds into the second major concern…the lack of notice. I have heard from neighbors across Providence, read on community listservs and on social media that very few people knew these were coming. Residents care about their neighborhoods and deserve to be informed about these changes to their streets. The lack of communication is only adding to the frustration."
"Finally, the installation of these humps seems to be inconsistent at best. Some streets get three humps, some get four-- this makes it almost impossible for some cars to maneuver. Many of them are too high, risking damage to vehicles and dangerous traffic flow. There are also just ill-conceived placements, such as the ones at the end of the Henderson Bridge. I know several of these recently installed nuisances have already had to be removed or modified, wasting precious resources," adds Smiley.
Smiley, who ran for mayor in 2014, before dropping out of the race and endorsing Elorza, released more than a dozen plans during his campaign.
"Providence should have a comprehensive plan, published by the city, with a clear input process so the community can react. There are more tools in our traffic calming toolbox than just speed humps – better enforcement and street design, speed cameras and temporary speed humps to name a few. We know that safe streets protect our drivers, pedestrians and cyclists but should not come at a cost or without a conversation," claims Smiley.
One Councilor Claims They Are Too Tall
John Goncalves who represents Ward 1 on the City Council -- the Fox Point and Wayland area that includes the Henderson Bridge speed hump wrote in a letter to constituents, “While many residents in this area have called for traffic calming measures here, and while we recognize that speed bumps and other traffic calming infrastructure are necessary to mitigate speeding and reckless driving in our City, these speed bumps are too high and must be rectified in a way that does not inconvenience or endanger drivers, vehicles, and pedestrians.”
"I will continue to work with community members and our City offices to find the best way to keep our streets safe and to ensure that these speed bumps are reduced in height and reconstructed as soon as possible," added Goncalves.
Related Articles
- Providence Turning Into “Speed Hump” City
- Elorza: More Speed Humps Part of Providence “Great Streets Master Plan”
- Speed Humps Come to Providence’s East Side
- VIDEO: Speeding Over Speed Humps in Providence
