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Traffic Calming Programs & Emergency Response

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Traffic Calming Programs & Emergency Response Copyright by Leslie W. Bunte Jr. 2000 Traffic Calming Programs & Emergency Response: A Competition of Two Public Goods by Leslie W. Bunte, Jr., B.S. Professional Report Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Public Affairs The University of Texas at Austin May 2000 Traffic Calming Programs and Emergency Response: A Competition of Two Public Goods APPROVED BY SUPERVISING COMMITTEE: _______________________________ _______________________________ DEDICATION Every minute of every day, a group of dedicated people constantly remains vigilant throughout the communities of the United States to respond and provide emergency services to the victims of those who encounter the perils of fires and medical emergencies. The Fire Chief and other subordinate Chief Officers, whether professional or volunteer, provide the leadership to direct these local emergency service responses. The Fire Chief, who is considered the “community expert” on fire protection and emergency medical service matters, is often confronted with tough policy development choices and emergency scene decisions to ensure the protection of both his/her staff and the public they serve. I wish to dedicate this professional report to the men and women of America’s fire service, particularly those Chiefs who wear the white helmets, in hopes that this research can assist them in making sound, quality decisions for their respective communities. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS True professional reports, regardless of the discipline, require both the internal and external contributions of many people and organizations. This report is not different. Without their willingness to share their resources, be it time, information, or experiences, this report would have been impossible to author. Before a report such as this can be submitted, one must have the desire to enter graduate school. My desire for such an achievement would not have been possible without the inspiration and encouragement of a former graduate of the LBJ School. My sincerest thanks goes to Elizabeth Gray (Class of 1990), who instilled the confidence within me to pursue this endeavor. At a time when I thought my formal education had ended, she saw otherwise. I would like to thank my supervising committee, Bill Spelman and Bill Black, for their guidance and review of this report. Also, I want to thank the entire faculty at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, who has provided me, and other students, with the knowledge and ability to perform analytical public policy reviews. Sharing professional information is not possible without networking. I wish to respectfully thank all of my colleagues throughout the U.S. fire service who were so willing to share their perspectives and experiences during v the development of this paper. Particular thanks goes to the Chief Officers and officials of the Austin, Berkeley, Boulder, Fresno, Montgomery County (MD), Portland, and Sacramento Fire Departments. A great appreciation is also extended to Joan Hudson and the staff of the City of Austin Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program. Their generosity of information and professional interactions created a positive environment, from a proponent’s perspective, to explore and expound upon the subject of this paper. Without a doubt, the greatest contributor to my research goes to Kathleen Calongne. Her collection of documents, information and sources, from an opponent’s point of view, were invaluable to this report. For all of her previous work, perseverance, and accumulation of information from networking with others, I truly consider her one of the “pioneers” of the traffic calming debate. Her cohorts, such as Amy Muhs, Emily Wilcox and Ray Bowman, are three of the many others who assisted in providing research materials or methods. Finally, my greatest appreciation goes to my wife Linda, and my two daughters, Brande and Brittani, who have graciously endured the family pressures generated during the development of this report. However, their compassion and understanding goes far beyond that. Over the last twenty years, they have given me the utmost support and encouragement to pursue vi my professional development dreams at the expense of many family sacrifices. To them, I will forever be indebted. vii Traffic Calming Programs & Emergency Response: A Competition of Two Public Goods by Leslie W. Bunte, Jr., M.P.Aff. The University of Texas at Austin, 2000 SUPERVISOR: William Spelman A natural dilemma for public policy makers occurred when two public policies conflicted with each other causing immense political and emotional stress upon both the policy maker and the public. This research paper examined the disagreement that had occurred in communities throughout the United States where traffic-calming programs were found to be in direct conflict with providing prompt emergency services. Thus, a conflict of two public goods was created. This professional report examined the history and the positive and negative aspects of traffic calming programs. Negative impacts upon emergency services were substantiated by various emergency response time tests conducted by leading U.S. Fire Departments. Information was also viii obtained on injuries that have occurred to firefighters from traffic calming devices as well as documented mechanical damages to emergency vehicles. Traffic calming programs were found to contribute to air pollution as verified by several previous environmental studies conducted specifically for traffic calming devices. This report also revealed the enormous potential for civil liabilities for local governments, particularly with the violation of the American with Disabilities Act. In general, most U.S. local governments placed their traffic calming programs in moratorium due to all of the conflicts that were generated. A policy analysis was conducted specifically for the conflict that had arisen in Austin, Texas. Based on quantitative processes, this analysis showed that Austin would lose an additional 37 lives per year with patients of sudden cardiac arrest if the Fire and EMS Departments experienced a 30 second delay in response times due to traffic calming. The analyses also concluded that at best, only one pedestrian life could be saved each year from traffic calming as pedestrian fatalities rarely occurred within residential neighborhoods. A risk/benefit analyses also demonstrated that traffic-calming devices have more of a negative impact than a positive impact to the community. To reduce the conflict, and ensure at least a balance of these two public goods, a set of recommendations was formulated for the City of Austin ix policy makers and for those of other communities who had similar circumstances. x Table of Contents Chapter 1. Introduction ....................................................................................1 Chapter 2. Traffic Calming Programs and Devices .......................................12 History of Traffic Calming.....................................................12 Traffic Calming Objectives & Strategies...............................14 Analysis & Results.................................................................15 Description of Traffic Calming Devices ................................21 Chapter 3. Emergency Service Issues ............................................................41 Emergency Response Times & Routes ..................................41 Fire and EMS Vehicles ..........................................................42 Firefighter/Paramedic Injuries................................................45 Fleet Damage..........................................................................46 Response Time Tests & Studies.............................................49 Chapter 4. Environmental/Air Quality Emission Issues ................................63 Vehicle Emissions..................................................................63 Vehicle Emission Case Studies..............................................65 Air Quality Impact to Austin, Texas ......................................73 Chapter 5. Civil Liability Issues.....................................................................78 ADA Implications ..................................................................79 General Local Government Liability .....................................83 Chapter 6. Traffic Calming Postures of Local Governments.........................97 xi Postures of Various U.S. Cities..............................................98 Posture of Austin, Texas ......................................................101 Chapter 7. Impact Analysis for Traffic Calming Devices............................115 Overview of Analysis Methodology ....................................115 Reduced Speeds & Volume/Cut-Through Traffic ...............118 Pedestrian Fatality Data .......................................................127 Sudden Cardiac Arrest Data.................................................129 AFD Response Time Data....................................................135 Impact to SCA Victims in Austin ........................................147 Chapter 8. Discussion of Policy Implications ..............................................160 Devices Useful When Warranted.........................................161 Emergency Response Delays and Impacts...........................166 Environmental/Air Quality Impacts.....................................169 Civil Liabilities.....................................................................171
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