An engineering study will drive forward – or stall – the issue of speed humps in Walden. Town Recorder Fern Lockhart reported that a request was recently put in to Tennessee Transportation Assistance Program, a product of UTK that assists with and does training on transportation-related topics, following the strong recommendation for an engineering study by the town’s insurer.
“TML [Tennessee Municipal League cooperative, which offers insurance to municipalities statewide] has asked that we have them do an engineering review to see if they think speed humps are necessary in that area, if they will actually help what the residents feel they have a problem with,” Lockhart said. “Then they will give us technical information about where to locate them and how many so that we will be covered liability-wise, that they’re spaced properly and signed properly.”
At the October and November meetings citizens from Northern and First avenues told stories of how their roads are being used as speedy cut-throughs and asked that something be done. While that something was speed humps, Lockhart said that may not be the answer that comes back from the engineer.
“They may have something else they recommend,” she said. “TTAP will say ‘these are the choices you have, the things that would work,’ then it comes before [the Board of Mayor and Aldermen] and they will make the decision of which one of those things they feel is best for the area and that the town can best provide.”
It shouldn’t be an issue for the town to provide for a few speed humps, which typically cost around a few hundred dollars, according to Lockhart.