Application Process

The two most common concerns this program addresses are speeding and cut through traffic in residential areas. An application may be submitted by a neighborhood association, citizen group, or individual citizen. The applicant is then established as the Citizen Project Coordinator whose responsibilities include:

  1. Contact point for City staff for the duration of the project
  2. Assist in communicating update to impacted residents
  3. Responsible for collecting any required petitions

A study is necessary to determine if there is a traffic concern which can be effectively addressed by installing traffic calming practices. Upon receipt of an application, the Traffic Engineering Division will make a preliminary site visit and review available data, including crash reports, to determine if there is a readily apparent safety problem. Speed studies will be conducted by speed radar trailer and ground mounted traffic data recorders. Each study will be conducted for a minimum of six days. Speed radar trailers are typically placed in front of the Citizen Project Coordinator’s home. If requested by a neighborhood association or citizen group, we may contact the applicant to make necessary arrangements. 

After the data is collected and analyzed, to be eligible for Neighborhood Speed Management Techniques the following criteria should be met:

  1. Minimum traffic volume of 500 vehicles per day.  This includes both directions of travel.
  2. The 85th percentile speed shall be 5 mph or greater than the posted speed.
  3. The requested roadway shall not be designated an arterial or collector.
  4. The roadway segment shall be a minimum of 750 feet in length.

Should it be determined that the location is not appropriate for a traffic calming project requiring physical alterations to the roadway or that the concerns can be addressed in some other form, the applicant will be informed of the reason for ineligibility determination. It should be noted that any vertical application may not be installed on roadway segments deemed critical to emergency response by the Mesquite Fire Department or may create a safety issue.

Should the project be eligible for neighborhood speed management the roadway will move on in the process. The Traffic Engineering Division will collaborate with the Citizen Project Coordinator to plan and arrange a neighborhood workshop. The purpose of the neighborhood workshop is to determine what options are available to provide speed management in this project area and establish a preferred alternative.

Once the preferred alternative is established and determined that a physical alteration to the roadway is preferred, a petition will be required for impacted residents. City of Mesquite Traffic Engineering staff will determine if there is a need for a neighboring street petition based on the potential of diverted traffic from the preferred alternative. City staff will provide the petition to the Citizen Project Coordinator and a summary report for distribution with the petition. The summary report includes a summary of the speed/volume study and a mockup of the preferred installation including locations along the roadway. The petition should meet the following guidelines for project installation.

  1. 80% of impacted residents on the street of installation shall support by petition for the proposed improvement.
  2. 60% of impacted neighboring streets shall support the proposed improvement.

When the qualified petition is received, the project will be reviewed by City staff for approval and the Traffic Engineering Division will plan for the installation of the alternative.

If you have a concern for vehicular traffic issues in your neighborhood and would like to submit an application for the Neighborhood Speed Management Program, please apply here.