The Engineering Division is responsible for:
- The design, supervision, and inspection of all street, sidewalk, and bike path construction;
- All City surveying and mapping operations include maintenance of the City’s street and utility records;
- Management of the storm water and sewers including the design, operation and maintenance of sanitary sewers and storm sewer systems;
- The review of land use changes for Public Works feasibility;
- The research and development services supporting the Solid Waste Management Program; and
- The preparation of various studies relating to Public Works.
CONTACT US
CITY HALL | Public Works Department
117 Macneil Street, San Fernando, CA 91340
(818) 898-1222 | PublicWorks@sfcity.org
What are Speed Humps?
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Speed Humps are asphalt mounds placed on roadways for the purpose of slowing traffic.
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Speed humps are different than speed bumps, which are commonly seen in parking lots or on private streets.
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Speed Humps span the full width of the street, typically 36 to 40 feet. The City of San Fernando speed hump standard is 12 feet measured longitudinally and three inches high. Speed Humps are typically placed 300 to 600 feet apart and are installed on residential streets experiencing speeding problems.
What are Speed Tables?
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Speed Tables are longer and sometimes appear, to be more flat on the surface, speed humps are used primarily for the purpose of slowing traffic.
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Speed Tables are more gently sloped than Speed Humps, provide slightly higher design speeds than Speed Humps, and are used at locations where low speeds are desired but a somewhat smooth ride is needed for larger vehicles since they long enough for the entire wheelbase of a passenger car to rest on the top section.
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Speed Tables span the full width of the street, typically 36 to 40 feet. The City of San Fernando speed table standard is 22 feet measured longitudinally and three inches high. Speed Humps are typically placed 300 to 600 feet apart and are installed on residential collector streets experiencing speeding problems.
Why are Speed Humps/Speed Tables desirable?
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Speed Humps/Speed Tables can help control speeding on local neighborhood streets: They can reduce average speeds by as much as seven mph. Unlike traditional police enforcement, Speed Humps provide continuous service. They may also help discourage cut-through traffic by diverting it elsewhere.
Applications
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Residential Streets
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Not typically used on major roads, bus routes, or primary emergency response routes
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Mid-block placement, not at an intersection
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Not on grades greater than eight percent
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Work well with curb extensions
Design/Installation Issues
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Typically 12 to 14 feet in length; other lengths (10, 22, and 30 feet) reported in practice in U.S.
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Speed hump shapes include parabolic, circular, and sinusoidal
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Hump heights range between three and four inches with trend toward 3 – 3 ½ inches maximum
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Difficult to construct precisely; may need to specify a construction tolerance (e.g. ± 1/8 inch) on height
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Often have signage (advance warning sign before first hump in series and warning sign or object marker at hump)
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Typically have pavement marking (zigzag, shark’s tooth, chevron, zebra)
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Taper edge near curb to allow gap for drainage
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Some have speed advisories
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Bicyclists prefer that it not cover or cross a bike lane
Potential Impacts
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No effect on non-emergency access
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Speeds determined by height and spacing; speeds between humps have been observed to be reduced between 20 and 25 percent on average
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Most communities limit height to 3-3½ inches, partly because of harsh ride over 4-inch high humps
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Possible increase in traffic noise from braking and acceleration of vehicles, particularly buses and trucks
Emergency Response Issues
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Concern over jarring of emergency rescue vehicles
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Approximate delay of between three and five seconds per hump for fire trucks and up to 10 seconds for ambulance transporting patients
Typical Cost
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Approximately $2,500 (2010 estimate)
Are there any drawbacks to Speed Humps?
Some of the disadvantages include:
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Residents living near Speed Humps must tolerate increased noise levels as vehicles traverse Speed Humps
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Traffic may be diverted to previously quiet parallel streets in the neighborhood
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Emergency service response time suffers
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Speed Humps require signing and striping, which some residents consider unattractive
How can I get a Speed Hump on my street?
Residents have several ways to request for consideration for Speed Humps/Speed Tables on their street. Here’s the process:
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A resident may request the City to consider a particular street for Speed Hump or Speed Table installation by attending a Transportation and Safety Commission meeting and making a request. Meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month at City Hall (Council Chambers) located at 117 Macneil Street, by contacting the Public Work Department at (818) 898-1222.
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The concerned resident may be asked to circulate a petition in the neighborhood which is being considered. The petition will be supplied by the City staff. The number of persons signing the petition in favor of the installation of Speed Humps or Speed Tables must represent at least 2/3 (67%) of the total number of homes along the impacted residential street. Residents submit a signed petition back to the City. City staff will then verify the petition results. If a petition in favor of Speed Humps or tables is received, a speed survey will be conducted to support the residents concerns of excessive speeding. Excessive speeding is defined in the Citywide Traffic Calming Study on file in the City Engineer’s office.
Once determined that excessive speeds are occurring, and the adopted Speed Hump or Speed Table policy is met, residents and staff will work together to determine appropriate locations for proposed installations. -
If, at a future time, residents want to remove Speed Hump, they must submit a petition with at least 51% approval of the original affected neighborhood area. If approved, residents must pay to remove the humps.
Non-Construction Permits are issued for the use of public right-of-way (ROW) for the following reasons:
- Placing a dumpster on the street (Dumpster must be obtained by Republic Services or current refuse service provider)
- Placing moving pods on the street
- Work that encroaches onto the ROW such as sandblasting, painting, modifying of the façade of a building, closing access to pedestrian for work on the sidewalk*
- Business Sign installation
- Annual Permit for an the placement of an “A” Frame on the sidewalk*
- Building Window Washing requiring uplift or other machinery within ROW
- Trimming Landscape around building requiring uplift or other machinery within ROW
- Annual Permit for placing furniture, tables and chairs for dining purposes within ROW
- Placing tents with tables for the purpose of promoting business within ROW
- Pedestrian scaffolding within ROW
- Traffic Counters
- Filming or red carpet events within ROW
- Temporary Valet Parking Zones within ROW
- House Moving/Wide Load Permit*
- Draining of a swimming pool
- Use of parking stalls for work or special events
- Horse carriage
- Overnight parking of construction vehicles?
- Street work requiring traffic delineation and/or lane closures*+
- Street closure*+
*Requires liability insurance adding the City of San Fernando as additionally insured.
+Requires a Traffic Control Plan stamped by a Registered Traffic Engineer. Allow five (5) days for review of the plan.
Construction Permits are issued for construction taking place within the public right-of-way (ROW) including but not limited to trench work for the abandonment, removal, installation, relocation, replacement or repair of utilities; sewer installation or repair; construction and/or repair of street, sidewalk, curb drain, curb ramp, curb and gutter, and driveway approaches.
All construction permits require liability insurance naming the City of San Fernando as additionally insured and as Certificate Holder. Sewer installation and repairs require a bonded sewer contractor to apply for the permit. Construction plans require a ten day review before issuance of permit. Construction involving the disturbance of regular traffic flow requires Traffic Control Plan stamped by a Registered Traffic Engineer. Allow five (5) days for review of the traffic plan.
Service Request permits are issued for the installation of water meters, fire hydrants, fire service lines; land development construction, additions, and “change-in-use;” water and sewer capital facility charges; the use of a construction meter during construction; sanitary sewer dye test; and fire flow test. Capital facility fees must be paid in full prior to issuance of building permit if a building permit is required or prior to construction.
Tree Planting permits are issued to residents interested in planting their own parkway tree(s). This is a no fee permit but does require City approval prior to start of any work. Tree Species are selected at the discretion of City staff and are required to be planted per City Standards. Tree Planting City Standards are available at Public Works Counter upon request.
Parkway Modification permits are issued to residents interested in modifying their parkways to incorporate drought tolerant plants, decomposed granite, decorative rocks, stepping stones, mulch, artificial turf, or other permeable material options. Proposed parkway modifications require residents submit a plan layout identifying plant species and locations for City review and approval. This is a no fee permit but does require City approval prior to start of any work. Sample drought tolerant plant species, designs, and guidelines are available at Public Works Counter upon request.