Providence Turning Into "Speed Hump" City

Providence Turning Into "Speed Hump" City

A number of streets in Providence now have new “speed humps” — as the city continues to utilize the tool to address speeding and safety. 

While speed bumps have been utilized in neighborhoods such as South Providence for years, they are now cropping up in other sections of the city.

Academy Avenue and River Avenue have seen the speed calming measures recently introduced; on Sunbury Street, which runs parallel to Douglas Avenue, signs stating “speed humps” can be seen on every block, as the city prepares to place them there. 

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Additional streets across Providence — including Fruit Hill Avenue and Home Avenue in the Elmhurst section of the city, which has seen the majority in this latest installment — are getting the anti-speeding measures. 

The neighborhood is home is La Salle Academy, Rhode Island College, and Providence College. 

Proliferation of Speed Bumps 

The National Association of City Transportation Officials’ “urban street design guide” recommends that speed humps are “3-4 inches high and 12-14 feet wide, with a ramp length of 3-6 feet, depending on target speed.”

“Speed humps reduced speeds to 15-20 mph and are often referred to as ‘bumps’ on signage and by the general public,” NACTO continues.

While the recently installed “humps” look to meet the NACTO standards, the ones placed previously in India Point Park (see below) — where drag racing had become an issue — do not appear in line with NATCO’s recommendations. 

In India Point, three raised “squares” are placed along India Street at multiple locations. 

In 2015, the city had put forth a plan to put speed bumps on Blackstone Boulevard on the East Side. 

Neighbors opposed the measure and ultimately the city backed off the proposal. 

Latest Changes to City Streets

The city has in recent years worked to install bike lanes across the city — reconfiguring traffic patterns in the process. 

In 2019, the City of Providence spent $127,500 on Eaton Street bike and traffic lanes, which were then removed. 

Providence City Councilwoman Jo-Ann Ryan announced the lines would be removed, after hearing from constituents who were opposed to the new design. 

An effort to repave Blackstone Boulevard in Providence in 2019 was met with a roadblock, when newly painted traffic lines were laid down — before the brand new blacktop was torn up removing them.