NTMP - 14-Foot Speed Cushions

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The City of Olympia has four type of approved traffic-calming devices. One includes the 14-foot speed cushion. The other devices available include One-Lane Narrow Point, Bulb-Out, and Two-Lane Narrow Point.

Overview Speed Cushion:

The 14-foot speed cushions are traffic-calming devices that have a mounded shape. As a vehicle drives over the speed cushion, the vehicle rises and falls a height of 3 inches over a span of 14 feet. To accommodate large vehicles, such as fire trucks, wheel paths are designed into the device to allow these large vehicles to drive through, rather than over the device. This minimizes their effect on response times and equipment. The spacing of the wheel path prevents most passenger vehicles from by-passing the device.

This device works best in a series or in combination with other traffic-calming devices.

Advantages & Disadvantages:

• Advantages: Little or no effect on emergency service vehicles or response times. Reduces and can maintain lower speeds when used in a series.
• Disasdvantages: Need to accommodate for drainage. Increased street maintenance.

Examples of 14-Foot Speed Cushions:

West Olympia

• Bush Avenue, NW, between Division Street and Birch Street

Southeast Olympia

• Eskridge Boulevard, SE, between Galloway and Henderson Boulevard
• 18th Avenue, SE, between Wilson Street and Boulevard Road