A year’s worth of discussions among residents living along Del Amigo Road came to fruition Tuesday as the Town Council approved the installation of two traffic calming devices on the west side roadway.

Danville Transportation Engineering Associate Andy Dillard said talks officially began in mid 2009, when residents on Del Amigo submitted an application requesting help with motorists driving at relatively high speeds through the quiet residential neighborhood.  A study of the area showed that on a daily basis Del Amigo, between Emerald Drive and Diamond Drive, carries a traffic volume of 1,554 vehicles. The survey also concluded that traffic averages 32 miles per hour on this section of Del Amigo.

Participating in the Town’s Neighborhood Traffic Management Program, residents in the area took part in two neighborhood -wide discussions and a number of sub-committee meetings.  As a result, residents submitted a petition asking for two speed lumps between Emerald Drive and Diamond Drive.  According to NTMP guidelines, there must be a minimum support level of 70% from residents on the primary street and 50% from the adjacent streets.  

Once the petition had the required level of support it was sent on to the Town Council for their consideration. At the May 4 meeting, more than 20 residents addressed the Council concerning the devices.  After the discussion, the Town Council gave their unanimous approval to the installation of the speed lumps.

Councilwoman Candace Andersen said what it came down to for her was keeping the children of the neighborhood  safe.

“When I look at safety versus inconvenience, safety trumps inconvenience,” she explained.

Mayor Mike Doyle, a resident of the Del Amigo neighborhood, said, “It’s not people outside of the neighborhood that are speeding. It’s us.”

Dillard said that while there were some strong feelings in the neighborhood regarding the traffic measure, he feels that adhering to the NMTP process made certain that those neighbors being most directly affected by the speeding on Del Amigo had the power to address the Town and see changes made.

“This is why we have a process,” he explained. “It’s to give the residents an opportunity to be active participants in solving area traffic issues.”