Acting on the requests of citizens in the area, the city this month shared the results of a traffic study in the Kennydale and possible plans to slow traffic through the residential neighborhood.

According to Deputy Public Works Administrator Doug Jacobson, residents concerned about speeders contacted the city, which responded by placing the radar trailer at several locations in the neighborhood to review the issue.

According to Jacobson, the radar trailers, which were placed on Park Avenue North, North 30th Street and Burnett Avenue North, showed that while the average speed was only a few miles per hour above the posted 25 mph limit, the 85th percentile – the number he said was a better judge of speed for traffic planners – showed drivers going at least 6 mph above the posted limit in all zones and up to 10 mph over on southbound Park Avenue.

Because of that, the city is looking into mitigation measures to help slow traffic, especially near routes used by kids to walk to Kennydale Elementary School.

Jacobson said the city is planning to discuss mitigation at the Transportation Committee meeting in the second week of May, but has already ruled out several measures, due to topography and policy. Speed humps, for example, have already been taken off the table, as has road narrowing, re-striping to narrow the lanes and additional stop signs, which Jacobson said often tend to encourage drivers to go faster from stop-to-stop.

“The options we’re looking at are more educational in nature,” he said.

Among the possibilities are additional radar signs to inform drivers how fast they are traveling, as well as re-striping and re-lining the intersection at Lake Washington Boulevard and Burnett Avenue.

Jacobson said the shape of that intersection – more of a “Y” than a “T” – belies the fact that while Lake Washington is a collector street, Burnett is more residential and often has more children playing.

Jacobson said the city is looking to use traffic “turtles,” striping and delineators to create a more 90-degree turn to encourage drivers to slow down, like the one at Edmonds Avenue and 16th Street.

Jacobson also said the city’s radar information has been passed along to the police department, who will make adjustments to their patrol routes.

Jacobson said the plan is to discuss the options at the committee level in May and then share the plans with residents in June to get feedback with the hope of implementing them this summer.