CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Charleston City Council’s Planning, Streets and Traffic Committee has approved to install rumble strips on Overbrook Road as a way to combat speeding in South Hills.
Committee members discussed problems on the road related to speeding during its meeting Monday; a city planning department study found 19% of traffic on the 20-mile-per-hour road went over 26 miles per hour.
“I’ve been dealing with Overbrook Road and speeding and traffic concerns really since I got on council several years ago,” Councilmember Sam Minardi said. “I know it predates me, and it will probably last well beyond my time here. We need to do something to at least begin to address it.”
Three sets of rumble strips would go on Overbrook Road’s run between Oakwood Road and Hickory Road.
Councilmember Becky Ceperley suggested a study related to installing rumble strips when a subsequent analysis on if the change affects the number of speeding motorists.
“It would merely a pilot project to test and see if that is a viable alternative for folks who want them,” she explained.
City planning director Dan Vriendt agreed with having a pilot project.
“Otherwise, in the future, you could have councilmembers otherwise just go directly to the Streets Department, bypassing the committee and putting rumble strips all over the city without any kind of policy,” he said.