Policy on traffic safety issues could be in works

Kingston officials could create a policy that takes a broad-based approach to address traffic safety issues in the city.

City officials could create a policy that takes a broad-based approach to address traffic safety issues in Kingston.

Alderwoman Andrea Shaut told the Common Council’s Public Safety/General Government Committee on Wednesday that she is working on a potential policy that would incorporate the “Three Es” of engineering, education and enforcement. She said she was not proposing a policy at this time, but was taking feedback that could be incorporated into one.

“I just wanted to keep everybody in the know,” Shaut, D-Ward 9, said. She said she had been meeting with different city departments and boards, as well as doing her own research, following the May 13 traffic safety forum at City Hall.

Shaut said the big picture approach represented by the three Es takes into consideration many solutions to different issues. It considers not just vehicular traffic, but also pedestrian, bicycle and bus,she added.

On the engineering front, Shaut said the

city’s current process to address traffic safety issues is to bring constituent concerns to the Public Safety/ General Government Committee. She said the committee considers the matter and makes a recommendation to the full council to

act on.

“What we would like to propose is an additional step of analysis by the city engineer,” Shaut said. She said every concern would be brought to the engineer who would do a study of each. Following that study, the engineer would make a recommendation to the council with an explanation of that recommendation, Shaut said, adding that it gives aldermen

more information on which to take action.

Shaut added that details are still being worked out, such as what the recommendation would look like and whether there would be a simple form for the engineer to use. She said the numbering system is also still being considered as to whether it would denote the severity of an issue or just be to track when a concern

was received. Shaut also said there needs to be a way for aldermen to track the concern and keep constituents informed.

On the education front, Shaut said the matter is open-ended because there is a lot the council could do. Her first suggestion, she said, is to have the city engineer address the committee about his thoughts on the possible policy. Other ideas

might be to collaborate with the local media or to have social media campaigns, Shaut said.

As for enforcement, Shaut said she had met with police Chief Egidio Tinti. She said it is difficult for city police to go out and address the traffic safety concerns aldermen hear most often from constituents.

The city could do a focused enforcement period

over a short period of time focusing on one issue at a time, according to Shaut. She said the enforcement period would be advertised ahead of time so people did not feel they were being targeted.

“But it would be dedicated to specific traffic issues like speeding and texting while driving,” Shaut said. The way it would be enforced is still being discussed, she said.