In June, the City of Greensboro launched a new initiative – the Neighborhood Traffic Management Program – that’s meant to make Greensboro neighborhoods safer and, on Tuesday, July 31, city leaders announced that residents were really taking advantage of the offering.  As of the end of July, over 200 city residents have applied to take part.

The  Greensboro Department of Transportation initiated the Traffic Management Program that – through a partnership with residents, neighborhood associations and homeowner’s associations – city engineers work to create area-specific plans meant to reduce the problem of speeding vehicles as well as to make residential streets safer for all users in general.

If you live in Greensboro and want your neighborhood to take part, you still have time; the city is accepting applications for the program until August 31.

If you’re tired of speeders putting the lives of your children and others on your street at risk, you can go to www.gsontmp.org and apply.

While the application period remains open, project analysis is still underway.

According to city officials, city staff have already started reviewing applications for eligibility and have begun studying those applications in order to determine eligibility scores for each proposed project.

If you have already submitted a request for help in your neighborhood, you can see where your project stands in this process by visiting the GIS map the city has set up for the program. Click on the pinpoint for your application area, and a pop-up box will display the project’s current status. You can also use this feature to find more details regarding the city’s Department of Transportation analysis of your project.

So far, city staff have found that about 25 percent of the applications submitted don’t meet the initial eligibility criteria established by the city. Those interested should keep in mind that the program is meant for two-lane roads with residential properties and a speed limit of between 25 and 30 miles per hour – not for larger, higher-traffic roadways, though the city has received applications for those areas in some cases.

Program staff say that the “preliminary evaluation phase” of the new program is expected to last through the fall – so don’t be concerned if Department of Transportation staff haven’t gotten to your application yet.

On July 31, city officials offered the following information for those in the program…

  • If your street doesn’t qualify because the speed limit doesn’t fit the parameters, you can consider requesting having the speed limit reduced on your street. You can also request electronic speed boards or anti-speeding yard signs. Email city staff if you’re interested in this option.
  • If your application was marked as a “similar request,” that means more than one application was submitted for a given stretch of road – and those projects will be considered as one. City staff say you’ll be contacted after the project evaluation is complete.
  • Having more than one resident submit an application doesn’t make it more likely to be successful. All applicants will be weighed on their merits based on the established criteria; the number of submissions doesn’t affect the outcome.

You can get answers to frequently asked questions at www.gsontmp.org.

There are also opportunities to learn more from the Greensboro Department of Transportation at upcoming workshops – or you can just drop in to the August office hours.

The workshops for the Traffic Management Plan are as follows:

  • 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on August 12 at Barber Park Event Center
  • 10 a.m. to noon on August 31 at Central Library Nussbaum Room

The city also holds office hours from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays from August 6 through August 27  in the Development Services Conference Room, the UG Level of the Melvin Municipal Office Building at 300 W. Washington St. in downtown Greensboro.

(Zoom drop-ins are also available; call the city for details.)

About