SALISBURY — The people of Celebration Drive have reason to celebrate as the first city road to complete the full traffic calming request since the policy’s inception.
The traffic-calming policy, which allows neighborhoods to request city intervention for traffic concerns, was passed on August 5, 2025. Almost a year later, the request on Celebration Drive is the first to fully complete the application, review and intervention process.
“We needed a process to take in concerned citizens’ requests and then process them and make decisions based off engineering judgment and create a fair process for all, not just for those who are above the totem pole,” Transportation Director Jared Mathis said.
The policy allows residents to request a Salisbury Transportation Department assessment of potential physical and non-physical measures to improve traffic. The applicable roads are residential two-way roads with speed postings slower than 35 miles per hour, with 85 percent of speeds exceeding eight miles per hour over the posted limit or the average speed exceeding five miles per hour during any one hour with over 100 cars.
The application requires 75 percent of property owners to sign a petition for the traffic calming, which then begins the data collection process.
Mathis and Traffic Engineer Victoria Trexler presented the results from the traffic data, where Celebration Drive scored 42 points on the trafficking calming ranking system, which gives higher scores to streets with greater concern. The primary concern from the data collected was speeding in the area.
Trexler presented a plan to combat the issue with police enforcement and engagement on the road by increasing police speed checks in the area and potentially handing out flyers and doorhangers about speeding.
If the issue persists after six months of engagement, Trexler said that physical interventions will be taken with a solar-powered speed feedback sign. There would also be options for engineered interventions like a speed bump or strip if the issue does not improve.
The majority of the funding for this intervention was part of the 2025-2026 budget, including $4,000 for the speed feedback sign. However, roughly $400 will be utilized from the 2026-2027 budget for educational materials and installation costs for the sign, if necessary.
Council member Gemale Black asked for clarification on the engagement and enforcement measures. He also suggested that they distribute speeding materials as part of police enforcement, which Trexler and Mathis had not considered.
The City Council approved the interventions unanimously, and Mayor Tamara Sheffield praised the work the Transportation Department had done to listen to neighbors.
“I know it’s been a lot of pre-work, and this is the first one that’s come through the process. Love to see neighborhoods involved, so thank you all for your work,” Sheffield said.
