Re: Anyone had luck getting a speed bump...

[Guest guest]

try contacting the city in which you live. i know that where we live i have seen street signs posted by the city indicating that there was a deaf child living near by so as to get the drivers to slow down and be a bit more cautious

Subject: Anyone had luck getting a speed bump...To: Texas-Autism-Advocacy Date: Tuesday, May 5, 2009, 5:10 PM

Hi all!I was wondering if anyone has any information on getting speed humps or other traffic calming devices on their residential street to help protect their kids?Our almost 4 year old AU ds has a tendency to dart away from us if we're not careful. We have to watch him constantly when he's outdoors playing in the yard or he will be off, running down the street. Twice a couple of weeks ago he got away from me and was almost to the neighbors before I caught him. And he is fast! - or I'm just really slow . The scariest thing is that people fly up and down our street, usually going at least 10 to 15 mph over the speed limit. I've asked several of the worst offenders point blank to slow down and watch out for my son, but they don't care and race past our house even faster, it seems, at times. I know this must be an issue other people have dealt with or are dealing with. I've called our city and my request has to go before a

"traffic safety" committee, but we also have to get a petition with at least 51% of the homeowners in favor of the speed bump to sign, and then we have to come up with half the cost. The problem is, at least 20-30% of the houses on our street are rentals, plus two are for sale and vacant, but we have to find the actual homeowners, get their comments and submit them to the city. On top of that, they have to do a traffic study and won't consider a speed bump unless at least 85% of the traffic on our street is going over 35 mph, even though the speed limit is only 25 mph! My issue is not even with how fast people are going. Even at 25 mph, it would still be too fast for someone to stop if my son darted into the road. I know the onus is on us to protect our son, but we are not going to be 100% effective 100% of the time. I was trying to look into whether the Americans with Disabilities Act applied at all, but can't find any information. I just need

some guidance from anyone who has dealt with this issue.Thanks for listening to me rant. *smiles*Bonnie J.

[Guest guest]

Thank you so much for the reply.

I contacted the city and my request went before a traffic safety committee this

morning. I don't know when I'll know their decision. The guidelines I was sent

include having to cover half the cost of installation (among other things) - a

minimum of $1500/each, so we would have to pay a minimum of $750 per bump, a lot

of money out of pocket that could go towards therapy or supplements, or

groceries, for that matter.

I've looked into the signs. I've never seen one in my town but I can definitely

ask the city about it. I've been kind of hesitant in the past about them

because I don't know how effective might be.

I'm sure I'm not the only one that deals with this problem. It's just really

frustrating at times. His ABA therapist is trying to work on " Stop " with him,

but he's so impulsive and the concept of " possible " danger is too abstract for

him to grasp.

I just don't know how to get him to understand to stop when he's told to.

Thank you again for the suggestions!

Bonnie J.

>

> try contacting the city in which you live. i know that where we live i have

seen street signs posted by the city indicating that there was a deaf child

living near by so as to get the drivers to slow down and be a bit more cautious

[Guest guest]

I don't want to sound negative, but we've tried to get just stop signs several times without success. The "city" said there is not enough traffic to warrant them, and they really don't like the bumps for emergency crew reasons (ambulances). So what we've done is put out cones when our children are out playing. We put 4-5 right in the middle of the street. That seems to at least warn traffic that our kids are out playing so they will be on the lookout.

Thanks,

Sandy H.

Subject: Re: Anyone had luck getting a speed bump...To: Texas-Autism-Advocacy Date: Thursday, May 7, 2009, 4:39 PM

Thank you so much for the reply. :)I contacted the city and my request went before a traffic safety committee this morning. I don't know when I'll know their decision. The guidelines I was sent include having to cover half the cost of installation (among other things) - a minimum of $1500/each, so we would have to pay a minimum of $750 per bump, a lot of money out of pocket that could go towards therapy or supplements, or groceries, for that matter. I've looked into the signs. I've never seen one in my town but I can definitely ask the city about it. I've been kind of hesitant in the past about them because I don't know how effective might be. I'm sure I'm not the only one that deals with this problem. It's just really frustrating at times. His ABA therapist is trying to work on "Stop" with him, but he's so impulsive and the concept of "possible" danger is too abstract for him to grasp. I just don't know how to get

him to understand to stop when he's told to.Thank you again for the suggestions!:)Bonnie J.>> try contacting the city in which you live. i know that where we live i have seen street signs posted by the city indicating that there was a deaf child living near by so as to get the drivers to slow down and be a bit more cautious

[Guest guest]

I saw some cones last week at Toys R Us and contemplated getting some, but I

didn't know if it was okay to put them in the street or not. Do you put them in

a row down the middle of the street so traffic can still go by on either side?

Did you have to get permission from the city to put them out? I might just try

that and see if anyone complains. Better to ask forgiveness than permission.

:-) *grin*

The city also told me over a year ago when I first inquired that they didn't do

the bumps at all because of emergency vehicles but I knew from driving around

town that some streets had them.

Thanks so much for the great suggestion!

Bonnie J.

>

> I don't want to sound negative, but we've tried to get just stop signs several

times without success.  The " city " said there is not enough traffic to warrant

them, and they really don't like the bumps for emergency crew reasons

(ambulances).   So what we've done is put out cones when our children are out

playing.  We put 4-5 right in the middle of the street.  That seems to at least

warn traffic that our kids are out playing so they will be on the lookout.

>  

> Thanks,

> Sandy H.

[Guest guest]

Wow, wish we could do something like that, but if anyone knows the street... 8th avenue/summit/cleburne/mccart in fort worth, you know I would have fun trying to get something done Its a 4 lane street and the speed limit is never followed =\

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WITH LOVE

DAWNA & DOUG

WARRIOR MOM & DAD OF

2 special boys

Diagnosed on paper with asthma 03/17/96 Bipoler 07/23/96 ADHD/MD/AS/ODD 10/14/08

and

Mykael Diagnosed on paper with EPILIPSY 11/17/2005 ADHD/PPD/OCD/ODD 10/14/08

April has been designated as National Autism Awareness Month!

November has been designated as National Epilepsy Awareness Month!

P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

To: Texas-Autism-Advocacy Sent: Thursday, May 7, 2009 10:14:43 PMSubject: Re: Anyone had luck getting a speed bump...

I saw some cones last week at Toys R Us and contemplated getting some, but I didn't know if it was okay to put them in the street or not. Do you put them in a row down the middle of the street so traffic can still go by on either side? Did you have to get permission from the city to put them out? I might just try that and see if anyone complains. Better to ask forgiveness than permission. :-) *grin*The city also told me over a year ago when I first inquired that they didn't do the bumps at all because of emergency vehicles but I knew from driving around town that some streets had them. Thanks so much for the great suggestion!:)Bonnie J.>> I don't want to

sound negative, but we've tried to get just stop signs several times without success. The "city" said there is not enough traffic to warrant them, and they really don't like the bumps for emergency crew reasons (ambulances) . So what we've done is put out cones when our children are out playing. We put 4-5 right in the middle of the street. That seems to at least warn traffic that our kids are out playing so they will be on the lookout.> > Thanks,> Sandy H.

[Guest guest]

I agree - why ask and be told "no"! We just took our chances and no one has ever said anything. In fact, other parents have said that they like it. We usually just put them in a line or a cross in the middle of the road, where the traffic can still get by but will slow down. We make it the first thing the kids have to do when we go out front to play - "put the cones out!"

I've seen a little sign shaped like a child with a flag but it would probably be more expensive than getting several cones.

Hope it works!

-Sandy H.

Subject: Re: Anyone had luck getting a speed bump...To: Texas-Autism-Advocacy Date: Thursday, May 7, 2009, 10:14 PM

I saw some cones last week at Toys R Us and contemplated getting some, but I didn't know if it was okay to put them in the street or not. Do you put them in a row down the middle of the street so traffic can still go by on either side? Did you have to get permission from the city to put them out? I might just try that and see if anyone complains. Better to ask forgiveness than permission. :-) *grin*The city also told me over a year ago when I first inquired that they didn't do the bumps at all because of emergency vehicles but I knew from driving around town that some streets had them. Thanks so much for the great suggestion!:)Bonnie J.>> I don't want to sound negative, but we've tried to get just stop signs

several times without success. The "city" said there is not enough traffic to warrant them, and they really don't like the bumps for emergency crew reasons (ambulances) . So what we've done is put out cones when our children are out playing. We put 4-5 right in the middle of the street. That seems to at least warn traffic that our kids are out playing so they will be on the lookout.> > Thanks,> Sandy H.

[Guest guest]

I have a friend who lives right off of an FM road and the speed limit is 55.

Fortunately, her kids are older and her AU son is recovered, but I don't know

how she did it when they were younger!

>

> Wow, wish we could do something like that, but if anyone knows the street...

8th avenue/summit/cleburne/mccart in fort worth, you know I would have fun

trying to get something done Its a 4 lane street and the speed limit is never

followed =\

>   

>

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\

-----------------------------------

> WITH LOVE

> DAWNA & DOUG

> WARRIOR MOM  & DAD OF

> 2 special boys

>   Diagnosed on paper with asthma 03/17/96 Bipoler 07/23/96

ADHD/MD/AS/ODD 10/14/08

> and

> Mykael Diagnosed on paper with EPILIPSY 11/17/2005 ADHD/PPD/OCD/ODD 10/14/08

>  

> April has been designated as National Autism Awareness Month!

> November has been designated as National Epilepsy Awareness Month!

>  

>  

>                                                        

>                                                    

> PPlease consider the environment before printing this e-mail

[Guest guest]

Thanks! I'm gonna see if I can pick some up today.

>

> I agree - why ask and be told " no " !  We just took our chances and no one has

ever said anything.  In fact, other parents have said that they like it.  We

usually just put them in a line or a cross in the middle of the road, where the

traffic can still get by but will slow down.  We make it the first thing the

kids have to do when we go out front to play - " put the cones out! "

>  

> I've seen a little sign shaped like a child with a flag but it would probably

be more expensive than getting several cones.

>  

> Hope it works!

> -Sandy H.