The Neighborhood Traffic Safety Program (NTSP) is a joint effort between the St. Joseph Police Department, Traffic Unit, the St. Joseph Public Works & Transportation Department, and neighborhood residents for the purpose of addressing neighborhood traffic concerns relating to vehicular speeds and other traffic violations on residential streets.
Program Goals and Objectives
- Improve compliance with posted speed limits, stop signs, and other traffic control devices.
- Improve neighborhood livability and promote safe and pleasant conditions for residents, motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians by mitigating the impact of vehicular traffic on local streets.
- Educate citizens about traffic safety problems occurring in neighborhoods.
- Education: Speed Trailer, Yard Sign Program, Web-Site, Government Access Channel, Media outlets, Radar Unit Loan Program.
- Enforcement: Assigned enforcement areas are conducted by officers assigned to the St. Joseph Police Department, Traffic Unit; Scheduled return enforcement of completed program areas; Random enforcement of areas with a low volume of violators.
- Engineering: Review area signage; Implement “traditional” approaches first; Research new traffic calming methods.
Components of the Neighborhood Traffic Safety Program
The Neighborhood Traffic Safety Program is designed with several options available to residents of neighborhoods. Some of these options include: speed studies, review of traffic signs, directed traffic enforcement, Neighborhood Speed Watch Program and the Traffic Safety Yard Sign Program. A member of the St. Joseph Police Department Traffic Unit will meet with neighborhood groups and citizens to assist with determining an appropriate course of action to address concerns within a neighborhood when a complaint or a request is received.
