Establishes requirements for speed control devices installed for traffic calming purposes
Summary
HB 1027 adds a new section to Missouri law governing speed control devices used for traffic calming on public roadways. The bill sets a uniform design standard for any speed humps, speed tables, speed cushions, or speed pillows installed after August 28, 2025, requiring them to be 14 feet long and 3.5 inches tall, with the height rising and falling gradually over two feet on each side of the device. It also requires these devices to be visibly marked so motorists are alerted to their presence.
The measure is narrowly focused on the physical specifications and visibility of traffic-calming devices rather than on broader roadway policy. By creating a statewide standard in chapter 229, RSMo, it would affect local governments, road authorities, and any entity installing new speed-control devices on public roads after the effective date. Existing devices installed before that date are not addressed by the text, so the bill appears aimed at future installations only.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would amend Missouri’s transportation statutes by adding section 229.035 to chapter 229, creating a statewide rule for the dimensions and marking of certain traffic-calming devices. Local governments and other public roadway authorities would need to ensure new speed humps, speed tables, speed cushions, and speed pillows meet the specified measurements and visibility requirements for installations after August 28, 2025. The bill does not appear to regulate other types of traffic control devices or alter enforcement penalties, but it would standardize design requirements across the state.
Sentiment
The available context suggests a generally neutral to favorable posture toward the bill, with the caption framing it as a straightforward safety and standards measure. There are no recorded committee transcripts or votes in the provided material, so there is no evidence of organized opposition or support in the legislative record excerpt. The bill’s limited scope and technical nature suggest it may be viewed as a practical roadway specification bill rather than a controversial policy change.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided committee or voting history. Potential areas of debate, if any, would likely involve whether the state should impose a uniform standard on local traffic-calming installations, the cost of modifying designs to comply with the new dimensions, and whether the visibility-marking requirement is sufficient for driver safety. However, the supplied record does not identify any legislators, agencies, or stakeholders taking a position on those issues.