A sign on Sylvan Avenue warns of upcoming rumble strips. Photo by Emma Ruby.
Newly installed rumble strips on Sylvan Avenue are causing frustration for nearby neighbors who say they are subjected to the noise caused by the traffic calming measures.
The strips can be found in rows of three along Sylvan Avenue from I-30 to the Tyler/Polk traffic circle. The strips are meant to slow traffic by alerting drowsy or distracted drivers through a physical vibration and rumble noise, but neighbors said that noise has quickly become a nuisance.
“This feels like a cheap bandaid slapped on something that drastically affects residents who don’t live tucked into the quiet neighborhoods that break off of Sylvan,” said Holden Foster, a homeowner whose house sits on Sylvan Avenue. “My wife and I are light sleepers and it has completely affected our peace at home.”
Foster said the strips were installed while he was out of town on his honeymoon. Since returning home, things like listening to music, falling asleep and enjoying his backyard hammock have been affected by the “cacophony,” he said.
Rumble strips were installed along Sylvan Avenue earlier this month to encourage responsible driving. Photo by Emma Ruby.
According to city council member Chad West, the rumble strips were installed in response to concerns from East Kessler and Kessler Park neighbors.
West said the strips have been installed temporarily as a demonstration “in an attempt to slow down traffic and encourage responsible behavior.” The city proposal to install the rumble strips was approved by the Kessler Neighbors United and East Kessler Park Neighborhood Association, he said.
Sylvan Avenue is a street notorious for speeding, and in a note to District 1 residents West called the Sylvan/Colorado intersection “one of the most dangerous intersections in Oak Cliff.”
Foster said he agrees speeding is an issue on the street, and he experiences close calls with being rear ended as he turns into his driveway frequently. Still, he believes the rumble strips only notate how quickly cars are driving over them.
“If those strips were on Sylvan before I moved into my house, I would not have moved into this house,” Foster said. “I can hear the sound of my property value going down.”
Foster isn’t alone in his frustration.
In a post to the Nextdoor app, half a dozen neighbors who live in proximity to the strips commented about the noise.
“People are flying over them and the noise is incredible. Like having a roofing crew shingling my head,” one neighbor wrote.
“These new runners have kept me up for two nights in a row,” wrote another. “The traffic noise was already bad enough, and this has only made it worse.”
West said an August community meeting will be held to collect feedback on the rumble strips.
“Please note that (the Sylvan/Colorado intersection) is currently undergoing engineering and design studies, and I intend to advocate for 2024 Bond funding to reconstruct and redesign that intersection,” West said.
