What’s a speed lump? Sacramento is installing 90 of them on these streets
The city of Sacramento is trying a new strategy to slow down drivers and reduce the risk of serious crashes.
The Sacramento City Council recently approved the installation of 90 new speed lumps on 24 residential streets across the city, some near parks and schools.
On Oct. 14, the City Council voted to approve the 2025 Speed Lump Project.
The new traffic-calming devices will cost the city $505,600 with expenses covered by the Vision Zero safety program, which aims to reduce serious and fatal crashes.
Traffic safety advocate Isaac Gonzalez, founder of Slow Down Sacramento, says the new speed lumps are a win for the entire city.
“The faster a vehicle travels, the deadlier a crash becomes, and even small reductions in speed can dramatically reduce the chance of severe injury or death,” Gonzalez wrote in an email to The Sacramento Bee.
“Speed lumps help remind drivers that our neighborhood streets aren’t shortcuts,” Gonzalez added. “They’re shared spaces where people live, play and move.”
Here’s what to know:
What is a speed lump?
A variation on a speed hump, a speed lump is a rounded, raised area of pavement that includes two wheel cut-outs to allow large vehicles, such as emergency vehicles and buses, to pass with minimal slowing, according to the Sacramento County Department of Transportation.
The speed lump also provides easy passage for bicyclists, the county Transportation Department said.
In comparison, speed bumps are narrow, steep and designed for extreme traffic slowing.
How do traffic-calming devices reduce car crashes?
Gonzalez said he began Slow Down Sacramento in 2023 after years of seeing preventable crashes in the city. The organization is made up of parents, advocates and residents from every part of the city, he said.
“Too often, these crashes were described as ‘accidents,’ when in reality they were the predictable result of streets designed to move cars quickly rather than keep people safe,” Gonzalez told The Bee.
Faster vehicles can result in deadlier crashes, Gonzalez said, so even small reductions in speed can dramatically reduce the chance of severe injury or death.
Gonzalez described speed lumps as “one of the simplest, most cost-effective tools” to slow drivers down and make residential streets safer for everyone, especially children, seniors, pedestrians and cyclists.
“The design of our streets reflects our values, and when we prioritize safety, we make our city more livable, more connected, and more equitable,” Gonzalez said. “Slowing down is an act of respect. It’s how we show we care about each other’s lives.”
How did city select streets for safety program?
The city of Sacramento said it selected which streets would get speed lumps based on traffic investigations and a voting process. Residents were sent ballots to determine which neighborhoods supported speed lump installation.
The selected streets include a variety of districts and neighborhoods.
Where will speed lumps be installed?
Here’s a list of locations where speed lumps will be installed in Sacramento:
- Club Center Drive: Seven lumps between West Danbrook Way and East Danbrook Way
- Carey Drive: Five lumps between Barros Drive and Del Paso Road
- North Bend Drive: Seven lumps between Blackrock Drive and Danbrook Drive
- Beretania Way: Four lumps between Gibraltar Street and West Curve
- Keith Way: Four lumps between Waterford Road and Ethan Way
- Altos Avenue (Park): One lump between Las Palmas Avenue and Eleanor Avenue
- Bowling Green Drive: One lump between Ethan Way and Ray Street
- Columbus Avenue: Three lumps between Northgate Boulevard and American Avenue
- Curran Avenue: Four lumps between Northgate BL and Natoma Street
- Myotis Drive (Park): One lump between Palmate Way and Jackdaw Street
- 39th Street: Two lumps between M Street and Folsom Boulevard
- 38th Street (School): Two lumps between Fourth Avenue and Broadway
- 30th Street: Two lumps between 12th Avenue and 14th Avenue
- 16th Avenue: Four lumps between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and 32nd Street
- 63rd Street: Two lumps between 21st Avenue and Fruitridge Road
- 64th Street: Three lumps between 11th Avenue and 14th Avenue
- 21st Avenue (EB): Five lumps between 58th Street and 62nd Street
- Havenhurst Drive: Three lumps between Greenhaven Drive (North) and 56th Avenue
- Greenhaven Drive: Six lumps between Riverside Boulevard and Gloria Drive
- Greenhaven Drive (School): Six lumps between Gloria Drive and Katz Avenue
- Parklin Avenue (Park): Three lumps between Royal Green Avenue and Greenhaven Drive
- 11th Avenue: Three lumps between 18th Street and Freeport Boulevard
- Jacinto Avenue (Park): Nine lumps between Calvine Road and Culpepper Drive
- Port Haywood Way: Three lumps between Jacinto Avenue and Millboro Way
When is construction on roads?
Construction on the speed lumps will begin the fall of 2025, the city said, although it didn’t specify a starting date.
