Melrose Place Traffic Calming Study
- melroseplacebatonr
- Jul 28
- 3 min read
Due to the increasing concerns of speeding raised by neighbors starting in 2024, the Melrose Place Crime Prevention District (MPCPD) requested a traffic calming study be performed by the city-parish at that time. These four streets had pneumatic tube traffic counters installed for the study:
Melrose Blvd
N. Afton Pkwy
Hermitage Dr
Waverly Dr
As of this writing, there is another study that has been started and re-started on Parlange Dr.
The key metrics captured in a traffic calming study are average speed and traffic volume. In the original 4 street study, these numbers were collected over one month in the summer of 2024.
Terms used in the report:
85% Percentile Speed
The speed at or below which 85% of drivers travel on a road segment under free-flowing conditions. A critical metric in traffic calming studies.
Average Daily Traffic (ADT)
Traffic volume before any traffic calming devices are put in place. A critical metric in traffic calming studies.
Vehicles Per Day (VPD)
Number of vehicles that pass by the traffic counters in a day
NB/SB/EB/WB : northbound / southbound / eastbound / westbound
The Numbers
Hermitage Dr between N Leighton Dr & Parlange Dr
ADT: 486 vpd
85th% speeds: 31EB // 33WB
Hermitage Dr between Bel Air Dr & Waverly Dr
ADT: 222 vpd
85th% speeds: 31EB // 32WB
N Afton Pkwy between Llanfair Dr & Bel Air Dr
ADT: 202 vpd
85th% speeds: 26NB // 31SB
N Afton Pkwy between Valcour Dr & N Leighton Dr
ADT: 265 vpd
85th% speeds: 32NB // 31SB
Melrose Blvd between N Leighton Dr & N Afton Pkwy
ADT: 184 vpd
85th% speeds: 32NB // 28SB
Waverly Dr between Hermitage Dr & Rosedown Dr
ADT: 165 vpd
85th% speeds: 29NB // 29SB
Waverly Dr between S Leighton Dr & Asphodel Dr
ADT: 625 vpd
85th% speeds: 30NB // 37SB
Interpreting the Numbers
According to Fred Raiford, head of EBR Traffic and Drainage:
"While some areas do exceed the speed limits none are out of the ordinary."
Because a traffic calming study only reports on averages, it does not speak to the dangerous, but transient, speeding events several residents have witnessed firsthand, especially on Melrose Blvd. and N. Afton Pkwy.
Unfortunately, for these streets to qualify for parish-provided physical street modifications such as speed humps or speed tables, the traffic volume (ADT) would have to be higher.
This frustration based on the difference between anecdotal perceptions and measured data has been felt by other communities in Baton Rouge:
Where do we go from here?
After reviewing the original study and realizing Melrose Place did not qualify for assistance from the city-parish in the form of physical modifications to the streets, the MPCPD looked into acquiring roadside speed readers (the kind that show you your speed as you drive) and other tools that we would own and be responsible for maintaining. We quickly learned that the initial costs and maintenance costs would add up.
Thus, any plan for MPCPD-funded traffic calming measures will need to be strategic and carefully balance needs vs. budget.
Our neighborhood organizations, the MPCPD and the Melrose Civic Association, are committed to making these strategic improvements, but it will take time, coordination, and continued input from our residents.
On July 22nd 2025, the Melrose Civic Association called its first "pop up" safety and security meeting on one of our neighbors' front lawn. This proved an excellent way to answer questions, voice concerns, and raise awareness. The Melrose Civic Association will continue holding these informal neighborhood meetings in the future as a way to ensure neighbors are part of the solution.
We are currently looking into adding a stop sign on Parlange Dr at the corner of Rosedown Dr but are waiting on the results of the Parlange traffic study. The possibility of adding a stop sign on N. Afton Pkwy at the corner of N. Leighton Dr. was proposed by a resident at the recent meeting, and that may be pursued after a neighborhood survey this fall is completed.
