Greensboro tests traffic calming devices on Josephine Boyd Street

Greensboro has begun testing temporary traffic-calming devices on Josephine Boyd Street after residents said speeding had become a serious safety problem on the residential corridor. The setup is intended to slow drivers and give city officials a clearer read on whether the street needs a more permanent fix.

The devices were installed along Josephine Boyd Street between West Gate City Boulevard and West Florida Street, a stretch where neighbors said cars had been moving too fast for a neighborhood with children and everyday foot traffic. Residents said the problem was not new, and longtime neighbors described speeding as an issue that had been building for years.

City transportation officials did not choose the change in a hurry. The Greensboro Department of Transportation said the project came through the Neighborhood Traffic Management Program, which gathered submissions in 2024, studied traffic data, met with nearby residents, and considered several options before settling on the temporary layout now in place.

That process matters because the city is treating Josephine Boyd Street as more than a one-block complaint. The temporary setup is a live test of whether traffic-calming tools can produce measurable results, including lower speeds and a safer feel for people walking, playing, and driving along the street. The goal is not just to show that residents want action, but to see whether the devices actually change driver behavior.

City officials said the temporary measures should stay in place through the fall, giving them time to observe how motorists respond and whether the street functions more safely under the new configuration. That evaluation will help determine whether the city has a case for making the change permanent.

For Guilford County, the stakes go beyond one neighborhood. If the slowdown is real and sustained, Josephine Boyd Street could become a model for other Greensboro streets where speeding has strained the balance between through traffic and residential safety. If the devices do not produce a measurable change, the city will need to look elsewhere for answers on a corridor where neighbors have already made clear they do not want to wait years for relief.