More than a dozen Texas Tech students have expressed frustration via social media with some rough speed bumps near campus.
Can we start a petition against the speed bumps behind chilis
— Katie Carlough (@katie_carlough) January 23, 2014
The bumps are located in the parking lot between Mac Davis Lane, Glenna Goodacre Boulevard, Avenue X and University Avenue. The parking lot is surrounded by several businesses, including a Chili’s restaurant, Red & Black Bookstore and The Centre apartment complex.
McDougal Properties previously owned the property, but Education Realty Trust, a company based in Memphis, Tenn., bought it in 2012, Lubbock Central Appraisal District records show. Self-described as “one of America’s largest owners, developers and managers of collegiate housing,” Education Realty Trust is the current owner and manager of The Centre and The Suites apartment complexes, according to the company’s online property map.
A car going over a speed bump in a parking lot off of University Avenue. Photo by Maddy McCarty.
Susan Jennings, vice president of corporate communication and marketing for Education Realty Trust, said the speed bumps had already been installed when her company purchased the property. Jennings added that she had never personally received any complaints about them.
But those who drive over the bumps on a regular basis have grumbled about them for years.
Keith Leary, manager at Red & Black Bookstore, said the speed bumps were even more jarring when first installed than they are now.
“It seemed like they were almost too high to get over sometimes,” Leary said.
Having worked at the bookstore since 2006, Leary said he had never experienced speeding as a problem in the immediate vicinity.
“I don’t know the reason behind why they put them in,” he said.
Leary added that he never tried to have the speed bumps removed or lowered because his business had not been affected.
A public Facebook post by a reporter for TheHub@TTU asking users to click “like” if they were troubled by the speed bumps received more than 50 likes.
“They are the worst I’ve ever encountered,” Tech student Alicia King said in a Facebook comment.
"The speed bumps behind chilis are higher than my gpa." –@MikaelaMitcham
— Boo Radley (@MorganTiller) May 1, 2015
The speed bumps measure less than 4 inches high, which is within the average range, but many complain they are more intense than the average speed bump.
Devin Teicher, a senior human sciences major at Tech from El Paso, Texas, said she had to drive over the speed bumps many times when she worked at Chili’s.
“I drive a little Honda Accord. So, it’s really low to the ground, and I was always bottoming out my car, and luckily for me, nothing really bad happened,” Teicher said.
She said she knows some people who were not so lucky and had to have work done on the bottom of their cars. When she went to work, Teicher said, she would go out of her way to avoid the bumps.
Car damage caused by high speed bumps has been in the news in other urban areas. For example, last year Jersey City decided to lower its speed bumps due to countless complaints about cars bottoming out.
“I understand why those speed bumps are there because it is a residential area, but I just feel like they’re going overboard with it,” Teicher said. “And, there’s no need for them to be that big because then it’s a safety hazard for drivers.”
David Miller, McDougal’s president of construction, declined to comment.
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