Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Public Works

 

TO:

Mike Wildgen, Dave Corliss, Debbie Van Saun

FROM:

Chuck Soules

Date:

February 8, 2005

RE:

West Lawrence Traffic Calming Plan

 

Please include the referenced item on the City Commission regular agenda for consideration at the February 8, 2005 meeting:

 

At the November 2004 Traffic Safety Commission meeting, the Commission heard a request from the West Lawrence Neighborhood Association for construction of numerous traffic calming devices (gateway treatments and speed cushions) as shown on the attachment.  The Traffic Safety Commission recommended construction of all the speed cushions except the one on Harvard west of Stoneridge and recommended denial of the gateway treatments.

 

The City’s draft Traffic Calming Policy requires that all requests be reviewed by city staff prior to being submitted to the City Commission.  City staff met and recommended the following:

 

  1. Construction of the gateway treatment on Congressional;
  2. Construction of the gateway treatment on Harvard, if feasible, in conjunction with the future improvements to the intersection of Harvard and Wakarusa;
  3. Construction of the speed cushion on Congressional;
  4. Construction of the speed cushion on Harvard between Deer Run Drive and Langston Court where homes face Harvard Road;
  5. Construction of the speed cushion on Harvard between Stoneridge Drive and Stonecreek Drive in the future if warranted; and
  6. That the speed cushions on Harvard just east of Congressional and just west of Biltmore not be constructed since this area was developed without homes facing Harvard Road.

 

Funding:  Should the City Commission approve this plan, a source of funding would also need to be identified. 

 

The Commission has approved the following traffic calming devices:

 

University Place:

June 15, 2003 City Commission approved Traffic Safety recommendation for approval of University Place and Traffic Calming Plan.

 

April 13, 2004 Staff presented 2004 Street Maintenance Program, including modifying curb lines on 17th Street and Louisiana Street, for implementation of several of the devices in the University Place Plan.  Additional funding for the construction of these devices was requested in the amount of $120,000 (not including the diverter on 18th Street); the request was not approved. 

 

Staff is currently developing the 2005 Street Maintenance Program.   Both 17th Street and Louisiana Street are still in need of repair (mill and overlay/curb repair), the intersections at 17th and Indiana and Illinois will need to be rebuilt to install the traffic circles, and the curbline of each street will need to be modified.

 

University Place Traffic Calming Plan:  (TSC approved May 5, 2003 and June 7, 2004)

 

Estimated Cost

Diverter on 18th Street between Maine and Missouri

$50,000

Traffic circle at 17th and Indiana

$30,000

Traffic circle at 17th and Illinois

$30,000

Pedestrian refuge between 18th and 19th on Louisiana`

$30,000

Traffic circle at 17th and Louisiana

$30,000

Commission direction with respect to these improvements is requested so staff can include in the 2005 Mill and Overlay Program.

 

Breezedale: (TSC approved April 5, 2004 and June 7, 2004)

Two speed humps on Massachusetts at $15,000 each

$30,000

One speed hump on Winona

$15,000

 

Carmel Drive:  (TSC approved August 2, 2004)

Speed humps at appropriate intervals (approximately six) 

6@ $15,000 each

$90,000

Minutes of the Traffic Safety Commission can be accessed at: http://www.lawrencepublicworks.org/trafficminutes.shtml

 

These traffic calming devices are awaiting funding authorization.  Funding options could include reduction in street maintenance program (mill and overlay), issuance of bonds, or partial/fully charging (assessing) the costs to the benefiting/requesting neighborhoods.

 

Staff has presented a priority ranking criteria/system to the Traffic Safety Commission who are in the process of reviewing the information.  A proposed policy should be available later this spring.

 

Action Requested:

  1. Approve staff recommendations for the West Lawrence Neighborhood Association Traffic Calming Plan.
  2. Provide direction to staff if Commission desires to implement the University Place Traffic Calming Plan in conjunction with the milling/overlay.
  3. Provide direction on funding/financing of these improvements.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Charles F. Soules, P.E.

Director of Public Works

 

Attachments