City of Lawrence
Traffic Safety Commission Agenda
January 3, 2005-7:30 PM
City Commission Room-City Hall
MEMBERS: Caroljean Brune, Chair, John Ziegelmeyer Jr., Vice-Chair, Carol Bowen, Danny Drungilas, Paul Graves, Robert Hagen, David Hamby, Matt Jordan, and Caleb Morse.
ITEM NO. 1: Review and approve the minutes of the Traffic Safety Commission meeting, December 6, 2004.
ITEM NO. 2: Consider establishing STOP signs on Rhode Island Street at 12th Street.
Report:
1. Rhode Island Street and 12th Street are both classified as local street.
2. Police Department reports show four (4) right-angle crashes at the intersection during the past three (3) years.
3. There is virtually no advance sight distance across the northeast corner of the intersection.
4. Traffic counts obtained on 23 November 2004 show approximately 380 vehicles per day on 12th Street and 350 vehicles per day on Rhode Island Street.
5. The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices states that a STOP sign should be used if crash records indicate a need for control by the STOP sign and the street carrying the lowest volume of traffic should be stopped.
ACTION: Provide recommendation to the City Commission.
ITEM NO. 3: Consider request from William Dann, 3720 Trail Road, to establish a 20 MPH SPEED LIMIT on Sierra Drive between 6th Street and Trail Road.
Report:
1. Sierra Drive is classified as a local street in a residential area.
2. State law and the city code establishes a speed limit of 30mph in any urban district (the territory contiguous to and including any street which is built up with structures devoted to business, industry or dwelling houses, situated at intervals of less than 100 feet for a distance of a quarter of a mile or more).
3. State law allows local authorities to decrease the speed limit within a residence district (the territory contiguous to and including a highway not comprising a business district when the property on such highway for a distance of 300 feet or more is in the main improved with residences or residences and buildings in use for business) on the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation, but not to less than 20mph.
4. The most common type of engineering and traffic investigation, and that which is used by the Kansas Department of Transportation is the 85th percentile speed.
5. A speed study conducted 23 September 2004 found the 85th percentile speed for northbound traffic to be approximately 30.3mph and for southbound traffic to be approximately 30.7mph.
6. Therefore, the appropriate speed limit for this street is 30mph.
7. In addition, speed studies conducted on several residential streets in Lawrence has found that when the speed limit has been reduced below the 85th percentile speed, the actual speed of traffic has not decreased.
ACTION: Provide recommendation to the City Commission.
ITEM NO. 4: Consider request from Water’s Edge, 847 Indiana Street, to construct perpendicular parking within the roadway right-of-way of Indiana Street adjacent to 847 Indiana Street.
Report:
1. On-street angle parking is not permitted unless approved by ordinance.
2. Angle parking does provide more parking than parallel parking.
3. Several studies have found angle parking to be more hazardous than parallel parking. The principal hazard in angle parking is the lack of adequate visibility for the driver during the back-out maneuver. Additional hazard results from the driver who stops suddenly upon seeing a vehicle ahead in the process of backing out.
4. As proposed at this location, a vehicle backing out has no sight distance available and will be backing immediately into a traffic lane similar to what is experienced in an off-street parking lot. The main difference is that speeds are usually much lower in a parking lot than on the street and drivers in a parking lot expect vehicles to be backing out. This is complicated by the fact that there is perpendicular parking along the east side of this street in this area.
ACTION: Provide recommendation to the City Commission.
ITEM NO. 5: Consider establishing YIELD signs on Wheat State Street at Eldridge Street.
Report:
1. Eldridge Street and Wheat State Street are both “local” streets in a residential area.
2. Most other 4-way intersections in the area have temporary traffic calming circles scheduled for permanent construction next spring.
3. Daily traffic volumes on the four legs of the intersection range from 70-140 vehicles per day with 85th percentile speeds ranging from 25.2-29.1 mph.
4. There has been one reported crash at the intersection during the past three years.
5. Sight distance at the intersection is adequate for traffic approaching at approximately 24 mph.
ACTION: Provide recommendation to the City Commission.
ITEM NO. 6: Discussion of Pedestrian Right-of-Way.
ITEM NO. 7: Public Comment.
ITEM NO. 8: Commission Items.
ITEM NO. 9: Miscellaneous.
City Commission action on previous recommendations:
November 2004:
1. Approved recommendation for NO PARKING along the south side of Kresge Road.
2. Approved recommendation for YIELD signs on 29th Street at Kensington Road
3. Approved recommendation for RESERVED PARKING FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES at 1505 Vermont Street.
4. Approved recommendation for NO LEFT TURN 4-6PM MON-FRI on 23rd Street at Ohio, Tennessee, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Learnard.
City of Lawrence
Traffic Safety Commission
January 3, 2005 minutes
MEMBERS PRESENT: Caroljean Brune, Chair, John Ziegelmeyer, Jr. Vice-Chair, Carol Bowen, Danny Drungilas, Paul Graves, Robert Hagen, and David Hamby.
MEMBERS ABSENT: Matt Jordan, Caleb Morse.
STAFF PRESENT: David Woosley, Public Works Department and Officer Tracy Russell, Police Department
Chair Caroljean Brune called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. in the City Commission Room in City Hall.
ITEM NO. 1:
Review and approve the minutes of the Traffic Safety Commission meeting, December 6, 2004.
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER HAMBY, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GRAVES, TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE DECEMBER 6, 2004, TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING; THE MOTION CARRIED 7-0.
Consider establishing STOP signs on Rhode Island Street at 12th Street.
David Woosley reviewed the information provided in the staff report.
Commissioner Hagen asked if there was any reason to stop 12th Street instead of Rhode Island Street; Woosley advised that there was not a significant reason.
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER ZIEGELMEYER, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER HAMBY, TO RECOMMEND ESTABLISHING STOP SIGNS ON RHODE ISLAND STREET AT 12TH STREET AND THAT THE BUSH ON THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF THE INTERSECTION BE TRIMMED; THE MOTION CARRIED 7-0.
Consider request from William Dann, 3720 Trail Road, to establish a 20MPH SPEED LIMIT on Sierra Drive between 6th Street and Trail Road.
David Woosley reviewed the information provided in the staff report and showed a video from the Kansas Department of Transportation on setting speed limits.
Joseph Rantner, 412 Sierra Drive: In the evening time when my kids are out playing, people do not drive 30mph; they drive 35, they drive 40, some drive 50. We have had several close calls. I realize that 20mph might not be feasible, but something needs to be done. When I back out of my driveway, a vehicle going 30mph could not stop.
Isabella Rantner, 412 Sierra Drive: A lot of the 16 year-olds that have just gotten their licenses go 50mph. My next door neighbor who is 3 years-old goes out in the street a lot and once was 2 inches away from a car going 50mph.
William Dann, 3720 Trail Road: There are 8 children living near the corner and 30mph is not a reasonable speed for Sierra. The most you can approach the curve at is 22mph. In warmer weather there are children in the street and crossing the street.
Commissioner Ziegelmeyer asked if there were any options available; Woosley advised that if there was a problem at the intersection, a traffic calming circle may be possible.
Commissioner Hamby: Reducing the speed limit would probably not lower the speed of the traffic.
Commissioner Brune: Every neighborhood with children thinks that 30mph is too fast.
Commissioner Bowen: It troubles me that state law does not provide a lower speed limit in residential areas. I would suggest that the existing speed limit signs be removed.
Commissioner Brune: I think posting the speed limit is a good idea.
Commissioner Ziegelmeyer: My frustration is that we have a situation without a way to solve it other than to encourage a benefit district for sidewalks.
Commissioner Graves: It appears that the problem is young drivers disobeying the 30mph speed limit; lowering the speed limit will not solve that problem, they are already violating the posted speed.
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GRAVES, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER HAMBY, TO RECOMMEND DENIAL OF THE REQUEST TO ESTABLISH A 20MPH SPEED LIMIT ON SIERRA DRIVE BETWEEN 6TH STREET AND TRAIL ROAD; THE MOTION CARRIED 7-0.
Consider request from Water’s Edge, 847 Indiana Street, to construct PERPENDICULAR PARKING within the roadway right-of-way of Indiana Street adjacent to 847 Indiana Street.
David Woosley reviewed the information provided in the staff report.
Dan Sabatini, 805A New Hampshire Street: The idea is that the parking is necessary for these smaller businesses on 9th Street to operate successfully compared to new development where there is a lot more land available without further encroaching into the neighborhood. This would allow Water’s Edge to create 7 additional parking spaces that will help their business. There is precedence in the area for this type of parking. We feel this is a viable option to keep businesses in the downtown area.
Susan Davis, 847 Indiana Street: I feel there is a precedent for that corner. Traffic coming from the north would be slowing for the stop sign at 9th. To the best of our knowledge there haven’t been any accidents at the corner. Three or four more spaces don’t seem like a lot, but we have more business than we anticipated and we want to stay there.
Commissioner Hamby: We may have to restrict parking to the north in order to provide sight distance for vehicles backing-out.
Commissioner Brune: That would eliminate parking that is used by residents. I drive that area a lot and I feel unsafe when I back-out of the Owens parking on the other side of the street. I think this would be a terribly hazardous situation. I wish there was some other solution.
Commissioner Graves: I’m opposed to it for safety reasons as presented by staff and I don’t think it is appropriate for the area. If customers have to walk a little further, they are doing it now, and I don’t think we should start promoting or allowing this type of parking.
Commissioner Hamby: If we restrict parking to the north, there may not be any gain in parking spaces.
Commissioner Brune: I don’t think we want to make a situation hazardous and then cross our fingers hoping that nothing will happen.
Commissioner Graves: The presence of perpendicular parking on the other side of the street reinforces my opposition to putting it on this side.
Commissioner Hagen: The potentials of a safety issue are a concern and the gain in parking may not be that great because of the losses for sight distance to the north.
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GRAVES, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER BRUNE, TO RECOMMEND DENIAL OF THE REQUEST TO CONSTRUCT PERPENDICULAR PARKING WITHIN THE ROADWAY RIGHT-OF-WAY OF INDIANA STREET ADJACENT TO 847 INDIANA STREET; THE MOTION CARRIED 6-1 (Drungilas, they have the same type of parking across the street and traffic is slowing down as it approaches the stop sign).
Consider establishing YIELD signs on Wheat State Street at Eldridge Street.
David Woosley reviewed the information provided in the staff report.
Commissioner Graves asked if it would meet the MUTCD requirements; Woosley advised that it would because of the sight restrictions.
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER ZIEGELMEYER, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER HAGEN, TO RECOMMEND ESTABLISHING YIELD SIGNS ON WHEAT STATE STREET AT ELDRIDGE STREET; THE MOTION CARRIED 7-0.
Discussion of Pedestrian Right-of-Way.
There was considerable discussion of the lack of driver respect for pedestrian right-of-way throughout Lawrence.
The Commission requested that pedestrian crash data be provided, and that information on water bill inserts be provided.
ITEM NO. 7:
Public Comment.
None.
ITEM NO. 8:
Commission Items.
None.
ITEM NO. 9:
Miscellaneous.
The Commission acknowledged City Commission action on previous recommendations.
The meeting adjourned at 9:25 PM.
The next scheduled meeting of the Traffic Safety Commission is Monday, February 7, 2005.
Respectfully submitted,
David E. Woosley, P.E.
Transportation/Traffic Engineer