City of Lawrence
Traffic Safety Commission Agenda
June 6, 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, Richard Heckler and Caleb Morse.
Introduction of new member; Richard Heckler.
ITEM NO. 1: Review and approve the minutes of the Traffic Safety Commission meeting, May 2, 2005.
ITEM NO. 2: Consider request to construct SPEED HUMPS on Riverview Road between Rock Fence Place and Kasold Drive.
Report:
1. Riverview Road is classified as a “local” street in a residential neighborhood with a speed limit of 30mph.
2. Traffic volume and speed data collected on 20 April 2005 found volumes ranging from 330-570 vehicles per day and 85th percentile speeds ranging from 25.7-45.5mph.
3. In order to consider SPEED HUMPS on a “local” street, the City’s policy requires traffic volumes greater than 1000 vehicles per day or 85th percentile speeds 5mph or more over the speed limit.
ACTION: Provide recommendation to the City Commission.
ITEM NO. 3: Consider installation of a STOP sign on Field Stone Drive at Grand Vista Drive.
Report:
1. Field Stone Drive is classified as a “local” street and Grand Vista Drive is classified as a “collector” street in a residential area.
2. The city code provides for installation of a YIELD sign on a local street where it intersects with a collector street unless other traffic control is warranted.
3. The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices provides that a STOP sign should be used if engineering judgment indicates that there is a restricted view.
4. The required sight distance for 30mph traffic (the speed limit in a residential area) 335 feet; the measured sight distance for southbound traffic looking to the east is 210 feet.
ACTION: Provide recommendation to the City Commission.
ITEM NO. 4: Consider request to establish NO PARKING along one side of Eldridge Street between 6th Street and Trail Road.
Report:
1. Eldridge Street is classified as a “local” street in a residential area and is paved 26 feet wide.
2. Parking is currently prohibited along the east side of the street between 6th Street & Seele Way, however, parking is currently permitted along both sides of the street between Seele Way and Trail Road.
ACTION: Provide recommendation to the City Commission.
ITEM NO. 5: Consider request to establish ALL-WAY STOP at 7th Street & Alabama Street.
Report:
1. Alabama Street and 7th Street are both classified as “local” streets in a residential area.
2. 7th Street is currently required to stop for Alabama Street.
3. Police Department reports show no reported crashes at this intersection during the past five years.
4. Traffic data obtained May 12, 2005 found an average of 76 vehicles entering the intersection during the eight highest hours of the day, with an average of 25 entering from the minor street.
5. None of the requirements in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices are currently met for an ALL-WAY STOP.
6. The posted speed limit on Alabama Street is 20mph, however, 85th percentile speeds of 29.5mph northbound and 31.2mph southbound were measured on May 12, 2005, indicating that traffic calming devices may be appropriate if desired by the area residents.
ACTION: Provide recommendation to the City Commission.
ITEM NO. 6: Consider an ordinance concerning TRAFFIC CALMING CIRCLES and ROUNDABOUTS.
ACTION: Provide recommendation to the City Commission.
ITEM NO. 7: Consider request to establish NO PARKING along the west side of Lawrence Avenue from 150 ft. north of Bob Billings Parkway to Applegate Court.
Report:
1. Lawrence Avenue is classified as a “collector” street and is paved 26 feet wide in a residential area.
2. Parking is currently prohibited along the west side of the street from Bob Billings Parkway north 150 feet.
ACTION: Provide recommendation to the City Commission.
ITEM NO. 8: Election of CHAIR and VICE-CHAIR for 2005-2006.
ITEM NO. 9: Public Comment.
ITEM NO. 10: Commission Items.
ITEM NO. 11: Miscellaneous.
City Commission action on previous recommendations:
None.
City of Lawrence
Traffic Safety Commission
6 June 2005 minutes
MEMBERS PRESENT: Caroljean Brune, Chair, John Ziegelmeyer, Jr. Vice-Chair, Danny Drungilas, Paul Graves, David Hamby and Richard Heckler.
MEMBERS ABSENT: Carol Bowen, Robert Hagen, Caleb Morse.
STAFF PRESENT: David Woosley, Public Works Department and Officer Jim Miller, Police Department
Note: Recording of meeting did not operate properly until Item No. 7, therefore individual comments are not available.
Chair Caroljean Brune called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. in the City Commission Room in City Hall.
Review and approve the minutes of the Traffic Safety Commission meeting, May 2, 2005.
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER ZIEGELMEYER, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER HAMBY, TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE MAY 2, 2005 TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING; THE MOTION CARRIED 5-0-1 (Heckler).
Consider request to construct SPEED HUMPS on Riverview Road between Rock Fence Place and Kasold Drive.
David Woosley reviewed the information provided in the staff report and distributed copies of an e-mail from Carol and George Worth, 3208 Riverview Road.
Paul Mallamo, 3108 Riverview Road, spoke in favor of the request.
Tammy Sabol, 3221 Riverview Road, spoke about the request.
John Durniak, 300 Rock Fence Place, spoke about the request.
Commissioner Heckler indicated that he supported the request.
Commissioner Hamby indicated that he supported one SPEED HUMP near the point of highest speed at the bottom of the hill.
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER HAMBY, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GRAVES, TO RECOMMEND CONSTRUCTION OF ONE SPEED HUMP AT APPROXIMATELY 3112 RIVERVIEW ROAD NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL; THE MOTION CARRIED 6-0.
Consider installation of a STOP sign on Field Stone Drive at Grand Vista Drive.
David Woosley reviewed the information provided in the staff report.
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BRUNE, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER HECKLER, TO RECOMMEND INSTALLATION OF A STOP SIGN ON FIELD STONE DRIVE AT GRAND VISTA DRIVE; THE MOTION CARRIED 6-0.
Consider request to establish NO PARKING along one side of Eldridge Street between 6th Street and Trail Road.
David Woosley reviewed the information provided in the staff report.
Donna Lang, 412 Eldridge Street, spoke in favor of the request.
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER HECKLER, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER HAMBY, TO RECOMMEND ESTABLISHING NO PARKING ALONG THE EAST SIDE OF ELDRIDGE STREET BETWEEN SEELE WAY AND TRAIL ROAD; THE MOTION CARRIED 6-0.
Consider request to establish an ALL-WAY STOP at 7th Street & Alabama Street.
David Woosley reviewed the information provided in the staff report.
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER ZIEGELMEYER, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER HECKLER, TO RECOMMEND DENYING THE REQUEST FOR AN ALL-WAY STOP AT 7TH STREET & ALABAMA STREET; THE MOTION CARRIED 6-0.
Consider request to establish NO PARKING along the west side of Lawrence Avenue from 150 ft. north of Bob Billings Parkway to Applegate Court.
David Woosley reviewed the information provided in the staff report.
Angie Stoller, 1451 Lawrence Avenue: I would request that this change not be made; my driveway is a shared driveway and this would leave me with very little parking for my unit; with the existing parking restriction, there is no problem turning onto or off of Bob Billings Parkway; I have never seen an accident in front of my house.
Mary Elizabeth Debicki, 1445 Applegate Court: I instigated the petition with a lot of support from the neighborhood; the problem is the curve, drivers don’t realize how much the street curves; the police tell me they have all kinds of reports of accidents and cars being scraped on the side; those of us that have lived in the neighborhood have talked to each other and realize that we’re “cutting off our noses to spite our face,” we know we will have to ask our visitors to park a distance from our homes, but we feel the danger that’s involved there is worth it; when the existing parking restriction was implemented, we were encouraged to return if that didn’t solve the problem; the restriction needs to be extended at least to the last driveway before Applegate Court, but we are requesting all the way.
Mickey Moss, 1428 Lawrence Avenue: We do have a lot of cars park there along the curve and the curve is dangerous; with cars parked there two cars cannot pass each other, one has to stop; since it is a curve, people don’t always park close to the curb, and that makes is even worse; all the mailboxes along the east side of the street have been hit and knocked-down numerous times, one neighbor keeps a spare mailbox in the garage.
Commissioner Heckler: It is more a problem of congestion.
Commissioner Drungilas: I’m always concerned about where the cars will go if no parking is installed.
Commissioner Heckler: I see the situation so often I can support the request all the way to Applegate.
Commissioner Hamby: My concern is that the speed may increase if the parking is eliminated making the situation worse.
Commissioner Ziegelmeyer: I agree, I drive this street every day.
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER HAMBY, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER ZIEGELMEYER, TO RECOMMEND DENYING THE REQUEST TO ESTABLISH NO PARKING ALONG THE WEST SIDE OF LAWRENCE AVENUE FROM 150 FT. NORTH OF BOB BILLINGS PARKWAY TO APPLEGATE COURT; THE MOTION CARRIED 4-1-1 (Heckler: The street is too narrow for a collector street and creates congestion; Brune: I can’t decide.)
Consider an Ordinance concerning TRAFFIC CALMING CIRCLES and ROUNDABOUTS.
David Woosley reviewed the information provided in the staff report and distributed copies of a draft ordinance prepared by the city’s staff attorney.
Commissioner Brune: Did the legal department ever decide whether or not it is legal to turn left in front of a traffic calming circle? Woosley advised that it appears that it is, but this ordinance clarifies it so there is no question.
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER HAMBY, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER HECKLER, TO RECOMMEND ADOPTION OF THE ORDINANCE CONCERNING TRAFFIC CALMING CIRCLES AND ROUNDABOUTS; THE MOTION CARRIED 6-0.
Election of CHAIR and VICE-CHAIR for 2005-2006.
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BRUNE, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GRAVES, TO ELECT JOHN ZIEGELMEYER CHAIR OF THE TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION FOR THE PERIOD 2005-2006; THE MOTION CARRIED 5-0-1.
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER HECKLER, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER BRUNE, TO ELECT DAVID HAMBY VICE-CHAIR OF THE TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION FOR THE PERIOD 2005-2006; THE MOTION CARRIED 5-0-1.
ITEM NO. 9:
Public Comment.
None.
Commission Items:
The Commission decided to reschedule the July meeting from the 4th to the 11th.
Commissioner Drungilas updated the Commission on the activities of the Pedestrian Advisory Sub-Committee.
Miscellaneous:
None.
The meeting adjourned at 9:00 PM.
The next scheduled meeting of the Traffic Safety Commission is Monday, July 11, 2005.
Respectfully submitted,
David E. Woosley, P.E.
Transportation/Traffic Engineer