City of Lawrence
Traffic Safety Commission Agenda
July 11, 2005-7:30 PM
City Commission Room-City Hall
MEMBERS: John Ziegelmeyer Jr., Chair, David Hamby, Vice-Chair, Carol Bowen, Caroljean Brune, Danny Drungilas, Paul Graves, Robert Hagen, Richard Heckler and Caleb Morse.
ITEM NO. 1: Review and approve the minutes of the Traffic Safety Commission meeting, June 6, 2005.
ITEM NO. 2: Consider request from Amy Summers, 714 Alabama Street, to establish a RESERVED PARKING FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES space in front of 714 Alabama Street.
Facts:
1. In similar situations, the city has established reserved parking spaces.
ACTION: Provide recommendation to the City Commission.
ITEM NO. 3: Consider request from the Police Department to establish 2-HOUR PARKING 8:00AM-4:00PM in the recessed parking area adjacent to Veteran’s Park on Ohio Street between 18th Street and 19th Street.
ACTION: Provide recommendation to the City Commission.
ITEM NO. 4: Review comments received concerning the NO LEFT TURN RESTRICTION on 23rd Street between Ohio Street and Learnard Avenue.
ACTION: Provide recommendation to the City Commission.
ITEM NO. 5: Review SCHOOL CROSSING CONTROL POLICY.
ITEM NO. 6: Public Comment.
ITEM NO. 7: Commission Items.
Traffic Safety Commission process.
ITEM NO. 8: Miscellaneous.
City Commission action on previous recommendations:
Concurred with the recommendation to establish ADULT CROSSING GUARDS at 27th Street & Mayfair Drive and 28th Street & Kensington Road.
Concurred with the recommendation to deny the request to establish NO PARKING along the east side of Bobwhite Drive between Bob Billings Parkway and Lake Alvamar Drive.
Concurred with the recommendation to establish NO PARKING along both sides of Wakarusa Drive within the city limits.
Concurred with the recommendation to establish NO PARKING along the west side of Four Wheel Drive between 29th Terrace and 31st Street.
City of Lawrence
Traffic Safety Commission
July 11, 2005 Minutes
MEMBERS PRESENT: John Ziegelmeyer, Jr., Chair, David Hamby,Vice-Chair, Carol Bowen, Danny Drungilas, Paul Graves, Robert Hagen, Richard Heckler and Caleb Morse.
MEMBERS ABSENT: Caroljean Brune
STAFF PRESENT: David Woosley, Public Works Department and Officer Tracy Russell, Police Department
Chair John Ziegelmeyer, Jr. 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, June 6, 2005.
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER HECKLER, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GRAVES, TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE JUNE 6, 2005, TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING; THE MOTION CARRIED 6-0-2 (Hagen, Morse).
Consider request from Amy Summers, 714 Alabama Street, to establish a RESERVED PARKING FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES space in front of 714 Alabama Street.
David Woosley reviewed the information provided in the staff report.
Commissioner Hamby asked if this would serve her caretakers; Woosley advised that it would as long as they had an appropriate permit.
Commissioner Hagen asked if these were installed for a certain period of time or are they perpetual; Woosley advised that they are permanent until the city is advised that they are no longer needed, which usually occurs immediately from neighbors if the individual moves.
Commissioner Ziegelmeyer asked if the space was restricted 24 hours a day; Woosley advised that they are.
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER MORSE, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER HECKLER, TO RECOMMEND ESTABLISHING A RESERVED PARKING FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES SPACE IN FRONT OF 714 ALABAMA STREET; THE MOTION CARRIED 8-0.
Consider request from the Police Department to establish 2-HOUR PARKING 8:00AM-4:00PM in the recessed parking area adjacent to Veteran’s Park on Ohio Street between 18th Street and 19th Street.
David Woosley reviewed the information provided in the staff report.
Commissioner Heckler asked if the city had received this request before; Woosley advised he wasn’t aware of one.
Commissioner Morse asked if Officer Russell had any comments; Russell advised this was the first he had heard of it and that his only concern would be pushing those vehicles further into the neighborhood.
Commissioner Hagen noted that if students were parking there all day that would be an improper use of the parking area.
Commissioner Morse noted that he lives in the area and felt that this group of students would not be able to find spaces in the neighborhood adjacent to each other and would be dispersed which might be beneficial.
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER MORSE, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER HAGEN, TO RECOMMEND ESTABLISHING 2-HOUR PARKING 8:00AM-4:00PM MON-FRI IN THE RECESSED PARKING AREA ADJACENT TO VETERAN’S PARK BETWEEN 18TH STREET AND 19TH STREET; THE MOTION CARRIED 8-0.
Review comments received concerning the NO LEFT TURN RESTRICTION on 23rd Street between Ohio Street and Learnard Avenue.
David Woosley reviewed the information provided in the staff report.
Michael and Marsha Pomes, 528 Kansas Street: It is a good idea to restrict the turn from 4-6pm, but our neighborhood association is concerned about a total abolition of left-turns because you would be depriving us of access to our neighborhood from the east; we would have to use Louisiana and Dakota, Utah or Park Hill Terrace and it takes too long to get through. We would also like to have 23rd Street re-striped to provide a left-turn lane at Vermont Street. It may even be desirable to restrict the turn during the morning peak time; there is a lot of cut-through traffic then.
Commissioner Heckler suggested making the current restriction permanent and adding additional hours in the morning.
Commissioner Morse noted there seemed to be a lot of support for a morning restriction.
Commissioner Drungilas stated he would like to see it 24 hours per day, seven days a week.
Commissioner Morse asked what would work best; is it confusing to motorists if you have more than one time period; Woosley advised that the more wording there is on a sign, the harder it is to read and the longer the motorist will be distracted from driving.
Commissioner Hamby stated he didn’t feel morning hours were as critical as the evening hours.
Commissioner Bowen stated that the restriction has definitely been a benefit during the evening hours, but we need to keep in mind the impact on the neighborhoods; of the comments received by residents clearly from the adjacent neighborhoods, half supported the restriction and the other half didn’t.
Commissioner Hagen noted that by limiting it to certain hours, you limit the effect on the adjacent neighborhoods.
Commissioner Drungilas stated he was also concerned about ‘game days’ and Saturdays which can be as bad as any rush hour during the week.
Commissioner Heckler stated he felt Saturdays were a problem late in the day, but not in the mornings.
Commissioner Hamby stated that the Saturday problem would be more spread-out since there is not the 4-6pm rush, and we don’t want to restrict the neighborhood any more than necessary.
Commissioner Heckler stated that ‘game day’ traffic could be handled by the police department.
Officer Russell stated that he felt morning and afternoon restrictions were appropriate.
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER MORSE, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER HECKLER TO RECOMMEND PERMANENTLY ESTABLISHING NO LEFT TURN 4PM-6PM MON-FRI ON 23RD STREET AT OHIO STREET, TENNESSEE STREET, VERMONT STREET, NEW HAMPSHIRE STREET AND LEARNARD AVENUE; THE MOTION CARRIED 7-1 (Drungilas, the restriction should be in place at all times).
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER MORSE, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER ZIEGELMEYER TO RECOMMEND ESTABLISHING NO LEFT TURN 7AM-9AM MON-FRI ON 23RD STREET AT OHIO STREET, TENNESSEE STREET, VERMONT STREET, NEW HAMPSHIRE STREET AND LEARNARD AVENUE, ON A 90-DAY TRIAL BASIS; THE MOTION CARRIED 7-1 (Drungilas, the restriction should be in place at all times).
Commissioner Heckler stated that having the restriction in place at all times it would reduce driver confusion, help police department enforcement and keep cars out of the neighborhood.
Commissioner Ziegelmeyer stated he was concerned about all the wording needed on the sign; that could create more problems than it solves.
Commissioner Drungilas stated that 23rd Street is a highway and left-turns where there is not a left-turn lane creates problems and causes congestion.
Commissioner Morse stated he felt the people traveling 23rd Street every day will get used to the restricted hours quickly even if it is confusing at first.
Commissioner Ziegelmeyer stated he was concerned with motorists being able to read the signs while traveling down the street.
Commissioner Hagen stated that if someone did stop to make a left and then read the time restriction, they would then proceed to the next block. I’m concerned about a 24-hour restriction because there are many times during the day when a left-turn is not a problem and the motorist probably has a destination in the neighborhood.
Commissioner Bowen stated that she did not see a whole lot of confusion with the installation of the current signs; people adapted to it very quickly; it is not unusual for a city to have restricted movements during rush hours.
Commissioner Hamby stated he didn’t think two time periods would be a problem.
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER DRUNGILAS, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER ZIEGELMEYER TO RECOMMEND ESTABLISHING NO LEFT TURN ON 23RD STREET AT OHIO STREET, TENNESSEE STREET, VERMONT STREET, NEW HAMPSHIRE STREET AND LEARNARD AVENUE; THE MOTION FAILED 3-5 (Bowen, Graves, Hamby, Hagen and Morse).
Review the city’s SCHOOL CROSSING CONTROL POLICY.
David Woosley distributed copies of “CHILD PEDESTRIANS AT RISK IN AMERICA: A National Survey of Speeding in School Zones,” published by the National SAFE KIDS Campaign.
After considerable discussion, the commission decided not to take any action at this time, but would like to place the item on a future agenda.
Public Comment.
None.
Commission items.
David Woosley reviewed the process of commission recommendations after being forwarded to the City Commission.
Commissioner Drungilas updated the commission on the work of the Pedestrian Advisory Sub-Committee.
ITEM NO. 8:
Miscellaneous.
None.
The meeting adjourned at 8:45 PM.
The next scheduled meeting of the Traffic Safety Commission is Monday, August 1, 2005.
Respectfully submitted,
David E. Woosley, P.E.
Transportation/Traffic Engineer