Memorandum

Memorandum

To:              David L. Corliss, Assistant City Manager and Director of Legal Services

From:          Toni Ramirez Wheeler, Staff Attorney

Cc:              Chuck Soules, Public Works Director and

                   David Woosley, Traffic Engineer                  

Re:              Ordinance Amending STO – Concerning Roundabouts and Traffic Calming Circles

Date:           July 12, 2005

Ordinance No. 7906 amends the Standard Traffic Ordinance (STO) to add definitions for “circular intersection,” “roundabout,” and “traffic calming circle.” The ordinance also removes the reference to “rotary traffic islands” in Section 45 of the STO because there are none in the City, and they are rarely used in modern road design. 

By replacing “rotary traffic island” with “roundabout,” the ordinance provides that vehicles passing through a roundabout must stay to the right of the center of the circular intersection.  Further, a new paragraph is added to Section 45 of the STO authorizing vehicles approaching a traffic calming circle to make a left turn in front of the center of the intersection, if the driver yields the right of way to pedestrians and vehicles already in or near the intersection.  Without the proposed changes, Section 45 of the STO is subject to challenges that it is vague.

The ordinance improves the City’s traffic laws by adding definitions and using terms for the circular intersections in use in the City and removing references to intersections that are not used in the City.    The Traffic Safety Commission reviewed and approved the ordinance on June 6, 2005.  Staff recommends the adoption of the Ordinance No. 7906.