Memorandum

City of Lawrence

TO:	City Manager Mike Wildgen
FROM:	David L. Corliss, Assistant City Manager & Director of Legal                                                    Services
CC:	Chuck Soules, Debbie Van Saun, Linda Finger, Fred DeVictor
Date:	August 17, 2005
RE:	Traffic Calming Policy Resolution Ordinance on Traffic Calming

There are three items related to traffic calming for the City Commission to consider:

Resolution No. 6602 which consolidates the City’s policies on traffic calming devices and a priority ranking system for evaluation of traffic calming device requests.

Ordinance No. 7906 which clarifies the traffic rules for driving around traffic calming devices.

Ordinance No. 7901 concerning maintenance fees for development installed traffic calming devices.

Resolution No. 6602 – City Policies for Traffic Calming Devices

This Resolution combines the provisions of Resolution Nos. 6469 and 6482 which have been earlier adopted by Commissions.  The Traffic Safety Commission recommended adoption of this Resolution on June 6, 2005.

Ordinance No. 7906  - Traffic Rules for Traffic Calming Devices

Ordinance No.  7906 concerning recommended by the Traffic Safety Commission.  Minutes from the Traffic Safety Commission are attached.  The ordinance has been reviewed by the City’s legal, public works and police department staff members.  A staff memorandum further explains the provisions of the ordinance.

Ordinance No. 7901 – Maintenance Fee for Traffic Calming Device Landscaping

City Code authority is recommended for the requirement to obtain an installation and maintenance fee for landscaping for traffic calming circles.  Staff follows a distinction between landscaping for roundabouts (to be located at the intersection of two collector streets) and traffic circles which are smaller devices and which may be generally located on a local street intersection (with a collector street or a local street).  The City maintains landscaping within roundabouts as part of its Parks and Recreation public landscaping responsibilities. The landscaping in roundabouts is installed with the construction of the roundabouts (if the roundabout is constructed privately or via a benefit district, landscaping costs are included).  For traffic calming circles, the public works portion of the traffic circle is installed with the subdivision development. Staff recommends that a one time maintenance fee be paid by the development (developer, benefit district, etc.) to provide for the installation of the landscaping and the future maintenance of the landscaping.  Both the installation and maintenance would be provided by the Parks and Recreation Department.   Staff does not believe that in most cases a private neighborhood association or homeowner’s association will provide for the installation or the continued long term maintenance of landscaping.  Therefore, the public responsibility for maintenance is important.

On June 14, 2005, the Commission approved an installation and maintenance agreement for landscaping in traffic circles in the Fox Chase South subdivision and authorized the Mayor to execute the agreement.  The developer paid a one time fee of $1,500 per traffic circle for the City to landscape the traffic circles and maintain the landscaping.  The Commission further directed staff to prepare a development policy on maintenance for traffic circle landscaping for Commission adoption.

The attached Ordinance No. 7901 provides City Code authority for the one-time landscaping installation and maintenance fee.  Based on Parks and Recreation experience with the Fox Chase installation, the fee would be set at $2,000.00.  The Commission may want to adjust the fee based on future City cost experience.