To: The Lawrence City Commission

From:  Residents of both sides Lawrence Avenue from 14^th Street to Bob Billings Parkway and residents of Applegate Court

Re: Extending the No Parking ban on the West side of Lower Lawrence Avenue to the corner of Applegate Court and Lawrence Avenue

Introduction:  In preparing this document to be sent to the City Commission for hearing we have been reminded of two facts which we hope will bolster our petition.

1:  When residents of lower Lawrence Avenue came to the City Commission several years ago, (WHEN?), we were told that if extending a no parking ban on the West side of Lawrence Avenue for 150 feet from the corner of then 15^th Street North did not alleviate the congestion from Applegate Court to now Bob Billings Parkway, that the Commission would re-visit the situation and extend the No Parking ban on the West side to Applegate Court.  We are asking for this ban now.

2.  At the time, in the early 1980s, when the Applegate neighborhood was platted, it was expected that Lawrence Avenue would be 80 feet wide with four lanes of traffic.  Once Kasold Drive was built this plan was scrapped, but Lawrence Avenue continues to be a feeder street and the congestion for cars and trucks passing on a 25.3 foot wide road is both perilous and indefensible.  There is adequate parking provided by long driveways on both sides of Lawrence Avenue.  There is no need for on-street parking at the dangerous intersections of Applegate Court, Lawrence Avenue and Bob Billings Parkway.  

Petition

Whereas the intersection of Lawrence Avenue with Bob Billings Parkway (formerly 15^th Street) is often congested by cars wishing to turn from either side of the Parkway median onto Lawrence Avenue; and/or with cars backed up on Lawrence Avenue trying to turn either East or West onto Bob Billings Parkway,

And Whereas accidents, and near-accidents at this intersection, involving both cars and property (including numerous mailboxes), are a common occurrence,

And Whereas cars parked along the West side of Lawrence Avenue make turning onto Lawrence Avenue from the Parkway difficult, and/or create additional congestion for cars turning onto Lawrence Avenue from the Parkway, frequently at high speeds, which meet either parked cars or cars waiting to turn,

And Whereas sanitation trucks and city vehicles (especially snow plows) find it difficult to perform their duties when congestion from parked cars impedes the passage of cars in both directions on the 25.3-foot wide span of lower Lawrence Avenue,

And Whereas Lawrence Avenue curves from the northwest to the south at a 40 degree angle from just above Applegate Court to Bob Billings Parkway, effectively  removing from southbound drivers’ line of sight any cars parked south of Applegate Court (and thereby reducing the “speed bump” utility of street-parked cars),

And Whereas the residents of the homes on both sides of Lawrence Avenue and Applegate Court are able to house their cars in their garages, with ample room for additional cars on driveways (Applegate Homeowners Association Covenants & Bylaws specify all homes are to be single family dwellings, which would presumably limit the number of cars for any single home to 2, commonly, or possibly 3 or 4, at most, with 56+ foot driveways, long enough to accommodate those vehicles not properly housed in the garage),

Be it resolved that we, the owners and residents of property bordering on Lawrence Avenue and Applegate Court because of our concern for safety, do hereby petition the city to prohibit parking on both sides of Lawrence Avenue from Applegate Court to the intersection with Bob Billings Parkway.