Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Public Works

 

TO:

Mike Wildgen

FROM:

Chuck Soules

CC:

 Dave Corliss, Debbie Van Saun

Date:

October 27, 2005

 

At the City Commission meeting of October 25, 2005, Commissioner Rundle pulled from the Ohio Street–Brick Street Renovation Transportation Enhancement application the following excerpt from Horizon 2020:

Implementation Strategies

·                     Create a comprehensive approach to infrastructure improvements on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis.

 

Commissioner Rundle asked what the City had done with respect to this statement. We interpret this comprehensive plan statement as emphasizing a philosophy that when the City plans and prioritizes a public improvement, we evaluate the needs and impact of the surrounding neighborhood rather than focus solely on the isolated improvement Following are some examples:

 

Ř      The 19th and Barker Roundabout Project included an entire neighborhood traffic calming plan with narrowing islands and a traffic circle at 17th and New Hampshire.  During construction of this project the water main was replaced and significant drainage improvements were coordinated.  Following completion of the drainage improvements, local streets were overlaid.  This was a comprehensive approach to make significant improvements in the Barker Neighborhood.

Ř      The Harvard Traffic Calming Project encompassed the neighborhood from Monterey Way to Wakarusa Drive, including Goldfield Street.  The timing of these improvements were coordinated with the Folks Road construction and the area school.

Ř      The downtown waterline project is a phased project.  This last year (2005) we coordinated this project with the KLINK project.  We are taking a comprehensive approach including electrical, ADA, and street improvements as the waterline project progresses.

Ř      Finally, the street inventory evaluations are complete which will help us to forecast street maintenance for coordination of other public improvements. 

 

These are just a few examples.  Please let me know if additional information is needed.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

Charles F. Soules, P.E.

Director of Public Works