Memorandum
City of Lawrence
Public Works
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TO: |
Charles Soules, P.E., Director of Public Works
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FROM: |
Zachary D. Baker, E.I.T., Project Engineer
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CC: |
David P. Cronin, P.E., City Engineer Mark Thiel, Assistant Public Works Director
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Date: |
February 20, 2013
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RE: |
Project PW1212 – 9th Street – Tennessee Street to Kentucky Street Mill & Overlay, Pavement Marking, Traffic Signal Improvements
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Recommended Project Design (5-Lane)
The 9th Street project creates a new center turn lane and provides room for bike lanes to be striped on 9th Street between Tennessee and Kentucky Streets. The center turn lane will improve traffic flow through the corridor as no thru lanes will be delayed from vehicles making left turns. The bike lanes were recommended by the bicycle advisory committee and approved at their October 11, 2011 meeting. This additional one block of bike lanes will extend existing bike lanes to the east closer to downtown.
To accommodate the center lane addition with existing through lanes and bike lanes, existing on-street parking on the south side of 9th Street will need to be removed. However, two 8-foot wide recessed parking stalls will be constructed outside the existing curb line on the south side of 9th Street in front 333 W. 9th St at the request of Todd Thompson, property owner. New pavement, a curb inlet adjustment, sidewalk replacement, landscaping, and relocation of a gas line will all be required with the addition of the recessed parking spaces. Mr. Thompson has agreed to donate the required pedestrian easement for the sidewalk which will be relocated around the recessed parking. KDOT funds will be eligible for the construction of the parking stalls and sidewalk, estimated to be $15,000. Gas line relocation would be at no cost to the city.
Alternate Design (4-Lane)
Staff has examined an alternate design option that consists of two westbound thru lanes, one eastbound thru lane, a center turn lane, 5-foot wide bike lanes in each direction, and maintaining existing on-street parking on the south side of 9th Street. This option would not require any roadway widening, however, pavement marking changes would need to be made west of this project to shift eastbound traffic into a single lane before reaching the 9th and Tennessee intersection. The additional cost of striping changes west of Tennessee would be relatively minimal.
This alternate option brings both intersections of 9th Street at Tennessee and Kentucky closer to capacity. This will likely cause levels of service to drop in the near future as traffic volumes increase with downtown growth. Staff does not recommend this option has it will restrict thru traffic to one lane west of 9th & Tennessee.
Summary/Recommendation
The cost for the recommended 5-Lane design is approximately $165,000; 90% of which is paid for by KDOT and 10% is paid for by the city.
Staff recommends the 5-Lane design as it allows for the center turn lane and bike lanes to be constructed while retaining 2 parking stalls in front of the Thompson property for minimal cost. Because an agreement was made with Mr. Thompson to donate permanent easement for the relocated sidewalk, it is recommended that the city proceed with the 5-Lane design.
Project Schedule
Completion of plans: February 2013
Letting Date: April 17th, 2013
Anticipated Start Date: July 2013
Project Completion Date: September 2013.
Action Request
1. Adopt on first reading, Ordinance No. 8815, removing street parking on the south side of 9th Street between Tennessee Street and Kentucky Street.
2. Authorize the Mayor to sign the City/State Agreement for this project.
3. Proceed with 5-Lane project design as recommended.
Attachments:
Lane Assignments with Traffic Data
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