City of Lawrence
Traffic Safety Commission Agenda
July 2, 2007-7:30 PM
City Commission Room, City Hall
MEMBERS: Robert Hagen, Chair; Richard Heckler, Vice-Chair; Paul Graves; David Hamby; Ken Miller; Jason Novotny; Robin Smith; Jim Woods and John Ziegelmeyer Jr.
Anyone who wishes to be notified when
their item will be heard by the City Commission must provide their name and
a telephone number or an e-mail address.
ITEM NO. 1: Review and approve the minutes of the Traffic Safety Commission meeting, June 4, 2007.
ITEM NO. 2: Consider request to establish an ALL-WAY STOP at the intersection of 7th Street & Lyon Street.
Facts:
1. The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) is the national standard for all traffic control devices which the city is required to follow.
2. The MUTCD provides criteria for an ALL-WAY STOP sign installation including crash history and traffic volumes; based on traffic data collected, none of the criteria are currently met for consideration of an ALL-WAY STOP.
ACTION: Provide recommendation to the City Commission.
ITEM NO. 3: Consider request to establish NO PARKING along the east side of Wisconsin Street between 6th Street and 7th Street.
Facts:
1. Wisconsin Street is a local street in a commercial area paved 26 feet wide.
2. Commercial properties are supposed to be providing sufficient off-street parking.
3. If NO PARKING is established, it should be on the east side on the approach to 6th Street and where fewer parking spaces would be affected.
ACTION: Provide recommendation to the City Commission.
ITEM NO. 4: Public Comment.
ITEM NO. 5: Commission Items.
ITEM NO. 6: Miscellaneous.
City Commission action on previous recommendations:
Concurred with the recommendation to establish NO PARKING along the south side of Jordan Lane;
Concurred with the recommendation to establish NO PARKING SCHOOL DAYS 3:30-4:00PM M-T-Th-F and 2:00-2:30PM W along the west side of Oak Tree Drive at Vantuyl Drive;
Tabled the recommendation to construct TRAFFIC CALMING devices along 27th Terrace between Missouri Street and Louisiana Street;
Tabled the recommendation to construct TRAFFIC CALMING devices along Maine Street between 7th Street and 9th Street;
Tabled the recommendation to construct TRAFFIC CALMING devices along 18th Street between New Hampshire Street and Barker Avenue;
Tabled the recommendation to construct a MID-BLOCK PEDESTRIAN CROSSING on 31st Street near Harrison Avenue; and
Tabled the recommendation to improve the PEDESTRIAN CROSSING on 11th Street at New Hampshire Street.
City of Lawrence
Traffic Safety Commission
July 2, 2007 Minutes
MEMBERS PRESENT: Robert Hagen, Chair; David Hamby; Ken Miller; Jason Novotny; Robin Smith; Jim Woods; and John Ziegelmeyer Jr.
MEMBERS ABSENT: Paul Graves, Richard Heckler
STAFF PRESENT: David Woosley, Public Works Department; Shoeb Uddin, Public Works Department
Chair Robert Hagen called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. in the City Commission Room, City Hall, 6 E. 6th Street.
Review and approve the minutes of the Traffic Safety Commission meeting, June 4, 2007.
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER HAMBY, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MILLER, TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING, JUNE 4, 2007; THE MOTION CARRIED 6-0-1 (Hagen).
Consider request to establish an ALL-WAY STOP at the intersection of 7th Street & Lyon Street.
Woosley presented the information provided in the staff report.
Public comment:
Ted Boyle, President, North Lawrence Improvement Association: Lyon Park is directly southeast of the intersection and during the summer months there’s a lot of ballgames that go on over there and the traffic is high at that time; this request comes from residents in that area for two reasons: the residents and their children trying to cross 7th Street have a hard time getting across because of cars during ballgames from April to October; and there is no STOP sign on 7th Street except at Locust Street and at 24/40 Highway; we have had numerous complaints of speeders; there is also a BUS STOP on the southeast corner of 7th & Lyon; we would like to see a 4-WAY STOP at that intersection to slow down the traffic and to make it safer for the children to cross the street; at our last meeting, the North Lawrence Improvement Association discussed it, took a vote on it and sent the request.
Commissioner Miller asked how close was the traffic data to meeting the standards; Woosley advised that with respect to crashes, the requirement is five (5) crashes in a 12-month period and Police Department records show a total of four (4) crashes reported during the past three (3) years; with respect to volume, the requirement is 300 vehicles per hour entering the intersection from the main street and 200 vehicles per hour entering the intersection from the minor street for each of eight (8) separate hour of the day and the data found 101 and 69 or about one-third (1/3) of the requirement.
Commissioner Hagen asked if we had the traffic speeds; Woosley advised that we did, but speed is not a criterion for STOP signs; the 85th percentile speeds for traffic on 7th Street were between 35mph and 40 mph.
Commissioner Hamby: I am not in favor of a 4-WAY STOP here because I think it creates a false sense of security, but a better solution may be a pedestrian refuge island which would cause traffic to slow down and help pedestrians cross the street.
Commissioner Hagen: There is a good line of sight so you can see when it is safe to cross the street.
Commissioner Smith suggested that additional SPEED LIMIT signs be installed on 7th Street.
Commissioner Woods asked if there were sidewalks near the intersection; Woosley advised that on the aerial, it appears there is one on the south side of Lyon west of 7th and on the north side of Lyon east of 7th.
Commissioner Hamby: A STOP sign is a passive device; if there is not enough traffic to perceive a problem, the sign will probably be run.
Commissioner Ziegelmeyer asked if his understanding was correct that if the city approves a STOP sign that is not warranted, the city assumes all liability for any incidents; Woosley advised that is what the courts have held in the past.
Commissioner Woods suggested that Mr. Boyle advise the residents that there are certain criteria that the city has to follow and this location does not meet it.
Commissioner Ziegelmeyer asked if there was any type of warning sign that may be appropriate for this location; Woosley advised that there is a PLAYGROUND sign that could be installed on 7th Street.
Commissioner Hamby asked if pedestrian counts were taken; Woosley advised that there were 5 pedestrians from 7AM to 8AM, 6 pedestrians from 8AM to 9AM, 4 pedestrians from 4PM to 5PM and 6 pedestrians from 5PM to 6PM.
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER HAMBY, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER WOODS, TO RECOMMEND DENIAL OF THE REQUEST TO ESTABLISH AN ALL-WAY STOP AT THE INTERSECTION OF 7TH STREET AND LYON STREET; THE MOTION CARRIED 7-0.
The commission requested that PLAYGROUND signs be installed on 7th Street and that additional SPEED LIMIT signs be installed if appropriate.
Consider request to establish NO PARKING along the east side of Wisconsin Street between 6th Street and 7th Street.
Woosley presented the information provided in the staff report.
Public comment:
None.
Commissioner Hagen: Generally we have approved NO PARKING requests unless there is objection.
Commissioner Smith asked if the business on the east side of the street had been notified; Woosley advised that they were notified by e-mail.
Commissioner Novotny advised that the owner had contacted him and he was willing to do whatever he needs to do and didn’t want to upset local residents.
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER WOODS TO DENY THE REQUEST FAILED DUE TO LACK OF A SECOND.
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER MILLER, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER SMITH, TO RECOMMEND ESTABLISHING NO PARKING ALONG THE EAST SIDE OF WISCONSIN STREET BETWEEN 6TH STREET AND 7TH STREET; THE MOTION CARRIED 6-1 (Woods; a one-woman crusade and didn’t show).
Public Comment:
M. Zarif Haque, owner of 1527 W. 6th Street, adjacent to Wisconsin Street, arrived to speak to Item No. 3 and advised that he did not have any problem with the action that had been taken.
Commission Items:
None.
Miscellaneous.
None.
The meeting adjourned at 7:55 P.M.
The next scheduled meeting of the Traffic Safety Commission is Monday, August 6, 2007.
Respectfully submitted,
David E. Woosley
Transportation/Traffic Engineer