City of Lawrence

Traffic Safety Commission Agenda

December 3, 2007-7:00 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, November 5, 2007.

 

 

 

 

 

ITEM NO. 2:           Consider request to establish a MULTI-WAY STOP at the intersection of Folks Road  & Overland Drive.

 

                             Facts:

 

1.     The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices provides guidance for the installation of a MULTI-WAY STOP; none of the criteria are currently met.

 

                             ACTION:  Provide recommendation to the City Commission.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ITEM NO. 3:           Consider an amendment to the SCHOOL CROSSING CONTROL POLICY.

 

                             Facts:

 

1.     The City’s SCHOOL CROSSING CONTROL POLICY currently provides that an adult crossing guard may be provided if the average number of students is 10 or greater and the available safe gaps in the traffic is less than 1.0 per minute.

2.     This criterion has worked well since the policy was first adopted in 1996; however, the policy does not take into consideration the existing speed limit or number of lanes of traffic; as an example, a recent request would have required that a student be able to see a vehicle approaching from almost 1600 ft. at a speed of 45 mph in order to cross the street within the generally accepted amount of time.

3.     One option would be to add criteria for speed limit considerations, the number of lanes of traffic and available sight distance.

 

                             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 University Drive from Crestline Drive, east to its end;

 

Concurred with the recommendation to establish DISABLED PARKING spaces in front of New York School;

 

Concurred with the recommendation to establish a MULTI-WAY STOP at the intersection of 4th Street & Maine Street;

 

Concurred with the recommendation to install PAVEMENT MARKINGS & SIGNING on Harvard Road at the DeVictor Trial crossing; and

 

Deferred the recommendation to deny the request for an ADULT CROSSING GUARD at the intersection of Bob Billings Parkway & George Williams Way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

City of Lawrence

Traffic Safety Commission

December 3, 2007 Minutes

 

MEMBERS PRESENT:  Robert Hagen, Chair; Richard Heckler, Vice-Chair; Paul Graves; David Hamby; Ken Miller; Jason Novotny; Robin Smith; Jim Woods; and John Ziegelmeyer Jr.

 

MEMBERS ABSENT:  None.

 

STAFF PRESENT:  David Woosley, Public Works Department; Shoeb Uddin, Public Works Department

 

 

 

Chair Robert Hagen called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. in the City Commission Room, City Hall, 6 E. 6th Street.

 

 

 

 

ITEM NO. 1:

 

Review and approve the minutes of the Traffic Safety Commission meeting, November 5, 2007.

 

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER WOODS, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER SMITH, TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING, NOVEMBER 5, 2007; THE MOTION CARRIED 7-0-2 (Hamby, Heckler).

 

 

 

 

ITEM NO. 2:

 

Consider request to establish a MULTI-WAY STOP at the intersection of Folks Road & Overland Drive.

 

David Woosley presented the information provided in the staff report.

 

 

Public comment:

 

None.

 

Commissioner Woods asked who made the request; Woosley advised that it came from the Free State High School Site Council.

 

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER WOODS, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER SMITH, TO RECOMMEND DENYING THE REQUEST TO ESTABLISH A MULTI-WAY STOP AT THE INTERSECTION OF FOLKS ROAD & OVERLAND DRIVE ; THE MOTION CARRIED 9-0 .

 

 

 

 

ITEM NO. 3:

 

Consider an amendment to the SCHOOL CROSSING CONTROL POLICY.

 

 

Woosley presented the information provided in the staff report.

 

 

Public comment:

 

None.

 

Commissioner Graves asked if the minimum number of ten (10) students crossing should be waived if there was insufficient sight distance; Woosley advised that could be included in the policy if the commission wants to recommend it.

 

Commissioner Hamby noted that the policy stated the criteria pertained to an unprotected marked crosswalk; what if the location was unmarked; Woosley advised that could be changed also.

 

Commissioner Ziegelmeyer asked how long it takes a child to walk across three lanes of traffic; Woosley advised that it would take approximately 14 seconds at an average walking speed of 3.5 ft/sec and a 3 second perception and reaction time.

 

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER HAMBY, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GRAVES, TO RECOMMEND AMENDING THE SCHOOL CROSSING CONTROL POLICY BY ADDING SPEED LIMIT, LANES OF TRAFFIC & SIGHT DISTANCE CRITERIA AND DELETING “MARKED” FROM ITEMS 1, 2 & 3 UNDER ADULT CROSSING GUARD; THE MOTION CARRIED 9-0.

 

ITEM NO. 4:

 

Public Comment:

 

Cliff Hardings, 200 N. 8th Street, suggested installing a sign on eastbound 6th Street at Tennessee Street asking motorists to not block the intersection and suggested installing a sign on southbound 2nd Street at Elm Street prohibiting left-turns.  Woosley advised he would check and see if there was a standard highway sign advising motorists to not block an intersection; also, the reconstruction of the intersection of 2nd Street & Locust Street would include a median prohibiting the southbound left-turn at Elm Street.

 

 

 

 

ITEM NO. 5:

 

Commission Items:

 

Commissioner Hagen requested that the minutes reflect the Traffic Safety Commission’s desire to meet with the City Commission in a study session on Traffic Calming.

 

Commissioner Ziegelmeyer noted that the regular date for the February 2008 meeting is on the same night as the Kansas v. Missouri basketball game; the consensus of the commission was to reschedule the February meeting for the 2nd Monday if a meeting is needed.

 

 

 

 

ITEM NO. 6:

 

 

Miscellaneous.

 

          None.

 

 

 

 

The meeting adjourned at 7:35 P.M.

 

 

The next scheduled meeting of the Traffic Safety Commission will be Monday, January 7, 2008.

 

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

David E. Woosley

Transportation/Traffic Engineer