City of Lawrence

Traffic Safety Commission Agenda

March 3, 2008-7:00 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, December 3, 2007.

 

 

 

 

ITEM NO. 2:           Consider request to establish a STOP sign for eastbound Cambridge Road at High Drive.

 

                             Facts:

 

1.     Cambridge Road and High Drive are both local streets in a residential area.

2.     Police Department records show there has been one (1) reported crash at this intersection during the past three (3) years.

3.     The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices states that STOP signs should be used if one or more of the following conditions exist:

a)     Intersection of a less important road with a main road where application of the normal right-of-way rule would not be expected to provide reasonable compliance with the law;

b)     Street entering a through highway or street;

c)      Unsignalized intersection in a signalized area; and/or

d)     High speeds, restricted view, or crash records indicate a need for control by the STOP sign.

 

                             ACTION:  Provide recommendation to the City Commission.

 

 

 

 

ITEM NO. 3:           Consider request for a marked crosswalk, a marked centerline and speed humps at the intersection of 5th Street & Tennessee Street.

 

                             Facts:

 

1.     A centerline can be marked at this intersection, however, recent experience at other locations in town have shown little improvement.

2.     A recent national crosswalk study found that marking such a crosswalk does not improve the crosswalk safety.

3.     The city recently marked similar crosswalks on Harvard Road; however, those locations had shared-use paths on both sides of the crossing.

4.     A speed study conducted February 14-15, 2008, found the 85th percentile speed for eastbound traffic to be 18.8mph and for northbound traffic to be 22.1mph; the speed limit by state law is 30 mph.

5.     A traffic count conducted February 14-15, 2008, found approximately 250 vehicles per day at this location; approximately 115 eastbound and 135 northbound.

6.     There have been no pedestrian or bicycle crashes reported at this location during the past three years.

 

                             ACTION:  Provide recommendation to the City Commission.

 

 

 

 

ITEM NO. 4:           Consider request to establish a marked crosswalk at the intersection of Dakota Street & Louisiana Street.

 

                             Facts:

 

1.     A recent national crosswalk study found that marking such a crosswalk does not improve the crosswalk safety.

2.     Other crosswalks have been marked on Louisiana Street on the basis of a traffic calming study; however, each of those locations included a raised pedestrian refuge island.

3.     There was one reported pedestrian crash in 2005 on Louisiana Street approximately half-way between 23rd Street and Dakota Street.

 

                             ACTION:  Provide recommendation to the City Commission.

 

 

 

 

ITEM NO. 5:           Consider request from the University of Kansas to establish STOP signs at the four (4) traffic booth entrances to the campus.

 

                             Facts:

 

1.     These four locations are totally on the University of Kansas campus; however, in order to prosecute violators, these STOP sign locations must be listed in the city code.

 

                             ACTION:  Provide recommendation to the City Commission.

 

 

 

 

ITEM NO. 6:           Consider request to establish a mid-block marked crosswalk on Naismith Drive between 18th Street & 19th Street.

 

                             Facts:

 

1.     A recent national crosswalk study found that marking such a crosswalk does not improve the crosswalk safety.

2.     The City of Lawrence does not have any experience with a mid-block marked crosswalk on a four-lane roadway.

3.     There have been no reported pedestrian crashes at this location during the past three years.

 

                             ACTION:  Provide recommendation to the City Commission.

 

 

 

 

ITEM NO. 7:           Public Comment.

 

 

 

ITEM NO. 8:           Commission Items.

 

 

 

 

ITEM NO. 9:           Miscellaneous.

 

City Commission action on previous recommendations:

 

Concurred with the recommendation to establish an ALL-WAY STOP at the intersection of Overland Drive & Wakarusa Drive;

 

Concurred with the recommendation to establish NO PARKING on 4th Street adjacent to Maine Street;

 

Concurred with the recommendation to deny the request to establish an ALL-WAY STOP at the intersection of Folks Road & Overland Drive; and

 

Concurred with the recommendation to amend the city’s School Crossing Control Policy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

City of Lawrence

Traffic Safety Commission

March 3, 2008 Minutes

 

MEMBERS PRESENT:  Robert Hagen, Chair; Paul Graves; David Hamby; Ken Miller; Jason Novotny; Robin Smith; and Jim Woods.

 

MEMBERS ABSENT:  Richard Heckler, Vice-Chair; John Ziegelmeyer Jr.

 

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

 

 

 

Past-Chair David Hamby 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, December 3, 2007.

 

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER MILLER, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER WOODS, TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING, DECEMBER 3, 2007; THE MOTION CARRIED 6-0.

 

 

ITEM NO. 2:

 

Consider request to establish a STOP sign for eastbound Cambridge Road at High Drive.

 

David Woosley presented the information provided in the staff report.

 

Commissioner Hamby noted that there is currently a STOP sign on the north leg; Woosley advised that the north leg is not a public street, the right-of-way was vacated and it is currently a private driveway, and the east leg is a private driveway also.

 

Public comment:

 

None.

Commissioner Miller:  The crash data doesn’t justify a STOP sign.

 

Commissioner Graves:  It appears to me that none of the conditions in the MUTCD would be met.

 

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GRAVES, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MILLER, TO RECOMMEND DENYING THE REQUEST TO ESTABLISH A STOP SIGN FOR EASTBOUND CAMBRIDGE ROAD AT HIGH DRIVE; THE MOTION CARRIED 6-0 .

 

 

Commissioner Hagen arrived at 7:20.

 

 

ITEM NO. 3:

 

Consider request for a marked crosswalk, a marked centerline and speed humps at the intersection of 5th Street & Tennessee Street.

 

Woosley presented the information provided in the staff report and added that a recent license plate survey on February 27, found that 50% of the southbound vehicles and 65% of the northbound vehicles during the evening peak-hour were cut-through vehicles.

 

Public comment:

 

Chris Burger, 521 Tennessee Street:  The path is the main way for people in the neighborhood to access a point to cross 6th Street at Kentucky Street; the intersection of 5th Street, Tennessee Street and the path is confusing; traffic turning from Tennessee to 5th regularly cross what would be the centerline while turning.

 

Commissioner Woods:  I don’t think what is being requested would help a whole lot.

 

Commissioner Hamby:  The cut-through traffic is a little concerning to me; marking the centerline doesn’t help, we found that out at 11th & Haskell.

 

Commissioner Graves:  I agree that it doesn’t appear that any of the requests fit the problem; perhaps a STOP sign on the path would be more appropriate.

 

Commissioner Hamby:  I don’t think a STOP sign would be effective; a YIELD sign may be more appropriate.

 

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER SMITH, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GRAVES, TO RECOMMEND DENYING THE REQUEST, AND INSTALLING A YIELD SIGN AND A PATH ENDS SIGN (IF APPROPRIATE) ON THE OFF-STREET PATH WHERE IT INTERSECTS TENNESSEE STREET; THE MOTION CARRIED   7-0.

 

 

ITEM NO. 4:

 

Consider request to establish a marked crosswalk at the intersection of Dakota Street & Louisiana Street.

 

Woosley presented the information provided in the staff report.

 

Public comment:

 

Carol Bowen, 403 Dakota Street:  We don’t expect a crosswalk to protect us from the traffic; we are asking for the crosswalk to define the area where pedestrians should be crossing; this is a major commercial area and many of us walk there.

 

Michael Pomes, 528 Kansas Street:  I would propose that the crosswalk look like the others on Louisiana with the pedestrian refuge islands.

 

Commissioner Woods asked how far south of Dakota the existing crossing was; Woosley advised it was a couple of blocks.

 

Commissioner Hagen:  Adding a crossing with islands at this location would help the one at Utah function better.

 

Commissioner Woods asked if there were any sidewalks on Dakota Street to the east; Woosley advised that there were not.

 

Commissioner Hamby:  I would be concerned about putting a crosswalk there without some protection like a median refuge island.

 

Commissioner Woods:  I’d be interested in seeing what kind of traffic we have walking in the area before we do anything.

Commissioner Hagen:  Refuge islands would complete more effective traffic calming for that stretch of Louisiana which would be beneficial to other side-street traffic.

 

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER HAGEN, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER SMITH, TO RECOMMEND ESTABLISHING A MARKED CROSSWALK TOGETHER WITH PEDESTRIAN REFUGE ISLANDS ON LOUISIANA STREET ADJACENT TO DAKOTA STREET; THE MOTION CARRIED 7-0.

 

 

ITEM NO. 5:

 

Consider request from the University of Kansas to establish STOP signs at the four (4) traffic booth entrances to the campus.

 

Woosley presented the information provided in the staff report and noted that in order to prosecute violators in municipal court, the STOP signs would have to be listed in the city’s traffic schedules.

 

Public comment:

 

Peg Livingood, University of Kansas:  Access to the campus needs to be controlled due to the volume of traffic; this step is needed to improve safety on the campus; we want to install stop signs and stop lines that meet regulations and that the public are familiar with.

 

Commissioner Smith:  This would result in five STOP signs at Sunflower & Sunnyside; entirely too many; you could very easily have traffic backed-up into the intersection; I think they will create more congestion; these would be in effect even during non-school hours which I feel is unwarranted; having to stop on Mississippi during snow and ice conditions could be an obstacle; the STOP sign adjacent to the Chi Omega fountain is not needed because of the roundabout.

 

Commissioner Hamby:  They are having to stop there now except during off hours.

 

Commissioner Woods:  I think we will cause more problems than we will solve.

 

Commissioner Hagen:  I don’t see an issue on Mississippi and on Jayhawk because they are far enough away from an intersection.

 

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER WOODS, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER SMITH, TO RECOMMEND DENYING THE REQUEST TO ESTABLISH STOP SIGNS AT THE FOUR TRAFFIC BOOTH ENTRANCES TO THE KANSAS UNIVERSITY CAMPUS; THE MOTION CARRIED 4-3 (Hamby:  Not a good solution, but not worthwhile to turn it down; Miller:  We should do what they want; Novotny:  This is needed for student safety.

 

 

 

 

 

 

ITEM NO. 6:

 

Consider request to establish a mid-block marked crosswalk on Naismith Drive between 18th Street & 19th Street.

 

Woosley presented the information provided in the staff report.

 

Public comment:

 

Jim Modig, University of Kansas:  This was a recommendation of the Campus Safety Advisory Board; students would be able to cross two lanes of traffic, then wait in the median area before crossing the other two lanes; student fees would pay for the construction costs; in addition, the BUS STOP would need to be moved to the north out of the crossing area.

 

Commissioner Hamby:  Although it is only 170 feet to 18th where you would rather have a marked crosswalk, the students are currently crossing here (the grass is worn-off in the median).

 

Commissioner Smith:  My experience is that the students simply don’t abide by crosswalks; they just go, they don’t even look and they are terribly dangerous; crosswalks don’t seem to help them.

 

Commissioner Novotny:  There are two big residence halls there and the students will cross there to get the bus.

 

Commissioner Hamby:  I don’t have a problem with it being used; I think it would be used; my concern is if it is appropriate there and how do we make it safe; I don’t want to create a false sense of security for pedestrians.

 

Commissioner Hagen:  I was wondering about a raised crosswalk that could also serve as a traffic calming device.

 

Commissioner Smith:  I think you will tie-up traffic more because buses will have to stop and wait for pedestrians to cross and then stop again at the bus stop.

 

Commissioner Hamby:  I am more leaning to support it because the students are crossing there anyway and increased signage will make it more visible.

 

 

 

 

 

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER HAGEN, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER NOVOTNY, TO RECOMMEND ESTABLISHING A MID-BLOCK MARKED CROSSWALK ON NAISMITH DRIVE BETWEEN 18TH STREET & 19TH STREET; THE MOTION CARRIED 5-2 (Smith: It won’t solve the problem, it will create additional traffic congestion; Woods: Three crosswalks in a block area is excessive even though it is a long block).

 

 

 

ITEM NO. 7:

 

Public Comment:

 

Betty Alderson, 1920 Maine Street:  The island and crosswalk as recommended on Louisiana at Dakota is an excellent idea; the ones that are further north really work.

 

 

ITEM NO. 8:

 

Commission Items:

 

Commissioner Hagen asked if there was a rationale in the timing of the traffic signal at 19th Street & Iowa Street; Woosley advised that it is coordinated with other traffic signals along Iowa Street.

 

Commissioner Smith asked if additional protected/permissive left-turns could be installed along 23rd Street and Iowa Street; Woosley advised that is standard until left-turn crashes dictate protected only.

 

 

ITEM NO. 9:

 

Miscellaneous.

 

          None.

 

 

The meeting adjourned at 8:15 P.M.

 

 

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

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

David E. Woosley

Transportation/Traffic Engineer