Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Public Works Department

 

TO:

Charles Soules P.E., Director of Public Works

FROM:

Mark Thiel, Assistant Public Works Director

CC:

Tarik Khatib, Chief of Police

Mark Bradford, Fire Medical Chief

Ernie Shaw, Interim Director of Parks and Recreation

DATE:

March 28, 2016

RE:

2016 Kansas Half Marathon and 5K Race – November 6, 2016

 

Health Care Access has requested a street event permit to host the 2016 Kansas Half Marathon and 5K Run in Lawrence on Sunday, November 6, 2016, beginning at 6:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The marathon route was designed to have runners exit downtown as quickly as possible at the beginning of the race. They will head east on 7th Street from Watson Park and then south on Massachusetts Street then east on 15th Street (see attached map). They expect all runners to be out of downtown within 15 to 20 minutes of the start of the race.  The 5K route will have runners completing the last 3.1 miles of the half marathon route (see attached map).

 

Street Closures and Traffic Control Half Marathon & 5K Route

The race would begin and end at Watson Park. Runners will head east on 7th Street, south on Massachusetts Street and then east on 15th Street as they head out of downtown. As they head back into downtown they will only have one lane of west bound 6th Street closed by City Hall and then head north over the Kansas River utilizing the bridge sidewalk. They will then run on residential streets and the levee in north Lawrence before heading back south across the Kansas River bridge, again utilizing the sidewalk on the bridge (no traffic lanes on the bridges will be closed). Staying on the sidewalk runners will head west on 6th Street through Constant Park into Old West Lawrence (residential streets). They will cross under 6th Street utilizing the Pinckney Tunnel as they head toward 7th Street, then east on 7th Street back to Watson Park.

 

Traffic control for the marathon will be provided by the race organizers and will be Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) compliant. The organizers will work with paid volunteers and Lawrence Police Department to control traffic at all major intersections. This will be a closed route for the portion of the race utilizing public streets. All intersections will be monitored to allow traffic to pass as gaps in the runners occur. Message boards will be placed in key locations advising motorist to avoid the areas. Local access with be maintained.

 

Notification to Affected Properties

The event organizer has made contact with all affected churches along the race routes and coordinated access for services. They will work with the Lawrence Journal World newspaper about the race and impact on streets (see attached Health Care Access letter).

 

This event has also been coordinated with Parks and Recreation, Public Works, Planning, Fire/Medical, Lawrence Police, Lawrence Transit, Downtown Lawrence, Inc., and eXplore Lawrence. All affected neighborhood associations have been contacted about this pending commission action as well as the Lawrence Association of Neighborhoods.

 

Request for Donated Services

Health Care Access has requested Lawrence Douglas County Fire Medical and Lawrence Police Department services for this event be donated by the City of Lawrence. Fire Medical has estimated their service at a cost of $2,200.00. Police have estimated their services at a cost of $6,000.00.

 

All proceeds from this event will benefit Health Care Access.

 

ACTION

Approve a street event permit for the Kansas Half Marathon and 5K to close various streets in downtown and throughout Lawrence from 6:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Sunday November 6, 2016.

 

Approve the donation of city services from Fire Medical and Police Departments for this event.