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CITY COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM |
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Department: |
Municipal Services & Operations |
Commission Meeting Date: March 19, 2019 |
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Staff Contact: |
Nick Hoyt, P.E., Engineering Program Manager |
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Recommendations/Options/Action Requested: |
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Amend the 2019 Capital Improvement Program to allocate $250,000 for a City-wide Traffic Signal Coordination and Timing Study in the amount of $250,000.
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Executive Summary: |
Staff recommends the Commission’s approval of a change to the 2019 Adopted Budget and Capital Improvement Program (CIP) that would reallocate $100,000 from the Fiber Operation and Maintenance budget (division account# 3025) and $150,000 from the General Fund Contracted Street Maintenance Program (CIP# PW17SM1) to establish funding for a city-wide traffic signal coordination and timing study. The 2019 Adopted Budget includes $127,000 for the Fiber Operation and Maintenance program (this is an operating budget, not a CIP project) and $1.75 million for the Street Maintenance Program (CIP# PW17SM1). Sufficient funding is available in both of these accounts for this budget revision.
Background City staff identified a gap in the current traffic signal system equipment and the synchronization, coordination and timing of signals. Current systems are inadequate and outdated, and staff believes they do not meet community expectations. The time it takes to drive across the City and the frequent stops required is cited as a source of frustration by many residents, as noted in the 2015 citizen survey, letters to the editor and correspondence with city officials. Prioritizing improvements to these systems could yield measurable enhancement to the quality of life for the entire Lawrence Community. Besides reduced travel time, improving this system would also reduce fuel consumption and emissions.
The recommended budget revision would enable completion of a traffic signal coordination planning study focused on two main goals. The first goal includes identifying improvements to existing systems and equipment that could be immediately implemented to improve efficiency along signalized corridors. This involves reviewing existing traffic counts, timing sequences, and defining prioritization objectives. Staff considers 6th Street, 23rd Street/Clinton Parkway, and Iowa Street to be the highest priority for improvements during this phase of the program. The second set of goals for the initial study includes development of a long-term program for infrastructure and equipment improvements needed to improve traffic signal coordination. This includes recommendations for specific and cost-effective signal coordination technology, development of a long-term program budget and implementation schedule, and creation of a standard timing and coordination procedure for new signals. Other long-term goals include establishing an ongoing program with appropriate funding through the CIP to evaluate and improve the traffic signal coordination system as the City continues to grow and new technologies are developed and brought to market.
Consideration of Trade-offs The 2019 Fiber Operation and Maintenance Budget ($127,000) includes funding for one full-time employee. This position has been vacant since October of 2018. Maintenance of the city’s fiber network is manageable within the existing staffing level. The recommended budget reallocation of $100,000 from this program leaves approximately $27,000 to fund fiber maintenance needs this year. Additionally, staff anticipates using $150,000 (less than 5%) of the 2019 Contracted Street Maintenance Program budget (CIP# PW17SW1) for the rest of the funding for this study.
Reallocating $150,000 from the street maintenance project represents a reduction in mill and overlay restoration of approximately 5 typical residential street blocks. Street conditions are a top priority for the city and staff is sensitive to the significance of this reduction. Typically, geometric improvements are required to improve the efficiency and safety of streets. Improved traffic signal coordination has the potential to improve traffic flow at a fraction of the cost of geometric improvements. Staff recommends reallocating funding for the traffic signal coordination study in order to immediately begin the work of improving traffic flow and mitigating congestion along several major corridors and identifying the long-term needs to optimize the flow of traffic along the through the street system.
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Strategic Plan Critical Success Factor |
Safe, Healthy, and Welcoming Neighborhoods Innovative Infrastructure and Asset Management Core Services Sound Fiscal Stewardship |
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Fiscal Impact (Amount/Source): |
No funding was included in the 2019 budget for this program. If approved, the 2019 revised budget will reflect a reduction in Fiber Operations & Maintenance of $100,000 and a reduction of $150,000 to the Contracted Street Maintenance Program to fund this project, as reported in the following table. The 2019 Revised Budget will be adopted in August.
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Attachments: |
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(for CMO use only) |
☐TM ☐DS ☐CT ☒BM |