AGENDA #3a
BUDGET WORKING PAPER
TO: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
FROM: George Small, Director of Engineering
SUBJECT: Report on Traffic Calming Request from Various Neighborhoods
DATE: April 3, 2002
The purpose of this working paper is to provide information about several traffic calming petitions currently under consideration by the Town, including cost estimates and recommendations regarding implementation and budgeting.
At its February 25, 2002, meeting the Council received a petition from the Springcrest neighborhood requesting that traffic calming measures be implemented on Perry Creek Drive. The Council received and referred the petition to the Manager to evaluate and report back with recommendations regarding implementation and funding.
Over the past year, the Council and staff have received several petitions requesting the implementation of traffic calming measures at various locations around Town. The following table lists the petitions currently under consideration, and the status of each:
|
Street/Neighborhood |
Date Received by the Staff for Studies |
Type of Request |
Current Status |
|
1. Sweeten Creek Road (Attachment 1) |
June 2001 |
Petition to Council |
Staff developed a traffic calming plan |
|
2. Perry Creek Drive (Attachment 2) |
March 2001 |
Petition to Council |
Staff developed a traffic calming plan |
|
3. Ashley Forest Road (Attachment 3) |
June 2001 |
Petition to Council |
Staff developed a traffic calming plan |
|
4. Culbreth Ridge Neighborhood (Highgrove Drive) (Attachment 4) |
February 2001 |
Petition to Council |
Staff developed a traffic calming plan and scheduled for May 29, 2002 Council meeting |
|
5. Kensington Drive (Attachment 5) |
February 2002 |
Petition to Council |
Traffic studies will be conducted in March |
|
6. Highgrove Drive in Southern Village (Attachment 6) |
January 2002 |
Phone Request |
Traffic studies are in progress |
|
7. Greenwood Road (Attachment 7) |
January 2002 |
Phone Request |
Traffic studies are in progress |
Because the Council expressed interest in receiving more information about the Perry Creek Drive petition, we thought it appropriate to include discussion of other similar petitions currently under study and/or awaiting Council action.
Town staff conducted traffic studies on items 1, 2, 3, and 4 listed in the above table. All of the streets studied to date have assigned 25 mph speed limits. Our studies found traffic volumes to be typical for the street types and surrounding land uses and all of the streets exhibited moderate speeding problems. Town staff has worked with neighborhood representatives and developed recommended traffic calming plans for streets listed in items 1, 2, 3 and 4 above.
We are currently studying traffic calming requests for the streets 5, 6 and 7 listed above. Once we complete those studies, we will work with the residents to develop appropriate traffic calming proposals for the streets involved, including cost estimates for implementation.
The following table summarizes the traffic calming measures recommended by Town staff at locations 1, 2, 3 and 4, and includes the estimated costs for staff recommended improvements. The table also lists additional traffic calming measures/costs (if any) requested by the petitioners but not recommended by Town staff.
|
Street/Neighborhood |
Requested Traffic Calming Measures |
Total Cost for Staff Recommended Plan |
Additional Measures Requested by Petitioners |
|
1. Sweeten Creek Road (Attachment 1) |
Speed Humps and Traffic Circle |
$12,500 |
(none) |
|
2. Perry Creek Drive (Attachment 2) |
Speed Humps and Stop Signs |
$7,500 |
Installation of multiway stop signs at three more intersections than recommended by Town staff. |
|
3. Ashley Forest Road (Attachment 3) |
Speed Hump |
$2,500 |
(none) |
|
4. Culbreth Ridge Neighborhood (Attachment 4) |
Speed Humps, Stop Signs, and Street Closure |
$5,000 |
Closure of Highgrove Drive connection to Southern Village. (This item is scheduled for Council consideration at its May 29, 2002 meeting) |
|
5. Kensington Drive (Attachment 5) |
Study in progress |
Study in progress |
Study in progress |
|
Street/Neighborhood |
Requested Traffic Calming Measures |
Total Cost for Staff Recommended Plan |
Additional Measures Requested by Petitioners |
|
6. Highgrove Drive in Southern Village (Attachment 6) |
Study in progress |
Study in progress |
Study in progress |
|
7. Greenwood Road |
Study/Plan in progress |
Study in progress |
Study in progress |
FUNDING
The Town Capital Improvements Program budget for the current fiscal year includes $20,000 for unspecified traffic calming improvement projects. Late last year, the Council authorized use of those funds for construction of traffic calming measures approved in the Glen Lennox, Little Creek, and The Oaks I neighborhoods. These measures include installation of several speed humps and two permanent traffic diverters. No additional funding has been identified for the construction of traffic calming measures in other neighborhoods, including the locations which are the subject of this working paper.
Based on the expected outcomes of our studies of sites 5, 6 and 7, we believe that staff recommended traffic calming measures could be implemented at all of the above listed sites at a cost not to exceed $40,000. The Manager’s preliminary report on development of the Capital Improvements Program does not include funding for these or other traffic calming projects.
1. Petition for Sweeten Creek Road (p. 4).
2. Petition for Perry Creek Drive (p. 6).
3. Petition for Ashley Forest Road (p. 10).
4. Petition from Culbreth Ridge Neighborhood (Highgrove Drive and Gardner Circle) (p. 11).
5. Petition from Coker Hill West Neighborhood Association (Kensington Drive) (p. 18).
6. Area Map for Highgrove Drive in Southern Village (p. 20).
7. Area Map for Greenwood Road and Traffic Studies (p. 21).