AGENDA #13

MEMORANDUM

TO: Mayor and Town Council

FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

SUBJECT: Annual Traffic Calming Report and Recommendations

DATE: January 9, 2006

PURPOSE

This is the first annual report on the Town’s traffic calming program. We have included recommendations for implementation of traffic calming measures on Town streets in several neighborhoods, in accordance with Town’s adopted “Policy and Procedures for Traffic Calming Measures”.

The 2003 Sidewalk and Street Improvements Bonds include $650,000 for neighborhood, pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements including installation of traffic calming measures, signing, lighting, and pedestrian/bicycle safety improvements. The Council issued $300,000 of the bonds in fiscal year 2004-05 of which approximately $32,000 has been spent.

Adoption of the attached resolution would authorize use of up to $120,000 of 2003 Sidewalk and Street Improvement Bond funds for the installation of traffic calming measures at the following seven locations for which we have received valid petitions:

1. Pinehurst Drive (Oaks II Area): 7-Speed tables

2. Cedar Hills Area: 5-Speed tables

3. Nottingham Drive: 4-Speed tables

4. Colony Woods Drive: 3-Speed tables

5. Silver Creek Trail: 3-Speed tables

6. Cypress Road: 2-Speed tables and one all-way stop control at the intersection of Cypress Road and Spruce Street

7. Pinehurst Drive (Meadowmont Area): 3-Speed tables and one all-way stop control at the intersection of Pinehurst Drive and Gurnsey Trail

Enactment of the attached ordinance would authorize all-way stop control at two intersections noted above.

We recommend adoption of the attached resolution and enactment of the attached ordinance.

BACKGROUND

At its June 30, 2004 meeting, the Town Council adopted the “Policy and Procedures for Traffic Calming Measures” on Town streets. A copy of the Policy is provided in Attachment 1. Key points of the Policy are provided below:

1) Service Area: The Policy requires designation of a “service area” (area of influence) surrounding the requested traffic calming project site(s). Citizen(s) submitting the request are provided with petition forms to be signed by interested property owners within the service area. The size and extent of the service area is based upon the type of traffic calming project being proposed, the layout and type of properties in the vicinity, and the characteristics of the street network surrounding the proposed project site(s). Depending on the circumstances, the service area could include:

All properties abutting the proposed street segment to be modified.
All properties on adjacent street(s) with ingress/egress only possible via the modified street segment.
All properties on adjacent street(s) that have alternative points of ingress/egress but are expected to be otherwise affected by the modified street segment.

2) Valid Petition: A valid petition for traffic calming measures must be signed by two-thirds of the property owners within the service area surrounding the requested traffic calming site(s).

3) Ranking System: Traffic calming projects are prioritized using a ranking system described in the policy documents. (This procedure for establishing project priorities is similar to the process used by the Town to rank sidewalk and bicycle improvement projects.)

4) Annual Report: The Town Manager will present a report each year for the Council’s consideration including:

· A prioritized list of traffic calming projects for which valid petitions have been received

· A copy of each petition

· A summary of the data pertaining to each project.

· The Town Transportation Board’s recommendation(s) regarding each project

· The Town Manager’s recommendation(s) regarding each project

Prior to the adoption of the formal traffic calming policy, the Town had 23 traffic calming requests or petitions pending. Upon the Council’s adoption of the policy, we identified the appropriate service area for each pending project, and prepared relevant petition documents. We provided the petition documents and associated information to each interested neighborhood, and requested return of valid, signed petitions for consideration in the first round of projects under the new policy.

DISCUSSION

Several streets and neighborhoods that are close to the campus area will receive traffic calming measures as a result of the Council’s agreements with the University. The University is required to develop and implement traffic calming on a number of residential streets near the main campus and hospital area as part of its OI-4 Development Plan. Some measures have already been installed. We are currently working with the University regarding additional streets that will require implementation of traffic calming measures as a result of continuing development of the University and Hospital properties.

Please see Attachment 2 for the list of affected streets near campus. A separate report will be provided to the Council within the next few months for review and approval of traffic calming measures for the streets near the campus area.

Seven petitions that comply with the Town’s policy have been returned to date for traffic calming on streets that are not near the University or Hospital campuses. We will continue to collect and process traffic calming requests as we receive them. Please see the map provided in Attachment 3 for existing and recommended areas for traffic calming measures.

Traffic Studies:

Traffic speed and volume studies were conducted in the seven petition areas. These studies indicated that speeding is a problem in all seven areas, and cut-through traffic is a significant problem in one area. The 85^th percentile speed varied from 30 to 41 mph and average speed varied from 26 to 33 mph. Existing conditions and related study results for each area are provided in Attachment 4.

Recommended Traffic Calming Measures:

We developed traffic calming plans for each petition area based on the procedures set forth in the policy, including consideration of input from affected residents received via neighborhood meetings and surveys. In developing a proposed plan for each area, we considered a variety of possible traffic calming measures including traffic circles, narrowing streets, diverters, speed tables, speed humps, etc.

Recommended traffic calming measures for each area, with location maps, are provided in Attachment 5. The exact field placement of traffic calming measures, if approved by the Council, would be coordinated with the neighborhood residents.

We have ranked and prioritized each petition based on the procedures set forth in the Policy. The following table lists the streets/areas identified for installation of traffic calming measures, their numerical ranking, priority, recommended traffic calming measures, and the estimated project costs.

2005 PRIORITY LIST OF TRAFFIC CALMING PROJECTS

Street/Area	Numerical Ranking	Priority	Proposed Traffic Calming Measures	Estimated Project Cost
1. Pinehurst Drive (Oaks II)	116	1	7-Speed Tables	$30,100
2. Cedar Hills Area	91	2	5-Speed Tables	$21,500
3. Nottingham Drive	91	2	4-Speed Tables	$17,200
4. Colony Woods Drive	90	3	3-Speed Tables	$12,900
5. Silver Creek Trail	87	4	3-Speed Tables	$12,900
6. Cypress Road	86	5	2-Speed Tables 1-All-way Stop	$8,900
7. Pinehurst Drive (Meadowmont)	86	5	3-Speed Tables 1-All-way Stop	$13,400
			Total Cost	$116,900

Please see Attachment 6 for details of the ranking system used for prioritizing projects. Because of the size and number of pages of the actual petitions for each area, we have not included them with this agenda item. The actual petition documents for each project area are available for review in the Town Engineering Department.

Discussion with the Fire Department and Police Department:

The Engineering Department discussed the recommended traffic calming measures and the design details with the staff from the Fire and Police Departments. The Fire Department staff expressed concerns that response time could be affected by the installation of physical traffic calming devices such as speed humps. They requested that we eliminate the use of parabolic shaped speed humps and redesign our standard speed table detail as follows:

Install thermoplastic reflective markings on and adjacent to speed tables for high visibility
Reduce the height of speed tables from 4” to 3.5”.

We believe that these are reasonable requests, and that they will not significantly reduce the effectiveness of the speed tables. We have incorporated the revisions suggested by the Fire Department, and the revised design details for speed tables are provided in Attachment 7.

Textured Pavement Request from Some Neighborhoods:

Some neighborhoods requested that textured pavement with brick pattern be installed on the flat top portion of the speed table. The additional cost per speed table to install textured pavement is approximately $1500 each. Please see Attachment 7 for speed table design with textured pavement.

We do not recommend textured pavement for the following reasons:

· It is preferable to have uniform design standards for traffic calming measures throughout the Town, to improve driver recognition of the measures

· It is possible that not all neighborhoods could afford the extra cost of textured pavement

· Textured pavement would have extra maintenance and replacement costs to the Town over time

However, if Council wishes to consider the installation of textured pavement on speed tables, we recommend that neighborhoods pay for the extra installation costs and agree in writing that the Town would not be responsible for replacing the textured pavement if and when repairs or resurfacing of the speed table becomes necessary. Please see Attachment 7 for speed table design with textured pavement.

Funding:

Transportation Board Recommendation: The Transportation Board voted 6-0 supporting recommendations for traffic calming devices at various locations as listed in the prioritized table above. The Board also recommended that neighborhoods be allowed to pay for the installation of textured pavement, if desired. The Board’s recommendation is provided in Attachment 8.

CONCLUSION

We believe that the recommended traffic calming measures for the identified priority locations would help to mitigate existing speeding problems. The proposed traffic calming plans were developed in accordance with the adopted Town Policy and Procedures for Traffic Calming Measures. The measures proposed for each area have been approved by a majority of residents/property owners in each service area, as signified by the valid petitions on file in the Town Engineering Department. We believe that the revisions we have incorporated into the design details for speed tables will address the concerns expressed by the Fire Department and others.

NEXT STEP

If approved by the Council, the Engineering Department would prepare construction plans and specifications and an updated cost estimate for each project. When the final project drawings are complete, the Engineering Department would schedule neighborhood meetings to discuss the plans, estimated costs, and construction schedules. We expect to contract the construction of approved projects.

Town staff would monitor the performance of completed traffic management projects, and would report to the Council and Transportation Board regarding the operation and effectiveness of the traffic calming measures within 12-18 months following installation. This follow-up report could result in Council action to revise or remove a previously approved traffic management measure. Citizen requests for removal of traffic calming devices would be required to follow the same procedure as the initial request for installation of the devices.

We plan to provide another traffic calming report for the Council’s consideration in May 2006. This report would include information and recommendations regarding additional traffic calming petition projects.

MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION

That the Council adopt the attached resolution authorizing installation of traffic calming devices at seven locations as described below, at a cost not to exceed $120,000 using 2003 Sidewalk and Street Improvement Bond funds: