AGENDA #4c
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Response to a Petition Requesting All-Way Stop Control at the Intersection of Coolidge Street and Dawes Street
DATE: January 9, 2006
PURPOSE
The following report is in response to a petition from Ms. Carolyn Sturgess requesting the installation of all-way stop control at the intersection of Coolidge Street and Dawes Street. Please see the area map provided in Attachment 1.
Enactment of the attached ordinance would authorize installation of all-way stop control at the intersection of Coolidge Street and Dawes Street.
We recommend enactment of the attached ordinance.
At its November 9, 2005 meeting, the Town Council received a petition (Attachment 2) from Ms. Carolyn Sturgess of 1009 Dawes Street requesting that stop signs be installed on Coolidge Street at its intersection with Dawes Street, thus changing the intersection from two-way stop control to all-way stop control. In her petition, Ms. Sturgess expressed the following concerns:
· Increase in traffic on Coolidge Street resulting from nearby new development(s).
· Sight visibility problems due to the overgrown shrubs and vines on Coolidge Street and Dawes Street near the intersection
· Pedestrians must walk in the street due to the lack of sidewalks on both streets.
· Several children use the school bus stop adjacent to this intersection.
Coolidge Street and Dawes Street are maintained by the Town and the posted speed limit is 25 mph on both streets. Coolidge Street is designated as a “through” street, and vehicles currently continue through the intersection without being required to stop. Dawes Street is designated as “stop” street, and vehicles are required to stop at the existing stop sign before continuing through the intersection.
The existing characteristics of Coolidge Street and Dawes Street at the intersection are provided in the following table:
|
Street |
Speed Limit |
Pavement Width |
Curb/Gutter |
Sidewalks |
|
Coolidge Street |
25 mph |
*20 feet paved to the west; unpaved gravel to the east |
No |
No |
|
Dawes Street |
25 mph |
19 feet |
No |
No |
*Coolidge Street is a dead end street paved on the west side of the intersection and unpaved gravel on the east side of the subject intersection.
Town staff visited the site and evaluated conditions on several occasions at different times of the day. We observed approximately equal traffic volume entering the subject intersection from both Coolidge Street and Dawes Street. The most significant traffic movement at the intersection involves left-turns by eastbound Coolidge Street traffic onto Dawes Street as a result of the one-way westbound segment of Coolidge Street east of the intersection. The traffic patterns we observed suggest that Dawes Street is functioning as a major street and Coolidge Street as a minor street at this intersection.
We also observed school children, college students, and residents walking in the street to get to their destinations due to the lack of sidewalks in the area. Town staff is currently working with property owners to trim the overgrown vegetation to improve sight lines for drivers and pedestrians to the extent possible.
In 1989, the Town Council adopted a policy for the placement of stop signs and assignment of speed limits. A copy of the policy is provided in Attachment 3. The policy was adopted to provide guidance and consistency in responding to requests for the installation of stop signs and the assignment of speed limits on public streets.
The policy includes a variety of conditions and situations that could warrant the installation of stop signs and/or changes in speed limits. It also includes situations in which stop sign installations or speed limit changes would not be recommended. These criteria are based on a combination of generally accepted traffic engineering principals and our observations of stop sign installations in Chapel Hill and other communities in North Carolina. Please refer to the attached policy document for more specific information.
We considered the stop sign request on Coolidge Street at its intersection with Dawes Street in terms of the following criteria outlined in the Council’s policy:
#1) Intersection of less important road with a main road where application of the normal right-of-way rule is unduly hazardous.
#4) Intersection where a combination of high speed, restricted sight distance, and serious accident record indicates a need for control by stop sign(s).
CONCLUSION
We think that the installation of the requested stop signs could mitigate potential conflicts and confusion for vehicular traffic, and could improve pedestrian safety at and in the vicinity of this intersection. If the additional stop signs are authorized by the Council, we would include “stop ahead” warning signs and stop bars on all approaches to the intersections. We have sent a copy of this report to residents in the area.
The Manager recommends that the Council enact the attached ordinance authorizing installation of all-way stop control at the intersection of Coolidge Street and Dawes Street.
1. Area Map (p. 5).
2. Petition (p. 6).
3. Town’s Policy on Placement of Stop Signs (p. 7).