AGENDA #12
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Consideration of Traffic Calming Measures on Several Streets in Neighborhoods Adjacent to the University Campus
DATE: June 12, 2006
This report responds to petitions recently received and referred by the Town Council.
The petitions included requests for: Installation of traffic calming measures on several streets in neighborhoods adjacent to the University campus; restriction of through truck traffic on several streets and; request for addition of Mallette Street to the list of streets to be considered for installation of traffic calming devices associated with the University’s Development Plan. (Please see area maps provided in Attachment 1.)
The University is required to develop and construct traffic calming measures in neighborhoods adjacent to the University campus as part of the approved guidelines for the OI-4 Transportation Impact Analysis.
Following discussions with neighborhood and University representatives, we recommend installation of the following traffic calming measures:
We recommend adoption of the attached resolution and enactment of Ordinance A that would authorize installation of the above recommended traffic calming measures.
We also recommend enactment of Ordinance B that would change the hours of existing “No Parking Anytime Except by Residential Permit” restrictions from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM to 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM, Monday through Friday on Vance Street and University Drive as requested by several Westside residents at the neighborhood meeting.
If the resolution and ordinances are approved by the Council, the University would design and install the traffic calming measures at no cost to the Town and, upon acceptance, the Town would assume maintenance responsibility for the measures. Construction of the speed tables would be completed by the end of September. Installation of the stop signs and the revised on-street parking signs would be completed within the next five to six weeks.
BACKGROUND
At its June 27, 2005 meeting, the Council approved a resolution requiring that the University submit an Annual Development Plan Report on Transportation associated with development in the Office/Institutional-4 Zoning District on the University campus. The Council also approved guidelines for development of the University’s report.
A separate agenda item is on the Council’s agenda tonight regarding details of the University’s Annual Development Plan Report. The guidelines require that the annual report include discussion and proposals for traffic calming measures on campus streets and on streets in adjacent neighborhoods.
At its April 10 meeting, the Council received and referred the following petitions related to traffic calming measures on several streets in neighborhoods adjacent to the University campus:
At its April 24 meeting, the Council received and referred the following petition:
At its May 8 meeting, the Town Council approved installation of No Through Trucks signs on several streets in the Westside and Westwood neighborhoods. Those signs have been installed.
Copies of the petitions are provided in Attachment 2.
DISCUSSION
RESPONSE TO PETITIONS
Request for installation of traffic calming devices on streets in the Westside/Westwood neighborhood area: Following discussions with neighborhood and University representatives, we recommend installation of traffic calming measures on Ransom Street, McCauley Street, Vance Street, University Drive, West University Drive, and Westwood Drive in these neighborhoods.
Request for involvement of neighborhood residents in the development stage of traffic calming plans proposed by the University: Town and University staff met with neighborhood representatives to discuss current and expected traffic problems and possible traffic calming techniques that could mitigate those problems. A public information meeting was also held on May 9th at Town Hall, and several interested citizens provided comments. The proposed traffic calming plans were developed based on accepted engineering practice and input received from the residents and interested citizens.
Request for the addition of Mallette Street to the list of streets to be considered for the installation of traffic calming devices associated with the University’s Development Plan: Mallette Street is a connector street between West Franklin Street and Cameron Avenue with an average daily traffic volume of approximately 3900 vehicles. Town staff conducted traffic studies that confirmed that speeding and cut-through traffic are problems on Mallette Street. However, we do not believe that the traffic problems identified on Mallette Street are directly related to traffic associated with the University’s Development Plan.
Therefore, we notified the petitioner, Ms. Caroline Spencer, that we are unable to recommend that Mallette Street be included in the list of streets to be considered for the installation of traffic calming measures by the University. We also informed Ms. Spencer that the Town would consider implementing traffic calming measures on Mallette Street if a valid petition is submitted in accordance with the Town’s traffic calming policy.
We provided a petition and list of owners to Ms. Spencer and the Town subsequently received a valid petition with signatures of 2/3 of the property owners requesting the installation of traffic calming measures on Mallette Street. Town staff developed a draft traffic calming plan and reviewed it with property owners on Mallette Street. We plan to provide the second annual traffic calming report to the Council at its June 26 meeting, which will include recommendations for the installation of traffic calming measures on several streets Town-wide for which we have received valid petitions, including Mallette Street.
TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES IN NEIGHBORHOODS ADJACENT TO THE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS
As part of our efforts to engage area residents in the discussion of traffic calming measures proposed by the University, we mailed approximately 450 notices to property owners in neighborhoods adjacent to the campus and solicited input from interested citizens. At the public information meeting on May 24 at Town Hall, we received comments from residents and property owners of several area neighborhoods in addition to those neighborhoods noted above that submitted formal petitions.
Based on the comments received at our meetings with neighborhood residents and property owners, the University revised and expanded its proposed traffic calming plans for streets in neighborhoods adjacent to the campus, as summarized below:
Recommended traffic calming plans for each neighborhood are provided in Attachment 3.
During our meetings, residents from the Westside neighborhood also requested extension of the hours of “No Parking Anytime Except by Residential Permit” on-street parking restrictions from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM to 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM, Monday through Friday on Vance Street and University Drive. We believe that this request is reasonable, and we have included this change in the attached Ordinance B.
If approved, the University would design and build the traffic calming measures at no direct cost to the Town, and the design and construction would be subject to review and approval by the Town. Upon acceptance of the measures, the Town would assume maintenance responsibility. We expect that the installation of stop signs and changes in on-street parking restrictions would be implemented within the next four to six weeks. The installation of the speed tables is expected to be complete prior to September 30, 2006.
CONCLUSION
We believe that the recommended traffic calming measures would help mitigate existing speeding and cut-through traffic problems identified by area residents and confirmed by observations of Town staff. The Town would conduct follow-up studies to determine the effectiveness of traffic claming measures and provide the results of the studies to interested citizens and the Town Council in the Spring of 2007.
MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION
That the Council adopt the attached resolution and enact Ordinance A authorizing installation of the following traffic calming measures by the University at no direct cost to the Town:
The Manager also recommends enactment of the Ordinance B that would change the existing hours of “No Parking Anytime Except by Residential Permit” on-street parking restrictions from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM to 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM, Monday through Friday on Vance Street and University Drive.
