to: Roger L. Stancil, Town Manager
from: George Small, P.E., Director of Engineering
Kumar Neppalli, E.I.T., Engineering Services Manager
subject: Response to a Petition for Prohibiting Construction Work on Public Streets during Peak Traffic Hours
date: September 22, 2008
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide a response to a citizen petition requesting that the Council enact an ordinance prohibiting construction work on public streets during peak hours.
No action is required by the Town Council. The current Town Ordinance and Administrative Procedures prohibit construction work including lane and street closures on public streets during peak hours.
At its June 9, 2008, meeting, the Town Council received and referred a petition from a citizen requesting that the Council enact an ordinance prohibiting construction work on public streets during peak hours. A copy of the petition is provided in Attachment #1. The citizen in his petition expressed concerns because a tree company was working on Weaver Dairy Road during morning peak traffic hours.
The Town Engineering Department under the direction of Town Manager’s Office is responsible for review and approval of construction work on public right-of-way. Construction companies and/or developers are required to obtain engineering construction permits, lane/street-sidewalk closure permits, and night-work permits from the Town prior to starting work on public right-of way. The Town implemented a fee-based permit program in 2005 to manage work-zone lane and street closures for construction within public rights-of-way.
This permit program requires that Engineering Department staff regularly inspect all permitted lane and street closures on a daily basis to ensure that the approved work zone traffic control plan is properly implemented in accordance with Town standards and the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. Utility companies such as Duke Energy and their contractors are also required to follow restricted construction work hours for the planned projects. However, emergency power restoration and other emergency related construction work is exempted from the permit program.
We informed the subject tree company about the Town permit program and they agreed to follow the Town regulations and restricted work hours for planned projects.
No action is required by the Town Council and the current Town Ordinance and Administrative Procedures prohibit construction work including lane and street closures on public streets during peak hours.