DRAFT

POLICY AND PROCEDURES

FOR TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES

(WITH ASSESSMENTS)

 

PURPOSE

To adopt official policy and procedures for the appropriate and consistent application of traffic calming measures on Town-maintained streets in Chapel Hill.

 

COVERAGE

This policy and the associated procedures shall be applicable until such time that they are officially amended, modified, or rescinded by the Town Council.

 

POLICY

Traffic calming measures are applicable in residential neighborhoods where speeding vehicles and/or cut-through traffic are the primary concerns, and traditional police enforcement is found to be unfeasible and/or ineffective. Streets must typically be residential in nature for consideration under this policy. Traffic calming devices will not typically be placed on Arterial classification streets. The following policy and procedures are intended to promote traffic calming measures that are appropriately implemented and are supported by the community.

 

The following procedure will be used to identify, evaluate, and implement traffic calming projects in Chapel Hill. 

 

1.         A citizen requesting traffic calming improvements will fill out a Request for Traffic Calming Measures form available in the Town Engineering Department and on the Town web site.

 

2.         Upon receipt of a properly completed Request form, the Engineering Department will determine an applicable “service area” surrounding the requested traffic calming site(s), and will provide the requesting citizen with a Petition form to be signed by interested property owners within the designated service area.   The size and extent of the service area will take into consideration 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 may 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 will be otherwise affected by the modified street segment.

 

3.        The requesting citizen will obtain signatures on the Petition form. A valid Petition for traffic calming measures must be signed by 2/3’s of the property owners within the service area surrounding the requested traffic calming site(s).

 

 (Property owned by the United States Government will not be included in the total of properties within the service area.  Property owned by the State of North Carolina or a railroad may be included in the property total, depending on the circumstances (See G.S. 160A-217, 220, 221, & 222).  Property owned by the Town will be included in the property total.)

 

4.         The requesting citizen will return the Petition form, with original signatures, to the Engineering Department at Town Hall, 306 N. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, N.C. 27516.

 

5.         The Engineering Department will confirm that the Petition signatures concur with land ownership records, and will forward the Petition form to the Town Attorney for validation.  Once a Petition is determined to be valid, the Engineering Department will notify the requesting citizen of the petition status.

 

6.         Upon receipt of a valid Petition (as described in Step #5 above), the Engineering Department will gather project site data including traffic volumes, speeds, and accident history.  A proposed project plan will be developed using the following procedure:

·        Assess problems and needs

·        Identify goals and objectives

·        Identify evaluation criteria

·        Evaluate alternatives

·        Select a proposed plan

 

The development of a traffic calming plan will include citizen input, consideration of current Town Policy for Placement of Stop Signs and Assignment of Speed Limits (APPENDIX A), and evaluation of the types and design criteria of traffic calming measures applicable to site (APPENDIX B).

 

The Engineering Department will prepare a cost estimate for the proposed traffic calming project and associated improvements.

 

7.         Traffic calming projects will be prioritized in accordance with the ranking system outlined in APPENDIX C, and will be presented to the Town Transportation Board for consideration.  The Transportation Board will review the proposed projects, including the associated traffic data compiled for each project.  Based on its review, the Transportation Board will provide recommendations to be included with the Town Manager’s annual report to the Town Council regarding proposed traffic calming projects.

 

8.         The Town Manager will prepare an annual report to the Town Council regarding proposed traffic calming projects.  This report will include:

·        A prioritized list of proposed traffic calming projects

·        A copy of the valid Petition associated with each project

·        A summary of the traffic data pertaining to each project

·        Transportation Board review comments and recommendations

·        The Town Manager’s recommendations

 

              The Council will receive the Manager’s report and recommendations, and will refer it for further consideration during annual budget deliberations.

 

9.         During the budget development process, the Council will consider the proposed traffic calming projects presented in the Manager’s annual report, and will allocate funds for construction as it deems appropriate.

 

10.       After the Council adopts a budget for the coming fiscal year, the Engineering Department will contact the person(s) listed on each Request form received for traffic calming projects, and will notify them that the requested traffic calming project has or has not been funded for construction.

 

11.       Once project funding is approved by the Council, the Engineering Department will prepare construction plans and specifications and an updated cost estimate.

 

12.       When the final project drawings are complete, the Engineering Department will schedule a neighborhood meeting to discuss the plans, estimated costs, and construction procedures/schedule. Each property owner in the service area of the project will be notified when and where the meeting is scheduled.

 

13.      The Council will adopt a Preliminary Resolution stating:

a)         its intent to undertake the project;

b)         the nature and location of the project;

c)         the percentage of the final cost of the project to be equally assessed to the owners of property within the service area;

d)         the method of distributing assessments among the property owners;

e)         the assessments, if any, that will be delayed and for how long;

f)          the proposed terms of payment of the assessment (normally 10 annual installments at a interest rate of up to 8% or payment in full with no interest, at the property owner’s option);

g)         the time and place for a Public Hearing on all matters covered in the Preliminary Resolution  (The hearing will not be earlier than 3 weeks or later than 10 weeks from the date of the adoption of the Preliminary Resolution)

 

14.       At least 10 days before the Hearing on the Preliminary Resolution, the Engineering Department will send by certified mail a copy of the Preliminary Resolution and a notice of the date of the Public Hearing to all owners of property to be assessed.  The Engineering Department will also publish a notice of the Hearing in the local newspaper(s).

 

15.       The Council will hear every interested person who comes to the Hearing to discuss any matters covered in the Preliminary Resolution.

 

 

16.       If no problems are apparent with the Preliminary Resolution, the Council will adopt an Assessment Resolution stating that the project shall be under­taken in compliance with the applicable provisions of the Preliminary Resolution.

 

17.       When the construction has been completed, the Engineering Department will total the actual costs of the project, including the costs of construction, rights-of-way, engineering and legal services, and any other costs necessary to complete the project.

 

18.       The Engineering Department will prepare a Preliminary Assessment Roll which states the method that assessments will be distributed among the property owners and that includes a list of the owner(s) of each property and the amount to be assessed to each property.

 

  19.     The Engineering Department will file a copy of the Preliminary Assessment Roll with the Town Clerk for public inspection and will also mail a copy and a notice of Public Hearing on the Preliminary Assessment Roll, by certified mail to all owners to be assessed, at least 10 days before the date of the Hearing.  The Engineering Department will also publish a notice of the Public Hearing in the local newspaper(s).

 

  20.     The Council will hear comments from every interested person who wishes to speak at the Public Hearing. If there appears to be no problem with the Preliminary Assessment Roll, the Council will normally confirm it.

 

21.       After the Council confirms the Assessment Roll, the Town Clerk will give the Town Revenue Collector a copy of the roll for billing each property owner.  These assessments are a lien on each affected property, like property taxes.

 

22.       Anyone with an interest in one of the assessed properties who is not satisfied with the amount of the assessment may appeal to the General Court of Justice within 10 days of confirmation of the assessment roll. (See G.S. l6OA—230 for details.)

 

23.              Twenty days after the assessment roll is confirmed, the Revenue Collector will publish a notice that the assessment roll has been confirmed and that assessments may be paid in full within 30 days without interest.  The Engineering Department will also send each assessed property owner a notice of his/her payment options.

 

24.       The project will be constructed by Town forces or by private contractor.

 

25.       Town staff will monitor the performance of completed traffic calming projects, and will 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.