AGENDA #2b

BUDGET WORKING PAPER

TO:                  W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

FROM:            George Small, P.E., Director of Engineering

SUBJECT:       Report on Bicycle Detector Loops at Signalized Intersections

DATE:             April 27, 2005

This budget working paper describes the process for installing bicycle detector loops at signalized intersections in Chapel Hill.

BACKGROUND

At its January 12, 2004, the Council received a request from the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board for installation of bicycle detector loops and related pavement markings at the following signalized intersections:

· On Ransom Street at Cameron Avenue

·    On McCauley Street at Pittsboro Street

·    On McCauley Street at South Columbia Street

Standard vehicle detector loops are designed to actuate traffic signals in response to the presence of motorized vehicles (including most motorcycles and motorbikes) that are constructed largely of ferrous metal.  It is the metallic mass of vehicles that is detected by the loops.  Non-motorized vehicles such as bicycles do not have a sufficient mass of ferrous metal to be detected by typical traffic signal activation loops. The cost of installing a more sensitive bicycle detector loop is approximately $1200 as compared to a cost of approximately $700 for a standard vehicle detector loop installation.

DISCUSSION

The Town staff installed and tested bicycle detector loops and pavement markings on Ransom Street at Cameron Avenue. We found no significant change in the operational capacity of the intersection as a result of the bicycle detector loop installation.  Therefore, we continue to operate the traffic signals at this intersection with the bicycle detector loops activated.

Changes to the traffic signal activation loops McCauley Street/Pittsboro Street and McCauley Street/South Columbia Street, as requested by the Board, must be reviewed and approved by the North Carolina Department of Transportation since these intersections involve State roads.  We have requested that the State consider changes in the vehicle detection systems at these intersections to include bicycle detection loops. 

We use the following process to evaluate the installation of bicycle detector loops at existing and new signalized intersections in Chapel Hill:

Existing Signalized Intersections:

· Town-Owned Intersections: We are reviewing all existing Town-owned signalized intersections to determine the practicality and priority of installing bicycle detector loops. High priority will be given to intersections in the downtown area, adjacent to the UNC campus and/or on designated bike routes.  Also, as a matter of practice, we include bicycle detector loops in the design of traffic signal upgrade projects at Town-owned signalized intersections.

We are currently in the process of upgrading four Town-owned traffic signals on Rosemary Street and we have directed the Signal Design Consultant to include bicycle detector loops on the side streets at these intersections.  We expect construction on these projects to begin in fall of this year.

· State-Owned Intersections:  We routinely request that the State consider bicycle detector loops in the design of new and/or upgraded traffic signal installation projects on State roads in Chapel Hill. The NCDOT Division Traffic Engineer has agreed to consider installing bicycle detector loops at signalized intersections on State roads in the downtown area of Chapel Hill based on data including the volume of bicycle traffic at the intersection, traffic signal timing and coordination requirements, and overall operational characteristics of the intersection.

The State is currently evaluating our request (from the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board) to install bicycle detector loops at the signalized intersections of McCauley Street/Columbia Street and McCauley Street/Pittsboro Street.

New Signalized Intersections:

· Town-Owned Intersections: We will include bicycle detector loops in the design of new traffic signals to be installed at Town-owned intersections in Chapel Hill.

· State-Owned Intersections:  We will request that the State include bicycle detector loops in the design of new traffic signals to be installed at State-owned intersections in Chapel Hill.