AGENDA #5c
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Follow-up Report in Response to a Petition Regarding Safety Issues on South Estes Drive at its Intersection with Fordham Boulevard
DATE: June 27, 2005
This report responds to a petition from residents of the South Estes Drive Public Housing Community requesting several improvements to the intersection of South Estes Drive and Fordham Boulevard.
At its February 28, 2005 meeting, the Council received and referred a petition from residents of South Estes Drive Public Housing Community. The residents’ petition requested that following improvements that they believe would improve safety for pedestrians crossing Fordham Boulevard at its intersection with South Estes Drive:
1) Install a “Yield to Pedestrians” sign on the eastbound approach of South Estes Drive
2) Repair the street light located in the northeast corner of the intersection
3) Change the traffic signal phasing on the westbound approach of Estes Drive to provide a green arrow for vehicles turning left onto Fordham Boulevard
At its April 5, 2005 meeting, the Council received a status report (Attachment 1) regarding the petition. The report stated that items #1 and #2 listed above had been completed by the Town, and that item #3 was forwarded to the State for review and evaluation.
We recently received a response from the State regarding item #3, and the requested changes in signal phasing at this intersection were denied. A copy of the response from the State is provided in Attachment 2.
The traffic signal at the intersection of South Estes Drive and Fordham Boulevard is owned by the State and maintained by the Town through a municipal agreement. Under terms of the agreement, the Town is not allowed to make changes in traffic signal operations on State roads without the approval of the State. Therefore, at this time we cannot implement the change requested by the petitioners in item #3 above.
We will continue to monitor this intersection, and will request that the State reevaluate it if and when it appears that conditions have changed such that the requested traffic signal phasing would be warranted.
1. April 5, 2005 Council Report (p. 3).
2. E-mail Response from the State (p. 11).