AGENDA #5a
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Report on Temporary Traffic Diverters Located on Rogerson Drive and Oakwood
Drive at their Intersections with NC 54
DATE: April 10, 2000
The following is in response to the Council’s inquiry regarding possible changes in the temporary traffic diverters located on Rogerson Drive and Oakwood Drive at their intersections with NC 54.
During its January 10, 2000
meeting, a Council member requested that the staff investigate the possibility
of changing the design of the temporary
traffic diverters located on Rogerson Drive and Oakwood Drive at their
intersections with NC 54 to be more
stable and/or attractive.
At its February 14, 2000 meeting, the Council approved a recommendation that we conduct a two-phase traffic management study of the Glen Lenox, Little Creek, and Oaks I neighborhoods. (Please refer to the attached February 14, 2000 agenda item #9.) The first phase consists of collecting traffic volume and speed data at various locations in these neighborhoods with the temporary traffic diverters in place. This phase has been completed.
As part of the second phase, we recommended that the temporary traffic diverters be removed for traffic patterns to adjust to conditions without the traffic diverters. The temporary traffic diverters have been removed and once traffic patterns adjust we will begin phase two of the traffic study, which involves collecting data at the same locations without the diverters in place. This two-phase procedure will provide information regarding drivers’ behavior and traffic patterns with and without the diverters.
After all data collection is completed, we will reinstall the temporary traffic diverters on Oakwood Drive and Rogerson Drive while a citizen work group prepares a report using the traffic data to evaluate traffic management ideas for consideration by the Council.
DISCUSSION
The current design for the temporary traffic diverters was developed in
accordance with the guidelines and materials for traffic control devices as
presented in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), which the
Town must use as a standard for traffic controls on public streets.
In addition to meeting MUTCD standards, other objectives considered in
the diverter design include:
· Provide adequate sight lines for drivers.
· Clearly identify to NC 54 drivers that access to Rogerson Drive and Oakwood Drive is prohibited.
· Allow for simple and quick removal of the diverters if necessary for emergency access.
· Utilize materials that would result in minimal damage in case of impact.
It was difficult to design a device that would meet the above objectives and still be practical for a temporary application. The current design is a modification of similar devices used in other parts of the country. As requested by the Council, we reviewed the current design and developed an alternative which would meet the above criteria and would be more stable and durable than the present diverters. Please see Figure 1 attached.
We understand the Council’s desire to make the traffic diverters more attractive; however, we must utilize high visibility materials installed in such a manner that driver safety is not compromised. That does not allow much flexibility for significant aesthetic improvements in temporary installations such as these.
Following completion of the second phase of the traffic study, and unless otherwise directed by the Council, we will install temporary traffic diverters as presented in the attached Figure 1 on Rogerson Drive and Oakwood Drive at their intersections with NC 54.
1. Figure 1 showing diverter