AGENDA #4d
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Multi-way Stop Signs at the Intersection of Hamilton Road and Prestwick Road
DATE: November 26, 2001
The following report is in response to the attached petition requesting the installation of stop signs at the intersection of Hamilton Road and Prestwick Road. Please see the attached map.
Adoption of the attached ordinance would authorize installation of the stop signs as requested.
We received the attached petition from Mr. Gary Kayye, PTA President, Glenwood Elementary School, requesting that additional stop signs be installed to create “all-stop” conditions at the above referenced intersection.
Prestwick Road is designated as a “through” street at the subject location, and vehicles currently continue through the intersection without being required to stop. Hamilton Road is designated as a “stop” street, and vehicles are required to stop at the existing stop sign before continuing through the intersection.
Town staff visited the site and evaluated conditions on several occasions at different times of day. We observed that the school traffic volume partially stopped on Prestwick Road before entering the intersection, despite the fact that it is the “through” street without stop signs. Prestwick Road is Town-maintained, and is unpaved gravel east of Hamilton Road and asphalt paved west of Hamilton Road. Approximately 400 feet west of Hamilton Road, Prestwick Road becomes a driveway entrance to Glenwood Elementary School.
In 1989, the Town Council adopted a policy for the placement of stop signs and assignment of speed limits. A copy of the policy is attached. The policy was adopted to provide guidance andconsistency in responding to requests for the installation of stop signs and the assignment of speed limits on public streets.
The policy includes a variety of conditions and situations that could warrant the installation of stop signs and/or changes in speed limits. It also includes situations in which stop sign installations or speed limit changes would not be recommended. These criteria are based on a combination of generally accepted traffic engineering principals and our observations of stop sign installations in Chapel Hill and other communities in North Carolina. Please refer to the attached policy document for more specific information.
We considered the stop sign request on Prestwick Road in terms of the criteria outlined in the Council’s policy, and we think that the installation of the requested stop signs could mitigate the potential conflicts between school-related vehicular and pedestrian traffic in the vicinity of the intersection at certain times of day. Additionally, the proposed stop signs would eliminate the apparent driver confusion we observed regarding traffic movement right-of-way at this intersection. If the additional stop signs are authorized by the Council, we would include “stop ahead” warning signs on the approaches to the intersection.
That the Council adopt the attached ordinance authorizing placement of stop signs on Prestwick Road at Hamilton Road.
1. Vicinity Map (p. 4).
2. Petition (p. 5).
3. Town’s Policy on Placement of Stop Signs (p. 6).
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 21 OF THE TOWN CODE OF ORDINANCES REGARDING STOP REGULATIONS (2001-11-26/O-2)
BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill as follows:
Section 1. Section 21-13(a) of the Town Code of Ordinances, “Right-of-way and stop regulations.” is hereby amended by deleting the following:
“Through Streets Stop Streets
Prestwick Road Hamilton
Road”
Section 2. Section 21-13(c) of the Town Code of Ordinances, “Right-of-way and stop regulations.” is hereby amended by inserting the following, in appropriate alphabetical order:
“Intersection(s)
Hamilton Road and Prestwick Road”
Section 3. This ordinance shall become effective December 17, 2001.
This the 26th day of November, 2001.