AGENDA # (02-19-02, 9:25am5b)

MEMORANDUM

TO:                 Mayor and Town Council

FROM :           W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

SUBJECT:       Follow-up Report on Traffic Signal Operations at the Intersection of East Franklin Street and Henderson Street

DATE:             February 25, 2002

The purpose of this report is to provide information from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) on traffic and pedestrian signal operations at the intersection of East Franklin Street and Henderson Street.

BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION

At its November 26, 2001 meeting, the Council received a staff report responding to a petition from a Council mMember requesting that “push buttons” be installed to operate the existing pedestrian signals at the intersection of East Franklin Street and Henderson Street. Please see Attachment #2 for a copy of that report.

This intersection is on the State roadway system, and therefore we requested that the North Carolina Department of Transportation study the existing intersection and signal operations with regard to the request for installation of pedestrian signal push buttons.  In order for push buttons to operate properly, the traffic signals serving this intersection would need to be upgraded from pre-timed to actuated status, as described in the attached November 6, 2000 Town staff report.

State staff completed its study of the intersection, and concluded that upgrading the traffic signals from pre-timed to actuated status to allow installation of pedestrian push buttons “is not necessary at this time” based on field observations and review of accident data.  Please see the attached letter (Attachment #1) from the State informing the Town of its conclusions following the study.

While we agree with the State that present operating conditions at this intersection appear to be satisfactory, we think that installing sensors to actuate the traffic signals and push buttons to actuate the pedestrian signals would be an improvement for both vehicular and pedestrian traffic using this intersection.

Therefore, we will continue to monitor this intersection and will work with the State through its Spot Safety program and/or other potential funding sources in an effort to have these traffic signals actuated and pedestrian buttons installed at the intersection of East Franklin Street and Henderson Street.  Although available State funding for these types of improvements is limited, we will be persistent in keeping the State aware of this request.  We will advise the Council if and when we are successful in having these improvements implemented.

ATTACHMENTS

1. NCDOT letter dated February 13, 2001 (p. 3).

2. November 26, 2001 Town Council Report (p. 5).