AGENDA #4i
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Multi-way Stop Signs at the Intersection of Kings Mill Road and Coker Drive
DATE: March 25, 2002
This report is in response to the attached petition requesting the installation of stop signs at the intersection of Kings Mill Road and Coker Drive. Please see the attached map.
We recommend adoption of the attached ordinance that would authorize installation of the stop signs as requested.
The Town Council, at its February 11, 2002 meeting, received a petition from Kings Mill –Morgan Creek Road Neighborhood Association requesting that additional stop signs be installed to create “all-stop” conditions at the above referenced intersection. Please see the attached petition.
Kings Mill Road is designated as a “through” street at the subject location, and vehicles currently continue through the intersection without being required to stop. Coker Drive is designated as the “stop” street, and vehicles are required to stop at the existing stop sign before continuing through the intersection. The posted speed limit on both streets is 25 mph. The Chapel Hill Police Department accident records show no reported accidents at this intersection from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2001.
Town staff conducted a traffic study at this intersection on February 26 and 27, 2002, and the results are presented in the following table:
|
Location |
Daily Volume |
Average Speed (mph) |
85% Speed (mph) |
|
1. Kings Mill Road |
|
|
|
|
North Side |
360 |
23 |
28 |
|
South Side |
340 |
27 |
33 |
|
2. Coker Drive |
|
|
|
|
East Side |
159 |
26 |
32 |
|
West Side |
153 |
29 |
34 |
Town staff visited the site and evaluated conditions on several occasions at different times of day. We observed that some drivers on Kings Mill Road partially stopped before entering the intersection despite the fact that it is the “through” street with no stop signs. We attribute this behavior to apparent confusion on the part of drivers as to whether or not they should stop, regardless of signs.
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 and consistency 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 Kings Mill Road in terms of the criteria (# 7 on page one of the policy) outlined in the Council’s policy, and we think that the proposed stop signs would eliminate the apparent driver confusion we observed regarding traffic movement through this intersection. If the additional stop signs are authorized by the Council, we would include “stop ahead” warning signs and “stop bars” on the approaches to the intersection.
That the Council adopt the attached ordinance authorizing placement of stop signs on Kings Mill Road at Coker Drive.
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 (2002-03-25/0-3)
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
Kings
Mill Road Coker Drive”
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)
Kings Mill Road and Coker Drive”
Section 3. This ordinance shall become effective April 29, 2002.
This the 25th day of March, 2002.
