AGENDA #6

 

MEMORANDUM

 

TO:                  Mayor and Council

 

FROM:            W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

 

SUBJECT:       Status Report on Traffic Calming Petitions from Several Neighborhoods

 

DATE:             August 26, 2002

 

This report provides background information and the current status of our responses to traffic calming petitions from several neighborhoods.  Action items follow this report on tonight’s agenda responding to petitions from the Chandler’s Green, Springcrest, Culbreth Ridge, and Ashley Forest neighborhoods.

 

BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION

 

At its May 29, 2002 meeting, the Council reviewed a staff report on traffic calming petitions submitted by several neighborhoods in Chapel Hill.  In his report, the Manager recommended that the Council defer action on the petitions until funding for traffic calming devices could be identified and made available. At its July 26, 2002 meeting, the Council approved $44,000 for the installation of traffic calming devices Town-wide in the FY 2002-03 budget.

 

Managing traffic on local streets can often be achieved via the installation of traffic calming devices that:

• Improve neighborhood livability by mitigating the impact of vehicular traffic on residential neighborhoods
• Promote safe and pleasant conditions for motorists, bicyclists, pedestrians, and residents on neighborhood streets
• Provide innovative alternatives for addressing traffic problems on local streets
• Create opportunities for residents to become involved in the problem identification and solution process

 

Requests for traffic calming are typically submitted to the Town Council via a neighborhood petition that states the problem(s) and often requests the implementation of specific mitigation measures.  Once the petition is received and referred, Town staff proceeds as follows: 

 

·        Neighborhood representatives are contacted to discuss identified problems

·        Traffic data is collected and analyzed

·        Problems and potential mitigation measures are identified and discussed with neighborhood representatives

·        If correctable problems are identified, a traffic calming plan is developed jointly by Town staff and neighborhood representatives

·        The petition response is presented to the Council, including recommendations for mitigation measures (traffic calming) if appropriate and if funding can be identified

·        Subject to Council review and approval, the mitigation measures are implemented according to the agreed upon traffic calming plan

·        Town staff conducts follow-up studies approximately six months after implementation of the traffic calming measures to evaluate effectiveness

 

In the past one year, the Council received traffic calming petitions from several neighborhoods. The table presented below lists the traffic calming petitions we presently have under consideration, and the status of each.  Town staff has completed studies on the first four items as presented in the table, and they include recommendations for the Council’s consideration.  We are currently studying the last three items in the table. Once we complete those studies, we will work with the residents to develop appropriate traffic calming proposals for the streets involved, including cost estimates for implementation.

 

SUMMARY OF TRAFFIC CALMING PETITIONS

 

Street/Neighborhood	Neighborhood Requested Traffic Calming Devices	Staff Recommended Traffic Calming Devices	Total Cost for Staff Recommended Plan
1. Chandler’s Green Neighborhood/Sweeten Creek Road   (agenda item a)	Three speed humps and one traffic circle	Phase I: Three Speed humps and multi-way stop signs at one location Phase II: one traffic circle if necessary	Phase 1: $8,000         Phase II: $5,000     Total: $13,000
2. Perry Creek Drive (agenda item b)	Four speed humps and multi-way stop signs at three locations	Four speed humps and multi-way stop signs at one location	$10,500
3. Culbreth Ridge Neighborhood/Highgrove Drive (agenda item c)	Option 1: Close Highgrove Drive. Option 2: One speed table, one speed hump, multi-way stop signs at one location and reduce speed limit to 20 mph	Two speed humps	$5,000
4. Ashley Forest Road (agenda item d)	One speed hump	One speed hump	$2,500

 

5. Kensington Drive	Traffic study	Plan in development stage	n/a
6. Highgrove Drive in Southern Village	Traffic study (phone request)	Plan in development stage	n/a
7. Greenwood Road	Traffic study (phone request)	Plan in development stage	n/a

 

Qualifying Criteria for Traffic Calming Devices:

 

We use the following typical criteria in evaluating requests to implement traffic calming measures on public streets in local neighborhoods:

• The street is classified as a two-lane, local, residential street
• The posted speed limit is less than or equal to 25 mph
• The street width is less than or equal to 40 feet
• The 85^th percentile speed is equal to or greater than five (5) miles per hour over the posted speed limit (If the speeds of all motorists are ranked from slowest to fastest, the “85^th percentile speed” separates the slower 85% from the fastest 15%)
• We have received a petition from a group of residents or a neighborhood association
• The street grade is less than or equal to 8%
• Horizontal radius of curves on street is greater than or equal to 300 feet

 

Types of Traffic Calming Devices:

 

Based on our experience with traffic calming in Chapel Hill, we have found that the following three devices are typically useful in addressing the traffic problems identified on streets in Town neighborhoods:

a)      Speed Humps

b)      Traffic Circles

c)      Multi-way Stop Signs

 

Attachment #1 provides information about each of the above devices including description, cost, and application. 

 

We are recommending installation of one or more of these devices in each of the four proposals that are on tonight’s agenda.  We think that installation of the recommended traffic calming devices will benefit the neighborhoods by managing traffic and allowing the streets to function more effectively and safely for both vehicular and non-vehicular users.

 

Projected Costs:

 

The total estimated cost for implementing the staff recommended measures identified in the first four petition areas is approximately $31,000.  Town staff is currently collecting data and studying potential traffic calming measures appropriate for the remaining three petition areas we have on file.  These are Kensington Drive, Highgrove Drive (in Southern Village), and Greenwood Road.  We will report to the Council our findings and recommendations for these neighborhoods later this year.  Based on the expected outcome of our studies, we estimate that traffic calming measures could be implemented on these three streets for a combined cost of approximately $15,000 to $20,000.

 

Neighborhood Contributions to Traffic Calming Devices:

 

At its May 29^th meeting, the Council requested information regarding statutory provisions on special assessments as they relate to the issue of neighborhood contributions for the installation of traffic calming devices on public streets.  A memo from the Town Attorney responding to that issue is provided in agenda item (e) following this report.

 

CONCLUSION

 

If the Council so authorizes, we will implement the identified traffic calming measures using a portion of the funds designated for traffic calming in the adopted FY2002-03 Town budget.  We will return later this fall with additional recommendations for traffic calming measures in petition areas currently under study.

 

ATTACHMENTS

 

1.      Information Describing Traffic Calming Devices (p. 5).