AGENDA #4c

MEMORANDUM

TO:                 Mayor and Town Council

FROM             W.  Calvin Horton, Town Manager

SUBJECT:       Multi-way Stop Signs at the Intersection of Old Oxford Road and Ridgecrest Drive/Oxford Hills Drive

DATE:             October 21, 2002

The following report is in response to a petition from Ridgecrest Drive area residents requesting multi-way stop signs at the intersection of Old Oxford Road and Ridgecrest Drive/Oxford Hills Drive. Please see the attached map (Attachment 1).

Adoption of the attached ordinance would authorize installation of the stop signs as requested. The Manager recommends approval.

BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION

The Town Council received a petition from Ms. Lauren Johnson, 200 Ridgecrest Drive, requesting that an additional stop sign be installed on Old Oxford Road (northbound) changing the intersection from three-way stop control to four-way stop control at the above referenced location. The Petition was also signed by fourteen other residents from the Ridgecrest Drive area (Attachment 2).

Old Oxford Road (northbound) is designated as a “through” street at the subject location, and vehicles currently continue through the intersection without being required to stop.  Old Oxford Road (southbound), Ridgecrest Drive, and Oxford Hills Drive are designated as “stop” streets, 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 apparent driver confusion due to three-way stop control at a four-way intersection. The posted speed limit on both streets is 25 mph.  Traffic studies were conducted at this intersection on September 24 and 25, 2002, and the results of the studies are provided below:

In 1989, the Town Council adopted a policy for the placement of stop signs and assignment of speed limits (Attachment 3).  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 Old Oxford Road in terms of the criteria outlined in the Council’s policy (equal traffic volumes on major and side street), and we think that the installation of the requested stop signs could mitigate potential conflicts between vehicular and pedestrian traffic in the vicinity of the intersection at certain times of day.  Additionally, the proposed four-way stop signs would eliminate the apparent driver confusion with regard to the existing three-way stop control we observed regarding traffic movement right-of-way at this intersection. If the additional stop sign is authorized by the Council, we would include “stop ahead” warning signs and stop bars on all approaches to the intersection. 

MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION

That the Council adopt the attached ordinance authorizing four-way stop control at the intersection of Old Oxford Road and Ridgecrest Drive/Oxford Hills Drive.

ATTACHMENTS

1. Vicinity Map (p. 4).

2. Petition (p. 5).

3. Town’s Policy on Placement of Stop Signs (p. 8).

 

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 21 OF THE TOWN CODE OF ORDINANCES REGARDING STOP REGULATIONS (2002-10-21/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

Old Oxford Road                                 Ridgecrest 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)

            Old Oxford Road and Ridgecrest Drive/Oxford Hills Drive”

Section 3.  This ordinance shall become effective November 18, 2002.

This the 21^st day of October, 2002.