Agenda Date: 11/01/2016
Subject:
Title
Windermere Street Traffic Calming
Body
|
Presented By: |
Mark Relph, Public Works and Utilities Director |
POLICY QUESTION:
Does city council support installing traffic circles to control speeding on Windermere Street?
BACKGROUND:
The city has an adopted Neighborhood Traffic Management Program (NTMP) to address faster and higher volumes of traffic in residential neighborhoods. In 2010, Windermere Street residents petitioned the city to install two traffic circles to control speeding vehicles in the area south of Ridge Road and renewed that petition in April, 2016. The NTMP states that city council approval is required for the installation of traffic circles.
According to the NTMP, “Neighborhood support for any Stage 3 Traffic Management Project must be demonstrated by the neighborhood. The boundaries of the neighborhood required for approval of Stage 3 projects will be defined by the city. A minimum of 75% of the neighborhood shall approve any Stage 3 project. Before a Stage 3 project is presented to City Council, the neighborhood must demonstrate 75% acceptance.”
The city also requires 100% signed approval from residents immediately adjacent to the proposed traffic calming devices.
The attached petitions indicate the required support for the installation of traffic circles on Windermere Street. Since this was presented to council several years ago, the neighbors have completed a second set of petitions dated April, 2016 that includes new owners since the first petition was completed.
Several years ago, the city met with residents of South Windermere Street concerning motorists speeding on the street. In accordance with the NTMP, city staff placed a portable speed control sign on the street to remind motorists of the posted speed limit and alert them of their actual speed. This is Stage 1, Education. Staff reviewed all existing traffic signs and markings to make sure they were properly located and visible. The Police Department was alerted to the complaints about speeding and traffic enforcement was initiated; this is typical for Stage 2, Enforcement.
Staff conducted speed and volume counts in 2009, 2012, and 2016. The table below shows the results of the counts. The NTMP states that 30% of the vehicles must exceed the speed limit (30 mph on Windermere) by 5 mph or more to qualify for traffic calming. The policy also states that volume should be between 500 and 3,000 per day. The NTMP also says that collector streets in the vicinity of schools, parks, and other high pedestrian use areas shall be considered for these projects. In this case the locations are near Heritage High School and the Lee Gulch Trail.
Volume Counts Speeds
|
Year |
NB |
SB |
Total |
NB |
SB |
85% |
% 35 mph or > |
|
2009 |
1,810 |
1,886 |
3,696 |
35 |
34 |
34.5 |
|
|
2012 |
1,710 |
1,662 |
3,372 |
35 |
37 |
36.5 |
|
|
2015-1 |
1,853 |
1,903 |
3,756 |
38 |
34 |
36 |
31 |
|
2015-2 |
1,646 |
1,616 |
3,262 |
37 |
35 |
36 |
31 |
1- Windermere south of Briarwood Avenue
2- Windermere south of Costilla Place
The counts were completed on a weekday while school was in session. These traffic volumes would be considered normal for a collector street accessing the high school. While the daily volumes do exceed the NTMP criteria range, the roadway performs as a collector with less than 3,000 vehicles except for a few hours of concentrated high school related traffic. The speed data shows the minimum 30% of vehicles exceeding the speed limit by 5 mph was satisfied.
Two residents of the area, Rachel Miller and Stephanie Thomas, circulated petitions requesting the city install traffic circles on Windermere at Southridge Way (south) and Davies Avenue. They have obtained the required number of signatures to bring this request forward to council.
Traffic circles also currently exist in the city on: Gallup Street, Elati Street, Caley Avenue, Powers Avenue and Blue Sage Drive.
STAFF ANALYSIS:
The NTMP does explain how a neighborhood can proceed with traffic calming: Step 1 is Education, Step 2 is Enforcement, and Step 3 is Engineering. The goal is to encourage motorists to drive at or near the speed limit (30 mph) and be aware they are in a residential neighborhood and the vicinity of a trail crossing and near a school.
The neighborhood identified for this proposal is along both sides of Windermere Street, from Ridge Road to Geddes Avenue. Some residents have requested the city expand the neighborhood to include properties on the intersecting streets; however, in all past traffic calming projects the neighborhood only included residences on the street where the proposed installation was to occur. As an example, when the city completed the Caley Avenue traffic circle, only properties with frontage on Caley were included in the neighborhood; therefore, any property that fronted Windermere is included in this neighborhood. This is true even if the house does not face or have access to Windermere Street.
It has been staff’s experience over the completion of nine traffic circles and numerous speed hump projects that most residents who do not live on the primary affected street do not want the traffic calming improvement. This is a typical response as they will not benefit from the placement of the traffic circles; however, they will be required to negotiate them as they travel on Windermere Street.
FISCAL IMPACTS:
Staff estimates the cost to install the proposed traffic circles is $40,000 including landscaping by the Grounds Division.
The 2016 Budget does not include funds specific for Traffic Calming. The city does have funds in the capital projects Bridge Repair account that are not obligated. This account has $50,000 budgeted in 2016, of which approximately $10,000 will be used on design work for a 2017 project(s) leaving the remainder for traffic calming.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
The petitioners have followed the procedures in the Neighborhood Traffic Management Program (Traffic Calming Toolkit). The signatures represent support from more than 75% of the neighborhood residents and 100% of those persons directly affected by the installation of the traffic circles.
Attached are petitions, letters, and emails from the residents along Windermere and a map showing who does and does not support the circles. The traffic conditions were found to satisfy the NTMP criteria for consideration of traffic calming devices.
Staff recommends approval of the traffic circles for South Windermere Street.
PROPOSED MOTION:
Proposed Motion
I move to approve the installation of traffic circles on Windermere Street at Southridge Way and at Davies Avenue.