Agenda - Council - 02/13/2001 - Laserfiche WebLink

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I I I I I I ! I I I I I I I I I i CASE # 3 PUBLIC HEARING TO SOLICIT TESTIMONY ON THE EXTENSION OF THE CENTER MEDIAN ON THE EASTERN LEG OF COUNTY ROAD #116 WITH TRUNK HIGHWAY #47 By: Steve Jankowski, City Engineer Background: The purposed extension of the east leg of the median on County Road #116 would physically prohibit left turns from County Road #116 into the River's Bend Plaza and Texaco Station (a.k.a. Hot Stop Station) and conversely left turns from these developments onto County Road #116. The reason for considering this prohibition is two fold. First, this location has had a high incidence of traffic accidents. Attached is a listing of the ten locations in the City having the highest accidence frequency over the past eight years. As you can see, only the intersection of Highway #10 and County Road #57 has a higher number of accidents over this period, and this intersection carries three to four times the traffic than County Road # 116 at this location. In fact, this location has nearly twice the number of accidents as the intersection itself that carries more than double the traffic volume. A second issue associated with this access point is that it provides an opportunity for traffic to avoid the traffic lights on Trunk Highway #47, particularly for southbound traffic coming from the neighborhoods south of 153rd Avenue N.W. and east of Trunk Highway #47. As a result, Waco Street N.W. functions as a reliever for Trunk Highway #47, when just the opposite is desired. A visual observation during the early morning peak traffic period was made by City staff at the intersections of 153rd Avenue N.W. and 149th Avenue N.W. with Waco Street N.W. Specifically, an observation was made of the number of vehicles at each intersection which turned or continued southbound on Waco Street N.W. as opposed to turning or continuing westbound to Trunk Highway #47. The results of this observation showed that before the traffic signals became operational, 7% (5 of 69 vehicle) turned south onto Waco Street N.W. rather than continuing on westbound on 153ra Avenue N.W. After the traffic lights became operational this percentage reduced to zero (0 of 62 vehicles). At the intersection of 149th Avenue N.W. and Waco Street N.W. similar observations showed 23% (6 of 26 vehicle, and 8 of 36 vehicles on two separate observations) continued southbound rather than turn east onto Trunk Highway #47. Following the activation of the signals on Trunk Highway #47 this percentage was reduced to 17% (9 of 52 vehicles). The supposition that these vehicles may be using the access as an alternative for eastbound traffic was confirmed by observing traffic through the River's Bend Plaza during an early morning period. During a 1 hour 15'minute period, a total of 25 vehicles traveled eastbound on County Road #1!.6 by traveling through the shopping center without stopping. -163-