Minutes - Public Works Committee - 09/19/2006

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Consensus of the Committee was to direct staff to draft a case for a future Public Works Committee meeting regarding the placement of crosswalks on County roads, including maps, the County policy regarding, and associated costs. Consensus of the Committee was to direct staff to add the discussion of a future policy regarding underpasses, overpasses, and other types of crossing mechanisms at trail crossings located at high traffic areas on a future work session agenda. Case #3: Review Policy for Considering Traffic Control Modification Requests City Engineer Jankowski explained the City receives a number of requests for traffic control modifications each year. In reviewing the agendas for the Public Works Committee where such requests are initially referred, there have been nine such cases that have been considered since January of 2005. Mr. Jankowski reviewed the following summary of these cases: 1. Consider replacing Yield signs with Stop signs at Marmoset & 154th Lane 2. Consider placing all way Stop signs at Radium & 144th Lane 3. Consider changing street sign name at Old County Road 5 4. Consider placing crosswalk at 167th Avenue & Quicksilver Street 5. Consider raising the speed limit on Riverdale Drive 6. Consider realigning roadway at 169th Avenue & Neon Street 7. Consider traffic control measures in Regency Pond neighborhood in response to CR 56 construction 8. Consider traffic control measures in Elmcrest Park neighborhood 9. Consider establishing a bike lane on Waco Street City Engineer Jankowski advised some of these issues have been initiated by individual Council members in response to significant neighborhood concerns and others by a formal citizen petition. However, the current policy for bringing an issue before the Committee requires only a written request or an email from a single individual. A number of the above cases have been initiated in this manner. As the City continues to grow in population the number of such requests can be anticipated to increase in number. Researching such issues involves a considerable amount of time and resources on the part of City staff associated with taking traffic counts, reviewing accident histories, and preparing materials for presentation to the Committee. Mr. Jankowski indicated staff is requesting input on the part of the Committee for modifying the current policy by establishing appropriate criteria for submitting a traffic modification request to the Committee for review. Such criteria might consist of a petition signed by a certain number or percentage of residents within a specified distance of the traffic modification request. City Engineer Jankowski advised staff recommends that the policy for processing citizen traffic modification requests before to Public Works Committee be modified by requiring a written petition for the desired change signed by a specified number of property owners or residents residing within a specified distance from the requested modification. There was discussion of possible standards to include in a policy for processing citizen traffic modification requests. Public Works Committee /September 19, 2006 Page 5 of 9