HomeMy WebLinkAboutTraffic Calming pptTRAFFIC CALMING
PROGRAM REVIEW
Iowa City City Council — Work Session
August 16, 2016
Kent Ralston, Transportation Planner
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CITY OF IOWA CITY
Presentation Outline
Background
Need for program review
Traffic calming criteria
Existing vs. Proposed
Traffic calming process
Existing vs. Proposed
Staff recommendations
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CITY OF IOWA CITY
Background
Program originally adopted by Council in 1996 and
remains largely unchanged since inception.
Goal to reduce excessive vehicle speeds/volumes in
neighborhoods through education, enforcement, and
environment.
Intended to be a neighborhood driven process.
Currently have 20 + retrofit applications including: traffic
circles, median islands, speed humps, bulb -outs, gates,
diverters, raised crosswalks, pavement markings.
Have implemented numerous calming measures in the
design of new roadways.
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Need for Program Review
Ensure broad neighborhood support for traffic calming
projects at the onset to reduce staff time
Currently have 10 pending traffic calming requests; each successful
project estimated to take 30+ hours of staff time.
Direct limited resources towards projects / neighborhoods
showing the greatest need.
$25k budgeted annually for projects.
More frequent requests for projects.
Vast majority of streets will meet current thresholds to qualify.
Formalize aspects of the program that require clarification.
Petition requirement, removal process etc. -II _
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Traffic Calming Criteria
Current Policy
Proposed Policy
Rational for Change
Traffic Calming
Letter from Neighborhood
Necessary for proposed petition
Petition
Initiation
Association or Petition
signature requirement (below)
Signatures must be from
To ensure broad neighborhood
Petition
abutting properties - no
Signatures from 67% of abutting
support at the onset and to
Requirements
requirement for number of
properties
minimize staff time on projects not
signatures
desired by the larger neighborhood
Mail -back Survey
Yes
Yes
na
Local streets: All households
with direct access to the street;
To simplify the survey scope and to
Only households with property
Survey Scope
Collector streets: All households
abutting the street frontage
ensure that only households
with direct access and
proposed for traffic calming
applying for traffic calming get to
households on adjacent streets
formally vote for/against a project.
which must use collector
To increase particpation in the
Survey Response
none
>=67%
survey whether for or against a
Rate Requirement
project.
Survey Approval
>= 60%
>= 67%
To increase neighborhood support
Rate
Traffic Calming Criteria (cont.)
Current Policy
Proposed Policy
Rational for Change
Explicitly ineligible
Arterial Streets
Arterial Streets
na
streets
Eligible Minimum
Local ADT > 500; Collector ADT >
Local ADT > 500; Collector ADT >
Traffic Volumes
1,000
1,000
na
To disallow traffic calming on
Eligible Maximum
None - projects should not divert
streets that function as arterials
Traffic Volumes
traffic
3,000 ADT
and to minimize diversion onto
adjacent streets
85% percentile speeds must
85% percentile speeds must
To ensure funding of projects only
Eligible Speeds
exceed 5 mph over the posted
exceed 7 mph over the posted
where truly needed. 7 mph is
speed limit
speed limit
typical of programs reviewed.
By Petition (Only after 3 years
To ensure that effective projects
Requests for
using same process to obtain
are not removed simply due to
Removal
By Petition
traffic calming - No subsequent
neighborhood turnover or when
requests for 5 years)
deemed a nuisance.
Prioritization
First come first served
First come first served
na
Method
Existing Traffic Calming Process
Receive petition
. Collect speed & volume data to ensure thresholds met
3 Hold neighborhood meeting to determine desired traffic calming
solution(s)
Conduct evaluation to determine if desired solutions can be
implemented safely & effectively — complete preliminary design
Solicitation of comments on proposed solutions from Emergency
responders, Public Works, & Transit
Post right-of-way signs indicating notice of proposed traffic
calming
Conduct mail -back survey of affected properties
Forward recommendation to Council for consideration
Proposed Traffic Calming Process
Receive petition
Collect speed & volume data to ensure thresholds met
Hold staff -level `traffic calming committee' meeting to discuss
initial menu of options available for the neighborhood.
Solicitation of comments on proposed solutions from Emergency
responders, Public Works, & Transit
Hold neighborhood meeting to determine desired traffic calming
solution(s)
Conduct evaluation to determine if desired solutions can be
implemented safely & effectively — complete preliminary design
Post right-of-way signs indicating notice of proposed traffic
calming
Conduct mail -back survey of affected properties
Forward recommendation to Council for consideration
Staff Recommendations
Ratify proposed changes to traffic calming criteria by
formal resolution at a subsequent Council meeting.
Utilize new process including the formation of a `traffic
calming committee' upon adoption of proposed criteria.
Staff review of 2016 Statewide Urban Design and
Specifications (SUDAS) Design Manual & discuss
adoption of street width, on -street parking, bike facilities,
street trees, and associated standards with Council in
spring 2017 — recommendations also based on outcomes
of pending form -based code.
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CITY of IOWA CITY