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Home My WebLink AboutWork Session Traffic CalmingNorthside Neighborhood Traffic Calming &Related Concerns City Council Work Session November 6, 2017 ir 1 CITY OF IOWA CITY Background • During Capital Improvement Program (CIP) discussions for FY18 Council showed support for utilizing up to $50,000 from the annual Traffic Calming account for a traffic calming project in the Northside Neighborhood • Staff recently met with Mayor Throgmorton & Councilman Thomas to discuss areas of concern that a traffic calming project could potentially ease • Staff included a memo in the November 2nd Information Packet outlining six general topics that were discussed and provided information/recommendations for each ,r C11PO1 OWACII� Discussion Topics • Concerns related to the safety of the crosswalks at the Jefferson/Linn & Market/Linn intersections • Bike Master Plan recommendations for the neighborhood & relation to the larger transportation system • Concerns with sight lines at intersections due to on -street parking • The potential for construction of traffic circles at key intersections to improve safety • Concerns with the availability of on -street parking & the potential for a residential parking permit system • Concerns with the availability of on -street parking near College Green Park ,r CI 1) UI OWACII� #1 Concerns related to the safety of the crosswalks at the Jefferson/Linn & Market/Linn intersections • This issue was raised by the neighborhood in 2013 as part of a formal Northside Neighborhood Transportation Study — Since that time several parking spaces on Jefferson Street were removed to increase visibility of pedestrians — In -street "Yield to Pedestrians" signs have been installed on Market & Jefferson. A Follow up study suggests that the rate of yielding to pedestrians increased from 5%-32% after installation • Total Reported collisions — between 2011-2013 • Market (10) — Jefferson (10) — (1) bicycle — between 2014-2016 • Market (7) — Jefferson (14) — (0) bicycle or pedestrian • Intersection Rankings — Jefferson/Linn (991h) — Market/Linn (1101h) C1 1) OI IowAGI� #1 Concerns related to the safety of the crosswalks at the Jefferson/Linn & Market/Linn intersections • Approximately 800 bicycles / pedestrians at the Jefferson intersection during the three peak hours • If the Council wishes to make improvements, staff recommends 'bump -outs' be constructed at Jefferson Street — Bump -outs increase visibility of pedestrians and shorten the crossing distance from approximately41'to 32' — Similar to what is present on the north side of Market Street — Estimated cost $60,000 ,r C11PO1 OWACII� ,r Cl I OF IOWA CIIY #2 Bike Master Plan recommendations & relation to the larger neighborhood transportation system • The Bike Master Plan recommends 'buffered bike lanes' on Governor & Dodge and Market & Jefferson — Provide additional space 'buffer' between bicycles & vehicles — Calm vehicle speeds as travel lanes are narrowed — Governor/Dodge buffered bike lanes to be installed in 2018 coincident with the overlay of Governor Street — Jefferson/Market buffered bike lanes planned for 2019-2022 • The Bike Master Plan recommends implementing 'bicycle boulevards' on portions of Gilbert, Church, and Davenport — Primarily marked/signed routes allowing for easier navigation — Calm vehicle speeds when bicycles are present ,r CI 1) UI OWACII� #2 Bike Master Plan recommendations & relation to the larger neighborhood transportation system d. CITY OF IOWA CI I #3 Concerns with sight lines at intersections due to on - street parking • Issues with visibility at intersections are typically addressed on a complaint basis —common where on -street parking is heavy • Visibility at many intersections in the Northside Neighborhood have already been corrected using 'No Parking Here to Corner' & 'No Parking Corner to Here' signage • Staff intends to take a proactive approach and conduct a comprehensive review of the neighborhood to identify and address remaining visibility issues — Potentially the single most effective means to reduce collisions — Staff anticipates this review will be completed spring 2018 ,r C11PO1 OWACII� #4 The potential for construction of traffic circles at key intersections to improve safety • Working on the assumption that traffic circles will not be used on arterial streets — no obvious locations where they would be beneficial to reduce collisions or calm speeds — Very few intersections with more than 2 total reported collisions over a 3 - year timeframe — Average vehicle speeds recorded at (or below) 24 mph at 8 locations where data is available — Only one location where 85th percentile speeds exceeded 30 mph — (5) total reported collisions with a pedestrian and (12) involving a bicyclist in 72 square blocks over 3 years • Staff intends to review the Iowa Avenue corridor (between Gilbert and Governor) and the Gilbert corridor (between Iowa and Market) for potential safety improvements — More collisions than other corridors and bulk of Bike/Ped collisions — Staff anticipates the review to be completed in spring 2018 C1 1) OI IowAGI� h r ,la -sal ClICY OF oWAa13 Ltt{ Ilkrsirfian CW0sore 2011-x01G Northside & College Green �_^�__�^•�• Ly Neighborhood Analysis Pexivm i.�l-ninoklcol�s�mz yy Ib�.�Nail':.-Iwl P YYif 9pcle Glllvm¢.—r6l Collzbe ". 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P 215 l^k meps lnknJeENxlzrtnnYEhpTrtseymeYgs h r ,la -sal ClICY OF oWAa13 #5 Concerns with the availability of on -street parking & potential for a residential parking permit system • Parking is currently limited to one side of the street from 8AM-5PM Mon -Sat for a majority of the Northside Neighborhood — parking is permitted on both sides otherwise — Primarily intended to reduce commuter parking and limit 'storage' of vehicles — Recent studies indicate that the neighborhood as a whole is approximately 70% full during the day and evening hours with blocks near downtown at 85% capacity or 'full' during the day — Residential permit systems have been discussed in the past, but never considered seriously by the neighborhood or Council — Staff has historically received very few complaints related to inadequate parking for residents ,r CI 1) UI OWACII� • -1 #5 Concerns with the availability of on -street parking & potential for a residential parking permit system • Prior to implementing a residential parking permit system, the following issues should be considered — It will be important to gauge neighborhood support — especially since there would likely be an annual cost to residents and an obligation for residents to acquire permits — Staff estimates that a simple permit system would cost upwards of $130,000 to implement with annual costs of $60,000 for staff and equipment. Estimated revenues for a system could range from $40,000-$60,000 (based on 1.5 permits for 2,500 residential units + non-resident permits and citations) — Staff anticipates that additional public input and study will be needed to determine the appropriate type of permit system and supply of on - street parking vs. demand C1 1) OI IowAGI� #5 Concerns with the availability of on -street parking & potential for a residential parking permit system • Because of the cost, uncertainty for need, and uncertainty of the correct system to implement, staff recommends an incremental approach 1. Increase enforcement using existing staff & equipment to increase turn- over and parking availability — simply reallocating resources 2. Increase enforcement using additional staff & equipment to increase turn -over and parking availability — allowing for much greater enforcement 3. Implement a 3 or 4 -hour limit for on -street parking — greatly reducing commuter parking. This may require waivers for residents without available off-street parking 4. Remove parking restrictions and allow parking on both sides of the street — effectively doubling supply. Recommended in Opticos study 5. Implement a full parking permit system where only individuals meeting residency requirements (or guests) are permitted to park on -street C1 1) OI IowAGI� #6 Concerns with the availability of on -street parking near College Green Park • Both staff and Council have received concerns about the lack of available short-term parking near College Green Park — Primary concerns are that the on -street parking is primarily used by commuters which creates a lack of short-term parking for park users and adjacent residents — Concerns that vehicles are routinely 'stored' on -street for long periods of time — Staff intends to review usage in the area and can either add meters to the area or implement a 3-4 hour limit to discourage commuter parking — If there are similar concerns near other City parks, staff can broaden the review to those areas. If other areas require more enforcement, staff will simply need to prioritize neighborhood enforcement efforts C1 1) OI IowAGI�