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Home My WebLink About04-16-2002 TRAFFIC COMMISSION MINUTES � ' TRAFFIC COMMITTEE MEETING • APRIL 16, 2002 ATTENDING: MAYOR NANCOLAS, STEVE HASSON, BRUCE ALLCOTT, BOB SOBBA, AND GORDON LAW 1. Old Business a. Review of previous meeting assignments — All assignments were completed. b. Review of information on "Children at Play" signs. 2. New Business a. Request to evaluate intersection at Everett and 2" and Paynter for safety — discussed the problems with the triangle and confusion on who should stop and yield etc. Determined there is a need to modify the intersection to make it safer. Action: Gordon will work on redesigning the intersection to eliminate the segment from Paynter onto 2" and appropriate stop signage for the remaining portions and making 2" Ave. transition to Everett towards Paynter to accommodate Fire dept. access. Gordon will notify Heating Equipment who requested this. b. Request for "Children at Play" signs in Manchester park — This was an older request and had already been dealt with. No action taken here. c. Request for "Deaf Child at Play" on Chaparro and Ray Ave.- as per the • information reviewed and in order to not create a false sense of security for those living there and liability for the City (see attached info) this is not what we should do. Action: Steve will write letter explammg and include the attached info. d. Request for Stop Lights at 20 and Cleveland — Action: Bob to contact and notify that this is not an appropriate solution with the lights at 21 St and scheduled at 24 This would create more traffic congestion problems rather than reduce any. e. Request for "Slow Children at Play" sign at Montana and Falconridge Subdivision — Action: Gordon to communicate the same policy as above with respect to the signs. Will offer alternative to post the speed limit at the entrances as an alternative. £ Request to eliminate all mid-block left turns between Blaine and Cleveland on l O — Action: Bruce to respond by denying this request as it would have too much detrimental effect on current businesses. We will work in the future to limit those turns as new business takes place, such as is being done with Walgreens. g. Request for speed limit signs in Ashton Hills and Deerpoint subdivisions — Action: Mayor will communicate that they can purchase signs and City will install if they want that. h. General policy on stop signs at entrances to new subdivisions — with the number of requests we receive for these signs, it was determined that • H engineering and Community Development would start requiring those as a • condition of approval for new subdivisions. i. Request for controlling parking on the west side of Oregon, north of Logan to Lincoln school — Action: Mayor to respond to requestors indicating that we will place additional "No Parking this side of street" signs and CPD will work on enforcement. Mayor will also write to school district to request that they not have any of their employees park in this area. j. Request to control parking facing the wrong direction on Galveston and post no parking — Action: Bruce to write letter explaining that parking facing the wrong direction is already illegal and that we cannot post the area no parking as there is no justification by the street size. k. Request to restrict school parking on Oregon by Lincoln school — See # i. l. Concern from Fire Dept. and Engineering on streets being closed without us being notified and having some control — discussed this at length. There have been numerous instances lately where utilities or highway districts have been closing roads and not even notifying the emergency services. We also have instances where they are leaving signs up even when the roads are not blocked. Action: Bruce will send out reminder letter and the committee will review current laws, state and city to determine what needs to be done and will bring this back up at the next meeting. This will need to be addressed for enforcement procedures. • • . - - LHTAC tVEwSLETTeR `' "Children at Play" Signs Can Cause Coh fusion Road signs give messages to drivers, out the town. Nearly every block has chil- If the messages are unclear, unnecessary, dren living on it Would there I�ave to be or confusing, they can cause danger to signs on each one? The effect of too many �otorists and others. The Manual on signs is that they become ineffective. The JAKE BRAKES Uniform Tra,�`'ic control Devices, proliferation of signs breeds disrespec�, not CLARIFIED ��T�� e standard for placing traf- only for the specific signs, but for all signs. fic signs and mazkings to give clear a�es- sages to motorists. Fourth, the use of "Children at Pla}�' Towns have fried to prevent,, signs in response to one request usually the use of so-called jalce According to the report Maintenance generates similar requests, thereby basing brakes' to minimize the noise Management of Street and Highway Signs sign placement on poIitical rcasons rather they make, par6cx�larty in Settled by the Transportation Research Boazd, than on sound en ineerin ud areas. Towns most likel cannot g g� � Y improvtments in traffic signing have the prohibit their use and probably highest bencfit-cost ratio of any }ughway Fiftb, because they are confusing and should not try. Some tpwns safety improvement About 29 percent of do not meet specific criteria for good sign- have been unsuccessful in trying tort liability lawsuits against highway de_ ing, placing "Children at Play" signs opens to prohibit them. parhncnts are related to traffic signing, a municipality to tort liability. For these reasons alone it is worthwhile to The prope� term is actually install road signs according to the Sixth, since all signs need to be main- "engine compression brakes.' �TCp. tained, the proliferarion of unnecessary The Departmerit of Motor Vehi- signs places an undue burden on mainte- des oonsiders them a valuable Citizens of�en demand that the town nance crews. Purchasing; installing, and safety feature on trudcs. The install "Children at Play" signs on their keeping these signs in good order is expen- applicaGon of engine Compres- s�eet to reduce the risk of automobile- sive. sion brakes are now electroni- pedestrian accidents. Officials ask, ca�ly programmed with the motor "What does the MUTCD say about For these reasons, the MUfCD dis_ so fhat the operatOr cannot con- `Children at Play' signs? If we instail a courages the use of "Children at Play" trol them from the cab. sign on one street, won't we get requests signs. However, municipalities can and from other neighborhoods to do the same? should post signs for school zones, pedes- The likely reason they make WhaYs the town's liability?" trian crossings, and playgrounds. The inordinate noise is fhat bvdcers, Mi1TCD makes specific reference to these in order to save a few budcs, are The short answer is: "Do not use situations. Sigaing such areas gives clear probably running straight pipes `Childrea at Play' signs." The long an- messages to drivers about the kind of zone instead of mufflers that are re- swer is a bit more complicated. First, the they are entering. "Children at Play" signs, quired. "Children at Pla}�' sign is unclear and un- on the other hand, do not �et a specific necessary. It suggests to the driver tha� if criterion. Towns can reduce the nui- no such sign is present on another s�eet, sance of naisy engine compres- children are not playing there, and it is R� erence: Nortk Dakota LTAP Center & YermoRt sion brakes by making sure po- OK to be less cazeful. Another driver LT.lP Center ��ce °�� ^� ��e ��- might inteipret the sign to a�an that chil- � spections codes. ReplaCing this dren aze playing in the road. "Always? and other defective equipment What ame of day? can result in more quiet �� '�� nei hborhoods and safer hi h- `¢�'� _` : 9 9 Second, it gives the pazents and chil- `°°'°; ways. dren a false scnse of security. By relying on the sign, parents aught monitor their ;,- s._.•`� ;: � �� `"�` children less closely and children might interpret the sign to mean it is acceptable :;: '` � ._ �� Y_ to play in the s�ee� CHILDREN : Third, one "Children at Play" sign ATPLAY .` leads to a proliferation of signs through- 6