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City of Oshkosh - Transportation Department ON THE WATER
926 Dempsey Trail, Oshkosh, WI 54902 (920) 232 -5342 (920)232 -5343 fax
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TO: Mark Rohloff, City Manager
CC: David Patek, Director of Public Works
Steven Gohde, Assistant Director of Public Works
Chief Scott Greuel, Police Department
Lynn Lorensen, City Attorney
Greg Maxwell, Maintenance Supervisor
FROM: Chris Strong, Director of Transportation
DATE: November 19, 2008
SUBJECT: SIGNAGE ON OHIO STREET
Many citizens have expressed concern to you and others at the city about the placement of no
parking signposts on the reconstructed Ohio Street. The placement of these signs away from the
curb face into the sidewalk has raised questions of pedestrian safety as well as aesthetics. In
response to these concerns, I have consulted with other city staff on various signing and marking
alternatives. In developing these alternatives, the general approach is to seek to minimize the
amount of signage on the street and reduce the number of signposts in the sidewalk, while
preserving the ability of the Police Department to enforce parking regulations and protecting
motorist and pedestrian safety. These alternatives are not always mutually exclusive, and may be
combined for better effectiveness.
No- Action Alternative: Keep all signs in existing locations
Advantages: 1) This avoids disrupting pedestrian traffic on a newly constructed street. 2) This
minimizes costs to the city.
Disadvantages: 1) While the signs are legally placed, their presence may prove to be a hazard to
bicyclists and pedestrians who are not sufficiently attentive. 2) Their current placement detracts
from the aesthetics of the streetscape.
Alternative 1: Relocate sij4ns to existing decorative light poles.
Traditionally, we seek to keep signage off of decorative street lighting poles, in order to preserve
their aesthetic value. In reviewing the signing plan for Ohio Street, it was noted that several signs
are proposed to be attached to the street lighting poles. With this precedent in place on this street,
the city could be justified in remove no parking signs and signposts when the signs could be
City of Oshkosh — Transportation Department
Signage on Oh io Street / November 19, 2008
posted on a nearby light pole.
Advantages: 1) This would reduce the number of signposts in the sidewalk area. 2) This would
eliminate the requirement to install new signposts.
Disadvantages: 1) This would add clutter to the decorative light poles, reducing aesthetics.
Alternative 2: Reduce no parking si ng_ing
We could reduce the number of no parking signs to one or two per block, depending on the block
length. The new no parking signs are larger and more legible from a longer distance than
previous ones, which makes it easier to reduce signage. The mounting method for these signs
means that their removal would require special equipment beyond what the Sign Division
currently possesses. It would involve cutting the sign posts flush at the pavement and filling in
holes with quick- setting concrete. However, the contractor may be removing some of the
signposts and bases in the spring due to problems during construction. In these cases, the
signposts could be removed without having any concerns over concrete patching.
Advantages: 1) This would reduce the number of signposts in the sidewalk area. 2) This would
reduce sign clutter.
Disadvantages: 1) If concrete patching is required, the filled holes will likely have a different
color than the rest of the sidewalk. 2) If the signpost does not need to be reinstalled in the spring,
this will leave the concrete sign base under the sidewalk intact, which may over a number of
freeze -thaw cycles introduce some settlement problems in the sidewalk.
Alternative 3a: Eliminate no parking signing
Per DOT guidance, since Ohio Street is striped for two lanes of moving traffic in each direction,
we do not need to have no parking signage. Therefore, we could eliminate this signage
altogether.
Advantage: 1) This would reduce the number of signposts in the sidewalk area. 2) This would
reduce sign clutter.
Disadvantages: 1) Ordinances which removed parking on some parts of the street were enacted
during construction. Consequently, many business patrons may not have had experience with
these restrictions. The signage is likely necessary to train drivers about these new restrictions. 2)
We normally provide no parking signs even when pavement markings indicate two lanes of
traffic, so many community members would assume that parking is legal when no signage is
present. We recommend that another street be used as a test case for this approach.
Alternative 3b: Use curb painting
No parking areas may also be highlighted through the use of yellow curb painting. One option
would be to paint the entire length of curb on Ohio Street yellow.
Advantages: 1) This would reduce the number of signposts in the sidewalk area. 2) This would
reduce sign clutter.
Disadvantages: 1) The curb painting will detract from the street's aesthetics. 2) The curb painting
will be hidden when covered by snow. 3) This would deviate from our normal practice. We
normally use curb painting to supplement signage or to highlight areas where there have been
historic problems with parking compliance, such as parking too close to a specific crosswalk or
driveway.
City of Oshkosh — Transportation Department 2
Signage on Ohio Street / November 19, 2008
Alternative 4: Relocate signage closer to the curb
Existing city -owned equipment would allow us to precisely identify underground conduit and
install signs that would allow signs to be closer to the curb. The signs are small enough that they
shouldn't hang over the roadway where they could be easily be hit by larger vehicles. The
signpost for the removed sign would be cut flush with the pavement and the hole would be
patched using quick - setting concrete.
Advantage: 1) This would widen the sidewalk area.
Disadvantages: 1) There would be some additional costs involved in relocating the signs. 2)
Being closer to the roadway increases the likelihood that they will be hit and damaged by vehicle
traffic. 3) There would be the same disadvantages associated with removing signage (see
Alternative 2).
Alternative 5: Use cantilevered signs
Instead of widening the clear area on the sidewalk by moving the signs closer to the curb, the
signposts could be moved closer to the buildings. A cantilevered approach could be used, where
the sign is located close to the curb for motorist visibility, but the support structure is located at
the face of the building.
Advantage: 1) This would widen the sidewalk area.
Disadvantages: 1) As this would be a new practice for this type of signage, it would require
significant costs to implement. 2) Property owners may find it more disruptive than the current
signage arrangement. 3) It would be unattractive.
Recommendations
1. When the street is completely open to traffic, we should review current signage and light pole
orientations, to see how these compare with design drawings.
2. We will identify redundant no parking signs on a block -by -block basis.
3. Once the minimum number of required signs has been identified, we will determine where it
would make sense to move signs to adjacent light poles.
4. In cases where moving signs to light poles doesn't make sense, due to the distance from a
pole or the presence of other signage on the pole, we will look to move the signpost closer to
the curb. We will seek to find a hole - filling method that closely matches the color and texture
of the existing sidewalk. We would undertake this work starting in the spring.
As has been noted earlier, we cannot do anything to change the signage until the project is
concluded and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation turns over management
responsibility of the street to the city.
City of Oshkosh — Transportation Department 3
City of Oshkosh - Transportation Department Of HKOf H ON THE WATER
926 Dempsey Trail, Oshkosh, WI 54902 (920) 232 -5342 (920)232 -5343 fax
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mark Rohloff, City Manager
CC: David Patek, P.E., Director of Public Works
Steven Gohde, P.E., Assistant Director of Public Works
FROM: Christopher Strong, P.E., Director of Transportation
DATE: July 27, 2009
SUBJECT: SIGNAGE ON OHIO STREET
Last year, I presented a series of recommendations related to the placement of "no parking" sign
posts on the recently reconstructed Ohio Street. The purpose of these recommendations was to
adjust the signage so as to improve pedestrian safety as well as aesthetics. The recommendations
were as follows:
I . When the street is completely open to traffic, we should review current signage and light pole
orientations, to see how these compare with design drawings.
2. We will identify redundant "no parking" signs on a block -by -block basis.
3. Once the minimum number of required signs has been identified, we will determine where it
would make sense to move signs to adjacent light poles.
4. In cases where moving signs to light poles doesn't make sense, due to the distance from a
pole or the presence of other signage on the pole, we will look to move the signpost closer to
the curb. We will seek to find a hole - filling method that closely matches the color and texture
of the existing sidewalk.
Based of my field review and consultation with other staff, I have concluded that the clear width
of sidewalks complies with existing Americans with Disability Act (ADA) design guidelines, so
there is no legal mandate to relocate the signage. Further, based on current City practice, there is
no surplus of "no parking" signage on the reconstructed section of Ohio Street.
I understand the "no parking" signs were placed according to the Wisconsin Department of
"Transportation's guidelines at that time. I believe that guidelines adopted more recently will
allow the signs to be placed closer to the curb, which will help to improve the pedestrian access
path on sidewalks in future projects.
City of Oshkosh — Transportation Department
Signage on Ohio Street / July 27, 2009
Moving the signs and poles or moving the signs to adjacent light poles would need to be paid for
by the City. The bases of the existing "no parking" signs are very deep, and the holes from the
existing sign posts cannot be filled and provide an acceptable sidewalk surface. Consequently,
relocation of the signs would require the removal and replacement of concrete sidewalk squares.
The estimated cost per relocated sign would include: $150 for sidewalk removal and
replacement, $200 for removal of the existing signpost base, the cost of the new sign post and
support ($36) and the cost of the brackets, banding or clamps as needed ($3 -6 per sign). For the
length of the project, I estimate that this would cost $6,000 to $7,000.
Given that existing construction complies with existing ADA guidelines and the cost of these
improvements, I recommend that the signposts be left at their current locations.
City of Oshkosh — Transportation Department