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HomeMy WebLinkAbout36. 12-147 MARCH 27, 2012 12-147 ORDINANCE FIRST READING (CARRIED LOST LAID OVER WITHDRAWN ) PURPOSE: APPROVAL OF LOADING ZONE CHANGES ON HAZEL STREET AND 8111 AVENUE; TRAFFIC SIGNAL DESIGNATION AT OREGON STREET AND WAUKAU AVENUE; THROUGH STREET DESIGNATION FOR OAKWOOD ROAD, SNELL ROAD AND WAUKAU AVENUE; AND PARKING REGULATION CHANGES ON CAMPBELL ROAD, HAZEL STREET AND MELVIN AVENUE INITIATED BY: TRAFFIC REVIEW ADVISORY BOARD A GENERAL ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF OSHKOSH AMENDING SECTIONS 27- 23(A-5), 27-23(A-7), 27-23(A-8) AND 27-23(A-11) OF THE OSHKOSH MUNICIPAL CODE PERTAINING TO LOADING ZONES, DESIGNATED TRAFFIC SIGNAL CONTROLLED INTERSECTIONS, DESIGNATED THROUGH STREETS, AND PARKING REGULATIONS ON DESIGNATED STREETS AND ALLEYS. The Common Council of the City of Oshkosh do ordain as follows: SECTION 1. That Section 27-23(A-5) of the Oshkosh Municipal Code pertaining to loading zones is hereby amended as follows: A-5 LOADING ZONES Remove Therefrom: Hazel Street, west side, from 100 feet south of Melvin Avenue to 296 feet south between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on school days. Remove Therefrom: 8th Avenue, south side, from 210 feet west of Oregon Street to 320 feet west of Oregon Street between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Add Thereto: Hazel Street, west side, from 60 feet south of Melvin Avenue to 296 feet south of Melvin Avenue between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on school days. Add Thereto: 8th Avenue, south side, from 210 feet west of Oregon Street to 320 feet west of Oregon Street between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. MARCH 27, 2012 12-147 ORDINANCE FIRST READING CONT'D SECTION 2. That Section 27-23(A-7) of the Oshkosh Municipal Code pertaining to designated traffic signal controlled intersections is hereby amended as follows: A-7 TRAFFIC SIGNAL CONTROLLED INTERSECTIONS DESIGNATED Add Thereto: Oregon Street (County Trunk Highway "I") and Waukau Avenue SECTION 3. That Section 27-23(A-8) of the Oshkosh Municipal Code pertaining to designated through streets is hereby amended as follows: A-8 THROUGH STREET DESIGNATED Remove Therefrom: County Trunk "X" at its intersection with Oakwood Road. Remove Therefrom: Oakwood Road from County Trunk Highway "X" to State Highway 21, except at its intersection with 20th Avenue, 9th Avenue and Witzel Avenue. Remove Therefrom: Snell Road from STH 110 to Sherman Road for that portion in the city, except at its intersection with Jackson Street and County Trunk "A". Remove Therefrom: Waukau Avenue at its intersection with Bradley Street, White Tail Lane, Elk Ridge Drive, Enterprise Drive, and Bellfield Drive. Add Thereto: Oakwood Road from Waukau Avenue to State Highway 21, except at its intersection with 20th Avenue, 9th Avenue and Witzel Avenue. Add Thereto: Snell Road from Stearns Drive to Sherman Road for that portion in the city, except at its intersection with Jackson Street and County Trunk Highway "A". Add Thereto: Waukau Avenue at its intersection with Bradley Street, White Tail Lane, Elk Ridge Drive, Enterprise Drive, Bellfield Drive, and Oakwood Road. MARCH 27, 2012 12-147 ORDINANCE FIRST READING CONT'D SECTION 4. That Section 27-23(A-11) of the Oshkosh Municipal Code pertaining to parking regulations on designated streets and alleys is hereby amended as follows: A-11 PARKING REGULATIONS ON DESIGNATED STREETS AND ALLEYS CAMPBELL ROAD Add Thereto: No parking, east side, from 190 feet north of Dempsey Trail to 260 feet north of Dempsey Trail. HAZEL STREET Remove Therefrom:Handicapped parking, west side, from 60 feet south of Melvin Avenue to 100 feet south of Melvin Avenue. MELVIN AVENUE Remove Therefrom:No parking, stopping, standing, waiting, south side, from Hazel Street to 50 feet west of Hazel Street. Remove Therefrom:No parking, stopping, standing, waiting — bus loading zone, south side, from 50 feet west of Hazel Street to 20 feet east of Oak Street. Add Thereto: Handicapped parking, south side, from 65 feet west of Hazel Street to Hazel Street. Add Thereto: No parking, stopping, standing, waiting — bus loading zone, south side, from 65 feet west of Hazel Street to 20 feet east of Oak Street. SECTION 5. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage, publication and placement of the appropriate signage. SECTION 6. Publication Notice. Please take notice that the City of Oshkosh enacted ordinance #12-147 (A GENERAL ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF OSHKOSH AMENDING SECTIONS 27-23(A-5), 27-23(A-7), 27-23(A-8) AND 27-23(A-11) OF THE OSHKOSH MUNICIPAL CODE PERTAINING TO LOADING ZONES, DESIGNATED TRAFFIC SIGNAL CONTROLLED INTERSECTIONS, DESIGNATED THROUGH STREETS, AND PARKING REGULATIONS ON DESIGNATED STREETS AND ALLEYS) on April 10, 2012. The ordinance changes loading zone designations on Hazel Street and 8th Avenue, designates a traffic signal at Oregon Street and Waukau Avenue, MARCH 27, 2012 12-147 ORDINANCE FIRST READING CONT'D changes through street designations for Oakwood Road, Snell Road, and Waukau Avenue; and changes parking regulations on Campbell Road, Hazel Street and Melvin Avenue. The full text of the ordinance may be obtained at the Office of the City Clerk, 215 Church Avenue and through the City's website at www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us. Clerk's phone: 920/236-5011. O.IHKOJH ON THE WATER MEMORANDUM TO: Mark A. Rohloff, City Manager FROM: Christopher Strong, Transportation Director DATE: March 21, 2012 RE: Explanation of Traffic Regulations Ordinance Changes SECTION 1: SECTION 27-23(A-5) —LOADING ZONES A REQUEST FOR A LOADING ZONE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF 8TH AVENUE FROM 210 FEET WEST OF OREGON STREET TO 320 FEET WEST OF OREGON STREET BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 8:00 A.M. AND 4:00 P.M., MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. (CURRENT CONDITION: LOADING ZONE ENDS AT 3:00 P.M.) This is a UWO/Head Start request. This loading zone, which was established in 1998, is used by buses transporting kids to/from Head Start at Peace Lutheran Church. Programs are now running at times where passenger loading is occurring after 3:00 p.m. According to the person making the request, vehicles are starting to park in the area after 3:00 p.m., which makes it more difficult to load the buses safely. Data collected in December 2011 shows that on-street parking utilization in this area is relatively low—around 30 percent. Therefore, extending this loading zone by an additional hour should likely have little impact on the availability of parking in this area. PASSED BY TRAFFIC REVIEW BOARD (6-0) A REQUEST FOR A LOADING ZONE ON THE WEST SIDE OF HAZEL STREET, FROM 60 FEET SOUTH OF MELVIN AVENUE TO 100 FEET SOUTH OF MELVIN AVENUE BETWEEN 7:00 A.M. AND 4:00 P.M. ON SCHOOL DAYS. (CURRENT CONDITION: HANDICAPPED PARKING.) This is a school district request. The school district has requested the relocation of a designated accessible parking area from the west side of Hazel Street to the south side of Melvin Avenue. The current location is designated only with signage, and does not have an accessible path to the public sidewalk without going into moving traffic. With demand for accessible parking and a lack of suitable off-street locations, the school district is interested in moving the spaces to the north side of the school, where a paved Page 2 of 3 Explanation of Traffic Ordinance Changes terrace and a driveway are available. In a previous staff memo related to handicapped on-street parking on 12th Avenue, I noted that current practice with respect to the Americans with Disabilities Act makes it challenging to provide a truly accessible on-street parking space. The area currently designated for accessible parking on Hazel Street would need significant and costly improvements to bring it up to current ADA practice. The proposed area on Melvin Avenue is better in this regard, although not perfect. It is in an enclosed area that is protected on either end by a bumpout, which reduces (but does not eliminate) exposure to traffic. This parking area would use an existing service driveway to provide an accessible path to the public sidewalk. While this is removed from traffic on Melvin Avenue, ADA discourages combining an accessible path into a driveway. However, the driveway receives usage primarily from school service vehicles or emergency responders, and so is not used on a frequent basis. Melvin Avenue also carries a lower volume of traffic than Hazel Street, so pedestrians exiting vehicles on Melvin Avenue would face fewer vehicle conflicts. Based on current ADA guidance, staff would typically recommend against keeping the accessible on-street parking space. However, an exception seems to make sense here, given the demand for accessible parking at the school and the availability of a better(if not fully compliant) option than the current one. PASSED BY TRAFFIC REVIEW BOARD (6-0) SECTION 2: SECTION 27-23(A-7) — TRAFFIC SIGNAL CONTROLLED INTERSECTIONS OREGON STREET AND WAUKAU AVENUE This is was approved by the Traffic Review Board in January 2010 and the signal was activated in January 2012.. SECTION 3: SECTION 27-23(A-8)— THROUGH STREETS These are technical corrections to the municipal code. SECTION 4: SECTION 27-23(A-11 —PARKING REGULATIONS A REQUEST FOR NO PARKING ON THE EAST SIDE OF CAMPBELL ROAD FROM 190 FEET NORTH OF DEMPSEY TRAIL TO 260 FEET NORTH OF DEMPSEY TRAIL, AND FROM 420 FEET NORTH OF DEMPSEY TRAIL TO 480 FEET NORTH OF DEMPSEY TRAIL. (CURRENT CONDITION: UNRESTRICTED PARKING.) This is a Senior Center request. Page 3 of 3 Explanation of Traffic Ordinance Changes The Senior Center's northern building is served by three driveways: one which goes to the rear of the building, and two which connect to the main parking lot. (Please see r; Figure 1.) Of the driveways accessing the ,. main lot,the northern one is designated for 0� exiting traffic and the southern one is designated for entering traffic. Senior Center staff is concerned that vehicles parking too close to the driveways can limit sight distance for exiting traffic. This may be a particular `© concern as elderly drivers may have slower reaction times and poorer visual perception than the general population of drivers. The proposed parking restrictions focus on the northern two of the three driveways, which are both designated to allow exiting traffic. For the northernmost of the three driveways,the restriction would extend the statutory parking restriction by one car length to the south; for Figure 1: Aerial Photo of Campbell Road the parking lot's northern driveway, the Driveways to Senior Center restriction would extend the statutory parking restriction by one car length to both the north and the south. Campbell Road is designated in the 2005 Comprehensive Plan as a collector street. The plan recommends that parking restrictions be considered on collector streets in order to facilitate traffic movement. While there are no challenges with traffic movement on this part of Campbell Road, implementing parking restrictions is not inconsistent with the Comprehensive Plan. The on-street parking is currently used almost exclusively by Senior Center clientele. According to Senior Center staff, there is ample parking in their lot so that the removing this on-street parking (three in total) would not hinder access to their programs. PASSED BY TRAFFIC REVIEW BOARD (6-0) A REQUEST FOR HANDICAPPED PARKING ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF MELVIN AVENUE FROM 65 FEET WEST OF HAZEL STREET TO 15 FEET WEST OF HAZEL STREET. (CURRENT CONDITION: NO PARKING, STOPPING, STANDING, OR WAITING—BUS LOADING ZONE.) See explanation under Section 1. PASSED BY TRAFFIC REVIEW BOARD (6-0) OJHKOJH ON THE WATER MEMORANDUM TO: Mark A. Rohloff, City Manager FROM: Christopher Strong, Transportation Director DATE: March 21, 2012 RE: Items Defeated by the Traffic Review Board at their March 14, 2012 Meeting A REQUEST TO LOWER THE SPEED LIMIT ON OREGON STREET (CTH I) FROM WAUKAU AVENUE TO 35TH AVENUE TO 40 MPH. (CURRENT CONDITION: 45 MPH SPEED LIMIT.) This is a citizen request. The citizen making this request noted that the posted speed limit at Waukau Avenue drops from 45 mph to 30 mph. He suggested it would make sense to have a more gradual reduction in speeds, by reducing the speed limit on Oregon Street south of Waukau Avenue. From a safety perspective, speed limits should be set so that they are reasonable and thereby encourage voluntary compliance. According to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, the proposed speed limit should be set within 5 mph of the observed 85th percentile speed of free- flowing traffic. This is the speed which tends to minimize the risk of being involved in a crash. Moreover, speed limits set outside of this range have little impact on a driver's choice of speed. Speed data was collected on this section of roadway in January 2012. The median(50th percentile) and 85th percentile speeds were collected for northbound and southbound traffic; these are shown in Table 1. Since speed limits are normally set at 5 mph increments, the recommended speed limit should be set at 45 mph or 50 mph. Table 1: Speeds on Oregon Street between Waukau Avenue and 35th Avenue NB SB 50th Percentile Speed 43.0 43.6 85th Percentile Speed 48.2 49.0 Another method was used to analyze the appropriateness of speed limits on this section of roadway. Researchers have developed a tool called USLIMITS which compiles the results of numerous safety studies to make recommendations on appropriate speed limits for a section of roadway. This expert system tool considers observed vehicle speeds, traffic volumes, density of ITEMS DEFEATED 2 APRIL 2011 driveways, crash history, and other factors. Primarily due to the favorable crash history on this section of roadway, USLIMITS recommended a speed limit of 50 mph for this section. The main reason for the request to lower the speed limit on this section of roadway was to make a more gradual speed limit change between the rural and more urban sections of CTH I. This is a very valid reason which is consistent with recommended traffic engineering practice. I believe a solution that is worth evaluating is to consider raising the speed limit north of Waukau Avenue to 35 mph, which is what it was until mid-2010. I am working to assemble some information on how the speed limit changes on this section of Oregon Street affected vehicle speeds and crashes, to see whether a speed limit increase might be appropriate. I plan to present this to the Board at a future meeting. DEFEATED BY TRAFFIC REVIEW BOARD(0-6)