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HomeMy WebLinkAbout28. 12-614 NOVEMBER 27, 2012 DECEMBER 11, 2012 12-582 12-614 ORDINANCE FIRST READING SECOND READING (CARRIED___6-0___ LOST_______ LAID OVER_______ WITHDRAWN_______) PURPOSE: APPROVAL OF BICYCLE LANES FOR OSBORN AVENUE & PARKING REGULATION CHANGES ON ALGOMA BOULEVARD, DIVISION STREET, OSCEOLA STREET, 12TH AVENUE & 15TH AVENUE INITIATED BY: TRAFFIC REVIEW ADVISORY BOARD A GENERAL ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF OSHKOSH AMENDING SECTIONS 27A-7.1, 27A-10.1, and 27A-11 OF THE OSHKOSH MUNICIPAL CODE PERTAINING TO DESIGNATED ROUNDABOUT INTERSECTIONS, DESIGNATED BICYCLE LANES, AND PARKING REGULATIONS ON DESIGNATED STREETS AND ALLEYS. The Common Council of the City of Oshkosh do ordain as follows: SECTION 1. That Section 27A-7.1 of the Oshkosh Municipal Code pertaining to designated roundabout intersections is hereby amended as follows: A-7.1 ROUNDABOUT INTERSECTIONS DESIGNATED Add Thereto: Highway 41 Ramps and Omro Road/Oshkosh Avenue Koeller Street and Oshkosh Avenue Omro Road and Washburn Street SECTION 2. That Section 27A-10.1 of the Oshkosh Municipal Code pertaining to designated bicycle lanes is hereby amended as follows: A-10.1BICYCLE LANES DESIGNATED Add Thereto: Osborn Avenue, both sides, from Knapp Street to Koeller Street SECTION 3. That Section 27A-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 ABRAHAM LANE Remove Therefrom: No parking, both sides, from Highway 21 to Washburn Street. NOVEMBER 27, 2012 DECEMBER 11, 2012 12-582 12-614 ORDINANCE FIRST READING SECONDREADING CONT'D ALGOMA BOULEVARD Remove Therefrom: No parking, north side, from North Main Street to 140 feet west of North Main Street. Remove Therefrom: 2-hr parking, north side, from 140 feet west of North Main Street to Division Street between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. daily, except on Sundays and holidays. Add Thereto: No parking, north side, from North Main Street to 58 feet west of North Main Street. Add Thereto: 2-hour parking, from 58 feet west of Main Street to Division Street between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. daily, except on Sundays and holidays. DIVISION STREET Remove Therefrom:4-hour parking, east side, from Algoma Boulevard to 107 feet north of Algoma Boulevard from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Add Thereto: 4-hour parking, east side, from Algoma Boulevard to 87 feet north of Algoma Boulevard from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Add Thereto: 30-minute parking, east side, from Algoma Boulevard to 87 feet north of Algoma Boulevard from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. OSCEOLA STREET Remove Therefrom: No parking, both sides, from Pearl Avenue to its southwesterly terminus except for 2-hour angle parking from 70 feet south of Pearl Avenue to 160 feet south of Pearl Avenue. 12TH AVENUE Remove Therefrom: 2-hour parking, both sides, from Nebraska Street to South Main Street, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. NOVEMBER 27, 2012 DECEMBER 11, 2012 12-582 12-614 ORDINANCE FIRST READING SECON DREAD!NG CONT'D 15TH AVENUE Remove Therefrom: No parking, north side, from Oregon Street to 144 feet east of Oregon Street. Add Thereto: No parking, north side, from 160 feet east of Main Street to its eastern terminus. Add Thereto: No parking, south side, from Main Street to its eastern terminus. SECTION 4. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage, publication and placement of the appropriate signage. SECTION 5. Publication Notice. Please take notice that the City of Oshkosh enacted ordinance #12-614 (A GENERAL ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF OSHKOSH AMENDING SECTION 27-23(A-11) OF THE OSHKOSH MUNICIPAL CODE PERTAINING TO PARKING REGULATIONS ON DESIGNATED STREETS AND ALLEYS) on December 11, 2012. The ordinance designates bicycle lanes on Osborn Avenue and changes parking regulations on Algoma Boulevard, Division Street, Osceola Street, 12th Avenue and 15th 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. Of HKOJH ON THE WATER MEMORANDUM TO: Mark A. Rohloff, City Manager FROM: Christopher Strong, Transportation Director DATE: November 21, 2012 RE: Explanation of Traffic Regulations Ordinance Changes SECTION 1: SECTION 27A-7.1 DESIGNATED ROUNDABOUTS This is the result of the construction of roundabouts on STH 21, Koeller Street and Washburn Street SECTION 2: SECTION 27A-10.1 — DESIGNATED BICYLCLE LANES A REQUEST FOR BICYCLE LANES ON OSBORN AVENUE FROM KNAPP STREET TO KOELLER STREET. (CURRENT CONDITION: NO BICYCLE LANES, NO PARKING.) This is a Transportation Department request. At its August meeting, the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee recommended that this section of Osborn Avenue be designated as a ' bicycle route using "sharrows". Sharrows are pavement markings which are used to remind motorists that bicycles can use the road, and can also help to channelize bicycles to a certain part of the road. (Please see Figure 1 for an example_,. pavement marking.) They can be useful in locations where it is not feasible to add a separate bicycle lane. As staff reviewed this recommendation, it appeared that Osborn Avenue could be a good � candidate for a striped bicycle lane instead. The Figure 1: "Sharrow" Marking roadway is currently 36' wide, with one lane in each direction, and parking is prohibited. With 12' driving lanes, a 6' bicycle lane could be created in each direction with minimal difficulty. Page 2 of 5 Explanation of Traffic Ordinance Changes The drawback with adding bicycle lanes or sharrows on this street is that it is a relatively low volume street (1,500 vehicles per day), under which these types of improvements typically are not necessary. However, designating a bicycle lane may help to direct novice bicyclists toward a street which is more compatible with their skill level. It can also help to expand the City's formal bicycle route network. The City's 2011 Pedestrian and Bicycle Circulation Plan identifies this section of Osborn Avenue as a high-priority route, for which a signed and striped bicycle lane is recommended. This request is coming before the Traffic Review Advisory Board because it would involve an ordinance change related to bicycle lanes. If the board approves this recommendation, it will go back to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee for their concurrence. PASSED BY TRAFFIC REVIEW BOARD (6-0) SECTION 3: SECTION 27A-11 DESIGNATED PARKING RESTRICTIONS ABRAHAM LANE These changes are due to the STH 21 construction. A REQUEST FOR 2-HOUR PARKING ON THE NORTH SIDE OF ALGOMA BOULEVARD FROM 58 FEET WEST OF MAIN STREET TO 100 FEET WEST OF MAIN STREET. (CURRENT CONDITION: NO PARKING.) This is a citizen request. As Algoma Boulevard proceeds west from Main Street, it widens from 36 feet to 42 feet. The citizen suggested that this gives the street sufficient width to accommodate on- street parking on the north side of the street. Two-hour parking is currently available on the south side. The existing 42 foot width can accommodate 2 12-foot driving lanes and 2 9-foot parking lanes. This is consistent with the section further west on the Algoma Boulevard, where parking is currently permitted on both sides of the street. A review of truck turning templates at the intersection of Main Street and Algoma Boulevard does not suggest that permitting on-street parking in this area would result in potential conflicts with turning trucks. The citizen apparently frequents the adjacent café, and was interested in a high turnover (i.e. 30-minute) parking spot. While that is understandable, the 2-hour parking designation would be more consistent with downtown parking in general. PASSED BY TRAFFIC REVIEW BOARD (6-0) Page 3 of 5 Explanation of Traffic Ordinance Changes A REQUEST FOR 30-MINUTE PARKING ON THE EAST SIDE OF DIVISION STREET FROM 90 FEET NORTH OF ALGOMA BOULEVARD TO 110 FEET NORTH OF ALGOMA BOULEVARD. (CURRENT CONDITION: 4-HOUR PARKING.) This is a property owner request. A tenant at the building at 146 Algoma Boulevard has requested a short duration parking stall to assist with their business activities. The building does not have its own off-street parking lot, so tenants rely on a combination of on-street and public off-street parking. The free on-street parking spaces fronting the building on both Algoma Boulevard and Division Street are in high demand during daytime hours. The spaces on Division Street are 4 hours in duration, while the spaces on Algoma Boulevard are 2 hours in duration. The high demand for these spaces can discourage those interested in short-term parking from being able to park closer to the building. This will keep a space available for short-term (loading or unloading) type of use. Division Street is 44 feet wide, which is ample for the one travel lane and one parking lane provided in the northbound direction. Therefore, there should be no traffic safety impact from this request. Converting one space will help with management of on-street parking in this area. PASSED BY TRAFFIC REVIEW BOARD (6-0) OSCEOLA STREET This change is due to the City vacating that right-of-way. A REQUEST FOR UNRESTRICTED PARKING ON BOTH SIDES OF 12TH AVENUE FROM NEBRASKA STREET TO SOUTH MAIN STREET. (CURRENT CONDITION: 2- HOUR PARKING, BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 8:00 A.M. AND 6:00 P.M.) This is a business request. A business has relocated into the former Buckstaff administration building in this area. While there is some off-street parking there, the owner is trying to provide parking opportunities in the event that parking needs increase. As best as can be told, the current 2-hour restrictions were put in place to discourage shift employees from Buckstaff to park on nearby local streets. The future traffic generation potential of the new business appears to be much less than the parking requirements of Buckstaff's manufacturing in years past. The street width is 37 to 38 feet, so parking restrictions are typically not necessary, as shown in Table 1. Page 4 of 5 Explanation of Traffic Ordinance Changes Table 1: Parking Restriction Guidelines on Local Streets Street Width Parking Restrictions Less than 17 feet Both Sides (All cases) 17 to 24 feet One Side (All cases) 25 to 33 feet Valid Petition 34 feet and over None PASSED BY TRAFFIC REVIEW BOARD (6-0) A REQUEST TO ALLOW PARKING ON THE NORTH SIDE OF 15TH AVENUE FROM OREGON STREET TO 144 FEET EAST OF OREGON STREET. (CURRENT CONDITION: NO PARKING.) This is a business request. A street reconstruction project in 2012 widened 15th Avenue from 28 feet to between 32 and 36 feet. The 36 foot wide section is adjacent to the commercially zoned properties closest to Oregon Street. This is also the approximate length over which the existing parking restriction applies. The guidelines shown in Table 1 relate the type of parking restriction that is appropriate for each street, according to its width. Table 2: Parking Restriction Guidelines on Local Streets Street Width Parking Restrictions Less than 17 feet Both Sides (All cases) 17 to 24 feet One Side (All cases) 25 to 33 feet Valid Petition 34 feet and over None As can be seen, the guidelines don't require any parking restriction on streets of this width. A field review indicated no special sight distance challenges that would warrant preserving the parking restriction. PASSED BY TRAFFIC REVIEW BOARD (6-0) Page 5 of 5 Explanation of Traffic Ordinance Changes A REQUEST FOR NO PARKING ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF 15TH AVENUE FROM MAIN STREET TO ITS EASTERN TERMINUS. (CURRENT CONDITION: NO PARKING.) AND A REQUEST FOR NO PARKING ON THE NORTH SIDE OF 15TH AVENUE FROM 160 FEET EAST OF MAIN STREET TO ITS EASTERN TERMINUS. (CURRENT CONDITION: NO PARKING.) This is a business request. A street reconstruction project in 2012 widened 15th Avenue from 28 feet to 36 feet. The new paved section has curb and gutter which can make it more challenging for larger vehicles to turn around, such as trucks currently servicing the business on the south side of the street. This proposal would prohibit parking on the south side of the street, adjacent to the requesting business's property; and throughout the cul-de-sac at the end of the street. As shown in Table 1, a street with a width of 36 feet would normally not be a good candidate for parking restrictions. In this case, the ability of larger trucks to navigate this dead-end street is an important consideration. PASSED BY TRAFFIC REVIEW BOARD (6-0) 4.) OJH KO/H ON THE WATER MEMORANDUM TO: Mark A. Rohloff, City Manager FROM: Christopher Strong, Transportation Director DATE: November 21, 2012 RE: Items Defeated by the Traffic Review Board at their November 13, 2012 Meeting A REQUEST TO REMOVE ON-STREET PARKING ON BOTH SIDES OF 9TH AVENUE FROM REICHOW STREET TO 250 FEET WEST OF KNAPP STREET. (CURRENT CONDITION: NO PARKING,BETWEEN 5:00 A.M. AND 6:00 P.M. EXCEPT ON SUNDAYS AND HOLIDAYS.) This is a Board member request. In previous years, the Board made recommendations to prohibit on-street parking on 9t''Avenue in order to provide additional lanes of through traffic. The Board's most recent recommendation on this was in 1998, which would have prohibited on-street parking from Reichow Street to Knapp Street. This recommendation was advanced to the Council, which voted against it in December 1998. A Board member asked that this be reconsidered, in order to have four striped lanes on this section of 9th Avenue. The 2005 Comprehensive Plan designates 9th Avenue from Westhaven Drive to its eastern terminus as a minor arterial. The plan characterizes minor arterials as having average daily traffic volumes of 6,000 vehicles per day, and as supporting four lanes of moving traffic. While 9th Avenue is striped for four lanes of moving traffic west of Reichow Street, it is striped for only two lanes of moving traffic east of Reichow Street, due to the ability people have to park at certain times of day. In these sections,the street width is generally 42 feet, which can accommodate four(4) 10.5-foot lanes. While this is narrower than many driving lanes elsewhere in the City, it is within the range of acceptable values for lane widths. Therefore, except during the hours in which the ordinance allows parking, the street generally has the opportunity to carry four lanes of moving traffic. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation(WisDOT) develops annual average daily traffic (AADT) estimates for many higher volume streets in the City. The following table lists some recent WisDOT estimates. As can be seen in Table 1, the traffic volumes are well within the standards for a minor arterial within the comprehensive plan. It also should be noted that traffic volumes appear to be decreasing on this portion of 9th Avenue. ITEMS DEFEATED 2 NOVEMBER 2012 Table 1: Annual Average Daily Traffic Volumes, 9th Avenue Annual Average Daily Year Traffic Location 1997 17,900 Between Mason & Sawyer 2004 16,200 Between Mason & Sawyer 2007 12,600 Between Mason & Sawyer 2010 12,400 East of Reichow Source: Wisconsin DOT City-conducted traffic counts on this section of 9th Avenue agree with the general order of magnitude of these numbers. The following are some samples: Table 2: Sample Weekday Traffic Volumes, 9th Avenue Weekday Traffic Date (veh/day) Intersecting Street Jan-07 12,800 Knapp Street Aug-09 14,000 Sawyer Street Aug-09 14,600 Mason Street While the plan characterizes minor arterials as having four lanes for moving traffic, it is not a requirement. Additional lanes are typically recommended to handle higher traffic volumes. Are there locations on this section of 9th Avenue where additional lanes are essential from a congestion perspective? For most streets, congestion occurs at nodes or intersections, and not on the sections of street between intersections. Since 9th Avenue is primarily a through street,there are a few potential places where congestion may result: • The traffic signal at Huntington Place and 9th Avenue. This signal is actuated based on vehicular traffic from Huntington Place or pedestrian traffic seeking to cross. There are relatively few actuations for much of the day, so at a practical level this signal does not introduce any challenges to traffic flow on 9th Avenue. • The traffic signal at Knapp Street and 9th Avenue. This intersection has operated with dedicated left turn lanes in each direction for several years. Prior to its reconstruction in 2011, the intersection had a"trap lane" configuration. Eastbound traffic could have two lanes of through traffic until the intersection, at which point through traffic in the left lane would need to merge into the right lane. Traffic counts collected in 2009 show only 10 percent of eastbound peak hour vehicles turns left. Furthermore, analyzing this intersection using 2009 data showed the level of service at this intersection was B, with an average delay per vehicle of 18 seconds. Eastbound traffic operates with roughly the same delay. Therefore, there does not appear to be a current congestion problem at this intersection. ITEMS DEFEATED 3 NOVEMBER 2012 • Eastbound, east of Reichow Street (where two eastbound lanes may appear to merge into one as the lane line disappears). No congestion issues have been reported here. It should be noted that traffic volumes are typically highest during the hours when parking is prohibited, so the lack of congestion complaints is not surprising. In summary, there do not appear to be any current congestion issues here which would require two moving lanes of traffic in each direction. Crash records were reviewed from 2009 to 2011 to identify crashes that may be attributable to on-street parking. One reported crash cited a parked car in the report narrative; however, the car was parked at the wrong time of day, in violation of the ordinance signage. In summary, there does not appear to be a compelling reason to require two lanes of moving traffic in each direction on this section of 9th Avenue. Another reason to prohibit parking would be if there was interest in converting this section of 9th Avenue into a road diet. Board members may recall a discussion at the July meeting on implementing a road diet on Murdock Avenue. That request was motivated by a review of crash data which suggested a road diet could prove very effective in reducing certain types of crashes on that street, without resulting in increases in congestion or delay. A road diet on 9th Avenue is feasible within the street's existing 42' paved width. One potential configuration would have two 5' bicycle lanes,two 11' travel lanes, and a 10' two-way left turn lane. This would blend in very well with the reconfigured intersection at Knapp Street. It could also effectively shorten the pedestrian crossing at Huntington Place. About 40 percent of the crashes (18 of 47) on this section between 2009 and 2011 could potentially have been avoided through a road diet reconfiguration. A road diet within this paved area would also require removal of parking. While there is potential for a road diet to succeed here, staff recommends using Murdock Avenue as a pilot test before going to this section of 9th Avenue, as traffic volumes on 9th Avenue are higher. Excerpt from the Traffic Review Advisory Board meeting minutes: Mr. Gary Ross, 1031 W. 9th Avenue, spoke in opposition to this request. He said 9th Avenue is like a double-edged sword. There is enough traffic to make it a four-lane road but it is not wide enough to safely make it a four-lane roadway. The speed limit is posted at 30 mph. but traffic speeds are much higher. If parking were removed and the roadway were converted to a four-lane road, he believed there would have to be increased police patrols to slow traffic down. He said the present width of the street is not safe for four lanes. He said he has spoken with police officers who consider it a two-lane road used as a four-lane road. Mr. Ross also noted the two lanes, as marked, at 9th Avenue and Knapp Street are confusing for traffic. Mr. Don Benson, 1504 W 9th Avenue, was opposed to this request. He said it is confusing to motorists when parking is allowed at different times. He would like to see parking reinstated ITEMS DEFEATED 4 NOVEMBER 2012 full-time. This would bring it back to a two-lane road. It is not marked as a four-lane road and shouldn't be driven as one. He would like to keep the parking as is or have the parking reinstated full-time, making it a two-lane road. Mr. Nick Neinhaus, 1435 W. 9th Avenue, was opposed to this request. He noted that by the school zone there are no terraces. If 9th Avenue was made a four-lane road, than the sidewalks should be moved further back from the road. He believes if this 9th Avenue is made a four-lane road, speeding will increase and you will lose control of it. He said larger vehicles, like semi trucks and buses, can help slow down traffic by driving the speed limit. He supported allowing parking full-time so it becomes more consistent and people would become more aware of what is happening on this road. Mr. Kline said the reason he made this request is the 2005 Comprehensive Plan designates 9th Avenue from Westhaven Drive to its eastern terminus as a minor arterial. This is one of the major entrances to the city and the only one that is not four lanes all the way in. 9th Avenue is striped for four lanes west of Reichow Street but not east of Reichow Street, which is confusing to motorists. He said that the daily traffic volumes are too high for only one . lane of traffic each way especially when you have turning traffic. He doesn't feel striping it as four lanes would increase traffic speeds, but rather would make it safer. He doesn't feel the small amount of parking that occurs should warrant not being able to stripe the lanes for that part of the street. Mr. Kaprelian asked, if Murdock Avenue succeeds with the road diet, when 9th Avenue could be looked at as a potential road diet. Mr. Strong said there is a paving project in 2014 for 9th Avenue and that would make a lot of sense to tie it in at that time. There are some similarities between Murdock Avenue and 9th Avenue. Mr. Kline disagreed with trying it on 9th Avenue. He pointed out that 9th Avenue has a bridge over Highway 41 providing major access to the city where Murdock Avenue doesn't. Mr. Becker questioned how long 9th Avenue has been 42'wide. He believes it was not originally designed to carry four lanes of traffic. He feels the only solution would be to buy up property to widen the street and that is not going to happen. He feels a 10 %2'lane is not safe and would only cause more problems. He feels the parked vehicles serve a purpose in helping to slow traffic down. Mr. Kline noted parked vehicles are almost never there. Mr. Becker said if parking were allowed it would serve a purpose and slow traffic down. Mr. Kline felt it would congest traffic. Mr. Schuster agreed with Mr. Becker that the road was not built with the intention of being a four lane road. Traffic is increasing and the sidewalks encroach up to the curb lane. We need something there to force motorists to use the leftmost lane. He cannot support this request. DEFEATED BY TRAFFIC REVIEW BOARD(1-5)