TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION

 

MINUTES

 

March 1, 2004
 

 

 

The Lawrence Traffic Safety Commission met in regular session at 7:30 p.m., in the City Commission Room in City Hall with Chair Paul Graves presiding and Commissioners Steve Blackwell, Caroljean Brune, Danny Drungilas, Robert Hagen, Matt Jordan and Caleb Morse present; John Ziegelmeyer Jr. was absent.  Staff members David Woosley (Public Works Department) and Officer Mike Monroe (Police Department) were present.

 

 

 

ITEM NO. 1:               Review and approve the minutes of the Traffic Safety Commission meeting, February 9, 2004.

 

                                    MOTION BY COMMISSIONER MORSE, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER DRUNGILAS, TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE FEBRUARY 9, 2004, TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING.  THE MOTION CARRIED 6-0. 

 

 

 

ITEM NO. 2:               Consider request from Effie Edwards, 2617 Kensington Road, to establish NO PARKING along the east side of Crestline Drive between Clinton Parkway and 24th Terrace.

 

                                    David Woosley reviewed the information provided in the staff report.

 

                                    Commissioner Graves stated that there did not appear to be sufficient justification to remove the parking.

 

                                    Commissioner Morse stated that the volume of traffic didn’t warrant removal and if removed the speed of the traffic may increase.

 

                                    Commissioner Hagen arrived.

 

 

 

 

                                    MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BRUNE, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER DRUNGILAS TO RECOMMEND DENIAL OF THE REQUEST TO ESTABLISH NO PARKING ALONG THE EAST SIDE OF CRESTLINE DRIVE BETWEEN CLINTON PARKWAY AND 24TH TERRACE.  THE MOTION CARRIED 6-0-1(Hagen)

 

 

 

ITEM NO. 3:               Consider request from Margaret Sanders, 341 Lincoln Street, to establish a MULTI-WAY STOP at the intersection of 3rd Street and Locust Street.

 

                                    David Woosley reviewed the information provided in the staff report.

 

                                    Commissioner Graves stated that it was clear a MULTI-WAY STOP is not warranted in this case.

 

                                    Commissioner Blackwell stated that he agreed.

 

                                    MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BLACKWELL, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MORSE, TO RECOMMEND DENIAL OF THE REQUEST TO ESTABLISH A MULTI-WAY STOP AT THE INTERSECTION OF 3RD STREET AND LOCUST STREET.  THE MOTION CARRIED 7-0.

 

 

 

ITEM NO. 4:               Consider proposal to move parking from the east side of Avalon Road to the west side, between 9th Street and Cambridge Road, in order to facilitate sidewalk snow removal.

 

                                    David Woosley reviewed the information provided in the staff report.

 

                                    Charles Wyttenbach, 1640 Cambridge Road, stated that after the February 4th snowfall, he shoveled the sidewalk twice; the second time a snowplow covered it up two hours after he finished.  The same thing happened after a snowfall in December 2003.  There are a number of senior citizens along the street that are not able to shovel the large amount of snow plowed out of the street onto the sidewalk.

 

 

                                    Joshua Rosenbloom, 1001 Avalon Road, stated corroborated Wyttenbach’s comments.  In addition, he received a citation from the City for not clearing his sidewalk even though he had prior to the snowplowing.  It is a frustrating situation.

 

                                    Commissioner Graves asked if there was a lot of on-street parking during the day.  Rosenbloom stated that he didn’t know for sure since he is at work.

 

                                    Terry Wilkinson, 1107 Avalon Road, stated that students park along the east side of the street from Cambridge Road all the way down the hill.  In addition, he clears the driveways and sidewalks of several elderly neighbors and uses a snow blower.  He also received a citation after clearing the walks only to have the street plowed over them again and then it turned to ice and the snow blower  wouldn’t even clear it.  One problem with switching the parking would be that vehicles would be parking facing uphill and it might be difficult to get going in the snow; perhaps the street could be made a one-way down the hill.

 

                                    Dwight Hilpman, 936 Avalon Road, stated he conducted a straw poll and the consensus was that moving the parking wouldn’t guarantee that snow wouldn’t be plowed onto the sidewalk.  He suggested identifying this as a key sidewalk that the City would take care of clearing.  In addition, there is more interest in prohibiting parking  in the area of the reverse curve than to move the parking.

 

                                    Commissioner Brune stated that there appeared to be a difference of opinion among the neighbors and perhaps the neighborhood associations should be involved to come to a consensus.

 

                                    Commissioner Morse stated that he agreed with moving the parking to the other side of the street unless there was a serious safety concern.

 

                                    Commissioner Jordan stated that having the parking adjacent to the sidewalk would also provide a benefit to pedestrians by creating a buffer between them and moving traffic.  In addition, parking should be prohibited around the curve.

 

                                    Commissioner Brune asked how many parking spaces would be affected around the curve.  Woosley stated that it looked like perhaps five or six spaces.

 

 

                                    Commissioner Brune asked the neighbors present if they used the parking on the street around the curve.  They responded that most of the parking on the street was by students.

 

                                    Commissioner Graves stated there appeared to be good reasons to move the parking.

 

                                    Commissioner Hagen stated that he was concerned with moving the parking for events that only happen a few times each year.  The cause seems to be the way the City manages the plowing situation.

 

                                    MOTION BY COMMISSIONER MORSE, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER JORDAN, TO RECOMMEND MOVING THE PARKING FROM THE EAST SIDE OF AVALON ROAD TO THE WEST SIDE BETWEEN 9TH STREET AND CAMBRIDGE ROAD AND TO ESTABLISH NO PARKING ALONG BOTH SIDES THROUGH THE REVERSE CURVE.  THE MOTION CARRIED 6-1 (Hagen; there may be other issues with shifting the parking and changing snow plowing practices may solve the immediate problem without introducing other difficulties.)

 

                                   

 

ITEM NO. 5:               Receive presentation from Bill Ahrens, Transportation Planner, on the proposed requirements for Transportation Impact Studies and Access Management Guidelines.

 

 

 

ITEM NO. 6:               Public Comment.

 

                                    Betty Alderson, 1920 Maine Street, stated that she others in her neighborhood are concerned about the speed of traffic within the neighborhood and the fact that there are no sidewalks.

 

                                   

 

ITEM NO. 7:               Commission Items.

 

 

 

 

 

                                   

 

ITEM NO. 8:               Miscellaneous.

 

The Commission acknowledged receipt of a letter from S. M. Kortlucke, 1805 Maine Street, concerning the traffic diverter on 18th Street between Maine Street and Missouri Street.

 

The Commission acknowledged receipt of the publication Safe Routes to Schools.

 

 

 

The meeting adjourned at 9:20 p.m.

 

The next scheduled meeting of the Traffic Safety Commission is Monday, April 5, 2004.