Traffic Safety Commission Minutes

April 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, David Hamby, Caleb Morse and John Ziegelmeyer Jr. present.  Commissioners Robert Hagen and Matt Jordan were absent. Staff member David Woosley (Public Works Department) was present.

Chair Paul Graves welcomed the newest member of the Traffic Safety Commission attending his first meeting, David Hamby.

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

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER MORSE, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER BLACKWELL, TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE MARCH 1, 2004, TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING; THE MOTION CARRIED 5-0-2 (Hamby, Ziegelmeyer). 

ITEM NO. 2:               Consider request from the Breezedale Neighborhood Association to construct SPEED HUMPS on Massachusetts Street between 23^rd Street and Indian Avenue.

                                    David Woosley reviewed the information provided in the staff report.

                                    Mike Sizemore, 2301 Massachusetts Street, President of the Breezedale Neighborhood Association, stated that there was overwhelming approval from residents attending their meetings for speed humps on Massachusetts.  Sizemore also presented a petition from residents along the street.

                                    Commissioner Morse asked if speed humps were appropriate for a street this wide.  Woosley advised that it shouldn’t be a problem; the street is classified as a local street.

                                    Commissioner Brune stated that it sounded like a wonderful idea and could see how it would be easy to speed down the street.

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BRUNE, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GRAVES, TO RECOMMEND CONSTRUCTION OF APPROPRIATE SPEED HUMPS ON MASSACHUSETTS STREET BETWEEN 23^RD STREET AND INDIAN AVENUE; THE MOTION CARRIED 7-0.

ITEM NO. 3:               Consider request from Greg Polk, Polk Crane Service, to establish NO PARKING along the south side of 11^th Street between Connecticut Street and Haskell Avenue.

                                    David Woosley reviewed the information provided in the staff report and read two emails received supporting the request.

                                    Greg Polk, 2418 Orchard Lane, stated that there is a lot of commercial traffic along 11^th Street, including city maintenance vehicles.

                                    Dena Friesen, 1046 Pennsylvania Street, stated that removing the existing parking will increase the speed of traffic along 11^th Street and there are many students that have to cross to get to New York School.

                                    Sharron Gauna, 1447-1/2 Delaware Street, stated that removing the parking would increase the traffic on 11^th Street.  In addition, she only has one off-street parking space and has to use 11^th Street for other vehicles; any visitors would have to park around the corner and down the street.

                                    Commissioner Brune stated that she appreciated the concern about increased speed and children crossing to go to school and would be reluctant to support the request.

                                    Commissioner Graves stated that he agreed for the same reasons.

                                    Commissioner Morse stated that he agreed also.  On-street parking can reduce the speed of traffic.  In addition, there are 13 houses that face 11^th Street.

                                    Commissioner Ziegelmeyer agreed, but noted that we have alternated parking in order to create traffic calming on other streets in town.

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GRAVES, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MORSE, TO RECOMMEND DENIAL OF THE REQUEST TO ESTABLISH NO PARKING ALONG THE SOUTH SIDE OF 11^TH STREET BETWEEN CONNECTICUT STREET AND HASKELL AVENUE; THE MOTION CARRIED 7-0.

ITEM NO. 4:               Consider request from Garber Enterprises, 5030 W. 15^th Street, to establish NO PARKING along the east side of Stone Meadows Drive between 15^th Street and Covington Court.

                                    David Woosley reviewed the information provided in the staff report.

                                    Commissioner Drungilas noted that the east side of the street is mostly duplexes with wide driveways; so removing the parking would not lose many spaces.

                                    Bob Trepinski, 1331 Covington Court, stated that he supported the request between 15^th Street and 1400 Stone Meadows Drive, but was opposed to it from that point to Covington Court in the single family area.

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER ZIEGELMEYER, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER BRUNE, TO RECOMMEND ESTABLISHING NO PARKING ALONG THE EAST SIDE OF STONE MEADOWS DRIVE BETWEEN 15^TH STREET AND THE EYEBROW AT 1328 STONE MEADOWS DRIVE; THE MOTION CARRIED 7-0.

ITEM NO. 5:               Consider request from area residents to construct a permanent TRAFFIC CALMING CIRCLE at the intersection of Goldfield Street and Eldridge Street.

                                    David Woosley reviewed the information provided in the staff report.

                                    Sharon Spratt, 4124 Goldfield Street, stated that they needed traffic calming in the neighborhood and requested that it be included in the Harvard Road project.

                                    Bob Trepinski, 1331 Covington Court, stated that he drove through the area all the time and he would be happy with a 4-way stop.

                                    Commissioner Graves noted that a 4-way stop was not warranted.

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER MORSE, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER DRUNGILAS, TO RECOMMEND CONSTRUCTION OF A PERMANENT TRAFFIC CALMING CIRCLE AT THE INTERSECTION OF GOLDFIELD STREET AND ELDRIDGE STREET AND TO INCLUDE IT IN THE HARVARD ROAD PROJECT; THE MOTION CARRIED 7-0.

ITEM NO. 6:               Public Comment.

                                    None.

ITEM NO. 7:               Commission Items.

                                    Chair Paul Graves presented Commissioner Steve Blackwell with a certificate of appreciation for three years service on the Traffic Safety Commission.  Blackwell’s term will expire on 30 April 2004 and he did not seek appointment to another term.

ITEM NO. 8:               Miscellaneous.

                                    None.

The meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m.

The next scheduled meeting of the Traffic Safety Commission is Monday, May 3, 2004.