City of Lawrence

Traffic Safety Commission

February 6, 2006 Minutes

 

MEMBERS PRESENT:  John Ziegelmeyer, Jr., Chair, David Hamby, Vice-Chair, Carol Bowen, Caroljean Brune, Danny Drungilas, Paul Graves, Robert Hagen, Richard Heckler and Caleb Morse.

 

MEMBERS ABSENT:  None.

 

STAFF PRESENT:  David Woosley, Public Works Department, Tracy Russell, Police Department.

 

 

 

Chair John Ziegelmeyer, Jr. called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. in the City Commission Room in City Hall.

 

 

 

ITEM NO. 1:

 

Review and approve the minutes of the Traffic Safety Commission meeting, December 5, 2005.

 

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER MORSE, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER HECKLER, TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE DECEMBER 5, 2005, TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING; THE MOTION CARRIED 7-0-2.

 

 

 

ITEM NO. 2:

 

Consider request for TRAFFIC CALMING DEVICES on 13th Street between Connecticut Street and Haskell Avenue.

 

David Woosley reviewed the information provided in the staff report.

 

 

 

 

Jennifer Distlehorst, 2015 Kentucky Street:  I own property at 818 E. 13th Street; I am a frequent driver of this street and a frequent bicyclist; the data seems to warrant devices to slow the traffic, but I would not want to see divider islands installed; it is difficult for buses to navigate with cars parked on the street; as a bicyclist, I dread the islands, cars will run us down.

 

Aaron Brown, Brook Creek Neighborhood Association, 1201 E 13th Street:  I can’t bring a consensus of our neighborhood association since we don’t meet in January and haven’t had a chance to discuss this topic; I am a bicyclist and I’m very nervous about bicycling past center islands and would advocate against them; I am not a fan of the midget circles near the University of Kansas; other options might include speed humps, which are acceptable, but would need to accommodate wheelchairs since there are not reliable sidewalks along 13th Street.

 

Janet Good, East Lawrence Neighborhood Association, 1124 New York Street:  The lady with a wheelchair is a big concern of ours, she is on that street a lot; speed humps seem to be the solution that makes the most sense.

 

Jennifer Distlehorst, 2015 Kentucky Street:  Since the big ditch came through, the area is wide open and encourages speed.

 

Commissioner Heckler:  I travel the street a lot and there are two people in wheelchairs along the street; I am all for it.

 

Commissioner Morse:  There is a really long stretch with an unencumbered sight distance; maybe a roundabout or two in the middle of that stretch would help create a feeling of a shorter street which would help to keep speeds lower.

 

Commissioner Brune:  Right now we just need to say if we are in favor of traffic calming on 13th Street and leave the design up to staff and the residents.

 

Commissioner Drungilas:  People have learned that this is a wide-open, quick, easy, way to get from Haskell to Connecticut.

 

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER HECKLER, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER BOWEN, TO RECOMMEND CONSTRUCTION OF TRAFFIC CALMING DEVICES ON 13TH STREET BETWEEN CONNECTICUT STREET AND HASKELL AVENUE; THE MOTION CARRIED 9-0.

 

 

 

 

 

 

ITEM NO. 3:

 

Consider request to change the NO PARKING restriction on Oregon Street between 11th Street and 12th Street from the west side of the street to the east side of the street.

 

David Woosley reviewed the information provided in the staff report.

 

Janet Good, East Lawrence Neighborhood Association, 1124 New York Street:  We have gotten several anonymous post cards about this street, it is quite a mess; several people in the neighborhood are parking at Hobbs Park because they can’t park on Oregon without damaging their car; this may not be an ideal solution.

 

Janice Melland, 1120 Oregon Street:  One of the suggestions I have is to put in a culvert where they dug out the ditch and cover it so that we can have some parking there that doesn’t ruin cars; I have to park at Hobbs Park and have had my vehicle vandalized; I am luke-warm about moving the parking; I would like to have parking on the street that is safe. 

 

Saunny Scott, Oregon Friends Meeting House, 1146 Oregon Street:  If the parking is moved across the street, we have a number of elderly that it would become more dangerous for, and we are concerned about being able to park close to the meeting house; the solution obviously, is to get the culverts covered on both sides and a sidewalk.

 

Mike Sheridan, 1119 Oregon Street:  If the parking is moved, you wouldn’t be able to park on my side of the street; something needs to be done on the east side of the street so people can park there.

 

Hadley Stolte, 1108 Oregon Street:  I agree with putting in a culvert and making it easier to park on the east side of the street.

 

Janet Good:  The switching of the parking is a quick easy fix to get Janice out of the park; get people back in front of their homes and then take a look at long-term solutions.

 

Commissioner Morse:  I talked with a resident at 1135 Oregon and he was concerned about moving the parking.

 

Commissioner Hagen:  Would allowing parking on either side be a solution?

 

Commissioner Heckler:  I live on a similar street and one side does have a culvert covered with gravel and doesn’t seem to be a problem.

 

Commissioner Hamby:  I didn’t hear a lot of support for moving the parking from one side to the other.

 

Commissioner Ziegelmeyer:  We need to either deny the request or grant the request.

 

Commissioner Heckler:  I think we should approve what they have asked for; if it doesn’t work, they can come back and ask for something else.

 

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER HECKLER, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GRAVES, RECOMMENDING THAT THE NO PARKING RESTRICTION ON OREGON STREET BETWEEN 11TH STREET AND 12TH STREET BE CHANGED FROM THE WEST SIDE OF THE STREET TO THE EAST SIDE;

 

A straw poll of the residents present was taken and no one was in favor of moving the parking.

 

THE MOTION FAILED 0-9.

 

 

 

ITEM NO. 4:

 

Public Comment.

 

Jennifer Distlehorst, 2015 Kentucky Street:  Perhaps there could be a blockade to prevent vehicles from turning off 11th Street onto Oregon.  Staff advised that could be considered if the neighborhood requested it.

 

Betty Alderson, 1920 Maine Street:  I would like to say in defense of the Louisiana project, living in that area, that it has been controversial; most of the people I know object to it loudly, but many people have found that they can now cross Louisiana safely and it has helped the high school students; it did what we wanted it to do, but at some inconvenience to some people.

 

 

 

ITEM NO. 5:

 

Commission items:

 

Commissioner Brune:  This being the closest meeting to Valentine’s Day, there is a whole box full of cookies over there with napkins and zip-lock bags; help yourself.

 

 

Commissioner Bowen asked for an update on city vehicle operation policy.  Staff advised it would be checked into.

 

Commissioner Drungilas:  The Pedestrian Advisory Committee is working on language to ask that all city vehicles YIELD to pedestrians in crosswalks, with bumper stickers on the vehicles.

 

 

 

ITEM NO. 6:

 

Miscellaneous.

 

The Commission acknowledged receipt of the ATTENDANCE SUMMARY for the period February 2005-January 2006.

 

 

 

The meeting adjourned at 9:00PM.

 

 

 

The next scheduled meeting of the Traffic Safety Commission is Monday, March 6, 2006.

 

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

David E. Woosley, P.E.

Transportation/Traffic Engineer