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CR 2003-092 Consider Hobby Acres Neighborhood Association Stop Sign Request d _ , ., (' \ . CITY OF - May 30,2003 HOPKINS Council Report 2003-092 Consider Hobby Acres Neighborhood Association Stop Sign Request Proposed Action. Staff recommends adoption of the following motion: Move that Council deny installation of stop siqns as petitioned by Hobby Acres neiqhborhood association and approve the installation of yield siems on Althea Lane at the intersections with Farmdale and Wayside Roads and the addition of center line and edqe stripinq at the Farmdale/Campbell and Farmdale/Althea intersections. Overview. . At its April 1 2003 meeting, City Council ordered staff to prepare a report regarding the request and petition submitted by the Hobby Acres Speeding Committee for the installation of all-way stop signs at the intersections of Farmdale Rd & Althea Lane, Farmdale Rd & Campbell Rd and Althea Lane & Wayside Road. Since, staff held a public meeting that included both Hobby Acres and Campbell Addition neighborhoods to discuss the stop sign request and general neighborhood traffic & safety concerns. It should also be noted that staff received four emails and two phone calls in opposition to the stop signs. After much discussion, the meeting attendees agreed to try the staff recommendation - installation of two yield signs and pavement striping to slow vehicles through the two busier, more curvilinear Farmdale intersections. There was an understanding that staff would determine the effectiveness of the yield signs and pavement striping next year and report back to the neighborhoods. Any further actions to address traffic and pedestrian safety would be based on these results. Staff is now recommending formal City Council action on the stop sign request and the staff recommendation. Primary Issues to Consider. . Staff review of traffic count and accident data . Traffic calming in the Hobby Acres neighborhood . Staff recommendation Supportinq Information . Hobby Acres Association Request for Stop Sign Installation. 3/10/2003 . Traffic Count summary . Intersectio sketches, neighborhood maps, photographs . Steven J. Stadler Public Works Director Council Report 2003-092 Page 2 Analvsis of Issues . Staff review of traffic count data and accident data (Counts were taken December 9 - 13, 2002) There have been no accidents for the past 2 years. Summary of Station 3 speed data: Total # vehicles counted over the five days = 2,017 Total # vehicles with speed at or below 30 mph = 1,943 (96.3%) Summary of Station 3 traffic volume data: Average daily traffic volume = 504 The hourly average traffic volume during the morning, midday and afternoon peak traffic periods were in the range of 27 - 35/hour. The other stations were about half of this number of vehicles. This is light traffic (one vehicle every 90 - 120 seconds at station 3) and an expected total volume given the 171 homes in the area. There is no evidence of cut-through traffic. . Traffic calming in the Hobby Acres neighborhood Staff understands the neighborhood concerns to be vehicle speeds, pedestrian safety and general "walkability" of the streets. The traffic counts have shown that the traffic volumes and speeds are very reasonable. The neighborhood was developed with 30' wide streets, no sidewalks and large sweeping-curve intersections such as the CampbelllFarmdale and Althea/Farmdale intersections. Of course, the optimal way to address the neighborhood concerns is to separate pedestrian traffic from the roadway with sidewalks. However, constructing sidewalks now would be very difficult, expensive and probably not acceptable to the residents. Narrowing the lane width for vehicles is one method sometimes used to slow vehicles. This can be done with center medians, chokers, or general street pavement narrowing. This is expensive, can cause drainage problems and can compromise bicycle and pedestrian safety due to the narrower pavement section. Speed humps have been used to reduce vehicles speeds but results are mixed. Unless spaced throughout the area of concern, the speed influence is only at the speed hump location, plus traffic may be diverted to other streets within the neighborhood. . Council Report 2003-092 Page 3 The addition of all-way stop signs is not an effective way to reduce speeds and increase pedestrian safety in the neighborhood. Staff's attached three separate publications stating that stop signs should not be used to control vehicle speeds. One publication entitled "Neighborhood Traffic Control" states that after stop signs are installed vehicle speed in the mid- block areas, where most accidents involving young pedestrians occur, frequently increases. One advantage of the Hobby Acres/Campbell neighborhood areas is the relatively wide pavement. The streets are 30' wide. This provides for adequate space for vehicles and pedestrians to share the roadway. This is in contrast to the narrow 20' - 22' street widths in the Bellgrove and Knollwood neighborhoods. However, the large, open, sweeping-curve intersection areas can cause some drivers to maintain speed through the turning movement by using the entire width of the road. . Staff understands the pedestrian safety concerns of the neighborhood and feels that the best way to address them is to slow vehicle speed and better show pedestrian areas through the more heavily traveled intersections along Farmdale Road. Adding double yellow centerline striping and white edge striping along 150' of each approach street would do this. Most motorists will try to stay within the driving lanes and, as a result, slow down. The edge marking also clearly shows the parking/pedestrian areas. In addition, staff proposes to add yield signs at the AlthealWayside and Althea/Farmdale intersections. These would help motorists understand that Farmdale and Wayside traffic has the right-of-way. In addition, there are sight obstructions at these intersections and the yield signs will tend to slow the approaching motorists as they check for cross-traffic. . Staff Recommendation: . Install yield signs, and pavement striping, as described above. . Mail a letter to neighborhood residents explaining the neighborhood concerns and the city's response . Send a flyer to all neighborhoods' residents stressing traffic and pedestrian safety on their neighborhood streets . Contact neighborhood representatives for support to install neighborhood traffic safety temporary boulevard signs . Take additional traffic speed counts and compare these with results obtained in one year and meet again with residents to discuss traffic and pedestrian safety. . Mareh 10, 2003 Request for Stop Sign Installation . Petition to the City: -- (.Jjn To reduce car speeds and improve pedestrian safety in the neighborhood, Hobby Acres is requesting the installation of all way stop signs at the intersections of Farmdale& Althea, Fanndale & Campbel~ and Althea & Wayside. Background: The Hobby Acres Association has over fifty children in the area ranging in age from infants to twenty years old, with an estimated sixty plus children living in the adjoining Campbell Addition neighborhood. We also have two individuals confined to wheelchairs that use the streets within the area. In recent years, the speeds (and at times the volumes) of cars passing through the neighborhood has increased, as has the amount of pedestrian traffic. Correspondingly, complaints by pedestrians being forced off of the roads 8I).d con~erns for safety in the neighborhood have increased. In 2002, the Hobby Acres Association established a Speeding Committee to develop a strategy to resolve a continuing concern of the neighborhood with regaid to pedestrian safety on our streets. The first objective of the committee was to determine if sp~eding cars were a universal concern of the neighborhood. The Committee drafted a petition that stated: We, the residents of Hobby Acres, agree that a speeding problem exists in our neighborhood. Being a neighborhood of walkers, joggers, cyclists, young children, and citizens confined to wheelchairs, we are concerned about the safety of our community. We, the undersigned, formally request that the city of Hopkins partner with us to find a solution for this ongoing problem. The petition was signed by over 95% of the residents of Hobby Acres. CJI The Committee then met with the City to communicate our issues and discuss possible solutions. A number of solutions were explored and the City did an analysis of traffic and speed counts in different sections of the neighborhood. Based on the statistics, the City contends that there is not necessarily a speeding problem and that 30 mph is an appropriate speed for the neighborhood. The Speeding Committee disagrees with the City's view: 1) The intersections are not 90 degree square. The design of intersections at Farmdale/ Althea and FanndalelCampbell allows and encourages cars to travel through the intersections with minimal to no braking. 2)'There are no sidewalks. Many times pedestrians must jump off the street to avoid a car traveling 25-35+ mph. Furthermore, there are additional safety issues created when walking/biking with kids. Also, because the intersections fucilitate driving without braking, an approaching car can come upon a pedestrian much quicker and with less warning. Finally, without sidewalks or some kind of natural separation from the cars, a car's speed and a pedestrian's sense of danger are magnified. 3) Other neighborhoods that have a 30 mph speed limit tend to have many stop signs (i.e. Interlachen Park). Neither Hobby Acres nor Campbell Addition have even one stop sign. Based on our discussions with the City, it is the Committee's opinion that the most cost effective solution to address our neighborhood's. speeding problem is to add stop signs at the three key intersections noted above. The stop signs will, at a minimum, slow cars to speeds that are more acceptable to pedestrians as well as enhance their sense of safety while walking, biking, or riding in a wheelchair. . . Respectfully Submitted By, The Hobby Acres Speeding Committee (l Tad Gullickson, Chair Dick Brubacher Steve Jaffee Leroy Owens Kathy Rolf '. " ,"" 'J',\",~;:v.,,, .0"_' ,,\<,' ,.'-1:;>,',':" 1C11:1;"~~:;W;'''0;;l);hl':'L'(~__~!;'''~~,'i~~-~-:>.~,r-:-f ,n- ,-W"," ," {r "" 1'1' :- '-'::.:'':-~~1':!:''::--:'''' __....~r_:::::___ ;::"_:.!~~~< :.~ --~~~ ....;.1::"_--=-=,,-=:- TRAFFIC COUNT SUMMARY , T)raffic reasonable for area & # of homes o Stations 1, 2 and 4: 255 - 285 ADT o Station 3: 504 ADT (June 2000 ADT_ = 493) Traffic volume comparisons Highest recorded peak hour volume = 47 vehicles per hour (1 vehicle/1.3 min) Mostly 35-40/hour at station 3 Station 3 speed data: 1 ,943 of 2,017 vehicles with speeds at or below 30 mph (96.3010) . Z \.-- ;r;e~ ~!1}.;~ ~.~ ~ t: ~...... ~ Ii\' 0" ~ ~ ,t ~ ~. ~ t ~ !? 4~ . , c: :j:. 9' ./0 (j ~ \\ .. ...-." ~ ~ ~ 0) Z: V . '-'r.AE3:>\ ~., )-. ~~::j~ ~:o:.:~. ~ - [l't ~ r-- ......... ~i! !1' " t ~ tl\ Z. it\ If.. rf'. l'\ ~ g: - :ij < ~ g ;1 ;r ~ "",,-"""" "..,."""0. - ~" ) ,..- ~flj !Jt:) It Z Z Ii' Iii 1,;' I" i': , I I: .....s i . 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