TO: Mayor and Members of City Council
THRU: Adam Lindsay, Assistant City Manager
FROM: Sheila Thomas-Ambat, PE, CCM, CFM, Public Services Director
Brian McGill, PE, PTOE, Interim Assistant Public Services Director - Traffic Services
DATE: October 7, 2024
RE:
Title
Review the Residential Traffic Management Program
end
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S):
Council District(s)
All
b
Relationship To Strategic Plan:
Goal I: Be a safe and secure community.
Goal II: Be a responsive city government supporting a diverse and viable economy.
Goal III: Be invested in today and tomorrow.
Goal IV: Be a highly desirable place to live, work, and recreate.
Goal VI: Have a collaborative citizen and business engagement base.
Executive Summary:
This presentation is to go over the administrative report provided to Council on June 24th, 2024, as well as to outline the RTMP process and recent history. The June 24th administrative report was to provide summary responses to Council’s comments from the November 6th, 2023 work session, where a presentation on Traffic Calming Measures was made. In addition to responding to Council’s comments, staff wanted to inform Council of the Safe Streets and Roadways For All (SS4A) project. SS4A includes the consultant recommending improvements to the City’s Residential Traffic Management Program (RTMP) based on a peer review against similar-sized Cities programs. Staff recommend revisions to the RTMP be deferred until after SS4A concludes.
Background:
- 8/7/2023 - City Council requested staff review traffic calming measures outside of speed bumps at the conclusion of the City Council Work Session.
- 9/25/203 - Staff presented City Council with an administrative report on traffic calming measures at the City Council Regular Meeting. City Council moved to hear the Report as a presentation during a City Council Work Session.
- 11/6/2023 - Staff presented City Council with a presentation on traffic calming measures at the City Council Work Session. City Council directed staff to return with recommendations for an update to the Residential Traffic Management Program (RTMP).
- 6/24/2024 - Staff presented City Council with an administrative report providing responses to Council’s comments from the 11/6/2023 presentation at this City Council Regular Session. City Council moved to hear the Report as a presentation during a City Council Work Session.
There are multiple contributing factors to speeding, with a large component being driver comfort and confidence in their ability to navigate the road. Successful attempts to effectively reduce speeds have been collectively called traffic calming measures. Traffic calming measures reduce speeds by making drivers uncomfortable when they speed across the installed treatment. Our current Residential Traffic Management Program (RTMP) has a process that allows for citizens to request speed humps, a vertical deflection traffic calming measure. The RTMP also has a process for citizens to request the installation of stop signs, however, it should be noted that signage is not considered a traffic calming measure. The RTMP has been attached to this administrative report for reference.
City Council provided comments at the November 6th, 2023 work session regarding the suitability of traffic calming measures and possible inclusion in future revisions to the RTMP. What follows is staff’s understanding of Council’s comments from that work session and staff’s response.
Comment: Council asked for more options besides speed bumps/humps.
Response: RTMP funding allows for limited speed hump installation following a data-driven process. Nearly all previously presented traffic calming measures are more expensive, and less effective on reducing speeding, than speed humps - with some also having implementation challenges; Speed humps are one of the most efficient traffic calming measures when attempting to reduce speeding. Liability is also a concern if a treatment is designed in-house, such as with a roundabout. Should traffic calming options increase, the complexity and time for RTMP requests is expected to increase, straining the personnel resources and City’s budget for the program. The City has begun the Safe Streets and Roadways For All (SS4A) project, which is intended to provide recommendations for revisions to the RTMP. SS4A is discussed further at the end of this administrative report.
Comment: Council asked if stop signs could assist on the main roads of neighborhoods to reduce speeding, and not have them installed on just the side streets.
Response: The City follows the Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), a reference book provided by the Federal Highway Administration which standardizes roadway signage throughout the Country. The MUTCD, under Section 2B.06 Line 06, states that “YIELD or STOP signs shall not be used for speed control.” This is considered best practice as studies have shown that drivers ignore signs that have been used for speed control, leading to drivers ignoring stop signs. An excerpt showing this section of the MUTCD, with the relevant line highlighted, is included as an attachment to this report.
Comment: Council asked for more information on the RTMP since they were not familiar with the program / process.
Response: Included with this administrative report is the RTMP, as well as a workflow summary sheet of the process to request speed humps. As you’re aware, the RTMP can be a very technical document, and staff would be happy to meet individually or at a future work session to discuss the RTMP process further.
Comment: Council asked how developers decide where to put stop signs and / or speed humps in new developments.
Response: Developers typically apply best practices, engineering judgement, or a common-sense approach to roads in proposed developments. Staff review development plans, and if staff disagree with a proposed traffic control device, then we coordinate with developers for a resolution. After development is complete and roads are under the maintenance and responsibility of the City, one option for intersection changes includes submitting requests to the City’s Traffic Services. Regarding traffic calming devices, the City’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) has Article 30-5.F.4.h. The UDO encourages the use of traffic calming measures and requires their inclusion on linear street segments when over 800 linear feet. The specific article from the UDO is included as an attachment to this report. Additionally, SS4A will have the consultant assess the City’s Code of Ordinances and UDO for opportunities to prioritize where safety should be addressed in an effort to reduce the occurrence of serious and fatal crashes. SS4A is discussed further at the end of this administrative report.
Comment: It was asked if the presentation and RTMP was based on regional, national, or international information?
Response: The traffic calming administrative report and subsequent presentation provided on November 6th, 2023 was based on national information which itself may have drawn from international studies. The RTMP is based on regional information. SS4A recommendations are intended to be based on national information.
Comment: Council asked if the City can use Bond funds for traffic calming measures.
Response: It was stated during the November 6th, 2023 meeting that Bond funds can be used for traffic calming measures.
Safe Streets and Roadways For All (SS4A): The City has initiated the SS4A project which is intended to address locations with a history of serious and fatal crashes. As part of this project, we are requiring the consultant to conduct a peer review of the City’s RTMP against similar-sized Cities neighborhood traffic calming and speed reduction programs. The consultant will recommend improvements to the City RTMP based on the results of the peer review, their knowledge of industry best practices, and their knowledge of traffic calming measures. Their recommendations will include proposed thresholds for any new countermeasures. The new countermeasures can include, but are not limited to, the traffic calming measures that were previously presented to City Council in prior administrative reports and presentations. SS4A also includes the consultant assessing current City standards, guidelines, and plans, including the UDO and City Code of Ordinances, for opportunities to prioritize where safety can be addressed to reduce the occurrence of serious and fatal crashes. Staff recommend that additional revisions to the RTMP be deferred until completion and adoption of the SS4A recommendations. The tentative schedule for SS4A completion is summer/fall of 2025.
Speed Cushions: While SS4A progresses, staff are reviewing speed cushion implementation to address emergency response concerns with regards to speed humps. Speed cushions are essentially speed humps with channels or slots in the hump that are wide enough for a fire engine to travel across the traffic calming measure without slowing down. Our review includes coordination with other departments, pilot demonstration locations, and the method for installing these measures.
Issues/Analysis:
The City’s current RTMP provides a process for speed humps and stop signs to be requested, and other traffic calming measures may be desired by the City. The project “Safe Streets and Roadways For All” (SS4A) has begun and will include RTMP recommendations upon completion.
Budget Impact:
N/A
Options:
As this is an administrative report, no options are presented for action.
Recommended Action:
As this is an administrative report, no options are presented for action.
Attachments:
MUTCD Excerpt
UDO Article 30-5F4h
RTMP-SpeedHump
RTMP-MultiWayStop
DRAFT Speed Hump Request Summary Workflow
RTMP_Presentation_20241007