HomeMy WebLinkAbout191007 -- Traffic Calming Policy............................ -.~~~~~~~~C~ITY~O:FCOILEGES~T:~~T:IO:N~~~_...,,... ........................ ""'i!llillllf>" Home of Texas A&M Un:ersity"
TRAFFIC CALMING POLICY
I. Introduction
College Station City Council vision statement #8 is directly related to the issue of traffic calming in neighborhoods.
"As a result of our efforts, citizens will live in well-planned neighborhoods suited to community interests and
lifestyles. "
Where a person lives is a very important part of how a person feels about their community. The noise, safety
hazards, vehicular speeds, vehicular volumes, and existence of sidewalks all contribute to a neighborhood's
integrity. As speeding and vehicular volume increases, walking to the neighborhood store or even across the street
to a neighbor's house can be an uncomfortable event.
The City of College Station recognizes the usefulness of physical measures to effectively solve neighborhood
traffic problems. The traffic calming guidelines outlined in this report provide a basis for establishing the selection
and installation criteria.
II.
I.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Objectives
To promote safe and pleasant conditions for residents, pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists on local
neighborhood and residential collector streets.
To reduce impacts of traffic and speed on local neighborhood and residential streets.
To preserve and enhance pedestrian and bicycle travel within neighborhoods
To achieve efficient and safe movement of traffic within neighborhoods (including emergency response
vehicles) consistent with the intended function of the residential streets.
To maintain acceptable levels of service on the city's arterial streets so as to avoid intrusion/diversion onto
local neighborhood streets.
III. Policies
The following policies are established as part of the Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program forneighborhood
streets:
1. Through traffic should use major thoroughfares as shown on the City of College Station's Thoroughfare and
Transportation Improvement Plan.
2. Emergency vehicle access should be preserved.
3. Neighborhood Traffic calming projects should encourage and enhance pedestrian and bicycle access to
neighborhood destinations.
4. Traffic calming improvements should be limited to neighborhood streets. This includes residential (local) and
minor collector streets. A street designated as a Major Collector in the adopted City of College Station's
Thoroughfare and Transportation Improvement Plan may be eligible if at least 67% of the adjacent properties
on both sides of the street are front -facing residential. Vertical Deflection is not allowed as a traffic calming
device on a specified emergency response routes.
5. Reasonable automobile access should be maintained.
6. Traffic calming measures that result in diversion of traffic to other residential streets should be discouraged.
However, a small amount of traffic diverted to other residential streets may be acceptable. The acceptable
amount of traffic diverted to other residential streets shall be determined on a case by case basis.
7 . Traffic calming measures should be planned and designed in keeping with sound engineering and planning
practices.
City Manager's Office
P.O . BOX9960 • 1101 TEXAS AVENUE· COLLEGE STATION· TEXAS· 77842
TEL. 979.764 .3510 ·FAX. 979 .764.6377
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City of College Station
Traffic Calming Policy
Page 2 of7
IV. Selection of Project Areas
A. Registration Period
In order to ensure that a particular street or area is considered for neighborhood traffic calming, a citizen or
neighborhood association must call or write to the City of College Station to request the problem street( s ). Requests
are submitted throughout the year, and all requests received by August 1st are considered for the following fiscal
year, beginning October 1st. This August deadline provides adequate time for the City to collect data and rank each
of the project areas in time to begin the study process shortly after the start of the new fiscal year.
B. Project Areas Selected by City
If fewer than 3 traffic calming requests are received by the August 1st deadline, the City recommends a street or
area to be included for consideration based on traffic calls and/or complaints.
C. Project Eligibility Review and Notification
The program coordinator reviews the eligibility of each request based on program goals and policies. During the
eligibility review, the program coordinator will determine the study area. The study area will be based on the
facility being analyzed. A minor collector will have a larger study area than a local street. For eligible applicants,
staff sends a study area map, an evidence of neighborhood support form template, program education materials,
and the process for project prioritization. For project areas selected by the City, program materials and an evidence
of neighborhood support are sent to each business, property owner, and resident in the proposed project area.
D. Evidence of Neighborhood Support
The applicant of a traffic calming request collects signatures of households or property owners within the proposed
study area to indicate the level of neighborhood support. A minimum of twenty percent of property representatives
within the study area are required to sign the support petition. A property representative is limited to one owner or
occupant ofa property. The level of neighborhood support for a traffic calming study is considered as part of the
project scoring criteria. Property representatives within the proposed study area may also indicate their interest in
serving on a project working group on the support petition form. A minimum of 3 property representatives must
indicate on the form that they are willing to serve on the working group.
E. Data Collection and Scoring
The program coordinator facilitates the collection of project data to establish project criteria score. The data
collection method and Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program Prioritization Criteria are included in Appendix A.
The scoring criteria determines a project priority order. The street I area ranked 1st will be selected as the first
project developed and funded within the funding year. Additional ranked projects may also be developed within the
same fiscal year, depending on available funding.
F. Application Retention
Eligible project applications that are not selected and funded as the annual project(s) will remain eligible in the
program for a period of two years. These project areas are reconsidered during the Data Collection and Scoring
process beginning the following program year. Rescored applications are not required to collect evidence of
neighborhood support petition signatures in a subsequent year.
V. Community Contact
The Neighborhood Engagement process is expected to include a minimum of three meetings. Additional meetings
may be schedule as necessary.
After the project location has been selected, City staff sends a letter to each business, property owner, and resident
in the project area. In addition, letters are also sent to the president of the neighborhood association(s) within the
project area. The letter describes the process, goals, timeline, and requirements and includes an invitation to attend
a general meeting introducing the program. Also included in the letter is a survey for residents, property owners
and businesses to fill in describing various traffic related problems in the project area. This survey can be mailed to
the City or brought to the general meeting.
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Traffic Calming Policy
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At this initial meeting, a working group of volunteers is established. These persons agree to develop the traffic
calming plan with the assistance of City Staff. See Section VI for guidelines of the working group.
The City of College Station staff notifies the College Station Independent School District, Brazos Transit, T AMU
Bus operations, Fire Department, Police Department utility companies and Solid Waste Services. A request for their
routes in these project areas is made. They are invited to attend the meeting where the working group identifies
possible measures for problem street sections in order to express their concerns.
VI. Working Group and Meetings
The working group is comprised of property representatives living within the project area and an officer of the
neighborhood association(s), if applicable. Non-resident property owners and representatives of area businesses are
also encouraged to participate in the working group. Working group members should represent the project street as
well as other nearby streets in the neighborhood that could significantly be impacted by the project.
The maximum number of participants in the working group is 15 persons. It is expected that some of the members
may not be able to attend every meeting. Minimum attendance in order to continue with the meeting is 50 percent
of the working group, or 5 persons (whichever is greater). If the minimum attendance does not exist, the meeting is
rescheduled. Every attempt is made to ensure that the meetings are scheduled for dates and times which work the
best for as many members as possible.
At the first meeting, a chairperson is elected to serve as the leader of the working group. This person's role is to
ensure that the members stay focused on the task, to be the spokesperson of the group, and to aid City staff in
identifying meeting locations or othertasks.
Also occurring at this first meeting, ground rules are established for all the meetings. The list of ground rules may
include items such as methods for communicating with each other and the project area residents, meeting start and
end times, and any other rule that the group wishes to establish. Although future meetings could include the
addition of new rules, this list will make up the basis for the future meetings. As such, it should be posted at every
working group meeting.
Each of the responsibilities for members of the working group is intended to encourage input and involvement from
the participants. By providing feedback on the development of the traffic calming plan, the working group
members take more ownership of the finished product.
The following is the recommended working group meeting schedule and action items:
1. Introduction to Traffic Calming -Discuss existing neighborhood traffic issues, feedback from the initial
neighborhood meeting, and potential traffic calming design concepts. This working group meeting is also
an initial Public Meeting.
2. Development of Alternatives -City reports back findings from further study; working group reviews
preliminary design options. Could take additional meetings to complete preferred design option to present
at Open House, if necessary.
3. Open House I Approval of Preferred Concept-Working Group Chairperson or designee presents final
concept based on feedback from meeting #2; Working group reviews and approves final preferred design
option to be presented at the final neighborhood open house
VII. Problem Identification
After the initial general meeting and before the first working group meeting, City staff summarizes the results of
the survey and, if necessary, prepares a list of the possible traffic problem locations in the project area. Following
the business items at the first meeting of the working group, the members review these traffic problems and
brainstorm any additional locations needing attention. If necessary, the group prioritizes the street sections and
intersections in the project area having the worst traffic problems.
City staff takes the list from this meeting and, if necessary, collect traffic data to confirm problems mentioned.
VIII. Data Collection
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Traffic Calming Policy
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Data is collected in spring and fall months during regular school days. They consist of vehicular speed, traffic
volume, pedestrian activity, and/or any other observation to confirm the traffic problems stated in the survey or at
the first meeting. The length of the data collection depends on the type of data that is collected.
IX. Evaluation of the Traffic Data
City staff evaluates the traffic data to determine levels of traffic volume, vehicular speed, pedestrian activity, and
other observations. If specific problems are mentioned as a priority in the survey or at the first meeting, staff will
assess them. For example, if speeding is said to be a problem on Street A, then City staff collects the speed data to
determine the speed on Street A.
The results found in these data collection efforts are summarized and presented by the City staff at the second
working group meeting. Members have the opportunity to take the information with them to review.
X. Menu of Traffic Calming Measures
There are many measures currently being used to address neighborhood traffic problems. Some are used to address
vehicular speeding and others to address cut-through traffic problems. Some measures may have an impact on both
the vehicular speed and volume. Others are intended to improve the safety of or give priority to non-motorized
modes of transportation. Refer to the Neighborhood Traffic Calming Toolbox for diagrams, advantages, and
disadvantages of some of the available traffic calming measures.
The City recognizes the desire to have measures that are aesthetically pleasing to the residents who live there.
Traffic calming measures that include a raised curb allow for vegetation within the measure. In fact, the use of
greenery to provide vertical sight restrictions is encouraged. City staff determines whether a proposed measure will
provide any traffic enhancement and inform the working group of their findings. Although measures that involve
the construction of a raised curb and landscaping are seen as more attractive than other devices, they are also more
expensive and have greater impact to the adjacent properties such as the removal of on-street parking. Limited
funds may restrict the number of measures including raised curb and gutter.
Every attempt is made to ensure that only the necessary signs and markings are installed. Excessive clutter is not
the intent, rather it is to adequately warn, guide and protect the users of the roadway.
XI. Traffic Calming Plan Development
After reviewing the traffic data and the menu of measures available, the working group is responsible for
brainstorming possible solutions to address the given traffic problems. City staff is present to guide this session. In
addition to the transportation analyst, representatives from the College Station Fire Department, and any other
relevant agencies are encouraged to attend. Ifroutes in the project area are critical for their services, then the
working group is advised of these streets at this meeting. Regular users of the roadway are considered when
developing the type and design of the measures.
After some consensus is achieved on which measures the working group desires and the specific locations of the
measures, City staff then analyzes the proposal. Each measure is evaluated for its likelihood of addressing the given
problem. In addition, roadway alignment, driveway spacing, street width, and other factors are considered in order
to determine whether the measure is possible.
The evaluation may result in changing the proposed measure. The technical expertise of the transportation analyst
will govern the selection and location of the proposed measures. For example, steep grades may preclude the
installation of a measure. Staff identifies these barriers and informs the working group. After the evaluation is
complete, the City develops a map showing the proposed measures and presents it to the working group. This plan
is discussed, and voted on by the working group. If modifications are requested, an additional meeting may be
required to allow time for the staff evaluation of the proposed measures and/or location of measures.
A
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Traffic Calming Policy
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XII. Plan Approval Process
After the working group approves the traffic calming plan, the next step involves a vote of all residents, businesses
and property owners in the project area. An open house meeting is held to present the plan to all interested persons.
The invitation to attend this open house meeting is included in a notice mailed by the City. This notification also
contains details of the traffic calming plan, maps showing where the measures are proposed, verbal descriptions of
each measure, and a ballot. These notices are mailed to every resident, property owner, and business in the project
area.
Each household or business is allowed one vote. In the event that a property is not owner occupied, it is possible to
receive two ballots associated with one property (one from the property owner and one from the renter). In the
event that two ballots are received, the ballot from the property owner is counted and the ballot from the renter is
discarded. However, if a ballot is not received from the property owner, then the ballot from the renter will be
counted. At least 60% of the ballots received must be in favor of implementing the plan. There is no minimum
number of ballots that have to be returned.
The notice is mailed at least 10 days prior to the open house meeting and the deadline for receiving the ballots is
one week following the open house meeting. This allows voters the opportunity to read through the material, return
the ballot or attend the open house meeting and still have time to fill out the ballot before the deadline. The ballots
will be available at the open house and can be returned during that time,
The traffic calming plan is voted on as a whole. Because the plan is a system of integrated calming measures,
individual streets or measures cannot be taken out of the proposal as part of the vote. If one measure or one street
were removed from the plan, the comprehensive nature of the plan would be lost, and residents on that street may
experience higher traffic speeds and/or increased traffic volumes. The vote is either yes or no. Comments are
welcomed, but do not change the complete package. This is the only opportunity to vote on the traffic calming plan,
so every effort must be made in the planning stages to ensure that it is correct and complete.
If the 60% approval is obtained, then City staff completes the design of the measures and the project is ranked in a
prioritized list of other traffic calming projects to be funded for construction in the prioritized order by funds
established by the City Council in the fiscal year's budget. If the 60% approval is not obtained, then the City does
not implement the plan and the project area is not be eligible for evaluation during the next five years.
XIII. Measure Location
There are advantages and disadvantages of each traffic calming measure. The advantages could include reduced
traffic speed or volume, increased safety, and beautification of the streets. The disadvantages include possible
inconvenience to residents driving in the neighborhood, parking restrictions, unattractive measures, and increased
noise for residents adjacent to the measure. Because many residents may object to having a measure immediately
adjacent to their property, it is necessary to establish the requirements for the consideration of shifting a proposed
measure. In some communities, no consideration is given to the resident when objections about the placement of
the measure arise. Others give some leeway to residents if nearby locations are acceptable and adjacent residents
approve. This decision is controversial and can lead to the downfall of the entire project.
If an agency gives property representatives veto power, then the plan can dissolve as everyone wants something to
address the problems, but no one is willing to allow the placement adjacent to their property. A piecemeal plan
soon develops and the comprehensive nature is then mute.
Therefore, the responsibility to make this decision on whether to give property representatives the ability to veto a
measure location adjacent to their property will rest with the working group. This decision should be made prior to
the development of the plan.
If deemed necessary, the City will modify the traffic calming plan to address problems discovered during the
temporary or permanent installation period. In addition, if safety problems surface following the permanent
installation, the City will take the appropriate action to address the problem.
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Traffic Calming Policy
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XIV. Landscaping
Vegetation is chosen which requires minimal attention, such as xeriscape. Measures that include raised curb could
contain 1-3 trees, low lying shrubs, and ground cover, depending on the size of the measure. The neighborhood
association will have the responsibility of maintaining the landscaping. Adjacent residents could, in their routine
lawn maintenance, water or trim the vegetation when the need arises. Failure to maintain the vegetation will result
in its removal.
XV. Impact to Adjacent Streets
In order to ensure that the traffic calming plan does not merely shift traffic to other neighborhood streets within the
project area, traffic volume data is collected on possible diversion routes before and after implementing the
approved plan. If residential streets experience an increase greater than 300 vehicles per day, the City will attempt
to address the volume increase. Example actions to mitigate the volume increase include the modification ofthe
measure( s) that created the shift, or the installation of additional measures on the impacted street.
XVI. Retention
Once a traffic calming plan has been constructed and implemented, it shall remain in place for a minimum of five
(5) years from the final date of construction for permanent measures. Traffic calming measures that are classified
as temporary must remain in place for a minimum of two (2) years. In addition, a traffic calming plan may call for a
test measure, in which case there is no minimum retention period. The decision to make a traffic calming measure
permanent or temporary must be made in the planning process and should be explicitly stated in the final plan. If
this distinction is not made in the traffic calming plan and concrete or asphalt construction is required for
implementation, then the measure is considered permanent. If concrete or asphalt construction is not required, then
the measure is considered temporary.
XVII. Conclusion
This Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program offers effective solutions to address residential traffic problems. The
comprehensive nature of the program allows for mitigation of potential impacts to all streets within theentire
project area. It is a program in which all residents, businesses and property owners are allowed and encouraged to
participate in the process. With the technical assistance from the City of College Station, traffic calming plans can
be developed and approved by those most affected.
As the population in the City of College Station continues to grow, city streets are experiencing increased traffic
pressure. Residents, parents, school administrators, and neighborhood associations have avenues to consider when
trying to address traffic problems. Evaluating streets in an entire project area can be a worthwhile activity to foster
a sense of community and develop solutions that not only address traffic problems, but also offer attractive areas of
landscaping and textured pavement. These modifications can, in turn, result in increased safety, property values,
and improve the overall quality oflife.
Approved and Effective on / 0 -7 -I C/
APPENDIX A
NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC CALMING PRIORITY
POINT RANKING
STREET: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FROM:..._~~~~~~~~~~~~TO ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
lcATEGORY POINTS
Draft Traffic Calming Scoring Process Update
Category Criteria Points Allocated Max Points
Traffic Volume Average daily traffic volume (ADT)/250 35
One (1) point for each mph over 25 mph up to 30
Traffic Speed (85th mph;
percentile speed) Plus two (2) points for each mph over 30 mph up 40
to 35 mph;
Plus five (5) points each mph over 35 mph
Safety Crashes One (1) point for each reported speed related 5 crash in the past five years
No points for detached sidewalks
Sidewalks Two (2) points for back-of-curb sidewalks less 5 than 8 ft in width
Five (5) points for no sidewalks
No points for buffered/protected bike lanes or for
Multi-modal no bicycle facility designation
Activity Bikeways Three (3) points for bike lanes 5
Five (5) points for a designated bike route or
shared lanes
Five (5) points for projects within one block of a
Activity Generators school, park, neighborhood commercial/ mixed-5
use area
Neighborhood Evidence of % of households in support/IO
Support Neighborhood Five (5) points for project areas with greater than 5
Support Signatures 50% support
TOTAL 100
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