MINUTES
TRAFFIC
COMMISSION
Monday,
August 25, 2008
City
Hall, Room 207
5:30
pm
MEMBERS PRESENT:
Chairperson Judy Kuiper, Alderman Andy Nicholson (from 5:45 pm to the
end of the meeting), Charles Karow, Mark Schuster (from 5:38 pm to the end of
the meeting), and Cmdr. Lisa Sterr
MEMBERS ABSENT:
Matt Kuepers (excused); Vice Chairperson Brad Hopp
1. Approval of the minutes from the July 28, 2008 Traffic Commission meeting.
A
motion was made by M. Schuster, seconded by C. Karow, and carried to approve
the minutes from the July 28, 2008 Traffic Commission meeting.
The remaining items were taken in this
order: 11, 12, 7, 6, 2-5, 8-10, and
13-18.
2. Report by the Traffic Engineer on
Council modifications to the July 28, 2008 Traffic Commission Council Report.
Dave
Hansen, City Traffic Engineer, stated that 2 motions from Traffic Commission
were modified at the Tuesday, August 5, 2008 City Council meeting.
Item
No. 2 was modified as follows: A motion
was made by Lt. Florence, seconded by C. Karow, and carried that the request to
retime the traffic signals at Mason/Alpine and Mason/Edgewood to reduce sidestreet wait times and to lower speeds on Mason Street
be referred to staff to adjust the
in-place timing plan schedule and to refer the results to the Mayor’s office
for concurrence. incorporated.
Item
No. 10 was modified as follows: A motion
was made by B. Hopp, seconded by C. Karow, and carried that the request for a
NO PARKING THIS SIDE OF STREET-RESIDENTS ONLY from 1739 to 1759 Loretta Lane be
postponed until the next Traffic
Commission meeting on August 25, 2008.
received and placed on file.
A
motion was made by Ald. Nicholson, seconded by C. Karow, and carried that the
report by the Traffic Engineer on Council modifications to the July 28, 2008
Traffic Commission Council Report be received and placed on file.
3. Review of the 2008 second quarter
serious/fatal traffic crashes within the City of Green Bay.
Cmdr.
Sterr handed out the report, summarizing 2 serious injury crashes and no fatal
crashes.
Crash
#1: Apr 2, 2008, 5:10 PM, Baird St at
Smith St, male operator, age 46, motorist attempted to
make high-speed left turn, OWI issued.
Crash
#2: Jun 17, 2008, 11:56 PM, W Mason St
at Country Club Rd, male operator, age 47, high-speed vehicle left road and hit
sign and utility pole, 8th OWI issued to driver.
A
brief discussion took place that most serious injury or fatal crashes on
current and past reports have been alcohol-related.
A
motion was made by Ald. Nicholson, seconded by C. Karow and carried that the
report on the 2008 second quarter serious/fatal traffic crashes within the City
of Green Bay be received and placed on file.
4.
Request by the Department of
Public Works to establish temporary intersection modifications at the
intersection of East Mason Street and Bader Street. (Ald.
Nicholson – District 3 and Ald. DeWane – District 2)
D. Hansen stated that DPW is requesting, on a trial basis, to close the southbound left-turn lane and eliminate early westbound right-turn motorists at Bader St that intend to make a right-turn at Main St. He explained that there are a high number of crashes at this intersection that will be eliminated by making the modifications. Traffic counts have been taken at the intersection and nearby streets. Traffic counts will be taken after the modifications are made, if the trial is approved, to study any impacts to nearby streets. He said other measures were considered but that the current proposal had the most support by Alds. Nicholson and DeWane and by staff.
D. Hansen answered questions about the temporary modifications.
A motion was made by M. Schuster, seconded by Ald. Nicholson and carried that the request by the Department of Public Works to establish temporary intersection modifications at the intersection of East Mason Street and Bader Street be approved.
5. Request by Ald. Nicholson to establish a 2-WAY STOP condition at the intersection of St. Bernard Drive and Fern Lane. (Ald. Nicholson – District 3)
A motion was made by Ald. Nicholson, seconded by C. Karow and carried that the request to establish a 2-WAY STOP condition at the intersection of St. Bernard Drive and Fern Lane be received and placed on file.
6. Request by Ald. Nicholson to paint crosswalks crossing Manitowoc Road at Winter Lane. (Ald. Nicholson – District 3)
Ald. Nicholson stated that the Imperial Pride Neighborhood Association is concerned with pedestrian safety at the intersection.
A motion was made by M. Schuster, and seconded by C. Karow to suspend the rules and allow interested parties to speak. Motion carried.
Ben Heiman (845 Bader St), President of the Imperial Pride Neighborhood Association, spoke in favor of the request. He is concerned about children pedestrian safety and of those residents that use motorized carts because of neighborhood speeding. He stated that the crosswalks would slow motorists down.
A discussion took place about if crosswalks would slow traffic down, that Manitowoc Rd is being used as a playground, motorists and pedestrians obeying the standard rules of the road, pedestrian education, speed studies, and speed enforcement.
D. Hansen reminded members that this same request was received and placed on file at a recent Traffic Commission meeting when the primary discussion focused on the DPW policy that considers painting crosswalks if 2 curb ramps exist, one each end. At this intersection, curb ramps exist only on the south side of Manitowoc Rd. The potential location also must have documented pedestrian activity combined with identified safety issues.
J. Kuiper asked B. Heiman if the new crosswalks at nearby Manitowoc/Bader have been effective. B. Heiman responded no, as only some of the children use the crosswalk. The discussion then focused on pedestrian education and communicating with nearby schools and Spanish liaison officers.
A motion was made by C. Karow, and seconded by M. Schuster to return to regular order of business. Motion carried.
Ald. Nicholson requested DPW Engineering to review this location for curb ramps.
The discussion continued about speeding concerns and the city-adopted neighborhood traffic calming policy.
A motion was made by M. Schuster, seconded by Ald. Nicholson and carried that the request to paint crosswalks crossing Manitowoc Road at Winter Lane be referred to DPW Engineering for consideration of curb ramp installation on the north side of Manitowoc Road at Winter Lane.
7. Request by Ald. Theisen to change the 2-HOUR PARKING on the 1200 block of Lawe Street to 4-HOUR PARKING. (Ald. Theisen – District 4)
D.
Hansen stated that 4-HOUR parking zones do not exist within the City. A similar request came to the Traffic
Commission in February which resulted in a motion establishing a 3-HOUR zone
instead, of which Ald. Theisen supported.
Ald.
Theisen spoke in favor of establishing a 4-HOUR zone.
A
brief discussion took place about the potential difficulty of enforcing a
4-HOUR zone, and about requesting a formal response from the Parking Division.
A
motion was made by C. Karow, and seconded by M. Schuster, to suspend the rules
and allow interested parties to speak.
Motion carried.
Tony
Lison (1247 Lawe St) spoke in favor of the request,
citing work shift differences within his residence and their frequent vehicle
swapping issues. He stated that
lengthening the allowable parking time would not encourage Bellin Hospital
staff to park on Lawe St.
Bobby
Lison (1247 Lawe St) spoke in favor of the request,
citing that there have been other requests for 4-HOUR parking. She stated it should be easier to enforce a
4-HOUR zone because it gives city staff more time to come back to the street to
look for parking violators.
A
discussion took place about the existing residential permit and various hourly
parking zones near Lawe St and near Bellin Hospital.
A
motion was made by M. Schuster, seconded by C. Karow to return to regular order
of business. Motion carried.
A
brief discussion took place about adding Lawe St to the residential permit
parking zone, and the pros & cons of residential permit parking zones.
A
motion was made by Ald. Nicholson, seconded by C. Karow and carried that the
request to change the 2-HOUR PARKING on the 1200 block of Lawe Street to 4-HOUR
PARKING be referred to the DPW Parking Director to:
A.
Discuss with Ald. Theisen the potential of adding 4-HOUR parking zones
in the City.
B.
To report the discussion results to the Traffic Engineer for the next
Traffic Commission meeting.
Ald.
Nicholson arrived at the meeting at 5:45 pm prior to discussion of Item 6.
8. Request by Georgia Pacific to remove
the flashing beacon and crosswalk marking on Quincy Street at Day Street. (Ald.
Piton – District 6)
D. Hansen stated that Georgia Pacific (GP) approached DPW and stated they no longer have a need for the flashing beacons at their current location of Quincy/Day. Because GP paid for the original flashing beacon originally installation, D. Hansen recommended DPW to remove the flashing beacons, provide the removed equipment to GP, and void the original agreement between the City and GP. GP has plans to reinstall the flashing beacons onsite at the Quincy St plant location.
A motion was made by Ald. Nicholson, seconded by C. Karow and carried that DPW remove the flashing beacon and crosswalk marking on Quincy Street at Day Street.
9. Request by Ald.
VanderLeest to establish a NO PARKING zone on the east side of Packerland Drive
near the driveway entrances to Southwest High School. (Ald.
VanderLeest – District 11)
D. Hansen spoke in
favor of the request. He provided a map
showing the proposed NO PARKING zones.
He explained that restricting motorists from parking in these areas will
open up the sight triangle for motorists leaving the Southwest High School
northern parking lot. Since Packerland
Dr is a County highway, the Brown County Highway Department would need to
approve and sign the zone, but the City still needs to approve it in order to
enforce it. D. Hansen sent a letter to
the Highway Commissioner requesting this zone.
A motion was made by Ald. Nicholson, seconded by C. Karow, and carried, on a 90-day trial, to:
A. Establish a NO STOPPING NO STANDING zone on the east side of Packerland Drive from a point 240 feet south of Trojan Drive to a point 315 feet south of Trojan Drive.
B. Establish a NO STOPPING NO STANDING zone on the east side of Packerland Drive from a point 485 feet south of Trojan Drive to a point 560 feet south of Trojan Drive.
10. Request by Ald. Weber that the City reconsider their position on the no-left turn from the Casino onto South Point Road and convey their position to him. (Ald. Weber – District 12)
D.
Hansen explained that the NO LEFT TURN condition was originally established
based on a request from a past alderwoman and residents that voiced concern
over Oneida Bingo and Casino traffic that used to travel through their
neighborhoods. He stated that the turn
restriction sign exists within the Village of Ashwaubenon. He received a call from a manager at the
casino requesting this turn restriction be removed. The manager stated that, at that time, it was
difficult to get onto Hwy 172 during reconstruction of the intersection of S
Point Rd and Hwy 172.
M.
Schuster and C. Karow stated that the NO LEFT TURN condition is rarely enforced
by the Village of Ashwaubenon. M.
Schuster understands the concern of the residents not wanting that additional
neighborhood traffic.
A
motion was made by Ald. Nicholson, seconded by C. Karow and carried that the
request by Ald. Weber for
the
City to reconsider their position on the no-left turn from the Casino onto
South Point Road and convey their position to him be received and placed on
file.
11. Request by Ald. Kocha
to establish a new truck route for trucks leaving TNT Crust on Cedar Street
that travel east from that location. (Ald. Kocha –
District 5)
D.
Hansen recommended the request be postponed to the next meeting for completion
of the pavement evaluation.
Ald.
Kocha spoke with half of the residents along the
proposed new truck route of Cedar St to Forest St, of which all supported the
proposed route. The residents expressed
safety concerns over the current route required for TNT Crust truck drivers on
Grove St at Main St.
A
motion was made by M. Schuster, seconded by Cmdr. Sterr and carried that the
request to establish a new truck route for trucks leaving TNT Crust on Cedar
Street that travel east from that location be postponed until the next Traffic
Commission meeting on September 22, 2008.
12. Request by Ald. Piton to paint crosswalks
crossing University Avenue at St. George Street and install pedestrian warning
signs. (Ald. Piton – District 6)
D.
Hansen received an e-mail from Ald. Piton requesting this item be received and
placed on file.
Ald.
Kocha requested an explanation why the crosswalks
shouldn’t be painted. D. Hansen stated
that making the proposed crosswalk more prominent may encourage additional
children to cross at this location rather than at the preferred safer location,
Irwin/University, which has a crossing guard.
A
brief discussion took place about the existing curb ramps and median cut at the
intersection.
A
motion was made by C. Karow, seconded by Cmdr. Sterr and carried that the
request to paint crosswalks crossing University Avenue at St. George Street and
install pedestrian warning signs be received and placed on file.
M. Schuster arrived at the meeting at
5:38 PM during discussion of Item 12.
TERMINATION
OF TRIAL PERIODS
13. That, on a 90-day trial, to remove the NO PARKING 7 AM TO 6 PM DAILY (EXCEPT SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS) zone on the north side of Prospect Street between Broadway and Maple Avenue.
A motion was made by Ald. Nicholson, seconded by C. Karow and carried that the removal of the NO PARKING 7 AM TO 6 PM DAILY (EXCEPT SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS) zone on the north side of Prospect Street between Broadway and Maple Avenue be adopted by ordinance.
14. That, on a 90-day trial, to establish a 1-WAY STOP condition on westbound Seventh Street at State Street.
A motion was made by Ald. Nicholson, seconded by C. Karow and carried that a 1-WAY STOP condition on westbound Seventh Street at State Street be established and adopted by ordinance.
15. That, on a 90-day trial, to remove the NO PARKING zone on the south side of West Point Road from a point 150 feet west of Packerland Drive to a point 70 feet east of Edgehill Drive.
A motion was made by Ald. Nicholson, seconded by C. Karow and carried that the removal of the NO PARKING zone on the south side of West Point Road from a point 150 feet west of Packerland Drive to a point 70 feet east of Edgehill Drive be adopted by ordinance.
16. That, on a 90-day trial, establish a NO PARKING ZONE zone on the south side of West Point Road from a point 150 feet west of Packerland Drive to a point 295 feet west of Edgehill Drive.
A motion was made by Ald. Nicholson, seconded by C. Karow and carried that a NO PARKING ZONE zone on the south side of West Point Road from a point 150 feet west of Packerland Drive to a point 295 feet west of Edgehill Drive be established and adopted by ordinance.
17. That, on a 90-day trial, establish a 2-HOUR 7 AM TO 4 PM SCHOOL DAYS zone on the south side of West Point Road from a point 295 feet west of Edgehill Drive to a point 140 feet west of Edgehill Drive.
A motion was made by Ald. Nicholson, seconded by C. Karow and carried that a 2-HOUR 7 AM TO 4 PM SCHOOL DAYS zone on the south side of West Point Road from a point 295 feet west of Edgehill Drive to a point 140 feet west of Edgehill Drive be established and adopted by ordinance.
18. That, on a 90-day trial, establish a NO PARKING zone on the south side of West Point Road from a point 140 feet west of Edgehill Drive to a point 70 feet east of Edgehill Drive.
A
motion was made by Ald. Nicholson, seconded by C. Karow and carried that a NO
PARKING zone on the south side of West Point Road from a point 140 feet west of
Edgehill Drive to a point 70 feet east of Edgehill Drive be established and adopted by ordinance.
There being
no other items of discussion, a motion was made by Ald. Nicholson, seconded by
C. Karow, and carried to adjourn from the regular orders of business. The meeting ended at 6:35 PM. The next Traffic Commission meeting is
scheduled for Monday, September 22, 2008, in Room 310 at 5:30 P.M.