MINUTES

TRAFFIC COMMISSION

Monday, February 23, 2009

City Hall, Room 310

5:30 pm

MEMBERS PRESENT: Chairperson Judy Kuiper, Vice Chairperson Brad Hopp, Charles Karow, Matt Kuepers, Mark Schuster, and Lieutenant Brad Florence for Commander Sterr

MEMBERS ABSENT: Alderman Andy Nicholson (excused)

OTHERS PRESENT: Recording Secretary and Traffic Engineer Dave Hansen

GENERAL BUSINESS

1. Approval of the minutes from the January 19, 2009 Traffic Commission meeting.

A motion was made by B. Hopp, seconded by Lt. Florence, and carried to approve the minutes from the January 19, 2009 Traffic Commission meeting.

INITIAL REQUESTS

2. Request by Ald. Jeffreys to approve placement of a loading zone on the Broadway side of the northeast corner of Broadway and Dousman Street.

Dave Hansen, City Traffic Engineer, stated that the Chamber of Commerce is requesting a designated on-street delivery loading zone north of the NO STOPPING OR STANDING zone that exists on the east side of Broadway north of Dousman St. That existing zone, contiguous and extending north of their building, makes it a long distance for goods to be hand-delivered via sidewalk to their office. Compound that with the many vehicles that park in that area (signed as a 2-HOUR zone), pushes delivery trucks far from their building. They have multiple deliveries per week. He noted that the parking zones are not signed clearly, and that the parking regulations documenting the east side of Broadway between Dousman and Mather Sts are inaccurate. Since Larsen Canning closed, there is no longer a need for the multiple, short NO PARKING zones along the east side of Broadway next to the former factory. He recommended keeping the NO STOPPING OR STANDING zone, establishing a 15-minute delivery zone north of it, keeping the NO PARKING zone at the bump out and at Kellogg St, and continuing the 2-HOUR zone north until the existing NO PARKING HERE TO CORNER zone just south of Mather St.

A motion was made by C. Karow, seconded by M. Kuepers, and carried that, on a 90-day trial, to:

A. Remove the NO PARKING zone on the east side of Broadway from a point 330 feet south of Mather Street to a point 525 feet south of Mather Street.

B. Remove the NO PARKING zone on the east side of Broadway from a point 638 feet south of Mather Street to a point 718 feet south of Mather Street.

C. Remove the NO PARKING zone on the east side of Broadway from Mather Street to a point 150 north of Mather Street.

D. Remove the 2-HOUR PARKING 7 AM TO 7 PM MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY zone on the east side of Broadway from a point 191 feet south of Kellogg Street to a point 118 feet north of Dousman Street.

E. Remove the 2-HOUR PARKING 7 AM TO 7 PM MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY zone on the east side of Broadway from Bond Street to a point 118 feet north of Dousman Street.

F. Establish a NO PARKING zone on the east side of Broadway from a point 150 feet north of Mather Street to a point 205 feet south of Bond Street.

G. Establish a 2-HOUR PARKING 7 AM TO 7 PM MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY zone on the east side of Broadway from a point 205 feet south of Bond Street to a point 10 feet north of Kellogg Street.

H. Establish a NO PARKING zone on the east side of Broadway from a point 10 feet north of Kellogg Street to a point 50 feet south of Kellogg Street.

I. Establish a 2-HOUR PARKING 7 AM TO 7 PM MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY zone on the east side of Broadway from a point 50 feet south of Kellogg Street to a point 175 feet south of Kellogg Street.

J. Establish a NO PARKING zone on the east side of Broadway from a point 175 feet south of Kellogg Street to a point 270 feet south of Kellogg Street.

K. Establish a 2-HOUR PARKING 7 AM TO 7 PM MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY zone on the east side of Broadway from a point 270 feet north of Dousman to a point 335 feet north of Dousman Street.

L. Establish a 15-MINUTE LOADING DELIVERY VEHICLES ONLY zone on the east side of Broadway from a point 190 feet north of Dousman Street to a point 270 feet north of Dousman Street.

M. Establish a NO PARKING zone on the east side of Broadway from Dousman Street to a point 295 feet south of Dousman Street.

3. Request by DPW to remove all school-related regulatory and warning signs near the former Holy Apostle Catholic School.

D. Hansen stated that the Holy Apostle Catholic School, a.k.a., Annunciation Catholic School, is no longer open; therefore, all school-related signs near the former school should be removed.

A motion was made by B. Hopp, seconded by M. Schuester, and carried to:

A. Remove the NO PARKING DURING SCHOOL HOURS zone on the south side of Kellogg Street from Gray Street to a point 253 feet west of Gray Street.

B. Remove all school-related warning and regulatory street signs near the former Holy Apostle Catholic School.

4. Request by Ald. Deneys to install vehicle detectors at the signalized intersections of Fisk/Western, Military/Bond, Mason/Ridge, and Mason/Fisk.

D. Hansen stated that the traffic signals at Fisk/Western are under consideration for removal at tomorrow night’s Improvement and Service Committee meeting. Therefore, no action is recommended at that location until that Committee makes a decision. The intersection of Military/Bond has detection and is currently operating fully-actuated, therefore no action is needed. He presumes that the alderman received recent complaints about this traffic signal, as did he, because the signal was recently put into the Military Ave coordinated system but afterwards was taken out based on it not meeting the expectations of the programming. The intersection of Mason/Ridge is proposed to be upgraded to add sidestreet detection under this year’s traffic signal repair program. The intersection of Mason/Fisk is on the list for capital improvements this year but D. Hansen questioned if it will make the final cut, as there are other pressing intersections in need of repair this year. D. Hansen summarized the multiple locations considered for this year’s signal repair program.

A brief discussion took place about if this information has been presented to Ald. Deneys.

A motion was made by M. Schuester, seconded by M. Kuepers, and carried that the request to install vehicle detectors at the signalized intersections of Fisk/Western, Military/Bond, Mason/Ridge, and Mason/Fisk:

A. Be received and placed on file.

B. That the Traffic Engineer updates Ald. Deneys on the present and future traffic signal detection operations of Fisk/Western, Military/Bond, Mason/Ridge, and Mason/Fisk.

5. Request by Ald. VanderLeest to establish parking passes for residents near Southwest High School.

D. Hansen stated that if any more residential permit zones are added that Parking Division will seek to recoup costs from this program to which they have not asked for reimbursement to date. Any residential permit zone would need to be all-encompassing area, i.e., cannot take a nickel-and-dime approach. Any and all neighborhood associations should be involved with Ald. VanderLeest on this request so there is a solid consensus on need, as the consequences affect a large group. D. Hansen stated there is no neighborhood association just east of the high school.

A brief discussion took place about how the area around Southwest High School is populated with restricted parking zones, and that a precedent in the City has been set that residential parking zones near schools should not be established.

A motion was made by M. Schuster, seconded by B. Hopp, and carried that the request to establish parking passes for residents near Southwest High School be denied.

POSTPONED FROM PREVIOUS MEETING

6. Request by Ald. Nicholson to review the history of traffic signal timing modifications at East Mason Street and Edgewood Drive.

D. Hansen recommended at the request of Ald. Nicholson that Items 6 and 7 be held over to the next Traffic Commission meeting.

A motion was made by B. Hopp, seconded by C. Karow, and carried that the request to review the history of traffic signal timing modifications at East Mason Street and Edgewood Drive be postponed until the March 30, 2009 Traffic Commission meeting.

7. Request by Ald. Nicholson to review the history of traffic signal timing modifications at Main Street and Manitowoc Road.

A motion was made by B. Hopp, seconded by C. Karow, and carried that the request to review the history of traffic signal timing modifications at Main Street and Manitowoc Road be postponed until the March 30, 2009 Traffic Commission meeting.

TERMINATION OF TRIAL PERIODS

None.

There being no other items of discussion, a motion was made by C. Karow, seconded by B. Hopp, and carried to adjourn from the regular orders of business. The meeting ended at 5:50 P.M. The next Traffic Commission meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 30, 2009, in Room 310 at 5:30 P.M.