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Home My WebLink About1817Resolution No. 1817 {Amending or Repealing Resolutions) CFN = 171 -Traffic Control Passed -10/20/09 Residential Traffic Calming Program RESOLUTION NO. _/_~_1_.7'---- A RESOLUTION of the City Council of the City of Kent, Washington, repealing Resolution No. 1804 and adoptmg a new Residential TraffiC Calm1ng Program to authonze the public works director to dev1ate from established standards for phase 2 traffic calming measures. RECITALS A. Residential streets w1thin the City of Kent have measurable safety and community character Impacts due to the speed and volume of through traffic. Such impacts have been addressed by the Neighborhood Traffic Control Program, previously adopted on April 7, 2009, Resolution No. 1804. B. The Mayor and City Council recognize the need to update and otherwise revise the means by wh1ch residential traffic impacts are addressed, and have directed the City's Public Works Department to cons1der proven solut1ons that include resident involvement. In response, the Department conducted research on res1dent1al traffic calming efforts throughout the Umted States and developed a new program called the "Residential Traffic Calming Program (RTCP)." C. Since adoption, 60% of the res1dents of the Erin Glen neighborhood have advised a member of the public works committee that 1 Residential Traffic Calming Program speed bumps are needed on certain streets even though the documented speeds on those streets do not meet the standards required for Phase 2 measures. D. On October 5, 2009, the Public Works Committee heard a presentation by the Public Works Engineering Department regardmg the RTCP, and considered an amendment to the RTPC that would vest 1n the public works d1rector the authonty to deviate from the standards under special Circumstances. E. An amended version of the RTPC is hereto attached as "Exhibit A" and its adoption by resolution has been recommended by the Public Works Committee. NOW THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENT, WASHINGTON, DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS: RESOLUTION SECTION 1. -Repealer. Resolution No. 1804 which adopted the City's Neighborhood Traffic Control Program is hereby repealed in 1ts entirety. SECTION 2. Program Adooted. There is hereby adopted the Residential Traffic Calmmg Program (RTCP) attached and incorporated as EXHIBIT A. The RTCP is general in nature, establishing overall policies and approaches, but leaves the specific details of implementation to the public works director, 1n order to adapt program implementation to meet neighborhood needs on a more flex1ble case-by-case bas1s. This program is des1gned to focus on traffic speeds and volumes to the extent that they negatively 1mpact residential environments. This is a phased program that w1ll allow residents to identify problems and solut1ons specific to their 2 Residential Traffic Calming Program neighborhoods. Initially, problems will be addressed by education efforts, driver alerts, and City not1f1cation to 1dentif1ed speeders. If necessary, potential solutions may involve traff1c calming devices, which could mclude the construction of physical structures to reduce volumes and speeds. Installation of physical structures will be considered after less intrus1ve means fall to yield acceptable results and shall be based upon sound engmeering and transportation plannmg pnnciples and w1th regard to neighborhood aesthetics. The RTCP w1ll prov1de for periodic evaluation of the solutions as Implemented and will include follow-up surveys to determine the resident satisfaction. SECTION 3. -Public Works Director Authorized. The Public Works Director is hereby authorized to implement the RTCP and to adopt procedures and standard construction plans consistent with the principles set forth in th1s resolut1on and to dev1ate from specific standards for Phase 2 measures when special Circumstances so warrant.-;- SECTION 4. -Availabtflty of Program Detatls. A copy of the Residential Traffic Calming Program IS appended to this resolut1on and shall be kept on file w1th the City Clerk and the Public Works Department. Brochures summarizing the RTCP w1ll be made available to the public. SECTION 5. -Severability. If any section, subsect1on, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase of this resolution 1s declared unconstitutional or invalid for any reason, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this resolution. SECTION 6. -Ratificatton. Any act consistent with the authonty and prior to the effect1ve date of th1s resolution is hereby ratified and affirmed. 3 Residential Traffic Calming Program EXHIBIT "A" RESIDENTIAL TRAFFIC CALMING PROGRAM The Residential Traffic Calming Program (RTCP) deals with problems common to many c1t1es; cut-through and speedmg traffic on residential streets. Somet1mes, the problems are related. Drivers attemptmg to save time may cut-through a residential area to avo1d congestion on certain artenals or to avo1d mconvement traffic control dev1ces. They may also dnve at speeds that exceed the posted lim1ts m order to make it through the res1dent1al area quickly. Consequently, some of the traffic control dev1ces employed to address volume control are very s1m1lar to those that address speed control. They are designed to e1ther force drivers to slow down (thereby elimmating the t1me savmg incent1ve for usmg the street as a cut-through), or to prevent them from entering a part1cular street sect1on altogether. Much of the t1me, the greatest s1ngle cause of neighborhood speedmg problems rests w1th the ne1ghbors themselves. As dnvers become comfortable with their everyday dnvmg routes, speeds tend to increase. Th1s 1s particularly true of the roadways nearest the home, which are travelled most often. Part of the RTCP 1s to educate dnvers about their own practices to ensure the neighbors are domg the1r part to keep neighborhood speeds down. The RTCP is comprised of two phases: • Phase I employs a variety of passive control devices. • Phase II involves physical alterat1ons to the street section. Critena have been developed to delineate the threshold conditions that warrant the use of vanous traffic calmmg dev1ces. The criteria were des1gned to support and maintam safety for pedestnans, bicycles and automobiles travel1ng on res1dent1al streets as determined by the transportation element of the c1ty's comprehensive plan. Typ1cally, speed l1mits are determined by the des1gn of the roadway, the behavior of reasonable and prudent dnvers on that roadway, and statutory requirements. The speed l1m1ts for Washington state roadways are determmed by RCW 46.61.400. They are 25 m1les per hour on c1ty and town streets, 50 miles per hour on county roads, and 60 m1les per hour on state highways. RCW 46.61.415 g1ves local JUrisdiCtions the authority to increase or decrease the speed lim1t based on an engineenng and traffic invest1gat1on which determmes that 1t 1s reasonable to do so. Local junsdictions cannot Increase the speed lim1t to more than 60 miles per hour, or decrease it to less than 20 miles per hour. Speed limit enforcement can be an effective traff1c calming measure; however, it 1s ne1ther real1st1c nor pract1cal to rely on the constant presence of law enforcement officers to ensure that dnvers ng1dly adhere to speed lim1ts. Problem areas 1n neighborhoods are to be ident1f1ed through a combmat1on of traffic speed studies conducted by neighborhood volunteers and City staff. If a speed1ng problem IS confirmed by these traffic studies, Phase 1 traffic calmmg measures will be discussed w1th the neighborhood. Once a consensus has been reached w1th the neighborhood, Phase 1 measures w1ll be Implemented. Speeds w1ll be assessed follow1ng placement of these measures and after sufficient t1me has elapsed for behav1or mod1f1cat1on to occur. If speeds continue to exceed the followmg levels, the neighborhood w1ll be eligible to move to Phase 2 of the program: Speed Limit: 25 mph 30 mph 85% Speed: 35 mph or greater 40 mph or greater If neighborhood speeds do not exceed these levels, City staff is available to contmue implementing Phase 1 measures, but Phase 2 measures Will not be implemented unless the d1rector of public works determmes that such are warranted by special Circumstances.-,- Phase 2 of the RTCP involves formation of a Residential Traffic Committee and selection of traff1c calmmg dev1ces to be constructed within the neighborhood to reduce traff1c speeds and volumes. The Residential Traffic Comm1ttee w1ll work w1th City staff to select the preferred measures and locations that will most effectively lower traffic speeds and volumes. The attached flow chart descnbes the process. SECTION 7. -Effective Date. This resolution shall take effect and be in force immediately upon its passage. PASSED at a regular open public meeting by the City Council of the City of Kent, Washington, this ;)...() Pv day of (Q~~/L/ , 2009. ~ CONCURRED in by the Mayor of the City of Kent this c2IJ day of &vb~A./ , 2009. ATTEST:- APPROVED AS TO FORM: T~J?et:~NEY I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of Resolution No. /911 passed by the City Council of the City of Kent, Washington, the 02o cA..-day of ({)c_IH~ , 2009. --~ .... P ICivii\ResolutiOn\Residentia!TrafficCalmmg docx 4 Residential Traffic Calming Program