PRESENTER: Presenter
Garry Ford, Jr., Assistant Public Works Director/City Engineer
Body
SUBJECT: Title
Discuss and consider approval of the installation of speed humps on Broadway Drive between Rusk Street and Flushing.
Header
DEPARTMENT: Public Works
Body
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: 4 & 5
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Citizens submitted a request for the installation of speed humps on Broadway Drive between Rusk Street and Flushing. Broadway Drive is classified as a minor collector in the City of New Braunfels 2012 Regional Transportation Plan with a posted speed limit of 30 mph. The request was evaluated based on petition, operational and geometric requirements established in the City of New Braunfels Speed Hump Policy approved in 1999.
Twelve (12) signatures were required to meet the two-thirds requirement, and 12 signatures were received. An operational requirement in the policy is that the 85th percentile speed must be at least 5 mph over the regulatory speed limit of 30 mph. Traffic data collected on February 10, 2021 showed an 85th percentile speed of 35 mph which does meet the speed criteria in the Speed Hump Policy. Another operational requirement in the policy is an average daily traffic volume of at least 800 vehicles. The data collected in February 2021 counted 394 vehicles per day which does not meet the volume criteria in the Speed Hump Policy. These requirements are listed in the attachment to this report.
The Speed Hump Policy also requires proposed speed humps on a street to be approved by the emergency services departments. The New Braunfels Fire Department and the New Braunfels Police Department approve of the installation of speed humps on the requested street.
This portion of Broadway Drive does not have curbs, so curb extensions will need to be installed with the speed humps to ensure that drivers do not circumvent the speed humps.
If the request is approved, the street will be placed on the list of streets eligible for speed hump installation for up to three years. Speed hump projects will be prioritized according to the criteria established in the Speed Hump Policy. The Speed Hump Policy also states that the alteration or removal of speed humps requires the same petition process as the installation request, with at least two-thirds of all adjacent households and businesses in favor of speed hump removal. The city will not provide any funding for the removal of speed humps if it is requested.
ISSUE:
Consideration of the requested speed humps is consistent with the following action from Envision New Braunfels:
Action 7.16: Develop a program and process for consideration of citizen requests for neighborhood traffic calming.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The City has specific funding for the installation of traffic calming. This is the third speed hump request submitted for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. Speed hump installation cost including speed cushions, signing and pavement markings at three locations cost approximately $25,500 to $31,500, depending on location. The cost of the required curb extensions is estimated to be approximately $1,200 for each set of speed humps.
Recommendation
RECOMMENDATION:
Transportation and Traffic Advisory Board
This item was considered and discussed by the Transportation and Traffic Advisory Board at their meeting on April 8, 2021. The Board had a tie vote (3 opposed, 3 in favor) regarding the installation of speed humps on Broadway Drive between Rusk Street and Flushing.
Staff
Staff does not recommend approval of speed humps on Broadway Drive between Rusk Street and Flushing as it does not meet the volume criteria established in the Speed Hump Policy.