PRESENTER: Presenter
Jessica Perry, Graduate Engineer
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SUBJECT: Title
Discuss and consider a recommendation to City Council to extend the existing school zone on Avery Parkway.
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DEPARTMENT: Public Works
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COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: 2
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Engineering staff received a request to investigate Avery Parkway during school peak hours to add yellow center line pavement markings, crosswalks, and all-way stop control at the intersections with Conner Drive and Avery Ranch Drive. This request is related to speeding concerns and pedestrian safety. Avery Parkway is a two-lane local street and is the major street at these intersections at this time. Avery Ranch Drive is classified on the 2012 Regional Transportation Plan as a minor collector and is proposed to continue northwest outside of the Avery Park subdivision with development. Avery Ranch Drive and Conner Drive are both currently stop controlled at their intersections with Avery Parkway. Conner Drive is a two-lane local street. The speed limit on all streets is 30 mph.
Clear Spring Elementary School is located on Avery Parkway within the Avery Park subdivision. There is an existing school zone with static school zone signs on Avery Parkway at the intersection with Wood Drake to approximately 500 feet north of Conner Drive.
Traffic speed and volume data were collected on Thursday, October 29, 2020 for Avery Parkway near Avery Ranch Drive, outside of the currently posed school zone. The average daily traffic (ADT) on Avery Parkway was 1,899 vehicles per day (vpd) and the 85th percentile speed was 34 mph.
Crash data for 2018 through May 2021 was found through TxDOT's Crash Records Information System database. There were five (5) reported crashes on Avery Parkway between Whispering Way and Cypress Mill during this time. Two (2) crashes occurred in the daytime on weekdays. None of the five crashes seem to be speed related.
A site investigation was completed in September 2020 to evaluate vehicle and pedestrian traffic during morning and afternoon school peak times on Avery Parkway between Whispering Way and Avery Ranch Drive. School peak times are approximately 7 am to 7:30 am and 3 pm to 3:30 pm. The pavement width of Avery Parkway is approximately 30 feet.
A marked crosswalk with police crossing guard during both morning and afternoon school peak times is present on Avery Parkway at Dorman Drive. The intersection of Avery Parkway and Dorman Drive is controlled by an all-way stop. All children are gathered and escorted by teachers at afternoon release in a single-file line to this crosswalk location before crossing the street all together in one group. During this time, all vehicles are stopped at the intersection by the police officer for approximately 5-10 minutes before resuming normal operation. In the mornings just as well as afternoons, children all appear to use only the existing crosswalk at Dorman Drive in order to cross Avery Parkway to get to the school.
The northeastern corner of Dorman Drive at Avery Parkway also serves as a bus stop for another school, likely middle school. Children wait near the stop sign at this corner for morning bus pick-up. Avery Parkway carries the majority of the pedestrian traffic, but Briggs Drive - parallel to and north of Avery Parkway - serves some pedestrian traffic too. Several children walk and bike to school in the mornings, however pedestrian activity is much heavier in the afternoons leaving school - some getting picked up along Avery Parkway to skip the parent vehicle pick-up line, and some walking and biking home.
During the morning peak time, parents enter and exit the school parking lot for drop-off using the northeastern driveway while the buses use the southwestern driveway. In the afternoons, the driveway functions switch, where the parents use the southwestern driveway and the buses use only the northeastern driveway. The parent line is long as is usual and can be expected at an elementary school, but traffic does appear to function smoothly.
ISSUE:
Parents parallel park southwest-bound on Avery Parkway opposite the school, causing other vehicles to go into the middle of Avery Parkway in order to go around them. Avery Parkway does not have vertical or horizontal curves in front of the school, so these vehicles do have adequate sight distance for these maneuvers. Yellow center line pavement markings were requested on Avery Parkway to mediate this issue.
There is a horizontal curve on Avery Parkway northeast of Avery Ranch Drive. As mentioned previously, this intersection is stop-controlled on Avery Ranch Drive, but Avery Parkway does not stop. The south side of Avery Parkway west of the intersection with Avery Ranch Drive does not have a sidewalk. Children cross Avery Parkway on foot and bicycles to get to the sidewalk on the north side of Avery Parkway on their route to school, and the opposite path in the afternoons on their way home from school. The crossing location is currently not marked and outside of the existing posted school zone. An all-way stop as well as a marked crosswalk was requested at this location for the safety of the children. The requested all-way stop was studied, does not meet warrants, and is not recommended at this time.
The all-way stop request at the intersection of Avery Parkway and Conner Drive was studied, does not meet warrants, and is not recommended at this time.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Sufficient funding is available in the FY 2021 approved streets and drainage budget for the installation of crosswalk markings on Avery Parkway at Avery Ranch Drive and for double yellow center line pavement markings on Avery Parkway.
Total cost for pavement markings will be approximately $5,500. The cost for signs will be approximately $150 each.
Recommendation
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends an extension of the existing school zone on Avery Parkway on the northeast side to 200 feet northeast of Avery Ranch Drive with no changes to time frames; installation of crosswalk markings on Avery Parkway at the intersection with Avery Ranch Drive; and double yellow center line pavement markings on Avery Parkway from SH 46 to Cypress Mill.