HomeMy WebLinkAbout7A Activities of Traffic Safety Advisory CommitteepRI0
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4646 Dakota Street SE
74tjjSO Prior Lake, MN 55372
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE:
NOVEMBER 21, 2011
AGENDA #:
7A
PREPARED BY:
LARRY POPPLER, CITY ENGINEER/INSPECTIONS DIRECTOR
PRESENTER:
LARRY POPPLER
AGENDA ITEM:
CONSIDER APPROVAL OF A REPORT HIGHLIGHTING THE 2011
YEARLY ACTIVITIES OF THE TRAFFIC SAFETY ADVISORY
COMMITTEE
DISCUSSION: Introduction
The purpose of this agenda report is to review the 2011 yearly activities of
the Traffic Safety Advisory Committee.
History
In 2004 the City of Prior Lake established the Traffic Safety Committee to
review issues related traffic safety within the City. As the City population
has grown to over 20,000 persons, a forum for requests or concerns was
needed to respond quickly and consistently to traffic safety issues. The
committee met and discussed each issue in an informal manner and
meetings were organized once enough traffic safety issues were reported
by the public.
In 2009, the committee evolved into an official advisory committee and
bylaws were established. The bylaws established officers of the committee
and formally detailed committee procedures.
Parts of the bylaws discuss a yearly report given to the City Council to
discuss traffic safety issues and the previous year's committee activities.
Current Circumstances
Traffic safety requests fall into five categories:
1. Stop sign requests
2. Parking Issues
3. Speeding Issues
4. Crosswalk Issues
5. General Traffic Safety Issues.
The Traffic Safety Advisory Committee met twice in 2011 to discuss public
requests related to traffic safety. The first meeting was held on March 31
2011 and the second was held on July 28 2011.
The traffic safety items reviewed in 2011 included: Sand Point Beach
parking, general no parking issues, yield sign request, speed issues,
crosswalk issues and general construction updates. At large traffic related
requests were down this year. The Traffic Safety Advisory Committee
discussed 9 traffic safety requests in 2011. By comparison the Committee
discussed 30 traffic safety requests in 2010.
In some cases, recommendations were given to install traffic signage,
increase enforcement, conduct further research, or do nothing.
Conclusion
Staff recommends the acceptance of the report. The City Council can also
give direction to the committee to review other traffic safety related issues.
ISSUES: Sand Point Beach Parking
Over the past year Sand Point Beach parking issues dominated the Traffic
Safety discussions. The Traffic Safety Advisory Committee held a public
meeting in 2010 to discuss the parking around the park as the City
contemplated parking along Crest Avenue. On April 18, 2011, the City
Council approved limited parking on east side of Crest Avenue and
removed the fees for parking during the week within the 121 stall, Sand
Point parking lot. Fees were still collected during the weekend, but the
revenue generated was reduced by roughly 50% from previous years.
The City also performed parking lot and park use counts to determine the
use of the park. The counts were taken at a point in the day when the park
was at its heaviest use and provide a snapshot of the use on that day. As
you can imagine it is quite difficult to count active persons within a park, so
the counts are not always exact especially on heavy use days. The peak
count was Wednesday June 29 with a person count of approximately 550.
Five other dates had person counts approaching 500. The parking lot was
full on 11 dates this summer. Nine of those dates occurred on the
weekends or holidays.
Removing the parking fee during the week and adding parking on Crest
Avenue helped to reduce the amount of vehicles parking on neighboring
streets. Staff received only one call from a property owner in the area this
summer after the parking was installed on Crest Avenue and that person
voiced their pleasure about how well things were working. No traffic related
concerns were raised regarding the change on Crest Avenue. Parking
continues to be an issue on those peak days during the summer and some
neighboring streets still see parking on even low use days, but it is Staff's
belief that the steps taken in 2011 have helped reduce parking issues on
the neighboring residential streets.
FINANCIAL In some cases the recommendations of the Traffic Safety Advisory
IMPACT: Committee meant City expenditures for additional traffic signage
throughout the City or further City Staff time associated with study or
enforcement of issues.
ALTERNATIVES: 1. Approve a report highlighting the 2011 yearly activities of the Traffic
Safety Advisory Committee
2. Deny this item for a specific reason and provide staff with direction.
3. Table this item until some date in the future.
RECOMMENDED Alternative No. 1.
MOTION:
2