Traffic Commission Meeting

URBANA TRAFFIC COMMISSION Tuesday, July 8, 2014 MEMBERS PRESENT: Michael Madigan, City Council Member, Ward 6, Chair Joe Smith, Senior Civil Engineer Pat Connolly, Chief of Police MEMBERS ABSENT: None OTHERS PRESENT: Barb Sartain, Principal, 1602 South Anderson Street Derek Liebert, Urbana Park District, 1101 East Kerr Avenue John Collins, Operations Manager Wade Franklin, 201 Lincoln Square Robert Fitzgerald, Police Lieutenant Brian Nightlinger, Fire Chief Jennifer Ivory-Tatum, 205 North Race Street Bill Gray, Public Works Director The meeting began at 4:04 p.m. Additions to the agenda: There were no additions to the agenda. Approval of Minutes: Joe Smith moved to approve the minutes of the June 10, 2014 meeting. Pat Connolly seconded the motion. The Commission voted 3-0 to approve the minutes of the meeting. Public Input Those present wished to speak to the Commission at the time the item was discussed.  Traffic Commission Minutes July 2014 Page 2 Unfinished Business Item #1- Discussion of traffic flow around Wiley Elementary School on Anderson Street between Florida Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue. The Recording Secretary reported that the Urbana School District Administrative Office called on behalf of Dr. Don Owen, Superintendent, to express his approval of the current traffic flow pattern at Wiley Elementary School. Robert Fitzgerald reported a traffic plan was developed by the Police Department, Fire Department and Urbana School District. He added that changes to the traffic pattern around Wiley Elementary School were temporarily approved to restrict traffic to one way going northbound on Anderson Street between Florida Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue during the time periods of 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. to promote safer pick up and drop off of students at the school. He reported that plan included the installation of barricades to drop students off so that they would not be let off in the street. He mentioned that this recommended change was the result of a child being hit at the school in January 2014. He asked that this plan be continued. Joe Smith asked if students were being monitored by teachers to keep them from going to another location to be picked up. Lt. Fitzgerald said that the Police Department monitored traffic at the beginning and then school district personnel continued to monitor to discourage motorists from dropping off or picking up students at locations other than the designated location. Bill Gray asked if the school district was agreeable to putting the signage on the street during the times when one-way traffic was in effect. Barb Sartain stated that the response from parents and staff had been positive. She said that the custodian took care of the signage. She mentioned that a yellow line was painted so students knew where to stand while waiting. She felt that the residents along Anderson Street appreciated the change in the drop off and pick up procedure. Brian Nightlinger said that Phil Edwards from the Fire Department had distributed fliers to the property owners to notify them of the change. Joe Smith asked about the school district’s long-term plans for parking at Wiley School. Jennifer Ivory-Tatum stated that Wiley Elementary School was the last school scheduled for remodeling and that a traffic plan would be included as part of the improvement with a circular drive for drop-off and pick-up. She mentioned that Leal Elementary School and the Urbana Middle School both had one-way traffic designations during the pick-up and drop off times for students.  Traffic Commission Minutes July 2014 Page 3 Pat Connolly moved to designate Anderson Street between Florida Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue as a one-way street for northbound traffic between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. and between the hours of 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Joe Smith seconded the motion. The motion was approved 3-0. This item will go to Council for consideration. Barb Sartain expressed her thanks to the Police Department and Fire Department for their help with the traffic plan. New Business Item #2- Discussion of parking on Ash Street between University Avenue and Park Street. Joe Smith reported that the reconstruction on Ash Street from University Avenue to the alley north of Park Street had been completed. He said that the addition of curb and gutter on the street restricted the street so that cars could not park on both sides of the street and allow traffic to travel between them. He asked the Commission to consider removing parking along the east side of the street since the restriction would eliminate fewer spaces on the east side than restrictions would eliminate on the west side and remove parking on the side of the street where fire hydrants were located. Pat Connolly asked if residents would be able to access their driveways with these restrictions. Joe Smith stated that the residents would be able to access their driveways with the parking restrictions. He added that the residents living at the north east end of Ash Street would be moving soon and asked that the restrictions go into effect after they moved. Joe Smith moved to restrict parking on the east side of Ash Street from University Avenue to the alley north of Park Street once the current residents on the northeast side have moved. He added that the Urbana Park District would be able to travel the street easier with the restrictions on the east side. Pat Connolly seconded the motion. Derek Liebert said that once the gravel shoulder on Ash Street was removed, it became difficult for park district personnel to travel on Ash Street where vehicles parked on both sides. The motion was approved 3-0. This item will go to Council for consideration.  Traffic Commission Minutes July 2014 Page 4 Item #3- Discussion of the installation of parking meters in Lot 10 A North John Collins discussed concerns from Parking Enforcement about Lot 10 A North being used by Champaign County employees instead of the patrons of Lincoln Square, who were to be the intended users of the parking lot. Mr. Collins recommended the installation of parking meters in the lot to restrict the use to Lincoln Square patrons. He suggested that fee by $.25 per hour limited to two-hour parking from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Bill Gray asked what the existing restrictions were. John Collins reported that 2-hour parking was allowed. Wade Franklin said that Great Impasta and Amara Yoga, businesses in Lincoln Square, were opposed to the addition of parking meters. He asked about the possibility of allowing Lincoln Square businesses to validate parking for their customers. Bill Gray asked if metered spaces were allowed as part of the existing agreement between the City of Urbana and Lincoln Square. It was recommended that a validation process and the existing agreement be reviewed and that this item be discussed at the August Traffic Commission meeting. Bill Gray stated that the July 8, 2014 meeting would be Joe Smith’s last meeting as a member of the Urbana Traffic Commission as Mr. Smith would be retiring from the City of Urbana effective July 28, 2014. Mr. Gray thanked Joe Smith for all the work he performed while serving the Traffic Commission from conducting studies to taking calls from residents to preparing Council memos and reports. The meeting adjourned at 4:35 p.m. The next scheduled meeting will be held on August 12, 2014 at 4:00 p.m. at the Urbana Public Works Department, 706 South Glover Avenue, second floor conference room. Respectfully submitted, Barbara Stiehl Recording Secretary