HomeMy WebLinkAboutTSMinutes_2011_04_14BROOKINGS TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMITTEE
City Hall meeting room
Thursday, April 14, 2011
12:10 p.m.
The Brookings Traffic Safety Committee held its monthly meeting on Thursday, April 14, 2011, at
12:10pm in the City Hall meeting room.
Members Present: Carol Rettkowski, Louis Skubic, Jackie Lanning, Jeff Miller, Skip Webster, Keith
Bruinsma, Brian Lueders, Pete Kirchheuel, and Tony Sonnenburg.
Members Absent: Tim Heaton, Daryl Englund, and Mike Fossum.
Others Present: SDSU student Mike, from SDSU Student Association
Call to Order: Skip called the meeting called to order. Bruinsma /Skubic move to approve the
discussion minutes from the March meeting. All present voted aye.
Addition to Agenda: Discussion of SDSU bike route.
Old Business: Discussion of 4-way stop sign at 3rd Street and 3rd Avenue. Lanning went over the
accident data for the last five years and stated there haven’t been very many accidents at the
intersection would meet the warrants for a 4-way stop sign. She went over the stop sign guidelines in
the MUTCD handbook:
Section 2B.07 Multi-Way Stop Applications
Guidance:
03 The decision to install multi-way stop control should be based on an engineering study.
B. Five or more reported crashes in a 12 month period that are susceptible to correction by
a multi-way stop installation. Such crashes include right-turn and left-turn collisions as well as right-
angle collisions.
Option:
C. Locations where a road user, after stopping, can not see conflicting traffic and is not
able to negotiate the intersection unless conflicting cross traffic is also required to stop; and
D. An intersection of two residential neighborhood collector (through) streets of similar
design and operating characteristics where multi-way stop control would improve traffic operational
characteristics of the intersection.
Lanning stated C and D criteria would be the closest warrants that could be met and the intersection
could be monitored. Lanning described the reconstruction project for Front Street and suggested
waiting until the road is completed to make a decision which will be in August. Webster agreed and
thinks the traffic flow will increase. Miller would be in favor of a 4-way stop sign with a “stop sign
ahead” sign placed south of the intersection because vehicles on 3rd Street going either direction
have a short visibility of the traffic coming around the corner from the south. Skubic asked is there a
concern with the Fire Trucks and Police cars leaving City Hall for emergencies. Miller stated anytime
there is a 4-way stop it is a safer intersection. Emergency personnel can go through the intersection
but proceed with caution for emergencies. Lanning mentioned another complaint she received is
when there is a fire response call, the firefighter’s vehicles are parked all around the intersection and
can make it difficult to see. Carol stated she talked with the Fire Chief and told them they could park
in Dakota Services lot for emergencies as long as they leave the keys in their vehicles. Lanning will
communicate this with the Fire Chief. Lanning suggested after the Front Street reconstruction grading
is completed to the point a vehicle can drive on the road, the visibility can be checked to see if it
would warrant a 4-way stop sign. The stop sign could be installed before the road opens up. Lanning
will monitor the street project and if the committee suggests a 4-way stop at this location it will need to
go to before the City Council before the road opens. Carol stated a 4-way stop with heavy traffic may
cause traffic to back up. The double parking of delivery trucks in front of Ron’s Auto may cause
visibility problems. Sonnenburg stated Ron’s Auto can use the alley access. Sonnenburg would
question if the backup of cars and parking along the streets could cause a visibility problem. Lanning
also stated we wouldn’t want to create a back up on Front Street onto Main Avenue. Lanning
/Lueders made the motion to table this item until the Front Street project is completed and to
analyze the intersection at that time. All present voted aye.
New Business:
Discussion of SDSU bike route. Three representatives from the SDSU Student Association passed
out three handouts to the committee. They would like to see a route connecting the campus to the
city. The Association would like to have three test streets with no parking on both sides of the road.
The roads they are requesting are: 11th Street west of Campus from 3rd Avenue to Medary Avenue
and from 16th Avenue to 22nd Avenue, 12th Avenue from 8th Street to 1st Street, and 8th Street from
Western Avenue to 20th Avenue and 20th Avenue from 8th Street to 6th Street by the Greek Village.
The students stated that removing parking would greatly enhance the safety of both bikers and
drivers on city roads. Lanning asked how the east side of 11th Street would change since there is
currently no parking and there is not enough room to stripe it. Lanning stated many of the streets
requested for no parking are not wide enough for a striped bike lane. One of the representatives
stated if there is no parking and the “Share The Road” signs are in place there would be no change.
Lanning would like to talk to Sioux Falls because they are more experience with bike lanes.
Boomsma asked how this request would fit into the larger city wide plan. Lanning stated the Traffic
Safety and the City Council went through a number of meetings in 2009 for the SDSU proposal and
the Safe Routes To School proposal and the improvements were passed by the City Council and the
project was implemented last year. Sonnenburg/Luders made the motion to hold a public
hearing on May 12th 2011. Lanning mentioned this public hearing will involve the same citizens that
were involved in last month’s meeting when the committee discussed no parking and some of the
citizens have been involved in five or six meetings with a similar topic. Sonnenburg stated that it didn’t
make sense to have a safe bike lane with stencils painted on the side of the road where parked cars
park over the stenciling. Webster agreed that cars parked along the road with bikes swerving in and
out of the lane is a traffic safety concern the committee should have. Lanning stated they are sharing
the road with a vehicle even if the vehicle is parked. Lueders would like to amend the motion to
remove 12th Avenue off the public hearing because of earlier public hearings. Miller stated the
committee had discussions with the 12th Avenue property owners over parking and the residents have
spoken. He stated the committee would be reversing their decision within a couple of months and he
would suggest we don’t change anything on 12th Avenue. Lanning stated since the SDSU
representatives left for this part of the discussion that the committee should still go ahead and hold a
public hearing. Lueders suggested on reversing the motion until the May meeting. Lanning suggested
the 12th Avenue public hearing could be tabled. If the SDSU students requested the 12th Avenue
hearing, it could be held in June. Sonnenburg/Skubic amended his motion to remove 12th
Avenue from the public hearing stated in his original motion. All present voted aye.
Member Reports
Lanning gave a DOT update and stated the Traffic study is nearly complete and she will send out the
report to the committee.
The next meeting will be May 12, 2011. Meeting adjourned.
Submitted by: Chris Larson