HomeMy WebLinkAboutTSMinutes_2016_08_11BROOKINGS TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMITTEE
City & County Government Center, Room 241
Thursday, August 11, 2016
12:10 p.m.
The Brookings Traffic Safety Committee held its monthly meeting on Thursday, August 11, 2016,
at 12:10pm in the City & County Government Center Suite 230, Room 241.
Members Present: Skip Webster, Jackie Lanning, Carol Rettkowski, Gregg Jorgenson, Becky
Schmieding, Gary Gramm, Matt Bartley, Tony Sonnenburg, and Jeff Miller.
Members Absent: Tim Heaton, Shayn Damm, Brian Leuders, John Howard and James Weiss.
Others Present: Jonnie Einspahr and David Kneip.
Call to Order: Webster called the meeting to order. Schmieding pointed out a few spelling
corrections. Jorgenson / Gramm made a motion to approve the amended minutes from the July 14,
2016 meeting. All present voted aye. Motion passed.
Additions to Agenda: None
Old Business:
Update on the traffic signal study for the intersection of 12th Street South and 22nd Avenue South
Lanning described the memo she received from HDR on the traff ic study that was completed on
this intersection earlier this year. The study indicated that based on the traffic volumes, there are
currently no warrants that are met for the traffic signal. Rettkowski would like to know when the
study was conducted. Gramm would also like to know when the study was done as well as the
times of day. He stated counts could be higher depending on the time of day when the grade
school gets out and if the SDSU students were in town. Lanning is going to check on the date and
times the study was done. She stated they can have the analysis looked at in the fall using traffic
counts that start around 3:30 when school lets out.
New Business:
Discussion on removing parking from the north side of 2 nd Street South, from Medary Avenue
South to the west approximately 500 feet
Lanning stated this request came from a Parks Department employee who said vehicles park
along the north side of the street between 919 and 915 2nd Street South. She stated when the
Parks department vehicles drive west past the curve with their big trucks that the lane was tight.
Bartley mentioned there was a daycare in this area that is no longer there and the vehicles could
have been associated with the daycare. Lanning stated parking is allowed on both sides of the
street. Schmieding said if no one is parking there and we remove parking, no one should be upset
and if we don’t make it no parking and a vehicle parks there, then it becomes a problem. Bartley
stated if we do something that is not needed he will s till have maintenance costs. Lanning stated
an option would be to removing parking on 2nd Street South from Medary Avenue to Main Avenue
and just put up signage. Kneip would be in favor of removing the parking. After discussion,
Schmieding/ Jorgenson made a motion to monitor this area. All present vote aye. Motion
passed.
Discussion on traffic speed and crosswalk on Western Avenue near Timberline Addition
Jonnie Einspahr addressed the committee and is concerned about the speed on Western Avenue.
She stated there is a lot of pedestrian traffic across Western at Summit Pass heading to school or
just out for some exercise. She would like this committee to take a look at this area for a better
solution. Lanning states the MUTCD Manual states stop signs are not to be used for speed control.
She also mentioned the city is installing curb ramps this summer on Western Avenue north of
Summit Pass which would give a better area for people to cross Western Avenue. Miller
suggested putting the speed trailer or speed sign in this area temporarily.
Member Reports:
Lanning updated the committee that all the stop signs have been approved by the City
Council and will be installed soon.
The 6th Street design committee will be regrouping after the Bicycle Master Plan open house
in September.
The committee discussed the No Right on Red signs on the traffic signal at 12 th Street
South and 7th Avenue South. Some members of the committee thought the current signs on
the signal mast arm were visible and some members wante d extra signs on the vertical
signal pole. The manual recommends if there are two signs they should be the same sign.
Damm mentioned that the yellow flashing arrows at traffic signals were confusing for some
drivers and may cause accidents. Lanning will do another press release to help educate
drivers about the flashing yellow arrows.
Lanning will check into the timing of the arrows on Orchard and 22nd Avenue.
Schmieding would like having a center turn lane on 8th Street South turning into the Lewis
parking lot.
The next meeting will be September 15, 2016. Meeting adjourned.
Submitted by: Chris Larson