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Council holds first reading to update traffic-control ordinance and rename Ferris Street segment
Summary
City staff presented a first reading of proposed traffic ordinance amendments to update signal rules to current state guidance, rename a disconnected Ferris Street segment to School Street, add the Federal Street traffic signal to the code, and remove an outdated left-turn prohibition onto Center Street.
City staff presented a package of traffic ordinance updates to the council for first reading. The proposed amendments include:
- Rename a disconnected segment of Ferris Street to School Street to correct a non-contiguous street name and bring addressing into compliance with E-911 requirements.
- Update local traffic-control signal rules by adopting the state's current rules and interpretations for traffic-control signals (the draft text incorporates the state guidance into the local ordinance so the city’s local code reflects modern signal practice, including red-arrow behaviors).
- Add the new traffic signal location at Federal Street to the list of signalized intersections in the city code.
- Clarify prohibitions on right turns on red at specified locations (top and bottom of Fairfield Street) where the turn would interfere with existing stop gates or create unsafe conditions.
- Remove a long-unused prohibition on left turns into Center Street from Main Street after staff concluded that enforcing that restriction would be counterproductive and that the sign had not been enforced for some time.
Staff said the package corrects outdated language in the local traffic ordinance and aligns the city rules with current state interpretations. The council treated this as a first reading and will return for a second reading; no final action was taken at this meeting.
Council discussion touched on enforcement realities (e.g., drivers turning right on red despite signage), placement of signage (suggestion to place "No turn on red" signage on the traffic-signal crossbar), and cross-hatching/pavement markings to prevent blocking intersections near the Fairfield/Main Street area. Staff indicated the proposed ordinance language would return for a second reading in March.
