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Engineers: modifying 12 West bulbouts would cost roughly $25,000–$30,000 per intersection; sight-distance problems largely tree-related
Summary
City engineers told the council that most sight-distance problems on 12 West can be fixed by trimming trees and that permanently shortening or relocating existing mountable bulbouts would cost about $25,000–$30,000 per intersection.
Nibley City engineers reported that most sight-line deficiencies on 12 West tied to the ongoing 12 West/12 phase improvements stem from vegetation and the position of existing curb bulbs rather than geometric design failures, and that moving or shortening the mountable curb bulbs would be a substantial retrofit.
Tom Dixon, city engineer, said that when measured to AASHTO sight-distance criteria the travel lanes and intersection sight distances comply when measured from the planned Phase 5 curb location, but trees and fences currently block drivers’ sight lines at some intersections. Dixon said trimming or removing the low branches would resolve the deficiency in many places.
Dixon gave an estimate for cutting, removing and resetting bulbouts: roughly $5,500–$6,000 per curb bulb to cut out and reinstall (about $25,000–$30,000 per intersection where multiple bulbs would be adjusted). He said removing or shortening existing bulbs would require demolition and re-pour work and could require restriping and other ancillary work.
Council members and staff also discussed alternate, lower-cost measures. Dixon and other staff suggested short-term experiments—temporary paint, plastic delineators or candlesticks—to change driver behavior. Justin and the mayor suggested testing the posted speed limit: raise the limit to 35 mph temporarily and collect speed data before Phase 5 opens; if speeds do not increase that would indicate drivers are choosing comfortable speeds regardless of the posted limit.
Why this matters: Phase 5 of the 12 West improvements includes curb realignments and traffic-calming elements designed to reduce vehicle speeds and make crossings safer for pedestrians and cyclists. Any retrofit of existing bulbouts will have a capital cost and can alter how safe crossings operate for bicyclists and pedestrians.
Council direction: staff will pursue lower-cost mitigations first—trimming vegetation, temporary delineation and data collection (including a proposed speed-limit test)—and will return with firm cost estimates if the council wants permanent bulb relocation or reconstruction.
Quote
"I didn't find any deficiencies measuring from the travel lane… but it's blocked by trees — that can be rectified by cutting the trees in a column or fashion," Tom Dixon said in the council workshop.
Ending
Staff emphasized a stepwise approach: remove vegetation, test temporary measures and gather speed data before making costly permanent changes to intersection bulbouts.
