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Commission asks council to re-ballot Roche Avenue traffic calming after inadequate return rate
Summary
City staff recommended closing the Roche Avenue traffic calming petition after the neighborhood failed to meet the required ballot return threshold. The commission instead voted to recommend City Council direct the city manager to ask staff to conduct a second plan-support vote.
City transportation staff recommended closing the Roche Avenue neighborhood traffic calming petition because the neighborhood did not meet the policy's required ballot return rate, but the Traffic and Transportation Commission voted to ask the City Council to direct the city manager to have staff re-send the plan for a second vote.
Staff told the commission that Roche Avenue had been ranked fourth in the FY23–24 prioritization list and that the corridor has a school, a park and horizontal curvature that contributed to its ranking. During the three-year collision review period staff reported six collisions on the street. The plan presented to residents included two speed cushions on the eastern portion of Roche Avenue and striping changes near the school intended to narrow travel lanes and shorten pedestrian crossing distances.
Ballot results and staff recommendation: The neighborhood contains 81 households; staff said 35 ballots were returned (a 43 percent return rate), short of the 50 percent valid-return requirement (41 ballots). Of the 35 ballots received, 33 were in favor, one was incomplete and one was opposed—a 94 percent in-favor rate among returned ballots. Because the valid-return threshold was not met, staff recommended that the petition be closed per policy.
Commission action: Commissioners pushed back on closing the petition given the safety context. Commissioner Hammer moved that the commission recommend City Council direct the city manager to instruct staff to conduct a second plan-support vote; another commissioner seconded the motion. The commission voted unanimously in favor of requesting the re-ballot.
What it means: The motion does not itself change policy or guarantee construction; it asks Council to direct the city manager to authorize staff to re-run the neighborhood ballot phase and to continue pursuing traffic calming options. If Council and the city manager approve that direction, staff said they will contact the lead petitioners, reissue the ballot package (letter, plan, prepaid return envelope) and monitor return rates during the re-ballot period.
Ending note: The commission's recommendation now goes to the City Council, where staff said alternative actions include closing the petition or directing staff to conduct a second ballot and continue outreach.
