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Public Works says Pueblo & Cottonwood intersection meets MUTCD warrant; recommends signal and cabinet upgrades
Summary
Public Works presented a MUTCD warrant analysis showing Pueblo and Cottonwood exceed the 150‑vehicle threshold and recommended proceeding with a traffic signal; staff also described a three‑year program to replace signal cabinets and enable actuated timing and emergency vehicle preemption.
Public Works staff recommended construction of a traffic signal at Pueblo Drive and Cottonwood Lane after presenting a warrant study and a multi‑year plan to modernize signal cabinets across town.
Natalie Stevens, with the city’s Public Works engineering department, introduced the signal study and said staff reviewed traffic volumes and MUTCD warrants. Clark Clatonoff, identified as the city’s traffic engineer, walked the council through a nomograph used to compare main and minor approach volumes. "At the far right of the graph, any number exceeding 150 vehicles would substantiate a warrant," Clatonoff said, and staff reported a peak approach volume of 331 vehicles on the Cottonwood approach and a minor‑approach total of 331 (278 after a right‑turn deduction), which staff said exceeds the MUTCD threshold.
Staff listed other intersections that meet warrants or are in design, including Thornton & Cottonwood, Florence Boulevard & El Sillo, Palomino Parkway & McCartney Road, Pert Road & O'Neil Drive, Mission Parkway & Cottonwood Lane, Centennial Boulevard & Pinal Avenue (ADOT project) and Jimmy Kerr Boulevard & I‑10 eastbound ramp. Some signals are developer‑driven and scheduled soon; others require coordination with ADOT or may move into the city’s CIP if developer obligations change.
Clatonoff explained the benefit of actuated signal timing, which keeps the main arterial green and serves a minor approach only when a vehicle is detected. He said the city currently uses fixed‑time signals because cabinets and wiring are outdated but that a three‑year cabinet replacement program will allow actuated timing and updated emergency vehicle preemption capabilities.
Council members raised alternatives and neighborhood concerns. One council member asked whether less‑expensive interim options could be used while nearby roadway extensions change travel patterns; another suggested a roundabout as an alternative. Staff said some locations have developer commitments and construction timelines, and that they lack an interim tool that would temporarily delay a full signal decision at this location.
Staff said they will provide the council with a spreadsheet of signal priorities and updates on which projects are developer funded, ADOT responsibilities, or city CIP items. Public Works expressed continued support for constructing the Pueblo & Cottonwood signal on the current schedule.
