Traffic study finds speeding and recommends rapid‑flashing beacons, signage and enforcement on Lakeshore Drive and 1560

Traffic presenter Vern Kessler reported results of three recent traffic studies in the West District and recommended a mix of signage, enforcement and pedestrian safety hardware to address speeding and crashes. He said the city has posted 25 mph speed‑limit signs at corridor entrances and shared detailed data with the police department.

Kessler told the meeting the first monitoring location, on 1560 (a collector street), recorded roughly three crashes over three years (one in 2023, two in 2024) and daily volumes under 1,000 vehicles. "We have it out for 50 hours," he said, summarizing the sampling window, and reported eastbound and westbound average speeds in the low‑30s with 80th‑percentile speeds reaching the upper‑30s. He noted a few high‑speed outliers and said the police have the hour‑by‑hour breakdown for targeted enforcement.

At Lakeshore Drive near Provo High School, Kessler said a five‑year crash review included two pedestrian crashes in marked crosswalks. A peak‑hour count produced 47 trips in the peak hour and a gap analysis showing 70 safe gaps in that hour; those inputs yielded 38 points on the city’s crosswalk warranting system. "So hands down, it warranted the crosswalk," he said. The city has installed pedestrian‑activated rectangular rapid‑flashing beacons (RRFBs) at Bulldog Lane and added lighting at a dark crosswalk.

Kessler also described monitoring at the 1280 crosswalk, reporting an average speed of about 14 mph and an 80th percentile of 17 mph, with about 2,200 vehicles per day at that location. That site scored above the warrant threshold as well, and Kessler recommended RRFBs there; he said staff will install them as crews clear other sign work orders.

Kessler said many monitoring locations show safe driver behavior "for the most part," but that a small number of high‑speed drivers push the overall 80th percentile higher. His recommended mitigation package included end‑of‑corridor signage, targeted enforcement using police speed reports, and hardware (RRFBs) at crosswalks that meet the city’s point‑system threshold. He said a missing stop sign along one corridor has been logged as a work order and will be replaced.

The moderator said the city would follow up with the police and public works on timing for hardware installation and enforcement details.

The district leaders closed discussion and thanked Kessler for the report; no formal motion or vote was taken.