Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Traffic Calming topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Park Street study proposes medians, crosswalks and resurfacing; commissioners debate costs and equity
Summary
Traffic engineers proposed a multi-tiered traffic-calming plan for Park Street — striping/signing ($120k), optional resurfacing, median islands and a corner-widening alternative — after finding 85th-percentile speeds near 30 mph in sensitive pedestrian and school areas; commissioners discussed prioritization, enforcement and whether to extend similar treatments citywide.
Colliers Engineering presented a Park Street traffic-calming study at the Aug. 17 workshop that characterizes the corridor as a pedestrian- and recreation-oriented mile-long street with multiple sharp curves and a school zone. Nicholas Hial said a combination of posted 30-mph limits and advisory 20-mph curve/school areas produced 85th-percentile speeds around 30 mph in some sensitive locations.
"There's vehicles overnight. Even the middle of the day, we did see some really high speeds," Hial said. The firm outlined four investment tiers: Option 1 (striping, signing, delineators and four curb ramps) estimated at about $120,000; Option 2 added resurfacing on the concrete section northeast of Bluebonnet to improve striping longevity; Option 3 added raised median islands and pedestrian crossings; Option 4 included corner widening to add a right-turn lane at Bluebonnet to reduce school pickup queuing. The full 'all-in' package the firm characterized as a more expensive configuration (presented in the workshop as roughly $360,000 total for higher-end elements).
Commissioners raised concerns about equitable application of traffic-calming citywide, enforcement resource limits, and whether striping alone would be durable on existing concrete panels without resurfacing. The mayor suggested a staged approach: implement low-cost striping/signing first and evaluate effectiveness, then decide whether to add permanent curb islands or resurfacing later. Police and staff said the planned digital speed-sign program and periodic enforcement would be used alongside physical countermeasures.
The consultant recommended medians at crosswalks to provide horizontal deflection, additional advisory/advanced curve signing, and coordinated pedestrian crossings where the city’s walking trail ties to Park Street. Staff will return with cost refinements, possible geotechnical testing for resurfacing, and a recommendation on phasing.
The commission did not take a final vote and directed staff to return with refined budgets and to consult absent commissioners before deciding on the scope.
