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Public works presents traffic mobility plan and Safe Streets grant; council hears speed-study findings
Summary
Public Works Director Canfield presented corridor speed studies, bike-lane planning and a Safe Streets for All grant application. Staff said the grant is $500,000 with an 80/20 local match; council discussed 85th-percentile speed-setting and context-sensitive design.
Public Works presented a traffic mobility and multimodal update at the June 22 work session, covering bike-lane connectivity, speed studies, signal timing and a federal Safe Streets for All grant application.
"The Safe Streets for All application we completed is a grant to basically do a comprehensive safety plan," Director Canfield said, describing a "safe system" approach that reviews safer people, vehicles, speeds and roads. Canfield told council the grant is for $500,000 and would require an 80/20 match, meaning a roughly $100,000 local commitment if awarded.
Canfield reviewed recent speed studies and explained how the '85th percentile' engineering standard is used to set posted speed limits while acknowledging context matters — near schools, parks or areas with heavy pedestrian crossings the city should consider lower posted speeds or physical changes to calm traffic. The staff presentation used Utah Avenue and Jenny Lee Street as examples: Utah Avenue study recommended raising a segment to 35 mph based on measured speeds, while the Jenny Lee study indicated a 30-mph 85th-percentile that may change as on-street parking and development patterns evolve.
Staff also described corridor signal-timing adjustments (John Adams/5th) to reduce neighborhood cut-through, seal-coat and overlay maintenance projects, and plans for a roundabout at Boulevard and A/Birch after the parade. Canfield said the Safe Streets agreement is awaiting FHWA approval; once the FHWA step is complete staff will return to council to request authorization to proceed with the grant-funded study and subsequent project applications.
Councilors asked staff to tie the Safe Streets work to local bike and pedestrian plans and to pay attention to context-sensitive design where posted speeds and community use differ. Canfield said staff will incorporate the city's long-range transportation plan and BMPO (Bonneville Metropolitan Planning Organization) priorities as the grant work proceeds.
Next steps: Await FHWA approval of the draft agreement; staff will return to council to present the grant agreement for authorization and later to solicit proposals for study implementation.
