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Traffic engineers say turn lanes can mitigate delay; council presses on sight distance and AASHTO standards
Summary
The applicant's traffic consultant reported Synchro modeling showed manageable delays if turn lanes are built, but councilors and residents pressed whether AASHTO sight‑distance standards could be met on the curved Ricco Road corridor and asked for a more detailed engineering review and site survey.
Traffic dominated the council's questioning of the Rico Hamlet rezoning. The applicant's traffic engineer reported that simulation modeling (Synchro) indicates no significant corridor delay so long as recommended turn lanes are installed at the primary entrance and at intersections; the engineer recommended a right‑turn lane and a left‑turn lane at the main site driveway.
"Provided that that is the case, we recommended right turn lane and a left turn lane at that main site driveway to ensure safer and more efficient turning movements," the traffic engineer said during his summary. Several council members pressed the consulting engineers on whether entrance sight distances meet AASHTO guidelines given horizontal and vertical curves on Ricco Road. One council member noted the AASHTO table on page 23 of the study suggested site‑distance needs approaching 1,000 feet in some conditions and asked whether that was feasible.
The applicant's designer and traffic consultant said site distance constraints can be addressed during the engineering design and that in practice engineers often reconcile AASHTO guidance, roadway speeds and complete‑streets considerations with local context. "We can meet the standards; it depends on speed, vertical curve, horizontal curve, sight line distances," the site designer said, adding the team would coordinate with the city's engineer if the project moves forward.
Council members asked that full survey data and the AASHTO analysis accompany any further approval and recommended that the city engineer directly review the sight‑distance submittal before construction permits are issued. The city staff said it will require the applicant to provide site‑distance evaluations at the preliminary‑plat stage and incorporate the engineer's findings into permit conditions.
