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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTIS 2021-08-23 Item 2A - Update - Neighborhood Traffic Calming ProgramCity of Tukwila Allan Ekberg, Mayor Pc+b1 C Warks IDeparrralent - Puri Ponnekanti, £ frrector/City Engineer' INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM TO: Transportation and Infrastructure Services Committee FROM: Hari Ponnekanti, Public Works Director/ City Engineer BY: Cyndy Knighton, Senior Program Manager Scott Bates, Traffic Engineering Project Manager CC: Mayor Ekberg DATE: August 20, 2021 SUBJECT: Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program Project No. 82110301 2021 Status Update ISSUE Provide a status update for the Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program (NTCP). BACKGROUND The NTCP was adopted at the end of 2018 to address neighborhood concerns with traffic safety. The Council wanted to ensure that traffic calming safety decisions are based on technical engineering and applied in a uniform and consistent manner. With the funding changes in 2020/2021, the City's abilities to implement traffic calming strategies on residential streets and other safety improvements throughout Tukwila were greatly reduced. DISCUSSION When the NTCP was adopted 2018, staff had a list of 22 requests. To date, 72 individual requests have been made for traffic calming. Currently, there are 30 requests waiting for action, waiting for funding, or are reoccurring complaints that staff have left open for continued reference. With the possibility of some funding being restored in 2021 and/or 2022, Staff identified ten priority projects that could be completed with a dedicated budget. The staff recommended projects were selected to address priority concerns across many areas of the City and include some proactive projects around schools and the TCC. FINANCIAL IMPACT The attached table shows the Staff recommendations for implementation should funding be made available in 2021 or 2022 for the Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program. Potential treatment options are identified as well as an estimated cost range for each of the potential projects. Funding needed to accomplish the recommendations ranges from $266,000 to $538,000 in addition to staff time. Any additional funding would be used toward assessing the remaining requests and implementing any appropriate treatments. RECOMMENDATION Discussion only. ATTACHMENTS Page 2, 2021 CIP Top 10 NTCP Priority List Top 10 NTCP Priority Map 1 CITY OF TUKWILA CAPITAL PROJECT SUMMARY 2021 to 2026 PROJECT: Traffic Calming/Residential Safety Improvements Project No. 8xx10301 Programmatic approach to addressing neighborhood traffic concerns through a variety of methods. DESCRIPTION: Residential street improvements with sidewalks, safety improvements, and bike facilities. JUSTIFICATION: Neighborhood revitalization by improving residential streets. STATUS: Future candidates are listed in the citywide comprehensive update and safety -based prioritization of residential street improvements, sidewalks, and bike lanes. MAINT. IMPACT: Varies, depends on treatment(s) used. COMMENT: Residential improvements and traffic calming features to reduce speeds and improve pedestrian and bicycle safety such as the speed cushions, RRFB crossings, LED enhanced signs, Radar driver feedback signs, etc. FINANCIAL Through Estimated (in $000's) 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 BEYOND TOTAL EXPENSES Design 63 50 113 Land (R/W) 0 Const. Mgmt. 37 37 Construction 148 0 148 TOTAL EXPENSES 248 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 298 FUND SOURCES Awarded Grant 0 Proposed Grant 0 Mitigation Actual 0 Mitigation Expected 0 City Oper. Revenue 248 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 298 TOTAL SOURCES 248 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 298 2021 - 2026 Capital Improvement Program 2 2 Staff Top -10 Recommended NTCP Projects 3 Project Details Potential Treatment Options Estimated Cost Range A Allentown Neighborhood Speed and Since 2018, five individual requests for traffic calming have been recorded in the NTCP list of requests; however, traffic complaints have been Safety Study made to the City over prior years. Addressing traffic safety concerns in Allentown is a top priority for the City. Study neighborhood -wide volume, speed, classification and safety issues. Design plan for Level 1 and Level 2 treatments throughout Allentown. Level 1: Improved signage; radar feedback signs; pavement marking modifications Level 2: Curb extensions $50,000-80,000 B Tukwila Elementary School Safety Since 2018, 12 traffic calming requests have been made in the Cascade View neighborhood, with a significant number of them near Tukwila Improvements Elementary School. Common complaints have been over speeding and crosswalk or pedestrian safety. Additionally, the Council has asked for proactively addressing or anticipating concerns, specifically around school zones. Some improvements have been made around Tukwila Elementary School already but more improvements are needed. Address speeding and crosswalk safety concerns. Level 1: Improved signage; radar feedback signs; pavement marking modifications $30,000-80,000 Level 2: Curb extensions; RRFB installation; ADA ramp upgrades; improved illumination C Impact Charter School Safety A request specific to the newly opened Impact Charter School was received in 2019. The request was to provide a signed school zone, which Improvements Tukwila has provided along with signs marking school crossings on 5 148th Street. ADA -compliant ramps have not been installed at the marked school crossings. The charter school has expanded their site to the north with a need for consideration of a school zone on S 146th Street and other potential improvements for children's safety. Additionally, the Council has asked for proactively addressing or anticipating concerns, specifically around school zones. Provide school crossing improvements, establish school zone on S 146th Street, if needed. Provide school crossing improvements, observe operating speeds, if necessary establish speed zone. Level 1: Improved signage for school zones on S 148th Street and S 146th Street; crosswalk installation Level 2: ADA ramp improvements; curb extensions $8,000-15,000 D Cascade View Elementary School Safety Since 2018, the Tukwila Hill neighborhood has seen 9 requests for traffic calming. Four of the locations are around the speeding, school Improvements crossing and pedestrian safety around the Cascade View Elementary School. 85th Percentile speeds of '30MPH in the 25MPH zones have been recorded, but analysis to separate whether the speeding is even more than the posted school zone has not been done. Additionally, the Council has asked for proactively addressing or anticipating concerns, specifically around school zones. Upgrade School Zone signing, design and install pedestrian crossing improvements. Level 1: Improved signage for school zones on S 148th Street and S 146th Street; crosswalk installation $8,000-15,000 Level 2: ADA ramp improvements; curb extensions E Tukwila Community Center Pedestrian The City Council has expressed desire for the NTCP to have a proactive element in addressing traffic calming and safety needs throughout the Crossing Safety Improvements City. The TCC is a well -utilized facility by the Allentown neighborhood as well as the entire City and surrounding area. Concerns over the pedestrian crossings on S 124th Street have been raised by staff and residents in the past, along with the larger complaints of speeding in Allentown. Increasing pedestrian visibility to improve safety in this high -use area is a recommended top priority for the NTCP. Design and install mid -block pedestrian safety improvements on S 124th Street. Level 1: Improve pedestrian crossing signage Level 2: RRFB installations; upgrade ADA ramps; curb extensions; improved illumination $80,000-100,000 F Macadam Road Speed and Safety At least five requests for traffic calming, specific to speeding (and some secondary reasons) have been made since 2018. A radar feedback Improvements sign was placed near the 13700 block in 2019 but requests have continued to be made. Additional analysis is warranted to determine what other improvements could be used to address the speeding, especially where Macadam has extremely limited sight distance due to the curvy nature of the roadway. Design and install treatments addressing speeding and curve safety north of S 144th Street. Level 1: Improved signage; LED chevron signs; channelization modifications $10,000 - 30,000 Level 2: G Southcenter Boulevard/65th Avenue S Staff identified the need for improvement pedestrian safety at this location several years ago. Southcenter Boulevard is a 5 -lane roadway Pedestrian Safety Improvements with known speeding issues along with curves that restrict sight distance. A high pedestrian usage at this intersection accessing the King County Metro bus stop that services both the Rapid Ride F -Line and Route 150, both workhorses of the south County transit network, justifies improving pedestrian crossing safety. This intersection is slated for full signalization in the future, but interim pedestrian safety improvements should be considered sooner. Design and install pedestrian safety improvements Level 1: Improved signage for pedestrian crossing $50,000-$90,000 Level 2: RRFB installation; ADA ramp upgrades; improved illumination H City-wide Residential Speed Limit Review As part of the City Council's expressed desire to proactively look at traffic calming needs, a full review of the residential street posted speed limits is recommended by staff. State law establishes city speed limits at 25MPH unless an engineering study is completed to justify higher speed limits. Most residential streets are posted at 25MPH today, but there are many that are posted at 30MPH or 35MPH. Likely, those speed limits are legacies of past annexation areas, where a speed study was completed by King County. The general impression Staff has is that most residents and elected officials would be happier with lower speed limits. City of Seattle has also recently lowered all speed limits nearly city-wide to be 25MPH. Identify residential streets with speed limits currently above 25MPH. Conduct volume, speed and safety review. Level 1: Modify speed limit ordinance; as needed; install new signs; as needed. $5,000-8,000 Recommend changes to speed limits, as necessary. Level 2: I S Ryan Way Pedestrian Safety Two requests for traffic calming to address speeding and pedestrian crossing safety in the Ryan Hill area have been made in 2021. New Improvements developments are coming forward that will increase the residential population of this part of the City with multi family developments. The speed concerns, especially along S Ryan Way, coupled with the new housing developments increasing the likelihood of increased pedestrian activity, warrants this analysis be recommended as a top priority. Safety study on S Ryan Way from MLK Jr. Way to east city limits, focusing on speeding and pedestrian safety. Level 1: Improved signage Level 2: Curb extension, improved illumination $10,000-100,000 Recommend Level 1 and Level 2 improvements. Design and construct improvements. 1 S 144th Street/46th Avenue S ADA Ramps The Tukwila School District requested school crossing safety improvements at this intersection in 2017. A new Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon was installed in early 2019. At the time the RRFB was installed, the City was also submitting a grant application for the 46th Avenue S Safe Routes to School project, which would improve pedestrian safety between this intersection south to 5 150th Street, and would include either a raised pedestrian crosswalk at the RRFB or install ADA -compliant curb ramps. The grant was not awarded. State law requires ADA ramps be brought up to current standards anytime a new signal, including the RRFB, is installed. Since grant monies for the larger improvement are not expected in the short term, staff recommends this as a priority to comply with all state and federal laws regarding Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. Design and install ADA -compliant ramps at the intersection. Level 1: Level 2: ADA upgrades to ramps at RRFB (not done at time of RRFB installation due to budget constraints) $15,000-20,000 Total Cost Range $266,000 - 538,000 3 Lake Washington City of Tukwila Top 10 Staff Recommended NTCP Projects s Not to Scale 8 Vicinity Map King County U:\PW Eng \GIS General Maps \Streets_11 x17_Sept2018.mxd Date: 09/09/18 By: R. Linsao Disclaimer: The location of features and boundaries are approximate and are intended for reference only. Data is based on best information available.