City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: JUNE 8, 2016
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Consideration of Installation of a Traffic Signal at North Van Dorn Street and Menokin Drive.
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ISSUE: Consideration of a recommendation to install a traffic signal at North Van Dorn Street and Menokin Drive.
RECOMMENDATION: That the City Council authorize the installation of a new traffic signal at North Van Dorn Street and Menokin Drive pursuant to City Code Section 10-2-7.
BACKGROUND: As part of a planned resurfacing and due to previous requests for traffic calming, North Van Dorn Street was evaluated for Complete Street improvements. Community concerns for this roadway included difficult pedestrian crossings, excessive vehicle speeds, accessibility upgrades, lack of bicycle facilities and the need for dedicated left-turn lanes. Staff collected data in order to determine options that were feasible for this type of roadway and worked with the community to address concerns through the development of a proposal for the re-design of North Van Dorn Street. The new North Van Dorn Street configuration includes the reconfiguration the intersections at Braddock Road and at Menokin Drive to improve pedestrian safety and the installation of improved pedestrian crossings at bus stops as well as bike lanes. The proposed traffic signal is an integral component of the North Van Dorn Street and Menokin Drive intersection.
DISCUSSION: On April 25, 2016, after a public hearing, the Traffic and Parking Board approved the Complete Street redesign of North Van Dorn Street, and at a subsequent meeting (May 23, 2016) recommended that City Council approve a traffic signal at North Van Dorn Street and Menokin Drive. In the current configuration, there is a right slip lane from Menokin Drive onto North Van Dorn Street that is removed in the approved plan, which includes new sidewalks and crosswalks. The number of lanes at the intersection does not change with the new design, but with the removal of this slip lane the signal is needed in order to accommodate right turns and prevent congestion on King Street. The technical rationale for the signal installation is addressed in the Traffic and Parking Board memorandum, which is included as Attachment 1.
Prior to consideration by the Traffic and Parking Board and beginning in October 2015, staff conducted extensive public outreach. Meetings were held with Park Place Condominiums Homeowners Association and Fairlington United Methodist Church, both of whom ultimately provided letters of support. All letters received associated with the project are included in Attachment 2.
If Council approves the traffic signal, signal construction would occur after project construction and resurfacing with project completion expected no later than fall 2016. Post construction, staff will monitor the intersection of North Van Dorn Street and Menokin Drive to evaluate queue lengths and determine if any additional signal timing changes need to be made to process vehicles and provide safe crossings for pedestrians. In fall 2016, data will be collected to determine if speeds have been reduced along the corridor. As with all Complete Streets projects, a crash analysis will be conducted to determine if there has been a reduction after installation of the project.
FISCAL IMPACT: The cost of installing this signal is estimated at $100,000 which was included in the FY 2016 Complete Streets program capital budget. The annual operating cost for this signal is estimated to be $2,500 and will be absorbed by the Department of Transportation and Environmental Services.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: May 23, 2016 Traffic and Parking Board Docket Memorandum
Attachment 2: Letters of Support
Attachment 3: Presentation
STAFF:
Emily A. Baker, Deputy City Manager
Yon Lambert, Director, T&ES
Carrie Sanders, Acting Deputy Director, T&ES, Transportation,
Hillary Orr, Complete Streets Program Manager, T&ES, Transportation Planning