HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/09/2016 Work Session City of Springfield
Work Session Meeting
MINUTES OF THE WORK SESSION MEETING OF
THE SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL HELD
MONDAY MAY 9, 2016
The City of Springfield Council met in a work session in the Jesse Maine Meeting Room, 225 Fifth
Street, Springfield,Oregon, on Monday May 9, 2016 at 5:30 p.m.,with Mayor Lundberg presiding.
ATTENDANCE
Present were Mayor Lundberg and Councilors VanGordon, Wylie, Moore, Woodrow and Pishioneri.
Also present were City Manager Gino Grimaldi,Assistant City Manager Jeff Towery, City Attorney
Mary Bridget Smith, City Recorder Amy Sowa and members of the staff.
Councilor Ralston was absent(excused).
1. Main Street Speed Study.
Brian Barnett, Traffic Engineer,presented the staff report on this item.
Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) conducted two speed zone investigations: Main Street
from 20th Street to South 71st Street, and Highway 126 from Main Street northward approximately
1,000 feet. Staff suggested ODOT consider a 5 MPH reduction of the speed limit on Main Street and a
10 MPH reduction on Highway 126 in accord with Council input. Based upon their investigation
ODOT recommends retaining the existing posted speed limits.
ODOT's cover letter states that lowering the posted speed limit will not change current driver speeds
because drivers will continue to drive speeds they feel fit the characteristics of the street. Absent
vigorous and ongoing enforcement, drivers will not comply with a speed they determine as arbitrarily
low. In the Main Street segment studied 83% of crashes were rear-end or turning type which is typical
of a suburban street. Most crashes listed the cause as following too close or for failure to yield right of
way, neither of which is affected by reducing speed limits. The primary contributing factors to the
pedestrian crashes include pedestrians not visible due to dark clothing where street lighting is limited,
impaired pedestrians, and distracted drivers failing to yield to a traffic control device or failing to yield
to a pedestrian crossing at a lawful location.
Speed is best managed by the design features of the street observable by drivers including horizontal
and vertical curvature, number of lanes, lane width, perception of distant and lateral vistas and tunnel
effects from features such as buildings,trees,etc., raised medians, intersection frequency and type,and
type and culture of the street side activity and development. Several efforts are underway that will
favorably affect street safety for pedestrians, cyclists,and vehicle occupants. The Main Street Corridor
Vision Plan places great emphasis on using street design to create a"complete street"that fosters
safety for each type of user. The City applied for traffic safety projects through the All Roads
Transportation Safety(ARTS)program including adding street lights and adding a raised median. The
Main McVay Transit Study is evaluating transit improvements which may include a raised median and
roundabouts in lieu of several signalized intersections. ODOT and City completed a pedestrian safety
study resulting in four pedestrian medians with rapid flashing beacons(RFB)that are in place at 35th
Street,41st Street, 44th Street, 51St Street,two more are expected at Chapman Ln., and 48th Street this
summer.Also along Main Street a pedestrian hybrid beacon is proposed near 66th Street. ODOT
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installed reflectorized back plates on signal heads and added pedestrian crossing count down heads to
all signals.
If an agency doesn't concur with ODOT's recommendations an appeal may be filed with the Speed
Zone Review Panel. The panel is composed of the chair of the Transportation Safety Committee,
traffic engineers appointed by League of Oregon Cities, Association of Oregon Counties, an ODOT
engineer, and a State Police representative. The panel will conduct a hearing and consider public
testimony and information provided by the agency and ODOT and will make a binding determination
of the speed limit. The panel on occasion will alter the speed recommended by ODOT but generally
adheres to their recommendation.
Mr. Barnett said ODOT and the City are committed to making Main Street safer through crosswalks,
enforcement,treatments, and lighting. He outlined the engineering efforts that had been done and
would be done in the future such as additional pedestrian crossings, the Main/McVay Transit Study,
Main Street Corridor Visioning, and ODOT's All Roads Transportation Safety(ARTS)program. He
explained how engineering helped reduce speed limits on Rainbow Drive by about 4 mph.
Mr.Barnett reviewed the appeal process to ODOT regarding speed limits to the Speed Zone Review
panel. This panel is made up of a League of Oregon Cities (LOC)representative,Association of
Oregon Counties(AOC)representative, the State's Chief Engineer or designee from ODOT, State
Police representative,region traffic engineer and Oregon Traffic Safety Commission Chair or
designee. Mr. Barnett said he serves as the LOC representative and is the current chair. The panel will
hear the presentation from the agency making the appeal and also by ODOT and evaluate that
information based on the administrative rules that govern the panel and what they may consider. Once
the panel renders their decision, ODOT is bound by that decision.
Councilor Woodrow said she had concerns in looking at the 85th percentile. Most people drive 5 mph
above the speed limit, which is customary. She asked if ODOT took that into consideration.
Mr. Barnett said they look at the speed profile, and look for a steep curve of people at a different
speed. When everyone is going about the same speed,there are fewer accidents. The 10 mph
increment is where most people exist. There have been numerous studies showing that people don't
reduce their speed simply when the speed limit is changed, absent aggressive enforcement. This is not,
however,the only study.
Councilor Woodrow said the community has said it is willing to reduce their speed to improve safety
on Main Street.
Councilor VanGordon said he felt they should file an appeal on behalf of the community. The
methodology feels like it is a self-fulfilling prophecy. It seems that the City should be able to affect a
speed limit on a street that goes through our town. This study didn't address the safest speed for
pedestrians. The number of accidents with pedestrians last year should be considered.
Councilor Wylie said she has constituents that believe the speed is a problem and it is difficult to
explain this study to the public. There have been a number of accidents on Main Street over the last
four years. She asked if that was average.
Mr. Barnett said the volume of traffic does affect the number of accidents,but each situation is
different. Five years is considered the best span of time to study due to variability from year to year.
Taking action too early with only a couple of years of data can cause more problems than it solves.
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Pedestrian accidents are infrequent compared to other accidents. He said he would move forward with
an appeal if that is the direction of the Council. ODOT would act on what they feel is appropriate.
Councilor Moore asked why the study was just now being presented.
Mr. Barnett said it took ODOT some time to complete the study. A memo on the study was provided
to the Council a couple of months ago.
Councilor Moore said they were often clocking the time in the afternoon and it looked like it was in
June. She agreed that the City should appeal to show the community that the City is doing what they
can. There are people who are speeding in that stretch of roadway and there is a lot of activity along
that corridor.
Councilor Pishioneri said he had looked at it closely and three-quarter of the accidents had nothing to
do with speed. He feels energy should go into mitigating traffic by changing the look of Main Street
through physical and engineering changes. This shows that speed is not the issue, but rather driver
awareness. Pedestrian crossings have been effective and require drivers to focus more on what they are
doing. He thinks appealing this would be an exercise of futility, but he would support whatever the
Council decides.
Councilor Woodrow said she is in favor of appealing to show the community that they are doing what
they can to address the situation. There was a big meeting with citizens where speed was brought up as
a factor. She would like to respond to the community.
Mayor Lundberg said there are many facets to the work being done regarding Main Street—safety,
revitalization and zoning. Reducing the speed is the first step. If they do all of the things they want to
do to improve Main Street, it would naturally slow down traffic, but they will take longer. She
attended an Oregon Metropolitan Planning Organization Committee(OMPOC) in Central Point. The
City of Central Point had gotten their street reduced 10 mph, using medians with landscaping.
Business development would also be affected in a positive way through a reduction in speed. The first
step is to appeal, and if that is denied try to move faster on the other changes that will help reduce
speed. She will share photos of Central Point with the rest of the Council and staff because it's worth
looking into.
Councilor Wylie asked who would put together the appeal.
Mr. Grimaldi said staff would do research and include all things discussed.
Mayor Lundberg suggested staff contact Central Point.
Mr. Barnett asked he would contact Central Point about their project. He asked if they wanted to
include lowering the speeds on both segments on Main Street.
Councilor Pishioneri said there is also a long 45 mph segment through Cedar Flats which then changes
to 55 mph for about a mile,where it is again reduced to 45 mph. He would like to ask ODOT if they
could maintain the 45 mph through the entire section from Cedar Flats.
Mr. Barnett said he will look into that and see what can be done.
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Mayor Lundberg said"speed zone ahead" signs are also helpful to warn people ahead of time. Also
having signs warning that enforcement is ahead also causes behavior modification.
2. Other Business
Mr. Grimaldi said the ruling for binding arbitration with the Firefighters was in favor of the City. The
Firefighters were looking for a 2-year agreement with salary increase of 5% each year. The City's last
best offer was a three-year agreement with salary increases of 3.5%, 3.5% and 3%.
Councilor thanked staff.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 6:08 p.m.
Minutes Recorder—Amy Sowa
Christine L. Lundberg
Mayor
Attest:
Amy Sowa
City Recorder