CC Resolution No. 1390 LVJ()
RESOLUTION NO. 1390
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN,
0- TEXAS, ADOPTING THE BAYTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC
CALMING POLICY; AND PROVIDING FOR THE EFFECTIVE DATE
THEREOF.
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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN,
TEXAS:
Section 1: That the City Council of the City of Baytown, Texas, hereby adopts the
Baytown Neighborhood Traffic Calming Policy. The policy is attached hereto as Exhibit "A"
and incorporated herein for all intents and purposes.
Section 2: This resolution shall take effect immediately from and after its passage by
the City Council of the City of Baytown.
INTRODUCED, READ and PASSED, by the affirmative vote of the City Council of the
City of Baytown this the I Oh day of June, 1999.
1 . -cam (7.
PETE C. ALFARO, Iffayor
ATTEST:
EILEEN P. HALL, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
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ejQNACI0 RAMIREZ, ity Attorney
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Traffic Calming Policy
Process and Procedures
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Traffic CaWng Program
Traffic Calming for safety, security, and livability
EXHIBIT A
City of Baytown
Department of Public Works
Neighborhood Traffic Calming Policy
Process and Procedures
Step 1: Identification of Neighborhood Problem
If a neighborhood association or civic club exists,an officer of the organization may contact the City of
Baytown(the"City")Traffic Engineer or his/her designee(the"Traffic Engineer")to arrange an informal
meeting to discuss neighborhood traffic concerns. Should no such organization exist,any representative
homeowner of the neighborhood may make initial contact.
At the meeting, the staff will provide a copy of the policy and review the following elements:
• required applications;
• treatment levels available for implementation;
• neighborhood involvement requirements;
• the petition processes;
• data collection;
• neighborhood meetings;
• funding methods available;
• approval by the Growth Management and Development Advisory Commission(the
"Commission");
• approval by the Baytown City Council("Council);and
• installation, monitoring,and evaluation process.
The staff will define the geographic area that may be impacted by the implementation of traffic calming
techniques(the"Impact Area"). This Impact Area will not be restricted to those streets for which a traffic
calming solution is considered, but will also include: (1)any street expected to experience significant
increases in speed,volume, or traffic type(such as more truck traffic)as a result of treatment; and(2) any
streets whose access is substantially dependent upon the street receiving treatment. Weekend problems
and those created by special events(i.e. Fourth of July and Christmas parades, Little League season, etc.)
are not the object of this procedure and will be handled by City staff as any other request for traffic
control.
Within approximately six(6)weeks, the staff will perform a preliminary survey the Impact Area, identify
eligible and ineligible streets, identify potential techniques, and eliminate inappropriate techniques, if
possible. The staff will notify the officer or neighborhood representative in writing of these preliminary
findings. Such person will then complete and submit the application for a traffic calming project within
six(6)weeks, or whatever time deemed appropriate by the Traffic Engineer. This application will
identify traffic concerns,the Impact Area, the specific streets on which the actual problem exists, and a
Residential Traffic Team(no less than three or greater than five property owners from the Impact Area),
and will include a petition of consensus. A sample Application Petition is available from the Department
of Public Works. The petition must contain authorized signatures of 50%or more of the owners of
property within the Impact Area. Only one signature per property shall be accepted. Only property
owners shall be authorized to participate in the petition process.
Traffic Calming Policy Page I of 4
Step 2: Data Collection 1
The Traffic Engineer will collect data necessary to determine the presence of a chronic problem. The
study will include review of all pertinent data available from the staff files and other potentially effected
agencies and City departments. If during data collection,the staff becomes aware of an immediate and
substantial traffic-safety related problem,this process will be discontinued and the problem will be
addressed promptly by the City staff.
The following guidelines will guide the staff in data collection:
A. Minimum and Maximum Vehicular Volumes
The street must be primarily residential in nature with a speed limit of 30 miles per hour or less.
The average traffic volumes between 800 and 8000 vehicles per day or a one-hour volume between
80 and 800 vehicles are required in order to consider treatment on a particular street. Volume
studies will be measured and averaged over a five-day period designed to reflect normal weekday
traffic patterns.
B. Difficulty Crossing or Backing
In addition to total traffic volumes,the delay a resident experiences when backing out of a driveway
or crossing the street may more accurately quantify a problem. When motorists attempting to back
out of a driveway onto a public street are delayed because of traffic on the public street for an
average of one minute during any hour,a traffic calming device designed to increase the length
and/or frequency of the gaps in traffic may be considered.
C. Cut-Through Traffic
Cut-through traffic can be quantified by comparing actual traffic volumes to estimates of the traffic
generated from within the impacted area. If cut-through traffic comprises more than 25%of the
total traffic,traffic calming devices to reduce this traffic may be considered.
D. Speed
Concerns regarding speeding is considered significant and deserving treatment when more than
15%of the traffic stream is traveling at least ten miles per hour over the posted or statutory speed
limit. Speed studies on five different weekdays will be conducted during the time of day identified
in the application or at such other time,as the Traffic Engineer may deem appropriate.
E. School and Emergency Routes
Because of discomfort and delay,only techniques that do not effect buses or emergency vehicles
will be used on streets serving a primary school bus route or a primary emergency access route.
F. Street Grade and Alignment
Roadway modifications shall not be used on roadways where a combination of vertical and
horizontal alignment would result in an inadequate visibility of any obstruction that would require
the driver to react by stopping, slowing,or changing his intended path in an unsafe manner.
Step 3: Residential Traffic Team Meeting and Development of a Traffic Calming Plan
When traffic studies have been completed, analyzed,and summarized, the City staff and the Residential
Traffic Team will meet to discuss results of studies,confirm the boundaries of the Impact Area, and
identify potential solutions. Thereafter, the Residential Traffic Team will hold a meeting to develop a
comprehensive plan for the neighborhood using the techniques developed for this purpose. Upon
Traffic Calming Policy Page 2 of
completion the team will submit their plan to the Traffic Engineer for preliminary review on feasibility
and practicality.
However, if traffic studies do not confirm that the concerns identified meet the minimum criteria
established in Step 2,the Impact Area will be ineligible for consideration of traffic calming devices for a
period of three years or until changes in the street usage result in significantly altered traffic patterns as
determined by the Traffic Engineer. If the Traffic Engineer determines that the boundaries of the Impact
Area are inappropriate,such boundaries will be redefined and additional traffic studies and analyses
defined in step 2 will be conducted.
Step 4: Neighborhood Meeting
The Residential Traffic Team along with the Traffic Engineer will arrange a neighborhood meeting of the
owners of property within the Impact Area to allow the Residential Traffic Team to explain what has
occurred to date and recommend a Neighborhood Traffic Calming Plan to the property owners in the
entire Impact Area. The Traffic Engineer will present the results of the studies and analyses performed.
Summaries of the traffic studies and analyses and lists of potential solutions will be made available by the
City. This meeting affords people within the Impact Area the opportunity to speak out on the proposal
and provide information to the Residential Traffic Team needed for preparation of the Implementation
Petition.
Representatives of other appropriate departments and agencies such as the Fire, Police, Emergency
Management Services,and Legal Departments and of the Goose Creek Independent School District will
be invited to participate at the meeting.The success of this phase is dependent on the residents taking the
lead in development of a consensus in formulation of a plan that addresses their concerns. The City
provides the forum,collects and reports the data, provides an appropriate checking mechanism to ensure
safety standards are not compromised,and assists in identification of funding sources, but empowers the
persons owing property within the Impact Area develop their own plan.
Step 5: Neighborhood Endorsement of the Traffic Calming Plan
After receiving input from the neighborhood meeting,the Residential Traffic Team will prepare the
second petition. It will include a description of the traffic concerns being addressed,the Impact Area, and
the proposed traffic calming measures. This text will be on the back of each official petition form to
ensure that those signing the petition are truly aware of the proposal. This text will be first submitted to
the City staff for review, and forwarded to the Growth Management and Development Advisory
Commission for their approval. Upon approval, the petition must be personally delivered or sent by
certified mail, return receipt requested,to all property owners in the Impact Area as indicated on the most
recently approved municipal tax roll.
In order for traffic calming measures to be further considered for the Impact Area, the petition must be
submitted within six(6)weeks after approval by the Commission. This petition must indicate that at least
70%of the owners of the eligible property within the Impact Area are in favor of the traffic calming
measure(s) proposed. Only one petition vote shall be allowed per property. All original petition
responses, including those signatures in opposition to the proposal, shall be provided to City staff.
City staff will verify the signatures using the most recently approved municipal tax roll. If the petition
does not achieve the required level of support from the Impact Area, the Residential Traffic Team may(l)
terminate the process or(2) return to Step 3, revise the Traffic Calming Plan, and begin a second petition
process. Should the second petition also fail the to generate the required level of support, the process will
terminate and the Impact Area and/or portions thereof shall be ineligible for consideration for a period of
Traffic Cahning Policy Page 3 of
three years. If, upon determination of the Traffic Engineer,changes in the street usage result in
significantly altered traffic patterns, the three-year waiting period will be waived.
Step 6: Project Approval and Funding
Upon successful completion of the Implementation Petition phase,City staff and the Residential Traffic
Team will explore potential funding sources. Funding may come from one or a combination of the City
maintenance funds,City bond funds, federal or state grants,private funding,corporate funding,or any
other source,which may be available at the time of the adoption of this policy or in the future. At the
appropriate time,depending on the source of funding,and prior to implementation, a traffic calming
project must be submitted to Council for approval. If the project is eligible for outside funding requiring
the City to make application and/or supply matching funds,the City staff will assist the petitioners in
completion of the required forms on behalf of the City. City staff will review the'forms for accuracy and
completeness,obtain approvals from the Commission and Council, and submit documentation to the
appropriate agency. Examples of outside funding potentially available are the Federal Highway
Administration(FHWA)Highway Safety Funds,Transportation Equity Act for the 21"'Century(TEA
21),and Community Development Funds(CD).
Step 7: Design and Implementation
A priority established by the City Manager for Council approval will be placed on the design and
implementation of each traffic calming project based on design and construction costs,funding sources,
degree to which the minimum criteria are met, level of neighborhood support,and ease of
implementation. If the project is to be funded by the City and is not within the scope of regular
maintenance, it will be considered during the annual budget process.
If the project is to be financed entirely by the petitioners or other outside resource,the project can proceed
as any other private construction job. If construction is required, the petitioners must engage an
appropriate registered professional engineer to produce(1)a set of plans of appropriate scale(no case less
than 1"=20' scale),with signature block for City departments,and(2)specifications in conformance with
City Building Codes. The consultant will submit the plans to the City for signature and upon receiving all
necessary signatures, the petitioners will then employ a contractor to construct the project subject to City
inspection. The construction contract must be submitted to and approved by the City Engineer.
Step 8: Monitoring and Evaluation
The Traffic Engineer will conduct studies to evaluate the effectiveness of the project within three to six
months after project completion or when traffic patterns have stabilized. If the project is determined to
have not met the goals intended or created unanticipated traffic problems for other citizens as defined in
Step 2,either in the initial area of concern or elsewhere,the Residential Traffic Team will be advised.
Alternative solutions will then be considered on what action should then be taken. However, anytime a
project creates and/or shifts a traffic problem from one neighborhood to another,the traffic calming
devices will be removed or altered as necessary upon the recommendation of the Traffic Engineer and
endorsement by the Commission and Council.
Alternatively, should the neighborhood desire removal or significant alteration, the Residential Traffic
Team will be responsible for submission of another petition. Significant alteration is defined as an
alteration or removal cost of more than 30%of the original installation cost(adjusted by the Consumer
Price Index to current cost). This team may consist of the original team or new members. The petition
process will follow the same rules set forth in Step 5.
Traffic Calming Policy Page 4 of 4