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CC Resolution No. 2749 RESOLUTION NO. 2749 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN, TEXAS, REPEALING RESOLUTION NOS. 1210, 1316, AND 1390 CONCERNING VARIOUS TRAFFIC CALMING POLICIES; ADOPTING A TRAFFIC CALMING POLICY FOR THE CITY OF BAYTOWN; PROVIDING A REPEALING CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING FOR THE EFFECTIVE DATE THEREOF. 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 repeals the following resolutions: ' Resolution Date of Subject of Resolution Adoption 1210 April 28, 1994 Established criteria for placement of road humps 1316 July 24, 1997 Suspended the use of road humps 1390 June 10, 1999 Adopted a Traffic Calming Policy Section 2: That the City Council of the City of Baytown, Texas, hereby adopts the City of Baytown Traffic Calming Policy, which policy is attached hereto as Exhibit "A" and incorporated herein for all intents and purpose. Section 3: All resolutions or parts of resolutions inconsistent with the terms of this resolution are hereby repealed, provided, however, that such repeal shall be only to the extent of such inconsistency; and in all other respects, this resolution shall be cumulative of other resolutions regulating and governing the subject matter covered by this resolution. Section 4: This resolution shall take effect immediately from and after its passage by the City Council of the City of Baytown, Texas. INTRODUCED, READ and PASSED, by the aff ive vote of the City ncil of the City of Baytown this the 23'day of September, 2021. L BRANDON CAPE LLO, Ilayor ATTEST: ��$pYTO FaN rF V J ANGELA MCKSON, its elerl%��� •': 'Yif•1 qG/i y APPROVED AS TO FORM: I u ti� KAREN L. HORNER, City Attorney R:1Karen Homer\DocumenlslFileslCity CouncillResolutions1202I\September 2RAdopting Traffic Calming Policy.docx Exhibit "A" Traffic Calming Policy Introduction Where a person lives is a very important part of how a person feels about his or her community.The noise,safety hazards,vehicular speeds,vehicular volumes, and existence of sidewalks all contribute to a neighborhood's integrity.As speeding and vehicular volumes increase,walking to the neighborhood store or across the street to a neighbor's house can be an unpleasant event. The City of Baytown recognizes the usefulness of physical measures to effectively solve neighborhood traffic problems.The traffic calming policies and procedures described in this document establish the thresholds and requirements necessary to implement a Neighborhood Traffic Calming Project. What traffic calming is and is not Traffic calming is a self-enforcing measure that is"...the combination of mainly physical measures that reduce the negative effects of motor vehicle use, alter driver behavior and improve conditions for nonmotorized street users."—Traffic Calming:State of the Practice, Institute of Traffic Engineers, 1999. Since traffic calming is intended to be self-enforcing, "(t)he subcommittee distinguished traffic calming from route modification,traffic control devices, and streetscaping.Traffic control devices, notably STOP signs and speed limit signs, are regulatory measures that require enforcement."—Traffic Calming:State of the Practice, Institute of Traffic Engineers, 1999. Objectives 1. Promote safe and pleasant conditions for residents, pedestrian,cyclists, and motorists on local and residential collector streets. 2. Reduce the impacts of vehicular traffic and speed on local streets. 3. Preserve and enhance pedestrian and bicycle travel within neighborhoods. 4. Achieve efficient and safe movement of traffic within neighborhoods(including emergency response vehicles)consistent with the intended function of those streets. Policies The following policies are established as part of the Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program: 1. Traffic calming is not a "spot"treatment and analyses must address the larger impacted area. 2. Non-residential collector and arterial roadways are not eligible for traffic calming measures under this policy. 3. The primary affected roadway shall be at least 1,000' in length. 4. The traffic calming measures in this policy will primarily address excessive speeds and excessive volumes. 5. The thresholds for considering traffic calming treatments that address excessive speeds are: a. The primary affected roadway must have at least 500 vehicles per day; Traffic Calming Policy, Page 1 b. The primary affected roadway cannot have more than 1,500 vehicles per day;and c. The number of speeders must exceed 15%of traffic volumes during a 4-hour, off-peak study period.Speeding is defined as exceeding,either the statutory or posted, speed limit by at least 5 mph. 6. The threshold for considering traffic calming treatments that address excessive volumes is: a. The roadway(s)within the impacted area of the primary affected roadway must have at least 1,500 vehicles per day. 7. If the City's traffic engineer determines an immediate and substantial traffic-safety related problem exists,standard procedures will be suspended and City staff will promptly address the traffic-safety related problem. Procedures 1. Identification of a potential traffic calming issue a. Initiate a meeting: i. If a homeowners'or neighborhood association exists,an officer of the association may contact the City of Baytown (the"City")Traffic Engineer(TE)or the TE's designee to arrange an informal meeting to discuss the neighborhood traffic concerns. ii. If no association exists,any representative homeowner within the neighborhood may initiate the meeting. b. At the meeting: i. City staff will provide a copy of this policy and will explain the Neighborhood Traffic Calming Project process and requirements. ii. Staff will provide the representative(s)with a schedule for the completion of the preliminary staff investigation. c. Preliminary investigation: i. Performed by City staff. ii. The geographic boundaries of the Impacted Area will be defined. iii. Staff will perform field investigations of the Impacted Area,guided by the concerns discussed during the initial meeting. d. Preliminary findings: i. Staff will provide the neighborhood representative(s)with the results of the preliminary investigation. 2. Submit an Application for Neighborhood Traffic Calming(ANTC) a. Generally,the applicant(s)will have six weeks to complete the application. b. The application will include: i. Traffic concern(s) identification and location(s); ii. Staff-defined Impacted Area; iii. The establishment of a Residential Traffic Team (RTT); 1. Made up of no less than three members. 2. Made up of no more than five members. Traffic Calming Policy, Page 2 3. All members shall be owners of property located within the Impacted Area. iv. An Application Petition (AP). 1. The Application Petition format will be provided by staff. 2. To be accepted,the AP must be signed by a majority of the property owners within the Impacted Area. 3. Only one valid property owner signature per property will be accepted. a. Only property owners shall be authorized to participate in the petition process unless the property owner authorizes a proxy to sign on the property owner's behalf. 3. Data a. Collect necessary data i. Once the ANTC is received,the TE will establish what data will be necessary to establish the presence of a chronic problem. ii. The data to be collected shall be sufficient to determine if the policy-based thresholds have been met. iii. The TE will review and analyze the collected data and prepare a letter report that summarizes and explains the collected data. b. Discuss the results of the data collection i. City staff and the RTT will meet to discuss the results described in the letter report. 1. If the letter report determines that Traffic Calming Measures(TCM)are warranted: a. City staff and the RTT will discuss what TCM would be potential solutions. 2. If the letter report determines that the thresholds have not been met: a. The Impacted Area will be ineligible to resubmit an ANTC for a period of three years, unless the TE determines that traffic patterns have changed sufficiently to warrant reconsideration. 4. Develop a Plan for Neighborhood Traffic Calming a. City staff will guide the RTT in the application of the appropriate TCM. b. The RTT will meet and develop a comprehensive Plan for Neighborhood Traffic Calming (PNTC). c. The RTT will submit the PNTC to the TE for a preliminary review for feasibility and practicality. 5. Neighborhood resident meeting a. The RTT and TE will arrange a meeting with the residents of the Impacted Area. b. The RTT will explain to the attendees what has occurred to date. c. The TE will present the results of any studies and data collection performed. d. The RTT will present the PNTC to the residents. e. The residents will be provided an opportunity to give feedback to the RTT and City staff regarding the PNTC. Traffic Calming Policy,Page 3 f. The RTT will make any necessary changes to the PNTC based upon the feedback from this meeting. 6. Plan for Neighborhood Traffic Calming Endorsement Petition a. The PNTC must be endorsed by two-thirds of the property owners within the Impacted Area. b. Documentation of this endorsement will be in the form of an Endorsement Petition (EP). i. The RTT will prepare the EP which will include: 1. A description of the traffic concerns being addressed; 2. A delineation of the Impacted Area;and 3. The proposed TCM. ii. The EP will be submitted to City staff for review and approval. iii. Only one valid property owner signature per property will be accepted. 1. Only property owners shall be authorized to participate in the petition process unless the property owner authorizes a proxy to sign on the property owner's behalf. iv. City staff will compare petition signatures to the current appraisal district rolls. c. The RTT will have approximately six weeks to obtain the required endorsements. i. If,at the end of the initial six-week period,the RTT is unable to receive the two- thirds endorsement but has received endorsements from at least half of the property owners the RTT may request a two-week extension to collect the remaining endorsements. d. If the RTT is not able to obtain the two-thirds endorsement: i. The RTT may: 1. Terminate the ANTC; or 2. Revise the PNTC and restart the EP process. a. If the RTT is notable to obtain the two-thirds endorsement for the second EP,the ANTC process will automatically terminate. e. If the ANTC process is terminated, under either condition,the Impact Area will be ineligible to restart the ANTC process for a period of 36 months, unless the TE determines that traffic patterns have changed sufficiently to warrant reconsideration. 7. Plan for Neighborhood Traffic Calming approval a. All traffic control device installations and changes require the approval of the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z)as described in Section 94-63 of the City of Baytown Code of Ordinances. i. City staff will prepare an agenda item for P&Z to consider the endorsed PNTC. ii. The RTT will present the endorsed PNTC to P&Z. 8. Project design a. The PNTC is considered to be a planning document and not an engineering work. However, if construction is required,the construction documents will be considered engineering work and will have to be sealed by a professional engineer, authorized to practice engineering in the State of Texas. Traffic Calming Policy, Page 4 i. The Traffic Calming Tool Chest specifies which TCM typically require construction or simply installation. b. If the PNTC requires construction, a construction permit will be required and must follow the current processes and requirements for right-of-way construction permitting. c. City staff will determine whether the project includes construction or installation activities. 9. Project construction and installation a. The City of Baytown maintains exceptional work crews that are capable of both constructing and installing most TCM within its rights-of-way. However,these crews may not have the necessary experience or availability to execute the specific project. The Director of Public Works and Engineering will determine if the project will be constructed or installed by City work crews. b. If the project is to be constructed by contractors,the City of Baytown's current contractor selection process shall be followed.The work performed by the contractor shall meet the same standards as all capital improvement projects constructed for the City. 10. Project Funding a. The design and implementation of a PNTC can be funded by the homeowners or neighborhood association. i. If the project is funded in this manner,the review and approval of the permits will be treated as a standard,third-party, right-of-way permit application. b. If the homeowners'or neighborhood association is notable to pay for the design and implementation of the PNTC,the association can submit a written request for the City to fund the design and implementation. i. If the design and implementation of the PNTC is not in the current year's budget, it will be considered during the City's next annual budgeting process. 11. Monitoring and evaluation a. A post-implementation study will be performed,for the Impact Area,to determine if the measures taken to resolve the issues described in the Application for Neighborhood Traffic Calming were effective. Traffic Calming Policy,Page 5