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Minutes
TRANSPORTATION SAFETY COMMISSION
November 27, 2007
The Vienna Transportation Safety Commission (TSC) met in regular session November 27, 2007 in the Council Chamber at Vienna Town Hall, 127 Center Street, South, Vienna, Virginia. Chairman Tara Voigt opened the meeting at 8:00 p.m. with the following members present: Leonard Ignatowski, Frank Johnson, Stephen Kenney, Jill Decker, Sharon Baum, Andrew Meren, Richard Denbow and Howard Springsteen. Also present were Emily Allen, TSC Clerk, Aileen Santiago, engineer for the Department of Public Works (DPW) and Sergeant Mike Reeves with the Vienna Police Department (VPD).
Approval of the Minutes
The minutes from the October 30, 2007 meeting were unanimously approved.
Petition for Traffic Calming Measures in the East St, NE and Church St, NE Area
Mr. Foley of 513 Council Ct, NE said that people speed excessively down East St, NE, as is indicated in the traffic counts. They are not looking to divert traffic or to shut off the area to cut through traffic. They are only asking that people drive through the area safely. They are open to any suggestions that the professionals have to offer.
Chairman Voigt said that she had sent a memo to DPW asking for additional signage in the area, to move the stop bar forward, to trim the vegetation in the area and yellow stripping on Church St, NE. Ms. Santiago responded that DPW reviewed the intersection of East St, NE and Church St, NE for traffic safety improvements as requested by the TSC. Traffic and pedestrian safety along Church St, including the intersections with Lawyers Rd and East St, are among those being reviewed by the traffic consultants hired by the Town. She suggested that the TSC wait to review their recommendations before making any decisions. The traffic study is due to be completed by January 2008. Chairman Voigt also mentioned that the stop bar had been moved forward and the vegetation had been trimmed.
Commissioner Springsteen said that an excess of 5,000 vehicles are traveling through that area a day and that the Beulah Road project is probably having some effect on the matter. He is not sure about the speed hump on East St, NE, because that is a major thoroughfare, but agreed the TSC should wait for the suggestions from the traffic consultants.
Mr. Foley said that with traffic calming measures there will always be some sort of trade off. When he put together this petition, his first instinct was to ask for stop signs but then after doing some research, discovered that speed tables cause less noise and pollution.
Commissioner Springsteen asked Mr. Foley if he would be willing to wait to see what the traffic consultants had to say and Mr. Foley answered yes.
Commissioner Kenney said that he was surprised to see how much traffic was on the 200 block of East St, NE. There were 2,900 cars in one direction and 1,900 in the other. The issue that he has with the speed hump requested on East St, NE is that the last house on Ayrhill Ave, NE has a large brick wall going up to the end of their property and a wood fence going up the side. That makes it so you can’t see up the road until you get past the brick wall. You are supposed to have 200ft visibility to put in a speed hump which puts the speed hump in the 201, 203 East St, NE area and both of those people oppose the speed hump. Another issue is that East St, NE is a primary route for EMS. One option, which he discovered in Arlington County, are speed cushions, which are like speed tables but with tracks about 7ft apart for the EMS vehicles to travel over. He would like DPW to review and give their opinion on the matter.
Commissioner Springsteen suggested deferring the matter until February to see what the traffic consultants had to say.
Mr. Foley said that raised intersections were something they should consider. There are none in Vienna, but he feels that this intersection is unique.
Mike Lenz of 201 East St, NE said that this petition has made him pay more attention to traffic in the neighborhood. He can only recall 1 accident in the last 15 years. Traffic does not seem that bad. If the traffic counts done match those of previous years, he would be surprised. The Beulah Rd project has had a big impact on the area. He would like to request that the Town does not go too overboard with traffic calming in the area.
Grabber Vertical Panel Barricades
Commissioner Springsteen reviewed that he had seen these barricades in pedestrian walkways up in Cape Code and thought they would be good to try at the elementary schools in Vienna. They later found out from DPW that these signs do not meet State Code. DPW also has concerns that if these signs are temporary, who will take them in and out? Two of the 4 schools that the TSC has talked to have someone willing to do so. DPW suggested that they try the signs that are at Lawyers Rd and Park St and on Follin La because that would be consistent. The TSC has done a count and would like 2 signs at each crosswalk at each elementary school except Vienna Elementary and would now like to make their recommendations to Town Council. Mr. Springsteen said that he was in Washington D.C. recently and noticed that they had similar signs imbedded in the crosswalks, so this is not an unusual idea. If DPW has too much of an issue with the temporary signs, then they should put in permanent ones. If they are concerned about the steal bolts that would be used, then they should use the plastic ones that are just as strong. Similar signs have worked well at the Post Office and on Park St.
Commissioner Kenney said that there is no stop sign at Vienna Elementary, so why not put the signs there? Commissioner Springsteen answered that part of the reason is because of the future construction in the area but most of it is because the angle of the crosswalk is so that if you were to place a sign there, it would be in the way of people turning.
Commissioner Baum wondered about having the Sign Shop make something that you could put on a pylon.
Commissioner Springsteen said that is one idea but they should really let the Town Council look at the facts and make a decision.
Commissioner Springsteen made a motion to refer to Town Council to try either removable or permanent Grabber Vertical Panel Barricades at 3 of the 4 elementary schools, Vienna Elementary excluded, and it was unanimously approved by the TSC.
Reports of the Commissioners
Commissioner Decker asked when the Beulah Road project was slated to be completed and Ms. Santiago answered spring of 2008.
Commissioner Kenney showed the TSC some examples of traffic circles that he had brought. He thinks a traffic circle is something that should be considered for Church St and Lawyers Rd. One problem would be the 18 wheelers that go up Lawyers Rd to make a left on Church St. In Arlington County, they have allowed trucks to make a left hand turn before the circle. The simple solution would be to make right turn only out of Church St but would that really serve the greater good? Originally, it seems that people thought the Post Office was going to be moved but that never happened. He asked Sergeant Reeves about the traffic accident data that he had requested and Sergeant Reeves said he should be able to have it for him by next meeting. Commissioner Kenney said that he would like traffic counts as well and Sergeant Reeves said that the problem with that is that the counters do not go up that high. He said that DPW could put out the tubes but then there would be no speed data. Another problem is that so many people stopping on the counters skews the data.
Commissioner Springsteen asked Ms. Santiago to give Commissioner Kenney’s drawling to the traffic consultants. He asked if the TSC would be included in the meeting with DPW and the consultants. Ms. Santiago answered that the consultants will be returning with a variety of recommendations before anything goes to Town Council. Nothing will be implemented without the support of the TSC and the Town Council. She will try to organize a work session.
Chairman Voigt asked that when the traffic consultants come before the TSC, will it be advertised as a public hearing? Ms. Santiago said that is one way it could be done. Chairman Voigt thought that would be a good idea.
Commissioner Kenney said that he recently came across a Traffic Calming Request Screening Form that Commissioner Ignatowski had made. It had speed pillows on the form. He wonders if that is the same thing as a speed cushion. It would be a good idea to have the Fire Marshall take a look into speed cushions and see if he approves. Commissioner Springsteen said that the Fire Marshall is opposed to all speed humps. Commissioner Keeney said that they were previously opposed in Arlington and Alexandria too and that Commissioner Springsteen should take a look at them.
Commissioner Kenney wanted to discuss where the TSC was going to draw the line on putting in speed humps. He came up with a spreadsheet with the minimum requirements for a speed humps. VDOT’s requirements are different from Vienna’s. VDOT requires a minimum of 600 vehicles traveling down the street in a 24 hour period and a maximum of 4,000 vehicles. Streets that have fewer than 600 vehicles are treated with education, enforcement and other non physical measures. Not until the 600 vehicle point, are physical measures an option. Vienna’s guidelines only say that priority will be given to those streets with 2,000 cars traveling down in a 24 hour period. VDOT requires 500ft spacing between traffic calming measures and 200 ft from an intersection or traffic signal. Vienna’s guidelines say 300ft from speed hump, intersection or traffic signal. Montgomery County had such a backlash against speed humps that they upped the requirements to 85% of traffic going 7mph or over the speed limit for secondary streets and 9mph or over for primary streets. According to these guidelines, some of the speed humps that were approved shouldn’t have even been looked at by the TSC.
Commissioner Denbow said that one of the things that the traffic consultants were supposed to be looking at is other options besides speed humps.
Commissioner Kenney said that he thinks the TSC should entertain the possibility of setting minimum standards. He worries that people will come before the TSC and say that they have higher counts than a previous speed hump approved, so why can’t they have a speed hump as well?
Commissioner Springsteen said that he understands Commissioner Kenney’s point but when you look at how speed humps have lowered the speeds on streets, it is hard to argue against them.
Commissioner Denbow said that he does not think the speed hump approved on Tazewell Rd, NW will cause a backlash. The residents wanted it and they are the ones driving over it.
Commissioner Kenney said that he thinks there will be a backlash when another street wants a speed hump and gets denied. Arlington County has a website with studies of traffic data before and after a speed hump. He has started making a similar chart.
Commissioner Johnson said that Branch Road turned out very nice. He was happy to have it back. He noticed that the signage was changed and the stop bar was moved at Wolftrappe Square.
Commissioner Kenney asked if the speed humps were going back on Branch Rd and Ms. Santiago said yes.
Commissioner Denbow asked if the residents wanted them back and Ms. Santiago said yes and that DPW would be putting them in as soon as the weather allowed.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:57.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Emily Allen, Finance Water & Sewer Clerk