HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006 04 10 Regular Item 300 Dyson Drive Sidewalks
COMMISSION AGENDA
ITEM 300
CONSENT
INFORMATIONAL
PUBLIC HEARING
REGULAR X
April 10, 2006
Meeting
MGR / DEPT
Authorization
REQUEST: Public Works requesting the City Commission to review the straw ballot
results for the proposed Dyson Drive Pedestrian and Traffic Safety
Improvement Project and approve construction of sidewalks and traffic
calming.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this agenda item is to request the City Commission to review the
straw ballot results for the proposed Dyson Drive Pedestrian and Traffic Safety
Improvement Project and approve construction of sidewalks and traffic calming.
PROJECT SUMMARY:
Seminole County has proposed the construction of sidewalks and traffic calming along Dyson
Drive to improve pedestrian and traffic safety. Five-foot wide sidewalks are proposed on both
sides of Dyson Drive in the City between the Howell Creek Bridge and Shetland Avenue. The
County also plans to construct five-foot sidewalks along both sides of the County portion of
Dyson Drive from Tuskawilla Road to the Howell Creek Bridge, including a new pedestrian
bridge over Howell Creek. The County's proposal is based on the recommendations of the
Seminole County School Safety Advisory Committee, which performed a sidewalk needs
assessment of all arterial and collector roadways within two miles of all County schools. The
project also includes traffic calming improvements along the City portion of Dyson Drive to
reduce speeding and traffic volumes. The proposed improvements would be funded by Seminole
County at no cost to the City residents.
STRAW BALLOT LIMITS:
At the February 20, 2006 Public Hearing for this project, the City Commission directed staff to
conduct a straw ballot of all property owners ''who live within the two-mile radius of Rainbow
Elementary that would conceivably use one of the proposed routes to walk to Rainbow
Elementary." Based on this direction, Staff identified a total of 161 properties to be included in
the straw ballot. A map showing the straw ballot mailing limits is shown as Exhibit A. All straw
041006_ COMM _Regular _300_ Dyson Drive Sidewalks and Traffic Calming
Regular Agenda Item 300
April 10, 2006
Page 2
ballots were mailed on Friday, March 3, with a return requirement that completed ballots be
postmarked not later than March 17, 2006.
STRAW BALLOT RESULTS:
A total of 100 ballots were received with postmark or City date stamp not later than March 17,
2006. Each property owner was requested to choose only one of three options for the project,
with results as follows:
APPROVE SIDEWALKS AND TRAFFIC CALMING:
43
Ballot Votes
APPROVE SIDEWALKS, BUT REJECT TRAFFIC CALMING:
17
Ballot Votes
REJECT SIDEWALKS AND TRAFFIC CALMING:
38
Ballot Votes
Incomplete:
2
Ballot Votes
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS:
At the February 20 Public Hearing, the Commission requested Staffs review of several design
Issues:
. Median Width
The traffic calming median widths have been reduced from 6-feet to 5-feet. A 5-foot
wide median will provide two 9.5-foot wide travel lanes (10.0 feet from face of curb to
the edge of pavement), which will still effectively function as a traffic calming device
while providing a little more lane width for larger vehicles.
. Mountable Curb vs. Vertical Curb
Staff and the design engineer, Metric Engineering, Inc., recommends keeping both the
medians and traffic circles with mountable curbs. Mountable curbs are recommended by
the Seattle Guidelines, which are a nationally recognized standard for traffic circles that
have been used as a basis for the proposed Dyson Drive traffic circles. The mountable
curbs better accommodate emergency and over-sized vehicles, while still providing
effective traffic calming for normal daily traffic.
. Sidewalk Swale Crossings
There are approximately six locations where the sidewalk is required to transition across
the existing swale. These crossings have been field investigated by Metric Engineering to
determine if any design modifications are required. At two crossings, culverts will be
provided to route drainage under the sidewalks. At the other locations, minor
modifications have been made to the sidewalk alignment, and the crossings are now all
located in areas where the swales are shallow or non-existent. Metric has determined that
the sidewalks can safely operate as intended without culverts at these locations.
041006_ COMM _Regular _300_ Dyson Drive Sidewalks and Traffic Calming
Regular Agenda Item 300
April 10, 2006
Page 3
FUNDING:
The project is being funded by Seminole County at no cost to the City.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of both the sidewalks and traffic calming.
IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE:
Seminole County has programmed funding for the project and is waiting on a commitment from
the City before proceeding.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Exhibit A - Straw Ballot Mailing Limits
COMMISSION ACTION:
041006_COMM_Regular_300_Dyson Drive Sidewalks and Traffic Calming
Ehibit A - Straw Ballot Mailing Limits
North
Mailing Limits