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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Transportation Advisory Commission - 09/28/1992 L-RANSPORTATION ADVISORY:COMMlt1'EE' MINUTES (for the meeting of Septembec28,-1592p Meeting was called to order at 2:05 p.m. Messrs. Bosquez, Hecht, Brandrup and DeVille were absent. Minutes of the August 24, 1992 meeting were approved. • CHAIRMAN'S REPORT Mr. Pillinger questioned Mr. Seiler as to the basis of the discussion by the City Council regarding the traffic flow around Luther Jones Middle School and why this issue did not come before the TAC before going before the Council? Mr. Seiler responded that he felt that it was necessary to have this issue placed on the City Council agenda as soon as possible due to the need to control the mounting traffic congestion as soon as possible. There is a very bad traffic problem in the area and a clear indication that a one-way school zone is necessary. Therefore, he had the item placed on the agenda rather than wait a number of weeks for TAC review prior to Council approval. TRAFFIC FATALITY REPORT Capt.C.H. Byrd presented the Fatality Report. The Police Department has recorded three fatal traffic accidents since the last Committee meeting. They have arrested 833 people for DWI in 1992 compared to 787 at this same time last year. MONTHLY TRAFFIC ACCIDENT EXPERIENCE REPORT Accepted as presented by Mr. Seiler. DISCUSSION ITEMS Petition request by residents in the Livingston Park subdivision to barricade Everhart Road at Center Drive for purposes of traffic diversion off of Aberdeen Street. ° This item was brought before the TAC by Mr. Seiler to apprise the TAC on a petition for a street barricade in the Livingston Park subdivision. Mr. Seiler informed the TAC of his response to Mr. Herschel Robertson, spokesman for the Livingston Park residents. Residents in the area have petitioned for the placement of a barricade at the junction of Everhart Road at Center Drive. The residents of this subdivision are under the impression that a street barricade was maintained at this location in the 1950's. Mr. Seiler acknowledged that there is an excessive volume of non-resident through traffic, approximately 3,000 vpd, on Aberdeen but reminded the Committee that the City remains committed to provide some form of mitigation. Presently the City has no fine-tuned policy for street blockading to divert non-resident through traffic. Staff is studying the legal mechanism by which the City can barricade a public street for this purpose,and is researching records of any barrier previously maintained at the requested location. Mr.Seiler also stated that the City is in the process of developing a comprehensive 'area development plan' for the City's southeast area, which includes street improvements affecting Aberdeen Street. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS REQUIRING COMMITTEE APPROVAL • Staff recommendation to close a portion of the Williams Drive right-of-way immediately east of Everhart Road. ° The Chairperson questioned the need for further discussion on the issue of closing a portion of Williams Drive because it has previously been discussed. Mr. Seiler stated.that the street has been closed off, but the recommendation to close the right-of-way would have to be presented to the City Council, and requires TAC review. Motion was then made by Mr. Braselton, seconded by Mr. Routh and passed unanimously to approve the staff recommendation. SCANNED A 2 Staff recommendation to establish"No Parking Anytime"curbside restrictions along both sides of Nueces Bay Boulevard between interstate 37 and West Broadway. Mr. Pillinger opened the discussion by questioning who had requested the restriction on Nueces Bay Boulevard. Mr. Seiler responded that the Staff initiated the recommendation after several requests for No Parking Anytime signs from adjacent property owners. Mr.Seiler further stated that a portion of the street is already signed for no parking anytime. Although curbside parking is common (primarily by refinery employees) along the east side of the street,there is ample parking in the adjacent parking lot for these employees. Motion was made by Mr.Routh seconded by Mr. Braselton and passed unanimously to approve the staff recommendation. ACTION ON ABSENT MEMBERS FROM AUGUST MEETING Motion was made, seconded and passed unanimously to excuse Ms. Hoist, LCDR.Williams and Messrs. Braselton and Bosquez from the August meeting. PREVIOUS CONCERNS Mr. Pillinger updated the Committee on the status of a letter to be sent to the Mayor and City Council in regard to the traffic accident experience on South Padre Island Drive expressway at Everhart and Staples. NEW CONCERNS Mr. Pillinger brought up a concern of a citizen who had planned to attend the meeting, but was not present. The citizen had called Mr. Pillinger in regard to Timbergate Drive being used as a through street between Everhart and Staples and questioned why there are no school flashers within the school zone. Mr. Seiler responded to this concern by stating the City's policy for maintaining school flashers only on primary collector and arterial streets. Timbergate Drive is a neighborhood collector street, and has been provided with school speed limit reduction regulatory signs. Mr. Pillinger also stated that the bus stop on Staples between the Golden Corral and Common Wealth Savings (Nations Bank)causes congestion,backs up traffic through Williams Drive and causes a dangerous situation. Mr.Seiler responded that Traffic Engineering has approved an RTA request for a relocated bus stop further north of the existing bus stop and that the City would pursue a bus turn-out for this location, similar to the one at Moore Plaza. Mr. Braselton questioned (1) the timing of the signal light at Corona Drive and Everhart because traffic is being backed up into the frontage road and (2)the possibility of a traffic light in the Greenfields-by-the-Bay subdivision. Vehicles trying to turn onto Wooldridge Road are causing traffic to backup so that motorists are having difficulty crossing Rodd Field Road. ADJOURNMENT Meeting was adjourned at 3:05 p.m. • Mlnutes.Sep