06/23/1975 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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I on policy .with regard to their use and procedure for installation. Although there would be contro~ersy, he said, it was a good tool and one needed in the community. Resolution No. 2414 - Adopting traffic diverter policy and procedures - was read by number and title. Mr. Murray moved second by Mr. Hamel to adopt the resolution. Councilman Murray recognized heated differences of opinion on the use of traffic di- verters, yet he felt their use was an extension of existing policy adopted in community goals statements - to increase efforts to improve neighborhood quality by directing traffic to commercial and industrial streets, serve the needs of motorists without sub- verting other aspects of city life, limit traffic to as few streets as possible, dis- courage through residential areas, etc. His concern was excessive traffic in residential neighborhoods, especially since it tends to be heaviest in older neighborhoods de- preciating the quality of those areas. He didn't think quality in those areas would be improved unless strong steps were taken, and from consultations with traffic people his information was that traffic diverters were the best known method of accomplishing the desired protection. He saw them as a device to bring to the older neighborhoods with grid street systems the same protection that was being provided newer areas. He felt that if this policy and procedure were adopted it would provide a more standardized way of dealing with the issue, a better job could be done so far as designing and placing diverters than is now the case. Councilman Williams agreed with Mr. Murray's statement that he saw the primary value was to provide protection for residential streets adjacent or very near to major arterials suffering from spillover of traffic, but he said he didn't read this traffic diverter policy in that way. He didn't think it dealt with alternative means of transportation. Assistant Manager said the policy would relate to reducing through - traffic and improving residential neighborhoods. It also would to a degree become a component in neighborhood refinement plans but not in the sense of making broad, sweeping delcarations with regard to alternative modes of transportation. It would put traffic on arterials and perhaps will require an arterial street policy statement in time. Councilman Bradley favored the policy statement, although he expressed disappointment that more neighborhood associatiansdid not respond since that was the source of citizen feedback. Councilman Williams questioned Assistant Manager remarks, wondering if staff felt adoption of this policy would proviqe the basis for an overall workable transportation system. He saw it only as a portion of the community goals statements and said there was a need for a broader overall policy. He wondered if adoption of this policy would be creating a situation of not adopting a broader approach with regard to diverters later on. Assitant Manager didn't think so. He thought it would increase pressure on the Council to address the overall policy issues because the diverters would place traffic seeking alternate routes on arterial streets. This policy, he said, could be modified when those overall decisions were made. Councilwoman Beal agreed there were broader issues to be considered. Property owners on both residential and commercial streets were more or less penalized by increased traffic, those in residential areas not only by having the increased traffic but also for street improvements to accommodate it. She thought this diverter policy should be considered only a part of the overall issue, a temporary thing. Councilman Murray agreed that installation of diverters would not be a panacea. But he felt arterial - uses were having a tremendously dibilitating effect on some residential neighborhoods, and however much traffic the diverters added to the arterials would not significantly change the overall problem. He said he didn't think diverters would solve the problems, but neither would tney make them dramatically worse. 6/23/75 - 6 '33~