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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAdmin Order 58-96-05 58 - 9" -0$ Administrative Order of the Traffic Engineer of the City of Eugene, Oregon Establishing Two-Way Traffic on Charnelton Street between Sth Avenue and 6th Avenue The Traffic Engineer of the City of Eugene finds that: A. The Eugene Code provides that the City Manager or the manager's designee shall exercise specific traffic duties by administrative action, including: the implementation of ordinances, resolutions, and motions of the Council and his or her own orders by installing traffic control devices; designating the direction of traffic flow, and establishing, maintaining, removing or altering all traffic control areas and traffic control devices including traffic control signals, signs, and pavement markings. B. The Central Area Transportation Study, which was updated in February 1993, contains the following policy and implementation strategy. . Policy Number 16.0: "Maintain or improve the operation of the street system for pedestrians, bicycles, transit and automobiles." . Implementation Strategy 16.1: "Identify one-way streets that should be converted to two-way operation." This includes a recommendation to change Chamelton Street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue to two-way operation. C. City staffhas evaluated traffic conditions on Charnelton Street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue and determined that two-way traffic operation will improve the efficient use of Charnelton Street by the public and benefit the abutting property. NOW, THEREFORE, Based on the above findings, and pursuant to the authority contained in Eugene Code 5.040, the Traffic Engineer of the City of Eugene orders that: Charnelton Street between 5th Avenue and 6th avenue shall be a two-way street. Dated this / PI! Day of February, 1996 Administrative Order Number 58-96-05 Administrative Order of the Traffic Engineer of the City of Eugene, Oregon Establishing Two-Way Traffic on Charnelton Street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue Criteria for Administrative Action The administrative action of the Traffic Engineer of the City of Eugene, Oregon, establishing two- way traffic on Charnelton Street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue is based on the following criteria: ( a) Traffic engineering principles and traffic investigations: . Roadway and intersection capacity: two-way operation will not cause capacity problems at either intersection. . Safety: Eleven accidents were reported in the five year period from January 1, 1990 through December 31, 1994. Three of the accidents occurred at 5th & Charnelton and eight at 6th & Charnelton. There were no reported mid-block accidents. Two-way operation may slightly increase accident potential, as it requires motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians to observe traffic coming from two directions. Traffic conditions and accidents will be monitored to determine what effect changing the block to two-way operation has on traffic safety. . Transit: Two-way operation will increase transit routing options. . Traffic signs, markings and signals: Motorists will be informed of changes with appropriate signing. Signs, markings and signals will be added, removed, or modified as needed, and will be in compliance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. . Intersection Controls: Stop controls will be added for northbound Charnelton Street traffic at 5th Avenue. The traffic signal at 6th Avenue will be modified to reflect the change from two southbound lanes to one. . Roadway lighting: No changes will be made to the roadway lighting. . Access control: No changes will be made to any existing access. . Speed zoning: No changes will be made to the statutory Speed 20 zone. . Environmental effects: Conversion to two-way operation will have negligible environmental effects. (b) Standards, limitations, and rules promulgated by the Oregon Transportation Commission or the Oregon Public Utility Commission. . Neither the Oregon Transportation Commission nor the Oregon Public Utility Commission has issued any standards, limitations, or rules specifically related to this block. ( c) Other recognized traffic control standards. . Signing and markings will comply with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and ODOT's Sign Policy and Guidelines for the State Highway System. (d) The city's adopted transportation-related plans and policies. . The February 1993 update of the Central Area Transportation Study recommends changing this block of Charnel ton Street to two-way operation (policy 16.0, Implementation Strategy 16.1). . The Eugene Bikeways Master Plan calls for a southbound bike lane on Charnelton Street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue. This lane was installed in 1994, and will be retained when the block is converted to two-way operation. No bike lane is planned for northbound traffic, as the Master Plan does not call for a northbound bike lane. (e) Existing state and local laws regulating use of public ways. . Provisions of the 1993-94 Oregon Vehicle Code will apply when Charnelton Street operates as a two-way street. (f) The efficient use of the public way by the public. . By improving access to businesses on the block, two-way operation will allow the public to use Charnelton Street more efficiently. (g) The use of abutting property. . Two-way operation will improve access to properties on Charnelton Street. (h) The intensity of use of the street by vehicles and pedestrians. . 1994 ADT was 1,900. No bicycle or pedestrian counts have been done. Two-way operation will result in a slight increase in traffic volume, but will improve traffic circulation. Bicycle use may increase slightly. Pedestrian volumes will not be affected by the two-way traffic pattern. (i) The physical condition and characteristics of the street and abutting property. . Charnelton Street is a 34 foot wide asphalt street. The existing one-way configuration of two southbound travel lanes, one southbound bike lane, and one parking lane will be changed to one travel lane in each direction, one southbound bike lane, and a parking lane for northbound vehicles. Parking issues are further addressed in (n), below. . Abutting property. The abutting property consists of retail and commercial businesses. The block has no residential property. G) Emergencies. . Two-way operation will provide more flexibility for routing of emergency vehicles. Response times will stay the same in most cases, but may decrease in certain instances. (k) The public health, safety, and welfare. . The two-way operation will promote the public health, safety, and welfare, as it facilitates emergency vehicle access. . The two-way operation may result in a slight increase in traffic accidents, as it requires motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians to observe traffic coming from two directions. The accident rate is not expected to change significantly. There is the potential for an in increase rear-end accidents for westbound 6th Avenue traffic and angle accidents at 5th Avenue. Traffic conditions and accidents will be monitored to determine what effect changing the block to two-way operation has on traffic safety. (I) Special events of community interest including parades and public gatherings. . The change will not affect any special events. (m) Construction within or adjacent to the street. . Two-way operation will complicate traffic control plans around construction sites in the street. Construction adjacent to the street may be facilitated, as construction vehicles could approach the site from either direction. (n) Establishing conditions upon the use of parking. . Parking is permitted on the east side of Charnelton Street and prohibited on the west side. There will be no changes to parking facilities, other than to reverse the direction of permitted parking on the east side of the street.