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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/14/2024 TSC MinutesMAYOR VILLAGE MANAGER Paul Wm. Hoefert Michael 3. Cassady Tina DeAragon P Mount Prospect TRUSTEES DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS Vincent 3. Dante Sean Dorsey Agostino Filippone Police Department Representative Terri Gens Public Works Department Representative William A. Grossi Phone: 847/870-5640 John Matuszak Fax: 847/253-9377 Colleen E. Saccotelli www.mountprospect.org Village of Mount Prospect Public Works 1700 W. Central Road, Mount Prospect, Illinois 60056 MINUTES OF THE MOUNT PROSPECT TRANSPORTATION SAFETY COMMISSION CALL TO ORDER The meeting of the Mount Prospect Transportation Safety Commission was called to order at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, October 14, 2024. ROLL CALL Present upon roll call: Justin Kuehlthau Chairman Christopher Prosperi Vice Chairman Tina DeAragon Commissioner Jeffrey Nejdl Commissioner Aaron Grandgeorge Fire Department Representative Nicholas Mavraganis Police Department Representative Scott Moe Public Works Department Representative Luke Foresman Project Engineer —Staff Liaison Absent: Others in Attendance: Matt Dziubinshi Mount Prospect Park District Representative Joe Tuczak Resident 411 N. Elmhurst Avenue Dana Casey Resident 504 S. Wa Pella Avenue Jill Maher Resident 514 S. Wa Pella Avenue APPROVAL OF MINUTES Vice Chairman Prosperi, seconded by Commissioner DeAragon, moved to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of the Transportation Safety Commission held on September 9, 2024. The minutes were approved by a vote of 7-0. CITIZENS TO BE HEARD None. TSC Meeting Page 1 of 11 October 14, 2024 nl n Ri ICINFCC None. NEW BUSINESS A: Weller Creek Playground Study Discussion Staff Liaison Foresman presented the following on the traffic study completed relating to the new Weller Creek Playground: Request: Traffic study to determine any needed improvements to address perceived traffic issues on Council Trail relating to the recent opening of the Weller Creek Playground. Requested By: Residents near the new Weller Creek Playground. Park History: Matt Dziubinski, Director of Parks and Planning for the Mount Prospect Park District, was at the meeting to present on the history of the park. For several years, nearby residents voiced the need for a playground within the surrounding area of Weller Creek Park. The Park District identified this as a need on its FY2024 Annual Capital Improvement Plan which was approved in November of 2023. On February 7th, 2024, Park District Staff held a community open house meeting and received valuable input on the proposed playground development. Park District Staff presented two playground options at the meeting and asked the community to vote on an option, colors, and other site amenities. For those that were unable to attend, a concept plan along with renderings were posted on the Park District's website to view. Feedback was also shared with Park District Staff via email. The majority of the feedback received was from members that live around the park. After review of the nearby parks and input provided, it was obvious that Weller Creek Park would be a great location for a new neighborhood playground. With the natural setting that this park provides, the Park District designed it to preserve greenspace with a focus on it being nature -themed. The development would include a new playground serving both 2-5 and 5-12 age groups, concrete plaza with shade, renovated basketball court, new site furnishings, and many landscaping improvements. This playground was designed as a neighborhood playground, not a destination playground, with most patrons expected to travel to the park by walking or biking. There is no parking allowed on Council Trail. Once the playground opened, cars began to park along Council Trail and Wa Pella Avenue as many patrons wanted to experience the new park. Public Works installed additional no parking signs along Council Trail adjacent to the playground that alleviated the illegal parking issues along Council Trail. A reduced number of vehicles continued to park along Wa TSC Meeting Page 2 of 11 October 14, 2024 Pella Avenue. Residents are concerned about safety issues brought on by the new playground. During the presentation, the following discussion took place between the Commission, Mr. Dziubinski and the public: • The Park District is working on a new ordinance to standardize park hours from dawn to dusk. The police can enforce park hours. • The cost for the playground was $360,000. • The location of the floodplain/floodway was a determining factor on where the playground could be constructed. After the park history was discussed, Staff Liaison Foresman gave the rest of the presentation. Perceived Safety Residents have raised the following safety issues relating to the new playground: Issues: • There is no parking immediately adjacent to the playground • Patrons are required to cross Council Trail to access the playground from the north • Speed of vehicles on Council Trail • Number of vehicles on Council Trail • Parking issues along Wa Pella Avenue relating to the new playground Traffic Study: Mount Prospect Public Works, in coordination with the Mount Prospect Police Department and the Mount Prospect Park District, investigated the following items as part of the study to determine the existing traffic conditions and usage of the new playground: • Traffic counts on Council Trail • Parking surveys along Council Trail, Wa Pella Avenue and Man A Wa Trail • Usage counts of the playground • Crash history investigation along Council Trail Each of these items will be discussed below. Traffic Counts: The Engineering Division installed three traffic counters along Council Trail. Results are shown below and also included in the attached map. Year Location Average Speed 85% Speed Average Volume 2009 E. of See Gwun 23.5 28 1061 2005 E. Na Wa Ta 26.3 30.9 1051 2024 W. of Can Dota 27.7 32.1 1005.2 2009 E. of Can Dota 27.5 32.5 1179 2024 At Wa Pella 26.3 31 977.7 2007 W. of loka 25.7 30.3 1254.5 2008 W. of IL 83 23.5 28.5 1458 2024 W. of IL 83 23.7 28.5 1199.2 TSC Meeting Page 3 of 11 October 14, 2024 Traffic counts show consistent traffic and speeds over time. These counts are consistent with other collector streets in the Village and reflect that Council Trail is one of the primary access routes for the Mount Prospect Golf Club. Parking Studies: Existing Parking Regulations: • Council Trail — No parking anytime • Wa Pella Avenue — No specific parking regulations • Man A Wa Trail — No specific parking regulations Village -Wide Parking Regulations (Village Code 18.1303): • No parking within 20' of a crosswalk • No parking with 15' of a fire hydrant • No parking within 30' of a stop bar • No overnight parking, 2AM — 6AM With these existing parking regulations, there is limited legal parking options near the Weller Creek Playground. Public Works and Park District Staff observed parking 32 times from 7/29/24 to 8/23/2024 and from 9/9/2024 to 10/8/2024. A maximum of three (3) cars were parked near the playground at any one time. Based on the limited observed on -street parking use and the park being designed as a neighborhood park, should the Transportation Safety Commission recommend additional parking, the Engineering Division recommends 6 total parking spaces for the playground would be the appropriate amount to have near the park. See attached parking survey documentation. Parking regulations are also shown on the Alternative 1, 2 and 3 Exhibits. Playground Usage While Village and Park District Staff were conducting the parking studies, they also Counts: documented the amount of people using the playground. These results are included in the parking survey documentation. The highest number of park users at any one time was 12. Bikes and strollers were commonly at the park indicating neighborhood residents are walking and biking to the park. The busiest time at the playground was observed to between 5PM and 6PM while school is in session. Mid afternoon was the busiest in the summer. Crash History: Crash data from IDOT and the Village of Mount Prospect Police Department were reviewed for the most recent 5 years that data is available (2019 — 2023). There were no reported crashes along Council Trail between See Gwun Avenue and IL 83 (Elmhurst Road) during this time period. This would indicate low existing safety issues on the street (prior to the playground being constructed). TSC Meeting Page 4 of 11 October 14, 2024 Design Once the data collection portion of the traffic study was complete, Public Works Considerations: evaluated where parking could be allocated and reviewed if any enhancements were needed for pedestrian access to the playground. This included the following: • Stopping Sight Distance Review • On -Street Parking Locations Utilizing the Existing Roadway Width • On -Street Parking Locations with Roadway Widening • Pedestrian Considerations • Bike Considerations Stopping Sight Stopping sight distance is the distance traveled during the time it takes for a driver Distance: to decide they should stop a vehicle (perception -reaction time) and the time it takes for the vehicle to stop (maneuver time). Based on the speeds recorded in the traffic counts, a 30 MPH speed was chosen which requires a 200 foot stopping sight distance. This 200' stopping sight distance was applied to the crosswalk across Council Trail at Wa Pella Avenue to determine where, if any, on -street parking on Council Trail could be installed without widening the roadway. See the Stopping Sight Distance Exhibit. On -Street Parking Possible on -street parking locations without widening the roadway are shown on Locations, Existing the Stopping Sight Distance Exhibit. Based on only stopping sight distance, on - Roadway Width: street parking without widening the roadway could be allowed on the Council Trail if: • It is more than 200' west of the crosswalk on the south side • It is more than 60' east of the crosswalk on the south side • It is east of the Wa Pella island on the north side • It is west of the Wa Pella island on the north side While parking could be allowed in these locations based on stopping sight distance, engineering judgement determined that any on -street parking on Council Trail without widening the roadway on approach to the crosswalk would reduce safety at the crosswalk. Council Trail is 23' wide and currently does not allow parking on either side. The street effectively has two 11.5' through lanes in each direction. Introducing on -street parking without widening the roadway would require vehicles to navigate around the parked vehicles, decrease sight lines and potentially reduce drivers focus on pedestrians in the area. Therefore, Public Works does not recommend on -street parking without widening the roadway on Council Trail unless it is after the crosswalk in the direction of travel. Alternative 3 shows the possible on -street parking location without widening the roadway. Parking should not be striped to reduce impacts on traffic when parked cars are not present. TSC Meeting Page 5 of 11 October 14, 2024 Any on -street parking introduces new safety concerns that should be considered when evaluating new -on street parking. Drivers and potentially passengers would have to exit their vehicle into the travel lane of the street, creating a new conflict point between park patrons and motorists. Due to the proximity of the crosswalk to the preferred on -street parking location without widening the roadway, staff would not recommend crosswalk improvements as part of this alternative due to increased safety issues relating to weaving vehicles. On Wa Pella Avenue, parking is currently allowed except where prohibited village - wide (near crosswalks, stop bars or fire hydrants). Wa Pella Avenue also has unique geometry with a triangular island in the middle of the intersection with Council Trail. Parking is currently allowed along the island but can make navigating the intersection difficult and can block crosswalk sight lines. Public Works recommends prohibiting parking along the island at the intersection of Wa Pella Avenue and Council Trail to increase safety. Additionally, due to the number of stop bars, crosswalks and driveways, Public Works recommends prohibiting parking on Wa Pella Avenue from 20' north of the crosswalk north of the island to Council Trail. This effectively removes only one legal parking spot, but signage needs to be added to increase parking compliance on the street. With on -street parking prohibited near the island, centerlines can be painted on Wa Pella Avenue to help slow vehicles driving around the curves. These recommendations are included in all proposed alternatives. On -Street Parking Four on -street parking locations that could be accommodated by widening the Locations with roadway were reviewed to provide parking while mitigating the negative safety Roadway impacts that on -street parking within the current roadway width would have: Widening: • South side of Council Trail west of the crosswalk • South side of Council Trail east of the crosswalk • East side of the island • West side of the island The on -street parking locations through roadway widening within the island were ruled out due safety concerns associated with vehicles backing out of the spaces into oncoming traffic traveling around a curve. Additionally, parking within the island could limit visibility of pedestrians wanting to cross Wa Pella Avenue. On -street parking through roadway widening would be viable both east and west of the crosswalk. The parking would be set back from the street preserving sight lines for the crosswalk. The preferred location is west of the crosswalk as this is closest to the playground. The proposed roadway widening locations are within Village right-of-way and outside of floodplains. TSC Meeting Page 6 of 11 October 14, 2024 Even with roadway widening, this on -street parking introduces similar safety considerations to on -street parking within the current street width. While there would be more space since the street would be widened to accommodate the parking, vehicle drivers, and possibly passengers, would need to exit the vehicle into the travel lane on Council Trail. Additionally, roadway widening has the potential to impact existing parkway trees. The proposed back of curb is at least 2' from the existing tree trunks, but well within the tree canopy, meaning tree roots would be affected by the parking being constructed. This has the potential to reduce the health of the trees to the point where they would need to be removed for safety concerns. If approved for construction, it is recommended work be designed and constructed by the Village through the annual street resurfacing program but funded by the Park District due to the need for parking being directly related to the new playground. The on -street parking design with roadway widening is shown in Alternative 1. Pedestrian The crosswalk across Council Trail is currently marked and signed, including Considerations: advanced warning signs. This is appropriate for the amount of traffic on Council Trail and the number of pedestrians using the crossing. Options to further enhance the crosswalk include: • In -street pedestrian signs and a striped median (Alternative 2) • Pedestrian refuge island (Alternative 4) Both crosswalk enhancement options would force drives to pay attention at the crosswalk by having drivers navigate objects in the street. The in -street pedestrian signs would need to be removed in the winter for snow removal operations, though there are fewer park visitors at this time of year. The pedestrian refuge island would require widening Council Trail at a much larger project and cost. Other crosswalks in the area were also reviewed by Staff. The crosswalks from the island to Wa Pella Avenue are striped and located at stop signs for southbound traffic. No further improvements are recommended for these. The crosswalk across Wa Pella Avenue north of the island is currently unmarked. The recommendation is to install a new marked crosswalk to increase visibility for pedestrians and reduce the likelihood of vehicles parking across the crosswalk. This recommendation is included in all alternatives. The crosswalk across Man A Wa Trail, south of the playground, is currently striped but does not include signage. Staff recommends installing crosswalk signage and no parking signage at the crosswalk. This recommendation is included in all alternatives. TSC Meeting Page 7 of 11 October 14, 2024 Bicycle Council Trail is a signed on -street bike route. The bridge over Weller Creek at Wa Considerations: Pella Avenue is well used by bicyclists as well. Council Trail has a roadway width of 23' edge to edge. This is too narrow to install bike lanes and maintain two-way traffic. Adding on -street parking within the existing roadway width would force bikes to swerve around the parked cars, bringing them closer to vehicular traffic potentially creating safety issues. One bike treatment that would be possible on Council Trail is advisory bike lanes. These are dashed bike lanes that designate a space for bicyclists on the street that vehicles can use to pass each other when bikes are not present. Advisory bike lanes have the potential to slow down vehicles as well due to visually narrowing the street, but more study, and a robust public outreach campaign would be required before implementation due to advisory bike lanes being new to the Village. They have been successfully installed on low volume streets in Chicago and elsewhere to improve safety for bicycles and to calm traffic. Advisory bike lanes are shown in Alternative 4. Alternatives The following summarizes the four alternatives. All alternatives include the following items: • Add crosswalk signage and no parking signage on Man A Wa Trail • Install marked crosswalk across Wa Pella Avenue north of the island • Prohibit parking on Wa Pella Avenue from 20' north of the crosswalk north of the island to Council Trail • Add centerlines along Wa Pella Avenue adjacent to the island Alternative 1— On -Street Parking with Roadway Widening: • Village of Mount Prospect widens Council Trail to install 6 on -street parking spots along the south side of Council Trail west of the crosswalk • Mount Prospect Park District pays for the work • Estimated construction cost $30,000 Alternative 2 — No Additional Parking: • No additional parking, primary playground parking along Man A Wa Trail • Park District to install signage at park directing patrons to park along Man A Wa Trail • In -street pedestrian signs and pavement markings added to Council Trail crosswalk • No cost — completed in house Alternative 3 — On -Street Parking without Roadway Widening • Village installs signs permitting on -street parking on the south side of Council Trail east of the crosswalk • No cost — completed in house TSC Meeting Page 8 of 11 October 14, 2024 Alternative 4—Advisory Bike Lanes/Traffic Calming (Long Lead Time): • Add advisory bike lanes to Council Trail between See Gwun Avenue and IL 83 (Elmhurst Road) • Add bike transition ramps at the intersection with IL 83 • Widen Council Trail and add pedestrian refuge island at crosswalk adjacent to playground • On -street parking from Alternative 1 can be included with advisory bike lanes through widening the roadway • Estimated construction cost $63,030 (without on -street parking) Alternatives are to be discussed at the Transportation Safety Commission meeting on 10/14/2024 to guide staff in developing a preferred alternative. Staff is looking for the following input from the Commission: • Determine the need for additional on -street parking near the playground • If the Commission determines there is a need for additional on -street parking, provide input on the additional on -street parking location • Provide input on safety improvements at the Council Trail crosswalk • Approve or provide input on the recommend parking changes on Wa Pella Avenue, the recommended striping of the crosswalk across Wa Pella Avenue and the recommended signage additions on Man A Wa Trail Note, ideas from any of the alternatives can be considered as the preferred alternative is developed, the Commission does not have to choose just one alternative to implement. Discussion: The following points were brought up during the discussion: • Concerns over impacting trees due to roadway widening • A want to preserve the neighborhood feel (no parking lot) • Concerns over crosswalk safety • Liked having patrons park on Man A Wa Trail, but unsure if patrons would adjust their parking habits • Liked the changes proposed on Wa Pella Avenue • Commissioner Nejdl supported the in -street signs forcing drivers to navigate around them • Representative Moe indicated that any in -street signs would not survive a winter season due to snow plows • Liaison Foresman clarified that the signs would be installed in the spring and removed for winter As the discussion wrapped up, Liaison Foresman asked the Commission to make a motion on the items they wished to pursue. TSC Meeting Page 9 of 11 October 14, 2024 Motion: Vice Chairman Prosperi motioned for the Commission to recommend all of Alternative 2, which includes the following: • Prohibit parking on Wa Pella Avenue from 20' north of the crosswalk across Wa Pella Avenue north of the island south to Council Trail • Add striped centerlines to both legs of Wa Pella Avenue at the island • Stripe the crosswalk across Wa Pella Avenue north of the island • Add signs to the crosswalk across Man A Wa Trail • Ask the Park District to install signage at the playground directing patrons to park on Man A Wa Trail • Add a striped median island at the crosswalk across Council Trail at the playground • Install in -street "Stop Here For Pedestrians in Crosswalk" signs in the proposed striped median island at the crosswalk across Council Trail Chairman Kuehlthau seconded the motion. The motion was approved by a vote of 7-0. Liaison Foresman indicated only the parking changes on Wa Pella Avenue would need to go before the Village Board for approval. Staff is targeting the first Village Board meeting in November for approval. B. Friendly Neighborhoods Streets Program and Traffic Studies Update Staff Liaison Foresman provided updates to the Commission on the following studies: Friendly Neighborhood Streets Program locations where petitions have been submitted: • 0 — 100 Block of Audrey Lane • 1300 — 1400 Blocks of Fern Drive • 100 — 200 Blocks of Hi Lusi Avenue • 600 — 700 Blocks of S. William Street • 0 Block of N. Edward Street Friendly Neighborhood Streets Program locations where a resident reached out, but has not yet submitted a petition: • Briarwood Drive East and West • 100 — 200 Blocks of E. Evergreen Avenue • 0 — 600 Blocks of E. Gregory Street • 0 — 200 Blocks of N. Louis Street • Intersection of Magnolia Lane and Lavergne Drive The Village is also conducting a larger traffic study outside the scope of the Friendly Neighborhood Streets Program in the area bounded by IL 83 (Main Street) to the west, Rand Road to the east, Central Road to the south and Gregory Street to the north. The Village will be looking into cut -through traffic in the neighborhood between Rand Road and IL 83 (Main Street), how the new traffic pattern at the intersection of Rand Road, Central Road and Mount Prospect Road is affecting neighborhood streets and looking into safety issues where neighborhood streets intersect arterial roads. TSC Meeting Page 10 of 11 October 14, 2024 Fire Department Representative Grandgeorge left during the traffic study update discussion, at approximately 8:15 PM. Representative Mavraganis indicated he is leading a new effort at the Police Department to compile and track all the traffic complaints they receive and investigate. He asked the Commission how the Police should refer issues they deem above and beyond normal traffic issues on streets. Liaison Foresman indicated there is potential for some of the complaints to qualify for the Friendly Neighborhood Streets Program and if so, Public Works could work with the concerned resident to start that process, or Public Works could take the lead on the project. Additionally, at the direction of the Director of Public Works, Staff could initiate a traffic study and project outside of the scope of the Friendly Neighborhood Streets Program on a case-by-case basis. Liaison Foresman indicated the Commission would be informed of ongoing traffic studies through regular updates at Commission meetings. Representative Mavraganis said the Police are just beginning the process and will look to refine procedures in the future. COMMISSION ISSUES Liaison Foresman indicated Staff will be looking into ways to present potential transportation related improvements associated with development projects to the Commission. This was in response to Commissioner Nejdl's request at the previous meeting. Staff Liaison Foresman informed the Commission that Chairman Kuehlthau's chairmanship was up due to serving two consecutive terms. The Mayor is required to appoint a new Chairperson and the Commission votes on the Vice -Chairperson position. Liaison Foresman indicated no other Commissioners expressed interest since the last meeting. He asked that they let him know if they were interested by this Friday (10/18/2024). If no one is interested, Staff will work with the Mayor on next steps to appoint a Chairperson. Chairman Kuehlthau will continue to serve as Chairman until a new Chairperson is appointed by the Village Board. ADJOURNMENT With no further business to discuss, the Transportation Safety Commission voted 6-0 to adjourn at 8:35 p.m. upon the motion of Vice Chairman Prosperi. Commissioner Nejdl seconded the motion. Respectfully submitted, Luke Foresman, P.E. Project Engineer H:\Engineering\Traffic\safety_commission\_MINUTES\2024\10-October TCS Weller Creek Playground and Traffic Study Update\TSC-10-October Minutes.docx TSC Meeting Page 11 of 11 October 14, 2024