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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/08/2024 Traffic Safety Advisory Committee City of Apple Valley May 8, 2024 7:00 p.m. Apple Valley Municipal Center Minutes 1. Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Arthur Zimmerman. Members Present: Greg Dahlstrom, Linda Dolan, Charles Grawe, Dave McKenzie, Joe Shaw, Arthur Zimmerman Members Absent: Matt Saam Consultants/Alternates Present: Brandon Anderson, Evan Acosta Others Present: Greg Roe 2. Approval of Agenda MOTION: Mr. McKenzie moved, second by Mr. Grawe, to approve the agenda as presented. Motion passed 6-0. 3. Audience Items Mr. Roe presented concerns about opposing traffic failing to stop when the school bus is making a curbside pick-up on 1401h Street. Failure to stop for the school bus stop arm is a traffic violation. Generally, the school avoids placing stops on four-lane roadways like 1401h Street. In this particular case, the students live on a cul-de-sac, Fountain Court. The bus has trouble navigating around the court turn around when vehicles are parked on the street. So, the bus stop was moved to 1401h Street. The students do not cross 1401h Street, but board and unboard the bus directly at the curb when the bus is westbound. Because the eastbound traffic is sometimes separated from the bus by as much as three traffic lanes, eastbound traffic does not always stop and the school bus camera is unable to capture images of violators. Mr. Roe requested signage to alert eastbound traffic of the stop. There was discussion about the general dangers of a bus stop on a four-lane roadway and looking into alternate locations. The City Engineer said he would look into what approved signage might be appropriate for this situation. 4. Approval of March 13, 2024 Minutes MOTION: Mr. McKenzie moved, second by Mr. Shaw, to approve the Minutes of March 13, 2024. Motion passed 5-0 (Mr. Shaw abstained). 5A. Parking Concerns on Dutton Lane Mr. Acosta explained that Dutton Lane is a parkway style street with a large median. The street was built by a developer at a lane width less than the City standard. As a result, when vehicles are parked on the street, there is not enough room for a school bus, fire truck, or other large truck to get through. Dutton will be undergoing reconstruction to accommodate the new greenway trail and this would be the economical time to widen the lanes by reducing the median size. The consensus of the group was that that this problem should be solved for the long-term and that posting parking prohibitions would not only be an unfair burden on the adjoining residents, but would not guarantee the lane would be open to emergency vehicles. MOTION: Mr. Grawe moved, second by Ms. Dolan, to recommend modifications to the median width with the parkway improvements to create individual lane widths of at least 20 feet. Motion passed 6-0. 6A.Other Traffic Concerns Communicated to the City of Apple Valley Police Concerns Mr. Dahlstrom said the Police Department made 647 traffic stops in the month of April and issued 239 citations, which is up 30 percent over the same time period in 2023. He noted that the department is finally back up to near full staffing after many years of being down many officers from the approved size. Public Works Concerns Mr. Anderson said the City is ready to begin addressing a number of neighborhood concerns with the seasonal deployment of the driver feedback signs. The Division is seeking grant opportunities to purchase additional feedback signs. Mr. Anderson said a request for a four-way stop at Findlay and Flagstaff is under review and requires further study. 6B.Educational Issues Ms. Dolan gave an update on upcoming seminars and workshops on traffic safety. 7. Adjourn MOTION: Mr. Grawe moved, second by Mr. Dahlstrom, to adjourn. Motion passed 6-0. Meeting was adjourned at 7:55 p.m.