Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Public Works Department

TO:	Charles Soules, Public Works Director
FROM:	Mark Thiel, Assistant Public Works Director
CC:	Tarik Khatib, Chief of Police Mark Bradford, Fire Medical Chief Bob Nugent, Transit Administrator
DATE:	May 30, 2014
RE:	2014 Tour of Lawrence – revised traffic plan for 9^th & Emery – Saturday June 28, 2014

The City Commission has approved a street event permit for the 2014 Tour of Lawrence to be held on June 27, 28, and 29 on April 8, 2014. During additional review and planning for the Campus Course, both city and race event coordinators discussed concerns for vehicle, pedestrian, and rider safety at the intersection of 9^th Street and Emery Road. As a result of construction on the KU campus, this year’s race route was changed and now includes a downhill section on Emery Road. It is anticipated that racers will be traveling down Emery Road at a high rate of speed and would have to negotiate a 90 degree downhill turn at the intersection of 9^th Street and Emery Road. The original traffic control plan only called for the closure of two lanes of traffic on 9^th Street. Due to the turning issue at 9^th Street and Emery Road, a crash barrier will need to be placed to protect riders in the event of a crash and to eliminate vehicle/rider interaction at this location. Based on all the issues at this location, we feel that there is just not enough space to maintain safety for riders and vehicles.

To minimize this impact, the event coordinators have requested closure of one additional lane to allow enough space to install a crash barrier, create enough space to negotiate this 90 degree turn and to eliminate interaction between riders and vehicles (see request).

As a result of this closure, east bound traffic on 9^th Street would be maintained throughout the intersection. West bound 9^th Street traffic would be notified via variable message boards at Tennessee and Maine Streets, suggesting an alternate route. Traffic that continues west on 9^th Street would be detoured north at the intersection of Michigan Street to 6^th Street (see traffic control plan). We will also put out a media notice prior to the date of the event.

In addition, the race coordinator has contacted the Old West Lawrence neighborhood association advising them of this additional closure and agenda action item for June 17, 2014.

Campus Course – Saturday, June 28, 2014

The city streets associated with the campus course would be closed on Saturday, June 28, from 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Parking would be prohibited on the campus course, but course marshals would control vehicular traffic to allow safe access to properties along the course throughout the day on Saturday. These streets will be controlled but not completely closed.

For the campus route on Saturday, June 28, the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) requests that all streets along the route be marked “no parking” with the staked signs often used by the Police Department. These signs would be provided by the Police Department and would be placed by CVB staff. Race officials would control the flow and direction of vehicular traffic so that no streets are completely closed throughout the day on Saturday, June 28. The first race is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. and the last race should end around 8:00 p.m. Access for emergency vehicles will not be impeded, but residents and visitors to properties along the course may at times have to wait a few minutes for safe passage between groups of cyclists.

ACTION

Approve revised traffic control plan for this event on Saturday June 28, 2014, from 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. along 9^th Street, allowing closure of 9^th Street at Michigan Street to west bound traffic.