Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Public Works

TO:	David L. Corliss, City Manager
FROM:	Charles F. Soules, Director of Public Works
CC:	Diane Stoddard, Casey Toomay, Brandon McGuire, Mark Thiel, David Woosley
DATE:	September 23, 2014
RE:	Designation of Pennsylvania Street from 8^th Street to 9^th Street as “No Trucks”

The City has adopted a map of certain streets for the use of truck traffic.

Truck routes are used for through town traffic and are only designated on the State Highways, K-10/23^rd Street; Iowa/Hwy-59; US-40/6^th Street and US-59/40 (or North 3^rd Street).

Truck delivery routes are designations provided to appropriate roads within the city for trucks to make inner-city deliveries.  Trucks may leave truck routes onto delivery routes to provide deliveries to final destinations.

Prior to the development of the Warehouse District, Delaware Street did not exist between 8^th and 9^th Streets.  Pennsylvania Street was a designated truck delivery route.

In 2012 Delaware Street between 8^th and 9^th Street was constructed.

In 2013 Pennsylvania Street was rebuilt in brick.

On August 12, 2014 the City Commission adopted Ordinance 9032 removing Pennsylvania Street between 8^th and 9^th Street from the Schedule of Truck Delivery Routes, making this section of road a “No Trucks” route.

The City Commission also directed staff to make Delaware Street from 8^th to 11^th Street 20 mph and install a stop sign on 9^th Street at Delaware.

On September 15, 2014 City Staff met with neighbors, representatives of the Poehler Lofts, East Lawrence Neighborhood Association, and Penny’s Ready Mix to discuss truck routes. 

Items discussed included:

• Appropriate route for trucks including Delaware Street, Pennsylvania Street, and 8^th Street to Connecticut Street
• Sidewalks and pedestrian access along Delaware Street
• Traffic volumes (attached map)
• Parking on Delaware Street
• Traffic calming and stop sign at 9^th Street
• Neighborhood issues
• School location and route for children going to school
• If the Ready Mix Plant ever relocated, the City acquiring the property for a park

Also discussed was allowing the Ready Mix Trucks to “cut through” the Waste Water Treatment Plant site over to E. 11^th Street.  Several issues exist with this option:

• The Plant roads are not up to street standards
• Grades and cross-stops are not set up for traffic, only plant operations
• Security
• Some plant maintenance operations have equipment across the road and would leave no through access for trucks
• Access onto E. 11^th Street is a tight turn/radius and over an active railroad line

Consensus was reached that Delaware Street between 8^th and 11^th Streets should be the designated truck route.  This route was supported by the Neighborhood Association.  There were a couple residents that did not believe that the Ready Mix Plant could direct their drivers to use Delaware Street as they had witnessed trucks using Pennsylvania just recently, since the temporary action of the City Commission to restrict trucks on Pennsylvania. 

Attached is a report from the Police Department on citations written August 7^th – September 1^st.  These citations were issued to passenger vehicles, not commercial trucks.

Also agreed was: 

• Staff would initiate an item for Traffic Safety to review the parking on Delaware Street; (Update) On October 6^th the Traffic Safety Commission heard the request to remove parking on one side of Delaware Street.  Three residents opposed the item and no one expressed support.  The Traffic Safety Commission denied the request to remove parking on Delaware Street 8-0
• The 20 mph speed limit and stop sign on 9^th Street would be permanent
• Staff would look at the connection of sidewalk from the Del 9 project to Hobbs Park for completion with the Del 9 project in 2015

Action

Designate Pennsylvania Street, from 8^th Street to 9^th Street, as a “No Truck” route and adopt on first reading, the following ordinances:

• Ordinance No. 9045, installing a stop sign on 9^th Street at Delaware Street.
• Ordinance No. 9046, adding Delaware Street from 8^th Street to 11^th Street to the Truck Delivery Route Schedule.
• Ordinance No. 9047, to rescind Ordinance 8814 that was established on October 23, 2013 that established a yield on eastbound 9^th Street at Delaware Street.
• Ordinance No. 9048, designating the speed limit of 20 mph on Delaware Street from 8^th Street to 11^th Street.