Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Public Works Department

TO:	Mark Thiel, Assistant Public Works Director
CC:	Charles F. Soules, P.E., Director of Public Works
FROM:	David P. Cronin, P.E., City Engineer
DATE:	June 8, 2015
RE:	Highway Safety Improvement Program Funds Accept Funds Awarded by KDOT for improvements at Harvard & Wakarusa

Background

The Federal-Aid Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Funds is a federal program administered by the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT). Under this program, funding is made available to local communities for construction of safety improvements on highways and local streets. The program is competitive and award decisions are made based on life-cycle cost-benefit analysis of the proposed improvement measures. This is a 90/10 cost sharing program to pay for the construction cost of safety improvements; 90% Federal-Aid and 10% local match. The local entity is also responsible for 100% of the cost of engineering design and other miscellaneous expenses.

In April 2014, the City Commission approved staff submitting an application for improvements at Wakarusa & Harvard, Kasold & Harvard, and 19th & Naismith. City staff provided KDOT crash history for each intersection and a proposed scope to convert each intersection to a roundabout. KDOT reviewed the data and allocated: $500,000 (max.) to 19th & Naismith; $400,000 (max.) to Kasold & Harvard; did not approve funds for Wakarusa & Harvard. In November 2014, the City Commission accepted the HSIP funds for the intersection of Kasold and Harvard contingent on approving future plans for the roundabout during the design process.

Wakarusa Dr. & Harvard Rd.

Staff has inquired KDOT about the possibility to exchange funds from 19th & Naismith to Harvard & Wakarusa. KDOT is willing to exchange the projects and to award $600,000 (max.) to the Harvard & Wakarusa project. The city would be responsible for a 10% match ($60,000). Funds would be eligible for fiscal years 2016 and 2017 (October 2015 through September 2017).

The existing intersection is a 4-way stop that already meets the warrants for improvements. City staff is proposing improvements that would include a roundabout similar to the proposed roundabout at Wakarusa and Inverness/Legend; with a 2 lane approach on Wakarusa and 1 lane approach on Harvard. The roundabout would increase level of service and reduce high severity crashes that cause injuries. The crash history submitted to KDOT in the application was from 2011 to 2013 in which time there was 11 crashes with 2 involving injuries. Staff recently reviewed crash history in 2014 and there were 7 crashes at this intersection.

Wakarusa Dr. & Inverness Dr. Roundabout Update

The roundabout at Wakarusa & Inverness/Legends opened to all lanes of traffic on January 2, 2015 and the project was complete on May 7, 2015 including landscaping and permanent pavement marking (see attached pictures). Since opening in January there has been one reported crash. In the three (3) years prior to construction (2011 to 2013) there were eight (8) crashes at the intersection (2.7 crashes per year).

Staff Recommendation

Staff recommends turning down the $500,000 (max.) funds for improvements at 19th & Naismith and accepting $600,000 (max.) fund for improvements at Harvard & Wakarusa. This area of Wakarusa (north of Inverness/Legends to 6th Street) is in the existing 5 year Capital Improvement Plan (2017) for reconstruction and utilizing these funds will decrease the amount of infrastructure sales tax funds that will be needed for a future project.

A public meeting has not been held for the project but would be before proceeding with final design plans. The City Commission will have the opportunity to review the plans, receive public comment and approve proceeding with construction for a roundabout at Harvard & Wakarusa in the future; funds can be turned back to KDOT if the City Commission decides to forego construction of a roundabout.

Action

Accept Federal-Aid Highway Safety Improvement Funds in the amount of $600,000 for intersection improvements for the construction of a roundabout at Harvard & Wakarusa.