Summit Park / North Campus Neighborhood Traffic Management Plan
A Message from Councilor Benton about this Planning Effort:
In correspondence and discussions with residents of the Summit Park and North Campus neighborhoods, I’ve heard many of you express concerns about neighborhood traffic and parking problems that are increasingly impacting people’s quality of life. I organized public meetings in 2007 at which City staff from the traffic engineering and planning divisions were present to hear and respond to residents’ concerns. Upon hearing their responses, and given how extensive and wide-ranging the issues are, it was clear that developing a comprehensive plan to address all of the issues would require a special effort and expert consultants.
I am pleased that Jim Daisa, P.E., a Principal in the firm of Kimley-Horn & Associates, will be serving as the consultant for the effort we are referring to as the Summit Park/North Campus Neighborhood Traffic Management Plan. Based on the feedback I received at previous meetings, I’ve asked the consultant to address the following key issues and develop a plan containing the following deliverables:
- Key Issues: Speeding, cut-through traffic, desire for traffic calming measures, improved pedestrian environment / crossings, non-resident parking impacts.
- Neighborhood Traffic Management Plan Deliverables: Develop a menu of pedestrian and traffic calming features appropriate for each street type being studied, including speed humps/tables, bulb outs, speed limits, sidewalk and crossing improvements, and other reasonable mitigation features. Develop pedestrian and bicycle improvements at specific locations/corridors that warrant improvement.
Goal of this Plan:
The primary goal of developing this Neighborhood Traffic Management Plan is to identify in a coherent way the problematic issues with regard to traffic and parking that residents of the Summit Park and North Campus neighborhood are facing. Determining the appropriate traffic-calming tools and mitigation techniques to use is one of the most important things our consultant will be tasked with doing. Speed humps are not the only way to address perceived problems with speeding on residential streets, and the consultant is going to introduce a wide array of alternative devices and approaches that can be used to help improve the management and calming of neighborhood traffic.
Once the Plan has been developed, reviewed by residents, and approved, the focus will shift to securing capital funds to implement the recommendations contained in the Plan. Infrastructure improvement projects can be very expensive, so a variety of sources will need to be sought. The following is a list of viable funding sources:
- Capital Improvements Program/General Obligation Bonds: The CIP/G.O. Bond is a program that guides the expenditure of capital funds that is adopted by the City Council every two years. 28% of the Bond is dedicated to Streets related projects. The next G.O. Bond will be developed and voted on in 2009.
- Council Neighborhood Set-Aside: This is a $1,000,000 discretionary funding source that each councilor receives as part of the G.O. Bond. About ½ of the District 3 set-aside is dedicated to street, sidewalk, landscaping projects to improve pedestrian facilities in District 3 neighborhoods. District 3’s Set-Aside has to be shared among the approximately 30 neighborhoods in the district.
- State Grants: Legislators receive capital outlay money during the Legislative Session that can be put towards projects, such as sidewalk and streetscape improvements. Working with your State Senators and State Representatives can be a good way to secure funding for neighborhood-supported projects and leverage monies that the City commits.
- Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino (SD-12)
- Senator Cisco McSorley (SD-16)
- Representative Gail Chasey (HD-18)
- Representative Danice Picraux (HD-25)
Meetings:
September 16, 2008: We held a public meeting with the consultant, Jim Daisa, and his colleagues at Jefferson Middle School. The meeting was attended by over 70 residents and property owners in the Summit Park and North Campus neighborhoods. Working in three break-out groups, residents identified specific problems and issues of concern. Based on the issues that were identified at the public meetings in 2007, this meeting, and through written correspondence received, the consultant will begin to develop preliminary recommendations.
November 18, 2008: The consultant presented the preliminary recommendations contained in the DRAFT Neighborhood Traffic Management Plan at a public meeting with Summit Park and North Campus residents and property owners. Comments on the DRAFT Plan will be taken through December 9.
Questions?
If you have questions about this planning effort, please contact the City Council office at 768-3100.