BOARD OF SUPERVISORS BUSINESS MEETING ACTION ITEM. Installation of Traffic Calming Measures in the Sterling Park Subdivision

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1 BOARD OF SUPERVISORS BUSINESS MEETING ACTION ITEM Date of Meeting: January 21, 2016 # 13 SUBJECT: ELECTION DISTRICT: CRITICAL ACTION DATE: STAFF CONTACTS: Installation of Traffic Calming Measures in the Sterling Park Subdivision Sterling At the Pleasure of the Board Eloisa Thring, Transportation and Capital Infrastructure Kathleen Leidich, Transportation and Capital Infrastructure Joe Kroboth, Transportation and Capital Infrastructure PURPOSE: To authorize the use of $3,100 from the Traffic Calming Contingency account for the installation of Watch for Children signs and its perpetual maintenance by the County s Department of General Services (DGS), and to request the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to review and approve the installation of $200 Additional Fine for Speeding signs in the Sterling Park subdivision, which is located in the Sterling Election District. RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff recommends that the Board of Supervisors (Board) authorize the use of $3,100 from the Traffic Calming Contingency account for the installation of the proposed Watch for Children signs and its perpetual maintenance by the County, and the request for VDOT s review of the proposed installation of the $200 Additional Fine for Speeding signs in the Sterling Park subdivision. BACKGROUND: The Sterling Park subdivision is situated along Sterling Boulevard (Route 846) between Sully Road (Route 28) and Harry Byrd Highway (Route 7) in the Sterling Election District (Attachment 1). Since 2011, residents along Williamsburg Road (Route 1437) and East Staunton Avenue (Route 1435) have complained about vehicular speeding (Attachment 2). The subject streets are classified as local roadways with posted speed limit of 25 miles per hour and are in the VDOT Secondary Roadway System. The Sheriff s Office was alerted to these complaints and has been periodically monitoring the area for potential violators. In July 2013, the Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure (DTCI) conducted a speed study where the average speed of the collected data was 30 miles per hour, which met the minimum speeding criteria of the County s traffic calming program. On August 6, 2013, a stakeholder meeting was held and attended by the residents of the community, former-district Supervisor Delgaudio and staff from the DTCI, Sheriff s Office and VDOT. An onsite stakeholder meeting was also held on August 12, 2013 to discuss the various traffic calming measures. To mitigate speeding, various traffic

2 Item #13, Installation of Traffic Calming Measures in the Sterling Park Subdivision Board of Supervisors Business Meeting January 21, 2016 Page 2 calming measures, including speed humps, were proposed at this onsite meeting, which were acceptable by VDOT. Per the County s Traffic Calming program, the installation of these measures require a completed traffic calming petition where at least 75 percent of the total occupied households within the designated area is collected by the homeowners association or community residents. Only one signature per household is required. To date, DTCI has not received the completed petition or received feedback from the community regarding the status of the petition process. The petition is necessary for the staff to recommend hardened measures such as speed humps and other traffic calming devices. In October 2015, DTCI staff received a request from former District Supervisor Delgaudio s Office requesting the installation of the $200 Additional Fine for Speeding signs. To further aid with the mitigation of the speeding problem in this community, the DTCI staff is proposing the installation of Watch for Children signs as well. The installation of both signs do not require undergoing the petition process. With this recommendation, signage installation is proposed at the following four (4) locations, which are depicted on Attachment 1: On Williamsburg Road near Sterling Boulevard On East Staunton Avenue near Sterling Boulevard On South Dickenson Avenue near East Maple Avenue (Route 1401) On South Dickenson Avenue (Route 1442) near Almey Court (Route 1563) On March 5, 2014, the Board authorized the County Administrator to enter into an blanket agreement between Loudoun County and VDOT to install and maintain the future installation of Watch for Children signs in the VDOT right-of-way (7-0-2, Delgaudio, Letourneau absent). This agreement grants the County authority to complete sign installations such as this. The signage installed under the umbrella of this agreement stipulates the installation, maintenance and replacements are the County s responsibility. As for the $200 Additional Fines for Speeding sign, VDOT is exclusively responsible for its installation and perpetual maintenance costs. ISSUES: There are no issues regarding the proposed signage installation outlined herein. FISCAL IMPACT: Based on the March 2014 agreement between Loudoun County and VDOT, the future installation, maintenance and replacement of Watch for Children signs will be the County s responsibility. The total cost of the Watch for Children signage installation is estimated to be $3,100. The current remaining balance in the Traffic Calming Contingency account is $36,900; therefore, there are sufficient funds to support this initiative should the Board approves staff s recommendation. VDOT is exclusively responsible for the installation and perpetual maintenance costs associated with the $200 Additional Fines for Speeding signage. DRAFT MOTIONS: 1. I move that the Board of Supervisors direct staff to prepare a budget adjustment in the amount of $3, from the Traffic Calming Contingency account in the Capital Fund for the purchase and installation of four Watch for Children signs in the Sterling Park Subdivision.

3 Item #13, Installation of Traffic Calming Measures in the Sterling Park Subdivision Board of Supervisors Business Meeting January 21, 2016 Page 3 AND AND OR I further move the Board of Supervisors authorize the Department of General Services to perpetually maintain the Watch for Children signs in the Sterling Park subdivision as described herein. I further move the Board of Supervisors request the Virginia Department of Transportation to review and approve the installation of the $200 Additional Fines for Speeding signs in the Sterling Park subdivision as described in the January 21, 2016 Action Item. 2. I move an alternate motion. ATTACHMENTS: 1. Vicinity Map 2. Request Letter from the Sterling Park community dated March 1, Request from Supervisor Delgaudio s Office dated October 13, Resolution dated January 21, 2016

4 HOLBO R N CT SHERWOOD CT W GREENTHORN AV CHASE HERITAGE CIR ANDREW PL UV 1428 ALBEMARLE RD WILLIAMSBURG RD W POPLAR RD UV 1439 S BIRCH ST UV 1423 S ALDER AV S STERLING BLVD UV 846 E TAZEWELL RD POPLAR CT UV 1464 UV 1422 W MAPLE AV S CONCORD CT E POPLAR RD E STAUNTON AV E MAPLE AV CO L ONIAL A V UV 1419 S BUCKING- HAM CT UV 1435 UV 1401 E ROA N O K E RD E DICKEN- ENT ERPRISE ST S F ILL MOR E AV RD S BUCKINGHAM S CULPEPER RD SON CT BRIARCROFT PLAZA S ROANOKE CT UV 1445 ESSEX SQ UV 1484 SUDBURY SQ PROVIDENCE VILLAGE DR CIRCLE CARAGANA CT GOLD THORN WY UV 1535 DR UV 1437 UV 1436 UV 1440 UV 1483 UV 1465 UV 1443 UV 1441 UV 1444 Sterling Community Center & Library UV 1560 UV 1537 UV 851 UV 1562 SALLY RIDE DR N WILLIAMS- BURG CT UV 1438 S WILLIAMS- BURG CT ALMEY CT UV 1563 BUCKE YE CT UV 1561 YEW CT Forest Grove ES G LENN DR UV 864 DAVIS DR UV 868 TRANSDULLES PLAZA OAKGRO VE S DICK EN SON AV RD ALMOND CT UV 2950 UV 1564 S ILVERLE AF SILVER L E AF CT UV 1565 UV 1442 DR TA M ARACK TAMARACK CT UV 1569 RED OAK LA UV 1568 LA UV 1567 UV 1650 BRIARWOOD C T!( 267!( 28!( 7 ± Detail area Miles "SPEEDING - ADD'L $200 FINE" sign "WATCH FOR CHILDREN" sign Parcel Sterling Park 2011 Election Districts: Broad Run Loudoun County Facility W&OD Trail Sterling Ü 0 ATTACHMENT 1 Williamsburg Road (Route 1437) Traffic Calming Sterling Election District Created by Loudoun County Office of Mapping and Geographic Information Map Number Created December 3, ,000 Feet

5 Mr. Charles Acker County of Loudoun Office of Transportation P.O. Box 7000 Leesburg, VA Services We, on behalf of the petitioning residents of Williamsburg Road in Sterling, are writing to you to seek your assistance in making our street safer. We would like our street to be safer not only for the residents, but also for our families, friends and pets. Over the last several years we have witnessed drivers' blatant disregard for the posted speed limit, which has resulted in damage to personal property and injury to people and death to beloved pets. This issue has been discussed with public officials on multiple occasions and advice has been provided. Multiple complaints have been filed with the police, and as a result, the Loudoun County Sheriff s Department agreed to add Williamsburg Road as one of the streets where officers would run radar. In two afternoons of monitoring the traffic on Williamsburg Road, more than 50 tickets were issued. We feel this level of activity demonstrates the need for permanent measures to address our concerns. In addition, we believe there are other alternatives Loudoun County could implement to help drivers keep speeds at acceptable levels. First, while we recognize speed bumps could help lower speeds for thru traffic, installation may have a negative impact on emergency response times and would be contemplated only as an absolute last resort. A second alternative would be to install a 3-way stop sign at the comer of Williamsburg Road and Albermarle Road. However, before any of the first two suggestions are contemplated as possibilities, we respectfully ask you to first consider increasing the fme for speeding on Williamsburg Road. We have enclosed, for your review, a petition from the residents of Williamsburg Road residents seeking the increased fine. Thank you in advance for your time and attention to this important matter. We are open to discussing any measures that may be implemented to help make Williamsburg Road safer for all. Kathryne Cassedy ATTACHMENT 2

6 ATTACHMENT 3

7 RESOLUTION WHEREAS, the General Assembly amended the Code of Virginia in 1999 by adding Subsection to provide roadway signs alerting motorists that the fine for exceeding the maximum speed limit in residence district is $200.00, and WHEREAS, the Commonwealth Transportation Board adopted a policy on June 17, 1999 establishing eligibility criteria for highways and procedures for requesting the signs and outlining the responsibilities of the locality and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), and WHEREAS, the residents in the Sterling Park subdivision are concerned about vehicular speeding and pedestrian safety, and have requested for traffic calming, and WHEREAS, the County of Loudoun has determined that the highways requested for signs meet the definition of a local residential, collector, or minor arterial highway and have documented speeding issues thereon, and WHEREAS, the County of Loudoun Board of Supervisors authorize the County Administrator to enter into an agreement between Loudoun County and the Virginia Department of Transportation to install and maintain Watch for Children signs in the VDOT right-of-way on March 5, 2014, WHEREAS, the Commonwealth Transportation Board provides that funding for the installation of the $200 Additional Fines for Speeding signs in the Sterling Park subdivision, which are located at on Williamsburg Road (Route 1437) near Sterling Boulevard (Route 846), on East Staunton Avenue (Route 1435) near Sterling Boulevard, on South Dickenson Avenue (Route 1442) near East Maple Avenue (Route 1401), and on South Dickenson Avenue near Almey Court (Route 1563), shall come from the Traffic Services Cost Center of the Virginia Department of Transportation s Loudoun County Secondary Road Fund, and THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT, on January 21, 2016, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors does hereby request the Virginia Department of Transportation install $200 Additional Fines for Speeding signs on the referenced highways as described herein. ATTACHMENT 4