HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Works November 9 20051
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee
minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they
are not the final approved minutes.
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
Public Works and Safety Committee
November 9, 2005
Committee Chair Barbara Brenner called the meeting to order at 1:30 p.m. in
the Council Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
Present: Absent:
L. Ward Nelson Sam Crawford
Also Present:
Dan McShane
COMMITTEE DISCUSSION
1. DISCUSSION REGARDING REPEATED SPEEDING AND AUTO
ACCIDENTS AT DEWEY ROAD AND BAKERVIEW (AB2005 -385)
Joe Rutan, County Road Engineer, showed a videotape of arterials in urban
growth areas.
Rutan stated the alignments are net set. It's about the connections. They
want east -west connections. Bakerview Road has been continually improved over
the last few years. It is now a major road. It's intended to be an east -west
corridor between the freeway to Sunset Road. It will relieve pressure on Sunset
Road between there and the freeway, and also on the Guide Meridian. The
intention is for it to be a full arterial.
Brenner stated Councilmember Crawford believes, and she agrees, that they
need to make the road, as it is, limited access. Don't allow trucks over a certain
tonnage on the road at all. Rutan stated it is something they can do.
Brenner stated they will need enforcement. Rutan stated he agreed. It
won't resolve the problem with accidents, which are single car departures.
Brenner stated they need stop signs to solve that problem. Rutan stated he
is concerned that stop signs will increase accidents.
Brenner stated if it was for speed control, she agrees. She's talking about
using them for right -of -way, not for speed control. Rutan stated the intersection
doesn't meet warrants. There will be an increase in injury, rear -end accidents.
Gail Hanna, 4183 Dewey Road, stated that since the last meeting with the
County Council, trucks have gotten stuck on the roads. There was also an accident
Public Works and Safety Committee, 11/9/2005, Page 1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee
minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they
are not the final approved minutes.
on Dewey Road at Mt. Baker Highway because the road sign was down and oil beds
were everywhere.
Maury Hanna, Dewey Road, stated the intersection is marked, which is nice,
but a driveway comes into play that wasn't there before.
Rutan stated load restrictions are done by number of axels, not total load
weight. A small pickup truck can have a higher axel weight. They will have to
write an exemption for garbage trucks.
Brenner stated also write an exemption for locally bound trucks, such as
delivery trucks.
Rutan stated they would have to think about how to write that restriction.
The intention is to get large vehicles, not heavy vehicles, off the road.
McShane stated he's not sure he's enamored with that idea. He's not sure it
resolves the issue. If they really need to take action, it would be better to close the
road at one end or the other. They could install a local access only sign to see if it
does anything, but he doesn't think it will. Rutan stated all the options rely on
enforcement, except closing the road at Sunset Road.
McShane stated it was mentioned that the City may want to make it an
arterial some day. The City is also interested in doing a significant project along
that section, which will force cars down there. They may need to make it an
arterial before the development. Rutan stated this is a bypass around Sunset Road.
The area being bypassed is the area that will be under construction in two years.
He agrees with getting this road done first. This road has wetland and right -of -way
acquisition issues. If everything went smoothly, a project would be three years and
cost $3 million to $5 million. Getting it done before the Sunset Road project isn't
likely.
McShane stated he's not sure the County should do that project. Rutan
stated it is a little out of the County's scope. A lot of the drainage system on
Sunset Road will have to tie into this. The drainage systems should be designed
together. The timing is difficult. They've tried to do minor, temporary solutions.
The question is to where the problem gets moved. It could get moved to Van Wyk
Road.
Brenner stated they've had trouble with speeding. Rutan stated 15 percent
of the people out there are driving ten or more miles above the speed limit. That's
pretty significant.
This area was rural until recently. It's becoming urban, and will become
more urban. The County is experiencing this in many areas of the county. In other
areas, there have been higher volumes with fatality accidents. He would love to
solve this problem, but there are other areas with more concerns.
Public Works and Safety Committee, 11/9/2005, Page 2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee
minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they
are not the final approved minutes.
Nelson asked if they are planning a light at Dewey Road and Mt. Baker
Highway. Rutan stated they are not. There are not enough warrants. With the
arterial through there, this will be the connection for all the people who currently
take a right from Bakerview Road onto Hannegan Road to Sunset Road. Also,
people in Tweed Twenty would take this route to get away from the intersection at
Hannegan Road and Sunset Road.
Nelson stated he agrees with Councilmember McShane. If there is something
they have to do, it would be easier to put up limited access signs. They won't stop
the entire problem.
Rutan stated they could do a sign that says local access only, no through
traffic. It's impossible to enforce. Public understanding of what that means is very
different.
Brenner asked about limiting weight. Rutan stated they are not really trying
to get at a weight problem. They just don't want big trucks on the road.
Brenner ask if they could limit the number of axels. Rutan stated they could,
or they could limit the size. All of those methods rely on enforcement. Only the
option of closing the road won't rely on enforcement. Making the road one -way will
exacerbate the speed problem.
Nelson stated closing it would cause problems on Van Wyk Road.
Brenner moved to recommend to the full Council that stop signs be
installed where Dewey Road meets Bakerview Road, on all three legs. Make it a
three -way stop.
McShane stated another idea is making the road one -way, with a light at
each end. Rutan stated drivers need to see the other side for it to be truly
effective.
McShane stated the possibility is to make the road one -way for just a
section, but with a light at both ends. Rutan stated that is an interesting concept.
Any time they do something like that, it sets up a scenario for head -on collisions.
Gail Hanna stated everything that's been done so far has been helpful. Cars
are still going too fast. Everything has been helpful to the drivers, but it doesn't do
anything for the people who live there. If people have to stop, there would at least
be a pause for residents to cross the road, including her kids.
Brenner stated there are many roads in Whatcom County where kids
shouldn't cross by themselves. This road is unique because knowing who has the
right -of -way is confusing. That's why they need to have a three -way stop.
Public Works and Safety Committee, 11/9/2005, Page 3
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee
minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they
are not the final approved minutes.
Nelson asked if there is enough visibility for all three drivers at the stop signs
to see each other.
Rodney Vandersypen, Engineering Technician, stated it would be a four -way
stop.
Nelson stated the visibility would be limited. Rutan stated he believes the
right -of -way was clear even before it was marked.
Brenner indicated on a map the locations for the stop signs.
Nelson stated he is concerned that there isn't clear visibility for all drivers if
stopped at the intersection. He won't support a three -way stop if two of the
stopped drivers can see each other, but the third driver can't see.
Brenner indicated a third stop sign location on the map. At that location, the
third driver will know that the other drivers are stopped because the other drivers
will be able to see them.
McShane asked if visibility would be difficult at night.
Brenner stated that at night, the car lights would make the cars visible.
Nelson stated he would like to go to the area and look at the intersection.
Rutan stated they are talking about stop signs at all incoming legs to the
intersection. He will work out those locations to make sure they meet stopping and
site distance requirements.
Brenner amended her motion to recommend to the full Council that stop
signs be installed where Dewey Road meets Bakerview Road, on all incoming legs
of the intersection.
Nelson stated he wanted to hold this in committee until he could visit the
intersection and check out the visibility.
McShane stated he is not enthusiastic about the stop sign idea. Four stop
signs are proposed.
Brenner stated the motion is for three stop signs on the main road, and a
fourth stop sign at an entry road.
McShane stated another idea is to add even more stop signs. Treat the
section of the Bakerview Road section, between Ross Road and Dewey Road, as a
very short street segment. Install stop signs at those locations.
Public Works and Safety Committee, 11/9/2005, Page 4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
DISCLAIMER: This document contains the Whatcom County Council or Committee
minutes, as approved. However, unless an attested signature page is attached, they
are not the final approved minutes.
Rutan stated they would have to meet stopping sight distance. He is
concerned about that. It is an issue.
Brenner amended her motion and moved to hold in committee until
Councilmember Nelson gets a chance to visit the intersection. Rutan stated he and
Mr. Vandersypen would start studying the intersection.
The committee concurred with the motion.
Rutan stated staff will go to the intersection, analyze for stop signs, take
measurements, and look at site distances and other issues. He will let the
councilmembers know when staff does that.
Brenner asked staff to let people in the area know when staff will go to the
area for the study.
Rutan stated he would likely visit the area next week.
OTHER BUSINESS
There was no other business.
ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 2:15 p.m.
Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription
ATTEST:
Dana Brown - Davis, Council Clerk
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Barbara Brenner, Committee Chair
Public Works and Safety Committee, 11/9/2005, Page 5