HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Works September 21 19991
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
48
49
50
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
Public Works and Capital Projects Committee
September 21, 1999
The meeting was called to order at 1:30 p.m. by Committee Chair Barbara
Brenner in the Council Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
Also Present:
Tom Brown
COMMITTEE DISCUSSION
Absent:
L. Ward Nelson
1. DISCUSSION REGARDING REDUCING THE SPEED LIMIT ON BIRCH
BAY DRIVE (AB99 -333)
Ed Henken, County Engineer, stated they were hoping to await the arrival of
a new traffic engineer, which was delayed behind all the water resource positions.
He was hoping the new person would take a look at both this issue and the next.
There are a lot of inconsistencies in Birch Bay. They are looking to create a
proposal for the entire area.
Brenner stated there is not a uniform speed for the Birch Bay area. South of
the area it is 25 mph. North of the area, it is 25 mph. At the busiest area, it is 35
mph. It is such a busy area that the speed should be reduced. Also, residents
want the slower speeds in the winter as well. She asked for a traffic count for that
area. Henken stated that was the Sheriff's equipment.
Brown suggested they put off the things for a month or more to let the new
person learn the issue. Also, he asked if they could work with the Sheriff's Office to
put the speed indicator display in the area.
Brenner stated she wanted the area sectioned out.
Brown moved to recommend to the full Council that Brenner write a letter to
the Sheriff's Office asking they put the speed limit radar display board on the busy
section of Birch Bay Drive.
Motion carried unanimously.
2. DISCUSSION REGARDING REDUCING THE SPEED LIMIT ON LAKE
WHATCOM BOULEVARD FROM CHERRY LANE TO STRAWBERRY POINT
(AB99 -332)
Public Works and Capital Projects Committee, 9/21/99, 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
48
49
50
51
52
53
Brenner stated she sent a memo to the Executive on August 2, and never
heard back. The citizen who sent her a letter regarding this issue was available to
speak.
Ed Henken, Public Works Engineer, stated he responded on August 27th. He
distributed a copy of the response (on file).
Brown stated there was a lot of discussion about Lake Whatcom Boulevard
the previous year. There was discussion about installing a stop sign in a couple of
different locations to divert and slow traffic. One location was by The Firs. He
questioned what happened to stopping the traffic and giving the preference traffic
to those coming down Lake Louise Road. Henken stated he would have to look into
that. He knew it was talked about at the time. It was possible there was not
enough justification for that change.
Brown stated they said it would work to coincide the installation with the
work going on in that area because that would change the conditions.
Brenner stated, for the record, she never received Henken's response. She
received calls from people who had a similar issue. There is so much traffic there
that the speed limit should be dropped anyway.
Brown stated the times he was in the area were not the peak times. There is
a lot of commuter traffic.
Henken stated the County's intent was to improve the Boulevard, then the
Austin -Lake Louise route, all the way to the gate at Sudden Valley, and then try to
get more traffic on the Lake Louise Road.
Tim Trott, 286 Lake Whatcom Boulevard, stated there were 12,000 cars
going both ways, with an average speed of 43 miles per hour (mph) coming into
town. The speed limit is 35 mph. From Puget Street to Sudden Valley, the speed
limit is 25 mph, or 35 mph if the road had been improved. Since they made three
major improvements to the roadway, the traffic from Sudden Valley has become
quite fast. 9,000 out of the 12,000 cars were speeding. It is a problem for people
trying to pull onto the road. He called the Sheriff about the problem.
Brenner stated if they reduced the speed to 25 mph, the traffic would slow
down. Maybe the traffic wouldn't slow to 25 mph, but they would slow down some.
Brown stated his experience was that arbitrarily lowering the speed limit
wouldn't change anything unless they changed the characteristics of the road.
Trott stated there are new driveways in the area that weren't there before,
which contributes to side friction.
Brown stated the Council shouldn't change a speed limit without the
Engineer's recommendation. He agreed with Trott about the problem, but the
Engineer is supposed to evaluate the changed conditions and make
recommendations.
Brenner stated an arbitrary speed limit change happened on Axton Road
going into Ferndale. People slowed down when the limit was changed. The County
Public Works and Capital Projects Committee, 9/21/99, 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
48
49
50
51
52
could pay to have a deputy in the area long enough to acclimate people's habits,
rather than spending money on an engineer's study.
Trott stated that from his perspective, the traffic is being slowed down a half -
mile past that section anyway. The road doesn't change. The blind corner is there
and the hill is there. They will slow down in a half -mile area. Slowing traffic down
a half -mile earlier will only impact traffic by a fraction of a minute.
Roger Bourm, 1923 Lake Whatcom Boulevard, stated they have tried for
years to lower the speed limit from Cherry Lane to Rocky Ridge. If they go around
the corner, beyond Strawberry Point, they will find the driveways are even closer
together and closer to the road. The road was widened last year. There was a
promise to include a bike path on the lake side. The road is closer to the houses.
There was a study done long ago by Carl Parker who said the speed limit should not
be lowered. He lived in Sudden Valley and didn't want his commute lengthened.
The Sheriff's Office said it should be reduced. There are deer trails in the area, and
deer are getting killed from the traffic. The area is dangerous for smaller children.
Jim Lasher, 1926 Lake Whatcom Boulevard, stated the traffic has gotten
worse in the seven years he's lived there. It is difficult to turn onto the road.
People drive along the road much too fast. In the wintertime, they've lost
numerous mailboxes because of cars sliding around and into the ditch.
Brenner stated there are a lot of arbitrary decisions when it comes to
establishing speed limits. They should consider the increase in traffic and
driveways, which is not arbitrary.
Brown stated they should also install a stop sign at Lake Louise Road.
Brenner asked about the status of the stop sign. Henken stated he didn't
know. With the reorganization of the Public Works Department a few years ago, he
was not in the right division. The construction people would have been involved in
that area. He was involved with floods, land development, and traffic.
Brown stated the conversation was that they shouldn't change the stop signs
around until they had finished the construction, which gave them the basis to install
the stop sign.
Brenner stated there seemed to be an attitude in the administration that they
didn't want to install the stop sign.
Henken stated the new engineer would not be on board within the next
month.
Brenner stated she wanted an idea of what the timeframe would be for any
recommendations. Henken stated it would take time for the person to get on
board and be familiar with the issue.
Brown stated they could bring this back in two months.
Henken stated they would know the timeframe in two months.
Public Works and Capital Projects Committee, 9/21/99, 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
47
48
49
50
Brenner stated, in the meantime, they would ask the Sheriff to put the speed
limit radar display machine in the area.
Janet Lasher, 1926 Lake Whatcom Boulevard, stated there are usually two or
three cars falling into the ditch in the winter because they are going too fast. They
have to replace the mailbox frequently.
Brown asked if their driveway was shortened during the reconstruction.
Janet Lasher stated it was. They removed landscape, and a landslide occurred.
Brenner moved to send a letter to the Sheriff to do radar speed limit
monitoring in the Lake Whatcom Boulevard area between Cherry Lane south to
Rocky Ridge.
Motion carried unanimously.
Trott asked why the County would be against changing the speed limit.
Brown stated they are not against it. There is a set of requirements that
have to be met. If they change the speed limits without documenting the reason,
they could be subject to tort litigation for that action. The Council has to have an
engineer's study that has to show changed conditions to justify the change in the
speed limit.
Brenner stated an engineer could write a report based on whatever direction
the County Council wants to go. They have to create a paper trail.
Brown stated he wanted to see what happened to the flow when the stop
sign changed.
OTHER BUSINESS
Brown stated the public access to Canyon Lake was an issue. When the
Council voted to purchase it, it was to have public access. A letter came to Connie
Hoag, who wrote to County Executive Pete Kremen. He hadn't heard anything
back. There was a guarantee that there would be public access, but the gates are
now closed. He would like to discuss it in Public Works Committee, with an update
from the administration.
Brown stated the Council voted to purchase the old growth spruce property
from Jake Steiner. Nothing has ever happened. He wanted to schedule that on the
next agenda and get someone from the County to look at the property as potential
habitat.
Brenner stated this was more appropriate for Natural Resources Committee.
Public Works and Capital Projects Committee, 9/21/99, Page 4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 2:20 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 Capital Projects Committee, 9/21/99, Page 5