Community Development | Ordinances & Codes | Fees & Permits | FAQs
Community Development Forms | Building Statistics | Commercial Property Locator
Policy on Residential Neighborhood Residential Traffic Control
1.0 BACKGROUND
1.1 Traffic control needs in residential neighborhoods are significantly different than those in other areas of a city and on arterial streets, which crisscross a community. The primary traffic concerns articulated by Owasso residents and neighborhood associations are discouraging outside traffic from cutting through a neighborhood, and preventing residents and nonresidents alike, from traveling at excessive speeds.
1.2 Speed limit signs alone do not eliminate speeding and the level of enforcement necessary to control the problem is often not available.
1.3 A variety of traffic control methods are being used by cities around the country, including CHILDREN PLAYING signs, speed bumps, signs warning of enforcement methods and consequences, roadway constrictions, traffic barriers and diverters, rumble strips, neighborhood education programs, and STOP signs.
1.4 The Federal Highway Administration's Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices sets forth the basic principles that govern design and usage of traffic control devices for all public streets and highways. Traffic control devices include all signs, signals, markings, and devices used to regulate, warn, or guide traffic. This manual specifically indicates the types of conditions under which STOP signs are recommended. It strongly discourages the use of STOP signs for speed control.
1.5 Experience has shown that when STOP signs are installed in an attempt to control speeding by imposing delay on all traffic, the vast majority of drivers will slow to a "rolling stop". An occasional driver will flagrantly run the STOP sign either as an intentional act or because the sign is in an unexpected location and they do not notice the sign. The reduced hazard hoped for in slowing traffic is offset to a degree by the hazard caused when a driver violates a STOP sign which other drivers and pedestrians assume he/she will obey.
1.6 Requiring vehicles to stop frequently has the side effect of increasing exhaust emissions and noise. A vehicle traveling at a uniform speed produces less noise and air pollution than one which must brake to a stop and then accelerate to its original speed.
1.7 After consideration of the cost and impact of various methods which have been tried throughout the nation, it is staff's conclusion that judicious use of STOP signs to discourage speeding and excessive traffic is reasonable and appropriate in residential neighborhoods. We acknowledge that the desire to move traffic efficiently is not the only factor to be considered when dealing with residential traffic control.
1.8 The objective of this policy is to allow the use of STOP signs at reasonable distances along collector and "cut through"-type streets, which tend to have the most speeding problems. This policy deliberately prevents the widespread proliferation of multi-way STOP signs through neighborhoods on less-travelled, local side streets. It also deliberately prevents excessive numbers of interruptions to the collector streets upon which residents travel several times each day.
Back to top
2.0 STOP SIGN POLICY
2.1 In neighborhoods with grid street patterns, alternating the direction of existing 2-way STOP signs at selected locations will be considered in order to interrupt excessively long, unbroken segments. A fairly uniform interruption to both north-south and east-west streets will be the goal. In these areas, multi-way STOP signs will be the exception rather than the rule.
2.2 STOP signs will be installed at intersections only. No mid-block STOP signs will be installed under any condition, regardless of the lengths of the blocks.
2.3 STOP signs will be placed in proper relationship to the physical intersection regardless of the aesthetic impact on abutting properties.
2.4 Weekday traffic volume must exceed 300 vehicles per day at the midpoint of the street segment being considered for interruption; and
2.5 Speed studies must show that more than 10% of the vehicles are exceeding the posted speed limit by more than 10 (ten) miles per hour.
2.6 The addition of STOP signs to discourage speeding and excessive traffic shall desirably break the street into approximately 0.25 mile segments (1300'). No segment shorter than 1000' shall be created.
2.7 Streets designed to carry significant amounts of non-neighborhood traffic will not be interrupted by STOP signs. These streets typically have STOP signs on all entering side streets and are striped with a centerline.
2.8 When a request is received to interrupt a street segment with STOP signs for the purposes described in this policy, the evaluation process will consist of the following:
a. Review the street to determine the length of the segment and the presence or absence of a candidate intersection that meets the spacing requirements of this policy.
b. If the candidate location is confirmed to meet the spacing requirements, the requesting individual or group will be asked to provide a petition indicating a desire by the neighborhood to have STOP signs installed at the specified intersection. The petition is to be signed only by those households whose homes front the street segment being considered for interruption. If the petition is returned with at least 50% of the fronting households indicating their desire for the STOP sign, the sign will be installed.
If the candidate location does not meet the spacing requirements of this policy, the individual or group will be informed that the requested location of the STOP sign does not meet policy spacing requirements. The individual or group will be given an opportunity, however, to submit a petition requesting STOP sign installation at the specified intersection. The petition is to be signed only by those households whose homes front the street segment being considered for interruption.
c. If the petition is returned with at least 50% of the fronting households indicating their desire for the STOP sign, the request will be forwarded to the Police Department in order to conduct a traffic and speed survey.
d. If the results of the traffic and speed survey indicate greater than 300 vehicle trips per day and greater than 10% of the vehicles are exceeding the speed limit by 10 mph or more, the STOP sign will be installed.
If the results of the traffic and speed survey indicate less than 300 vehicle trips per day or less than 10% of the vehicles are exceeding the speed limit by 10 mph or more, the requesting individual or group will be notified that the requested location of the STOP sign does not meet policy spacing requirements and the STOP sign will not be installed.
e. The requesting individual or group may appeal the decision not to install a STOP sign to the Owasso City Council.
Back to top
3.0 CHILDREN PLAYING SIGN POLICY
3.1 CHILDREN PLAYING signs will not be used in the City of Owasso. The City has no evidence that these signs have any affect on traffic speeds or on the behavior of those individuals who would be inclined to drive recklessly through residential neighborhoods. The signs warn of a universal hazard which is self-evident in any residential area in the city. The existence of CHILDREN PLAYING signs on one block, or one street, or in one neighborhood certainly would not mean that the hazard exists only where signed. The signs may in fact only give parents and children a false sense of security in regard to being in or near the street.
Back to top
4.0 SPEED LIMIT 25 SIGN POLICY
4.1 SPEED LIMIT 25 signs will normally be provided at every major entry point to a neighborhood where traffic leaves the arterial street and enters the residential area. The sign is to serve as a reminder of the prevailing residential speed limit.
4.2 SPEED LIMIT 25 signs will not normally be installed at interior locations within a neighborhood unless the street serves as a collector or cut through street and extra reminders of the speed limit seem advisable.
Back to top
5.0 SPEED BUMP POLICY
5.1 Speed bumps will not be used on public, dedicated streets in the City of Owasso. Speed bumps create a new and different type of hazard when combined with excessive speeding. They can cause drivers to lose control and vehicles to leave the roadway. They cause serious problems for emergency vehicles and motorcycles and can create a serious liability problem for the city.
Back to top
6.0 RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD DESIGN
6.1 Minor streets shall be arranged so that their use by through traffic will be discouraged. Minor streets shall be curved whenever possible to deter through traffic.
6.2 The rigid rectangular grid street pattern is discouraged and use of curvilinear streets, cul-de-sacs, or U-shaped streets shall be encouraged in order to avoid the use of through traffic.
6.3 Collector streets shall be located so as to provide smooth traffic flow from local streets to arterials. Collector streets should normally be continuous for distances not more than one half (1/2) mile, and offsets which are likely to induce continuing traffic flow beyond that distance shall be avoided.
Back to top
ADOPTED BY THE OWASSO CITY COUNCIL
7-6-95
AMENDED BY THE OWASSO CITY COUNCIL
12-17-96
Home | Contact
Us | Legal Notices | Residents | Business
| Government
E-mail
Webmaster
Design and content Copyright 2007 by the City of Owasso.
All rights reserved.
|
