Through Street Ordinance
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MEMORANDUM
July 12, 2004
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FROM:
Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
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TO:
The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
SUBJECT: Through Street Ordinance
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Acting Public Works Director/City Engineer Gus Psihoyos is recommending City Council
approval of a recommendation to designate streets wider than 36 feet within the
corporate limits of the City of Dubuque as through streets and to adopt ordinances to
allow for changes in the stop and yield sections of the City Code to be consistent with
the "through streets". City staff has identified 16 streets that meet this criteria that are
not designated as through streets. This should greatly reduce or eliminate the
confusion concerning right-of-way at uncontrolled intersections.
According to State and City Codes, "when two (2) vehicles enter an intersection from
different highways or public streets at approximately the same time, the driver of the
vehicle on the left shall yield the right of way to the vehicle on the right" On occasion
this can lead to driver confusion as to which vehicle has the right-of-way at an
uncontrolled intersection. The confusion is increased when one of these streets is wider
and "considered" by drivers to be the through street If designated as a "through street,"
the ordinances require City staff to install stop or yield signs at all intersecting streets,
current or future.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
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MCVM/jh
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, Corporation Counsel
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Gus Psihoyos, Acting Public Works Director/City Engineer
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MEMORANDUM
July 13, 2004
TO:
FROM:
Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
Gus Psihoyos, Acting Public Works Director yg Q
SUBJECT: Through Street Ordinance
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this memo is to present to the City Council a recommendation by
City staff to designate streets wider than 36 feet within the corporate limits of the
City of Dubuque as through streets.
BACKGROUND
There are currently 64 streets within the City that are designated as "through"
streets. The majority of these streets are constructed to a width of 36 feet or
wider. A street is constructed to this width if it is going to be classified as a
collector or arterial roadway. In cases where the designated "through" street
does not meet 36 feet or wider criterion, parking has been removed from one or
both sides of the street to allow for unimpeded traffic flow.
According to State and City Codes, "when two (2) vehicles enter an intersection
from different highways or public streets at approximately the same time, the
driver of the vehicle on the left shall yield the right of way to the vehicle on the
right". On occasion this can lead to driver confusion as to which vehicle has the
right-of-way at an uncontrolled intersection. The confusion is increased when
one of these streets is wider and "considered" by drivers to be the through street.
If designated as a "through street", the ordinances requires City staff to install
stop or yield signs at all intersecting streets, current or future. Rockdale Road,
Old Mill Road, Kelly Lane, Radford Road, Alta Vista Street, and Embassy West
Drive are examples of City streets that the City Council has recently designated
as "through" streets to conform to their historical function as collector or arterial
streets.
City staff has identified 16 streets within the City limits that are constructed to a
width of 36 feet or greater that are not designated as "through" streets. They are:
Cedar Cross Road, from its southerly terminus at North Cascade Road to
its northerly terminus at Dodge Street (U.S. Highway 20).
Clarke Crest Drive, from the north right-of-way line of Clarke Drive to its
easterly terminus.
Cleveland Avenue, from the east right-of-way line of Bryant Street to the
north right-of-way line of Villa Street.
Crescent Ridge, from the west right-of-way line of Cedar Cross Road to its
westerly terminus.
Digital Drive, from its southerly intersection with U.S. Highway 61/151 to
its northerly intersection with U.S. Highways 61/151.
Embassy West Drive, from the north right-of-way line of Pennsylvania
Avenue to the north right-of-way line of Camelot Drive (north intersection).
Flint Hill Drive, from the south right-of-way line of Twin Valley Drive to its
southerly terminus.
Harrison Street, from the north right-of-way line of Railroad Avenue to its
northerly terminus.
Hummingbird Drive, from the west right-of-way line of Embassy West
Drive to the south right-of-way line of Camelot Drive.
Kirkwood Street, from the south right-of-way line of West Locust Street to
the east right-of-way line of Alta Vista Street.
North Main Street, from the south right-of-way line of Kaufmann Avenue to
the north right-of-way line of Clarke Drive.
Red Violet Drive, from the east right-of-way line of Radford Road to the
west right-of-way line of Samantha Drive.
Rose Street, from the east right-of-way line of Alta Vista Street to the west
right-of-way line of Walnut Street.
Rosedale Avenue, from the south right-of-way line of West Locust to the
north right-of-way line of North Grandview Avenue.
Rush Street, from the east right-of-way line of Bryant Street to the west
right-of-way line of Villa Street.
Tanzanite Drive, from the west right-of-way line of Peru Road to the east
right-of-way line of John Deere Road South
Welu Drive, from the west right-of-way line of Marjorie Circle to its easterly
terminus.
By adding the streets as proposed, it is felt that the confusion concerning right-of-
way at these streets can be greatly reduced or eliminated.
Several of the streets being recommended for "through" street designation have
intersecting streets for which the current City Code requires stop or yield signs. If
a "through" street designation is adopted, the references to the stop or yield
requirement will need to be deleted from the appropriate section of the Code of
Ordinances.
Staff is also in the process of identifying streets that do not meet the minimum
36-foot requirement that have historically functioned as collector or "through"
streets. These include, but are not limited to, streets that may have several
intersecting streets, only some of which are controlled by stop or yield signs.
Some of these would appear to be good candidates for designation as "through"
streets since the expectation is that if several of the intersecting streets are
controlled by a stop or yield that all the other intersections would be as well.
RECOMMENDATION
I recommend that the streets listed in this memo be designated as "Through
Streets". I also recommend that Section 32-214 (Stop Intersections) and Section
32-216 (Yield Intersections) be modified to be consistent with Section 32-312
(Entering Through Streets).
ACTION TO BE TAKEN
The City Council is requested to adopt the attached ordinances to allow for the
designation of "through streets" as discussed and to adopt the attached
ordinances to allow for changes in the stop and yield sections of the City Code to
be consistent with the "through streets".
Prepared by Bill Schlickman, Traffic Engineering
ORDINANCE NO. 52-04
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE
CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA, ADDING VARIOUS STREETS TO
SUBSECTION (b) OF SECTION 32-213 THEREOF PROVIDING FOR
THE DESIGNATION OF THROUGH STREETS
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA:
Section 1.
That the Code ot Ordinances ot the City ot Dubuque, Iowa
be amended by adding the tollowing to Subsection (b) ot
Section 32-213 thereot as tollows:
"Sec. 32-213.
Throuah Streets
(b)
Cedar Cross Road, trom its southerly terminus at North Cascade
Road to its northerly terminus at Dodge Street (U.S. Highway 20).
Clarke Crest Drive, trom the north right-ot-way line ot Clarke Drive
to its easterly terminus.
Cleveland Avenue, trom the east right-ot-way line ot Bryant Street
to the north right-at-way line ot Villa Street.
Crescent Ridge, tram the west right-at-way line ot Cedar Cross
Road to its westerly terminus.
Digital Drive, trom its southerly intersection with U.S. Highway
61/151 to its northerly intersection with U.S. Highways 61/151.
Embassy West Drive, from the north right-ot-way line at
Pennsylvania Avenue to the north right-ot-way line ot Camelot
Drive (north intersection).
Flint Hill Drive, tram the south right-ot-way line ot Twin Valley Drive
to its southerly terminus.
Harrison Street, trom the north right-of-way line ot Railroad Avenue
to its northerly terminus.
Hummingbird Drive, trom the west right-ot-way line at Embassy
West Drive to the south right-ot-way line ot Camelot Drive.
Kirkwood Street, trom the south right-ot-way line ot West Locust
Street to the east right-ot-way line ot Alta Vista Street.
North Main Street, from the south right-ot-way line ot Kautmann
Avenue to the north right-at-way line at Clarke Drive.
Red Violet Drive, trom the east right-at-way line ot Radtord Road to
the west right-ot-way line ot Samantha Drive.
Rose Street, trom the east right-at-way line of Alta Vista Street to
the west right-ot-way line otWalnut Street.
Rosedale Avenue, trom the south right-ot-way line ot West Locust
to the north right-ot-way line ot North Grandview Avenue.
Rush Street, trom the east right-at-way line ot Bryant Street to the
west right-ot-way line ot Villa Street.
Tanzanite Drive, trom the west right-ot-way line ot Peru Road to the
east right-ot-way line at John Deere Road South
Welu Drive, trom the west right-ot-way line ot Marjorie Circle to its
easterly terminus.
Passed, approved and adopted this
19th day of July, 2004.
Terrance M. Duggan, Mayor
Attest:
Jeanne F. Schneider, City Clerk
ORDINANCE NO.
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE
CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA, BY MODIFYING SUBSECTION (b) OF
SECTION 32-216 THEREOF PROVIDING FOR THE DELETION OF A
YIELD SIGN AT THE INTERSECTION OF LAKE ELEANOR ROAD AND
DIGITAL DRIVE
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA:
Section 1. That the Code of Ordinances of the City of Dubuque, Iowa,
be amended by deleting Lake Eleanor Drive from Subsection (b) of
Section 32-216 thereof as follows:
"Sec. 32-216.
Yield Intersections
(b)
(4)
Westbound Vehicles
Lake Eleanor Road and Digital Drive
Passed, approved and adopted this
day of
,2004.
Terrance M. Duggan, Mayor
Attest:
Jeanne F. Schneider, CMC, City Clerk
ORDINANCE NO.
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE
CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA, BY MODIFYING SUBSECTION (b) OF
SECTION 32-214 THEREOF PROVIDING FOR THE DELETION OF
STOP SIGNS AT VARIOUS INTERSECTIONS AS DESCRIBED
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA:
Section 1.
That the Code of Ordinances of the City of Dubuque, Iowa
be amended by deleting the following from Subsection (b) of
Section 32-214 thereof as follows:
Sec. 32-214.
Stop Intersections.
NORTHBOUND
English Mill Road and Crescent Ridge
SOUTHBOUND
Clear View Drive and Crescent Ridge
Northview Drive and Crescent Ridge
EASTBOUND
Crescent Ridge and Cedar Cross Road
Starlight Drive and Cedar Cross Road
Frontage Road, south side of Highway 20 and Cedar Cross Road
WESTBOUND
Starlight Drive and Crescent Ridge
EASTBOUND AND WESTBOUND
Railroad Avenue and Harrison Street
Attest:
Passed, approved and adopted this
Jeanne F. Schneider, CMC, City Clerk
day of
,2004
Terrance A. Duggan, Mayor