Prairie & Walnut Through Street
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MEMORANDUM
December 13, 2004
TO:
The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM:
Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Prairie Street
The City has received requests from several residents to have stop signs installed at the
intersection of Prairie Street and Chestnut Streets. All the residents live in this
neighborhood.
Acting Public Works Director/City Engineer Gus Psihoyos recommends that Prairie
Street and Walnut Street be designated as "through streets." This designation will give
priority to traffic on Prairie Street and Walnut Street, and will automatically provide
authority for the installation of stop signs on all the side streets without the necessity of
individual stop sign ordinances for each intersection.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
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Michael C. Van Milligen
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
December 10, 2004
TO:
FROM:
Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
Gus Psihoyos, Acting Public Works Director U
SUBJECT: Prairie Street
INTRODUCTION
The following is in response to a request from several residents to have stop
signs installed at the intersection of Prairie Street and Chestnut Street. All of the
residents live in this neighborhood. One of the residents also requested that the
intersection of Chestnut Street and Walnut Street be controlled by stop signs.
DISCUSSION
Prairie Street is a 31-foot wide street that extends from Loras Boulevard to West
11 th Street. Parking is prohibited on the east side of the street allowing traffic to
flow unimpeded in each direction on Prairie Street. The parking was removed
from the east side many years ago to allow for buses to safely traverse the
street.
Because of the available travel width of the street, many motorists perceive
Prairie to have the right-of-way over the streets that intersect with it, namely
Chestnut Street and Arlington Street.
City of Dubuque Police Department accident reports show that in the last three
years there have been no accidents at the intersection of Arlington and Prairie
and only one at the intersection of Chestnut and Prairie.
Walnut Street extends from University Avenue to Loras Boulevard. Due to the
narrow street width which varies from 20 to 30 feet, parking is prohibited on the
east side of the street. Stop signs are located on West 11th Street at its
intersection with Walnut. Jefferson Street and Rose Street both comprise T-
intersections with Walnut. The only other four-leg intersection is at Chestnut; and
in that case, Chestnut does not align properly on either side of Walnut. (See
attached drawing.)
Police Department accident reports indicated that in the last three years, there
has been only one accident at 11th and Walnut and one at Jefferson and Walnut.
The number of accidents does not in itself warrant traffic control at these
intersections. However, each of the three intersections that are currently
uncontrolled has poor sight visibility for at least one approach direction.
RECOMMENDATION
Based primarily upon the need to clarify and assign right-of-way, I would
recommend that Prairie Street be designated as a through street and stop signs
be installed on Chestnut at Prairie and on Arlington at Prairie.
Also, based on the lack of sight distance and the need to clarify and assign right-
of-way, I would recommend that Walnut Street be designated as a through street
and stop signs be installed on Jefferson at Walnut, Rose at Walnut and Chestnut
at Walnut.
The enclosed ordinance provides for the designation of "through street" for
Prairie Street and Walnut Street. Designation of a particular route as a through
street gives priority to traffic along that route, and automatically provides authority
for the installation of stop signs on all the side streets. With this designation,
individual stop sign ordinances are not required at each of the intersecting side
streets. In reviewing existin~ ordinances and field conditions, it was revealed that
the stop signs on West 11t Street at Walnut are not listed in Sec. 32-214. Stop
Intersections. This intersection will be covered under the new "through street"
ordinance and the stop signs will remain on W. 11th at Walnut.
ACTION TO BE TAKEN
The City Council is requested to adopt the attached ordinance providing for the
designation of Prairie Street and Walnut Street as through streets. Stops signs
will then be placed at the intersections of Arlington Street and Prairie Street and
Chestnut Street and Prairie Street, Chestnut Street and Walnut Street, Rose
Street and Walnut Street, and Jefferson Street and Walnut Street.
Prepared by Bill Schlickman, Traffic Engineering
cc: Bill Schlickman, Traffic Engineering
ORDINANCE NO. 88-04
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF
DUBUQUE, IOWA, BY ADDING PRAIRIE STREET AND WALNUT STREET 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 at Ordinances at the City at Dubuque, Iowa,
be amended by adding Prairie Street and Walnut Street to Subsection (b) at
Section 32-213 thereat as tallows:
Sec. 32-213.
ThrouQh Streets.
(b)
Prairie Street, from the north right-at-way line at Loras Boulevard to the
south right-at-way line at West Eleventh Street.
Walnut Street, from the north right-at-way line at Loras Boulevard to the
south right-at-way line at University Avenue.
Passed, approved and adopted this 20th day at December
Terrance M. Duggan, Mayor
Attest:
Jeanne F. Schneider, CMC, City Clerk
SITE LOCATION
Not To Scale
VICINITY MAP
PURPOSE:
Prairie and Walnut
Streets
THE CITY OF - . -
DUBUQUE
Showing the Spirit