CITY of ALBUQUERQUE
TWENTY-SECOND COUNCIL
COUNCIL BILL NO. R-16-50 ENACTMENT NO. ________________________
SPONSORED BY: Isaac Benton
RESOLUTION
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Amending Policy Established In F/S R-88-404, Requiring A Traffic Signal Location Engineering Study And The Installation Of Traffic Signals On Coal And Lead Avenues At Walter Street (Benton)
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AMENDING POLICY ESTABLISHED IN F/S R-88-404, REQUIRING A TRAFFIC SIGNAL LOCATION ENGINEERING STUDY AND THE INSTALLATION OF TRAFFIC SIGNALS ON COAL AND LEAD AVENUES AT WALTER STREET.
WHEREAS, Coal and Lead Avenues between Broadway Boulevard and Locust Street, identified as Community Principal Arterials on the 2040 Long Range Transportation System Guidelines, bisect residential neighborhoods, and combined transport an average of 19,000 vehicles per day; and
WHEREAS, the roadway geometry for these segments of Coal and Lead facilitates speeding with a straight horizontal alignment of 2100 feet, and a vertical slope of 70 feet, resulting in regular travel, nine miles per hour on average in excess of the posted speed limit of 30 miles per hour, as measured by a traffic study in August of 2016, and creating a hazard for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians and a noise nuisance in the adjoining residential neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS, The New Mexico Department of Transportation August 2015 Report for Annual Crash Data placed these segments of Coal and Lead within a high crash density zone for all motor vehicle crashes, including alcohol involved and pedestrian involved crashes; and
WHEREAS, the City through the 2011 Coal and Lead project traffic calming and beautification project initiated steps to prevent the speeding, including reducing the number of lanes, and in 2013 through a City Council Set A Side Project installing bump outs and enforcement of traffic laws. In 2016 using Council set a side the traffic lanes were narrowed and a buffer installed between the outside lane and the bike lane. Though these measures have reduced the speed of traffic, speeding is still a frequent hazard and additional steps are required for traffic to operate at appropriate speeds; and
WHEREAS, although where Walter Street intersects with Lead and Coal Avenues, the intersections do not meet the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices signal warrants installing traffic signals on Coal and Lead between Broadway and Locust would be consistent with existing adopted policies and is necessary to achieve overall vehicle operating speeds of 30 miles per hour; and
WHEREAS, Coal and Lead east of Oak and Washington Streets generally operate at the 30 miles per hour established speed limit and adequate traffic gaps occur for traffic proceeding north to south across Coal and Lead and traffic calming measures on these segments include, importantly, placing traffic signals between major intersections; and
WHEREAS, F/S R-88-404, following the recommendations of a City traffic study, required the installation of 6 traffic signals to be located between major signalized intersections from Oak Street to Washington Street with signal spacing on Coal and Lead every 1000 to 1500 feet, timed so that vehicles proceeding at 30 miles per hour would pass through the signalized intersections during the green light cycle; and
WHEREAS, the traffic hazards identified on Coal and Lead Avenue in F/S R-88-404 also extended to the segments between Broadway and Locust, yet the Resolution did not require signals on these segments. Traffic management on Coal and Lead west of Interstate 25 was regulated by the traffic management policies for the Central Business District (CBD). These policies promoted the efficient and rapid movement of commuter traffic at speeds of 35 miles and higher between the CBD and I-25 and I-40, and traffic was shuttled on one way arterial streets including Coal and Lead with signals located only at the intersections of major roadways; and
WHEREAS, recent regulatory measures adopted by the City have aligned the traffic management policies for arterials extending from the CBD with the measures in F/S R-88-404, sector plans for the CBD and abutting neighborhoods combined with the Complete Streets Ordinance, have refocused these policies to managing traffic for multiple traffic modes and preserving the context of adjoining land uses, to be accomplished through a number of strategies including additional stop controlled intersections.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL, THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE:
Section 1. The Albuquerque City Council, to complete the implementation of the findings of the 1988 Lead Coal Study, amends the policy established in F/S R-88-404 that requires the installation of traffic signals between major intersections on Coal and Lead Avenue from Oak Street to Washington Street to also include the segments of Coal and Lead between Broadway Boulevard and Locust Street.
Section 2. Traffic signals shall be installed at the intersection of Coal Avenue and Walter Street and at the intersection of Lead Avenue and Walter Street. Installation shall occur within 9 months of the procurement of funds for the installation of the signals.
Section 3. The signals at Locust Street, Oak Street and Walter Street and Broadway Boulevard shall be timed in coordination with the signals east of Oak for vehicles traveling 30 miles per hour to receive Green Signals at these intersections.
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