ACHD's Road Wizard
Sunday, March 19, 2017
Request for speed bump on Apricot Drive at the entry of the Solterra Subdivision; obsolete "NO Outlet" sign at Paint Drive and Kanaka Way; signal requested at Allumbaugh Street and Fairview Avenue
The Road Wizard Replies
Dear Road Wizard: What steps can be taken to install a speed bump on Apricot Drive at the entry to the Solterra community? This subdivision is two years old and is scheduled to be built-out by mid-summer. Trucks deliver building goods daily and the resident traffic is increasing as more homes are sold. The key problem is the road leading into the subdivision, Solterra Way/Apricot Drive. This road is curved with a blind corner for the residents trying to back out of their driveways. As the resident traffic has increased, so has the speed of the residents. There have been multiple near-collisions involving speed-ing vehicles entering the subdivision and residents backing out of their driveways.
Gene
Road Wizard:
This isn't the best welcome to the new neighborhood. But at least the under-construction traffic issues will be gone when the last of the homes are built.
ACHD can look into the issue now, but since many residents haven't moved in to what will be an 80-home neighborhood, it's hard to predict how drivers will ultimately behave.
A street is eligible for speed bumps/traffic calming if it meets one of two qualifications. At least 100 vehicles need to be driving on the road during the busiest hour of the day, or vehicle speeds must be high enough to warrant the bumps.
Additionally, residents have to get approval signatures from 75 percent of the homeowners along the route in order to move forward with speed bump consideration. And in Solterra, residents would have to pay for the bumps. ACHD only covers the cost when the road is being used as a cut-through route, and that wouldn't be the case in Solterra, where it's just neighborhood traffic.
The curve in the road at the entrance and the "blind corner" meet subdivision road design standards and should actually encourage slower driving speeds. The views from the driveways look like they are negatively impacted by fencing and trees. Perhaps some landscaping and fencing adjustments could help matters.
Dear Road Wizard: There is a “No Outlet†sign under the Paint Drive and Kanaka Way in-tersection sign. Paint Drive is connected to Goldenrod Avenue via Grenadier Avenue. I thought you would like to know so the sign can be removed.
Carrie
Road Wizard:
That's correct - the new subdivision was built and the roads now join. ACHD should have noticed the now obsolete "No Outlet" sign during the review of the completed street network changes. The sign was far enough away from the actual construction that it was overlooked and will be removed. Thank you for reporting it.
Dear Road Wizard: We could really use a signal at Allumbaugh Street and Fairview Avenue. A pedestrian signal was recently installed there, which seems odd as there never appears to be much pedestrian traffic at that intersection. However, vehicle traffic has increased recently due to the in-fill of multiple apartment units in the past few years.
George
Road Wizard:
This request comes up with some frequency, but the intersection still doesn't qualify for a traffic signal. While there is certainly a hefty amount of traffic on Fairview, Allumbaugh doesn't have enough traffic numbers, even with the additional apartments.
Yes, the pedestrian signal isn't used by that many people, but there were enough of them to warrant consideration. Without it, the nearest signalized pedestrian crossing would be about a quarter of a mile away.
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Road Wizard
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