Community Development Department SUBJECT: First consideration of an Ordinance amending the Vehicle and Traffic Municipal Code new stop sign at Dauntless/Constellation AGENDA ITEM: 10.a. MEETING DATE: August 2, 2016 VILLAGE BOARD REPORT TO: Village President and Board of Trustees FROM: Joe Kenney, PE, Community Development Director, (847) 904-4313 THROUGH: Todd Hileman, Village Manager PURPOSE AND ACTION REQUESTED: Staff is requesting the Village Board s first consideration of an Ordinance to amend Chapter 90 of the Municipal Code, Vehicles and Traffic, to add a stop sign along southbound Dauntless Drive at Constellation Drive. BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION: Constellation and Dauntless Drives were built in 2012 by Pulte Development to access their new Regency at The Glen development (149 units) and the existing Navy Housing (112 units). Both roads were built to Village standards and platted as public owned/maintained roadways within public right-of-way. Later, in 2014, Dauntless was extended to the south by ER James Homes as the primary access for 76 of their new row/townhome residential units in Westgate at The Glen. The approved site plan included a new stop sign for northbound Dauntless at Constellation (see existing conditions map below); however, no such stop sign was included on the opposite side of the intersection (southbound Dauntless) in the engineering plans for the Regency at The Glen development. As occupancy has increased within the Westgate at The Glen development, numerous complaints and concerns have been logged with the Village s Police Department and Traffic Committee over the existing conditions at the Dauntless and Constellation intersection. Residents of the Navy housing and Regency at The Glen developments have become accustomed to the unimpeded turning movements. Conversely, the new residents of West Gate at The Glen are confused when they approach the intersection and need to stop, while the opposing traffic proceeds through the intersection. These conditions have resulted in significant confusion over who has the right-of-way between left turns from Dauntless to Constellation and left turns from Constellation to Dauntless. Complaints have included many referenced near-miss accidents. 1
Upon review by the Village s traffic consultant (see additional Traffic Engineer background below), Tom Adomshick with Benes and Associates, the intersection of Dauntless and Constellation does not warrant all-way stop for all three approaches. However, due to the confusion, one stop sign is recommended to be added for southbound Dauntless at Constellation. Upon reviewing the existing conditions of the intersection and 2019 traffic projections, this proposed action offered the safest solution to the existing confusion and least impact on delay or queuing. Mr. Adomshick will attend the Board meeting to provide additional background and answer any Village Board questions. Dauntless/Constellation intersection map (existing conditions)- To Pulte and Navy Housing Traffic Engineer Summary- The situation at this intersection is somewhat unique. Under the Illinois Rules of the Road, at an uncontrolled Tee intersection a driver must yield the right-of-way to: 1) cross traffic when on the terminating highway of a T intersection with no traffic control signs or signals, and to 2) oncoming traffic when making a left hand turn. When the decision was previously made to install stop control on only the south approach at Dauntless/Constellation, an element of uncertainty was introduced as to which of the other two approaches has the right-of-way. The Rules of the Road do not specify right-of-way priority for the case when only one approach of the continuous street at a T intersection is Stop controlled. This is not addressed in the Illinois Vehicle Code. Should a vehicle turning left from Constellation always yield to vehicles approaching the intersection on the uncontrolled Dauntless approach, or does the right-of-way between Constellation and the uncontrolled Dauntless approach rest with the first vehicle to reach the intersection? 2
The use of supplemental plaques was considered to clarify right-of-way such as Oncoming Traffic Does Not Stop, or Traffic From Left (Right) Does Not Stop. MUTCD guidance says these signs should be used at intersections where Stop signs control all but one approach. Currently, two approaches are uncontrolled. A plaque, as opposed to a sign, cannot be used alone. A plaque is a traffic control device intended to communicate information to road users that is placed immediately adjacent to a sign to supplement the message on the sign. Placement of Traffic From Left (Right) Does Not Stop plaques on the southbound Dauntless and on the Constellation approaches does not provide direction to drivers on action to take in the event that another vehicle is simultaneously approaching on the other street, and therefore does not clarify the right-of-way. Addition of a Stop sign on Dauntless, or relocation of the existing Stop sign to Constellation would provide the clarity on relative rights-of-way. It is because of the current lack of clarity of right-of-way assignment on the uncontrolled approaches and resulting driver confusion that the installation of Stop sign control on the southbound Dauntless approach is recommended. Responses to Questions Raised at July 19, 2016 Board Meeting: Three questions were raised at the July 19, 2016 Board meeting and the responses from the Village s Traffic Engineer and Attorney are as follows: 1) Would the existing and proposed stop sign be warranted if constructed from scratch today? The Village s traffic consultant reviewed the projected volume, existing speed limit (20) and sightlines and believes that it would not be warranted. If built from scratch today, he would recommend allowing the normal rules of the road apply with no stop signs; however, he noted that he d recommend that it be monitored by the Village (accidents is the unknown warrant with this question). Acknowledging this, he does believe that given the current intersection control, the positive direction provided by adding a stop sign on the southbound approach will be more readily recognized and obeyed by drivers, and will lessen the potential for collisions versus removal of the existing stop sign. 2) What is the precedent or procedure for pulling an existing stop sign? The traffic consultant believes this is not frequently done and his concern is an increased potential for accidents by the change from the existing signed traffic regulations drivers are accustomed to at this specific intersection to strictly relying on driver s knowledge and understanding the Illinois Rules of the Road. It would require re-training drivers and getting adjusted to the change. In this case, drivers on both westbound Constellation and southbound Dauntless left-turns (currently) always have right-of-way versus northbound Dauntless traffic which is stopped whereas, if pulled, they d always have to stop if someone from northbound Dauntless approached the intersection before them. The Village Attorney concurs with the concern of pulling existing stop signs and noted that if the Village chooses to remove existing regulatory signage it could increase the risk of a successful challenge to the Village s protections under the Illinois Tort Immunity Act. 3) What was the rationale for installing the initial, existing stop sign? The stop sign was recommended by West Gate s engineer considering the existing roadway as the through movement. As the approach to the through street for all three developments the stop sign was installed. With only construction traffic and low occupancy, there were no issues. However, as occupancy has increased the concerns noted above have been exacerbated. 3
RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the Village Board amend Chapter 90 of the Municipal Code, Vehicles and Traffic, to add a stop sign along southbound Dauntless Drive at Constellation Drive. ATTACHMENTS: 1. Traffic Ordinance 4
Attachment 1- Traffic Ordinance 5
ORDINANCE NO. AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 90, ARTICLE X, OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE, VILLAGE OF GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS WHEREAS, the Village of Glenview (the Village ) is a home rule municipality in accordance with the Constitution of the State of Illinois of 1970; WHEREAS, the Village has the authority to adopt ordinances and to promulgate rules and regulations that pertain to its government and affairs that protect the public health, safety and welfare of its citizens; and WHEREAS, the corporate authorities have determined it is in the best interests of the health, safety and welfare of the Village and its residents to amend the Glenview Municipal Code (the Code ), to require a stop sign for both southbound and northbound traffic on Dauntless Drive at Constellation Drive. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the President and the Board of Trustees of the Village as follows: Section 1. The facts and statements contained in the preamble to this Ordinance are found to be true and correct and are hereby adopted as part of this Ordinance. Section 2. Chapter 90, Article X, Section 90-541, of the Code shall be hereby amended, Stop Intersections, as follows: Amended by Addition: Dauntless Drive (southbound and northbound) at Constellation Drive Section 3: Every section and provision of this Ordinance shall be separable, and the invalidity of any portion of this Ordinance shall not affect the validity of any other portion of this Ordinance. All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict or inconsistent with any of the provisions of this Ordinance are hereby repealed. Section 4: This Ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage and approval according to law. PASSED this day of, 2016. AYES: NAYS: ABSENT: APPROVED by me this day of, 2016. 6
James R. Patterson, President Village of Glenview, Cook County, Illinois ATTESTED and FILED in my office the day of, 2016. Todd Hileman, Village Clerk Village of Glenview, Cook County, Illinois 7