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HomeMy WebLinkAboutVII (G) Temporary Traffic Signal on Old Winter Garden Road at Blackwood Avenue Agenda 2-04-2003 -enter of Good Item VII G �(( 31 nor fiVe Commissioners, S. Scott l'andergrin a 10;11 �:. Danny Howell, District 1 Scott In I rson, District 2 City Stmr,rger i 0 E ga Rustr, .John,on, Di n ut .Jim Glr ry '.. 440i. t" on . Nancy 1 Parker District 1 MEMORANDUM DATE: January 28,2003 TO: The Honorable Mayor and Board of City Commissioners FROM: David A. Wheeler, P.E. Director of Public Works SUBJECT: Temporary Traffic Signal on Old Winter Garden Road at Blackwood Avenue to be included as part of the Overall Old Winter Road Improvements On January 20, 2003, Professional Engineering Consultant, Inc. was contacted by a resident who lives on Blackwood Avenue about safety at the intersection of Blackwood Avenue and Old Winter Garden Road. The residents concern was over some recent accidents and the City's proposed roadway improvements for Old Winter Garden Road. I contacted the Police Department about accident history for the intersection. According to the Cisco database, there have been three documented accidents at that intersection. The most recent occurred on January 14, 2003. Because of the initiated public concern, the City should perform a "Safety Investigation" Study. However, Orange County Public Works had performed a similar study and determined that a traffic signal was warranted based upon the traffic volume"trigger". The traffic accident "trigger" of five accidents within a twelve month period has not tripped, but is a concern. The proposed improvements for Old Winter Garden Road include installing a traffic signal at this intersection. However, the traffic signal will not be installed until the later stages of the construction project. The traffic signal installation can not be moved up in the project because of the design as specified by the Ocoee Activity Center Standards. The Standards call for "mast arm" type traffic signals which do not allow for horizontal movement of the signals as construction would progress and the travel lanes would shift during the project. The typical strain pole and cable types allow for movement of the signals as travel lanes shift. Cite of Ococc• 150 N Lakeshore Drive•Ocoee. Florida ]476I phone: (407)905-3100• not.. (407)656-8504 •w vw ui ocoee.l1.us Staff and PEC, Inc. do not feel that waiting until the later stages of the construction project would be a preferred decision. The possibility of a major accident and the monetary implications possibly involving the City, should it choose not to act, would not be in the best interests of the City. There staff offers two options for consideration; both of them being a temporary traffic signal until the permanent signal would be installed in the future. Install the traffic signal as quickly as possible or include it in the e onstntetion project to be installed as the first part of construction. Both options have merit. Option No. 1 The option to install a temporary traffic signal now, provides the fastest action to alleviate the issue. The design would be a strain pole with cable type system that would allow for horizontal movement of the signals during construction as the travel lanes shift. The strain poles would be installed in a location so that they would not conflict with any proposed new construction, including the new mast aim type signal. This option could be paid for out of the moneys collected from Wal-Mart. As part of the Wal- Mart development, the City was going to require a deceleration lane, sidewalks, landscaping, and a traffic signal at this intersection. Instead of having Wal-Mart install these things, and probably having to tear them out, the City negotiated a payment in the amount of the work, which would be applied towards the Old Winter Garden Road project. Therefore some of this money could be used to pay for the temporary signal. If this option were the selected plan, the traffic signals could be design, purchased through "piggy-hack" on an Orange County contract, be installed, and operational in three to four months. Therefore the could start utilizing the signal by June lat. Option No. 2 The second option would have the temporary traffic signal installed under the upcoming roadway project. PEC would include the design of the temporary traffic signal in their finalizing of the Old Winter Garden Road improvements project. The location and operation would as a stated under option no. 1. This project is projected to go out for hid in April and awarded in early June. The installation of the signal could be accomplished in one to two months, around August I". This option would be paid out of the overall funding for the Old Winter Garden Road project, which is joint-funded by the City of Ocoee and Orange County. If the traffic signal were included in the construction project, funding would conic from both sources. The City would not bear the entire cost. The Wal-Mart moneys would he applied to the overall project, but the City would be able to spread them over more work. One additional factor to consider is that the City does not own enough property on either the southeast or southwest corners, at this time, to be able to install the strain poles without having to move them during the roadway improvements. These corner clips are in the process of being obtained but their timing could have an affect on the overall implementation for either option. Foley & Lardner is proceeding but has just started legal proceedings for possible condemnation to obtain these corner clips. Should option no. 1 be selected, staff recommends that the City Commission authorize Professional Engineering Consultants, Inc. to proceed expeditiously to design the temporary traffic signal and secure the "piggy-back cost of the construction. Staff also recommends that the City Commission authorize the Mayor and City Clerk to execute the contract documents at such time as they are ready and authorize staff to proceed with the installation of the temporary traffic signal at the intersection of Blackwood Avenue and Old Winter Garden Road. The authorized not to exceed cost of S10,000 to Professional Engineering Consultants, Inc. and S75,000 for the construction of the traffic signal, for an overall cost of$85, 000. Should option no. 2 be selected, staff recommends that the City Commission authorize Professional Engineering Consultants, Inc. to proceed expeditiously to design the temporary traffic signal to be included in the overall Old Winter Garden Road improvements project. The authorized cost not to exceed $10,000 to Professional Engineering Consultants, Inc. to design the temporary signal and include it in the Old Winter Garden Road improvements project. DAW/jbw i PEC PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS, INC. January 21, 2003 0E-359/0E-360 2-1.0 David A. Wheeler, P.E. Director of Public Works City of Ocoee 150 North Lakeshore Drive Ocoee, FL 34761 RE: Old Winter Garden Road Dear David: I received a phone call yesterday from a citizen who resides south of Old Winter Garden Road along Blackwood Avenue in which he expressed concern over the safety of the intersection of Old Winter Garden Road and Blackwood Avenue. He stated that there had recently been several accidents at this intersection. Please advise us if the City is interested in conducting a safety study to evaluate the need for an interim traffic signal. The proposed Old Winter Garden Road project, scheduled for construction from May-June, 2003 to April-May, 2005, includes the signalization of this intersection. However, the signalization improvements are typically constructed during the later phases of a road project. The estimated cost to design and construct a temporary traffic signal at this location is approximately $75,000 - $85,000. Very truly yours, PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS, INC. Fursan Munjed, P.E. Project Manager G9claical\HIGHWAY\PEC\OE-359\O37gltr cc: Jim Gleason, City Manager- City of Ocoee Tom Kelley, P.E. -PEC • Eegineenng Our Carmnun! u[re� as-,e'560.0lando Flonca 32801 •407'422-8062•FAX407849-9401 Wheeler, David From: Adams, Denise Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2003 12:41 PM To: Wheeler, David Cc: Goclon, Steve; Wilson, Tony Subject: Accidents for Old Winter Garden/Blackwood Mr. Wheeler, Researching the Cisco Data System, I found three accidents that occurred at the intersection of Old Winter Garden Road and Blackwood for the time frame of January 01-2000 to Present. Case Number Date Intersection 200300116 01-14-03 Old Winter Garden/Blackwood 2002017253 07-03-02 Old Winter Garden/Blackwood 2000022433 09-11-00 Old Winter Garden/Blackwood If you need further assistance please contact me. Thank you. aenise a%dnms Customer Service Supervisor Ocoee Police Department Records Division 175 North Bluford Avenue Ocoee,Florida 34761 (407)905-3162 x 3034 (407)656-0218 Fax 1