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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1974-09-03-TSC-min.pdf ofun of 7Eexingtrin, tassachus£ffs ( -3 _ MEMORANDUM - - / -- TO Allan F. Kenney, Chairman DATE 9/L3/74 PAGE 1 Board of Selectmen /r/,, / �"..'°"` FROM John J . McSweeney, Char rrnan ' /SUBJECT: Munroe School ji Traffic Safety Committee / Pedestrian Signals ii /` ft At its meeting of 9/3/74, the Traffic Safety Committee discussed the petition of the Munroe School P.T.A. for the installation of pedestrian actuated traffic signals on Massachusetts Avenue at the Munroe School . In order to properly re-evaluate the validity of such an installation, the Committee requested that the Engineering Department and Police Department gather new data relative to speed, vehicular volume, and pedestrian volume. • (Copies Enclosed) . This data revealed that the 85-percentile speed is 40 M.P.H. , the vehicular volume is approximately 1000 vehicles per hour between 7 00 A.M. and 6 00 P.M. , and the pedestrian volume varies from a high of 129 per hour to zero per hour, and during the two subject days did not exceed 267 for an eleven hour period. These results are substantially the same as those we have found in studies of this location during The past two years. More im- portantly, the warrants for the installation are nol- net. (Copies of all warrants are enclosed) . Two of the eight warrants apply to this particular petition. They are Warrant 3, Minimum Pedestrian Volume and Warrant 4, School Crossings. Warrant 3 is based on two conditions, both of which must be met. The first relates to vehicular volume, and is met by the subject location. The second relates to pedestrian volume. It states that for each of any eight hours of an average day there must be 150 pedestrians or more crossing. This condition is clearly not met. fhe volume does not exist. Warrant 4 is based on a time delay prom' s. It is not met by this location, firstly, because a crossing guard is present when school opens and closes, and secondly, even without the assistance of a crossing guard, our observations tell us that adequate gaps in traffic exist. Referring to the P.T.A. report- while a great deal of time was obviously spent in its research and preparation, those who compiled it failed to include in their readings the Manual On Uniform Traffic Control Devices, which is the nationally accepted criteria compiled by many governmental and private trans- portation agencies, that we, the Traffic Safety Committee of Lexington, and every other responsible traffic safety agency in the country uses as a guide in making determinations on such petitions. Until such time as the U.S. De- partment of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration see fit to en- dorse and publish some other criteria and guide, we will continue to use this manual exclusively. The conclusion of the report requests a "uniform policy for the traffic problems posed to children going to schools on Massachusetts Avenue" yet, at the same time, requests us to disregard the Manual On Uniform Traffic Control 1 Devices. The Adams and Parker Schools are mentioned in the report relative to this uniform policy. Chief Corr has stated our position regarding these particular .I installations and is quoted on pages 6 and 7 of the report. While we strive for uniformity, it is uniform correctness, not uniform incorrectness, we hope 4 to attain. 0 :) 1 oiOn of ` exi:ngtou, 4 aszaclfusefts MEMORANDUM TO Allan F Kenney, Chairman DATE 9/23/74 PAGE 2 Board of Selectmen FROM John J . McSweeney, Chairman SUBJECT• Munroe School Traffic Safety Committee Pedestrian Signals The summary of the report also contains the following " . the opinions cited by the Traffic Safety Committee and Chief Corr do not provide a balanced account of the conclusions of traffic engineers who have examined the problem It follows that installation of a pedestrian crossing light at, or near, a particular school is an exclusive function of the judgement and disposition of those people in the town who are responsible in such ratters Thus, Lexington must decide as sensibly as it can what the best solution is for its various traffic problems, there being no conclusive guidance from national studies " In response, the Committee would like to say that the "balanced account" of conclusions is the Manual On Uniform Traffic Control Devices, and further we were not aware that a traffic safety problem existed at this location. Also, the Committee was of the opinion that it was comprised of "those people in the Town who are responsible in such matters", being the agency which make rec- ommendations based on facts to the Board Obviously, conclusive guidance, in the form of the Manual , does exist, and in accordance with our following that guidance, we again recommend that the request of the P T A be denied. Further, we recommend that, until such tine as substantial increases in vehicular and/or pedestrian volumes occur, the Board notify the P.T.A. that no additional appli- cations will be considered. Those of the Traffic Safety Committee in attendance were John J McSweeney, Chairman Kenneth Briggs, Planning Board Chief Corr, Police Department Peter Chalpin, Engineering Department PMC/Ift Enclosures cc Traffic Safety Committee Copy to Board Members Town Manager