AGENDA CAPTION:
Title
Receive a staff presentation regarding the Sessom Drive and Academy Street Traffic Calming Pilot project, and provide direction to staff.
Body
Meeting date: January 21, 2025
Department: Engineering and CIP
Amount & Source of Funding
Funds Required: NA
Account Number: NA
Funds Available: NA
Account Name: NA
Fiscal Note:
Prior Council Action: On January 4, 2022, Council directed the staff to implement traffic calming measures along Academy St and Sessom Dr, with Sessom Drainage and Street Improvements construction.
City Council Strategic Initiative: [Please select from the dropdown menu below]
Mobility & Connectivity
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Comprehensive Plan Element (s): [Please select the Plan element(s) and Goal # from dropdown menu below]
☐ Economic Development - Choose an item.
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☒ Transportation - Multimodal transportaion network to improve accessibility and mobility, minimize congestion and reduce pollution
☒ Core Services
☐ Not Applicable
Master Plan: [Please select the corresponding Master Plan from the dropdown menu below (if applicable)]
Transportation Master Plan
Background Information:
The city staff will present its findings on the Sessom Dr and Academy St Traffic Calming Initiative project and will seek further directions. The project limits are Academy St from Holland St to Sessom Dr, and Sessom Dr from Academy St to LBJ Dr.
In 2018, the City Council approved the Transportation Master Plan (TMP) with a goal of providing safe infrastructure to cyclists. In 2021, the Planning and Zoning Commission provided TMP amendment to the City Council with a request to implement a traffic calming measure along Sessom Dr and Academy St by reducing one travel lane and providing a buffered bike lane in each direction with Sessom Dr and Academy St Drainage and Street Improvements construction project.
City staff has organized 2 public meetings before the implementation of traffic calming measures in order to gather feedback. First public meeting was held in November 2021, at Westover Baptist Church and the second meeting was held in November 2022, at Crockett Elementary School. The city staff presented the project and gathered feedback concurrently with the Craddock Ave Bike Lane Improvements project.
In January 2022, the City Council directed the staff to implement traffic calming measure with the construction project and analyze the feasibility of permanent protected bike lanes. The City Council directed the staff to conduct a before and after traffic study to evaluate the benefits, gather public input, and present findings along with public feedback for further directions approximately 6 months after construction was completed.
The Sessom Dr and Academy St Improvements project was completed with the proposed traffic calming measures implemented and open to traffic in April 2024. Traffic data was collected in Fall 2024 to conduct an after study. The city staff organized a public meeting after traffic calming measures implementation on December 11, 2024, at Crockett Elementary School, presented the impacts and gathered feedback. In addition, a virtual open house (December 9 - 20, 2024) was also organized to gather feedback online. The results of the survey are attached in the packet.
The City has secured a grant through the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) for the Sessom Dr Mill and Overlay project (CSJ: 0914-33-091). The project limits are from Alamo St to Loop 82 (Aquarena Springs Dr), and Sessom Dr will be milled and overlayed with new pavement structure. Tentative construction completion timeline is Spring/Summer 2025. Staff must provide direction on the final striping to be installed prior to this construction starting.
Staff is seeking direction from Council on the final striping for Academy St from Holland St to Sessom Dr, and Sessom Dr from Academy St to LBJ Dr to be installed on the Sessom Dr Mill and Overlay project (CSJ: 0914-33-091) that will be completed in the 2025.
Council Committee, Board/Commission Action:
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Alternatives:
Install previous striping
Recommendation:
The staff recommends keeping the current striping with traffic calming measures installed