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Traffic calmer addresses FBMA
Kandi Austin - Thu, Nov, 3, 2005
Although the town of Farragut has no influence over the planned roundabout at the Northshore Drive and Concord Road intersection, traffic calming “expert” Alan Childers of Cannon & Cannon included a discussion on roundabouts in his traffic calming devices presentation to the Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen at the regularly scheduled meeting Oct. 27, at Town Hall.
Childers said he was originally a “hard sell on roundabouts,” but now he thinks “it’s gonna work great, I am convinced.”
Childers used statistics to back up his opinion stating in the United States, intersections with roundabouts have 40 percent fewer crashes, 80 percent fewer injuries and 90 percent fewer fatalities because accidents are not head-on.
Childers said roundabouts feature a unidirectional flow around a central island and have several positive features: increased capacity, fewer stops and queues, decreased traffic speeds, increased pedestrian safety, lower costs and decreased liability.
The Board invited Childers to make a presentation on traffic calming devices to assist in addressing speeding complaints in residential neighborhoods in Farragut.
Childers said the intent of traffic calming devices is to not only limit speeds, but also to discourage “through” traffic.
Childers gave several options including non-geometric methods: enforcement, neighborhood speed watch as seen on interstates to show drivers how fast they are traveling, basic signs and one-way streets. Geometric methods included speed bumps, raised crosswalks, raised intersections, rumble strips, traffic circles and realigned intersections.
“It is very true that people will drive how they feel comfortable,” Childers said. “But there are a few questions we need to ask ourselves: why do people feel comfortable driving on residential streets as fast as they do, is it possible the fundamental problem is really engineering which has resulted in an enforcement problem … have we mistakenly been designing miniature highways when the context within which residential streets exist justify a different approach?”
The Board did not take action on Childers presentation.
The first reading of the aquatic buffer was approved 4-1, Alderman Thomas Rosseel dissented.
Rosseel questioned if the proposed 25-foot aquatic buffer is sufficient to get the town off of the 303(d) list with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.
Community development director Ruth Hawk said, “In regards to whether this is adequate or not, I don’t really know that, it may be something that will have to be relooked at.”
Town attorney Thomas Hale requested a chance to review the document before the Board passed the buffer in a “knee jerk” reaction.
The Board passed the ordinance on its first reading, giving Hale two weeks to review the ordinance before the buffer is up for a second reading.
Dogwood trees will be planted soon in Fox Den and Village Green subdivisions. Ed Pasley, director of the Dogwood Arts Festival, announced the Farragut Dogwood Restoration Project, a two-day planting of 195 trees, will begin Saturday, Nov. 5, in the subdivisions to replenish the dogwoods in the town.
The Board unanimously approved a $25,000 grant to support the project.
In other business, the Board:
• unanimously approved a contract with User Friendly Maps for 10,000 copies of a greenway and park map for the town of Farragut, estimated to cost $4,857 plus shipping.
• unanimously approved a resolution to adopt the National Incident Management System, an integrated system that established a uniform set of processes, protocols and procedures that all emergency responders, at every level of government, will use to conduct response actions.
• unanimously approved $47,184.08 in computer network upgrades, which includes additional hardware and equipment, software and labor costs.
• unanimously approved the purchase of right-of-way acquisition from Horne Properties, Inc., for S. Watt Road for the roadway extension, contingent upon Horne Properities accomplishing its agreement with Buddy White to sell the property for $50,000 and that Olson and Hale be able to work on an appropriate contract to present to the Board.
• unanimously approved a request to temporarily close S. Hobbs Road for roadway improvements by Blount Excavating for three to five weeks during daylight hours. The roadway will be reopened each night.
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