Title
A Resolution Of The City Commission Of The City Of Hollywood, Florida, Approving A No Right Turn Restriction During School Hours, Located At Eastbound Van Buren Street And South 26th Avenue, As Part Of A Change In Traffic Circulation/Operation On Van Buren Street Between South 26th Avenue And South 28th Avenue From Two-Way To Eastbound One-Way Traffic Flow.
Body
Staff Recommends: Approval of the Attached Resolution
Explanation:
Residents have expressed their concerns to the City regarding traffic congestion in the Ben Gamla Charter School area during school hours. Ben Gamla Charter School consists of a lower grade school, grades K-6, and an upper grade school, grades 7-12, located on Van Buren Street between South 26th Avenue and South 28th Avenue. City’s Police Department and Engineering staff performed field observation which indicated congestion was a result of traffic traveling to and from the schools during student drop-off and pick-up times. As a result of field observation and meetings held with the school principals and concerned residents, the idea to convert Van Buren Street to one-way traffic flow between South 26th Avenue and South 28th Avenue was developed.
City engineering staff further reviewed traffic data and the overall roadway network within the vicinity and prepared a pavement markings and signage plan for one-way flow. Van Buren Street east of I-95 runs from South 29th Terrace to South Dixie Highway. It is two-way east and westbound traffic flow between South 26th Avenue and South 29th Terrace and one-way eastbound traffic flow between Dixie Highway and South 26th Avenue. The traffic flow conversion plan extends the existing one-way eastbound flow from South 26th Avenue to South 28th Avenue. It was determined that the conversion plan would alleviate congestion on South 28th Avenue, Van Buren Street east of 28th Avenue, and at times, Hollywood Boulevard, by increasing eastbound capacity in the peak direction on Van Buren Street between 26th and 28th Avenue where the schools are located. The conversion also routes traffic directly to Hollywood Boulevard or continues traffic flow east on Van Buren Street from the schools. The plan also includes a No Right Turn restriction during school hours at Van Buren Street and South 26th Avenue. This restriction prohibits traffic from circulating back to South 28th Avenue via local residential streets to travel west. It is an important component of the over-all plan and must be implemented with the one-way conversion for it to work effectively in routing traffic to the main thoroughfare, preventing congestion on 28th Avenue at Van Buren and Hollywood Boulevard, and deterring cut-thru traffic in the neighborhood.
City staff submitted the pavement marking and signage plan for one-way traffic operation with a school traffic impact analysis to Broward County Traffic Engineering Division (BCTED) for their review and approval. As part of the County’s review in approving the City’s request, current count data was taken on Van Buren Street in both directions just east of South 28th Avenue and on South 28th Avenue for both approaches toward Van Buren Street. BCTED approved the signage and pavement marking plan for Van Buren Street but approval for the No Right Turn at Van Buren Street and South 26th Avenue intersection is pending and requires City Commission approval as the right turn restriction limits direct public access to South 26th Avenue. With the County’s approval of the new traffic flow, the one-way eastbound conversion was made and became effective on Saturday, May 14, 2016, prior to summer recess and to avoid the introduction of a new traffic pattern during the beginning of the upcoming school year.
In completing implementation of the overall Van Buren Street eastbound one-way plan traffic operation, City Commission approval is being requested by the County for the eastbound Van Buren Street No Right Turn restriction during school drop-off and pick-up hours. Staff recommends the approval of the No Right Turn restriction as part of the overall traffic flow conversion to one-way eastbound on Van Buren Street to improve traffic circulation, to relieve traffic congestion in the area during school drop-off and pick-up times and to extend the existing one-way traffic flow as part of the overall roadway network within the vicinity.
Recommended for inclusion on the agenda by:
Dr. Wazir Ishmael, City Manager
Gus Zambrano, Assistant City Manager
Thomas Barnett, Director, Department of Development Services
Jonathan Vogt, City Engineer/Deputy Director of Public Work