Monday, August 29, 2011

How To Get Traffic | Traffic Headaches

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After a push from state Sen. Jeff Longbine, the Kansas Department of Transportation will allow the city to reconfigure an intersection in west Emporia to allow left turns onto Graphic Arts Road.

The islands at 12th Avenue and Graphic Arts Road will likely be removed at the city's expense. This will allow left turns from westbound 12th to southbound Graphic Arts.

Left turns still won't be allowed off 15th Avenue, though conversation about how to fix that intersection will continue.

Because of an engineering blunder and a high price for the land needed to correct the mistake, Graphic Arts was re-configured in a way that would not allow for safe left turns from 12th and 15th.

This has been an inconvenience for car drivers and a problem for truck drivers. Along with not being able to turn left, often times there is not enough room to turn right. The trucks have been running over and tearing up the islands.

The commission removed truck routes from Graphic Arts and the far west portions of 12th and 15th avenues and designated Graham Street from Sixth to 12th avenues and Hatcher Street from 12th to 15th Avenues instead. Doing so did not stop trucks from going to Graphic Arts, Longbine said.

"I don't know if they don't see the signs or are ignoring them," said City Manager Matt Zimmerman.

Longbine invited KDOT Secretary Deb Miller to tour the area July 7. He showed the intersections and explained the back story of not being able to move 12th to the north to get it farther away from U.S. Highway 50.

The city attempted to purchase land to the north and then take property through condemnation, but the price was too high, Longbine said.

"The 15th intersection wasn't our fault and the 12th one we tried but didn't want to pay the ransom," said Commissioner Jim Kessler.

The best alternative was to use the islands and prohibit left turns, though that forced truck traffic out to Emporia High School and Flint Hills Technical College.

Some cars and trucks that have arrived on 12th have tried to back up and go through the Shell gas station on the south. Longbine said the parking lot concrete was never meant for truck traffic. One truck struck the gas station building.

"This is a bad issue and a huge cost to me," said Saviner Singh, Shell station owner.

After the tour, Miller gave the go ahead to remove the island, but suggested installing a sign saying "do not block the intersection" so stacked-up traffic doesn't impede turning vehicles.

"Another suggestion was to maybe prohibit left turns during 7 to 8 a.m. and 3 to 4 p.m., the peak time for school traffic," Longbine said.

City Manager Matt Zimmerman said they can proceed with design work on the intersection. He said a rough estimated cost is between $10,000 and $20,000. The money could come from sales tax collections from the multi-year fund.

As for 15th Avenue, the original plan was to allow left turns from 15th onto Graphic Arts. But the roadway was designed at an angle that made it impossible. It was a state project.

While there are options to expand 15th to make it easier to make right turns, the only way to allow left turns would be a stoplight, Zimmerman said. He said doing so would cost $150,000 to $200,000.

Longbine said KDOT has offered $60,000 to improve the intersection and the city could try to negotiate for more. Zimmerman said the engineering firm that designed it is willing to kick in $5,000.

City Engineer Jerry Menefee worked up some drawings for allowing right turns from 15th to Graphic Arts that cater to buses and various sizes of tractor-trailers.

Commissioner Rob Gilligan asked why any truck would be trying to get north on Graphic Arts.

Hostess trucks no longer use 15th but a number of trucks going to that area aren't familiar with Emporia and travel that road, Longbine said. They have no choice but to go north, if they get past Hatcher, he said.

Another element to consider is a possible entrance to the DeBauge property at 15th and Graphic Arts.

"We may have to someday put a stoplight in," Kessler said. "I'd like to fight for more money."

Longbine also took Miller to see the roundabout on U.S. Highway 50 east of the Flying J truck stop.

"There is still a lot of confusion with that roundabout," Longbine said. "People are going the wrong way on it or stopping in the middle of it."

Longbine said KDOT has hired a consultant to study the problem.

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