Title
Resolution to Approve the Installation of Traffic Calming Devices on Arella Blvd (Stadium Blvd to Pauline Blvd) ($52,000.00) and to Appropriate $52,000.00 from the County Health Millage Fund, Fund Balance (8 Votes Required)
Memorandum
Attached for your consideration is a resolution for the installation of traffic calming devices on Arella Blvd between Stadium Blvd and Pauline Blvd. The construction is anticipated to take place during the 2025 construction season by the City of Ann Arbor’s contractor for the Annual Local Street Resurfacing project, and to be paid for from the approved FY 2025 Traffic Calming Budget, if so approved. The traffic calming plan includes three (3) devices - (2) speed humps and (1) curb extension as shown on the attached final plan.
The residents and property owners of Arella Blvd. have been surveyed and support the attached proposed traffic calming plan for their neighborhood (based on the level of support required for the program). The Arella Blvd. traffic calming project began with the residents’ petition received in September 2021. After the initial evaluation and completion of the speed study, the traffic calming public meetings were scheduled using the established traffic calming process. All meetings were held virtually on Zoom and included self-guided walking tour of the study street. Meetings were held on September 28, 2023, and November 29, 2023.
The adopted program allowed staff to send an initial questionnaire to each address in the project area to determine their concerns and location of those concerns, among other information. This information was used to prepare starter concepts for the first meeting. Staff and the residents discussed neighborhood interests and concerns, worked through an exercise with initial concepts, and refined concepts to be reviewed at the second meeting. In advance of the second meeting, staff painted the device locations on the street and established a self-guided walking tour of the project limits including signs describing the different devices. At the second meeting, staff shared the revised plan and discussed it with the neighborhood to determine preferences.
The final plan from the second meeting was mailed to the residents in the project area. Each household was surveyed to see if they support the plan. The project passed the criteria requiring 50% of the respondents to support the plan.
The results are as follows:
45 No. of valid addresses in project area
13 No. of surveys supporting all or part of the final plan as shown
23 No. of survey responses received
56.5 %* Percent of surveys received supporting all or part of the plan as shown
* must receive 50% or higher.
Per R-23-330 which removes the previous Traffic Calming Program requirement of City Council approval for individual calming project plans, this will be the last final plan approval request.
Budget/Fiscal Impact: Funding for this project is available in the County Mental Health Millage Fund, Fund Balance due to unspent funds allocated to the program in Fiscal Year 2024.
Staff
Prepared by: Nicholas Hutchinson, P.E., City Engineer
Reviewed by: Sue McCormick, Interim Public Services Administrator
Approved by: Milton Dohoney Jr., City Administrator
Body
Whereas, The residents of Arella Blvd. (Stadium Blvd to Pauline Blvd) petitioned for traffic calming devices on their street;
Whereas, The survey results support the proposed traffic calming plans;
Whereas, The Transportation Commission recommended approval of the Arella Blvd . (Stadium Blvd to Pauline Blvd) traffic calming devices on February 21, 2024;
Whereas, The total estimated construction cost for the traffic calming devices is estimated to be $52,000.00; and
Whereas, Funding for the construction of the traffic calming project is available in the County Mental Health Millage Fund, Fund Balance;
RESOLVED, That City Council approve the installation of the traffic calming devices on Arella Blvd (Stadium Blvd to Pauline Blvd); and
RESOLVED, That $52,000.00 be appropriated from the County Mental Health Millage Fund Balance thereby increasing the fund’s FY 25 Operations and Maintenance revenue and expense budgets; and
RESOLVED, That the City Administrator be authorized to take the necessary administrative actions to implement this resolution.