Title
Resolution to Approve the Installation of Traffic Calming Devices on Bird Road (Newport Road to Huron River Drive) ($87,500.00)
Memorandum
Attached for your consideration is a resolution for the installation of traffic calming devices on Bird Road from Newport Road to Huron River Drive. 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. The traffic calming plan includes five (5) speed humps as shown on the attached final plan.
The residents and property owners of Bird Road 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 Bird Road 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 a portion of the study street. Meetings were held on September 27, 2023, and November 16, 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 responses to support the plan.
The results are as follows:
15 No. of valid addresses in project area
5 No. of surveys supporting all or part of the final plan as shown
8 No. of survey responses received
62.5%* Percent of surveys received supporting all or part of the plan as shown
* must receive 50% or higher.
Budget and Fiscal Impact: Funding for this project is available in the approved FY25 County Mental Health Millage Traffic Calming Budget.
Staff
Prepared by: Andrea Wright, Engineering Analyst II
Raymond Hess, Transportation Manger
Reviewed by: Brian Steglitz, Public Services Area Administrator
Approved by: Milton Dohoney Jr., City Administrator
Body
Whereas, The residents of Bird Road (Newport Road to Huron River Drive) 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 Bird Road (Newport Road to Huron River Drive) traffic calming devices on February 21, 2024;
Whereas, The total estimated construction cost for the traffic calming devices is estimated to be $87,500.00; and
Whereas, for the construction of the traffic calming project is included in the FY25 County Mental Health Millage Fund Traffic Calming Budget;
RESOLVED, That City Council approve the installation of the traffic calming devices on Bird Road (Newport Road to Huron River Drive); and
RESOLVED, That the City Administrator be authorized to take the necessary administrative actions to implement this resolution.