TOWN STAFF REPORT RECCOMENDATIONS
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Discuss and give staff direction on possible improvements to the crosswalk crossing at Ottinger Road near Westlake Academy; and take appropriate action (Wade Carroll, Town Manager)
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STAFF: Wade Carroll, Town Manager
BACKGROUND:
During the October 9th Council meeting Mayor Kilbride stated that he had received several complaints about close calls between vehicles and pedestrians at the crosswalk in front of Westlake Academy in the early morning hours while the cross country team was training. The mayor has asked that we look at adding a tunnel under Ottinger Road to increase the safety of the students and athletes. The cross-country team runs each morning south on Ottinger Road and utilizes the crosswalk to transitions from the West side of Ottinger to the East side of Ottinger Road as the walking path transitions in the same manner. Staff spoke with the Athletic Director who had a meeting with the Cross Country Coach to ensure that safety measures are being adhered to. The safety plan is as follows: the Cross Country Team is required to cross Ottinger Road as a group and must wait when leaving the school and when returning to the school after their run until all students are accounted for and at the crosswalk and they cross together. Coaches stand in the roadway to ensure that vehicles stop for the athletes. The crosswalk signal is activated, and once traffic is stopped the students are allowed to cross. All students were issued blinking lights to wear on their person while training in the dark. The current crosswalk warning devices include a stripped crosswalk, signalization (blinking yellow lights and a crosswalk sign) at the crosswalk facing both directions of traffic and a second set of signals that are approximately 58ft. to the south of the crosswalk and 161 ft. north of the crosswalk in the middle of the “S” curve prior to approaching the sidewalk from the north.
DISCUSSION:
Staff met with Teague Nall and Perkins Engineer Philip Varughese at the crosswalk site and asked that he give us and engineering perspective of the crosswalk and surrounding area and asked him to give us an idea of the scope of a tunneling or walking bridge for pedestrians to transverse Ottinger Rd. in this area. After observing the area he stated that either project would require considerable drainage work to either keep a tunnel dry and safe or to ensure that a walking bridge’s foundation is not effected by heavy rains. Currently there is only drainage ditches on either side of Ottinger. A tunnel would also require the installation of pumps to pump out water that would be in the tunnel after a rain as he did not think that drainage work alone would solve the problem. Pedestrian walkways also require a maximum of a 5% grade to pass ADA inspection which equates to approx. 0.6 inches per foot of rise or fall. A tunnel would have to be approximately 11 ft. under ground level and a walking bridge would require a minimum height of 14.5 ft. to meet TxDot regulations. Both would require very long ramps leading up to and exiting the crossing area.
The engineer did state that there were some improvements he would suggest which included restriping the crosswalk with florescent paint, installing lighting in the street surface along the crosswalk edge, adding spot lighting to the crosswalk warning lights that would light up the crosswalk area at night, adding rumble strips in the pavement leading up to the crosswalk from both the north and the south, and finally moving the initial warning signs further away from the crosswalk (before the beginning of the “S” curve to the north and further south to give drivers plenty of early warning that the crosswalk is in use. Schematic of the proposed changes are attached.
A second option would be to move the crosswalk further south away from the “S” curve and south of the Deloitte campus commercial entrance. This would require less early warning due to better visibility, but trees would need to be removed, the pathway extended approx. 1000 ft., some reworking of the drainage ditch on the west side of Ottinger and possibly some additional purchase of ROW.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Unknown
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the crosswalk either remain as is or that install the proposed changes from TNP
ATTACHMENT(S):
Schematic of proposed changes
TOWN COUNCIL ACTION/OPTIONS:
1) Staff is asking for direction and will begin formal pricing of council’s chosen path forward.