1. Centerway/N. Main
CITY OF JANESVILLE
TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
11 FEBRUARY 2009
D. TRAFFIC SIGNALS
1. CENTERWAY & NORTH MAIN STREET
REQUESTOR:
Jack Messer, Past Director of Public Works/City Engineer
ADDRESS:
18 N. Jackson Street
REQUEST:
Traffic Signal Needs Evaluation
(As Part of a Budget Savings Exercise)
STREET CLASSIFICATION:
Both Streets = Through Arterials
EXISTING CONTROL:
Traffic Signals
ENTERING VOLUME:
See Warrant Analysis Summary Sheet
Year Crashes Injuries Property Damage
CRASHES:
2006 3 0 $10,000
2007 2 0 $ 1,500
2008 (Pre-Flood) 2 1 $ 5,000
2008 (Post-Flood) 4 2* $10,600
2009 (YTD) 1 0 $ 500
*Includes one pedestrian and one bicyclist.
VISION CHARACTERISTICS:
Fair to poor. Parking lots in northwest and
southwest quadrants and building in southeast
quadrant.
GRADE & GEOMETRICS:
Right angle cross intersection with a slight low
point on Centerway. Main Street is relatively
flat.
UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS:
There is only approximately 300 feet between
signals at Main and Parker. Centerway is also
U.S. Highway 51.
LAST TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE REVIEW:
Status update at November, 2008 meeting.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
Attachment No. 5 = Location Map
Attachment No. 6 = August, 2008 Memo From Jack Messer to City Manager
Attachment No. 7 = October, 2008 Memo From Jack Messer to City Council
Attachment No. 8 = Signal Warrant Analysis Sheets (3)
Attachment No. 9 = Federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
(MUTCD) Information on Traffic Signals
ENGINEERING RECOMMENDATION:
The intersection meets two of the four
common traffic signal warrants. It meets Warrant #1 (Eight-Hour Vehicle Volume) by
way of meeting Condition B, described out of the MUTCD as follows:
The Interruption of Continuous Traffic, Condition B, is intended for application at
locations where condition A is not satisfied and where the traffic volume on a
major street is so heavy that traffic on a minor intersecting street suffers
excessive delay or conflict in entering or crossing the major street.
It also meets Warrant #2 (Four-Hour Vehicular Volume) by having six hours over the
threshold criteria.
Because it meets two warrants and we are receiving significant negative feedback on
its current flash operation and its possible removal, we recommend it be placed back
into operation and taken off the list for removal consideration. Because it is only a
two-phase intersection and the green time needed for Main Street is relatively short,
we believe the positives of the signal outweigh the negatives at this point in time. In
addition, with the signals in flash (or removed), we lose the benefit of the “walk” and
“don’t walk” pedestrian signals at an intersection with limited sight lines. It should also
be noted that Centerway is part of the U.S. Highway 51 corridor. Removal of a traffic
signal on a U.S. Highway within City limits requires WisDOT approval. Engineering
Staff has not requested removal permission from WisDOT at this time.