CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Waive the first reading and pass the ordinance to establish a no parking, stopping, or standing zone between 7:45 a.m.-8:15 a.m. and 2:15 p.m.-2:45 p.m. on the east side of Sleight Street from a point 80' south of North Avenue to a point 80' north of School Street and to establish a line-up lane for student loading zone between 7:45 a.m.-8:15 a.m. and 2:15 p.m.-2:45 p.m. on the west side of Sleight Street from a point 80' south of North Avenue to a point 80' north of School Street (requires six positive votes).
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DEPARTMENT: Transportation, Engineering and Development
SUBMITTED BY: Kelly Dunne, Project Manager
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
On April 4, 2019, the Transportation Advisory Board recommended approval of the parking modifications on Sleight Street (Approved 6-0); staff concurs.
BACKGROUND:
The City was contacted by staff at Ellsworth Elementary School to address a conflict between the school’s arrival/dismissal traffic pattern and the posted parking restrictions on Sleight Street.
The student loading zone is in front of the school on the west side of Sleight Street between School Street and Franklin Avenue. Vehicles may not park, stop, or stand on the east side of Sleight Street during arrival/dismissal times because the roadway is not wide enough to permit parking or queuing on both sides while allowing two-way traffic flow. This portion of the school’s traffic control plan functions efficiently and no changes are proposed for the block between School Street and Franklin Avenue.
One block to the north, parent drivers are instructed to enter the pick-up/drop-off queue by traveling southbound on Sleight Street from North Avenue. Typically, the queue extends north of School Street, causing drivers between North Avenue and School Street to pull to the curb while waiting for the queue to move. The west side of Sleight Street is posted as No Parking, and queued drivers are therefore not in compliance with the current parking restriction.
Additionally, the east side of Sleight Street between North Avenue and School Street permits 4-hour parking between 6:00am and 6:00pm. When parents are queued on the west side of the street and vehicles are parked on the east side of the street, there is not enough roadway width for two-way traffic flow.
DISCUSSION:
City staff performed field observations and discussed the traffic flow pattern with Ellsworth School staff and the Naperville Police Department. Since the school’s current operations function well and any modifications to the traffic flow pattern are limited by constraints such as narrow roadways and proximity to North Central College and the Naperville Metra Station, it was determined to modify the existing parking restrictions in order to allow the traffic flow pattern to remain unchanged. The modifications are shown on the attached exhibit.
Staff is proposing that the area on the west side of Sleight Street where drivers currently queue will be modified to permit a line-up lane for the student loading zone during arrival/dismissal hours. Parking will continue to not be permitted during all other times.
In order to allow for two-way traffic flow, staff is proposing that parking on the east side of Sleight Street be restricted during arrival/dismissal hours. Outside of these times, parking will be 4-hour parking between 6:00am and 6:00pm, as it currently is.
The 80-foot zones on both sides of Sleight Street at both ends of the block will remain unchanged. These ensure that vehicles do not queue or park too close to the intersections, which can result in limited visibility of pedestrians in the crosswalk.
Ellsworth Elementary School, North Central College, and the Naperville Police Department are all in support of these proposed modifications. The nine properties on Sleight Street between North Avenue and School Street have been notified of the proposed changes.
Transportation Advisory Board
The recommendation was presented to the Transportation Advisory Board (TAB) on April 4, 2019 for consideration. No members of the public provided comment on the recommendation. TAB voted to recommend approval of the parking modifications on Sleight Street. Six members voted in favor of the recommendation. Draft minutes from the meeting are attached.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total fiscal impact will be approximately $300.00, which is the cost to install signs and posts for the modified parking restrictions.