Town of Mansfield Traffic Authority

Minutes of the Meeting – October 27, 2009

Present:  Hart, Hultgren, Padick, Meitzler, Jackman

Pedestrian Awareness Campaign – Hultgren said that he had brought up the inactivity of this committee at the UConn Parking Advisory Committee’s October meeting and was waiting for a response from UConn on getting this committee reconstituted.

Centerline Road Striping – Members discussed the concept of green streets and sharing streets in the context of whether or not Flaherty Road should have its centerline restriped.  Hultgren and Padick reported their research on the web pages that describe green streets noting that they generally refer to urbanized areas where there is considerable activity along the street’s edge.  Hultgren noted that there is nothing, not even readily visible houses along Flaherty Road so that the “visual cues” drivers would get on a green street in an active area are not there.  Jackman, an experienced cyclist, noted that he did not believe that the centerline stripe made it less safe for pedestrians and cyclists as he felt the stripe would actually slow vehicles down some.  After considerable discussion the Authority voted to restripe this section of road noting that an off-road walkway will be constructed in the next year or so as part of the federally funded Storrs Road enhancement project.  Hultgren will respond to Mr. Handley.

Clover Mill Road/195 bus stop relocation – no reported progress.

Speeds near 791 Mansfield City Road – Additional speed limit signs on Mansfield City Road will be erected (per discussions in previous meetings) and a street light for the corner of White Oak Road and Mansfield City Road has been ordered.  Recent traffic classifier data for this location showed an ADT of 944, an average speed of 38 mph and an 85% speed of 46 mph (posted speed is 30 mph).  The matter will be referred to the Resident State Trooper’s office for enforcement.

Speeds on Puddin Lane – no progress, waiting for new traffic data.

Signal timing at the new 32/275 signal – Hultgren will check with DOT to see if the new signal has been retimed.

Traffic concerns at the West end of Birch Road (near Weaver and Bone Mill Roads) – Meitzler presented spot speed data for the area and discussed the problems with the curve, alignment of Weaver Road, and signage.  No action was taken as the existing signage needs to be evaluated, particularly the warning for the curve and updated classifier data is needed.  There may also be a problem with the alignment of the cat-tracked centerline.  Will be on the November agenda.

Mansfield Road/Storrs Road improvements (UConn) – An electronic version of the plan to revised this intersection per the STC’s requirements was received and circulated to Traffic Authority members.  Hultgren will forward comments back to UConn in a few days.  Meitzler noted that the entrance to Mansfield Road from 195 appeared to be wide enough for two lanes, but was very short in length.

Celeron to UConn Bike Path – Padick said he was contacted by the Celeron owner’s representative wanting to explore changes to the bike path and increased security measures for the Celeron complex.  The Town’s public easement through Celeron and onto the path was discussed.  This easement could be relocated, but members were concerned about maintaining public access to the bike path as it was purchased as part of the transportation enhancement project done in the 1980’s.  Padick will communicate this back to the Celeron representative.

Bus Stop requests – Hultgren said that a request for a bus shelter at the stop on Wrights Way was received from the Commission on Aging and that the DPW had a shelter that it received last year from the Windham Community Hospital that could be placed there.  After discussion, Hultgren was directed to put a proposal showing this together and send it to the Director of Planning, the Senior Center Director, the Housing Authority, the Social Service Director and the Town Manager for comment.  If there are no objections, the shelter could be placed there when the DPW crew can do it (may not be until 2010).  Hultgren also said that the Commission asked for some terrain improvements at the bus stop on 275 in front of the Community Center.  This was a temporary stop that if made permanent will have to have some work done on the surface of the shoulder of the road so that passengers can get from the stop to the Community Center sidewalk safely.  This will also be placed on the DPW’s work list.

Depot Road off-road speed hump bypass problem – One or more vehicles are driving around two of the new speed humps East of the tracks on Depot Road.  Various ways of discouraging this were discussed.  Prior to implementing any of these measures, Hultgren will write the Resident State Trooper and the neighbors asking for help in identifying the vehicles doing this.

Hillyndale Halloween road sign request – Hultgren will have barricades available at the Town Hall for the Hillyndale neighborhood to borrow to erect their “slow-- trick or treating in progress” signs on.  Members were clear that the signs were OK, but were opposed to having citizens stopping traffic at the entrance to the neighborhood.

Request for Hidden Drive sign for 147 Chaffeeville Road; Request for Speed Humps on Chaffeeville Road – Meitzler and Jackman reported that this driveway was not hidden and that sight distances were good both ways on Chaffeeville Road.  As such, it did not qualify for a hidden drive sign.  In addition since Chaffeeville Road is a collector road, it does not meet the criteria for speed humps.  The matter was referred to the Engineering Office to get traffic data in the area and to look at the adequacy of lighting and signage in the vicinity.

Request for streetlights on Eastwood/Westwood and Hillside Circle – The Traffic Authority’s policy on street lights is to light intersections, dangerous curves and Town facilities only.  The request (forwarded to the Town by UConn facilities who received the original request) was referred to Engineering to determine if the intersections at each of these roads were lit.  It was not felt that the numbers of pedestrians on these roads were high enough to make an exception to the streetlighting policy (as was done for Hunting Lodge Road).

Speed concerns near 24 Pleasant Valley Road – Meitzler presented spot speed data and said that the speed signs on the road were inconsistent in this area and should be checked.  24 hour speed data will be obtained for future discussion.

Respectfully submitted,

Lon Hultgren

Director of Public Works

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