Monroe cuts back on pork chop fix

The Monroe City Council voted unanimously to suspend a proposal for a left-hand turn prohibition at Blueberry Lane and Kelsey Street, directing Mayor Geoffrey Thomas and city staff to conduct further analysis and develop other alternatives.

Passed by the council on Tuesday, July 12, the proposal had called for the installation of a raised median (butterfly pork chop) on Blueberry Lane, which would prevent eastbound cars from turning left onto Kelsey from Blueberry. It would also prevent northbound drivers on Kelsey from turning left onto Blueberry, with additional C-curbing positioned down the center of Kelsey to keep northbound vehicles from driving in the southbound lane during times of high traffic.

On July 19, Councilmember Jim Kamp asked for the item to be placed back on the agenda for additional discussion, which took place Tuesday, July 26.-á

State Roofing owner Lance Smith addressed council during the time set aside for public comment. Located on the east side of Kelsey Street, the entrance to State Roofing's yard is slightly south of Blueberry Lane, with its main entrance to the south of that. The 35-year Monroe business would be adversely impacted by the C-curb, he said, because it would make it challenging, if not impossible, for large trucks to get in and out of the yard.

"We have a lot of truck traffic in and out of there, and the gate that's just about straight across from Blueberry Lane is where trucks come through that are too big to turn around,GÇ¥ Smith said. "They go out that gate, and with this curb in there, they're not going to be able to do that.GÇ¥

Additionally, trucks that pull out of the main entrance further south would have to run over the curb to get out, he said.

"It's going to make a huge problem for us,GÇ¥ Smith said.

He said another issue is that drivers already use his business as a turnaround. When cars are forced to turn right off Blueberry because of traffic backups, he said they use his business to turn around and head north; the direction they intended to go in the first place. He said he feels these numbers would increase substantially with a permanent left-hand turn prohibition.

"The proposal is going to create a massive amount of traffic trying to turn around in our parking lot because they can't turn,GÇ¥ Smith said. "It's going to create a big mess.GÇ¥

In addition to the feedback from Smith, councilmembers received a significant number of emails from residents concerned about the proposal.

The city has long grappled with what to do about the intersection. According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, traffic lights range from $250,000 to $500,000 ' figures similar to the recent traffic light installation at the new Tjerne Place extension, which added roughly $450,000 to the project, according to the city.

In the case of Blueberry and Kelsey, a traffic light could end up worsening the problem rather than fixing it. The intersection's close proximity to the railroad tracks and the stoplight at U.S. 2 makes finding a viable solution challenging.

It's a multifaceted problem. Residents have complained about long delays due to left-hand turns on eastbound Blueberry and northbound Kelsey, but there are also safety concerns. During times of high congestion, northbound drivers will drive into the southbound lanes on Kelsey in order to bypass traffic and more quickly get into the left-hand turn lane at Kelsey and U.S. 2.

The city has looked into widening the section of Kelsey between Blueberry and U.S. 2, but found it cost-prohibitive because it would require a new railroad crossing, which costs a minimum of $500,000. And relocating the railway control station (a bungalow) would cost even more. A preliminary estimate done in 2003 indicated a price tag of around $1.3 million to expand the roadway to include two northbound lanes and a left-hand turn lane. -á -á

The pork chop and C-curb proposal was in part selected for its affordability, costing roughly $5,000-$6,000.

Implementing some type of corrective measure at the intersection is particularly relevant due to the new 112-unit apartment complex being proposed for 18727 Blueberry Lane, directly west of the intersection. The applicant, Jeff Burdett, estimates construction and occupancy will occur in 2017. As a part of his site plan approval application, Burdett conducted a traffic study to estimate the number of additional cars a multifamily development would bring.

The process for completing a traffic study is complex, and guided by a comprehensive framework established by the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE). Trip generation calculations are based on ITE code, which undergoes periodic updates. The city used ITE code to perform its own traffic studies at 43 different intersections around the city as part of the 2015 Comprehensive Plan update, grading each based on its level of service (LOS).

The data makes up the city's transportation plan, which is available on the city website.

In the plan, the intersections were grouped into corridors and given a cumulative LOS category or "grade.GÇ¥ LOS categories range from A through F, based on the level of congestion. An LOS A corridor reflects free-flowing conditions, while an LOS F corridor translates to "over capacity with delays.GÇ¥ The city has established minimum LOS criteria to help determine which intersections need mitigation, as well as requirements that must be met in order for development to occur.

The Blueberry Lane and Kelsey Street intersection was grouped into a corridor along with two other intersections, which served to boost its cumulative LOS grade to a B, indicating "stable operating conditions.GÇ¥ Individually, the Blueberry and Kelsey intersection received a D, which is defined as "high density of motorists, but stable flow.GÇ¥

According to the data collected in 2014, the Total Entering Volume (TEV) of traffic at Blueberry and Kelsey during evening peak hours is 1,086 vehicles. Broken down directionally, the study captured 126 vehicles turning left off Blueberry onto Kelsey, 89 vehicles turning right, 103 vehicles turning left onto Blueberry from Kelsey, 316 vehicles traveling north on Kelsey to U.S. 2, 239 vehicles traveling southbound on Kelsey and 213 vehicles turning right off southbound Kelsey onto Blueberry.

Evening peak hour TEV rates varied widely across the city. At U.S. 2 and Kelsey Street north of U.S. 2, the TEV was 4,178 vehicles, while an intersection like Foothills Road and Roosevelt had a TEV of 379.

Since there is no TEV to measure, the traffic study completed for the Burdett-Blueberry Lane project is based on projections calculated using ITE standards for determining the average number of trips per day. According to the study, the number of average daily trips generated by the 112-unit development is anticipated at roughly 500, with directional projections broken down into percentages.

Based on the estimations in the study, it is anticipated that 30 percent of the additional 500 trips will travel west on Blueberry, 55 percent will travel east on Blueberry and head north to U.S. 2 and 15 percent will turn right off Blueberry and travel south on Kelsey to Main. The numbers in the Burdett-Blueberry project study reflect both morning and evening trips, making 500 an estimated daily count.

If the development moves forward, the additional cars are expected to increase traffic in the area, but not enough to lower the intersection's existing LOS grade, which took the Burdett property's multifamily zoning into account when it was assigned.

Should the project proceed, the traffic impact fee owed to the city is estimated at $220,192.

Per the motion made by the council on July 26, city staff will look at other ways to improve safety and traffic flow at the intersection, bringing back alternatives for council to consider.

The mayor said he was happy with council's decision.-á -á

"I'm happy with council's direction this evening to go back and look at alternatives and to involve the community more on this very important intersection,GÇ¥ Thomas said.

It is anticipated that further discussion will take place sometime in August. To provide feedback about Blueberry Lane and Kelsey Street, email the Monroe City Council at councilmembers@monroewa.gov.