Submitted By
Ron Burke, Transportation Commission Chairperson Bill McKenna, Village Engineer
Reviewed By
LKS
Agenda Item Title
Title
A Motion to Concur with the Transportation Commission's Recommendation to Remove the First Three Parking Spaces on the East Side of Euclid Avenue North of Lake Street, Restrict the Former Parking Spaces Area as a No Parking Anytime Zone, and Evaluate the Immediate Area in Order to Provide Replacement Parking
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Overview
Overview
The intersection of Lake Street and Euclid Avenue is a traffic signalized intersection. Traffic congestion has increased at the entrance to the north leg of the intersection. Removing the first three parking spaces on the east side of Euclid Avenue north of Lake Street and restricting the area where the parking spaces were located as a No Parking Anytime zone would open up the entrance to the north leg of Euclid Avenue and would improve the safety and efficiency of the north leg of this traffic signalized intersection.
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Recommendation
Recommendation
Approve the Motion.
Fiscal Impact
Staff estimates that it would cost less than $200 to remove the existing parking signs and replace them with No Parking Anytime signs. There are available funds in the FY2020 General Fund, Public Works - Street Services, account no. 1001-43740-761-560634 for this work.
Background
This staff generated item was reviewed by the Transportation Commission at its December 16, 2019 meeting. Staff brought this item to the Transportation Commission for review in order to provide public notice and gather the Commission’s and public input regarding the loss of on-street parking.
Village Staff has noticed over the past year that traffic congestion has increased at the entrance to the north leg of the Lake Street and Euclid Avenue intersection. With one or two southbound vehicles stopped at the stop bar and cars parked on the east side of Euclid, vehicles entering the north leg of the intersection must carefully and slowly maneuver between the stopped southbound vehicles and the parked vehicles. Exacerbating the condition is the fact that southbound Euclid Avenue appears to be used as a preferred route for vehicles leaving OPRF High School as traffic noticeably increases during the school's dismissal time.
Attached exhibit A shows the 'Before' conditions with 3 parking spaces on the east side of Euclid Avenue north of Lake Street adjacent to The Mews of Oak Park Condominiums. Attached exhibit B shows the 'After' conditions with a No Parking Anytime restriction replacing the three parking spaces.
The maximum allowable legal width of commercial motor vehicles in the United States is 8.5 feet (102 inches). In Illinois, the minimum allowable width of a traffic lane in urban areas is 10 feet. The existing condition of an 8 foot wide northbound traffic lane does not meet either of these two requirements.
Removing the first three parking spaces on the east side of Euclid Avenue would allow for an up to 13 feet wide northbound traffic lane between the east side curb and a 10 foot wide southbound traffic lane for a distance of up to 121 feet north of the southbound stop bar.
The Fire Department's Main Fire Station is located on Euclid Avenue south of the Lake and Euclid intersection and was contacted in order to inquire about its use of Euclid Avenue north of Lake Street. The Fire Department responded in part that it is supportive of removing the three parking spaces on the east side of Euclid Avenue just north of Lake Street to create a wider traffic lane because some of the its vehicles have a width that is greater than 8 feet.
The Police Department has been viewing the area at night to see how overnight parking would be affected. They found that the area typically had 1 or 2 cars parked with a number of empty spaces. The Parking Services Division has indicated that these cars can be moved to other locations in the Y1 permit parking area.
The Parking Services Division has indicated that day parking was not necessary to review since there are a number of day parking options in the area including but not limited to meters and free parking further up the block. In addition, on-street parking spaces are readily available throughout the day and the nearby Avenue Garage is available for long term parking.
Attached as Exhibit C are photographs taken at various times of the day and night.
During the Transportation Commission's review of this item, a discussion about possible replacement parking was had. This discussion included having the Village evaluate (1) creating additional 1 Hour parking on Euclid Avenue north of The Mews of Oak Park Condominiums building and (2) replacing some of the existing 2 Hour time restricted parking on Lake Street east of Euclid Avenue with metered parking. The intent of these two proposals would be to provide additional short term parking for both visitors to the Mews condominium building and to the Lake Street businesses west of Euclid Avenue.
Alternatives
The alternative to this recommendation could be to delay action to gain additional information.
Previous Board Action
N/A.
Citizen Advisory Commission Action
The Transportation Commission recommended the following:
1. Remove the first three parking spaces on the east side of Euclid Avenue north of Lake Street and replace them with a No Parking Anytime restricted zone.
2. Staff should evaluate the possibility of adding additional 1 hour parking on Euclid Avenue north of The Mews of Oak Park Condominiums building
3. Staff should evaluate the possibility of replacing some of the existing 2 Hour time restricted parking on Lake Street east of Euclid Avenue with metered parking.
The recommendations passed unanimously, five to zero.
Anticipated Future Actions/Commitments
None at this time.
Intergovernmental Cooperation Opportunities
N/A.