REQUEST TO CLOSE A PORTION OF CORONA STREET
 AT PROSPECT AVENUE AND 14TH STREET 

 

Recommendation:

It is recommended that the City Council:

1. Approve the six-month temporary closure of Corona Street at Prospect Avenue to mitigate the cut-through traffic in both directions on Corona Avenue;
2. Direct staff to conduct a "before and after" traffic study to measure the potential negative impacts of the closure and to report back to City Council; and
3. Defer action of the stop sign installation request at this time.

 

Background:

Concerns have been expressed regarding cut-through traffic on Corona Street between Prospect Avenue/14th Street and Aviation Boulevard.   In addition, concerns have been expressed relative to speeding on 14th Street in the vicinity of Prospect Avenue and Corona Street.   Please refer to Attachment 1.

It has been requested that Corona Street at Prospect Avenue be closed to mitigate the cut-through traffic and that a stop sign be installed on the southwest corner of 14th Street and Corona Street intersection to control speed.  On Feb. 8, 2000, City Council directed Staff to set a hearing on this matter. The hearing notice is included as Attachment 3.

Some residents along Corona Street have indicated that drivers are using the street as a shortcut to avoid the traffic signal at the intersection of Prospect Avenue and Aviation Boulevard. The residents believe that the shortcut these drivers take to avoid the intersection is putting the residents at risk because the shortcut drivers speed northbound from Aviation Boulevard.

The residents are also concerned about speeding on 14th Street between Corona Street and Owosso Avenue creating a traffic problem at 14th Street and Corona Street.

According to information received from the residents, here is what they see:

"Corona Street is used as a shortcut between Prospect and Aviation.

• Traffic from southbound Prospect cuts into the north end of Corona, across 14th, and down to turn right onto Aviation.
• Also, traffic going up Aviation turns left onto the south end of Corona, up to a quick right on 14th, then left onto Prospect.
• Both of these maneuvers are often done at high speeds and without stopping at the 14th St. stop sign.
  

THIS IS NOT SAFE.

• Many of us park our cars on the street, and several have been damaged.

• At least 8 pets have been injured or killed in the past few years.

• Seventeen or more children live and play on Corona Street…!!! "

For additional information, please refer to Attachment 2.

Analysis:

Corona Street has a forty-foot (40’) wide right-of-way and a twenty-five-foot (25’) wide roadway, curb to curb. The street is classified as a local residential street with a prima fascia speed limit of 25 MPH. Corona Street is one-way southbound between Prospect Avenue and 14th Street. As can be seen in Attachment 1, Corona Street, in effect, is the third leg of a triangle formed by Corona, Aviation and Prospect.

Fourteenth Street has a forty-foot (40’) wide right-of-way and a twenty-five-foot (25’) wide roadway, curb to curb. The street is classified as a local residential street with a prima fascia speed limit of 25 MPH.

Field observations in the vicinity of this triangular shaped area revealed the following:

• Corona Street - parking is permitted on both sides, subject to street sweeping restrictions; stop controls exist at the north and south approach to 14th Street and the north approach to Aviation Boulevard.
• 14th Street - parking is permitted on both sides, subject to street sweeping restrictions; stop control exists at the west approach to Prospect Avenue.
• Aviation Boulevard/Prospect Avenue is a multi-phase traffic signalized intersection.

 

Based on the reasons outlined below, Staff is of the opinion that consideration of closing Corona Street at Prospect Avenue has some merit.

In considering the above, Staff would recommend a six-month temporary closure of Corona Street at Prospect Avenue to mitigate the cut-through traffic in both directions on Corona Street. And that a "before and after" traffic study be conducted to measure the potential negative impacts of the closure.

Concerning the request for a stop sign installation on 14th Street on the southwest corner of 14th Street and Corona Street to control speed, Staff is recommending that no action on this issue be taken until after the Corona cut-through traffic issue is resolved.

Alternatives:

1. Approve Staff’s recommendation.
2. Send item back to staff for further study.
3. Take no action.

Financial Impact:

None at this time.

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