11-13-2000 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Highway Administration. This policy has been in effect since the early 1970's. (See attached Uniform Traffic Control Device, Order No. 54014) Authority for adoption of the manual is given in Section 169.06, Minnesota State Statutes. Section 2B-5, Warrants for Stop Signs states "For other than emergency purposes portable or part-time STOP signs shall not be used." The use of part-time stop signs creates a hazardous situation because it confuses driver expectations. Motorists expect consistent traffic control conditions. They get used to certain conditions and expect these conditions always to be the same. Changing traffic control devices creates a hazardous situation. For example, a parent routinely drops their children off for school in the morning and there is a four-way stop sign on at the driveway intersection. When they exit the driveway, the traffic on Old Crystal Bay Road has to stop. Now, if this same parent has to pick up their children from school, during the middle of the day, when the Old Crystal Bay road traffic does not have to stop at the driveway intersection a hazardous situation is created. The parent will exit the driveway expecting the traffic on Old Crystal Bay Road to stop. If they are involved in an accident, the City could be exposed to potential legal liability. The issue of temporary stop signs being used in the past was discussed. At one time, there were many temporary and nonstandard traffic control signs and devices being used. This was the main reason that the uniform traffic control manual was developed to standardize traffic control devices and rules for their use. Since this manual has been developed, the number of nonstandard traffic control devices being used has greatly diminished. Based on the recommendation against temporary stop signs in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and the potential legal liability in not following this recommendation, the staff recommendation is that a temporary stop sign not be used. Traffic Signal Another possible option discussed was the installation of a temporary traffic signal that would only be operational as stop-and-go signal during peak periods and would flash at other times. Another variation that was suggested is that during peak hour times the signal flash all red, which effectively operates as a Four-Way stop condition, and at other times flashes red at the driveways and yellow on Old Crystal Bay Road. This results in a temporary, Four-Way stop condition which has been previously discussed and not recommended. The use of a temporary traffic signal is not recommended for the same reasons as a temporary stop sign is not recommended, it confiises driver expectations. The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, Section 4B-19 Continuity of Operation states "A traffic signal installation shall be operated as a stop-and- go device qe as a flashing device" In the past, many Cities used flashing traffic control devices during nighttime hours, but with the mandated use of the traffic control manual and traffic actuated signals this practice is almost nonexistent today. Page 4 of 6 1