Placement: New Business
Action Requested: Motion / Vote
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Request to Reduce Speed Limit on Community Boulevard to 35 MPH and Authorize a Temporary Speed Limit of 25 MPH for BEEP Implementation
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Submitted By: John A. Bolduc, Chief of Police
Strategic Plan Link: The City's Goal of safe, clean, and beautiful.
Executive Summary (General Business): Based upon information received from Kevin Trepanier, E.I. with MacKenzie Engineering and Planning, it is requested to reduce the speed limit on Community Boulevard between Tradition Parkway and Discovery Way for consistency. Additionally, the implementation of the BEEP Autonomous Mobility Platform requires a temporary speed limit of 25 mile per hour.
Presentation Information: N/A
Staff Recommendation: Move that the Council approve the reduction of the speed limit on Community Boulevard between Tradition Parkway and Discovery Way from 45 MPH to 35 MPH for speed limit consistency and also approve a temporary speed limit of 25 MPH on Community Blvd. between Discovery Way and Meeting Street for BEEP Autonomous Mobility Platform program implementation.
Alternate Recommendations:
1. Move that the Council amend the recommendation and approve the reduction of the speed limit on Community Boulevard between Tradition Parkway and Discovery Way from 45 MPH to 35 MPH for speed limit consistency and also approve the reduction of the speed limit on Community Boulevard between Tradition Parkway and Discovery Way from 45 MPH to 35 MPH for speed limit consistency and also approve a temporary speed limit of 25 MPH on Community Blvd. between Discovery Way and Meeting Street for BEEP Autonomous Mobility Platform program implementation.
2. Move that the Council amend the request and provide feedback to staff or maintain the current speed limit on Community Boulevard.
Background: MacKenzie Engineering & Planning, Inc. was hired to request a posted speed limit change on Community Boulevard between Tradition Parkway and S.W. Discovery Way from 45 MPH to 35 MPH. It was found that the posted speed limit on Community Boulevard, north of Tradition Parkway is 35 MPH, as well as 35 MPH south of S.W. Discovery Way is 35 MPH.
Additionally, it is the desire of the City to implement the BEEP Autonomous Mobility Platform program in Tradition on Community Blvd. between Discovery Way and Meeting Street. BEEP is functioning under a federal autonomous vehicle program, that requires the 25 MPH speed limit. It has been proposed that within 18 months the federal autonomous vehicle program speed limit will be increased to 35 MPH so this 25 MPH speed limit will be temporary, and the 35 MPH speed limit recommended by MacKenzie Engineering and Planning could then be restored for this segment.
Florida State Statute 316.189 states: “A municipality may set speed zones altering the speed limit, both as to maximum, not to exceed 60 miles per hour, and minimum, after investigation determines such a change is reasonable and in conformity to criteria promulgated by the Department of Transportation, except that no changes shall be made on state highways or connecting links or extensions thereof, which shall be changed only by the Department of Transportation.”
Florida Administrative Code 14-15.012 incorporates FDOT Manual Number 750-010-002, Speed Zoning for Highways, Roads, and Streets in Florida (hereinafter referred to as “the manual”), Rev. 7/17 by rule as the criteria promulgated by FDOT for the purposes of speed zoning. The Manual (page3) states: “Any alteration of speed limits on municipal or county streets and roads, as set forth in Section 316.189, F.S., shall be based on an engineering and traffic investigation that determines such a change is reasonable and in conformity to criteria promulgated by Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). Altered speed limits established solely based on opinion are contrary to the intent of the statute.” The Manual provides for the types of measurements to be conducted in the investigation to determine speed limits. These are 85th percentile speed, upper limit of 10mph pace and average test run speed. The 85th percentile speed is defined as the speed at or below which 85 percent of the observed free-flowing vehicles are traveling. The 10 MPH pace is defined as the 10 MPH range containing the highest number of such vehicles contained in the study sample data. The average test run speed is measured using agency vehicles and is usually unnecessary to obtain unless the roadway segment observed has low volumes where a sufficiently large number of vehicles cannot be observed in a reasonable period. The manual states (page22): “The posted speed limit shall be rounded to the nearest multiple of 5 mph on the observed 85th percentile speed or the upper limit of the 10 MPH pace, whichever is less. With rounding, the posted speed limit should not differ from the 85th percentile speed or the upper limit of the 10 MPH pace (whichever is less) by more than 3 MPH. Speed limits of more than 8 mph below the 85th percentile speed is not authorized.
Issues/Analysis: To ensure consistency, it is recommended to reduce the speed limit on Community Boulevard between Tradition Parkway and S.W. Discovery Way to 35 MPH, which will assist law enforcement and decrease rear-end collisions and allow for temporary speed limit of 25 MPH for the segment of Community Blvd. between Discovery Way and Meeting Street during the BEEP Autonomous Mobility Platform implementation.
Financial Information: The cost would be incurred by the Public Works Department to replace speed limit signs on Community Boulevard between Tradition Parkway and Discovery Way. The maintenance of these signs will also be acquired by the Public Works Department.
Special Consideration: N/A
Location of Project: Community Boulevard between Tradition Parkway and Discovery Way.
Attachments:
1. Email from Heath Stocton, Assistant Public Works Director
2. Memorandum from Shaun G. MacKenzie, P.E. regarding Community Boulevard Speed Limit Reduction dated July 8, 2020.
3. Memorandum from Colt Scwerdt, P.E. Deputy Public Works Director, regarding Community Boulevard Road Closures for Beep Integration, dated October 13, 2020.
4. City of Port St. Lucie, Road/Lane & Sidewalk Closure Request (RC-220) for Beep Integration, dated October 13, 2020.
NOTE: All of the listed items in the “Attachment” section above are in the custody of the City Clerk. Any item(s) not provided in City Council packets are available upon request from the City Clerk.
Internal Reference Number: N/A
Legal Sufficiency Review:
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