Council approves traffic signal optimization, discusses roundabouts and sidewalk plan

In light of recent traffic concerns, the Mountain Brook City Council asked Richard Caudle of Skipper Consulting to review possible problems, particularly along the U.S. 280 exit entering into Mountain Brook Village. Caudle presented his findings to the council during its July 10 meeting.

Although the roundabouts will help congestion at the intersection, right now there are still many problems with traffic backing up during certain time periods. Caudle said to remedy the issue there were two short-term solutions: optimize the current traffic signals or install a left turn arrow for the cars turning left onto Cahaba Road and Lane Park Road.

Caudle said he recommended optimizing the current signals, whose timing for each green light has crept up incrementally in recent years.

“That’s why the queues are building up for so long,” he said.

To optimize the lights, Caudle said they would lower the amount of time for each green signal. While this seems counter intuitive, it means the green lights would proceed around the instruction more quickly than if the timers were longer. If providing a left turn signal, Caudle said it would be at the expense of all the other movements within the intersection, making it more detrimental in the long run.

The council agreed to move forward with Caudle’s first suggestion to optimize traffic signal times, and he said he could remedy the light’s timing within the upcoming week.

While analyzing the stoplights, however, Caudle also found that the detector loops off of the U.S. 280 ramp were broken. These loops signal that a car is waiting at the intersection.

To remedy the situation, Caudle said the city could install a video detection system, which would cost about $30,000 and require the addition of a new telephone pole, fix the loop itself and repair concrete, which would require shutting down the ramp for a period of time, or let traffic continue as-is to see how the new signal times affect the intersection.

“I will tell you, these new green lights are very short,” he said. The council agreed and decided to proceed with the traffic signal optimization. 

“I’d love to hear the report of how it goes,” said councilman Lloyd Shelton.

Council members also heard an update from Alicia Bailey with Sain Associates regarding the public involvement meetings for both the roundabout project and the sidewalk master plan. 

The roundabout project meeting saw a good turnout with many community members offering comment, and Bailey said most of them were positive. The main negative comments focused on the time frame of the project — five to eight years — and the closing of Canterbury Road.

Bailey said currently they are working on moving the contract process along to help with the overall amount of time of the project, and city members are in the process of organizing a time period in the near future to close Canterbury Road for about a month. This will be finalized at a later date and made public shortly thereafter.

“This is a temporary move to make an assessment,” said councilman Billy Pritchard. 

The word “temporary” was stressed heavily throughout the meeting, and council members reiterated they would be using this time period as a way to judge how the closing of Canterbury could potentially affect traffic in the area in the future.

Bailey said Sain also received feedback after the sidewalk information session, although there was a significantly lower turnout than the roundabout session.

From the comments, Bailey said the roads with the highest votes they have received are for Balmoral Road, Haygood Street, Pine Crest Road and Pine Ridge Road. From these suggestions, Bailey said Sain will look at the roads again and determine if any part of the prioritization needs to be adjusted. She said she plans to have a prefinal review for council to review at the next council meeting.

Also at during council on July 10, members:

• Approved the minutes of the previous meeting.
• Approved a resolution reappointing John H. (Jack) Martin to the Finance Committee, to serve without compensation through July 10, 2021.
• Approved a resolution authorizing the execution of a professional services contract between the City and Carr & Associates to prepare a topographical survey of the athletic complex.
• Approved a resolution awarding the bid for the Emmet O’Neal Library moisture abatement and window replacement project and authorizing the execution of a contract for same.
• Approved ordinances for a stop sign on Oak Canyon Circle at Oak Canyon Drive; for a stop sign on Orleans Road at Brook Hollow Lane; and for a stop sign on River Ridge Circle at Overton Road.
• Approved a yield sign to be place on Dunbrook Circle at Dunbrooke Drive in lieu of a stop sign, per the request of resident Craig Hymowitz. Hymowitz was concerned that a stop sign would encourage speeding on Dunbrook Drive. Police Chief Ted Cook said a yield sign and stop sign serve “almost the exact same purpose,” and would make it a controlled intersection.
• Approved the purchase of a full-page advertisement in Village Living’s 75th anniversary magazine.
• Reviewed bid documents and set a bid schedule for the Jemison Park pedestrian bridge.

The next meeting will be on July 24 at 7 p.m.