City Council addresses traffic, smoking ordinance

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Traffic concerns made the headline once again at the Sept. 26 Mountain Brook City Council meeting.

Richard Caudle of Skipper Consultants reviewed results from a study recently conducted on traffic and pedestrian interactions in Crestline Village. The study focused on three areas: pedestrian crossing along Vine Street and Piggly Wiggly access, the intersection of Vine Street and Dexter Avenue and two Church Street pedestrian crossings. 

At the first area, when an observation was conducted during peak flow hours on a Saturday morning, Caudle noted that vehicles failed to yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk and occasionally traveled the wrong way down the one-way portion of the street. 

To fix these issues, Caudle recommended five resolutions including: the city add standard red and white “DO NOT ENTER” signs to improve visibility; the city stripe out areas on the athletics field side of the crosswalk to aid in pedestrian line of sight; the city add additional “No Parking” signage; and the city enforce the existing “No Parking” signs. All resolutions were passed. 

In the second area, Skipper Consultants reexamined a previous traffic control study that was conducted before the Piggly Wiggly project. At that time, a two-way stop was deemed appropriate. Because traffic has changed over time, a four-way stop alternative was proposed, noting that during a simulation, the maximum number of cars in queue at one time was six. 

The council discussed this idea but instead opted to proceed by creating an ordinance for additional stop signs. These would later then be presented to the community for feedback. 

The council did accept the motion to add a crosswalk crossing Dexter Avenue on the east side of Vine Street, remove the yellow lines around no parking areas to reduce traffic encroachment into oncoming traffic and install another one-way sign with time limits for Vine Street facing Dexter Avenue. 

The third area, which focused on pedestrian and vehicle interactions along Church Street, led Caudle to mention that although there were no accidents involving a pedestrian and driver in 2015, there were many incidents when vehicles failed to yield to persons in the Hoyt Street crosswalk. No significant pedestrian activity was noticed at the Tibbett Street crosswalk.

As a short term solution, Caudle proposed the city install a rapid, rectangular flashing beacon that is push-button activated. The council accepted this motion. Because the city will be removing similar lights along Jemison, Caudle also suggested the city reuse those along the Hoyt Street Crosswalk on Church Street. 

Caudle did note that Church Street suffers from a “typical main street problem,” and that it would eventually benefit from a future master planning study to aid in overhauling traffic and pedestrian flow down the street. 

During the standard meeting, the council also passed an ordinance amending the original smoking ordinance to make it more strict. Smoking, which by the city’s definition now includes the use of e-cigarettes, is prohibited in “any enclosed area in a public space, in any enclosed area at a place of employment or in an outdoor public place within the city.” 

Smoking is still permitted in private residences, cigar bars or retail tobacco stores, private clubs, on outdoor private property and on outdoor public property provided the smoker in questions remains at least 20 feet away from any nonsmoker. 

In addition, the council:

  • heard from Judge Dorothea Batiste, candidate for re-election to the office of Alabama Circuit 10 Place 23.
  • approved the resolution reappointing Chris Mitchell to the Board of Zoning Adjustment to serve without compensation through Sept. 13, 2019. 
  • approved the resolution reappointing William Hereford to the Board of Zoning Adjustment, to serve without compensation through Aug. 9, 2019.
  • approved the resolution awarding the bid for the scheduled maintenance of the HVAC system at the Emmett O’Neal Library. 
  • approved the resolution approving the issuance of a permit pursuant to Ordinance 1948 with respect to the installation of a new support structure in the vicinity of Hastings Road for a small cell data and communications antenna.
  • approved the resolution reappointing Sally Legg to the Village Design Review Committee to serve without compensation until Aug. 23, 2019. 
  • approved the resolution creating one police officer position for the Police Department for the purpose of the White Collar Crime Task Force.
  • approved the resolution authorizing additional professional services between the City and Nimrod Long & Associates for the pedestrian bridge over Watkins Branch.
  • approved the resolution authorizing the execution of a professional services agreement with Walter Schoel Engineering for the pedestrian bridge over Shades Creek. 
  • approved the resolution awarding the bid for the construction of the Watkins Branch bridge and sidewalk connector and authorizing the execution of a contract for same, although the bridge was deemed to cost over $32,000 over budget.
  • passed an ordinance amending the 2017 budget to include a new police car.

The next regular city council meeting will be held on Oct. 10 at 7 p.m. in the Council Chamber of City Hall.