The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutA004 - Email from Holly & Ron Fuchs, concerns about parkings on Brookridge 67 To: Ames City Mayor, Ann Campbell <bobandann@aol.com>, 515/292-9464 Ames City Council Members Ryan Doll <1 dollr@gmail.com>,515/260-8897(cell) Stephen Goodhue <st.good hue @isunet.net>,515/292-8391 (h),515/956-2430(w) Matthew Goodman <matthew.goodman@mchsi.com>,515/441-0460 Riad Mahayni <rmahayni 9 isunet.net>,515/294-8524 Jim Popken <jim@jimpopken.org>,515/232-6508(h),515/233-0855 (w) Dan Rice <drice8279msn.com>, 515/663-987(h),515/460-2326(cell) Criag Buske,ex-officio <craigbus@iastate.edu>515/491-4505 cc. Traffic Engineer, Damion Pregitzer <dpregitzer.city.ames.ia.us>,515/239-5160 City Manager,Steve Schainker <sschainker@city.ames.ia.us>, 515/239-5101 Public Works Director,John Joiner <jjoiner@city.ames.ia.us>,515/239-5165 ' From: �� Holly&Ron Fuchs,806 Brookridge Ave., Ames, IA 50010-5835,<fuchs@iastate.edu>, 515/233-2140(h) Re: Parking Regulations on Brookridge Avenue(a) Date: June 27, 2006 Dear Mayor and Council Members: We regret we were not present when you discussed Parking Regulations on Brookridge Ave.at your June 13th meeting. We only found out about it by reading the minutes of that meeting in the June 20,2006 Tribune. Since we cannot be present at your July 11,2006 meeting when we believe the topic will be discussed again,we want to speak to you about our views on this issue now. We appreciate the Traffic Department painting the curb yellow on the east side of Brookridge Ave.at 9th St. in accordance with the ordinances to make it clear that there is to be no parking along the curve. We are distressed you are considering removing these ordinances in order to allow parking along the east side of the curve at Brookridge Ave.and 9th St.. We urge you to leave the ordinances unchanged or expand them and keep the yellow painted curb around the curve at Brookridge and 9th St. Why? We think leaving the ordinances in place which do not allow parking along the curve makes driving on Brookridge Ave. at 9th St.much safer because: 1) Brookridge Ave. is already narrower than is desirable for 2 way traffic and parking on one side. Brookridge Ave. is only 26 feet wide from curb to curb(b). According to Aug. 12,2004 Rules and Regulations for Norfolk, Massachusetts(c)which set street standards, the minimum width curb to curb of a street with two-way traffic and parking on one side is 32 feet for speed limits of 15 and 20 mph, and 34 feet if the speed limit is 25 mph. If you watch traffic go around the corner now with the yellow curb the north bound cars go closer to the curb than they would be able to do if cars were parked along it. 2) Brookridge Ave.at 9th St. involves a curve with a 65 foot radius(d), much sharper than is desirable. According to Aug. 12,2004 Rules and Regulations for Norfolk, Massachusetts(c)which set street standards,the minimum centerline radius should be 50 for a drive with 15 mph speed limit,90 for a 20 mph speed limit,and 170 for a 25 mph speed limit. Sharper curves like this limit sight lines. 3) No Parking along the curve gives drivers longer sight distances which enhances the safety of vehicles going both north and south on Brookridge Ave. According to Aug. 12, 2004 Rules and Regulations for Norfolk, Massachusetts(c)which set street standards,the stopping sight distance for 15 mph is 90 feet,for 20 mph is 125 feet and for 25 mph is 150 feet. (e) 4) No parking along the curve enhances the safety of pedestrians who cross Brookridge Ave.at the curve to use the steps down to Brookside Park because it gives them longer sight lines. 5) It seems reasonable to us that no parking on the curve will make it less likely accidents will occur there. Though the traffic study did not find any accidents at the curve since 1998,we know from personal observation this year that before the curb was painted yellow there was an accident at this curve. The mailbox belonging to 839 Brookridge was knocked it down and an adjacent large rock dislodged. We don't know why this accident was not included in the study reported on at the June 13,2006 Ames City Council meeting. We don't know why the traffic study only went back as far as 1998. We suspect it is because there was a serious accident at that curve in 1998. Kris Moorman, 1223 9th St., remembers a 3-car accident at this location about that time when two cars landed in the triangle, (f) Kris Moorman,who grew up in the house where she now lives,very close to the intersection of Brookridge and 9th St., remembers ca.30-40 years ago when a male,high-school-aged,member of the Bledsoe family who owned a clothing store downtown going north on Brookridge totaled his new car(a Corvette?)right at this curve. Perhaps this particular accident "` was the cause of the ordinances being enacted in 1967 and in 1969 forbidding parking along the curve. We don't know why there have been more instances in recent years of cars parked along the entire east side of Brookridge Ave at 9th St. We suspect is is related to replacing the street,curb,and sidewalk ca. 1996-7 without repainting the curb. If so this would explain why newer residents of our neighborhood never knew that parking was forbidden along the curve. If so,we are sorry we this issue did not get discussed in the neighborhood in hopes of finding common ground before it was brought it to the council's attention. There is another issue,and that is whether the yellow paint is in accordance with the ordinances. We really like where the yellow curb is currently painted. However,we think it is about 264 feet long instead of the 225 feet specified by the ordinances. We think this difference of about 39 feet is made up of two parts, one part extending about 23.6 feet further south than the ordinance specifies,and another part extending 15.4 feet further north than the ordinances specify. We suggest if you make any changes to the ordinances mentioned in 18.31(35)these changes be to match the ordinances to the painted curb,e.g. increase the length of the yellow curb from 225 to 264 feet on Brookridge at 9th St.and prohibit parking starting at the southwest corner of Lot 12, Block 3 of Chautauqua Park Addition. ---------------------------------------------------------- (a) Ames Municipal Code 18.31 (35),e.g. [Ch. 18 Parking Regulations, Div. III-Parking Prohibitions at Special Locations,Sec. 18.31 Regulations for Specific Streets or Locations,(35)Brookride Avenue]which reads: 18.31 (35)BROOKRIDGE AVENUE. Parking is prohibited at all times on the west side from Sixth Street to Ninth Street,and on the east side from the north line of Sixth Street north a distance of forty(40)feet and on the east side thereof beginning at a point twenty-three and six-tenths(23.6)feet north of the southwest corner of Lot 12, Block 3 of Chautauqua Park Addition, thence to the north a distance of two hundred twenty-five(225)feet.(Ord.No. 2188,Sec. 19,7-18-67;Ord.No.2295,Sec. 1,6,5-27-69) (b) Our measurements. (c) <http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=Norfolk%2C+Massachusetts+Traffic+Rules+%26 +Regulations&btnG=Search> (d) The radius of the NW curve is 66.5 feet according to a Plat of Survey done 10/16/92 by Stumbo&Assoc.for the previous owners of (e) Sight distance will always be a problem coming from the north because of the tightness of the turn. The problem is made worse when cars park along the curb shortening the sight distance even further. Sufficient sight distance from the south exist if the present ordinances apply and cars do not park by the curve. If parking is allowed on the curve the sight distance from the south are shorter than desirable. For example, coming from the south in the middle of Brookridge Ave.opposite the south end of the no parking area specified by the present ordinances one can see the telephone pole at 909 Brookridge,a distance we estimate to be about 150 feet,the recommended stopping sight distance by Norfolk, Massachusetts(C). This distance would be shorter if cars are allowed to park around the curve and block the sight line. (f) Perhaps that is why the residents of 909 Brookridge Ave. have several very,very large rocks on their property along the curve...to prevent those going off the road at the curve from landing in their house.