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INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 10221
January 15, 2019
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
Page 1 of 2
SUBJECT: PROCESS FOR CONDUCTING TRAFFIC STUDIES
The purpose of this informal report is to provide information on the process for conducting various
traffic-related studies.
The Transportation and Public Works Department currently receives over 1,200 requests for
traffic studies each year resulting in approximately $1.4improvements
constructed. The volume of requests continues to increase and can be attributed to several
factors:
Population & commercial growth both suburban and existing developed areas
Increase in demand for travel by all travel modes vehicle, public transit, pedestrian and
bicycle
Changes in land use and density as rural areas develop as well as more intense
redevelopment occurring in existing developed areas - both residential and commercial
land uses
Continued growth throughout all the public school districts as well as the addition of many
private/charter schools
Traffic studies are predominately performed by in-house staff. Specific services such as data
collection associated with traffic volumes, vehicle speeds and pedestrian counts are usually out-
sourced. In general, traffic studies typically involve the following topics:
Speeding both in residential areas and along arterial streets
Requests for new intersection control stop signs and traffic signals
Traffic safety/capacity concerns
Parking restrictions
School zones both new and modifications to existing zones
Pedestrian walking routes sidewalks, crosswalks, crossing beacons or signal
Traffic signal timing modifications to existing operations
While the complexity and level of work effort for each traffic study varies based on the functional
elements involved and the size of the geographic area, a traffic study typically involves the
following two general steps:
Step 1: Understanding/Defining the request, Data Collection, Technical Analysis,
Community Engagement and Final Recommendation
Once the request is received, the engineering supervisor reviews the request and assigns to staff.
Staff contacts the citizen within 24 48 hours to inform them that the request is being worked and
clarify any questions. Depending upon the request type and time constraints, staff conducts a
preliminary site visit or utilizes Google Earth imagery to determine the study/data required. Staff
then requests accident data, if required, and schedules all other data collection (completed either
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 10221
January 15, 2019
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
Page 2 of 2
SUBJECT: PROCESS FOR CONDUCTING TRAFFIC STUDIES
by in-house staff or contract). Data collection may take 2 6 weeks depending upon backlog,
weather and time of year. The collected data is then evaluated and recommendations are
developed. A graphic layout and cost estimate is then completed. Staff conducts a weekly work
order meeting to review these layouts and obtain approval/consensus from traffic engineering
staff. If funding is available, a work order is established and the recommendations are scheduled
for installation/construction.
The citizen is notified of the findings/recommendations (i.e. add: stop signs or speed limit signs,
signals, crosswalks or driver feedback signs, etc.) and advised of the timeframe in which the
recommendations will be implemented. If driver feedback signs are recommended, the location is
added to the driver feedback rotation list. If enforcement is recommended, this request is made
to the Neighborhood Police Officer.
The target timeframe for completion of this step is 60 days. Currently 95+% of our requests are
completed in that timeframe while completion of the remaining range from 61 to 90 days based
on the available resources and complexity of the study.
Step 2: Implementation of Recommendations
The installation/construction is completed by in-house staff or service contracts. This step can
take 1 6 months to complete depending upon complexity and backlog of work. If the
recommendations require a full design followed by construction, this can extend the timeframe of
completion up to a year. If funding is not available, the work is incorporated into the 5-Year CIP
for future year execution or a reprioritization of projects occurs depending on the need. The
cur
If you should have questions, please contact Brian Jahn, City Traffic Engineer, at 817-392-7978.
David Cooke
City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS