Spaulding Bridge Repair in Kent’s West Side...

With the repair of the Middlebury Road bridge in 2007, the Spaulding Drive bridge took top honors as the bridge in the worst condition in the City. I know there are some that would have guessed the Crain Avenue bridge as the worst, but believe it or not, structurally the Spaulding Drive bridge has it beat. Admittedly Crain Avenue carries more traffic but as you probably know we’ve got the largest bridge replacement project in Portage County history underway for Crain Avenue so now it’s time to take care of Spaulding Drive which is why this Monday, June 30th, some preliminary engineering work will have the bridge reduced to a single lane so you may want to avoid Spaulding Drive if you can.

NEWS RELEASE
June 27, 2008 CITY OF KENT SPAULDING DRIVE BRIDGE

AS PART OF THE SPAULDING DRIVE BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROJECT, TRAFFIC WILL BE REDUCED TO ONE LANE ON THE BRIDGE MONDAY, JUNE 30, 2008 FROM 8:00AM UNTIL APPROXIMATELY 5:00PM TO PERMIT SOIL BORINGS AND PAVEMENT CORINGS FOR THE SPAULDING DRIVE BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROJECT.

ONE WAY TRAFFIC WILL BE MAINTAINED ON THE BRIDGE, HOWEVER, MOTORISTS ARE ASKED TO EXPECT DELAYS AND TO USE CAUTION WHEN TRAVELLING IN THIS AREA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, RESIDENTS MAY CONTACT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT (330) 678-8105.

City of Kent , Ohio
Eugene K. Roberts,
Director of Public Service

Here’s what the City Engineer has to say about the Spaulding Drive bridge project:

Spaulding Drive Bridge

In 2006 the Spaulding Drive Bridge was rated a 3, qualifying it for replacement using Municipal Bridge Program funds obtained from the Ohio Department of Transportation.

The Spaulding Drive Bridge Replacement project involves the design and construction of a new structure to replace the existing bridge along with minimal road work.

The total project length (including bridge) is 350 feet.

Bridges are rated from 0 to 9 relative to their condition and public safety risk.

Design Start Date               March 2008

Construction Start Date       April 2009

Project Finish                   October 2009

Here’s a look at some of the problems:

And remember to visit the Engineering Division’s new Capital Project’s Page to stay current on the status of this (and all Kent) projects — here’s that link:

Kent Capital Projects Page.

Fill the Bus, Feed the Hungry...

Looking For A Dry Trail and A Great Bike Shop...

The mountain bike season should be in full swing in northeast Ohio but the truth is all the rain we’ve had has kept the trails too wet to ride.  Not that I haven’t tried — mud can be a lot of fun — but the truth is the worst thing you can do for the trial is to ride when it’s this muddy so being the responsible mountain biker I work hard to live up the credo of leaving the trail no worse than when you found it.   That means delayed gratification and a lot of weather channel watching.  Given the serious problems in the mid-west I have no right to complain about the lack of riding time as we watch homes floating downstream just a couple hundred miles west of us.  I’m all for sharing and with 80% of the country in a drought I’d be happy to trade a little bit of this for a little bit of that. Since I still have mountain biking (and downtown redevelopment) on the brain, I’d like to share an interesting article that sure sounds like a good fit for Kent.

Three’s a charm
Chesterland shop offers something for all with blend of bicycles, coffee and yoga

By SHARON N. SCHNALL

Diane Lees admits she’s spread thin, but she sees in her overload limitless possibilities.

For more than three decades, she’s worked in the bicycling industry. She’s run a full-service shop and developed and directed cycling events. She even wrote a book on how to be a prepared touring cyclist.

Last year she brought new opportunities in her longtime retail specialty and added two business startups to the mix, High Peaks Coffee and Daily Yoga.

In February 2004, Ms. Lees relocated to Chesterland HubBub Custom Bicycles, the establishment she founded in Cleveland Heights in 1997. She and partner Brian Jenks built up the business during the past eight years. With the Geauga County move a first was realized: designing and customizing the 3,500-square-foot store’s physical layout from the get-go.

“This was our dream store,” she said. “We built it exactly the way we wanted it.”

Of the 5,000 independently owned bike shops nationwide, HubBub is one of a handful that emphasizes custom-designed bicycles and possibly the only one that concentrates solely on selling custom-designed frames.

The frames, designed by Mr. Jenks, a mechanical engineer, are built by one of their four preferred U.S. builders. The bicycles incorporate fitting and design solutions for cyclists who, for example, experience knee or back pain or numb fingers when cycling.

HubBub sport touring bikes sell from $2,000 to $7,000, tandems from $3,000 to $12,000. The business philosophy is “one bike, one person,” and, the specification process lasts up to four hours with fittings, test rides and more fittings.

“Manufacturers build bicycles based on what they think the average geometry is for the average rider’s shape,” Mr. Jenks said. “Very few people are average.”

Perhaps the best reason to add a coffee shop to the cycling mix was to counter the seasonal nature of the bike business with something that is neither labor not inventory intensive. From fall to early spring, the bicycle shop primarily is open by appointment, making it easy for Ms. Lees and Mr. Jenks to hone their beverage preparation craft. “We float back and forth,” Ms. Lees said. “I am as comfortable in the bike shop as he is in the coffee shop.”

The coffee shop’s windows overlook the work space where Mr. Jenks takes primary measurements, identifies specifications and completes readjustments and wheel balancing, and Ms. Lees disassembles, cleans and reassembles bikes.

Three years ago, Ms. Lees revisited another passion, yoga, and received her certification to teach, which she did at a community center and in her former bike shop. A dedicated studio space was needed, and with the new location she has that and the third business, Daily Yoga.

“I should probably be put in the category of ‘nuts,’” Ms. Lees said. “It probably takes a lot of guts doing what I’m doing. On the other hand, I cannot imagine not doing it. Here, it’s all possible. We can go in any direction we want.”

The yoga studio’s quiet space also doubles as a meeting room or art gallery. “Having it under one roof is a big advantage,” Ms. Lees said. “If I had to go to two locations, I never would have done it.”

This year’s projects include developing a winery and covered bridge cycling tour, and offering coffee tasting and yoga workshops.

Main Street Wrestling With Cigarette Litter Proble...

One of the reasons I continue to be an advocate for the role of the Main Street Kent organization is the willingness of it’s members to roll up their sleeves, tackle problems and get things done.  Sure they talk a little theory and strategy but they still seem to understand that their value comes more from what they get done than what they say.  That’s why I want them in my bunker and that’s why I was encouraged to hear that Main Street is continuing what it started with the downtown trash cans project by taking on the growing cigarette litter problem.  Unfortunately we’re beginning to see how a little act of flicking a cigarette down on the sidewalk can add up to a significant problem.  Thankfully Main Street is stepping in with a couple of new efforts that we all hope will work.

When Main Street started to replace the old trash cans downtown they saw early on that cigarette litter would be the next challenge.  They looked at a possible phased program with trash cans being installed in year one and cigarette containers (that matched the trash cans) in year two.  That idea went a number of different directions but with the support of the Burbick foundation it was a high priority.

A couple of the merchant members of Main Street experimented with some different types of containers at their businesses and they reported the success/failure rates of those containers back to Main Street.  One even noted the unexpected importance of being able to lock the tops as they found kids reaching in to smoke unfinished cigarettes that people had tossed in the cans.  Nasty.

Theft and vandalism to the container was another common problem.

Recognizing the limits of the containers (although not abandoning them), Main Street began to explore ways to clean up the sidewalks for those butts that never made it in the cans.  Being the resourceful bunch that they are they soon discovered that Kent State University had an old sidewalk sweeper that they were planning to sell off and before you knew it Main Street was the proud owner of a very functional sidewalk sweeper.  They still working on things like insurance on the unit before they can put it to work but I think the sweeper may be the best bet.

And being in a university city, Main Street appreciates the role of educating the patrons to stop litter from happening in the first place and they have a number of new initiatives to strike back at this growing problem.

I love all the new outdoor patios around town but I certainly don’t love the mounting cigarette issue that seems to accompany them.

A couple of years ago the Keep Kent Beautiful organization became a victim of downsizing in our City which is a sad commentary about where our finances have been at but many of the community members have kept the spirit alive and a few have asked me to post some of the Keep America Beautiful cigarette litter information on the Blog which I am happy to do.

Here’s a great information site sponsored by Keep America Beautiful on this challenging issue:  http://www.preventcigarettelitter.org/

Plus here’s an article from St. Paul Minnesota which talks about the new fines they they are looking at to help motivate smokers to dispose of their butts propertly.

They are only about an inch and half long, but their presence has become a nuisance and an environmental worry for some.

New laws that have pushed more smokers outside have meant a growing number of cigarette butts on sidewalks and in ditches and gutters. Several St. Cloud-area residents and businesses are concerned about their unsightly appearance and the toxic impact on the environment.

Since the Freedom to Breathe Act banned indoor smoking for businesses last October, about 30 percent to 40 percent more butts are found on downtown streets, said Gerald Kaeter, assistant director of operations for the city of St. Cloud.

City maintenance crews try to sweep downtown St. Cloud at least twice a week and have installed ashtray urns in the downtown parking ramp. But what isn’t caught by sweepers is carried into sewer and storm systems, which lead into the Mississippi River, Kaeter said.

“That’s extreme pollution,” Kaeter said.

Area organizations, such as the St. Cloud Downtown Council and St. Cloud Technical College, launched cigarette litter prevention programs this year. The council was awarded a $1,500 grant last month for an educational campaign and to buy portable ash trays and receptacles for downtown.

They want to educate smokers to dispose of their butts instead of snuffing them out on the street.

On Thursday, members of the downtown’s cigarette litter program counted the number of butts in four areas of downtown St. Cloud to measure the volume of cigarette litter.

“A cigarette butt is so small, it’s such a tiny item, that the individual is not thinking of that little thing…,” said Julie Lunning, executive director of the St. Cloud Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. “But it’s creating a problem. To have that unsightly litter and debris laying everywhere is not a good message we are sending about our community. It’s something that has to be addressed.”

About 4.3 trillion cigarette butts are littered each year worldwide, according to Keep America Beautiful, the nonprofit organization that awarded the Downtown Council the grant.

Environmental harm

Butt litter is part of nonpoint source pollution, the nation’s largest water-quality problem, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

That type of human-made pollution, which also includes fertilizers and grease, comes from a variety of sources and is deposited into the waterways as rainfall and snowmelt moves it across the ground.

Most cigarette butts are made of plastic fibers, which are not environmental friendly, said Mitch Bender, an associate professor of environmental studies at St. Cloud State University.

“What takes 10 minutes to smoke and consume could take many years to decompose,” Bender said.

“It definitely has implications for humans on the aesthetic and health side,” said John Bilotta, an Extension educator in stormwater resource management and policy for the University of Minnesota. “It lessens the quality of life.”

Although cigarette butts are not the biggest danger affecting Minnesota waterways, they can leach toxic chemicals, such as nicotine, lead and arsenic, when put in contact with water, Bilotta said.

Having large amounts of those chemicals in the human body can cause serious damage to the brain, kidneys, nervous system and red blood cells, according to the EPA.

Butts also can be eaten by wildlife, causing hazardous effects on animals, Bilotta said.

Cleaning up

In January, St. Cloud Technical College president’s office received so many complaints about the cigarette litter near the entryways that the college became proactive about the issue.

Receptacles have always been placed near entrances, but people weren’t walking those extra 10-15 steps to throw their butts away, said Jodi Elness, director of admissions.

Working with the college’s advertising program, students created the Kickin’ Butts campaign, posting signs about cigarette butt litter and its harms, Elness said.

The college’s welding students built a sculpture that displayed how many cigarette butts were picked up across the campus.

“It was about, ‘Let’s have pride in this campus and how this campus looks,’ ” Elness said.

Students and staff have responded favorably to the campaign, she said. People also are becoming conscious about tossing other types of litter such as beverage containers or cigarette packages into garbage bins.

“It wasn’t just cigarette butt litter that was being thrown away,” Elness said.

A worldwide issue

Other parts of the country and world have also addressed cigarette butt litter.

Sydney, Australia, has implemented a $200 fine for anyone caught littering a cigarette butt.

In California, motorists can be fined up to $1,000 for throwing any litter out of their vehicle, including lighted cigarette butts.

In Minnesota, people who litter cigarette butts and other materials can be convicted of a misdemeanor that is entered on the offender’s driving record.

Additional offenses could lead to a fine of up to $700.

Area cigarette litter prevention programs don’t have any plans to change the local laws.

As a smoker, Pat Neilsen said he doesn’t like cigarette butt litter either.

He tries to find a place to throw it away every time he goes outside for a smoke.

“It is sort of ugly to see it lying on the streets,” Neilsen said. “It’s not just nonsmokers who don’t like to see it, it’s smokers too.”

Members of the cigarette litter prevention campaigns said they aren’t out to tell smokers that they can’t smoke, but that smokers need to think of their butt litter as equivalent to throwing a paper bag or cup on the ground.

“We’re trying to make a paradigm shift in social behavior,” said Susan Dean, a member of downtown’s cigarette litter prevention program. “We’re not out to chastise or run smokers down. We’re here to educate the community on the unsightliness, the unhealthiness of cigarette litter.”

It’s Good To Have A Traffic Engineer...

Earlier this year our new City Engineer (Jim Bowling) was able to fill an engineering staff vacancy with a civil engineer (Jon Giaquinto) who happens to specialize in traffic engineering and he’s been a great addition to our team. Every city I’ve worked in we’ve had a traffic engineer on staff and I can’t tell you how good it is to have one here now. I say that because when you get right down to it City government is about local issues and quite frankly many local issues end up involving traffic in one way or another. Whether it’s signal timing, locations of stop signs, or site distance safety –traffic issues are a big part of the service that local governments provide so it’s great to have an expert on staff to help us provide it. Here’s an example of what Jon brings to the table as he tries to come up with solutions for neighbor’s concerns with safety at the Fairchild Avenue and Stonewater intersection.

The City received a letter from the homeowners association in the Lakes of Franklin Mills project expressing their concerns for traffic safety as they try to enter and exit their neighborhood from Fairchild Avenue.  The City has actually been working on this issue off and on over the last couple of years but with the arrival of Jon I feel like we were really able to do the kind of analysis that would lead us closer to a good decision.

As a short sidebar I have to say that traffic safety is one of our top priorities    and we will do whatever we can to ensure optimum public safety.  That being said it’s important to remember that a driver’s license is not the same credentials as a traffic engineering degree.  I say that as a person that is as guilty as anybody of offering my own traffic solutions only to discover later on (thanks to the professional advice of a good traffic engineer) that what I thought was a reasonable option could indeed make a situation worse.

Stop signs are a good example of that.  Everybody likes to suggest installing new stop signs to deal with a speeding problem in a residential neighborhood but the traffic engineers are often the ones that are asked to explain why that isn’t always such a good idea.  I’ve seen data that shows new stop signs made traffic safety worse but that seems to defy the logic and common sense test to the lay person so the traffic engineers quickly get labeled as being bureaucrats for following the letter of the law in the traffic safety manuals.

I’m a big believer in compromise when it comes to the practical application of traffic guidelines and I absolutely believe that traffic engineers need to be sensitive to the context of their decisions – but when lives are at risk I’m equally ardent in defending the traffic engineer that is looking to protect us even if it means being less convenient for the casual motorist that can get complacent.  The fact is we’re at risk everytime we get in the car so I’m glad the traffic engineers uphold high standards even if I don’t always agree with what they have to say.

It’s like going to your doctor, you don’t always agree with what they recommend (quit smoking, eat less) but given their educational and professional experience they often know what’s best for us even if we don’t want to hear it.  Such is the life of the traffic engineer.

Here’s the kind of analysis Jon is providing — and by the way we used to have pay a consultant $10,000 to $15,000 each time we needed to do this kind of analysis — so Jon is not only upgrading our level of service, he’s doing it at a fraction of the cost.

MEMO

TO: TE & S Committee Members

FROM: Jon Giaquinto

DATE: June 20, 2008

RE: Fairchild Avenue and Stonewater Drive/Adrian Drive Traffic Signal Request

As per the May 9, 2008 Traffic Engineering and Safety meeting, we have studied the Fairchild Avenue and Stonewater Drive/Adrian Drive intersection in response to a request from the Lakes of Franklin Mills Condominium Association and the Lakes of Franklin Mills Homeowners Association in a letter dated April 30, 2008.

From their letter, the Association requested that a traffic signal be installed at the intersection due to the concerns listed below:

• ‘There have been at least 3 traffic accidents at or near the Stonewater/Adrian and Fairchild intersection within a one-year period.’
• ‘The Stonewater/Adrian intersection is blind in both East and West directions when viewed from the Stonewater side. Making a left or right turn from Stonewater onto Fairchild is extremely hazardous.’
• ‘The City of Kent website lists the “Top 25 Intersection Accident Locations” and lists three Fairchild intersections that do not have traffic signals: Fairchild and Fieldstone (19), Stonewater/Adrian and Fairchild (22), and Fairchild and Majors (25).’
• ‘The increased traffic resulting from opening Stonewater to through traffic has the potential of an increased accident rate at the Stonewater/Adrian and Fairchild intersection.’

Traffic Signal Warrant Analysis

The Engineering Division counted traffic at the Fairchild/Stonewater/Adrian intersection for twelve hours over the days of Tuesday, May 20, 2008 (Noon – 6 p.m.) and Wednesday, May 21, 2008 (6 a.m. – Noon) for use in evaluating traffic signal warrants as per the Ohio Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices. We also reviewed the recordable crashes on file with the Safety Administration at the intersection. There were four crashes that occurred between the years of 2005-2007. All of the four crashes were out of control, one car crashes that occurred at or near the intersection. The crashes were not caused by sight distance issues and are not the type of crashes that would be corrected by a traffic signal. Currently, a traffic signal is not warranted at this location based upon traffic volumes. We investigated Warrant #1-Eight-Hour Vehicular Volume, Warrant #2-Four-Hour Vehicular Volume, Warrant #3 – Peak Hour and Warrant #7 – Crash Experience.

Based on the current levels of traffic at the intersection, the intersection does not meet any of the warrants we investigated. For example, the traffic counted was only 20% of the required minimum needed to meet the Peak Hour warrant. A copy of the traffic counts, signal warrant analysis and the collision diagram is attached for record.

Intersection Sight Distance

We agree that the existing sight distance is poor for Stonewater Drive traffic looking both to the left (west) and to the right (east). We surveyed the existing landscaping and signage at both the southwest and southeast corners of Fairchild Avenue and Stonewater Drive on June 2, 2008. The survey data shows that the sight lines can be greatly improved by providing clear sight lines behind the existing sidewalk that is free from landscaping and signage that currently restrict the sight distance (see attached photos). The Ohio Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) Location and Design Manual, Volume 1 provides design guidelines for intersection sight distance (ISD). Based on the posted speed of Fairchild Avenue (35 mph), the required ISD is 390’. Providing ISD gives the waiting vehicle on Stonewater Drive the ability to judge gaps in the traffic stream to make their desired movement.

To achieve the ISD, the existing retaining wall signs and mounding should be lowered and the landscape plantings comprising the subdivision entrance gateway should be moved from the sight lines on both the southwest and southeast corners of the intersection. Additionally, the elevation of the ground or any plantings, signs, etc… cannot penetrate a 3.5’ vertical line of sight between the driver’s eye and the oncoming vehicle. The 3.5’ height of eye and 3.5’ object height is established by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and is adopted by ODOT to determine the required ISD. The object height is based on a 4.35’ vehicle height, which represents the 15^th percentile of vehicle heights in the population of passenger cars less an allowance of 10” which represents a portion of the vehicle height that needs to be visible for another driver to recognize it as an object. Providing ISD for 35 mph will also provide increased stopping sight distance (SSD) for Fairchild Avenue traffic approaching Stonewater Drive. A clear ISD of 390’ will provide a SSD suitable for a 45 mph speed on Fairchild Avenue. A color drawing showing the limits of the clear area needed for the ISD is attached.

Intersection Safety Improvements

The City has taken steps to secure funding to improve high crash intersections over the years. A traffic signal was installed at the highest crash intersection, S.R. 261/Campus Center Drive (as per the Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study (AMATS) data), in 2004 and the City is currently putting together funding to improve the 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th and 6^th highest crash locations (AMATS data) in the City using local, state and federal funds.

West Main Street (S.R. 59) and Stonewater Drive

The City is currently designing the connection of Stonewater Drive to West Main Street. It is anticipated that some increase in traffic may result on Stonewater Drive when the connection is completed. The City will continue to monitor traffic volumes on Stonewater Drive by periodically taking counts and evaluating traffic warrants as necessary.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or need additional information.

Attachment #1 – Download Traffic Counts

Attachment #2 – Signal Warrant Analysis

Attachment #3 – Collision Diagram

Attachment #4 – Photos

Attachment #5 – Intersection Drawing

Nice work Jon.

Buy (And Dance) Local...

Things To Do In Kent This Weekend...

Supporting Social Services in Kent...

One of the things I most admired about the late Councilman Bill Schultz was his commitment to his principles which included using the power of government to help people.  Both personally and professionally Bill was in the business of helping people and he carried that value with him into his job as City Councilman.  I have fond memories of conversations with Bill where he made it clear that City Social Service funding had to protected at all costs despite our financial constraints.  Bill was always fair about it though and when money got really tight he conceded some reductions in funding but he would argue until his last breath that counties and townships fill potholes but Kent separated itself by its comitment to helping the disadvantaged so we must never lose sight of that distinction.  Which is why to this day we still set aside $100,000 a year to support social service agencies in Kent.  Here’s who we support and why.

These funding levels are essentially the same as last year — which reflects our less than favorable financial status — but we worked hard to hold true to our commitments and I’m sure Bill is smiling down upon us for doing so.

Social Service funding is an interesting test of a city government.  I’ve worked in cities that had long-standing commitments to fund social services and I’ve worked where social services were considered extra-curricular to the core function of government.  As City Manager, I’ll work hard to manage whatever programs and services the City Council and the community desire, so I don’t have a preference for our level of social service commitment.

It’s a balance every City has to decide for itself and I’m proud that we’ve been able to continue to fulfill these desired community services at times when people really need our help.

Kent Kayaking...

Narrowing In On The Kent Multi-Modal Project...