02-21-19 Handout Recommendation for a one-way studyCITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH
PARKING AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY ADVISORY RESOUORCE COMMITTEE MEETING
RECOMMENDATION FOR PRESENTATION TO THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH CITY
COMMISSION REGARDING CREATION OF A COMPREHENSIVE TRAFFIC PLAN FOR ONE-WAY
STREETS EAST OF SHERRY DR./SEMINOLE RD.
AGENDA ITEM:
Recommendation to the City of Atlantic Beach City Commission to
direct City staff to conduct a comprehensive study to determine
feasibility of creating one-way streets between Beach Ave and
Sherry Dr./Seminole Rd. and First St. through 20th St. addressing
"defacto" parking and resulting safety issues.
SUBMITTED BY: Jennifer Deery and Michael Tari, Co -Chairs — PPSARC
REPORT DATE: 21st of February 2019
BACKGROUND: The Parking and Pedestrian Safety Advisory Resource Committee
(PPSARC) is charged with making recommendations to improve
pedestrian safety within the City of Atlantic Beach. Its primary
focus is to make the streets of the city safer. In this effort the
committee has made every effort to insure its recommended
actions in safeguarding the public create a minimum impact on
both access to our beaches and the integrity and character of
Atlantic Beach neighborhoods.
Shortly after its inception, members of the PPSARC conducted a
thorough survey of all marked, unmarked and potential parking
spaces within the area bounded by Atlantic Blvd and 20th St.,
Beach Ave and Sherry Dr./Seminole Rd. During the conduct of
that inventory it was noted many of the East/West oriented two-
way streets in the area have paved widths significantly narrower
than the FDOT recommended width of 20' for streets having two-
way traffic.
The majority of the streets in question have paved widths of 16-
18 ft. They also typically have no sidewalks. "Defacto parking"
(unmarked spaces routinely used by residents, visitors, and
commercial vehicles which extend into traffic lanes) on these
streets create potentially serious risks to pedestrians walking on
the street shoulders who are put at greater risk when forced to go
into the street to get around the illegally parked vehicles.
A particular concern to the PPSARC is the congestion and
pedestrian safety issues resulting from "defacto" parking that is
experienced in and around Atlantic Beach Elementary School and
the Community Presbyterian Church.
An additional area of concern is 1st St. where "defacto" parking
spaces are routinely created by customers and employees of
"Town Center" business establishments. As parking demands in
the area increase, the PPSARC believes the conditions currently
experienced on 1st may migrate further north along 2nd and 3rd
In prior discussions, the Atlantic Beach Commission has indicated
a desire to make the city beaches more accessible. Further,
Olsen and Associates has indicated the city has insufficient public
beach parking which requires Duval County and the State of
Florida to fund a disproportionate share of Beach Re -nourishment
costs otherwise covered by the Federal Government.
While the PPSARC does not agree with either the figures or
conclusions of Olsen and Associates, it does believe, in converting
many of its streets to one-way, significant numbers of added
public parking spaces would result and access to the beaches by
the general public would increase exponentially.
Members of the PPSARC created Attachment (1), a possible street
configuration addressing many of the issues addressed herein.
The PPSARC believes a plan such as this would minimally impact
the quality of the neighborhoods affected while enhancing the
safety for both foot and vehicular traffic. It recognizes however,
there are many other factors to consider in implementation of any
comprehensive traffic plan.
Data has not been obtained regarding the total number of
citations issued by the Public Safety department in this area
however there is at least one documented instance where illegally
parked vehicles blocked the passage of emergency vehicles.
There may be other historical information not presented in this
chronology and not available at the time of the drafting of this
report.
JUSTIFICATION:
BUDGET:
Vehicles parking in the throughways of the city significantly
impact the free-flow of traffic and the safety of pedestrians and
bicyclists. Congestion caused by vehicles using these "de facto"
parking spaces adversely impacts the timeliness of responses by
emergency vehicles. Creating a comprehensive one-way traffic
plan on narrow streets in the area could successfully resolve these
issues, allow planning for future sidewalks, and establish clearly
marked and easily enforceable parking spaces where now there
are none.
(The PPSARC planned to work with staff to address these issues
should its charter be extended. If it is not, the PPSARC believes
the issues to be of sufficient magnitude that staff be directed to
address them anyway.)
Budgetary impact has not been determined at this time. Should
staff determine creating one-way traffic patterns is an appropriate
method by which to address the issues identified above, costs
would be limited to signage and painting of legal parking spaces
where they do not currently exist. Staff has indicated a "Pay -for -
Parking" system will soon be implemented in the beaches area.
With the additional spaces identified, costs for the paint and
signage may be recoverable from the proceeds of that system.
RECOMMENDATION: The PPSARC recommends the City Commission direct staff to
determine the feasibility of establishing one-way traffic patterns
within the city to alleviate congestion, identify legal parking
spaces, create safer traffic corridors especially between 1st and
7th and 13th through Coral and create a comprehensive traffic
plan incorporating one-way streets throughout the area as
appropriate.
PRESENTATIONS: None at this time.
APPROVAL: