Auburn Traffic Committee Meeting Summary - May 20, 2025
Auburn Traffic Committee Meeting Summary - May 20, 2025
The Auburn Traffic Committee met on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 at 8:30 a.m. via Zoom and in Room10 at Auburn City Hall (1225 Lincoln Way). Members present included Police Chief Bryan Morrison, Council Member Sandy Amara, Public Works Director Mengil Deane, Planning Commissioner Mike Lehmberg, and City Clerk Amy Lind. The agenda included four items: curb painting, crosswalks at Luther and Dairy, speeding on Dairy Road with proposed stop signs and crosswalks, and a speed limit sign on Aeolia Drive. Public comment was also heard on non-agenda items.
Public Comments & Testimony
- One resident spoke about speeding on Finley Street (near the high school), stating cars and motorcycles race daily, making it unsafe for pedestrians. The committee noted it could be placed on a future agenda.
- A speaker (Shane Tyranny) joined via Zoom to oppose adding8 stop signs on Dairy Road, citing noise and acceleration issues; he suggested perhaps one stop sign.
- Multiple residents expressed support for slowing traffic on Dairy Road, including JD (the primary requester) who described speeds of45-50 mph and near-misses, and a neighbor from Quail Meadow who suggested one or two strategic stop signs.
Discussion Items
####1. Curb painting request for Luther Estates (Joyce)
- The item was not discussed in detail; the meeting moved quickly to the Dairy Road items.
####2. &3. Crosswalks/signage at Luther and Dairy & Speeding concerns on Dairy Road (Robyn & JD)
- JD explained that neighbors have long complained about dangerous speeding on Dairy Road, especially from Luther downhill, with cars exceeding45 mph. He proposed adding stop signs at seven intersections (Townview Dr, Meadows Ct, Montalvo, Marcelais, Quail Meadow Dr, Incline Dr, Honeybrook, Vick ct) and crosswalks to create a residential neighborhood feel.
- Public Works Director Mengil Deane explained that crosswalks cannot be placed without sidewalks, and that adding stop signs can cause unintended consequences like increased noise from acceleration/deceleration. He advocated for other measures: narrowing travel lanes, adding bike lanes, using reflective speed signs, and strategic stop signs.
- Council Member Sandy Amara supported narrowing the road with delineators and bike lanes to slow traffic.
- Police Chief Morrison noted emergency response concerns with one-way proposals (which were briefly discussed) and emphasized the need for community outreach before changes.
- It was agreed to collect speed data via a data collector, have Public Works and Police develop a combined strategy, and present it at the next Traffic Committee meeting (July15, 2025).
####4. Request for10mph sign on the no-parking pole at134 Aeolia Drive (Ken)
- Ken Ludwig, a six-generation resident, requested a10 mph speed limit sign on an existing pole in front of his property, citing a 2017 parking/peed study by KDAnderson & Associates that recommended signs at narrow curve locations. He noted he was struck by a car on Aeolia last year at ~27 mph, requiring two surgeries.
- The committee reviewed the2017 study and agreed it supported the request. Public Works Director Deane said he would investigate why the recommendation was never implemented and work to install an appropriate sign, possibly not exactly on that pole due to height requirements, but in the area.
- All members expressed support for implementing the study’s recommendations.
Key Outcomes
- Dairy Road: The committee will place a speed data collector on Dairy Road between Luther and Quail Meadow, then Public Works and Police will develop a formal strategy (including possible lane narrowing, bike lanes, and selective stop signs) and present it at the July15, 2025 Traffic Committee meeting. Community input will be sought before implementation.
- Aeolia Drive: The committee agreed to implement the 2017 study’s recommendation for a10 mph sign (or equivalent) at the appropriate location near134 Aeolia Drive. Public Works will review and take action.
- Futuer Items: A resident’s request regarding Finley Street speeding will be added to the next agenda.
- The next Traffic Committee meeting is scheduled for July15, 2025 at 8:30 a.m.
Meeting Transcript
I forgot to start continuing to do that. Post whatever you call those solar partitions. At least that's a way to get some kids, you know, flowing. And if you had it going from loosen down to dairy. I think Sandy brings up a good point because there's a great push from the transportation segment within the state and the federal side to get more active transportation out there, i.e., bikes and things like that. So I think ultimately what's going to happen, we're gonna see a sidewalk project tied to a bike project, and that's how it's gonna get done. It's not going to be one leading the other. Like I said, I can't see the people pushing for a sidewalk without including those bike links because that's what people really want. It's that active transportation and different varying ways to, you know, traverse the city. I love that because I it still provides a barrier and then a place for people to move that aren't in a vehicle, right? And the barrier makes it safer as well. But I walk along there with my dog, and you know, sometimes I bring a stroller, but I kind of avoid Luther because it and it it cuts us off from being able to like go around the more on foot. Yes, which I enjoy doing, you know. No, we're actually not here about Luther, we are more here about the dairy part, right? But you know, same same comments there. Yeah. Love to see sidewalks. There's some really good large, um, they have a good buffer, I think, on both sides. Yeah, yeah, I think there's there's potentially room for it. I don't know. I mean, you're you you guys are the experts. We're just here to voice our limit for loot. Is it speed limits high? Uh yes. Forget what it says it is. I'll pay you. Yeah, Luther is 35, Brian. 40, 35, right? Seems like it. It should be 35, but I know it's faster than that. That's all 35 is fast. And 35 is fast. And particularly when you hit that downhill portion right by the rocket club and you're coming towards dairy roads. I mean, you're it's people are flowing through that. I've seen people not even stop at that yeah, that stop side stops. Okay, maybe a reduction in speed when it would be well. The problem the problem with that is you do have to do the speed survey and then they take it. Yeah, if the speed survey shows that the average speed is higher than that. It speed goes up, raise you have to raise the speed limit. But that's that's what the speed surveys got, what it takes is the 85% tile that says, hey, this is what this road is traveling, and we haven't seen any in this incidents associated with it. So you incentivize reduction in speed if you don't post the limit. Well, there's there's common mechanisms that can be put in place to slow people down. I mean, lane error lane width to the minimum. Uh, you know, which is something that might happen anyway as we talk about putting in the sidewalks and the bike lanes and things like that. There's I wish to say it was it was more simple because it's really not you have to look at it from a product. There's there's plenty of roadways with within the city limits, also that would be great candidates for the annulations, yeah. Speed the speed tables, right? But yeah, years ago they were it went actually went on the ballot and then was voted out by the citizens not to happen than the city. That's basic. Yeah, 1990 was returned though.
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