MULTI-MODAL TRANSPORTATION BOARD
THURSDAY, July 10, 2014
6:00 PM
CITY COMMISSION ROOM
151 MARTIN STREET, BIRMINGHAM
A.
B.
C.
D.
Roll Call
Introductions
Review of the Agenda
Approval of Minutes, Meeting of June 25, 2014
E. Review of Oak St. Parking Survey
F. Review of Transportation Engineering Consultant Request for Qualifications
G. Overview of W. Maple Rd. 2016 Project
H. Meeting Open to the Public for items not on the Agenda
I. Miscellaneous Communications:
a. Communications
Quarton Elementary School Principal
b. Other Business
I. Adjournment
Notice: Due to Building Security, public entrance during non-business hours is through the Police
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request aid via the intercom system at the parking lot entrance gate on Henrietta St.
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Las personas con incapacidad que requieren algún tipo de ayuda para la participación en esta sesión pública deben
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visual, auditiva, o de otras asistencias. (Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964).
CITY OF BIRMINGHAM
START-UP MEETING OF THE MULTI-MODAL TRANSPORTATION BOARD
THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2014
City Commission Room
151 Martin Street, Birmingham, Michigan
Minutes of the regular meeting of the City of Birmingham Multi-Modal
Transportation Board held June 19, 2014.
A.
ROLL CALL
Present:
Board Members Lara Edwards, Andy Lawson, Johanna Slanga,
Amanda Warner
Absent:
Jeff Surnow, Adriana Tatuch
Administration:
B.
Brendan Cousino, Asst. City Engineer
Jana Ecker, Planning Director
Paul O'Meara, City Engineer
INTRODUCTIONS
Members described their area of residence in the City along with their
background and qualifications for appointment to the board.
C.
ELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR
Johanna Slanga was nominated as chair.
Andy Lawson was nominated as vice-chair.
Carole Salutes was nominated as secretary.
All were in favor of the nominations and none were opposed.
D.
REVIEW AGENDA
At this time it was noted that the new Ad Hoc Parking Study Committee is
seeking a volunteer from the MMTB to sit on that committee temporarily (3 to 6
months) once per month. Chair Slanga volunteered to be the representative on
the Ad Hoc Parking Study Committee.
All were in favor of Chair Slanga as the representative from the MMTB to
the Ad Hoc Parking Study Committee and none were opposed.
Multi-Modal Transportation Board Proceedings
June 19, 2014
Page 2
E.
ESTABLISH DATE AND TIME FOR REGULAR MEETING SCHEDULE
Members determined that regular meetings will be held the first Thursday of the
month at 6 p.m. The next meeting will be on July 10 because of the July 4
holiday.
F.
OVERVIEW OF NEW MULTI-MODAL REVIEW PROCESS
1.
Multi-Modal Transportation Board Authority and Duties
Ms. Ecker gave an overview of specific matters that this board will be responsible
for reviewing: all road reconstruction, all road resurfacing, sidewalk and
pedestrian crossings, intersection and bridge projects, bicycle improvements,
transit facilities, Ordinance amendments that are related to transportation or
transportation infrastructure network, appeals of Police Dept. decisions on stop
signs.
Some of the general duties of this board will be the implementation of the MultiModal Plan, recommendations to the City Commission about projects City
projects, a forum for people that have concerns about transportation issues.
G.
OVERVIEW OF BIRMINGHAM MULTI-MODAL TRANSPORTATION
PLANS
1.
2013 Multi-Modal Transportation Plan
The main points of the Plan were briefly discussed.
2.
Downtown Bicycle Parking Plan
Downtown Birmingham bike rack locations were noted. A black U was selected
as the design for the bike racks and they have been installed in many places.
Moving forward, this board will be reviewing the Bicycle Parking Plan.
H.
REVIEW OF PHASE 1 IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS
1.
2014 and 2015 Street Projects
2014 Projects
Mr. O'Meara put up a map that highlighted all of their projects for the next year.
The majority of the projects the City plans to undertake during the 2014 construction
season are already designed and bid. Some are currently under construction. The two
most significant projects, which are Lincoln Ave. and N. Eton Rd., were reviewed by the
former Multi-Modal Steering Committee, and approved by the City Commission. At this
time, N. Eton Rd. is planned to be started the week of June 30, and Lincoln Ave. should
start about the first week of August.
Multi-Modal Transportation Board Proceedings
June 19, 2014
Page 3
One local street is planned for resurfacing, that being W. Frank St. from Southfield Rd. to
Bates St.. The top layer of asphalt will be removed and replaced. No changes are
planned to the width of the street, and the curbs will be maintained.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates that all handicap ramps must be
rebuilt to current standards. The design effort is getting more complex and more
expensive. Modifications are proposed at all of the intersections, including Southfield
Rd., Watkins St., Stanley Dr., Chester St., and Bates St.
With respect to bike improvements, most of this segment of Frank St. is designated as a
Phase 3 neighborhood connector route in the Master Plan. The understanding is that the
route would be signed to encourage bicycling between various destinations, and at some
select locations, traffic calming measures. As a relatively quiet, narrow residential street,
they do not see the need to implement traffic calming measures here. Further, signing
should be done in the future when this board has the time to review and determine the
validity of each selected route.
There were no comments from the public at this time.
Moved and Seconded to recommend to the City Commission that the Multi-
Modal Transportation Board endorses the Engineering Dept.’s plans for the
resurfacing of W. Frank St., implementing the handicap ramp improvements
as designed. Phase 3 neighborhood connector route recommendations found
in the Multi-Modal Master Plan should be implemented as part of a broader
effort involving other streets at a later date.
No one in the audience wished to comment on the motion.
Motion carried, 4-0.
VOICE VOTE
Yeas: Edwards, Lawson, Slang, Warner
Nays: None
Absent: Surnow, Tatuch
2015 Projects
The following lists all the street improvement projects planned at this time:
1. Oak St. Reconstruction – Glenhurst Dr. to Lakepark Ave.
2. Maryland Blvd. Reconstruction – Southlawn Blvd. to 14 Mile Rd.
3. Henrietta St. Reconstruction – Northlawn Blvd. to 14 Mile Rd.
4. Southlawn Blvd. Reconstruction – Bates St. to Pierce St.
5. Mansfield Rd. Resurfacing – Sheffield Rd. to Bradford Rd.
6. Martin St. Reconstruction – Southfield Rd. to Chester St.
7. Chester St. Resurfacing – Maple Rd. to Martin St.
8. Derby Rd. Resurfacing – CN Railroad Bridge to Eton Rd.
Multi-Modal Transportation Board Proceedings
June 19, 2014
Page 4
Oak St. Reconstruction – Glenhurst Dr. to Lakepark Ave.
a.) Oak St. Reconstruction – East of Chesterfield Ave.
i) Cross-Section
The existing pavement is 40 ft. wide, measured from the face of the curbs. Mr. O'Meara
said one suggestion would be to have no parking and bike lanes. This would be as
narrow as 30 ft. wide. It is important that the level of parking demand be established.
He recommended obtaining this by polling the immediate neighbors along with others in
the neighborhood. It was discussed that the bike lanes could be protected with a small
curb but there would be a lot of interruptions for driveways and cross streets. The most
important decision to make relative to this project is the width of the street, and how
that width will be used.
ii) Enhanced Crosswalks (Bumpouts)
The Master Plan proposes bumpouts at Chesterfield, Suffield, Puritan, and Lakepark.
If the City proceeds to install a 30 ft. wide pavement with no parking lanes, bumpouts
will not be feasible, as bumpouts would interfere with the new bike lanes. This question
will have to be revisited if the City elects to build a street with one or two parking lanes.
b.) Oak St. Reconstruction – Glenhurst to Chesterfield
Mr. O'Meara discussed Oak St. in front of Quarton Elementary School.
1. All busses use Chesterfield Ave.
2. The south side of Oak St. is the designated parent drop off and pick up
area. The number of parents using this area daily is large. Just last year,
the school paved a wider sidewalk on this side of the street to improve this
operation. They are suggesting that an extra lane be provided the full
length of this block so that there is room for parents to stand on the south
side of the road to unload or load children. The area would remain a No
Parking zone, or Resident Only parking.
3. The school staff believes that the residents on the north side of the road
would prefer that there be no parking allowed during school hours.
However, it is unclear if this is their preference for other hours or days of
the week. It was suggested that a curb be added to the 6 ft. bike lane on
the north side. No curb on the south side should be installed, as it would
be a shared lane Mr. O'Meara recommended a survey of these residents
as well, to find out what their preference would be.
Using the above information, there are several options that could be built,
including the parking lane on one or both sides. Although the block and a half to
the west of Glenhurst Dr. (to the Birmingham City limit) is not a part of this project,
they intend to recommend that parking be eliminated on this section (similar to
Multi-Modal Transportation Board Proceedings
June 19, 2014
Page 5
the section east of Chesterfield Ave.), and that bike lanes be striped. The road is
wider here, so both the travel lanes and the bike lanes would be wider than what
is really necessary. With bike lanes being built both east and west of the school,
bike lanes through the section in front of the school should be considered as well.
Unfortunately, providing parking and bike lanes results in a 46 ft. wide road, 6 ft.
wider than it is currently. It is recommended that the street widening be
implemented all on the south side, to ensure that none of the existing trees in
front of the homes would be removed. All trees on the south side (five trees of
medium size) would have to be removed. Installing the road at 46 ft. on this
block may feel excessively wide. The bike lanes could be deleted, to keep it at 36
ft. (4 ft. narrower than it is currently). Assuming that students heading to school
are some of the bikers, this may seem short sighted. With either width, the City
would work with the school to provide a wider sidewalk area along their building
frontage to aid with parent pick up.
It is also recommended that bumpouts be considered at the Glenhurst Dr.
intersection, as this is an important crossing for the school. The size of the
bumpouts will have to be determined once the width of the new street is finalized.
c.) Oak St. Reconstruction – Chesterfield Ave. Intersection
The traffic signal at this intersection has been identified as one within the City that likely
is not warranted. Operating and maintaining a traffic signal is an ongoing
expense to the City that may not be appropriate. They agree that a traffic engineer
should be hired to study the intersection. Now that school will not be in session for the
summer, the study likely will not be able to gather necessary data on school traffic
patterns until September.
The board wanted to look at the language of the poll before it goes out to residents.
Mr. O'Meara will put together the language regarding parking for the board's approval at
the next meeting before it is sent out. After that step he will hire a consultant for the
traffic study. Then the board will hold a public hearing to hear what the residents think
about the direction the board is going.
Maryland Blvd. Reconstruction – Southlawn Blvd. to 14 Mile Rd.
Henrietta St. Reconstruction – Northlawn Blvd. to 14 Mile Rd.
Southlawn Blvd. Reconstruction – Bates St. to Pierce St.
Mansfield Rd. Resurfacing – Sheffield Rd. to Bradford Rd.
The City intends to reconstruct or resurface all of the above street segments
together in one street paving contract. The federally mandated ADA
requirements dictate that all handicap ramps within the project areas must be
removed and replaced to meet current standards.
Only one of the four streets (Southlawn Blvd.) is mentioned in the Master Plan,
being part of a neighborhood connector route to be built in Phase 2. Similar to
Multi-Modal Transportation Board Proceedings
June 19, 2014
Page 6
Frank St. mentioned above, the neighborhood connector route is a collection of
signs that can be added later, and does not need to be implemented with a street
paving project.
Martin St. Reconstruction – Southfield Rd. to Chester St.
Chester St. Resurfacing – Maple Rd. to Martin St.
The Martin St. project (adjacent to the Chester St. Structure) addresses a
suggested project found in the Downtown Birmingham 2016 Plan. The goal is to
remove the parking control equipment that is in the vacated right-of-way, and
make modifications so that this block can function as a full two-way street. The
City is currently working with a property owner on this block to acquire the
necessary right-of-way, so further discussions are not appropriate at this
time.
The Chester St. project is a resurfacing project for the one short block adjacent to
the Chester St. Structure. Since the work abuts the Maple Rd. intersection, it is
appropriate to review the needed multi-modal improvements in that area,
particularly at the southwest corner. A more conservative corner can be
constructed here that will still accommodate large trucks, but improve the area for
pedestrians.
Derby Rd. Resurfacing – CN Railroad Bridge to Eton Rd.
The above segment of Derby Rd. is scheduled for resurfacing in late 2015. As a
resurfacing project, the widths will not be changing. The Master Plan suggests
that shared lane markings be added to the entire half mile of Derby Rd. from
Adams Rd. to Eton Rd., as a phase 1 improvement. At the time this project is
completed, the N. Eton Rd. bike lanes will be in service, ending at Derby Rd. It is
recommended that the shared lane markings be added to this resurfacing job, as
well as the segment west of the railroad bridge. The shared lane markings will
provide an important link for bicyclists riding through this part of the City.
This segment of Derby Rd. is labeled as part of a Phase 2 neighborhood
connector route. This route involves other streets to the west that will require
further discussion at a later date. Since adding signs for a route does not need to
be done as a part of the resurfacing project, it is recommended that this be
postponed to a later date. Similar to all of our other street projects, handicap
ramps along the route will have to be replaced to meet current ADA standards.
This work will be included as a part of the project.
Moved and Seconded to endorse the Engineering Dept.’s direction relative to
its 2015 street project plans, and to return to the board as needed as plans
and information gathering progresses.
Multi-Modal Transportation Board Proceedings
June 19, 2014
Page 7
No one in the audience commented on the motion.
Motion carried, 4-0.
VOICE VOTE
Yeas: Edwards, Lawson, Slang, Warner
Nays: None
Absent: Surnow, Tatuch
I.
MEETING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA
(no one spoke)
J.
MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS AND COMMUNICATIONS
a.
Communications
Ms. Ecker advised there will be an overview of the W. Maple Rd. 2016 Project
coming up and all of the letters will come back then.
b.
•
•
•
c.
K.
Draft Agenda for the next Regular Multi-Modal Transportation
Board Meeting
2015 Street Project Updates
Overview of W. Maple Rd. 2016 Project
Review of Draft RFP for Transportation Engineer/Planner
Consultant
Other Business (none)
ADJOURNMENT
It was noted the next meeting will be on Thursday, July 10 at 6 p.m.
No further business being evident, board members motioned to adjourn.
Jana Ecker, Planning Director
Paul O'Meara, City Engineer
MEMORANDUM
Engineering Dept.
DATE:
July 2, 2014
TO:
Joe Valentine, Interim City Manager
FROM:
Paul T. O’Meara, City Engineer
SUBJECT:
Oak St. Parking Survey
As was discussed at the last meeting, the design of Oak St. hinges on the level of parking that
is provided on its various sections. It is important that a survey be sent out to the residents
that live adjacent to the project so that their input can be received.
Attached for your reference is a draft cover letter to be mailed to all Oak St. residents. Each
package would contain the three sheets of cross-sections also attached. The notes following
the cover letter describe the questions that will be in the survey. Once the committee has
reviewed and endorsed the survey contents, it will be finalized and then mailed out on Friday,
July 11. The survey will also go “live” at that time.
A copy of the survey contents would also be emailed to the Quarton Lake Sudivision
Homeowners Assoc. president, so that the Board is kept in the loop.
1
July 11, 2014
TO:
Oak St. Residents
The City of Birmingham has budgeted funds to reconstruct Oak St. from Glenhurst Dr. to
Lakepark Dr. during the 2015 construction season. The project will include sewer and water
system improvements, followed by new concrete pavement.
The City’s Multi-Modal Transportation Board is currently reviewing various options on how to
build this street. The Board has been formed as a means of ensuring that all important corridors
(such as Oak St.) are improved with all modes of travel being considered. In the case of Oak St.,
the following goals are being sought:
1. Maintain two-way traffic.
2. Maintain pedestrian sidewalks on both sides of the street, and improve pedestrian
crossings at various locations.
3. Provide designated roadway for bicyclists.
4. Work with school staff and parents to improve Quarton Elementary School morning and
afternoon peak traffic periods.
As you will see on the adjoining sheets, a major question that has to be determined is the current
value placed on on-street parking. If parking is an important value to a majority of the
homeowners on this corridor, then it will likely be implemented into the project. However, if it
is of only marginal value, and homeowners understand the other possibilities that eliminating it
allows, we would like to explore other options without it. It has been observed that parking is
typically not in high demand. If portions of it can be eliminated, other options such as bike
lanes, or a narrower road, become feasible.
Your input is valued and appreciated. Only homeowners on Oak St. are being given the
opportunity to answer this survey. The survey will be open and available at: www…………
from July 14 to July 31. Data from the survey will be collected, and reviewed by the MultiModal Transportation Board at their meeting of August 7, at 5:30 P.M., room 205, City Hall.
The meeting is open to the public.
Notes Regarding Survey
The right-of-way (public land) available for use on this project is 66 ft. wide. The City
sidewalks are typically 5 ft. wide, and were installed at one foot off the property line. The buffer
lane shown on some of the attached drawings represents a two foot wide area with diagonal lines
to demarcate that no one should drive in this area.
A. Lakepark Dr. to Chesterfield Ave.
The existing pavement was constructed about 85 years ago. It is perceived as too wide by
today’s standards. Narrowing the pavement would help reduce average speeds. It has been
observed that parking is generally in low demand, and may not be that important to the
immediate homeowners. Eliminating space for parking would allow the City to both build a
narrower pavement (which helps reduce speeds) as well as allow space for new bike lanes.
Should parking be desired, the road could be rebuilt at the same width it is today. A yellow
centerline, as well as white lines to delineate parking from travel lanes, could be added to help
reduce speeds. That is represented by Option C. Wider travel lanes are provided in this option
to help accommodate bicyclists sharing the driving lanes.
B. Chesterfield Ave. to Glenhurst Ave.
The City is aware of the challenges faced in front of Quarton Elementary School as children
arrive to and depart from the school each day. We plan to hire a transportation consultant that
will observe the current situation next fall, and help make recommendations of any changes that
could be implemented. Since the school has studied their operations extensively over the past
several years, we are currently assuming that the student loading zone on the school side of the
street will continue to operate into the future. All of the proposed cross-sections include this
feature. We are also assuming that parking will not be allowed anywhere on the south side of
this block, as is currently the case.
We would appreciate your input on the value of parking on the north side. Due to the school
functions, the new street will likely be at least as wide as it is now. Option B would result in the
street being wider, if both parking and bike lanes are offered.
If you feel that parking on the north side should be allowed, but only during certain times of day,
please let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
C. Glenhurst Ave. to West City Limit
This portion of Oak St. is not planned for reconstruction at this time. However, should bike
lanes be implemented on one or both of the sections further east, the City would like to consider
restriping this section as well. While the street cannot be narrowed at this time, banning parking
would allow for the installation of bike lanes, which will make the road feel narrower. Similar to
the sections above, we would appreciate your input on whether parking on Oak St. is of
importance to you.
Remember, we need your input no later than July 31. Thank you for your time. If you have
questions, feel free to contact Paul O’Meara at 248-530-1836.
Survey Structure –
1. What section of Oak St. do you live on?
•
•
•
•
Lakepark Dr. to Chesterfield Ave. – (survey goes to part 1)
Chesterfield Ave. to Glenhurst Dr. – (survey goes to part 2)
Glenhurst Dr. to West City Limit – (survey goes to part 3)
None of the above – (survey should stop further questioning)
2. What is your address? _______________________________________
Part 1
3. Is the ability to park on Oak St. important to you?
If yes, survey should assume that respondent prefers Option C, and then ask:
If parking is banned, do you prefer Option A or B?
If no, do you prefer Option A or B?
Part 2
3. Is the ability to park on Oak St. important to you?
If yes, do you prefer Option A or B?
If no, survey should assume that respondent prefers Option C, and then ask:
If parking is banned, do you prefer Option A or B?
Part 3
3. Is the ability to park on Oak St. important to you?
If yes, survey should assume that respondent prefers the existing condition, and then ask:
If parking is banned, do you prefer Option A or B?
If no, do you prefer Option A or B?
Space at the end for written comments should also be provided for all three groups.
OAK AVENUE - CHESTERFIELD TO LAKEPARK
OAK AVENUE - CHESTERFIELD TO LAKEPARK
OPTION A
OAK AVENUE - CHESTERFIELD TO LAKEPARK
OPTION B
OAK AVENUE - CHESTERFIELD TO LAKEPARK
OPTION C
OAK AVENUE - GLENHURST TO CHESTERFIELD
OAK AVENUE - GLENHURST TO CHESTERFIELD
OPTION A
OAK AVENUE - GLENHURST TO CHESTERFIELD
OPTION B
OAK AVENUE - GLENHURST TO CHESTERFIELD
OPTION C
OAK AVENUE - WEST OF GLENHURST
OAK AVENUE - WEST OF GLENHURST
EXISTING
OAK AVENUE - WEST OF GLENHURST
OPTION A
OAK AVENUE - WEST OF GLENHURST
OPTION B
CITY OF BIRMINGHAM, MICHIGAN
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS
TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING
CONSULTANT SERVICES CONTRACT
DATE
INTRODUCTION
The City of Birmingham has a long history of maintaining and improving its infrastructure as it
strives to be a premier community withinmetro Detroit. As a part of that effort, in 2011,
Birmingham adopted a Complete Streets resolution to improve multi-modal transportation by
creating better conditions for walking, biking and transit. In November, 2013, the City accepted
a Multi-Modal Transportation Master Plan (MMTP), as created by the Ann Arbor, MI firm of
Greenway Collaborative.
As one of the first significant actions suggested in the Master Plan, the City created a MultiModal Transportation Board (MMTB). The board held its first meeting in June, 2014. The
purpose of this standing committee is to review all transportation and transportation-related
projects with reference to the MMTP, the 2010 Highway Capacity Manual, the Uniform Vehicle
Code, the MDOT Complete Streets Policy 2012 and other related vehicular, bicycle, pedestrian
or transit guidelines in effect, and to provide formal recommendations to the City Commission.
The Multi-Modal Transportation Board will advise the City Commission on the implementation
of the MMTP, and review project phasing and budgeting, especially on streets that are not
already included in the City’s Capital Improvements Plan.
The Board has also taken over the duties of the previous Traffic & Safety Board. The Traffic &
Safety Board worked with the Police Dept. and the City’s contract Traffic Engineer to address
resident concerns and requests related to signage, perceived traffic problems, and parking
regulation.
The City of Birmingham is currently seeking a transportation engineer CONSULTANT to assist
the newly created MMTB in reviewing all transportation and transportation-related projects
proposed from a multi-modal perspective, conducting transportation studies or modelling and
otherwise providing transportation advice to the City as needed. The CONSULTANT will also
assist the Board in its duties regarding possible changes to signage and parking regulation, and
addressing perceived traffic problems.
City of Birmingham
Transportation Engineering Services Consultant RFQ
Page 1
CONSULTANT SKILLS
The successful candidate for this position shall be able to demonstrate the ability to assist the
City as a professional engineer in the following two-fold manner:
1. Multi-Modal Design Skills
The City regularly budgets and constructs several road improvement projects each year. Prior
to full engineering design, the Board will be asked to review the street segments planned for
improvement from a Multi-Modal perspective so that particular road segments that are
identified for Multi-Modal improvements in the MMTP are fully reviewed, studied, and
recommended for implementation if appropriate. The CONSULTANT will be asked to study
various vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic components of particular street segments, and
provide technical expertise and guidance on how various multi-modal changes will impact all
users of the street. The CONSULTANT shall be ready to provide guidance with respect to the
impact of proposed changes to vehicular, pedestrian and , bicycle traffic flow, as well as the
impact on transit users.
2. Transportation Engineering Skills
The Board will be asked to review and consider various traffic calming, signing, striping, or
parking regulation changes that are requested by the public. If deemed appropriate, the Board
will ask the CONSULTANT to study various elements of the proposal with respect to the impact
to vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle traffic flow, as well as the impact on transit users,
providing technical expertise and guidance to the Board. The CONSULTANT shall act as the
City’s Traffic Engineer as mandated in the Uniform Traffic Code as prepared by the Michigan
State Police (see Attachment A). The CONSULTANT shall be able to operate accurate software
that simulates vehicular traffic operations at signal-controlled intersections so that the Board
may understand the ramifications of various options that can be implemented at particular
intersections or segments.
SCHEDULE
The Board is currently meeting and reviewing projects that will be designed this fall, with
construction planned for 2015. At least one of these projects will require study from the
CONSULTANT. The particular project will impact a public elementary school and its traffic
functions. It is hoped that the CONSULTANT will be selected in August, 2014, and prepared to
gather data in September so that final recommendations can be reviewed and finalized by
November, 2014.
City of Birmingham
Transportation Engineering Services Consultant RFQ
Page 2
STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS CONTENT AND FORMAT
If you are interested in working with the City on this project, we ask that you submit a
Statement of Qualifications to the City including the following information:
PERSONNEL
The City prefers to select a CONSULTANT that will have one particular staffperson (a registered,
professional engineer) who will be assigned to oversee and personally assist in all activities that
involve the Board. The one selected person shall be regularly available to attend Board
meetings, currently being held on the first Wednesday of each month, at 5:30 P.M. The City
recognizes that the nature of the studies being requested may include gathering data such as
counts, turning movements, site visits, traffic signal modeling, and analysis that may best be
handled efficiently by various members of the staff or subconsultants. Describe the proposed
consultant team composition by indicating how it intends to perform the work (i.e. as an
independent company, a partnership, a joint venture, or a combination of prime and subconsultants). The role of each participating entity shall be fully described. The qualifications
and experience of each participating entity shall be identified in the Statement of
Qualifications, especially as they relate to the particular areas of expertise that they will bring
to this project.
QUALIFICATIONS OF THE TEAM AND PERSONNEL
The City seeks to team with a CONSULTANT that has experience with Complete Streets
concepts and has successfully implemented them for other clients. The Statement of
Qualifications shall include summary resumes of the key personnel proposed on the team,
particularly for the lead engineer that will be assigned to this account, along with descriptions
of multi-modal projects that the CONSULTANT has been involved in. The City also seeks a
CONSULTANT that has acted in the role of Transportation Engineer for other agencies. The
Statement of Qualifications shall outline other jurisdicitions or agencies that the CONSULTANT
has worked for, and specifically the role that they have played in providing Transportation
Engineering services.
OTHER CLIENTS
The City requires a CONSULTANT that will have the City of Birmingham as its first priority when
assisting the City on issues that involve other agencies or private interests. The CONSULTANT
shall provide a statement that clarifies:
1. The average percentage of gross income earned by the consulting firm for the firm’s
past three fiscal years from the MI Dept. of Transportation.
2. The average percentage of gross income earned by the consulting firm for the firm’s
past three fiscal years from the Road Commission for Oakland Co.
City of Birmingham
Transportation Engineering Services Consultant RFQ
Page 3
3. The average percentage of gross income earned by the consulting firm for the firm’s
past three fiscal years from developers or private firms that are involved in the
development of private projects within Oakland Co.
As a part of this disclosure, the CONSULTANT shall verify in writing that should they be selected
for this position, the CONSULTANT shall be prepared to phase out all relationships with
developers that are currently active in the development of private properties within the City of
Birmingham.
CONSULTANT APPROACH
The Statement of Qualifications shall provide a paragraph that summarizes the philosophy of
the firm, and how it will approach the various assignments given to it as the Transportation
Services Consultant assisting in addressing the various technical needs of the Board.
CONSULTING FEES
Since there is a very broad scope of services to be provided on this project, compensation for
the CONSULTANT work is expected to be based upon the hourly rates, plus reimbursable
expenses for travel, copying, etc. The Statement of Qualifications shall include the prospective
CONSULTANT’S proposed hourly rates for all personnel or subconsultants that are expected to
work on various assignments, along with rates for typical reimbursable expenses expected in
the execution of these duties.
To better understand the value of this contract, be advised that the City averaged total
payments to the City’s previous traffic engineer in the amount of $18,900 per year. It should be
noted that the amount of activity in these areas was reduced from historical values due to the
poor economic conditions that prevailed through most of this period. Between the increased
private development activity now occurring in the City, as well as the increased scrutiny and
design effort occurring as a result of the MMTP, it is anticipated that these payments will
increase. All work directed to the CONSULTANT will be on an as-needed basis.
DUE DATE
Prospective CONSULTANTS shall submit Ten (10) Copies of their Statement of Qualifications
containing the information noted above by 5:00 PM on July 31, 2014.
CITY REVIEW AND CONSULTANT SELECTION
It is expected that the full membership of the Board will review each Statement of
Qualifications based on a pre-determined set of criteria. The Board will then prepare a short
list of candidates that will be invited to be interviewed later in August. The City will select a
CONSULTANT based upon the approach to the described tasks, the qualifications of the firm(s),
and the experience of the proposed project team, with particular attention to the lead
City of Birmingham
Transportation Engineering Services Consultant RFQ
Page 4
engineer. The City may request additional information from prospective CONSULTANTS in their
review of the materials.
A sample agreement for professional consulting services is attached for your reference. The
final form of the consulting agreement and price may be negotiated based upon the final scope
of the project.
The City reserves the right to reject all Statements of Qualification. The City is not responsible
for any costs incurred by prospective consultants in submitting a Statement of Qualifications.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Please direct all responses to this Request for Qualifications to the following address:
City of Birmingham
Attn: Paul O’Meara, Jana Ecker, & Mark Clemence
P.O. Box 3001
Birmingham, MI 48012
Questions and requests for clarifications on this Request for Qualifications should be sent by
email to all three of the following contacts:
Paul O’Meara, P.E.
City Engineer
pomeara@bhamgov.org
Jana Ecker
Planning Director
jecker@bahamgov.org
Mark Clemence
Deputy Chief of Police
mclemence@bhamgov.org
Responses will be in writing, and will be sent to all prospective consultants. No phone calls
please.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A – Rule 125 and 126 of the Uniform Traffic Code (enumerating the duties of a
municipal traffic engineer)
Attachment B – C. 110, Articles II and VII of the City Code (enumerating the duties of the MultiModal Transportation Board)
Attachment C - Sample Professional Consulting Agreement
Attachment D – Final approved Multi-Modal Transportation Master Plan for the City of
Birmingham
City of Birmingham
Transportation Engineering Services Consultant RFQ
Page 5
ATTACHMENT A
EXCERPT FROM THE MICHIGAN UNIFORM VEHICLE CODE
R28.1125 Rule 125. Traffic engineer.
(1) The office of traffic engineer is hereby established. The traffic engineer shall be
appointed in a manner prescribed by the ordinance making body and shall exercise the
powers and duties provided in this code in a manner that is consistent with prevailing
traffic engineering and safety practices and that is in the best interest of this
governmental unit. If a traffic engineer is not appointed, then the authority of the
engineer shall be vested in the chief of police.
(2) The traffic engineer is responsible for any duties specifically delegated to the local
authority by the Act, unless another office is specifically designated by the Act or by this
code or is by its nature the more appropriate office.
R28.1126 Rule 126. Duties of traffic engineer.
(1) The general duties of the traffic engineer are as follows:
(a) To plan and determine the installation and proper timing and maintenance of trafficcontrol devices.
(b) To conduct engineering analysis of traffic accidents and to devise remedial
measures.
(c) To conduct engineering investigations of traffic conditions.
(d) To plan the operation of traffic on the streets of this governmental unit, including
parking areas.
(e) To cooperate with other officials of this governmental unit in the development of
ways and means to improve traffic conditions.
(f) To carry out the additional powers and duties imposed by the act and ordinances of
this governmental unit.
(g) To otherwise regulate the movement and parking of vehicles within the municipality
consistent with the act.
(2) All duties carried out by the traffic engineer shall be in accordance with standard and
accepted engineering practices as found in the Traffic Engineering Handbook, Fifth
Edition, which s adopted by reference in these rules. The Handbook may be reviewed at
the East Lansing Headquarters of the Michigan State Police, Special Operations Division,
Traffic Services Section. The Handbook may be purchased from the Institute of
Transportation Engineers, 1099 14th St., N.W., Suite 300 West, Washington DC, 200053438, or from the Michigan Dept. of State Police, Special Operations Division, Traffic
Services Division, Traffic Services Section, 714 S. Harrison Road, East Lansing, MI 48823,
at a cost as of the time of adoption of these rules of $110 each.
City of Birmingham
Transportation Engineering Services Consultant RFQ
Page 6
ATTACHMENT B
EXCERPT FROM THE BIRMINGHAM CITY CODE
CHAPTER 110, TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS
ARTICLE II. MULTI-MODAL TRANSPORTATION BOARD
Sec. 110-26. Composition.
The Multi-Modal Transportation Board shall consist of three nonvoting ex officio
members and seven members appointed by the city commission. The three nonvoting
ex officio members shall be the city engineer, the planning director and the police chief,
or their designated representatives. Insofar as possible, the city commission shall
appoint members as follows:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)
One pedestrian advocate member;
One member with a mobility or vision impairment;
One member with traffic-focused education and/or experience;
One bicycle advocate member;
One member with urban planning, architecture or design education
and/or experience; and
Two members at large from different geographical areas of the city.
Board members shall be electors or property owners in the city.
Sec. 110-27. Terms of members.
Initial members of the Multi-Modal Transportation Board shall serve for the following
terms: two members shall be appointed for one year terms, two members shall be
appointed for two year terms, and three members shall be appointed for three year
terms. Thereafter, all appointments, except to fill vacancies, shall be for a term of three
years. All appointments for the purpose of filling vacancies occurring otherwise than by
expiration of term of office shall be for the unexpired term.
Sec. 110-28. Compensation.
All members of the Multi-Modal Transportation Board shall serve without compensation.
Sec. 110-29. Organization.
The Multi-Modal Transportation Board shall, from its appointed members, elect a chair
who shall be the presiding officer of the board, and a vice-chair who shall serve in the
City of Birmingham
Transportation Engineering Services Consultant RFQ
Page 7
absence of the chair. A secretary, who shall keep and maintain the proceedings of the
board, shall be appointed by the board. The secretary need not be a member of the
board. The terms of office for such officers shall be one year and until their successors
have been elected. The ex officio members of the board may not act as the chair or
vice-chair but may serve as secretary.
Sec. 110-30. Meetings and quorum.
The Multi-Modal Transportation Board shall hold meetings at such time and place as
may be established by the board. Special meetings may be called by the secretary at the
written request of the chair or any three members of the board on at least two days'
notice. A quorum for the transaction of business at the regular and special meetings
shall be four appointed members and at least one ex officio member or their designated
representative.
Sec. 110-31. Scope of authority.
The Multi-Modal Transportation Board is a non-administrative board serving solely in an
advisory capacity. In that capacity the board may make recommendations to the city
commission but may not assume any legislative or administrative authority of the city
commission or any department or board established by the city commission except as
specifically provided in this chapter.
Sec. 110-32. Purpose and duties.
The purpose of the Multi-Modal Transportation Board shall be to assist in maintaining
the safe and efficient movement of motorized and non-motorized vehicles and
pedestrians on the streets and walkways of the city and to advise the city commission
on the implementation of the Multi-Modal Transportation Plan, including reviewing
project phasing and budgeting. In furtherance of its purpose, the board shall endeavor
to provide the following:
(1) Advice on the implementation of the city’s Multi-Modal Transportation Plan to
the city commission.
(2) Review of the Multi-Modal Transportation Plan to assure that it remains
current with citywide multi-modal transportation movements and regional
transportation plans and initiatives.
(3)
An objective and technical multi-modal evaluation of plans for all road
reconstruction and road resurfacing projects, sidewalk and pedestrian crossing
projects, intersection or bridge projects, bicycle and transit facility improvement
projects.
(4) An objective and technical evaluation of transportation issues brought to the
attention of or identified by the board.
City of Birmingham
Transportation Engineering Services Consultant RFQ
Page 8
(5)
An objective and technical evaluation of the transportation plan submitted
for proposed development or redevelopment, as referred to the board by the
planning board.
(6)
An objective and technical multi-modal evaluation of site plans submitted
for proposed development or redevelopment, as referred to the board by the
planning board.
(7) An objective and technical multi-modal evaluation of any ordinance
amendments related to transportation issues, as referred to the board by the
planning board or city commission.
(8)
The application of accepted transportation engineering practices, multimodal transportation planning and complete streets practices and national
standards, including those published by the American Association of State
Highway and Transportation Officials, in solving and preventing transportation
problems.
(9)
Objective and technical recommendations regarding transportation
engineering safety issues to the city commission.
(10) A forum for the voluntary coordination of groups interested in transportation
issues.
(11) A forum to review and decide appeals of administrative decisions made by
the Police Department on transportation-related regulatory requests under Article
VII of this chapter.
Secs. 110-33—110-55. Reserved.
ARTICLE VII –TRANSPORTATION REGULATORY REQUESTS
Section110 – 191 Purpose
The purpose of this division is to maintain the effective functioning of the city’s
transportation system for all users, of all ages and abilities.
Section 110 – 192 Review
Applications for all transportation related regulatory requests, including but not limited
to, regulatory signs, signals, markings and devices, and the regulation of commercial
and residential parking, shall be submitted to the Police Department for administrative
review.
Section 110-193 Application
Each transportation related regulatory request submitted to the Police Department
under this division shall be on such forms and contain such information as the Police
City of Birmingham
Transportation Engineering Services Consultant RFQ
Page 9
Department shall determine necessary, including but not limited to an explanation of the
request, the reason(s) for the request, and a basic site plan of the conditions of the area
in question.
Section 110 – 194 Application Fee
An application fee as established by the city commission shall be payable upon
submitting an application for a transportation related request.
Section 110 – 195 Decision on Request
After reviewing the transportation related regulatory request, the Police Department
may approve the request, approve on a trial basis for a limited period of time, or deny
the request.
Section 110 - 196 Appeal
Any applicant for administrative review under this division aggrieved by a decision of the
Police Department shall have the right to appeal the decision to the Multi-Modal
Transportation Board.
110-197-225 Reserved.
City of Birmingham
Transportation Engineering Services Consultant RFQ
Page 10
ATTACHMENT C
SAMPLE CONSULTANT AGREEMENT
(To be provided by City Attorney)
City of Birmingham
Transportation Engineering Services Consultant RFQ
Page 11
Proposal Submitted By: ___________________________________________
Instructions:(1) Upon reviewing each proposal, indicate the number of scoring
points that you believe each proposal should be given in each
of the categories identified below
(2) After reviewing all proposals, assign each proposal with a
ranking number from one (1) to five (5), with number one (1)
representing the best proposal overall based on total score.
Mark each proposal’s ranking in the space provided at the end
of your Evaluation Form.
Score
Consultant’s experience with similar Complete Streets
projects
•
•
•
•
_____/30
Experience with, and knowledge of, Complete
Streets principles and design best practices,
particularly in highly urbanized areas
Experience drafting Complete Streets
recommendations for constrained environments
Evidence of effective implementation of plans
prepared by consultant
Complete Streets plans and solutions in other
communities
Consultant’s experience with municipal transportation
engineering
•
•
•
Experience with other similar jurisdictions acting in the
roll of Traffic Engineer
Experience with conducting studies relative to various
modifications that a road jurisdiction will undertake to
address current transportation-related problems
Experience with operating simulations in conjunction
with road and/or traffic signal design.
_____/30
Professional qualifications of key employees to be
assigned to the project
•
•
_____/20
Focus shall be on resume of registered transportation
engineer that will oversee all consultant efforts, attend
Board meetings, and assist with discussions when
needed. Planning, Complete Streets and urban
design experience of key employees on team
Traffic engineer is fully experienced and able to
consider and study ramifications of reduced traffic
capacity proposals following AASHTO and MDOT
standards and principals
Study Approach to Project
•
•
•
•
_____/10
Conveys understanding of the scope and nature of
the work, including key issues
Clearly conveys problem solving approach
Problem solving approach appears well thought
out and practical
Understands City’s constraints, and demonstrates
willingness and ability to work creatively and
explore options within City constraints
Content and Quality of Proposal
_____/10
•
Consultant addressed all items outlined in the
Request for Proposals
•
•
Presentation and layout of documents submitted
Effective use of illustrations and graphics
Use of clear, concise language
TOTAL SCORE
RANKING (1-5)
8A
8A
8A
8A
8B
1/22/2014
City of Birmingham MI Mail - W. Maple/Chesterfield traffic/construction
Joe Valentine <jvalentine@bhamgov.org>
W. Maple/Chesterfield traffic/construction
1 message
Don Studt <dstudt@bhamgov.org>
Wed, Jan 22, 2014 at 12:14 PM
To: birmingham@schakoad.com, Robert Bruner <RBruner@bhamgov.org>, Joe Valentine
<Jvalentine@bhamgov.org>, Paul O'Meara <Pomeara@bhamgov.org>, Mark Clemence <Mclemence@bhamgov.org>
Your letter of Jan 9 to the City Commission has been referred to me for response.
Traffic lane configuration for this area will be reviewed, along with input from the new multi-modal traffic
committee, as the proposed project moves forward. Your letter will be included.
Regarding the placement of a "No Left Turn" sign on the west access to the alley and the access drive--This has
been reviewed several times by the current Traffic and Safety Board over the years.
The buildings in that strip were designed specifically so that EB traffic would have access to the rear parking area
and the access drive without using Chesterfield. Strong objections were raised, from Jerry Mills of Mills
Pharmacy, proprietors of the Cleaners and bank management to any change.
My own opinion is that merely placing a sign in that location would be fruitless as it is a designed and
established route. A physical barrier would be the only efficient way to eliminate access to that alley, and other
business may not agree to that.
Please call me if you'd like to discuss this further.
Don Studt
Chief of Police
248-530-1862
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=802753fd17&view=pt&search=inbox&th=143baf225fec3725
1/1
8B
8B
8C
8C
8D
RICHARD
C.
RoLLINS
466 ASPEN ROAD
BIRMINGHAM, Ml 48009-1656
ROLLINSTAX@MSN.COM
(248)932-3500
248) 932-0826 FACSIMILE
November 19, 2013
City Commissioners
City of Birmingham
151 Martin
PO Box 3001
Birmingham, Ml 48012-3001
Re:
W. Maple
Dear City Commissioners:
As a Birmingham resident on Aspen, the duty of government is do what is best for
the long term growth and development of Birmingham. To make it more than just an
upscale city or one step up from Royal Oak or Ferndale or Berkley. Birmingham is great
but it can be so much better. The City has so many opportunities to rise to the challenge
of making Birmingham an enriching cultured and truly beautiful city. To make it more
functional and aesthetic.
For example, West Maple and Woodward are nothing more than traffic speed lanes
to move traffic at a high volume and at high speeds through the city. Maple is being used
as the cross cutter for east to west corridor traffic between Telegraph and Woodward, for
the middle of Oakland county traffic. Ending high speed pouring traffic into a two lane
downtown Birmingham. Cutting north and south Birmingham residential neighborhoods
with a high volume, high speed road that is totally ugly . Roads can be so much more.
Maple can be so much more. Woodward can be so much more. Making Maple a one lane
each with a Blvd with islands with trees in the middle and at the same time slowing traffic
down in our residential Birmingham and reducing the noise of Maple. We see what has
been done in downtown Birmingham along northern Woodward north of Maple.
Government must do what is best for the long term growth and beauty of a city.
Many countries have had Popes and Napoleon and Kings and Emperors to make cities full
of life and beauty and boulevards and parks. City government is elected to make the
difficult decisions even if many of it's residence want the same as the past.
On another note, outdoor art installations can make a city alive and enriching.
Bringing people from within Birmingham, to residences from other cities and States to
come to see art throughout a remarkable downtown city Birmingham and improve
downtown both for business and beauty. Increased business for downtown retail doesn't
8E
come from putting up tent signs in the middle of the sidewalk.
desperate for business.
It makes retail look
Look at what Grand Rapids is doing with art installations. I have always been
amazed that Cranbrook, one of the great art facilities in the world is only two miles from
Birmingham and there has been no spinofffrom Cranbrook to Birmingham in bringing large
art installations to the parks and streets. The art presently in Birmingham is one step up
from high school. Where is Richard Serra works in our affluent city. I was on the art board
of Birmingham for one day and I quit after I realized they spent a whole meeting discussing
the cost of a small art plaque and the art of one of the art board members was actually
displayed in our city. Also when at the same time they, the city, decided to take City
general funds of over $800,000 to built better golf club houses. Please, give me a break.
Let's take the big steps necessary to improve our City. Let's have the courage to
take the big steps to improve our City. Let us lead and become so much more. Let
Birmingham grow to be so much more with Maple as a Blvd with slower and less traffic
and more art in our city.
Very truly yours, ~
~~··
RICHARD C. ROLLINS
RCR/dsf
From: Moore, Gregory W. [gmoore@ClarkHill.com]
Sent: Friday, February 28, 2014 11:19 AM
To: jmirro (jmirro@intromarketing.com)
Subject: FW: MULTI MODAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN & QLNA RESPONSE
Gregory W. Moore
CLARK HILL PLC 248.988.5842 (direct) | 248.988.2514(fax) | 248.631.9807(cell)
www.clarkhill.com/HealthCare.aspx
From: Moore, Gregory W.
Sent: Monday, November 25, 2013 2:32 PM
To: sdm984@sbcglobal.net; gdilgard@hotmail.com; rackyhoff@hotmail.com; mcdaniel_tom@hotmail.com;
markforbirmingham@yahoo.com; gordon4bham@aol.com; stuart.sherman@sbcglobal.net
Cc: Canvasser, Jason R.; John Mucha ; Jordon Bolton; Karen Rock; Michael Fenberg (michael.fenberg@bakertilly.com); Tom
Anderson
Subject: MULTI MODAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN & QLNA RESPONSE
Commissioners,
Greetings. The residents of the Quarton Lake Neighborhood Association and its Board of Directors have been
following closely the development of the Multi Modal Transportation Plan (“Plan”) which will be up for your
consideration this evening. Just last week, we conducted an informal straw poll via email among the QLNA
members. The results showed that 69% of those voting where against the plan to take Maple Road from 4 lanes to
3 and various other aspects of the Plan. However, those responding make up less than 10% of the entire
neighborhood. Of the 900 or so single family homes in the QLNA area, approximately 600 are members of the
QLNA at any given time. We have compiled email addresses for approximately 450 of those members. Prior to any
project, like the Maple Road reconstruction project, under the Plan being considered by the Commission and
implemented, we will conduct a more intense survey of the neighborhood and deliver those results to the
Commission.
We have encouraged our neighbors to forward you their comments on the Plan and to appear at the Commission
meeting this evening. However, we also wanted the Commission to understand that as an Association we have
elected to keep activity at this point in perspective given the fact that the Plan is merely a guide and doesn’t
contain any specific projects for approval. This position is consistent with the recent comments from
Commissioner Mark Nickita to a Birmingham Resident: There are no specific proposals being studied at this time. The Multi Modal Transportation Plan (MMTP) is a
conceptual design recommendation, like all master plans, it requires a full study before any specific
implementations. When we begin looking at the actual projects, (West Maple In the next couple of years) we
will do a thorough traffic study and analysis to help us determine the best option for the actual design. Keep in mind, that the MMTP is a conceptual plan and the residents will be provided with a more thorough
explanation regarding why and how a proposal will work and how it can improve the proposed area of
consideration, before we do anything. This will require public interaction, explanation and outreach as the
time draws near.
file:///H|/Shared/CONTRACTS%20FOR%202016/1-16(P)%20W.%20MAPLE%20RESURFACING/COMMUNICATIONS/email.QLNA.htm[7/3/2014 1:58:09 PM]
Should the Plan be approved by the Commission, we ask that you work closely with us in order to exam the impact
of specific projects on our neighborhood well in advance of their approval.
Thank you,
QLNA Board of Directors
LEGAL NOTICE: This e-mail is for the exclusive use of the intended recipient(s), and may contain privileged and confidential
information. If you are not an intended recipient, please notify the sender, delete the e-mail from your computer and do not copy or
disclose it to anyone else. Your receipt of this message is not intended to waive any applicable privilege. Neither this e-mail nor
any attachment(s) establish an attorney-client relationship, constitute an electronic signature or provide consent to contract
electronically, unless expressly so stated by a Clark Hill attorney in the body of this e-mail or an attachment.
FEDERAL TAX ADVICE DISCLAIMER: Under U. S. Treasury Regulations, we are informing you that, to the extent this message
includes any federal tax advice, this message is not intended or written by the sender to be used, and cannot be used, for the
purpose of avoiding federal tax penalties.
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Re: FW: City Commission - pomeara@bhamgov.org - City of Birmingham MI Mail
pomeara@bhamgov.org
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Joe Valentine
Join Google+
Mr. Smith,
Thank you for including me on your email relative to your views on West
Maple Road. I will pass them along to our new Multi-Modal Transportation
Board that will be reviewing all road improvements in the context of our
Multi-Modal Plan prior to construction. As this particular project is slated for
a future year construction season, there is some time before this review
occurs and any final recommendations are made, however, your input will be
included for consideration again at that time. You may also follow the MultiModal Transportation Board's efforts if you wish by clicking on the Notify Me
link on the following City webpage: http://www.bhamgov.
org/government/boards/mmtb_agendas.php Show
Again, thank you for sharing your views.
Best Regards,
Joe Valentine Cheryl Pollack
Don Studt
On Thu, Jun 19, 2014 at 4:00 PM, John R. Smith <johnjrspop@aol.com>
wrote:
Mark Gerber
Carlos Jorge
Mr. Valentine,
Carrie Laird
Please see my note below.
Davis, Jennifer
Matthews, Paul
John R. Smith
Moffat, Charlie
248-642-6219
Wood, Lauren
248-496-1874 (cell)
Cousino, Brendan
johnjrspop@aol.com
file:///H|/Shared/CONTRACTS%20FOR%202016/1-16(P)%20W.%20MAPLE%20RESURFACING/COMMUNICATIONS/emai.Smith.linden.230.htm[7/3/2014 1:59:20 PM]
6/25/2014
City of Birmingham MI Mail - RE: Derby Rd. Water Main Lining at Railroad
Paul O'Meara <pomeara@bhamgov.org>
RE: Derby Rd. Water Main Lining at Railroad
1 message
Jill Ghiardi-Coignet <jg10bps@birmingham.k12.mi.us>
Tue, Jun 24, 2014 at 1:15 PM
To: Stephen King <sk06bps@birmingham.k12.mi.us>, Paul O'Meara <pomeara@bhamgov.org>
Paul,
Thanks for talking with me on the phone last Tuesday about my thoughts around the city’s plans for our
Quarton area.
I see you emailed Steve regarding his thoughts on this as well. I would like to communicate again my
feelings regarding the plans.
We did have consultants come here and look at our current drop off/pick up situation. They did not
suggest us moving our bus drop off to Oak in the parking area. They said the area was too small to
maneuver the busses in our parking lot.
In regards to allowing turns during school hours. We used to have the ability to turn at the Oak and
chesterfield light. I went with my PTA to the city and we first asked them to not allow right turns on red
lights as this was impeding our ability to safely cross our students at the light. We worked with this plan
for a year and quickly saw that what we really needed was no turns allowed at any times during our arrival
and dismissal. Traffic would back up all the way to the tennis courts and it was not a good situation for us
to get cards in and out of our drop off/pick up lane. It would be very harmful for us to revert to having a 4
way stop at this intersection.
I completely agree that a bike path on the south side of Oak would be harmful to multiple parties.
The PTA had suggested not allowing cards to park on the south side of Oak West of the parking lot. I am
not sure allowing this to be one long drop off/pick up area is going to be feasible. I would still like to
allow cars to park on this part of the street.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you need anything else.
Jill
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=4607cf6df1&view=pt&search=inbox&th=146cee00b2e4664a&siml=146cee00b2e4664a
1/8
6/25/2014
City of Birmingham MI Mail - RE: Derby Rd. Water Main Lining at Railroad
From: Stephen King
Sent: Tuesday, June 24, 2014 7:52 AM
To: 'Paul O'Meara'; Jill Ghiardi-Coignet
Subject: RE: Derby Rd. Water Main Lining at Railroad
Importance: High
Jill,
Can you add comments to this?
Steve King
Manager of Operations
248-203-3983
From: Paul O'Meara [mailto:pomeara@bhamgov.org]
Sent: Monday, June 23, 2014 3:49 PM
To: Stephen King
Subject: Re: Derby Rd. Water Main Lining at Railroad
Thanks, Steve. This is helpful.
I see the long email from Dave Allyn of TIA, but I don't see any others except from you and Matt I vaguely recall
the idea about using the parking lot for a bus loading area was rejected, and should likely not be considered.
I don't see any discussion or study about the intersection. Did you say that some study was done in the past? I
don't really understand why turns are not allowed during school peak hours.
I understand your concern about the bike lane. We don't want to create a hazard either - I just need to look at all
sides of the issue before we finalize. Also, if our analysis determines that it is best to have the light, but leave it
on red flash most of the time, we can certainly go with that option. It would be nice to remove, if possible, just to
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=4607cf6df1&view=pt&search=inbox&th=146cee00b2e4664a&siml=146cee00b2e4664a
2/8
6/25/2014
City of Birmingham MI Mail - RE: Derby Rd. Water Main Lining at Railroad
eliminate the ongoing operation costs.
I also note in one of the emails the suggestion about allowing parking on the south side of the road west of the
parking lot in the middle of the day. Is that something we should explore further in this discussion?
On Mon, Jun 23, 2014 at 2:22 PM, Stephen King <sk06bps@birmingham.k12.mi.us> wrote:
Paul,
The first email was a summary from the first consultant and the second email is from the 2nd consultant who simply
drew up the current plan.
Regarding the proposed 4-way stop at Oak and Chesterfield. Could the current light be a four-way flashing red most of
the day accomplishing the proposed 4-way stop and during am/pm drop off and pick up, it could go to a functioning stop
light. This will also control traffic from turning from Chesterfield onto Oak as it is currently signed.
I am still extremely concerned about a bike lane on the south side of Oak. The passenger door from the cars dropping
off their kids will open up directly into the bike lane/path and the students will be exiting the car from both the front and
back seat. Bikers and/or students and/or car doors run the risk of serious injury. There will always be an instance where
at bike lane may not be work well.
Steve King
Manager of Operations
248-203-3983
From: Paul O'Meara [mailto:pomeara@bhamgov.org]
Sent: Friday, June 20, 2014 7:53 AM
To: Stephen King; Matthew Hess
Subject: Derby Rd. Water Main Lining at Railroad
Hi Steve -
Thanks a lot for your assistance yesterday. If you have any previous traffic studies that were done on Oak St., it
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would be very helpful to obtain a copy. I can pay for copying if necessary.
I found out today that our contractor plans to start excavating on Tuesday for the above job. This will involve a
hole adjacent to the railroad fence that will largely obstruct access to the east Derby Middle School driveway.
This location should be active for about a 3 week period.
Please let us know if our activities are causing problems for you.
-Paul T. O'Meara
City of Birmingham, MI
City Engineer
248-530-1836
pomeara@bhamgov.org
---------- Forwarded message ---------From: Matthew Hess <mh15bps@birmingham.k12.mi.us>
To: Stephen King <sk06bps@birmingham.k12.mi.us>
Cc:
Date: Mon, 23 May 2011 09:05:22 -0400
Subject: FW: Quarton Elementary Report
From: Dave Allyn (TIA) [mailto:dallyn@tiami.us]
Sent: Friday, May 20, 2011 10:02 AM
To: Matthew T. Hess
Subject: Quarton Elementary Report
Matt—
From my reviews of the traffic operation at Quarton Elementary there are only a few options that can be
considered due to the restriction to not do anything with the green area
west of the school:
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1.
I considered some kind of bus loop on the east side of the school and then let the parents pick-up/drop-off
along Chesterfield. However, in trying to set up a bus loop it meant the students dropped off on Chesterfield
would be walking across the bus loop, even though they are being dropped off on the school side of the road.
This is therefore not an option.
2.
I next looked at the use of the parking lot drive and loop at the south end of the parking lot (see attached
drawing). It looks to me like it was designed to handle three buses—there is a little over 120 feet of storage
along the sidewalk where there is crosshatching along the sidewalk, which is the length of 3 buses. I got a
turning radius template for a bus and then used those measurements to determine if a bus could make the turn
at the south end of the parking lot. From the use of Google Earth and the bus turning radius template it appears
that a normal size bus can make the turn. If that is the case then the 3 buses can use the parking lot drive and
drop-off/pick-up the students on the southwest side of the school. My request is that you have one of the buses
try this maneuver and see if they can do it—they may want to enter the driveway from the east by making a left
turn. If they can, then this would free up the west side of Chesterfield, where the buses currently drop-off/pick-up
students as an area for additional parents to drop-off/pick-up their students, although this may necessitate some
additional paving to better utilize this frontage. The safety patrol would have to stop students walking on the
sidewalk at the parking lot entrance/exit when the buses enter or exit, but there are only 3 buses so this should
not be an issue.
3.
I also looked at a couple of other options for having the buses use the drop-off/pick-up area at the south end
of the parking lot:
a.
Construct an in-only drive on the west side of the parking lot fence and have the buses travel
along the west and south sides of the parking lot to use the drop-off/pick-up area at the southwest
corner of the building. If the buses can use the existing drive and loop this construction would be
unnecessary.
b. Construct an in-only drive on the west side of the parking lot fence, but have it further west by
about 20 feet, thereby allowing additional parking spaces that would be head-to-head with the
existing parking spaces. The issue with this is that these parking spaces would be used by parents
and the current teacher parking lot and proposed bus drop-off/pick-up loop would also have parents,
which is something that should not be done.
4.
Another option to facilitate the parent drop-off/pick-up area would be, as you suggested, to redo the curb
and pave the grass area that exists between the curb and the sidewalk along the south side of Oak St. in front of
the school. During the winter and other inclement weather periods parents tend to let their students out only at
the short, paved sections that currently exist between the curb and the sidewalk. If the area between the curb
and the sidewalk was paved for the entire length of the parent drop-off/pick-up area on the south side of Oak St.
this would allow/encourage parents to use the entire length of the drop-off/pick-up zone even in inclement
weather.
5.
During the field review it was observed that most of the students entered Quarton Elementary from Oak
Street through the door on the west end of the building. Consideration should be given to trying to get students
to use the sidewalk and easterly door when they enter the building from Oak Street. This would encourage
parents to better utilize the entire length of the drop-off area along the south side of Oak Street in front of the
school building.
The following is in regard to the issue of installing “No Parking” signs on the north side of Oak and on the east
side of Chesterfield. Currently the parents that drop-off and pick-up their students that use the sides of Oak and
Chesterfield on the side of the street opposite from the school must either walk their student to the school or
walk to the school to get their child and then walk with the child back to their vehicle. When the parents leave
their vehicles, the vehicles are then parked. Posting of “No Parking” signs would mean that the parents could not
leave their vehicles and walk their children to or from the school, thereby making a less safe situation. If teachers
are parking along the streets, they should be encouraged/required by the principal to park in the teacher parking
lot on the west end of the school.
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In summary I would suggest trying to make the teacher parking lot drive and loop the bus loop, thereby freeing up
the west side of Chesterfield for another parent drop-off/pick-up area similar to the south side of Oak Street.
Parents using the east side of Chesterfield would still need to be required to walk their students across
Chesterfield to the school. In addition to moving the bus loop I would suggest considering redoing the curb and
paving between the curb and sidewalk on the south side of Oak St. to improve the area where students get out of
the vehicles to try to get better use of the entire length of this area, especially during inclement weather. If the
bus loop can be moved and the current bus area is then changed to a parent drop-off/pick-up area additional
paving would probably be helpful in this area also.
Please let me know your thoughts on the above. I would be more than willing to meet with you and the principal
to discuss the above. One I have gotten your comments, we have talked or we have met I will take into account
your comments and put this into letter form if you would prefer.
Dave
David F. Allyn, P.E.
Traffic Safety Engineer
Traffic Improvement Association
1827 N. Squirrel Road
Auburn Hills, Michigan 48326
248-334-4971
Email: dallyn@tiami.us
---------- Forwarded message ---------From: Stephen King <sk06bps@birmingham.k12.mi.us>
To: 'Paul O'Meara' <pomeara@bhamgov.org>
Cc:
Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:27:59 -0400
Subject: Quarton Parent Drop Off Enhancements
Hi Paul,
The Quarton Principal and I met with both the Quarton Neighborhood Association and the PTA on the proposed
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enhancements to the parent drop off area. There was some positive feedback and a little negative feedback on the
widening of the parent drop off area. In general, most in attendance wanted more done than just widening the road.
The good news is there was consensus to do something rather than nothing and this concept is still on the table.
There were a few other items that were being proposed but were way out of my ability to comment on.
I suggested we try to set up a meeting with the City to review the requests (see attachments) with two representatives of
the Neighborhood Association, two representatives from the PTA, the Building Principal and myself, a real collaborative
approach. We are very interested in City’s input and value your suggestions.
I was thinking the City Planner and Chief of Police and possibly you would attend on the City’s behalf. What are your
thoughts on this approach? I have the PTA and Association understanding that nobody has a fix for everything and that
some improvement is better than doing nothing. Just a reminder, the district is willing to pay for these changes.
What is the best way to set up a meeting?
Stephen H. King
Manager of Operations
Birmingham Public Schools
248-203-3983
"By celebrating what is right in the world, it gives us the energy to fix what is wrong."
-Paul T. O'Meara
City of Birmingham, MI
City Engineer
248-530-1836
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pomeara@bhamgov.org
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