DATE: January 14, 2020
TO: Board of Mayor and Aldermen
FROM: Eric Stuckey, City Administrator
Paul P. Holzen, Director of Engineering
Jimmy Wiseman, Assistant Director of Engineering
Adam Moser, Traffic Engineer III
SUBJECT:
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Presentation And Discussion Concerning Traffic Impacts Associated With The Proposed East Works District Development.
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Purpose
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide information to the Franklin Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BOMA) concerning traffic impacts associated with the proposed East Works District Development.
Background
Historically, the minimum level of service standards have been outlined in the City of Franklin Zoning Ordinance. These regulations stated the following (Section 5.10.3 (d)):
i) Roadway and Intersection Operation
All roadway segments and intersections shall maintain at least a Level of Service C
ii) Intersection Turning Movements
Lanes used for turning movements within intersections shall maintain a minimum Level of Service D;
iii) Less than Minimum Background Conditions
Where forecasted conditions without the site traffic indicate levels of service below the acceptable minimum threshold, the developer shall perform all improvements necessary to restore the pre-development level of operation.
These regulations were recently removed from the City of Franklin Zoning Ordinance and were added to the City of Franklin Street Specifications and the minimum level of service was changed to a “D” or better during the routine peak traffic loading conditions. The Street Specifications also state that “Should these levels of service not be achievable, even with additional improvements, The Franklin Municipal Planning Commission and the Board of Mayor and Alderman shall be presented the attainable levels of service. The Development will be subject to approval or disapproval by the Board of Mayor and Alderman based on substandard levels of service.”
In recent times, the City has approved developments, knowing that some of our signalized intersection are failing to meet the LOS “D” minimum standard. Two recent examples of this include Aureum and Avalon Square. Below is a summary of the failed intersections from their Traffic Impact Study:
Avalon Square (Overall Intersection LOS)
• Failed AM LOS at Cool Springs Blvd./Oxford Glen Drive and East McEwen Drive
• Failed AM and PM LOS at E. McEwen Drive and Carothers Parkway
• Failed AM and PM LOS at Cool Springs Blvd. and Carothers Parkway.
Aureum Development (Overall Intersection LOS)
• Failed PM LOS at McEwen Drive at I-65 Interchange
• Failed PM LOS at East McEwen Drive and Tower Circle
• Failed PM LOS at East McEwen Drive at Carothers Pkwy.
Following these two developments, staff quickly recommended to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen that we take on a Cool Springs Area Transportation Network Study. This study will allow staff and the Board to better understand the impacts, associated with approved developments on our transportation network. In addition, this will allow the Board to better visualize the amount of development that is acceptable within the Cool Springs Area. Then, staff can eventually incorporate new land use regulations to help guide development and to ensure that we achieve the Board’s desired level of service while maintaining the quality of life in the Cool Springs Area.
Staff has been working with the East Works Development Team since February of 2016, and we are consistently projecting failure at multiple intersections, not entirely due to the East Works development. If approved by the Board, staff will require some major offsite improvements with this development but it’s important for the Board to understand that these arterial roadways can only handle so much traffic. Many of the intersections and interchanges are being built out to full capacity, and recent traffic projections still show failures at multiple intersections. Without major land/property acquisitions, necessary for connectivity and/or parallel roadway networks, staff will be unable to mitigate traffic impacts in the Cool Springs Area. Staff will continue to move forward with the Cool Springs Area Transportation Network Study, but in the interim, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen will need to provide city staff and the East Works development team some direction on how to proceed with this development. Moving forward, staff will be very intentional about presenting any and all failures to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen to ensure you understand the impacts of develops similar to Aureum, Avalon Squared and East Works.
Financial Impact
No financial impact at this time. Staff is seeking direction from the Board of Mayor and Aldermen.
Recommendation
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No recommendation at this time. Staff and the East Works Development team is seeking direction from the Board of Mayor and Aldermen on how to proceed.