Hello and good afternoon everyone. Welcome to the April 16th Traffic Commission agenda. May everyone please stand for the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Um so our first actually we have no public hearings tonight. We only have agenda items.
Agenda item one is going to be tabled until the parking department can finish completing their research for the requested amendment. That brings us on to Oh,
we're going to skip ahead to number 10 and 11 for our favorite Shirley counselor. Amend schedule four of title 10 isolated stop signs by adding the following Walnut Place from I'm sorry at Sar
Street stop sign and we'll start with that one. >> It works. Okay. Proponents. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Appreciate the uh levity and going over this these two items. Um walnut play. You want to do
both of them? >> Yeah, we can do both. Are there any objections to doing both of these in tandem? >> Yeah, we're only asking to refer to a public hearing anyway. >> So, item number 10. >> Walnut walnut place um is first going on to Sar Street. Cars have been flying
right around the corner. not indication that they supposed to slow down. So, we figured if we put a stop sign there, some of the neighbors were complaining about it. So, wish hopefully that could go to a public hearing. And the same thing in Overlook A coming into uh
Campbell A. Um it's u same thing people aren't stopping at Campbell and you just want to let them know they're supposed to stop. So, I think and they are T intersections. They're not four-way intersections. So, it's um just looking
for a public hearing on that for next month and hopefully we can get it in during the summer. >> No, appreciate. >> Thank you. >> I have no objections to this at all. >> Motion to move to a public hearing. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I. >> All those opposed.
>> Item number 10 and 11 from our agenda will be moved to a public hearing. All right, back to item number two. Amend title 10 of the revised ordinance of the city of River. Cat attached. Park Babo.
Mr. Chairman, members of the commission. >> Thank you for coming. Thank you. Thank you for hearing me out. I'm asking to push this to a public hearing. Um the parking department is in the midst of streamlining our appeal process. Uh with this new streamlined process, we have
been diving into title 10. As with the process, we are going to be showing um the reason why the ticket was issued upon appeal decisions. And we wanted to make sure our language within ordinance was formal and easy to understand for the general public as well as there's some old language in that we decided to
remove references of hacknes which we no longer use in this city or exist. Um, so some linguistic issues, refinement of our existing code and some duplicate ordinances that maybe weren't in the right locations. Um, I'd be happy to take on any questions or allow the
commission the time to the public hearing to ask any comm uh questions at that hearing. >> Um, I'll be honest, I haven't read completely through all the changes. So, I think with the uh letter of
recommendation from the solicitor's office, I'm in favor of moving it to a public hearing. I'd also like to be able to digest all the information. >> Absolutely. Just to make sure the commission's aware, anyone watching from the general public or any elected officials, we are not changing anything. We are just making the uh language
better. Uh more housekeeping than anything. >> Okay. Thank you, >> Commission. We have no other proponents or opponents for this one. >> Seeing hearing none. >> Motion to move to a public hearing. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you. All those in favor? I.
>> All those opposed. >> Where am I? I got lost. Item number two from the agenda, we move to a public hearing. That brings us to item number three. Amend schedule 11 of title 10 handicap
person's parking by adding 54 Carlson A. This was on last month's agenda. Since then, the homeowner has uh produced a letter stating the current um the tenant for the downstairs
unit. The door is on the right side of the home. The driveway is on the left. And it is easier for the handicap person to access from the in front of the property rather than the driveway. I'm actually comfortable with moving this to a public
hearing if if anyone else sees fit. Is there any proponents or opponents for this item? Seeing a hearing none. >> Motion move to a public hearing. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second.
>> Thank you. There was actually already a there was a handicap parking sign in this location. It was removed from the previous tenant. Now it's going to go back in the same location. So, I don't think there'll be much of an issue with neighborhood in the area. All right. Uh, all those in favor?
>> I. >> All those opposed. All right. Item number three, move to public hearing. Item number four, request by councelor Garina Sawai that the traffic commission order to a public hearing the following
proposed regulation relative to the right-hand travel lane on river street in the interest of public safety and traffic efficiency and it is schedule 8 parking restrictions generally on the revised ordinance of the city of river hereby
amend by inserting the following location. River Street direction southernly from Sagmore to Northshore Road. No parking anytime. Councelor, >> thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, the section of
River Street has become a consistent source of traffic congestion and a growing public safety concern for its residents, commuters, and emergency responders. I have received multiple constituent complaints regarding excessive delays, unsafe driving
conditions, and difficulty navigating this corridor, particularly during peak travel times as the roadway transitions from one lane into two approaching Northshore Road. The left lane is is designated for left turns and then the
right lane goes straight or goes to the right. There are vehicles parked there. um that inhibits the people from actually going where they need to go. So it creates a traffic jam. Um the presence of the on street parking it
it limits you know the functionality of the roadway itself. So if we get rid of the parking on that side of the road and maybe um find another parking spot for those three vehicles that park out there, it would really move the flow of
traffic. Um that issue further compound compounded by the bus stop that's right there on Sagamore um creates a big traffic jam. So and it's actually not even if we go from
Sagamore then there's the bus stop to where Belleview is on the left that's where the bus stop stops. So maybe from the edge of Belle View on the opposite side of the road down to um Northshore Road is where we should
stop the parking out there. And that would create the flow to just keep going once the bus does what they have to do. Let the people out and just continue going straight ahead. But if there's no vehicles in front of you, you could just go. The traffic will move. >> I tend to agree with you completely.
>> Disagree with me or >> I agree. >> Oh, thank you. So, I think it's actually a good idea to move >> this one forward, but it definitely needs to go to a public hearing and definitely needs to be noticed >> and I appreciate it. So, thank you for listening. >> Yeah, I agree. Thank you, counselor.
>> She definitely has a point. It does make that intersection a lot more difficult when there's two lanes. I'm sorry, when there's one lane versus the potential two we could have without that parking for the left turn, straight or right. I I definitely see what she's saying.
>> Mr. Mr. Chairman, just a point of clarification. Oh, is the area we're talking about the full length from Nosha Road to Sagamore? >> Correct. >> Which is
roughly 500 ft or to Belleview. Okay. >> Right. >> Is is the direction southerntherly? No, it's east. >> Yeah, it's Easter. >> So, I think that might just be a tweak here
>> we need to make. >> Okay. Easterly and we can adjust it from um Belleview. Well, it's no parking anytime Sagore because it's a bus stop regardless. >> I think you can leave Sagamore because that's a bus stop. You can't be parking in the bus stop.
>> There are some bus stop. >> There are. Or is it referring to the southerntherly side of the street? In which case she then it's accurately written. >> No direction. Oh, >> right. But heading east direction is easterly. >> Direction is easterly. >> Either way, what she meant I agree with.
So, let's make sure we get the words right. >> Thank you. >> Uh, Mr. Chairman, is there a quantification of how much how many parking spots are going to be removed? >> Well, we'll have to find out exactly. >> I think it's a significant amount.
>> Mhm. There's a significant amount there that that we're going to lose out on. And I'm just concerned where the those people that are parking are going to where they're going to park if they are not allowed to park there. >> Okay. Well, between now and the public hearing, let's figure out the actual
amount of spaces that we're going to be. >> That's that's true as well. >> Mr. Chairman, members of the commission, um I understand the the idea behind it. I think it would be helpful, but I don't want to screw the pooch at the same time as there is a good amount of parking space on River Street. Re Street is
overnight residential parking where Sagamore, Belleview, and Ford are 247 residential parking. You have a lot of multif family dwellings in this section of River Street. Um, I'm sure there are driveways. Maybe the tenants aren't letting the maybe the homeowners aren't letting the tenants use the driveways,
which is push them on the street. But the additional streets in this area don't have the capacity to handle this. And there is no flexibility if we take away the parking on River Street, which is overnight. There is no flexibility for the 114 units that are coming online at the corner of uh Ford and River
Street. And I'm sure they'll be getting deliveries, things like that along with the other residents in the neighborhood. So, if we remove parking this section, Uber Eatats, pizza deliveries, grandma coming over, there's only so many options to park. Um, I just don't want to see us hurting our residents while
trying to fix some traffic in this area. Uh, there's going to be a a motion coming up for another street looking to go to 24/7 because they're having a parking issue. Um, it's kind of the same thing. We're taking away some flexibility. So, I'm not for against this. I completely understand the idea. I think we just need to be thoughtful
along the way. That's all. >> Yeah, I I completely understand you're saying like the building that's coming up will not have any on street parking regardless. I do agree with you though. I'm not in favor of the 24-hour reser
only parking areas is I see that creates a lot of issues when it comes to maintenance or deliveries or friends even coming over to their homes. I think that's that that can be a little extensive. But >> if you don't mind, may I add um the
parking that we are discussing is on Revia Street, but it's on the right side of the street. the building is going to the left side of the street and it does have its own parking underneath. So I don't think it's two different it's two different thing. There's only three to
five cars that park there continuously. I've actually stopped by there on numerous occasions and taken pictures just to see what vehicles are there so I can actually speak to all these people and try to find them ample parking. >> Thank you. Yep.
>> Thank you. I still tend to agree. >> All legitimate things to consider and all the more recent I think to send it to a public hearing so we can all think through together and talk with the community about some of these issues. >> So on that fair motion to send this to a
public hearing. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. All those in favor? All those opposed. City engineer did not vote. So item number four in the agenda will
move to a public hearing. Thank you. Item number five and item number six actually go hand in hand. So we're going to bring those as one. Amend schedule five of title 10
one-way streets by adding Jennese Street northbound from oh sorry two in the direction to mountain A one way and then amend schedule five title 10 oneway street by
adding Furnest Street southbound to Park A one way. Are there any proponents or opponents for this item? >> Mr. Mr. Jim, if I may. >> Yes. >> Uh, this was um
uh put into the or requested uh by myself um as a resident in that area. Um the reason that we have u both streets is to have one in one direction, one in the other. Uh all the streets in this area,
especially during the winter time, they get really tight. It's very difficult to have um two cars passing um at the same time. And I've seen especially over the um you know this past winter with a lot of the snow um a lot of problems um in
that um in those types of situations and then also just uh in general with uh snow removal and things like that. Um some of the streets that are there already uh are alternating um one way north, one way
south. Um there are a few that are you know they go the same direction two in a row and then there's two more streets that go two in a row uh the opposite way. Uh this is suggested in to try to kind of go in
that same uh pattern. Um and that's why you see it as one in one direction and one in the other. Uh but I'm in for uh in um support of this mostly because of um you know the limited space uh for
cars to to get by um going each direction. >> Thank you. Well, I can definitely testify to the fact that it is difficult to go have a two-way street when you're plowing on these roads from this winter. But um are there any other
proponents or opponents on this item? I have no issue with moving into a public hearing. I think everyone should we should definitely get this out there very well. Social media, everything else. I like people to be able to come down and state their opinion on this one.
Especially with that end of um River Street the council is asking for as well. I want to push this out a little bit more ways than just the newspaper posting that we normally do. I think it's a good idea, >> Mr. Jim. And one other thing is um so these are
>> two of the last streets that are not uh that have not previously been designated as a oneway. >> Okay. Awesome. >> So they're one of the last few that um need to be addressed. >> Okay. Thank you. Are there any motions from the commission?
>> Motion to send a public hearing. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you. All those in favor? I >> all those opposed. All right. Item number five and six will be moved to public hearing. Item number seven, amend schedule nine
of title 10 on the river. I'm sorry. Can >> we take seven, eight, and nine together? >> 7 8 9. Yeah, they're all 24-hour parking enforcement. >> Okay.
So, the three items listed are 24-hour enforcement hereby amended inserting the following streets. Bait Street, Douglas Street, Shirtlift Street, both sides, entire length, 24-hour parking enforcement, residents only.
>> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Angela Garino Sai, Ward 5 counselor. Um, all right. I'm just going to give you a little bit of background of what's happening. Shirtless Street, another budding um streets to the Hianda restaurant is what I'm
trying to discuss tonight. I want to explain the intent behind this request and why um I submitted it. This is not an effort to penalize the Hianda and I want to make sure that they they're aware of this, but this business is part of our community and the concern is not
about the restaurant itself. The issue we are addressing is the repeated behavior of the small a small amount of patrons who are using the surrounding residential streets as overflow parking and as gathering area after leaving the establishment. Residents on Stiff
Street, Bates Street, and Douglas Street have been dealing with ongoing problems for years. Um, these include non-residential vehicles parking directly in front of their homes, leaving residents without access to parking on their own street. In addition, there have been consistent
reports of individ individuals congregating outside vehicles late at night well after the restaurant closes, loud music, and cars leaving the area with radios blasting at excessive volumes well after hours. These
disturbances are waking residents and creating an ongoing quality of life issue in what are strictly residential neighborhoods. These are residential streets. Riviera Street is not, but but that those streets are residential. I
have personally spoken with Aldo and Walter and appreciate the efforts that they've made to try to um discourage this behavior from from their patrons, but unfortunately the activity comes continues and
it it's occurring offsite after the hours of the restaurants have, you know, have ceased. Um, this is why I'm requesting the 24-hour no parking restrictions um on these specific streets along with the
coordination of the police department who have been coming out there a lot lately um with with all the complaints and stuff, especially during the evening and overnight hours. There's actually been fights. There have actually been bottles thrown in the middle of the streets. Um it it it needs to stop.
People don't need to live like that. And I understand it's not the restaurant's fault, but I have to look out for the residents that live on these streets and all the calls that I have received. So, if if there's something that this commission could do to try to make this
a 247 um no parking, I would appreciate it. >> Just quick question. Yes. Why 24hour? Why not overnight? >> It is overnight now. >> Overnight residents only. >> Yeah. >> Right. If you don't have 24 hour, every street
in the city is over. >> Yeah, >> but it's So, what are the hours where they're having the issues? Isn't the hours >> they show up if they go to the restaurant and say 5:00 at night, the restaurant doesn't close till 1 2:00 in the morning. They stay there all night long. >> They should be getting ticketed if
that's the case. At that, you know, >> well, why? If it's after midnight, then they can go buy and ticket, which they have uh recently, but they're still parked there all night. People come home from work, they have nowhere to park. They can't go
park in the restaurant's parking lot. >> No, I understand. >> But these other residents, these other um the restaurant goers can't. >> I I see what you're trying to achieve here, and I do I really understand. I just like these 24-hour >> I do have a resident that would like to
speak as well because he's directly impacted. >> One second. Let me just explain what I was going to say though. The residents I feel like when we do these 24-hour parking enforcements then the residents themselves end up getting penalized because then it's like Zach was saying the delivery drivers we
get calls about like their a plumber came to their house to do work. The plumber gets a ticket. friends and family. No one can stop by to visit for 15 minutes, 10 minutes, half hour without getting a ticket. I I see the
goal. I just I feel like it might be an easier step to deal with the homeowner direct. I'm sorry, the >> the restaurant directly. See if they can find a way to coach their >> park get make an agreement with St. Anthony. That's what I've asked for. I've asked for
>> like this is like the last thing you know. >> I know. But I'm at that stage right now that I have requested that they get a um valet person and make an agreement with with St. Anony's.
>> Yeah. >> And if they make that agreement with St. Anony's, they could park there. >> Yeah. >> And but they said that St. Anony's doesn't even really want to talk about that. But I I offered to go with them to
speak with somebody at St. anony's and just give them, you know, a nominal fee, whatever they want for parking there. You know, I I just I don't know what else to do. And I I feel badly for the residents who cannot go home and park in front of their homes. It's just not right. Or that they have to be woken up
by people blaring their music outside and it's just not fair. >> I agree. >> You know, I know how I would be if this was in front of my house. I'd be calling the police every two seconds. >> I I completely understand. >> Thank you. Sir, would you like to come up and just name and address for the
record, please? >> My name is Randy Redaze. I live at 31 Charlotte Street. >> Um, this has been an ongoing thing and it seems to be escalating. Um, my concern is um there's a couple of issues. The overflow from the restaurant
and it's it's pretty much all week long, but Thursday through Sunday seems to be the big bulk of it. Um, and there are some neighbors I know that work um you know, two hours a night. me and my son at one works at action. So he comes home around midnight, 12:30
six out of 10 times, maybe a lenient number that there's nowhere to park when he comes home. Um sometimes forced to block the end of our driveway or down the street, top of the street, maybe next street over parking. >> Um this has been ongoing. There's been
confrontation with people. I have called, you know, the police department and and then they came down. Um, the one for instance, last night he came home at 12:00, nowhere to park. He parked a couple houses up. This morning he woke up, went outside to his car, and the neighbors out there yelling and screaming at him, calling him all kinds
of names, tell him he doesn't belong there. I mean, I we've been there since 2007. And um, so it's just like that's just one example of what we're dealing with. But the I had to go out there last week at 1:30 in the morning because it the street was so congested. There was
nowhere. People were coming down trying to park, double parking >> in front of my house. I have a small little curb in between the two driveways. It's really not a parking spot. They're trying to park there. They're hanging in my driveway. And I'm out there trying to direct at 1:30 in the morning and they can't sleep. And then after it's over, you know, people
are yelling at you. I call the police. I go inside. They come down. Most of the time you call you call them, they come and the people are already gone and they can't even be addressed. You know, it's just so much activity over there. >> Um and I've been out there. I've called the restaurant myself to tell them. They said they're making an announcement, but
the cars don't move and they're just there. I don't know where these cars are going to go. You know, they there's just they have to have a place to put them with the patrons that they have in the restaurant. It seems not to be enough parking for their vehicles. And we're forced as neighbors. Now, we're fighting
amongst each other because there's not enough spots for everybody. There is a lot of residents on the street, but if it was residents only, >> we can manage that. But when there's cars coming in now, we're all fighting amongst each other because we're parking in each other's spots. I mean, we try to honor each other, >> you know, try not to stay on my spot.
But now, now there's going to be confrontations and we're trying to avoid that. On top of people so congested there, you can't move around, >> deliveries, whatever. They're in the middle of the street and you can hear people beeping. This goes on all hours of the night in the double parking on
each corner on the top. You can't even get around the corner. And if there's a, god forbid, there's an emergency, a car can barely squeeze through there, you know, and um it's just a very congested street and definitely needs to be addressed. There are no signs right there at from the first half or 3/4 of
the street, there is no resident parking signs at all. There's two down the bottom. >> So, nobody's even aware of it >> if they come down there and look. I know when I pull up to a a street, a parking lot, I look for resident parking, especially in a different city, you know, but there's nothing there that even says it, you know. So now all the
neighbors including myself, we're out there all hours of the night trying to say you can't park there, you don't park there and you don't get any cooperation pretty much getting confrontation. >> So do do you um just your opinion, do you believe that the 24 hours necessary or is it the overnight is it just the
lack of signs for the overnight parking? I don't think that the the signs from 12:00 to 6:00 or 7 o'clock in the morning, whatever it is, is going to work because the problem is before that. It goes over till sometimes 2:00 in the morning
>> and by the time you know, everybody has a job. The parking department been great. You call them, they they're not like waiting just for Sheriff Street. They have other streets they have to deal with. >> And a lot of times you call and I'm up. I'm wide awake. >> I'm calling and they come, the people are gone. Just cars are just going back
and forth. It's just it's a very busy street because of the restaurant and I'm a business owner. I have Patriot Taxi in Re. I don't want to, you know, it's not about the business. It's just about where do they put the these cars cuz it's affecting us. >> Mhm. >> You know, and
there's not they also I I have to say I believe that lot has other like items in it. They might be like leasing out spaces to their lot across the street too. That might be something we should look into as well. >> Yeah. Yeah. And I was I was going to ask
too is it if this is something maybe for the license commission to become aware of if they're carrying on um you know after hours and in the streets and and things like that then that might be something for the license commission to um be aware of and kind of get some information.
>> True. >> All right. Well, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate it. >> Yes. What if we do um no parking from 6:00 p.m. on? >> Would that s What do you mean no parking? >> Yeah, like resident only parking from
6:00 p.m. on. >> Is there a schedule for that already or no? We have to make one. We'd have to make a new one. >> I think that may solve the problem. >> I was wondering >> and not do 24/7. I just don't know if it's if it's available for us to adopt or
>> it's not. We'd have to we'd have to add it into the schedule. >> Okay. >> But it may help other streets as well that are surrounded by restaurants. Do you know what I mean? Might help other residents in the future.
>> All right, let me um >> Thank you. Do you mind if I I think we might have to table it just to get the right um >> language here. >> The resident agrees. >> Yeah. You think that would be beneficial to 6 p.m.? >> I think so. Plenty of signs.
>> Okay. All right. Well, let's table this until we can get that actually added into the schedule. >> All three. Correct. >> Mr. Chairman, motion to table seven, eight, and nine of the agenda. >> Thank you. Is there a second? Second. All those in favor.
>> All those opposed. >> Item number seven, eight, and nine will be tabled till we can figure out the correct language. Last item, item number 12, amends schedule 11 of title 10 handicap persons parking by
removing 54 Eastern A. I think this item speaks for the self. Um the disabilities director um Ralph Tico requested oh actually got an
email that the resident that requested this handicap sign no longer lives in the area and has moved thus it can be removed off the schedule. >> Motion to move to a public hearing. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> All those in favor?
>> I. >> All those opposed. Item number 12 will be moved to public hearing. >> Mr. Chairman, >> yes. >> Motion to adjurnn. >> Is there a second? >> Second.
>> Thank you. Meeting adjourned.