City Council Work Session Municipal Court and Council Chambers 14455 W. Van Buren St., Suite B101 Goodyear, AZ 85338 |
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CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Lord called the Work Session to order at 5:00 p.m.
ROLL CALL
- Present:
- Mayor Georgia Lord; Vice Mayor Bill Stipp; Councilmember Joe Pizzillo; Councilmember Sheri Lauritano; Councilmember Wally Campbell; Councilmember Brannon Hampton; Councilmember Laura Kaino
- Staff Present:
- City Manager Julie Arendall; City Attorney Roric Massey; City Clerk Darcie McCracken
| AGENDA ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION |
1.
CAMELBACK ROAD CORRIDOR ASSESSMENT REPORT
Senior Project Manager Tony Humphrey presented an update on the Camelback Road Corridor Assessment Report.
Mr. Humphrey discussed the background of the Camelback Road Project. He stated a consultant was hired to study the Camelback Corridor to identify access points and make sure future development was safe. He noted that the City of Goodyear (Goodyear) had worked with other municipalities who had a vested interest along the corridor. The municipalities included, the City of Glendale (Glendale), City of Litchfield Park (Litchfield Park), Maricopa County (County), Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), and the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG).
Mr. Humphrey provided the details of the corridor that stretched from Loop 303 to Litchfield Road. He added that according to the Master Plan, Camelback Road was considered a major arterial street. Mr. Humphrey also spoke about the details of the traffic analysis that was conducted in late July 2020.
Mr. Humphrey explained the Access Management Plan (Plan) that included the identification and potential use of driveways. He added that the Plan provided the location of future intersections based on traffic volumes and developments.
Mr. Humphrey spoke about the outreach and the projected preliminary engineering costs that were broken down into three different elements. The elements were: Design Engineering, Right-of-Way and Easement Costs, and Construction. The cost of the project totaled $56 million.
Mr. Humphrey explained the challenges that were encountered for this project such as the interagency coordination, drainage, irrigation, utility relocations, and land acquisition.
Council inquired about the interagency cooperation. City Manager Julie Arendall responded that staff had been working together with the agencies, and that she had also met with her peers at Glendale and Litchfield Park. She stated that the City’s partners were at a moment in time where they had different reasons for their position and were requesting the project be built as a two lane, median, two lane road (2-median-2). She added that the City’s partners at Litchfield Park did not support this project being a major arterial roadway and wanted to keep the traffic counts lower in their community. She also explained that Glendale requested the roadway be a 2-median-2 and if the traffic counts were to come to fruition, the road could be expanded.
Ms. Arendall explained that staff moved forward based on the Council’s preference to perform a full build-out from the Loop 303 to Litchfield Road. She stated that it was a complex project due to all the ownership issues and partners involved. She described three options for possible direction. The first option would be to have the study move forward with the 2-median-2 along the entire corridor. The second option would be to build a three-lane roadway on the south side of the road, which was the Goodyear side, until the road reached the Litchfield Park border and then minimize the road to two lanes on the north and south side. The third option would be to have three lanes on both sides, but Goodyear would have to cover the cost of Glendale's portion of the road, which was the north side.
Council asked if there was interest in a bike lane. Ms. Arendall replied that she was not aware of any bike lane conversations. City Traffic Engineer Hugh Bigalk stated that there had not been any conversations regarding bike lanes with the partners, however, a bike lane was Goodyear’s standard for an arterial roadway. He added that a bike lane would be installed in Goodyear’s portion of the roadway.
Council expressed that they would rather have a three-lane road on both the north and south sides, but would agree to the 2-median-2 design, if that was what the partners preferred.
Council felt that a bike lane may not belong on Camelback Road due to safety concerns.
Council also expressed their opposition to building a third lane on Glendale's side of the road and having to pick up the cost.
Council asked what McDowell Road looked like from a traffic count perspective and how it compared to what Camelback Road would look like. Mr. Humphrey emphasized that Camelback Road was a regional corridor that stretched 39-miles from the City of Buckeye to the City of Scottsdale. He stated that Estrella Parkway from Van Buren Street to the Interstate 10 (I-10) and Litchfield Road from McDowell to the I-10 were examples of roads with high volume traffic counts.
Council asked if there was any cost savings in expanding the road now. Mr. Humphrey replied that today’s dollar was a lot cheaper than a future dollar. He added that this project was not intended to acquire land as it was perceived by one of the partners, but instead, was to improve the roadway. He said as traffic reached future thresholds, it would be difficult to place a value on those counts.
Council asked if there were triggers that would cause Glendale to agree to the third lane. Mr. Humphrey replied that they have not had those types of conversations.
Discussion continued on the corridor being built out to three lanes on each side, but with the partners paying for their share of the road. Council also discussed the truck restriction signs and routes, traffic counts, and the inability to add more lanes to Camelback Road east of Goodyear.
Ms. Arendall stated that she understood that some of the Council felt three lanes was ideal, but she was relatively confident that Glendale believed three lanes would be appropriate at some point in the future and that Litchfield Park would not move from their position of the 2-median-2 design.
Ms. Arendall stated that if Council was agreeable, staff would move forward with the 2-median-2 design, work through an intergovernmental agreement, and make sure to keep traffic flowing as much as possible with the 2-median-2 design.
Mr. Humphrey discussed the background of the Camelback Road Project. He stated a consultant was hired to study the Camelback Corridor to identify access points and make sure future development was safe. He noted that the City of Goodyear (Goodyear) had worked with other municipalities who had a vested interest along the corridor. The municipalities included, the City of Glendale (Glendale), City of Litchfield Park (Litchfield Park), Maricopa County (County), Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), and the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG).
Mr. Humphrey provided the details of the corridor that stretched from Loop 303 to Litchfield Road. He added that according to the Master Plan, Camelback Road was considered a major arterial street. Mr. Humphrey also spoke about the details of the traffic analysis that was conducted in late July 2020.
Mr. Humphrey explained the Access Management Plan (Plan) that included the identification and potential use of driveways. He added that the Plan provided the location of future intersections based on traffic volumes and developments.
Mr. Humphrey spoke about the outreach and the projected preliminary engineering costs that were broken down into three different elements. The elements were: Design Engineering, Right-of-Way and Easement Costs, and Construction. The cost of the project totaled $56 million.
Mr. Humphrey explained the challenges that were encountered for this project such as the interagency coordination, drainage, irrigation, utility relocations, and land acquisition.
Council inquired about the interagency cooperation. City Manager Julie Arendall responded that staff had been working together with the agencies, and that she had also met with her peers at Glendale and Litchfield Park. She stated that the City’s partners were at a moment in time where they had different reasons for their position and were requesting the project be built as a two lane, median, two lane road (2-median-2). She added that the City’s partners at Litchfield Park did not support this project being a major arterial roadway and wanted to keep the traffic counts lower in their community. She also explained that Glendale requested the roadway be a 2-median-2 and if the traffic counts were to come to fruition, the road could be expanded.
Ms. Arendall explained that staff moved forward based on the Council’s preference to perform a full build-out from the Loop 303 to Litchfield Road. She stated that it was a complex project due to all the ownership issues and partners involved. She described three options for possible direction. The first option would be to have the study move forward with the 2-median-2 along the entire corridor. The second option would be to build a three-lane roadway on the south side of the road, which was the Goodyear side, until the road reached the Litchfield Park border and then minimize the road to two lanes on the north and south side. The third option would be to have three lanes on both sides, but Goodyear would have to cover the cost of Glendale's portion of the road, which was the north side.
Council asked if there was interest in a bike lane. Ms. Arendall replied that she was not aware of any bike lane conversations. City Traffic Engineer Hugh Bigalk stated that there had not been any conversations regarding bike lanes with the partners, however, a bike lane was Goodyear’s standard for an arterial roadway. He added that a bike lane would be installed in Goodyear’s portion of the roadway.
Council expressed that they would rather have a three-lane road on both the north and south sides, but would agree to the 2-median-2 design, if that was what the partners preferred.
Council felt that a bike lane may not belong on Camelback Road due to safety concerns.
Council also expressed their opposition to building a third lane on Glendale's side of the road and having to pick up the cost.
Council asked what McDowell Road looked like from a traffic count perspective and how it compared to what Camelback Road would look like. Mr. Humphrey emphasized that Camelback Road was a regional corridor that stretched 39-miles from the City of Buckeye to the City of Scottsdale. He stated that Estrella Parkway from Van Buren Street to the Interstate 10 (I-10) and Litchfield Road from McDowell to the I-10 were examples of roads with high volume traffic counts.
Council asked if there was any cost savings in expanding the road now. Mr. Humphrey replied that today’s dollar was a lot cheaper than a future dollar. He added that this project was not intended to acquire land as it was perceived by one of the partners, but instead, was to improve the roadway. He said as traffic reached future thresholds, it would be difficult to place a value on those counts.
Council asked if there were triggers that would cause Glendale to agree to the third lane. Mr. Humphrey replied that they have not had those types of conversations.
Discussion continued on the corridor being built out to three lanes on each side, but with the partners paying for their share of the road. Council also discussed the truck restriction signs and routes, traffic counts, and the inability to add more lanes to Camelback Road east of Goodyear.
Ms. Arendall stated that she understood that some of the Council felt three lanes was ideal, but she was relatively confident that Glendale believed three lanes would be appropriate at some point in the future and that Litchfield Park would not move from their position of the 2-median-2 design.
Ms. Arendall stated that if Council was agreeable, staff would move forward with the 2-median-2 design, work through an intergovernmental agreement, and make sure to keep traffic flowing as much as possible with the 2-median-2 design.
| ADJOURNMENT |
There being no further business to discuss, Mayor Lord adjourned the Work Session at 5:48 p.m.
| __________________________ Darcie McCracken, City Clerk |
__________________________ Georgia Lord, Mayor |
Date:___________________ |