title
EASEMENT E-1516-18: A PERMANENT PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENT FOR THE BOYD STREET AND UNIVERSITY BOULEVARD TRAFFIC SIGNAL REPLACEMENT PROGRAM (FEDERAL AID PROJECT STPG 114C(200)AG. STAT JOB NO. 24285(04).
body
BACKGROUND: The 2012 - Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) federal transportation funding bill allocates approximately $21 Million in Federal funds per year for the implementation of eligible transportation improvements in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. New traffic signals along federal functionally classified roads are eligible for 100% federal funding.
The existing traffic signal at the intersection of Boyd Street and University Boulevard is the oldest in Norman. It was installed in the 1950’s and is no longer structurally sound. The location of the existing poles, as they relate to the pedestrian wheel chair ramps and push buttons, are also out of compliance with current American with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements for accessibility. For these reasons, the signal needs to be replaced.
On February 13, 2007, City Council adopted resolution R-0607-86 requesting federal funds for the construction of a new traffic signal and its interconnection to signals along Boyd Street, between Berry Road and Classen Boulevard. Attachment No. 1 presents a location map of the project.
The project was submitted to the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments (ACOG) with a request to include it in the Regional Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP). This request was approved in June of 2015 by both the Intermodal Technical and Policy Committees of ACOG. Transportation federal safety funds ($472,000) to pay for 100% of the construction cost have been secured in Federal Fiscal Year 2016. The City has budgeted an additional $25,000 to upgrade the signal poles from the galvanized steel ordinary look to the decorative style of the signal at the Boyd Street and Asp Avenue intersection. This upgrade, which cannot be funded with federal safety funds, is necessary in order to match the existing aesthetic theme of traffic control appurtenances in the Campus Corner area (e.g., traffic signal and street light poles).
The project is scheduled to be bid by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation on June 16, 2016. Installation of the new traffic signal is anticipated to begin in the fall of 2016 and be completed by the end of calendar year 2016. The new traffic signal and associated pedestrian controls and facilities (e.g., pedestrian push buttons, sidewalks, wheel chair ramps and crosswalks) will be fully accessible to disabled users.
DISCUSSION: While preparing construction plans for this work, staff discovered that there is not enough City right-of-way along the south side of Boyd Street for the placement of the traffic signal poles and underground wiring. The City only has 22.5 feet of right of way along the south side of Boyd Street measured from the center line of Boyd Street. This right-of-way line is defined by the back of the existing curb. In fact, the existing signal poles installed more than sixty years ago are on property currently owned by the University of Oklahoma.
In order to proceed with the work, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation is requiring that the City secure the necessary traffic signal easement.
An easement document that describes the area needed for the construction of the project and future maintenance of the new traffic signal was prepared and presented to the University of Oklahoma with a request to consider granting of said easement (Easement E-1516-18), which can be seen in Attachment No. 2. Attachment 3 shows a rendering of the easement.
The Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma met on January 28, 2016, and approved the City’s request (see Attachment 4).
Attachment No. 5 provides a summary table of the easement details.
RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends acceptance of Easement E-1516-18 by City Council.