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HomeMy WebLinkAbout6/16/2026 Item 7d, Finger Helene Finger <helenefinger@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, June To:E-mail Council Website Subject:City Council Meeting, June 16, 2026, item 7d Attachments:16June2026.pdf Dear Mayor Stewart and Council Members, I see that much correspondence on agenda item 7d has been received from post card recipients who live on King Court, but I ask you to equally consider impacts on those who did not receive a post card, but will be affected. You are being asked by King Court residents to address their transportation concerns about making a left turn onto South Street. This is similar to Lawton/Funston residents at recent meetings asking you to address their concerns about traffic cutting off South Street and through their neighborhood. It is best practices and City policy to identify and analyze all viable alternatives to address their concerns, including looking at each alternative’s broader impacts (both positive and negative). I implore you to not skip this step for King Court turning concerns. It won’t take long and it is well worth the effort. As the staff report explains, a warrant gives permission to put a signal at a location, it doesn’t evaluate whether a signal is the appropriate or best solution. The staff report also stated that a PHB was selected for families crossing here because a full signal at King Court will have significantly more impact on traffic delays on South Street. As shown throughout our city, this will induce traffic to turn right onto Exposition Street when drivers see the backup from the left turn signal. No analysis of this impact, nor its mitigation is being considered. It is ironic that letters request a “holistic” evaluation, but then only consider one solution and the impact only to them. Finishing this SRTS project as is, does not preclude the installation of a left turn signal later (at minimal cost and time). Furthermore, there are significant financial, safety and quality of life costs beyond King Court that will be created by rushing to the wrong or incomplete solution. I ask you to resist the artificial time pressure being placed on you to: skip alternatives analysis and sole source a solution with unmitigated negative impacts. As commonly quoted, “If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” A signal warrant may identify one possible solution, but it is not an alternatives analysis, nor the only solution. Before spending money on something other than the best “holistic” solution to the left turn delays, the City should evaluate all options (I can think of four) and their broader impacts. 1 Please support moving forward with installing the PHB as is and addressing King Court left turn concerns with a thorough engineering study - not jumping to installation of a full traffic signal now without appropriate mitigation measures for the negative impacts in the broader neighborhood. Thank you, Helene Finger 2 Dear Mayor Stewart and Council Members, I see that much correspondence on agenda item 7d has been received from post card recipients who live on King Court, but I ask you to equally consider impacts on those who did not receive a post card, but will be affected. You are being asked by King Court residents to address their transportation concerns about making a left turn onto South Street. This is similar to Lawton/Funston residents at recent meetings asking you to address their concerns about traffic cutting off South Street and through their neighborhood. It is best practices and City policy to identify and analyze all viable alternatives to address their concerns, including looking at each alternative’s broader impacts (both positive and negative). I implore you to not skip this step for King Court turning concerns. It won’t take long and it is well worth the effort. As the staff report explains, a warrant gives permission to put a signal at a location, it doesn’t evaluate whether a signal is the appropriate or best solution. The staff report also stated that a PHB was selected for families crossing here because a full signal at King Court will have significantly more impact on traffic delays on South Street. As shown throughout our city, this will induce traffic to turn right onto Exposition Street when drivers see the backup from the left turn signal. No analysis of this impact, nor its mitigation is being considered. It is ironic that letters request a “holistic” evaluation, but then only consider one solution and the impact only to them. Finishing this SRTS project as is, does not preclude the installation of a left turn signal later (at minimal cost and time). Furthermore, there are significant financial, safety and quality of life costs beyond King Court that will be created by rushing to the wrong or incomplete solution. I ask you to resist the artificial time pressure being placed on you to: skip alternatives analysis and sole source a solution with unmitigated negative impacts. As commonly quoted, “If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” A signal warrant may identify one possible solution, but it is not an alternatives analysis, nor the only solution. Before spending money on something other than the best “holistic” solution to the left turn delays, the City should evaluate all options (I can think of four) and their broader impacts. Please support moving forward with installing the PHB as is and addressing King Court left turn concerns with a thorough engineering study - not jumping to installation of a full traffic signal now without appropriate mitigation measures for the negative impacts in the broader neighborhood. Thank you, Helene Finger