HomeMy WebLinkAbout(3) STILWELL CLOSURE PLANCZTY OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS
PUBLZC WORKS DEPARTMENT
Memorandum
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
SUB3ECT:
Steve Fitzgibbons, City Manager Works ~.,~..~..--
Leslie E. McNahen, P.E., Director of Public
3anuary 3, 2003
Stilwell Closure Plan
As you know, ETSI has completed the traffic impact study for the possible
closure of Stilwell Boulevard between Procter Street and Lakeshore Drive. This
study was jointly funded by the City, PAISD and Lamar College.
The conclusions are as follows:
Closure of Stilwell would benefit both Wilson Middle School and Lamar
College by providing a better school environment and higher level of
pedestrian safety.
Only one of the six major intersections in the area would be affected
adversely by the closure but that would be soltened by traffic from the
east using additional access routes to Wilson rather than concentrating
turning movements near the Lamar and Wilson campuses.
3. 50% of the accidents happening in the study area occur at Procter @
Stilwell and Stilwell @ Lakeshore.
Closure of Stilwell would eliminate dangerous traffic movements at
Stilwell ~ Lakeshore, and reduce the queuing of cars on Procter @
Stilwell.
Closure of Stilwell would enhance student safety dudng evacuation drills
or actual events. The existing traffic signal would have only two phases
under the new plan, one for traffic movements on Lakeshore and one for
pedestrian movements across Lakeshore. The crosswalk across
Lakeshore @ Stilwell would be increased in size and made more
prominent.
Additional parking spaces gained in the area by Lamar College adding off-
street spaces and the relocation of the bus drop-off/pick-up operation
would offset those lost with the closure of Stilwell, The bus operation
relocation would also free up additional spaces on Lakeshore and would
allow for a good car drop-off, parking and pick-up plan.
The best location for the new drop-off/pick-up operation is at the rear of
Wilson on the Seawall Drive. In order to provide proper boarding
orientation, it would be necessary to permanently reverse the flow of
traffic on Seawall Drive. This relocation has the concurrence of PA1~SD
over two other proposed plans.
]~n order to avoid any appearance that Wilson is being isolated when
Stilwell is closed, measures should be taken to include architectural
elements that would carry the theme of the pedestrian plaza across
Lakeshore and onto the Wilson campus.
The closure of Stilwell would not impact the operation of emergency
vehicles as this section of Stilwell in not used as a regular route by such
vehicles. Additionally, access to Gates Library would not be affected and
its surroundings would be enhanced by the pedestrian plaza.
There are a number of quite workable changes and alterations that
would have to be made to accommodate the closure of Stilwell but the
three parties agree that all are worth the benefit to be gained by the
closure, l~mplementation should be put on hold until the PAISD bond
issue is voted on, said bond proposal indicating that Wilson will be
closed, under either the PA]lSD or _lustice Department plan, if the issue
is approved.