Information for You

How much do you know about your property?	Special Assesments for Public Improvements	Avoiding Parking Tickets	Speed Limts: How are They Set?
What You Need to Know About Children at Play	Left Turn Traffic Signals	Stop Signs	Pedestrian Signals
Traffic Safety Tips	Traffic Signals: When and Why They are Used

FAQ 

Q: In my neighborhood, we don't have sidewalks and the school children have to go into the street to walk to school. Does the City have a program for sidewalks?

A: There are still many residential areas in Salina that do not have sidewalks. Most of these neighborhoods were developed before 1980, which is the year the City adopted mandatory sidewalk standards. Areas developed before that time had the option of installing sidewalks or not. That is the reason that one block might have sidewalks, but the next block might not. Areas developed since 1980 will have sidewalks on both sides of the street.

We do have a program for constructing sidewalks along those streets that are designated to carry high traffic volumes. This includes streets such as Ohio, Crawford and Santa Fe. In most cases, neighborhood sidewalks would not qualify for this sidewalk program because residential streets are generally less traveled.

In order to have sidewalks built in a residential area such as yours, the project could be initiated and financed by those property owners who would receive the benefit. City staff is always happy to assist any neighborhood in project design and special assessment financing options for such a project.

Any additional questions regarding sidewalks should be directed to the City Engineering and General Services Department at 309-5725.
(March 2009)

Q:  Why do side streets not have flashing lights for their school zone signs?

A:  Beacons serve a useful purpose where the flashing light is used to alert drivers of unusual conditions that are not readily apparent, such as obstructions in the roadway, uncommon roadway conditions, narrow bridges, or unusual conditions hidden from motorists’ view. At intersections, the MUTCD states:

“Beacons are intended for use . . . where traffic or physical condition do not justify conventional traffic signals but where high crash rates indicate a special hazard.”

For any beacon to be effective, it must command the respect of the motoring public. In other words, immediately after seeing the beacon, the driver must consistently see an unusual condition that is being singled out for attention.  Furthermore, the motorist should view the condition as serious enough to justify the special treatment provided by the beacon.

When beacons are used improperly or installed at too many locations they soon lose much of their effectiveness. They simply cease to command the respect of the drivers. After continually being alerted to a condition, which seldom, if ever, appears unusual, drivers actually stop “seeing” the beacon.  When this happens, beacons which are truly needed may well be disregarded by drivers who have become conditioned to believe that beacons are just “window dressing.” Because of this normal human reaction, even one improper installation greatly reduces the effectiveness of beacons at locations where they may be beneficial in increasing driver awareness. When seen with a systemwide perspective, it is apparent that the needless or excessive installation of beacons tends to "water-down" the effectiveness of this important traffic control device.

The Kansas Department of Transportation strives for standardization of traffic control, thus meeting driver expectations. When drivers see beacons at locations that do not have any unusual characteristics, beacons begin to lose their effectiveness in the minds of drivers.  In school zones beacons may also give pedestrians, children and their parents a false sense of security. Quite often communities request beacons in the belief that they will improve crossing safety, rather than attempting to solve the underlying problems. For example, there may be no established route to and from school, no pedestrian safety program, or no adult crossing guards. Some parents and school districts believe the entire responsibility for crossing safety lies in the traffic control devices and not in themselves or the children. Children will not automatically be more visible to drivers merely because a beacon is in place. Choosing an appropriate time to cross is the pedestrian’s responsibility.

A common misconception is that a beacon, when used alone or in conjunction with a speed or warning sign, will slow down traffic. Drivers tend to drive at a speed that they perceive to be safe based on their surroundings, such as width of pavement, roadway features, (i.e. curves) and type and number of developments.  Still, a speed study may be conducted to ascertain whether the installation of beacons may be beneficial.
(March 2009)

Q:  Can the City install stop or yield signs at my intersection?

A:  Stop signs may be warranted by high speeds, restricted view, or crash history.  However, stop signs specifically are not to be used for speed control. Yield signs may be used instead of stop signs if: the ability to see traffic is sufficient to allow traffic to pass through the intersection or stop in a reasonably safe manner; or a special problem exists where engineering judgment indicates the problem may be solved by use of the yield sign. Following a request for stop or yield signs, the City’s engineering division typically:

• Checks to see if the intersection has the sight distances required by Salina Code, which for an unsignalized intersection equates to a triangle with 60 foot legs along each approach to the intersection;
• Examines police records to see if the accident history shows a pattern of accidents that may be corrected with stop or yield signs;
• Counts traffic to determine which approaches should be stop or yield controlled, providing one of the criteria warrants the installation of signs;
•  Seeks approval from the City Commission to install the signs;
• Installs the proper signs.

The City has established their own criteria for the numbers of accidents that warrant installation of signs:

• Two or more accidents in each of the last three years;
• A total of six accidents in the last three years;
• Five or more accidents in any one of the last three years.

The full criteria for installing stop and yield signs can be found in the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), which is available for free on the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) website.  The Salina Code can be found on the City of Salina’s website. 
(March 2009)

Q:  Can we change the signals at my intersection to flashing red/yellow during late night and early morning hours?

A:  Signals are warranted at an intersection when the intersection’s traffic volumes reach a certain level for a portion of the average day.  Late night and early morning hour volumes often do not warrant signals, thus the question.

Flashing red/yellow operations have an inherent operational difficulty – drivers approaching the intersection do not know what indications drivers from other approaches are seeing.  For example, a driver approaching the intersection sees a yellow light, doesn’t know if the driver on the intersecting street is seeing a red light or a yellow light, and generally ends up stopping anyway just to be safe.

Still, might a red/red flashing indication be feasible?  The City signals at one time were set to flash red/red during the late night and early morning hours, and City personnel found that there was no significant benefit to the flashing mode and a slightly increased  risk of more accidents.  Therefore, the City believes it is in the best interests of the citizens of Salina to maintain the traffic signals in their normal operations at all times of the day.
(March 2009)

Q:  Why aren’t there more bicycle lanes on City streets?

A:  Bicycle lanes on City streets create more pavement that the City must build and maintain, and it causes bicyclists to be closer to traffic where they may be injured or killed.  Bicycle lanes on multi-use “bike/hike” paths are less expensive to build and maintain because the paths are thinner concrete or asphalt and don’t experience heavy traffic like roadway pavements.

Implementing greater pedestrian and bicycle connectivity is an element that is currently being considered for the City’s Comprehensive Plan.  If it is in the final adopted plan, the City’s engineering division will take measures to implement the plan as money allows. 
(March 2009) 

Q:   Why isn't there more handicapped parking on public streets?

A:  Americans with Disability Act (ADA) guidelines stipulate that each handicapped parking spot have an adjacent loading and unloading area, and  the handicapped spot and the loading and unloading area may not slope by more than 2% in any direction to facilitate wheelchair maneuvering.  A maximum slope of 2% is often difficult to achieve on pavements. 

The loading and unloading area must be directly adjacent to the handicapped parking stall and out of the way of traffic.  To accommodate handicapped vans, the area must be eight feet in width and the length of the parking stall.  For all other handicapped stalls, the area must be five feet in width and the length of the parking stall.  In areas of angled parking like in Downtown Salina, the loading and unloading area is naturally the adjacent parking stall.  However, in areas of parallel parking, the loading and unloading areas would be areas of curb and gutter, grassy berm, and sidewalks, which generally are not at the ADA required pavement level.

                                (Click for larger image)

More information on this topic can be found on the ADA’s website at www.ada.gov.
(Dec 2009)

Q:  May I build a fence in the drainage easement on my property?

A:    When a lot or a tract of land has a designated public drainage easement it is important to understand what that means to the contractor.  The survey should show all dedicated easements, including drainage and utility easements.  During the course of construction the contractor, acting on behalf of the property owner, has the responsibility to be certain that the drainage easement is not disturbed.  Obviously you cannot build a structure in an easement, but it is also important to remember that you cannot obstruct a drainage easement in any manner. As stated in Section 42-63 of the Salina Code (ordinance #04-10219):

No property owner may construct maintain or allow any natural or non-natural structures or vegetative barriers (including but not limited to trees, shrubbery, berms, fences, walls or pole signs) within any drainage easement dedicated, purchased or otherwise granted to the public which the City Engineer finds obstructs, impedes, or otherwise interferes with the drainage of storm water.  Drainage easements shall not be filled or otherwise physically altered without the written approval of the City Engineer.

If you have any questions about this ordinance please contact the City’s engineering division at 785-309-5725.
(March 2009)

Q:  My property is near the City’s flood protection levee.  What does that mean to me as far as developing or improving my property?

A:  The City’s flood protection levee was built by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) for the City of Salina in the late 1950’s in the aftermath of the flood of 1951.  While the City owns and maintains the levee system, the USACE provides oversight of the levee system for the City and provides reviews of developments near the levee.  The raised levee is just a portion of what is required to protect Salina from floods. The USACE considers 1000’ either side of the levee to be critical to the levee’s integrity.

During a flood, the weight of the water on the river side of the levee creates tremendous downward pressure on the ground beneath it as well as lateral pressure against the levee. That downward pressure on the ground translates to the groundwater beneath the levee and to the side opposite the river (the land side). Any excavation on the land side of the levee, therefore, could be an opening for groundwater to come up to the surface.  Groundwater protrusions have the capacity to bring with them soil particles which could eventually lead to breaches and failures in the levee.

Any development within the levee’s critical zone must be reviewed by the City’s engineering department to determine whether any excavations pose a risk to the levee’s integrity. Excavations within 500 feet on the land side and 300 feet on the river side must be reviewed by the USACE, while excavations between 500 and 1000 feet on the land side and 300 and 1000 feet on the river side may be reviewed by the USACE if the City’s engineering department deems necessary. The USACE will not review any excavations that do not first come through the City’s engineering department.
(March 2009)

So what does this mean to developers and property owners?

•  Excavations and any improvements put in their place must be designed by a licensed engineer in accordance with guidelines found on the USACE’s website.
•  Basement wall and floor thicknesses may need to be increased. Recent designs have included thicknesses of two inches over non-critical zone designs.
• Higher strength concrete may be required in critical zone basement wall and floor designs. Recent designs have specified 4000 psi as opposed to 3000 psi concrete.
• Higher strength reinforcing steel may be required in critical zone basement wall and floor designs. Recent designs have specified 60 ksi as opposed to 40 ksi steel.
• Backfill may have additional requirements or be required to be flowable fill (very low strength concrete).
• Reviews performed by the City should be completed within two weeks of receipt of complete plans.
• Reviews performed by the USACE may take up to 90 days. The USACE office in Kansas City that serves Kansas also serves many other Midwestern states.  Re-submittals may require additional review periods of the same durations.

Developing within the levee’s critical zone is still possible, but it takes a little extra time and effort, and the City’s staff is available to help you through this process. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact the City’s engineering department at (785) 309-5725.
(March 2009)