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KITTITAS COUNTY <br />DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS <br />PUBLIC WORKS — BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br />ENGINEER'S REPORT — CARROLL ROAD SPEED LIMIT REDUCTION REQUEST <br />PUBLIC HEARING DATE SEPTEMBER 5th, 2017 <br />ACTION REQUESTED CONSIDER REDUCING THE POSTED <br />SPEED FROM 50 MPH TO 35 MPH <br />LEAD STAFF: Lucas Huck, County Engineer <br />RECOMMENDATION: <br />Retain the current posted speed limit of 50 MPH, post additional warning signs at <br />known crossing locations, deploy signage restricting the use of unruffled compression <br />brakes, and re-evaluate the size and placement of the existing advisory speed limit <br />signs in the vicinity of Murray Road. <br />BACKGROUND: <br />Many residents, farmers, and employees for the Kittitas Reclamation District (KRD) have <br />expressed concerns of speeding, noise pollution (exhaust brake use), and unsafe conditions <br />occurring along Carroll Road from Badger Pocket Road to Prater Road. This is supported by <br />over 20 letters addressed to Kittitas County, several meetings between Public Works and <br />concerned citizens, and by the presence displayed by the community at several public <br />meetings with the Board of County Commissioners. <br />Carroll Road is a rural roadway that has a one and a half mile paved section from Badger <br />Pocket Road to Prater Road that is straight with no horizontal curvature. This stretch of <br />roadway does have several vertical curves, one of which that warrants the posting of an <br />advisory speed of 35 MPH. Sight distance looks to be adequate; however some driveway <br />locations and KRD canal crossing locations are not in ideal locations relative to the vertical <br />curvature of the roadway. <br />Currently the posted speed limit along Carroll Road is 50 MPH. Several improvements have <br />been made to Carroll Road over the past decade in an attempt to increase safety, such as <br />the widening of the KRD canal crossing structures, updated signing and striping, and <br />shoulder widening. <br />DISCUSSION: <br />A variety of factors must be considered when determining safe and reasonable speed <br />limits. The prevailing speed is a major consideration in setting speed limits. <br />Engineers recommend setting speed limits so that 85% of the freely flowing traffic <br />travels at or below that speed (the 85th percentile). Guidance is provided in MUTCD <br />213.13, recommending posted speed limits to be set "within 5 mph of the 85th <br />percentile speed of free-flowing traffic." Another consideration is the highest safe <br />Page 1 of 6 <br />PUBLIC WORKS BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ENGINEER'S REPORT <br />