Who Is Responsible for Traffic Decisions in our Town?
Looking in the City's Codified Ordinances gives us an answer.
Creatures of Habit
People are creatures of habit. If you don't believe me, just observe them. The patterns and behaviors that most people exhibit are consistently repeatable and become ingrained in their personalities. Perhaps there are no better examples of people being creatures of habit than when they get behind the wheel of a car. Most individuals drive to a limited number of destinations, following the same routes repeatedly for years, which is a perfect recipe for forming habits.
This allows people to know the streets they drive on like the back of their hand. They are familiar with the locations of stop signs, the signaling of traffic lights, and the rules regarding right turns at red lights. Driving becomes second nature to many of us.
However, when things change, it can significantly disrupt our minds. How many times have we encountered with the West Main Street reconstruction project constantly shifting traffic patterns? Every time we become accustomed to one pattern, it changes again. Although these changes are necessary and likely beneficial overall—anything that prompts drivers to pay more attention isn't necessarily a bad thing—they can really throw us off.
Recently, the city collaborated with the Ohio Department of Transportation to resurface South Market and West Market Streets from Grant Street up to Franklin Street. I must give a special shout-out to the contractor who worked on the project. They were quick, efficient, and did an outstanding job. There's something particularly delightful about driving on freshly paved roads.
As part of the project, the city decided to narrow the lanes of traffic on South Market Street from two lanes to one lane, stretching approximately from Simpson Street down to the five-way intersection (the complex junction of East West, Maple, South Market, and West Market Streets). The most noticeable change in traffic patterns is for vehicles traveling north on South Market Street and entering the five-way intersection. Previously, the two right-hand lanes could proceed straight, but now only the middle lane is allowed to go straight, while the right lane must turn right onto East West Street. Consequently, it is evident that traffic will accumulate on South Market Street at red lights, and I suspect that not everyone in the queue will be able to pass through during a single green-light cycle.
Like most actions taken by the city, everyone seems to have an opinion about it. As a council member, I have received several comments regarding this situation. While many questions arise about the reasons behind this decision, we cannot find the answers until we understand who made the decision.
Our Code of Ordinances
In Troy, like every other community, we have a Code of Ordinances. It’s the general rules that the City Council adopts which everyone is expected to follow. It deals with things like land use and zoning, prohibitied criminal activities, and yes, even traffic. You can find the city’s Code of Ordinances right here.
When it comes to traffic control devices, signs and even pavement marking, Chapter 305 of the Code of Ordinances gives that responsibility to the Director of Public Service and Safety.
305.01 POWER TO PLACE TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES; CONSIDERATIONS.
Pursuant to Ohio R. C. 737.021 and 737.022, a Division of Traffic Engineering and Safety is hereby created and the Director of Public Service and Safety shall be the executive head of such Division.
The Director of Public Service and Safety is hereby authorized to place and maintain traffic control devices upon any street or highway under his jurisdiction as are necessary to effectuate the provisions of this Traffic Code, or to regulate, warn or guide traffic, and such other traffic control devices as he shall deem necessary for the proper control of traffic. The Director of Public Service and Safety shall determine the location, timing and coordination of such traffic control devices upon the basis of an applicable engineering or traffic investigation and shall consider the following:
(a) The maximum safety and protection of vehicular and pedestrian traffic from physical injury or property damage.
(b) The existing and potential traffic movement, volume and conditions.
(c) The location and frequency of accidents, including studies of remedial measures.
(d) The recommendations of the Police and Fire Chiefs.
(e) The acceleration of transportation of persons and property by vehicles so as to expedite travel and promote public safety.
(f) The convenience and welfare of the general public in parking, standing, loading and unloading, and the use of the streets as affecting business concerns and places of assembly.
(g) Economy in the expenditure of money.
This section was adopted by City Council on November 11, 1966.
The code also went into great detail on what powers the Director of Public Service and Safety can exercise:
305.03 POWERS ENUMERATED NOT EXCLUSIVE; RECORD AND VIOLATION.
The Director of Public Service and Safety is hereby empowered to:
(a) Designate any street or highway as a through street or highway and require that all vehicles stop or yield the right of way as may be required before entering the same.
(b) Designate any intersection as a stop intersection and require all vehicles to stop at one or more entrances to such intersection.
(c) Designate any intersection as a yield intersection and require all vehicles to yield the right of way as required.
(d) Designate any street as a one-way street and require that all vehicles thereon be moved in one specific direction.
(e) Designate and mark lanes to be used by traffic moving in a particular direction regardless of the center line of the roadway.
(f) Erect signs directing slow-moving traffic to use a designated lane or allocating specified lanes to traffic moving in the same direction.
(g) Designate those portions of any street, where overtaking and passing other traffic or driving to the left of the center or center line of the roadway would be especially hazardous, by appropriate signs or markings on the street to indicate the beginning and end of such zones. Such zones may be marked by an auxiliary yellow line placed parallel and to the right of the normal center line or offset marked lane line.
(h) Place markers, buttons or signs within or adjacent to intersections and require that a specific course of direction be traveled by vehicles proceeding in lanes by either permitting, prohibiting or requiring turns at such intersections.
(i) Install traffic control devices, signals and signs at any location to regulate traffic.
(j) Establish safety zones, crosswalks, zones of quiet and play streets.
(k) Close any street or portion thereof to vehicular traffic, which is in the process of construction, reconstruction or repair.
(1) Determine the location of any necessary bus stops and taxicab stands, and business (truck) loading zones.
(m) Determine the location and limiting hours of truck loading zones.
(n) Designate dangerous railroad crossings and erect stop signs thereat.
(o) Erect "No U Turn" signs at any location to prohibit a vehicle from being turned so as to proceed in the opposite direction.
(p) Regulate or prohibit the stopping, standing and parking of vehicles on streets, alleys or public property by erecting signs plainly indicating the prohibitions, restrictions or limitations.
(q) Designate individual parking spaces by marking, which may either be parallel or at a prescribed angle to the curb or edge of the roadway.
No provision of this section shall be effective until signs, signals, markings or other devices giving notice of such local traffic regulations are posted upon or at the entrance to the street or part thereof affected, as may be most appropriate, so that in a proper position they are sufficiently legible to be seen by an ordinarily observant person.
The powers of the Director of Public Service and Safety shall not be limited by the specific enumeration of subjects contained in this chapter. The Director of Public Service and Safety shall keep a record of all his rules, regulations and proceedings in connection with this chapter. Violation of such rules and regulations shall be a misdemeanor punishable as provided in Section 303.99 of the Traffic Code.
It is worth nothing that another section reserves some of the decisions made by the Director of Public Service and Safety to City Council, in some certain instances:
305.04 RESERVATION OF POWER TO COUNCIL.
Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 305.01 to 305.03, inclusive, Council may override any decision of the Director of Public Service and Safety made under the provisions of Section 305.03, and may assume any of the powers delegated to the Director of Public Service and Safety under the provisions of Section 305.03 by resolution adopted by a vote of a majority of the members duly elected thereto. Upon the adoption of any such resolution, the same may be changed only by an amending or repealing resolution adopted by Council.
What does all this mean?
Well, it means that we are operating under a system that grants our Director of Public Service and Safety significant discretion in determining traffic regulations within our community. When this code section was enacted in 1966, this approach made a lot of sense.
In the past, Directors of Public Service and Safety (and even their counterparts, the City Managers, in Charter Communities) typically came from civil engineering backgrounds. These individuals were trained in the design, construction, and functionality of various elements such as streets, roads, water systems, sewer systems, and other critical infrastructure.
However, as the profession has evolved, the position has not necessarily been filled by individuals with a civil engineering background. Instead, the role has been taken on by generalists with expertise in other areas such as public finance, parks and recreation, economic and community development, and so forth. These individuals instead of having advanced degrees in Civicl Engineering, usually have advanced degrees in Public Administration.
Ultimately, when decisions regarding traffic are made, it's important to understand that these decisions are not made by the council, nor is the council asked for input. Rather, the Director of Public Service and Safety is responsible for making those decisions.
If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. Additionally, feel free to share this information with your fellow residents.