Title
Amend Phoenix Municipal Code Section 31-200 Authority and Administration; Adoption of the Traffic Barricade Manual; Definitions (Ordinance G-6779)
Description
Request City Council approval and adoption of the Revised 9th Edition of the Traffic Barricade Manual. Additionally, request adoption of an ordinance to amend Phoenix Municipal Code Section 31-200.There is no financial impact associated with this request.
Report
Summary
Traffic Barricade Manuals (TBM) have been used by the City of Phoenix since 1961. The TBM ensures the safety of the thousands of people who must work in Phoenix's public right-of-way while managing traffic effectively when temporary barricades and signage are in place. The TBM provides specific information on how to set up barricades and signs, how to become certified to provide barricades in the right-of-way, and what is required to work safely in the roadway and to protect the traveling public. The TBM also describes the City’s ordinances and permitting processes necessary for those wanting to work in the right-of-way so that construction work and events can be managed effectively and within a safe environment. Typical users of the TBM include City crews, utility and barricade companies, landscapers, construction companies, and event coordinators.
The City’s TBM was last updated in 2017 (9th edition) and had substantial changes from the previous edition updated in 2008. The main resources that the Street Transportation Department has used for updating the City’s TBM are the Federal Highway Administration’s 2009 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and the Arizona MUTCD Supplement. The federal and state MUTCD manuals provide primary guidance regarding temporary traffic control devices, and the City’s existing TBM has tailored these standards to urban city streets and intersections with limited rights-of-way and heavy traffic conditions.
To bring the City’s policies and procedures for temporary traffic control devices in line with current standards and practices, the Street Transportation Department is proposing an update to the TBM that includes four minor revisions. The new proposed Traffic Barricade Manual (Revised 9th Edition) provides modified guidance relating to:
- Allowing the use of automated flagging assistance devices (AFAD). AFAD systems are modern technologies that reduce the likelihood of human error in controlling traffic flow in restricted lane situations. These systems allow a certified flagger to control the flow of traffic through temporary traffic control zones when a single lane of travel is shared alternately by vehicles traveling in opposite directions;
- Updating signing and striping requirements to remove the use of raised pavement markers for temporary lane markings on streets that have been recently paved, micro-sealed, or slurry sealed;
- Expanding the number of police agencies whose officers can direct traffic at construction sites within City limits from three agencies (City of Phoenix, Maricopa County, and Arizona Department of Safety) to include all Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) certified officers; and
- Removing subsurface obstructions in the right-of-way, including the removal of foundations for construction tower cranes and other similar foundations.
Financial Impact
There is no financial impact to the City or outside stakeholders resulting from the adoption of the Traffic Barricade Manual (Revised 9th Edition).
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
- The City Council approved the City of Phoenix Traffic Barricade Manual (9th Edition) (Ordinance G-6322) on May 31, 2017.
- The Transportation, Infrastructure and Innovation Subcommittee recommended City Council approval of the City of Phoenix Traffic Barricade Manual (Revised 9th Edition) on Oct. 7, 2020, by a vote of 3-0.
Public Outreach
Staff has coordinated the proposed update to the Traffic Barricade Manual (Revised 9th Edition) with affected stakeholders as part of the preliminary draft review process. These stakeholder groups include the American Traffic Safety Services Association - Arizona Chapter, Arizona Chapter of the Associated General Contractors, Arizona Utility Contractors Associations, Arizona Department of Transportation, Development Advisory Board, City departments, and utility and barricade companies.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Mario Paniagua and the Street Transportation Department.