Administrative Brief
CITY COMMISSION INFORMATION MEMORANDUM
August 1, 2013
ADMINISTRATIVE BRIEF FROM MIKE FRASER
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
In early June 2011, the City of Salina received notification from the Kansas Department of Transportation
(KDOT) that our funding request was approved and we had been awarded $350,000 for the Ninth & Cloud
Intersection Improvement Project, through the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). The funding is
pro-rated on a 90/10 federal/city split.
With the notification of the award of funds, the City requested and received additional funds through KDOT’s
Traffic Engineering Assistance Program (TEAP) to preliminarily identify potential safety improvements for the
intersection. The TEAP report, performed by H.W. Lochner and also funded by KDOT, analyzed existing
conditions that included: traffic accidents, parking, lane capacities, and vehicle stacking at the intersection of
Ninth & Cloud. City staff and Lochner presented the findings of the TEAP report to City Commissioners during
a Study Session on October 1, 2012. The Commission directed staff to pursue safety and capacity
improvements and scope the project as described in Alternative 2. These included:
Aligning Cloud Street east and west of the intersection;
Revise parking and add a median along Cloud Street east and west
of the intersection;
Widening Ninth Street to accommodate an additional southbound
lane of traffic;
Installing new traffic signals; and
Close several driveways.
Two public meetings were held to gain input during the development of design
plans for the project. The first meeting was held on November 9, 2012, the
second on January 17, 2013. There were fourteen people signed-in at the
November meeting and thirteen for the January meeting. All but one business owner in the area attended a
meeting or met with city staff about the project.
The November meeting was the first public look at the plans. This meeting generated much discussion and
comments, most notably the raised median along Cloud Street east and west of the intersection. As a result of
the discussion, and in coordination with KDOT and Lochner, the plans were modified to eliminate the raised
medians and replace them with painted yellow lines. In addition, the new lane widths and realignments
provided the opportunity to maintain most of the 90 degree parking on Cloud Street on both the east and west
sides of Ninth Street.
At the January public meeting, the plan revisions were presented to the public. The attendees, mostly area
business owners who had attended the first meeting, were pleased to see that their suggestions and concerns
had been addressed from the first meeting. The revised plans were well received.
Currently, the City is reviewing the right-of-way and the office check plans (90% design). Both will be sent on
to KDOT for their review in September. At this time, staff has started the process of property appraisal and
acquisition.
The project will be administered and let by KDOT. The proposed schedule has final plans being completed
this summer with a tentative letting date of March 2014. Construction is expected to begin in the fall of 2014.
However, these dates are dependent on right-of-way acquisition and utility relocations. The project cost is
estimated at $1.1 million. KDOT will pay for $350,000 under the KDOT HSIP and the remaining $750,000 will
be paid by the City with the sale of General Obligation bonds.
MONDAY’S MEETING
Enclosed are other items on the agenda. If any Commissioner has questions or cannot attend the
meeting, please contact me.
Jason A. Gage, City Manager