By PAULENE POPARAD

Developers would install right-turn lanes at Old Porter Road and South Mineral Springs Road even though a transportation engineer said Thursday a proposed 190-home subdivision there won’t really change the intersection’s current level of service for motorists.

Robyn Pappenheim of Garcia Consulting in Hammond told the Porter Plan Commission that computer modeling predicts 920 vehicles will move in and out of The Trails of Porter on the east side of Mineral Springs in an average 24-hour weekday, and fewer vehicles per-day on the weekend.

During the peak 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. weekday morning rush hour, 105 vehicles are estimated to leave the subdivision; about 123 would return in the 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. peak evening rush hour.

Based on traffic manuals, that number of vehicles wouldn’t require any modifications to the T-intersection, said Pappenheim. However, commission members noted that a slow-moving freight train on the CSX/Conrail tracks just south of the intersection will bottleneck traffic quickly.

“You’ll have 105 cars standing still,” said member Ken Timm. Agreed member and town Public Works director Brenda Brueckheimer, “We have traffic jams out there. It is a bad intersection when there’s a train.”

Pappenheim said B&R Development, which would build the subdivision on 63 acres in what is known as the Iron Triangle, isn’t responsible for the trains and can’t do anything about the railroad. She said the intersection currently has a B level of service and would continue to be a B, characterized by stable traffic flow, even with the new subdivision.

Commission member Greg Stinson commented, “It might still be a B but if I’m sitting in it, I’d notice the difference between 20 seconds and a minute.” The Trails project manager Matt Keiser said he didn’t anticipate that much of a stacking delay, even during peak times.

A statistician by profession, Stinson asked several detailed questions about the traffic study Pappenheim prepared. Even when applying industry standards regarding trip generation, she explained, “It’s kind of an educated guess which people will go which way.”

At a public hearing before the Plan Commission on The Trails Nov. 14, town planner Jim Mandon speculated whether a traffic signal would be needed because of the subdivision. Pappenheim said the traffic volume is too low and a signal shouldn’t be put where it’s not warranted.

In an ideal world Pappenheim said Old Porter would turn southbound at Mineral Springs in a long, slow curve instead of the current right angle with a Stop sign; because most traffic moves to and from Old Porter, that is the dominant pattern and the stop there could be eliminated if the curve is built.

Bob McDonald, who lives directly across from where Old Porter ends at Mineral Springs, said he’s had vehicles end up in his yard that didn’t make the turn and he’d be opposed to removing any stop signs on Old Porter, even if it curved.

Short of that, Keiser said B&R Development is offering to install a turn lane on Old Porter for motorists turning southbound onto Mineral Springs, and a turn lane on Mineral Springs for motorists turning westbound onto Old Porter. A Stop sign on Mineral Springs north of Old Porter could be removed or remain. Northbound traffic on Mineral Springs does not stop at Old Porter.

Dave Babcock, who lives in the area and becomes a Porter Town Council member Jan. 1, said 95 percent of the traffic uses Old Porter, that new turn lanes would be needed for the subdivision and no stop signs should be removed.

Both entrances planned for The Trails are north of Old Porter, and Mineral Springs is the only access. The Iron Triangle is landlocked on two sides by railroads.

Area resident Bob Fulton asked if the developers planned any improvements at Wood Street just south of the CSX/Conrail tracks; he was told no.

Brueckheimer noted that in addition to The Trails, a half mile to the west in Burns Harbor both the Corlins Landing and Trail Creek subdivisions are under construction on South Babcock Road, also adding to Old Porter’s traffic load.

Commission member Jim Eriksson asked about access for emergency services to The Trails. Mandon said Porter police and fire officials advised there would be no difference between it and other areas of town in terms of response. Responders can come from the north using U.S. 20 and Verplank Road in Burns Harbor to Old Porter.

Verplank is being rebuilt to the west as a frontage road moving its current problematic intersection at U.S. 20 farther away from the Interstate 94 interchange.

Resident Shirley Babcock asked if school buses had been factored into Pappenheim’s traffic study; she said some were observed during a traffic count. Commission president Lorain Bell said in addition to the buses, police cars, mail and delivery trucks will go in and out of the subdivision. “It’s just awfully hard for me to believe (little will change) when it comes to the vastness of the subdivision,” he stated.

The Trails has been submitted as a planned unit development. At the Nov. 14 public hearing, commission members said 190 homes was too dense for the site. Developers maintain that under its current multi-family zoning, up to 600 living units could be built there.

The commission meets again Dec. 19 when a vote could take place on a recommendation to the Town Council, which has the final vote on The Trails initial PUD ordinance.

For several months the Porter Redevelopment Commission had discussed routing the long-planned Porter Brickyard hike/bike trail through The Trails at developers Bob Gorgei’s and Rich Brennan’s suggestion; they offered to donate land and money toward its construction. But Tuesday the commission chose a shorter trail route that eliminated that section altogether to trim project costs and allow for a spring groundbreaking.

Last night the developers took the decision in stride. “We’ll put our own trail in around the subdivision,” said Brennan. “We’ll have some other nice features,” added Gorgei.

Posted 11/30/2007

Posted 11/30/2007

Posted 11/30/2007