Thank You for Your Support, Let's Keep Up the Momentum

We want to thank you for your continued support to make the Highway 24 and Flush Road intersection safer for all motorists. We are have garnered support throughout the county and open conversation with our County Commissioners and Mr. Carlson, Secretary of Transportation. We have made information request for more current data concerning the intersection in question and we are grateful to the Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Department for their assistance gathering this information. We began working with data from the US-24 Corridor Study (https://www.ksdot.org/pdf_files/US-24-Corridor-Management-Plan.pdf) published in 2009. This study was a joint effort by KDOT, Pottawatomie County, and cities along the corridor. The accepted recommendations were based on data collected from 2002-2007. The Traffic Analysis begins on page 41 of the report. Below are the notable pages regarding the intersection in question: Sight Distance page 45 "Most of the US-24 corridor had adequate sight distance for the posted speed limit. Flint Rock Road, Appleyard Road, and Flush Road have adequate sight distance for the posted speed, however, the sight distance is not adequate for the 85th percentile speeds recorded during the development of this Plan." Crashes page 45 "The rural segment between Green Valley Road and Flush Road is higher than the statewide crash rate for rural, four-lane divided highways with full access control." Existing Deficiencies page 48 "Inadequate eastbound deceleration lane lengths for left and right turn movements at Flush Road; Need for a southbound to westbound right turn acceleration lane at Flush Road; Prevailing 85th percentile speeds on US-24 exceed available sight distance for some movements at intersections with Flush, Flint Rock and Appleyard Roads; Significantly higher than average traffic crash rate on US-24 between Green Valley Road and Flush Road" Future Levels of Service page 50 "Flush Road would be expected to fail 10 to 15 years." Future Deficiencies page 52 "The consultant team identified several improvement needs to best serve the planned growth along or adjacent to the US-24 corridor and the associated growth in traffic volumes. These future deficiencies include: Inadequate capacity at intersection US-24 with Flush Road" Transportation Recommendations page 53 Near-Term Improvements "Flush Road and US-24 Intersection – Based on the existing traffic volumes at Flush Road, the existing eastbound left-turn and right-turn lanes on US-24 should be lengthened. Also, an acceleration lane should be constructed on westbound US-24 for southbound vehicles on Flush Road making a right turn. US-24 east of Flush Road – The vertical profile along a section of US-24 could be adjusted to increase the sight distance. This would be an alternative to addressing the concerns of high speeds along US-24 at this location, where the intersection is designed for a speed of 70 mph, if speed enforcement is not effective." Long-Term Improvements page 54 "Flush Road intersection with US-24 – To serve the traffic growth expected on Flush Road at this intersection by the design year 2030, it will be necessary to provide some type of non-traditional intersection design or construct an interchange. Traffic signal control is not feasible at this intersection due to the high speed of traffic on US-24 (i.e. >70 mph). There are a few non-traditional intersection designs that do not require traffic signal control. DOTs around the country are using these designs to address the same condition that exists at this intersection. It may be that within 20 years, these designs will not be considered non-traditional and will be a less expensive option." With this data we are able to conclude that our near-term and long-term improvements plans have not been met for this intersection. Secretary Carlson has recommended a new study be completed to determine the best course of action regarding possible annexation of this intersection, development (residential and commercial), and rapid population growth in the area. We plan to have a public input session in January to hear what the community would like to see happen at this intersection. Again we would like to thank you all for your continued support. Help us keep up the momentum by sharing the petition. In Solidarity, Sage TeBeest Sources: US-24 Corridor Study https://www.ksdot.org/pdf_files/US-24-Corridor-Management-Plan.pdf Secretary Carlson's Statement http://1350kman.com/kansas-transportation-secretary-comments-controversial-pottawatomie-county-intersection/ KSNT Interview http://ksnt.com/2017/12/06/petitioning-for-change-at-deadly-intersection/