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Steel plates in our roadways are not just an annoyance. They are a hazard
when not properly installed or marked. In many cases around town, these
plates become permanent fixtures instead of the temporary safety measure they
are intended to be. There is no single offender in the proliferation of steel plates.
Sometimes it's a private contractor, a utility company or even a City department.
We must have a strict, enforceable policy when it comes to plating and decking
of our streets. The policy must be clear, and above all else it must successfully
keep our streets safe for vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians. The policy must
have guidelines for proper installation, maintainence and even length of time
temporary steel plates or decking is allowed to remain in place.
Additionally or City inspectors
need to pay particular attention to these requirements and crackdown on entities
who do not follow them. The inspectors should issue fines for failing to cover a
street cut, displaced plates, failure to apply a non-skid resistant surface,
failing to post proper signage or failure to finish the work and remove the plates
in an allotted time period.
What follows is a framework for an ordinance I will introduce if elected.
Plating and Decking
(1) All plating and decking installed by the permittee shall be made
safe for vehicles and/or pedestrians and shall be adequate to carry the
load.
(2) The size of the plate or decking shall be large enough to span the
opening, be firmly placed to prevent rocking and shall overlap the edges
of trenches and openings and be sufficiently ramped to provide smooth
riding and safe condition.
(3) All plating and decking shall be fastened by splicing,
countersinking or otherwise protected to prevent movement.
(4) Where deflections are more than 3/4", heavier sections of plates
or decking or intermediate supports shall be installed.
(5) All permittees will clearly mark each plate with a project number
that corresponds to the permit for that application.
(6) All permittees who install plating and decking during the winter
months shall either post signs at the site indicating "Steel Plates Ahead
Raise Plow" or shall countersink said plates flush to the level of the
roadway. All signs shall be of the size and type specified in the Federal
Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. These signs shall be placed
on the sidewalk, adjacent to the curb, facing vehicle traffic five feet
prior to the plates. On two-way streets, signs shall be placed on both
sides of the street five feet prior to the plates.
(7) All plating and decking shall have a skid-resistant surface equal to
or greater than the adjacent existing street or roadway surface.
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