Lawton city staff to explore options to prohibit left turns at Gore Boulevard and Railroad Street

City Council members want city staff to explore a proposal that would prevent anyone but public safety vehicles from making left turns onto East Gore Boulevard at Railroad Street.

The proposal from Ward 4 Councilman George Gill comes as city officials continue to weigh proposals within an engineering study that would help improve the traffic flow into and out of East Lawton via East Gore Boulevard.

The study by WSB (formerly EST) initially focused on the segment of Gore Boulevard between Northwest/Southwest 7th Street and Lawrie Tatum Road. That segment includes seven traffic signal lights, and those who work and live in Lawton east of Interstate 44 have complained for years about congestion on Gore Boulevard caused in large part by those arrangements of lights.

While the traffic engineering study has recommended adjustments in signal light timing to help that traffic flow issue – particularly at the Second Street/Gore Boulevard intersection – city officials have wondered about other options.

“The best thing we can do is improve timing in this corridor,” said Hamideh Etemadnia, WSB traffic engineer.

Gill, an East Lawton resident who said he drives Gore Boulevard multiple times a day, was blunt in his assessment: while signal light timing is an issue, the real problem is the light added at Railroad Street to get fire trucks and other public safety vehicles out of the new public safety complex. Gill asked about prohibiting left turns at the intersection, which WSB engineers said was one option that was analyzed.

But, Lawton Fire Chief Jared Williams said he opposes any plan that would have any effect on fire apparatus trying to leave Station No. 1. He said that station makes an average of 8-10 runs a day, and while not every call involves turning left onto Gore Boulevard, closing the median to left turns “would affect city safety.”

Gill’s proposal was using a system similar to a railroad crossing gate, one that would be left in place to prevent habitual left turns at the median that divides Gore Boulevard’s eastbound and westbound lanes, but one that also could be raised when fire apparatus needed to turn there.

Mayor Stan Booker, another East Lawton resident, said he wanted city staff to explore Gill’s suggestion and obtain cost estimates, but he also suggested the council direct city staff to erect signs prohibiting left turns at the intersection. Those signs are to be placed within the week, under the directive unanimously approved by the council.

The directive also is requiring engineers/city staff to synchronize traffic signal lights in that Gore Boulevard corridor within two weeks. A third directive would require the city staff to bring back an agenda item outlining pedestrian upgrades for that area of East Gore Boulevard. WSB’s analysis recommended a series of upgrades to benefit pedestrians and bicycle riders, ranging from re-marking crossings to adding new sidewalks and new pedestrian crossing systems.

Proposed upgrades also include setting a new timing system to synchronize traffic lights and adding a left turn pocket lane on Gore Boulevard for vehicles turning at Railroad Street. Funding for the re-timing work could come from a carbon reduction grant the City of Lawton will seek from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. Those grants are designed to reduce carbon emissions from vehicular traffic, and city planners have said actions to lessen the amount of time vehicles spend idling at intersections would qualify.