Would I need traffic control?

[fattyphatcakes]

I looked at a tree the other day that sits about 10' from a busy city street. It can be flopped about 30 degrees away from the street, nothing should land near the street. However, if something went terribly wrong and the tree went into the street....it would be very bad. What precautions would you take in this situation? Maybe get the nearist lane coned off? What would you do?

 

[fmueller]

Call the City and tell em what you wanna do?

 

[clearance]

Put the undercut in the tree, close the street with a couple of people for the 30 seconds it takes for the backcut. By the time the horns start, it is on the ground, if you f/u then at least no-one is hurt.

 

[Lumberjack]

???? happens Greg. I like clearance's idea, notch, block, flop reopen, a 2 min job tops.

Screw them if they get mad, better to take 2 min from there day than the rest of their life.

 

[fattyphatcakes]

Why would you mess up. Arent you a professional?

I put the chance of messing it up at close to zero. However if I failed to take proper precautions that would be neglegence, which would be unprofessional.

If I get that job I will call the city, but I'll wait until I have a signed contract to put that much time into it. Just wanted some opinions.

 

[Newfie]

I'd call the city first and see if they want you to have a paid police detail on site for the job. It would suck to have a signed contract and find out that you're now on the hook for one or two cops, with the possibility of a 4 hour minimum paid detail each.

 

[CoreyTMorine]

I'd call the city first and see if they want you to have a paid police detail on site for the job. It would suck to have a signed contract and find out that you're now on the hook for one or two cops, with the possibility of a 4 hour minimum paid detail each.

I think Mass is the only state that requires police for traffic details. When i was in Oregon for 35$ (estmate) an hour you got two guys, who new how to control traffic. They also had huge signs up and down the road, stop/slow signs, and radios. Here in Taxachusets for 65$ hour you get a guy with a cup of coffee and a gun, who likes to watch the big machinery and ussually doesn't know jack about traffic control.

kind of makes me a little angry sometimes. oh well.

Dad always said that the best way to slow the cars down was to throw a bunch of brush in the road. lol, its pretty effective, and cheap.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Denver has pretty strict traffic control requirements. AND...they will fine companies that don't comply. If you don't factor in the costs of compliance before you give the estimate you could lose big money.

 

[Dadatwins]

Best to call local police and find out if there are any restrictions for temporary lane closure, they will probably want lane closed signs and traffic cones. That is stuff you should have on the job site anyway. Cheap insurance for what sounds like a quick job, but why take chances? Good luck.

 

[pbtree]

Best advice - check the regs re: traffic control, etc...

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

What they said, especially if it is a busy road.

a contractor does not have the authority to stop traffic (though all of us do from time to time) and if someone blows through your control you would be responcible. If they disobey a traffic officer then it is their but.

That said, most of us have used personel or trucks for this purpose.

Dave Ryan and I had one on a side street in a rural comunity where I had the trucks out with flashers, tape across the road, and cones out.

This lady drove over the cones, under the tape and stopped as the pull rope went onto her windshield while Dave was doing the back cut!

A second or two more and she could ahve caused the tree to fall.

 

[alanarbor]

I think Clearance had the idea. Stop traffic during the back cut, then once the tree hits the ground, let them through. Make sure you've got the extra cones, signs, etc. The only other thing I thought of was the possibility that only 10 feet off the road could it be a city tree? You might need a permit to remove it.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I think Clearance had the idea. Stop traffic during the back cut, then once the tree hits the ground, let them through. Make sure you've got the extra cones, signs, etc. The only other thing I thought of was the possibility that only 10 feet off the road could it be a city tree? You might need a permit to remove it.

It all depends on what he conciders pretty busy, and how fast they drive. I'd probably do it too, using trucks, but there are times when I'll top a small one out just because of traffic

 

[treeseer]

In Raleigh NC the cops told me i could stop traffic for 5 minutes; more than that and they would have to take charge, but they do not charge. I'm all for talking to them first as a default strategy.

 

[Stumper]

In this city traffic control is up to the tree company (with a nice generic "such means as may be necessary" type clause so long as you aren't actually closing the road-for full closure you are supposed to call the Police dept. As a practical matter-I'll put out signs and cones to divert traffic out of a partial lane and just let the signage handle it. If I need to flop something into the street itself I try to have trucksacross the lanes and or flaggers until it hits the ground then I clear the lane(s) and let traffic flow.

 

[Komitet]

I'm not sure how much your traffic laws differ in Colo to ours in Canada, but our Typical Layout is, 2X Men Working Signs, at least one football field away from the truck in each direction, A Yield to oncoming traffic sign at the end of your pylon taper, and enough pylons to cover your equipment area, if speeds are in excess of 45 MPH, you need a lane diversion sign as well as an arrow sign before your taper.

And IMHO, if you're not using signs you're putting yourself at risk for accidents.

Btw nice forum you have here, hope I can partake in some subjects that may come up.

 

[jp hallman]

I agree, do it the safest way. Stop traffic. I've seen trees do everything but jump straight up in the air. Why take a chance?

 

[fattyphatcakes]

Thanks for the replies, I wish it could be chunked down, but it's 80% dead so I don't feel comfortable climbing it. Anyway I havent heard back from the customer, I wouldn't blame him for hiring someone with a bucket on this one. Not that it can't be done safely without, but as a customer I would feel better having it taken down in pieces due to the proximity to the house and road. But then you never know, many people hold on to my bids for a month or more.

 

[Mike Cantolina]

I thought I'd share this traffic control manual. I'm sure laws are different in each state but it can be used as a general guideline:

http://virginiadot.org/business/resources/WAPM-2005-Revised10_05.pdf

It has many excellent diagrams. I would like to see penndot supply something like this also.

 

[Dadatwins]

I thought I'd share this traffic control manual. I'm sure laws are different in each state but it can be used as a general guideline:

http://virginiadot.org/business/resources/WAPM-2005-Revised10_05.pdf

It has many excellent diagrams. I would like to see penndot supply something like this also.

Virginia does have a nice manual I have both the pocket and binder type. They were available through VDOT website, think less than $20.00 for the set.