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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1993-09-13; Traffic Safety Commission; ; Establish an ALL-WAY STOP at the Harding/Magnolia intersectionCI1Y OF CARLSBAD TRAFFIC SAFE1Y COMMISSION Sf AFF REPORT COMMISSION MEETING OF: September 13, 1993 LOCATION: Intersection of Harding Street/Magnolia Avenue ITEM NO. 6A INITIATED BY: Resident REQUESTED ACTION: Establish an ALL-WAY STOP at the Harding/Magnolia intersection. BACKGROUND: DATA: Concern has been expressed that on occasion vehicles proceeding southbound on Harding Street negotiate the 90° tum onto westbound Magnolia Avenue at high speeds and that STOP signs will help control speeding. Harding Street is a collector street in the northwest quadrant of Carlsbad that extends from Grand Avenue on the north to Magnolia Avenue and continues southerly as a residential street to Carol Place as shown on Exhibit 1. Magnolia Avenue is a local east-west street that terminates on the west side of Interstate Highway 5 and begins again on the east side of Interstate Highway 5. On both sides of Magnolia Avenue between Harding Street and Jefferson Street several homes have driveway access to Magnolia Avenue. The southerly leg of this intersection, offset approximately 45 feet to the west of where the north leg of Harding intersects Magnolia, is a residential portion of Harding Street. A STOP sign has been installed on the residential portion of Harding Street at Magnolia Avenue intersection for northbound vehicles. The east leg of the intersection (Magnolia Avenue) is a cul-de-sac approximately 125' long and serves several residents. No controls have been installed for southbound Harding Street or for eastbound or westbound Magnolia Avenue. The intersection of Harding/Magnolia is on the Suggested Route to School for students that attend Jefferson Elementary School and Pine Elementary School. To help minimize conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians and to direct pedestrians to the preferred crossing location, yellow school crosswalks have been striped on the south and east legs of the intersection. In October 1992, the City Traffic Engineer and Officer Lopez of the Carlsbad Police Department discussed school pedestrian safety and the Suggested Route to School at the Jefferson Elementary School PTA meeting. TRAFFIC SAFE1Y COMMISSION Staff Report COMMISSION MEETING OF: September 13, 1993 (Continued) ITEM NO. 6A Parking is permitted on both sides of Harding Street and Magnolia Avenue and bicycle lanes have been striped on the north leg of Harding Street. A 90° CURVE WARNING sign with a 20 MPH speed advisory sign has been installed in advance of the intersection for southbound traffic. The "T" intersection of Jefferson Street/Magnolia Avenue is located approximately 300 feet westerly of the Harding/Magnolia intersection. At the Jefferson/Magnolia intersection an ALL-WAY STOP has been established. Yellow crosswalks have been striped at this location as it also is on the Suggested Route to School. Traffic volumes have remained relatively constant at the subject location during the past several years. An intersection approach traffic count was conducted on June 16, 1992. Results are presented on Exhibit 2. An analysis of Caltrans STOP sign volume warrants indicates that the warrant is not met for an ALL-WAY STOP at the subject intersection. Caltrans warrants for STOP signs are attached. Fortunately, the subject intersection has a very good history of few traffic collisions occurring. In the past five years, only one collision was reported at the Harding/Magnolia intersection. This collision occurred during daylight hours and was a result of the driver failing to yield to opposing traffic. Exceeding the safe speed was a contributing factor in this collision. RECOMMENDATION: The Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee recommends that the request to establish an ALL-WAY STOP at the Harding Street/Magnolia Avenue intersection be denied. NECESSARY CITY COUNCIL ACTION: No action required. CONDITION DIAGRAM LEGEND IA\ 4' DOUBLE ~ YELLOIJ LINE @ 4' SINGLE YELLOIJ SKIP © • RPM'S ® 12' \JIDE YELLO'w' • CROSS VALK © 12' IJIDE YELLO'w' CHEVRONS @ 45 1 (D 5' BIKE LANE PP PO'w'ER POLE @ IJ56 □ &. TYPE N PROJECT NAME Rt STOP &. DOUBLE STREET NAME SIGN HARDING STREET/ MAGNOLIA AVENUE EXHIBIT 1 I TIME II E/8 0000-0100 9 0100-0200 5 0200-0300 4 0300-0400 0 0400-0500 0 0500-0600 9 0600-0700 23 0700-0800 87 0800-0900 103 0900-1000 63 1000-1100 56 1100-1200 62 1200-1300 97 1300-1400 69 1400-1500 126 - 1500-1600 125 1600-1700 129 1700-1800 114 1800-1900 125 1900-2000 82 2000-2100 83 2100-2200 61 2200-2300 25 2300-2400 14 Sub-Total 1,471 HARDING ST./ MAGNOLIA AVENUE INTERSECTION APPROACH VOLUMES June 16, 1992 DIRECTION II W/8 II N/8 II S/8 0 2 5 0 1 4 0 4 4 0 0 3 0 2 6 0 3 18 0 14 64 2 25 104 3 13 104 4 8 51 0 11 57 0 8 84 4 21 138 3 16 82 3 43 134 3 32 127 4 36 119 1 34 115 3 16 108 1 15 84 5 21 96 0 15 75 1 6 34 0 2 13 37 348 1629 EXHIBIT 2 I 24-HOUR TOTAL ENTERING VOLUMES 16 10 12 3 8 30 101 218 223 126 124 154 260 170 306 287 288 264 252 182 205 151 66 29 3485 Traffic Manual R1 • Standard 30" R1-3 1111 Standard 12" x 6" · R1-4 tilCtJ1 Standard 18" x 6" SIGNS 4-37 3-1987 POLICY Stop Signs and Yield Signs • Stop Signs The STOP sign (R1) shall be used where traffic is required to stop except at signalized intersections. The STOP sign shall be an octagon with white me& sage and border on a red background. The standard size shall be 30 x 30 inches. Where greater emphasis or visibility Is required, a larger size is recommended. On local streets and secondary roads with low ap- proach speeds and low volume, a 24 x 24 inch size may be used. At a multlway stop intersection, a supplemental plate (R1 •3 or R1 -4) should be mounted just below each STOP sign. The numeral on the supplementary plate shall corre& pond to the number of approach legs, or the legend ALL-WAY (R1·4) may be used. The plate shall have white letters on a red background. A red flashing beacon or beacons may be used in conjunction with a STOP sign. See Section 9-08 (Flashng Beacons). Secondary messages shall not be used on STOP sign faces. • Warrants for STOP Signs Because the STOP sign causes a substantial Incon- venience to motorists, it should be used only where warranted. A STOP sign may be warranted at an inter- section where, one or more of the following con- ditions exist 1. On the less Important road at its Intersection with a main road where application of the normal right of way rule Is unduly hazardous as evidenced by accidents susceptible to correction by STOP signs. 2. On a county road or city street at Its Intersection with a state highway. 3. At the intersection of two main highways. The highway traffic to be stopped depends on ap- proach speeds, volumes, and turning movements. 4. On a street entering a legally established through highway or street. 5. On a minor street where the safe approach speed to the intersection is less than 10 miles per hour. 6. At an unslgnalized intersection in a signal- ized area. 7. At other intersections where a combination of high speed, restricted view, and accident record indi- cates a need for control by the STOP sign. 4-38 3-1987 SIGNS Traffic Manual POLICY A STOP sign is not a "cure-alF' land Is not a substitute for other traffic control devices. Many times the need for a STOP sign can be eliminated If the sight distance Is Increased by remo\llng the obstructions. STOP signs shall not be erected at any entrance to an Intersection when such entrance Is controlled by an official traffic control signal, nor at any railroad grade crossing which Is controlled by automatic signals, gates, or other tral~actuated control devices except as provided In eve 21355, Stop Signs. The confllctlng commands of two types of control devices are co~ fusing. If traffic Is required to stop when the operation of the stop-and-go signals Is not warranted, the signals should be put on flashing operation with the red flashing Ught facing the traffic that must stop. Where two main highways Intersect, the STOP sign or signs should normally be posted on the minor street to stop the lesser flow of traffic. Traffic engineering studies, however, may justify a decision to Install a STOP sign or signs on the major street, as at a three• way Intersection where safety considerations may justify stopping the greater flow of traffic to permit a left-turning movement. STOP signs should not be Installed lndlscrimlnately at all unprotected railroad crossings. The allowance of STOP signs at all such crossings would eventually breed contempt for both law enforcement, and obedience to the sign's command to stop. STOP signs may only be used at selected ralVhlghway grade crossings after their need has been determined by a traffic engineering study. Such study should consider approach speeds, sight distance restrictions, volumes, accident records, etc. This application of STOP signs should be an Interim use period during which plans for lights, gates or other means of control are being prepared. Portable or part-time STOP signs shall not be used except for emergency purposes. Also, STOP signs should not be used for speed control. • Multlway STOP signs The "Multlway Stop'' Installation may be useful at some locations. It should ordinarily be used only where the volume of traffic on the Intersecting roads Is approx- imately equal. A traffic control signal Is more satisfactory for an Intersection with a heavy volume of traffic. Traffic Manual R1-2 V Standard 38" SIGNS 4-39 3-1987 POLICY Any of th following conditions may warrant a multi- way STOP sign Installation: 1. Where traffic signals are warranted and urgently needed, the multlway stop may be an interim measure that can be Installed quickly to control traffic whlle arrangements are being made for the signal Installations. 2. An accident problem, as Indicated by five or more reported accidents within a 12 month period of a type susceptible to correction by a multlway stop Installation. Such accidents Include right- and left-tum colllslons as well as right-angle collisions. 3. Minimum traffic volumes (a) The total vehicular volume entering the inte~ section from all approaches must average at least 500 vehlcles per hour for any 8 hours of an average day, and (b) The combined vehicular and pedestrian volume from the minor street or highway must average at least 200 units per hour for the same 8 hours, with an average delay to minor street vehicular traffic of at least 30 seconds per vehicle during the maximum hour, but ( c) When the 85-percentlle approach speed of the major street traffic exceeds 40 mlles per hour, the minimum vehicular volume warrant is 70 percent of the above requirements. e Yield Signs The YIELD sign (R1·2) assigns right of way to traffic on certain approaches to an Intersection. Vehicles controlled by a YIELD sign need stop only when nec- essary to avoid Interference with other traffic that Is given the right of way. The YIELD sign shall be a downward pointing, equi- lateral triangle having a red border band and a white Interior and the word YIELD In red Inside the border band. The standard size shall be 38 x 36 x 38 Inches. • Warrants for YIELD Signs The YIELD sign may be warranted: 1. On a minor road at the entrance to an intersection where It Is necessary to assign right of way to the major road, but where a stop Is not necessary at all times, and where the safe approach speed on the minor road exceeds 10 miles per hour. 2. On the entrance ramp to an expressway where an acceleration lane Is not provided.