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Home My WebLink About1985-11-05; City Council; 8367-1; Rancho Santa Fe RD closure updatej H hB#g3 L-7 -"! MTG. 11/5/85 Q) 3 TITLE: RANCHO SANTA FE ROAD CLOSURE - UPDATE u (d C & aJ a 0) 3 0 & a a (d a El cd C 0 .d u u cd a 01 a C u v) aJ & rl -4 1 0 V 6" u) 03 I u) I rl rl .. 2 0 F= 0 U =i 0 ;e 3 0 0 CIT OF CARLSBAD - AGENL- BILL DEPT._ENG I ICITY MGR.-- RECOMMENDED ACTION: This is an information item only. There is no action necessary. ITEM EXPLANATION As a condition of approval of certain developments, the City Council required the improvement of Rancho Santa Fe Road between Olivenhain Road and La Costa Avenue. We have received a request from Daon Corporation to close Rancho Santa Fe Road between Olivenhain Road and La Costa Avenue for a period of nine (9) months during the reconstruction of the road. Upon consideration of traffic safety and the affirmative recom- mendations of the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee, the Traffic Safety Commission, the Chief of Police, and the City Engineer, the Council approved the closure request for a five (5) month period provided that the westerly one-half be improved first, and traffic allowed on that one-half while the easterly one-half of the street was improved. Traffic was to be detoured via Olivenhain Road, El Camino Real and La Costa Avenue with certain improvements to be accomplished in critical areas. Staff has continued to work on the inconveniences created by closure of Rancho Santa Fe Road. Council members have met with citizens that reside in the immediate area of the road closure. Several alternatives have been discussed. They are as follows: I. Allow traffic to pass throuqh the construction zone at all times. Advantaqes: A. No detour route necessary. Disadvantages: A. Longest required construction time (one year). B. Anticipated increase of major type of accidents. C. Anticipated travel delays due to heavy equipment working in construction area. Page 2 of Agenda Bill No. 634 7- 11. Close Rancho Santa Fe Road for five months while the westerly one-half of the road is constructed, then open this westerly one-half to traffic while the easterly one-half is closed. Traffic would utilize an Olivenhain Road, El Camino Real, and La Costa Avenue detour. (Council previously approved this.) Advantaqes: A. The period of time during which all drivers will be inconvenienced will be reduced from twelve to eight months, the last three of which will have a fully improved roadway section. B. The potential for accidents and tort liability claims increases significantly in construction zones. The road closure would eliminate this to a large extent though access must still be provided for Calle Barcelona. Disadvantages: A. The diverted traffic will increase volumes along the detour. This may result in undesirable congestion. B. The residents along La Costa Avenue may perceive an impact due to the increase of congestion and noise. C. Levante Street, which is not part of the detour, may experience more traffic. 111. Close Rancho Santa Fe Road between the hou,rs of 9:OO A.M. and 3:OO P.M. thereby allowing traffic to pass through the construction zone during peak traffic hours, morning and night. Theoretically, traffic would only utilize the Olivenhain Road, El Camino Real, and La Costa Avenue detour during the hours of 9:OO A.M. and 3:OO P.M. Advantaqes: A. Allow traffic shorter route to Melrose Avenue and Rancho Santa Fe Road into Vista during peak hours of traffic. Page 3 of Agenda Bill No. 836 7- Disadvantaqes: A. Require use of detour via Olivenhain Road, El Camino Real and La Costa Avenue during off peak hours. B. Anticipated increase in major type of acci- dents. C. Anticipated travel delays due to heavy equip- ment working on construction area. It is anticipated that no mitigating measures along the detour route would be necessary. Daon Corporation representatives have informally indicated strong opposition to this alternative. IV. Close Rancho Santa Fe Road between Mision Estancia and La Costa Avenue. Allow traffic to pass throuqh the construction zone between Olivenhain Road and Mision Estancia at all times. Mision Estancia would be utilized as a detour between Rancho Santa Fe Road and La Costa Avenue. Mision Estancia would be paved by Daon Corporation prior to closing any portion of Rancho Santa Fe Road. This option would delay the commencement of construction of Rancho Santa Fe Road until the first week in January. Advantages: A. Short detour route around part of construction area. B. Traffic through construction area on Rancho Santa Fe Road, between Olivenhain Road and Mision Estancia, allows shortest route. C. Detour route has no existing development adjacent thereto. Disadvantaqes: A. Anticipated increase in major type of accidents in area where traffic passes through construction area. 8. Anticipated travel delays due to heavy equipment working in construction area. -.. Page 4 of Agenda Bill No. F3b7-+1 This alternative is dependent upon Daon Corporation having Mision Estancia completed prior to closure of Rancho Santa Fe Road between Mision Estancia and La Costa Avenue. V. Construct a temporary road approximately between Olivenhain Road and Mision Estancia. A. Close Rancho Santa Fe Road between Olivenhain Road and Mision Estancia. Allow traffic to pass through the construction zone on Rancho Santa Fe Road between Mision Estancia and La Costa Avenue, Advantaqes: 1. Short detour around construction area. 2. No detour traffic passing through existing neighborhoods. Disadvantaqes: 1. Anticipated increase in major type of accidents in area where traffic passes through construction zone (between Mision Estancia and La Costa Avenue). 2. Anticipated travel delays due to heavy equipment working in construction zone. 8. Close Rancho Santa Fe Road between Olivenhain Road and La Costa Avenue. Detour traffic along Mision Estancia. Mision Estancia would be paved by Daon Corporation prior to closing any portion of Rancho Santa Fe Road. This option would delay the commencement of construction of Rancho Santa Fe Road until the first week in January. Advantages: 1, The period of time during which motorists would be inconvenienced would be shortened to approximately nine months. 2. Anticipate fewer major type of accidents. .-- Page 5 of Agenda Bill No. 83b7-*/ 3. No detour traffic passing through existing neighborhoods. These alternatives require the cooperation of the developer in constructing a by-pass road and completing construction of Mision Estancia prior to commencing work on Rancho Santa Fe Road and would delay commencement of construction of Rancho Santa Fe Road at least until the first week in January. Other issues which have been brought up are discussed as follows: A. It has been suggested that stop signs be placed at several intersections on Levante Street to discourage through traffic. The purpose of stop signs is to assign right-of-way. To install them to slow or deter traffic will lead to increases in accidents, conges- tion, delay, noise and pollution. No intersections on Levante Street now warrant stopping Levante Street traffic. For this reason, staff recommends against this measure. B. Concern has been expressed by the school districts about student activity and the bus routes. Staff has spoken with representatives of the schools and with the Director of Bus Transportation, Mr. Stanley Ross. Mr ROSS' letter to Councilman Chick is attached for your review (Exhibit 3). The concern is with bus routing and student safety. With the closure of the roadway, the buses must use a circuitous route. This will increase time and money for the district. Mr Ross is also of the opinion that a major portion of diverted traffic will use Levante Street rather than the marked route. Because children are required to cross Levante Street to get to buses, Mr. Ross envisions safety problems. It is unknown how much traffic will use Levante Street. The street will be signed to prohibit trucks and to inform drivers of the proper route. Police presence will be increased and the speed limit strictly enforced. It is expected that even without complete closure of Rancho Santa Fe Road the same impacts will occur. The buses would not be required to re-route but due to construction activity will likely incur significant delays. Levante Street traffic will undoubtedly increase to an unknown degree. Page 6 of Agenda Bill No. 8367-*l Staff agrees that maintaining Rancho Santa Fe Road for through traffic will lessen the possibility of the impacts expected by Mr. Ross. Staff's recommendation to close the roadway was in consideration of the welfare of the general public. Though the school children's safety is important, the bus traffic acocunts for only a small portion of total traffic using the roadway. Staff does not wish to weigh such intangibles, but will defer to the Council's discretion. The Council previously approved alternative number two above. Alternatives number three and four have been recently discussed with Daon Corporation representatives. We are awaiting their comments. FISCAL IMPACT None. EXHIBITS 1. Location Map of Alternative No. 4. 2. Agenda Bill No. 8367, previously approved at the Council meeting of October 15, 1985. 3. Letter from Stanley H. Ross to Councilman Richard Chick dated October 21, 1985. I LOCATION MAP I I 1 RANCHO SANTA FE RD. ALTERNATIVE 4 I