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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-02-08; City Council; 20452; LA COSTA AVENUE ALTERNATIVESCITY OF CARLSBAD - AGENDA BILL 13 AB* 20,452 MTG. 02/08/11 DEPT. TRAN LA COSTA AVENUE ALTERNATIVES DEPT. DIRECTOR fjj^ CITY ATTORNEY /^^^ CITY MANAGER (^^ RECOMMENDED ACTION: Receive an update on La Costa Avenue alternatives for roadway conditions. ITEM EXPLANATION: This informational report provides an update on the current road conditions on La Costa Avenue and alternatives to address residents' concerns. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: None for this report. FISCAL IMPACT: None for this report. EXHIBITS: 1. La Costa Avenue Alternatives memo dated February 1, 2011. DEPARTMENT CONTACT: Doug Bilse, (760) 602-7504, doug.bilse@carlsbadca.gov FOR CITY CLERKS USE ONLY COUNCIL ACTION: APPROVED O DENIED D CONTINUED D WITHDRAWN O AMENDED D CONTINUED TO DATE SPECIFIC D CONTINUED TO DATE UNKNOWN D RETURNED TO STAFF D OTHER - SEE MINUTES D Council received tbe presentation end returned tbe item^to staff. See Minute? for details. CITY OF CARLSBAD Memorandum February 1, 2011 To: Lisa Hildabrand, City Manager From: Doug Bilse, Traffic Signal Systems Engineer Via: Skip Hammann, Transportation Director Re: La Costa Avenue Alternatives Background Over the years, staff has been working with residents to address recurring traffic issues along La Costa Avenue including vehicle speeds and driveway visibility. KOA Corporation was contracted to assist staff develop the La Costa Avenue Road Diet / Arterial Road Traffic Calming Program Project. A road diet would require the redesign of La Costa Avenue to one traffic lane in each direction of travel and thereby allow the use of traditional traffic calming measures. Because this section of La Costa Avenue is currently classified as a secondary arterial, staff concluded that the City's General Plan must be updated and consideration must be given to the Growth Management Program before a road diet can be implemented. Staff from the Transportation and Community and Economic Development Departments will coordinate the La Costa Avenue Traffic Calming Project and the General Plan Update including all required environmental review. Prior to the implementation and further consideration of a La Costa Road Diet and associated traffic calming measures, staff has identified several interim safety improvements to address vehicle speed and limited visibility from the residential driveways. These interim improvements may not fully address the traffic issues presented by the residents, but they are expected to have a significant improvement on driver safety. Engineering studies to establish the speed limit have resulted in speed limits of 45 MPH or higher. It is not anticipated that the speed limit can be reduced and be enforceable without changing the character of the road. Road improvements are necessary to restrict traffic to one lane in each direction to have the most effect on reducing average speeds. Staff is in the process of working with KOA to prepare a revised scope of work for professional services on recommendations for a long term solution to address the speeds on La Costa Avenue. It is staff's opinion that a combination of a road diet and traffic calming measures will reduce speeds that will be enforceable. Options on how to move forward with a road diet and traffic calming will be available for the City Manager's consideration in the next several weeks. Transportation Department 1635 Faraday Ave. I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 760-602-2730 I 760-602-8562 fax I www.carlsbadca.gov Ms. Hildabrand February 1, 2011 Page 2 Recommended Actions Due to the time needed to resolve the performance and design issues related to the proposed La Costa Avenue road diet, at this time staff recommends the use of short-term interim safety improvements. Following are interim improvements along La Costa Avenue addressing the residents' traffic concerns: 1. Installing warning signs along areas with residential driveways. This effort has been implemented and will be scheduled for installation. 2. Installing speed feedback signs to provide real-time information on vehicle speed. This effort has been implemented. Portable feedback signs have been ordered and will be replaced with permanent speed feedback devices when available. 3. Restricting left turn access and egress to residential units using a painted median will change the character of the roadway. The plan and design will be submitted to the City Council for consideration of approval pursuant to the design immunity provisions of Government Code §830.6. Staff will prepare a plan illustrating the painted median for Council approval at the next available public meeting. 4. Restricting parking near residential driveways to improve visibility requires an ordinance introduced and adopted at public meetings and becomes effective 30 days thereafter unless adopted as an urgency ordinance. c: Gary Barberio, Community and Economic Development Director Gary Morrison, Police Chief Kevin Crawford, Fire Chief John Kim, Traffic Division Manager (OCA) Ms. Hildabrand February 1, 2011 Page 3 LA COSTA AVENUE EL CAMINO REAL TO RANCHO SANTA FE ROAD "-<£•• ffto-i ,arP'a**5" gSO«ssn®5 •^i4»^ V4&^ VUELTA 1* "&...,Wr ri TA ^^ \ b %% %T ,..y-,,.'•" " ffltfi7)\ sn .lrefV**;, ^^^V\ 1 /-vrtirfS 1 \ L :0. ^ff{4* -<SX° QU1TASQL TC!RR^N " ^ ':••-•¥ As A/arw3Ng"TV<i-- 7>C* ^ i i -^i \ MAR^A Oio« "%,.ROCiO- •"•''"••• '\,4* O^?^ -vtom^r». N^ teIy.-~ — •51m OVIEDO x-t. \ >.0-, L_.S^ •fev«-, ^^ <5i °c. ^ c* <ai «£ I I I I fSj*«c/A ^A/c, :^; v«f^ CO VS % JT '^ _s> ^ z> -$3) *«t ^O>«3CW« PRIMAVEBA ^^ *^V ,-•"^'i,^ Ivavaow o\ _ SOl,ANO-., ^voo, ^ .A^- :'To. *f)* ^ o" Cf) om ;•n >O i~a IJO // m '• '.I I •/,EXHIBIT A La Costa Avenue Alternatives By Doug Bilse, I.E. Traffic Signal Systems Engineer CITY OF CARLSBAD La Costa Avenue Traffic Issues Speeding Sight Distance Traffic Volume CITY OF CARLSBAD Short Term Solution= Signing and Striping • Install warning signs along residential driveways • Install Speed Feedback Signs at key locations • Prohibit parking adjacent to residential driveways • Prohibit left turn access/egress to residential driveways (painted median) CITY OF CARLSBAD Warning Signs ENTERING RESIDENTIAL DRIVEWAYS CITY OF CARLSBAD Speed Feedback Signs YOUR SPEED Existing Signing and Striping Conditions <jC C • CITY OF CARLSBAD Painted Median Proposed Improvements CARLSBAD Next Steps for Short Term Solutions Implement warning and speed feedback signs Council direction on parking restrictions Council direction on left turn restrictions I T Y OF CARLSBAD ~^^™ Long-Term Solution= Complete Streets Design • Safety and Livability Traffic Calming Measures Mini-roundabouts in lieu of proposed traffic signals Road Diet C I T V OF CARLSBAD Next Steps for Long-Term Solutions Analyze Road Diet • General Plan Issues Growth Management Program Issues Public Outreach CITY OF CARLSBAD Recap 9 Install warning signs and speed feedback signs • City Council input on proposed parking restrictions • City Council input on proposed turning restrictions • Staff to prepare signing and striping plan for consideration at upcoming City Council meeting • Staff to make presentation at upcoming City Council meeting on proposed Road Diet/Traffic Calming Plan CITY OF CARLSBAD Questions? C I T Y O F CARLSBAD