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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-04-10; Traffic Safety Commission; ; Support a complete streets project to address pedestrian safety issues along Harbor DriveCITY OF CARLSBAD TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION STAFF REPORT COMMISSION MEETING OF: April 10, 2017 ITEM NO. 6-B-1 LOCATION: Harbor Drive INITIATED BY: Michael Shannon REQUESTED ACTION: Support a complete streets project to address pedestrian safety issues along Harbor Drive BACKGROUND: Harbor Drive is a cul-de-sac street with access from Chinquapin Avenue. A pedestrian path to Aqua Hedionda Lagoon is located at the south end of Harbor Drive. Traffic data collected September 2016 estimates that the average daily traffic using Harbor Drive ranges from 191 to 298 vehicles. This traffic consists of visitors to Aqua Hedionda Lagoon, residents who live in the 18 homes, as well as residents, visitors and deliveries to the apartment complex which fronts the lagoon. The street is 36 feet wide, and parking is permitted on both sides of the street. There are no sidewalks on the Harbor Drive, and pedestrians must walk in the roadway to reach any destination on the street. Based on 8-foor wide parking lanes on each side of the street, Harbor Drive has a 20-foot travel way that must serve vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians. Since pedestrians walk at 3-5 mph, and the critical speed of vehicles traveling along Harbor Drive ranges from 17 to 23 mph, the lack of sidewalks and the pedestrian-vehicle speed differential presents a potential safety issue. Residents from Harbor Drive spoke at the March Traffic Safety Commission meeting requesting a project to address these issues. BASIS OF ACTION: The Carlsbad Residential Traffic Management Program (CRTMP) guides projects that reduce vehicle speed to enhance the residential character of a neighborhood. To qualify for the CRTMP the road must be located in a residence district as defined in the California Vehicle Code. CRTMP projects are intended to reduce vehicular speed and create a safer environment for pedestrians and cyclists. The discretionary nature of CRTMP projects is the main reason why they are prioritized and require residents and property owners to approve a formal mail-in vote by at least sixty-seven percent (67%). Staff proposes to identify a complete streets project to provide a delineated pedestrian space along Harbor Drive and reduce vehicles speeds. Because the Harbor Drive project will address a specific pedestrian safety issue, staff recommends that this project not be required to follow the CRTMP requirement for a mail-in survey. Staff will hold a public meeting near the project site in order to gather input from those most directly impacted by the proposed project, and this approach is consistent with other recent complete street projects on Cadencia Street and Cassia Road. RECOMMENDATION: Support a project to delineate a pedestrian walking area along Harbor Drive and include traffic calming measures to reduce the vehicle speed on the street. NECESSARY CITY COUNCIL ACTION: Staff can begin work on the Harbor Drive project without City Council approval. The plans for the proposed project will need City Council approval before implementation can commence. Attachments: 1. Location Map LOCATION MAP NOT TO SCALE COMPLETE STREETS PROJECT PROJECT NAME HARBOR DRIVE PACIFIC OCEAN PROPOSED COMPLETE STREETS PROJECT EXHIBIT 1 PLOTTm BY: JIM GAL£ PLOT DATE:J/23/17 PATH:Q: \PUBUC WORKS\TRANSPORTATION\TRAmc DIVIS/ON\TRAmC OPERATIONS\AUTOCAD\GALE\2017 WORK ORDERS\LOCATION MAPS\HARBOR DRIVE: LOCATION MAP.DIii'.; Traffic Safety Commission April 10, 2017 Procedures 1.Introduce item 2.Staff Presentation 3.Traffic Safety Commission questions on staff presentation 4.Public testimony opened 5.Input from public 6.Public testimony closed 7.Traffic Safety Commission discussion 8.Traffic Safety Commission vote Procedures Continued Traffic Safety Commission recommendations may be appealed to the City Council.If anyone wishes to question a Traffic Safety Commission decision,they may contact the Transportation Division at 1635 Faraday Avenue between the hours of 7:30 and 5:30 Monday through Thursday and 8:00 to 5:00 Friday. A time limit of 3 minutes is allotted to each speaker.Items submitted for viewing, including presentations/digital materials,will be included in the time limit maximum for speakers. Agenda Item 6-B-1 Harbor Drive Traffic Safety Commission April 10, 2017 Project Site 5 6 7 8 36 feet Traffic Data •Curb-to-curb spacing: 36 feet •Parallel parking on both sides of street •Travel lane for peds, bike , autos: 20-feet •Daily traffic: 191-298 vehicles per day •Critical (85th percentile) speed: 17/21/23 mph •Pedestrian speed: 3-5 mph 9 CRTMP •Reduce vehicle speed to enhance residential character of street •Target speed= 25 mph •Reduced speed creates safer environment for peds and bikes •Road must be in a residential district (per CVC) 10 Staff Recommendation •Support staff recommendation to identify a project to address potential pedestrian safety concerns on Harbor Drive. 11 Agenda Item 6-F-1 Police Report Traffic Safety Commission April 10, 2017 Monthly Activity Report •Extra enforcement on Cassia Road •End of School Year Enforcement Program •Deployed DUI patrols as part of OTS grant 13