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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1988-02-01; Traffic Safety Commission; MinutesMINUTES Meeting of: TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION Time of Meeting: 3:OO p.m. Date of Meeting: February 1, 1988 Place of Meeting: City Council Chambers CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Erwin called the Meeting to order at 3:14 p.m. ROLL CALL: Present -- Chairman Erwin, Commissioners Fuller, Melideo and O'Day. Commissioner Herring arrived at 3:16 p.m. Absent -- None. Staff Members Present: Bob Johnson, Principal Civil Engineer Martin Lauber, Assistant Civil Officer Shipley, Police Department Robert German, Risk Manager Engineer APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Minutes of the Meeting held 3anuary 4, 1988, were approved as presented. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: No one was present to speak before the Commission. OLD BUSINESS: Bob Johnson reported that several months ago Commissioner Fuller had asked for identification for the Commissioners when they were out in the field. Mr. 3ohnson stated he had received the business cards with each Commissioner's name on them and these will be distributed at the end of the meeting. The address on the cards is 1200 Elm Avenue and the telephone number is the Engineering Department. Mr. Johnson stated the Cadencia speed limit will go to Council February 16, 1988, tentatively. NEW BUSINESS: A. Elm Avenue/Chatham Road Intersection - Request to Establish a 4-way STOP Intersection This item was trailed to allow for the arrival of Commission Herring. REPORT FROM TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSIONERS: Commissioner Fuller inquired about a traffic signal at Adams and Tamarack instead of a 4-way stop. Mr. 3ohnson stated the signal for that intersection is being designed at the present time. Erwin Fuller Melideo 0 I Day A \ $ Y Y Y Y MINUTES y $ A February 1, 1988 TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION Page 2 - NEW BUSINE:: A. Elm Avenue/Chatham Road Intersection - Reauest to Establish a 4-way STOP Intersection Bob Johnson gave the staff report, stating this issue was one with which everyone had great concern. there has been aood communication between the City and Ms. Ernst, Principal of Hope Elementary School, and everyone was trying to arrive at the best decision that could be made. He stated Mr. Johnson stated the first time this item was before the Commission, only three Commissioners were present, and by a 2-1 vote recommended a four-way STOP at Elm Avenue/Chatham Road. matter be discussed before a full Commission, and there is a full Commission present today. set a precedent in any way, and any decision the Commission makes is advisory to the City Council and can be appealed to them. The City Engineer requested the He added this would not Mr. 3ohnson continued the report stating staff had obtained additional traffic counts and turning movement counts and head counts on pedestrians. The two issues to be discussed are the request for a four-way STOP at Chatham Road and Elm Avenue and the crossing of students at that locat ion. Mr. 3ohnson discussed the four-way STOP requested, reading from the Traffic Manual Policy Section and referring to the School Area Pedestrian Safety Section. Transparencies were used to indicate the charts that were included in the Staff Report. The critical speed at this location was 41 m.p.h. time and the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee recommended no stop signs be placed on Elm at Chatham. The warrants for a stop sign are not met at this Mr. 3ohnson stated this intersection is not on the suggested route to school and the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee did not recommend it be added. discussed both issues at length at several meetings, and felt the students should be directed to follow the suggested route to school, which includes an adult crossing guard at Tamarack and E.lm Avenue and a four-way STOP. They Robert German, Risk Manager, referred to his memorandum dated 3anuary 22, 1988, in which he related the risks to the City if a four-way STOP were to he installed at Elm and Chatham, adding if an unwarranted four-way STOP were installed, this would expose the City to additional llability. sight/distance problem for eastbound traffic on Elm Avenue, Mr. German stated the concern was the lack of time to stop a vehicle when other vehicles queue. pedestrians should cross there. In answer to Commission query regarding the He added no f- MINUTES February 1, 1988 TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION Page 3 COMM~SS~ONERS Commissioner Herring stated the children should be stopped from crossing at that intersection, or the other solution would be to put up stop signs. He suggested that warning signs could be used, and the parents and school personnel could station themselves there to direct the children to the proper intersection. The suggestion was made to take the names of the children not crossing the proper corner and notify the parents. Cheryl Ernst, Principal, Hope Elementary School, spoke before the Commission, stating a Safety Committee had been formed and had met regularly since last fall. They had studied the corner, monitored the area and contacted parents. and have sent letters home to parents, and in addition, Officer Friendly had spoken to each individual class. The bike riders had also had instructions about the safe route to school. They have video tapes made at the intersection Ms. Ernst stated they had worked with the City to train youngsters to place a Safety Patrol guard in front of the school, and a letter had been sent home to parents. The parents signed a petition for whatever could be done to ensure the safety of the youngsters. Ms. Ernst stated the 40 m.p.h. sign at the corner of Victoria and Elm gives the impression that motorists can continue at that speed, and she suggested that sign be eliminated or some other type of warning be used. She suggested the barricade and trees that are a problem to traffic are also a problem to the youngsters. Ms. Ernst said it would be illegal for her to require school personnel to be that far away from the school, and if any teachers were injured, the School District would be liable. but with her other duties, it would not be possible to do this on a regular basis. She added she could do the monitoring herself, Ms. Ernst added they did have the warrants to qualify for a yellow flashing light. Marian Shipley, 3608 Kingston Street, told of the problem in entering Elm Avenue because of the traffic, and that will increase, making control necessary for the children and cars on Chatham. Mrs. Shipley stated the school officials had been working with the parents, but they could not stop the students from crossing at Elm and Chatham. As far as monitoring the intersection, she felt that was impractical. She stated the recommended route up Tamarack to Elm was too strenuous for the children and unsafe for bikers. Mrs. Shipley said a flashing light or sign indicating an approaching stop before the curve in Elm Avenue would probably help solve the problem. MINUTES Diana Packard, 3608 Santa Clara Way, addressed the Commission, telling of motorists passing on the righthand side of a car that has stopped for children. it was physically difficult for the children to follow the recommended route to school because of the steep grades on Tamarack and Elm. Also, Mrs. Packard stated the children did not think it was a safe route, as the bikers have to go into the street on the wrong side. She stated Laura McGuire, 2744 Olympia, told of the distances to the school, stating the safe route added one-half mile to the distance for students walking to school, and this was too tiring for the children. She felt a flashing light would help. Commissioner Melideo commented on the fact the parents seem to feel the City and this Commission are responsible for their children not obeying the school and parents as far as walking the safe route to school. Ms. Ernst commented the program suggested by the Coordinating Committee was not workable, as the school has to make rules that are enforceable. She felt this was not enforceable due to the lack of parent volunteers to monitor the corner every day. Steve Shipley, 3608 Kingston Street, questioned the fairness of rehearing this issue to vote on it, when a quorum voted in favor of the stop signs. As to the liability issue, he stated any parent injured at the intersection would subject the City to liability problems. this point, supposed to where schoo responsible streets. Susan Pynes Mr. Shipley stated it would be easier to teach motorists what to do rather than to teach grade school students. At the children are not doing what they are do. Mr. Shipley stated the City established s were placed and he felt they were for the children and where they crossed the 3782 Portland Court, stated with the opening of the Calavera Hills Park and ballfields, the traffic will increase. She stated she had encouraged her children to take the safe route, as the suggested route was not safe. There is no bike lane and no shoulder on the road, and that is not safe for the children to ride on Tamarack, and also the grade of the hill is difficult. In answer to Commission query about moving the adult crossing guard to Chatham and Elm, Bob 3ohnson stated the Coordinating Committee did not recommend that action due to the fact that Chatham is an unsafe intersection for pedestrians to be crossing. and Tamarack. Commission comment included the thought that it was sad that the parents could not control their children and were attempting to say the City was liable. The idea of walking an extra half mile was certainly not a big thing to ask of small children, who need the exercise. The safest crossing is at Elm \ \ \ /- MINUTES -. Commissioner O'Day stated he felt the 40 m.p.h. sign should be removed or replaced. He felt there should be an adult crossing guard placed at the Chatham intersection to stop the people from crossing there. Commissioner Fuller commented the peak period is 15 to 20 minutes in duration, and this meant traffic control devices were being considered for the convenience of approximately 40 minutes a day--and those devices would operate at all times. The motorists would be inconvenienced or submitted to unsafe conditions if those controls were installed. He felt adult control should be tried before permanent traffic controls were installed. crossing guard would be preferable to any other kind of control. Commissioner Fuller had monitored the area and watched the children taking the suggested route. The traffic in the area was parents driving their children to school. In conclusion, Commissioner Fuller stated he would rather see a traffic signal at that corner rather than a four-way STOP. A Commissioner Herring stated there should either be a stop sign or an adult guard, and he felt the guard was the better suolution. He also felt a flashing light near Victoria would slow the traffic from the 40 m.p.h. speed. Chairman Erwin stated he supported the crossing guard and moving the 40 m.p.h. sign. Also, a flashing warning sign should be placed in the vicinity of Victoria. Officer Shipley stated that he supported the Commission, as a crossing guard would be effective. Commissioner Herring made a motion to hire a crossing guard for the intersection at Elm and Chatham and install a warning light near Victoria to make motorists aware of a danger ahead. Chairman Erwin seconded the motion. Bob 3ohnson stated this intersection was not on the suggested route to school and not the safest corner for the children to cross. effective if the children observed his instruction and utilized the guard for crossing. As far as the flashing beacon, complaints have been received about the ineffective beacon at the Army and Navy Academy and the speed increased on Rancho Santa Fe Road after the beacon was installed. A crossing guard would only be Commissioner Herring withdrew his motion, with the consent of the second. Commissioner Fuller made a motion to recommend a crossing guard be authorized at the Chatham and Elm Avenue intersection and that staff work with the Principal and Concerned Parents Committee to work out a safe suggested route to school and any other safeguards they deem necessary to bring the children safely to the school. Commissioner Herring seconded the motion. Bob 3ohnson stated Officer Shipley, the school Principal, a representative from the Carlsbad Unified School District and he had determined the suggested route to school before school started, and if that route were to be changed, those were the people who would be involved. MINUTES h February 1, 1988 TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION Page 6 COMMISSIONERS Commissioner O'Day reiterated this was not a safe intersection and a stop sign would not make it safe. Bob 3ohnson stated he had concerns about the safety of a crossing guard. necessary, and would only work if students crossed with the help of a guard stationed there. He felt the support of the parents was Commissioner Fuller withdrew his former motion, with the consent of the second. Commissioner O'Day reiterated he felt a guard should be placed there to keep pedestrians from crossing. Commissioner Melideo made a motion to adopt the staff recommendation. Commissioner O'Day seconded the motion. Officer Shipley stated there was a program in Escondido where the Traffic Safety Officer wrote citations and the students had to attend a Traffic Safety Class to work off the ticket. Those classes were on Saturday. Traffic Safety Commission adopted the recommendation of the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee, as follows: 1. Request that school officials of Hope Elementary work with the parents and not allow students to cross Elm Avenue at Chatham Road. 2. Request that school officials (and parents) monitor the Chatham Road/Tamarack Avenue intersection and not allow students to walk up Chatham Road on the way home, but direct the students southerly on Tamarack Avenue to the intersection of Elm Avenue/Tamarack Avenue. Likewise, they would monitor the Chatham Road/Elm Avenue intersection and direct students easterly on Elm Avenue to the Adult Crossing Guard stationed at Elm Avenue/Tamarack Avenue. 3. Have Officer Friendly and a Traffic Division Officer of the Carlsbad Police Department address the student body in an assembly to discuss safe walking and bicycle riding to and from school. arranged by the Hope Elementary School Principal. This meeting to be AD30URNMENT: By proper motion, the Meeting of February 1, 1988, was adjourned at 5:35 p.m. ResDectfullv submitted. qarriett Babbitt Minutes Clerk Erwin Fuller Herring Melideo O'Day \ \