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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-07-12; Traffic Safety Commission; MinutesJuly 12,2004 TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION Page 1 MEETING OF: TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION DATE OF MEETING: TIME OF MEETING: 3:OO P.M. PLACE OF MEETING: July 12,2004 (Regular Meeting) CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS CALL TO ORDER Chair Gordon Cress called the Meeting to order at 3:OO p.m. ROLL CALL: Present: Absent: Staff Members Present: Chair Gordon Cress Vice-Chair Steve Dorsey Commissioner James Courtney Commissioner Guy Roney Commissioner Susan Gardner Robert Johnson, Deputy City Engineer, Transportation Division Sgt. Marc Reno, Carlsbad Police Department (arrived at 3:30 Officer Alex Mitkovich, Carlsbad Police Department Pm) APPROVAL OF MINUTES: June 7,2004 ACTION: Motion by Commissioner Courtney, and duly seconded by Commissioner Roney to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of June 7,2004 as presented. VOTE: 4-0-0 AYES: Cress, Dorsey, Courtney, Roney NOES: None ABSTAIN: None July 12,2004 TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION Page 2 ITEM 4 - ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: Mr. Barry Whittle, 3737 Saddle Drive, Carlsbad in the Calavera Hills development, addressed the Commission and stated that he was here to present an unsigned petition that was circulated by him in his neighborhood regarding the future speed limit that is going to be set on College Boulevard coming from El Camino Real into Oceanside. This petition will be given to the City Council. Mr. Whittle stated that they had a large response of 187 of 250 petitions signed. He gave a sample petition to the Traffk Safety Commission to look at. It is their goal to bring this petition before the City Council. They are not asking in this petition what the road speed limit can be established at. The road has the capability of being established at 55 miles per hour because of its partition in the middle, the sidewalks, and the bike lanes. The residents feel that there are too many children in that particular area that cross from the east side of College Boulevard going to the Calavara Hills Park which is on the west side of College Boulevard. Theoretically, the children would cross at the crosswalks, but as everyone knows children do not necessarily do that. In addition, there is a new development of an apartment complex that is going to add 700 units to the homes that already exist on the east side. The 700 units will have between 500 - 700 children. All of those children are going to be at the level of the park, whereas the current residents are below the park, so these children will take their skateboards, go-peds, or bicycles to go up to the park. The new apartment children are going to be right at the same level as the park they will cross the street and get to the park. Their parents will not drive these children since they’re within a block of the park. There is a lot of concern by the parents for their children’s safety. They are asking for a 40-mile per hour speed limit to be posted upon College Boulevard. Mr. Whittle will present this to the City Council. The Commission received the petition and took no action. DISCUSSION: Commissioner Dorsey asked if the area that Mr. Whittle was referring to was the portion of College Boulevard that is starting construction now connecting El Camino Real with the existing park? Mr. Whittle stated that it is College Avenue from El Camino Real all the way to Oceanside. Commissioner Courtney stated that the issues that would allow the speed limit to legally be brought down are the fact that there is a sight line blockage right at Carlsbad Village Drive. People who are going 50 miles per hour up that hill are not going to be able to see what’s on the other side of that hill. It will be a controlled intersection with a traf3k signal there. But if the light is green and it’s a Jdy 12,2004 TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION Page 3 50-mile per hour speed limit, and that’s where the children are going to be crossing it’s going to be dangerous. Robert Johnson stated that there is nothing that the Traffic Safety Commission can do today until this item is placed on a future agenda. Commissioner Courtney asked that we remember that it is a prime arterial and you cannot build a street 100 feet wide with multi lanes, bike lanes, parking and sidewalks, and then tell people that they’re going to drive 25 miles per hour, because they just are not going to do it. People that move on a prime arterial are going to have to tell the kids not to run across the street. Mr. Whittle stated that they realized what the prime arterial was built for, which is why they are asking for a 40 mile per hour speed limit as opposed to a 35 mile per hour limit. He also stated that many of the petitioners wanted the speed limit even lower than the 35 miles per hour. Commissioner Courtney stated that the Commission had to follow state laws. He further stated that the tickets were not necessarily enforceable. There was once a Commissioner from the San Marcos court that came and talked to this Commission. He stated that the court knew the law, and when a speed limit is posted and one of Carlsbad’s officers writes a ticket and then comes to his court, he’s a little upset and not inclined to treat the officer with any respect. If the law is going to be violated then the tickets are not going to be honored. Mr. Whittle stated that the one exception to the law is the fact that there is a sight line that does allow one to drop the limit if you so choose to. Chair Cress stated that there was no further Oral Communications. ITEM 5 - PREVIOUS BUSINESS: Robert Johnson, Deputy City Engineer, Transportation Division, stated that he had several items to discuss. First, the three-hour parking time limit on Carlsbad Boulevard and also on Christensen Way that the Commission addressed at last month’s meeting is going to the City Council tomorrow night for introduction of the ordinance if the Council so agrees that that is what they would like to do. July 12,2004 TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION Page 4 Secondly, there was an all-way stop sign request on Avenida Encinas that this Commission addressed at the May 3rd Traffic Safety Committee meeting in which the Commission unanimously recommended by a 5-0 vote to not recommend that an all-way stop be installed on three intersections on Avenida Encinas. Mr. Dale Ordas, the initiator of this item, has appealed the Commission's recommendation to the City Council. That appeal will be heard by the City Council at their July 20* meeting, a week fiom tomorrow night. ITEM 6 -NEW BUSINESS: ITEM 6A. Mr. Johnson stated that Item 6A is a request initiated by staff to establish an all-way stop at the Cypress Avenue/Ocean Street intersection by installing a stop sign on Cypress Avenue. Referring to the overhead, Mr. Johnson stated that currently Ocean Street has stop signs on the top of the T- intersection. The reason for the stop signs on the top of the T-intersection rather than the traditional stem of the T-intersection is because of two striped crosswalks on Ocean Street north of Cypress Avenue. This particular intersection is in the south vicinity of the Army and Navy Academy, so it serves vehicular traffic to the Academy and the homes that exist along the west side of Ocean Street by virtue of the through street access from Ocean Street to Carlsbad Boulevard via Cypress Avenue. Cypress Avenue is a very narrow street, only about one-tenth of a mile in length or roughly 500 feet. Mr. Johnson informed the Commission that both he and Sgt. Reno of the Carlsbad Police Department met last month with officials fiom the Army and Navy Academy to discuss a number of traffic issues on streets in the school zone around the Army and Navy Academy. One of the concerns mentioned to staff was that there is some stop sign running that is occurring on Ocean Street at Cypress Avenue, meaning that some vehicles are not complying with the stop sign. That is an issue especially because of the two school crosswalks that are located at Cypress Avenue. Traditionally, at a T-intersection if it is not an all-way stop, typically the stem of the T-intersection is what is controlled with the stop sign. In this case, it is the top of the T-intersection that has stop signs. There is no stop sign installed on Cypress Avenue. The Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee recommends that rather than removing the existing stop signs and placing a stop sign on the stem of the T-intersection, which would be Cypress Avenue, we install a stop sign on Cypress Avenue. This intersection would then become an all-way stop and this would assign right of way both to vehicles and pedestrians in all directions. Currently, sight distance is somewhat limited on the approach westbound on Cypress Avenue. When viewing vehicles on Ocean Street any potential stop sign running could result in a collision because the vehicles do not need to stop on Cypress Avenue. Staff conducted an intersection volume approach count for all three July 12,2004 TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION Page 5 directions. The results of the June 22,2004 count is provided in the staff report and the volumes are very low at this intersection. Mr. Johnson stated that it was the recommendation of the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee that an all-way stop be established because of the uncontrolled nature of the stem of the T- intersection and the unusual circumstance of having the top of the T-intersection being the controlled portion of the intersection. DISCUSSION: Commissioner Courtney stated that he was hesitant to install any kind of a control where it doesn’t meet warrants. He stated that a long time ago when they put the stop signs in there it was because most of the traffic peeled off from Carlsbad Boulevard and only went about one-half of a block to Cypress Avenue and drivers either turned right or left. There had been some conflicts there at one time, which is why they put those two other stop signs in on Ocean Street. Most of the traffic was coming in; the people coming out were a little slower coming out, but it’s the shooting off the Boulevard and coming in there. Mr. Johnson stated that staff researched the item and could not find the date when the stop signs were installed. Commissioner Courtney stated that he thought it was about 20 years ago. However, since then a number of condominiums have been built at the end of that street, so there is a lot more traffk now than there used to be and he thought those numbers would be higher. Commissioner Courtney stated that for that reason he would support the motion. He further stated that there’s a public access at the end of that street, too, to get down to the beach. So there is a lot of traffic going through there. Chair Cress asked Mr. Johnson what the cost of installing a stop sign would be. Mr. Johnson stated about $125 to install the sign, and additional cost for the stop legend and limit line. With painting involved, the entire physical installation would be close to $500 and the city sign crew would do that. Staff would need to take the recommendation of the Commission to the City Council and have them adopt an ordinance to establish the all-way stop. July 12,2004 TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION Page 6 Chair Cress stated that the staff of the Army and Navy Academy was concerned with vehicles running the stop signs on Ocean Street. Do they think that putting a stop sign here is going to help that situation? . Mr. Johnson stated that the issue of running a stop sign is an enforcement issue, and Sgt. Reno spoke to them about that particular issue at the meeting. However, if there is stop sign running and Cypress Avenue is uncontrolled, we have the potential for a collision because a driver on Cypress Avenue does not have to stop. They expect drivers to be stopping on Ocean Street, but it is an unusual situation. Staff does not like to create unusual intersections and this is a little bit different than we normally would address a T-intersection. Typically staff would install a stop sign on the stem of the T-intersection and then as future conditions change, consider the top of the T-intersection for a stop sign and then at that time it becomes an all-way stop intersection. This intersection was done in a somewhat backwards manner. MOTION: ACTION: VOTE: AYES: NOES: ABSTAIN: Motion by Commissioner Courtney and duly seconded by Commissioner Roney, to accept the recommendation of the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee to establish an all-way stop at the intersection of Ocean Street and Cypress Avenue by installing a stop sign on Cypress Avenue. Cress, Dorsey, Courtney, Roney None None 4-0-0 ITEM NO. 6B Mr. Johnson mentioned that this item was initiated by the Carlsbad Police Department and Officer Alex Mitkovich is in the audience and available to answer any questions. Officer Mitkovich brought this matter to the attention of Lt. Shipley and asked that it be brought forward to the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee, a staff committee. Ultimately, the Committee recommended that this item be brought forward to the Traffic Safety Commission. Continuing, Mr. Johnson said that he purpose of this item is to establish a NO PARKING time limit from 12:OO midnight to 5:OO a.m., seven days a week on both sides of Paseo del Norte from Poinsettia Lane to Camino de las Ondas. For years, vehicles have parked on both sides of Paseo del Norte from Poinsettia Lane northerly to the area primarily between Ginger Avenue and south of July 12,2004 TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION Page 7 Sunflower Way, the limits have expanded to Camino de las Ondas. The portion of road immediately north of Poinsettia Lane currently is an existing no parking zone. There is a small area at the Ginger and Harbor Pointe Road intersections where a year ago, for corner sight distance purposes, a no parking zone was established. Where there is parking allowed in between the no parking areas on both sides of the street and up to Camino de las Ondas, commuters park there daily and use the area as a park and ride where they meet their carpool at that location. That is legal parking. Any vehicle can park on a city street up to 72 hours as long as they are legally parked and there are no other time limits. The neighbors have their friends come over during the day and also park there. Even when this happens during the night it is not the issue. . Mr. Johnson stated what has become an issue and has upset many of the residents living on both sides, primarily on the east side, is the number of vehicles that are starting to park on Paseo del Norte with a For Sale sign in the vehicle on the windshield. Many of those vehicles are now showing up to park primarily for the weekend. Drivers park the vehicle on a Thursday night or a Friday and leave the vehicle there the entire weekend with no intention of moving the vehicle. Their sole purpose is to have the vehicle parked on the street with the For Sale sign displayed so that people driving along Paseo del Norte will notice the vehicle and stop and read whatever information is on the For Sale sign, take down telephone numbers, cost of the vehicle, etc. In response to the complaints about the vehicles being parked there for extended lengths of time, longer than 72 hours, Officer Mitkovich has gone out and worked the area, marked the tires, and even towed vehicles when not within the 72 hour compliance. It has become an issue requiring significant police enforcement efforts in response to the complaints that are generated as a result of the vehicles being parked on Paseo del Norte. Our police do practice the community-oriented policing, so they try to the best of their ability to be responsive to the complaints that are generated. Obviously, there are priorities in police work, but officers will try to get to the various areas as best as they can. Officer Mitkovich has done his best he can to address the complaints in this area about parked vehicles. Mr. Johnson informed the Commission that when running license plate numbers, Officer Mitkovich has found that these are not just Carlsbad residents, but vehicles from outside the area - from cities like Fallbrook and others outside of Carlsbad. The area is becoming somewhat renowned as a location to bring a vehicle and put a For Sale sign on it, park it there and probably have good luck in getting the vehicle noticed and having it sold eventually. Mr.. Johnson said that one of the concerns that the T&ic Safety Coordinating Committee discussed was the safety aspect of vehicles being parked there. Drivers that want to observe a parked vehicle will park illegally in a no parking zone, walk up and look at the For Sale cars, they will park in the bike lane, get out and look at the vehicle, and will walk in the bike or partially in the traffic lane as they maneuver around the vehicles from one side or the other as they go from car to car to see what July 12,2004 TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION Page 8 is for sale and how much. This becomes a safety hazard. Officer Mitkovich has indicated to staff that he has been there conducting parking enforcement and drivers have pulled up and illegally parked while he was writing a ticket and his squad car was parked next to where the ticketed cars are located. Drivers are careless when it comes to vehicle safety and their own pedestrian safety when it comes to looking at these vehicles. Mr. Johnson mentioned that the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee discussed the issue and determined it appears that the 72-hour time limit is only partially effective in dealing with the issues. For the parked vehicles that aren’t the problem it really doesn’t matter that we have a 72-hour limit. That means that the car-poolers are not a problem. Carpool vehicles will get there in the morning and they will leave at night. That is not an issue. Certainly bicycle lane parking, parking in the No Parking zone and then vehicles being parked For Sale having registration issues such as expired registration is a problem. The Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee discussed their concern of establishing a parking time limit might just push the problem hrther to the north, perhaps north of Camino de las Ondas. However, the subject location north of Poinsettia Lane and south of Camino de las Ondas appears to be such a prime location that staff really doesn’t believe the vehicles will be moving further to the north. This location is very convenient to pull off the 1-5 to get to Poinsettia Lane and then park the vehicle on Paseo del Norte with a For Sale sign and leave it there. Drivers then go on their way and then come back 2-3 days later or longer. The Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee further recommended that in addition to a night time restriction from 12 midnight to 5:OO a.m. seven days a week, which would allow the vehicles to be towed, it would be very apparent that the vehicles should not be there overnight. In addition to the recommended time restriction, the Committee recommended that this be a pilot program for six months to give it a try to see what kind of problems it might create, if any, with vehicles being moved to other locations, to see how effective the no parking restrictions are and if the drivers are complying with the restriction. The time limits would be clearly posted on a sign in this particular area. DISCUSSION: Vice-Chair Dorsey asked Officer Mitkovich how much of the parking in the designated area was from local residents from housing in the neighborhood. Officer Mitkovich explained that the number was about 50/50 with residents from all over Carlsbad. Some vehicles come from as far as Mission Viejo and Paso Robles and park there also. It has become a destination to sell vehicles. The parkers have caught on to him and they move their cars when they see their tires marked. July 12,2004 TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION Page 9 Vice-Chair Dorsey stated that his concern was if we have the no parking midnight to 5:OO a.m. restriction and some of these people actually live there and need to park on the street for whatever reason, such as too many vehicles for their own private parking off street, what are they going to do now? . Officer Mitkovich stated that there is plenty of parking on Ginger to Carnation, and there are really no houses fronting on Paseo del Norte. It’s a gated community and there is plenty of parking there. The other folks have Carnation and Ginger and Sunflower to park on. Vice-Chair Dorsey stated he assumed that Camino de las Ondas is far enough away from Poinsettia Lane to not be a natural attraction for these types of vehicles to be parked north of.. Officer Mitkovich agreed. Commissioner Roney stated that the real issue is the sales activity. He asked if we needed some kind of ordinance on that function and while doing the six-month trial that we come back with some information. He said people stand around and they get pretty involved and don’t pay attention to traffic. Mr. Johnson stated that the issue is the vehicles with For Sale signs and the complaints that are being generated to the Police Department. They try to be responsive. The City Attorney has indicated that he does not believe we can enforce the issue of someone having a For Sale sign in the window. So we have to attack that particular problem in a different way. Right now the only tools available to the Police Department are the 72-hour limit and that drivers have to move the vehicle at least one-tenth of a mile after the 7-hour time period. In summary, the For Sale vehicles are generating a number of complaints and the police are trying to be responsive to it. Chair Cress stated that he lived in the general area and he drives down Paseo del Norte all the time, and it does look pretty tacky seeing all of those vehicles out there with those For Sale signs on them. Commissioner Courtney stated that he has worked for the City of San Marcos for over ten years, and the ordinance that San Marcos had for a similar situation was the state law, 72 hours on any street or highway. They added a sentence to that that said “successive acts of parking in the same block or within the same one-tenth of a mile constitute the same act of parking.” So drivers were ticketed anyway if they just roll up to get rid of the chalk marks on the tires. If they’re still on the same block, they got ticketed. Also, San Marcos instituted an ordinance that stated no auto sales anywhere in the city unless it was in a zone for auto sales. Also, they have an ordinance that you cannot park a vehicle on the city streets for the purposes of maintenance or advertising it for sale without a permit, and of course, San Marcos won’t give a permit for it. These ordinances seem to work for San July 12,2004 TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION Page 10 Marcos. They printed up a bunch of notices and they were pretty effective, sticking them on windshield wipers and drivers quit doing the illegal parking. If they didn’t, they were towed away. Chair Cress asked Mr. Johnson if midnight was the usual cut-off time for these, or 2:OO a.m. to 5:OO a.m. like on Harding. Any special reason why it was cut off at midnight instead of 2:OO a.m.? Mr. Johnson responded that there are different time limits at night, some at 1 :00 a.m., 2:OO a.m., and for this particular issue, midnight was decided upon in that there really are not a lot of residents parking on the street - it’s just simply too far fiom the homes to be a convenient place for someone to park there to visit a house or go to a party. It seems to satisfy the need for those that might use the road as a park and ride area, which is acceptable because the vehicles are moved everyday. The Committee chose 12:OO midnight for those reasons and it seemed to be a logical cut-off point. Chair Cress asked if this went to the City Council would they pass this on a temporary basis, or for six months, or is it that we just monitor it for six months? Mr. Johnson stated that that the ordinance would be a permanent ordinance but the Commission could recommend the pilot program aspect. The City Council would ask that a report go back to the Commission in six months as to the effectiveness of the ordinance and any recommendations for any changes if it were not effective, such as if there were complaints about the 12 midnight being too early in the evening or in the night, if the problem is pushed further north on Camino de las Ondas, or whatever the complaints may be over that six months. It would be up to staff to gather that information and bring back a report to the Commission that would then in turn go to City Council. That is the pilot program aspect that the City Council would be looking at. Vice-Chair Dorsey asked Mr. Johnson if it was the plan for his department to review this in six months and see what has happened? Mr. Johnson stated that it would be if the City Council agrees with the ordinance. If the Commission recommends the time restriction and Council reviews the matter and says no to the night restriction, then the police will handle this situation as they currently handle it, as best as they can. Staff would not necessarily be monitoring the area unless directed. July 12,2004 TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION Page 11 MOTION: ACTION: Motion by Vice-Chair Dorsey and duly seconded by Commissioner Roney, to accept the recommendation of the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee that a parking restriction be implemented between the hours of 12:OO midnight and 5:OO a.m. seven days a week on both sides of Paseo del Norte from Poinsettia Lane to Camino de las Ondas. The Committee further recommends that the restriction be monitored for six months for effectiveness and to determine if the For Sale vehicles are being relocated northerly on Paseo del Norte from their current parked position. VOTE: 4-0-0 AYES: Cress, Dorsey, Courtney, Roney NOES: None ABSTAIN: None ITEM 6C: Receive report on the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). Mr. Johnson stated that the report was something that he would like to give to the Commission and no action was required. The Commission will receive and basically file the report. He continued saying the Caltrans Traffic Manual has been the document utilized by local agencies and traffic engineers as the manual to establish engineering guidelines, policies and procedures for traffic functions throughout California. In May 2004 Caltrans adopted the 2003 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices as amended by the 2003 California Supplement to the MUTCD. There is a requirement to use the national manual, which is the Manual on Unifonn Traffic Control Devices. The Caltrans Traffic Manual was based on the national manual with some deviations and exceptions that were made for purposes of being used in California. The Traffic Manual was a slight variation from the national manual, but in essence the two were very similar in all respects except in a few areas. With the adoption of the 2003 MUTCD as amended by the 2003 California Supplement, staff will now start to reference that document in reports to the Commission. There are still some slight deviations and slight changes that are utilized in the California Supplement as compared to the MUTCD. Those are in the chapters on school areas, traMic signals, signs and striping, and stop sign warrants. Other minor changes will be used as the guidance and requirements of the 2003California Supplement dictates. Staff will be referencing that California Supplement, and no longer reference the Caltrans Traffic Manual in reports to the Traffic Safety Commission. The Commission accepted the report and took no action. July 12,2004 TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION . Page 12 ITEM 7: REPORT FROM TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSIONERS None. ITEM 8: REPORT FROM TRAFFIC ENGINEER Mr. Robert Johnson mentioned that on June 8, 2004 he and Sgt. Reno met with a group of homeowners in the Calavara Hills area at the Calavara Hills Elementary School. They met with about 30-40 homeowners, including the school principal. They addressed resident concerns with respect of the future opening of College Boulevard and when the barricades are removed on College Boulevard. That date is scheduled for August 9,2004. The group of residents had concerns about what will happen to College Boulevard when the barricades are removed. Staff informed them that the speed limit on College Boulevard would probably be recommended to be 45 - 50 miles per hour. Staff spoke about College Boulevard being a major arterial on the Circulation Element. Staff indicated that an Engineering and TrafEc Survey would need to be conducted to set the speed limit. Residents need to be aware that the recommended speed limit would be based on the results of the Engineering and Traffic Survey that would be conducted after the road was opened and after the traffic stabilizes on the road. Mr. Johnson said he and Sgt. Reno explained the procedure that will be followed and the Engineering and Traffic Survey will be brought to the Commission and then the recommendation of the Commission would go to the City Council. Residents were informed that the Commission meeting would be an open meeting and any citizen could attend. Staff further explained that on the corner of Tamarack Avenue and College Boulevard there will be a traffic signal installed and that signal would be energized a couple of weeks before College Boulevard is opened. He and Sgt. Reno explained how Engineering and the Police Department will address the school traffic issues which are pretty much the same kind of issues we have at every school - the speeding, the illegal parking, double parking, lots of congestion before and after school, and bike lane violations with parents parking in the park lanes. He said it was a very good meeting that lasted about an hour and one half. Mr. Johnson said residents may not have agreed with everything that was said, but they certainly understood that we have to comply with and follow the law. It wasn’t something residents necessarily wanted to hear, but they understood that staff has to do it that way. Residents understood that they would have an opportunity to address the Traffic Safety Commission and City Council. Chair Cress asked when the speed limit issue would be coming before the Commission. July 12,2004 TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION Page 13 Mr. Johnson stated that it would be at least a month after the road is opened before staff conducts the Engineering and Traffic Survey. Therefore, the item might be on the October 2004 meeting of the Traffic Safety Commission. Mr. Johnson stated that another item scheduled for the July 27,2004 City Council meeting in the Calavara Hills area, is a request by the residents that the barricades that are on Mira Monte Drive remain. Staff will be recommending that the barricades be removed at the same time the barricades come down on College Boulevard. However, if Council wants to delay the removal for a month or so, staff can support that position and then take the barricades down later. The third option would be to make a permanent closure. That's what the residents would like as their first choice. City Council will make their decision at the July 27* meeting. Mr. Johnson mentioned that periodically, about every one to one and a half years, there is Traffic Safety Commissioner training held that is a jointly sponsored training session with the local Institute of Transportation Engineers. That training is being scheduled again for early October. The location will probably be at the same location as the last training, which was in Poway. It is an all-day Saturday training. Training includes guest speakers who present some very good information. Also, an attorney comes in during the lunch session to talk about liability issues. Each Commissioner that has attended this training has found it to be very worthwhile. When the flyers are available, they will be sent to each Commissioner. The cost will be picked up by the Carlsbad Engineering Department. Attendees need to devote one Saturday to attend. Even if you have attended in the past, the speakers try to present new material each time, so it would be beneficial to attend again. The new MUTCD will be discussed. Mr. Johnson stated that the final thing he wanted to mention was that we would get back on our normal schedule in three weeks, on the first Monday of the month, which is August 2"d. ADJOURNMENT: Chair Gordon Cress adjourned the Regular Meeting of July 12,2004 at 3:52 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Ruth Steckdaub Minutes Clerk