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Home My WebLink About2005-03-07; Traffic Safety Commission; MinutesMINUTES MEETING OF: TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION DATE OF MEETING: TIME OF MEETING: 3:OO p.m. PLACE OF MEETING: March 7,2005 (Regular Meeting) City Council Chambers CALL TO ORDER Chair Cress called the Meeting to order at 3:OO p.m. ROLL CALL: Present: Chair Gordon Cress Vice-Chair Steve Dorsey Commissioner Guy Roney Commissioner Bonnie Bradshaw Commissioner Susan Gardner Staff Members Present: Robert Johnson, Deputy City Engineer, Transportation Lt. Don Rawson, Carlsbad Police Department APPROVAL OF MINUTES: February 7,2005 ACTION: Motion by Commissioner Roney, and duly seconded by Commissioner Gardner, to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of February 7,2005 as presented. Cress, Dorsey, Roney, Gardner, Bradshaw VOTE: 5-0-0 AYES: NOES: None ABSTAIN: None ITEM 4 - ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: There were no requests to address the Commission on any non-agenda items. March 7,2005 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting ITEM 5 -PREVIOUS BUSINESS: Page 2 Robert Johnson, Deputy City Engineer, stated that he had two items to report. Upon the recommendation of the Traffic Safety Commission, the City Council adopted the ordinance to establish stop signs for the stem of the T-intersection at two locations. One was on Cadencia Street at Romeria Street and the second location was on Unicornio Street at Rancho Cortes. ITEM 6 - NEW BUSINESS: ITEM6A: Investigate the need for a STOP sign on Rancho Cortes at its intersection with Carrillo Way. Referring to Exhibit 1 on the overhead projection, Mr. Johnson stated that Rancho Cortes at Carrillo Way is a T-intersection located in a residential area. Staff received a citizen request to investigate the need for intersection control on Rancho Cortes at this location. Carrillo Way has a posted 25-mile per hour speed limit. The intersection is at the top of a vertical curve created with the Carrillo Way centerline grade of 8.2 percent to the west and 7.7 percent to the east. Mr. Johnson stated that staff evaluated the safe approach speed on Rancho Cortes approaching the intersection to determine if there should be some type of intersection control at that location. At the decision point on Rancho Cortes, which is assumed to be 50 feet from the Carrillo Way intersection, the clear sight distance both east and west along Carrillo Way to meet the 10 mile per hour safe approach speed criteria is 140 feet. Referring to Exhibit 2, Mr. Johnson said that for eastbound vehicles on Carrillo Way, there is 165 feet that is available, with 140 feet being required. For westbound vehicles, 140 feet is required and there is 135 feet of actual clear sight distance available. Therefore, it is slightly below the minimum requirement to observe those westbound vehicles based upon the 25 mile per hour posting on Card10 Way. Staff observed vehicles and paced some of the vehicles to determine that the operating speed on Carrillo Way approaching the intersection varied between 3 1 miles per hour and 36 miles per hour. Mr. Johnson stated that staff performed the same clear approach sight distance analysis for 3 1 miles per hour and 36 miles per hour. Referring to Exhibit 3, Mr. Johnson stated that for 31 miles per hour, the required distance for the westbound vehicle is 210 feet; the actual is 135 feet. Therefore, there is a deficiency in the westbound direction. Referring to Exhibit 4, Mr. Johnson stated that the actual distance availahle at the decision point on the minor street is 135 feet for 36 miles per hour, with 260 feet being required, thus creating a deficiency to observe the vehicles in the westbound direction. March 7,2005 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 3 Staff observed driver behavior on Rancho Cortes to determine how the drivers were treating the intersection, whether they were rolling through the intersection because they were comfortable with their approach to the intersection or were they actually coming to a stop or treating the intersection as a stop condition by slowing to less than 10 miles per hour. Staff conducted three field observations. The first one was on December 1,2004, in the morning between 7: 10 am - 8: 15 am. It was found that approximately 37 percent of the approach vehicles on Rancho Cortes treated the intersection as a stop condition. The second observation was on February 1,2005, in the evening between 500 pm - 6:OO pm, and it was found that approximately 63 percent of the approach vehicles on Rancho Cortes treated the intersection as a stop condition. The third observation was conducted on February 10,2005, in the mid-morning between 10:30 am - 1 1 :30 am. It was found that 50 percent of the approach vehicles on Rancho Cortes treated the intersection as a stop condition. Mr. Johnson stated that based upon the limitations at the intersection for the Rancho Cortes driver to observe westbound vehicles as the driver approaches the Carrillo Way intersection, and based upon many of the drivers already treating the intersection as a stop condition by slowing to less than 10 miles per hour, or by stopping on Rancho Cortes, the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee recommends installing a STOP sign on Rancho Cortes at its intersection with Carrillo Way. DISCUSSION: Vice-Chair Dorsey asked Mr. Johnson what was the width of Carrillo Way at that intersection. Mr. Johnson stated that it was the standard 4o-foot curb-to-curb residential type street. It is unclassified on the Circulation Element, but is the old standard of 40 feet curb-to-curb. Chair Cress commented that he drove by the intersection and was struck by the limited amount of sight distance when going down Rancho Cortes. When approaching the intersection, visibility is diminished. He could understand why a driver would almost come to a stop just for safety purposes. He stated that he was torn about installing the residential stop signs, although he was inclined to go along with the recommendation of the Traffk Safety Coordinating Committee. Commissioner Gudner stated that it seemed that traffic was going considerably faster than the posted speed limits, and wondered if the Commission should be considering that also. Even if the driver came to a stop, if drivers on Carrillo Way are going too fast, one could pull out and still have issues. Mr. Johnson stated that the observation of approach vehicles traveling between 3 1-36 miles per hour was, unfortunately, a common residential speed limit. Staff has noticed this on many residential March 7,2005 Traffic Safety Cornmission Meeting Page 4 streets that have prima facie 25 mile per hour speed limits. The public that drives on these streets, mainly the residents in a case like this, are pretty much operating their vehicles in that low 30-mile per hour range. It is very common throughout the city. Chair Cress commented that he thought the stop sign on Rancho Cortes at its intersection with Carrillo Way would at least get the people to stop before going out into that traffic. He agreed that traffic coming fiom the right, if you’re going to be making a left turn, can be a problem especially if one doesn’t slow down or stop completely. MOTION: ACTION: Motion by Vice-Chair Dorsey, and duly seconded by Commissioner Roney, to recommend installing a STOP sign on Rancho Cortes at its intersection with Carrillo Way. Cress, Dorsey, Roney, Gardner, Bradshaw VOTE: 5-0-0 AYES: NOES: None ABSTAIN: None ITEM 7: REPORT FROM TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSIONER$ None. ITEM 8: REPORT FROM TRAFFIC ENGINEER Mr. Johnson reported that next month’s regular meeting of the Trafic Safety Commission would be held on April 4,2005 at 3:OO p.m. in the City Council Chambers. ADJOURNMENT: Chair Cress adjouined the Regular Meeting of March 7,2005 at 3 : 10 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Ruth Steckdaub Minutes Clerk