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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-02-06; Traffic Safety Commission; MinutesMINUTES MEETING OF: TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION DATE OF MEETING: February 6,2006 (Regular Meeting) TIME OF MEETING: 3:00 p.m. PLACE OF MEETING; City Council Chambers CALL TO ORDER: Chair Dorsey called the Meeting to order at 3:00 p.m. ROLL CALL: Present: Chair Steve Dorsey Commissioner Gordon Cress Commissioner Bonnie Bradshaw Absent: Vice-Chair Susan Gardner Commissioner Guy Roney Staff Members Present: Robert Johnson, Deputy City Engineer, Transportation Lt. Don Rawson, Carlsbad Police Department APPROVAL OF MINUTES: January 9,2006 Commissioner Cress stated that there were two corrections needed on the January 9,2006 minutes of the Traffic Safety Commission meeting. On Page 12, under Motion for Item 6B, where the minutes stated that the motion was approved 3-2-0, it was actually defeated by 2-3-0. In addition, the Aye votes were by Roney and Bradshaw, and the No votes were Dorsey, Garner, and Cress. There was another correction on Page 13, under Motion for Item 6B, where the minutes stated the motion was approved 3-2-0. It was actually defeated by 2-3-0, with the Aye votes by Bradshaw and Cress and the No votes by Gardner, Roney and Dorsey. ACTION: Motion by Commissioner Cress, and duly seconded by Commissioner Bradshaw, to approve the minutes, as amended, of the regular meeting of January 9,2006 as presented. VOTE: 3-0-0 AYES: Dorsey, Cress, Bradshaw NOES: None ABSTAIN: None February 6,2006 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 2 ITEM 4 - ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: None. ITEM 5 - PREVIOUS BUSINESS: Bob Johnson,, Deputy City Engineer, informed the Commission that at the City Council meeting on February 7,2006, based on the recommendation of the Traffic Safety Commission, the City Council is scheduled to adopt the ordinance to establish a 40 mile per hour prima facie speed limit on Alicante Road from Alga Road to Poinsettia Lane. The City Council is also scheduled to introduce an ordinance to establish an all-way stop on Hosp Way at the intersection of Wintergreen Drive and Grove Avenue. At the December 5, 2005 Traffic Safety Commission meeting, the Commission recommended denial of this all-way stop. The item was appealed by Wanda Wood to the City Council, and they upheld the appeal by a 4-1 vote to establish the all-way stop. At the February 14, 2006 City Council meeting, based on the recommendation of the Traffic Safety Commission, the City Council is scheduled to introduce an ordinance to establish a stop on Llama Street at its intersection with Corintia Street. ITEM 6 - NEW BUSINESS: ITEM 6 A: Poinsettia Lane, El Camino Real to Melrose Drive - Request to revisit the speed limit determination. Mr. Johnson stated that the purpose of this item was to revisit the speed limit determination on Poinsettia Lane from El Camino Real to Melrose Drive previously recommended by the Traffic Safety Commission. The Commission recommendation was presented to the City Council on January 10,2006 for introduction of the ordinance to establish the recommended speed limit of 50 miles per hour. Four citizens addressed the City Council at that meeting indicating that they were concerned with a 50 mile per hour recommendation, and that they were not notified of the December 2005 Traffic Safety Commission meeting when the speed limit was discussed. Therefore, the City Council referred the matter back to the Traffic Safety Commission for further review. Mr. Johnson explained that this issue was reviewed by the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee (TSCC). There were three options considered by the TSCC, with Option 1 being that the establishment of a prima facie speed limit be postponed until future conditions stabilize on Poinsettia Lane, and at that time a new Engineering and Traffic Survey be conducted. The results of that survey would then be presented to the Traffic Safety Commission for a recommendation and ultimately that recommendation would be scheduled for consideration by the City Council. The other two options that the TSCC discussed were to conduct a new Engineering and Traffic Survey in the future and bring those results to the Traffic Safety Commission or for the Commission to review the previously prepared Engineering and Traffic Survey and provide a recommendation. February 6,2006 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 3 Mr. Johnson said that changes to and near Poinsettia Lane between El Camino Real and Melrose Drive are expected over the next 15-18 months. Included are three new traffic signals on Poinsettia Lane at Mica Road, Quartz Way, and Estrella De Mar Road. In addition, there will be the opening of Poinsettia Elementary School in early 2007, and commencement of construction of Alga Norte Community Park in December 2006 that will be located on the northwest corner of the Poinsettia Lane/Alicante Road intersection. This park is scheduled to be completed in spring 2008. Mr. Johnson concluded and stated that the TSCC recommends that the establishment of the prima facie speed limit on Poinsettia Lane from El Camino Real to Melrose Drive be deferred until a future date when conditions on Poinsettia Lane are established and reasonably expected changes over the next 12-18 months have taken place. After that time, a new Engineering and Traffic Survey will be prepared and brought to the Traffic Safety Commission for consideration. DISCUSSION: Commissioner Cress asked where the school was going to be built and if it was known as Carrillo Elementary School. Mr. Johnson explained that the Carrillo Elementary School is the existing school that was discussed by the Commission in December. Referring to an overhead projection of Exhibit 1, Mr. Johnson stated that the Carlsbad Unified School District will be constructing an elementary school called Poinsettia Elementary School adjacent to Poinsettia Lane with access from Mica Road and egress onto Quartz Way. Commissioner Bradshaw asked why the City Council did not approve the ordinance for the 50 mile per hour speed limit and instead referred it back to the Traffic Safety Commission. Mr. Johnson answered that the City Council heard from four citizens at the meeting that stated that they were not aware of the Traffic Safety Commission meeting in December. They asked that the speed limit be lowered from the Commission's recommendation. However, the City Council directed that the matter be revisited by the Traffic Safety Commission. The City Council did not specifically say that the Commission should lower or change the recommendation, but rather they just wanted the public to have the opportunity to provide input to the Traffic Safety Commission with their concerns, and then let the Commission make their recommendation. Commissioner Cress asked when the three traffic signals would be installed. February 6,2006 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 4 Mr. Johnson explained that it is anticipated that they be installed in the next 3-6 months. In about a year from now, the new elementary school would be opened for students, and at the end of this year, it is expected that the construction would begin on the Alga Norte Community Park and it is scheduled to be completed sometime in 2008. Commissioner Cress said he felt it was important to establish the speed limit before the school construction was completed and opens. Commissioner Bradshaw replied that the school zone would have its own prima facie speed limit. Chair Dorsey asked if there was any local requirement to establish a prima facie speed limit within a certain time period. Mr. Johnson replied that there was not. This item was brought to the Traffic Safety Commission in December 2005 by staff. The California Vehicle Code allow local authorities to establish a prima facie speed limit if it is determined that the maximum speed limit is not appropriate for the roadway. There is no designation or time limit indicated as to when that should occur. Chair Dorsey asked if the prima facie speed limit is not established, does Basic Speed Law apply. Mr. Johnson answered that basic speed law always applies. The maximum speed limit would be 65 miles per hour. However, there is an existing school, Carrillo Elementary School, and when children are present the prima facie 25 mile per hour speed limit applies. That same situation will apply when the Poinsettia Elementary School opens. The roadway will have signs in place to indicate the 25 mile per hour when children present. Regardless of what is posted, it may be too fast for some conditions. Basic speed law requires that drivers adjust their speed accordingly and drive in a reasonable and prudent manner taking into account those conditions on the roadway, which may be a speed lower than the posted speed limit. PUBLIC TESTIMONY; Mr. Jack Williams, 2821 Rancho Rio Chico, Carlsbad, stated that he lived in and was a delegate of the Rancho Carrillo Homeowners Association area. He conveyed that he spoke for his colleagues and neighbors in expressing their appreciation for the Public Works Department staff recommendation that the Poinsettia Lane speed limit study be postponed until after the opening of the new Poinsettia Elementary School. At that time, a traffic survey will determine a more realistic measure of traffic flow given that there are two operational elementary schools at both ends of February 6,2006 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 5 Poinsettia Lane. They strongly encourage the approval of the staffs recommendation in this matter. Furthermore, he believed that many of the residents in the community would gladly assist in any way to obtain a safe and reasonable speed limit for Poinsettia Lane. They would appreciate being informed when the new traffic survey process begins. Mr. Robert Woelffer, 6138 Paseo Monona, Carlsbad, stated that he lived in the Rancho Carrillo Homeowners Association area. He related his concerns about Poinsettia Lane and the speed limit. There is a 25 mile per hour speed limit at Carrillo Elementary School in their community when children are present. However, the flashing lights are on only 30 minutes before school starts and 30 minutes after school ends. There is heavy congestion there with parents coming to pick-up students in the afternoon, and in the morning the cars often stack up back on Poinsettia Lane towards Melrose Drive. Sometimes there is only one left-turn lane; sometimes there are two lanes full of cars because they can't get in and they get impatient. It is a dangerous area at those times. They believe that if the speed limit for the rest of Poinsettia Lane, which is more open, is set at 50 miles per hour the speed limit should be reduced hi this area because of the congestion. It is very similar to the way the speed limit on Rancho Santa Fe is reduced before it gets to La Costa because of new retail, and the same way that Palomar Airport Road is reduced when it gets down by Costco because there is more congestion. Mr. Woelffer stated that they were not notified of the Traffic Safety Commission meeting in December. He notified the City Council of this because they thought they had been notified since they had been working with Robert Johnson's office and the City Council for several years on speed limit They have been here once trying to get the speed limit reduced on Melrose Drive and they were unsuccessful. They have been working for over a year to keep trucks off of Melrose Drive, which they were successful with that. They were very surprised that they had not been notified about the December meeting. Cathy Tanner, Development Manager of San Marcos Unified School District, was also not notified of the meeting, and she is very concerned. Mr. Woelffer has not met with her with regard to the situation. She has now requested notification come to her. That is why the City Council referred it back to the Traffic Safety Commission. Mr. Woelffer summarized stating that they were very concerned about the speed limit at the Carrillo Elementary School. When the traffic study is finally done, they would like to have their input also given. Chair Dorsey closed Public Testimony. Chair Dorsey commented that he believed that once the new school and park are built and opened, that most likely there will be a change in traffic pattern that will probably negate the previous study or make it not as applicable. He felt this was an appropriate action to be taken. February 6,2006 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 6 MOTION: ACTION: Motion by Commissioner Cress, and duly seconded by Commissioner Bradshaw, to recommend that the establishment of the prima facie speed limit on Poinsettia Lane from El Camino Real to Melrose Drive be deferred until a future date when conditions on Poinsettia Lane are established and reasonably expected changes over the next 12-18 months have taken place. VOTE: 3-0-0 AYES: Dorsey, Cress, Bradshaw NOES: None ABSTAIN: None ITEM 6B: Establish a prima facie speed limit on Glasgow Drive from Edinburgh Drive to Carlsbad Village Drive. Referring to the overhead projection of Exhibit 1, Mr. Johnson explained that this item was a request from a local resident, Selma Broadhurst, to establish a prima facie speed limit on Glasgow Drive from Edinburgh Drive to Carlsbad Village Drive. This stretch is in the Calavera Hills Development and is unclassified on the Circulation Element. It is a very short length of street, about .40 miles in length. It has a curb-to-curb width of 40 feet which allows parking on both sides of the roadway, except in the portion on the east side from Artesian Way to Carlsbad Village Drive. Parking is restricted because of the operation of the traffic signal at this location. Mr. Johnson continued stating that there are stop signs at the intersection of Edinburgh Drive/Glasgow Drive. The road has a double-yellow centerline to separate the two lanes of traffic, one lane in each direction. Glasgow Drive functions as a collector road. The volumes range from 1,171 near Edinburgh Drive based on a recent traffic count to 2,909 vehicles near Carlsbad Village Drive. Adjacent land uses to Glasgow Drive include the Calavera Hills Park, a small tot-lot on the northwesterly portion near Edinburgh Drive, and there are residences on the easterly side located adjacent to but not directly fronting onto the roadway. The new development is mostly family housing that takes access from Artesian Way and Esker Way. Mr. Johnson indicated that an Engineering and Traffic Survey was conducted for the roadway. The pace speed was 27-37 miles per hour (an errata sheet was provided to the Commissioners to correct the typo on Table B of the Speed Survey data). Eighty-four percent of the vehicles were found to be within that pace speed, which is the 10 mile per hour increment having the highest number of vehicles. Generally the critical speed is in the upper portion of a pace speed. Critical speed on this roadway was found to be 34 miles per hour. Fortunately, the two year collision history indicates no collisions on this road segment that is under consideration today. February 6,2006 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 7 Mr. Johnson concluded by stating that this item was reviewed by the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee and the recommendation of that Committee, based on the results of the Engineering and Traffic Survey, was to establish a 30 mile per hour prima facie speed limit on Glasgow Drive from Edinburgh Drive to Carlsbad Village Drive. DISCUSSION: Commissioner Bradshaw mentioned that she was at the subject intersection Sunday morning and noticed that the double yellow line did not extend all the way on Glasgow from Carlsbad Village Drive down to Edinburgh Drive. The pavement was torn up as if construction was in progress. She wanted to know if the double yellow center line stripe was supposed to go the whole length of the roadway. Mr. Johnson replied that there was underground utility construction on mat roadway and when finished it will replace the yellow centerline stripe. The double yellow line should go all the way to Carlsbad Village Drive. It has been obliterated and will be replaced at the appropriate time after work is completed. Commissioner Bradshaw asked if he thought left-turn pockets were necessary for those side streets or just the centerline stripe. Mr. Johnson explained that staff has not found a need for left-turn lanes on Glasgow Drive at the side streets. The volumes are very low. There is no collision history. Many times it becomes apparent that there is a need for a left-turn lane if there starts to be rear-end collisions or right-angle collisions where someone is making a left turn and they don't have visibility of an approaching vehicle because the vehicle may be shadowed. At this time, the roadway seems to be functioning adequately without left-turn lanes. For a width of 40 feet, if we were to put a left-turn lane in, then parking adjacent to that left-turn lane would need to be restricted. Parking is a premium at every location where there is a community park or tot lot. Staff believes the road is adequate without the left-turn lanes at this time. Commissioner Cress mentioned that he drove that road twice a week, and he has never seen any problems with left turns into Calavera Park from going north or any other ways. He feels that 30 miles per hour seems like a reasonable speed limit. He checked his own speed as he drove there mis past week, and he was doing 33-34 miles per hour, so 30 miles per hour seems a reasonable speed limit to him. Chair Dorsey asked for clarification if there were no residences on this street February 6,2006 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 8 Mr. Johnson replied that no homes fronted directly, but rather were adjacent to the street There are no driveways on Glasgow Drive like on some streets. MOTION: ACTION: Motion by Commissioner Cress, and duly seconded by Commissioner Bradshaw, to recommend establishing a 30 mile per hour prima facie speed limit on Glasgow Drive from Edinburgh Drive to Carlsbad Village Drive. VOTE: 3-0-0 AYES: Dorsey, Cress, Bradshaw NOES: None ABSTAIN: None ITEM 7: REPORT FROM TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSIONERS Chair Dorsey thanked Commissioner Bradshaw for the work she submitted on revising the procedure rules. He looked forward to having it on the agenda for March 6,2006. ITEM 8: REPORT FROM TRAFFIC ENGINEER Mr. Johnson stated that based on the Commission's action last month, it was asked that the rules and procedures that Commissioner Bradshaw had recommended be placed on the March agenda. That item will be on the agenda. If there is not a full Commission present, it is the prerogative of the Commission to continue the item to whatever date they want The next regular meeting of the Traffic Safety Commission would be held on March 6,2006 at 3:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. Chair Dorsey agreed that it would be important for all of the Commissioners to be present when the suggested revised rules and procedures are discussed. ADJOURNMENT: By proper motion Chair Dorsey adjourned the Regular Meeting of February 6, 2006 at 3:27 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Ruth Woodbeck Minutes Clerk