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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-10-06; Traffic Safety Commission; MinutesMINUTES MEETING OF: TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION DATE OF MEETING: October 6,2008 (Regular Meeting) TIME OF MEETING: 3:00 p.m. PLACE OF MEETING: City Council Chambers CALL TO ORDER: Chair Cress called the Meeting to order at 3:00 p.m. ROLL CALL: Present: Chair Gordon Cress Vice-Chair Jack Gumming Commissioner Guy Roney Absent: None Staff Members Present: Robert Johnson, City Engineer Lt. Don Rawson, Carlsbad Police Department APPROVAL OF MINUTES: August 4,2008 ACTION: Motion by Commissioner Roney, and duly seconded by Vice-Chair Cumming, to approve the minutes of the regular meeting on August 4,2008, as presented. VOTE: 3-0-0 AYES: Cumming, Dorsey, Roney NOES: None ABSTAIN: None There was no Traffic Safety Commission meeting held in September 2008. ITEM 4 - ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: None. October 6,2008 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 2 ITEM 5 - PREVIOUS BUSINESS: Robert Johnson, City Engineer, reported that based on the previous actions and recommendations by the Traffic Safety Commission, the City Council has adopted an ordinance to establish a 35 mile per hour prima facie limit upon Eagle Drive from Palomar Airport Road northerly to Lionshead Avenue. Additionally, an ordinance to establish the 50 mile per hour prima facie speed limit upon Lionshead Avenue from Melrose Drive to east city limit was adopted. Lastly, an ordinance to establish a 45 mile per hour prima facie speed limit upon Faraday Avenue from Orion Street to the east city limit was adopted. The City Council is tentatively scheduled to introduce at the October 15th meeting an ordinance to establish a 35 mile per hour prima facie speed limit upon El Fuerte Street from Palomar Airport Road northerly to Faraday Avenue. ITEM 6 - NEW BUSINESS: ITEM 6A: Establish a prima facie speed limit upon Corte de la Vista from the El Fuerte Street/Alicante Road intersection to its easterly terminus. Mr. Johnson informed the Commission that this item was initiated by Karen Staros, 2910 Avenida Valera in Carlsbad to consider establishing a prima facie speed limit upon Corte de la Vista from the El Fuerte Street/Alicante Road intersection to its easterly terminus. Corte de la Vista has a relatively straight horizontal alignment and is about 0.40 miles in length. Currently, because it is a two-lane road that has no posted speed limit, the prima facie speed limit is 55 miles per hour and the Commission is being asked to consider a lower prima facie speed limit. Mr. Johnson explained that in accordance with the provisions of the California Vehicle Code, staff conducted an Engineering and Traffic Survey for Corte de la Vista to determine the appropriate prima facie speed limit. A speed survey was conducted on the road with a radar gun measuring the speed of 100 vehicles, 50 in each direction. It was found that the 85th percentile speed or critical speed on Corte de la Vista was 35 miles per hour. The critical speed is the speed at which 85 percent of the drivers are traveling at or below. 85 percent of the vehicles were in the pace speed between 27 miles per hour and 37 miles per hour. The two year accident history had no traffic collisions through December 31,2007 on Corte de la Vista. Based upon traffic counts obtained September 3, 2008 on Corte de la Vista, the two-way traffic volume is low and was measured at 1,057 vehicles ADT per day. Corte de la Vista is a two- lane road that has a curb to curb width of 40 feet. There is parking on both sides of the street. There are no striped bicycle lanes on the roadway although there are sidewalks that have been constructed on both sides of the street with street lights installed on the north side only. There is a metal guardrail along the entire south side of Corte de la Vista. Vertical grades on the road vary from 1.0 percent to 5.8 percent. October 6,2008 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 3 Mr. Johnson stated the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee reviewed results of the Engineering and Traffic Survey and recommend that a 35 mile per hour prima facie speed limit be established upon Corte de la Vista from the El Fuerte Street/Alicante Road intersection to its easterly terminus. DISCUSSION Vice-Chair Gumming found it interesting that the City would have no jurisdiction over roads within the gated community of Avenida Valera. That area is posted at 20 miles per hour. At the entrance from Avenida Valera people tend to pick up momentum going down the street. He observed the traffic and several drivers went up Avenida Valera, which is an interesting street in that it is also not posted. It appears the process is that staff waits until a citizen comes forward and asks for a survey and presumably no one has asked for one on Avenida Valera. He noticed that when coming down Avenida Valera it has quite a steep curve, people maximized their speed. He tried to find parallel situations in the City. Corte de la Vista is similar to Tamarack Avenue running eastward from Skyline Road, so the 35 mile per hour speed limit would be consistent with that. And Avenida Valera was similar to Tamarack Avenue westward from Skyline Road, which is posted now at 30 miles per hour, so that might be some kind of a guideline. The question is, is he correct in his understanding that the reason Avenida Valera is not posted is because no one has requested it? Does that mean the speed on Avenida Valera would be posted at 50 miles per hour? Mr. Johnson explained that there are many examples where streets do not have a posted speed limit. For residential streets, they have a prima facie 25 mile per hour speed limit and typically are not posted. The recommendation is for a 35 mile per hour prima facie speed limit on Corte de la Vista based on the Engineering and Traffic Survey results. Public Testimony: Chair Cress called for Public Testimony. Karen Staros, 2910 Avenida Valera, Carlsbad, stated that Corte de la Vista has become quite a little drag strip. The traffic coming down Avenida Valera speed down and use the road as a cut-through to El Fuerte Street. She lives on Avenida Valera, which is not too far from Alicante Road and she has had drivers pass her on the left because she was not driving fast enough for them just the short distance to the stop sign. She is glad that a 35 mile per hour speed sign could be posted. Ms. Staros wanted to know if there should be a center line on the street since there is no Image on that street at all. Could there be something posted on Avenida Valera before that intersection because it would be helpful to keep the speed down since it is downhill. Eight years ago a lady hi a van came down that street and went through the middle of the development and down the slope through the guardrail and took out somebody's kitchen. Maybe a little reminder on Avenida Valera would be excellent to keep speed down. October 6,2008 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 4 Mr. Johnson explained that a street with 1,000 vehicles per day would not be a candidate for a street that needs a centerline. There is no collision history to indicate a need for a centerline. Typically, centerlines are installed if there are crossover type collisions or head-on collisions. Anytime staff starts to stripe streets, then it becomes a continuous maintenance and cost issue to the City. Therefore, it would not be his recommendation based on the existing conditions on Corte de la Vista that there would be a need for a centerline stripe. If somebody passes on the street, it is not illegal to properly pass another vehicle on that street. He didn't know the circumstances Ms. Staros referred to, but vehicles are allowed to pass other vehicles. Seeing no others wishing to testify, Chair Cress closed Public Testimony. MOTION: ACTION: Motion by Commissioner Roney, and duly seconded by Vice-Chair Cumming, to approve the recommendation of the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee to establish a 35 mile per hour prima facie speed limit upon Corte de la Vista from the El Fuerte Street/Alicante Road intersection to its easterly terminus. VOTE: 3-0-0 AYES: Cress, Cumming, Roney NOES: None ABSTAIN: None ITEM 6B: Establish a prima facie speed limit upon The Crossings Drive from Palomar Airport Road to its northerly terminus. Mr. Johnson informed the Commission that this item is to consider establishing a prima facie speed limit upon The Crossings Drive from Palomar Airport Road to its northerly terminus. This street does not have a prima facie speed limit established at this time, so staff took the initiative to conduct the Engineering and Traffic Survey so that there could be consideration for establishing a prima facie speed limit on The Crossings Drive. The Crossings Drive serves LEGOLAND, the back entrance of the new Sheridan Hotel, and it is the primary and only access to The Crossings at Carlsbad golf course. Mr. Johnson commented it is basically a road with a straight alignment. Grades vary from 4.54 percent to 10 percent which is a relatively steep grade. It is also a very short roadway, 0.43 miles in length. There has been one reported collision on The Crossings Drive for the two-year period ending July 31,2008 but it was not speed related. The 85th percentile speed was found to be 42 miles per hour, meaning that 85 percent of the vehicles were traveling at or below 42 miles per hour. The pace speed, which is the 10 mile per hour increment with the highest number of vehicles, was found to be 33 miles per hour to 43 miles per hour. October 6,2008 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 5 Traffic volumes are not high on this street, however, just north of Palomar Airport Road a two-way 24-hour ADT traffic volume count in July of this year found 4,709 vehicles using The Crossings Drive. The Crossings Drive is a long cul-de-sac street that has a curb to curb width that varies between 40 feet and 64 feet. Concrete curb and gutter is installed on both sides of the street with concrete sidewalks installed along the west side on the northerly 425 feet of the east side. Street lights are constructed on both sides of the street. There are six driveways that intersect the road. Mr. Johnson stated the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee reviewed the results of the Engineering and Traffic Survey and recommended establishing a 40 mile per hour prima facie speed limit upon The Crossings Drive from Palomar Airport Road to its northerly terminus. DISCUSSION Commissioner Roney asked if Grand Pacific Drive was always going to be a thoroughfare, because it appears that it was going to be restricted or gated in the future. Mr. Johnson answered that his understanding was that in the very near future a gate would be installed at The Crossings Drive so the road will not be able to be used as a shortcut from Cannon Road to The Crossing Drive. There would be something to open the gate for emergency service providers to access the hotel and the general public would not be able to use the road as a shortcut. Vice-Chair Gumming shared an experiment he conducted. From the top of the street he tried to drive the road at 40 miles per hour. He came towards Grand Pacific Drive and people are not used to seeing a vehicle coming from that direction. He didn't think any normal person would actually attempt to drive at 40 miles per hour on that little leg of the road. Vehicles are supposed to stop as they come in to Grand Pacific, but they aren't used to doing that. He feels more comfortable now that he knows there will be a gate there in the future. MOTION: ACTION: Motion by Vice-Chair Gumming, and duly seconded by Commissioner Roney, to approve the recommendation of the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee to establish a 40 mile per hour prima facie speed limit upon The Crossings Drive from Palomar Airport Road to its northerly terminus. VOTE: 3-0-0 AYES: Cress, Cumming, Roney NOES: None ABSTAIN: None October 6,2008 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 6 ITEM 6C: Consider adoption of a Traffic Safety Commission Resolution of Commendation for Steve Dorsey. Mr. Johnson explained that this item is for the consideration of the Commission to honor one of the former Traffic Safety Commissioners, Steve Dorsey, who resigned from the Traffic Safety Commission in August of this year. The Resolution of Commendation is customary when a Commissioner leaves a position on the Commission. MOTION: ACTION: Motion by Commissioner Roney, and duly seconded by Vice-Chair Gumming, to adopt a Traffic Safety Commission Resolution of Commendation for Steve Dorsey for serving as a Commissioner of the Commission since 2003. VOTE: 3-0-0 AYES: Cress, Gumming, Roney NOES: None ABSTAIN: None ITEM 7: REPORT FROM TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSIONERS Vice-Chair Gumming asked Lt. Rawson about cell phone usage while driving. When the cell phone ban was widely publicized when it first went in, he believed Carlsbad was a no-tolerance City. Several people have reported to him that they are seeing an increase in cell phone usage while driving, and he wanted to ask what the Police Department was doing about enforcement of cell phone usage. Lt. Rawson answered that when they see drivers using cell phones, they write them tickets. Chair Cress asked if cell phones were banned when sitting at a stop sign. Can you use your cell phone if you're not moving? Lt. Rawson stated that technically by definition, yes, because while you are operating a vehicle, by definition you are driving and the driver is seen as operating the vehicle. So if you are sitting at a stop sign or red light you are still operating the vehicle by definition of the vehicle code. He has seen several people who use their phone or text while at a red light, but he has not taken any enforcement action on it because at least they are trying to do something that is not constantly distracting when they are actually driving. October 6,2008 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 7 Vice-Chair Cumming stated that he had an incident himself where he was crossing on a road where there was a pedestrian crossing and he was surrounded by handicapped parking spaces, a wide area in the middle of the street. He entered the crosswalk when a driver in a SUV made a u-turn and she wasn't looking because she was busy talking on her cell phone. On a separate issue, Vice-Chair Cumming had an exparte communication from Thelma Hayes. She wanted the Commission to recognize that October 15th is White Cane Day. There is a White Cane Law that states that a totally or partially blind pedestrian who is carrying a predominantly white cane (with or without a red tip) or using a guide dog, shall have the right of way and the driver of any vehicle approaching this pedestrian who fails to yield the right of way or to take all reasonable necessary precautions to avoid injury to this blind pedestrian is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by jail time and/or fine. Ms. Hayes hoped that the Commission would publicize that October 15th is White Cane Day and hopes that drivers will take great care and not come into contact with our blind fellow citizens. ITEM 8: REPORT FROM TRAFFIC ENGINEER Mr. Johnson commented that twice a year Carlsbad has a Citizen's Academy and Thursday is Public Works Night. He will speak to the attendees and explain a little what the Engineering Department is about. He will mention that the Transportation Division staff is liaison to the Traffic Safety Commission and that there are two vacancies on the Traffic Safety Commission, if any attendee is interested in putting their application. Mayor Lewis and the City Council will then be able to consider those particular applications and any others that are on file. As of right now, City Council does not have consideration of appointing anyone to the Traffic Safety Commission on the upcoming agenda in the next several weeks. Mr. Johnson mentioned that the next regular meeting of the Traffic Safety Commission is scheduled to be held on November 3,2008 at 3:00 p.m. hi the City Council Chambers. ADJOURNMENT: By proper motion, Chair Cress adjourned the Regular Meeting of October 6,2008 at 3:26 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Ruth Woodbeck Minutes Clerk