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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-02-01; Traffic and Mobility Commission; Minutes Page 1 of 4 Public Works Transportation 1635 Faraday Avenue  Carlsbad, CA 92008  760-434-2730 t Council Chambers 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive Carlsbad, CA 92008 Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, 3:00 p.m. CALL TO ORDER: Chair Gocan called the Meeting to order at 3:01 p.m. ROLL CALL: Present: Gocan, Perez, Hunter, Penseyres, Fowler and Linke Absent: Wanamaker PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Vice-Chair Perez led the Pledge of Allegiance APPROVAL OF MINUTES: This meeting was conducted virtually via Zoom due to the stay-at-home order for COVID-19. ACTION: Motion by Commissioner Linke seconded by Commissioner Hunter, to approve the minutes for the Jan. 4, 2021 meeting as presented. Motion carried: 6/0/1 (Absent: Wanamaker) PUBLIC COMMENTS ON ITEMS NOT LISTED ON THE AGENDA: 1. Robert Wilkinson – Requested staff to put the Temporary Parking of Delivery Trucks in the Village on a future agenda of the Traffic & Mobility commission. Please let me know the status of my request. 2. Tom Wellman – Requested staff to coordinate the crosswalk phase at Carlsbad Boulevard & Pine Avenue simultaneously for those crossing Pine Avenue. He feels that this coordination will protect pedestrians at the same time those crossing Carlsbad Boulevard and that would not add any more time at the intersection. By doing this, there would be a “DON”T WALK” phase for pedestrians waiting to cross Pine Avenue during the green traffic signal phase for motorists. 3. Tom Wellman – Requested staff to add a traffic signal light eastbound of Poinsettia Lane as you approach Ambrosia Lane. He thinks that due to the curve of the road, the existing signal indications facing eastbound traffic cannot be seen from far away and an additional one would be beneficial. CONSENT CALENDAR: None DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS: 1. POLICE MONTHLY REPORT – (Staff Contact: Lt. Christie Calderwood, Police Department) Lt. Calderwood presented the report and reviewed a PowerPoint presentation (on file in the Office of the City Clerk). Page 2 of 4 Public Works Transportation 1635 Faraday Avenue  Carlsbad, CA 92008  760-434-2730 t Lt. Calderwood informed the T&MC that E-Bike Enforcement and Education took place along Carlsbad Blvd and in the Village. Including a request for e-bike safety education for junior high and high school kids heading to the beach. Lt. Calderwood pointed out to the T&MC that Carlsbad Unified School District Elementary Schools opened on January 25, 2021, 5 days per week. Police presence and traffic control are needed with the staggered start times due to COVID-19. Lt. Calderwood gave an update on Loud Exhaust enforcement that continues since August 1, 2020. Motors have written 83 citations and 16 warnings for Loud Exhaust violations. TRAFFIC AND MOBILITY COMMISSION COMMENTS: Vice-Chair Perez was pleased to see the staggered drop off time at the elementary schools because the traffic congestion was removed, there are no delays. Could this be something that we can coordinate with the schools to continue staggering drop off and pick up times? The police did a great job coordinating this new staggered timing, which really improved traffic and mobility for getting the kids to school and picking them up. Lt. Calderwood agreed as they have noticed that benefit at a couple different schools. The staggered timing is really helping to alleviate traffic back up. She will pass along this feedback to the school district and Superintendent Churchill. Potentially this change could be implemented past COVID-19 times. Chair Gocan made an analogy between the staggered schools times and the staggered signal lights you experience before you get on a freeway. It’s amazing the difference a small delay of 30 seconds can have for an existing car on a freeway, a savings of about 10 minutes. Commissioner Penseyres and Chair Gocan are hoping that e-bikes will be used by middle school and high school students when their campuses open in the future. 2. LASERFICHE PUBLIC WEBLINK TRAINING – (Staff Contact: Pat Downie, Maria Emery and Kathryn Ronquillo, Policy & Leadership Records) Staff’s Recommendation: Training Program Manager Downie presented Laserfiche Public site showing where to find the App and how to navigate the system to find records. CITY TRAFFIC ENGINEER REPORT: City Traffic Engineer Comments: Attachment A City Traffic Engineer Kim gave an update on the Carlsbad Connects App that the public uses to report potential issues and notify the city of any complaints. City Traffic engineer Kim updated the T&MC on a question about the traffic signal at Cassia Rd and Poinsettia Ln during the January meeting. The traffic signal is operating at red flashing while we are waiting for a study of the Poinsettia bridge segment. This part of the road should open in a few weeks to a month. Page 3 of 4 Public Works Transportation 1635 Faraday Avenue  Carlsbad, CA 92008  760-434-2730 t Traffic and Mobility Manager Schmidt gave an update that we will be looking to convene another MMLOS ad-hoc committee meeting later this month. Staff team appreciate all the feedback we received from the committee thus far and have been working internally with the consultants to update the methodology. Staff team are proposing a half a dozen example streets to get your feedback on the proposed changes to the methodology. TRAFFIC AND MOBILITY COMMISSION COMMENTS: Commissioner Linke requested to get the various traffic impact guidelines and program documents on the T&MC agenda. Specifically, at this meeting, Commissioner Linke would have liked to have an initial look at things like the Transportation Impact Analysis (TIA) guidelines, Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT), Traffic Impact Fee (TIF) and Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program that City Council has prioritized. The Planning Commission in the past and over the last month has recommended the approval of a project on Palomar Airport Road. They are relying on something called unbundled parking to address the traffic that they are introducing. The method to unbundle parking for about 200 apartments is to charge extra for a parking spot to disincentivize people from owning vehicles. This method only works if people have an alternative transportation mode to use. The developer is proposing that residents would take the bus, but the bus stop on Palomar Airport Road has only five buses per day. The bus stop, a stick in the ground, is only used on average by one person a day. Commissioner Linke reminds us that he takes the time to make suggestions for development projects. For example, a developer can add a bus shelter and lighting, even a high visibility crosswalk so that future residents can get to that bus stop, instead of adding only a bench and a trash can. The thing that would fix this is to tighten up the rules. The development staff is saying that they do not have to follow the current TIA guidelines because they have never been publicly reviewed yet simultaneously not allowing the commission to review them. The TDM measures asked to be funded are not funded, because they are not included in the Traffic Impact Fee program. Commissioner Linke asked staff, do we have a plan and what is the timing for our commission to review these guidelines? It is not necessarily the Transportation Department staff, yet, there needs to be a plan and timeline to review the TIA guidelines, the TIF guidelines, and a residential TDM program. In closing the City passed the General Plan Mobility Element in 2015 that says projects that add traffic to existing streets that have been exempt, need to engage in TDM. We have not had a TDM plan for residential projects, which has the biggest impact on the roads. Transportation Director Frank appreciates Commissioner Linke’s comments and agree that is high priority to the T&MC and City Council. At this time, these items are not completed at a level that we can productively present a report to include it in the agenda. These are complicated subjects and I apologize for the delay. Staff team will do their best to provide a high-level milestone schedule for addressing these items. Commissioner Linke recommends that we consider introducing them at a meeting, similar to what was done for other large documents, to solicit comment from the commission. A staff report can be developed for the next month or a month after that. Transportation Director Frank agreed that this was a good suggestion. Page 4 of 4 Public Works Transportation 1635 Faraday Avenue  Carlsbad, CA 92008  760-434-2730 t Commissioner Fowler has prior experience with records management and wanted to see if staff could consider a research tool for these records. The technology exists to create a Google research experience in addition to data storage. The new records management program is greatly improved as a tool for employees, to make sure that records are properly stored to meet legal requirements. Vice-Chair Perez inquired about the new Carlsbad Connects App; do we have any metrics to know how we are doing with these requests? He also inquired about the storm drains during the last rainstorm. How do our response teams work, the 24-hour response time to clean up the debris or anything else clogging the drains? Transportation Director Frank said that we can continue to provide this information by giving a status update in our City Engineers Report. On an ongoing basis, staff watch the weather forecast to prepare the City to implement best practices to address issues in known sensitive areas. An example of this is after the Park Fire, where staff did an excellent job to evaluate the site for potential erosion and hillside issues to address the coming rain. Another example was during the Merlin Drive flooding where staff installed a storm drain discharge structure, which basically lowers drainage elevation so that we would not have reoccurring flooding problems. In addition, we have annual programs to clear the debris from the storm drains. To respond to the question about the Carlsbad Connects App metrics, we will investigate what metrics we can provide to you. ADJOURNMENT: Chair Gocan adjourned the Traffic and Mobility Commission Meeting on Feb. 1, 2021 at 4:31 p.m. ___________________________ Eliane Paiva, Minutes Clerk Attachment A Meeting Date: Feb. 1, 2021 To: Traffic and Mobility Commission Staff Contact: John Kim, City Traffic Engineer John.Kim@carlsbadca.gov, 760-602-2757 Subject: City Traffic Engineer Report Past City Council Items on Traffic and Mobility Jan. 12, 2021 • Determination of Five Deficient Street Facilities • Sustainable Mobility Plan Update • Appoint One Member to the Traffic & Mobility Commission Jan. 19, 2021 • Semi-Annual Transportation Report Upcoming City Council Items on Traffic and Mobility Feb. 16, 2021 • Award of Contract for FY2020-21 Pavement Overlay Project • Award of Contract for ECR Bridge Improvement at Cannon Road Phase I Other Items • The CarlsbadConnects app was released on Jan. 8. It is another resource that allows residents to get customer service from the city. It has replaced Carlsbad@YourService. More information is available on the city website. • Report on status of traffic signal on Poinsettia Lane at Cassia Road • Multimodal Level of Service (MMLOS) Ad-Hoc Working Group: Schedule next meeting for February City Traffic Engineer Report Page 2 Non-Agenda Public Comments Item Action Request to remove 3-hour parking on State St Future agenda item Commissioner Comments Item Action Concerns on Jefferson Street between Las Flores Dr and Marron Rd Staff is investigating Visibility of signals on WB Carlsbad Village Dr between Pio Pico Dr and I-5 Ramps Staff is investigating