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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-11-07; Traffic Safety Commission; ; Update Carlsbad Municipal Code (CMC) Chapter 10.32 by revising section 10.32.091 that addresses the existing truck routes and also designating new truck routes to be inco( CITY OF CARLSBAD TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION STAFF REPORT COMMISSION MEETING OF: November 7, 2005 LOCATION: Citywide INITIATED BY: Deputy City Engineer, Transportation ITEMNO.6A REQUESTED ACTION: Update Carlsbad Municipal Code (CMC) Chapter 10.32 by revising section 10.32.091 that addresses the existing truck routes and also designating new truck routes to be incorporated into section 10.32.091. STATEMENT OF THE ISSUE: With completion of several roadway segments, portions of CMC section 10.32.091 are no longer relevant. In addition, the pending completion or actual completion of new roadway segments presents the opportunity to consider designating additional Carlsbad streets as truck routes. BACKGROUND: Truck routes in Carlsbad were first established by ordinance in 1972. Several revisions to the truck route ordinance have subsequently been made as new streets serving the Carlsbad transportation network have been constructed. Intercity commercial vehicles exceeding a gross vehicle weight ratin·g (G.V.W.R.) of seven tons (14,000 pounds) are restricted to using streets in Carlsbad designated as a truck route. However, drivers in vehicles exceeding this weight rating may deviate from the established truck route to a destination in Carlsbad served by the vehicle at the intersection nearest to the destination point. All commercial vehicles considered as through traffic shall be operated on designated truck routes with the following exceptions: • operation on street of destination • authorized emergency vehicles • waste management or other authorized vehicles • detoured vehicles Construction vehicles over seven tons G.V.W.R. may use non-truck route streets only when an approved haul route permit or approved oversize load permit is first obtained from the Carlsbad Engineering Department. These permits specify the date and time that the route may be used plus other conditions, as appropriate. Carlsbad's Circulation Element of the General Plan provides a comprehensive plan for the circulation of people, goods, and services. The Circulation Element also identifies how the transportation system in Carlsbad will link with surrounding jurisdictions. Because of the interrelationship of the transportation network between adjacent communities, established truck routes should be logical and reasonably "self-enforcing". Cooperation with the trucking industry is an important factor for compliance. This effort minimizes the need for continuous police presence and enables trucking operations to be conducted in a time saving and fuel efficient manner while reducing air pollutants. Through the determination of properly established truck routes, vehicle operators may be less inclined to use inappropriate streets as a "short-cut" through Carlsbad. ( CITY OF CARLSBAD TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION STAFF REPORT COMMISSION MEETING OF: November 7, 2005 ( continued) ITEMNO. 6A Large vehicles such as trucks, or other vehicles over seven tons G.V.W.R., serve an important purpose in the community by delivering goods, services, and products. Through the adoption of a truck route ordinance, the Carlsbad City Council may regulate commercial vehicles by weight to designated streets established in the Carlsbad Municipal Code, however, the Council cannot regulate the type of trucks or commercial vehicles using city streets. Posting of the truck routes enables the police department to more effectively enforce truck route restrictions. Carlsbad acknowledges that all types of vehicles should have the ability to access each road on which they are legally allowed to travel upon. To minimize impacts, roads are functionally classified in the Circulation Element of the General Plan as to the roadway cross-section and the volume of traffic the road is projected to carry. Travel by any class of vehicle on any road in Carlsbad should be restricted only upon demonstration that using the road will result in the need for safety improvements and that it will result in unacceptable operating characteristics. When a reasonable alternate route is provided, certain streets may be restricted to use by commercial vehicles over seven tons G.V.W.R. The Carlsbad City Council recognizes that restricting through commercial vehicles from using a segment of the roadway could reduce potential conflicts. However, the intention of the ordinance is to provide through truck routes within the City that logically support truck routes established in other jurisdictions as well. Identification of these routes will balance efficient commercial vehicle movements and public safety. The authority to restrict commercial vehicles to designated roads in Carlsbad is found in the Carlsbad Municipal Code Chapter 10.32. By the designation of appropriate streets as truck routes, there is recognition of the need to provide for the management of truck operations (vehicles over seven tons G.V.W.R.) and to address community concerns about quality of life. The objective for establishing truck routes is to minimize the intrusion of trucks on local residential streets and to keep commercial vehicles on designated routes to the greatest extent possible. This is accomplished through a coordinated effort of engineering, educational, informational, and enforcement means. In general, the criteria for restricting commercial vehicles over seven tons G.V.W.R. from use of certain streets is the demonstration that it will promote the health, safety, and welfare of the public and not create an undue hardship on other users of the transportation network. Specific criteria to consider includes, but is not limited to: 1. Reasonable alternate route is provided. The proposed route is evaluated upon acceptable operating characteristics and/or any safety related concerns. The route should be engineered to accommodate heavier vehicles and be appropriate for designation as a truck route. Alternate routing should not create an undue hardship for drivers of commercial vehicles to reach their destinations when a time and distance comparison is conducted between the two routings. 2. The character and frequency of commercial vehicle traffic on the proposed truck route is compatible with the affected area to the greatest extent possible. An evaluation may include safety issues, accident history, engineering of the roadway, vehicle composition, the presence of traffic controls at intersections, and any other related traffic engineering issues. ( ( CITY OF CARLSBAD TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION STAFF REPORT COMMISSION MEETING OF: November 7, 2005 ( continued) ITEMNO. 6A 3. The roadway should be functionally classified on the Circulation Element map ( copy attached) as either a collector road or arterial road. 4. One portion of the community should not be unduly burdened with commercial vehicle traffic at the expense of relieving other portions of the community from commercial vehicle traffic. DATA: Existing truck routes designated in CMC section 10.32.091 are indicated on the attached Exhibit A However, changed circumstances with several of these previously established truck routes necessitates revisions to section 10.32.091. Recommended revisions read as follows: Recommended revisions: 10.32.091(d) Cannon Road, from Carlsbad Boulevard to El Camino Real. Justification: At the time 10.32.09l(d) was adopted, Cannon Road terminated at Paseo del Norte. The extension of Cannon to El Camino Real was completed in 2003. El Camino Real is a designated truck route. 10.32.091(1) Palomar Airport Road from Carlsbad Boulevard to easterly city limits. Justification: The entire length of Palomar Airport Road is located within the city limits of Carlsbad and there is no reason to reference a specific land use adjacent to Palomar Airport Road that no longer exists. 10.32.091(j) Rancho Santa Fe Road from the southerly city limits to the northerly city limits. Justification: Rancho Santa Fe Road has been widened to four lanes from the southerly city limits to the intersection of Olivenhain Road/Camino Alvaro/Rancho Santa Fe Road and to six lanes from the Olivenhain Road/Camino Alvaro/Rancho Santa Fe Road intersection to the northerly city limits (segment north of San Elijo Road currently under construction). 10.32.091(1) delete Justification: The northbound truck bypass road no longer exists. Recommended additions: The Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee recommends that the following three road segments be added to section 10.32.091 of the Carlsbad Municipal Code as truck routes. The collision rate on each of the roadways is below the statewide collision rate for a similar road. ( ( CITY OF CARLSBAD TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION STAFF REPORT COMMISSION MEETING OF: November 7, 2005 ( continued) ITEMNO. 6A 10.32.091(m) Melrose Drive from Palomar Airport Road to the northerly city limits. Justification: This segment of Melrose Drive is under construction and is projected to be completed and opened to traffic in 2006. The City of Vista has designated Melrose Drive as a truck route. Melrose Drive is designated as a prime arterial on Carlsbad's Circulation Element and will be constructed as a six-lane divided roadway. The roadway structural section is being designed for truck traffic loading and to prime arterial standards. 10.32.091(n) Faraday A venue from Cannon Road to the east city limits. Justification: From Cannon Road to College Boulevard, Faraday A venue is designated as a collector road on the Circulation Element of the General Plan. The remaining portion of Faraday A venue is classified as a secondary arterial. This roadway serves the industrial corridor of Carlsbad and is currently utilized by trucking operations from Waste Management, Fed Ex, and others. Although the number of lanes vary, key intersections are signalized and the collision rate is low. The 24-hour Average Daily Traffic (ADT) volume ranges from less than 8,000 ADT west of College Boulevard to approximately 16,000 ADT immediately west of El Camino Real. Easterly of El Camino Real the ADT volume is about 4,600 vehicles per day. The extension of Faraday Avenue from Orion Way to the east city limit is under construction at this time. This segment is being constructed to meet secondary arterial roadway standards. Upon completion, the road will serve a new industrial park being constructed in Carlsbad. The road will connect Melrose Drive, a truck route in Vista with El Camino Real in Carlsbad, also a designated truck route. 10.32.091(0) College Boulevard from Palomar Airport Road to El Camino Real. Justification: College Boulevard is designated as a major arterial on the Circulation Element of the General Plan. This corridor serves an industrial park area of Carlsbad and is a four-lane divided arterial. Daily traffic volumes range between 8,700 and 13,800 vehicles per day. RECOMMENDATION: The Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee recommends revisions to existing section 10.32.091 as indicated above. Further, truck routes to be added to section 10.32.091 are recommended as follows: • Melrose Drive -Palomar Airport Road to the northerly city limits. • Faraday A venue -Cannon Road to the east city limits. • College Boulevard -Palomar Airport Road to El Camino Real. NECESSARY CITY COUNCIL ACTION: Revisions and additions to section 10.32.091 of the Carlsbad Municipal Code will require the City Council to adopt an ordinance incorporating recommended changes. I I CIRCULATION PLAN PACIFIC OCEAN CITY OF CARLSBAD CIRCULATION PLAN +++ RAILROAD -FREEWAY -PRIME ARTERIAL MAJOR ARTERIAL SECONDARY ARTERIAL· COLLECTOR STREET r-1 I CALI.E: { HWY 78 L._ --, 7 I I ( EXHIBIT A 10.32.090 Truck routes-Generally. The use of all streets within the city, excepting those streets described in Section 10.32.091, is prohibited as to all commercial vehicles exceeding a maximum gross vehicle weight of fourteen thousand pounds. (Ord. 3210 § 1 1987; Ord. 3005 § 50) 10.32.091 Truck routes-Streets designated. The prohibition set forth in Section 10.32.090 shall not apply to the following streets and portions of streets which are designated and established truck routes, as follows: (a) Carlsbad Boulevard from the northerly city limits to the southerly city limits; (b) Carlsbad Village Drive from Carlsbad Boulevard east to Interstate 5 Freeway; ( c) Tamarack A venue from Interstate 5 Freeway to Carlsbad Boulevard; (d) Cannon Road, from Interstate 5 Freeway to Carlsbad Boulevard; (e) Interstate 5 Freeway, northerly city limits to southerly city limits; (f) Palomar Airport Road from Carlsbad Boulevard to easterly city limits (by Carlsbad Raceway). (Portion of Palomar Airport Road is in county); (g) El Camino Real from northerly city limits to southerly city limits; (h) Repealed by Ord. 3216 § 1; (i) La Costa Avenue from the westerly city limits to El Camino Real; U) Rancho Santa Fe Road from the southerly city limits to Olivenhain Road and from Questhaven Road to the northerly city limits; (k) Olivenhain Road from the westerly city limits to Rancho Santa Fe Road; (1) Rancho Santa Fe Road for one way northbound traffic only via the temporary truck bypass from Olivenhain Road to Questhaven Road. (Ord. NS-534 § 9, - 2000: Ord. 3216 § 1, 1987; Ord. 3209 § 1, 1987; Ord. 3198 § 1, 1986; Ord. 3146 § 1, 1982; Ord. 3090 (part), 1972) 10.32.092 Truck routes-Vehicles allowed. Section 10.32.090 shall not apply to the following vehicles: (a) Vehicles subject to the provisions of Sections 1031 to 1036 inclusive of the California Public Utilities Code; (b) Vehicles described in Section 35703 of the Vehicle Code; and ( c) Vehicles traveling to or from permanent commercial parking facilities provided for them within the city. (Ord. 3090 (part), 1972) 10.32.093 Truck routes-Posting. All streets and portions thereof established by this chapter as truck routes, shall be posted with appropriate signs displaying in letters not less than four inches in height, the words "truck route." (Ord. 3090 (part), 1972)