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Home My WebLink About2006-05-01; Traffic Safety Commission; ; Investigate the need to install a STOP sign on Hillyer Street at its intersection with Lynch CourtCITY OF CARLSBAD TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION STAFF REPORT COMMISSION MEETING OF: May 1, 2006 LOCATION: INITIATED BY: Hillyer Street at Lynch Court Michelle Morgan and 5093 Lynch Court Carlsbad, CA 92008 Ruth Kennedy 5094 Lynch Court Carlsbad, CA 92008 ITEMNO. 6A REQUESTED ACTION: Investigate the need to install a STOP sign on Hillyer Street at its intersection with Lynch Court. BACKGROUND: Hillyer Street intersects Lynch Court in a T-intersection configuration in a residential area with Hillyer Street being considered the stem of the T-intersection. Lynch Court is the top of the T (see Exhibit 1). No STOP signs or other controls have been installed to assign the right-of-way at this intersection. DATA: Hillyer Street and Lynch Court are both local streets located within the Canterbury subdivision and neither is classified on the Circulation Element of the General Plan. The residential neighborhood served by these streets represents a closed circulation system with Hillyer Street providing the only access to and from Frost A venue. Lynch Court is a cul-de-sac on both ends of the top of the T-intersection with 22 single-family homes on the street. Each STOP sign request received by staff results in a traffic study being undertaken. STOP signs, if improperly used, can cause substantial inconvenience to drivers and should be used only where warranted. One of the conditions at an intersection that may warrant consideration of installing a STOP sign on the minor street is when the safe approach speed to the intersection is less than 10 miles per hour. The safe approach speed to the intersection on the minor street is typically evaluated when there is a request to install a STOP sign only on the minor street at an intersection. The minor street at a T-intersection is generally considered to be the stem of the T with the major street being the top of the T. For the purpose of this report, Hillyer Street will be considered the minor street and the stem of the T-intersection and Lynch Court the top of the T-intersection. As drivers approach an uncontrolled intersection consisting of either three legs or four legs, they have right-of-way assignment based upon the rules of the road. However, the driver should have an unobstructed view of the entire intersection and sufficient distance along the line of sight at the intersecting street for the driver to anticipate and avoid conflicts with approaching vehicles. ( CITY OF CARLSBAD TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION STAFF REPORT COMMISSION MEETING OF: May 1, 2006 ( continued) ITEMNO. 6A When a driver on the minor street is traveling towards the major street, they reach a decision point where it is necessary to determine if braking to a stop is required because of an approaching vehicle that may constitute a conflict. A decision point location on the minor street must allow the driver sufficient distance to view to both his/her right and left the approaching vehicle on the major street. The driver on the minor street, generally not having the right-of-way, can then initiate actions to slow, stop, or avoid a conflict with other vehicles, as necessary, when the proper clear sight triangle is provided (see Exhibit 2). For the analysis of local streets, the minor street decision point is assumed to be 50 feet from the intersection when the vehicle on the minor street has an approach speed of 10 miles per hour. In general, a distance of 155 feet (stopping sight distance for 25 miles per hour) along the major street must be provided to minor street drivers to view vehicles approaching the intersection. However, when the centerline grade of the· major street exceeds three percent, grade adjustment factors are applied to the minimum sight distance required. For the subject case, the centerline street grade on Lynch Court is 1.6 % east of the intersection and 1.2% to the west. Therefore, no grade adjustments are required to be applied to the comer sight distances. At the study intersection, a driver on Hillyer Street has comer sight distance less than 155 feet, when looking to both the east and the west for vehicles approaching on Lynch Court. From the decision point, the driver when looking to the east has comer sight distance of approximately 120 feet and when looking to the west has comer sight distance of approximately 114 feet. The limitations in both directions is due to landscaping and the elevation of the private properties on the northeast and the northwest comers of the Hillyer Street/Lynch Court intersection. Consequently, the 10-mile per hour safe approach speed criteria is not being met and a STOP sign can be considered for installation on Hillyer Street. Staff conducted a short-term, limited observation of driver behavior on southbound Hillyer Street as the driver approached Lynch Court to tum right or left. Field observations noted driver behavior of ten vehicles. Of the ten vehicles, four of the right-turning vehicles "stopped" (slowed to a speed less than 10 mph) and six of the left-turning vehicles "stopped" (slowed to a speed less than 10 mph) before turning onto Lynch Court. RECOMMENDATION: The Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee recommends the installation of a STOP sign on Hillyer Street at its intersection with Lynch Court. NECESSARY CITY COUNCIL ACTION: The City Council must adopt an ordinance to establish the STOP control as recommended. ( ( LOCATION MAP FROST LEGEND: 0 . PROPOSED STOP SIGN LOCA T/ON NOT TO SCALE PROJECT NAME EXHIBIT PROPOSED STOP SIGN -1 DRAl'tN BY: SCOTT £VANS, CARLSBAO £NG/NEERING DEPT. 4 5 06 C: TRAFAC STOP SIGNS STOP SIGN-HILL YE:R-L YNCHI.OWG TITLE REQUIRED LINE OF SIGHT ( 155' REQUIRED 120' ACTUAL i--:: ttl I::: C/) Cl'.: (MINOR) ~ STREET -I ~ 50' (MAJOR STREET) LYNCH COURT DECISION POINT 155' REQUIRED 114' ACTUAL (MAJOR STREET) LYNCH COURT ,--------- 1--ttl I::: C/) BS )..: 50' 1 I I I I I I I _. (MINOR) ~ STREET ~ • REQUIRED ' ~LINE OF SIGHT HILL YER STREET IL YNCH COURT INTERSECTION APPROACH SIGHT TRIANGLE DRAl'IN BY: SCOTT £VANS, CARLSBAD E:NGINE:E:RING DE:PT. 4 5 06 C: TRAFAC STOP SIGNS STOP S/GN-HILLYE:R-LYNCH2.DWG ,, EXHIBIT -2 Michelle M. Morgan 5093 Lynch Ct. Carlsbad, CA 92008 (760) 476-9043 Ruth Kennedy . 5094 Lynch Ct. . Carlsbad, CA 92008 (760) 431-9697 ( ' Bob Johnson Engineering Department 1635 Farady Ave Carlsbad,.CA 92008 Dear Mr. Johnson, RECEIVED MM~ 15 2006 ENGINEERHNG DEPARTMENl' ( My neighbors and I are requesting that a stop sign be placed at the top of Hillyer right before you turn onto Lynch Ct. It is very hard to see other cars, children riding their. bicycles, skateboards or scooters, and children crossing the street. Thankfully no one has been hit yet but there have been a few close calls. We have talked to the neighbors that drive fast but there are a lot of gardeners, delivery trucks and house hunters that don't . realize there are very small children who are just starting to learn street safety. We hope that a stop sign will prevent an accident and encourage people to stop and look before turning. We know that getting a stop sign is a long process. If possible please keep Ruth Kennedy and me informed of the status of our request and please call if there is anything else that we can do. Thank you for you time and help. Sincerely, ~1tt-~r- l Michelle M. Morgan ?~1~ Ruth Kennedy