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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-11-02; Traffic Safety Commission; ; Receive report regarding the proposed revisions to the Carlsbad Residential Traffic Management ProgramC CITY OF CARLSBAD TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION STAFF REPORT COMMISSION MEETING OF: November 2, 2009 LOCATION: INITIATED BY: Citywide City Council ITEMNO. 6A REQUESTED ACTION: Information only. Receive report regarding the proposed revisions to the Carlsbad Residential Traffic Management Program. BACKGROUND: In 2001, the City Council adopted the Carlsbad Residential Traffic Management Program (CRTMP) to address speeding and cut-through traffic issues in residential areas and to promote the characteristics of livable neighborhoods. The CRTMP prohibits the use of un-warranted stop signs as a traffic calming measure. City Council requested staff to consider adding the use of stop signs as a cost effective traffic calming measure. City Council also raised concerns about the current project ranking system used to prioritize funding for the development of traffic calming projects. Council requested staff to suggest thresholds to be used as funding criteria (i.e., a project will not be recommended for funding if the threshold is not met). Based on recent experiences implementing the current program and the comments made by members of the Traffic Safety Commission at their October 5, 2009 meeting, staff is suggesting the following regarding the update to the CRTMP: • • Four project phases could be considered in the program, including a new phase for cost effective traffic calming measures. • The new second phase would allow residential stop signs, speed lumps (as opposed to speed humps or speed bumps), and speed tables to be installed based on a traffic calming layout plan prepared by city staff. The proposed cost effective traffic calming measures must be approved by sixty-seven percent (67%) of the residents and absentee owners responding to a mail-in survey prior to implementation. Using speed lumps and speed tables in the second phase remains to be determined. • The ideal spacing of traffic calming measures is approximately 500 feet with 300 feet considered the minimum spacing. • There will be clear criteria established for each phase of the program. The current point system will be used to establish a threshold for funding Phase 3 projects (e.g., the development and implementation of traffic calming plans). C CITY OF CARLSBAD TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION STAFF REPORT COMMISSION MEETING OF: November 2, 2009 ITEMNO. 6A ( continued) DATA: • The Traffic Calming Plan must be approved by sixty-seven percent (67%) of the residents and absentee owners responding to a mail-in survey prior to implementation. • The Tool Box of approved traffic calming measures will be updated to reflect current cost estimates and established practices and measures acceptable to the Carlsbad Fire Department and Police Department. Project Phasing: Staff is considering four phases in the revised CRTMP. This includes a new phase for cost effective traffic calming measures ( e.g., stop signs, speed lumps, and speed tables) that can be installed prior to the development of a potentially costly Traffic Calming Plan. As noted below, there will be clear criteria established for each of the following phases of the program. Phase 1 : Education and Enforcement Phase 2: Cost Effective Traffic Calming Measures Phase 3: Preparation of Traffic Calming Plan Phase 4: Implementation of Approved Traffic Calming Plan Use of Residential Stop Signs, Speed Lumps, and Speed Tables in Phase 2: Staff is suggesting that the tool box in the revised CRTMP may include residential stop signs, speed lumps, and speed tables in the proposed Phase 2 of the program. Stop signs are generally used to assign right-of-way at roadway intersections and the California Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CA MUTCD) has established guidelines for the installation of stop signs. However, these guidelines will not be considered for traffic calming purposes on residential streets. Stop signs will only be considered where two residential roadways intersect. The Traffic Safety Commission will not be required to recommend approving the use of cost effective traffic calming measures; however, the City Council must continue to adopt an ordinance to establish the use of stop signs on a public road. Speed lumps are being proposed to be included in the tool box of approved traffic calming measures, but speed humps and speed bumps will continue to be prohibited. The difference between these measures is that speed lumps are designed to minimize the impact to emergency response times by providing gaps in the speed lumps to correspond to the distance between the front wheels and the distance between rear wheels of a typical fire apparatus, while speed humps and speed bumps require all emergency response vehicles to virtually stop before traversing each measure. The use of speed lumps, a vertical deflection traffic calming measure, will require special approval of both the Fire Department and Police Department. C CITY OF CARLSBAD TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION STAFF REPORT COMMISSION MEETING OF: November 2, 2009 ( continued) ITEMNO. 6A Speed tables are similar in design and concept to raised crosswalks that are in the current CRTMP toolbox, except that this measure can be installed at mid-block locations. At the beginning of Phase 2, city staff will identify the type and location of Phase 2 measures to be used consistent with the Traffic Calming Tool Box. Because speed lumps have a potentially larger impact to emergency response times, they will only be considered when other cost effective measures, such as stop signs, have been found to be infeasible, and only if Fire Department and Police Department approval for use is given. Spacing of Traffic Calming Measures: According to the ITE resource Transportation and Land Development 2nd Edition " ... slow vehicle speed within a residential area is desirable because of the potential for pedestrians, including children, within or immediately adjacent to the travel way." Streets should ideally be designed and constructed to a residential neighborhood scale to achieve vehicle speeds and traffic volumes consistent with these neighborhood uses. Residential neighborhood scale is accomplished by restricting the roadway length and limiting the amount of land uses directly accessing the street. Ideally, the roadway sections in residential and school districts would be designed to a residential neighborhood scale, meaning that a driver comes to a complete stop or makes a significant tuning movement every 500-700 feet (i.e., approximately 7 to 10 parcels in length). However, existing, older streets in Carlsbad have not always been designed and constructed to ideal conditions. The traffic calming strategies included in the CRTMP Toolbox are intended to reduce the effective length of an existing street to approximately 500-700 feet, thereby reducing vehicular speed and rendering the route less attractive to cut-through traffic. Consistent with this concept, the revised program may recommend that traffic calming measures be spaced on average at about 500 foot intervals. Generally, a speed lump would be considered on a tangent roadway section when intersection spacing is excessive. Eligibility Criteria: Each phase of the CRTMP will have specific criteria used to determine if a subject roadway is eligible for consideration. As is the case in the current program, residential streets can be considered for an exemption if they do not meet the established criteria. Following are the suggested criteria for each phase: C CITY OF CARLSBAD TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION STAFF REPORT COMMISSION MEETING OF: November 2, 2009 ITEMNO. 6A ( continued) Phase 1 Criteria: 1. Roadway width must not exceed 40 feet as measured "face of curb-to-face of curb." 2. Roadway section must meet the definition of either a school zone or residence district (as defined by the California Vehicle Code). 3. Exemptions will be allowed on a case-by-case basis as determined by the City Engineer. Phase 2 Criteria: 1. 85th Percentile speed must exceed 30 mph (31 mph or greater). Phase 3 Criteria: 1. The attached Traffic Management Program Priority Scoring Worksheet will be used to prioritize potential traffic calming projects. To be recommended for funding consideration, the proposed traffic calming project must receive a score that exceeds 50 points. The scoring will be based on traffic data collected after the cost effective traffic calming measures have been installed and operational for an amount of time needed for roadway users to adjust their habits. 2. A petition prepared by city staff and circulated by the residents must be signed by a majority of the residents (50 percent plus 1) to initiate a request to consider developing a Phase 3 traffic calming project. City Council must approve funding towards the development and construction of the Traffic Calming Plan. Available funding will determine when the design and/or construction take place. Plan Approval: Before traffic calming measures are constructed, a written survey must be approved by sixty-seven percent (67%) of the residents and absentee owners living in the Project Area of Influence (PAOI). The PAOI is suggested as the residences on streets where measures are being considered to be installed and those residences that are required to use the proposed measures to access their property ( e.g., residents that have an alternative route that does not have proposed traffic calming measures will not be included in the approval process). At least fifty percent (50%) of the residences must respond to the survey to be valid. Residents living on the street and property owners (if absentee) directly impacted by a proposed measure will be notified before any measures are installed. C CITY OF CARLSBAD TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION STAFF REPORT COMMISSION MEETING OF: November 2, 2009 ( continued) ITEMNO. 6A Tool Box Update: Information on the current traffic calming measures in the approved Tool Box will be updated to reflect current cost estimates and established practices. Three new traffic calming measures are being proposed to be added to the tool box as discussed. They are, stop signs, speed lumps, and speed tables. Fact sheets for these three traffic calming measures are included with this report. CONCLUSION: The comprehensive CR TMP update will be presented to the Commission for their consideration and approval at the next scheduled meeting on December 7, 2009. If recommended for approval, proposed revisions will be presented to the City Council for their consideration and approval at the earliest possible date. RECOMMENDATION: Information only-receive and file report. NECESSARY CITY COUNCIL ACTION: No City Council action required at this time. C Traffic Management Program Phase 3 Qualification Criteria Scoring Worksheet This worksheet will be completed by City of Carlsbad staff. It will be used to assign points to a street for Phase 3 qualification and prioritization of a potential specific neighborhood traffic calming project. Name of neighborhood (street location): 1. Travel Speed (40 pts. max.) For each mile per hour the 85th percentile speed is over 32 miles per hour, 10 points will be assigned. Critical Speed: _____ Base Speed: ___ _ 2. Traffic Volumes (30 pts. max.) Total weekday ADT divided by 100, rounded to nearest whole number or weekday peak hour volume divided by 10, rounded to nearest whole number (use higher number) Volume: ______ Date Counted: __ _ 3. Collision History (10 pts. max.) One point for each correctable collision during the past 5 years Number of collisions: ------- 4. Sidewalks (S pts. max.) No sidewalk or pedestrian pathway exists along at least one side of the street = 5 points A sidewalk or pedestrian pathway exists on at least one side of the Street= 0 points s. School Proximity (S pts. max.) School grounds abut candidate street= 5 points PAOI is located within 500 feet of school grounds= 3 points PAOI is located within 1,000 feet of school grounds= 1 point 6. Pedestrian Crossings (10 pts. max.) School crosswalk (yellow crosswalk) is located on a street in the PAOI = 5 points Major crosswalk is located on a street in the PAOI = 10 points Total Score: Evaluator Date A MINIMUM SCORE OF 51 POINTS IS REQUIRED TO QUALIFY FOR PHASE 3. Points C Phase 2 Residential STOP Signs Description: Stop signs may be considered for speed reduction at intersections on residential streets. Application: The installation of residential stop signs at intersections reduces the uncontrolled length of a street, which helps reduce vehicle speeds on the street. Advantages: • Helps reduce vehicle speeds. • Favored by many residents. • Low cost of installation. Special Considerations: Disadvantages: • May generate requests for police enforcement. • May divert traffic to other streets. • Emergency response times slightly impacted. • To control vehicle speeds, the recommended spacing of this traffic calming measure on a residential street is between 300 to 700 feet. • Requires limit line and stop legend to be painted on the street. • $2,000 (two approaches) -$4,000 (four approaches). C Phase 2 and Phase 3 Speed Lumps Description: Prefabricated rubber or field formed asphalt approximately 3 inches in height and 7-12 feet in length installed in a series across a roadway. Transverse cuts across the lump allow some emergency vehicles to pass without vertical deflection. Application: Reduce vehicle speeds without significantly impacting emergency vehicle response time. Advantages: • Reduces vehicle speeds. • May reduce vehicle volumes. • Prefabricated speed lumps are easy to install and remove. Special Considerations: • Requires special signing and markings. Disadvantages: • May increase noise. • Aesthetics. • May divert traffic to other streets. • Impacts to roadway drainage must be considered. • To control vehicle speeds, the spacing must be carefully evaluated. Fire Department and Police Department Evaluation: This measure is least acceptable to the Fire Department and Police Department; its use requires extensive evaluation of the specific location and impacts to emergency response times. • $4,000 -$6,000 each (prefabricated). Phase 3 Speed Table Description: Speed tables are constructed 3 to 4 inches above the elevation of the street. They feature ramps on the approaches and a flat top, typically the length of the wheelbase of a passenger car. Application: Speed tables help reduce vehicle speeds at mid-block locations. Advantages: • Reduces vehicle speeds. • Access not affected. Special Considerations: • Requires special signing and markings. • Careful attention required for drainage issues. Disadvantages: • May increase noise. • Emergency response times affected. • Works well in combination with curb extensions and curb radius reductions. Fire Department and Police Department Evaluation: This measure is least acceptable to the Fire Department and the Police Department and its use requires extensive evaluation of the specific location and impacts to emergency response times. • $8,000 -$14,000 each (prefabricated).