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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-10-01; Traffic Safety Commission; ; Recommend approval of the Esfera Street Traffic Calming PlanCOMMISSION MEETING OF: CITY OF CARLSBAD TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION STAFF REPORT October 1, 2012 ITEM NO.GB LOCATION: Esfera Street (Piragua Street to Cadencia Street) INITIATED BY: Sandra Gravitt, 7410 Esfera Street, Carlsbad CA 92009 Recommend approval of the Esfera Street Traffic Calming Plan REQUESTED ACTION: BACKGROUND: DATA: Speeding vehicles on Esfera Street has had a negative impact on the residential "feel" and "character" of the neighborhood. Over the past several years, staff has been working with the residents on Esfera Street to address their concerns about speeding utilizing the Carlsbad Residential Traffic Management Program (CRTMP), the city's traffic calming program. This segment of Esfera Street has met the CRTMP Phase II eligibility criteria, making it possible to consider Phase II traffic calming measures when supported by the residents of the neighborhood and approved by the City Council. Staff invited residents to a neighborhood meeting to provide input to the proposed traffic calming plan. After the neighborhood meeting, surveys were sent to the residents on Esfera Street to determine if a majority of the residents supported the traffic calming plan. Based on the results of the resident survey, staff is recommending that the Esfera Street traffic calming plan be approved. Esfera Street is a residential street in the southeast quadrant of the citV: Esfera Street is improved with curb and gutter, sidewalks, and street lights. It has a curb to curb width of 40 feet with a single travel lane in each direction, is not striped, with on-street parking allowed on both sides of the street. This segment of Esfera Street is approximately 1,775 feet in length, with a curvilinear alignment and southerly sloping down-hill grades varying to nearly 12%. Traffic control on Esfera Street is provided by STOP signs at Cadencia Street on the north, and a traffic signal at La Costa Avenue on the south. The posted speed limit on Esfera Street is 25 miles per hour. There are 38 single family residences on this portion of Esfera Street. The CRTMP is a three-phase process. Phase I solutions include the installation of speed limit signs and pavement legends, deployment of temporary speed feedback signs, and police enforcement. As required by the CRTMP, Phase I was completed for Esfera Street prior to consideration of Phase II. In order for a street to qualify for Phase II, streets are required to have a critical speed (the speed at which 85% of the vehicles surveyed are driving at or below) of 32 miles per hour or greater. This segment of Esfera Street was found to have a critical speed of 39 miles per hour. Phase II of the CRTMP utilizes cost effective traffic management features such as residential STOP signs to reduce the uncontrolled length of a street to a "residential Page 1 r COMMISSION MEETING OF: (continued) CITY OF CARLSBAD TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION STAFF REPORT October 1, 2012 ITEM NO. 68 neighborhood scale". This is typically accomplished by restricting the uncontrolled length of a street to approximately 500 -1,000 feet by installing residential STOP signs. Drivers tend to comply with speed limits in residential neighborhoods when uncontrolled street lengths are less than 1,000 feet. Esfera Street from Cadencia Street to Piragua Street is approximately 1,775 feet in uncontrolled length. Four streets intersect this segment of Esfera Street; Casca Way, Fosca Street/Fosca Way, Cabo Way and Piragua Street; all four are controlled by minor approach STOP signs at Esfera Street. The Esfera Street traffic calming plan proposes installing residential STOP signs on Esfera Street at Fosca Street/Fosca Way and Piragua Street to reduce the uncontrolled lengths of the road segments to a "residential scale" and thereby reduce vehicle speeds. As part of the Phase II process, a neighborhood meeting was held on May 9, 2012, at La Costa Heights Elementary School to present the proposed Phase II traffic calming plans to all of the residents of the 36 homes along Esfera Street. Four people attended the meeting, representing four homes. At the meeting, staff answered questions from the residents regarding the proposed traffic calming plan and worked with the residents to establish consensus for the plan. Implementation of the Phase II plan requires that a majority of the residents on the street support the plan as determined by responses to a mailed resident survey. The survey is considered valid if 50% or more of the residents and non-resident owners return the completed survey. Support for the plan is indicated by 67% or more of the returned surveys in support of the proposed plan. 38 surveys were mailed out to residents and non-resident owners for the Esfera Street traffic calming plan. 22 surveys were returned for a 61% return rate. Of those 22 surveys, 17 or 77% were in support of the proposed plan. In summary, the Esfera Street traffic calming plan proposes installing residential STOP signs on both legs of Esfera Street at Fosca Street/Fosca Way, and on both legs of Esfera Street at Piragua Street (see attached Exhibit 1). This would reduce the uncontrolled length of the segments of Esfera Street to a "residential scale" as follows: • Cadencia Street to Fosca Street/Fosca Way -900 feet in length • Fosca Street/Fosca Way to Piragua Street -875 feet in length This reduction of the uncontrolled lengths of the segments of Esfera Street should result in a reduction in vehicle speeds. RECOMMENDATION: Based on the findings contained in this report, and the requirements of Phase II of the Carlsbad Residential Traffic Management Program, the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee recommends approval of the Esfera Street traffic calming plan. Page 2 COMMISSION MEETING OF: (continued) CITY OF CARLSBAD TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION STAFF REPORT October 1, 2012 NECESSARY CITY COUNCIL ACTION: ITEM NO.6B The City Council must adopt ordinances to establish the STOP control on Esfera Street at Fosca Street/Fosca Way and at Piragua Street as recommended. Page 3 ~ -----------~---------- LEGEND: • NEW ALL-WAY STOP LOCATION ROADWAY SEGMENT LENGTH = 1,775 FEET NOT TO SCALE DOES NOT MEET RESIDENCE DISTRICT ESFERA STREET TRAFFIC CALMING PLAN CARLSBAD RESIDENTIAL TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PROGRAM 25 MPH RESIDENCE DISTRICT EXHIBIT 1