HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-12-02; Traffic Safety Commission; ; Recommend approval of three Phase II Traffic Calming PlansCITY OF CARLSBAD
TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION
STAFF REPORT
COMMISSION MEETING OF: December 2, 2013 ITEM NO. GA
LOCATION: Chestnut Avenue (Sierra Morena Avenue to Pontiac Drive)
Pontiac Drive (Spokane Way to Victoria Avenue)
Victoria Avenue (Pontiac Drive to Carlsbad Village Drive)
INITIATED BY: Jim Murray, Associate Engineer
REQUESTED ACTION: Recommend approval of three Phase II Traffic Calming Plans
BACKGROUND:
DATA:
Over the past several years, staff has been working with the residents on Chestnut
Avenue, Pontiac Drive and Victoria Avenue to address concerns about speeding utilizing
the Carlsbad Residential Traffic Management Program (CRTMP). These three streets
have met the CRTMP Phase II eligibility criteria, making it possible to consider
implementation of Phase II measures when supported by the residents of the
neighborhood and approved by the City Council. Staff invited residents to participat e in
a neighborhood meeting to provide input and suggestions to the proposed Phase II
plans. After the neighborhood meeting, surveys were sent to the residents on Chestnut
Avenue, Pontiac Drive and Victoria Avenue to determine if a majority of the residents
supported the Phase II plans they helped develop. Based on the results of the resident
surveys, staff is recommending that the Traffic Safety Commission approve the
proposed Phase II plans.
Chestnut Avenue, Pontiac Drive and Victoria Avenue are residential streets in the
northeast quadrant of the city. Although the speeding concerns on each street were
initiated by separate requests, staff determined that it would be beneficial to consider
Phase II solutions applied to the three streets as an interconnected network due to the
relative proximity of the streets to each other (see Exhibit 1).
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 wa s completed for Chestnut
Avenue, Pontiac Drive and Victoria Avenue prior to consideration of Phase II. In order to
qualify for Phase II, the streets were required to have critical speeds (the speed at which
85% of the vehicles surveyed are driving at or below) of 32 miles per hour or greater.
Phase II of the CRTMP utilizes cost effective traffic management features such as
residential STOP signs and speed cushions to reduce the uncontrolled length of a street
to a "residential 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 at available intersections. Where intersections are not available,
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COMMISSION MEETING OF:
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CITY OF CARLSBAD
TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION
STAFF REPORT
December 2, 2013 ITEM NO. GA
speed cushions may considered. Drivers tend to comply with speed limits in residential
neighborhoods when uncontrolled street lengths are less than 1,000 feet. Currently, the
uncontrolled lengths on the subject streets are shown in Table 1.
Table 1: Existing Uncontrolled Street Lengths
Streets Uncontrolled Street Length
Chestnut Avenue 2,025 feet
Pontiac Drive 1,360 feet
Victoria Avenue 1,275 feet
As part of the Phase II process, a neighborhood meeting was held on September 25,
2013, at Calavera Hills Community Park, to present the proposed Phase II plans to the
residents on Chestnut Avenue, Pontiac Drive and Victoria Avenue. 30 people attended
the meeting. 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 when 67% or more of the
returned surveys express support of the proposed plan. The survey results for proposed
Pha se II plans for Chestnut Avenue, Pontiac Drive and Victoria Avenue are shown in
Table 2.
Table 2: Resident Survey Results
No. of No. of Surveys No. of Surveys Support
Street Homes Returned (%) in Support of Criteria
Plan(%) Satisfied?
Chestnut Avenue 38 20 (53%) 20 (100%) Yes
Pontiac Drive 35 26 (74%) 26 (100%) Yes
Victoria Avenue 28 18 {64%) 15 (83%) Yes
The Phase II plan for Chestnut Avenue proposes installing residential STOP signs on
Chestnut Avenue at Ames Place. This would reduce the uncontrolled length of the
segments of Chestnut Avenue to a "residential scale" as follows:
• Sierra Morena Avenue to Ames Place -1,045 feet in length
• Ames Place to Pontiac Drive -970 feet in length
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COMMISSION MEETING OF:
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CITY OF CARLSBAD
TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION
STAFF REPORT
December 2, 2013 ITEM NO. 6A
The Phase II plan for Pontiac Drive proposes installing residential STOP signs on Pontiac
Drive at Chestnut Avenue and at York Road. This would reduce the uncontrolled length
of the segments of Pontiac Drive to a "residential scale" as follows:
• Spokane Way to Chestnut Avenue -270 feet in length
• Chestnut Avenue to York Road -565 feet in length
• York Road to Victoria Avenue -375 feet in length
The Phase II plan for Victoria Avenue proposed installing residential STOP signs on
Victoria Avenue at Haverhill Street. This would reduce the uncontrolled length of the
segments of Victoria Avenue to a "residential scale" as follows:
• Pontiac Drive to Haverhill Street -525 feet in length
• Haverhill Street to Carlsbad Village Drive -560 feet in length
The reductions of the uncontrolled lengths of roadway segments on Chestnut Avenue,
Pontiac Drive and Victoria Avenue should result in satisfactory reductions in vehicle
speeds on these streets.
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 Phase II plans for Chestnut Avenue, Pontiac
Drive and Victoria Avenue.
NECESSARY CITY COUNCIL ACTION:
The City Council must adopt ordinances to establish the proposed STOP controls on
Chestnut Avenue at Ames Place, Pontiac Drive at Chestnut Avenue, Pontiac Drive at York
Road and Victoria Avenue at Haverhill Street as recommended.
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LOCATION MAP
LEGEND:
Existing ALL -WAY STOP
Proposed ALL-WAY STOP
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NOT TO SCALE
PROPOSED PHASE II PLANS
CHESTNUT AVE, PONTIAC DR AND VICTORIA AVE
EXHIBIT
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