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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-05-01; Traffic Safety Commission; ; Beech Avenue Angled Parking PlanCITY OF CARLSBAD TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION STAFF REPORT COMMISSION MEETING OF: May 1, 2017 ITEM NO. 6-B-2 LOCATION: Beech Avenue INITIATED BY: Staff REQUESTED ACTION: Approve Beech Avenue Back-In Angled Parking Plan BACKGROUND: At the April Traffic Safety Commission meeting, staff proposed a plan to re-stripe Beech Avenue to allow "head-in" angled parking (see attachments 1 and 2). The main benefit of this project is to add 5 new parking spaces over the current parallel parking arrangement. This helps address limited parking near the Village while improving access to the coastal area. Comments made at the April Traffic Safety Commission meeting included a recommendation to consider "back-in" angled parking. Staff is proposing a revised re-striping plan for Beech Avenue that reflects back-in angled parking (see attachment 3) which results in 4 additional parking spaces, or one less than the recently approved head-in angled parking arrangement. By backing in at an angle, drivers face forward when pulling out and have a better view of the road to see other cars and bicyclists as they exit the parking space and enter moving traffic (see attachment 4). Back-in angle parking eliminates the risk associated with parallel parking when a motorist may open the car door into the path of a bicyclist. Back-in angle parking eliminates the risk that is present in head-in angled parking situations, of a motorist backing into moving traffic or colliding with a bicyclist. Numerous cities have installed back-in angle parking including several local jurisdictions. According to the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center, the city of Tucson Arizona tracked data for bicycle/car crashes and found an average of three to four crashes per month with front-in angle parking compared to zero reported bicycle/car crashes for the first four years following implementation of back-in angle parking. The concept of back-in angled parking has other benefits including ease of loading/unloading cargo and helping children in and out of car seats. A young child exiting a vehicle that is parked in a back-in angled space is protected because the open car door directs the child towards the sidewalk rather than out into the street. The vehicle trunk and tailgate faces the sidewalk resulting in safer and more convenient cargo loading and unloading. While there are many benefits to back-in angled parking, the San Jose Mercury News reported that some cities in Northern California observed that drivers have difficulties backing into angled parking spaces and local businesses were not initially receptive of the new operations. Some drivers also mistakenly enter head-in to the parking spaces resulting in a challenging exit maneuver. Its use on downhill grades should be studied carefully and it may have limited usefulness on single lane, one-way streets. These issues indicate there might be a learning curve for drivers and some complaints from adjacent property owners when the new parking alternative is implemented. Installation and conversion to back-in angle parking requires careful site planning to ensure that the car stops before encroaching into the pedestrian space. Engines should not idle as tailpipe emissions are now directed to the sidewalk, which is particularly undesirable near a sidewalk. The change should be publicized prior to implementation, as people are more likely to accept a program that they understand. A learning curve should be expected, thus parking a city vehicle in one of the spaces each morning can help drivers understand the action. Staff has identified Beech Avenue as a good pilot project for back-in angled parking because it is a low-volume, low-speed, non-arterial street. Over time and with community acceptance, the back-in angled parking may be expanded to other streets. When evaluating the benefits and limitations of back-in angled parking, staff is recommending Beech Avenue be used as a pilot project. RECOMMENDATION: Recommend City Council approval of the Beech Avenue Back-In Angled Parking Plan. NECESSARY CITY COUNCIL ACTION: City Council will need to revise Muni Code §10.40.080 to allow angled parking on Beech Avenue. Attachments: 1. Location Map 2. Beech Avenue Head-In Angled Parking Plan 3. Beech Avenue Back-In Angled Parking Plan 4. Drivers view exiting back-in parking space LOCATION MAP PROPOSED BACK-IN ANGLED PARKING PLAN ~ CllY OF OCEANSIDE PROJECT NAME PROPOSED BEECH A VENUE BACK-IN ANGLED PARKING PLAN NOT TO SCALE EXHIBIT 1 PLOITED BY: .HM GALE PLOT DATE:4/26/17 PA7H:Q: \PUBLJC WORKS\1RANSP0RTAT10N\1RAmc DIVIS/ON\TRAmc OPERATIONS\AUTOCAD\GALE\2017 WORK ORDERS\LOCATION MAPS\BEECH A VENUE LOCA 110N MAP.DI\G CITY OF CARLSBAD PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT TO: BRYANT HILL, STREETS SUPERINTENDENT FROM: DOUG BILSE, CITY TRAFFIC ENGINEER WORK ORDER LOCATION: Beech Avenue between Carlsbad Boulevard and Washington Street PROJECT: Paint New Diagonal Parking Spaces NO. DATE BY __ TR#------RES/ORD# HANSEN # JUSTIFICATION: Provides an additional 5 parking spaces versus existing parallel parking (") ~ <u, <P >o ~ / 61B SCALE: 1"•40' t.'F.h\\Jt .;): ~ eocl-'lV\ ~"'cJ\e.~ Po_v\:-.\YI WORK TO BE DONE CD PAINT 8 NEW DIAGONAL PARKING SPACES USING 4" WHITE STRIPING AS SHOWN. EACH STALL SHALL BE 8.5' WIDE @ 45 DEGREES. 0 PAINT 3 NEW DIAGONAL PARKING SPACES USING 4" WHITE STRIPING AS SHOWN. EACH STALL SHALL BE 9' WIDE @ 45 DEGREES. G) PAINT 7 NEW DIAGONAL PARKING SPACES USING 4" WHITE STRIPING AS SHOWN. EACH STALL SHALL BE 8.5' WIDE @ 45 DEGREES. G) REMOVE EXISTING YELLOW CENTERLINE BY GRINDING. ® PAINT NEW 4" DOUBLE YELLOW CENTERLINE PER CALTRANS DETAIL 22. 0 PAINT 10' OF NEW RED CURB AS SHOWN. DATE COMPLETED BY __ WHEN COMPLETED, RETURN TO: (Traffic & Mobility Division) 1. Jim Gale Ext. 2755 CITY OF CARLSBAD PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT TO: BRYANT HILL, STREETS SUPERINTENDENT FROM: DOUG HILSE, CITY TRAFFIC ENGINEER WORK ORDER LOCATION: Beech Avenue between Carlsbad Boulevard and Washington Street PROJECT: Paint New REVERSE Diagonal Parking Spaces NO. DATE BY __ TR#------ RES/ORD# HANSEN# JUSTIFICATION: Provides an additional 4 parking spaces versus existing parallel parking 6 / ~ ~ SCALE: t~=-40' f.1<!tli\,:,i-\ 3: 1soc.:K-\n ~\I\U\ed thv\::\V\a'- WORK TO BE DONE CD PAINT 7 NEW REVERSE DIAGONAL PARKING SPACES USING 4" WHITE STRIPING AS SHOWN. EACH STALL SHALL BE 8.5' WIDE @ 45 DEGREES. 0 PAINT 3 NEW REVERSE DIAGONAL PARKING SPACES USING 4" WHITE STRIPING AS SHOWN. EACH STALL SHALL BE 9' WIDE @ 45 DEGREES. G) PAINT 7 NEW REVERSE DIAGONAL PARKING SPACES USING 4" WHITE STRIPING AS SHOWN. EACH STALL SHALL BE 8.5' WIDE @ 45 DEGREES. CD REMOVE EXISTING YELLOW CENTERLINE BY GRINDING. 0 PAINT NEW 4" DOUBLE YELLOW CENTERLINE PER CALTRANS_ . ITT~n ~ ® PAINT NEW RED CURB AS SHOWN. DATE COMPLETED BY __ WHEN COMPLETED, RETURN TO: (Traffic & Mobility Division) 1. Jim Gale Ext. 2755 Exhibit 4: View of Back-In Angled Parking From Bike Lane Beech Avenue Back-In Angled Parking May 1, 2017 Previously Reviewed Plan: Head-In Angled Parking CITY OF CARLSBAD PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT TO: BRYANT HIIJ,, STREETS SUPERINTENDENT FROM: DOUG BIISE, CITY TRAFFIC ENGINEER WORK ORDER LOCATION: Beech Avenue between Corf5bad Boulevard and Vloshlngton Street PROJECT: · Point New Diagonal Parking Spaces NO. DATE ___ By __ TR#_------ RES/ORD# HANSEN # JUSTIFICATION: Provides on additional 5 parking spaces versus existing parallel parking WORK TO BE DONE CD PAINT 8 NEW DIAGONAL PARKING SPACES USING 4• Wl-illE S1RIPING AS SHOWN. EACH STALL SHALL BE 8.5' WIDE Ci> 45 DEGREES. CD PAINT J NEW DIAGONAL PARKING SPACES USING 4• WI-IITE SlRIPING AS SHO\\N. EACH STALL SHALL BE 9' WIDE @ 45 DEGREES. 0 PAINT 7 NEW DIAGONAL PARKING SPACES USING 4°. WHITE S1RIPING AS SHOWN. EACH STALL SHALL BE 8.5' WIDE @ 45 DEGREES. G) REMO\£ EXISTING YELLOW CENTERLINE BY GRINDING. 0 PAINT NEW 4' DOUBLE YELLOW CENTERLINE PER CALTRANS DETAIL 22. © PAINT 10' OF NEW RED CURB AS SHOWN. DATE COMPLETED ____ By __ WHEN COMPLETED, RETURN TO: (Traffic & Mobility DlviBion) 1. Jim Gale Ext. 2755 Proposed Plan: Back-In Angled Parking 3 How It’s Done: Easy As 1-2-3 4 Benefits of Back-In Angled Parking •More parking spaces than parallel parking •Better view of road exiting parking space over head-in •Safer for bicyclists •Ease of loading/unloading cargo •Safer for children exiting vehicle 5 View from Bike Lane 6 Safer Cargo Loading/Unloading 7 Some Drawbacks of Back-In Angled Parking •Confusing to new users •Some may incorrectly head into space •Challenging on downhill roads 8 Staff Proposal •Install Back-In Angled Parking on Beech Avenue as a pilot project •Public outreach prior to installation •Expect a learning curve 9 Staff Recommendation •Recommend City Council approval of the Beech Avenue Back-In Angled Parking Plan 10