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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1986-05-05; Traffic Safety Commission; MinutesMeeting of: TRAFFIC SA YdWXES ET C - Time of Meeting: 3:OO p.m. Date of Meeting: May 5, 1986 Place of Meeting: City Council Chambers \"\ Y COMMISSIONERS CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Fuller called the Meeting to order at 3:Ol p.m. ROLL CALL: Present: Chairman Fuller, Commissioners Erwin, Melideo, and Wood. 3:03 p.m. Commissioner O'Day arrived at Absent : None. Staff Members Present: Kent Sears, Traffic Engineer Officer Shipley, Police Department Mike Shirey, Engineering Tech. I1 APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Minutes of the Meeting held April 7, 1986, were approved as presented. REPORT ON ACTION FROM PREVIOUS MEETING: Kent Sears reported Council approved the Commission's recommendations for truck routes with the addition of a portion of Rancho Santa Fe to Olivenhain to allow trucks an escape route from that area. Commissioner Wood inquired about the green curbing painted on the opposite side of the street from Johnny's House of Glass, and Kent Sears stated he would check into that. ACTION ITEM: 1. Alicante - Speed Zone and Through Street Chairman Fuller read the staff report on this item as contained in the packet. Dennis Price, 7515 Cadencia Street, stated he had traveled this street and felt 35 m.p.h. would be a safe speed. Since the street is not posted, that opens it up for much higher speeds. 0. ti. Adams, 7043 Alicante, stated he had lived at that address eight and a half years, and there are special problen on that street. He explained in detail the blind spots and hills on the street, along with the problem of the houses sitting at the corner of Alicante and Alga Road. Also, there is a problem with backing out of driveways all along the street. Mr. Adams told of the units that are planned to be built in the area, adding to the existing traffic. He added that since January of this year, the dirt trucks go up and down the street at 55 m.p.h., or more. The noise and pollution cause a problem to everyone, including small children who cannot nap due to the noise. Mr. Adams further described the condominium projects to be built in the area. D. Kleinman, 7019 Alicante, questioned the criteria for a residential street, stating there are houses on this street and driveways backing out into the street. He felt something should be done now to avoid having accidents on the street, rather than wait until the accidents occur. Mr. Adams suggested lowering the speed limit now. Fuller Erwin Me 1 id eo Wood MINUTES TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION May 5, 1986 Page 2 COMMISSIONERS \ Mr. Adams stated everyone in the neighborhood signed the petition presented to the Commission, with the exception of one lady who had just gotten a speeding ticket on Alga Road. He said if the residents of the street want the speed limit reduced, why couldn't it be reduced. are the main problem at the present time, according to Mr. Adams. The construction trucks Chairman Fuller noted for the record the petition signed by the neighbors in the Alicante area had been received by the Commission. In answer to query regarding the present speed limit, Officer Shipley stated this street does not meet the residential street requirements. This would allow for 55 m.p.h. traffic. Commissioner Erwin stated when you drive Alicante, it is a residential street. He felt the speed limit should be 25 m.p. Officer Shipley stated the Police Department and the Courts would not support such a speed limit, inasmuch as the speed study indicated the speed varies from approximately 34 m.p.h. to 45 m.p.h. Commissioner O'Day inquired whether other factors, such as sight distance, had been checked by Engineering. He said ther is a provision in the State Vehicle Code that allows for special engineering reasons to post a lower speed limit than is justified by a speed survey. Commissioner O'Day said petitions can be signed in all areas regarding speed on streets, but unless there is hard evidence, radar is not enforcible unless the posted speed is justified by speed surveys. He added that any secondary arterial street designed today would be more restrictive as to the number of driveways allowed. Kent Sears agreed, stating a new secondary arterial street would limit driveways to those with no other alternative. Commissioner Melideo stated she agreed with staff's recommendation, because this street is still not built out. In the present state, she did not see how 25 m.p.h. speed limit signs could be installed, since that would not be warranted. Commissioner Melideo added if all the people who signed the petition would drive 25 m.p.h., there would be no problem. Chairman Fuller commented the speed survey indicated most drivers were in the 35 to 45 m.p.h. area. Commissioner Wood added the people using the street live in the area--there is no through traffic--and the people checked in the speed survey were the people who live there. None of those people were driving 25 or 30 m.p.h.--they were all drivi between 35 and 45 m.p.h. The neighborhood could have a lower speed limit by driving that way themselves, since they are the majority of the traffic on the street. Officer Shipley stated Engineering has a plan to stripe the street with the same plan used on Kelly Drive. The complaints on Kelly Drive were significant before the striping was done, but have stopped since then. He felt the striping of the street would slow the traffic down. t MINUTES TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION May 5, 1986 Page 3 \" Y COMMISSIONERS Traffic Safety Commission accepted staff's recommendation to request City Council to designate Alicante Road as a through street. Mr. Adams stated his approval of the striping, but felt there should be no parking on the east side of Alicante in the first section where the new Alga Hills will be built. The road lanes need to be moved to the east to have room along the side for parking in front of the houses and for walkers and joggers. Kent Sears explained a parking lane was included in the design. They had thought about a bike lane, but decided not to include this because part of Alicante is too narrow. The suggestion was made to mark the parking lane, and Mr. Sears said there was no need to mark that lane. Mr. Adams disagreed, stating some drivers crowd over to the right side and a parking lane would help keep them over toward the center. In answer to query, Kent Sears explained the reasons for a two-way left-turn lane in the middle of the street, stating this tends to affect driver behavior and eliminates space in the middle of the street. Kent Sears recommended against this lane marking, stating it would require more maintenance and there would be no official recognition of such a lane. Traffic Safety Commission recommended to staff to include a marked parking lane on the west side of Alicante. Commissioner O'Day said he could support posting 40 m.p.h. on Alicante, with Engineering to study the conditions on the street with regard to sight distance, etc., to bring the speed limit down to 35 m.p.h. Kent Sears recommended the City paint the street and wait a few weeks until traffic gets used to it; then do another survey to determine whether there are any conditions to warrant a lower speed limit. Mr. Adams commented Carlsbad was the only City he had lived in with no posted speed limits. He said there are only two Policemen assigned to the La Costa area, which was certainly not enough. Commissioner Melideo made a motion to approve staff's recommendation. The motion died for lack of a second. Traffic Safety Commission approved staff's recommendation to stripe Alicante Road and directed another speed survey be conducted after traffic has become accustomed to the striping. Also, Engineering should study any special circumstances to determine whether a lower speed limit could be enforced. Kent Sears added staff could return with this item in two months to determine further action. Fuller Erwin Me 1 id eo Wood O'Day Fuller Erwin Melideo Wood O'Day Fuller Erwin Me 1 ideo Wood O'Day MINUTES TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION May 5, 1986 Page 4 COMMISSIONERS \ ITEMS FROM COMMISSIONERS: y'" Commissioner Erwin made a motion to place stop signs at the following intersections on Levante and the intersecting streets: 1. Levante and Romeria 2. Levante and Calle Madero 3. Levante and Nueva Castilla Way At the time these signs are installed, the appropriate warnin signs should be installed also. Commissioner O'Day seconded the motion, and stated this was a difficult position. speeding and petitions have been presented. The Commission has been warned that putting stop signs in causes more accidents and more severe accidents. With the school being built at Levante and Romeria, he stated he was willing to try these stop signs to see if it would help control traffic. It is not being done because people ar Commissioner Erwin stated he made this motion to help regulate traffic. He did not know whether it would reduce speed on the street, but felt it would help regulate the traffic. Chairman Fuller added he thought a stop sign would be needed when the school was built. Kent Sears commented on stop signs, stating the only reason engineers install stop signs is to control the right-of-way; who goes when. When an all-way stop is considered, it is done to allow the minor street driver time to pull onto the major street. From past studies on Levante, there is ample time to enter the street at all three of these streets. As far as speed reduction, Mr. Sears said it would reduce speed within 100 to 200 feet of the stop signs, but otherwise the speed would remain the same. Pollution, noise and accidents would increase with the stop signs. There is no reason to install these signs and the negative effects would outweigh any positive result. installing these stop signs. He recommended against Commissioner Erwin withdrew his motion, with the consent of the second. Traffic Safety Commission recommended, due to the construction of the new elementary school at the corner of Romeria and Levante, that stop signs be placed at that intersection. At the time the signs are installed, the appropriate warning signs will be installed. ITEMS FROM TRAFFIC ENGINEER: Kent Sears announced this would be his last meeting, as he was leaving City employment. The Traffic Safety Commission voted unanimously to wish Kent Sears the best of luck in his new endeavors and to thank him for his service and consideration in the past. Fuller Erwin Melideo Wood 0' Day MINUTES TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION May 5, 1986 Page 5 y\\\ COMMISSIONERS ' ADJOURNMENT : By proper motion, the Meeting of May 6, 1986, was adjourned at 4:05 p.m. Harriett Babbitt Minutes Clerk r