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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1987-05-04; Traffic Safety Commission; MinutesMINUTES Meeting of: Time of Meeting: Date of Meeting: Place of Meeting: TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION 3:00 p.m. May 4, 1987 City Council Chambers COMMISSIONERS CALL TO ORDER: Chairman O'Day called the Meeting to order at 3:00 p.m. ROLL CALL: Present - Chairman O'Day, Commissioners Erwin, Fuller and Melideo. Absent - Commissioner Herring. Staff Members Present: Bob Johnson, Principal Civil Engineer Mike Shirey, Engineering Technician II APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Minutes of the meeting held April 6, 1987, were approved as presented. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: No one was present to speak before the Commission. OLD BUSINESS: Bob Johnson gave an update on Rancho Santa Fe Road, stating the Circulation Committee has been re-formed and held a meeting last Thursday. Commissioner Erwin represents this Commission on that Committee. This Committee will report to the City Council July 7, 1987. Mr. Johnson reported the Rancho Santa Fe Road truck by- pass is completed and will be opened within the next few days. The record of survey is waiting approval from the City of San Marcos. There is a meeting Wednesday with the County and San Marcos to discuss that item. This is the Rancho Santa Fe Road/Meirose Intersection Study prepared by Willdan. The draft report has been completed and the comments will be given to the consultant to enable him to finalize his report. Commissioner Fuller inquired about the lower section of Rancho Santa Fe Road by Olivenhain. Bob Johnson stated this would be completed the end of May or some time in June. Commissioner Erwin stated there has only been one meeting of the Circulation Committee and that one was mainly orientation, introduction and going over the charge. He will keep this Commission briefed on the Committee activities and will give a full report next meeting. O'Day Erwin Fuller Meiideo MINUTES TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION 1987 Pa9e 2 COMMISSIONERS NEW BUSINESS: A. Jefferson Street/Las Flores Drive Intersection - Request to remove red curb. Bob Johnson gave the staff report referring to a letter from Robert S. Tepper, President of the Board of Directors, Sanctuary Homeowners Association. A copy of the letter was included in the packet. The letter requested a portion of the red curb shown on the exhibits (also included in the packet) be removed. This red curb was painted in December when the traffic signal was installed at Las Flores and Jefferson Street, and removed the parking at that time. There is only 19 feet with 12 feet the normal lane, leaving only seven feet. A parking lane is normally eight feet wide. Staff, in looking at the intersection, made the decision to paint the red curb. The City Engineer looked at this area and concurred with that decision. The Coordinating Committee discussed this item, and because of, the future bike lane on Marron Road up to Jefferson and Las Flores, they felt in order to provide safety at the intersection, the red curb should not be removed. Moving trucks for the residents park in that area to move tenants in and out of the units. Those trucks also create a sight distance problem. Mr. Johnson concluded his report, stating the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee recommended not removing the red curb. Chairman O'Day opened the item for public comment at 3:07 p.m. Alan Benjamin, 2399 Jefferson Street #5, representing the Sanctuary Homeowners Association, stated he had pictures and a diagram to show to the Commissioners. Mr. Benjamin stated one of the primary problems in this area is people crossing the street. People park to the north of the unit and on the east side of Jefferson Street. This is 120 to 150 feet away from the units themselves. There are no sidewalks along that curb, and there are no streetlights. Several of the women from the Sanctuary project have indicated they feel very unsafe walking in the dark area to the complex. Mr. Benjamin stated most people do not cross at the light and cross Jefferson at the end of a blind curve. He stated he has watched people hurry across the street and has seen a number of people almost hit. He feels this will eventually become a more serious problem. MINUTES TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION May 1987 Page 3 COMMISSIONERS NEW BUSINESS: (continued) Before the signal was installed, people could park in that area. There were two parking lanes and two traffic lanes, and this had worked for a number of years. Now, there is a turn lane, two lanes of traffic and no parking. Mr. Benjamin showed photographs to the Commissioners showing cars in the intersection. He stated there seemed to be plenty of room, and he even had someone park a car there to see if it would block the traffic lane. He stated he could even support having parking on one side of the street. Commissioner Melideo asked what kind of parking was provided on the complex at the time it was built, and how many spaces were allotted to each unit. Mr. Benjamin answered there are two parking spaces per unit underneath the complex. Those cannot be seen from the street. If there are guests, they must park on the street. Commissioner Fuller asked whether you could unload either furniture or other materials in the driveway. Mr. Benjamin stated the driveway comes around and makes a 180° turn around the swimming pool. The Fire Marshal had required the homeowners to put in a backup and turn around lane for the fire truck. Because of the steepness of the driveway, they asked all trucks to remain out of that driveway. Commissioner Erwin commented all curbings inside of the complex were painted red and he assumed this was for the Fire Department. Mr. Benjamin stated that it was. The street parking was discussed, with the Commissioners determining from Mr. Benjamin that the street parking was mainly for guests of the tenants or for tenants who have more than two vehicles. Chairman O'Day closed the public comment portion at 3:15 p.m. Commission discussion determined there would be no parking allowed in the intersection because of sight problems. There is a safety problem when there is parking in the approach to an intersection. Staff commented during the daytime the parking in that area was not too heavy. Commissioner Fuller inguired about the possibility of a loading zone painted north of the red area by the driveway. Bob Oohnson stated a loading zone would limit the time the vehicle could be parked there, and if it were a moving truck, they would need to unload furniture. Mr. Gohnson stated the loading zone is established in the Municipal Code, and the authority to establish a loading zone is given to the Traffic Engineer. This can be at any place in a business district, or in front of a business, a place that is a meeting hall or place for public assembly. No more than one half of the total curb length in one block can be indicated as a loading zone. This is painted yellow with lettering stenciled "loading only". A passenger loading zone is a white curb, with the stenciled Lettering, "passenger loading zone". In a passenger unloading zone, there must be someone in the vehicle at all times. MINUTES TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION May 1987 Page COMMISSIONERS NEW BUSINESS: (continued) It was discussed that due to the width of moving trucks and the sight distance, no loading zone area was recommended. A loading zone north of the red curb was not discussed by the Coordinating Committee. By following the Ordinance, it would not be possible to establish a loading zone In that location. It would not qualify as being in a business district, a place of busines, a meeting hall or any place used for public assembly. The Traffic Safety Commission approved the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee's recommendation that the 120 feet of red curb on the west side of Oefferson Street in front of the Sanctuary Homeowners Complex remain. Commissioner Melideo commented it was too bad the parking allowance for the Sanctuary Complex was not mitigated at the time the City Council approved the project. Chief 3imno had commented there was a school crosswalk in that area, and the parking would create a dangerous sight problem. B.Rancho Santa Fe Road - Request to install guardrail between La Costa Avenue and Cadencia Street. Bob Oohnson gave the staff report on this item, stating Alan Reece, 7442 Trigo Lane, had made this recommendation and requested a roadside barrier (guardrail) be installed at locations where the ground slopes away from the roadway toward the back yards of homes along Rancho Santa Fe Road. Mr. Gohnson stated the main point here is that "guardrail" is an old term. The new term is a longitude barrier or roadside barrier. A guardrail is a barrier and it is important to determine where it should go. There is a significant impact when hitting that type of barrier. The discussion in the staff report brings out that point. The recommendation from the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee was that staff compile a guardrail priority list and bring that back to this Commission. Eventually that list will go to Council and be approved and placed in the CIP budget! Mr. Johnson stated the recommendation was to evaluate the circulation element of roads and find the locations in the City where there might be a "run-off-the-road" problem. The area between Cadencia Street and La Costa Avenue would certainly be included in that study. Chairman O'Day opened the public discussion period at 3:25 p.m., and invited anyone to address the Commission. Since no one wished to speak on this item, the public discussion period was closed. Commissioner Erwin stated he had shown this report to Mr. Reece, who had extended his thanks to staff for taking some action on this. Mr. Reece did support staff's position. Traffic Safety Commission adopted the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee's recommendation to initiate a guardrail priority list of circulation element roads and other high accident locations for review by the Traffic Safety Commission. This list would be used for future CIP budget purposes. O'Day Erwin Fuller Melideo 0' Day Erwin Fuller Melideo MINUTES TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION May H, 1987 Page 5 COMMISSIONERS NEW BUSINESS: (continued) C. Carlsbad Boulevard - Request for STOP signs at all painted crosswalks. Bob Johnson gave the staff report on this item, stating Mr. Bailey Noble was concerned about pedestrian safety on Carlsbad Boulevard and was requesting STOP signs to be installed at each painted crosswalk on Carlsbad Boulevard between Pine Avenue and Cannon Road. In addition, he was requesting to either install stop signs at all bus stops on Carlsbad Boulevard or to relocate the bus stops to the crosswalks. The purpose of STOP signs is to assign right-of-way, and staff would look at the warrants for such STOP signs. None of these painted crosswalks would have sufficient warrants to install STOP signs. Staff was of the opinion that crosswalks are heavily used at certain times, but certainly not at all times. Mr. Johnson addressed the STOP signs at the bus stops, stating the bus stops are located on the far side beyond the intersection, and the bus would present the least impact to the flow of traffic. Staff and the Coordinantinq Committee recommended STOP signs not be installed on Carlsbad Boulevard at the crosswalks or bus locations, and the request by Mr. Bailey to move the bus stops to the painted crosswalks be denied. Commissioner Melideo inquired whether there was a crosswalk at Tamarack. There is a signal at Tamarack at this point and three crosswalks, and there is one across Tamarack in that area. However, there is none across Carlsbad Boulevard. There is a limit line at the traffic signal, but no painted crosswalks. Commissioner Fuller inquired of staff whether Carlsbad Boulevard was being studied, and Mr. Johnson said a planning study was being done. Commissioner Erwin stated that was supposed to come back before this Commission in December of 1985, or January of 1986, at the latest. Mr. Johnson stated report will be reactivated and sent out for comment within the next two months. This report will come to this Commission for comment. Commissioner Fuller inquired about the beautification of Elm Avenue and Carlsbad Boulevard. Mr. Johnson stated the Redevelopment Area has a streetscape project from Pio Pico, west on Elm Avenue to Carlsbad Boulevard, and from Pine to the north City limit. There are some controversial items as far as building a median on Carlsbad Boulevard and eliminating some of the parking. However, this does not affect the crosswalks in any way. Commissioner Erwin stated this issue has been delayed for a long time waiting for that study to be done. Chairman O'Day stated the report should be received the end of May, and this Commission will be asked to give comments. Mr. Johnson stated he will either hand this report out to the Members at the next meeting, if available, or it will be sent to their homes. MINUTES TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION May H, 1987 Page 6 COMMISSIONERS NEW BUSINESS: (continued) Bailey Noble, 5470 Los Robles, representing Terramar Association, addressed the Commission, referring to a copy of his most recent letter written to the Mayor's kitchen cabinet. He stated he had been writing letters since 1983, and to date no action had been taken. He felt there had been action since this latest letter had been received by the Mayor through the kitchen cabinet. However, staff did not have time to get copies of this letter made for the Commissioners and they did request a copy of this letter to discuss the items included in Mr. Noble's letter. Mr. Noble told of people trying to cross Carlsbad Boulevard at the painted crosswalks, and having to retreat time and again and finally having to hurriedly cross the street due to the high speed of motorists who would not stop for the pedestrians. Also, the older homes built along Carlsbad Boulevard, have long driveways where the people must back out into the traffic. This creates another hazard and another instance where the people have to wait in order to back out safely. Mr. Noble stated when all of the new streets to the east and west are opened up, there will be a tremendous impact on the traffic on Carlsbad Boulevard. Mr. Noble stated it was a shame they did not put up stop lights due to the traffic study done in 1984- stating there were insufficient requirements. After Carlsbad Boulevard was closed in October of 198A-, the traffic counters were put out in November. The only people who went beyond Cannon Road at that time were the surfers. There will be more lights north of the Lagoon and two cross overs eventually, but that does not solve the problem for the people at Terramar. Mr. Noble felt there should be a traffic signal put at the intersection of Cannon Road and Carlsbad Boulevard, and require SDG&E to put a light farther south. The south end of the lagoon is a residential area, and the police are patroling it more. He thanked the policemen for being there and issuing tickets. He felt this has helped slow the traffic somewhat, but it is still too fast. Chairman O'Day again informed Mr. Noble to get a copy of his most recent letter to Bob 3ohnson so the Commission may have a look at the letter and study this situation again. Commissioner Meiideo stated she felt nothing could be done until the study was completed. She agreed with staff's recommendation as far as crosswalks, and she could not approve moving the bus stops. This would be impeding traffic and would cause even more problems. MINUTES TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION May 1987 Page 7 COMMISSIONERS NEW BUSINESS: (continued) Commissioner Fuller said he could not support STOP signs on a major arterial highway. He felt signals would be the answer to the problem, if they were interconnected and planned out, to not impede the flow of traffic. He felt it was essential to keep traffic moving and provide for public safety at the same time (including pedestrians). However, STOP signs are not the answer. Traffic signals at the appropriate crossings would help the situation and there will have to be a signal at Cannon Road some day. He stated he hoped this item would come back before the Commission when this report has been submitted, and he would like information on a signal program on Carlsbad Boulevard at certain intersections. Commissioner Erwin stated he supported Commissioner Fuller's statement. He added you cannot move the bus stops, as they are in the safest position at the present time. STOP signs would not help. He also felt signals were needed for the people to get across. He would like to see this item kept on the Agenda. Chairman O'Day inquired whether the beach area planning study included a traffic study. Mr. Gohnson stated it was a traffic consulting firm that was writing the report. In answer to query as to whether they would be looking at crossing Carlsbad Boulevard, Mr. Johnson stated it would certainly be an extensive report. There has been a signal proposed for Cannon Road in connection with the widening of Carlsbad Boulevard at that point. This item goes to Council tomorrow night. Commissioner Fuller reiterated that he did not want to see Carlsbad Boulevard studied piecemeal, but in its entirety, so the systems and the intersections could be installed to allow traffic to flow. Traffic Safety Commission adopted the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee's recommendation that no STOP signs be installed on Carlsbad Boulevard at the location of painted crosswalks, or bus stops, and further recommended that bus stops not be moved to painted crosswalk locations. A condition was added for this issue to come back before this Commission after the study has been completed and the Commissioners have had a chance to study that report. Also, added discussion of signalization along all of Carlsbad Boulevard is to be included. Chairman O'Day asked whether Commissioner Erwin was asking for a study of that type. It was determined the Commissioners felt part of that study between Tamarack and Elm Avenue would be the moving of pedestrians across Carlsbad Boulevard and other areas. That item is part of the study that is being completed. Commissioner Erwin stated he just wanted this item to come back to this Commission after they have had discussed the report. At that time, as part of the agenda, they could decide whether to ask staff to proceed with the issue of signalizing Carlsbad Boulevard. O'Day Erwin Fuller Melideo MINUTES TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION May 1987 Page 8COMM|SS|ONERS NEW BUSINESS: (continued) D. Carlsbad Raceway - Request for additional special event on weekends. Bob Johnson reported this request was from Jerry Gross/Norm Grewe, of La Jolla, reqarding an approval to use the Carlsbad Raceway to have an outdoor shopping center and recreational facility on Saturdays and Sundays. Mr. Johnson stated he had discussed this with the Assistant Planning Director, and the nature of this request requires a CUP amendment. Mr. Gross has been asked to submit the necessary documents, and once those have been received by the Planning Department, this will be reviewed by them, would go to the Engineering Department and then to the Planning Commission. In discussing this at the Coordinating Committee meeting, it was the opinion there was insufficient information available to make any recommendation to the Commission. The recommendation of the Coordinating Committee was this item be placed through the proper channels, through the Planning Department, and any traffic concerns that might arise at that time would be brought out to the petitioner at the Planning Commission meeting. The Coordinating Committee felt this request should follow the CUP amendment process. Chairman O'Day opened the meeting for public comment at 3:51 p.m. Jerry Gross, President, Jerry M. Gross Productions, Inc., in association with Norman Grewe, stated they were planning an outdoor family shopping center. They were concerned over the procedure and hoped they had not taken the valuable time of this Commission to discuss this. He realized the CUP request would come first, but he had been advised by member of the City to come before this Commission to explain the plan. If there were any concerns by Member of this Commission, these were about the traffic circulation to the Carlsbad Raceway. Mr. Gross stated they were hoping to provide a service for the people to shop and enjoy this area from a recreational standpoint. They will follow staff's advice on how to go forward with this request. He stated he had talked with the Chief of Police and the Mayor, and there were no negatives to report, other than seeking this Commission's guidance as to concerns about traffic problems. He wanted to assure this Commission the traffic would be handled the same as it is now at the raceway. Commissioner Erwin inquired whether this would be similar to a flea market, and Mr. Gross answered it would be something similar to the semi-annual fair held by Carlsbad. He stated there would be antique shows, a portion for a produce market, flower show, and people could be entertained as they were there shopping. Mr. Gross reiterated this would be similar to the fair held yesterday and he would hope to have it as professionally done as displayed by the fair yesterday. MINUTES TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION May 1987 Page 9 COMMISSIONERS NEW BUSINESS: (continued) Commissioner Melideo asked what kind of recreational facilities Mr. Gross was referring to, and he stated it would be picnic areas for families, a tennis area, backboards, basketball courts available for children, elephant rides, pony rides, and some thought has been given to a golf driving range. Commissioner Fuller stated this was a planning matter and the Planning Department would look at the traffic circulation. If there was a specific problem, that would come before this Commission, but not unless there was a problem. Chairman O'Day announced there would be no action taken by this Commission on this item. REPORT FROM TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSIONERS: Commissioner Erwin asked whether Wiildan report on Rancho Santa Fe Road was just for the intersection, and Bob Oohnson answered it was from 500 feet north of the Melrose Avenue/Rancho Santa Fe Road intersection, southerly to Questhaven Road. REPORT FROM TRAFFIC ENGINEER: Bob 3ohnson announced the terms of office for Commissioners O'Day and Fuller will expire in 3uly. If the Commissioners are interested in continuing on the Commission, they should write a letter to the City Clerk to inform her of this. It is necessary to write the letter whether they are interested or not. He asked they give this matter their consideration as soon as possible. ADJOURNMENT: By proper motion, the Meeting of May ^, 1987, was adjourned at 4:56 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Harriett Babbitt Minutes Clerk HB/tb