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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1988-01-04; Traffic Safety Commission; Minutesrr MINUTES Meeting of: TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION Time of Meeting: 3:OO p.m. Date of Meeting: January 4, 1988 Place of Meeting: City Council Chambers COMMISSIONERS CALL TO ORDER: Chairman O'Day called the Meeting to order at 3:OO 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 Tech I1 Lloyd Hubbs, City Engineer Officer Shipley APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Minutes of the Meeting held December 7, 1987, were approved as presented. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: No one was present to speak before the Commission. OLD BUSINESS: Bob 3ohnson reported the Ordinance for the 35 m.p.h. speed limit on Elm Avenue may go to Council 3anuary 12, 1988. NEW BUSINESS : A. Elect new Chairperson and Vice Chairperson. This item was trailed to the end of the Agenda. (See Page 3) 8. Elm Avenue/Chatham Road Intersection This item was trailed to the end of the Agenda. (See Page 3) C. Cadencia Street - Establish prima facie speed limit on lower portion of Cadencia Street, North of La Costa Avenue. Bob Johnson gave the staff report as contained in the Commission report dated January 4, 1988. He stated there are two reasons to post a reasonable speed limit, and those are driver respect and compliance. He stated a speed trap could not be used, as California law prohibits that. A 35 m.p.h. advisory speed plate will be installed on Cadencia Street when approaching La Costa from a southbound direction, just south of Del Rey. Mr. 3ohnson stated the Coordinating Committee had recommended a 40 m.p.h. prima facie speed limit on Cadenica Street northerly of La Costa Avenue for a distance of 0.55 miles, with an advisory speed plate for 35 m.p.h. 0 Day Erwin Fuller Melideo MINUTES 3anuary 4 Chairman 0' Day asked whether staff had considered not posting the street. Mr. Johnson stated the advisory sign will. be installed regardless of the action taken by this Commission, and staff had received calls from citizens asking for a speed limit to be posted. 40 m.p.h. the drivers will know there is a speed limit in that area. With the posting of Dennis Price, 755 Cadencia Street, stated he had been trying to get a speed limit on the lower portion of Cadencia for two years. speed, but due to the traffic studies the 85th percentile indicated a higher speed. Mr. Price said this is a residential area, although it is not classified as such. He felt 35 m.p.h. would be a safe Mr. Price said he understood the street would be posted with a 40 m.p.h. speed limit, and 35 m.p.h. on the curved area. He requested the entire street be posted at 35 m.p.h. As a precedent, he stated Levante Street is posted at 35 m.p.h. at the El Camino Real intersection, and there are no houses in that area until you get to the top of the hill. He felt Cadencia Street was no different and should be granted such a sign. Mr. Price concluded, stating there could be a 40 m.p.h. speed limit going down the hill, with 35 m.p.h. for the cars going up the hill, and this would be of some help to the pedestrian. Chairman O'Day closed the public portion at 3:23 p.m. Commissioner Fuller commented that when speed limits are posted, the speed seems to increase, and he would like staff to check into that and see whether that is the usual trend, or just isolated cases. Traffic Safety Commission adopted the recommendation of the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee to establish a prima facie speed limit of 40 miles per hour on the unposted portion of Cadencia Street, northerly of La Costa Avenue for a distance of 0.55 miles. Bob Johnson stated staff would monitor this portion of the road and if conditions hange, staff will bring the matter back before the Commission. D. Elm Avenue/Donna Drive Intersection - Request for a three-way STOP. Bob 3ohnson gave the staff report as contained in the report to the Commission, stating this portion of the street opened November IO, 1987. A 25 m.p.h. advisory plate has been placed for the westbound traffic approaching the intersection because of the sight restriction from Donna looking east. A left turn arrow has been placed on Elm to turn on Donna Drive, and an additional one will be placed near the end of the lane. A transparency was used to show the table of Intersection Approach Volumes, Exhibit 1 in the packet, and Mr. Johnson stated cars could queue up on Elm if stop signs were installed, and this could cause accidents. Mary Sterns, 3230 Donna Drive, stated Elm has been open for a month now, and the traffic has increased in that time. She felt the three-way STOP sign was necessary, as this is a very dangerous intersection, with the sight problem being the biggest concern. 0 ' Day Erwin Fuller Melideo \ \ MINUTES 3anuary 4, 1988 TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION Page 3 COMM~SS~ONERS Commissioner Fuller suggested any driver feeling uncomfortable with that intersection should drive to Monroe and take the signalized intersection. Chairman O'Day closed the public portion at 3:37 p.m. Commissioner Emin stated the bushes on the property at the corner of Donna Drive and Elm Avenue should be trimmed, as that is one of the main reasons for the sight restriction when a driver is making a left turn off of Donna to Elm. Mr. 3ohnson indicated a letter would be written to the property owner and if that does not solve the problem, the City would trim any bushes in the right-of-way. A suggestion was made to close off Donna Drive, and Mr. 3ohnson stated that would probably create a sub-standard cul-de-sac and the residents would oppose any such closing. Also, emergency vehicles need access at that point. Chairman O'Day suggested changing the striping on the street to allow people turning left to realize they have space to make the turn safely. Staff will investigate changing the striping. Traffic Safety Commission adopted the recommendation of the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee to deny the request for STOP signs at Elm Avenue and Donna Drive. problem to the west should be corrected by trimming the bushes and shrubs on the west corner of Donna Drive and Elm Avenue. Staff will also investigate the possibility of different striping for the left turn. The sight A. Elect New Chaimerson and Vice-Chairoerson for 1988 Commissioner Erwin was elected Chairman for the calendar year of 1988 by unanimous vote. Commissioner Melideo was elected Vice-Chairperson for the calendar year of 1988 by unanimous vote. B. Elm Avenue/Chatham Road Intersection - Request to reconsider recommendation for a four-way STOP intersection. City Engineer Lloyd Hubbs stated this was an important decision and for staff to present its case to Council, he felt a vote of the full Commission would be desirable. He added this was not only for the existing situation, but for the future of Elm Avenue. There will be increases in the traffic, with a signal at Elm and Tamarack, and staff felt this four-way STOP would hamper Elm Avenue. In answer to Commission query as to whether he opposed this four-way STOP, the City Engineer stated he did oppose it at this time. Commissioner Erwin stated he would not change his vote, as he did not make that decision lightly. When there is a safe route for children to travel to school, they should be using that route; but they are not--and the parents are not cooperating in attempting to get them to use that route. 0 'Day Erwin Fuller Melideo X X X X MINUTES -. 3anuary 4, 1988 TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION Page 4 COMMISSIONERS Commissioner Erwin continued, stating he felt this Commission was not the single entity involved, and was really only one third of the whole concept. Commission should be entitled to its opinion, and did not want to feel that the matter would be brought up again and again until the vote that suited staff was gotten. He felt the Chairman O'Day stated he felt it was not the fact that there was not a full Commission present for the vote on this item, but the fact that the Commission did not have all the information about the additional development planned for that area and the traffic signal installation. Traffic Safety Commission moved to rescind the action taken on the four-way STOP signs at Elm Avenue and Chatham Road and to place this item on the next agenda for discussion. REPORT FROM TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSIONERS: Commissioner Erwin reported he had a video tape of the non- g round-breaking ceremony for the trash-to-engergy plant. Chairman O'Day thanked the Commissioners and staff for the work done in the past year. AD30URNMENT: By proper motion, the Meeting of 3anuary 4, 1988, was adjourned at 4:08 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Harriett Babbitt Minutes Clerk 0 ' Day Erwin Fuller Melideo A 5 \ fl - Y Y Y