Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1988-03-07; Traffic Safety Commission; MinutesMINUTES -. Meeting of: TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION Time of Meeting: 3:OO p.m. Date of Meeting: March 7, 1988 Place of Meeting: City Council Chambers COMMISSIONERS CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Erwin called the Meeting to order at 3:Ol p.m. ROLL CALL: Present -- Chairman Erwin, Commissioners Fuller, Herring and Melideo. Absent -- Commissioner O'Day. Staff Members Present: Bob Johnson, Principal Civil Engineer Mike Shirey, Engineering Tech I1 Officer Shipley, Police Department APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Minutes of the Meeting held February 1, 1988, were approved as amended to show the following addition to Item A: On the warrants on Chatham and Elm, all warrants were met, except the designated safe route. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: No one was present to speak before the Commission. OLD BUSINESS: Bob Johnson reported that several months ago the Pedestrian Action Plan was discussed. This item went to Council last week with the recommendations, and Council directed this to come back to the Traffic Safety Commission to implement a Pedestrian Action Plan. Mr. Johnson stated that staff would be working on that Plan. NEW BUSINESS: A. La Costa Avenue - request to establish a two-way left- turn lane and remove parking from the commercial area easterly to Calle Madera. Bob Johnson gave the staff report as contained in the Commission report, stating there would be an opportunity to change the striping on La Costa Avenue this summer, as Utilities/Maintenance plans to chip seal from El Camino Real to Rancho Santa Fe. This will extend the life of the asphalt an additional five years, and once the chip seal is installed, the striping would be obliterated, necessitating re-striping, whether or not this is in the existing configuration or changed. Before that time, the striping would have to be sand-blasted to be removed. Slurry seal could be used, but the striping would come through. The only effective way to change the striping would be to overlay the road or install chip seal, as scheduled for summer. Mike Shirey narrated a slide presentation showing the present striping on La Costa Avenue, the sight distances, the parking areas and bike lanes. Bob 3ohnson continued the staff report, using a wall chart to show a map of La Costa Avenue in this area. He referred to the traffic counts included in the packet and stated most of the accidents in this area are caused by rear-ending and sideswiping. Erwin Fuller Herring Melideo MINUTES March 7, 1988 TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION Page 2 COMM~SS~ONERS NEW BUSINESS: (Continued) Mr. 3ohnson gave the four Alternatives suggested, as follows: Alternative No. 1 - Do nothing and allow striping to remain the same. Alternative No. 2 - Left turns on La Costa would be prohibited by striping a double, double yellow centerline; four traffic lanes would be provided, with an 8-foot emergency parkinglbike lane on both sides. Parallel parking would be prohibited. Alternative No. 3 - A continuous two-way left turn lane ten feet wide would be installed, with four lanes of traffic and two five-foot bike lanes; parallel parking would be removed. Alternative No. 4 - Parallel parking would be allowed on the northerly side of La Costa Avenue; one eight-foot parallel parking lane would be provided and a five-foot bike lane. There would be two twelve-foot traffic lanes and two eleven-foot lanes; with one five-foot bike lane on the southerly side of the road. In summary, Mr. 3ohnson stated the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee recommended at the time of the installation of the chip seal on La Costa Avenue, a continuous two-way left turn lane be striped and parallel parking removed. This would be from a point immediately east of the commercial area on La Costa Avenue esterly to the existing two-way left-turn lane at Calle Madera. Chairman Erwin opened the meeting for public comment at 3:32 p.m. 3im Comunale, 2712 La Costa Avenue, stated he lived in the buffer zone area, and without a buffer zone, it would be impossible to back out of their driveway, so fast on La Costa Avenue, that the buffer zone is necessary for the residents to retreat into to wait until it is safe to pull into the traffic lane. Mr. Comunale felt the left turns were not as dangerous as the pulling out of the driveways. for Alternative No. 4 or no change at all. The traffic is He stated his preference Henry Grether, 2508 La Costa Avenue, stated his appreciation for the concern of the Traffic Safety Commission, but the cars on La Costa Avenue are not traveling 45 miles per hour; they are traveling 60 or 65. That speed causes the problems, and it is extremely difficult to back out into the traffic. Mr. Grether said the sidewalks are narrow on the north side of the street, with street lamps in the middle of the walk. necessitates people stepping out into the street into the bike lane. It is even dangerous to try to get the mail out of the mailboxes. Mr. Grether's preference was for parking on the north side and left turns allowed. This \ \ i MINUTES tgarch 7, 1988 TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION Page 3 COMM~SS~ONERS NEW BUSINESS: (Continued) 3ane Grether, 2508 La Costa Avenue, told of a car accident on La Costa Avenue, where her car was rear-ended while she was waiting to turn into their driveway. speed limit needed to be lowered to slow the traffic. Mrs. Grether stated her preference for a buffer area to back out of the driveways, but felt it was not fair to eliminate the parking. She favored Alternative No. 4, and felt the parking was the most critical issue. She felt the John Mosele, 2722 La Costa Avenue, reiterated there are no residences on the south side of La Costa Avenue in this area, has one entrance there. He stated he uses the buffer zone to back out into the traffic, and supported Alternative No. 4. the speed was the problem. with the exception of the condominium complex that He felt the number of cars was not the problem-- Maury Goosenberg, 2404 La Costa Avenue, stated that to remove the parking would be a tremendous burden. Alternative No. 4 would be better, as it would provide for parking and allow left turns. He felt Maggie Long, 2931C La Costa Avenue, a resident at Marbella Condos, stated there are 58 families living in those condos who need to turn into that driveway. Ms. Long drives from the east in the evening, and stated that it is extremely dangerous to try to turn left into their driveway, partly because of the sun setting and blinding drivers, and also because of the speed of the cars traveling east. Ms. Long stated she was willing to lose the parking on the south side of the street to allow the residents on the north side to have parking. supported Alternative No. 3, stating she has no option to be able to go to La Costa Avenue and El Camino Real to make a U-turn, as they are prohibited there. She Mardelle Mosele, 2722 La Costa Avenue, stated La Costa Avenue is not a uniform street, and she felt a solution that was not a uniform one would be more proper. Chairman Erwin closed the public comment portion at 4:11 p.m. In answer to Commission query as to whether there could be mixed striping in that area, Bob Johnson replied there is a mixture there now, and there could be different combinations. Commissioner Melideo inquired whether Alternative No. 3 and No. 4 could be mixed together, using Alternative No. 4 after the corner, and in some way compromise. Commissioner Herring asked whether the bike lanes had to stay, and suggested eliminating them: adding that space to the north side for a buffer zone, and have the continuous two-way left-turn lane. Chairman Erwin asked Ms. Long whether she could see to exit the condo driveway if the bike lane were eliminated. She stated that would be the lesser of two evils. MINUTES March 7, 1988 TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION Page 4 COMMISSIONERS NEW BUSINESS : (Continued 1 Commissioner Herring made a motion to eliminate the bike lanes; approving Alternative No. 3, but instead of the five- foot bike lane on the south side of La Costa Avenue, add that to the north side for a buffer zonefparking lane of ten feet; remove the designation of a "bike lane" on La Costa Avenue. Commissioner Fuller seconded the motion. The motion was withdrawn, with the consent of the second. Traffic Safety Commission directed staff to study the alternative of eliminating bike lanes on this stretch of road from the commercial area to Calle Madera; have a ten- foot buffer zonefparking lane on the north side of the street, and a continuous two-way left-turn lane. Staff is to determine what problems this might cause and return with a recommendation. B. Majorie Lane - Request to establish a NO PARKING zone. Bob Johnson gave the staff report as contained in the Commission Report, stating the two-hour parking restriction had not solved the parking problem on Majorie Lane. Chairman Erwin inquired whether the 7:OO a.m. to 4:OO p.m. no parking would be discriminating and staff will study that. Chairman Erwin opened the meeting for public comment at 4:39 p.m. William Poole, 1885 Chestnut, addressed the Commission, stating the two-hour parking restriction could not be enforced, and the majority of the homeowners in that area were present today. There are seven homes on the cul-de- sac, and four of those owners are present today, and all agree to accept the elimination of parking at all times. Mr. Poole showed photographs of the parking and violations, as well as the trash deposited by the students. Ernest Mejia, 1845 Chestnut, stated he was in favor of no parking at any time, and hoped this would eliminate the necessity of picking up the trash that the students deposit on the lawns. Vernon Holbrook, 3614 MarJorie Lane, stated he felt this was a traffic and safety matter, and not a civil matter. With the car racing that occurs on the cul-de-sac, Mr. Holbrook stated he was surprised that no one has been killed or maimed. He supported the 24-hour ban on parking. Mr. Holbrook added that when the 7:OO a.m. to 4:OO p.m. restrictions were in place, the problems ceased. He felt that perhaps that would solve the problem without eliminating parking evenings and weekends for the residents in the area. Sidney Porch, 3557 Monroe Street, Facility Advisor at the High School, sympathized with the residents and added the school would like to work with the residents to solve the problem. He stated ID'S andfor license numbers were necessary to find out the identity of the youngsters causing the problems. Erwin Fuller Herring Melideo h 9 \ MINUTES March 7, 1988 TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION Page 5 COMMISSIONERS NEW BUSINESS: (Continued Mr. Porch stated the school was concerned about losing parking in the school area, as they are trying to enlarge the parking areas. with the only exits on Monroe and Chestnut or Valley and Chestnut, and the faculty hopes more students will park on Valley. He also stated the tennis courts will be converted into a parking lot to increase the parking. He explained there will be a wall built Mr. Porch said if the school has ID'S on the students, they can press charges against them. He concluded, stating he felt this would set a precedent for other neighbors to seek no parking near the high school. Commissioner Fuller commented there is no legal parking on Majorie Lane for the students at this time. Chairman Erwin closed the public comment portion at 4:55 p.m. The residents in the audience commented that the 7:OO a.m. to 4:OO p.m. restrictions worked quite well before, and they would certainly prefer that to no parking at all. Commissioner Melideo made a motion to recommend 24-hour no parking on Marjorie Lane from Monday through Friday. Commissioner Herring seconded the motion. The motion was withdrawn, with the consent of the second. Officer Shipley stated the problem was with the two-hour parking restriction. That was not enforceable. Traffic Safety Commission recommended no parking on Marjorie Lane from 7:OO a.m. to 4:OO p.m., Monday through Friday. REPORT FROM TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSIONERS: None. REPORT FROM TRAFFIC ENGINEER: None. AD30URNMENT: By proper motion, the Meeting of March 7, 1988, was adjourned at 5:OO p.m. Respectfully submitted, K&@kdf Harriett Babbitt Minutes Clerk Erwin Fuller Herring Melideo \ \