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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-03-06; Traffic Safety Commission; Minutesh MEETING OF: TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION DATE OF MEETING: March 6,2000 (Regular Meeting) TIME OF MEETING: 3:OO P.M. PLACE OF MEETING: CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS CALL TO ORDER: Vice-Chairperson Frank Whitton called the Meeting to order at 3:OO PM. Present: Commissioners Whitton, Blake, Allen Absent: Chairperson Gillfillan, Commissioner Courtney Staff Members Present: Robert Johnson, Deputy City Engineer, Transportation Sgt. Kelly Cain, Carlsbad Police Department Motion by Commissioner Allen, and duly seconded, to approve the minutes of the Regular Meeting of February 7,2000, as presented. VOTE: 3-04 AYES: Whiion, Blake, Alien NOES: None ABSTAIN: None ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: None PRRIK)US BUSINESS: None L“. March 6,2000 TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION Page 2 NEW BUSINESS: !TEM NO. 6A Pedestrian Action Plan - Status Update Robert Johnson, Deputy City Engineer, Transportation, presented the staff report as follows: Item No 6A is an item initiated by Mrs. Hayes, at the last regular meeting of the Traffic Safety Commission. She requested an update on the Pedestrian Action Plan, specific to four areas: 1. The sidewalks constructed in 1999 2. Status of the construction of the sidewalk on Cartsbad 3. Summary of the Street Committee Report (the report goes to 4. Status of the overall sidewalk construction program Boulevard north of State Street City Council March 7,2000) Mr. Johnson referred to an overhead slide presentation, which showed sidewalks constructed in 1999. 3:OSpm Commissioner Jim Courtney anived and took his place on the dais. Referring to the overhead slide presentation, Mr. Johnson stated that the sidewalks along Chestnut Avenue, just east of Monroe Street almost to El Camino Real and along Valley Street from Basswood northerly to just north of Oak, were constructed in 1999. The aforementioned sidewalks are on the school routes to Carlsbad High School and also serve the Junior High School and Magnolia Elementary School. This program was completed in 1999. Regarding the potential sidewalk on Carlsbad Boulevard, the design of the sidewalk along the Boulevard north of State Street to the north City limits, is a project that is going to be placed in the Capital Improvements Program for 2000-2001. It will indude design of the sidewalk next year and a construction program the following year. Staff did look preliminarily at the constraints. There are a number of constraints on that segment of Carlsbad Boulevard. It is a very heavily used bike route. Nothing can be done that will eliminate the bike lanes on both sides. There are lagoon encroachments and environmental concerns as well. Not only are there vehicular and pedestrian issues, but the bicycle and environmental issues must be addressed. All of these issues make what appears to be a very simple project, somewhat complicated. One option is a Stop Condition on State Street as the driver proceeds north to Carlsbad Boulevard. A vehicle would turn into a single lane to proceed north on Carlsbad Boulevard instead of the merge lane that currently exists. These kinds of details will be worked out in the design phase, including how a pedestrian walkway, sidewalk or pathway could be incorporated on both sides, in addition to having bike lanes on both sides and have one traffic lane in each direction. Mr. Johnson gave a brief summary of the street Committee Report as follows: The report addressed OM Carlsbad or the Northwest quadrant. The report stated that the approach should be taken that, on most of the streets in the northwest quadrant, which are identified as alternative design streets, ‘Don’t Do Anything” unless something is needed and is initiated March 6,2000 "" TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION A Page 3 through the process by the residents living on the street. If the residents don't initiate a project, most likely there will not be any construction improvements occurring on that particular road segment, because it is very dear through the committee work and through CPOC that the residents want to leave the streets in their existing condition. Mr. Johnson stated that, there were a small number of streets identified by the Committee as what is called Compatible /mprovement Streets. These streets would be completed at the appropriate time in the condition that they are now along portions of the street. Le., if a street has a 40-fOOt curb to curb road segment with a sidewalk, the cross section would be continued and matched up with another segment along that street. The Compatible Improvement Streets are listed in Table 1 of the Report. There are approximately 20 streets on the list. Per the Street Committee Report it has been suggested that the remainder of the streets in the Northwest Quadrant have some type of alternative design. This means there may be a sidewalk, either on one or both sides, the sidewalk may meander, and/or it may have some type of surface, other than concrete, that meets ADA standards. The Alternative Design Streets will not have the standard type of street that has been built in the past. The Process is included in the report and it will involve the Traffic Safety Commission. Step 1 would be the Plan Initiation - a group of 50% or more of the citizens living on the street initiate a petition to get the process started, so that some type of alternative design can take place. There are a number of steps regarding notification to the residents and to all the citizens in the City. The City Council has to authorize and initiate the process after the petition is received. It will go through alternative designs, there will be public meetings with the City and the local affected residents on the street (Committee Workshops). Recommendations of a preferred plan will be developed, EIR work will be done and then the Commission becomes involved. The Plan must come to the Traffic Safety Commission for review. The Traffic Safety Commission in regards to traffic safety, pedestrian safety and street design issues would review the Plan. Any recommendations of the Traffic Safety Commission would be incorporated into the design and the Plan would then go forward to the City Council for additional Public Hearing on the matter and ultimate approval. Once the Plan is approved and in place there has to be an appropriation in some fashion, e.g. A way to pay for the improvement. Basically until someone initiates the process, there will not be a big construction program. The City has not been successful in some areas getting public support regarding road and sidewalk construction. If the City Council adopts the recommendation of the Street Committee, the aforementioned will be the new process for sidewalk construction. Therefore, when residents on a street initiate it via petition, there will be a Sidewalk Construction Program that will follow the steps in the Street Committee Report. Ultimately, this will lead to construction of some type of altematiie design street that incorporates a sidewalk or pedestrian pathway or in the case of compatible street improvements, the completion of that particular street. Commissioner Blake referred to Carlsbad Boulevard across the lagoon on the sidewalk portion, asking if at one time some kind of an outrigger type had been proposed for this site. He stated that this outrigger would actually have problems not evident to the layman. Mr. Johnson referred to this as The Boardwalk issue, stating that it was considered for the Capital Improvement Program last year. The C.I.P. Committee decided not to pursue the Boardwalk because of significant environmental issues and significant wst issues. At this time the Boardwalk is not being pursued, an alternative to the Boardwalk is being recommended. Currently Staff is in the formative stages of the 2000-2001 Capital Improvement Program. Projects are submitted to the Committee, which includes the City Manager, Public Works March 6,2000 _- TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION Page 4 Director and all of the Leadership Team Members. The Projects are reviewed, modified, eliminated, and/or added to. The revised project then goes to City Council for inclusion in the June Capital Improvement Program, which the Council reviews and approves. Commissioner Courtney voiced his concerns regarding the street improvements and asked if the citizens would have the opportunity to have input into the Plan. Addressing Commissioner Courtney’s questions, Mr. Johnson stated that there were a number of citizens that attended the Street committee meetings. The meetings were held once a week for four (4) months. There were a total of 17 meetings that began in early November 1999. lt was a very aggressive schedule. There was public input by citizens at the meetings. The item is on the City Council’s Tuesday, March 7, 2000 agenda, under Departmental Reports. Any citizen can attend the City Council meeting and address the City Council on the item. Most likely the item will be referred to Staff for comments. Staff will present the item to the City Council again, probably at the end of the month, thus giving both citizens and commission members, as residents, another opportunity to attend that meeting and provide comments. At this point, unless the City Council directs Staff to bring the Report before the Traffic Safety Commission for a recommendation before it goes back to City Council, the Traffic Safety Commission will not be invoked. The Traffi Safety Commission does have a place in the process to review particular designs as mentioned before. There is no way to gauge how the City Council will react. Commissioner Courtney voiced his concerns regarding the recommendations made by the Street Committee. He indicated that ‘Do Nothing” unless a petition was initiated by the citizens on the street, would mean leaving it as it is, which would not be a safe situation for the residents in the area. Mr. Johnson directed the Commission to look at the votes on the various items in the Report of the Streets Committee, stating that the ‘Do Nothing” issue was a very controversial matter. He stated that there were fifteen (15) committee members on the Streets Committee, which was a cross section of the citizenry in Carlsbad. He advised the Commissioners that as citizens of Carlsbad they could address the City Council on any issue. Referring to the map, Commissioner Blake asked for clarification regarding the color-coding of the streets. Mr. Johnson stated that, when and if the streets were developed, the streets coded in yellow would be done so in the configuration that exists at that time. Le., if the street has a 40-foot curb to curb street for a portion of it with contiguous sidewalk, it would be developed or extended in that configuration. The streets that are coded in green are Alternative Design Streets per the Street Committee’s recommendation. An Alternative Design Street coutd possibly end up with narrower streets, or sidewatk on one side or both sides or no sidewalk, or a meandering sidewalk or curb or asphalt berm with parkway. The Street Committee did not try to design every street with an alternative design, but in the Street Committee Report there are some general guidelines on what constitutes an Alternative Design. There is no priority ranking of streets in the report and the process has to be followed to initiate the alternative designs. Thelma Hayes, 580 Laguna Drive, Carlsbad, CA 92008, requested that Mr. Johnson send to each school principal a copy of the map showing the status of the filling in of the sidewalks around the schools, W mile then one-mile radius. She also indicated that her request for an estimated cost to provide safe footing for each school within a half-mile radius had not been -4 March 6,2000 rc TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION Page 5 received. She indicated that this report would give the amount of money needed to get the total sidewalk construction completed around all of the schools. The sidewalks around school areas are being done in a piece-meal fashion. If the aim is safety for the children, the sidewalks should be completed within a mile radius of the schools. Ms. Hayes indicated that the Traffic Safety Commission should request that the sidewalks be completed within a mile radius of all schools in the Carlsbad area. She suggested that the project could begin within a haif mile of the schools. Somehow the process should be expedited. Addressing the Coast Highway and Carlsbad Boulevard problem, which resulted in the death of Breaina Shane, she suggested that a rail be installed on each side of the highway as it crosses the lagoon immediately. She noted that Oceanskle had installed a sidewalk on their side. She also referred to a letter which she received from the City of Carlsbad, stating that the budget for two guard rails on both sides of Carlsbad Boulevard from State Street to the northerly limits would be submitted in the Capital Improvement Budget for 2000-2001 and 2001-2002. The letter indicated that it would be a two-phase project. The first phase is design and the second phase is construction. Ms. Hayes stated that there was time for the Commission to make recommendations as to what can be put into the budget regarding this issue and other street safety issues. She advii the Commission that teachers and students walking to the Nature Center did not follow the State Law of facing the traffic. For the safety and well being of the children and all pedestrians something needs to be done in the interim. Again, she stated that the time frame regarding the installation of the guardrails should be speeded up and asked the Commission to help in this matter. In conclusion, Mrs. Hayes suggested that as a Commission, the Traffic Safety Commission should officially thank the Street Committee for all of the work and effort put into their report. She believed that the Street Committee caused more attention to be paid to the pedestrians, than in the twelve years that she has been involved in alerting the City regarding pedestrian safety. She believed that the Street Committee Plan was the "How To" of the General Pedestrian Action Plan Ordinance. Noting the bamers to pedestrian circulation, she asked if the Street Committee Plan could be coordinated into the Pedestrian Action Plan and thus address the pedestrian circulation plan. Regarding the lagoon, Vice-Chairperson Whitton asked if the schools had accepted any responsibility for the safety of the children walking to the Nature Center, i.e. a chase vehicle following behind the children with flashing red lights. Mrs. Hayes indicated that she was not aware of such a vehicle. Commission Courtney stated that the routes that the majority of the children walk to the various schools was defined and the installation of sidewalks were being done via the routes that the students walk to school. The most common path of travel by pedestrians is being addressed first for installation of sidewalks, instead of concentrating on an area. He indicated that the bridge on Carlsbad Boulevard would be renovated and at that time the crossing at the lagoon would be addressed. He advised Mrs. Hayes that with the aforementioned improvements the entire configuration of the area would change. Stating that something was going to be done about the crossing at the Lagoon, he advised Mrs. Hayes that the situation was not being ignored. Commission Blake advised Mrs. Hayes, that it was his understanding that the areas around the various schools would be addressed for sidewalk safety first. March 6,2000 c TRAFFIC SAF’ETY COMMISSION Page 6 Mrs. Hayes stated that it was up to the Commission to advise the City Council regarding the pedestrian pathways and safety issues. The Commission should not limit their suggestions because the Commission thinks there are not enough funds available. Commissioner Blake asked for information regarding the estimated cost for safe footing for each school. Mr. Johnson advised the Commission that this would not be addressed. The Street Committee Report gives clear direction as to the approach that the City will be taking regarding future road and sidewalk construdin. If the City Council adopts the Street Committee Report, until the Alternative Designs are completed, there is no way to estimate the cost. Hundreds of Carlsbad citizens have voiced that they do not want the roads widened, they do not want FIA’s or dedications, they don? want to pay for improvements. The citizens want things left alone. If there is no sidewalk that is the way the citizens like it and they want it left that way. Mrs. Hayes asked if school areas would be exempt from this. Mr. Johnson stated that the schools wouM not necessarily be exceptions. There has to be an agreement by the residents on the street to install sidewalks, i.e. Buena Vista Way near Buena Vista Elementary, the school and the residents were not in favor of the project, therefore the City is not going to shove something down the residents’ throats. This is the approach being taken now, so there will not be hundreds of people confronting City Council. Commission Blake asked Mr. Johnson to address the issue of coordinating the Pedestrian Action Plan with the Street Committee Report. Mr. Johnson indicated that was being done by the Traffk Safety Commission being part of the process, i.e. an alternative design will be brought to the Trafiic Safety Commission for comment. The Commission accepted the staff report and took no action. REPORT FROM TRAFFtC SAFETY COMMISSIONERS: Commissioner Blake referring to College near the new development on Tamarack stated that to the south or west end, land was being cleared. He asked if there was a build out schedule. Mr. Johnson stated that cumntly Cotlege Boulevard terminates at Carlsbad Village Drive in Calavara Hilts. The developer, McMillan Company, is processing an EIR, which should go to the City Council by the end of the year. By the end of 2002, College will be extended and completed, constructed south to future Cannon and Cannon from College to El Camino Real would be constructed along with it. At that point when the connection is made to El Camino Real, College will be opened in Calavara Hills where the barricades are at this time. He stated that he was not aware of the amount of grading that was being done, but did note that the project was now going through the environmental process. REPORT FROM TRAFFIC ENGINEER: March 6,2000 TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION Page 7 Mr. Johnson stated that later this month Staff would present to the City Council, the Residential Traffic Management Program. Staff will be recommending to the City Council, that the Committee be a seven (7) member committee. One member would be a Traffic Safety Commission member, one member would be a Planning Commission member and the Ci Council would select five (5) citizens at-large. The Streets Committee was a fifteen (15) member committee, which was quite a large number to work on projects. Tentatively, Staff will be submitting the recommendation to the Ci Council on March 21,2000. By proper motion the Regular Meeting of March 6, 2M)o, was adjourned at 3:48p.m. Respectfully submitted, Dianna Scott Minutes Clerk