Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-12-06; Traffic Safety Commission; MinutesMINUTES MEETING OF: TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION DATE OF MEETING: December 6,2004 (Regular Meeting) TIME OF MEETING: 3:OO p.m. PLACE OF MEETING: City Council Chambers CALL TO ORDER: Chair Cress called the Meeting to order at 3:OO p.m. ROLL CALL: Present: Absent: Staff Members Present: Chair Gordon Cress Vice-Chair Steve Dorsey Commissioner Bonnie Bradshaw Commissioner Susan Gardner Commissioner Guy Roney Robert Johnson, Deputy City Engineer, Transportation Sgt. Marc Reno, Carlsbad Police Department Lt. Don Rawson, Carlsbad Police Department APPROVAL OF MINUTES: November 1,2004 ACTION: Motion by Vice-Chair Dorsey, and duly seconded by Commissioner Gardner to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of November 1,2004 as presented. VOTE: 3-0-1 AYES: Gardner, Dorsey, Bradshaw NOES: None ABSTAIN: Cress December 6,2004 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 2 ITEM 4 - ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: Kathleen Wellman, 7144 Aviara Drive, Carlsbad, CA 92009, stated that she was the parent of a Valley Middle School student. She said that she was concerned with the traffic at Valley Middle School in the morning and afternoon when students are arriving and leaving. Ms. Wellman reported that in October of this year, a seventh grade female student was crossing Tamarack Avenue at about 7:30 a.m. and was struck by a vehicle and sustained a broken leg. She expressed her concern for these types of accidents. Ms. Wellman stated that she talked with the school principal, Dr. Kim Marshall, who expressed his concern about the traffic also. There are about 1,000 students attending Valley Middle School, and next year it will include six-graders. The school is not totally fenced, so the students can go anywhere in the school perimeter. Mr. Murray fiom the City of Carlsbad suggested that she write a letter to the City of Carlsbad about her concerns. She was hopeful that the City of Carlsbad would undertake a traffic study. She stated that she felt that the parents and school needed some expert help and education on how to manage the pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Ms. Wellman read the letter she had sent to Mr. Murray: “As aparent of a seventh grade student at Valley Middle School, my husband and I are very worried about the safety of the students and drivers during the student drop-oflandpick-up times each school day. As you are aware, at those times the streets adjacent to Valley Middle School, specifically Magnolia, Valley, and Tamarack; are congested with vehicular traflc as well as the student pedestrian and bicycle trafic. Furthermore, since Tamarack is apeeway arterial during the morning rush hour, there is additional non-school trafic of drivers trying to get to the peeway as fast as possible. Specifwally, fiom our experience in making a right turn from Valley to go west on Tamarack Avenue, the driver’s line of vision to trafic traveling fiom east to west on Tamarack Avenue is blocked by vehicles making a le3 turn @om Valley onto Tamarack The urgency of my concern is evidenced by the fact that a Valley Middle School student was recently struck and injured by a vehicle as she attempted to cross Tamarack Avenue on her way to school. In my recent phone conversations with you, you suggested that I write you to request the City of Carlsbad undertake an updated trafic study. ’I Ms. Wellman stated that what she hoped would be looked at was adult crossing guards, an all-way stop sign, or a traffic signal. It is also urged that an action plan and time table be established as part of the remedy to this dangerous situation. Hopefully the traffic study could begin after the school holidays. She said Mr. Murray also mentioned to her the importance of education of the parents and student body concerning traffic safety. To that end, Ms. Wellman requested that the City of Carlsbad’s Traffic Safety Engineer meet with Valley Middle School staff and parents to devise an effective traffic safety education program which addresses the specific traffic safety issues at Valley Middle School on a continuing basis. Ms. Wellman expressed her hope that her concerns could be addressed on the January agenda just for follow-up so they could see how they’re progressing or when a time table would be for studies. December 6,2004 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 3 Ms. Wellman stated that she understood that this could not happen right away, but this was the first step. Chair Cress informed Ms. Wellman that her concerns could not be on the agenda for January because the TSC acts on the recommendation of the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee as a result of traf5c safety studies after they are done by the staff. If they have a letter from her, they will put that on their drawing board and initiate the study. Once the study is completed, it will be put on the agenda and would be addressed at that point. Robert Johnson, Deputy City Engineer, clarified a statement that Ms. Wellman made about the student who was struck. He said the student actually ran between parked vehicles and ran into the vehicle traveling on Tamarack Avenue that was traveling at about 15 miles per hour. Therefore, it is a different situation from a pedestrian being struck running in fiont of a vehicle versus a pedestrian running into a vehicle, and that was the actual circumstances based on the documented Police Department collision report. He mentioned that those are factors that the Traffic Safely Commission looks at carefblly when investigating collisions that have occurred on a particular street. Ms. Wellman spoke again and added that her son did not have a sense of danger because he is severely handicapped and he was quite mobile. She just wanted to give a “heads-up” and state that there are other students that could really benefit from help fiom the Commission. Chair Cress thanked Ms. Wellman for her input. ITEM 5 - PREVIOUS BUSINESS: Mr. Johnson stated that he had no items to report. ITEM 6 - NEW BUSINESS: ITEM 6A. Review and comment, as appropriate, on the draft Final Procedure for the Removal of an Unwarranted Adult Crossing Guard. Mr. Johnson addressed the Commission stating that this item was to decide the final Draft Procedure for the Removal of an Unwarranted Adult Crossing Guard. The Traffic Safety Commission at their meeting on September 13,2004 reviewed a draft of this procedure. Several recommendations were made by the TSC that were incorporated into the final draft. One was Item 3B, where distinction was made for elementary school students crossing unaccompanied by an adult or accompanied with an adult to be counted. Another was Item 3D, which added “or the latest edition thereof’ of the December 6,2004 Trflic Safety Commission Meeting Page 4 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. Based upon the recommendations and comments of the Commission at the September meeting, the draft procedure was sent to the superintendents of two school districts where adult crossing guards are provided. The first district is the Carlsbad Unified School District, and the second is the Encinitas Union School District. The Carlsbad Police Department provides adult crossing guards in certain locations for those two school districts. The San Marcos Unified School District fUmishes their own adult crossing guards. Mi. Johnson reported that when staffsent the draft procedure to the two Superintendents, there was a request that any comments be provided and sent back to sM. Staff received a letter from Superintendent John Roach of the Carlsbad Unified School District indicating that he had no comments on the procedure. There was no response received from the Encinitas Union School District’s superintendent, Doug DeVore. Therefore, staff assumes that he had no comments on the procedure. Mr. Johnson stated that as presented today, the draft Final Procedure is an update of the very first procedure first compiled in 1987. The background was provided at the meeting in September 2004. Currently, there are twenty-two locations where the City of Carlsbad provides adult crossing guards. The guards are paid out of the Carlsbad Police Department’s budget at those locations. Because of changes in circumstances and other reasons, there are some locations where an adult crossing guard is located that may not meet the warrants for adult crossing guard based on criteria in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). Therefore, the procedure outlines a methodology for review of the intersection. The request would be initiated by the Carlsbad Police Department to investigate a particular intersection to determine if the adult crossing guard is, in fact, warranted or not warranted based on that objective criteria provided in the MUTCD. Currently, the way the procedure is structured is if after the review of the intersection it is found that the adult crossing guard criteria is not met, then the steps in the procedure are followed such that there may be a removal of that unwarranted adult crossing guard at that particular intersection. The Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee reviewed the matter and is recommending approval of the final Draft Procedure for the Removal of an Unwarranted Adult Crossing Guard. If the final Draft Procedure for the Removal of an Unwarranted Adult Crossing Guard is approved by the Commission, it would then be forwarded to the City Manager for distribution to the City Council. DISCUSSION: Vice-Chair Dorsey asked if the Commission needs to take action on this matter. Mr. Johnson responded that the Commission is being asked to recommend approval of the draft Final Procedure for the Removal of an Unwarranted Adult Crossing Guard. December 6,2004 MOTION: ACTION: VOTE: AYES: NOES: ABSTAIN: Tdic Safety Commission Meeting Page 5 Motion by Vice-Chair Dorsey and duly seconded by Commissioner Gardner, to recommend the approval of the draft Procedure for the Removal of an Unwarranted Adult Crossing Guard Cress, Dorsey, Gardner, Bradshaw None None 4-0-0 ITEM 6B. Investigate the need for a STOP sign on Morada Street at its intersection with Garboso Street Mr. Johnson reported that Item 6B was initiated as a request to review the need for the installation of a stop sign on Morada Street at its intersection with Garboso Street. Referring to Exhibit 1, Mr. Johnson explained that the intersection is configured as a T-intersection with Morada Street being the stem of the T. Both streets are residential streets and neither is classified on the Circulation Element of the General Plan. When staff receives a request for the installation of a stop sign at a T- intersection like this, a review for the safe approach speed to the intersection is conducted. When a driver on the minor street, in this case, Morada Street, is traveling at 10 miles per hour, at the decision point approaching the intersection, the driver needs to have adequate corner sight distance to view the vehicle approaching from the west in an eastbound direction, or from the east in a westbound direction to the intersection. The driver on the stem of the T, the minor street, needs to have sufficient time to observe the vehicle and take the appropriate action to either slow or stop the vehicle before there is a conflict in the intersection. Referring to Exhibit 2, Mr. Johnson explained that for this particular intersection, corner sight distance along Garboso Street is needed. On the westerly leg of the intersection along Garboso Street, a driver would need approximately 140 feet in order to have the appropriate corner sight distance at the decision point. Looking to the east, the distance would be 171 feet, taking into account the down-slope of the road from east to west, and the up-slope if going from west to east. Due to the horizontal and vertical geometry at the intersection and the vegetation and trees at the intersection, the decision point on the minor street, Morada Street, results in an actual corner sight distance to the west of only 97 feet along Garboso Street. When looking for an approaching vehicle fiom the east, the distance is 102 feet. Both distances are below the threshold that is required for this location. The decision point location is based on 1 0-mile per hour criteria of the approaching vehicle on the minor street at a point 50 feet from the intersection. Because that threshold is not met to provide the comer sight distance, it was the recommendation of the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee that a STOP sign be installed on Morada Street at its intersection with Garboso Street. The intersection itself does not meet the warrants for an all-way stop installation. December 6,2004 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 6 DISCUSSION: Chair Cress stated that he drove through the area in question and he agreed that there was quite a slope from east to west along Garboso Street, and Morada Street is a down-slope going into the intersection. He stated that he felt tom whether a stop sign is really required there, but he also saw why the residents would want one. Chair Cress said he was not adamantly against it, but still was tom whether it was worth the cost to put one in. However, his tendency was to go along with the Talc Safety Coordinating Committee’s recommendation. Commissioner Dorsey stated that he had felt the same way. Someone outside the group initiated this. However, the criteria clearly demonstrates that it is justified. Commissioner Dorsey stated he would support the approval. MOTION: ACTION: Motion by Commissioner Gardner and duly seconded by Commissioner Bradshaw, to recommend installing a STOP sign on Morada Street at its intersection with Garboso Street. VOTE: 4-0-0 AYES: Cress, Dorsey, Gardner, Bradshaw NOES: None ABSTAIN: None ITEM 7: REPORT FROM TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSIONERS Commissioner Gardner stated that over the last several months she has observed a recurring problem, specifically at schools like the one just presented. She felt that rather than trying to fix all the problems, she would like to try a pro-active approach. Having children around schools is a foreseeable problem. What has been done in the past is to focus on vehicles rather than focusing on some of the pedestrian routes and traffic, which should have been foreseen years ago. What Commissioner Gardner suggested is that as the Traffic Safety Commission or Department, Mr. Johnson in particular, come up with a set of recommendations for the Planning Commission for future developments, which may address the pedestrian viewpoint, rather than looking at it fiom the vehicle point-of-view. She stated that she wasn’t sure if what she was suggesting was doable, but she felt that she kept hearing the same problem over and over again. If some of these things are in the planning stage, instead of trying to band aid them after the fact, it appears the City of Carlsbad is fixing things after they happen. As Carlsbad develops, the City of Carlsbad should review the pedestrian tr&c - where they’re going, who they are - that perhaps the City can remedy some of these matters before they become issues. They could work with the Planning Commission. She felt that some of this foresight may help in the long run. It might reduce traffic around schools if the parents were comfortable with their children walking to school. December 6,2004 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 7 Mr. Johnson explained that the livable streets concept that was approved several years ago by the Planning Commission and the City Council has been implemented. He stated that it had a pedestrian focus. It narrows the streets from the old standard of forty feet to thuty-four feet, which helps with many of the pedestrian issues. Unfortunately, the schools, especially the older schools, are established where they are. In many cases, they are not placed in the best location. One of the new elementary schools, as an example, in the future is going to be situated on Poinsettia Lane in the Villages of La Costa. Poinsettia Lane will be a four-lane, high-speed, major arterial which will have an elementary school adjacent to it. The City of Carlsbad is going to be addressing pedestrian vehicular access/egress issues because of that. Mr. Johnson stated that the issues that come before the Commission regarding pedestrians, vehicles, and school zones is something that occurs every year. Every year, a new set of parents arrive at a school, and they need to be educated. They are often surprised at what they see. The Police Department is out at each school actively conducting enforcement actions. Each school has an officer assigned to the school to work with the principal, and deal with the issues as they are brought to their attention. Staff knows it is very frustrating for the parents, school officials, the police department, and the engineering department because school zones for that fifteen minutes before and after school can be very congested, quite chaotic in the sense of how parents are driving. The parents are in a hurry, they are concerned about their child, but many times it appears they are not as concerned about the other children. Mr. Johnson stated that on the one hand, the City of Carlsbad has addressed a number of pedestrian issues with new design standards, but it is a situation that every year has to go through this education process. Every year, the Traffic Sergeant or Lieutenant and he meet with every principal or other staff of every school throughout the school year to address the issues. There are certain things that can be done from an engineering standpoint, certain things can be done from an enforcement standpoint, and they all work on the education component. That is why the City always speaks to the principals and parents about the three “E’s” - engineering, education, and enforcement - they all have to work together. It is not unusual to work with the schools on these issues. It is a big part of staff‘s job and is an on-going thing. Staff attempts to anticipate as much as possible, but the process just starts over every year. Mr. Johnson stated that Ms. Wellman today mentioned Valley Middle School. Right now there are about five or six different school zones that staff is addressing. That is why this item that was mentioned today will be added to the workload. It is a constant problem in the sense of dealing with the situations, and it is a major workload issue that is being addressed literally every week of the year. Commissioner Gardner said what she was suggesting was that it was not just the Traffic Safety Department, but it is the design of the schools themselves. Her suggestion is not to focus on the traffic in the streets as much as the design of the schools. That’s why she was suggesting going to the Planning Commission, because there is only so much you can do with stop signs. It needs to be addressed by the Planning Commission before it gets to the Traffic Safety Commission. December 6,2004 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 8 Mr. Johnson replied that the reality was that the school districts do not have to contact the City of Carlsbad for approval of any design. The State Architect has 100% control of the school design. They are going to maximize their needs, which is to get the greatest area for playgrounds and the greatest area for school. If they can get a small area for parking lots, they will do that. The Commission has limited control on the design of a school. Occasionally, staff will be asked to provide input and the State Architect can either take our input or ignore it, usually being the latter unfortunately. Again, it then becomes an enforcement problem and an engineering problem. Some of the schools have worked a little closer with staff in the design and have taken some of our suggestions. Mr. Johnson stated he agreed with Ms. Wellman that if more pedestrians walked or rode bicycles to the school, we’d be much better off fiom all of the problems that the vehicles cause. Vice-Chair Dorsey asked Mr. Johnson when he needed to know if the Commissioners were going to attend the workshop for the Traffic Safety Commissioners and public officials meeting scheduled in February 2005. Mr. Johnson stated that they should let him know about a month prior to the meeting. That would give him enough time to process the registration fee and get them signed up. ITEM 8: REPORT FROM TRAFFIC ENGINEER Mr. Johnson stated that next month’s regular meeting of the Traffic Safety Commission would be held on January 3, 2005 at 3:OO p.m. Because of remodeling that is going to occur in the City Council Chambers, the meeting will be held at the Faraday Center, 1635 Faraday Avenue. There is a large conference room there that will be set up for the Commission meeting. There will also be a few City Council meetings held in the Dove Library early next year. Mr. Johnson said he would send a reminder notice to all of the Commissioners about the meeting location change. We should be back to the regular meeting location in February at the City Council Chambers when the improvements should be completed. ADJOURNMENT: Chair Gordon Cress adjourned the Regular Meeting of December 6,2004 at 3:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Ruth Steckdaub Minutes Clerk