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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-02-07; Traffic Safety Commission; MinutesMINUTES MEETING OF: TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION DATE OF MEETING: February 7,2005 (Regular Meeting) TIME OF MEETING: 3:OO p.m. PLACE OF MEETING: Faraday Center CALL TO ORDER Chair Cress called the Meeting to order at 3:OO p.m. ROLL CALL: Present: Staff Members Present: Chair Gordon Cress Vice-Chair Steve Dorsey Commissioner Guy Roney Commissioner Bonnie Bradshaw Commissioner Susan Gardner Robert Johnson, Deputy City Engineer, Transportation Lt. Don Rawson, Carlsbad Police Department APPROVAL OF MINUTES: January 3,2005 ACTION: Motion by Vice-Chair Dorsey, and duly seconded by Commissioner Roney to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of January 3, 2005 as presented. VOTE: 4-0- 1 AYES: Dorsey, Roney, Gardner, Bradshaw NOES: None ABSTAIN: Cress ITEM 4 - ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: There were no requests to address the Commission on any non-agenda items. February 7,2005 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 2 ITEM 5 -PREVIOUS BUSINESS: Robert Johnson, Deputy City Engineer, addressed the Commission stating that he had several items to report that the Commission recommended to the City Council. First is the stop sign on Morada Street at Garboso Street that the Commission recommended a stop sign on Morada Street. At their last meeting, the City Council introduced the ordinance to establish a stop sign upon Morada Street. Tomorrow night the Council will adopt the ordinance. In addition, tomorrow night the Council will take action to consider introducing the ordinance for the stop sign on Unicornio Street at Rancho Cortes, which the Traffic Safety Commission recommended on January 3,2005. ITEM 6 -NEW BUSINESS: ITEM 6A. Present an information item to the Traffic Safety Commission about a future resolution that will be taken to the City Council to have the Council adopt the FHWA Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) 2003 Edition as amended by the MCrrCD 2003 California Supplement. Mt. Johnson stated that this item is an informational item only for the Traffic Safety Commission. There have been several instances where staff has mentioned to the Commission the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices which Caltrans uses now, adopted as of May 20,2004. The Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee was discussing one item with respect to the Traffic Signal Evaluation Policy and the need to incorporate references to the MWCD into that policy. Out of that discussion, it was determined that the City Council should adopt the resolution incorporating the MUTCD as the document that is used in lieu of the Caltrans Traffic Manual for all traffic control devices in Carlsbad. Mi. Johnson explained that on May 20,2004 the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) adopted the Federal Highway Administration Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, 2003 edition, as amended by the MUTCD 2003 Supplement. Even though Caltrans adopted the MUTCD, there is a California Supplement with some minor variations. The action taken by Caltrans was pursuant to provisions of the California Vehicle Code, Section 21400, and it was also taken on the recommendation of the California Traffic Control Devices Committee (CTCDC) to prescribe the uniform standards and specifications for all official traffic control devices in California. The CTCDC is made up of a number of agencies that include the following: Caltrans California Highway Patrol California State Association of Counties League of California Cities California State Automobile Association February 7,2005 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 3 Automobile Club of Southern California Those member agencies get together periodically on a monthly or bi-monthly basis to review matters of traffic control devices throughout the state of California. One of the more major actions that they took was the recommendation with respect to the MUTCD. As a result, it was adopted last year. Prior to May 20,2004, the Caltrans Traffic Manual was used as the official document to provide guidance on most of the traffic control devices placed on public streets in California. On many occasions, staff made reference to the Caltrans Traffic Manual regarding warrants or various signs and striping that was going to be recommended as part of an action. The adoption of the MUTCD will lead to greater uniformity of traffic control devices in California with respect to what is being done throughout the United States. As an example, Mr. Johnson stated that California was using the ‘Wot A Through Street” sign if there was a cul-de-sac and a driver could not see the end of the cul-de-sac. Throughout the United States the sign that is used says “Dead End.” Staff will be installing signs on cul-de-sacs that read “Dead End” and staffwill no longer be putting up the ‘Not a Through Street” signs. As mentioned at the top of the meeting, Mr. Johnson stated that the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee (TSCC) discussed the Carlsbad Traffic Signal Qualification List. The discussion at the TSCC ensued because staff is currently updating the Traffic Signal Qualification List, which is the list contained in the Traffic Signal Evaluation Policy. By the end of the year, staff will have that study completed and it will be brought to the Commission early next year. The Traffic Signal Evaluation Policy will reference the MUTCD. Mr. Johnson stated that another example of the use in changing to the MUTCD is that the MUTCD contains eight Mic signal warrants, whereas the Caltrans Traffic Manual contains eleven. Staffwill be using the MUTCD in the traffic signal warrants evaluation. Staff previously discussed warrants and criteria for the removal of an unwarranted adult crossing guard at a Traffic Safety Commission meeting. Warrants for adult crossing guards also are contained in the MUTCD. Mr. Johnson stated that warrants for stop signs would also be based on the MUTCD. One of the differences with respect to the all-way stop signs in the MUTCD as compared to the Caltrans Traffic Manual is that formerly, 500 vehicles fiom all four legs of an approach averaged over eight hours had to meet the 500 vehicles. The MUTCD requires 300 vehicles over eight hours, but just on the major street. Guidance for the installation of signs and striping will be based on the MUTCD. Most of the traffk control devices placed under the old Caltrans Traffic Manual may remain in place until the end of their useful service life. Using the example of the ‘Wot a Through Street” sign that he gave previously, staff is not compelled to immediately go out and replace all of the “Not a Through Street” signs with the “Dead End” signs. Staff can wait until the signs are at the end of their useful life, becoming faded, vandalized, or have lost their night reflectivity. Typically signs can last February 7,2005 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 4 up to fifteen years before they need to be replaced, depending on their orientation with the sun, weather elements, and so on. More than likely, between now and fifteen years fiom now, all of the signs that are not MUTCD compliant will be replaced. However, the California Traffic Control Devices Committee has recommended that certain signs be phased in earlier and staffhas received a memo about those signs. In general, the old word signs now would be replaced with symbol signs. For instance, the international symbol sign would replace a ‘No Right Turn” sign. In some cases, one type of symbol sign will be replaced with another type of symbol sign. For the most part, the old signs will be phased out by January 1,2015, although there are some that need to be phased out by January 1, 2007,20 10, or 20 1 1. Staff will be watching those dates and make sure all of the signs are replaced in Carlsbad and become MUTCD compliant by the due date. Mr. Johnson said that no action is required by the Commission on this item today. The City Council will be asked to adopt the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) 2003 Edition as amended by MUTCD 2003 California supplement by resolution. DISCUSSION: Commissioner Bradshaw asked if all jurisdictions are going with the MUTCD. Mr. Johnson stated that all jurisdictions in California are and that there are a few states that had their own tra.fEc manual similar to what California did. They are also in the process of adopting the MUTCD and will be using that document. It will truly be a nationwide document. Over the next few years, Caltrans will phase out the California Supplement so that they will no longer have their own supplement, which is almost like still having the Calm Traffic Manual. When that occurs, it will be strictly 100% MUTCD that will be used in California. Commissioner Bradshaw asked in terms of warrants, there was mention of an all-way stop in the Caltrans Traffic Manual being 500 vehicles and in the MUTCD it is 300 vehicles on the major streets. In the City of Carlsbad, will more locations be warranted then for all-way stops? If so, is that going to have a financial burden or some kind of a backlash on the City? Mr. Johnson stated that staffhas not had an opportunity to analyze this yet. The financial impact of implementing an all-way stop that includes a stop sign, a limit line, and the stop legend is roughly $500 per any one leg of the intersection. If staff were to create an all-way stop, it would be approximately $2,000. In some cases on the major street a “Stop Ahead” sign and Stop Ahead legend would be installed. In many cases where an all-way stop is established, the two side streets already have stop signs, limit lines, and stop legends. February 7,2005 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page5 Commissioner Bradshaw stated she understood, but in terms of efficiency, if you have every street that has an all-way stop and you are trying to get traffic from Point A to Point B in terms of efficiency, that might be a problem. It is not only a monetary burden, but there might be an efficiency burden. It might be safer, but at what cost? Mr. Johnson agreed. There are guidelines and engineering judgment always must be used. That is where staff comes to the Commission with a recommendation. The Traffic Signal Qualification List has a listing of future traffic signals, but staff is not recommending that they all immediately be installed. An official traffic control device is not necessary at every intersection. Just meeting warrants doesn’t mean a tsaffic control device has to be installed. ITEM 7: REPORT FROM TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSIONERS Commissioner Bradshaw asked why the Commissioner training seminar date keeps changing. Mr. Johnson replied that the workshop/seminar she was referring to is for Boards and Commissions and it is sponsored by the local section of the Institute of Transportation Engineers. They have had a low response to the RSVP so far. When the seminar chair was asked when it would be held, he thought perhaps it would be in the Spring, but more likely in the Fall. They are realizing that perhaps it would be better to get on a two-year cycle to hold the workshop because in many cases there isn’t always a turnover in Commissioners that would be dealing with trflic matters. So perhaps every two years would yield a better attendance. In addition, they need to vary the topics a little more to attract more attendees. The seminar organizers need at least thirty attendees, and fell a little short of that number. ITEM 8: REPORT FROM TRAFFIC ENGINEER Mr. Johnson reported that next month’s regular meeting of the Trac Safety Commission would be held on March 7,2005. The Council Chambers are still under construction and the Commission may need to at the Faraday Center again next month. If the meeting is held at the Faraday Center again next month, it will be in the room right behind the partitions in this room, Room 173A. The meeting room location will be on the agenda that will be mailed to the Commissioners. In addition, a memorandum will be sent to the Commission as a reminder. February 7,2005 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting ADJOURNMENT: Chair Cress adjourned the Regular Meeting of February 7,2005 at 3:20 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Ruth Steckdaub Minutes Clerk Page 6