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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-06-06; Traffic Safety Commission; MinutesMINUTES MEETING OF: DATE OF MEETING: TIME OF MEETING: PLACE OF MEETING: TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION June 6,2005 (Regular Meeting) 3:OO p.m. City Council Chambers CALL TO ORDER. Chair Cress called the Meeting to order at 3:OO p.m. ROLL CALL: Present: Chair Gordon Cress Vice-Chair Steve Dorsey Commissioner Susan Gardner Commissioner Bonnie Bradshaw Absent: Commissioner Guy Roney Staff Members Present: Robert Johnson, Deputy City Engineer, Transportation Lt. Don Rawson, Carlsbad Police Department APPROVAL OF MINUTES: May 2,2005 ACTION: Motion by Vice-Chair Dorsey, and duly seconded by Commissioner Bradshaw, to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of May 2, 2005 as presented. VOTE: 3 -0- 1 AYES: Cress, Dorsey, Bradshaw NOES: None ABSTAIN: Gardner ITEM 4 - ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: None. June 6,2005 T&ic Safety Commission Meeting Page 2 ITEM 5 - PREVIOUS BUSINESS: Robert Johnson, Deputy City Engineer, stated that at the June 7fh City Council meeting, the City Council would adopt the ordnance to establish parking time limits at night on Carlsbad Boulevard that the Commission recommended at their May 2nd meeting. In addition, the City Council adopted the ordinance that adopted, by reference, the 2003 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices as amended by the 2003 California Supplement. ITEM 6 - NEW BUSINESS: ITEM 6A: Establish an All-Way Stop at the intersection of Hidden Valley RoadLighthouse RoadSchool Driveway. Mr. Johnson stated that Steve Ahle, Principal of Pacific Rim Elementary School, initiated this item. Referring to Exhibit 1, Mr. Johnson stated that the subject intersection is on Hidden Valley Road. Lighthouse Road is on the west side of the intersection and is a residential street, and the school driveway is located on the east side of the intersection and makes up the fourth leg of this intersection. Hidden Valley Road is a two-lane road, separated by a two-way left turn lane. It has an ADT of approximately 3,600 vehicles per day. It is unclassified in the Circulation Element of the General Plan of the City of Carlsbad. There is a curvilinear alignment to the south of the subject intersection and just north of Camino de las Ondas as drivers approach the school driveway. A stop sign has been placed on Lighthouse Road and a stop legend at the school driveway. A second school driveway is located immediately to the north of the subject location. This driveway is an “exit only,” and facilitates the pick-up location for students by parents in the afternoon. Parents make a right or left turn on Hidden Valley Road from this driveway. At the subject intersection, there have been no reported traffk collisions. Mr. Johnson stated that volumes &om an intersection approach count obtained on May 10,2005 for this intersection revealed that the volume threshold warrant was not met for an all-way stop. In addition, staff conducted a turning movement count on May 17,2005 at the subject intersection for the one-hour period before the start of the school day and the one-hour period after school ends. The results of those counts indicated that in the morning, there were eighteen childredschool pedestrians that crossed Hidden Valley Road at the subject intersection. In the afternoon, there were fourteen children crossing Hidden Valley Road at the subject intersection. Mr. Johnson stated that in April 2005, he and Lt. Rawson met with Principal Steve Ahle to review the intersection. They observed the intersection at the school exit time. There have been several observations by Mr. Johnson subsequent to that meeting. Conflicts were noticed between vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles at that particular intersection. On subsequent observations, similar conflicts were noticed. These types of conflicts regularly occur in school zones and at school driveways of schools throughout Carlsbad. June 6,2005 Traff-ic Safety Commission Meeting Page 3 Referring to Exhibit 2, Mr. Johnson said that compounding the problems at this location were that vehicles parked in the bicycle lanes on Hidden Valley Road. As the vehicles queue up and park in the bicycle lane waiting to turn in the driveway for the circulation pattern for student pick-up, those vehicles block sight distance for the vehicles exiting the driveway. This also results in a view obstruction for the school pedestrians as they cross Hidden Valley Road at this school driveway. School pedestrians that are crossing at this location were observed crossing in between vehicles that are in the two-way left- turn lane waiting to turn into the school driveway. Mr. Johnson informed the Commission that the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices discusses stop sign warrants in Section 2B.07. It states that the decision to install multi-way stop control should be based on an engineering study. It further states that other criteria may be considered in the engineering study, including the need to control left-turn conflicts and vehicle/pedestrian conflicts near locations that generate high pedestrian volumes. The volumes that are being discussed for this school intersection are not necessarily considered high, but they are school pedestrian volumes and school pedestrians at an elementary school have some unique characteristics because of the age of the children. Installing an all-way stop at a school entrance is not unusual, although not many would meet the warrants for an all-way stop by virtue of the nature of the roads schools are located upon. Typically, an elementary school is not situated on heavily traveled arterial roads, so there are lower volumes; however, the type of conflicts mentioned are present at virtually each elementary school. Mi. Johnson gave examples in Carlsbad of several locations where alf-way stops have been installed, one of which is at the Pacific Rim Elementary School driveway on Camino de las Ondas at Aldenvood Drive. That location is a T-intersection with the fourth leg of the intersection being the school driveway and the intersection is an all-way stop. Hope Elementary School has a T- intersection that has an all-way stop in front of the school to assign right-of-way to the pedestrians as they cross. Aviara Oaks Elementary School has their driveway exiting on to Ambrosia Lane at Canosa Way with the school driveway representing the fourth leg of the intersection. At Olivenhain Pioneer Elementary School on Calle Acervo there are all-way stops established at both of the school driveways, with one driveway being an entrance only and the other an exit only. Furthermore, it is not just in Carlsbad where all-way stops are installed at school driveways. As an example, in Encinitas, Ada Harris Elementary School has a T-intersection in front of the school with the fourth leg being the entrance to their school parking lot. That location is an all-way stop located at Windsor Road and Woodlake Drive. In Oceanside, at Temple Heights Elementary School, the fourth leg of that intersection is also the school driveway that serves as an entrance/exit driveway. The school location is at the Temple Heights Drive and Rising Glen Drive intersections, with the fourth leg being part of the all-way stop intersection. Mr. Johnson informed the Commissioners that the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee (TSCC) reviewed this item and recommended that an all-way stop be established at the intersection of Hidden Valley RoadLighthouse Road/school driveway to assign right-of way. Further, the TSCC recommended striping yellow school crosswalks on Hidden Valley Road in conjunction with establishing the &way stop. The TSCC also recommended installing No Stopping signs beneath the June 6,2005 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 4 existing Hidden Valley Road No Parking bicycle lane signs to further remind drivers that they should not be parking or stopping in the bicycle lane and to minimize the blocking of sight distance. Lastly, the TSCC recommended installing pedestrian barricades with signs indicating No Pedestrian Crossing - Use Crosswalk at the northerly school driveway to prohibit pedestrians from crossing at Hidden Valley Road. That type of sign will have an arrow directing pedestrians to use the crosswalk at the recommended crossing location. The purpose of installing the pedestrian barricade is to keep pedestrians from crossing in between the vehicles that are queued on Hidden Valley Road waiting to make their left turn into the school driveway. DISCUSSION: Commissioner Bradshaw asked if there were any adult school crossing guards at this location. Lt. Rawson responded that there are two adult crossing guards for Pacific Rim Elementary School. One is posted at the school driveway at Aldenvood Drive and the other is at the Camino de las Ondad Hidden Valley Road intersection. Commissioner Bradshaw asked what the difference was between a No Parking sign and a No Stopping sign. Lt. Rawson explained that when motorists are stopped in bicycle lanes having the No Parking in Bicycle Lane sign, the driver responds to police officers that they are not parking, but just stopping and waiting for their child. So, it’s cheap insurance to prevent that discussion fiom occurring by having signs indicate No Parking and No Stopping. Commissioner Bradshaw responded that currently there is a No Parking sign for the bicycle lane. Since the parents are stopping in the bicycle lane, can they be cited? Lt. Rawson stated that drivers could be cited. Commissioner Bradshaw stated that it still seemed to be a problem. Lt. Rawson stated that it was not necessary to have that second sign in order for the police oflicer to issue a citation. June 6,2005 Traffk Safety Commission Meeting Page 5 Mr. Johnson mentioned that this is the type of situation that is encountered at other schools and it becomes an argument between the parent and the police officer, as Lt. Rawson alluded to. Parents state, “I’m not parking, I’m just stopping.” The additional sign takes away any confusion or argument. Signs will inform drivers of the ‘Wo Parking” and “No Stopping.” That way the police officer can get them out of the bicycle lane quickly and not get into a lengthy verbal exchange. The purpose of the supplemental sign is to Mer enhance school zone safety by making it very clear via signage what is intended. Commissioner Bradshaw asked if another ordinance would have to be written or could they be installed on the current ordinance? Mr. Johnson answered that staff could install the signs via current ordinances. Commissioner Gardner asked how far back the parents queue on Hidden Valley Road? Chair Cress responded that the parents on Hidden Valley Road back up to Camino de las Ondas, and at the stop sign on Camino de las Ondas going east, there are cars lined up quite a distance. The only way to enforce it is to have someone there, because the minute an officer is not present, parents are still going to line up whether it states “NO Stopping” or not. They’re going to line up until someone shows up and tells them to move. Chair Cress asked if two pedestrian crosswalks would be striped at both the north and south side of the driveway. Were there going to be two pedestrian crosswalks on Hidden Valley Road? Mr. Johnson stated that there would probably be two crosswalks. The pedestrians that would walk southerly from the northerly driveway location on the sidewalk are going to want to cross at the Lighthouse Road intersection. Another striped crosswalk would be on the south side of this intersection. Chair Cress stated that another problem he observed is the left-turns coming out of the parking lot. If that could be a right turn only lane, it would eliminate a lot of the conflict there. He didn’t know if that was feasible or worthwhile. Especially if a stop sign is put there, drivers are going to be accelerating away from the stop sign, and there is going to be a driver turning left out of that driveway. Mr. Johnson said it was a good point, and staff will have to watch the intersection carefully. If left- turns are restricted, then there’s really not a good location to go north. Once the all-way stop is installed, it will have to be observed for any operational issues. June 6,2005 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 6 Chair Cress stated that as Mr. Johnson had noted, the traffic volume was not large at the intersection. The traffk survey that was run showed approximately 10% of the traffk is during the school hours, 7:OO - 8:OO a.m. and 2:OO - 3:OO p.m., 300 vehicles out of a total of 3,600 vehicles. So we would be inconveniencing about 90% of the traffic for the good of 10%. But on the other hand, this is a school zone where extra care needs to be taken to ensure the safety of the kids. Commissioner Bradshaw mentioned to the Commission that was one of the comments she had, can we solve the problem with an adult crossing guard instead of an all-way stop? The problems that we’re seeing at the subject intersection is clearly school related, and by putting in an all-way stop, you’re inconveniencing a lot of people. Mr. Johnson explained that adult crossing guards have their own unique set of problems and issues. It’s not quite as easy as it sounds to find and place an adult crossing guard at a school crossing location. Lt. Rawson informed the Commission that on the surface it made sense to have an adult crossing guard. In the past, the adult crossing guard warrant criteria went to the City Council to determine if the standards were met, and this location would not meet those standards. There are some options that Principal Steve Ahle could do - he could reassign his existing two crossing guards, one of them to the subject location, but then there may be conflicts at the site the adult guard just left from. At another school, school administrators funded a third crossing guard through PTA money. Chair Cress stated that Pacific Rim Elementary School would need two more at the subject locations, one for each crosswalk. Commissioner Bradshaw mentioned that you could assign the guard for one of the legs and all of the pedestrians to cross at that location. Mr. Johnson said that if the subject location was not an all-way stop, he would be reluctant to recommend striping a painted crosswalk at an uncontrolled location. It gives the pedestrian a false sense of security. However, crossing guards are very expensive. Anytime the adult crossing guard does not show up, then the police have to try and fill in. That becomes a manpower burden on them to fill in for the adult crossing guard. When the children get used to having a guard, and then the guard is not there, it can cause some problems for pedestrians accustomed to having assistance. Nevertheless, the subject location would not be a warranted location. In the future, staff will be investigating locations at all school zones to determine if warrants are met for an adult crossing guard. June 6,2005 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 7 Commissioner Bradshaw reiterated that this intersection did not meet the all-way stop warrants either. She felt that we were trying to find the best solution for this unique problem, and she was wondering if a crossing guard would be a better solution. Chair Cress stated that even if you had an adult crossing guard, something else is needed to tell the drivers that are coming down the street at 40-45 miles per hour to stop. And you either have to have kids out there with stop signs, or something to tell them to slow down. Of course, it is a school zone and drivers are supposed to be going slow anyway. PUBLIC TESTIMONY: Steve Ahle, 4733 Gateshead Road, Carlsbad, Principal at Pacific Rim Elementary. Mr. Ahle thanked Mr. Johnson and Lt. Rawson for all of their support and interest in their school. On Hidden Valley Road at Camino de las Ondas, there originally were no warrants met for the stop sign. But people avoiding Paseo del Norte liked to speed through there and avoid the Paseo del Norte and Camino de las Ondas intersection. The school is in a unique place, and it creates a hassle and a hazard for the children. At the intersection itself, the children go across usually at the north side of the crosswalk. He told the drivers that are parking in the bicycle lane waiting to park where there is a crosswalk. They were receptive to that. People usually feel more convenience in just sitting there and waiting. So having a crosswalk was a very interesting idea, and he felt it would be the best solution. Mr. Ahle stated that it was hard getting the two crossing guards that they did have. Getting a third crossing guard would be a strain because on the days when the guards weren’t available, the school is going to be in trouble. By having a standard crosswalk there, it allows the school to have a teacher sitting on the corner in case the crossing guard is not there. They can simply funnel the children across and get them to the other side. Mr. Ahle stated that he, too, would be out there saying hello to all of the people who don’t want to stop. The people have asked for a solution; this is a great solution. If parents have a problem with that, they’ll be dealing with him because they have asked for this solution. It has been a scary place to be. If you put a stop sign there, you can’t get up to speed and start going towards the hill. If they know a stop sign is coming, they’re going to come around the comer and slow down. It seems like a win-win situation as far as what we would want to do to make it safe for the children. The 10% doesn’t warrant the whole day, but dwing that time, that 10% feels like 90%. Again, Mr. Ahle stated how much he appreciated all of the help they had been getting from the City. Mr. Ahle stated that regarding the right turn lane out of the school northerly driveway, the issue with that is that there are two lanes going out of that driveway. One lane is stopping to pick up the kids that are waiting on the sidewalk to get picked up; the other one is a lane that is coming out after the children are picked up. If you make the exit a Right Turn Only there, it becomes a criss-cross pattern. Allowing left and right turns doesn’t present a conflict. We don’t want kids going across to get into another lane and get into a conflict with vehicles. The vehicles always win, so they try to keep them away from each other as much as possible. June 6,2005 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 8 Commissioner Gardner stated that the people are stopping because it’s the most convenient way for them to leave their children. Is there adequate parking for everyone if they should do it the “right” way, meaning parking and taking their child by the hand and crossing them? Mr. Ahle stated that the parking lot would be filled every time. People will go through, if they get there early enough’ and will actually go through the parking lot off of Alderwood and come through and be inside the parking lot. That will be an option that they will be offered - be there at 2: 15 p.m., come through and wait in the parking lot as opposed to waiting on the street. Parents have been good about parking over on the side, but the drivers who don’t want to park on the side are usually lining up. The City has come through with a 4-way stop sign recommendation, and he’s going to say “get out of your car, or if you don’t want to do that, go through the parking lot.’’ The school will have to educate the parents. School officials did that with the other side when they had parents coming in from Alderwood Drive and going through the long driveway and going out the service exits. It’s been a constant battle. The school will educate the kids, and the kids will tell their parents not to do it, and that usually works in schools. It’s a great way to get compliance. Chair Cress stated that we would probably need the police presence there to enforce the No Stopping in the bicycle lane. His experience has been that people won’t park and cross to get their kids unless they have to. MOTION: ACTION: Motion by Vice-Chair Dorsey, and duly seconded by Commissioner Gardner, to recommend that an all-way stop be established on Hidden Valley Rodighthouse Roadschool driveway to assign right-of- way, install crosswalks, and install No Pedestrian Crossing signs at the northerly driveway. AYES: Cress, Dorsey, Gardner NOES: Bradshaw ABSTAIN: None VOTE: 3-1-0 ITEM 6B: Establish a No Parking zone on both sides of Loker Avenue West from Palomar Airport Road to El Fuerte Street. Mr. Johnson stated that Susan Mangan, Merit Property Management, Inc., in San Diego initiated this item. Referring to Exhibit 1, the request is to establish a No Parking zone on both sides of Loker Avenue West from Palomar Airport Road to El Fuerte Street. Loker Avenue West is an industrial street with a volume range of approximately 2,600 to 4,100 vehicles per day. The street is 52 feet wide, wide enough to allow on-street parallel parking. The subject segment is roughly 0.6 of a mile June 6,2005 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 9 in length and it has a posted speed limit of 30 miles per hour. On-street parking is allowed with the exception of an approximate 100-foot segment at the driveway at 2748 Loker Avenue West. Mr. Johnson stated that Ms. Mangan included the CC&R’s for the Carlsbad Oaks Business Center, which indicate that on-street parking is prohibited for the tenants, their guests, and those that have reason to visit the businesses. With respect to enforcing the CC&R’s, that is not the City’s obligation, and the City does not enforce the CC&R’s on public streets. Staff conducted an informal survey to determine the number of weekday parked vehicles on Loker Avenue West. Based upon ten observations, there was an average of about sixteen vehicles that park on the north side of Loker Avenue West, and an average of five vehicles that park on the south side of Loker Avenue. Approximately twenty-one vehicles are parking on the street throughout the entire length. There are four locations where North County Transit District has established bus stops on the northerly side of Loker Avenue West. There does not appear to be any problems with interference with parked vehicles at those bus stops. Therefore, parking is not causing any type of substantial problem on Loker Avenue West. Mr. Johnson stated that the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee reviewed the request and recommends that the request to establish aNo Parking Zone on both sides of Loker Avenue West be denied. Findings could not be made that there is any type of problem associated with the on-street parking. The collision history is very good with respect to any type of collision as a result of parked vehicles, meaning there are no reports of collisions associated with parked vehicles. Therefore, the TSCC recommends denial of the request. DISCUSSION: Commissioner Bradshaw stated that she field reviewed the subject area, and she noticed that there were several driveways there. In the areas where vehicles park on street, they were pretty close to the driveways. She could see where that would pose a sight distance restriction for someone wanting to enter or exit a driveway. Instead of No Parking the entire segment, is it feasible to paint approximately 25 feet on both sides of all of the driveways? Chair Cress stated that he also surveyed the area and he felt that this was a beautiful wide street, so why restrict it to no parking? There appears to be no safety reason to restrict it. And it is not up to the City to enforce CC&R’s. He asked Mr. Johnson about the short No Parking area that he mentioned earlier. Mr. Johnson stated that at one of the driveways, there were problems a few years ago, and No Parking signs were installed on both sides of that driveway. A solid red curb becomes a continuous maintenance issue, so there is an expense involved with maintaining red curbs once they are installed. The request was to install the No Parking signs to enforce the CC&R’s, not to take care of June 6,2005 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 10 any safety problem. If there were a safety problem, it would show up in the form of collisions due to sight distance limitations. Because of the curvilinear nature of the road, being that many of the driveways are on the outside of the curve, results in the corner sight distance being improved in that situation. Most parked vehicles are not all at the same location every day. At this time, staff would not recommend installing additional No Parking signs or painting red curbs. Chair Cress stated that he was glad that the TSCC made that recommendation, because when he read the report, he felt that we should not be enforcing their CC&R’s. MOTION: ACTION: Motion by Commissioner Gardner, and duly seconded by Vice-Chair Dorsey, to recommend that the request to establish a No Parking zone on both sides of Loker Avenue West be denied. VOTE: 4-0-0 AYES: Cress, Dorsey, Gardner, Bradshaw NOES: None ABSTAIN: None ITEM 6C: Change the existing yield signs located on Walnut Avenue to stop signs. Referring to Exhibit 1, Mr. Johnson stated that Theresa Childs, a local resident, initiated the request. She asked if it was possible to change the existing yield signs located on Walnut Avenue at the Madison Street intersection to stop signs. Mr. Johnson said this is the type of situation that has occurred in the past at three or four of the intersections where yield signs have been converted to stop signs on the side streets. Madison Street would remain uncontrolled, and the side street would continue to have control via a stop sign if these yield signs were changed. In this day and age, many drivers do not seem to understand what a yield sign means. Some treat it as a stop sign while others slow or don’t slow. It can present some difficulties. Referring to Exhibit 1, Mr. Johnson stated that results of an intersection approach traffic count obtained on May 18,2005 showed that warrants weren’t met for an all-way stop. Staff observations for the eastbound direction found there were no deficiencies as indicated on Exhibit 2. The actual corner sight distance was longer than what was required. On Exhibit 3, because of vegetation on the corners and fences, there was some limitation to the necessary safe approach speed for the 1 0-mile per hour criteria. There was a deficiency looking to the north and additional deficiencies looking to the south. Therefore, the TSCC recommended that the stop signs be converted from yield signs to stop signs because of the sight deficiency on the westbound direction. If a yield sign is converted to a stop sign, that subsequently means the eastbound yield sign also needs to be converted to a stop sign. Staff cannot recommend having a yield and a stop on opposite corners of the side street. June 6,2005 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 11 MOTION: ACTION: Motion by Vice-Chair Dorsey, and duly seconded by Commissioner Bradshaw, to recommend that both yield signs on Walnut Avenue at the Madison Street intersection be replaced with stop signs. VOTE: 4-0-0 AYES: Cress, Dorsey, Gardner, Bradshaw NOES: None ABSTAIN: None ITEM6D: Elect a new Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of the TraEc Safety Commission to serve from August 2005 through July 2006. Chair Cress explained the action required for this item. MOTION: ACTION: Motion by Commissioner Bradshaw ant- duly seconded by Chair Cress, to nominate Vice-Chair Dorsey for the Chair position of the Traffic Safety Commission. VOTE: 4-0-0 AYES: Cress, Dorsey, Gardner, Bradshaw NOES: None ABSTAIN: None MOTION: ACTION: Motion by Vice-Chair Dorsey and duly seconded by Commissioner Bradshaw, to nominate Commissioner Gardner for the Vice-Chair position of the Traffic Safety Commission. VOTE: 4-0-0 AYES: Cress, Dorsey, Gardner, Bradshaw NOES: None ABSTAIN: None ITEM 7: REPORT FROM TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSIONERS None. June 6,2005 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 12 ITEM 8: REPORT FROM TRAFFIC ENGINEER Mr. Johnson reported that next month’s regular meeting of the TrafEc Safety Commission would be cancelled due to the Fourth of July holiday falling on the first Monday of the month. Therefore, the next regular meeting of the Traffic Safety Commission will be held on August 1,2005 at 3:OO p.m. in the City Council Chambers. ADJOURNMENT: Chair Cress adjourned the Regular Meeting of June 6,2005 at 3:40 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Ruth Steckdaub Minutes Clerk