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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-04-02; Traffic Safety Commission; MinutesMINUTES MEETING OF: DATE OF MEETING: TIME OF MEETING: PLACE OF MEETING: TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION April 2,2007 (Regular Meeting) 3:00 p.m. City Council Chambers CALL TO ORDER: Chair Gardner called the Meeting to order at 3:00 p.m. ROLL CALL: Present: Absent: Staff Members Present: APPROVAL OF MINUTES: March 5,2007 ACTION: VOTE: AYES: NOES: ABSTAIN: Chair Susan Gardner Vice-Chair Guy Roney Commissioner Gordon Cress Commissioner Bonnie Bradshaw Commissioner Steve Dorsey Robert Johnson, Deputy City Engineer, Transportation Jim Murray, Assistant Engineer, Transportation Lt. Don Rawson, Carlsbad Police Department Motion by Commissioner Vice-Chair Roney, and duly seconded by Commissioner Bradshaw, to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of March 5,2007 as presented. 3-0-1 Gardner, Roney, Bradshaw None Cress ITEM 4 - ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: None. April 2, 2007 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 2 ITEM 5 - PREVIOUS BUSINESS: Bob Johnson, Deputy City Engineer, reported that the establishment of a prima facie speed limit on El Fuerte Street from Alga Road to Palomar Airport Road that was addressed by the Traffic Safety Commission a few months ago went to City Council in January. The City Council continued that item and staff is tentatively scheduled to bring that item back to City Council later this month hi conjunction with the consideration of establishing an all way stop on El Fuerte Street as requested by residents living near-El Fuerte Street.. ITEM 6 - NEW BUSINESS: ITEM 6A: Install a stop sign on both Impala Drive and Orion Street at their intersection. Mr. Johnson introduced Associate Engineer Jim Murray to present the staff report. Mr. Murray informed the Commission that this item is a request for stops signs on both Impala Drive and Orion Street at their intersection. These two streets intersect in a ninety degree turn with the entrance/exit driveway to the City of Carlsbad Fleet Maintenance yard at the easterly leg of that intersection. A Yield sign has previously been installed on that easterly leg of the Fleet Maintenance driveway on request of the Carlsbad Police Department to assign the right of way at that leg of the intersection. Orion Street is a private street on public property that is not classified on the Circulation Element of the General Plan. It serves the Carlsbad Safety Center and Fleet Maintenance Complex. It also functions as a through street connection between Faraday Avenue and Impala Drive. It has a curb to curb width of 40 feet and approximately 530 vehicles average daily traffic. Impala Drive is an industrial street, 52 feet curb to curb, and is not classified on the Circulation Element of the General Plan. Impala Drive serves the industrial lots in the industrial park and it has an average daily traffic of 483 vehicles per day near Orion Street. Mr. Murray explained that Faraday Avenue is currently under construction and will be opened to the City of Vista in July of this year. This new connection will serve as a direct route to the industrial park east and west, it will help relieve congestion on Palomar Airport Road, and it will also relieve congestion at the intersection of El Camino Real and Palomar Airport Road. Once opened this summer, some westbound drivers on Faraday Avenue may choose to turn north on Orion Street and proceed to Impala Drive to reach Cougar Drive and continue north on El Camino Real. This may be done to bypass the intersection of Faraday Avenue and El Camino Real. Staff analyzed both Orion Street and Impala Drive in two ways. First, Orion Street was analyzed as -the minor-street (and^stemnaf'theT^^ driveway was considered the top of the T-intersection. Secondly, Impala Drive was analyzed as the minor street (and stem of the T-intersection) and Orion Street was considered the top of the T- April 2, 2007 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 3 intersection. Referring to Exhibit 2, Mr. Murray stated that a driver approaching on Impala Drive (the minor leg of the intersection) needs to see be able to see a minimum of 200 feet to meet the safe approach speed for 10 miles per hour. The actual distance is 102 feet, which is less than the 200 feet minimum. In the second case, a driver on Orion Street approaching Impala Drive, from the decision point, should be able to see 200 feet minimum. In this case, drivers only see 73 feet based by the 10 mile per hour safe approach speed. Mr. Murray stated that one of the conditions at an intersection that may warrant consideration of installing a stop sign on the minor street is when the safe approach speed to the intersection for a driver on the minor street is less than 10 miles per hour due to visibility limitations. In both cases, the safe approach speed to the intersection for both legs is less than 10 miles per hour and, therefore, a stop sign can be considered for installation on each street. The Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee recommends the installation of a stop sign on both Impala Drive and Orion Street at their intersection. It is further recommended by the Committee to replace the existing Yield sign at the Carlsbad Fleet Maintenance exit driveway with a stop sign. The City Council must adopt an ordinance to establish stop signs on both Impala Drive and Orion Street. Mr. Johnson clarified that the latest update on the opening of Faraday Avenue from Orion Street to Melrose Avenue in Vista is tentatively scheduled for August. DISCUSSION: Commissioner Cress stated that he drove the area where the stop signs are being recommended on both Impala Drive and Orion Street. It seems that we could accomplish what we're trying to accomplish by simply putting a stop sign on Orion Street and that would eliminate the need for a stop sign on Impala Drive and removing the Yield sign. If you put a stop sign on Orion Street, then you don't have traffic coming on to Impala Drive or into the Fleet Maintenance driveway without stopping. Then you don't care whether you have that 200 feet of sight distance. Mr. Cress asked if that is incorrect and couldn't we accomplish about the same thing by just putting a stop sign on Orion Street? Mr. Murray replied that staff could install a stop sign on Orion Street if approved by City Council and then staff would probably want to remove the Yield sign from the Fleet Maintenance driveway. Overall, the consideration is due to the Fleet Maintenance driveway situation having a gate that is open throughout the day and then closed after 4 PM and on the weekends. The thinking is that considering the different nature of that particular intersection stopping all legs is appropriate. MrrJohnson~added~that the~westbound movementour vertical curve, so there are some sight restrictions. With the numbers of vehicles, large trucks, and emergency vehicles that leave that facility, quite a few of them make that left turn. For any April 2, 2007 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 4 eastbound vehicle on Impala Drive approaching the intersection there is a limitation due to the crest vertical curve at that location. That is why the Committee recommended an all-way stop would be more appropriate. Could it be done as Commissioner Cress is suggesting? It is certainly something that could be considered. It is something that the Commission could recommend if that is the way they'd like to see it. This is very typical to other locations that staff brings to the Commission where the stem of the T is often the leg of intersection that is controlled, the stem being the minor leg. In this case, because of sight distance restrictions on each leg and the volume of large trucks and emergency vehicle using that intersection, the staff thinking was that an all-way stop would be more appropriate. Commissioner Bradshaw stated that she did not feel comfortable doing an all-way stop there and she tends to agree with Commissioner Cress that perhaps they could accomplish a little bit more with just putting a single stop sign on Orion Street. Chair Gardner asked for clarification that most of the vehicles coming out of the Fleet Maintenance driveway turn left - is that a good portion of them? Mr. Johnson replied that he would not say most, but a large percent would turn left. There are some vehicles that do go straight through on Impala Drive. Chair Gardner asked that if there was not a stop on Impala Drive, would there be risk of hitting a slow moving vehicle as it comes out. Mr. Johnson answered that if drivers are inattentive, that may be the case. Currently, the drivers have to yield. There is a Yield sign coming out of the Fleet Maintenance driveway, so drivers are already on notice that because of sight restrictions they do need to be alert and pay attention to both Orion Street traffic and Impala Drive traffic. The Yield sign on the inside of the gate was installed several years ago at the request of the Police Department because of the conflicts that were resulting. Commissioner Bradshaw asked what the accident data was in that intersection. Mr. Murray replied that he was not aware of any collisions at that intersection. Commissioner Bradshaw stated that" the vehicular volumes are relatively low, so she was not comfortable with an all-way stop at this location. April 2, 2007 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 5 Commissioner Cress indicated that the stop signs only run about $150 a piece to install. Mr. Johnson replied that it was an approximate cost, but cost is never the issue whether a sign is installed or not. Commissioner Cress said that they were only talking about $450 in replacing all three of them, but if you can save the City $300 and not jeopardize safety, it was something he was in favor of. Mr. Johnson said that when staff installs an all-way stop, in addition to just the stop sign there are stop legends, limit lines, and stop ahead signs, so costs are a little more. It is probably more between $1,0000 - $2,000 to create an all-way stop. Again, cost is not the issue. It is the safety issue and the operation of the intersection and what is going to work the best. Volumes are low currently because of the nature of street patterns. When Faraday Avenue opens, there is a possibility that some westbound drivers will make a right turn to use Orion Street to go to Impala Drive. Quite often, staff takes the interim approach or step-by-step where the stem of the T would be controlled as two of the Commissioners are suggesting. Then if there are other issues that are generated, they would look at an all-way stop. It is the prerogative of the Commission to suggest only a stop on Orion Street at that intersection. Chair Gardner stated that she understood that staff was considering future traffic in August and that staff was suggesting that drivers will go up Orion Street and turn left on Impala Street. What about the other direction. Will the same people be likely to go the other direction, because she sees there is a bigger safety issue. Mr. Murray commented that he thought some drivers would choose to go that way, especially drivers on Impala Drive. It would most likely just be the drivers in the area off Impala Drive and Palmer Way that would be going out. On Palmer Way the drivers would be faced with having to make a left hand turn onto Faraday Avenue to head east. He could see them choosing to use Impala Drive to head east and head down Orion Street and through the traffic signal at Faraday Avenue. He didn't think there was a traffic signal planned to be installed at the Palmer Way and Faraday Avenue intersection. Mr. Johnson stated that at El Camino Real and Cougar Drive there is no ability for a southbound El Carnino Real driver to make a left turn onto Cougar to get to Palmer Way to get to Impala Drive and "so~on7So~the only^nvefslEat rn^w^tT6~tak~eadvantage of u"sin^Irnpala Dnve^ up"to~OriorT Street and down to Faraday Avenue would be the workers in that area. Anyone living in Vista would undoubtedly want to go east on Faraday Avenue. It is going to be much quicker for them to get on April 2,2007 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 6 Faraday Avenue and go east to Melrose Drive. Then they can choose whatever pattern of travel they want to get to their homes. There is no doubt that there may be additional volume going eastbound on Impala Drive once Faraday Avenue is open. Staff does not have a volume projection for Impala Drive as it is a minor street that does not show in their computer projections at this time. Commissioner Cress asked if there were any thoughts of looking at installing a traffic signal or stop signs at Palmer Way and Faraday Avenue. That seems to have a pretty high volume of traffic now. Mr. Johnson indicated that staff was looking at that issue in their traffic signal warrant analysis for this year, but there are no plans for a signal in the CIP. They will be looking at it and studying it after the road opens. If traffic volumes and patterns change, there may be a future traffic signal at the intersection. Commissioner Bradshaw stated that she did not understand how Orion Street could be a private street on public property. Mr. Murray clarified by stating that Orion Street was created years ago when the City purchased and constructed the Safety Center and trash facility. Orion Street was never dedicated as a public street. It's just the history. Mr. Johnson indicated that the street belongs to the City, but the paperwork to create the public street has never taken place. That is something that Transportation Division staff will have Development Services staff follow-up on. Commissioner Bradshaw asked what the legal aspects of installing a stop sign on a private street were. Mr. Johnson answered that at this time, it did not appear to be an issue. It is basically a public street by prescriptive use. The Safety Center has been there more than 20 years, so it is not seen as an issue. The private street belongs to the City, its just that there is some paperwork that has never formally been completed. Commissioner Bradshaw asked how staff determines a major and a minor street. April 2, 2007 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 7 Mr. Murray answered that at a T-intersection, it is typically the stem of the T that is the minor street and the top of the T that is typically the major street. For the study intersection, this would typically be considered the stem of the T; however, the easterly leg being an access to a City facility, there is a gate on it and the gate is closed in the evenings at 4:00 p.m. It is a T-intersection sometimes and at other times it is a 90 degree corner when the gate is closed. It is not a typical situation. Public Testimony: Chair Gardner called for Public Testimony. Jack Missett, 2460 Impala Drive, Carlsbad, representing Jazzercise, Inc., stated that he and his wife own Jazzercise on Impala Drive. He thanked Bob Johnson and Karen Chen for meeting with him and taking a drive around the neighborhood. He is concerned about the extension of Faraday Avenue when it opens. He stated that he drives Orion Street. Orion Street is a tiny, very unusual little street that is getting very little use these days. But he anticipates a lot of morning commuters once they discover the shortcut to El Camino Real by turning right on Orion Street and left on Impala Drive. He strongly encourages a three-way stop at that intersection. First, if you look at the first intersection on Exhibit 1 on Orion Street, there is a very unusual jutting out piece of vegetation there. It has some trees on it, some bushes. It is not a straight line, so you are more or less banking to the right turn as the road turns. If you go down that street to the Maintenance Yard you have to pull a little bit past the intersection and make a left turn into it - otherwise you cut the comer. Just to the right of that is the entrance/exit to the fire station. So you have emergency vehicles coming out of there going to an emergency and then returning right at that intersection. He foresees trouble when drivers discover Orion Street is a shortcut to El Camino Real. That area is not made to handle a high volume of traffic. Secondly, when you come up to the intersection where Orion Street meets Impala Drive, to your left you are going down hill. It is quite a steep hill there that rises suddenly just before the intersection. So if you were coming eastbound on Impala Drive approaching the Maintenance Yard, you're at the bottom of the hill, and then just as you crest the hill, you are right there at the intersection of the Maintenance Yard entrance. There is a very good reason to have a stop sign there and a Stop Ahead sign. Otherwise, you'll have people who may by familiarity with the street just know they're going to get to the top of the hill and hang a right turn. Aside from the high volume of police cars that are coming in and out of the Maintenance Yard, you have vehicles like street sweepers which are very big bulky vehicles. That intersection with a higher volume of traffic causes him concern. Mr. Missett mentioned he walks, runs, bikes and drives these streets. Impala Drive has no sidewalks, although there are beautiful tree lined streets. Anything to control traffic beyond the preflow of what is there~nowTnuch~le^ whM isl^^ has personally had some close calls on Orion Street on his bicycle and running by drivers heading north on Orion Street, cutting the corner, because it's a straight line from the right hand lane on April 2, 2007 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 8 Orion Street and the extension of the right hand lane past the intersection, but that little piece that juts out - if you go in a straight line you will go all the way to the other side of the curb. It's already a dangerous intersection. He believes there is a Yield sign coming out of the Safety Center onto Orion Street. So there is traffic coming in, going out, and the employees that work for him at Jazzercise will be heading back east on Faraday Avenue where there are emergency vehicles coming and going 24 hours a day. He is all in favor of a three way stop at that intersection for right now. Once Faraday Avenue is opened, he fears that the safety will be even less. Seeing no others to testify, Chair Gardner closed Public Testimony. MOTION: ACTION: Motion by Commissioner Cress, and duly seconded by Commissioner Bradshaw, to recommend the installation of a stop sign only on Orion Street and leave the existing Yield sign at the Fleet Maintenance driveway as is. DISCUSSION: Commissioner Cress added that for now, this would be adequate. Then he would recommend to staff that the Commission look at this issue again after Faraday Avenue is opened and see if the additional traffic coming out of Orion Street and maybe down Impala Street would warrant another stop sign in the future. If there is more traffic volume in the future, then reconsider adding another stop sign. But for now, the stop sign on Orion Street would do the job. Vice-Chair Roney asked how soon the sign would be put up. Mr. Johnson replied that staff would first take the recommendation to the City Council and that usually takes about a month to get on the agenda. The first reading is introduction of the ordinance; the second reading a week later is adoption; and 30 days later the ordinance goes into effect. Realistically, it would be around two and a half months before the sign is up - certainly before Faraday Avenue opens. That is why this matter is being brought to the Commission now to get the stop sign up before Faraday Avenue opens. Commissioner Cress stated that the stop sign would be installed right about the time that Faraday Avenue is opened. Then 30 or 60 days after that, staff could take another look and see if the lflditionartraffic~volume April 2,2007 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 9 Chair Gardner commented that she did not see the advantage of waiting. She'd hate to have something happen in the mean time. She also knows how people cut corners, and at that one right angle you are sure to see drivers taking that corner quite sharply. She does not see that it would inhibit the flow of traffic by having an all-way stop as suggested. Chair Gardner reminded everyone that there was a motion before the Commission, so she called for a vote. VOTE: 2-2-0 AYES: Cress, Bradshaw NOES: Gardner, Roney ABSTAIN: None Mr. Johnson explained that over the years when there are only four Commissioners present and the vote is 2-2 resulting in the failure of the motion due to a lack of majority, the Commission has continued the item until there are five Commissioners present. What staff would do is put this matter back on next month's agenda, when hopefully all five Commissioners will be present and a vote can be accomplished one way or the other. We don't leave a 2-2 vote as failure of the motion. The intent is to resolve the matter by bringing it back and having a majority vote. If there are only four Commissioners at the next month's meeting, it would be continued again. There has only been one time in the 20 years plus that he has been Traffic Engineer where the matter actually continued for months and months, taking literally about six months because each month a different Commission was missing. Hopefully, that will not be the case here. He had not heard from Commissioner Dorsey, so he wasn't sure of his circumstances today for being absent. Therefore, the issue will be brought back next month. There can be an abbreviated presentation since Commissioner Dorsey will have the advantage of reading the minutes and Commissioner Dorsey can ask any questions of staff next month, just as any Commissioner could ask questions. That would be the intent of staff on this item. The next meeting would be May 7th. Because this is a continued item, staff would make the issue Item 6A, first on the agenda. Commissioner Bradshaw asked if it would come back to the Commission as an all-way stop or as Commissioner Cress was recommending. Mr. Johnson indicated that the recommendation of the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee is for an all-way stop. That is the recommendation that would come back to the Commission. The motion failed by the 2-2 vote, so there is no recommendation at this time from the Commission. Staff would bring back the same report and the same recommendation. Mr. Johnson would mention it at the next TSCC meeting in case staff wants to make a change in the recommendation. April 2, 2007 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 10 ITEM 7: REPORT FROM TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSIONERS None. ITEM 8: REPORT FROM TRAFFIC ENGINEER Mr. Johnson stated that there are several new roads with future speed limits that staff is evaluating that would be coming to the Commission. One potential issue is a request to establish a significant number of streets with no parking in the industrial area. They are expecting an additional letter from the management company representative on that matter. It is very similar to an issue that the Commission addressed several years ago on Loker Avenue West. Staff is also looking at potential speed limits on Impala Drive and Palmer Way at the location discussed today. So there are a numbers of items that are being worked on, in addition to a number of traffic calming issues that may or may not get to the Traffic Safety Commission. Tomorrow night, City Council will consider a study for a "road diet" arterial road traffic calming on La Costa Avenue. A road diet is reducing the number of lanes on a particular arterial roadway. La Costa Avenue has been in front of this Commission several times over the years. This is the 45 mile per hour portion from 1,000 feet east of El Camino Real to Rancho Santa Fe Road. A group of residents have asked the City Council to consider funding a study to look at the possibility of reducing the number of lanes on La Costa Avenue to one lane in front of the residences on the west end similar to what is on the east end. Right now, it is not intended that the matter come to the Commission, but it is an information item since the Commission in the last few years has had inquiries and has addressed the issue of what to do about La Costa Avenue. The next regular meeting of the Traffic Safety Commission is scheduled to be held on May 7,2007 at 3:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. ADJOURNMENT: By proper motion Chair Gardner adjourned the Regular Meeting of April 2, 2007 at 3:34 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Ruth Woodbeck "Minutes" ClefkT