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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-01-07; Traffic Safety Commission; MinutesMINUTES MEETING OF: DATE OF MEETING: TIME OF MEETING: PLACE OF MEETING: TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION January 7,2008 (Regular Meeting) 3:00 p.m. City Council Chambers CALL TO ORDER: Robert Johnson, City Engineer, called the meeting to order at 3:03 p.m. pursuant to the Traffic Safety Commission procedural rules due to the absence of the Chair and Vice-Chair. Among the three Commissioners in attendance, they need to elect a temporary Chair for today's meeting. ACTION: VOTE: AYES: NOES: ABSTAIN: Motion by Commissioner Gardner, and duly seconded by Commissioner dimming, to nominate Steve Dorsey to be today's temporary Chair. 3-0-0 Dorsey, Gardner, Gumming None None ROLL CALL: Present: Absent: Staff Members Present: APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Commissioner Steve Dorsey Commissioner Susan Gardner Commissioner Jack Gumming Chair Guy Roney Vice-Chair Gordon Cress Robert Johnson, City Engineer Jim Murray, Associate Engineer, Transportation John Kim, Associate Engineer, Transportation Lt. Don Rawson, Carlsbad Police Department Mr. Johnson explained that the December 3,2007 minutes would not be able to be approved at this meeting because there is not a quorum of attendees from the December meeting. Therefore, minutes approval must be tabled until the next meeting in February. January 7,2008 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 2 ITEM 4 - ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: None. ITEM 5 - PREVIOUS BUSINESS: Robert Johnson, City Engineer, reported that based on previous actions and recommendations by the Traffic Safety Commission on November 5, 2007, the City Council adopted the ordinance to establish new prima facie speed limits on Armada Drive and Marron Road. Based on recommendations by the Commission from the same meeting, the City Council adopted a resolution to establish the 2007 Priority Ranking of two candidate streets - Donna Drive and Sierra Morena Avenue - in accordance with Phase II of the Carlsbad Residential Traffic Management Program. ITEM 6 - NEW BUSINESS: ITEM 6A: Review and provide recommendations regarding the 2008 Traffic Signal Evaluation Policy and Traffic Signal Qualification List. Mr. Johnson informed the Commission that the staff report will be presented by Associate Engineer, Jim Murray. Mr. Murray stated that the purpose of this item is to review and provide recommendations regarding the 2008 Traffic Signal Evaluation Policy and Traffic Signal Qualification List. He mentioned that the Traffic Signal Evaluation Policy was first established for the City of Carlsbad when the City Council adopted Resolution Number 88-252 on July 19,1988. It has now been standard procedure for staff to update the Traffic Signal Qualification List on a biannual basis. This policy has subsequently been updated and presented to the City Council nine times with the City Council then adopting a resolution to establish the Traffic Signal Qualification List. This policy provides the mechanism to evaluate intersections and to establish a priority ranking system of potential future signalized intersection locations for comparative purposes. Procedures contained in the Evaluation Policy were based upon similar traffic signal policies established by the City of Escondido and the City of San Diego and contain modifications specific to Carlsbad. In 2007, staff conducted new and updated traffic studies at each intersection indicated in the 2008 Traffic Signal Evaluation Policy. Intersections meeting the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CAMUTCD) traffic signal warrants have been placed on the 2008 Traffic Signal Qualification List. A total of 14 intersections are included on the 2008 Traffic Signal Qualification List. Mr. Murray mentioned that six intersections added to the 2008 Traffic Signal Qualification List were not included on the 2006 list. By their designated qualification number, new intersections on the qualification list are Numbers 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 10 (La Costa Avenue/Calle Madero). Two new January 7,2008 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 3 features were included in the Traffic Signal Qualification Rating System priority point's determination criteria. However, although not indicated in the Traffic Signal Evaluation Policy in the past, these tables have been used to determine the points assignment. Information was added to Factors E and G. Factor E - Progressive Movement or Signal Systems - added a table assigning points based on the distance to the nearest traffic signal. Factor G - Special Conditions, 4. Speed on a Through Street - added a table assigning points based on the number of miles per hour the 85th percentile/critical speed is over the posted speed limit. Mr. Murray said the intersection of Alga Road/Cazadero Drive, which is on the 2006 Traffic Signal Qualification List, has been removed from the 2008 list based upon the recommendation of the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee. This intersection has been on the Traffic Signal Qualification List continuously since 1988. However, with each bi-annual update of the Qualification List, the projected traffic signal construction date was pushed into the future based on engineering judgment of need. Although this is a four-way intersection, for northbound drivers sight distance is limited when looking westerly due to roadway curvature. This limitation was remedied about 15 years ago by construction of a raised island to channelize northbound drivers into a right-turn only maneuver. The elimination of the northbound through movement and northbound left-turn significantly improved the safety history at the intersection. Mr. Murray indicated that City Council adoption of the Traffic Signal Evaluation Policy, and subsequent establishment of the Traffic Signal Qualification List, does not commit or require the designated traffic signals to be installed in the order of ranking. For various reasons, it may be determined to defer installation of a traffic signal at an intersection ranked higher on the list and initiate signalization of a lower ranked intersection. The Traffic Signal Qualification List provides a systematic listing of intersection priorities based upon preliminary engineering studies. Ultimately, engineering judgment will determine if a traffic signal is recommended for installation. An engineering cost estimate and further evaluation will be conducted prior to beginning final design after authorization is received from the City Council to pursue signalization of an intersection. In conclusion, the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee recommends that the Traffic Safety Commission review and provide recommendations regarding the 2008 Traffic Signal Evaluation Policy, including the 2008 Traffic Signal Qualification List, prior to submittal to the City Council for adoption of a resolution establishing the 2008 Traffic Signal Evaluation Policy. Mr. Johnson added that the installation dates on the 2008 Traffic Signal Qualification List are the dates that staff will be recommending during the budget season, which is starting now, with ultimate approval by City Council in June of this year. During the budget process meetings with the Finance Department, City Manager and her leadership team, those dates may change. These are, however, the dates that will be recommended. Staff can't guarantee these dates will remain in the Capital Improvement Program (CIP), however, staff wanted the Commission to be aware of the tentative dates. January 7,2008 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 4 DISCUSSION: Commissioner Gumming indicated that he drove all of the intersections. There is a lot of quantitative work that has been done which is a positive thing because it eliminates merely subjective or political judgment to a large extent from the process. He printed out the relevant part of the California Manual from which this policy is largely derived, and it refers to some other things. In his profession as an actuary, they were always required to solve a problem, get the correct answer, and then explain the answer by general reasoning. So when looking at this, and driving along La Costa Avenue, it narrows if you're going eastbound at Romeria Street to one lane. It goes from two lanes eastbound to one lane. Then shortly before Levante, it's back to two lanes. That constriction clearly had a tremendous impact on the traffic. The traffic slowed and backed up. Commissioner Gumming saw all of La Costa Avenue and the intersections as constituting a system that needed to be approached in some kind of unitary way. He wanted to know if staff had given any thought to how that works. There was a bicycle lane that didn't appear to be really utilized. It's one of those lanes that are just on the traffic side of the parked cars marked out by lines. But go along Levante, which parallels La Costa Avenue, which is where he saw the bikers. And there are no bike lanes along Levante. He saw parents platooning their children from school, some on foot and some on bikes, apparently concerned about traffic safety. We've looked at these intersections now in an incremental way. He wanted to know how it conies together in a systemic way to address the needs for traffic flow and safety of bicyclers, pedestrians and others along this corridor. Mr. Johnson explained that when staff studies an intersection, if it meets one or more of the warrants in the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, per the policy it is eligible to be on the list. That is the case of La Costa Avenue and the number of intersections along La Costa Avenue that are on the list and currently are not signalized. There are three locations where traffic signals have been Installed. The second issue is that there has been interest by the residents living along La Costa Avenue for some type of safety improvements, operational improvements to deal with the volume and the speeds on La Costa Avenue. Staff, with City Council's direction and approval of funding, has initiated a project to look at what is called a "road diet" for La Costa Avenue. A road diet is to attempt to narrow or reduce the number of lanes on a particular roadway, in this case, La Costa Avenue. Perhaps three lanes would function on La Costa Avenue in the current location where there are four lanes. Safety issues, queuing, speed reduction, and the operational issues that come with reducing speeds will be looked at. The consultant should be starting work this month on the road diet project. Westerly of Romeria the road is now striped per decisions at two meetings of the Traffic Safety Commission in the late 1980's and two meetings at City Council at that same time because the residents at that time did not have a two-way left turn lane. They were stopping in the number one traffic lane and running the risk of being rear-ended as they wait to turn into their driveways. In the studies that were conducted at that time, and recognizing there was a need to have four traffic lanes, then there could be two out of three elements that could have been installed on the road. The elements were a two-way left-turn lane, a parking lane, or a bicycle lane. Only two of those three January 7,2008 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 5 could be installed. Because of the residents' desire to have a parking lane in front of their homes not only for visitors to park, but to help in the exiting of their driveway, the residents wanted the two- way left-turn lane and the parking lane and no bicycle lane. City Council agreed and, therefore, bicycle lanes were not installed. The systems aspect will be addressed after the road diet project is completed and a determination made if there is a need for one or more traffic signals. Commissioner Gumming asked if there was any evidence that traffic that would otherwise go westerly on La Costa Avenue and then south on El Camino Real would go over onto Levante, which is totally a residential street. Mr. Johnson replied that one of the big parts of the study will be to make sure that there will be no diverted traffic. Just as we have talked about the traffic calming part of addressing Sierra Morena and Donna Drive over the last few meetings at the Commission, you cannot initiate actions on one street to solve a problem that impacts the other street and cause a problem. That will be looked at and if it is determined through computer modeling, engineering judgment, and operational issues that may result that Levante will be impacted by anything that is done on La Costa Avenue, then the recommendation most likely will be that it would not be a good idea to do something on La Costa Avenue to solve a problem at the expense of Levante Street. Levante is a type of residential collector. For almost its entire length there are homes that front; therefore, there are no bicycle lanes as Commissioner Gumming mentioned. Commissioner Gumming asked if there would be a possibility that when the quantitative analysis was done, would the issues come back before the Commission. He would be interested to see how all the pieces come together. There is clearly a trade-off between the wish of the residents to have a calm living environment. La Costa Avenue does have a number of driveways that is not Carlsbad's policy for arterial streets, and yet there is an increasing traffic demand for some kind of thoroughfare in the area. Mr. Johnson indicated that it is included into the contract that the consultant will initiate Phase 1, and depending on the results they will go to Phase 2. Depending on those results they will then go to Phase 3. During Phase 2 and 3 it comes to the Traffic Safety Commission for recommendation so that it can go to City Council for direction on how to proceed. If Phase 1 were to determine that a road diet is not going to work, then Phase 2 and 3 will not be initiated by staff and the study is over after Phase 1. MOTION: ACTION: Motion by Commissioner Gumming, and duly seconded by Commissioner Dorsey, that the Traffic Safety Commission approve January 7,2008 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 6 the 2008 Traffic Signal Evaluation Policy, including the 2008 Traffic Signal Qualification List, for submittal to the City Council for adoption of a resolution establishing the 2008 Traffic Signal Evaluation Policy. VOTE: 3-0-0 AYES: Dorsey, Gardner, Gumming NOES: None ABSTAIN: None ITEM 6B: Investigate the need to install a stop sign on Tern Place at its intersection with Spoonbill Lane to replace the existing yield sign. Mr. Johnson informed the Commission that the staff report will be presented by Associate Engineer, John Kim. Mr. Kim mentioned that this item was initiated by Marc Angel of the Pavona Homeowners Association to investigate the need to install a stop sign on Tern Place at its intersection with Spoonbill Lane to replace the existing yield sign. Tern Place intersects Spoonbill Lane in a T- intersection configuration in a residential area with Tern Place being considered the stem of the T- intersection. A yield sign has been installed on Tern Place to assign the right-of-way at this intersection. Tern Place and Spoonbill Lane are both local streets located within the Pavona subdivision and both are unclassified on the Circulation Element of the General Plan. These streets serve a residential neighborhood comprised of single-family homes. Spoonbill Lane provides access to and from Batiquitos Drive while Tern Place is a cul-de-sac that has 25 single-family homes fronting on the street. Mr. Kim indicated that each stop sign request received by staff is analyzed based on standards and guidelines found in the California MUTCD and the Caltrans Highway Design Manual. Stop signs, if improperly used, can cause substantial inconvenience to drivers and should be used only where warranted. One of the conditions that may warrant consideration of installing a stop sign on the minor street is when the safe approach speed to the intersection is less than 10 miles per hour. The minor street at a T-intersection is generally considered to be the stem of the T-intersection with the major street being the top of the T. For the purpose of this report, Tern Place will be considered the minor street and the stem of the T-intersection and Spoonbill Lane will be considered the major street and the top of the T-intersection. Mr. Kim stated that for the analyses of local streets, the minor street decision point is assumed to be " 50 feet from the intersection given the vehicle on the minor street has an approach speed of 10 miles per hour. A distance of 155 feet (stopping sight distance for 25 miles per hour) along the major street must be provided to minor street drivers, to view vehicles approaching the intersection. January 7,2008 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 7 At the study intersection, sight distance from Tern Place looking to the east was measured to be 101 feet, which is less than the required 155 feet. The sight distance limitation is due to the horizontal and vertical geometry of Spoonbill Lane. Sight distance looking to the west was found to satisfy the 155 foot minimum requirement. Based on these findings, staff finds that the 10 mile per hour safe approach speed criteria is not being met and a stop sign can be considered for installation on Tern Place at Spoonbill Lane in place of the existing yield sign. Mr. Kim indicated that the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee recommends the installation of a stop sign on Tern Place at its intersection with Spoonbill Lane to replace the existing yield sign. DISCUSSION: Commissioner Gumming stated that he drove this intersection. What the diagram in the staff report does not fully show is at Tern Place at this point comes down a slope into Spoonbill Lane. The houses fronting on Spoonbill Lane at the intersection have been graded up. With the planting, the view is obstructed, so the yield sign is not sufficient. If someone is swinging around from Batiquitos Drive onto Spoonbill Lane and somebody came out of Tern Place and wasn't making a stop, they could be badly surprised. He observed that drivers in the normal course of just common sense were making a rolling stop at that yield sign, which is pretty much the same stop that they make at a stop sign. So that stop sign seemed justified. He then went to Starling Lane and Bittern Court which are down the road to see why if a stop sign was needed at Tern Place would it make sense at these others. They are much smaller cul-de-sacs. Although they were City streets, they function more like driveways. Entering Spoonbill Lane from Starling Lane or Bittern Court was like entering the street right of way out of a driveway where you don't usually need a stop sign at your own driveway before you enter the street. He wanted to know what the usual practice is in a case like that, and if you're looking at a stop sign for Tern Place, should there be something at the other two intersections as well? Mr. Johnson answered that on residential streets, speeds are low, volumes are low, and there is an expectation of local traffic. The residents know the conditions and staff does not go out and try and find these conditions, but they do respond to requests and concerns that are raised by the residents. In the case of Tern Place, a letter was sent expressing concern. Had the evaluation shown that there was adequate corner sight distance looking both left and right, the recommendation most likely would have been to leave the yield sign, because a yield sign on its face tells the driver what to do. It is a positive right of way assignment. However, as Mr. Kim pointed out, there is a sight limitation looking easterly. Therefore, the recommendation is to replace the yield sign with the stop sign. For the two streets that Commissioner Gumming mentioned, there have been no concerns expressed that there is a problem or an issue. January 7,2008 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 8 Public Testimony: Commissioner Dorsey called for Public Testimony. Mark Sandstrom, 1602 Bittern Court, Carlsbad, stated that he supports the motion to approve a stop sign. He felt that Commissioner Gumming hit it on the head that there is very little distance between the turn off of Batiquitos Drive to Tern Place. That is compounded by the fact that Batiquitos Drive is heading down as it goes south, and you have to make a very quick exit right or you get rear-ended. Traffic is very high speed there, and people coming out of Tern Place have an obstructed view not just by the sight distance, but by the wall plus the planters. He urged all of the Commissioners to accept the motion and approved the stop sign. Mr. Sandstrom felt that the main problem with the cul-de-sacs is that people exiting from Spoonbill Lane into the cul-de-sacs are coming downhill at that point very fast toward the lagoon and sometimes they cut the corner, and there's nothing you can do about that. So far they have not had problems, but there are so few people and the distance is so short that you don't pick up a lot of speed exiting the cul-de-sacs onto Spoonbill Lane. He didn't feel there was any need for further signing there. The Pavona Homeowners Association Board feels that Batiquitos Drive between Aviara Parkway and Poinsettia Lane has become a bypass to get to the freeway. Speeds are picking up in excess of 50 miles per hour. It is currently signed for 35 miles per hour for about 60 percent of the way, and then 40 miles per hour for the rest of the way to Poinsettia Lane. He bikes there on the bike lane everyday, and the speeds are consistently over 50 miles per hour. People are going down the center divide, which is just a double striped center divide, to pass people because they get antsy. He knows the City Engineer has done a study and concluded that not enough people were going more than 50 miles per hour to make any changes. But people are ignoring the speed limit now. There is no traffic enforcement on it. Seeing no others wishing to testify, Commissioner Dorsey closed Public Testimony. MOTION: ACTION: Motion by Commissioner Gardner, and duly seconded by Commissioner Gumming, to install a stop sign on Tern Place at its intersection with Spoonbill Lane to replace the existing yield sign. VOTE: 3-0-0 AYES: Dorsey, Gardner, Gumming NOES: None ABSTAIN: • None January 7,2008 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 9 Mr. Johnson informed the Commission that based on the recommendation of the Commission, staff will take this issue to City Council for adoption of an ordinance to formalize the installation of the stop sign. The homeowners association will be notified through their management company when it does go to City Council. ITEM 6C: Review, comment upon, and approve the TSC rules and procedures, and adopt TSC Resolution No. 2008-1. Mr. Johnson stated that this item is typically turned over to the Commission for their discussion and recommendations of any rules and procedures that need modification. With two Commissioners absent, the Commission may want to consider continuing this item until next month when hopefully all five Commissioners will be present. The Commission can take action today, but they would not get the benefit of any input from the missing Commissioners. It is entirely the prerogative of the Commission how to address this item. Commissioner Dorsey agreed that this should be continued until there is a full Commission present. MOTION: ACTION: Motion by Commissioner Gardner, and duly seconded by Commissioner Cumming, to continue this item until the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Traffic Safety Commission. VOTE: 3-0-0 AYES: Dorsey, Gardner, Cumming NOES: None ABSTAIN: None ITEM 7: REPORT FROM TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSIONERS Commissioner Cumming stated that he had an exparte communication from Thelma Hayes who wrote that she wanted an update on the Pedestrian Master Plan and to know if that will be coming before the Traffic Safety Commission, because if it does she would like to be involved in that. Mr. Johnson informed Mr. Cumming that this item could not be discussed in detail today, but the Pedestrian Master Plan is underway and there is not any immediate plan to bring it to the Traffic- Safety Commission. On the City website, there is a link that^Ms. Hayes can comment on, so he would encourage ker to comment there, or contact Marshall Plantz in the Engineering Department, who is the lead staff member on the project. January 7, 2008 Traffic Safety Commission Meeting Page 10 Commissioner Gumming added that in his attempt to respond to Ms. Hayes, he went on the City website and did a search on Pedestrian Master Plan to try to see if he could find out the status and let her know, but his search did not give you any link to that site. If the City could address that, it would be helpful. Mr. Johnson replied that he would have Mr. Plantz call him to discuss the details of the website. ITEM 8: REPORT FROM TRAFFIC ENGINEER Mr. Johnson stated that the next regular meeting of the Traffic Safety Commission is scheduled to be held on February 4, 2008 at 3:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. Commissioner Dorsey asked if any progress had been made in hiring a new Traffic Engineer. Mr. Johnson responded that the new Traffic Engineer would begin employment with Carlsbad next Monday, January 14, 2008, as will the new Traffic Signal Systems Engineer. Next month, Carlton Urban, the new Traffic Engineer, will attend this meeting and he'll be introduced to the Commissioners. Commissioner Dorsey asked Mr. Johnson if he would be present for a transition period. Mr. Johnson responded that he would be present for several Commission meetings to make the transition flow smoothly. ADJOURNMENT: By proper motion Commissioner Dorsey adjourned the Regular Meeting of January 7,2008 at 3:40 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Ruth Woodbeck Minutes Clerk