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Home My WebLink About2006-02-06; Traffic Safety Commission; ; Return the Traffic Safety Commission recommendation of establishing aprima facie 50 mile per hour speed limit upon Poinsettia Lane from El Camino Real to Melrose Drive toCITY OF CARLSBAD TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION STAFF REPORT COMMISSION MEETING OF: February 6, 2006 LOCATION: INITIATED BY: Poinsettia Lane, El Camino Real to Melrose Drive Carlsbad City Council ITEMNO.6A REQUESTED ACTION: Return the Traffic Safety Commission recommendation of establishing a prima facie 50 mile per hour speed limit upon Poinsettia Lane from El Camino Real to Melrose Drive to the Traffic Safety Commission for further review. BACKGROUND: At their meeting of December 5, 2005, the Traffic Safety Commission recommended that a prima facie 50 mile per hour speed limit be established upon Poinsettia Lane from El Camino Real to Melrose Drive. This recommendation was presented to the City Council on January 10, 2006 for introduction of the ordinance to establish the recommended speed limit. By a 5-0 vote, the City Council referred the matter back to the Traffic Safety Commission for further review. DATA: At the City Council meeting of January 10, 2006, four citizens addressed the City Council to express their concerns with the recommended 50 mile per hour speed limit recommended for Poinsettia Lane from El Camino Real to Melrose Drive. The citizens indicated that they were not notified of the December 2005 Commission meeting when the speed limit was discussed, and that the speed limit upon Poinsettia Lane should be established at 40 or 45 miles per hour. The City Council was concerned that the residents were not notified of the Traffic Safety Commission meeting held December 5, 2005. Consequently, the City Council referred the matter back to the Commission for further review of the speed zone, and to give the opportunity to interested citizens to address the Traffic Safety Commission on this matter. On December 5, 2005, the Traffic Safety Commission reviewed the results of the Engineering and Traffic Survey prepared for Poinsettia Lane to determine the appropriate speed limit to establish. At that meeting, staff referenced the existing Carrillo Elementary School located adjacent to Poinsettia Lane and the future Carlsbad Unified School District elementary school, named Poinsettia Elementary School, that will be located adjacent to Poinsettia Lane between Quartz Way and Mica Road. ( ( CITY OF CARLSBAD TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION STAFF REPORT COMMISSION MEETING OF: February 6, 2006 ( continued) ITEMNO. 6A The new elementary school being constructed by Carlsbad Unified School District is scheduled to open in early 2007. School zone signing will be placed on Poinsettia Lane when school opens to indicate the prima facie 25 mile per hour school zone speed limit when children are present. These signs will be supplemented with flashing yellow beacons that will operate before and after school. Three new traffic signals on Poinsettia Lane are projected to be energized within the next six months. These future signalized intersections on Poinsettia Lane are at Estrella de Mar Road, Quartz Way, and Mica Road. The traffic signals to serve both Quartz Way and Mica Road have been installed, but not energized at this time. The Estrella de Mar Road traffic signal has been designed and is scheduled for installation in the near future. Carlsbad Unified School District staff has indicated that grading on the new elementary school site will commence in February 2006. Upon completion of grading, the school building construction will begin, including construction of the parking lot and onsite access road serving the school. Access to the school will be from Mica Road. Prima facie speed limits are established based upon the results of the Engineering and Traffic Survey and the roadway conditions that exist at the time the Engineering and Traffic Survey is prepared. The Engineering and Traffic Survey results presented to the Traffic Safety Commission on December 5, 2005 was signed by the Deputy City Engineer, Transpmtation on November 17, 2005. After a prima facie speed limit is established and signs are posted on the roadway, there is a minimum of five years before the survey is required to be updated in compliance with the California Vehicle Code. Changed conditions on the roadway require that an updated Engineering and Traffic Survey be prepared. The process for establishing a prima facie speed limit is lengthy, requiring a typical time period of almost five months. This amount of time includes the time for data gathering and preparation of the Engineering and Traffic Survey and the scheduling the matter for consideration and recommendation by the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee and Traffic Safety Commission. After the Commission provides a recommendation, the matter is presented to the City Council to introduce the ordinance establishing the prima facie speed limit. The Council adopts the ordinance one week later. Upon City Council adoption of the ordinance, the prima facie speed limit becomes effective 30 days later. Changed conditions on the roadway can include a number of factors. Such conditions include, but are not limited to, the construction/reconstruction of the roadway to add center medians or traffic lanes, changes to the horizontal or vertical geometry of the roadway, adding intersection controls (stop signs or traffic signals), changes in adjacent land uses, or changes in the roadway collision history. ( CITY OF CARLSBAD TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION STAFF REPORT COMMISSION MEETING OF: February 6, 2006 ( continued) ITEMNO. 6A Changes to and near Poinsettia Lane between El Camino Real and Melrose Drive are expected over the next 15-18 months. Included are the previously referenced three traffic signals, opening of Poinsettia Elementary School in early 2007, and commencement of construction of Alga Norte Community Park in December 2006 that will be located on the northwest comer of the Poinsettia Lane/ Alicante Road intersection. This park is scheduled to be completed in Spring 2008. There are several options that can be considered with respect to establishing a prima facie speed limit upon Poinsettia Lane east of El Camino Real. They include: 1. Present the previously prepared Engineering and Traffic Survey to the Traffic Safety Commission for further discussion. 2. Prepare an updated Engineering and Traffic Survey and present the results to the Traffic Safety Commission for a recommendation. 3. Defer the preparation of the Engineering and Traffic Survey until a future date when conditions on Poinsettia Lane are established and reasonably expected changes over the next 12-18 months have taken place. Requirements for establishing prima facie speed limits are governed by the California Vehicle Code. Additional guidance is provided in the FHW A Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) 2003 Edition as amended by the MUTCD 2003 California Supplement, to prescribe uniform standards and specifications for all official traffic control devices in California. The public often is unfamiliar and unaware of the legal requirements for setting speed limits. A speed limit can be an emotional issue and one that has the public asking for a lowered speed limit that may not be supported by the results of the Engineering and Traffic Survey. A relatively short roadway segment that has a number of changing prima facie speed limits can confuse the driver and is not conducive to realistic speed zoning. The California Vehicle Code supports this viewpoint by stating: "It is the intent of the Legislature that physical conditions such as width, curvature, grade and surface conditions, or any other condition readily apparent to a driver in the absence of other factors, would not require special downward speed zoning." A series of changes to and near Poinsettia Lane will occur as previously stated. The public's knowledge and perception of speed zoning could result in the establishment of or ultimately determined prima facie speed to be a contentious matter for some time until the future changes in the speed zone have stabilized. ( \ ( CITY OF CARLSBAD TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION STAFF REPORT COMMISSION MEETING OF: February 6, 2006 (continued) RECOMMENDATION: ITEMNO. 6A The Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee recommends that the establishment of the prima facie speed limit upon Poinsettia Lane from El Camino to Melrose Drive be deferred until a future date when conditions on Poinsettia Lane are established and reasonably expected changes over the next 12-18 months have taken place. NECESSARY CITY COUNCIL ACTION: No City Council action is required at this time if there is not a recommended prima facie speed limit presented for Poinsettia Lane to the City Council for adoption of an ordinance. ( ( ' LOCATION MAP / ,~Sr: • ,_ r~ts1.Y4 'rl.J~SD~41. ~o~~~ r~'-c ~~ill?,,1,0 ~~ ~ ~ &~ ~ " V 0 O w ,_ U) tr ~o MELROSE D ~ c., PASEO ESCUELA CARRILLO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DRIVEWAY PROPOSED SPEED ZONE PROJECT NAME POINSETTIA LANE PROPOSED SPEED ZONE EXHIBIT 1 ( CITY OF CARLSBAD ( ENGINEERING AND TRAFFIC SURVEY STREET: Poinsettia Lane LIMITS: A. Prevailing Speed Data: Date of Speed Survey Location of Speed Survey 85th Percentile 10 MPH Pace Percent in Pace Posted S eed Limit B. Midblock Accident History: , (4/01/05 to 8/31/05) Speed-Related Accidents Total Accidents Accidents/Million Vehicle Miles (MVM) California Statewide Accidents/MVM C. Traffic Factors: Average Daily Traffic Traffic Controls Pedestrian/Bicycle Traffic Bicycle Lanes On-Street Parking Other D. Roadway Factors: Street ClassificatioJ1 Length of Segment Roadway Width Number of Lanes Vertical Alignment Horizontal Alignment Sidewalks Driveways Street Li htin Direction: Eastbound/Westbound 11/08/05 1,700 Feet w/o Alicante Road 51 MPH 42 to 52 MPH 79% No Posted S eed Limit 0 0 None 2.13 (2003 rate for 4 or more divided lanes) Direction: Eastbound/Westbound 11/09i05 0.25 Mi. e/o El Fuerte Street 53 MPH 44 to 54 MPH 78% No Posted S eed Limit 5,739 -East of El Camino Real (11/09/05); 4,565 -East of Paseo Escuela (11/09/05) Traffic Signals at El Camino Real, Alicante Rd., El Fuerte St., Paseo Escuela, & Melrose Drive Moderate in Vicinity of Carrillo Elementary School Bicycle Lane on Each Side Parking Prohibited on Each Side Bicycle Route per Circulation Element of the General Plan Major Arterial 2.13 Mi. 82 Feet (Curb-to-Curb) Two Lanes Each Direction Roadway Grades Vary from 1.00% to 7.00% Curvilinear Sidewalks on each side except 1.3 Mi. of north side which has a pedestrian trail Three driveways Street Li hts on Each Side E. Special Conditions: This portion of Poinsettia Lane serves as a connection between El Camino Real and Melrose Drive, both prime arterials. Travel lanes are separated by a landscaped, raised median. The road segment between Alicante Road and Paseo Escuela opened to traffic on June 22, 2005. Flashing beacons and warning signs stating SCHOOL -SPEED LIMIT 25 - WHEN CHILDREN ARE PRESENT are posted near the Carrillo Elementary School zone to alert motorists approaching from each direction. Residential housing and elementary school construction activity is ongoing adjacent to a portion of the roadway section. Eastbound travel lanes are reduced to one through lane approaching Melrose Drive. F. Adjacent Land Uses: Single-Family and Multi-Family Residential, Elementary School, Golf Course, Open Space, Pump Station, Pedestrian Trails, Future Elementary School. G. Remarks/Conditions Not Readily Apparent: Police motorcycle officers utilize depressions in the median at mid-block locations for u-turns. H. Traffic Engineer's Recommendation (Explanation): This speed zone satisfies the conditions of Section 627 of the California Vehicle Code and has been prepared and evaluated in accordance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) 2003 Edition as amended by the MUTCD 2003 California Supplement with respect to design and prevailing speeds, accident records, pedestrian and bicyclist safety, intersection and driveway spacing, and roadside and traffic conditions not readily a arent to the driver. As eed limit ostin of 50 MPH is found to be a ro riate and ·ustified. DATE: 11/08/05 TIME:9:20AM TO WEATHER: Overcast CITY OF CARLSBAD SPEED SURVEY 10:10 AM TOTAL VEHICLES: CRITICAL SPEED: --------------- LOCATION: Poinsettia Lane-1, 700' w/o Alicante Road VEHICLES IN PACE: OBSERVER/RECORDER: J. Gale ---------PACE SPEED(S}: NONE POSTED SPEED LIMIT WESTBOUND DIRECTION OF TRAVEL MPH # % :E # % %tile % # 65 64 63 62 61 60 59 58 57 56 - 55 54 X X 53 X 52 X X 51 X X X X 50 X 49 X X 4B X X X X X X 47 X X X X X 46 X X X X X 45 X X X X X 44 X X X X X X 43 X X X 42 X X X 41 X X 40 X X 39 X 3B 37 36 35 34 33· 32 31 30 29 2B 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 1 1 100 2 1 2 4 4 4 99 4 2 1 2 1 1 95 2 4 5 5 94 6 3 4 8 7 7 89 6 3 1 2 3 3 82 4 2 2 4 7 7 79 10 5 6 12 9 9 72 6 3 5 10 11 11 63 12 6 5 10 13 13 52 16 8 5 10 7 7 39 4 2 6 12 10 10 32 8 4 3 6 5 5 22 4 2 3 6 7 7 17 8 4 2 4 6 6 10 8 4 2 4 2 2 4 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 Engineering Department Transportation Division 100 51 MPH ---------'-----79 % ------------ 42 TO 52 MPH ----- EASTBOUND DIRECTION OF TRAVEL MPH 65 64 63 62 61 60 59 58 57 56 X 55 X X 54 53 X X X 52 X X X 51 X X 50 X X X X X 49 X X X 48 X X X X X X 47 X X X X X X X X 46 X X 45 X X X X 44 X X 43 X X X -x 42 X X X X 41 40 X 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 DATE: 11/09/05 TIME: 1 :45 PM TO WEATHER: Overcast ( CITY OF CARLSBAD SPEED SURVEY 3:00PM TOTAL VEHICLES: CRITICAL SPEED: --------------- LO CAT IO N: Poinsettia Lane~0.25 mi. e/o El Fuerte St. VEHICLES IN PACE: OBSERVER/RECORDER: J. Gale ------------PACE SPEED(S): NONE POSTEQ SPEED LIMIT WESTBOUND DIRECTION OF TRAVEL MPH # % E # % %tile % # 65 64 63 62 61 60 59 58 57 56 X X - 55 X 54 X 53 X X X X 52 X X 51 X X X X X X 50 X X 49 X X 48 X X X X X X 47 X X X X 46 X X X X X 45 X X 44 X X X 43 X X 42 X X X 41 X X X 40 39 38 X X 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 2 4 3 3 100 2 1 1 2 3 3 97 4 2 1 2 3 3 94 4 2 4 8 7 7 91 6 3 2 4 4 4 84 4 2 6 12 9 9 80 6 3 2 4 6 6 71 8 4 2 4 7 7 65 10 5 6 12 12 12 58 12 6 4 8 10 10 46 12 6 5 10 10 10 36 10 5 2 4 7 7 26 10 5 3 6 6 6 19 6 3 2 4 4 4 13 4 2 3 6 4 4 9 2 1 3 6 3 3 5 2 2 2 4 2 2 2 Engineering Department Transportation Division 100 ____ _;;_5~3 ____ MPH 78 % ----------- 44 TO 54 MPH ---------- EASTBOUND DIRECTION OF TRAVEL MPH 65 64 63 62 61 60 59 58 57 X 56 X X 55 X X 54 X X X 53 X X 52 X X X 51 X X X X 50 X X X X X 49 X X X X X X 48 X X X X X X 47 X X X X X 46 X X X X X 45 X X X 44 X X 43 X 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21