The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2010-12-06; Traffic Safety Commission; ; Revise the prima facie speed limit upon Loker Avenue East, from El Fuerte Street to Palomar Airport Road.- CITY OF CARLSBAD TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION STAFF REPORT COMMISSION MEETING OF: December 6, 2010 ITEMNO.6A LOCATION: INITIATED BY: Loker A venue East from El Fuerte Street to Palomar Airport Road Traffic Division Manager REQUESTED ACTION: Revise the prima facie speed limit upon Loker Avenue East, from El Fuerte Street to Palomar Airport Road. BACKGROUND: Currently, this portion of Loker Avenue East is posted at 30 miles per hour. The Engineering and Traffic Survey on file was approved on September 12, 2003 with a speed survey dated May 15, 2003. Based on the requirements contained in the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and the California Vehicle Code (CVC), this Engineering and Traffic Survey is considered expired and a new Engineering and Traffic Survey is required. SETTING SPEED LIMITS: Effective July 1, 2009, Caltrans Division Chief Robert Copp signed the Policy Directive to establish the procedure for setting speed limits in California. The changes for setting speed limits are included in the California MUTCD pursuant to authority granted to Cal trans in Section 21400 and 21401 of the California Vehicle Code. The referenced directive clarifies procedures for setting speed limits. Caltrans has incorporated two new standards into the CA MUTCD to help set speed limits in California that are uniform, rational, enforceable by the police, and are supported by the judicial system. Requirements of the new standards as established by Cal trans are: • The speed limit shall be established at the nearest 5 mph increment of the 85th percentile. • If the 5 mph reduction is applied, the Engineering and Traffic Survey shall document in writing the conditions and justification for the reduced speed limit and be approved by a registered Civil or Traffic Engineer. In the City of Carlsbad, the predominant practice for managing speed is by legally establishing a speed limit according to Caltrans criteria and then posting the speed limit upon the road with regulatory signs. Police enforcement is used to target the most egregious violators of the speed limit. A fundamental tenet is that laws are enacted to protect the majority of the public by regulating the unsafe or umeasonable actions of the few. When speed limits have been reasonably set, the enforcement efforts of the Carlsbad Police Department are more effective. Speed limits are established by law when the City Council adopts an ordinance and the Page I CITY OF CARLSBAD TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION STAFF REPORT COMMISSION MEETING OF: ( continued) December 6, 2010 ITEMNO.6A speed limit is posted on the roadway to indicate the maximum reasonable speed for a driver to operate a vehicle under ideal conditions in off-peak free flowing conditions. Among many factors, the three most persuasive arguments to consider when setting a realistic, or rational, speed limit are: 1. 85th percentile speed ( critical speed) 2. Collision history 3. Conditions that may not be readily apparent to the driver The 85th percentile speed, often referred to as the critical speed, is the speed which 85% of the drivers are traveling at or below. The premise implied in speed zoning is that the majority of drivers are operating their vehicles at or near the 85th percentile speed. Drivers that operate their vehicle at speeds higher than the 85th percentile speed should be the focus of the police as excessive speed is often a factor in a vehicle collision. A comprehensive review of the collision history on a roadway also is an important element in the process to establish a speed limit. In the collision analysis, factors such as collision frequency, type, severity, road conditions, road geometry, lighting conditions, and spatial distribution of the collisions are all considered. The review of collisions will also reveal if there is a high incidence of speed-related collisions on the road at specific locations. A number of collisions above the expected or normal threshold based upon comparative collision rates may be an indicator of a potential for reducing collisions. However, absent a significant collision history attributed to speed, it may be concluded that drivers are operating their vehicle in a reasonable and prudent manner at the speed they choose to drive. Speed limits should not be lowered for conditions that are readily apparent to the driver and the speed limit signs should not be used as intersection, curve or hazard warning devices. For unusual conditions or conditions not readily apparent to motor vehicle operators, appropriate warning signs can be installed. In summary, through the use of engineering, educational, and enforcement techniques, the management of vehicle speed is conducted. Voluntary public compliance with the posted speed limit is the goal when determining a realistic prima facie speed limit to post on a roadway. The realistic speed limit takes into consideration the normally competent and careful actions of a reasonable driver and provides for the regulation of unreasonable behavior by a few individuals. A posted speed limit should be readily accepted by drivers, be fair and reasonable, be related to risk on the roadway, be determined by the majority of drivers, and one that has a factual foundation. Posted speed limits reflect a balance of the various factors specific to the roadway. As a result, roadway safety can be improved and community concerns about traffic speed are appropriately and legally addressed. Page 2 CITY OF CARLSBAD TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION STAFF REPORT COMMISSION MEETING OF: ( continued) December 6, 2010 BASIS OF ACTION: ITEM NO. 6A The proposed speed limit for the road segment discussed in this report is regulated by section 22357(a) of the California Vehicle Code: "Whenever a local authority determines upon the basis of an engineering and traffic survey that a speed greater than 25 miles per hour would facilitate the orderly movement of vehicular traffic and would be reasonable and safe upon any street other than a state highway otherwise subject to a prima facie limit of 25 miles per hour, the local authority may by ordinance determine and declare a prima facie speed limit of 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, or 60 miles per hour or a maximum speed limit of 65 miles per hour, whichever is found most appropriate to facilitate the orderly movement of traffic and is reasonable and safe. The declared prima facie or maximum speed limit shall be effective when appropriate signs giving notice thereof are erected upon the street and shall not thereafter be revised except upon the basis of an engineering and traffic survey. This section does not apply to any 25 mile per hour prima facie limit which is applicable when passing a school building or the grounds thereof or when passing a senior center or other facility primarily used by senior citizens." DATA: The subject portion of Loker Avenue East is approximately 0.53 miles in length and functions as an industrial street located in an industrial park and features many closely- spaced driveways on either side. The road follows a curvilinear alignment and has a curb-to-curb width of 52 feet. There is a single lane of traffic in each direction separated by a painted centerline. The subject segment has been improved with curb and gutter, sidewalk and street lights on both sides of the roadway. On-street parallel parking is allowed on the subject road segment Traffic control on Loker Avenue East is provided by two-way STOP control at Loker A venue East and El Fuerte Street. Traffic counts were obtained on Loker Avenue East on September 2, 2010 to determine the two-way, 24-hour average daily traffic volume. The recent count data is indicated on Table A. TABLEA 24-HOUR TRAFFIC VOLUMES e/o El Fuerte Street Staff conducted a speed survey on Loker Avenue East on October 7, 2010 to determine the 85th percentile speed. As stated previously, the 85th percentile speed, commonly called the critical speed, is the speed at which 85 percent of the vehicles are traveling at or below. A sample of 100 vehicles was measured to calculate the 85th percentile speed. Page3 CITY OF CARLSBAD TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION STAFF REPORT COMMISSION MEETING OF: ( continued) December 6, 2010 TABLED SPEED SURVEY DATA 10/7/10 0.15 mi e/o El Fuerte Street EB/WB ITEMNO.6A 38 30to 40 88% The pace speed is the 10 mile per hour range of speeds that contain the highest number of observed vehicles. Generally, the critical speed is in the upper range of the pace speed. Staff reviewed the Police Department traffic collision reports for the two year period from October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2010. There have been no reported collisions on the subject segment of Loker Avenue East. Since the California MUTCD requires that the speed limit be established at the nearest 5 mph increment of the 85th percentile and that no justification for a 5 mph reduction is hereby presented, staff recommends that the speed limit be established at 40 miles per hour. Sections 22357 and 22358 of the California Vehicle Code authorize local authorities to establish a prima facie speed limit on the basis of the results of an Engineering and Traffic Survey. The Engineering and Traffic Survey considers such factors as the number of collisions that have occurred on the road segment, roadway features, adjacent land uses, driveway locations, traffic volumes, pedestrian volumes, critical speed, horizontal and vertical alignment, stopping sight distance, and conditions that may not be readily apparent to the driver. RECOMMENDATION: Based upon the results of the Engineering and Traffic Survey, the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee recommends revising the prima facie speed limit upon Loker Avenue East, from El Fuerte Street to Palomar Airport Road, from 30 to 40 miles per hour. Page4 r CITY OF CARLSBAD TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION STAFF REPORT COMMISSION MEETING OF: ( continued) December 6, 2010 NECESSARY CITY COUNCIL ACTION: ITEMNO.6A An ordinance will be required to be adopted by the City Council to revise the prima facie speed limit upon Loker Avenue East as recommended. Page 5 L SLAlER PL. ~ NOT TO SCALE ~ ~ < > 0 z z AVENUE GATEWAY en :ii FR -i PROPOSED SPEED ZONE AIRPORT 7 ~ ~ E ~ c:, i " < ' " ... P .... R"""'o~JE""""c~T ... N ... AM~E:-: --------------~EX~Hiii:19m1rr'11 LOKER AVENUE EAST SPEED ZONE 1 u .: 0 ,= ' L,_ ________________ ...1-____________ ..; -~ •. .1 CITY OF CARLSBAD ,_., ENGINEERING AND TRAFFIC SURVEY STREET: Loker Avenue East LIMITS: El Fuerte Street to Palomar Airport Road A. Prevailing Speed Data: Date of Speed Survey Location of Speed Survey 85th Percentile 10 MPH Pace Percent in Pace :::" ....... .. Posted Saeed Limit (On Date of Survev) B. Midblock Accident History: (10/01/08 through 9/30/10) 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: Circulation Element Street Classification Length of Segment Roadway Width Number of Lanes Vertical Alignment Horizontal Alignment Sidewalks Driveways Street Lighting . . . .. ... . •• tf'AQTORS ... ···· Direction: Eastbound/Westbound 10/07/10 0.15 mile e/o El Fuerte Street 3BMPH 30 to 40, 31 to 41 MPH 88% 30MPH 0 0 None 1. 71 (2007 State Rate for Same Type of Roadway) 1,650 -n/o Palomar Airport Road (9/02/10); 3,448 -e/a El Fuerte Street (9/02/10) Stop Sign Control at El Fuerte Street and Palomar Airport Road Heavy, an Occasion No Designated Bicycle Lanes have been Striped on the Roadway Parking Allowed on Each Side Bus Route Unclassified 0.56Mi. 52 Feet (Curb-to-Curb) 1 Lane Each Direction Relatively Flat Curvilinear Sidewalk on Each Side Numerous Closely Spaced Driveways Street LiQhts on Each Side E. Soecial Conditions: Roadway used by industrial park traffic, delivery trucks, and commuters. F. Adiacent Land Uses: Light Industrial, Bus Stoos G. Remarks/Conditions Not Readily Apparent: Heavy pedestrian usage on occasion, especially during the noon lunch hour when vehicles and pedestrians mix. During inclement weather, such as fog, visibility is reduced significantly. A large number of vehicles park on the street near driveways which reduces the sight distance to and from the driveway. Travel lanes are separated by a double-yellow centerline. 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 Caltrans Traffic Operations Policy Directive 09-04 effective July 1, 2009 and the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices with respect to design and prevailing speeds, accident records, pedestrian and bicyclist safety, intersection and driveway spacing, and roadside and traffic conditions not readily apparent ta the driver. A soeed limit oostina of 40 MPH is found to be aoorooriate and iustified. .. .. .. ·········----·· □ :R~~ertification: 6f~xisting s~(¥1:zonl~er:Se~ib~k;J351,:~2;58 and 408~2 of fhe Cai(foroi~1Whicie Code. Cl : E$t~blishment: qtnew. Meed zone; • • • • •• • • • • • • • • • • • Approved ......,,,,......,.,,._~,.,..---~-----=-----,----,.-.,.,---,.-,-,--,-r ~ ffl: S Pi@~iM fy1s.i-rs.gijr . . . . .. .. . . . . . . • pate CARCE 56667' ; . . • Regrstration exoir~ ~/11 NOTE: Appropriate speed survey(s} 1s /are attached hereto and made a part hereof. C DATE: 10/07/10 TIME: 9:20 AM WEATHER: Cloudy & Cool TO CITY OF CARLSBAD SPEED SURVEY 11:20 AM TOTAL VEHICLES: CRITICAL SPEED: LOCATION: Loker Avenue East-0.15 mi. e/o El Fuerte St. VEHICLES IN PACE: OBSERVER/RECORDER: M. Rehfeldt PACE SPEED{$): --------- 30 MPH POSTED SPEED LIMIT WESTBOUND DIRECTION OF TRAVEL MPH # % r, # % %tile % # 65 64 63 62 61 60 59 58 57 56 55 54 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41 X 40 X X 39 X X X 38 X X X X 37 X X X X X X 36 X X X X X 35 X X X X X 34 X X X X X 33 X X X X 32 X X X X X 31 X X X X 30 X X X 29 X X 28 X 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 1 2 2 2 100 2 1 2 4 5 5 98 6 3 3 6 6 6 93 6 3 4 8 9 9 87 10 5 6 12 11 11 78 10 5 5 10 9 9 67 8 4 5 10 12 12 5B 14 7 5 10 10 10 46 10 5 4 8 9 9 36 10 5 5 10 10 10 27 10 5 4 8 7 7 17 6 3 3 6 5 5 10 4 2 2 4 4 4 5 4 2 1 2 1 1 1 Transportation Department Traffic Division 100 38 MPH ----------- 88 % ----------- 30 TO 40 MPH ----- ---'-3~1 __ TO 41 MPH EASTBOUND DIRECTION OF TRAVEL MPH 65 64 63 62 61 60 59 58 57 56 55 54 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 X 41 X X X 40 X X X 39 X X X X X 39 X X X X X 37 X X X X 36 X X X X X X X 35 X X X X X 34 X X X X X 33 X X X X X 32 X X X 31 X X 30 X X 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21