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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-09-12 - AGENDA REPORTS - ENGR TRAF SURVEY (2)CITY OF SANTA CIARITA AGENDA REPORT UNFINISHED BUSINESS DATE: September 12, 2000 City Manager Approval: Item to be presented by: SUBJECT: 2000 ENGINEERING AND TRAFFIC SURvEy STUDy DEPARTMENT: Transportation & Engineering Services WK6160Aaw NJ City Council adopt a resolution establishing prima facie speed limits on each highway segment included in the 2000 Engineering and Traffic Survey Study; direct the City Clerk to certify the Study as to the effective date of the individual surveys; direct staff to implement the necessary signing changes brought about by adoption of this Study; and request the Sheriffs Department to continue an aggressive radar enforcement program on City streets and highways covered in the Study as soon as the signing changes are made. At the City Council meeting on July 11, 2000, staff presented the 2000 Engineering and Traffic Survey Study. At this meeting, City Council had concerns about the speed limits recommended'on certain roadway sections and directed staff to reconduct the surveys on those streets. These streets included all streets where speed limits are proposed to be raised,.as well as a few others suggested by residents attending the meeting. Staff has redone the surveys on the street segments under question and is resubmitting the 2000 Engineering and Traffic Survey Study. This Study (a copy of the full report is available in the City Clerles reading file) forms the basis for recommended speed limits on nearly every major, secondary, and collector roadway within the City. The Study was performed according to the provisions of the CVC and as recommended by the California Department of Transportation (CALTRANS) Traffic Manual. When adopted, the Study will establish prima facie speed limits on every highway segment included in the Study. When appropriate signs are posted according to this Study,. the Sheriffs Department can enforce each of these speed limits. Enforcement of speed limits by radar is the safest and most effective form Of speed control. Without radar, speed enforcement becomes more complicated, more time consuming, and less safe because of the need to pace offending vehicles with a police unit. Rather than one speeding vehicle on the highway, there would be two: the offender and the police unit. Ad9pted: K AgFanda Item: / 2000 ENGINEERING AND TRAFFIC SURVEy STUDy September 12, 2000 — Page 2 An effective radar enforcement program can: • Lower prevailing vehicle speeds • Lower vehicular accident rates • Enhance overall highway safety To legally enforce speed limits using radar, California State law requires that speed limits be established by an Engineering and Traffic Survey as defined in Section 627 of the California Vehicle Code (CVC). Speed lin-dts are also required to be updated every five years, so that they remain reasonably current with the present driving conditions. Based on an Engineering and Traffic Survey, the speed limits are required to be set at the aprevailing" or the "85' percentile speed," which is the speed at or below which 85 percent of the motorists are driving. Speed limits lower than the 85' percentile speed may be justified only in the following cases: • Unusual conditions not readily apparent to the driver, such as vertical sight distance limitations • High accident rate Factors such as curvature, grade, surface conditions, width, driveways, street lighting, traffic signals, etc., are considered readily apparent to the driver and do not alone justify a special downward speed zoning in the absence of other factors. Following is the summary of speed limit survey information of those street sections where City Council had concerns: a. Decoro Drive from Dickason Drive to CopRer Hill Drive (County roadway, see note below)" • Recommended speed limit: 35 mph • 85h percentile speed: 39 mph • No unusual conditions not readily apparent to the drivers. • No reported accidents since the road has been open (approximately nine months). • Majority of the adjoining land is currently undeveloped. • A 25 -mph School Speed Limit sign e3dsts on Decoro Drive near Dickason Drive, and can be enforced when children are present on or along the street. This roadway segment is currently in the County of Los Angeles, but will soon be annexed to the City as part of the North Valencia Annexation H. Adoption of the speed limit will enable the City to install and enforce the speed limit by the Sheriffs Department as soon as the street is annexed to the City. 2000 ENGINEERING AND TRAFFIC SURVEY STUDY September 12, 2000 — Page 3 b. Dickason Drive from Decoro Drive to Newhall Ranch Road (County roadway, see not;, below)** • Recommended speed limit: 35 mph • 85hpercentfle speed: 36 mph No unusual conditions not readily apparent to the drivers. One reported mid -block accident during two years. One side of roadway is undeveloped. 25 -mph School Speed Limit signs exist on the street, and can be enforced when children are present on or along the street. c. Smyth Drive from -Dickason Drive to Coper Hill Drive (County roadway, see note below)** • Recommended speed limit: 45 mph • 8V percentile speed: 49 mph • No unusual conditions not readily apparent to the drivers. • No reported accidents since the road has been open (approximately nine months). • Five -lane road where the majority of the adjoining land is currently undeveloped. • 25 -mph School Speed Limit signs can be installed, and enforced on the street when children are present on or along the street. I. W M- MM I ro Mq" M. rZIT-farm n r4m WN-CMUM " M , • Recommended speed limit: 30 mph • 85th percentile speed: 33 mph • No fronting single-family houses and no unusual conditions not readily apparent to the drivers. • Two reported n-dd-block accidents in two years, far below the expected rate for such street. • According to the Vehicle Code, this section of Isabella Parkway cannot be classified as a prima facie 25 -mph residential street since it only serves apartment complex driveways. An Engineering and Traffic Survey, as conducted here, is required to set the appropriate speed limit. • The rest of Isabella Parkway from Aurora Lane south to Via Princessa is a 25 -mph prima facie residential street and is already signed at both ends. This roadway segment is currently in the County of Los Angeles, but will soon be annexed to the City as part of the North Valencia Annexation H. Adoption of the speed limit will enable the City to Install and enforce the speed limit by the Sheriffs Department as soon as the street is annexed to the City. 2000 ENGINEERING AND TRAFFIC SURVEY STUDY September 12, 2000 — Page 4 rno 0Z nIv-T9.q1 =Z:1 • Existing speed limit: 30 mph • Recommended speed limit: 35 mph • 8V percentile speed: 34 mph • No fronting houses and no unusual conditions not readily apparent to the drivers. • No reported mid -block accidents in two years. • Will make speed limit consistent with the existing speed limits of 35 mph on Del Monte Drive and Arroyo Park Drive. "4VzT1W3-% On. * Existing speed limit: 30 mph 0 Recommended speed limit: 35 mph 0 85' percentile speed: 37 mph 0 Wide roadway with no unusual conditions not readily apparent to the drivers. e No reported mid -block accidents in two years. * Will make speed limit consistent with the recommended speed limits of 35 mph on other similar roads in the industrial area with similar officelindustrial land use. • Existing speed limit: 40 mph • Recommended speed limit: 40 mph • 850'percentile speed: 43 mph • No unusual conditions not readily apparent to the driver. • One reported mid -block accident in two years. Accident rate of 0.44 compared to expected rate of 1.55. h. Placerita Ca=n Road from Sierra HigLwAy-tq-2,400 feet west of Sierra Highway • Existing speed limit: 40 mph • Recommended speed limit: 45 mph • W percentile speed: 45 mph • No unusual conditions not readily apparent land is vacant. • No reported mid -block accident in two years. to the drivers. Majority of adjoining Following is the summary of newly established speed limits and changes to the existing speed limits. Staff has recommended these adjustments, based on the results of the Study, as essential to the overall success of the program: 2000 ENGINEERING AND TRAFFIC SURVEY STUDY September 12, 2000 — Page 5 M � M3 DM? -1 I�A=- 1;"-ri "I The following locations did not previously have an established Engineering and Traffic Survey. Based on the new survey, the appropriate speed limits are outlined below: • Copper Hill Drive between Newhall Ranch Road and Decoro Drive ProRosed 55 mph** • Dickason Drive between Newhall Ranch Road and Decoro Drive 35 mph** • Golden Triangle Road between Redview Drive and east end 35 mph • Golden Valley Road between SR -14 and Green Mountain Drive 35 mph • Isabella Parkway between Golden Triangle Road and Aurora Lane 30 mph • Northpark Drive between McBean Parkway and Copper Hill Drive 30 mph** • Redview Drive between Golden Triangle Road and end of street 30 mph • Smyth Drive between Dickason Drive and Copper Hill Drive 45 mph** • Sunset Hills Drive between McBean Parkway and Northpark Drive 25 mph** • Sunset Hills Drive between McBean Parkway and Skycrest Circle 25 mph** • Via Princessa between Via Pacifica and Oak Ridge Drive 40 mph • Nathan Hill Road between Shangri-La and end of street 25 mph • Golden Valley Road/Redview Dr. from Golden Triangle Rd. to end of street 35 mph • Decoro Drive from Dickason Drive to Copper Hill Drive 35 mph** • Newhall Ranch Road from Avenue Tibbitts to Copper Hill Drive 50 mph** • Calls Arbor from Orchard Village Road to Fedala Road 30 mph 2. Decreases to Existing Prima Facie SReed Limits Based on the new survey, the speed limits on the following sections are decreased as outlined below: • Posted Anza Drive from Avenue Mentry to Avenue Hopkins 45 mph Proposed 40 mph • Anza Drive from Avenue Hopkins to end of street 45 mph 35 mph • Avenue Hopkins from Avenue Rockefeller to Ave. Stanford 40 mph 35 mph • McBean Parkway from Valencia Boulevard to Magic Mountain Parkway 50 mph 45 mph • Oak Ridge Drive from Via Princessa to San Fernando Road 40 mph 35 mph This roadway segment is currently in the County of Los Angeles, but will soon be annexed to the City as Part of the North Valencia Annexation Il. Adoption of the speed limit will enable the City to install and enforce the speed limit by the Sheriff's Department as soon as the street is annexed to the City. 2000 ENGINEERING AND TRAFFIC SURVEY STUDY Septernber 12, 2000 — Page 6 =-1 09"M Based on the new survey, the speed limits on the following sections are increased as outlined below: • Avenue Rockefeller from Avenue Mentry to Avenue Scott 30 mph 35 mph • Avenue Rockefeller from Avenue Scott to Avenue Hopkins 30 mph 35 mph • Placerita Canyon Road from Sierra Highway to 2,400 feet west of Sierra Highway 40 mph 45 mph • Summit Place from Rockwell Canyon Road to Del Monte Drive 30 mph 35 mph Staff recommends these adjustments primarily because of observed speeds on the highway segments. These observed speeds are the result of driver comfort with the roadway. The individual driver selects this comfort level, often without regard for the posted speed limit. It is not likely that these adjustments in the speed limit will result in higher prevailing speeds. In fact, these adjustments, when combined with an effective enforcement program, can result in safer operating speeds on the highway. The Sheriffs Department has carefully reviewed each recommendation of this Study and concurs with its findings. The County of Los Angeles will need to review and concur with those recommendations along street segments under joint City/County jurisdiction. The results of the Study are presented in one report. The report includes individual surveys on 186 highway segments. The purpose of this presentation is to include all engineering and traffic surveys in one volume. As such, each surveyed street will have virtually the same data from which the five-year cycle would begin. The report contains a brief discussion regarding speed zoning principles, basic purpose, and methodology of speed -zone studies. It includes a summary of recommended speed limits for each highway segment studied and a color -coded City map depicting the recommended speed limits as formulated in this Study. There are two tabulated summaries of traffic accident analysis and the speed survey summary and recommendations. It also includes the appendices containing the detailed engineering and survey data. F.1191011KOOLVA Other action as determined by City Council. 2000 ENGINEERING AND TRAFFIC SURVEY STUDY September 12, 2000 — Page 7 New sign installations or minor a4justments to existing signs will be required. The estimated cost is about $2,000.00. Funds for these expenses are available in the Field Services Signing and Striping Maintenance account. ATTACHMENTS Resolution Establishing Prima Facie Speed Limits Figure I — Recommended Speed Limits — 2000 Speed Surveys Engineering and Traffic Survey Study (available in the City Clerk�s reading file) AN:W �61\2000ang & traffic atudy-revised. dor,