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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009/10/14 - Agenda Packet - Specialj'~J~r~ ;s ~ , AGENDA CITY COUNCIL, FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT AND REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY SPECIAL MEETING Wednesday, October 14, 2009 ~ 6:00 p.m. Valle Vista Elementary School 7727 Valle Vista Drive ~ Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 A. CALL TO ORDER Pledge of Allegiance 2. Roll Call: Mayor/President/Chairman Kurth Mayor Pro TemNice PresidentNice Chairman Michael Council/BoardlAgencymembers Gutierrez, Spagnolo and Williams B. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC This is the time and place for the general public to address the City Council, Fire Protection District and Redevelopment Agency on any item listed or not listed on the agenda. State law prohibits the Council, Fire Board and Agency from addressing any issue not previously included on the Agenda. The Council, Fire Board and Agency may receive testimony and set the matter for a subsequent meeting. Comments are to be limited to five minutes per individual or less, as deemed necessary by the Chair, depending upon the number of individuals desiring to speak. All communications are to be addressed directly to the Council, Fire Board and Agency, not to the members of the audience. This is a professional business meeting and courtesy and decorum are expected. Please refrain from any debate between audience and speaker, making loud noises, or engaging in any activity which might be disruptive to the decorum of the meeting. C. ITEM OF DISCUSSION 1. ReAort on Neighborhood Traffic Calming Strategies in the Red Hill Area D. ADJOURNMENT 1, Debra L. McKay, Assistant City ClerklRecords Manager, of the City of Rancho Cucamonga, hereby certify that a true, accurate copy of the foregoing agenda was posted on October 13, 2009, per Government Code 54954.2 at 10500 Civic Center Drive, Rancho Cucamonga, California. STAFF REPORT ENGINEERING DEPdRTMENT Date: October 14, 2009 To: Mayor and Members of the City Council Jack Lam, AICP, City Manager From: Mark Steuer, Director Engineering Services/City Engineer By: Jon Gillespie, Traffic Engineer Subject: Report on Neighborhood Traffic Calming Strategies in the Red Hill Area INTRODUCTION RAI.7cHo C,UCAMONGA On June 23, 2009, the City Council held a special meeting to consider traffic in the Red Hill area. At this meeting, the City Council directed staff to prepare a report on Neighborhood Traffic Calming Devices. BACKGROUND/ANALYSIS Traffic issues surrounding the Red Hill Neighborhood first came to the Council's attention in 2006 when residents initiated discussions regarding cut-through and speeding traffic concerns. Since that time there have been numerous community meetings and the Council has authorized two traffic studies in order to better analyze residents concerns. The most recent meeting to discuss traffic in the Red Hill area was held on June 23, 2009. At this meeting, the City Council determined not to approve the closure of Red Hill Country Club Drive, ahd approved the installation of all-way stop signs at four (4) intersections. The City Council also directed staff to prepare a report on Neighborhood Traffic Calming Devices. NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC CALMING DEVICES There are several types of devices that can be used for neighborhood traffic calming. These devices include rumble strips, traffic islands and chokers, speed humps, and radar speed signs. There are several factors to consider when selecting the appropriate neighborhood traffic calming device, such as effectiveness, noise and cost. There are also impacts to parking and fire vehicle response times that need to be considered. A matrix showing effectiveness, noise, and cost is shown in Exhibit "A". RUMBLE STRIPS . Rumble strips can be constructed of raised pavement markers, plastic strips or uneven brick pavers. Raised pavement markers are also known as Botts Dots, named after their inventor, Dr. Elbert Botts, an engineer working at Caltrans. Raised pavement markers can be either yellow or white, and can be constructed of plastic or ceramic material. Available in shapes of round, square or rectangular, raised pavement markers typically are'/<-inches in height and have a 4-inch base. However, they can also be fabricated in sizes up to 3-inches in height with an 8-inch base. Raised pavement markers are typically used to identify the centerline and lane lines of a roadway, however, they can also be used as a traffic calming device. CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT SUBJECT: Report on Neighborhood Traffic Calming Devices Page 2 October 14, 2009 When utilized for traffic calming, raised pavement markers are installed in rows perpendicular to traffic. When this is done, the markers are referred to as rumble strips. (See Exhibit "B") Rumble strips have been found to improve safety and reduce vehicle speeds on rural country roads. When a vehicle passes over a rumble strip, the rumble strips cause the tires to vibrate. This vibration and noise alerts the driver to reduce the speed of the vehicle. The issue with rumble strips is that they create a very high level of noise when they are run over by a rubber tire causing a nuisance to adjacent residences. Thus, rumble strips are typically not recommended to be installed within 300 ft of any residence. The needs of the public need to be carefully considered before raised pavement markers are installed in a residential area. A typical rumble strip will consist of 6 rows of 4-inch diameter raised markers spaced at 6-inches on center. Assuming a traffic lane is 12 ft wide, each row will consist of 24 raised markers. If there are 6 rows with 24 markers in a row, a total of 144 raised markers are needed per lane. Each raised pavement marker costs approximately $4 each to install. Therefore, the cost to install a rumble strip with 144 individual raised pavement markers is $576 per traffic lane (one direction) or $1,152 for 2 traffic lanes (two directions). See Exhibit "B". Rumble strips can also be constructed of uneven brick pavers. The theory behind using uneven brick pavers is similar to rumble strips constructed of raised pavement markers. The more unevenly that the bricks are placed, the rougher the road surface becomes. The rougher the road surface, the greater the vibration and noise created, and thus the higher effectiveness of the device. Exhibit "C" shows uneven brick pavers that have been installed on the approach to a traffic circle. Brick pavers 'can also be placed evenly to create a smooth road surface. Evenly placed brick pavers can make beautiful looking roadways, but have no effect on reducing vehicle speeds. Rumble strips constructed of unevenly placed brick pavers create a high volume of noise, and are not recommended to be installed within 300 ft of any residence. Again, the needs of the public need to be carefully considered before uneven brick pavers are installed in a residential area. Uneven brick pavers are usually installed from curb to curb in a strip 12 ft wide with a 12-inch border of concrete on both sides. The estimated cost to install a strip of rough brick pavers, including labor and materials, is $10,000. TRAFFIC ISLANDS AND CHOKERS A combination of traffic islands and chokers can be utilized to reduce vehicle speeds. Essentially, the installation of traffic islands and chokers modifies a straight street into a curvy one. An example of traffic islands and chokers can be found on 6`h Street in Ontario (See Exhibit "D"). Staff contacted the City of Ontario, and was informed that the 85"' percentile speed on 6`h Street was 37 mph before the traffic islands and chokers were installed. (The significance of the 85`" percentile speed is that this is the speed used to determine posted speed limits.) Staff conducted a radar survey on July 7, 2009, and found that the 85`" percentile speed on 6'" Street is currently 33 mph. Each combination of traffic islands and chokers, including signing, striping, labor and materials, costs approximately $20,000 each to install. Since the road is being narrowed, parking needs to be prohibited for approximately 200 ft on both sides of the street. This can be an issue on residential streets where residents may object to losing parking in front of their homes. Also, since the road is being narrowed, bicycles will need to share the traffic lanes with vehicular traffic. CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT SUBJECT: Report on Neighborhood Traffic Calming Devices Page 3 October 14. 2009 SPEED HUMPS Speed humps typically have a 12 ft base and can be three to four inches in height. Speed humps always extend across the full with of the street from gutter to gutter. Also speed humps can be constructed of asphalt or of rubber. Typically, most local agencies that use speed humps utilize asphalt speed humps that are three inches high. Staff conducted a spot speed study at a three inch traffic hump on a similar street in a nearby community, and found that the average speed of vehicles as they passed over the hump was 23 mph. The posted speed limit was 25 mph. Three inch speed humps area "gentle" reminder to drivers to slow down (See Exhibit "E"). Asphalt speed humps, including labor and materials, cost approximately $3,000 each to install. Staff conducted a spot speed study at a four inch speed hump in a nearby community, and found that the average speed of vehicles as they pass over a four inch speed hump was 16 mph. The posted speed limit was 25 mph. In the opinion of staff, a four inch speed hump may present a serious obstacle to fire trucks, and could increase emergency response times. Several companies are offering preformed three and four inch speed humps made of rubber. The rubber speed humps create less noise than asphalt speed humps. The cost of installing a rubber speed hump across the full width of a street is approximately $7,000. (See Exhibit "F") The City of Chino Hills is a nearby City that has installed speed humps on several of its residential streets. Staff contacted Mr. Kirk Summers, Operations Chief, for the Chino Valley Fire Department, and asked him about his opinion of the speed humps in Chino Hills. According to Mr. Summers, fire trucks need to slow down for the speed humps, and they estimate that each speed hump increases response times by from 15 to 25 seconds. Also, Mr. Summers stated that speed humps increase the amount of wear on the equipment based on feedback from his Department's maintenance personnel. A new type of speed hump is the speed pillow. Speed pillows have grooves that allow a vehicle with a wide wheel base (e.g. a fire truck) to straddle the pillow. According to the published information, four inch speed pillows have a high effectiveness at reducing vehicle speeds, and do not slow down fire trucks. A four inch speed pillow made of asphalt can be installed for approximately $3,000 per location (See Exhibit "G"). Rubber speed pillows are also available and can be installed for approximately $7,000 per location. According to Fire Chief Mike Bell, emergency response is based on the quickest travel time to the scene of an emergency. Traffic calming measures of any kind can affect emergency response travel time. Speed humps, speed bumps, speed pillows and other forms of traffic calming measures affect emergency response time the greatest. There is little that can be done to improve these types of traffic calming measures because emergency vehicles need to come to a near full stop before crossing over them. It is difficult for the driver of a large emergency response vehicle to line up both the front and rear tires with the "gaps" between speed pillows. Therefore, contrary to published information, emergency vehicle drivers must slow down to a near stop when crossing over these devices. CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT SUBJECT: Report on Neighborhood Traffic Calming Devices Page 4 October 14, 2009 RADAR SPEED SIGNS " A radar speed sign uses radar to determine the speed of approaching vehicles. The vehicle speed is then displayed on a sign constructed of a series of LED lights. (See Exhibit "H") The purpose of radar speed signs is to slow cars down by making drivers aware when they are driving at unsafe speeds. Radar speed signs can be connected to an electrical service meter or can be solar powered. In 2007, the City installed solar powered radar speed signs at 8 locations. Exhibit "I" is a map showing these 8 locations. What staff has concluded after 2 years of operation is that the solar powered radar speed signs function well during the day. However, the batteries do not store enough energy to run the signs all night long. During the summer when the days are long and the nights are short, the solar powered signs worked ok. However, during the winter months, when the days are short and the nights are long, the solar powered signs would run out of power during the night. The next day, the solar signs would restart in their default program and display the posted speed limit as 25 mph regardless of the posted speed or the speed that had been previously programmed. The signs are currently programmed to run from 6 AM to 9 AM, 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM; and 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Monday through Friday. On Saturday, the signs have been programmed to run from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, and 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM. On Sunday, the signs have been programmed to operate from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM and from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM. When operating, the signs have been programmed to display the speed limit. Then, when a vehicle is detected that is travelling 1 mph to 10 mph faster than the speed limit, the sign will display "Your Speed" and the vehicle's speed. If a vehicle is travelling at more than 10 mph faster than the speed limit, the sign will flash "Slow Down" and the speed limit. Currently, solar powered radar signs have a drawback because they can only be programmed to display one speed at a time. This drawback makes solar powered radar speed signs of limited usefulness around schools where the speed limit is 25 mph when children are present. Therefore, a radar speed sign on a street by a school can only be operated for an hour before school and for an hour after school. Eventually, a manufacturer may develop the programming needed to allow multiple speed limits to be programmed by time of day. However, the radar speed signs that the City purchased do riot have this capability. There are several concerns about using solar powered radar speed signs in residential neighborhoods. First, the signs are large and unattractive, and it may be difficult to find a location where the signs can be installed that is acceptable to the residents. Second, the signs must be placed where they will receive lots of direct sunlight. Solar powered signs cannot be located where it will be shaded by a tree. Third, the signs are very bright. This light and glare may create a problem for adjacent residents. The estimated cost to install a solar powered radar speed sign, including labor and materials, is $8,000. CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT SUBJECT: Report on Neighborhood Traffic Calming Devices Page 5 October 14, 2009 Radar speed signs that are connected to an electrical service can be operated 24/7. However, the cost of installing an electrical service meter and underground conduit often will cost more than the radar speed sign. Staff estimates the cost to install a radar speed sign with electrical service meter, connection fees, and underground conduit, including all labor and materials, is $20,000. RAISED MEDIAN ISLAND ON FOOTHILL BOULEVARD The City is currently in the process of designing a project to widen and construct a raised median island on Foothill Boulevard from Vineyard Avenue to Grove Avenue. This project will also remove the existing railroad bridge, and install a new bridge for pedestrians and bicycles. Red Hill Country Club Drive will also be realigned to intersect with Foothill Boulevard east of the Red Hill Gas station. This new intersection is proposed to be signalized in order to provide full eastbound and westbound access to Red Hill residents. See Exhibit "J". This work is being done in order to improve access to the Red Hill area, and to improve traffic safety for Red Hill residents. The Red Hill Traffic Study found that a significant percentage of the eastbound traffic on Foothill Boulevard that turns left at Red Hill Country Club Drive, cuts through the Red Hill area to get to Base Line Road. The results of the Origin and Destination Study conducted in October of 2008 for Foothill Boulevard is shown in the following table: Foothill Boulevard Origin and Destination Study Results Description AM (1-hour) Midday (1-hour) PM (1-hour) Cut-through vehicles that entered at Foothill and Exited at Base Line Road 39 43 62 Total Vehicles Entering at Foothill Boulevard 103 121 217 Percentage Cut-through Vehicles 38% 36% 29% Based on the results of the Origin and Destination Study, a raised median island on Foothill Boulevard would eliminate eastbound left turns, which could reduce the amount of cut-through traffic on Red Hill Country Club Drive and Alta Cuesta. A raised median would encourage current cut-through drivers to continue east on Foothill Boulevard to Vineyard Avenue/Carnelian Street. Eastbound drivers will be able to make a U-turn at the signal at San Bernardino Road, and back track to Red Hill Country Club Drive. Also, if a continuous raised median island is constructed, Red Hill Country Club Drive would not need to be signalized. This would result in a cost savings to the project. Staff estimates that the City could save up to $220,000 by constructing a continuous raised median island on Foothill Boulevard, and by not signalizing Red Hill Country Club Drive at Foothill Boulevard. (The estimated cost of the traffic signal is $250,000, and the estimated cost for 100 ft of additional raised median island is $30,000.) Exhibit "K" shows what a raised median island on Foothill Boulevard would look like. The Foothill Boulevard project is still being designed, so either the signal or raised median option can be provided at no additional cost to the City. However, after construction is complete, there will be extra cost to remove the signal and install a raised median island. CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT SUBJECT: Report on Neighborhood Traffic Calming Devices Page 6 October 14, 2009 Pros: • The installation of a raised median on Foothill Boulevard would reduce the amount of northbound cut-through traffic. • Red Hill residents will have convenient access to westbound Foothill Boulevard. Cons: • The installation of a raised median on Foothill Boulevard would add some inconvenience to Red Hill residents driving eastbound on Foothill Boulevard since they will have to make a U- turn at the signal at San Bernardino Road, and "back-track" to get to Red Hill Country Club Drive. • The installation of a raised median on Foothill Boulevard would have no impact on southbound cut-through traffic. • Red Hill residents that desire to go east on Foothill Boulevard will need to make a U-turn at Grove Avenue. (Grove Avenue is located approximately 700 ft west of the future intersection of Red Hill Country Club Drive and Foothill Boulevard.) TRAFFIC VOLUME SUMMARY ON ALTA CUESTA AND RED HILL COUNTRY CLUB DRIVE Traffic counts were collected for Red Hill Country Club Drive and Alta Cuesta on July 13, 2006, October 4, 2006, May 20, 2008, and on April 1, 2009. The results of the traffic counts are shown in the following Table 1. Table 1-Daily Traffic Volume Summary Street July 13, 2006 October 4, 2006 May 20, 2008 April 1, 2009 Alta Cuesta, 2,161 2,786 4,275 2,109 Base Line to RHCCD Red Hill CCD, 3,180 3,600 4,977 3,656 Foothill to Alta Cuesta Red Hill CCD, 3,065 4,022 2,293 2,744 Alta Cuesta to Carnelian From Table 1- Daily Traffic Volume Summary, it can be seen that traffic volumes spiked in 2008. This time frame was concurrent with major housing and road construction at the Colonies Development in Upland, and this could have contributed to the increased traffic volume in the Red Hill area. Traffic counts taken in April of 2009 show a significant drop in traffic volumes which are more comparable with 2006 traffic levels. CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT SUBJECT: Report on Neighborhood Traffic Calming Devices Page 7 October 14. 2009 ACCIDENT HISTORY Accident history was examined for Red Hill Country Club Drive and Alta Cuesta for the time period of January 1, 2000, through October 12, 2009. For the years 2000 through 2007, there were a total of 22 traffic accidents. This is an average of 2.75 accidents per year. For the year 2008, there were a total of 12 traffic accidents. For the first 9 months of 2009, there has been only one reported traffic accident. A summary of the reported traffic accidents for Red Hill Country Club Drive and Alta Cuesta is shown in the following Table 2. Table 2- Accident Histo Street Year 2000 to 2007 Year 2008 Year 2009 Alta Cuesta 15 7 1 Red Hill Count Club Drive 7 5 0 Total both streets 22 12 1 Avera e er ear 2.75 12 1 From comparing Table 1 and Table 2, the spike in traffic accidents in 2008 coincides with the spike in traffic volume in 2008. In 2009, the traffic volume has significantly decreased, and so has the number of traffic accidents. Respectfully submitted, -~ Mark Steuer Director Engineering Services/City Engineer Attachments: Exhibit "A"- Matrix of Neighborhood Traffic Calming Devices Exhibit "B"- Rumble Strip Exhibit "C"- Uneven Brick Pavers Exhibit "D"- Traffic Island and Choker Exhibit "E"- 3-inch Speed Hump Exhibit "F"- Rubber Speed Hump Exhibit "G"-Speed Pillow Exhibit "H"- Solar Powered Radar Speed Sign Exhibit "I" -Radar Speed Sign Locations Exhibit "J"- Realignment of Red Hill CCD at Foothill Blvd Exhibit "K"- Raised Median on Foothill Blvd. W U W V J Q U LL N~ I.L 0 O m W Z O 5a W Y L O >> L ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ T T ~ ' f6 w- p O (B ~ -Q E ~ ~ fA Y (0 ~ O ~ ~ = p ~ td o ' = ~ o o Z 3 a> i a~ ~ ~ >, ~ i a `-' ~ ~ -Op V O U O ~ C ( 6 '~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ L (~ ~ ~ Y ~ L ~, U ~ _ ~ > ~ ~ ;C j L j F, U ~ m ~ ~ "' (6 ~ > ca L o ~ o G E ~ 3 `~ U C O C ~ (6 i i N ~ ~ ~ ~ U L O c ' 0 U N L 7 O U A + U ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ U ~ -p ; ~, N O ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ > ~ ON ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ O U ~ ~ ~ (6 C N ~ N ~ C .~ C ~ f6 ~ f6 ~ p~ ~~. ~ E . 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