01-17-2012 - Traffic Committee Minutes - 12/20/11TO:
FROM:
Andrew G. Pasmant, City Manager
and City Council
Shannon A. Yauchzee, Director/City Engineer
Public Works Department
SUBJECT: TRAFFIC COMMITTEE MINUTES
RECOMMENDATION:
• City of West Covina
Memorandum
AGENDA
ITEM NO. 3
DATE January 17, 2012
It is recommended that the City Council take the following actions:
1. Receive and file the attached minutes of the Traffic Committee meeting held
on December 20, 2011.
2. Introduce the following ordinance to reduce the speed limit on a portion of
Orange Avenue from Garvey Avenue North to Puente Avenue from 40 miles -
per -hour to 35 miles -per -hour: .
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF WEST COVINA, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING
SECTION 22-131 OF THE WEST COVINA MUNICIPAL
CODE RELATING TO INCREASES OF STATE LAW
MAXIMUM SPEEDS (ORANGE AVENUE).
rep d by: Miguel Hernandez Reviewed/Approved y: 'Shannon A. Yauchzee
Civil Engineering Associate Director/City Engineer
Attachment No. 1
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•
ATTACHMENT NO. 1
REGULAR MEETING
OF THE TRAFFIC COMMITTEE
CITY OF WEST COVINA
Tuesday -3:00 p.m.
December 20, 2011 City Hall, Room 314
Management Resource Center
STAFF PRESENT: Shannon Yauchzee and Dave Nichols
OTHERS PRESENT: None
I. REQUEST:
City Initiated
THAT SPEED LIMIT FOR ORANGE AVENUE FROM GARVEY AVENUE
NORTH TO PUENTE AVENUE BE REDUCED FROM 40 MILES -PER -
HOUR TO 35 MILES -PER -HOUR.
FINDINGS:
The speed limits on Orange Avenue are specified in Section 22-131 of the West
Covina Municipal Code as 40 miles -per -hour from Garvey Avenue North to Puente
Avenue. Staff conducted an Engineering and Traffic Survey for Orange Avenue
(Exhibit A) and found that the critical approach speed was measured at 41miles-per-
hour and the mid -block collision rate to be excessive. In accordance with California
MUTCD and the California Vehicle Code, when there are traffic conflicts and
unusual conditions which are not readily apparent to the driver, as indicated in the
excessive collision rate, speed limit somewhat below the 851h percentile may be
justified. Therefore, the reduction in the posted speed limits from 40 miles -per -hour
to 35 miles -per -hour for Orange Avenue from Garvey Avenue North to Puente
Avenue will comply with provision of the California MUTCD.
TRAFFIC COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION:
THAT AN ORDINANCE BE INTRODUCED AMENDING SECTION 22-
131 OF THE WEST COVINA MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO THE
REDUCTION OF THE POSTED SPEED LIMITS ON ORANGE AVENUE
FROM GARVEY AVENUE NORTH TO PUENTE AVENUE. FROM 40
MILES -PER -HOUR TO 35 MILES -PER -HOUR.
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E
•
ORDINANCE NO.
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF WEST COVINA, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING
SECTION 22-131 OF THE WEST COVINA MUNICIPAL
CODE RELATING TO INCREASES OF STATE LAW
MAXIMUM SPEEDS (ORANGE AVENUE).
The City Council of the City of West Covina does ordain as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 22-131 of the West Covina Municipal Code is amended
such that the sub -paragraph labeled Orange Avenue from Garvey Avenue North to Badillo Street
is deleted and that the following sub -paragraphs are inserted:
Orange Avenue from Garvey Avenue North to Puente Avenue = 35 mph:
Orange Avenue from Puente Avenue to ,Badillo Street = 40 mph:
SECTION 2. That the City Clerk shall certify to the passage of this ordinance
and shall cause the same to be published as required by law.
PASSED AND APPROVED this 5thday of July 2011
Mayor Michael Touhey
ATTEST:
City Clerk Laurie Carrico
I, LAURIE CARRICO, City Clerk of the City of West Covina, California, do hereby
certify that the foregoing Ordinance No. was regularly introduced and placed upon
its first reading at a regular meeting of the City Council on the of ' 2012.
That thereafter said Ordinance was duly adopted and passed at a regular meeting of the City
Council on the day of 2012, by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
City Clerk Laurie Carrico
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
City Attorney Arnold Alvarez-Glasman
ZAORDWANCE - 2012\Orange Ave Speed Limit.doc
• EXHIBIT "A"
Public Works Department
Engineering Division
November 30, 2011
ENGINEERING AND TRAFFIC SURVEY OF ORANGE AVENUE
Introduction: .
The effective enforcement of posted speed limits with radar on certain streets requires
that an Engineering and Traffic Survey must be completed within the previous five
years. The majority of drivers complies with the law but disregard regulations that they
consider unreasonable. A small segment of the population is repeatedly inclined to be
reckless, unreliable, or have faulty judgment and must be controlled by enforcement.
According to the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), speed limits
should be established at the nearest 5 mph increment to the 85`h percentile speed, which
is defined as that speed at or below which 85 percent of the traffic is moving.. The 85"'
percentile is often referred to as critical speed. Pace speed is defined as the 10-mile
increment of speed containing the largest number of vehicles. Speed limits higher than
the 85" percentile are not considered reasonable and prudent. Speed limits below the
85"' percentile do not ordinarily facilitate the orderly movement of traffic and require
constant enforcement to maintain compliance.
The establishment of a speed limit of more than 5 miles per hour below the 85
percentile (critical) speed must be justified in the engineering and traffic survey and
approved by a registered Civil or Traffic Engineer. It should also be done with great
care as studies have shown that establishing a speed limit at less than this the 85
percentile generally results in an increase in collision rates and may make violators of a
disproportionate number of the reasonable majority of drivers.
Section 22358 of the Vehicle Code states that it is the intent of the Legislature that
physical conditions such as width, curvature, grade and surface conditions,. or any
condition readily apparent to the driver, in the absence of other factors, would not
require special downward speed zoning. When roadside developments results in traffic
conflicts and unusual conditions which are not readily ap arent to the driver, as indicated
in collision records, speed limits somewhat below the 85" percentile maybe justified. .
1444 W. Garvey Avenue South • PO Box 1440 • West Covina, CA 91793 • Telephone (626) 939-8425 • Fax (626) 939-8660
•
is
Orange Avenue
FINDINGS:
The following is a summary of the pertinent items required in the Engineering and Traffic
Survey.
A. Prevailing Speeds (MPH)
Street Segment Limits
Critical Approach Speeds
2011
Existing
Recommended
2006 2011
10-mph
Speed
0 o
85 /o (mph) 85 /o (mph)
Pace
Limits
Speed Limits
Fairgrove Avenue to
38
38
28 to 38
35
35 mph
Francis uito Avenue
Francisquito Avenue
38
38
30 to 40
35
35 mph
to Merced Avenue
Merced Avenue to
40
38
27 to 37
35
35 mph
Cameron Avenue
Garvey Avenue North
42
41
31 to 41
40
35 mph
to Puente Avenue
Puente Avenue to
39
41
32 to 42
40
40 mph
Badillo Avenue
Badillo Avenue to San
37
37
27 to 37
35
35 mph
Bernardino Road t
t Joint jurisdiction with Los Angeles County
B. Collision Records
The following analysis of the collision history for Orange Avenue is in
accordance with the procedures outlined in "Guidelines for Uniform Traffic
Controls" distributed by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works.
The phrase "collision rate" shown in the column headings is defined as the
number of collisions per million vehicles entering an intersection or per million
vehicle miles along a street a street segment. The "County Expected Rate" is
defined as the anticipated number of collisions that would generally occur at an
intersection or along a segment of highway with similar conditions. The County
Expected Rate factors are calculated from data derived from a series of charts
using parameters such as intersection controls, traffic volumes, and approach
conditions. These charts have been prepared by the Los Angeles County
Department of Public Works based on the findings of a study of the collision
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• • Orange Avenue
records and traffic conditions throughout Los Angeles County. The City Rate is
calculated using traffic volumes from the calendar year 2001 and recorded
collision history. The Priority Rating is defined as the ratio of the City Rate to the
County Expected Rate.
County guidelines classify as excessive any collision rate that exceeds 1.6 times
the County expected rate determined from the countywide experience charts. If
the City mid -block collision rates are in excess of the 1.6 times the County
expected rate, a 5 mph reduction of the speed limit may be justified. This is to
say that if the Priority Rating exceeds 1.6, a 5-mph reduction of the speed limit
from the critical approach speed (85%) may be justified.
1. MID -BLOCK COLLISIONS - JANUARY 2010 TO DECEMBER 2010
County
No. of
City Collision
Expected
Priority
Limits
Collisions
Rate
Collision Rate
Rating
A/MVM
A/MVM
Fairgrove Avenue to
0
0
1.55
0
Francis uito Avenue
Francisquito Avenue to
1
0.41
1.55
0.26
Merced Avenue
Merced Avenue to
4
1.92
1.55
1.24
Cameron Avenue
Garvey Avenue North to
4
3.31
1.55
2.13
Puente Avenue
Puente Avenue to
2
1.40
1.55
0.90
Badillo Avenue
Badillo Avenue to San
0
0
1.55
0
Bernardino Road
NUTS: A/MVM denotes collisions per million vehicle miles
A]
•
0 Orange Avenue
2. INTERSECTION COLLISIONS - JANUARY 2010 TO DECEMBER 2010
Cross Street
No. of
Collisions
City Collision
Rate A/MV
County
Expected
Collision Rate
A/MV
Priority
Rating
Fairgrove Avenue
0
0.00
0.37
0.00
Francis uito Avenue
2
0.20
0.81
0.24
Merced Avenue
2
0.28
0.58
0.50
Cameron Avenue
2
0.22
0.76
0.29
Garve Avenue North
l
0.31
0.24
1.30
Pacific Lane
2,
0.36
0.29
1.24
Puente Avenue
1
0.18
0.29
0.62
Badillo Avenue
2
0.15
0.88
0.17
San Bernardino Road
1.
0.24
0.52
0.28
1v v 1 t: A/MV denotes collisions per million vehicles entering the intersection.
C. Physical Conditions
1. Horizontal Alignment - The alignment is essentially tangent throughout its more
than three mile length. Orange Avenue is divided into two segment at the I-10
Freeway; the northerly segment runs from Garvey Avenue North to San Bernardino
Road, the southerly segment runs from I-10 to Fairgrove Avenue.
2. Vertical alignment - The maximum grade along the street profile is approximately
2.0%.
3. Roadside Friction - The intersections at San Bernardino Road, Badillo Avenue,
Cameron Avenue, Merced Avenue, and Francisquito Avenue are all controlled by
traffic signals. The intersections at Puente Avenue, Pacific Lane, Garvey Avenue
South, and Fairgrove Avenue are controlled by multi -way stop signs. Most of the
area along Orange Avenue is residential with many private driveway openings. There
are two schools that abut Orange Avenue, Edgewood Middle School and
Orangewood Elementary School.
D. There are no conditions that are not readily apparent to the driver
E. Analysis
The first table entitled " Prevailing Speeds" list the critical approach speeds (85%)
which is the primary component of Engineering and Traffic Survey. The critical
approach speeds (85%) are listed for each of the segments of Orange Avenue and are
generally within 5 mph of the posted speed limit. The collision records for 2010
show that the segment from Garvey Avenue North to Puente Avenue is considered
excessive.
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• Orange Avenue
F. Conclusion
Presently the posted speed limit for the segment of Orange Avenue between Garvey
Avenue North to Puente Avenue is 40 mph. The adjacent segments of Orange
Avenue are set at a limit of 35 mph. The collision records for 2010 show that the
segment from Garvey Avenue North to Puente Avenue is considered excessive.
Therefore, the reduction in the posted speed limit from 40 mph to 35 mph for
Orange Avenue from Garvey Avenue North and Badillo Street will comply with the
California MUTCD and will provide for a uniform speed the through out the length
of Orange Avenue; the following speeds shall be reduced along Orange Avenue:
. LIMITS
EXISTING SPEED LIMIT
Fair rove Avenue to Cameron Avenue
35 mph
Garvey Avenue North to Puente Avenue
35 mph
Puente Avenue to Badillo Street
40 mph
Badillo Street to San Bernardino Road
35 mph
Shannon A. Yauchzee
Public Works Director/City Engineer
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II. REQUEST:
David Apodaca, West Covina Resident
THAT NO PARKING ON STREET SWEEPING DAYS BE
IMPLEMENTED ON VERNESS STREET FROM 'CARVOL AVENUE TO
TOLAND AVENUE EVERY TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH FROM 7:00
A.M. TO 3:30 P.M.
FINDINGS:
In response to a request to prohibit parking to facilitate street sweeping on
Verness Street from Carvol Avenue to Toland Avenue, a survey of the seven
affected properties was conducted. Four (57%) of the properties responded in
favor of prohibiting parking every Tuesday of each month from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30
p.m., and one of the properties did not reply to the survey.
Verness Street is a residential street, 32-feet in width. The prohibition of parking
for street sweeping is used throughout the City where more than 50% of the
affected properties express a desire for the prohibition and where traffic and/or
safety would not be adversely affected. There would be no adverse affects at this
location.
TRAFFIC COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION:
THAT NO PARKING ON STREET SWEEPING DAYS BE
IMPLEMENTED ON VERNESS STREET FROM CARVOL AVENUE TO
TOLAND AVENUE EVERY TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH FROM 7:00
A.M. TO 3:30 P.M.
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