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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 1 Z:\TRAFFIC COMMITTEE - 2011\December TC 2011 Minutes.doc • • 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. 2 Z:\TRAFFIC COMMITTEE - 2011\December TC 2011 Minutes.doc 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 2 • • 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. 2 • • 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 1.2-i-II -5 YA uc w I- `iK J' Q9gp9, s� C��1�i 9 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. 3 Z:\TRAFFIC COMMITTEE - 2011\December TC 2011 Minutes.doc Copyright (C) 2007, Digital Map Products. All rights reserved.