PISMO BEACH COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT Agenda Item 8.E SUBJECT/TITLE: TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION: Adopt a Resolution approving the Traffic Safety Committee s recommendation to install a crosswalk on Seacliff Drive and to stripe the road accordingly. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY/BACKGROUND: The Traffic Safety Committee (TSC) met on April 13, 2017, and the following summary outlines the results of this meeting. The Public Works Department will implement the Traffic Safety Committee's recommendations, unless otherwise directed by the City Council. ITEM 1 Current status of U.S. 101 Pismo Congestion Relief Project The TSC received a request from Caltrans to discuss the current status of the U.S. 101 Pismo Congestion Relief Project. With regard to recent updates on the project, the cooperative agreement (for the Project Approval and Environmental Document (PA&ED) phase) between Caltrans and the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) was fully executed on December 23, 2016 and a PA&ED kick-off meeting with Caltrans and SLOCOG in attendance was held on January 19, 2017. Caltrans is the Implementing Agency as well as the consultant of choice and SLOCOG is the Sponsoring Agency. The current scheduled date for completion of PA&ED, which concludes the environmental phase, is January 5, 2021. The project development team (PDT) will look for any opportunities to expedite the environmental phase and potential early delivery of PA&ED after the archeological phase 1 field review is complete later this year. Six alternatives were proposed in the Project Initiation Document (PID, approved on December 15, 2015) that will be further evaluated in the PA&ED phase. A brief summary and matrix of these alternatives are attached for informational purposes. TSC Discussion: Paul Valadao from the Caltrans District 5 attended the meeting. He asked the Committee if there were any advisory committees that should hear about the Congestion Relief Project for input and education. The TSC will send Caltrans any advisory committees they feel would benefit from this information. The Police Chief asked what CHP s thoughts on the managed shoulder were. Paul let the TSC know that the CHP was in support of the project through early vetting. The Committee discussed why a managed shoulder was being proposed instead of a full lane. The managed shoulder is preferred because the current freeway width does not meet the minimum requirements for an additional lane and it substantially reduces the cost of the project. 8.E-1
No action is required by City Council. A summary of the project alternatives is provided as Attachment 3. Caltrans plans to present alternatives through outreach to community groups to gather information on alternative preferences from stakeholders. ITEM 2 Relocation of Bus Stop on Price Street The TSC received a request from the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) to move bus stop 3791 Route 21, currently on Price Street across from the Pismo Lighthouse Hotel, north toward Mattie Road. RTA received a request from a resident to move the bus stop due to the lack of crosswalk at the current location. The proposed location near Mattie Road has an ADA-compliant controlled intersection. The RTA believes this request has merit and would like the City s input. By moving the bus stop north on Price Street, about 80 feet of parking would be removed along the shoulder of Price Street. See attached exhibit for details. TSC Recommendation: The TSC noted that the current bus stop is located at a curve in Price Street which impacts the line of sight for vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The proposed location for the bus stop would be closer to the marked, controlled intersection and is closer to the Pismo Preserve. Police does not have any collision data in this area, but believes crossing conditions could be made safer by moving the bus stop closer to the controlled intersection. RTA plans to talk to Caltrans about how the new bus stop location would modify parking conditions. RTA is also taking this item to the Pismo Preserve to receive input. Once RTA has more data and input from the Pismo Preserve they will bring it back to the City of Pismo Beach for final approval. The TSC motions that they are in support of the bus stop moving closer to the controlled intersection at Mattie Road and Price Street. Motion by Jake Miller seconded by Paul Lee, to approve the TSC recommendation. Passed: 6/0/1 Ayes: Jeff Winklepleck, Ben Fine, Jake Miller, Paul Lee, Debra Garcia, Karen Bangs Noes: Absent: Jim Lewis No action is required by City Council. RTA will bring back this item at a later time. An exhibit is provided as Attachment 4. ITEM 3 Seacliff Avenue Crosswalk The TSC received a request from a resident to improve pedestrian safety and accessibility on Seacliff Drive, and at the intersections of Seacliff Drive and Shell Beach Road and Coburn Lane and Shell Beach Road. The resident believes that crossing conditions are hazardous for pedestrians on Shell Beach Road crossing Seacliff Drive due to the poorly lit corner, impaired line of sight, and lack of sidewalk and crosswalk. The resident believes there is poor line of sight at the intersection of Coburn Lane and Shell Beach Road due to the incline of Shell Beach Road. In addition, the resident has observed vehicles speeding on Seacliff Drive and has notified Pismo Beach Police Department of speeding vehicles. The resident has previously contacted the Police Department requesting that Police conduct extra patrols on Seacliff Drive. 8.E-2
TSC Recommendation: Due to the lack of sidewalk on Shell Beach Road, there is a sign directing pedestrian traffic to use the sidewalk on Coburn Lane. Typically new developments are conditioned to install sidewalk at the frontage of their property when building plans are approved. Should the development at 2655 Shell Beach Road be approved in the future, the installation of a sidewalk along the north side of Seacliff Drive will likely be a condition of approval as well as improvements on Shell Beach Road. Police does not have any collision data in the area to suggest there is a line of sight issue at the intersections in question. The line of sight from Coburn onto Shell Beach Road and from Seacliff onto Shell Beach Road is adequate due to the fact that vehicles legally can ease past the stop bar or crosswalk after making a full stop. The TSC understands the need for a crosswalk at the intersection of Seacliff and Shell Beach Road. This crosswalk would keep pedestrians from traveling to the north side of Seacliff Drive which currently has no sidewalk. The TSC recommends that the City install a crosswalk across Seacliff Drive at the intersection of Seacliff Drive and Shell Beach Road. Motion by Karen Bangs seconded by Debra Garcia, to approve the TSC recommendation. Passed: 6/0/1 Ayes: Jeff Winklepleck, Ben Fine, Jake Miller, Paul Lee, Debra Garcia, Karen Bangs Noes: Absent: Jim Lewis Staff recommends that the City Council approve the TSC s recommendation by adoption of a Resolution (Attachment 1). An exhibit is provided as Attachment 2. ITEM 4 No parking on Longview The TSC received a request from a resident to paint the curb along the southern side of Longview Avenue red to further communicate parking restrictions in the area. During the 2014 paving project, the City Council adopted Resolution R-2016-074 to not allow parking on the southern side of Longview Avenue. Following the installation of No Parking signs, there has been a large number of vehicles parking along the restricted parking area. TSC Recommendation: The TSC discussed the reason for no parking on the south side of Longview Avenue. The City recently installed ADA compliant sidewalks along the north side of the street, and Longview Avenue is now too narrow to have 2 travel lanes with parking along both sides. The TSC discussed the number of vehicles parked in the no parking zone daily on Longview. City Staff has not witnessed a large number of vehicles parking in the restricted area. Staff estimates about 2 vehicles parking illegally per week. Red curb is easier to identify as a no parking zone for drivers not familiar to the area. Painting red curb creates more maintenance work on the Facilities Division. Typically drivers in the neighborhood are residents and have already become aware of the No Parking signs. The TSC discussed changing the signs orientation and wording to say, No Parking Entire Block. However, this might imply that vehicles cannot park on either side of the street. Due to the existing compliant No Parking signs, the Traffic Safety Committee recommends 8.E-3
having citizens call the Police Department if they see a car parked illegally, and not altering the signs or curb striping at this time. Motion by Jake Miller seconded by Ben Fine, to approve the TSC recommendation. Passed: 6/0/1 Ayes: Jeff Winklepleck, Ben Fine, Jake Miller, Paul Lee, Debra Garcia, Karen Bangs Noes: Absent: Jim Lewis No action is required by City Council. An exhibit is provided as Attachment 5. ITEM 5 Wayfinding Sign on Highway 101 The TSC received a request from a resident for the City to write a letter to Caltrans requesting a wayfinding sign be placed on Highway 101 directing traffic to exit 4th Street to access the Pismo Dunes. Currently, vehicular traffic goes through downtown Pismo Beach to access the Pismo Dunes. Adding a wayfinding sign on Highway 101 before the Dolliver Street exit would direct traffic past downtown Pismo Beach and detour them to 4th Street. TSC Recommendation: Without consulting the downtown business district, the TSC does not feel comfortable rerouting traffic away from the downtown core. From a traffic circulation point of view it might help congestion, however most visitors traveling to the dunes choose to go through Pismo Beach despite their knowledge of the fastest route. The TSC appreciates the request and understands the desire for congestion relief in the downtown core, however both US 101 and Highway 1 are owned and maintained by Caltrans and this matter should be brought to them. The Traffic Safety Committee does not recommend installing a wayfinding sign directing Pismo Dunes traffic to 4 th Street at this time. Motion by Karen Bangs seconded by Jake Miller, to approve the TSC recommendation. Passed: 6/0/1 Ayes: Jeff Winklepleck, Ben Fine, Jake Miller, Paul Lee, Debra Garcia, Karen Bangs Noes: Absent: Jim Lewis No action is required by City Council. An exhibit is provided as Attachment 6. ITEM 6 Wayfinding Signs on Bello Avenue The TSC received a request from a resident to install two wayfinding signs on Bello Street and Wadsworth Avenue directing traffic to the Northbound and Southbound freeway entrances. The resident notes that he witnesses vehicles traveling north on Bello Street and making a U-turn before the northbound freeway entrance. Additional wayfinding signs could alleviate driver confusion and traffic congestion during high traffic weekends. Currently there is a wayfinding sign at the corner of Wadsworth Avenue and Price Street, but it does not include the U.S. 101 South Freeway. See attached exhibit for details. 8.E-4
TSC Recommendation: Without being able to talk to the drivers who are making U-turns, it is hard to understand why vehicles are making U-turns in front of the Freeway entrance. Drivers could think Bello is a through street. A no outlet sign could be installed at the intersection of Bello and Wadsworth, however there is an outlet to the freeway as well as Bay Street. The Police noted that there is nothing illegal about making a U-turn before the Freeway entrance. The TSC discussed sign pollution and how the City would encourage vehicles to use Price Street to get to the freeway on-ramps. The City has not received any concerns from drivers about confusion in the area. A sign at the proposed location is not an ideal location because there is a retaining wall and the sidewalk is not particular wide in the area. Typically people using Bello Street to get to the freeway entrance are residents or are using GPS to direct them. The TSC recommends sending a letter to the requesting residents thanking them for bringing this to our attention, but not installing a new wayfinding sign at this time. The City will continue to monitor the situation and if conditions change we will bring this item back to the TSC. Motion by Jake Miller seconded by Karen Bangs, to approve the TSC recommendation. Passed: 6/0/1 Ayes: Jeff Winklepleck, Ben Fine, Jake Miller, Paul Lee, Debra Garcia, Karen Bangs Noes: Absent: Jim Lewis No action is required by City Council. An exhibit is provided as Attachment 7. ITEM 7 Traffic Light on Price Canyon Road The TSC received a request from a resident to install a traffic signal on Price Canyon Road and Bello Street to allow vehicles to turn onto Price Canyon from Bello Street during high traffic periods. Resident notes that it can take approximately 10 minutes to turn onto Price Canyon from Bello Street during high traffic periods. There is currently a traffic signal at Hinds Avenue and Price Street, however this signal does not limit the number of cars turning right onto Price Canyon Road. TSC Recommendation: The TSC discussed the difficulties they have observed turning left or right onto Price Canyon Road during rush hours. Installation of a light on Price Canyon Road would allow the City to either sync the light with the Hinds/Price Street light, have loops installed in the road, or have cameras that sense the queue lane so that the light would call for green on Bello. Once Bello Bridge project opens up, it should help the traffic congestion by giving residents an alternative route. The TSC acknowledges the need for a controlled intersection in this area. The TSC recommends having the Engineering Division investigate the cost associated with the installing of stop lights and pass the information along to the Community Development Department to include in the Bello Street Corridor Project. 8.E-5
Motion by Ben Fine seconded by Debra Garcia, to approve the TSC recommendation. Passed: 6/0/1 Ayes: Jeff Winklepleck, Ben Fine, Jake Miller, Paul Lee, Debra Garcia, Karen Bangs Noes: Absent: Jim Lewis No action is required by City Council. An exhibit is provided as Attachment 8. ITEM 8 Park Off Pavement Signs on HWY 1 The TSC received a request from a citizen to send a letter to Caltrans requesting No Parking/Bike Lane signs be placed along the bike lane on Highway 1 by the Monarch Butterfly Grove. The resident observes vehicles parking in the bike lane continuously, pushing bicyclists into the travel lane. See attached exhibit for details. TSC Recommendation: The TSC discussed the need for parking near the butterfly grove. The TSC would like to allow vehicles to park off the paved street so that the bicycle lane is kept clear. The TSC recommends sending a letter to Caltrans requesting that Park Off Pavement signs be installed. Motion by Ben Fine seconded by Paul Lee, to approve the TSC recommendation. Passed: 6/0/1 Ayes: Jeff Winklepleck, Ben Fine, Jake Miller, Paul Lee, Debra Garcia, Karen Bangs Noes: Absent: Jim Lewis No action is required by City Council. An exhibit is provided as Attachment 9. FISCAL IMPACT: No fiscal impact. Maintenance costs have been incorporated into Department of Public Works Programs. ALTERNATIVES: 1. Provide alternative direction to staff regarding the above recommendations. ATTACHMENTS: 1. Resolution approving the installation of a crosswalk on Seacliff Drive 2. Overview St. Andrews Tract 3. Pismo Congestion Relief Alternatives Summary and Matrix 4. Bus Stop 3791 Relocation 5. Proposed Red Curb on Longview 6. Proposed Wayfinding Sign to Exit 4th Street 7. Proposed Wayfinding Signs on Bello Ave. and Wadsworth 8. Proposed Traffic Signal at Price Canyon and Bello Ave. 9. Proposed No Parking Signs along Highway 1 8.E-6
Prepared by: Meeting Date: May 16, 2017 Madeline Kacsinta, Engineering Technician Approved by: Benjamin A. Fine, P.E., Director of Public Works/City Engineer Acting City Manager Approval: 8.E-7
Attachment 1 RESOLUTION NO. R-2017-XXX A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PISMO BEACH APPROVING THE TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION TO INSTALL A CROSSWALK ON SEACLIFF DRIVE AND TO MARK THE ROAD ACCORDINGLY WHEREAS, The Traffic Safety Committee received a request for additional pedestrian safety at the intersection of Seacliff Drive and Shell Beach Road; and WHEREAS, currently there is a crosswalk at the intersection of Coburn Lane and Shell Beach Road; and WHEREAS, the TSC understands the need for a crosswalk at the intersection of Seacliff and Shell Beach Road; and WHEREAS, this crosswalk would keep pedestrians from traveling to the north side of Seacliff Drive, which currently has no sidewalk. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Pismo Beach hereby authorizes the installation of a crosswalk at Seacliff Drive and Shell Beach Road and to make the road accordingly. UPON MOTION OF Council Member seconded by Council Member the foregoing resolution was adopted by the City Council of the City of Pismo Beach this 16 th day of May 2017, by the following vote: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: RECUSED: Approved: Ed Waage, Mayor Attest: Erica Inderlied, City Clerk 8.E-8
Attachment 2 Shell Beach Road Sidewalk No Sidewalk Proposed Crosswalk Overview St. Andrews Tract 5-16-17 1 1 Attachment 3A 8.E-9
Attachment 3 Alternative 1 Left Managed Shoulder Truck Climbing Lane (inside widening with lane drop) 05-1G680: Pismo Congestion Relief Alternatives Summary Alternative 2 Left Managed Shoulder Truck Climbing Lane (outside widening drop lane/auxiliary lane Avila to Spyglass) Alternative 3 Ramp Reconfiguration* Truck Climbing Lane (inside widening with lane drop) Auxiliary Lane (new Mattie Road Southbound On-ramp to Off-ramp Dolliver/Price St.) Alternative 4 Ramp Reconfiguration* Truck Climbing Lane (outside widening drop lane/auxiliary lane Avila to Spyglass) Auxiliary Lane (new Mattie Road Southbound On-ramp to Off-ramp Dolliver/Price St.) Alternative 5 Left Managed Shoulder Ramp Reconfiguration* Truck Climbing Lane (inside widening with lane drop) Auxiliary Lane (new Mattie Road Southbound On-ramp to Off-ramp Dolliver/Price St.) Alternative 6 Left Managed Shoulder Ramp Reconfiguration* Truck Climbing Lane (outside widening drop lane/auxiliary lane Avila to Spyglass) Auxiliary Lane (new Mattie Road Southbound On-ramp to Off-ramp Dolliver/Price St.) *By note, Dinosaur Southbound On-ramp kept open or closed and removed as a design variation for Alternatives 3, 4, 5, & 6. 1 of 8.E-10
Attachment 3 8.E-11
Attachment 4 Proposed Location Current Location Proposed Location Current Location Bus Stop 3791 Relocation 5-16-17 1 1 Attachment 2 8.E-12
Attachment 5 Tulare Visalia No Parking Taft ADA Sidewalk Bakersfield Fresno Stratford Wadsworth Proposed Red Curb on Longview 5-16-17 1 1 Attachment 4 8.E-13
Attachment 6 DUNES EXIT 4 TH STREET New Sign Location DUNES EXIT 4 TH STREET Proposed Wayfinding Sign to Exit 4 th Street 5-16-17 1 1 Attachment 5 8.E-14
Attachment 7 A Bello Ave. B Price St. New Sign Location A B Proposed Wayfinding Signs on Bello Ave and Wadsworth -1-17 1 1 Attachment 6 8.E-15
Attachment 8 Price Canyon Bello Ave. US 101 Price St. Hinds Proposed Traffic Signal at Price Canyon and Bello Ave. -1-17 1 1 Attachment 7 8.E-16
Attachment 9 Proposed Park Off Pavement signs location Proposed Sign PARK OFF PAVEMENT Proposed Park Off Pavement Signs along HWY1 5-16-17 1 1 Attachment 8 8.E-17