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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 3a: Direction Regarding Installation of Left Turn Lanes and Removal of On-street Parking on Second Avenue at Foothill BoulevardSUMMARY BACKGROUND STAFF REPORT Development Services Department DATE: November 16, 2010 TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Jason Kruckeberg, Assistant City Manager /Development Services Director r Philip A. Wray, Deputy Director of Development Services /City Engineer SUBJECT: REPORT, DISCUSSION AND DIRECTION REGARDING THE INSTALLATION OF LEFT TURN LANES AND THE REMOVAL OF ON- STREET PARKING ON SECOND AVENUE AT FOOTHILL BOULEVARD Recommendation: Provide Direction Periodically the City has received complaints regarding the congestion on Second Avenue at Foothill Boulevard and concerns for pedestrian safety crossing Foothill Boulevard. In January of this year three middle - school -aged pedestrians were hit in the crosswalk on Foothill Boulevard by a vehicle attempting to make a left turn from Second Avenue. The intersection issues were presented to the City's Traffic Advisory Committee for their review and the Committee selected four measures to pursue to improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety. One of the measures was to install left turn lanes on Second Avenue at the intersection. The left turn lanes would require the elimination of six on- street parking spaces on Second Avenue south of Foothill Boulevard. The neighboring businesses were notified of the loss of on- street parking and they all responded with their objections. Therefore, the City Council has asked that this item be presented to them with options for consideration. Staff has re- evaluated the options and modified the recommendations to include additional measures for consideration. Staff requests direction on the installation of the left turn lanes and other potential measures. Over the years, the City has received periodic complaints regarding the congestion on Second Avenue at Foothill Boulevard. Second Avenue is a two -lane street with one lane approaching the Foothill Boulevard intersection in each direction. The one lane Staff Report November 16, 2010 Page 2 accommodates all turning and through movements and the traffic signal is a single north /south phase with no separate left turn phase. Second Avenue is fairly busy at certain times of the day both with vehicles and pedestrians. Foothills Middle School is located 600 feet north of the intersection and contributes to the morning and afternoon congestion. When a vehicle is waiting on Second Avenue to make a left turn during a green light, the driver has several things to be aware of such as oncoming traffic either making lefts or going straight, gaps for turning, the signal to eventually turn yellow and red, and pedestrians in the crosswalk. Other vehicles desiring to proceed straight either wait behind the left turning vehicle or pass on the right, adding to the confusion and distractions to the driver. There is also an issue with the position of the lanes approaching the intersection and how they align. Because the centerline aligns with both sides of the intersection, vehicles waiting to make left turns on both sides of the intersection are not Tined up, which limits sight lines and complicates the driver's judgment of safe gaps for turning. Several years ago, in response to complaints at the time, the City posted "No Parking, 7:00 am to 9:00 am" signs along the east curb of Second Avenue between Foothill Boulevard and the alley to the south. This was intended to help allow drivers to pass on the right of vehicles making the left turn during the morning peak. This measure helped relieve some of the back -up caused by a vehicle waiting to make a left turn, but it added to the driver confusion and distractions discussed above. In January of this year, there was an accident at the intersection involving a vehicle and three pedestrians. Three middle - school -aged pedestrians were crossing Foothill Boulevard in the crosswalk and were hit by a vehicle making a southbound to eastbound left turn. The driver of the vehicle stated that she was waiting for clearance from oncoming traffic and did not see the pedestrians until it was too late. City and School District staff met with the families of the three victims and listened to their requests for traffic and pedestrian safety improvements. The principal of Foothills Middle School and other district officials have been very supportive of the City's efforts to improve the intersection and the district is represented on the City's Traffic Advisory Committee (TAC). As a result of the families' request, this item was placed on the City's TAC agenda for discussion and brainstorming of ideas for improving the conditions. The TAC came up with 11 measures to address various elements of the intersection. These 11 measures are addressed in the attachment. The TAC selected four measures that they felt could be implemented fairly simply at minimal cost with little adverse impacts. Those four measures are as follows: 1. Paint the area inside the crosswalk lines with a contrasting pattern 2. Stripe left turn pockets on Second Avenue both south and north of Foothill Boulevard 3. Install pedestrian countdown timers 4. Investigate the use of a lighted "Yield to Pedestrians" sign /signal Staff Report November 16, 2010 Page 3 In order to implement the second measure, staff notified the property owners adjacent to Second Avenue both north and south of Foothill Boulevard of the City's intentions. The two adjacent property owners south of Foothill Boulevard, Paco's Restaurant and dentists Dr. Segura and Dr. Raymundo, submitted letters of opposition. Their letters are attached. The property owners suggested one additional measure that had not been previously considered regarding the placement of a crossing guard. This request was analyzed and is addressed in the attachment as measure #12 and is not recommended. Staff met with the property owners and heard their concerns. DISCUSSION With the traffic volumes that exist on Second Avenue at Foothill Boulevard, the simple one lane concept in each direction is inefficient for accommodating vehicle movements. Between 1996 and the present, the intersection has experienced an average of 3.5 accidents per year. Many of them appear to be left turn related. Although only a few accidents involved pedestrians, staff has received complaints of other near misses. The measures listed in the attachment were all identified as having some level of positive impact on driver and pedestrian safety. The traffic signal phasing measures have the greatest impact on solving the problem but they also have the greatest potential negative impact on Foothill Boulevard traffic flow. The intent of the left turn lanes on north and south Second Avenue is to line them up so they face each other head on. This is so that the driver in the left turn lane knows the vehicles directly opposite the driver are all making left turns and vehicles in the adjacent lane are all either going straight or making right turns. The aligned left turn lanes allows better sight lines for viewing on- coming traffic, spotting traffic gaps, and understanding the opposing drivers intentions. The left turn lane also allows a safe queuing lane for the driver to wait for the opportunity to turn left, and not feel as though the vehicle is blocking traffic or causing a hazard. The installation of a left turn lane south of Foothill Boulevard requires the elimination of six parking spaces between Foothill Boulevard and the alley to the south (see the attached conceptual left turn lane plan). The dentist's office and Paco's Restaurant both have on -site parking deficiencies by the current City code and the adjacent on- street parking is an important component of their businesses. The loss of parking would force their patrons to park further south in the adjacent residential neighborhoods, where it appears some of their patrons are already currently parking. Staff re- reviewed the measures originally brought up by the TAC, re- looked at the intersection conditions and traffic patterns, reviewed various traffic control guidelines and met with the property owners. As a result staff proposes a revised list of actions: Staff Report November 16, 2010 Page 4 1. Paint the area inside the crosswalk lines with a contrasting pattern — Completed 2. Install new pedestrian crossing warning signs — Item #5 in the attachment was originally thought infeasible because of the limited sign locations on the signal poles. However, staff has determined that larger more visible signs could be placed on the signal poles. 3. Install pedestrian countdown timers — This is measure #3 in the attachment and it is in this year's CIP budget. 4. Paint the crosswalks yellow to indicate a school area crossing — This was requested by the School District and was confirmed as meeting the guidelines of school area pedestrian safety standards. With regard to the left turn lanes, staff has provided two options for Council consideration: 1. Install the left turn lanes as planned. 2. Study further the impacts of the split phase signal timing (measure #8) and the separate left turn phase (measure #9) on the intersection and determine the extent of the detrimental impact to Foothill Boulevard. This option was originally not discussed due to potential negative impacts to Foothill Boulevard and cost concerns. Once studied, staff will bring the results back to the City Council with a recommendation. If either signal phasing option has no significant impact on the intersection (degradation of the level of service below LOS D), staff will determine the costs and present a modified recommendation. If there is an impact, staff will likely recommend left turn lanes. FISCAL IMPACT The costs for the first four recommended measures are included in this year's budget. There is no additional fiscal impact to the City. Any additional fiscal impacts arising from the further study will be presented to the Council along with further recommendation RECOMMENDATION Provide direction. Approved by: J K: PAW: pa Attachments Donald Penman, City Manager Second Avenue & Foothill Boulevard Intersection Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Measures Updated 11/02/10 The following measures are in intended to improve the pedestrian and traffic safety at the intersection of Foothill Boulevard and Second Avenue. The first 11 measures were presented to the City's Traffic Advisory Committee. Measure #12 was suggested by the property owners on Second Avenue just south of the intersection, and measure #13 was requested by the School District. 1. Paint the area inside the crosswalk lines with a contrasting pattern — This is a commonly used concept to make the crosswalk more visible with contrasting colors and patterns. This is a relatively simple measure and cost effective. 2. Stripe left turn pockets on Second Avenue both south and north of Foothill Boulevard — This would help provide a safe queuing lane for left turns, allowing drivers to better survey the conditions before turning. This would require the elimination of parking for approximately the first 120 -ft. + of curb on both sides of the street north and south of Foothill Boulevard. The loss of parking on Second Avenue north of Foothill Boulevard does not appear to be a problem. The on- street parking on Second Avenue south of Foothill Boulevard (six parking spaces) is frequently used and could cause a problem to the adjacent businesses if removed. 3. Install pedestrian countdown timers — This is more of a proactive measure to give the pedestrians a sense of how much time they have left to cross the street. This is intended to help eliminate conflicts that might occur at the end of the green phase. This is a relatively minor cost and is included in the current year's CIP budget. 4. Investigate the use of a lighted "Yield to Pedestrians" sign /signal — The concept of the lighted sign /signal would act in conjunction with the pedestrian crossing phase. The "Yield to Pedestrians" sign /signal would be mounted on the mast arm and would light up when the pedestrian crossing phase was activated. This is not a standard traffic control device so staff investigated the use in other situations. As a result, no other applications were found and it appears to include an element of risk if applied at this time. Staff has decided not to pursue this measure at this time. 5. Enlarge /modify the "Yield to Pedestrians" signs at the intersection to make them more visible to drivers — There are signs currently on the signal mast arms. This measure is intended to find a better location to place the signs and explore larger lettering and /or a different warning. Reason for TAC rejection: There is no other location on the poles to relocate the signs. Any changes in the sign locations may necessitate replacing the poles. This could become relatively expensive. 6. Restrict left turns from Second Avenue in both directions during certain posted hours when pedestrian activity is the heaviest — This concept could be set up with restrictions around school activity hours to benefit school children. Reason for TAC rejection: The problem is not just with school children during school commutes and doesn't address all other times. There are other issues that must be considered. The no left turn restriction is difficult to enforce and once drivers realize that it is not being enforced, it has limited effect. Also, there is a delicate balance of traffic that uses the north /south streets like First Avenue, Second Avenue and Fifth Avenue. First Avenue has an average daily volume of 8,800 vehicles, Second Avenue has 7,700 vehicles and Fifth Avenue has 8,000 vehicles. Once a significant restriction is imposed on one street, in this case Second Avenue, the traffic will divert to other streets, upsetting that balance and causing traffic impacts on other streets. 7. Install small crosswalk delineators in the center of Foothill Boulevard at the crosswalk line — This would be a visual reminder to drivers of the crosswalk. Reason for TAC rejection: Being placed in the center of Foothill Boulevard the delineators may be hit often and require frequent replacement. 8. Change the traffic signal phasing to split the phasing on Second Avenue — A split -phase signal is, in this case, where the north and south directions of Second Avenue are split into two separate green phases. The pedestrian phase for each side can be programmed to coincide with the opposite turning movement thereby eliminating the left turn in the crosswalk conflict. Reason for TAC rejection: This could have a significant impact on Foothill Boulevard traffic flow because it takes precious time away from Foothill Boulevard to create another phase. The cost would be relatively minor but the impact could be significant. 9. Add left turn phase for north and south Second Avenue left turns — This concept would modify the signal phasing to add green arrow protected left turns on Second Avenue separate from the pedestrian crossing phase. This concept also requires the left turn lanes suggested in #2 above. As in #8 above, the left turn phase would eliminate the conflict in the crosswalk. Reason for TAC rejection: This could also be detrimental to the Foothill Boulevard traffic flow because it takes time away from the Foothill Boulevard green time. The cost is relatively inexpensive. 10. Create an all- pedestrian crossing phase and eliminate the pedestrian crossings from the other phases — This feature has been used by other jurisdictions like Pasadena on Colorado Boulevard in Old Town Pasadena. The more pedestrians in all directions, the more efficient this concept is. Reason for TAC rejection: If the number of pedestrians is low and or the frequency is spread out, this becomes very inefficient for the overall signal operation. This would be detrimental to all directions of traffic flow by taking away valuable green time for all approaches. 11. Install a leading pedestrian phase — This is slightly different than #10 above. It allows the pedestrian phase several seconds of exclusive "walk" time before the -2- main vehicle phase turns green. It allows the pedestrians to begin their crossing in the crosswalk before vehicles begin their movements. Reason for TAC rejection: This concept is new and has not been fully tested. It has limited improvement to the situation and also takes time away from the other green phases. 12. Station a crossing guard at the intersection for school crossing hours — A crossing guard could be hired by the City and stationed at the intersection. Foothills Middle School is approximately 600 feet away. The school currently is assigned two crossing guards, one at the intersection of Second Avenue and Sycamore Avenue and one at Sycamore Avenue and Highland Oaks Drive. One crossing guard costs the City approximately $9,000 per year. This location is not warranted for a crossing guard under the State warrants of 300 vehicles per hour turning in the crosswalks while 40 pedestrians cross during each of two peak hours. These thresholds are set high for signalized intersections because the traffic signal is considered to provide an adequate level of safety for lower numbers of pedestrians and vehicles. The City and the School District representatives discussed this issue at the recent school site traffic safety visit and the District indicated that the other two locations were their highest priorities. 13. Paint the crosswalks yellow to indicate a school area crossing — The School District requested the crosswalks be painted yellow. Staff reviewed the yellow crosswalk requirement and determined that the intersection is within the allowable distance to a school and can be designated a school area crossing. Oct. 12, 2010 Dear Mayor Amundson, I am writing this letter in response to the letter I received from Mr. Wray dated May 4, 2010 regarding the elimination of all parking on both sides of Second Avenue from Foothill Boulevard to the alley south of Foothill Boulevard. In his letter he mentions that with the elimination of this "convenient parking ", our patients may have to park further south on Second Ave. He is apparently unaware that all of the parking spaces on both sides of Second Avenue from Foothill Blvd. to Laurel Ave. are generally full during business hours on weekdays. The closure of these spaces would require my patients to park more than a block away and my employees to be even further away. Many of our patients are elderly and this would present an extreme hardship for therri. The proximity of parking for my practice has been an asset for all of my patients. In addition to the hardship placed on our patients, I would also anticipate that the loss of these parking spaces would have a detrimental effect on my practice in general. There will be a permanent decreased value of my practice and the property due to insufficient and difficult parking; decreased new patient flow due to insufficient and difficult parking; decreased practice growth due to insufficient and difficult parking. This will generate a financial hardship on me and my employees (for which, I'm sure, the city would not be willing to compensate me). This is a community problem that needs a community solution — not a solution born by only three businesses that have the misfortune of being at this location. I realize that the current proposal is probably the easiest, however, I firmly believe it is not the best! The city of Pasadena has several intersections where restricted left turns during certain posted hours are effective and successful in controlling the traffic! I understand that doing something like this may create a hardship on the community, increasing traffic in other areas, but as I mentioned before, this is a community problem that demands a community solution. Again, as Mr. Wray's letter dated May 4, 2010 states: "The intersection experiences a considerable amount of vehicle and pedestrian activity in both the morning and afternoon hours." I would agree completely that the problem is a transient issue with peaks and valleys. My experience, after having been at this location nearly 18 years, is that the majority of the problem is in the morning and afternoon hours particularly during the time of year when school is in session for Foothill Jr. High. 83% or 34 of 41 accidents on the list Mr. Wray provided occurred on months and days that school is in session. A very obvious question is why there is no crossing guard! ! ! ! I firmly believe that these parking spaces, which Mr. Wray termed "convenient parking" are nothing less than "essential parking" I am extremely opposed to any proposal that would eliminate any of the existing parking on 2 Avenue!!! Sincerely, Thomas R. Segura, Jr. D. D. S. L : ; • ELECTRONIC & U.S. MAIL citycouncil@ci.arcadia.ca.us The Honorable Peter Amundson, Mayor and Members of the City Council Arcadia City Council P.O. Box 60021 Arcadia, CA 91066 -6021 Dear Mayor Amundson and Members of the City Council: --6 Ca ci ,,srttf OCT 111 2010 Panagiri Inc dba PACO'S MEXICAN RESTAURANT CITY COUNCIL 200 E. Foothill Blvd Arcadia, CA 91006 626 - 357 -7270 October 12, 2010 Re: City Staff Position Concerning Traffic Control on Second Avenue; Untimely Response Our family has done business in the City of Arcadia for over 30 years. Paco's Restaurant is a significant source of sales tax generation for the City as a small business. It is located immediately adjacent to the medical offices of Drs. Segura and Raymundo who obviously provide medical and health services to Arcadia residents and residents from other locations who, when seeking medical treatment, also engage in taxable sales within the City. In mid -June 2010, I was notified of a proposed traffic control change by City Staff concerning the restriping of a left turn lane on Second Avenue at its intersection with Foothill Boulevard. Practically speaking, what this would do would be to restrict access to Paco's Restaurant as well as the medical offices that I have referenced. After a communication directed to the City Engineer concerning this issue, on September 30, 2010 I received the enclosed response from Mr. Philip A. Wray, the Deputy Director of Development Services /City Engineer. Quite respectfully, it does not address the concerns I raised on behalf of a long - standing business within your City as to why a rational approach could not be pursued that addresses the parking needs of Paco's Restaurant and the medical needs of the medical offices referenced. Simply put, why can't there be no left turn restrictions on Second Avenue for certain hours of the day as an alternative to these left turn lanes? Please review my attached letter dated July 9, 2010. The Honorable Peter Amundson, Mayor and Members of the City Council Arcadia City Council Page 2 I have seen similar restrictions in other cities on signs that are clearly applicable only during specific hours, therefore evidencing the type of accommodation that your City Staff should be making to existing City businesses and professionals. I request formal review by the City Council as to this restriping suggestion that a more reasonable approach be pursued by City Staff and certainly the request that City Staff be more timely in their response. Paco's Restaurant enjoys doing business within the City of Arcadia and hopefully we will continue to do so providing that we do not have to comply with incompletely analyzed traffic restrictions being advanced by City Staff without proper public consultation and consideration of existing businesses. Again, thank you for your review of this matter. Very truly yours, Christina Karagias Owner, Paco's Mexican Restaurant 626 - 437 -3167 (cell) 626 - 357 -7270 (work) October 13, 2010 S. Brad Miller D.C. Doctor of Chiropractic The Honorable Peter Amundson, Mayor Members of the Arcadia City Council P.O. Box 60021 Arcadia, CA 91066 -6021 Dear Mayor Amundson and Members of the City Council: Sincerely, S. Brad Miller DC Miller Family Chiropractic [626] 930 1355 Fax [626] 930 1354 212 Ease Foothill Blvd. Suite C Arcadia CA 91006 2527 iiiCENED CITY OF C*pl OCT 1 of 2010 � °! �,� COUNCIL s: f C1 Tv COUNCIL Re: City Staff Position Concerning Traffic Control on Second Avenue; cery *i (LR Ci 1, lXj'v` My office is located at 212 E. Foothill for the last 14 years. I have been in practice 25 years in Arcadia. I was notified of a proposed traffic control change by City Staff concerning the restriping of a left turn lane on Second Avenue at its intersection with Foothill Boulevard and restriction of road parking. Road parking helps relief the parking needed for the long -term successful businesses in this location. My request: why can't there be any left turn restrictions on Second Avenue for certain hours of the day? To whom it may concern, Although we understand the need for safety at the intersection of Foothill Boulevard and Second Avenue, we do not agree on the safety measure that is being selected by the City's Traffic Advisory Committee. Parking for our business is already stressed. Business owners, employees and patrons are already parking a block away. Parking convenience plays a significant role in the success of our business in Arcadia. Imagine having to walk two or more blocks on your next visit to the dentist, patrons would simply find another dentist in the area. Furthermore, the increase number of cars parked in the residential area would surely upset our neighbors. Adding a left turn pocket will provide room for the vehicles desiring to go straight but it will not reduce the number of factors faced by the drivers making a left turn. It will also increase the flow of traffic. In order to properly deal with the problem, we must identify the source of the problem. There is just too much traffic on Second Avenue. We need to reduce the amount of traffic that goes through Second Avenue. No left turn on certain times of the day, especially during school hours or high traffic times. Speed bumps are another way of reducing traffic. Placing a no parking sign or a red curb is not the solution to the problem. It will just add new problems. This definitely needs to be looked into, but not to the expense of this neighborhood. Dr. Ronalyn Raymundo Raymundo Dental Practice, Inc. 170 E. Foothill Blvd. Suite B Arcadia, CA 91006