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HomeMy WebLinkAbout6.02 Amarillo Rd Traffic Study 5-90- CITY OF DUBLIN AGENDA STATEMENT City Council Meeting Date: April 13, 1987 SUBJECT: Public Hearing: Amarillo Road Traffic Study EXHIBITS ATTACHED: Draft Ordinance Report from TJKM CP) - RECOMMENDATION: Open Public Hearing 2) Receive Staff presentation and public testimony 3) Question Staff and the public 4) Close Public Hearing and deliberate 5) Waive reading and adopt ordinance on an urgency basis FINANCIAL STATEMENT: Approximately $300 to replace signs in public right- of-way. The school district would be responsible for replacing the signs in their driveway area. DESCRIPTION: Following the Silvergate Drive traffic study which was conducted in the fall of 1986, a petition was received from Mrs. Linda Carter requesting installation of STOP signs in front of Nielsen School and reduction of the speed limit on Amarillo Road from 25 m.p.h. to 15 m.p.h. TJKM, the City's traffic engineering firm, has reviewed Amarillo Road and presents findings as follows: • Radar Speed Survey A spot speed study conducted on March 17th indicates an 85th percentile speed of 36 m.p.h. and a 50th percentile speed of 31 m.p.h. Because Amarillo is a essentially a residential street with a church and school, the 25 m.p.h. speed limit is appropriate. Accident History There have been three reported accidents on Amarillo Road since 1982, two of which involved pedestrians. A review of the accidents indicates that they were caused primarily by inattention rather than by excessive speeding. No citations were issued for any of them. Interview with Principal of Nielsen School Ms. Griffiths, Principal of Nielsen School, indicated that traffic volumes are highest during morning hours, especially on Monday when all classes begin at 8:30. There are three starting times on other days of the week. The "Wheels" bus service has been the biggest help in reducing traffic volumes. No school buses service Nielsen School, and buses do not use the parking lot except for field trips twice a year. Field Review Traffic conditions were observed during normal conditions and during rainy weather. The traffic problem is much worse during heavy rains when up to 20 southbound vehicles queued along Amarillo waiting to get into the school driveway. Approximately 10% of the vehicles were not school-related and were delayed by the school traffic. The northbound queue was much shorter, and children were dropped off along the curb. Although traffic was heavy, the flow was orderly, and the delay involved waiting to get into the driveway. ITEM NO. 6+z COPIES TO: TJKM Ms. Griffiths, Nielsen School 3c*... cu+= T*9:4F. .,.:AF' ww..--..f 5 '° ;.. 3 t' a' r 3 '1 ^57t. s,7- 41 ""7..:r+.F^.'.. . u�RJ=7.Z''""' �'��c•t_, ..�s:i...:..1�..__e _.. ..+._,..,.. .ta.a..�'�'�x•X.T,,c.a.-,.rx,_.-..sfs nYti. .'Y`•, •• -- Recommendations Based on the field survey, traffic observations, and bus operations, TJKM recommends changing the "Buses Only" signs along Amarillo Road and in the school driveway to "Passenger loading Zone" signs. Since traffic on Amarillo Road during most of the day is very light, TJKM does not recommend installing STOP signs. STOP signs do not effectively reduce speeds. Because prevailing speeds are higher than posted speed limits, Staff recommends that the Police Department target this area for selective enforcement. It is not recommended that the 25 m.p.h. speed limit be changed. TJKM also recommends that the school administration instruct parents on the proper way to pick up and drop off students. All passenger loading and unloading should be done either within the driveway or along the easterly curb (school side). The diagram included with the Staff report shows the preferred traffic flow pattern. Ideally, the school should provide an adult staff person to direct traffic. Parents should avoid having children cross Amarillo, especially during rainy weather when visibility is impaired. Another suggestion is to encourage the use of public transit to transport children to and from school. Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the attached ordinance to change the "Passenger Loading - Buses Only" designation to a Passenger Loading Zone that may be used by other vehicles. -2- • ORDINANCE NO. -87 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN ESTABLISHING TRAFFIC REGULATIONS The City Council of the City of Dublin does ordain as follows: Section 1. PASSENGER LOADING ZONES: City of Dublin Ordinance 31-85 relating to "Passenger Loading Zones" is repealed. Section 6-430.27 Amarillo Road of the Alameda County Ordinance Code previously adopted by the City of Dublin is amended to read: 6-430.27 Amarillo Road. On the easterly curbline from a point 110 feet southerly from the southerly curbline of Ladera Drive, southerly a distance of 625 feet. Section 2. IMMEDIATE EFFECT: This Ordinance shall take effect immediately upon its enactment because the adoption and immediate effect thereof is necessary in order to protect vehicular and pedestrian safety. Section 3. POSTING OF ORDINANCE: The City Clerk of the City of Dublin shall cause this Ordinance to be posted in at least three (3) public places in the City of Dublin in accordance with Section 36933 of the Government Code of the State of California. PASSED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Dublin on this. 13th day of April, 1987. AYES: ` NOES: ABSENT: Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk .M, :a_' ";L, vs,W-.. 71-i*--'t ^7..?. i._ $i7^°* =-i*"TLYar SS4StiV,kA'?` '' .: .__. .."?:"?...rye:r,"r,.F :x"n, _. 6'-'7.La.a-..,,_ 7't3. 17-+SC;:,7'7-7. .`..._ pia • 4637 Chabot Drive,Suite 214 Pleasanton Ca. 94566 (415)463-0611 MEMORANDUM DATE: March 23, 1987 • TO: Lee Thompson, C ity Engineer v., C , j t�'JI FROM: Ty Tekawa `; •`� �' SUBJECT: Traffic Stud Amarillo Ro X I `i11� � y, ad, Nielsen School �B_�e Introduction After an extensive study of Silvergate Drive between San Ramon Road and Dublin Boulevard in the Fall of 1986, several improvements were made. STOP signs were installed on Silvergate Drive at its intersection with Peppertree Road. New "SCHOOL". warning signs 'were installed on Silvergate Drive in advance of the existing crosswalks at Amarillo Road. A crossing guard has been assigned at the intersection of Silvergate Drive and Amarillo Road. After the City Council ordered the above improvements, a petition was received along with a letter from Linda A. Carter. The letter expressed appreciation for the council action regarding the crossing guard, then went on to request further improvements along Amarillo Road. The specific requests were "to look into the possibility of a speed reduction from the present 25 mph to the school zone speed of 15 mph, extending from Hansen Drive to Silvergate Drive and two new STOP signs on Amarillo Road directly in front of Nielsen School". A drawing was attached to the letter. Methodology In order to assess the need to implement the requested improvements, TJKM performed the following tasks. * Field review of existing development and roadway conditions . • * Inventory of existing signs and markings along Amarillo Road * Radar speed survey of traffic on Amarillo Road * Accident history * Assessment of traffic volumes and STOP sign warrants * Observation of school passenger loading zone utilization (rainy day) * Interview with school Principal Roadway Conditions Amarillo Road between Silvergate Drive and Hansen. Drive is a two-lane street with dashed yellow striping. Parking is allowed on both sides-of the street. The development in the area is single-family residential. Nielsen School and an PLEASANTON SACRAMENTO FRESNO CONCORD s. Lee Thompson -2- March 23, 1987 adjacent church are located on the east side of Amarillo Road between •Ladera Drive and Shadow Drive. Amarillo Road is slightly curved and all cross streets are controlled with STOP signs. There are numerous:driveways from residences fronting Amarillo Road along with driveways from the school and church. Inventory of Existing Signs and Markings Figure 1 depicts existing signs and markings,along Amarillo Road. Also shown are signs within the Nielsen School driveway area. The street is posted for 25 mph which is the prima facie-speed limit for .a local road and for school zones in accordance with the California Vehicle Code: - There are yellow crosswalks across , Amarillo Road near the Nielsen School. One is located on the south leg of the intersection at Ladera Drive/Ladera Lane. The other crosswalk is on the south leg of the intersection at Alegre Drive. The required pavement markings in advance of these crosswalks have been installed along with supplemental signs. A bus zone and a passenger loading zone are in place along the Nielsen School frontage. Radar Speed Survey A.spot speed study was conducted on March 17, 1987. The 50th• percentile speed was 31 mph and the 85th percentile was 36 mph. The 10 mph speed range at which most drivers .(84 percent) traveled was between 26 and 35 mph. The lowest speed was 26 mph and the highest was 40. mph. The 85th percentile speed, or "critical speed is that speed at or below which 85 percent of the vehicles traveled. Without regard to other influences, this would be the limit posted. Amarillo Road, however, is a residential street with school and church frontages and numerous driveways and pedestrian activity. Because of these influences the posted 25 mph speed limit is appropriate. Figure 2 is a summary of the speed survey. . Accident History There have been three reported accidents on Amarillo Road from 1982 to the present. Figure 3 is a collision diagram showing details of each of the accidents.' Two of the accidents involved pedestrians. The first one occurred in, 1983. A woman was struck as a driver tried to maneuver around a parked vehicle with its door open on the traffic side. The person who was struck was standing in the roadway talking to the person- who opened her car door. The driver was traveling at a safe speed and while avoiding the open door, did not see the person behind the parked car. The second auto-pedestrian accident happened on February 18, 1986. A. ten year-old was struck by a vehicle at approximately 1:00 p.m. The pedestrian ran out onto Amarillo Road from behind a"parked vehicle at Nielsen School. The officer who investigated the accident reported that both parties may have contributed to the accident. The pedestrian ran suddenly from the sidewalk outside of a crosswalk area, and the driver may not have been attentive enough while driving in a school,zone. . . The third accident which occurred on December 9, 1986, involved a vehicle turning right from Silvergate Drive striking a parked vehicle on Amarillo Road. The report attributed the cause of this minor• accident to the inattention of the driver and the other car being parked too far, from the curb. " No citations were issued for any of these accidents. " k, Lee Thompson -3- - March 23, 1987 Interview With Principal Michelle DeRobertis met with Ms. Griffiths, the Principal of Nielsen School to discuss the school's traffic problems. According to Ms. Griffiths, traffic volumes are the highest during the morning hours. The worst, day is Monday when all classes begin at 8:30. Tuesday"through Friday'are not as bad since there are three starting times:. 8:30, 9:15, and 9:30.'- There is a problem in the.parking lot during these peak hours, especially during . rainy days. She does not. know if a new speed limit or.S_ TOP signs are appropriate solutions to the traffic problems at the school. She feels that the "Wheels" bus service is the 'biggest help in reducing traffic . ' volumes. ' There are no school buses servicing Nielsen School. Buses do not drive into the parking lot except for field trips two times a year. Parents are driving older children (5th and 6th graders) to school which is another reason for higher than normal traffic volumes. Field Review ■ Traffic conditions at Nielsen School were observed both during normal weather conditions and during rainy weather. Although there is some congestion during clear weather, the traffic problem is much worse during heavy rains. Up to 20 southbound cars queued along Amarillo Road waiting to enter the Nielsen School driveway. Although most of the traffic was school-related, a few vehicles (approximately'ten percent) were through vehicles who were delayed for up to two minutes. The northbound queue was much shorter.and children were dropped off along the curb instead of within the school driveway. Although the traffic was heavy, the flow was orderly_ and the delay involved vehicles waiting to pull into the Nielsen School entrance driveways. Recommendations Based on the field survey, traffic observations, and bus operations, we have found a need to change the existing signs along Amarillo Road and within the school _ driveway area. Several of the existing signs relate to school bus use. Since there is little use by school buses, the zones so designated should be removed and replaced with "PASSENGER LOADING ZONE": These sign replacements are depicted in Figure 1. Since traffic during most of the day is very light on Amarillo Road and extremely light on its cross streets, TJKM recommends against the installation of STOP signs. We again restate our concern regarding the use of STOP signs as speed reducing devices. STOP signs do not effectively reduce speeds. Because prevailing speeds are higher than posted speed limits, it is TJKM's. recommendation that the police 'target this area for selective enforcement. We do not recommend changing the existing 25 mph limit. - Lee Thompson -4- -- March 23, 1987 Review of the accidents on Amarillo Road indicate that inattention rather than excessive speeding was the main cause of the three accidents that have occurred since 1982. In the case of the pedestrian accidents, the pedestrians were not attentive as well as the drivers. TJKM recommends that the school administration instruct parents on the proper way to drop-off and pick-up students. It is important that all passenger loading and unloading be done within the driveway area or along the easterly curb (the school side) designated for passenger_loading. Parents should avoid making their _ children cross Amarillo Road especially during rainy weather when visibility is impaired. The ideal area to load and unload passengers is within the school driveway. The other preferred loading area along the easterly curb is primarily utilized by vehicles arriving, from the south. This loading area could also be effectively utilized by vehicles arriving from the north if they were to drive west on Silvergate Drive to Hansen Drive, then east on Hansen Drive, then north on Amarillo Road. This would enable vehicles to queue along the easterly curb and eliminate the danger of children crossing the street to school. Figure 4 shows the preferred movement for periods of heavy traffic. In order to effectively utilize the passenger loading zone areas near the school, _ TJKM recommends using an adult staff person to observe and direct traffic. Another suggestion to reduce the traffic congestion is to encourage the use of public transit to transport the children to and from school. rhm Enclosures 157-001M.16T "B" "PASSENGER LOADING NIELSEN SCHOOL ZONE BA.M.- 5P.M. SCHOOL DAYS _®C. , A„ ONLY ; �f BUSES ONLY" "NO PARKING C-; BUS ZONE" c. y y Rd, qa i 01 ii y d. S R2125) a *Cr) \ I - syRl RI WI7A/WI7B RIB Pmp<\\\o p p • $9 RI U R I X ��RI "C.6 Al n Ararilo • W63/W65 S • PASSENGER • R2(25) ¢ RI RI LOADING Mancini Ci. cc.= ZONE • W66/W66A J U 8A.M.-5P.M. m ` O wE • R2(25). C FS/ p.W63 0/. O '. \RI C1 = Existing Sign .. S = "STOP" s S = "SLOW SCHOOL CROSSING" X = Crosswalk — = Limit Line I = Replace "A" or "B" sign with new "C" sign ' SIGNS & MARKINGS - FIGURE City Of - Dublin Amarillo Rd. between Silvergate Dr. & Hansen Dr. 4114 1 TRANSPORTATION CONSULTANTS FIGURE 2 f. SPOT SPEED STUDY ANALYSISJ FOR THE. CITY OF. DUBLIN LOCATION AMARILLO RD. S/0 LADERA CT. DEVELOPMENT r RES. /SCHOOL DIRECTION BOTH" 50th PERCENTILE SPEED 31" DAY OF THE WEEK TUESDAY 85th PERCENTILE SPEED 36 DATE 03/17/87 .10. MPH PACE SPEED 26 TO 35 TIME OF THE DAY 9:55-10:'25 AM PERCENT IN PACE SPEED 84 POSTED SPEED LIMIT 25 RANGE OF SPEEDS .. 26 TO 40 , VEHICLES OBSERVED" 25 SKEWNESS. INDEX 1. 33 CUMULATIVE SPEED CURVE SPEED NUM- PERCNT. CUMUL. , (MPH) BER OF TOT. PRCNT. . 100% 040,41406.4141040600-, 26 1 4. 00 4. 00 I 1 . 1 1 •1 27 5 20. 00 24. 00 I . . 1 1 I • { 28 2 8. 00 . . 32. 00 . 1 I 1 1 •1 I I I 29 3 12. 00 44. 00 90%, I I I 1--• 30 '1" 4. 00 . 48. 00 " i I 1 ' I • 31 4 '16. 00 64. 00 • . t I 1 I • 1 f 32 2 8. 00 . 72. 00 t: 1 t : 1• 33 3 12. 00 `84. 00 . 80%: •I f . I I• I 1 t 34 ' ' 0 0. 00 84. 00 l . .. t I . • 1• { I • I 35 0 0. 00 • 84. 00 I I - I I• I 1 f I 36 1 4. 00 88. 00 I f. 1 ' t I I i I 37 0 0. 00 88. 00 " - 70% 1 I 1-• 38 1 4. 00 92. 00 I I I • I i 1 1 39 . 1 4. 00 . 96. 00 1 I I • I t t 1 40 1 4. 00 100. 00 I i 1 . ' • 41 0 . 0. 00 100. 00 60% i I I ' 42 _ - 0 0: 00 ' 100. 00 I { 1 e f { 43 0 0. 00 . 100, 00 I I I • I t i i 44 0 " 0. 00 100. 00 I i' I • I I t 1 45 0 0. 00 .. 100. 00 50% i• I I.---a 46 0 0. 00 . 100. 00 I " ' I I • t i s i i 47 . 0 0. 00 100. 00 .I I 1 'e i 48 0 0. 00 100. 00 I I f. •t I I i f 49 0 0. 00 . 100. 00 40 I I-1--• 1 50 , 0 0. 00 100. 00 t I 1 •I I - 51 0 0. 00 , 100. 00 I I 1 •i_ 52 0 0. 00 100. 00 I I 1 •! ! 1 I I 53 0 ' . 0. 00 100. 00 30% I { 1-• i I I I ! 54 0 0. 00 100. 00 I i I • i 55 0 0. 00 100. 00 I I 1 • i 56 0 0. 00 100. 00 I I I • I 57. . 0 0. 00 100. 00 20% I . i 1-•-I 58 0 0. 00 ' 100. 00 I I 1 • _i 59 0 0. 00 100. 00 i I 1 • i 60 . - . -0 '0..00 100. 00 1 I i • 1 61 0 0. 00 100. 00 . . 10% 1 i I---ds-i- 62 0 0. 00 ' 100. 00 I I 1 • i 63 - " 0 . 0. 00 100. 00 I I I • i 64 ' 0 0. 00 100. 00 i I 1 • I 65 .• .0 0. 00. 100. 00 0% L•••••••••••• - 66 ' 0 0. 00 100. 00 0 ' 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 SPEED (MPH) FIGURE 3 Collision Diagram 5/L✓ERGATE D4 LEGEND: RIGHT ANGLE ESTRELLA CT -d- LEFT TURN �- REAR-END Q4 -"O-- HEAD-ON SIDE SWIPE,REAR-END 'TT—" SIDE SWIPE,HEAD-ON PeD eiKE PEDESTRIAN,BICYCLE 0.0.1) - BACKING • (L) DAYLIGHT L L/A/F)- CT / (D) DARKNESS �I 0 PROPERTY DAMAGE ❑ FIXED OBJECT • INJURY • FATAL CD PARKED CAR vv..- OUT OF CONTROL LA17ERA CT I LA_DERA 2 ACC DATE TIME PED 1 /-31-93 2/:OS 2 1-18 b'G 13:55 /�LEG,QE l�Q :3. 12-5-86 07.55 • A144I4/LLO CT. 5.:0,1A D06,1 DQ. f/f)NSEA/ OR. • 1 1 L 1v minim o '11° 11Inti O rQ4 11 •• CT '■■ ■ F " r *4 • • ■ J 4161111,11111L at 41 SW•al)1 * . .1 ft Amvp., „ \k„ • '1 *". - O 9 *NM* u,41 ,a■tII t / OA �I . ' DIRECTION OF;SOS Iii Ow' `'' TRAVEL �'� * PASSENGER ro101k4 LOADING A • ,,�• � .� & UNLOADING viva� M / ZONE• 'IsLw• .!"‘l Alt.\ ��• • • 0 n_ CITY OF DUBLIN Recommended Traffic Circulation FIGURE For Passenger Loading & Unloading r 4 At Nielson School TRANSPORTATION CONSULTANTS •