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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999-07-07 City Council (13)TO:CITY COUNCIL City of Palo Alto City Manager’s Report FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT:POLICE TRANSPORTATION DATE: ~. JUNE 7, 1999 SUBJECT:STATUS REPORT ISSUES CMR:269:99 ON PEDESTRIAN AND TRAFFIC SAFETY This is an information report and no Council action is requested at this time. REPORT IN BRIEF In October 1998, Council directed staff to: 1) review the suggestion to place barrel signs in crosswalks, 2) consider other safety methods for crosswalks, 3) correspond with state legislators to change State law regarding the use of radar devices for speed enforcement, 4) return to Council with a report for other approaches to traffic safety including working with interested members of the community so they can learn and understand the various alternatives recommended by staff, 5) report back to Council in six months with the costs, pros and cons of various alternatives, and 6) provide an update on Traffic Management and Safety. Since that--time,, staff has begun researching pedestrian safety strategies, conducted a pedestrian education and enforcement survey, and worked with a State legislator in attempts to change legislation regarding the use of radar. Staff still has some additional work to complete prior to the development of the pros and cons of various alternatives and specific recommendations. After the additional research has been completed, staff will meet with interested members of the community to discuss proposed recommendations. This report provides the status of the work completed to date. Additionally, as requested by Council, this report also provides an update on the recommendations staff made to Council in 1995 regarding traffic safety issues. Staff will return to Council with specific recommendations after the research and other work has been completed. _ CMR:269:99 Page 1 of 18 DISCUSSION For a number 0fyears, traffic safety has been a Council priority. In 1995, at the Council’s direction, staff prepared an extensive list of recommendations that addressed the concerns that had been expressed at that time. While a number of these recommendations have been implemented, traffic safety issues remain a concern, especially those associated with pedestrians. This report provides an update on the 1995 recommendations; discusses some pedestrian safety strategies, including the use of barrel signs; provides information on other traffic programs that have been implemented; updates efforts on work with legislators to change the regulations regarding the use of radar; and includes information about pedestrian-related accidents. Status of 1995 Recommendations In March 1995, staff developed 11 recommendations to address traffic safety concerns (CMR:192:95). Staffprovided a brief update in November 1996 (CMR:468:96) at the time a request was made to conduct traffic and engineering surveys on three streets for a trial period. The following provides more recent information on the original recommendations: Establish radar enforceable speed limits on three selected streets for a six-month trial basis. In early 1995, staff recommended that Council approve the establishment of radar enforceable speed limits not to exceed 35 miles per hour on three selected streets for a six-month trial period. After the Policy and Services Committee approved the recommendation, at the time of the discussion with the full Council, the Council authorized staff to proceed with speed surveys. Due to the negative public reaction, staff took extra time in looking at other alternatives. In November 1996, staff requested Council approval to complete traffic surveys to assist in the decision making process. Council approved the recommendation in February 1997. A consultant was hired and the speed surveys were conducted on Embarcadero, Middlefield, Arastradero and Charleston Roads in September 1997. (A decision was made to conduct the surveys while schools were in session.) Staffprovided the results to Council in March 1998, but indicated that recommendations would not be developed until after the traffic signal timing study had been completed on the same arterials. That study has been completed and staff anticipates returning to Council with recommendations late this Summer. CMR:269:99 Page 2 of 18 Approve the concept of the use of motorcycles for traffic enforcement. The traffic motorcycle program was initiated in FY 1994-95 and was fully operational in FY 1996-97. Currently, five motor officers provide traffic enforcement coverage six days a week. The motorcycle program has been quite successful. In addition to normal enforcement activities, motorcycle officers have been used in events ranging from the May Fete parade, Police and Fire Safety shows, dignitary motorcades, and Stanford University football games. As anticipated, traffic enforcement is safer and more productive when done by motorcycle officers. As a result, a request for an additional traffic officer position and a motorcycle is included in the Police Department’s proposed FY1999-2000 budget. Approve the concept of increasing the size of the traffic team by two additional officer positions. Council approved these two positions in 1995-96. The expanded traffic team has allowed staff to provide extended traffic enforcement coverage. When the team is fully staffed, traffic enforcement coverage is provided Monday through Saturday, 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. An increase of 4,688 citations resulted from the additional two positions (Attachment A). Approve the installation of flashing warning lights on Embarcadero Road adjacent to Walter Hayes School on a trial basis. The lights were installed in November 1995. According to speed surveys conducted prior to and after the installation, no changes in speeds were observed. The lights remain in place and are activated. Staff continues to believe that this strategy is not effective and as a result has not recommended installation at any other locations in the City. Endorse the concept of increasing enforcement efforts at locations where there is a higher than normal accident rate. This element has been successful at smaller intersections. As an example, between October 1, 1997 and December 31, 1997, the intersection of Hale and University Avenue experienced six accidents and was tied for the location where the greatest number of accidents occurred. After increased enforcement efforts, that location has. not reappeared on the list of the top 20 intersections. Success around the more congested intersections, however, has been hard to achieve. CMR:269:99 Page 3 of 18 Due to the increasingly high volume of cars, the potential for accidents increases, even with added enforcement focus. Heavily congested intersections such as East Bayshore and Embarcadero Roads, Charleston and San Antonio .Roads, and E1 Camino Real and Embarcadero Road frequently appear in the top five locations. As a result of emphasis at the intersection of Middlefield Road and Lytton Avenue, officers and Transportation staff noticed that the primary causes of accidents at this location were people running red lights. While enforcement efforts minimally reduced the number of accidents, the re-engineering of the intersection’s signal lights to three-way patterns (similar to University Avenue and Middlefield Road), allowing for left-hand turns without the risk of oncoming traffic, has reduced the accidents caused by red light violations from five to 1.5 per year. Other re-engineering strategies have also resulted in positive outcomes. The restriping of the University Avenue/Middlefield Road intersection, together with the already existing three-way signal allowing north and southbound Middlefield Road traffic to make left turns unopposed has also reduced the number of accidents in that area. Left turn green arrows were recently installed for east/west traffic at Embarcadero and Middlefield Roads and Embarcadero and Newell Roads. Staff has received many positive comments from community members about this change. While actual accident rate comparisons have not yet been completed, staff believes this change will reduce the number of failure-to-yield accidents at these intersections. 6.Establish a Neighborhood Speedwatch program on a six-month trial basis. This program was initiated in 1996. While the program has not been as successful as staff had originally anticipated, 15 citizens (an increase of 10 since 1996) have used the program. Staff believes one reason the program has not been as popular is that a number of the people who have checked out radar units have concluded that traffic was not traveling as fast as they had thought prior to determining speeds with the radar units. Staff continues to use this technique to address speeding concerns by loaning out radar units to residents upon request. Endorse continuation of parmership efforts with the Palo Alto Unified School District, especially in an attempt to enhance traffic safety educational programs for parents and students. Police and Transportation staff are active participants in the City/School Traffic CMR:269:99 -Page 4 of 18 Safety Committee. Assistance has been provided at bike rodeos conducted at some elementary schools. Traffic officers have assisted schools in about 36 bike rodeos over the last three years and have conducted a number of bicycle helmet checks around various schools. Special traffic enforcement emphasis has also occurred in school zones, especially during the beginning of each new school year. Phase 1 of the Citywide School Commute Safety Study, approved by the City Council in December 1998, included recommendations for joint City/School District efforts to enhance traffic safety education and outreach programs. Funding for Phase 2 of the Citywide School Commute Safety Study is proposed in the 2000-01 operating budget. The Police Department continues to provide crossing guard coverage at those locations that meet the Council approved criteria. Due to the increase in locations, the significant supervisory work load associated with ensuring the locations are always staffed, and the frequent use of Community Service and Traffic Officers to backfill for absent guards, staff has included funds in the proposed 1999-2001 budget to pay for a contractor to provide these services. Approve continued assistance provided to the schools that conduct Junior Safety Patrol programs. Only tWO schools (Escondido and Ohlone) currently have Junior Safety Patrol programs in operation. Due to the increase in traffic volumes and the more aggressive behavior of motorists, most school administrators have decided that it is too risky to have students assist with traffic control. 9.Con~[uct periodic safety checkpoints. Over the last four years, different types of safety checkpoints have been conducted at various locations throughout the City. They included seat belt checkpoints on Middlefield and Page Mill Roads; four drunk driving checkpoints in Palo Alto and two joint checkpoints with Los Altos and Mountain View respectively; bicycle helmet checks around schools; and bicycle checkpoints around Churchill and Alma. 10.Endorse concept of City vehicle safe driving program. While a formal program using the bumper stickers on City vehicles has not been initiated, the City Manager has provided clear direction to department heads and City staff about the safe and legal operation of City vehicles. When complaints are CMR:269:99 Page 5 of 18 11. received about unsafe or illegal driving behavior on the part of City staff, investigations are conducted and appropriate corrective action is taken if warranted. All accidents that occur within the City limits involving City vehicles are reported and documented by the Police Department. If it is determined that City employees are the cause of preventable accidents, disciplinary action is taken and the employees are often provided additional driver’s training. Through the Comprehensive Plan. Advisory Committee discussion on the Transportation element, provide direction to staff on any continued work for the following long range strategies: a.Neighborhood Traffic Studies Currently staff is working on the North Downtown Traffic Study to address concerns primarily.,relating to cut-through traffic and speeding. It is anticipated that the study will be completed within the next six months. In addition, staff is developing a Neighborhood (Local and Collector Street) Traffic Calming program that would establish and formalize City policies relating to the protection of neighborhood streets from impacts of vehicular traffic. This program is expected to be ready for Council review this Fall. Reduction of Residential Streets/Neighborhood Street Width While this is not a specific project, it is one of the traffic calming methods that might be considered as part of traffic calming efforts. c.Downsize Arterial(s) from Four Lanes to Two Lanes Five streets (Embarcadero, Middlefield, Charleston, and Arastradero Roads and University Avenue) have been designated as residential arterial streets in the City’s Comprehensive Plan. The intent is to reduce traffic speeds, improve bicyclist and pedestrian safety, and improve aesthetics for all five streets. Staff is currently working the first phase of a multi-year planning and feasibility project focused on Embarcadero Road. The study is expected to be completed this Summer and forwarded to the Council for discussion and direction this Fall. d.Support Regional Market-Based Pricing Strategies CMR:269:99 Page 6 of 18 Staff is not aware of any serious efforts at the regional level regarding market- based pricing strategies that would create a reduction in travel during peak periods. If and when such an effort is made, staff will provide support. Develop Local Transit (Marguerite-Type) System A local shuttle bus system feasibility study was funded in 1998-99 and was recently completed. Implementation of theinitial phase of service is planned for 1999-2000, subject to Council approval. Pursue Extension of Light Rail Transit from Mountain View to/through Palo Alto go This project is planned for a future year but has been submitted to the Valley Transportation Authority for inclusion in its long range plan. Reduce Allowable Commercial Vehicle Weight Limits and Change Designated Truck Routes This project is planned for a future year. - h.- Full Vehicle Grade Separations With exception of the exploration into the feasibility of below grade crossing in conjunction with PAMF/SOFA coordinated area plan, no full vehicle grade separations are contemplated by the City or supported by the Comprehensive Plan. However, this issue may continue to be raised by some community members as a potential solution to noise-related concerns and traffic delays incurred while crossing gates are down. i.Underground CalTrain This issue was discussed during CPAC discussions. It was not included in the Comprehensive Plan however. The costs associated with this alternative are very high and would not realistically be possible until such time it was included as part of a regional transit project. Updated Information on Strategies Not Recommended by Staff in 1995 Staff reviewed a number of other traffic safety strategies in 1995, but did not recommend CMR:269:99 -Page’ 7 of 18 them for various reasons. The following is updated information on some of those strategies. Photo Radar - Photo radar use in California has been pretty much eliminated. Almost every city that used photo radar ceased using it because of the costs, unreliability of the equipment and the need for staffing resources to identify drivers. Although the City of Menlo Park recently indicated it will be looking into using photo radar, most traffic enforcement experts believe that due to the monumental problems associated with its use, unless significant changes are made, it cannot be considered a cost-effective or useful tool for speed enforcement. Red Light Cameras - Staff did not recommend the use of red light cameras in 1995 due to the significant costs, the low number of accidents in Palo Alto caused by red light violations, and problems associated with identifying the driver of vehicles who are captured by the cameras. In 1996, staff again recommended against implementation, of red light cameras due to the still unresolved legal issues associated with identification of drivers, costs of up to $100,000 per intersection, and the significant amount of staff time needed to identify drivers, testify in court, and provide a review of the photographs to violators. While there have been some changes in these areas, some problems still exist and costs are still significant. Legal issues - In June 1998, Senate Bill (SB) 1136 became effective. This legislation repealed the original three-year sunset date of SB 1802._ SB 1802 was the original bill that provided the authority to use automated red light instruments at signalized intersections. While some attempts have been made, adjudication of red light v_iNators captured by cameras has not changed. The California Vehicle Code (CVC) still requires a clear photograph of the driver and vehicle license plate. The purpose of the identification of the driver is to allow the addition of a point to the violator’s driving record if convicted of the violation. Due to problems with driver identification and the requirement to positively identify the driver (e.g. windshield glare, sun visors, rear view mirror obstructions, etc.), based upon the experience of cities who have red light cameras in operation, only about 25 percent of the violators actually receive a citation. The citation issuance rate would probably double if driver identification was not necessary and only a clear photograph of the vehicle’s front license plate was required. In February 1998, Assemblyperson Shell introduced Assembly Bill (AB) 2411 that would change this requirement. However, that bill died at the committee level. CMR:269:99 Page 8 of 18 In 1998, changes were made to the California Vehicle Code. The changes allow for Notices of Violation citations be sent to the registered owner of a vehicle whose license plate was photographed by a red light camera. If the registered owner does not respond, the Department of Motor Vehicles may place a hold on the vehicle’s registration and a Failure to Appear on the registered owner’s driver’s license. While this change has helped to resolve some of the problems, there still appears to be a requirement for a clear and identifiable photograph. Costs - While it is still possible to purchase red light camera systems, the costs to buy the equipment are still significant ($300,000). Three or four years ago, there were at least four different companies that offered red light camer..a systems; currently there are only two companies, one of which has not yet started operation in the United States. Lockheed-Martin Photo Enforcement Group offers a three-year lease agreement that costs between $126,000 and $228,000 per intersection per year. It is currently operating red light camera systems at about 115 intersections throughout the country. Under its agreement, City staff would still need to review photos, issue Notices to Appear, and testify in court. It also retains a large percentage of the revenue associated with collected fines. Lockheed-Martin also offers a five-year lease agreement that would include the installation, equipment, and maintenance for up to three intersections for about $60,000 a year. In addition, it would receive all of the revenue generated by red light violations at the intersections equipped with its systems. Its agreements usually require the use of City personnel to review the photos, issue citations, and testify in court. The $60,000 would cover the estimated costs for a half-time officer needed to complete these tasks. Operation.- Cameras work day and night. During darkness, a high speed strobe light is used to photograph vehicles as they drive through a red light. Inductive loops placed in the street just outside the intersection trigger the cameras. Two loops per lane allow the system to calculate the speed of the vehicle. The vehicle speed must be greater than a set limit (San Francisco uses 15 miles-per-hour) prior to the camera being activated. The cameras are capable of taking photographs only when vehicles are illegally entering the intersection against a red light. Drivers are normally given up to 0.3 seconds as photographs are not taken before that to ensure that a violation has occurred. Some systems take second and/or third photos of the vehicles as they continue through the intersections. Based upon California cities’ experience, only about 40 percent of the photographs are useable. Out of the 40 percent, the compliance rate for Notices to Appear for CMR:269:99 Page 9 of 18 violations averages between 65 and 70 percent. State law was changed in 1997 regarding allocation of traffic citation revenue. AB 233 authorized a greater portion of red light violation revenue to be given back to the cities. This legislation increases Palo Alto’s receipt of vehicle base fines from about 40 percent to 79 percent. Additionally, the City is now able to collect 50 percent of the total fine of $281 for each red light violation. However, even with this increase, given the low citation issuance rate experienced by other cities like San Francisco, cost effectiveness still remains questionable. Red Light Violation Accident Rates - The number of accidents caused by people running red lights has averaged about 79 per year. Attachment B provides a six~-year history of accidents caused by red light violations. For the first six months of this fiscal year, only 19 accidents have been caused by people running red lights. Staff believes the 34 percent decrease between 1996 and 1997 was primarily the result of the full implementation of the motorcycle program. With continued emphasis on red light enforcement, together with the recent increase in fines for running red lights ($281), the accident rates have remained constant for the last three years and based upon the numbers reported during the first part of this fiscal year, appear to be decreasing substantially. It should be noted that signs have been installed at two locations on Embarcadero Road indicating what the fine is for red light violations. The number of red light violation citations issued by the Police Department over the last two years totals 4,142. For the same reasons cited in 1995 and 1996, staff does not recommend pursuing the use of red light cameras until such time the problems associated with their use are alleviated and the costs are reduced. Information on other Programs/Devices that have been Implemented Neighborhood Traffic Officer Program - This program has been quite successful in that it provides residents who live in a certain area a single point of contact regarding traffic enforcement. Currently, traffic officers are assigned to Barron Park, Midtown, Embarcadero Road, Downtown, the Alma Street corridor, and Middlefield Road between Embarcadero Road and Oregon Expressway. Radar Trailers - The Police Department was recently awarded a State Office of Traffic Safety grant that resulted in the purchase of a second radar trailer. The new model records the speed of vehicles, provides a total traffic count and a daily report for use in gathering statistics such as lowest and highest speeds and the average speeds for all traffic. The radar CMR:269:99 ~Page 10 of 18 trailers are placed at various locations throughout the City three to four days a week. Red Light Indicators - Red light indicators are small red lights wired to the red signal of traffic control boxes. The indicators are positioned so an officer can see the small red light from a perpendicular street. The small light is activated simultaneously with the regular red light signal. The use of these indicators makes it easier for officers to enforce red light violations. Currently, indicators are installed at Embarcadero Road and St. Francis Avenue, Middlefield and Embarcadero Roads, and at E1 Camino Real and Page Mill Road: Four additional lights will be installed during this year at the San Antonio Road intersections at Charleston and Middlefield Roads, Middlefield and Charleston Roads, and Alma Street and East Meadow. Efforts to Change Legislation on the Use of Radar During the last six months, Police and Transportation staff have worked closely with representatives of State Assemblyman Ted Lempert in attempts to change legislation regarding the use of radar for speed enforcement purposes. A bill was drafted January 1999. However, in February 1999, Assemblyman Lempert notified the City that the Senate Transportation Committee had adopted a rule that the Committee would not schedule a heating on any bill that would alter the speed trap laws. Staff has not given up, however, and will be attempting to get other cities to join in efforts to put pressure on the Transportation Committee to reconsider its position. Staff will work with representatives of the California League of Cities to determine if other cities may be interested in pursuing this action. Pedestrian Safety Strategies The safety of pedestrians is of continual concern for the City Council, Police and Transportation staff, and citizens. As the number of vehicles has increased, so too has the number of people who travel/exercise by foot. New strategies and traffic devices are starting to be used by cities around the country. Staff is in the process of conducting extensive research on these initiatives. After all analysis has been completed, staff will return to Council with specific recommendations. As background, staff believes it is important to provide information about pedestrian accidents and recent efforts to address the issue. Pedestrian Accident Information Analysis of pedestrian-involved accidents provides some surprising information. As reported CMR:269:99.Page 11 of 18 in a San Jose Mercury News article of November 17, 1998 (see attached), the number of pedestrian accidents per 100,000 population has declined over the last 17 years statewide and in Santa Clara County. Attachment D provides a five-year history of the number of pedestrian accidents in Palo Alto. _Since 1996, the number of reported pedestrian accidents has declined. The primary collision factor for these accidents has been the failure to yield the fight of way to pedestrians (54 percent). Twenty-six percent of the accidents hav.e been caused by pedestrians jaywalking or crossing against red lights. In Palo Alto, ages of pedestrians involved in accidents ranged from two to 91 years of age. The average age of pedestrians is 38. Ages of motorists involved in accidents with pedestrians ranged from 15 to 88 years, with an average age of 44 years. (It is interesting to note that in a 1997 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration publication, 62 percent of pedestrian fatalities occurred at night and that the age of most pedestrians injured in accidents was between five and nine years old and 10 and 15 years old.) Twenty percent of all reported pedestrian accidents occurred between 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. and 51 percent occurred between 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Of the top five pedestrian accident locations, only one is at an intersection and the remainder occurred at mid-block locations. Pedestrian Education/Enforcement Survey In order to determine how effective education and enforcement were in changing the behavior of pedestrians and motorists, the Traffic Team selected two intersections in the Downtown area. While in plainclothes, officers monitored the pedestrian traffic crossing University Avenue between the hours of 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. They counted a total of 233 violations (University Avenue at Bryant Street -101 and University Avenue at Waverley Street - 132) of pedestrians walking against a red light and 43 jaywalking violations of people crossing in mid-block. A week later, the officers began a nine-day education campaign during the same hours of the day at-the same intersections. Each pedestrian who crossed against a red light and/or jaywalked was stopped, advised of the violation and received a pedestrian safety pamphlet that was published by the California State Automobile Association. More than 200 pamphlets were distributed. On April 13, 1999, actual enforcement efforts were initiated by uniformed traffic officers over four days, again during lunchtime hours. During the four days, 114 citations were issued to pedestrians for jaywalking or crossing against a red light and nine were issued to motorists for failing to yield the fight of way to pedestrians. A week later, the officers completed this portion of the survey by again observing violations CMR:269:99 Page 12 of 18 while in plainclothes at the same intersections. This time, a total of 216 crossing against red light and 13 jaywalking violations were observed. The combined educational/enforcement approach resulted in a 17 percent reduction in violations compared to the first observations (276 to 229). This reduction was not observed, however, when the officers conducted the same type of survey for pedestrians who crossed the north/south streets that intersect University Avenue (e.g. Bryant and Waverley Streets, and Florence Avenue). In these cases, the violations increased from 180 to 203. It is interesting to note the response the traffic officers received during this experiment. A number of pedestrians who were stopped were hostile, verbally abusive and resented the fact that the officers were not targeting motorists or apprehending criminals. Many people indicated that pedestrians should not have to obey traffic laws and that they should not be held responsible in pedestrian/vehicle accidents. _ The same type of survey will be conducted for motorists who failed to give pedestrians the fight of way during the next month. Crosswalks and Other Pedestrian Safety. Strategies As defined by the California Vehicle Code, a crosswalk is the portion of a roadway included within the prolongation or connection of the boundary lines of sidewalks at intersections where intersecting roadways meet at approximately right angles, except the prolongation of such lines from an alley across a street. A marked crosswalk is that portion of a roadway distinctly indicated for pedestrian crossings by lines or other markings on the street surface. An unmarked crosswalk does not have such markings. At one time, crosswalks were installed indiscriminately to facilitate pedestrian crossings and were considered to improve safety. However, several studies have proven that marked crosswalks provide a false sense of security for pedestrians. The mistaken belief that motorists can and will stop in all cases, even when it is impossible to do so, often ends with tragic results. This false sense of security puts pedestrians in, an unsafe position. The potential for increased accidents is not due to the crosswalks being marked as much as it is a reflection of the pedestrians’ attitude and lack of caution when using marked crosswalks. By contrast, when a pedestrian uses an unmarked crosswalk, he/she usually feels less secure and less certain and as a result are more cautious. In 1970, the City of San Diego conducted a study of the relative safety of marked and unmarked crosswalks. It studied the accidents at 400 uncontrolled intersections over a five- CMR:269:99 ~ pa~ge 13 of 18 year period, and found that while two and a half times as many pedestrians used the marked crosswalks, about six times as many accidents occurred in the marked crosswalks. Pedestrians crossing at unmarked crosswalks tended to feel less secure and, therefore, used more caution when crossing. The results of this study led to the development of policies that have placed San Diego consistently in the top rankings for the safest pedestrian city in the country. Based upon the San Diego study, the City of Orange implemented a policy some years ago that eliminated or removed all marked crosswalks at uncontrolled intersections. Other cities’ research has come to the same conclusion. In 1986, Long Beach determined that eight times as many reported pedestrian accidents occurred at intersections with marked crosswalks than at those without. This was confirmed by the experience of Alberta, Canada that determined in 1998 that crosswalks were the deadliest place for pedestrians to be. Of the 24 pedestrians killed last year in that province, most were killed while crossing at marked crosswalks. The cause of ten of those deaths was jaywalking or walking against traffic signals. Painted crosswalks may be useful under certain situations such as directing pedestrians towards a preferred route of travel at locations where the intended course is not readily apparent. While marked crosswalks will continue to be useful traffic control devices, based upon the research, they should be installed only when the anticipated benefits clearly outweigh the associated risks or at controlled intersections. Illuminated Crosswalks A number of cities have installed devices that illuminate crosswalks. There are two kinds of these devices. One type activates the lights when pedestrians walk through a sensor on either side of the street. The yellow lights flash in each direction and are visible up to 225 feet away. This type of device costs about $30-$35,000 per intersection. The second type, which costs about $8,000 per crosswalk, activates two rows of yellow lights embedded in the street after pedestrians push a button. The 45-watt lamps flash once per second for 30 seconds. Billingham, Washington has installed the lighted crosswalks in their downtown area. They have been so successful that residents want them installed everywhere. Billingham is now in the process of developing a criteria policy that will be used to determine where new installations would occur. Kirkland, Washington recently installed 20 systems at controlled intersections. It believes the lighted crosswalks to be especially beneficial during nighttime or on overcast and rainy days. Kirkland has also encountered the same problem as Billingham in that residents want them installed everywhere. CMR:269:99 Page 14 of 18 In 1995, Santa Rosa was given authorization to test in-pavement crosswalk warning systems by the California Traffic Control Devices Committee (CTCDC) at selected locations. A year later, CTCDC endorsed the testing of these devices in Fort Bragg, Lafayette, Petaluma, and Willits. Santa Rosa conducted a follow-up in 1998. The results of these studies, together with information gathered in Orinda and Kirkland, were included in an evaluation funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety and the Federal Highway Administration. The findings of this evaluation included the following: Flashing amber lights embedded in the pavement at uncontrolled crosswalks have a positive effect in enhancing drivers’ awareness and modifying driving habits to be more favorable to pedestrians. The crosswalk warning system has more effect in enhancing drivers’ awareness during adverse weather conditions such as darkness, fog and rain. Over the long term, the effect of the warning system will slightly degrade during daytime hours. o The warning system has the potential to be an effective traffic control device as it fulfills a need, commands attention, conveys a clear message, and gives adequate time for proper response. An automatic detection system is more appropriate and causes less confusion than a push button system. The warning system seems to be most effective at locations where there is at least a moderate flow of pedestrians. At speeds less than 35 mph, drivers seem to be able to respond properly if at least 400 feet of sight distance is provided. o At speeds more than 40 mph, drivers seem to have difficulty stopping safely if less than 600 feet of sight distance is provided. The presence of a lighting device at the outer edge of a travel lane may be hazardous to some bicyclists. Based upon these findings, installation guidelines were developed. They include: The warning system should be used at uncontrolled crosswalks. CMR:269:99 Page 15 of 18 The average vehicle speed should be 45 mph or less. Traffic Volumes should be between 5,000 and 30,000 vehicles per day. There should be no other crosswalks or traffic control devices within 250 feet in either direction. minimum of 100 pedestrians per day is suggested. Pedestrian Refuges/Mid-Street Signs Pedestrian refuges are small islands in the middle of the street that serve to narrow vehicle travel lanes. They can be installed at intersections or midblock. The refuges allow pedestrians to cross half of the street at a time and provide a safe place for them to stand before crossing the other half of the street. The islands also provide space for the installation of pedestrian signs that provide additional warning to drivers about the presence of pedestrians in the area. They are helpful in high volume pedestrian areas. Initial construction costs range from $4,000 to $5,000. The City of Palo Alto has already installed similar refuges on Fabian and Welch Roads. Raised Crosswalks Some cities (Portland) have begun using raised crosswalks in areas where there are high volumes of pedestrian traffic. The crosswalks are constructed three to four inches above the elevation of the street. They have proven to be effective at reducing vehicle speeds and assisting in peddgtrian safety. Similar to speed bumps, they may generate noise from motorists decelerating and accelerating. The initial installation costs range from $2,000 to $5,000. Barrels Staff has researched the idea presented by a resident regarding the use of large yellow or orange plastic barrels to designate marked crosswalks. These barrels are typically used in road construction areas for channeling traffic. In those situations, the barrels are usually not attached to anything and as a result are frequently knocked over and create traffic hazards. Barrels are often used in the northeastern part, of the United States as pedestrian crossing warnings. As an example, Portland, Maine has used the smaller version in its downtown area for about two years. Due to some problems" with vandalism, theft, and auto accidents, it usually removes the barrels at night. It has allowed neighborhood organizations to purchase CMR:269:99 Page 16 of 18 their own if they want them in residential areas. There have been some problems associated with pedestrians thinking that the barrels, when placed in the middle of marked crosswalks, are like guard rails and that motorists will always stop. Rockland, Maine also uses them in its downtown area where there is heavy congestion of pedestrian traffic. Most cities where the barrels have been used have indicated that they have been successful in slowing traffic. Cities do get occasional complaints and have had incidents where motorists have collided with them. Because the barrels are attached to a weight base and the base is attached to the roadway, there has not been much of a problem with them being knocked over. None of the agencies indicated that the barrels were aesthetically pleasing. Education/Awareness Campaigns It is apparent that education and heightened awareness for motorists and pedestrians assist in reducing pedestrian accidents. The City recently received a mini-grant in the amount of $5,000 that will be used to support activities associated with a pedestrian safety awareness _week that will be held this Fall. Transportation staff is in the process of selecting a consultant that will be hired to develop a Community Awareness Traffic Safety Education/Outreach Program. The Transportation Division’s 1998-99 budget includes $25,000 for this purpose. Additionally, Transportation and Police staff have applied for an Office of Traffic Safety grant in the amount of $75,000 that would be used to further develop the program if needed and implement the program developed by the consultant. Staff anticipates receiving notification about the grant funding during the summer. RESOURCE IMPACTS When staff returns to Council with specific recommendations, detailed resource impacts will be provided. TIMELINE Prior to developing specific recommendations, staff will complete the research that has been started. After the research is finished, staff will meet with interested community members to discuss the different strategies and rationale for the recommendations. CMR:269:99 Page 17 of 18 ATTACHMENTS Attachment A: Attachment B: Attachment C: Attachment D: CMR:192:95 CMR:468:96 Motorcycle Officer Citation History Red light Violation Accident Information San Jose Mercury News Article "Crossings Disappear in Drive for Safety" May 24, 1999 Pedestrian Accident History PREPARED BY:Lynne Johnson, Assistant Police Chief Ashok Aggarwal, Traffic Engineer REVIEWED BY:Patrick Dwyer, Chief of PoliceEd Gawf, Dirlcto~~ Pl~a~i, Community Environment REPORT COORDINATOR:~-.0.~_~.~ ~!~ _Rk~.LYNNE JOHNSON, Assistant Police Chief CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: EMILY HARRISON, Assistant City Manager CMR:269:99 Page 18 of 18 ATTACHMENT A Motorcycle Officer Citation History FY 1994-95 FY 1995-96 FY 1996-97 FY 1997-98 841 1,595 5,259 4,170"* *Through the first half of FY 1998-99 **Motorcycle officer on maternity leave for six months of the year ***Motorcycle officer on maternity leave for four months of the year ATTACHMENT B Accident Rates with Red Light Violations as Primary Collision Factors Year Number of Accidents 1993 1994 1995 65 95 79 1996 95 1997 71 1998 1999" Pr~ected 1999 71 19 38 *first half of the year actuals FRIDAY NOVEMBER 27, 1998 ATTACHMENT C Crossings disappear in drive for safety Tra~c engineers say pedestrians are in danger between the lines BY GARY RICHARDS Mercury News StaffWriter Moments after nervously darting across six lanes of traffic on busy Capitol Avenue, Lucy Martino pointed angrily down to the pavement "Why did they cover up the crosswalk with black paint?" asked the San Jose woman, who daily cross- es the street at Capitol[] San Jose ready and Rose avenues toto try flashing lights reach a bus stop on thein the street to warn west side. "People likedrivers.BACK PAGE me would be safer if it was still here." Traffic engineers disagree..They say those c~o-sswalk lines painted across some busy streets lull pedestrians into a false sense of security. And so more than 1,000 crosswalks have dis- appea~ed in recent years across Califomi~ Nearly 150 have been removed in Silicon Valley alone. " Crosswalk policiesbegaa shifting four years ago, after a Cali-. fomia State Um’versity-Chico analysis gave new weight to a se- rie~ ~.f~sswalk studiesdating back as far as 1971. A San Diego repo~~ the first td conclude that crosswalks in the middle of a block (}r at intersections without stop signs or traffic lights of- See CROSSWALKS, Back Page lu 1" 0 K,¥ 0 SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS ! From Page One I F Some ,San Jose crosswal! Traffic engineers are attempt g to cha e behavior of pedestrians from Page 1A ten encourage pedestrians to drop their guard and step in front of speeding vclficles,Thuse conclusions are bolstered by sobering showing the walker’s behavior was the primary cause o in more than half of the pedestrian fatalities in California in the past two years. San Jose officials estimate th~ th~.ee o.ut offour times a pedestz’ian is hit by a car, the pedestrian zs pnma~- liy to blanm.Safety experts say pedestz’ians too olden don’t even bother looking up as they barge into the street. Some who do glance at the road will take off when the "no walk sign" is flashing,thinking they can beat oncoming traffic. Or they may be able to cross one or two lanes of traffic, but not see a car in the third lane.On top of all tha~ in one of every eight fatalities, the pedes- trian is eitlmr drunk or under the influence of drugs. In San Jose, city engineer Lan7 Moore said un informaltracking poll shows that "75 pement of the time it’s a pedestri-an who is at fault... They step out assuming the driver will stop. Tune and time again I read in (police) repozts where add,]er says the pedestrian stepped right out in ~ont witlmutlooking~ What were tbey thinldng?" The goal offirossw~_ removal is to improve safeR b.y per-’suading walkdm to stroll a block ortwo farther to an mmrsec- tion with a stop sign or traffic light and end those dashes like Marttao made across a congested mad. If people still want to cut across a street without a crosswalk, officials contendtheyll be more likely to keep their heads up. San Jo~e recently removed ~5 ~ on busy streets tha~ posed the most pedestzian risks in the eyes of tzaffic engl- "this is a hot button with me," said Pay W’dTmmson, a San- nyvale city traffic engineer who is president of the Western District of the Institute of ~rta~on Engineem "Every- body at first blush thin~ crosswalks am a good idea. But the preponderance of studies and my own observafious led me to FEWER FATALITIES The fatality rate for pedestflans in the South Bay has been falling for heady two decades and is le.ss than Ih.e.statewi.’d.eand national averages. The combin~ average i.njury r.ale mthe four counties in the southern part of the Bay area, howev-er, s higher than the statewide figure One surprising statisticis that pedestrian behavior is the pdmary cause of injuries inmore than one half of accidents. Pedestrian deaths per 100,000 population19801990 1997, Nationally 3.3 2.7 2.0 Statewide 4.2 3.4 2.4 Santa Clara County 3.0 2.9 " 1.9 Alameda County 3.4 2.1 2.0 San Mateo Co’unty 2.7 1.4 1.5 Santa Cruz County 3,2 1.7 2.0 Four-count’/total 3.1 2.3 1.9 Pedestrian injuries per 100,004) population t 980 1990 Statewide 61.6 61.5 Santa Clara County 51.1 45.9 Alameda County 73.4 76.1 San Mateo Coun~51.4 46.8 Santa Cruz County 57.6 50.3 Total 59.3 56.9 199__9~97~edestrian accidents Deaths State Total 782 Pdmary cause Pedestrian violation 43% Pedestrian under influence 12°/, Olher factors 45% 199~ 45.5 41.0 60.1 45.1 50.6 49.0 14,988 39°/,, 3O/o 58% conclude that remo~ some cmeswalks is best.". ,Go out to a stz~t.and watch what happens when peoplewalk across a street .without a croeswalk~ he say~ They look both ways, and they keep looking as the~y..cross. They a.re ex- "Quite frankly," Williamson added, "even ff a person keeps erasing where a crosswalk used to be, he~l probably be much safer because he knows he has to be morn careful and protect himself from traffic,San Jose, Los Angeles, ~ .um~..e, ,~_.ta Clara and. Fr em)ot~t" are among the cities heeding the San Diego study, many o - ers, like Palo Alto, may not scrape off a crossings white p t,butareveryhesitanttoinstallnewcrossings. ’ deciding to Yet Santa Monica recently reversed its policy~ .stop removing crosswalks and install more in the coast~ city its crosswalks aRer wzt~essmg me anger ma~ engunea community when Caltrans Izied to removd a crossing on Mis- sion StreeLThe .crowing was lat~ r painted back ~Scared silly~. james Corle~, director of the Surface Tra~)oRation Poli- cy Project in San Francisco, calls removing ~ "a mis- mgm~ded ~olicy based on a flawed study." ~ group sa~..mom. hey n~ ~eds to be spent on encouraging people to wau~ aria pmviding’f(~r their safety~ like s~rowing busy city streets to slow down motorists. "Sure~ the San Diego study concluded that there were fewer mid-block fatalities alter crosswalks were taken out," Corless said. ’Wqhy? Because people are scared silly to cross in the middle of the block. Is this where we want to end u~ -- dis- coumging people f~om walldn~ What is the g.o. al .be .m.? ’.Pedestrian deaths statewide have gmduany aecanea over the past two decades, falling kom 993 in 1980 to 782 last year. Of those, pedestrians were the primary cause of the accident in 426 cases, according to the California Highway Patrol. In Santa Clar4 San Mateo~ Alameda and Santa Cruz coun- ties, deaths fell from 99 in 1980 to 76 a year ago. Yet injuries throughout California have risen slightly from 14,640 in 1980 to 14,988 last year. In .Silicon Valley, s_l_l_l~1~fewer than 2,000 pedestrians were injured, last year -- more than in 1980. . Compared to the significant drop in denths and injuries in car wrecks -- the 3,671 auto fatalities last year made Uli the lowest rate in decades -- the number of pedestrian injuries is ................ ot as safe ~vmore "said Palo Alto officer Lyune Jotmso~ "Drivers are ruuning red lights and go-ing ~nster. On the other hand~ a lot o£ pedestzians are also in a hurry, jaywalking ~d crossing when tra~c has a green light." Pedestzians have the right of way when they enter either a marked crosswalk or an intersection with no white lines.However, they must allow cars enough time to stop.Drivers like Leslie Fa=eli of Menlo Pazk gripe tha~ people standing on a curb are often "oblivious, just clueless. TheSource: Califomm Highway Palroi MERCURY NEWS RIDAY, I~IOVEMBER 27, 1998~-++ - ...... the hit list Street mark- ings have al- most disappeared at an Alma- den Valley crossing at Via Valiente and Bret Harte Drive used by Bret Harte Middle School stu- dents. EUGENE LOUIE-MERCURY NEWS SURVIVAL TIPS Traffic o. fficials say pedestrians can do more to ensure their’ own sarelyo Here are a few tips: [] Wear bdght cicthlngor, at night, carry a flashlight. []Be careful at intersections that allow "free right" turns. Mo- torists often are looking to their left at appreachingiraffic and may not see people standing on the curb to their dght. []Be extra caulious on weekends. Most pedestrian deaths and i~uries occur on Friday and Saturday. =Don’t enter a crosswalk when the orange hand sign is flashing. But keep walking if the hand begins f ashing after you’ve started. []Walk facing oncoming traffic if you have to walk n a street’ -, or bicycle lane. . . source: N. ational Highway Traffic Safely h~lminish’ation stopped hand ~ will be on and they just keep on walking," she said. ’2 cringe when Lhesr that someone is hit because I fear in my heart that they were responsible for their own fate to a great extent" ~ But pedestrians have their beef, too. When Ray’Lousc tries crossing jammed Saratoga Avenue and Kiely Boulevard, driv- ers in the turning lane olin wait -- but impatient motorists go around the traffic island and often make illegal turns, al- mnst lfitting lfim. ’2"hey use their cars almost as weapons and get mad at me when I’m crossing with the walk signal onf Louac said. "I’m legally in the right~ but I could be legally dead." Crosswalk re-evaluation ’ San Jose will re-evaluate its crosswalk policy next year, comparing data from sites where croaswalks were paved over to areas where they remah~ But many officials firmly feel that many crosswalks alone aren’t safe enough anymore. "Drivem are much more oblivions to crosswalks," William-son said, adding,: "How many erosswalks did you drive past on your way to work today? Where was the second one? The last one7 "Where conflicting traffic is not cuntmlled," he said, ’])edes- tfians are more safe if they need to cross a street defensively." The lesson, he said, is that pedestrians are almost always .’the loser in a confrontation with a vehicle. They need to use ’ extreme caution. .., It’s a lesson Eric Leopold has learned. Nesrly three years ago, the 6?-¢yesr-old Paio Alto chemist was hit by a car making a leit turn, He broke a hip and leg and injured his knee so bad- ly he had to rotire. Leopold said he did eyeD, thing right at the lime. He was in a crosswalk. He had a light, to proceed. But the driver kept com- ing. "Now when I cross a street~ I say my prayers and look three ways," Leopold said. "And then pray again." S.J. hopes amber lights in street will save lives BY G~i~Y RIOHARDS Mercury News Staff Writer " If painted lines no longer make cross- walks a pedestrian’s best friend, San Jose is ready to try flashing mnber lights em- bedded in the stxeet. Next year it will become the first city in the South Bay to experiment with lights that flash as a person walks across a street "We’ll test a couple of locations that are almost exactly the same in design~" said city ’engineer Larry Moore. "One will have the llashing, airport-like runway lights. Another will have a flashing yellow light before the erosswalL"~ Camera on pedestrians Re San Jose proje~ could beg~. in a few months, and ~ employ a v~deo cam- em Ix) detect a person who wants ~o c~oas a street. The moment a pedest~a.’s heel ]dts the ground, Lights in the crosswa~ ca wgl begin llashing to aier~ d~vem. Plans tag for comparisons between the two locations, before and a~.er the equlp- raeat is Jnstaged. The lights were designed for areas with lots of ground fog. The design hasn’t proven to he confusL~ to drivem in t~ose areas and "it ceztai.l~ gets their atten- tion," Moore said. "At the very ]east, Jt gets them to slow down and assess the slLzzal~on." The new concept was hatched by a Santa Ros~ man whose ~end tdt a pedes- trian he did not see at hight~ Officials in PetaJuma report nearly four out of eve~ live ddvem are ~eldin~ to pedestrians at intemectJons where the ~stdng light s~s- tern is being used, compared with one every two before. Rashing amber lights are also being tested J. Santa Rosa~ I~fayette, Orinda and in San Prancisco near ~er 52. Daylight saving time. Some safety experts advocato extend- ing daylight saving time year-round to help prevent pedestrian deaths and lnju- ¯ ties. Data from a 1987-91 test in Florida revealed that about 15 percent of fatali- ties could have been avoided ff daylight saving time had been in effect throughout the year. . Among other experiments that might make city streets safer for,pedestriang: [] Diagonal crosswalks are being tried in Beverly Hills and Pasadena Traffic in all directions comes to a halt when pie cross diagonally through an intersec- tion. [] A countdown timer is being tried in Sacramento, San Ramon and Livermore. When the signal changes, a red "don’t walk" hand turns into a green walking fig- ure and a "hi" appears in the right half of the signal and begins counting backward. At 20, the green ligure becomes a blinking red hand. ’ ATTACHMENT D Pedestrian Accident Information Yea~ 1994 1995 Number of Accidents Involving Pedestrians 29 39 1996 40 1997 34 1998 1999" 34 10 Projected total 1999 30 * Based upon first four months of the year TO: FROM: AGENDA DATE: SUBJECT: City City of Palo Alto Manager’s Summary Report HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL- ATTENTION: POLICY AND SERVICES COIVIMITTEE FINANCE COMMITTEE cITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT:Police Department Transportation March 27, 1995 CMR:192:95 Recommendations Addressing Traffic Safety Issues 3 REQUEST In response to a Council assignment regarding the development of additional t~affic safety strategies, this report provides specific recommendations that staff believes will address the concerns that have been expressed. Staff recommends that the Council refer the traffic safety recommendations to the Policy and Services and Finance Committees, respectively. At the end of each recommendation, staff has indicated in parenthesis the committee the item should be referred to. The additional staffing recommendation referred to the Finance Committee will be discussed during the upcoming budget process. RECOMMENDATIONS Staff recommends that Council: o Establish radar enforceable speed limits on three selected streets for a six-month trial basis. (Policy and Services Committee) Approve the concept of the use of motorcycles for traffic enforcement. (Policy and Services Committee) Approve the concept of increasing the size of the traffic team by, adding two officer positions. (Finance Committee-Budget) Approve the installation of flashing warning lights on Embarcadero Road adjacent to Walter Hays School on a trial basis. (No referral action requested.) _ CMR:192:95 Page 1 of 36 o o 11. Endorse the concept of increasing enforcement efforts at locations where there is a higher than normal accident rate. (Policy and Services Committee) Establish a Neighborhood Speedwatch program on a six-month trial basis. (Policy and Services Committee) Endorse continuation of partnership efforts with the Pal. Alto Unified School .District, especially in an attem, pt to enhance traffic safety educational Programs for parents and students. (No referral action requested.) Approve continued assistance provided to the schools that conduct Junior Safety Patrol programs. (No referral action requested.) Conduct periodic safety checkpoints. (No referral action requested.) Endorse concept of a City vehicle safe driving program. (Policy and Services Committee) Through the CPAC discussions on the Transportation element, provide direction to staff on any continued work for the following long range strategies: Neighborhood Traffic Studies Reduction of Residential Streets/Neighborhood Street Width Downsize Arterial(s) from Four Lanes to Two Lanes ~upport Regional Market Based Pricing Strategies Develop Local Transit [Marguerite-Type] System Pursue Extension of Light Rail Transit from Mountain View to/through Pal. Alto Reduce Allowable Commercial Vehicle Weighi Limits and Change Designated Truck Routes Full Vehicle Grade Separation(s) Underground CalTrain POLICY IMPLICATIONS - Due to the number and variety of issues staff has attempted to address, recommendations included in this report i0volve several policy implications. As an example, if Council were to approve the recommendation to establish radar enforceable speed limits, this would change Council policy to not raise speed limits that have been in place for a CMR:192:95 Page 2 of 36 number of years. That necessitates the need to review the Council’s speed limit policy. The attached in-depth report provides information on each of those implications. To assist the Council in their review process, staff has included suggestions of which Committee may be more appropriate to review each individual recrmmendation (see attachment A). Staff used Sections 2.04.250 and 2.04.260 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code as guidelines for suggesting assignments to committees. The two sections describe the duties of the committees. The Finance Committee’s responsibilities include finance, budget, audits, capital planning and debt. The Policy and. Services Committee’s responsibilities include intergovernmental relations, .personnel policies, planning and zoning, traffic and parking, public works and community and human services. Those recommendations which could be implemented as an administrative decision are not indicated as refe~als to Committees, but should be discussed by Council. EXECUTIVE S~¥ In March 1994, the City Council raised concerns voiced by members of the community regarding a perceived deterioration of traffic safety in the City. The concerns were focused, on the speed of vehicles travelling through the City, the lack of compliance by drivers with the rules of the road and an increased risk to pedestrians and bicyclists. Council directed staff to review the current strategies and develop suggestions for potential alternatives. The first phase of this assignment was reflected in a Council study session that was held on September 26, 1994. Prior to that session, Police and Transportation Department staff collected a considerable amount of information (CMR:439:94), which was presented and used as a basis for discussion. Staff has spent the last several months since the study session collecting and analyzing additional information used in tlae development of the ~ecommendations presented in this report. In addition, staff has conducted some community outreach efforts by meeting with various neighborhood groups, including the Friends of Embarcadero and the Midtown Neighborhood Association. - - The task of developing recommendations for enhancing traffic safety has been very complicated for various reasons. There are certain issues that are perceived problems and certain issues that are factual problems; there are strategies that most probably would CNIR:192:95 Page 3 of 36 result in ’significant positive impacts, but are very costly; there are some strategies that may very well result in a reduction of a problem, but that may seem at first review to ¯ make the situation worse; and there are differences of opinion, as to what traffic enforcementefforts should accomplish. The attached in-depth report includes detailed information on these reasons. Included in this report are a number of recommendations for Council consideration.~ The recommendations vary as to cost, practicality and staff’s assessmentlabout the level of impact each may have on ameliorating specific issues. Attachment A provides a summary of this information on each of the recommendations. Also, there are some issues that have been addressed in the Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee (CPAC) recommendations in their Transportation element. Staff provides limited data On those issues in this report and believes that associated discussion about those issues is more appropriately undertaken during the Comprehensive Plan revision process. Staff has also included information about other options that were reviewed, but were not recommended for various reasons. Those reasons are articulated in that section of the report. FISCAL IMt’ACT The fiscal impact of the recommendations varies and ranges from almost no cost to very substantial costs. Staff has provided some preliminary estimates for some of the more costly items. This information is included with each recommendation. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT The activities for which Council approvalis recommended are exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3), because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that they may have a significant effect on the environment. PREPARED BY:Marvin Overway, Chief Transportation Official -Ashok Aggarwal, City Traffic Engineer Lynne Johnson, Assistant Police Chief _ Jon Hernandez, Police Lieutenant Brad Zook, Police Sergeant CMR:192:95 Page 4 of 36 DEPARTMENT HEAD REVIEW: Kenneth R. Schreiber Director of Plannin an~munity Chris Durldn Polig~e ~. hief CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: A~ne Fleming " City Mana rg~.~ Attachments CMR:192:95 Page 5 of 36 City of Palo Alto City Manager’s Report SUBJECT: Recommendations Addressing Traffic Safety Issues BACKGROUND The concern about traffic Safety has existed since the automobile was first invented. As noted in the City’s recent annual report, complaints were received about speeding vehicles when the posted speed limit was 10 miles per hour (mph). Staff believes it is important to provide a brief description of the complex tasks and the dilemmas that have been faced during the development of the recommendations. The first dilemma deals wi’th issues that are perceived problems and issues that are factual. As an example, the perception of many is that traffic safety in general has deteriorated over the past few years. Yet, as noted in CMR:439:94, the injury accident rate in Palo Alto has remained relatively unchanged over the last five or six years. Additionally, travel speed data monitored at several locations indicates insignificant changes over a 13 year period. Council will note that staff has taken the perceived issues seriously and has included recommendations to address them. The second dilemma that has been encountered deals with those strategies that probably would result in significant positive impacts while reducing a problem, but are very costly. The strategy of downsizing an arterial from four lanes to two may possibly result in a five mph consistent reduction in trave.1 speeds. However, the associated cost is quite substantial. While staff has been mindful of costs, estimated expenditures have not precluded their presentation for Council consideration. Strategies that may very well result in a reduction of a problem, but may be seen by many people to exacerbate the problem, creates thethird dilemma. A primary example is reflected in the recommendation to establish radar enforceable speed limits. Currently, according to the court’s interpretat!on of California law, if 85 percent of the vehicles travel at the same speed, under most situations, they are not in violation of the basic speed law, and thus citations issued for under that speed are usually dismissed. This is based on the premise that 85. percent of the population is able to accurately assess the roadway conditions and characteristics and adjust their speed_ according to what they believe to be reasonable and safe. Speeds over the 85 percentile are considered unreasonable and unsafe, and therefore unlawful. CMR:192:95 Page 6 of 36 Based upon this information, officers are unable to use radar to enforce speed limits on roadways that are not surveyed and posted accordingly. Middlefield Road, north of Oregon Expressway, provides a good example. Under current conditions, officers cannot use radar and when the pacing method (requires officers to drive behind a violator, reach the violator’s speed and maintain the speed for a sufficient distance for proof in court) ¯ is used, citations are issued for vehicles travelling in excess of 40 mph. This is to account for speedometer variations and questions about the actual safe speeds. If, however, the posted speed limit were to be increased by 5 to 10 mph, officers could legally begin radar enforcement and issue citations for speeds at 36 mph and greater. This would be allowed because the posted limit would be based on survey and accident data, even though roadway conditions would be unchanged. While many people believe that by increasing a posted speed limit the actual travel speeds would also increase, experience of other cities has found that adjusting speed limits to be consistent with the 85th percentile speed does not increase actual speeds. The fourth dilemma staff encountered, and one that frequently puts police officers in untenable positions, deals with the differences of opinion as to what traffic enforcement efforts should accomplish. The intent of most laws regulating traffic is to. prevent accidents and maintain the orderly flow of traffic. The generally accepted reason to enforce these laws, therefore, is to reduce the number of accidents and help ensure the flow of traffic. Staff has heard other opinions regarding the goal of enforcement efforts, which include having officers more visible without taking any action to officers issuing citations for the sake of writing citations, regardless of any association between cause of accidents and violations. DISCUSSION As noted earlier’, information on the strategies is divided into three sections: 1) strategies that staff recommends; 2) strategies that are included in the CPAC Transportation element recommendations; and 3) strategies that staff reviewed, but are not recommended. After each recommendation heading, the specific issue that is being addressed (speed, accidents, volume, school commute, commercial vehicles and CalTrain crossings) is included in parenthesis. The recommended strategies are listed in order of priority and staff’s assessment of the level of impact they wotild have on the specific issues. It is important to note that staff intends on continuing the use of existing strategies listed in CMR:439:94. CMR:192:95 Page 7 of 36 RECOMMENDED STRATEGIES 1. ESTABLISItMENT OF RADAR ENFORCEABLE SPEED LIMITS (Speed) The single most cost-effective means of addressing excessive speed would be to establish radar enforceable speed limits on arterials and collectors. In order for police officers to legally use radar for speed enforcement, the speed limit must be posted in accordance with an Engineering and Traffic Survey, as required by the California Vehicle Code. As explained earlier, radar enforceable speed limits are based upon the 85th percentile speed (that speed at or below which 85 percent of the traffic is moving). This is based on the premise that 85 percent of the people are able to accurately assess features of the roadway and characteristics of the adjacent area and will, accordingly, adjust their sPeed to what is reasonable and’ safe. Additionally, CalTrans requires information on accident data and roadway engineering to be used in determining reasonable speed limits. Major factors in determining a driver"s perception of what a safe speed is include width ¯ and number of travel lanes, volume of traffic, parking conditions, and roadway conditions (i.e., wet or dry, slope and grade, curvature, etc.) and have relatively little to do with posted speed limits. Review of technical studies and information from Traffic Engineers in other Bay Area communities indicates that raising posted speed limits, to conform with the results of prescribed Engineering and Traffic Surveys, does not result in a corresponding increase in overall speed. With radar enforceable speed limits, police officers have a very effective tool for identifying and citing vehicles that are travelling at unsafe speeds. By posting speed limits that are not radar enforceable (e.g., 25 mph), police officers must rely on the pacing method for speed enforcement. This method is inherently unsafe in that it requires officers to accelerate to reach the violator’s speed and then maintain that speed for a sufficient distance for proof in court. Because of the safety concerns surrounding this method, it is used only on a very limited basis. Consider a roadway segment where the 85th percentile speed is determined to be 35 mph. If the posted speed limit is 35 mph, police officers can utilize radar to cite vehicles that are travelling at unsafe speeds (40 and above). However, if the posted speed limit is 25 mph, police cannot use radar and, therefore, lose their ability to effectively and safely cite vehicles travelling at these unsafe speeds. Furthermore, contrary to public perception, under most circumstances, speed enforcement is not conducted for vehicles CMR:192:95 Page 8 of 36 travelling between 25 and 40 mph, in spite of the posted 25 mph speed limit. Consistent court actions have upheld that speeding violations are valid only if. they i:eflect unsafe speeds, and not simply if drivers are exceeding posted speeds. Attachment D reflects the arterials and collectors that are currently surveyed and on which radar may be used for enforcement purposes. Council will note that many of the surveys expire during 1995. The use of radar enforceable speed limits is the highest priority, lowest cost, and most effective means for controlling unsafe speeding. The concern that travel speeds will increase as a result of posting radar enforceable speed limits is a perception that-is unsupported by factual data and professional experience. Staff recommends proceeding with a trial demonstration project whereby posted speed limits along portions of three roadways (e.g., Embarcadero, Middlefield, and Charleston) are raised to radar enforceable speed limits. This would enable the Use of radar for.speed enforcement ot~ these designated test roadway segments. Staff would monitOr actual speeds on a periodic basis and report back to the Council following an initial six-month trial period. Anytime prior to, at the end of, or following the trial period, Council could return the speed limits to the current level (25 mph), with the understanding that radar enforcement would be discontinued. If Council supports this recommendation, staff will proceed with the necess .ary surveys and preparation of related documents and return to Council for approval of an ordinance raising the speed limits prior to actual implementation. The costs associated with this strategy would include staff time tO ~0nduct the surveys and the replacement of the speed limit signs and pavement legends ($19,500). POLICE MOTORCYCLES (Speed, Accidents, School Commutes) The use of motorcycles by police officers has proven to be an effective tool to combat all aspects of current and future traffic enforcement problems. Due to their smaller size and quicker acceleration capabilities compared to a full size police car, radar speed enforcement, pacing speed enforcement and congested intersection enforcement can be accomplished much more effectively and in a safer manner with a motorcycle. CMR:192:95 Page 9 of 36 The areas where accidents most frequently occur in Palo Alto include University Avenue, between Alma and Lincoln, and E1 Camino Real, at or near major arterial intersections and in front of the Stanford Shopping Center. Traffic enforcement in patrol v.eh~cles is difficult at these and other locations due to the traffic congestion, traffic volume; and/or narrow roadways. Motorcycles are much better suited to work in these areas. Staff believes their use would result in a reduction of the total number of accidents by providing officers with the ability to more easily enforce, the violations that actually.cause the accidents. Motorcycles are also ideally suited for use in low volume areas such as residential intersections, collector, streets and local streets. The Police Department receives numerous compl .aints on a regular basis for speed, stop sign and right-of-way violations in these areas, As mentioned earlier, speed enforcement on those streets that radar cannot be used occurs only on a limited basis due to the unsafe nature of the pacing method. While the pacing method with the use of motorcycles is still not the best alternative, it is considered safer than with the use of a patrol car in that motorcycles have greater acceleration rates. The use of motorcycles would also eliminate the need for "group radar." This technique entails one officer who operates the radar unit at a fixed position on the road and who communicates information on violators via radio to officers stationed at a further distance away. These officers flag down violators using hand held stop signs. Agencies who use motorcycles for rad~ enforcement report that the motorcycle officers are effectively and safely able to use the radar unit and-stop the violators as individuals instead of as a team or group. The elimination of group radar also has the advantage of deploying the traffic officers throughout more locations in the City,. instead of concentrating at a particular location. Additionally, the use of motorcycles in the highly congested downtown business district would be very beneficial. Traffic enforcement can be accomplished more effectively due to the smaller size of the motorcycle. Frequently, a parking space cannot be found for a full size car. In the downtown area, the use of patrol cars to initiate traffic stops frequently adds to the congestion and creates additional hazards. However, a motorcycle can almost always be positioned easily between parked cars or on a corner allowing the officer to monitor traffic in the area and initiate stops more safely. The motorcycle officer is also more accessible to the public than when working wi~-hin the confines of a patrol car. While monitoring traffic on his or her motorcycle, an officer CMR:192:95 Page 10 of 36 is more approachable by pedestrians, as well as motorists, allowing for greater interaction between officers and the public. While this .same exposure to the public exists with our bicycle officers, the motorcycle provides more flexibility in response to calls for service, vehicle stops and emergencies. Finally, the mobility of motorcycles would improve the response time to major accidents and calls for service during rush hour traffic, as well as during large events such as Stanford sporting events, parades and demonstrations. Annually, there are a minimum of 25 to 30 pre-planned special events including Stanford football games, organized runs, events and shows." Police Department staff have often requested assistance from adjacent agencies who have motor officers. Motorcycles are also better suited for motorcade escorts, such as for funerals and visiting dignitaries which are occurring with increased frequency. In a survey of 49 police agencies in the counties of Alameda, Santa Clara, San Mateo and San Francisco, staff confirmed that 41 of those agencies have some type of police motorcycle program. Of the eight cities that do not have such a program, six have populations of less than 25,000. Council may recall that the Police Department had a motorcycle program about 25 years ago. At that time, the Police Chief disbanded the unit in part due to the high incidence of injuries. Because the safety of officers is of utmost concern, this is an area that staff has conducted considerable research. While operating a motorcycle is inherently more dangerous than driving a car, research has determined that the keys to minimizing motorcycle accidents and, thus, injuries are a carefully designed process for the selection of motorcycle officers, together with the highest quality of training, close supervision, and mandatory use of safety equipment. Based upon the experience of many agencies, when these factors are emphasized, the injury rate of motor officers is significantly reduced. As an example, in the last 10 years, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) has experienced only 3.66 disabling injuries per million miles driven by their motor officers. The City of Mountain View, over the 20 year history of their motorcycle program, has sustained .83 disabling injuries per million miles driven. The one agency staff contacted that reported an unusually high injury rate over their program history, noted a sharp decline when they improved their selection process and began sending their officers through the CHP training school. It should-be noted that the use of police motorcycles may impact the City’s Worker’s Compensation Program. Although the frequency of injuries for motorcycle officers may not be increased; the nature, severity and expenses for such injuries are generally higher. CMR:192:95 Page 11 of 36 It is important to review the costs of a motorcycle program from two perspectives, the annual costs for replacement, fuel and maintenance, and the actual start-up costs; The annual costs would actually be less for motorcycles than for cars. As an example, if five motorcycles were purchased, the patrol vehicle fleet would be reduced by two cars. Therefore, the annual associated costs would be as follows: Average annual maintenance/fuel costs per vehicle ($8,500 x 2 cars)$1,700 Average annual maintenance/fuel costs per motorcycle ($17,000 x 5 cycles)- 8,500 Estimated annual’ cost savings 8,500- The approximate start-up costs would be. as follows: Approximate purchase cost of 5 motorcycles $40,000 One time equipment, uniforms, training for five officers + 31,000 Purchase cost of 2 cars (replacements)54,000 Total start up costs $17,000 Compensation and working condition issues associated with the Use of motorcycles are subject to the meet-and-confer process. It is reasonable to expect that such issues will be pursued at the bargaining table with possible cost ramifications Staff strongly believes that motorcycles are ideally suited for traffic enforcement in Palo Alto and that their use would greatly enhance the general police response to calls for service and the way the public views the City’s commitment to traffic enforcement and safety. Staff recommends that Council approve in concept the use of motorcycles. As noted in the above example, it is staff’s intent that pending Council approval of the concept, an initial motorcycle program would include five motorcycles. Staff would return during CMR:192:95 Page 12 of 36 the upcoming budget process with specific cost information and, associated funding requests. o INCREASE THE ,NUMBER OF TRAFFIC OFFICERS (Speed, Accidents, School Commutes, Commercial vehicles) Presently, triadic enforcement is a shared responsibility between patrol officers and the Traffic Team. Due to calls for service, proactive community polici.ng efforts, time spent in follow-up investigations, in court, and training, patrol officers are available for traffic enforcement only as time permits. Therefore, the bulk of traffic enforcement responsibility rests with the Traffic Team. Currently, the six-person Traffic Team consists of four officers, one agent and one sergeant. Each member works four 10-hour days from 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with either Monday or Friday off. This current schedule allows for Traffic Team coverage Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Traffic Team also voluntarily adjusts their schedule to work other hours when necessary. As an example, when staff recently determined that 40 to 45 percent of accidents occur during evening commute hours, several team members began working later into the evening. While it is too early to tell if the number of accidents has decreased, it is evident that the general public is not accustomed to the Team’s deployment during those hours.Therefore, numerous violations have been observed and associated citations issued. Staff recommends increasing the size of the Traffic Team by two officers and believes several benefits would result. The first benefit would be the ability to divide the team into two productive teams; an early and late shift. The early shift would continue to work from 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with an emphasis on the morning commute traffic, especially during the school year. The late shift would work from 12:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., with an emphasis on the afternoon/evening commute traffic. Each shift would have three officers and either a sergeant or an agent as a supervisor. The additional two officers would also allow for coverage on Saturdays. The Team’s work schedule would provide for traffic enforcement coverage Monday through Saturday, from 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. A comparison of traffic team coverage by eight other agencies determined that while some provide seven-day a week coverage, all provided a minimum of five-day coverage ranging from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. CMR:192:95 Page 13 of 36 The second benefit to increasing the size of the Traffic Team would be an increase in the number of citations. With two additional officers assigned to the primary function of traffic enforcement, more enforcement would occur over a longer time period, resulting in additional citations being issued. With this increased enforcement directed at the most accident prone areas, as well as at locations where complaints of speed and other violations occur, staff believes a reduction in the overall accident rate in the City would result. Additionally, a change in the perception that traffic safety continues to deteriorate may also occur. The larger Traffic Team Would also be better suited to respond to enforcement requests from the public. These enforcement requests often include traffic concerns in school zones, business districts and residential areas throughout the day and evening. While some of these areas may not experience a high accident rate, the people who live, work and travel through these areas expect the Police-Department to respond to their concerns. Increasing the Traffic Team by two officers would bring the total number of personnel committed to traffic enforcement to 8 of 96 total sworn officers, which represents 8 percent of the total sworn strength dedicated to traffic enforcement. As indicated below, a survey of seven local police agencies shows 8 percent is well within the Bay Area norm for traffic staffing. AGENCY Menlo-Park-- Mountain View Santa Clara Sunnyvale San Jose Fremont Milpitas PALO ALTO (currenO PALO ALTO (PROPOSED) #OF TRAFFIC OFFICERS TOTAL SWORN 4 6 12 6 48 11 9 6 8 42 83 145 108 1,250 190 80 96 98 PERCENT DEDICATED TO TRAFFIC 9% 7% .5% 4% 6% 11% 6% 8% CMR:192:95 Page 14 of 36 Duties for all traffic officers in the cities surveyed include traffic enforcement and traffic accident investigation. The cost of two additional officers, including salary and benefits, would be approximately $145,000 a year. If Council approves the philosophy of increasing the size of the Traffic Team and adding two officer positions, staff would return during the upcoming budget process with a proposal for reprioritizing services to accommodate the additional costs. By the time this item is heard at the Police Department budget hearing, staff will have completed their analysis and will provide a recommendation on proposed funding for the two positions. 4. USE OF ROADSIDE FLASHING LIGHTS (Speed, School Commutes) Yellow blinking lights (flashers) mounted along the side of the road have been suggested by residents as a means to help reduce travel speeds on certain roadways. Normally, the lights are used to alert drivers who are unfamiliar with an area or safety .related conditions that are not immediately apparent. These situations generally occur on higher speed roadways and/or in rural areas-(e.g., a sharp curve in a roadway or at unexpected stop signs). There is little or no evidence that they are effective when used to warn of other types of conditions (e.g., pedestrians, driveways, etc.), and past studies have concluded that they are generally not effective as a speed control measure. However, during the past several months, staff has conducted several outreach meetings with residents, who live along Embarcadero Road for the purpose of developing an action. plan to address specific issues along that roadway. One idea that has surfaced has been the possibility of installing yellow flashing lights as a means of addressing speed concerns. Staff has. yet to conclude the action plan recommendations for Embarcadero Road and has some concerns regarding the unattractive appearance and visual intrusion that flashers will-create, and while available information indicates that flashers will not have a long term effect on speed reduction, staff does support a trial test installation for the purpose of determining whether or not the lights have an impact on speed reduction. Since some residents along Embarcadero Road support the use of yellow .flashing lights on Embarcadero Road, an appropriate location for the test installation would be on Embarcadero Road. Specifically, staff recommends the installation of the flashers on Embarcadero Road, on each side of Walter Hays School, on a trial basis to determine if speeds would be reduced. During this trial, first hand experience regarding effectiveness, appearance, cost and public reaction would also be obtained. The lights would be CMR:192:95 Page 15 of 36 activated 24 hours a day to test their effectiveness during school hours, non-school hours, and nighttime hours. Staff Would return to Council after a period of time with an evaluation on the impact the lights had on reducing speed. The estimated cost to purchase and install two flasher units, one in each direction of travel, is $12,000. 11 INCREASED ENFORCEMENT AT HIGH ACCIDENT INTERSECTIONS (Accidents) As noted earlier, the primary purpose .of traffic enforcement is to minimize injury and property damage iaccidents by promoting a safe and orderly flow of pedestrian, bicycle, and motor vehicle traffic. To this end, the Traffic Team and patrol officers have recently started working several specific high injury accident areas in an effort to reduce the number of persons injured in accidents. (The use of the term "high" should be interpreted as higher than average compared to other locations in the City.) For example, injury accidents occurring at or near major intersections can be attributed to hazardous violations in and around the periphery of these locations (i.e., following too closely and unsafe speed; going 10 mph vs. 0 mph). The Traffic Team devoted 150 hours to certain areas during the first six months of FY 1994/95 and issued 302 warnings and 378 citations for such hazardous violations. The average number of persons injured in accidents per year between 1989 and 1993 was 577. During 1993, there were 543 persons injured in accidents. Comparing the first nine months of 1993 to the same period in 1994, a 32 percent reduction in the number of injury accidents has been observed. Staff attributes the reduction in large part to the increased emphasis of enforcement at those locations where there are a higher number of accidents. Staff plans an expansion of these efforts. Pending Council approval, the Police Department will extend enforcement efforts to more locations that experience higher than average accident rates in order to further reduce injury accidents in and around these areas. Staff proposes concentrating on the five most common locations for injury accidents in Palo Alto. A review of these locations would occur on a quarterly basis to determine if increased enforcement efforts had been sucdessful at accident reduction. It is important to note that this redirection of resources would not diminish attention given to other techniques, such as radar enforcement, right of way violation enforcement at CMR:192:95 Page 16 of 36 intersections and enforcement of stop sign violations, but rather adds enforcement at the higher accident prone locations. Other than staff time, there are no costs associated with this recommended strategy. NEIGHBORHOOD SPEEDWATCH PROGRAM (Speed) A Neighborhood Speedwatch Program involves citizens who volunteer their time to monitor vehicle speeds in residential neighborhoods using City-owned hand-held radar units. The program is intended to be educational for both resident volunteers and the motoring public. It contributes to public awareness by involving residents in the recording of speeds on neighborhood streets to determine if and when a speeding problem exists. Citizens wishing to participate would be ~rained on the proper operation of a hand-held radar set. Additionally, they would be trained to accurately document license numbers, vehicle descriptions, direction of travel and log this information (with the time and date) on a report form. Interested residents would be issued a radar unit for a certain number of days. They would be instructed that their participation is not enforcement oriented, but another way of assisting the police to educate the motoring public. To ensure the accuracy of the information, City staff would check the Department of Motor Vehicle’s computer database to identify the registered owner of vehicles reported to be in violation. City staff would send letters to the registered owners of the vehicles advising them of the speeding violation. If after sending a number of these letters to registered owners of the responsible vehicles the problem continues, police staff would then concentrate in the area through directed traffic patrol enforcement techniques. The cities of Campbell, California; Corvallis, Oregon; and Bellevue, Washington report that their Speedwatch programs continue to be a success. The initial public response to the Campbell and Corvallis programs was overwhelming. At the peak of Corvallis’s program, 500 letters were mailed out to citizens per month. However, over time, the number of citizens willing to volunteer their time to both programs has leveled off; Corvallis now averages, about 40 letters per month, Bellevue averages 100 letters per month. These cities report a positive reaction from citizens receiving these advisory letters. It should be noted the City of Menlo Park will be instituting a similar program, Citizen Speed Control Program, in an effort to reduce speeds on their neighborhood streets. - CMR:192:95 Page 17 of 36 In combination with the traditional police methods, the Neighbbrhood Speedwatch Program has successfully been implemented by a number of police agencies in the following ways: - no It informs City staff as to how significant a speed problem may be in a particular It educates the public to the reality of their perceived pro_blem (i.e., is it a valid complaint or is it a mispercepfion?). It educates the public about the manner in Which they l~ave been driving. Monitoring speeds on four-lane roadways using a radar unit while stationary is difficult. Due to the roadway width, the number of vehicles on the road, and vehicle speeds, it is difficult to obtain an accurate radar readir~g, description of a vehicle, and accurately note a vehicle’s front or rear license plate from a stationary position. Therefore, it is recommended that the program be used only on two-lane residential roadways. Staff recommends that this program be implemented on a six-month trial basis to determine the response from the community, as well as determine the amount of additional time needed by staff to complete tasks associated with this program. Staff would return to Council at the end of that time with an evaluation of the effectiveness of the program. -,- Radar units that are scheduled to be replaced would be used for the program. Excluding the staff time needed to recruit and train the volunteers and conduct the follow-up after receiving the speed information from volunteers, the only associated costs would be for stationery supplies, postage and additional portable battery packs for the radar units. Staff estimates that total costs would not exceed $400. 7.EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR PARENTS AND STUDENTS (School Commutes) Each individual school site has traffic safety concerns specific to its location and each principal has the authority to modify traffic patterns on school property at his/her school location. Frequently, parents raise concerns regarding the safety of egress and ingress points on to public streets that are adjacent to the school sites. Traditionally, City staff has responded on a case-by-case basis to traffic safety concerns at these locations. CMR:192:95 Page 18 of 36 Using the forum of the City-School Traffic Safety Committee, information is exchanged about specific problems between the School District and City staff. While some traffic safety problems are easily addressed and resolved at the school site, others are more complicated and require discussion and consideration of large expenditures for the addition of traffic signals or reconfiguration of the roadway. Staff believes the most efficient mechanism for disseminating safety information to parents and students is through school newspapers and mailers. Staff recommends that both City and School District personnel take greater advantage of these communication tools to reach the public at large. The Police Department will continue to work with school administrators, individual school sites, and school PTA groups to organize and conduct community meetings for parents to address concerns related to school commutes. Recently, the City/School Traffic Safety Committee ad hoc Traffic Task Force published a report.addressing on-site and commute traffic issues at elementary and middle schools. A common thread observed in their analysis was the need to make school commute safety a higher priority. One of their suggestions includes the need for more effective traffic safety education for parents .and students. City staff intends to work with the City/School Traffic Safety Committee and the School District to help in these education efforts, specific site enforcement and design consultation. The costs associated with this strategy would be reflected in staff time. However, if problems were identified that required some potential engineering changes on City property, additional costs for design consultation would be incurred accordingly. JUNIOR SAFETY PATROL PROGRAMS (School Commutes) Currently, seven of the eleven elementary schools utilize a student safety patrol program. Students are trained as junior safety patrol officers by school staff, with assistance from Police Department personnel, to direct pedestrian traffic in and around the school site. The four schools that do not participate in the program feel it presents too hazardous a situation and as a result, the necessary assistance is provided by adult crossing guards. Staff recommends continuation of assistance provided to those schools who have junior safety patrol programs through training. Costs for this program are limited to the staff time involved in the training of the safety patrol members at interested schools. CMR:192:95 Page 19 of 36 9.. SAFETY CHECKPOINTS (Speed, Accidents) Safety checkpoints are conducted similar to sobriety checkpoints, in that vehicles are randomly pulled over. The purpose of the safety checkpoints is to increase officer visibility and to reduce the number of unsafe vehicles on the roadways. Specifically, officers check for equipment violations, occupant safety devices, and drivers’ license status. Violators are usually cited and when it is determined that vehicles are so unsafe as to present a severe traffic hazard, they are removed from the roadway. While the checkpoints would not necessarily result ’in citations being issued for speed .or other unsafe and illegal driving, the high visibility of officers acts as a deterrent to such driving behaviors. Staff plans to continue conducting safety checkpoints in a high profile manner on high volume roadways such as University, Embarcadero, Middlefield, etc. on a periodic basis, depending on staff availability and as other service demands permit. Cost of the program would be limited to staff time for operation Of the program. 10. CITY VEI-IICLE SAFE DRIVING PROGRAM (Speed) Staff has heard frequent complaints from citizens about.the perceived illegal/inappropriate driving by employees driving City vehicles. Currently, when specific complaints are received and the vehicle number has been noted by the complainant, both the appropriate department head and the City Manager are notified. Employees are asked about the alleged behavior and, if found in violation, are admonished accordingly. A significant number of private companies pride themselves in having a public relations communications system whereby citizens can notify management of improper driving by their employees in company vehicles. Most programs entail the displaying of a phone number on vehicles that people can call to report improper or illegal_ driving behaviors. Staff recommends a similar program to address complaints from citizens concerning the operation of City vehicles. For example, most City-marked vehicles (with the exception of public safety vehicles) could have-bumper stickers attached with "HOW’S MY CMR:192:95 Page 20 of 36 DRIVING?" displayed on the rear bumper. Each vehicle would also display the respective City department’s phone number. These City-marked vehicles would also have their vehicle number clearly affixed to both sides and rear of each vehicle for easy identification. The appropriate department head would be responsible for responding to any complaints. Citizens, who would be required to identify themselves, would be sent a letter by the department head thanking them for participating in the program and informing them of the outcome of their complaint. This program, would allow citizens to promptly communicate with department heads regarding the operation of City vehicles and would also help increase employee awareness of their driving hhbits. While employees driving City vehicles should set proper driving examples, it is important to point out that if this program is to be successful, the imposition of dual standards for City employees compared to citizens cannot be allowed. As an example, if a member of the public drives 35 mph along with the majority of other drivers on a roadway with a posted speed limit of 25 mph, there is no consequence. Therefore, a City employee driving a City vehicle under the same circumstances would not be admonished. If dual standards were imposed, severe staff morale would most probably regult; and the program’s purpose of increasing staff’s awareness would be for naught. It is staff’s intention that no disciplinary actions against employees would be taken in these cases, unless actual Vehicle Code violations could be substantiated. Other than minimal costs for the vehicle stickers, the only other costs associated with this recommendation are reflected in staff time. STRATEGIES RECOMMENDED BY CPAC .The following eight items are recommendations that are included by CPAC in their Comprehensive Plan Update, Policies and Programs, Draft IV, Transportation Element. Due to the major cost considerations and competing priorities for limited funds, staff recommends that these issues be addressed as part of the Comprehensive Plan review process. Council discussion of the full CPAC Transportation recommendations began on March 13th and is scheduled to conclude at a special Council meeting on Saturday, March 25th. As noted in the following test, the Council did initially consider items 4, 5, and 6. ~ CMR:192:95 Page 21 of 36 1.Neighborhood Traffic Studies (N~.olume, Speed, Accidents) Some cities (e.g., Portland, Oregon and Bellevue, Washington) have formal neighborhood traffic management programs that serve as a means to address neighborhood residents’ concerns about speed, safety and other traffic-related issues. Typically, such programs consist of Council-approved procedures to receive, screen, and prioritize requests from residents to address neighborhood traffic problems, as well as procedures for selection, design and implementation of measures. Measures include enforcement and education tools, as well as engineering designs. Such programs operate on an annual budget, approved by Council, and include a given level of dedicated staff time, as well as dedicated funds (about $2/residenffyear) for implementation measures. Palo Alto has had a similar, albeit less formal, process for neighborhood traffic studies for many years. Typically, City staff responds directly to issues/requests from residents that do not require extensive time or implementation dollars. Issues/requests that require significant staff time and/oi" implementation dollars are pursued only upon Council direction, on a case by case basis. Recent examples of the latter include the Waverley/Addison Study and the currently on- going Lytton Avenue Study. A more formal or structured approach could include: (a) formally adopted written procedures, (b) criteria for study, prioritization and implementation, and (c) an annual commitment of dollars for implementation of physical measures, all of which characterize current higher profile models in other cities. Palo Alto’s Road Bump Program, for example, has such features, exclusive of the annual commitment of dollars for implementation. ~ _ _ CPAC Draft IV Transportation .Element recommendation TR-2, C1, Page 7 is to "Es~blish and fund a Neighborhood Traffic Management Program to implement appropriate mitigation measures." ~_ 2. Reduction of Residential Streets/Neighborhood Street Width (Speed) One factor that influences driver perception about what is a reasonab!e and safe speed, is the width of the travel way and the presence and proximity of objects along the side of the travel lane. For example, a driver has a different sense of what is a reasonable and safe speed on the narrow streets, with on-street parking that exi’sts in the Sc~uthgate CMR:192:95 Page 22 of 36 neighborhood as compared with the wider streets, rolled curbs, cars parked in driveways or up on the curb/sidewalk that typifies other residential areas in Palo Alto. One strategy to address speed reduction on neighborhood streets would be to narrow er, isting wide streets’. This could be done on a full block face basis or at periodic locations (e.g., use of bulbouts) at intersections and/or along a block face. Either approach, depending upon site specific conditions, could necessitate significant roadway drainage and design considerations. Cost. considerations make.such a policy practical for only limited application, and not on a Citywide basis. For example, bulbouts to narrow intersections or small intersection traffic circles, well designed and landscaped, can cost $30,000 or more per installation. Such measures, l~owever, could be done (and in fact are being done) on a limited basis at certain locations and spread over time. If funding were provided by formation of assessment districts, wider areas could be retrofitted in less time. CPAC Draft IV Transportation Element recommendation TR-2, C5, Page 8 is to "Reduce neighborhood street width and widen planting strips between the street and the sidewalk as appropriate when street changes are made" and recommendation TR-2, C7, Page 8 is to "Narrow residential local-street intersections." 3. Downsize Arterial(s) from Four Lanes to Two Lanes (Speed) Conversion of current four lane "resi~dential" (proposed CPAC designation) arterial roadways (Embarcadero, Middlefield, Charleston and Arastradero) to: (a) a two-lane roadway with a continuous center turn lane or a landscaped median; (b) bike lanes; and (c) on-street parking, (while maintaining current lane configurations at major intersections), could possibly have the effect of reducing travel speeds by about 5 mph. Changing a four-lane arterial to two lanes would require substantial implementation costs and likely result in noticeable traffic-related consequences. Therefore, there should be a clear understanding and acknowledgement of the benefits and negative impacts to be derived from such actions, before they are instituted. Traffic-related negative impacts would be specific to the physical features and traffic flow characteristics of each site but may include some diversion, increased delay, reduced level of service, increased congestion, worsening air quality and erratic driving behavior. CMR:192:95 Page 23 of 36 For example, resulting traffic conditions on Embarcadero Road (about 25,000 vehicles per day), would be similar to those on University-Avenue (between Middlefield and Route 101) and Sand Hill Road (both of which carry similar volumes of traffic) where traffic creeps along in stop and go fashion during several hours of each day. Related consequences, during such periods of peak travel, include increased travel delays; degradation of air quality; some traffic diversion to parallel streets; increased rear end accidents due to inattention of drivers; and some limitation of access to/from adjacent driveways due to reduced gaps in the traffic flow. As trade-offs for the lane reduction, vehicle speeds would be substantially lower during the peak periods (stop and go) and about 5 mph slower during other times, pedestrian environment would be somewhat improved by increasing the lateral distance to moving traffic.and bicycle lanes could be provided throughout, thereby providing safer bicycle travel. The basic cost solution of restriping the pavement to create a two-lane roadway (with a continuous center turn lane) is about $100,000 to $150,000 per mile, unless it can be done in .conjunction with a scheduled street resurfacing project. An alternative solution of providing a continuous, fully landscaped median would improve the aesthetics and physical environment for all users, reduce non-permeable surface, restrict access to residential driveways, reduce options for emergency vehicles and cost about $650,000 to $1 million or more per mile to implement (plus on going landscape . maintenance costs). Costs would be substantially higher if changes to curb and gutter, storm lines, or utilities were required. A rough cost estimate to restripe (continuous center turn lane option) the full length of Embarcadero Road (2.2 miles) is $250,000; a rough cost estimate for a fully landscaped center median option would be $1.5 million. Given the possible consequences of downsizing existing arterial roadways, as well as the substantial costs involved, staff does not support such actions unless there are clearly identifiable and compelling benefits to be derived from such actions. CPAC Draft IV Transportation Element recommendation TR-3, E3, Page 10 is to "Change four-lane residential arterials to two lanes (plus a center turn lane), unless it contradicts a demonstrated safety need or gridlock conditions. Maintain existing signalled intersection widths to accommodate peak hour stacking and/or dedicated turn lanes." CMR:192:95 Page 24 of 36 4. Support Regional Market Based Pricing Strategies (Volume) Market-based pricing mechanisms that accurately reflect the costs of. travel choices could significantly change travel mode choices and reduce the volume of automobiles during the peak periods. ¯ The concept is one Wherein individuals pay for the cost imposed by their choice to use a particular system. They retain the ability to choose among various options, based on the cost of each alternative, rather than regulatory approaches wherein choices are made for them. The objective is to help balance supply and demand by accurately pricing products and services, rather than continuing to try and serve unrestrained demand resulting from subsidized costs. The same concept is already an integral and readily acceptedpart of daily life as each i3erson makes choices about services provided by telephone, water, gas, electric, airline, and a host of other companies. Staff believes that a market-based approach, albeit controversial, is the only rational means for seriously addressing the myriad of transportation issues - choice, flexibility~ accessibility, equity, safety, intrusion, congestion, delay, air pollution, financing, etc. CPAC Draft IV Transportation Element recommendation TR-1, B1, Page 3 is to HConduct educational campaigns tO increase public awareness of all the cost (e.g., time loss, dollars, pollution), and recommendation TR-1, B2, Page 3 is to "Support and participate in regional state-wide and federal market pricing efforts, including pilot programs if appropriate." On March 13th, the Council did not include Program TR-1B1 in the p~’oposed plan draft, but did include Program TR-1B2. 5. Develop Local Transit [Marguerite-Type] System (Volume) A local area (Marguerite-type) small bus system serving neighborhood areas and major destination points could reduce the number of automobile trips in Palo Alto. Such a system would have stops at or near schools, community centers and commercial destinations and connect residential areas to inter-modal transit stations and selected community destinations. In serving the downtown area, it may also provide some benefit in terms of reduction in parking demand. Service levels should include frequent service in both directions (maximum wait 12 minutes). CMR:192:95 Page 25 of 36 Based on Stanford’s Marguerite s~rvice, which is provided by an outside contractor, the approximate annual cost would bc $100,000 for one bus, including driver and related services, operating 10 hours a day. Based upon a service level of a 12-minute headway in each direction, a citywidc loop would co.~t approximately $1 million per year. One of. the smaller scale neighborhood loops at a 12-minute headway in each direction would each cost approximately $400,000 per year. The idea of such a service is readily supportable. However, the magnitude of.such on- going costs preclude its practical implementation without the establishment of some major funding source(s) (.g., parking charges, in-lieu parking fec, traffic impact fee, general fund, assessment, etc.). CPAC Draft IV "~’ransportation Element recommendation TR-1, J2, Page 6 is to "Develop a Marguerite-type local transit shuttle system. Implement consistent frequent shuttles in both directions around a city-wide loop, with stops at or near schools, community centers and commercial destinations. Designed for a maximum wait of 12 minutes. Collaborate with other local jurisdictions as appropriate (e.g. Stanford)." On March 13th, the Council accepted the Planning Commission recommendation to modify Program TR-1J2 to "evaluate and test" rather than "develop." The Council also accepted the Planning Commission recommendation to add two related programs regarding potential shuttle bus service to Stanford Shopping Center, between major employment centers and business districts, and merge, these programs into TR-1J2. Pursue Extension of Light Rail Transit from Mountain View to/through Palo Alto (Volume) An extension of Light Rail Transit from Mountain View through Palo Alto to Menlo Park along E1 Camino Real would serve a number of destinations and related trips that would otherwise be made by automobile. It would also provide the possibility for a strong emphasis on transit-oriented development.along E1 Camino Real in conjunction with the ten or so stations that would be part of theLRT system, thereby accommodating future development without the same traffic-related impacts and parking requirements associated with traditional non-transit development. Light Rail Transit costs about $25 million per mile to implement (rail line, stations, equipment) plus on going annual operating costs. A 6.5 mile extension to the University Avenue Inter-modal Transit (CalTrain) Station would cost at least $160 million. CMR:192:95 Page 26 of 36 Typically, projects:of this size and nature, if approved, are funded thi’ough a combination of federal, state and local sources~ with local funding coming from some broad taxing base, and only limited contributions coming directly from local cities. A local city is more likely to have a larger financing role in some of the earlier f~asibility, planning and initial project development work as a means of gaining local, state and federal understanding and support for the project. CPAC Draft IV Transportation Element recommendation TR-1, J1, Page 6 is to "Support extension of fight rail line from Mountain View through Palo Alto to Menlo Park, along E1 Camino ReaL" - ~ On March 13th, Council accepted the Planning Commission recommendation to modify Program TR-1J1 to "evaluate" rather than "support." Reduce ALLOWABLE COMMERCIAL VEHICLE Weight Limits and Change Designated Truck Routes (Commercial Vehicles) Policy issues related to commercial vehicles include the possible change in allowable weight limits and the addition of Oregon Expressway as an east/west Through Truck Route. Current regulations permit trucks of 7 tons (maximum gross weight) or more to use only designated truck routes. Trucks less than 7 tons are not restricted. The question has been raised as to whether or not the 7 ton limit should be reduced to a lower weight limit (e.g., 3 tons). The question of lowering the weight limit raises the additional question of whether it could be effectively enforced. Several cities have a weight limit of 3 tons (others use 4, 4.5, 5, 7, or 8 tons). They als0 have a correspondingly larger number of streets designated as truck routes which make it reasonably direct and convenient for trucks to reach their destinations. Reducing the weight limit from 7 to 3 tons would affect many more trucks and could likely have a negative impact on the downtown business district. Potential impacts included increased delivery charges, additional traffic volume created by the necessity for more deliveries, and associated increased air pollution. A limited survey of trucks on University Avenue, at Middlefield Road, indicated that 10 percent were under 3 tons, 63 percent were between 3 and7 tons, and 27 percent were over 7 tons. ¯ CMR:192:95 Page 27 of 36 Given the limited resources that are available for commercial enforcement, it is more effective to focus enforcement efforts on the smaller proportion of commercial vehicles that cause the most concern (those that exceed the 7 ton limit), rather than the larger proportion of vehicles that would exceed a 3 ton limit. - Current regulations designate San Antonio as the only east-west ~truck route between Route 101 and Alma/E1 Camino. Oregon Expressway may be used only for deliveries to the Midtown commercial area. While Embarcadero and University are not designated truck routes, they are used as such by some truckers as a substitute for San Antonio Road. This raises the question regarding the possibility of designating Oregon Expressway as an additional truck route if (a) the 7 ton weight limit is reduced, or (b) the 7 ton weight limit is maintained. When Oregon Expressway was constructed (late 50’s to early 60’s), one of several primary concerns of the public was the possibility of Oregon Expressway becoming a Through Truck Route. At that time the City and County signed an agreement that included, among other things, a stipulation that Palo Alto would provide enforcement on this section of County Expressway. Therein lies the authority whereby the City established a regulation, that continues today, which limits the use of Oregon Expressway to only those trucks that serve the Midtown commercial area. Consideration of the possibility of designating Oregon Expressway as a Through Truck Rout.e, if pursued,-should be supported by the preparation of a study report and public process that identifies and addresses all issues and concerns.This would require consultant resources estimated at $50,000.- - CPAC Draft IV Transportation Element recommendation TR-3, F, Page 11 is to "Review Palo Alto’s Through Truck Routes and gross vehicle weight limits to consider differences between Palo Alto and neighboring jurisdictions, environmental and economic effects of the current 7 ton limit vs. 3 ton limit, two levels of gross vehicle weight limits (e.g., 3 ton general and 7 ton on Oregon Expressway, and minor, if any revisions to through routes for heavy trucks.) 8o Full Vehicle Grade Separation(s) (CalTrain) An alternative for addressing the CalTrain safety issues would be to construct full vehicular grade separations at one or more of the existing four cross-street locations (Charleston, Meadow, Churchill and Palo Alto [Alma]). This could be done as a fully CMR:192:95 Page 28 of 36 depressed cross-street under-crossing, or one where CalTrain is partially elevated and the cross-street is only partially depressed. Given the proximity of Alma and the consequent need to include grade separation for both-Alma and CalTrain as well as the visual appearance of a partially elevated CalTrain on a raised embankment, the fully depressed cross-street is less problematic than the partial up/down option. The costs for such an alternative are substantial ($10 to $20 million per cross-street plus right-of-way cost) and the impacts, in terms of (a) residential property acquisition, (b) altered and restricted access to some adjacent residences, (c) visual appearance of such a major physical structure, and (d) traffic diversion are likely to be substantial and render such an .alternative impractical. An alternative to full vehicle grade separations is the provision of pedestrian/bike grade separations, with vehicles remaining at grade. Council has already approved a Capital Improvement Project (19502) for a feasibility study that will assess the various options ¯ for providing pedestrian/bike grade separations including functional designs, costs, right- of-way, utilization, environmental issues, traffic impacts, economic impacts and emergency response impacts. Retention of a consultant for this study is now underway, and work on the study is expected to commence in July 1995. CPAC Draft IV Transportation Element recommendation TR-3, H1, Page 11 is to "Study projects to depress bike/pedestrian walks under Alma Street/rail crossings; implement if feasible." .... 9. Underground CalTrain (CalTrain) One alternative that is often mentioned for permanently resolving CalTrain safety issues would be to underground the system. This would have the added advantages of solving noise-related concerns, as well as traffic delays incurred while crossing gates are down. It would also provide a wonderful opportunity for creative reuse of the surface for any number of possible worthwhile uses. The cost of such an alternative, however, is very high ($750 million for 4.5 miles and 2 stations; equivalent to about $30,000 per household in Pklo Alto), and would not be a realistic possibility until such time that it was part of some broadly based regional transit funding program. If, for example, BART were ever extended through Palo Alto, the CMR:192:95 Page 29 of 36 system would likely be proposed to be elevated and paid for through a regional funding program. At that time, Palo Alto may wish to consider the possibility of placing the system underground, with the incremental cost likely to be borne by Palo Alto. CPAC Draft. IV Transportation Element recommendation TR-9, D, Page 18 is to "Participate in a regional study of cost, feasibility, and funding to depress CalTrain right- of-way below grade, and to allow level crossings o(: loc~ and arterial streets. 8TRATEGIES REVIEWED, BUT NOT RECOMMENDED As noted earlier, staff reviewed some other strategies, but for various reasons are not recommending them for Council consideration. 1. Limit Downtown Truck Delivery Times (Commercial Vehicles) At the present time, the ordy regulation affecting truck deliveries in the downtown area is one that prohibits trucks from double parking during the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Truck deliveries in the downtown area could be restricted in a manner that prohibited deliveries during certain hours of the day (e.g., 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. or later) in order to eliminate the effects of truck travel, parking, and loading/unloading on the pedestrian environment, traffic flow, parking and safety during the more intense periods of the commercial/retail business day. Realistically, this is occurring to some extent, on a voluntary basis. Some major stores, with regular deliveries, are known to schedule their deliveries outside of the midday period. Restaurants, as well, are very likely to schedule deliveries prior to their busy noon-time lunch period. - The imposition of such restrictions could have an adverse effect on deliveries that cannot be easily rescheduled because they are part of a multi-delivery route system. Also, if such restrictions were applied to medium size trucks, entire businesses (e.g., FedEx, " UPS, etc.) would be adversely affected, as would the businesses they serve. CMR:192:95 Page 30 of 36 2. Utilize Adult Crossing Guards at More Intersections (School Commutes) The City of Palo Alto supervises and funds the Adult Crossing Guard Program. Currently, there are adult crossing guards at 11 intersections during the morning and afternoon school commute periods. Training and field supervision, are provided by the Police Department, and the wages for the adult crossing guards ($7,000/year/person) are included in the Police Department’s budget. Requests for changes or additional crossing guards are submitted to the City/School Traffic Safety Committee for review and recommendation. Criteria for.evaluating the need for an adult crossing guard include consideration of: (a) the number of elementary school-age pedes ,trians per hour (20 minimum), (b) appropriate use of a safety Patrol, and (c) vehicle volumes. One option for improving school commute safety would be to increase the number of adult crossings guards. The basis for expanding the number of adult crossing guards could be: (a) to modify (reduce) the criteria used for evaluating the need for adult crossing guards or (b) to pro-actively survey potential locations to see if they meet the criteria, rat_her than rely upon specific requests. The existing criteria was recently modified and is generally similar to state guidelines, albeit somewhat less stringent. The process of relying upon specific requests to identify locations for evaluation is a workable mechanism for allocation of limited resources. Rather than creating a separate program that would pro-actively survey potential locations to see if they meet the criteria, the concern and need for adult crossing guards could be identified and incorporated into School Commute Corridor studies. Staff believes that the current procedure of evaluating specific requests for adult crossing guards should continue and that consideration of additional crossing guards be incorporated into future School Commute Corridor studies. Staff does not recommend modification of existing criteria or any separate focused program to pro-actively survey potential locations. o Informational Leafletting (Accidents) The distribution of informational leaflets, in theory, could occur_ near intersections where a higher than average number of accidents occur. Handouts, informing the public of areas with the greatest number of accidents and the primary collision factors associated CMR:192:95 ,Page 31 of 36 with the accidents, could be distributed at safety checkpoints. However, after reviewing all current information, visiting potential locations, and based upon past experience with distribution of leaflets for speed reduction educational campaigns conducted on Embarcadero Road and University Av.enue in the 1980s, this strategy would not be very effective for the following reasons: .a.A comprehensive leafletting program would not be practical or safe in proximity to the areas where-the highest number of accidents related to traffic congestion occur. The leafletting would most probably cause further traffic congestio.n and could result in additional accidents. A statigtical review of 1994 accident and citation records indicates that only 32 percent of,reported accidents-involved .Palo Alto residents and only 25 percent of all citations were issued to residents. Alternative methods .such as mailing or inclusion of information in utility flyers, would reach a limited number of residents in a much safer manner. The problems associated with a leafletting effort far outweigh the possible benefits. 4. Use of Bott Dots (Speed) Lines of small white raised buttons (Bott Dots) installed on roadway pavements across travel lanes have been suggested by residents as a means to help reduce travel speeds. Typically, Bott Dots have been used to alert drivers to a pending change .in condition, such as theapproach to a sharp curve, or a stop sign or other condition in an unexpected location. While they can be an effective means to alert drivers, it is not evident that they are effective in reducing speeds when there is no evident subsequent condition requiring speed reduction. Another consideration is that the unpleasantness of driving over the Bott Dots is inflicted on every vehicle that travels the roadway, no matter what speed they are traveling. Past experiences with the use of Bott Dot; in Palo Alto have proven to be problematic, in that the noise created by tires running over them has been sufficient to generate concern and complaints from residents and businesses in the adjacent area. CMR:192:95 Page 32 of 36 PHOTO RADAR (Speed) The photo radar system uses a camera in conjunction with a radar speed detector~ When a vehicle is detected by radar to be exceeding the predetermined allowable speed, usually 11 mph over the posted speed limit, a photograph is taken of the violator vehicle. This photograph includes the license plate of the vehicle and the driver. Once the photograph is developed, the registered owner of the vehicle is then mailed a citation for the speeding violation. The most obvious benefit of photo radar is the high number of speeding citations that could be issued daily, with a minimum of police personnel. Cities using photo radar have experienced a lowering of general speeds on the streets the units are used, due to the public’s fear of getting caught by the machine. This has also lead to a reduction in accidents in ttiese areas. The City of Campbell has reported a reduction in the average number of speeding violations per hour on streets where photo radar is used from 49 violations to 18 violations per hour. The City of Paradise Valley, Arizona experienced a 42 percent reduction in accidents caused by speeding on roadways where photo radar was Used over a two year period. However, the photo radar system is bound by the same rules and regulations as all other radar enforcement. The unit could be used only on roadways with the posted speed limit set in accordance with a current speed survey. Roadways that have not been surveyed or where the postedlimit is not supported by a survey, such as Channing, Embarcadero Road and Middlefield, would be ineligible for the photo radar unit. The photo radar unit must also be operated from a vehicle with police markings. The use of this unit from an unmarked vehicle is illegal. There are a number of other negative aspects associated with the use of photo radar. In researching the manufacturers of photo radar units, staff determined that U.S. Public Technologies Inc., based in San Diego, California, to be the most reputable and widely used company in the nation. They offer two operational plans for their photo radar units. The first plan entails the actual purchase of the complete unit at a cost of about $100,000. This price includes the photo radar unit and the vehicle necessary to transport and house the equipment. After the purchase of the unit, a processing contract is then required for "development of the photographs and mailing of the citations. An additional service contract ($3,000) is also required for the ongoing maintenance of the radar and camera equipment. CMR:192:95 Page 33 of 36 The second and most commonly used plan is a "turnkey" system,’ whereby the entire system is loaned to the department and maintained by the company. The processing contract covers development of the photographs and the mailing of the citations. This processing contract is usually based on a rate of $15-$20 per paid citation. Currently, the City receives only $10-$15 per paid citation based upon the current percentage of the base line formula mandated by state law. U.S. Public Technologies stipulates that their cost per paid citation cannot exceed the total percentage allotted to the City per citation. As a result, the City would send I00 percent of any revenue generated by photo radar. citations to the company. Both plans require the photo radar unit to be operated a minimum of 30 hours pet" week. In order to meet. this requirement, as well as the associated in-house processing and inevitable court requirements, one full-time person and one half-time person would ne.ed to be assigned specifically tO the photo radar program. Per current state law, if assigned staff were community service officers, Council would need to enact an brdinance authorizing community service officers to issue speeding citations. The bottom line costs for either program would be between $100,000 to $150,000 per year._ In addition to the monetary costs, agencies which have used photo radar in the past report a negative public reaction. As a result of the lack of police contact with the driver at the time of the citation is issued, public sentiment often ranges from anger to resentment when citations are received in the mail several weeks after the fact. This creates a significant public relations problem and often results in increased complaints. The same problem exists when a registered owner receives a citation when he/she was not the driver. While there is a provision to remedy this legal problem, the negative public relations image remains. 6. RADAR DRONES (Speed) Many drivers use radar detectors in order to be forewarned of the use of police radar. Radar drones emit a radar signal that sets off the detectors causing most drivers to slow down because they think police are operating actual radar units. The drones are attached to City power poles and could be moved to different locations. There is not any way to measure the effectiveness of these devices. The assumption that a driver using a radar detector slows down if the detector goes off is based on common CMR:192:95 Page 34 of 36 sense. However, it is also logical to assume that if the driver’s detector activates at the same location time after time without any sort of police presence, it would not take long for the driver to determine that a drone was the cause of the activation and not an actual radar unit. It would be very difficult to quantify speed reduction results which might justify the cost of the purchase of the drones and staff time necessary to relocate the units periodically. The cost of each radar drone is about $700. Initial installation and subsequent change of location would be the responsibility of the City Utilities Department, who would charge the rate of $50 per hour for the relocation service. A much less expensive alternative would be to use an empty marked patrol car with the radar unit turned on for a given time period. This approach would set off radar detectors being used in the area and would show a police presence as well, while using a limited amount of police resources. The patrol cars can be easily and frequently moved. 7. RED LIGHT CAMERA (Accidents) Red light cameras are camera units tied into traffic signal systems at intersections. After the traffic signal turns red, the camera unit takes photographs of vehicles runni.’ng the red light. The photograph shows the driver and the license plate of the vehicle, just as the photo radar system does. The registered owner of the vehicle is then mailed a citation for the red light violation. - - This system is designed for problem intersections with a high rate of injury accidents caused by red light violations. For the past five years, only 7 percent of the accidents in Palo Alto are caused by i:ed light violations and not one intersection stands out as being problematic. Staff has determined that several agencies in southern California have used these devices. Based upon their experience, it appears that the devices are cost effective only when installed at intersections where a significant number of accidents are caused by red light violations. The cost of this system is $50,000 per intersection, plus processing of the photographs and mailing of the citations. Based upon staff’s research, companies who manufacture these systems operate under the same premise as those who manufacture photo radar units CMR:192:95 Page 35 of 36 and stipulate receipt of all citation revenue. It is predictable that negative public reaction similar to that associated with photo radar would result. 8. Crossing Guards (CalTrain) The use of crqssing guards during the morning and afternoon school commute periods, at a cost of $7,000 per year per individual, is another alternative to addressing CalTrain safety. Each cross-street would require two crossing guards at the train tracks, at a cost of $14,000 per year per cross-street. Expanding this concept to include two additional crossing guards at Alma as well as at CalTrain, the total cost per cross-street location would be $28,000. Capitalized at 5 percent interest, $28,000 per year requires a one- time investment set aside of $560,000. This level of investment is substantially less than any physical/structure based solutions are likely to be, but offer a measure of improved protection only during the primary hours of travel to and from school. The installation of pedestrian gates and related fencing have recently been added at CalTrain crossings. Therefore, staff recommends that the possibility of adding crossing guards be reconsidered only if and when the feasibility of pedestrian/bike grade separations is shown to be impractical. STEPS FOLLOWING APPROVAL Direction on the recommendations that Council wishes staff to pursue is requested. For those recommended (non-CPAC related) strategies that require funding, as indicated earlier, staff would return during the upcoming budget process with specific requests.- For those strategies, which staff has recommended that may be implemented immediately and without any additional resources, staff would propose to begin implementation as soon as possible. ATTACHMENTS/EXHIBITS Attachment A: Attachment B: Attachment C: Attachment D: CMR:439:94 Recommended Strategies CPAC Related Issues Strategies Considered, But Not Recommended Current Radar Surveys CMR:192:95 Page 36 of 36 0rj r~ o (P .,-I 0 0t~ o-H o oo o o ooo O, ooo O~or~ o 0 0 o o o ooo r.) 0 o (~ o 0 0-H 0 ~ ~-Ho~ O O O~ ~J o II II II ) -H 0 0 .H .p o H O~ 0oH ~>u o oN 0 0~J ATTA~ D CURRENT RADAR SURVEYS STREET. Alma (between San Antonio & Churchill) Oregon Expressway (between Alma & Middlefield) Oregon Expressway (between Middlefield & US101) Page Mill Road (between Alma & Hanover) Page Mill Road (between Hanover & Foothill) San Antonio’Road (between E. Bayshore & Alma) E1 Camino Real (between Alma & Stanford Ave.) Fabian Hillview (between Foothill & Arastradero) Hillview (between Hanover & Foothill). Hansen (between ECR & Page Mi~l) Hanover (between Page Mill & Hillview) Sand Hill Road Churchill (between ECR & Alma) Colorado (between Middlefield & Louis) University (between Middlefield & Woodland) Embarcadero (between Alma & ECR) Welch Road (between Pasteur & Quarry) West Bayshore Road (Oregon Exp. to Amarillo) POSTED SPEED LIMIT 35 mph 35 mph 35 mph 35 mph 35 mph 35 mph 40 mph 30 mph ~35 mph 30 mph 30 mph 30 mph 35 mph 25 mph 25 mph 25 mph 25 mph 25 mph 30 mph SURVEY DATE ~124190 3121194 9/24/9o 3121194 9/24/90 3121194 511191 9124190 9124190 9/24190 9124190 9/24190 9/24/90 3/21/94 9124190 9124190 9124190 9/24/90 9124190 DATE EXPIRES 9/24/95 3121199 9/24/95 3/21/99 9124195 3121199 5/i/96 9124195 9124195 9/24/95 9124195 9/24/95 9124195 3121199 9/24/95 9124195 9124195 9124195 9124195 JON: radar, cht 3/8/95 City of Palo Alto City Manager’s Report TO: FROM: HONOR~LE CTFY COUNCIL CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT:Police AGENDA DATE: SUBJECT: September 26, 1994 Traffic Safety CMR:439:94. REOUEST In March 1994, the City Council requested that staff schedule a Council Study Se~:~on on traffic safety due to concerns that not enough efforts to assure, traffic safety in the City were being considered and/or implemented. Staff was directed to present strategies and sugges.t " policy alternatives for possible Council consideration. RECOMMENDATIONS This is an informational report and no recommendations are presented at this time. POLICY IMPLICATIONS Any policy implications result from direction for the Council. EXECIrrIVE SUMMARY Over the last year, Council members received considerable feedback from citizens regarding a perceived deterioration of general traffic safety throughout the community. Specifically, the concerns focused on the speed at which vehicles were travelling, the failure to obey the rules of the road, and an increased risk to pedestrians and bicyclists. As a result of these concerns, Council directed staff to review current strategies that are being used to address traffic safety and suggest potential other ideas for increasing safety in .the community. Since receiving the assignment, Transportation and Police Department staff have gathered a considerable amount of information concerning traffic safety issues. Staff has approached. this assignment from a two phase approach. This report and the discussion represents the first phase. Based upon the feedback and direction received from Council, staff would cMR:439:94 ¯Page 1 of 3 return in phase two with specific suggeste4t recommendations and more detailed information about strategies that could be pursued. For the purposes of this report, "traffic safety~ refers to the safe and orderly flow of pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular traffic. The information, provided in the attached documentation, has be~n divided into six major topics: sperxi, traffic volume, accidents, school commute, commercial vehicles, and CalTrain grade crossings. For each major topic, a list of general public l~rceptions is presented. The list of perceptions were developed from letters and t~lephone calls.that have been received over the last year regarding traffic complaints. Factual data was obtained from Police and Transportation records as well as State information. The list of existing strategies includes all the programs and procedures that are currently used in the City. Per Council direction, staff has provided a list of potential other strategies. It is important to note that these strategies are presented without discussion about their feasibility, cost, practicality, etc. While a considerable amdunt of information is provided, staff believes that it is important for Council to have this information as a basis for discussion and possible future direction. FISCAL IMPACT Any fiscal impact would be dependent upon the direction that Council may wish to pursue. ENVm0NMENTAL ASSESSMENT While there are environmental issues that are associated with many of the potential strategies, the specific assessments would be presented on a case-by-case basis. ATTACttMENTS - Data Document PREPARED BY:Jon Hemandez, Lieutenant Marvin Overway, Chief Trans~tm~tion Official Lynne Johnson, Assi/~t ~/p_olice ~hief Ashok Aggarw..al, gtY Vlfffic~E.n~ineer. CHRIS DURKIN Police Chief. CMR:439:94 Page 2 of 3 CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: KEN SCHREIBER D’,:,~tor of Plannin! CMR:439:94 Page 3 or" 3 FORMAT TOPIC: Each of several topics/issues to be discussed. A.PERCEPTION: A statement or description concerning what we think is the perception of the public regarding the topic. Numbers in parentheses refer to factual data associated and/or strategy information items. FACTUAL DATA/INFORMATION.: Data, information, professional opinion, that helps provide background and understanding of the topic/issue. EXISTING STRATEGIES: Identification and brief descriptionof methods/procedures currently used to address the topic/issue,including enforcement, physical, and education measures. D.POTENTIAL OTHER STRATEGIES: Identification and brief description of methods that might be possible. TOPIC: SPEED SPEED ~ The rate at which vehicles travel on/throuGh" City streets A.PERCEPTIONS,: Traffic generally travels too fast within and through the City. (B2,B3) People are not obeying the posted speed limits. (B2,B3) Speeds are "increasing. (B3) There is insufficient traffic enforcement and police are not visible enough and, as a result, people continue to speed. (B5) Speed enforcement is not a priority for the police’department. (B5) Posted speed limits are enforceable. (B2,B3,B4,BT) City vehicles are habitual offenders when it comes to ~xceeding the speed limit. (BS) Increasing the posted speed limit increases the actual travel speed. (B6) FACTUAL DATA/INFORMATION: Radar enforceable speed limits are based upon the 85th percentile speed (that speed below which 85 percent of the traffic is moving). This is.based on the premise that 85 percent of the people are able to accurately assess features of the roadway and characteristics of the adjacent area and will adjust their speed accordingly to what is reasonable and safe. Speeds higher than the 85th percentile are not considered reasonable and safe. o Speed survey data from a sample of arterial and collector streets is as follows: Q 85th Posted Percentile Speed ~-~Limi____~t Arterial Street~ Alma (3 sections)42/43/44 35 Hillview 43"35 Oregon 43 35 Page Mill 43 35 Sand Hill (2 sections)40/41 35 University 33 25 Collector Streets. Colorado (2 sections) Fabian Way Hanover Hillview Loma Verde (3 sections) Louis (2 section) Meadow (3 sections) Newell (2 sections) Welch West Bayshore (3 sections) 33/34 25 39 30 36 30 39 30 33/34/~4 25 34/34 25 34/34/33 25 32/33 25 34 25 39/42/41 30/351~5 Travel speed data monitored at several locations indicates insignificant changesover a period of 13 years, as shown below: o 85th Percentile Speed Posted" 1977 1978 198______~3199________q0Limit University 36 36 35 33 25 West of Hale Middlefield 41 37 40 -25 No. of MontroseMiddlefield 38 35 35 -25 No. of Kingsley Middlefield 38 36 35 -25 So. of HawthorneEmbarcadero 40 40 41 40 25 at Morton Embarcadero 41 38 39 37 25 East of Cowper Legal limitations on speed enforcement: Section 22350 of the Vehicle Code, the "Basic Speed Law," says no person shall drive at a speed that is unsafe for the roadway conditions. This {ection makes no reference to exceeding the posted speed limit. When testifying in court, an officer must prove the speed was unsafe, not just in excess of the posted limit. This law applies to any speed above or below the posted limit in relation to the safe speed dictated by the roadway conditions. Section 22349 of the Vehicle Code, the "Maximum Speed Limit," says no person shall drive faster than 55 mpho This law applies to city surface streets, as well as the freeway. Due to this law dictating the maximum speed limit, regardless of roadway conditions, any person driving faster than 55 mph is in violation. Section 40802 of the Vehicle Code, "Speed Trap," defines how speed enforcement can be conducted. This section prohibits the use of time distance calculations to determine speed. This section also requires a speed~limit to be determined by an "engineering and traffic survey" in order to use radar to enforce a speed limit. There are exceptions to this requirement such as school zones with children _in the areaand non-federal aid local streets. e During .fiscal year 1991-92, the Palo Alto Police Department issued 7,351 speed-related citations. In fiscal year 1992-93, 4,724 speeding citations were issued. The number.of speed-related citations has decreased over the last three years as a result of the department’s change of traffic enforcement tactics. In fiscal year 1991-92, emphasis was placed on group radar enforcement, sometimes as often as three or four times a day° Group enforcement results in more citations being issued in shorter periods of time. In 1992- 93, the department’s focus began to change. Enforcement emphasis was directed to areas and intersections with the highest number of accidents~ Additional hours were spent on safety presentations at elementary and middle schools and additional attention was given to school zones. In 1993-94, the Traffic Team began devoting additional hours to commercial vehicle enforcement and inspections, due to the number of trucks being stopped with serious equipment defects° Also during that time, the Traffic Q Team worked with only one sergeant.~and three officers (instead of one sergeant and five officers). This was the result of a higher than normal number of injuries (five officers during a ten-month~Period) within the department which~ affected m~nimum staffing requirements on all patrol shifts. Traffic Team officers were also assigned to supplement daily patrol positions for injured officers throughout the year. Technical studies and experience in other Bay Area communities indicates that raising posted speed limits to conform with the results of prescribed. Engineering and Traffic surveys does not result in a corresponding increase in ’ overall speed. It is unrealistic to set artificially low speed limits and expect a majority of the drivers to naturally accede to such~ limits. It is equally unrealistic to expect that throughenforcement, a majority of drivers can be forced to conform to artificially low speed limits. .Furthermore, experience has shown that artificially low posted speed limit signs have little, if any, significant influence on driver behavior. The city Manager has reinforced with Department Heads the importance of City employees driving City vehicl4s according to the speed limits. Co EXISTING STRATEGIES: Speed Enforcement ¯General traffic enforcement is conducted by all patrol officers. The Police Department’s Traffic Team is staffed by five officers and one sergeant. The primary responsibility of the Traffic Team is to deal with all traffic-related problemswithin the City. Traffic Team members regularly work daytime hours, but occasionally adjust. their schedules to address traffic problems during evenings and weekends. officers target areas known to have speed-related probl~ms and conduct high profile enforcement in efforts to reduce speeds and accidents° Officers conduct speed-enforcement in three ways: individual radar, group radar and pacing° Individual radar enforcement is when an officer, working alone, uses radar to obtain a violator’s speed and then stops the vehicle and issues the driver a citation. Group radar is when one officer operates radar from a stationary location and radios to other officers down the road.- These other officers stop the violators. and issuecitations. Pacing is conducted by officers in marked patrol cars and requires them to drive behind a violator. The officer must reach the violator’s speed and then maintain the pace for a sufficient distance to prove in court the actual violator’s speed. Because of safety concerns, the pacing method is used on a limited basis and usually only during periods of light traffic. Officers also concentrate enforcement efforts in areas that have been reported by citizens as having speed problems. Depending on the location and resources available, the most appropriate enforcement method will be used. High profile enforcement stops are also used by~ the Traffic Team to educate citizens. The purpose is to give verbal warnings and educate the public about their unsafe driving and to give a "police presence" to the problem area. Phantom cars (empty marked patrol cars) are parked on the side of the road in problem areas, to again, give a police presence without depleting staffing. The mobile radar trailer is placed .at different locations throughout the City to advise motorists of their actual speeds. 6 2.Road Bump Proqram In 1991,. Palo Alto established a Road Bump Program. The purpose of the program is to use road bumps to lower speeds on local residential streets. The program identifies criteria’ (basic, neighborhood support, and operational) that must be met and standards for the location and design of road bumps° Road bumps cost about $5,000 per bump and are often installed as a series of two or more. The only locations at which road bumps (8 total) have "been installed to date are on Cowper, Colorado and Marion in the Midtown area. Few, if any, comments, favorable or unfavorable, ha~e been received regarding the existing road bumps. Do,’POTENTIAL OTHER STRATEGIES~. city Vehicle Pace Car Proqram All city vehicles could have "I drive the LIMIT" bumper stickers. Included on the sticker could be a phone number for citizens to report how the city vehicle was being driven. o ~eed Watch Proqram ~ Bellvue, Washington and Portland, Oregon have volunteer-based Neighborhood Speed Watch Programs. These public awareness programs are intended to make drivers"aware of residents’ concerns regarding the impact of speeding on neighborhood safety and livability. This awareness occurs by sending letters to the registered owners of speeding vehicles noted by .residents. The cities provide radar guns and training to participants; participants collect license plate numbers and vehicle information on those cars traveling in excess of 5 mph over the speed limit; city staff obtains owner’s names and addresses from Department of Motor Vehicles and sends a letter to the vehicle’s owner. The program is used only for lower volume, two-lane streets and not on busier four lane streets where it is more difficult to record information and to use radar to properly assess a vehicle’s speed. 7 o Neiqhborhood Traffic Manaqement Proqram A number of cities have formal neighborhood traffic management programs to serve as a means to address neighborhood residents’ concerns about speed, safety and other traffic related issues. While Pal. Alto in fact has had such a process for.many years, it lacks: the -formal structure and presentation materials, and, Do an annual commitment of dollars for implementation of physical measures, characterized by the current higher profile models in other cities. Reduction of Neiqhborhood Street Width One of the factors that influences driver perception about what is a reasonable and [!fe speed, is the width of the travel lanes and the presence and proximity of objects along the side of the travel lane. For example, a driver has a very different sense of what is a reasonable and safe speed on the quite narrow streets with on-street parking in the Southgate neighborhood as compared with the wider streets, rolled curbs, cars parked in driveways or up on the curb/sidewalk that typifies some residential areas in Pal. Alto. One strategy to reduce speeds could be to narrow existing wide streets. This could be done on a full block-by-block basis or at periodic locations (e.g., use of bulbouts) along a block. Either approach could be accompanied by significant roadway drainage and design considerations. Downsize Arterial(s) from Four Lanes to Two Lanes Conversion of current four lane "residential" (proposed CPAC designation) arterials (Embarcadero, Middlefield, Charleston and Arastradero) to: a. a two-lane roadway with a continuous center turn lane (or an optional landscaped median), 8 o bike lanes, and on-street parking, while malntalnlng current lane configurations, at major intersections, could possibly have the effect of reducing travel speeds by abgut 5 mph. A rough cost estimate to restrlpe (continuous center turn lane option) the full length of Embarcadero Road (2.2 miles) is $250,000; a rough cost estimate for. a fully landscaped center median option would be $1.5 million. S~afety Checkpoint~ officers using the group enforcement method could work high volume roads for safety violations. These violations would includeseat belts, child safety seats and mechanical violations. Use of Photo Radar = This device is simil&r to~ the City’s current Radar Trai£er; however, the unit could be hidden and equipped to take photographs of violators, their vehicle and license plate. citations would then ’be mailed out to the registered owner with the photo of the driver. Radar Drones Radar drones could be installed on city power poles. These drones would transmit a radar signal which would in turn set off a driver’s radar detector. Once a driver using a radar detector thinks radar is being used in the area, he/she would presumably slow down. Police Motorcycles for Traffic Enforcement Motorcycles could be used for ~orking heavily congested areas such as downtown and intersections along El. Camino Real, Embarcadero and Alma. Motorcycles are smaller and much quicker than full-size patrol cars, and allow officers to quickly and safely enter traffic~ catch up to, and stop violators. In addition to being used. fn heavily congested areas, motorcycles are effective in less congested areas due to their smaller size. When a patrol car is parked in a problem area, while maintaining ~urations. at major possibly have the avel speeds by about~stimate to restrlpe ~rn lane option) the ,arcadero Road (2.2 ~ rough cost estimate :aped center .median million. enforcement method roads for safety ~tions would include seats and mechanical ~o the City’s current the unit could be take photographs of e and license plate. e mailed out to the e photo of the driver. ~stalled on city power Duld transmit a radar- Irn set off a driver’s driver using a radar ~is being used in the umably slow down. Traffic Enforcemen~ ~ed for ~orking heavily h as downtown and El. Camino Real, Motorcycles are smaller full-size patrol cars, uickly and safely enter and stop violators. In d in heavily congested re effective in less ~o their smaller size. ~rked in a problem area, II.TOPIC: VOLUME VOLUME: - The number of cars travelling on and through City streets. PERCEPTIONS: The volume of vehicle traffic is too high. (B1,B2,B3) The volume of vehicles is increasing ~apidly. (BI,B3) A significant portion of traffic volume is due to non-Pal- Alto residents. (B4) The city is not doing much to control the increase in traffic volume. (BI,B2,B3,B4) FACTUAL DATA/INFORMATION: In the past 25 years, traffic volumes on.the major roadways in Pal. Alto have been increasing at an annual rate ranging from 0.5 percent to 3 percent. Citywide traffic volume flow maps for 1969 and 1993 are presented in Appendices A and B. Typical traffic volume ranges for various types of streets are as follows: Freeways and 18,000-150,000 vehicles/day expressways Arterial streets 10,000-45,000 vehicles/day Collector streets 1,000-I0,000 vehicles/day Local streets i00- 2,500 vehicles/day As part of the followup to the citywide Land Use and Transportation Study, traffic volumes at iI major intersections in Pal. Alto are. monitored on a one- to two-year cycle. The data collected in 1985, 1990, 1992 and 1993 indicates the following: 1992 p.m. peak hour traffic volumes, at all but one intersection, were less than the previous recorded volumes (1990), and 1993 p.m. peak hours traffic volumes at Sall Ii Intersectlon are less than or equal to values anticipated and approved a spart of the citywide Study. ~- ii o Census data (199Q) provides some helpful indicators Df travel characteristics. The total number of vehicle trips is about 600,000/day. About 10 percent of vehicles are just passing through the City. The remainder is split: 45 percent attributable to Pal. Alto/Stanford residents and 45 percent attributable to non-Pal. Alto/Stanford residents. The 45 percent Pal. Alto/Stanford residents portion is about: -25 percent within the Pal. ~ Alto/Stanford area and ~20 percent outside the Pal. Alto/Stanford area.o- C.EXISTING STRATEGIES: I.Land Use Policies that Reduce G~owth Potential In 1989, the Citywide Land Use and Transportation Study resulted in actions by the City of Pal. Alto to address community- wide concerns about increasing traffic congestion resulting from continuing commercial and industrial degelopment. At that time, development potential was reduced from 25 million square feet to 3 million square feet. The 3 million square feet represents an 88 percent reduction in development potential and only a 12 percent increase over existing development in 1987. Trip Reduction Ordinance Pal. Alto adopted a Citywide Transportation Demand M~nagement (TDM) ordinance in 1990, as one of five "Golden Triangle Task Force" cities in Santa Clara County. Recently, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) adopted Regulation 13, Rule i, ("Trip Reduction Requirements for Larger Employers") which supersedes all local city and county TDM ordinances. The rule applies to all public and private employers with work sites of I00 or 12 o more employees. The average vehicle ridership (AVR) performance objectives for the zone in which Palo Alto is located, increases from i. I0 in 1993 (ii0 employees/100 vehicles) to 1.35 in 1999 (135 employees/100 vehicles). This represents a 23 percent reduction in the number of private vehicles driven to work, compared to 1993 conditions. Stanford University Efforts to Reduce Sinqle Occupant Vehicles Stanford University has, and continues, to make notable efforts toward reducing single occupant automobile use though a variety of transportation-related programs and services (incentives and disincentives) that influence travel mode choices. As part of their 1988 Santa Clara County General Use Permit (County lands), there~ is a requirement that new development cannot contribute any new automobile trips beyond the number allowed in 1988. This is monitored and reported on by Stanford on an annual basis and, to date, they have met that requirement. City Support for Alternative Transportation Modes Palo Alto has long-standing policies and a notable record of actions and achievements that emphasize, encourage and facilitate the use of alternative modes to the automobile (walking, biking, car/vanpools, transit)° These policies and actions, consistently applied over an extended period of time, have made a favorable difference in the utilization of several transport components and, therefore, have resulted in lower volumes of traffic. D. POTENTIAL OTHER STRATEGIES: .Support Reqional Strateqies Market Based Pricinq Market-based pricing mechanisms that accurately reflect the costs of travel choices could significantly change travel mode choices and reduce the volume of automobiles during peak periods. The same concept is already an integral part of our daily lives as we make 13 o choices about the use of telephones, water, power~ ~irline travel, etc. Devel~p Local’Transit Marguerite-Type System A local a~ea Marguerite-type s~all bus system serving neighborhood areas and major destination points could reduce the number of automobile tripsin Palo Alto. Pursue Extension of Liqht Rail Transit from Mountain View to/throuqh Palo Alto An "extension ~f Light Rail Transit from Mountain View through Palo Alto to Menlo Park along E1 Camino Real would serve a number of destinations and related trips that would otherwise be made by automobile. It would also provide the possibility ~for a strong emphasis On transit-oriented development along El Camino Real in conjunction~with the ten or so stations that would be part of the-~LRT system, thereby accommodating future development without the same traffic-related impacts associated with traditional non- transit development. TOPIC: ACCIDENTS ACCIDENTS:Motor vehicle versus motor vehicle, bike versus motor vehicle, pedestrian versus motor vehicle. PERCEPTIONS: Palo Alto streets are unsafe and are getting worse. (B1,B2) Accidents are normally caused by excessive speed and a disregard for traffic control devices. (B5) A serious accident has to occur before ~he City does something to prevent accidents. (B2,B6,C2,C3) Effective traffic enforcement reduces the number of accidents. (B6) The city can engineer and control safety through the use of signs and other physical devices. (CI,C5) City streets should be safe for children to play in. (B4) An increase in the number of vehicles increases the number of accidents, especially more pedestria~ involved accidents. (B7) FACTUAL DATA/INFORMATION: Between 1989 and 1993, the injury accident rate in Palo Alto has remained relatively unchanged (average of 557 accidentsper year). During the same period, th~ fatal accident rate in Palo Alto has remained at three per year, except in 1990, when there were six. (See Appendices C and D) o The surveyed Bay Area cities show a significantly lower per capita and injury accident rate when compared to the state accident rate as a whole. The fatal and injury accident rates for the state have decreased over the last five years. This can i be attributed in part to the mandatory seat belt law, vehicle supplemental restraint systems (air bags), mandatory motorcycle So 6~ helmet law, bicycle helmet law, a~d stricter DUI enforcement. Listed below are the seven areas with the most traffic accidents in the last five years: ¯ i00 block E1 Camino Real "(55 accidents); 29 occurring at the Stanford Shopping Center entrance. 200-300 University Avenue (36 accidents). -2600-3000 .Middlefield accidents). Road (33 400-600 MiddlefieldRoad (32 accidents); 12 occurring at the intersection of Hamilton Avenue. 500-600 Embarcadero Road (32 accidents); ii" occurring at the intersection of Middlefield Road. ~ 400-600 Alma Street (31 accidents); ii occurring at the intersection of Hamilton Avenue. 800-900 University (31 accidents). Streets are designed for vehicle traffic, not for children to play in. For the past two years, the single highest cause of injury/fatal accidents is violation of the basic speed law. (Appendix E) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ’studies have shown" that effective traffic enforcement reduces the number of accidents at specific locations. It is to this end that the Police Department has cha.nged enforcement tactics and focuses its efforts at intersections or areas with the highest number of accidents. There is no current factual data to support or deny the perception that an .increase in the number of vehicles increases pedestrian involved accidents. EXISTING STRATEGIES: Annual Hiqh Accident Location Analysis Periodically, staff performs a systematic review of locations where the.highest number of accidents occur. Total number of accidents are determined, accident rates are calculated, andthe ten highest locations are studied in detail. ~Such study includes preparation of coilision diagrams illustrating the type of accident, direction .of travel,’ time of day, etc. and field investigation and evaluation of each location to determine contributing factors. Specific actions are then identified and implemented and these areas are included in targeted enforcement locations. Tarqet. Area Enforcement/Hiqh Accident Locations The Traffic Team focuses enforcement effc_-.ts on locations and intersections with the highest accident rates. Team members give warnihgs and citations in these target areas. Patrol officers are also directed to these locations. Accident Investiqation and Analysis Procedures Police officers investigate all reported traffic accidents. Two types of reports are used. The more involved report is used when one or more of the following factors are present: injuries more than two vehicles involved unlicensed/suspended drivers pursuits, reckless driving or contests drunk drivers hazardous material spills hazardous mechanical violations prosecution for CVC violations(s) is sought speed A briefer form of report is an "Exchang@ of Information Report." It summarizes ’minor property damage accidents when the above criteria are not met..Exchange of Information Reports serve insurance purposes and are not 17 Do sent to the statewide reporting system. Parties receive a copy of this report at the scen~ of the accident, and a copy is maintained by the Police Department. The Specialized Traffic Accident Reconstruction Team responds to assist with fatal and major injury accidents.’ The team collects evidence, photographs the scene and reconstructs the accident. The team seeks prosecution through the District Attorney’s office when appropriate. Accident data is computerized and plotted on an accident pin map according to type and location. 4. Education The Traffic Team works in cooperation with the department’s School/Traffic Safety Committee, the Fire+Department, School Resource OffiCer and school principals to educate students on bicycle and pedestrian safety. Early in the school year, the Police Department provides middle and elementary schools with high visibility traffic direction. 5.Physical Improvements In response ~o requests and complaints and as a result of other investigations and evaluations, physical improvements are made at various locations to address specific issues at such locations. These physical improvements include: parking restrictions, restricted turns, increased sight distaDce, stop signs, traffic signal~, etc. POTENTIAL OTHER STRATEGIES: I.Informationai Leafleting Informational leafleting could occur near intersections where a greater number of accidents occur. Handouts given at safety checkpoints would inform motorists of the problemand would solicit cooperation relating to safe driving techniques. The checkpoints would be advertised in the Weekly. 18 Increased Enforcement at Hiqh Accident Intersections. Due to current wor~load demands, Traffic Team members devote time at five area/intersections with the greatest number of accidents in the last six-month period° This number could be modified to include the top eight or ten areas in .the last three months. Patrol officers from.all three shifts could be assigned to monitor these areas for a set amount of time during each shift and have their time logged asa call for service.. 19 IV.TOPIC:SCHOOL COMMUTES SCHOOL COMMUTES:The travel to and students. from schoold by A. PERCEPTIONS: It is unsafe for children to walk and/or bike to school. (BI,B2) There are an inadequate number crossing guards..(B3,B4) of adult There is insufficient traffic enforcement in school zones,’especially during school hours. FACTUAL DATA/INFORMATION: I.Accidents at or Near Schools During the last five years, there have be&,i a total of 27 reported accidents (eight with injuries) involving students, bicyclists and vehicles in school parking lots and/or adjacent to schools on the roadway. Twenty of the 27 accidents have occurred in or around Gunn High School (13, 5 with .injuries) and, Pal. Alto High School (7, 2 with injuries). Accidents Involvinq School Children During the last five years, there have been a total of 320 injury accidents involvin~ children between the ages of five and 18: a.1989 - 65 b.1990 - 57 c.1991 - 57 d.1992 - 79 e.1993 - 62 Breakdown of their involvement by age group: (See Appendix F) There are currently II adult crossing guards working at II specific intersections (Appendix G) during the morning and afternoon school commute periods. There are 28 children serving as traffic patrols at 13 specific intersection (Appendix 20 Co .G) during the morning and afternoon school commute periods. Two of the intersections also have adult guards; i. City/School Traffic Safety Committee The City/School Traffic Safety Committee serves as a forum and focal point for identifying, evaluating and making recommendations to theCity Manager and the School District Superintendent regarding school traffic safety issues. The seven member Committee is comprised of representatives from the City (2), the School District (2) and the PTA Traffic Safety Board (3). 2.Adult.Crossinq Guards The City of Palo Alto supervises and funds the Adult Crossing Guard~ Program. Requests are submitted to the City/School Traffic Safety Committee for review and recommendation. Criteria for evaluating the need for an adult crossing guard include consideration of: the - number of elementary school-age pedestrians per hour (20 minimum), appropriateness-of use of a Junior Traffic Patrol, and intersection control and vehicle volume warrants. Currently, there are adult crossing guards at Ii intersections during the morning and afternoon school commute periods. Training and field supervision are provided by the Police Department, and the adult crossing guards wages ($5,000/year/person) are included in the Police Department’s budget. At. the present time, there are requests outstanding for adult crossing guards at two additional intersections. 3.Junior Traffic Safety Patrols The Palo Alto Unified School District administers the Junior Traffic Safety Patrol Program. Thepurpose of the program is to use trained students (generally 5th graders) to assist pupils in safely crossing streets near the school. Currently, there are 28 children serqing as patrol members at 13 intersections during the morning and afternoon school commute periods. 21 o. 0 e School Bike Safety Instruction Proqram The school bike safety instruction program is under the direction of a Fire Department Captain. Each year, he conducts bicycle safety classroom presentations" for all third and fifth graders. .He also provides both middle schools with a yearly slide and video safety presentation. Each fall the Fire Captain coordinates a Bicycle Rodeo to promote bicycle safety and awarenessfor children. The Fire Captain also conducts the juvenile bicycle offender program. Juveniles who receive their first citation attend a bicycle safety class in lieu of having the violation appear on their record. Responses to Site-Specific Issues and Requests city staff routinely responds to requests from the Palo Alto Unified School Dlstr’. =t, City/School Traffic Safety Committee, individual schools, and PTA groups throughout the year on a variety of traffic safety issues. These are generally site~specific issues related to traffic circulation and parking, safety patrols,adult crossing guards, traffic controls,etc., in the vicinity of individual schools. School Commute Corridor Studies/Actions The Meadow/Charleston School Corridor Safety Study was completed in early 1993. The purpose of the study was (I) to take a comprehensive look at traffic safety issues ’and concerns related to the safety of students traveling along public streets between J.L. Stanford Middle School and the Barron Park Neighborhood and (2) to develop consensus and support for a program of short-term and long- term recommendations. The study identified 26 individual actions with support for implementation. Many of these actions have already been completed and most of the others are in process, either as current projects in the City’s Capital Improvement .Program or through agreements with Caltrans for E1 Camino Real. At Council’s direction, staff has worked with 22 Do o .the appropriate, parties (City/School Traffic Safety Committee, principals and PTA representatives)~ to identify issues and consider alternative approaches for proceeding with additional school commute safety studies. .The consensus of opinion is to recommend proceeding with a two part area-wide study process rather than a focused single corridor study, similar to the Meadow/Charleston Study (Appendix H). Enforcement Enforcement priorities are generally directed throughout the school.year in consultation and discussions between the City/School Traffic Safety Committee and. the Police Department. The Police Department also responds ¯ to requests from individual schools on specific traffic-safety concerns as well. Information Packets Provided Prior to Schuol Openinq Every August, the School District sends parents a packet of materials which includes information regarding school commute safety issues, including bike route maps. 9.Annual Maintenance Each year, prior to school opening, the City repaints all school cross-walks and pavement legends, as. well as maintenance of school related signs on and along city streets. POTENTIAL OTHER STRATEGIES o o Intersections which, meet the city Council adopted guidelines for employing additional crossing guards at intersections used by elementary age students ($7,000/year per adult guard) could be proactively surveyed. Student safety patrol programs could be expanded to include all Ii elementary schools. Education programs could be expanded for parents and students regarding traffic safety issues specific to individual school sites. 23 TOPIC:COMMERCIAL VEHICLES COMMERCIAL VEHICLES - Trucks and other~large vehicles carrying goods and equipment and making deliveries/pick-ups in the City. ~ - A.PERCEPTIONS: The number of truck route increasing. (B9) violators is There is ’insufficient enforcement of truck route wiolations. (B1,B2,B3) There is an increase .in commercial vehicles. (B7) the speed of When commercial vehicles are involved in a~cidents, the seriousness of those a~cidents increases. (B8) Commercial enforcement field activities create additional traffic hazards. (CI) Th~ allowable weight limit is too high for Pal. Alto streets. (B4,BS,B6) Menlo Park and Stanford commercial traffic is being diverted through’ Pal. Alto due to differences in the cities’ weight limits. (B5,B6) FACTUAL DATA/INFORMATION: The Police Department has three CHP-certified Commercial Vehicle Inspectors. These officers are assigned.to the Traffic Team and are able to adjust their work hours to address any problem areas. On average, a total of 60 hours per week is devoted to commercial enforcement. While the Traffic Team officers concentrate on commercial violations, all patrol officers are trained in basic commercial enforcement. Areas of enforcement include truck route violations, moving violations, mechanical violations and driver safety violations, such as the number of hours a driver Works in a given day. The Pal. Alto Police Department works closely with the CHP and other Bay Area law enforcement agencies involved with 24 Q ¯ o commercial vehicle enforcement. During Fiscal Year 1993-94, the Traffic Team issued 328 citations and during Fiscal Year 1992-93, 492 citations for commercial violations. Current regulations restrict trucks of 7 tons (maximum gross ;Qeight) or more to use only designated truck routes. Trucks weighing less than 7 tons are not restricted. Designated truck routes are illustrated in Appendix I. Data from a survey of trucks on University Avenue just east of Middlefield Road on July 15, 1993 is as follow: Do During a 12-hour shrvey period (5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), a total of 328 commercial vehicles were counted, 176 westbound and 152 eastbound. The volume of commercial vehicles varied throughout the day, as ’illustrated below, with a low of i0 in the early morning and a high of 44 in the late morning period. Volume of co~ercial Vehicles by Time of 5-6 ~a.m.I0 Ii-12 a.m.36 6-7 a.m.20 12 noon-i p.m. 37 7-8 a.m.23 1-2 p.m.30 8-9 a.m.35 2-3 p.m.25 9-10 a.m.34 3-4 p.m.21 I0-ii a.m.44 ~4-5 p.m.13 The. police obtained unladen (no cargo) weight information for 183 (56 percent) of the tot&l number of 328 vehicles. The remainder could not- be successfully matched to DMV records due to incomplete or incorrict recorded field data. Since the recorded weights are unladen weights, the commercial vehicle officers added probable cargo weights to determine laden (full cargo) weights for each vehicle° These are summarized below: Commercial Vehicles by Laden Weiqht (full 25 o Under 3 tons 19 vehicles 10% From 3 to 7 tons i15 vehicles 63% Over 7 tons..49 vehicles 27% It is important to point out that the above data is based upon an assumption that each truck is fully loaded. Realistically, not all of the vehicles noted as being ’~over 7 tons" are illegal, since a sizable proportion could be carrying ~only a partial load at that point in their delivery schedule. During the 12-hour survey period, four westbound vehicles were observed turning right at Middlefield Road and proceeding north into Menlo Park. While there were more westbound vehicles that did turn right on the Middlefield, they also made a left turn from Middlefield onto Lytton and proceeded westbound on Lytton.. Information from OtherCities ao Mountain View - The City of Mountain View defines a truck as 3 tons or more; has designated truck routes (unrestricted weight) in the north-south direction similar to Palo Alto; and designated truck routes (unrestricted weight) in the east-west direction at both ends as well as the middle of the City. ¯Santa Clara - Santa Clara has no weight limit except for limited segments of five existing streets which have a 3-ton weight limit. Co Sunnyvale - The City of Sunnyvale defines a truck as 3 tons or more; has a substantial north-south and east-west grid of designated unrestricted highways and supplemental~designated truck traffic routes. do Menlo Park - Menlo Park has i) no weight limit on several roads (Sand Hill Road, Alpine, E1 Camino Real, and roadways serving the industrial area east of Bayshore Freeway; 2) a 3-ton limit for 26 trucks not serving Menlo Park, unrestricted weight limit if serving Menlo Park, on Santa Cruz, Oak Grove, University, Menlo Avenue, Ravenswood and Middlefield~ and 3) a 3-ton weight limit for trucks serving Menlo~P~rk and total prohibitibn of trucks serving Pal. Alto on Willow Road between Middlefield and Route i01. Mountain View and Sunnyvale define a truck as 3 tons AND have a reasonable grid of.designated routes-for trucks to use. By comparison,’Palo Alto defines a truck as 7 tons AND has a reasonable number of designated routes in the north-south direction, but not in the east-west direction. o There is no current factual data to support~or deny the perception that there is an increase in the speed of commerical vehicles. There is data to support the perception that accidents involving commercial vehicles are usually serious. This is in large part due to the difference in size and weight between trucks/tractors and passenger vehicles. Though there is factual data from the state to support that truck accidents make up ii percent of total state accident fatalities and four percent of total state accident injuries, we do not have accident data for the city or county to compare with the state information. Citations for truck route violations for the last two fiscal years have totalled 193., and 199 respectively. EXISTING STRATEGIES: I.Commercial Enforcement Commercial vehicle enforcement ranges from officers finding violations during regular patrol, to the use of CHP-assisted commercial checkpoints. These checkpoints often involve up to seven other agencies, including the Public Utilities Commission. 27 During a commercial vehicle enforcement stop, a complete Safety inspection is conducted on ~he vehicle. The-driver’s licensing, medical certification and time on the road are all investigated.- Due to the fact that commercial trucks are very large vehicles," often on roads not designed for such sized vehicles, traffic congestion can occur at the site of a commercial inspection° The proper use of cones and signs ensures a safe zone for the officers to wor~ and shows a large police presence to not only the general.public, but to the commercial drivers as well. The Police Department responds to complaints from citizens on truck route violations, commercial vehicle moving violations and reported unsafe loads. Members of the Traffic Team have also worked with citizen groups to better educate them in regard to weight and size limits. Commercial Education In an attempt to gain compliance from the trucking industry, the Police Department provides a truck route map to drivers and trucking companies explaining how they can legally operate within the city. Safety talks and vehicle inspections for companies wishing to be in compliance are also provided. The Police Department was instrumental in developing the South Bay Commercial officers’ Group. This group of commercial officers, from seven South Bay agencies, works together to enforce commercial violations throughout the greater South Bay with a regional approach. The Police Department is in the process of purchasing portable scales to better work weight violations. With these scales, not just total vehicle weight may be determined, but individual axle weight as well. Many safety violations regarding weight do not involve total Weight, but rather improperly positioned loads. These portable scales enable a better determination of such violations. D.~ POTENTIAL OTHER STRATEGIES: 28 1.Reduction in Weight Limits/Chanqe Truck Routes A reduction in the weight limit definition for trucks and/or change in designated truck ’routes could be made. If the ~eight limit in Pal. Alto was to be reduced from 7to 3 tons, thereby affecting many. more.trucks, serious consideration should be given to designating additional east-west route(s) as truck routes (e.g., Oregon would be one such possibility; Embarcadero or University would be another). Limit Downtown Truck Deliveries Truck d~liveries could be limited in the core of the downtown area to certain hours of the day, (e.g., 11:00 p.m..to Ii:00 aom.) in order to reduce the effects of truck travel, parking and loading/unloading on pedestrian environ- ment, traffic flow, parking, and safety during the more intense and important periods of the commercial/retail business day. ~ 29 TOPIC: CALTRAIN CALTRAIN CROSSINGS~RIGHT OF WAYS - Locations where CalTrain railroad tracks and roadways cross. Ao PERCEPTIONS: The crossings of CalTrain right of ways are unsafe for pedestrians and bicyclists. (B2) ¯Measures can provide failsafe solutions to prevent accidents at these locations. (BI,B2) It is unsafe for students to cross major arterials and rail crossings. (B2) FACTUAL DATA/INFORMATION: CalTrain service presently is comprised of 60 train trips per day. Current proposed plans call for electrification of the system and service increases up to 120 train trips per day. Longer range efforts to replicate a BART- type service would result in 160 or more train trips per day. There have been .four ~rain accidents during the last five years, one fatal accident involving a juvenile bicyclist (11/6/91) and three train/auto accidents with no injuries. Information confirmed between Pal. Alto Police Department Amtrak-records. 3. Vehicle, and pedestrian/bike data: Daily Traffic Volumes Charleston 16,000 Meadow 9,000 Churchill Ii,000 Alma .30,000 Peak Hour Ped/Bike Volumes AM P__M 70 40 150 130 C.EXISTING STRATEGIES: Operation Lifesaver California OPERATION-LIFESAVER is a n~tionwide program directed at the prevention of death 3O and injury at railroad grade crossings throughout the country.The program is administered by the. California Office of Traffic Safety in conjunction" with a broad Spectrum of representation from transportation, law enforcement, and parent- teacher organizations. Annually, representatives from Operation Lifesaver visit local schools to provide training and education to students on the dangers and safe practices.of train track crossing safety. Pedestrian Gate Installation Pedestrian crossing gates have been in use at the Churchill at-grade crossing for many years. More recently, pedestrian crossing gates were added at the Meadow and Charleston at-grade crossings. In conjunction with the pedestrian crossing gates, chain link fencing has been used to channel pedestrians to the safe crossing point and away from unprote&~ed areas at the street crossings. Pedestrian/Bike Grade Separation Feasibility Study As part of the 1994-95 Capital Improvement Program, the Council approved a project (19502) for a feasibility study to assess the various options for providing pedestrian/bike grade separations at the Joint Powers Board/CalTrain railroad tracks and Alma Street at four different cross-street locations: Charleston Road, Meadow Drive, Churchill Avenue and Palo Alto Avenue. The study will identify and develop information including functional designs, costs, right-of-way, utilization, environmental issues, traffic impacts, economic impacts and emergency response impacts for Various options. ~ Subject to the findings of the study and subsequent Council direction, design and construction of a project at one or more locations may follow. Work on the feasibility study will commence in October with the formation of a study advisory committee, followed by selection and retention of a consultant team. 4o Crossinq Guards An adult crossing guard monitors the 31 Meadow/Alma intersection and crossing. railroad Do POTENTIAL OTHER STRATEGIES: Und~rqround Cal’Train One alternative that is often mentioned for permanently resolving CalTrain safety issues would be to underground, the system. This would have the added advantages of solving noise-related concerns as well as traffic delays incurred while crossing gates are down. It would also provide a wonderful opportunity for creative reuse of the surface for any number of possible worthwhile uses. The cost of such an alternativeis very high ($750 million for 4.5 miles and 2 stations), and would not be a realistic possibility until such time that it was part of some broadly based regional transit funding program. 2.Full Vehicle Grade Separation(s) Another alternative that is often mentioned - for addressing the CalTrain safety issues would be to construct full vehicular grade separations at one or more of the existing four cross-street locations. This could be done as a fully depressed roadway under- ~rossfng; or one where CalTrain is partially elevated and "the.roadway is only partially depressed. Given the proximity of Alma and the consequent .need to include grade separation for Alma, as well as the visual blight of.a partially elevated CalTrain on a raised embankment, the fully depressed cross- street option is less problematic than the partial up/down option. The costs, of such an alternative are substantial ($i0 to $20 million per cross-street plus right-of-way) and the impacts, in terms of residential property acquisition, altered and restricted access to some residences, visual appearance, traffic diversion, etc. are very significant and render such an alternative impractica!. 3.Crossinq Guards Another option would be to initiate a volunteer parent crossing guard program to assist at the Charleston/Alma railroad 32 crossing° Due to the disproportionately small number of students that use th’is crossing, available resources are currently devoted to other locations where the combination of a much larger number of s%udents and a significant danger exists. Use of crossing guards during the morning and afternoon school commute periods, at a cost of $5,000 per year per individual, is another alternative. Each cross-street would require two crossing guards at the train tracks, at a cost of $i0,000 per year per cross-street. Expanding this concept to include two additional crossing guards at Alma as well, the total cost per cross-street location would be $20,000 per year. Capitalized at 5 percent, $20,000 per year requires a one-time investment of $400,000 per cross street. 33 BYRC~ IIOO APPENDIX A NOTES: ALL COUNTS TAKEN £XJRING MARCH-MAY ~t~/~lO SEPTEMBER-NOVEMBER, BEFORE OPENING OF OF JUNIPERO SERRA" FREKWAY NORTH OF ’PAGE MILL EXPRESSWAY. SUMMER VOLUME- DOES NOT REFLECT S~AL CHANGES. ¯ ¯-fr W WINTER VOLUME -DOES NOT REFLECT SEASONAL CHANGE& UNIVERSITY AVENUE BUSINESS DISTRICT ’E.VL 0 5£E OET,41L ABOVE 4000 ~700 IIL~OLEFIELD Rn J ALMA ST ST.:’N/’ORO UNIVC~.~/TY 4900 390’ 5100 B~ARROh/ MTN. LOS $C2= L E 5O VEHICLES PER 24 ~OURS {THOUSANDS) LOS ALTOS HILLS NOv 1969’ OFFICE OF TRE TRAFFIC CITY OF PALO ALTO, 1969oMAdOR STREET T AFF! C 24 HOUR COUNTS ENG|NEER FLOW MENLO PARK CHAUCER HIOOLEFIEL0 STANFORD UNIVERSITY ALHA 2400 1500 FReEwAy LOS ALTOS tALE VEHICLES PER ~, HOURS (T HOUSAN05) SUHHER VOLUHES ONLY - SEASONAL VARIATIONS ARE NOT REFLECTED HIGHWAYS 101 & 2B0 - NOT TO SCALE 50& 0V£R C I "1" Y O F P A LO ALTO. CA LI FORNIA 1993oMAJOR STREET TRAFFIC FLOW COUNTS APPENDIX C Persons Injured in Traffic Accidents by City & State (Per I0,000 capita) Ci£y/PopulationI Palo Alto/57,324 Menlo Park/29,407 Mr. View/70,047 Los Altos/27,040 RedwoodCity/69,917 San Mateo/89,355 Santa Clara/96,361 Sunnyvale/122,149 State of California 1989/28,670,5021 State of California 1990/29,489,2721 State of California 1991/30,351,0291 State of California 1992/30,990,8241 State of California 1993/31,436,2591 :State Controller’s Office 1989 553 (97.0) 228 (.78.6) 767 (109.6) 163 (60.4) 709 (101.3) 894 (100.4) 1035 (i07.8) 1088 (89.2) 363 , 645 (126.8) 1990 569 (99.8) .309 (106.6) 784 (112.0) 167 (61.9) 791 (113.0) 976(109.7) 1059 (110.3) 1054 (86.4) 365,758 (124.0) 1991 540"(94.7) 341 (117.6) 728 (lO4.O) 171 (63.3) 748 (106.9) 862 (96.9) 818 (85.2) 1003 (82.2) 350,068 (115.3) 1992 581 (101.9) 392(135.2) 737 (105.3) 158 (58.5) 668 (95.4) 895 (100.6) 770 (80.2) 1008 (82.6) 338,154 (109.1) 1993 543 (95.3) 349 (12o .3) 749 (107.0) 201 (74.4) 674 (96.3~ 727 ~.8! .7) 815 (84.9) 824 (67.5) 315,154 (10o.2) APPENDIX D Persons Killed in Traffic Accidents by City & State (Per i0,000 capita) C~y/PopulationI Palo Alto/57,324 Menlo Park/29,407 Mt. View/70,047 Los Altos/27,040 Redwood City/69,917 San Mateo/89,355 Santa Clara/96,361 Sunnyvale/122,!4~ State of California 1989/28,670,5021 State of California 1990/29,489,2721 State of California 1991/30,351,0291 State of California 1992/30,990,8241 State of California 1993/31,436,2591 1989 3 (0.5) 5 (1.7)" iState Controller’s Office 1990 (1.1) (0.7) 1991 3 (o. 5) 1 (0.3) 1"992 3 (0.5) 2 (o. 7) (i. 0) (0.1) (6.6) (0.2) 4 (0.6) 1 (0.4) 2 (0.3) 8 (o. 9) 12 (1.3) 4 (0.3) 5,381 (1.9) 5 (0.7) 0 o 3 (0.3) 6 (o. 6) 4 (0.3) (o.7) (o.4) (o. 7) (o. 6) (0.4) (o.5) 1993 3 (0.5) 2 (0.7) 7 (!. o) 1 (0.4) 3 (0.4) 4 (0.4) 5 (0.5) 6 (o.5) 5,173 (1.8) 4,649 (1.5) 4 , 185 (i .4) 4,163 (i .3) APPENDIX Driver Total for Aqe Group/Primary Collision Factor 18 17 16 15 14-10 9-5 Total Driver Total /DI’ ~o/46 5~I~4 44/~2 4/2 ~0~ Bicyclist Total/B11 6/5 6/2 7/6 ~o/~o Pedestrian Total/P11 4/1 211 ~/i i/1 .915 915 26/14 Passenger Total2 12 9 15 27 81 IAt fault for the accident 2Passenger in vehicle/bicycle involved in accident 34 APPENDIX G TRAFFIC PATROL Addison Briones Duveneck E1 Carmelo Escondido Fairmeadow Hays Hoover JLS Nixon Ohlone Palo Verde ..CHILD Addison/Middlefield Arastradero/Coloumbe E1 Camino/Los Robles Alester/Ha~lton Alester/Dana. Alester/Channing Newell/Dana Loma Verde/Bryant E1 Carmelo/Bryant Escondido/Midblock Escondido/Stanford Stanford/Hanover Stanford/Bowdoin Meadow/Cowper 2 Middlefield/Embarcadero Embarcadero/Newell E1 Centro/Barron Meadow/Alma Amaril!o/Louis Amarillo/School crosswalk Louis/Midblock Louis/Loma Verde 1 2 0 2 0 0 I’ 0 3 0 3 0 1 0 2 0 I 0 2 0 2 0 4 0 0 0 0 TOTAL 2 0 1 1 i I 0 I 0 0 1 3 1 2 2 I 1 3 3 1 2 1 2 5 1 1 1 0 i 2 2 1 39 5 CALIF ADMIN CODE, ARTICLE 572: "School Safety Patrols may be used only at those locations where the nature of traffic will permit safe operation. The locations where school safety patrols are use.d should be determined by joint agreement between the school district and the local police agency." 8111194 APPENDIX H FURTHER SCHOOL "CORRIDOR SAFETY STUDIES In March 1993, Council formally reviewed the Meadow/qharleston School Corridor Safety Study Recommendations and directed staff to (a) proceed with the implementation of several recommended actions and (b) to work with appropriate parties to identify and prioritize other potential Study corridors. In No~ember 1993, staff sent an informational status report (CMR:599:93) to the Council reporting on the sixth ~onth status of the implementation of recommended actions, as well as the progress being made toward recommendations on the further study of school commute corridors. Staff has sent a letter to the principal and PTA president of each of the 15 PAUSD schools, requesting their formal input on their school community’s concerns about traffic safety issues and potential School corridor study issues. The broad range of issues the schools have identified include signing, striping, stl~eet maintenance needs, on-site traffic circulation problems, major street corridor safety concerns, motorist behavior problems, and requests for safety patro! and adult crossings guards. Staff has worked with the City/School Traffic Safety Committee to.. review the list of issues identified by the schools and consider. alternative approaches for. proceeding with further study. This process has involved severa! daytime m~etings over a four-month period as wel! as one night meeting, to encourage more partici- pation by schoo! and PTA representatives. The alternative study approach possibilities include: (a) a focused single corridor study, similar to the Meadow/Charleston Study, (b) an area-wide corridor study, and (c) a comprehensive cit>~’ide study. The consensus of opinion at this time is to recommend proceeding with a two part area-wide study process. Part A would address the needs of schools !ocated.in the area north of Oregon _and Part B would address the needs of schools !ocated in the area south of Oregon. A consultant would be hired to do only Part A, with the provision that if the City decided to proceed with Part B, subject to the satisfactory work of the~consultant on Part A, the City could choose to negotiate a contract for Part B, without having to repeat the consultant selection procedures. The scope and conduct of the study would be similar for each part, and would include the.fo!lowing elements: ®Issue Identification/Verification Dita Collection and Analysis Evaluation of Alternatives Conclusions and Recommendations Action Plan APPENDIX I NOTE: MIDDLEFIELD RD. IN MENLO PARK HAS A 3 TON WEIGHT.LIMIT. CITY OF PALO ALTO,. CALIFORNIA TRUCK ROUTE MAP, Chapter 10.48 P.A.M.C. .. Palo Alto Police Department Traffic Division: (415) 329-2687 ~LEGEN D~ PALO ALTO CI.’rY LIMITS THROUGH TRUCK ROUTE IiOCAL TRUCK ROUTE (7A.M.to 7P.M. Only) SPECIAL TRUCK ROUTE (24 Hr=./Doy) MULTIPLE DELIVERY ZONE ENTRY-EXIT POINT City TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT:POLICE TRANSi~RTATION AGENDA DATE: November 18, 1996 CMR:468:96 SUBJECT:Request for Approval to Complete Traffic and Engineering Surveys to Consider the Establishment of Radar Enforceable Speed Limits and Status Report on Related Strategies In early 1995, staff presented the Policy and Services Committee-with a list of recommendations to address the issue of fi’affic safety. The Committee approved all of the recommendations in May 1995, including one to establish radar enforceable speed limits not to exceed 35 miles per hour on three selected streets for a three-month trial basis. Due to several factors, including the public reaction to the recommendation, staff has taken a considerable amount of time conducting research to determine if other alternatives were available to assist in reducing speeds. As a result of that research, staff believes that the use of radar continues to be an important tool in speed enforcement. Therefore, staff requests Council direction to conduct traffic and engineering surveys, for the purpose of developing the necessary information needed to determine whether or not radar enforceable speed limits should be established on three selected streets for a three month trial period. RECOMMENDATIONS Staff recommends that.Council direct staff to conduct traffic and engineering surveys, for the purpose of gathering information that would assist Council in the decision making process of whether or not to establish radar enforceable speed limits not to exceed 35 miles per hour, on three selected streets for a three month trial basis. Upon completion and analysis of the surveys, staff will return to Council in approximately three months with the results of the surveys. If the information indicates that the posted speed limits should be raised in order to permit the use of radar, staff will also return with the appropriate ordinance required to raise speed limits. POLICY IMPLICATIONS Pending the outcome of the surveys and a City Council decision that radar shquld be used for speed enforcement, posted speed limits would need to be increased. CMR:468:96 Page 1 of 16 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In March 1994, the City Council directed staffto review strategies and to develop alternative methods to address concerns about the overall perceived deterioration of traffic safety throughout the City. After a Council study session on traffic safety in September 1994, staff developed a list of recommendations for enhancing traffic safety (CMR:192:95). The recommendations were presented to, and discussed with, the Policy and Services Committee at the April 11 and May 24, 1995 meetings. At that time, the Committee voted to recommend all of staff’s proposals to Council. After considerable discussion, the Committee approved a revision of staff’s recommendation to establish radar enforceable speed limits on three selected streets for a six-month trial basis, to a three-month trial basis with posted speed limits not to e:~ceed 35 miles per hour. On June 19, 1995, during the .approval process for the 1995-96 budget, the full Council approved all of the recommendations with. the exception of the one dealing with speed limits. As a result of considerable concern expressed by residents about the issue, Council decided to continue discussion on the issue at a later time. Since then, staffhas conducted research into several issues regarding use of radar, such as the associated legal restrictions/requirements, other cities’ experience with speed enforcement, and other tools that have been suggested as possible alternatives to assist in speed reductions. The discussion section of this report includes a summary of the information that was collected. Based Upon a review of the information, staff believes that the use of radar is a very important tool that is needed to assist in speed enforcement. Prior to summarizing the information that has resulted in the recommendation regarding the use of radar and the corresponding potential change in posted speed limits, staff believes it would be helpful to update the Council on the progress of the traffic safety recommendations that have already been implemented. Additionally, Council has requested more information about photo radar and red light cameras as possible tools that could be used to reduce speeds and enhance traffic safety. That information is also provided. After a 23 year absence, the use of motorcycles for traffic enforcement was reestablished after Council approval in May 1995. Although the process of purchasing and equipping the motorcycles and training of the five officers took longer than originally anticipated, the program was fully implemented with idl five officers on July 1, 1996. While the motorcycle officers CMR:468:96 Page 2 of 16 provide enforcement throughout the City, much of their time is devoted to areas such as downtown and major arterials, i.e. Embarcadero and San Antonio Roads. Addition of Two Traffic Officers During the first quarter of FY 1995-96, two officers were added to the traffic team, bringing the total number of traffic team members to seven. However, due to the time required for the motorcycle officers’ training and some injuries, the Traffic Team was not fully operational until July 1, 1996. As a result of the additional two officers, Traffic Team coverage was expanded to include evening commute hours and Saturdays. The addition of the motorcycles and the two officers to the Traffic Team has resulted in a significant increase in the number of citations issued by the Team. During the first quarter of FY 96-97~ .the Team issued 2,779 citations compared to 978 in the same time period the. previous year. Because of the short amount of time the team and motorcycles have been fully operational, other impacts have not yet been observed. Yellow flashing lights were suggested by residents to help reduce speeds on certain streets. While there was little evidence to suggest their effectiveness in reducing speeds, staff did recommend their installation on Embarcadero Road, on the east and west side of Walter Hays School, for a lrial period. After Council approval, the lights were installed in November 1995. Speed data in the westbound direction of Embarcadero was collected prior to the installation, one week after the installation, and six months after the installation. The data revealed the following: Time of Survey 85th Percentile Speed Prior to installation One week after installation Six months after installation 37 mph 37 mph 36 mph The data obtained six months after the installation indicated a reduction in speed of one mile per hour. However, staff believes that this reduction is insignificant in that it is difficult to state conclusively that it was the result of the installation of the flashing lights. Measurements of speeds may fluctuate up to two to three miles per hour for various reasons. In view of the above CMR:468:96 Page 3 of 16 data, staff does not recommend the installation of flashing lights at other locations, but does intend to leave the flashing lights in place and operational at the location on Embarcadero Road. Locations that Experience Hi_tuber Accident Rates Based upon the number of accidents reported to the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), a list of the top five Palo Alto locations was prepared. Attachment 1 shows a four year comparison of numbers of accidents at the locations and the location ranking based only on actual numbers of accidents. (Property damage accidents that do not result in investigations are not reported to SWITRS and, therefore, are not included in these numbers.) Transportation and Police Department staff reviewed the primary collision factors at these locations to determine what engineering strategies and/or enforcement efforts may be helpful in reducing the number of accidents at the location (refer to page 8). ]~ighborhood Speedwatch Pro_re’am The Neighborhood Speedwatch Program was initiated in January 1996 for a six month trial basis. The program allows citizens to use hand-held radar units to record speeds of vehicles on two lane roadways and document license plate numbers of vehicles exceeding the posted speed limit. The Police Department uses the information to obtain registered owner information and then sends letters to violators informing them that their vehicle was observed traveling in excess of the.posted speed limit. To date, five requests for the program have been ~’eceived in the Barron Park area (residents have used radar units to record the speed of vehicles traveling on six different streets in the neighborhood); one on Middlefield Road and one in the 300 block of Bryant. Over 90 letters have been sent to registered owners of vehicles who were in violation. While the program has not been used enough times to determine the impact on actual overall speed reduction, it is interesting to note that the most frequent violators have been local residents, and in the case of the Barron Park neighborhood, people dropping off their children at school. While there has not been an Overwhelming number of requests for participation by residents, staff has continued the program due to the positive feedback from citizens. The program provides residents with an oppommity to personally address traffic safety in their neighborhoods. Police staffwill continue to market the program through community meetings,__word of mouth, the Citizen Police Academy, and the media. CMR:468:96 Page 4 of 16 Ci.ty Vehicle Safe Dd~ This is one recommendation that has not been fully implemented to date¯ While the City Manager and Department Heads have communicated to their respective staffs the importance of safe driving and compliance with the rules of the road, phone numbers have not yet been placed on City vehicles. Staff anticipates that this will occur by next summer. Long Range Strategies As part of the March 1995 report, staff recommended that Council provide direction through its discussions of the Comprehensive Plan draft Transportation goals, policies and programs regarding long range strategies, such as reduction of residential street widths, downsizing arterials from four to two lanes, and development of a local transit system. Since then, as part of the 1996-97 budget process, staff provided Council with a report (CMR: 180:96) containing information about long-term traffic projects and programs, and the magnitude of potential costs for future projects. In July 1996, staff also provided Council with a recommended framework for prioritizing traffic and transportation projects (CMR:336:96). As a result of this separate process, additional discussion on these items is not included in this report. ,OTHER IMPLEMENTED PROgRAMS/DEVICES Theie have been some other traffic safety-related programs not requiting Council action which staff has continued and/or initiated. They include the following: r - In July 1995, the Police Department’s Traffic Team started the Neighborhood Traffic Program. Traffic officers are assigned two specific neighborhoods for which they act as liaisons and for which they are responsible. The neighborhoods are selected based upon the expressed level of interest on the part of residents in the area and in the case of certain areas like E1 Camino, Alma and San Antonio Road, upon the frequency of serious accidents¯ Officers spend at least one hour per shift working in their assigned areas conducting enforcement, meeting with the neighbors, placing the radar trailer, and/or other associated activities. Current assignments include Embarcadero Road, Midtown area, Barron Park area, Alma Street, Downtown area, University North, San Antonio Road and El Camino Real. The Ventura area is being added to the list. CMR:468:96 Page 5 of 16 ]~ttt_D_~ - One mechanism suggested by residents who lix~e along Embarcadero Road was to install lines of small raised buttons (Bott Dots) at the end of the roadway as drivers exit the freeway. While Bott dots can be an effective means to alert drivers to certain conditions such as sharp curves, it is not evident that they are necessarily effective in reducing speeds. Nevertheless, staff installed them on the east end of Embarcadero Road, east of St. Francis Drive in the westbound direction to determine their effectiveness in reducing speed in that area. Survey data from i991 which indicated the 85th percentile speed to be 40 mph was compared to the survey data collected after the installation of the Bott Dots. An increase of one mile per hour was observed. As a result, staff does not intend on installing the dots anywhere else in the City for speed reduction purposes, but will keep the dots in place on Embarcadero. The Polic~ Department purchased a radar trailer in June 1993 and has used it as a speed awareness educational tool to inform motorists about the speeds they are traveling. The trailer has been placed at a variety of locations throughout the City this last year including different sections of Middlefield, University, Alma, Embarcadero, Arastradero, Hamilton, Bryant, Heather, Hawthorne, Melville and numerous streets in the Bah’on Park area. The trailer has been put into operation for over 1,000 hours over a recent 120 day period. On the average, it takes a minimum of one hour of staff time to set up and take down the trailer each time it is used. When the trailer is in place, it serves to slow down traffic to a certain extent as motorists become more aware of the speeds they are traveling. On Going Traffic Safe _ty Improvements Based upon a review of high accident locations and residents’ concerns, staff continues to make minor and major traffic .safety improvements, such as increasing traffic visibility by prohibiting parking within certain distances from intersections or trimming bushes/trees, installing stop signs, and installing or modifying traffic signals. Currently, staff is developing plans to provide a left-turn green arrow indication for drivers traveling southbound on Alma to eastbound Churchill, in order to reduce left-turn related accidents. Plans are also being developed to provide left-turn green arrow indications for east and westbound Embarcadero traffic turning left at both Newell and Middlefield Roads. RED LIGHT CAMERA In the staff report presented to Council in March 1996 (CMR: 180:96), staff indicated that additional work was being done regarding the possible use of red light cameras at intersections. CMR:468:96 Page 6 of 16 Since then, staff’has extensively researched this alternative. The research has included meetings with vendors who manufacture and sell the equipment, discussions with agencies across the country who have used the cameras and/or who considered using them, and discussions with representatives of the Santa Clara County Traffic Court. Summary. of Red Light Camera Operation - Red light camera systems consist of two parts. The first part is a high-speed industrial camera and flash unit combined with a computer and digital loop signal processor. One of these units is needed for each direction of vehiculai" traffic that enforcement is to occur. For example, if red light violations were occurring at four directions of travel at a particular interse_gtion, four units would be required. The second part of the system consists of the wiring and detection loops that are installed in the roadway, again for each direction enforcement is to occur. The system is activated when a vehicle is detected entering an intersection after the signal light has turned red. At the time of activation, the camera photographs the rear license plate of the vehicle. Currently, improvements to the systems are being conducted to produce a clear photograph of the front plate and the driver of the vehicle. Use of Cameras.by Other Agencies - Red light cameras have been used around the world for about the last 15 years. The device was designed to be operated at intersections that demonstrated a high incidence of accidents caused by people running red lights. While the cameras have been utilized in places like Australia, China, and the Philippines for some time, they .have been in use in the United States only for about five years. According to the information obtained by staff, New York City Department of Transportation has been using the cameras the longest (since 1992). They installed about 15 cameras at intersections where people running red lights were causing a significant number of accidents. While they have experienced about a 10-15 percent decrease in the number of violations, only 60 percent of the photos were suitable for prosecution purposes. Also, only 23 percent of the violators were sent a notice of liability, because many of the vehicles were traveling either too fast or too slow. Because the cameras are triggered to photograph front and rear plates during a specific time period, vehicles traveling too fast were out of range and vehicles traveling too slow were still in the crosswalk and not in the camera’s view. It is interesting to note that almost all agencies in this country, outside of California, classify red light violations similar to parking citations and not moving violations and as a result have associated frees of only about $50. i - Prior to the beginning of this year, the use of red light cameras in California was not legal except at railroad crossings. Senate Bill 833, effective January 1, 1996, amended California Vehicle Sections 210 and 21455.5, so that notices to appear may be CMR:4~8:96 Page 7 of 16 issued- in the absence of police officers. Additionally, the bill allows local agencies to install red light cameras with the following requirements: signs must be posted at all major entrances to the City; requires a 30-day education and a 30-day warning period after commencement of a red light program; and the registered owner and/or driver of a vehicle in violation must be permitted to review the photographic evidence of the alleged violation. The bill authorizes the Department of Motor Vehicles to withhold the registration, for three years, of the vehicle owned by a person cited for nmning a red light, when a camera is used to record the violation and the citation is ignored. The bill sunsets January 1, 1999. While some agencies, such as the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Agency, have used red light cameras at railroad crossings for several years, due to the recent legislative change, only one California agency has actually begun using the cameras for enforcement at intersections. The City of San Francisco was to have begun a pilot program about eight months ago at six intersections where they, were experiencing a high number of accidents caused by people running red lights. The cameras were to be installed by three different vendors. Due to a number of problems they encountered, they just initiated a year’s pilot program at the end of October. Cameras have been installed at four intersections by two vendors. According to San Francisco City staff~ there are still a number of processing questions that need to be worked out. For example, San Francisco will send notices of violation to the registered owner of the vehicle that is photographed. Because SB 833 does not include language that holds the registered owner responsible, if the photograph is taken by the camera cannot be matched with the driver’s license of the registered owner, prosecution will not take place. They are also working on how to process cites for company and rental cars. They are hoping for a considerable amount of cooperation from citizens. Issues Regarding the Use of Red Light Cameras - Based upon the research staffhas conducted into the use of red light cameras, a number of issues and concerns have been raised. They include the following: 1)Technical issues - as noted earlier, other jurisdictions around the country have used the cameras to photograph only the rear license plates of vehicles. The technology to photograph the front plate and a clear, identifiable picture of the driver is still being fully developed in order to meet the legal requirements. 2)Legal issues - Because the State of California requires that citations for red-light violations be processed as a notice to appear for moving violations and not as parking citations, identification of the driver of the vehicle at the time of the offense (instead of the registered owner of the vehicle) is required prior to issuance of a citation. CMR:468:96 Page 8 of 16 Not only have the technological problems mentioned above been difficult to master for identification purposes, in discussions with representatives of the Santa Clara County Court and District Attomey’s Office, the issue of Due Process and Constitutional Rights are still a matter of concern. As an example, when a person signs a traffic citation personally issued by a police officer, he/she is actually signing a notice to appear. If the person does not appear in court, the courts have grounds to issue failure-to-appear arrest warrants. In the case of citations sent through the mail for violations documented by a camera, the violators do not make any promise to appear, and therefore, if they fail to appear in court, the only legal action that can occur is for the District Attorney’s office to file a complaint. Workload associated with this process alone is monumental, but the burden of proof to establish receipt of the complaint and notice to appear is onerous. 3)Vendor issues - There are several issues involving vendors of red light cameras that are important to note. While~ staff has determined that vendors are certainly amenable to the sale of the equipment, they actually prefer to provide the equipment and recoup their costs through the processing of the actual citations. As an example, one vendor charges $25 per citation or 90 percent of the amount of citation revenue the City receives. Palo Alto currently receives an average of $14 per citation. Using this formula, Palo Alto would receive $1.40. In discussions with vendors, staff has learned that they are hesitant to enter into any short-term agreements with cities using this formula, as it is not cost-effective for them to install the equipment for short periods of time. Based upon the City’s previous experiences with parking citation process vendors and the associated financial losses that occtm’ed due to criminal and negligent activities, staff would have some concerns about entering into such an agreement with vendors of red light cameras. The cost to equip an intersection with one camera (capable of photographing one direction of travel only) is about $70,000. That does not include the costs to install the traffic loops in the roadways. 4)Use at intersections with high accident rates - One common trend that staff has identified, after researching red light cameras, is that those agencies across the country who have installed them have done so only at intersections where there is a high incidence of accidents caused by people nmning red lights. A review of accident data for Palo Alto over the last few years reveals that there were only two intersections that experienced up to four accidents caused by red light CMR:468:96 Page 9 of 16 violations, Middlefield and Lytton and Alma and Homer. The following is a breakdown of the number of accidents where the primary collision factor was rurming a red light: 1993 1994 1995 Injury 27 25 28 Non-Injury 38 70 51 Total 65 ,~95 79 5) 6) Ai’rests associated with traffic stops - While there is no statistical data available, a concern about the use of red light cameras is that a number of arrests for offenses ranging from driving under the influence, to possession of concealed weapons, possession of illegal substances, warrants, etc., frequently occur as the result of an officer making vehicle stops for traffic offenses such as red light violations. The use of cameras for enforcement of these violations, as well as for speeding (photo radar), eliminates this contact and, therefore, reduces the number of associated arrests. Staff time - The amount of staff time associated with the operation of a red light camera depends upon the type of arrangement with the vendor, the number of cameras in operation, and the number 0fpeople who contest their citations in court. If an agreement is made with the vendor for processing the citations, the vendor handles the fdm exchange (daily) and equipment maintenance. It is probable that an officer’s signature would be required on the notice to appear in Santa Clara County Court. San Francisco has just implemented a part of their process in which an officer reviews and signs all of the citations before they are sent to the violators. Since there is not a city in Santa Clara County Using a red light camera, there is still some uncertainty regarding the requirement of an officer appearing in court to testify when violators contest their citations. Based upon information received from the County’s Traffic Commissioner, however, this requirement is very likely. If a number of people contest their citations, considerable stafftirne wguld be spent in court. One thing is clear, however, and that is staff time would be needed to assist people who wished to view the photograph associated with the vehicle license numbers. Based upon the experience of agencies like New York City (photographs only rear plate), only 60 percent of the photographs were useable for prosecution in a year due to factors Page I0 of 16 including the speed of the vehicles (if a vehicle is traveling much faster or slower than the speed limit, the camera is unable to take the required two photographs), license plate obstructions, weather, and equipment malfunction. Based upon all of this information, staff does not recommend pursuing the use of red light cameras at this time. Staff will continue to monitor the use by other agencies as they work out technical, logistical and legal issues. Staghas conducted considerable research in the use and operation of photo radar equipment. Cities who are using, have used, or considered using photo radar were contacted for information. Additionally, discussions were held with representatives of the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office and Traffic Courts. Summary. of Photo Radar Operation - A photo radar system is usually mounted on a trailer or in the rear of a van-type vehicle. It consists of two components, a programmable computerized camera and a radar unit. After a speed is programmed into the system, using a narrower, less powerful radar beam compared to hand-held radar guns, the photo radar unit reads and photographs the driver of oncoming vehicles exceeding the preset speed. The photograph captures the front license plate and the driver’s face together with the time, date, location and the speed in which the vehicle was traveling. The film is processed and the registered owner is identified through checks with the Department of Motor Vehicles. Use by Other Agenci¢,s ’- Only about seven other cities in the state have used o~ are using photo radar for speed enforcement. Attachment 2 provides a summary of the cities. Council will note that a number of cities have considered the possibility of using photo radar, but have decided against it due to costs, legal issues, vendor problems, and concern over poor public relations. These cities include Livermore, Walnut Creek, Menlo Park, Santa Cruz, Los Altos, San Leandro, Richmond, Mountain View, San Mateo, and Pleasanton. The cities of Danville, Folsom, and Pasadena have actually discontinued using photo radar due to reasons ranging from contractual problems with vendors to negative public response. There are several issues that are important to note concerning photo radar. They include: CMR:468:96 Page 11 of 16 1)Legal issues - Like the use of hand-held radar units, the use of photo radar may be used only for enforcement on those streets that are in compliance with the 85th percentile requirement. Also, similar to the red light camera, there is concern about the lack of due process and difficulty associated with violators receiving notices in the mail to appear, rather than receiving the notices in person. 2)Stafftime - Information received from other agencies indicates the amount of staff time associated with the operation of photo radar is significant. Legally, the unit must be staffed full time while in operation. Agencies use either police or community service officers for this purpose. Officers are also required to appear in court when violators contest their citations. Experience of a number of agencies demonstrates an increase of 20 to 50 percent in the number of people who choose to go to court. 3)Costs - Vendors usually provide three types of options for use of their photo radar equipment. Turnkey - With this option, the vendor provides all the equipment, sets up the unit, develops the photographs, and processes the citations. The agency only provides the staff to monitor the trait during operation and for court. In return, the vendor’s compensation is 100 percent of the agency’s portion of the traffic fines. Vendors normally require that the unit be deployed for a minimum.number of hours per week (usually 130), using this option. Lease - Using this option, the vendor provides only the equipment, while the agency must provide staff to set up, monitor and process the citations. Lease costs average about $60,000 per year per intersection. Co Purchase - The purchase cost of a radar unit is approximately $80,000. This does not include film purchase and development or the vehicle needed to transport the unit. 4)Public Relations - As noted’ above, one of the biggest downsides to the use of photo radar (and a red light camera) is negative public relations. When citizens receive notices in the mail to appear for traffic offenses, they are precluded from confronting an officer at the time of the violation, and as a result, perceive photo radar very negatively. It is for this reason that most agencies experience the increase in the number of people who contest their citations in court. CMR:468:96 Page 12 of 16 As noted under the information about red light cameras, there is also a reduction in the number of arrests associated with speed enforcement traffic stops. While the use of photo radar receives some positive reports for speed reduction in certain areas, based upon the information provided above, staff does not recommend implementation of photo radar at this time. ESTABLISHMENT OF RADAR ENFORCEABLE SPEED LIMITS As detailed in attached CMR:439:94, there are three.methods that can be used to conduct speed enforcement within the City of Palo Alto, pacing, individual radar and group radar. Because of the safety issues associated with pacing, staff believes that radar is the most.effective speed enforcement tool available. In order for radar to be used, compliance with-the commonly referred to "85 percentile" regulation found in the California Vehicle Code (CVC) is required. Since May 1995, staff conducted additional research into the CVC regulations and the legal ramifications associated with the use of radar. Staff believes that this information would also be beneficial for Council for its consideration on the proposed recommendation. Section 40801 CVC prohibits the use of a speed trap for the purpose of arresting a violator or for securing evidence that could be used in the prosecution of a violator. This provision was adopted so that local entities would not set speed limits arbitrarily, but would do so based upon certain consistent criteria. A speed trap is defined for city slreets as those sections of a roadway with a prima facia speed limit, which is provided by the CVC or by local ordinance, which speed limit is NOT justified by an engineering and traffic survey conducted within five years of the violation and where enforcement involves the use of radar or other electronic devices. The three elements of engineering and traffic surveys as defined in CVC Section 627 are: 1) speed surveys, 2) non-apparent road conditions, and 3) accident records. The speed surveys provide the basis for determining the 85th percentile speed. The speed limit normally should be established at the first five mile per hour increment below the 85th percentile speed. However, in matching existing conditions with the traffic safety needs of the community, policies and procedures contained in the Caltrans Traffic Manual permit consideration of further reduction in the speed limit of 5 mph. For example, in an area with an 85th percentile speed limit of 39 mph, the speed limit would be posted at 35 mph. However, it could be lowered to 30 mph based on 1) a high number of speed-related accidents and/or 2) non-apparent road conditions, such as inadequate stopping distance, presence of pedestrians without a sidewalk, super elevation, etc. According to the CVC, radar may be used for speed enforcement in school zones when children are present, on streets that are posted with a speed limit that is justified by a traffic and engineering study according to the 85th percentile speed, and on all local CMR:468:96 Page 13 of 16 residential streets (not medal or collector streets) that meet all of the following criteria: I) are not more than 40 feet wide, 2) have only one lane in each direction, and 3) have a traffic control device (e.g., stop sign, traffic signal) at least every one-half mile of uninterrupted length. Staff obtained information from representatives from the California Highway Patrol, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office and Traffic Commissioner concerning the use of radar and general speed enforcement issues. The consistent message that staff has received from all those agencies contacted is that the courts have clearly stated that radar cannot be used for speed enforcement efforts, if the particular roadway is not in compliance with the 85th percentile regulation. Some agencies have tried to do so in the past, but when challenged by violators who have received citations, the Appeals Courts have continually not upheld convictions when the posted speed limits are not consistent with the CVC requirements. The courts have also upheld challenges to citations that have been issued for what the courts consider unreasonably lower speeds. While there is not a specific definition for these unreasonable lower speeds, it is the consensus of opinion that depending upon conditions, unreasonably lower speeds usually include anywhere between two to five miles over the posted speed limit. It is for this reason that the 85th percentile regulation was established. It should be noted that the California Legislature adopted two exceptions to the speed trap section of the vehicle code for a period of three years. In 1995, AB 843, exempting one specific street (Chase Street) in the City of E1 Cajon, and SB 574, exempting one (Mast Boulevard) in the City of Santee, were adopted. The reasons that led to these two exceptions include the following: Mast Boulevard - This is a four lane residential collector with three elementary schools along it: A large increase in traffic volume was expected during the construction of a new state highway interchange that fed onto the roadway. The City of Santee hired a lobbyist who was able to assist in getting the legislation adopted. According to information from Santee City staff, while they are currently using radar per the legislation, it is under review for possible court challenge by the Automobile Association. ~ - This street was a two lane roadway that was widened to four lanes. The posted speed limit had been 40 mph, which was determined by traffic and engineering surveys to be the safe speed. Due to a severe curve in the roadway, residents requested the speed limit be reduced to 35 mph with continued use of radar enforcement. The city attempted to get some changes made to the CVC through the State Legislature, but due to some strong opposition from various other groups, the initial attempt was not successful. A private citizen who lived along the street was able to convince the CMR:468:96 Page 14 of 16 legislator to sponsor a bill exempting the street from the CVC requirement. The legislator was successful and the bill was passed. It expires, however, in 1999. Based upon this information, staff concludes that radar is the most cost-effective means for enforcement of speeding violations on the major arterials. Currently, based upon surveys that have been completed in the last five years, radar is used on many streets, such as Alma Street, University Avenue, San Antonio Road, Sand Hill Road, and Oregon Expressway as they meet the 85th percentile requirement. Otticial surveys have not been conducted on Middlefield Road, Embarcadero Road, Arastradero Road and Charleston Road since the early 1990s. Traffic Team members have recently been using radar to stop and warn drivers who are exceeding posted speed limits by 10-15 miles per hour. While this is a good educational tool, motorists soon learn that radar cannot be used on those roadways to issue citations and as a result, overall speeds do not appear to be decreasing. Therefore, staff seeks Council approval to conduct traffic and engineering surveys on these roadways, in order to obtain information needed to determine whether or not posted speed limits should be raised in order to permit the use of radar. FISCAL IMPACT The costs associated with the recommendations in this report would be the staff time required. to conduct the trafific and engineering surveys. Pending the results of the surveys, if the Council were to adopt an ordinance that changed the posted speed limits, additional costs associated with the replacement of the speed limit signs and the pavement legends would be incurred. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Establishment of radar enforceable speed limits is not considered a project under CEQA and, therefore, no environmental assessment is necessary. ATTACHMENTS Attachment 1: Four Year History 0f the Top 5 Accident Locations Attachment 2: Photo Radar Use by Other Agencies Attachment 3:CMR:439:94 PREPARED BY:Lynne Johnson, Assistant Police Chief Ashok Aggarwal, City Traffic Engineer Don Harmett, Traffic Lieutenant CIVIR:4(~:~6 Page 15 of 16 KENNETH R. SCHREIBER, Director of Planning and Community Environment CHRIS DURKIN, Polic~ Chief CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: FLEMIN( City Page 16 of 16 ATTACHMENT 1 TOP ACCIDENT LOCATIONS Number 1 1992 (# of accidents) Middlefield/ San Antonio (12) 1993 (# of accidents) E1 Camino Real/California Avenue (16) 1994 (# of accidents) University/ Seneca (15) 1995. (# of accidents) El Camino Real] Charleston (17) Number 2 University/E1 Camino E1 Camino . Middlefield/ Guinda (11)Real]Charleston Real]Charleston San Antonio (16) (14)(14) Number 3 E1 Camino Charleston/Embarcadero/Char!eston/ Real/Page Mill San Antonio Middlefield San Antonio (16) (11)(14)(14) Number 4 Middlefield/Alma/Churchill Charleston/East Bayshore/ Lytton (11)(14)San Antonio Embarcadero (15) (13) Number 5 East Bayshore/ Embarcadero (12) Hamilton/ Waverley (8) E1 Camino Real/ Embarcadero (13); E1 Camino Real]Page Mill (13) E1 Camino Real] Embarcadero (14) Numbers of accidents based upon the number reported to the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS). Accident locations are calculated based upon accidents that occur within 400 feet on each side of the intersection. City City of Palo Alto Manager’s Report TO: FROM: AGENDA DATE: HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL CITY MANAGER September 26, 1994 DEPARTMENT: Police CMR:439:94 SUBJECT:Traffic Safety REQUEST In March 1994, the City Council requested that staff schedule a Council Study Session on traffic safety due to concerns that not enough efforts to assure traffic safety in the City were being considered and/or implemented. Staff was directed to present strategies and suggest policy alternatives for possible Council consideration. RECOMMENDATIONS This is an informational reiaort and no recommendations are presented at this time. POLICY IMPLICATIONS Any policy implications result from direction for the Council. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Over the last year, Council members received considerable feedback from citizens regarding a perceived deterioration of general traffic safety throughout the community. Specifically, the concerns focused on the speed at which vehicles were travelling, the failure to obey the rules of the road, and an increased risk to pedestrians and bicyclists. As a result of these concerns, Council directed staff to review current strategies that are being used to address traffic safety and suggest potential other ideas for increasing safety in the community. Since receiving the assignment, Transportation and Police Department staff have gathered a considerable amount of information concerning traffic safety issues. Staff has approached this assignment from a two phase approach. This report and the discussion represents the first phase. Based upon the feedback and direction received from Council, staff would CMR:439:94 Page 1 of 3 return in phasetwo with specific suggested recommendations and more detailed information about strategies that could be pursued. For the purposes of this report, "traffic safety" refers to the safe and orderly flow of pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular traffic. The information, provided in the attached documentation, has been divided into six major topics: speed, traffic volume, accidents, school commute, commercial vehicles, and CalTrain grade crossings. For each major topic, a list of general public perceptions is presented. The list of perceptions were developed from letters and telephone calls that have been received over the last year regarding traffic complaints. Factual data was obtained from Police and Transportation records as well as State information. The list of existing strategies includes all the programs and procedures that are currently used in the City. Per Council direction, staff has provided a list of potential other strategies. It is important to note that these strategies are presented without discussion about their feasibility, cost, practicality, etc. While a considerable amount of information is provided, staff believes that it is important for Council to have this information as a basis, for discussion and possible future direction. FISCAL IMPACT Any fiscal impact would be dependent upon the direction that Council may wish to pursue. .ENWI’RONMENTAL ASSESSMENT While there are environmental issues that are associated with many of the potential strategies, the specific assessments would be presented on a case-by-case basis. ATTACHMENTs -. Data Document PREPARED BY:Jon Hernandez, Lieutenant Marvin Overway, Chief Traction Official Lynne Johnson, Assi~;~t~t/P61ice ~hief . Ashok Aggar~al,~.ty ~ffic/Engineer. DEPARTMENT HEAD REVIEW: " "-L’-"LZ~A-- ~ CHRIS DURKIN Police Chief CMR:439:94 Page 2 of 3 CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: KEN SCI-IKEIBER Director of Plannin CMR:439:94 Page 3 of 3 FORMAT TOPIC: Each of several topics/issues to be discussed. A.PERCEPTION: A statement or description concerning what we think is the perception of the public regarding the topic. Numbers in parentheses refer to factual data associated and/or strategy information items. ~ B.~FACTUAL DATA/INFORMATION: Data, information, professional opinion, that helps provide background and understanding of the topic/issue. C.EXISTING STRATEGIES: Identification and brief description of methods/procedures. currently used to address the topic/issue,including enforcement, physical, and education measures. D.POTENTIAL OTHER STRATEGIES: Identification and brief description of methods that might be possible. TOPIC: SPEED SPEED - The rate at which vehicles travel on/throuGh City streets Ao PERCEPTIONS: Traffic generally travels too fast within and through the City. (B2,B3) People are not obeying the posted speed limits. (B2,B3) Speeds are increasing. (B3) There is insufficient traffic enforcement and police are not visible enough and, as a result, people continue to speed. (B5) Speed enforcement is not a priority for the police department. (B5) Posted speed limits are (B2,B3,B4,B7) enforceable. City vehicles are habitual offenders when it comes to exceeding the speed limit. (BS) Increasing the posted speed limit increases the actual travel speed. (B6) FACTUAL DATA/INFORMATION: Radar enforceable speed limits are based upon the 85th percentile speed (that speed below which 85 percent of the traffic is moving). This is based on the premise that 85 percent of the people are able to accurately assess features of the roadway and characteristics of the adjacent area and will adjust their speed accordingly to what is reasonable and safe. Speeds higher than the 85th percentile are not considered reasonable and safe. o Speed survey data from a sample of arterial and collector streets is as follows: 85th Percentile Arterial Streets. Alma (3 sections)..42/43/44 Hillview 43 Oregon 43 Page Mill 43 Sand Hill (2 sections)40/41 University 33 Posted Speed Limit 35 35 35 35 35 25 Collector Streets Coloradd-(2 sect$ons) Fabian Way ~ Hanover Hillview Loma Verde (3 sections) Louis (2 section) Meadow (3 sections) Newell (2 sections) Welch West Bayshore (3-sections) 33/34 25 39 30 36 30 39 30 33/34/~4 25 34/34 25 34/34/33 25 ~ 32/33 25 34 25 39142141 30135135 Travel speed data monitored at several locations indicates insignificant changes over a period of ~3 years, as shown below: o 85th Percentile Speed Posted 1977 1978 198~3 199____Q0 Limi___tt University 36 36 35 33 25 West of Hale Middlefield 41 37 40 ~25 No. of Montrose Middlefield 38 35 35 -25 No. of Kingsley Middlefield 38 36 35 -25 So. of Hawthorne Embarcadero 40 40 41 40 25 at Morton Embarcadero 41 38 39 37 25 East of Cowper Legal limitations on speed enforcement: Section 22350 of the Vehicle Code, the "Basic Speed Law," says no person shall drive at a speed that is unsafe for the roadway conditions. This ~ection makes no reference to exceeding the posted speed limit. When o testifying in court, an officer must prove the speed was unsafe, not just in excess of the posted limit. This law applies to any speed above or below the posted limit in relation to .the safe speed dictated by the roadway conditions. Section 22349 of the Vehicle Code, the "Maximum Speed Limit,,, says no person shall drive faster than 55 mph. This law applies to city surface streets, as well as the freeway. Due to this law dictating the maximum speed limit, regardless of roadway conditions, any person driving faster than 55 mph is in violation. Section 40802 of the Vehicle Code, "Speed Trap," defines how speed enforcement can be conducted. This section prohibits the use of time distance calculations to determine speed. This section also requires a speed limit to be determined by an "engineering and traffic survey" in order to use radar to enforce a speed limit. There are exceptions to this requirement such as school zones with children in the area and non-federal aid local streets. During fiscal year 1991-92, the Pal. Alto Police Department issued 7,351 speed-related citations. In fiscal year 1992-93, 4,724 speeding citations were issued. The number of speed-related citations has decreased over the last three years as a result of the department,s change of traffic enforcement tactics. In fiscal year 1991-92, emphasis was placed on group radar enforcement, sometimes as often as three or four times a day. Group enforcement results in more citations being issued in shorter periods of time. In 1992- 93, the department,s focus began to change. Enforcement emphasis was directed to areas and intersections with the highest number of accidents. Additional hours were spent on safety presentations at elementary and middle schools and additional attention was given to school zones. In 1993-94, the Traffic Team began devoting additional hours to commercial vehicle enforcement and inspections, dhe to the number of trucks being stopped with serious equipment defects. Also during that time, the Traffic Team worked with only one sergeant and three officers (instead of one sergeant and five officers). This was the result of a higher than normal number of injuries (five officers during a ten-month period) within the department which affected minimum staffing requirements on all patrol shifts. Traffic Team officers were also assigned to supplement daily patrol positions for injured officers throughout the year. Technical studies and experienc~ in other Bay Area communities indicates that raising posted speed limits to conform with the results of prescribed Engineering and Traffic surveys does not result in a corresponding increase in overall speed. It is unrealistic to set artificially low speed limits and expect a majority of the drivers to naturally accede to such limits. It is equally unrealistic to expect that through enforcement, a majority of drivers can be forced to conform to artificially low speed limits. Furthermore, experience has shown that artificially low posted speed limit signs have little, if any, significant influence on driver behavior. The City Manager has reinforced with Department Heads the importance of City employees driving City vehicles according to the speed limits. c.EXISTING STRATEGIES: Speed Enforcement ¯General traffic enforcement is conducted by all patrol officers° The Police Department’s Traffic Team is staffed by five officers and one sergeant. The primary responsibility of the Traffic Team is to deal with all traffic-related problems within the City. Traffic Team members regularly work daytime hours, but occasionally adjust their schedules to address traffic problems during evenings and weekends. officers target areas known_-to have 5 speed-related problems and conduct high profile enforcement in efforts to reduce speeds and accidents. Officers conduct speed-enforcement in three ways: individual radar, group radar and pacing. Individual radar enforcement is when an officer, working alone, uses radar to obtain a violator’s speed and then stops the vehicle and issues the driver a citation° Group radar is when one officer operates radar from a stationary location and radios to other officers down the road° These other officers stop the violators and issue citations. Pacing is conducted by officers in marked patrol cars and requires them to drive behind a violator. The officer must reach the violator’s speed and then maintain the pace for a sufficient distance to prove in court the actual violator’s speed. Because of safety concerns, the pacing method is used on a limited basis and usually only during periods of light traffic. Officers also concentrate enforcement efforts in areas that have been reported by citizens as having speed problems. Depending on the location and resources available, the most appropriate enforhement method will be used. High profile enforcement stops are also used by the Traffic Team to educate citizens° The purpose is to give verbal warnings and educate the public about their unsafe driving and to give a "police presence" to the problem area. Phantom cars (empty marked patrol cars) are parked on the side of the road in problem areas, to again, give a police presence without depleting staffing° The mobile radar trailer is placed at different locations throughout the City to advise motorists of their actual speeds° 2.Road Bump Proqram In 1991, Palo Alto established a Road Bump Program. The purpose of the program is to use road bumps to lower speeds on local residential streets. The program identifies criteria (basic, neighborhood support, and operational) that must be met and standards for the location and design of road bumps. Road bumps cost about $5,000 per bump and are often installed as a series of two or more. The only locations at which road bumps (8 total) have ’been installed to date are on Cowper, Colorado and Marion in the Midtown area. Few, if any, comments, favorable or unfavorable, have been received regarding the existing road bumps. Do ’POTENTIAL OTHER STRATEGIES: city Vehicle Pace Car Proqram All city vehicles could have "I drive the LIMIT" bumper stickers. Included on the sticker could be a phone number for citizens to report how the City vehidle was being driven. Speed Watch Proqram Bellvue, Washington and Portland, Oregon have volunteer-based Neighborhood Speed Watch Programs. These public awareness programs are intended to make drivers aware of residents’ concerns regarding the impact of speeding on neighborhood safety and livability. This awareness occurs by sending letters to the registered owners of speeding vehicles noted by residents. The cities provide radar guns and training to participants; participants collect license plate numbers and vehicle information on those cars traveling in excess of 5 mph over the speed limit; city staff obtains owner’s names and addresses from Department of Motor Vehicles and sends a letter to the vehicle’s owner. The program is used only for lower volume, two-lane streets and not on busier four lane streets where it is more difficult to record information and to use radar to properly assess a vehicle’s speed. 0 Neiqhborhood Traffic Manaqement Program A number of cities have formal neighborhood traffic management programs to serve as a means to address neighborhood residents, concerns about speed, safety and other traffic related issues. .While Pal. Alto in fact has had such a process for many years, it lacks: the formal structure and presentation materials, and Do an annual commitment~ of dollars for implementation of physical measures, characterized by the current higher profile models in other cities. 4.Reduction of Neiqhborhood Street Width One of the factors that influences driver perception about what is a reasonable and safe speed, is the width of the travel lanes and the presence and proximity of objects along the side of the travel lane. For example, a driver has a very different sense of what is a reasonable and safe speed on the quite narrow streets with on-street parking in the Southgate neighborhood as compared with the wider streets, rolled curbs, cars parked in driveways or up on the curb/sidewalk that typifies some residential areas in Pal. Alto. One strategy to reduce speeds could be to narrow existing wide streets. This could be done on a fulZ block-by-block basis or at periodic locations (e.g., use of bulbouts) along a block. Either approach could be accompanied by significant roadway drainage and design considerations. Q Downsize Arterial{s) from Four Lanes to Two Lanes Conversion of current four lane "residential" (proposed CPAC designation) arterials (Embarcadero, Middlefield, Charleston and Arastradero) to: a two-lane roadway with a continuous center turn lane (or an optional landscaped median), bike lanes, and on-street parking, while maintaining current lane configurations at major intersections, could possibly have the effect of reducing travel speeds by about 5 mph. A rough cost estimate to restripe (continuous center turn lane option) the full length of Embarcadero Road (~.2 miles) is $250,000; a rough cost estimate for a fully landscaped center median option would be $1.5 million. Safety Checkpoints Officers using the group enforcement method could work high volume roads for safety viDlations. These violations would include seat belts, child safety seats and mechanical violations. Use of Photo Radar This device is similar to the City’s current Radar Trailer; however, the unit could be hidden and equipped to take photographs of violators, their vehicle and license plate. Citations would then be mailed out to the registered owner with the photo of the driver. Radar Drones Radar drones could be installed on city power poles. These drones would transmit a radar signal which would in turn set off a driver’s radar detector. Once a driver using a radar detector thinks radar is being used in the area, he/she would presumably slow down. Police Motorcycles for Traffic Enforcement Motorcycles could be used for Working heavily congested areas such as downtown and intersections along E1 Camino Real, Embarcadero and Alma. Motorcycles are smaller and much quicker than full-size patrol cars, and allow officers to quickly and safely enter traffic, catch up to, and stop violators. In addition to being used in heavily congested areas, motorcycles are effective in less congested areas due to their smaller size. When a patrol car is parked in a problem area, 9 most drivers see the vehicle and obey the laws. When drivers don’t see a patrol car, they may be less Prone to follow the rules of the road. i0.Establish RealiStic/Radar Enforceable Spee~ Limits In order for the police department to use radar for speed enforcement, the speed limit could be posted in accordance with an engineering and traffic survey as required by. the California Vehicle Code. While posting speed limits per survey requirements may result in higher posted speed limits, studies indicate that travelling speeds do not increase and it provides a means for police to enforce speed limits in a cost efficient and safer manner° iio Increase Number of Officers Dedicated to Enforcement Increasing the size of current Traffic Team is another option. Currently one sergeant and five officers work Mondays through Fridays, 6:30 a.mo to 4:30 p.m., (times of day and days of week adjusted from time to time). By increasing the size of the Team, there would be more officers to focus on enforcement of all Vehicle Code regulations, increase the number of commercial vehicle inspections, and dedicate time to routine traffic complaints. This would also allow for the Team to expand enforcement efforts to a night shift and weekends more frequently. While increasing the number of officers dedicated to traffic enforcement would result in more citations being issued and a corresponding decrease in the number of accidents, no guarantee exists that the number of violators would decrease. i0 II.TOPIC: VOLUME VOLUME: - The number of cars travelling on and through City streets. A.PERCEPTIONS: The volume of vehicle traffic is too high. (BI,B2,B3) ~- The volume of vehicles~.is increasing rapidly. (BI,B3) A significant portion of traffic volume is due to non-Palo Alto residents. (B4) "The city is not doing ~uch to control the increase in traffic volume. (BI,B2,B3,B4) FACTUAL DATA/INFORMATION:. In the past 25 years, traffic volumes on the major roadways in Palo Alto have been increasing at an annual rate ranging fro~ 0.5 percent to 3 percent. Citywide traffic volume flow maps for 1969 and 1993 are presented in Appendices A and B. Typical traffic volume ranges for various types of streets are as follows: Freeways and expressways Arterial streets Collector streets Local streets 18,000-150,000 10,000-45,000 1,000-i0,000 i00- 2,500 vehicles/day vehicles/day vehicles/day vehicles/day As part of the followup to the citywide Land Use and Transportation Study, traffic volumes at Ii major intersections in Palo Alto are monitored on a one- to two-year cycle. The data collected in 1985, 1990, 1992 and 1993 indicates the following: 1992 p.m. peak hour traffic volumes, at all but one intersection, were less than the previous recorded volumes (1990), and Do 1993 p.m. peak hours traffic volumes at all ii intersections are less than or equal to values anticipated and approved a spart of-the Citywide Study. ii o -Census data (1990) provides some helpful indicators ~f travel characteristics. ao The total number .of vehicle trips is about 600,000/day. Do About i0 percent of vehicles are just passing through the City. Co The remainder is split: 45 percent attributable to Palo Alto/Stanford residents and 45 percent attributable to non-Palo Alto/Stanford residents. The 45 percent Palo Alto/Stanford residents portion is about: 25 percent within the Palo Alto/Stanford area and 20 percent outside the Palo Alto/Stanford area. Co EXISTING STRATEGIES: i.Land Use Policies that Reduce Growth Potential In 1989, the Citywide Land Use and Transportation Study resulted in actions by ~he City of Palo Alto to address community- wide concerns about increasing traffic congestion resulting from continuing commercial and industrial development. At that time, development potential was reduced from 25 mi.llion square feet to 3 million square feet. The 3 million square feet represents an 88 percent reduction in development potential and only a 12 percent increase over existing development in 1987. Trip Reduction Ordinanc~ Palo Alto adopted a Citywide Transportation Demand Management (TDM) ordinance in 1990, as one of five "Golden Triangle Task Force" cities in Santa Clara County. Recently, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) adopted Regulation 13, Rule i, ("Trip Reduction Requirements for Larger Employers’,) which supersedes all local city and county TDM ordinances. The rule applies to all public and private’employers with work sites of i00 or 12 o more employees. The average vehicle ridership (AVR) performance objectives for the zone in which Palo~ Alto. is located, increases from 1.10 in 1993 (if0 employees/100 vehicles) to 1.35 in 1999 (135 employees/100 vehicles). This represents a 23 percent reduction in the number of private vehicles driven to work, compared to 1993 conditions. Stanford University Efforts to Reduce Sinqle Occupant Vehicles Stanford University has, and continues, to make notable efforts toward reducing single occupant automobile ~se, though a variety of transportation-related programs and services (incentives and disincentives) that influence travel mode choices. As part of their 1988 Santa Clara County General Use Permit (County lands), there is a requirement that new development cannot contribute any new automobile.trips beyond the number allowed in 1988. This~ is monitored and reported on by Stanford on an annual basis and, to date, they have met that requirement. city Support for Alternative Transportation Modes Palo Alto has long-standing policies and a notable record of actions and achievements that emphasize, encourage and facilitate the use of alternative modes to the automobile (walking, biking, car/vanpools, transit). These policies and actions, consistently applied over an extended period of time, have made a favorable difference in the utilization of several transport components and, therefore, ha~ resulted in lower volumes of traffic. POTENTIAL OTHER STRATEGIES: Support Reqional Strateqies Market Based Pricinc Market-based pricing mechanisms that accurately reflect the costs of travel choices could significantly change travel mode choices and reduce the volume of automobiles during peak periods. The same concept is already an integral part of our daily lives as we make 13 choices about the use of telephones, water, power, airline travel, etc. Develop LocalTransit Marquerite-Type Syste~ A local area Marguerite-type small bus system serving neighborhood areas and major destination points could reduce the number of automobile trips in Palo Alto. Pursue Extension of~Liqht Rail Transit from Mountain View to/throuqh Palo Alto An extension of Light Rail Transit from Mountain View. through Palo Alto to Menlo Park along E1 Camino Real would serve a number of destinations and related trips that would otherwise be made by automobile. It would also provide the possibility for a strong emphasis on transit-oriented development alongE1 Camino Real in conjunction with the ten or so stations that would be part of the LRT system, thereby accommodating future development without the same traffic-related impacts associated with traditional non- transit development. 14 IIIo TOPIC: ACCIDENTS ACCIDENTS:Motor vehicle versus motor vehicle, bike versus motor vehicle,~pedestrian versus motor vehicle. PERCEPTIONS: Palo Alto streets are unsafe and are getting worse.~(B1,B2) Accidents are normally caused by excessive. speed and a disregard for traffic control devices. (B5) A serious accident has to occur before the City does something to prevent accidents. (B2,B6,C2,C3) Effective traffic enforcement reduces the number of accidents. (B6) The City can engineer .and control safety through the use of signs and other physical devices. (CI,C5) city streets should be safe for children to play in. (B4) An increase in the number of vehicles increases the number of accidents, especially more pedestrian involved accidents. (BT) FACTUAL DATA/INFORMATION: Between 1989 and 1993, the injury accident rate in Palo Alto has remained relatively unchanged (average of 557 accidents per year). -During the same period, the fatal accident rate in Palo Alto has remained at three per year, except in 1990, when there were six. (See Appendices C and D) The surveyed Bay Area cities show a significantly lower per capita and injury accident rate when compared to the state accident rate as a whole.~ The fatal and injury accident rates for the state have decreased over the last five years. This can be attributed in part to the mandatory seat belt law, vehicle supplemental restraint systems (air bags), mandatory motorcycle 15 o o o o helmet law, bicycle helmet law, a~d stricter DUI enforcement. Listed below are the seven areas with the most traffic.accidents in the last five years: i00 block E1 Camino Real (55 accidents); 29 occurring at the Stanford Shopping Center entrance. 200-300 University Avenue (36 accidents)° 2600-3000 Middlefield Road (33 accidents). 400-600 Middlefield Road (32 accidents); 12 occurring at the intersection of Hamilton Avenue. 500-600 Embarcadero Road (32 accidents); ii occurring at the intersection of Middlefield Road. 400-600 Alma Street (31 accidents); occurring at the intersection of Hamilton Avenue° 800-900 University (31 accidents). Streets are designed for vehicle traffic, not for children to play in. For the past two years, the single highest cause of injury/fatal accidents is violation of the basic speed lawo (Appendix E) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration studies have shown~ that effective traffic enforcement reduces the number of accidents at specific locations. It is to this end that the Police Department has cha.nged enforcement tactics and focuses its efforts at intersections or-areas with the highest number of accidents. There is no current factual data to support or deny the perception that an increase in the number of vehicles increases pedestrian involved accidents. 16 C~EXISTING STRATEGIES: Annual Hiqh Accident Location Analysis Periodically, staff performs a systematic review of locations where the highest number of accidents occur. Total number of accidents are determined, accident rates are calculated, and the ten highest locations are studied in detail. Such study includes preparation of collision diagrams illustrating the type .of accident, direction of travel, time of day, etc. and field investigation and evaluation of each location to .determine contributing factors. Specific actions are then identified and implemented and these areas are included in targeted enforcement locations. Tarqet Area Enforcement/Hiqh Accident Locations The Traffic Team focuses enforcement efforts on locations and intersections with the highest accident rates. Team members give warnings and citations in these target areas. Patrol officers are also directed to these locations. 3.Accident Investigation and Analysis Procedures Police officers investigate all reported traffic accidents. Two types of reports are used. The more involved report is used when one or more of the following factors are present: injuries more than two vehicles involved unlicensed/suspended drivers pursuits, reckless driving or contests drunk drivers hazardous material spills hazardous mechanical violations prosecution for CVC violations(s) is sought speed A briefer form of report is an "Exchange of Information Report." It summarizes minor property damage accidents when the above criteria are not met. Exchange of Information Reports serve insurance purposes and are not 17 Do sent to the statewide reporting system. Parties receive a copy of this report at the scene of the accident, and a copy is maintained by the Police Department° The Specialized Traffic Accident Reconstruction Team responds to assist with fatal and major injury accidents. The team collects evidence, photographs the scene and ~reconstructs the accident. The team seeks prosecution through the District Attorney’s office when appropriate. Accident data is computerized and plotted on an accident pin map according to type and location. 4. Education The Traffic Team works in cooperation with the department’s School/Traffic Safety Committee, the Fire Department, School Resource Officer and school principals to educate students on bicycle and pedestrian safety. Early in the school year, the Police Department provides middle and elementary schools with high visibility traffic direction. physical Improvements In response to requests and complaints and as a result of other investigations and evaluations, physical improvements are made at various locations to address specific issues at such locations. These physical improvements include: parking restrictions, restricted turns, increased sight distance’stop signs, traffic signals, etc. POTENTIAL OTHER STRATEGIES: i.Informationai Leafletin~ Informational leafleting could occur near intersections where a greater number of accidents occur. Handouts given at safety checkpoints would inform motorists of the problem and would solicit cooperation relating to safe driving techniques. The checkpoints would be advertised in the Weekly. 2.at High AccidentIncreased Enforcement Intersections Due to current workload demands, Traffic Team members devote time at five area/intersections with the greatest number of accidents in the last six-month period. This number could be modified to include the top eight or ten areas in .the last three months. Patrol officers from all three shifts could be assigned to monitor these areas for a set amount of time during each shift and have their time logged as a call for service. 19 IV.TOPI____qC:SCHOOL COMMUTES ~CHOOL COMMUTES~The travel to and students.from schoold by PERCEPTIONS:. It isunsafe for children to walk and/or bike to school. (B1,B2) There are an inadequate number crossing guards..(B3,B4)of adult There is insufficient traffic enforcement in school zones,especially during school hours. (BS) B.FACTUAL DATA/INFORMATION: Accidents at or Near Schools During the last five years, there’ have been a total of 27 reported accidents (eight with injuries) ~nvolving students, bicyclists and vehicles In school parking lots and/or adjacent to schools on the roadway. Twenty of the 27 accidents have occurred in or around Gunn High School (13, 5 with injuries) and Palo Alto High School (7, 2 with injuries). Accidents Involvinq School Childrei, During the last five years, there have been a total of 320 injury accidents involving children between the ages of five and 18: a.1989 - 65 b.1990 - 57 c.1991 - 57 d.1992 - 79 e.1993 - 62 Breakdown of their involvement by age group: (See Appendix F) There are currently ii adult crossing guards working at ii specific intersections (Appendix G) during the morning and afternoon school commute periods. There are 28 children serving as traffic patrols at 13 specific intersection (Appendix 2O G) during the morning and afternoon school commute periods. Two of the intersections also have adult guards° EXISTING STRATEGIES: ° City/School Traffic Safety Committee The city/School Traffic Safety Committee serves as a forum and focal point for identifying, evaluating. and making recommendations to the City Manager and the School District Superintendent regarding school traffic safety issues. The seven member Committee is comprised of representatives from the City (2), the School District (2) and the PTA Traffic Safety Board (3). Adult Crossinq Guards The city of Pal. Alto supervises and funds the Adult Crossing Guard Program. Requests are submitted to the city/School Traffic Safety Committee for review and recommendation. Criteria for evaluating the need for an adult crossing guard include consideration of: the number of elementary school-age pedestrians per hour (20 minimum), appropriateness of use of a Junior Traffic Patrol, and intersection control and vehicle volume warrants. Currently, there are adult crossing guards at ii intersections during the morning and afternoon school commute periods. Training and field supervision are provided by the Police Department, and the adult crossing guards wages ($5,000/year/person) are included in the Police Department’s budget. At the present time, there are requests outstanding for adult crossing guards at two additional intersections. Q Junior Traffic Safety Patrols The Palo Alto Unified School District administers the Junior Traffic Safety Patrol Program. The purpose of the program is to use trained students (generally 5th graders) to assist pupils in safely crossing streets near the school. Currently, there are 28 children serving as patrol members at 13 intersections during the morning and afternoon school commute periods. 21 4.School Bike Safety Instruction Program The school bike safety instruction program is under the direction of a Fire Department Captain. Each year, he conducts bicycle safety classroom presentations for all third and fifth graders. He also provides both middle schools with a yearly slide and video safety presentation° Each fall the Fire Captain coordinates a Bicycle Rodeo to promote bicycle safety and awareness for children° The Fire Captain also conducts the juvenile bicycle Offender program. Juveniles who receive their first citation attend a bicycle safety class in lieu of having the violation appear on their record. o Responses to Site-Specific Issues and Requests City staff routinely responds to requests from the Pale~ Alto Unified School District, City/School Traffic Safety Committee, individual schools, and PTA groups throughout the year on a variety of traffic safety issues. These are generally site-specific issues related to traffic circulation and parking, safety patrols,adult crossing guards, traffic controls,etc., in the~icinity of individual schools. School Commute Corridor Studies/Actions The Meadow/Charleston School Corridor Safety Study was completed in early 1993. The purpose of the study was (I) to take a comprehensive look at traffic safety issues and concerns related to the safety of students traveling along public streets between J.L. Stanford Middle School and the Barron Park Neighborhood and (2) to develop consensus and support for a program of short-term and long- term recommendations. The study identified 26 individual actions with support for implementation° Many of these actions have already been completed and most of the others are in process, either as current projects in the City’s Capital Improvement Program .or through agreements with Caltrans for E1 Camlno Real. At Council’s direction, staff has worked with 22 De the appropriate parties (City/School Traffic Safety Committee, principals and PTA representatives) to identify issues and consider alternative approaches for proceeding with additional school commute safety studies. The consensus of opinion is to recommend proceeding with a two part area-wide study process rather than a focused single corridor study, similar to the Meadow/Charleston Study (Appendix H). 7.Enforcement Enforcement priorities are generally directed throughout the school year in consultation and discussions between the City/School Traffic Safety Committee and the Police Department. The Police Department also responds to requests from individual schools on specific traffic-safety concerns as well.~ Information Packets Provided Prior to Sch6ol Openinq Every August, the School District sends parents a packet of materials which includes information regarding school commute safety issues, including bike route maps. Annual Maintenance Each year, prior to school opening, the City repaints all school cross-walks and pavement legends, as well as maintenance of school related signs on and along city streets. POTENTIAL OTHER STRATEGIES intersections which meet the City Council adopted guidelines for employing additional crossing guards at intersections used by elementary age students ($7,000/year per adult guard) could be proactively surveyed. o Student safety patrol programs could be expanded to include all Ii elementary schools. Education programs could be expanded for parents and students regarding traffic safety issues specific to individual school sites. 23 V.TOPIC:COMMERCIAL VEHICLES COMMERCIAL VEHICLES - Trucks and other large vehicles carrying goods and equipment and making deliveries/pick-ups in the City. Ao PERCEPTIONS: Bo The number of truck route violators is increasing. (B9) There is insufficient enforcement of truck route violations. (B1,B2,B3) There is an increase in the speed of commercial vehicles. (B7) When commercial vehicles are invclved in accidents, the seriousness of those aecidents increases. (B8) Commercial enforcement field activities create additional traffic hazards. (Cl) The allowable weight limit is too high for Palo Alto streets. (B4,B5,B6) Menlo Park and Stanford commercial traffic is being diverted through Palo Alto due to differences in the cities’ weight limits. (B5,B6) FACTUAL DATAfINFORMATION: The Police Department has three CHP-certified Commercial Vehicle Inspectors. These officers are assigned.to the Traffic Team and are able to adjust their work hours to address any problem areas. On average, a total of 60 hours per week is devoted to commercial enforcement. e While the Traffic Team officers concentrate on commercial violations, all patrol officers are trained in basic commercial enforcement. Areas Of enforcement include truck route violations, moving violations, mechanical violations and driver safety violations, such as the number of ~hours a driver works in a given day. The Palo Alto Police Department works closely with the CHP and other Bay Area law enforcement agencies involved with 24 o commercial vehicle enforcement. During Fiscal Year 1993-94, the Traffic Team issued 328 citations and during Fiscal Year 1992-93, 492 citations for commercial violations. Current regulations restrict trucks of 7 tons (maximum gross weight) or more to use only designated truck routes. Trucks weighing less than 7 tons ’are not restricted. Designated truck routes are illustrated in Appendix I. Data from a survey of trucks on University Avenue just east "of Middlefield Road on July 15, 1993 is as follow: During a 12-hour survey period (5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), a total of 328 commercial vehicles were counted, 176 westbound and 152 eastbound. Do The volume of commercial vehicles varied throughout the day, as illustrated below, with a low of i0 in the early morning and a high of 44 in the late morning period. Volume of Commercial Vehicles by Time of 5-6 a.m.l0 11-12 a.m.36 6-7 a.m.20 12 noon-i p.m. 37 7-8 a.m.23 1-2 p.m.30 8-9 a.m.35 2-3 p.m.25 9-10 a..m.34 3-4 p.m.21 i0-ii a.m.44 4-5 p.m.13 Co The. police obtained unladen (no cargo) weight information for 183 (56 percent) of the total number of 328 vehicles. The remainder could not be successfully matched to DMV records due to incomplete or incorrect recorded field data. since the recorded weights are unladen weights, the commercial vehicle officers added probable cargo weights to determine laden (full cargo) weights for each vehicle. These are summarized below: Commercial Vehicles by Laden Weiqht (full 25 o Under 3 tons 19 vehicles 10%From 3 to 7 tons 115 vehicles 63%Over- 7 tons .49 vehicles 27% It is important to point out that the above data is based upon an assumption that each truck is fully loaded. Realistically, not all of the vehicles noted as being "over 7 tons" are illegal, since a sizable proportion could be carrying only a partial load at that point in their delivery schedule. During the 12-hour survey period, four westbound vehicles were observed turning right at Middlefield Road and proceeding north into Menlo Park. While there were more westbound vehicles that did~ turn right on the Middlefield, they also made a left turn from Middlefield onto Lytton and proceeded westbound on Lytton° Information from Other Cities ao Do Mountain View - The City of Mountain View defines a truck as 3 tons or more; has designated truck routes (unrestricted weight) in the north-south direction similar to Palo Alto; and designated truck routes (unrestricted weight) in the east-west direction at both ends as well as~the middle of the City. Santa Clara - Santa Clara has no weight limit except for limited segments of five existing streets which have a 3-ton weight limit. Co S--q~D_YY~/~- The City of Sunnyvale defines a truck as 3 tons or more; has a substantial north-south and east-west grid of designated unrestricted highways and supplemental designated truck traffic routes. Menlo Park - Menlo Park has I) no weight limit on several roads (Sand Hill Road, Alpine, E1 Camino Real, and roadways serving the industrial area east of Bayshore Freeway; 2) a 3-ton limit for 26 Co trucks not serving Menlo Park, unrestricted weight limit if serving Menlo Park, on Santa Cruz, Oak Grove, University, Menlo Avenue, Ravenswood and Middlefield; and 3) a 3-ton weight limit for trucks serving Menlo Park and total prohibition of trucks serving Pal. Alto on Willow Road between Middlefield and Route I01. Mountain View and Sunnyvale define a truck as 3 tons A~D have a reasonable grid of designated routes for trucks to use. By comparison,Palo Alto defines a truck as 7 tons AND has a reasonable number of designated -routes in the north-south direction, but not in the east-west direction. ~.. There is no current factual data to support or deny the perception that there is an increase in the speed of commerical vehicles. o There is data to support the perception that accidents involving commercial vehicles are usually serious. This is in large part due to the difference in size and weight between trucks/tractors and passenger vehicles. Though there is factual data from the state to support that truck accidents make up ii percent of total state accident fatalities and four percent of total state accident injuries, we do not have accident data for the city or county to compare with the state information. Citations for truck route violations for the last two fiscal years have totalled 193, and 199 respectively. EXISTING STRATEGIES: Commercial Enforcement CommerCial vehicle enforcement ranges from officers finding violations during regular patrol, to the use of CHP-assisted commercial checkpoints. These checkpoints often involve up to seven other agencies, including the Public Utilities Commission. 27 During a commercial vehicle enforcement stop, a complete safety inspection is conducted on the vehicle. The driver’s licensing, medical certification and time on the road are all investigated. Due to.the fact that commercial trucks are very large vehicles, often on roads not designed for such sized vehicles, traffic congestion can occur at the site of a" commercial inspection. The proper use of conesand signs ensures a safe zone for the officers to work and shows a large police presence to not only the general public, but to the commercial drivers as well. The Police Department responds to complaints from citizens on truck -route violations, commercial vehicle moving violations and reported unsafe loads. Members of the Traffic Team have also worked with citizen groups to better educate them in regard to weight and size limits. Commercial Education In an attempt to gain compliance from the trucking industry, the Police Department provides a truck route map to drivers and trucking companies explaining how "they can legally operate within the city. Safety talks and vehicle inspections for companies wishing ~to be in compliance are also provided. The Police Department was instrumental in developing the South Bay Commercial Officers’ Group. This group of commercial officers, from. seven South Bay agencies, works together to enforce commercial violations throughout the greater South Bay with a regional approach. The Police Department is in the process of purchasing portable scales to better work weight violations. With these scales, not just total vehicle weight may be determined, but individual axle weight as well. Many safety violations regarding weight do not involve total weight, but rather improperly positioned loads. These portable scales enable a better determination of such violations. D.POTENTIAL OTHER STRATEGIES: Io Reduction in Weiqht Limits/Chanqe Truck Routes A reduction in the weight limit definition for trucks and/or change in designated truck routes Could be made. If the weight limit in Palo Alto was to be reduced from 7 to 3 tons, thereby affecting many more trucks, serious consideration should be given to designating additional east-west route(s) as truck routes (e.g.,. Oregon would be one such possibility; Embarcadero or University would be another). Limit Downtown Truck Deliveries Truck deliveries could be limited in.the core of the downtown area to certain hours of the day, (e.g., ii:00 p.m. to ii:00 a.m.) in order to reduce the effects of truck travel, parking and loading/unloading on pedestrian environ- ment, traffic flow, parking, and safety during the more intense and important periods of the commercial/retail business day° 29 VI .TOPIC :CALTRAIN ~ALTRAIN CROSSINGS/RIGHT OF WAYS - Locations where CalTrain railroad tracks and roadways cross. A.~ERCEPTIONS__." The crossings of CalTrain right of ways are unsafe for pedestrians and bicyclists. (B2) Measures can provide failsafe solutions to prevent accidents at these locations. (B1,B2) It is unsafe for students to cross major arterials and rail crossings. (B2) FACTUAL DATA/INFORMATION: CaiTrain service presently is comprised of 60 train trips per day. Current proposed plans call for electrification of the system and service increases up to 120 train trips per day. Longer range efforts to replicate a BART- type service would result in 160 or more train trips per day. There have been four train accidents during the last five years, one fatal accident involving a juvenile bicyclist (11/6/91) and three train/auto accidents with no injuries. Information confirmed between Palo Alto Police Department Amtrak records. 3.Vehicle, and pedestrian/bike data: Daily Peak Hour Traffic Volumes Ped/Bike Volumes AM P__MMCharleston16,000 70 40Meadow9,000 150 130Churchillii, 000 -_Alma 30,000 -- C.~XISTING STRATEGIES:_ 9peration Lifesaver California OPERATION LIFESAVER is a nationwide program directed at the prevention of death 3O and injury at railroad grade crossings throughout the country.The program is administered by the California office of Traffic Safety in conjunction with a broad spectrum of representation from transportation, law enforcement, and parent- teacher organizations. Annually, representatives from Operation Lifesaver visit local schools to provide training and education to. students on the dangers and safe practices of train track crossing safety. Pedestrian Gate Installation Pedestrian crossing 4ates have been in use at the Churchill at-grade crossing for many years. More recently, pedestrian crossing gates were added at the Meadow and Charleston at-grade crossings. In conjunction with the pedestrian crossing gates, chain link fencing has been used to channel pedestrians to the safe crossing point and away from unprotected areas at the street crossings. Pedestrian/Bike Grade Separation Feasibility Stud~ As part of the 1994-95 Capital Improvement Program, the Council approved a project (19502) for a feasibility study to assess the various options for providing pedestrian/bike grade separations at the Joint Powers Board/CalTrain railroad tracks and Alma Street at four different cross-street locations: Charleston Road, Meadow Drive, Churchill Avenue and Palo Alto Avenue. The study will identify and develop information "including functional designs, costs, right-of-way, utilization, environmental issues, traffic impacts, economic impacts and emergency response impacts for Various options. Subject to the findings of the study and subsequent Council direction, design and construction of a project at one or more locations may follow. Work on the feasibility study will commence in October with the formation of a study advisory committee, followed by selection and retention of a consultant team. Crossinq Guards An adult crossing guard monitors the 31 Meadow/Alma intersection and crossing.railroad D.POTENTIAL OTHER STRATEGIES: pnderqround CalTrain One. alternative that is often mentioned for permanently resolving CalTrain safety issues would-be to underground the system. This would have the added advantages of solving noise-related concerns as well as traffic delays incurred while crossing gates are down. It would also provide a wonderful opportunity for creative reuse of the surface for any number of possible worthwhile uses. The cost of such an alternative is very high ($750 million for 4.5 miles and 2 stations), and would not be a realistic possibility until such time that it was part of some .broadly based regional transit funding program. Full Vehicle Grade Separation(s) Another alternative that is often mentioned for addressing the CalTrain safety issues would be to construct full vehicular grade separations at one or more of the existing four cross-street locations. This could be done as a fully depressed roadway under- crossing, or one where CalTrain is partially elevated and the-roadway is only partially depressed. Given the proximity of Alma and the consequent need to include grade separation for Alma, as well as the visual blight of.a partially elevated CalTrain on a raised embankment, the fully depressed cross- street option is less problematic than the partial up/down option. The costs of such an alternative are substantial ($i0 to $20 million per cross-street plus right-of-way) and. the impacts, in terms of residential property acquisition, altered and restricted access to some residences, visual appearance, traffic diversion, etc. are very significant and render such an alternative impractical. Crossinq Guards Another option would be °~o initiate a volunteer parent crossing guard program to assist at the Charleston/Alma railroad 32 crossing. Due to the disproportionately small number of students that use this crossing, available resources are currently devoted to other locations where the combination of a much larger number .of students and a significant danger exists° Use of crossing guards during the morning and afternoon school commute periods, at a cost of $5,000 per year per individual, is another alternative° Each cross-street would require two crossing guards at the train tracks, at a cost of $i0,000 per year per cross-street. Expanding this concept to include two additional crossing guards at Alma as well, the total cost per cross-street location would be $20,000 per year. Capitalized at 5 percent, $20,000 per year requires a one-time investment of $400,000 per cross street. 33 2600 IlO0 APPENDIX A 6~JINDA MIDDLE FIELD NOTE.._....~S ALL COUNTS TAKEN DURING M~:~CH-MAY AND SEPTEMBER-h~VEMBER, BEFORE OPENING OF OF JUNIPERO SERRA FRICk’WAY NORTH OF PAGE MILL EXPRESS’WAY. SUMMER VOLUME- DOES NOT REFLECT SE-ASO’,IAL CHANGES. WINTER VOLUME - DOES NOT REFLECT S~NAL CHANGES. UNIVERSITY AVENUE BUSINESS DISTRICT 2O00. DETAIL ABOVE 4903 E 5~OND~.,~3 390( 27OO 5~00 ALMA 5T MTN VIEW SCALE. 50 (THOUSAN~SI LOS OFF ICr OT TR£TBA)"r 1¢£MGIN~"BC I T Y O F P A LO A LTO,CALIFORNIA 1969-MAJOR STREET TRAFFIC 4 HOUR COUNTS FLOW MENLO PARK STANFORD UNIVERSITY BOwDOIM 2400 kGUN (HWy I01~ LOS ALTOS ST SCALE VEHICLES PER Z~. HOURS SUMMER VOLUMFS ONLY - SEASONAL VARIATIONS ARE NOT REFLECTEO HIGHWAYS 101 & 280 - NOT TO SCALE OVEn I=Hwy 280 Nol to scale Actual Size of 280 CALIFORNIA FLOW HOUR COUNTS APPENDIX C Persons Injured in Traffic Accidents by City & State (Per i0,000 capita) City/PopulationI Palo Alto/57,324 Menlo Park/29,407 Mr. View/70,047 Los Altos/27,040 Redwood City/69,917 San Mateo/89,355 Santa Clara/96,361 Sunnyvale/122,149 State of California 1989/28,670,5021 State of California 1990/29,489,2721 State of California 1991/30,351,0291 State of California 1992/30,990,8241 State of California’ 1993/31,436,2591 1989 553 (97.0) .228 (78.6) 767 (109.6) 163 (60.4) 709 (101.3) 894 (100.4) 1035 (107.8) 1088 (89.2) IState Controller’s Office 1990 569 (99.8) .309 (106.6) 784 (112.0) 167 (61.9) 791 (113.0) 976 (109.7) 1059 (110.3) 1054 (86 .~_) 1991 540 (94.7) 341 (117.6) 728 (104.0) 171 (63.3) 748 (106.9) 862 (96.9) 818 (85.2) 1003 (82.2) 1992 581 (lO~.9) 392 (135.2) 737 (105.3) 158 (58.5) 668 (95 895 (100.6) 770 (80.2) 1008 (82.6) 1993 543 (95.3) 315,154 (100,2) 363,645 (126.8) 365,758 (124.0) 350,068 (115.3) 338,154 (109.1) 349 (120.3) 749 (107.0) 201 (74.4) 674 (96.3~ 727 (81.7) 815 (84.9) 824 (67.5) APPENDIX D Persons Killed in Traffic Accidents by City & State (Per I0,000 capita) City/PopulationI Palo Alto/57,324 Menlo Park/29,407 Mr. View/70,047 Los Altos/27,040 Redwood City/69,917 San Mateo/89,355 Santa Clara/96,361 Sunnyvale/122,149 State of California 1989/28,670,5021 State of California 1990/29,489,2721 State of California 1991/30,351,0291 State of California 1992/30,990,8241 State of California 1993/31,436,259~ 1989 3 (o. 5) 5 (1.7) 4 (0.6) i (o.4) 2 (o.3) 8 (0.9) 12 (1.3) 4 (0.3) 5,381 (i.9), 1990 6 (1.1) 2 (0.7) 7 (I.0) 0 1 (0.1) 1 (0. i) 6 (0.6) -3 (0.2) 5,173(1.8) 1991 (0.5) (o.3) (o.7) o o 3 (0.3) 6 (0.6) 4 (0.3) 4,649 (i.5) 1992 3 (o. 5) 2 (0.7) 5 (o. 7) 1 (0.4) 5 (0.7) 5 (0.6) 4 (0.4) 6 (o. 5) 4,185 (1.4) 1993 3 (0.5) 2 (0.7) 7 (1.0) i (0.4) 3 (0.4) 4 (o.4) 5 (o.5) 6 (0.5) ~State C6ntroller’s Office APPENDIX Driver Total for Aqe Group/Primary Collision Factor Age 18 17 16 15 14-10 9-5 Total Driver Total /D11 ~o/4~ s3134 ~/~ ~/~ Biayolist Total/BlI 6/5 6/2 7/6 $7/37 i0110 Pedestrian Total/P1* 4/i 211 i/I i/1 9/5 9/5 Passenger Total2 9 9 12 9 15 27 81 IAt fault for the accident 2Passenger in vehicle/bicycle involved in accident 34 APPENDIX G TRAFFIC PATROL -L 1:’ -- - Addison Briones Duveneck E1 Carmelo Escondido Fairmeadow Hays Hoover JLS Nixon Ohlone Palo Verde Addison/Middlefield Arastradero/Coloumbe E1 Camino/Los Robles Alester/Hamilton Alester/Dana Alester/Channing Newell/Dana Loma Verde/Bryant E1 Carmelo/Bryant Escondido/Midblock Escondido/Stanford Stanford/Hanover Stanford/Bowdoin Meadow/Cowper Middlefield/Embarcadero Embarcadero/Newell E! Centro/Barron Mead~w/Alma Amaril!o/Louis Amarillo/School crosswalk Louis/Midblock Louis/Loma Verde 2 0 2 2 0 0 3 3 1 2 1 2 2 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 ADULT TOTAL’ 28 1 3 1 1 0 2 0 2 1 1 1 1 0 3 0 3 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 2 1 5 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 2 0 2 1 1 1.1..:~ :~._-/... 3 9 ,5 CALIF ADMIN CODE, ARTICLE 572: "School Safety Patrols may be used only at those locations where the nature of traffic will permit safe operation. The locations where school safety patrols are used should be determined by joint agreement between the school district and the local police agency." 8/11194 APPENDIX H FURTHER SCHOOL "CORRIDOR SAFETY STUDIES In March 1993, Council formally reviewed the Meadow/Charleston Schoo! corridor Safety study Recommendations and directed staff to (a) proceed with the implementation of several recommended actions and (b) to work with appropriate parties to identify and prioritize other potential study corridors. I~ November 1993, staff sent an informational status report (C~IR:599:93) to the Council reporting on the sixth month status of the implementation of recommended actions, as well as the progress being made toward recommendations on the further study of school commute corridors. Staff has sent a letter to the principal and PTA president of each of the 15 PAUSD schools, requesting their formal input on their school community’s, concerns about traffic safety issues and potential schoo! corridor study issues. The broad range of issues the schools have identified include signing, striping, street maintenance needs, on-site traffic circulation problems, major street corridor safety concerns, motorist behavior problems, and requests for safety patrol and adult crossings guards. Staff has worked with the City/School Traffic Safety Committee to review the list of issues identified by the schools and consider alternative approaches for proceeding with further study. This process has involved severa! daytime meetings over a four-month period, as well as one night meeting, to encourage more partici- pation by school and PTA representatives. The alternative study approach possibilities include: (a) a focused single corridor study, similar to the Meadow/Charleston Study, (b) an area-wide corridor study, and (c) a comprehensive citywide study. The consensus of opinion at this time is to recommend proceeding with a two part area-wide study process. Part A would address the needs of schools located in the area north of Oregon and Part B would address the needs of schools located in the area south of Oregon. A consultant would be hired to do only Part A, with the provision that if the city decided to proceed with Part B, subject to the satisfactory work of the consultant on Part A, the city could choose to negotiate a contract for Part B, without having to repeat the consultant selection procedures. The scope and conduct of the study would be similar for each part, and would include the following elements: Issue Identification/Verification Data Collection and Analysis Evaluation of Alternatives Conclusions and Recommendations Action Plan CITY OF PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA TRUCK ROUTE MAP Chapter 10.48 P.A.M.C. APPENDIX I NOTE: MIDDLEFIELD RD, IN MENLO PARK HAS A 3 TON ~,qEIGHT LIMIT, Palo Alto Police Department Traffic Division: (415) 329-2687 ~LEGEND~ PALO ALTO CI.TY LIMITS ~ THROUGH TRUCK ROUTE .... LOCAL TRUCK ROUTE (7A.M.to7P.M. OnI?) .......... SPECIAL TRUCK ROUTE (24 Hrs./Day) ;;..’:" .’.-." - . --~-:-"tr~7~,L:.~..::.;....-._~:.’z._~:{ MULTIPLE DELIVERY ZONE ENTRY=EXIT POINT