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HomeMy WebLinkAbout0387.095• .' .... . . - . ' .. -,. City of Palo Alto City Manager's Report TO: HONOR.~BLE CITY COUNCIL FROM: CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PLANNING AGENDA DATE: Seplembu J 1.1995 CMR:J87:95 SUBJECT: Resolution Amending the Qtywide Stop Intersection Sysrem Map REQUEST The, purpose of !his report is to forward foe Council approval the atta.::hed resolution (Attachment 1) amending the Citywide Stop Intersection System Map. RECOMMENDA nONS During its August 14, 1995 meeting, the Council approved the instillation oCstop signs at the following locations: (1) The east and west approacbes oCForest Avenue at Emersoo Street, (2) The west approach oCHomer Av~"ue at Webster Street, and (3) The east and west approacbes oCNorthampton Drive at Newell Road. A resolution coosisteor with Council's direction!o install stop signs at the above locations and lOOdifying the Citywide Stop Intersection System Map is attached foc Council approval. POLICY IMPUCATIQNS The Ci!)wide Stop Intersection System Map was originally adopted by City Council many years ago. Since Ihat time, it has been perioWcally updated !o reflect Council-approved changes. The eWTent proposed cbanges are in response I<> cbanging !raffle conditions. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY On July 13, 1995. the Policy and SeMces Committee discussed CMR:35 1:95. Stop Sign Intersection System Update (Attachment 2). The Commitfee fOlWarded i:s recommendatioos 10 the Council foe consideration at the August 14 Council meeting. Al 1haI meeting, the Council coocurred witl! the Committee's recommendation 10 install stop signs al the following locations: .--~ . ._'. " .. -.' . -, " ,,- -.-- , ........ ,. (1) The east and west approaches of Forest Avec"'! at Emerson Street, (2) West approach of Homer A"enue at Webster Street, and (3) 'The east and west approach ofNort!lamplOll Drive at Newefi Road. The a!tached resolution formally amends the Citywide Slop Intersection System Map in a I!lallIler coosistent with the actions taken by Council 00 August 14, 1995. Approval of the n:soIutioo is required in «dec to proceed with the installation of stop signs at these three interoecOOns. FISCAL IMPACT lnsIaIIaIioo. of stop signs "ill be accomplislled within the existing budget resources of the Public Wocks Department. No additional funds are needed fo< this item. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMEl'H Installation of stop signs is categorically e.,empt under the California Environmental Quality Act, and DO environmental ... ' .. ssment is necessary. ATTACHMENTS I. Resolution 2. CMR:3SI :95, Stop Sign Intersection System Update, July 18, 1995. Prepared By: auistop/ler TImay. Trar.sport.ation Engineer Depar1menI Head Re\dew: City Manage.-Approval: 1o¥c< Yamagiwa eoo.k~ Fran Laun:oce Doris Itichmood CMR:J87:9S D:lDald A. Barr Russell Philh", Horn Soper St&>. Brock KENNETH R. SCHREIBER DireclOC of Planning and Community Environmelli: ~~,~ BERNARD M STRO Assi stan! Cit)' Manager ~.ike LYN'l Stac.e) BemiU"W Mrs. Meno M<lurlce Druzia K>y Pins, ... Step""" W Ploy ... Pas< 2 of 2 ./ , .' • o ~LUTION NO. RBSOLl'l'ION OF THl! CO\iNCIL OF THE CITY OF PAW ALTO AMENDING THl! CITYWIDB STOP INTERSECTION SYSTEM MAP ·' " .,.. " --. . .,-. WHEREAS, a Stop Int~rElection System Map was adopted by the City C~il of the City of Palo Alto pursuant to Resolution No . • ~91, and WKERF.AS, traffi.c situations necessitate the amendment of the Stop Intersection System ~p fram time to time. NOW .. THEREFORE, the Council of tbe City of Palo Alto does hereby RESOLVE as follows: SECTION 1. The modifications t.o the exist.ing stop sign syscem 6 as Eet forth in Exhibits 1, 2, and 3. attached hereto and inco~rated herein by reference, are hereby adopted as an aJl'\endmeot to tr..e ~ity of palo Alto 'Stop Intersection System Map.· SECTION 2. The Council finds that this project is categorically exenpt: from tbe requirements of the California B-o-..'i.roameot.al Quality Act and does not require an environmental assessmen,t. DITRllOUCBD AND FASSED, AYES: NOES, ASSENT: ASSTENTIONS, ATI'EST: City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM, senior Asst. City Attcrney APPROVED, Mayor City Manager Director of Planning and Community Environment Cnief Transportation Official ;"'.' .. .. " """"...., . -w •• ' p~=. I west .""'" ~c __ ~h~H -. orner Avenue .t\Vebste S r treet. '--'" -",: " .,,':J' " '~~~.~ .:, .. _ :/"-""" ~ , ' -, ,,--.' Exlribit J Install STOP signs on both approaches of Northampton Drive at Newell Road. '" .. '~ '. ':" ".' . ' ." --. City of Palo Alto City Manager's Report ------ TO: HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL ATTENTION: Policy anc! Services Committ~e FROM: CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PLA11/NING AGENDA DATE: July IS. 1995 CMR:l~1:9S SUBJECT: Stop Sip Intersection System Update REQUEST The Jl'I'IlOSe of\his repc.n is for the Policy and Services Committee to consider requests for the instaDation of stop signs at seven locations. Included as Attacbment 1 is • COllY of the "I99S City of Palo Alto Citywide Stop Sign Request, Evaluation and Recommendation ~ report. which provides information regarding each current request. RECOMMENDATIONS Staff recommends that the Policy and Services Comittee recommend to the City Council: (I) Instanatiro of stop signs on boIh the east and west approaches of Forest Avenue at Emerson Street; and (2) InstaI!aIion of stop signs 00 hod! the east and west approaches cf Webster Street at Homer Avenue. Staff does DOt recommend installation of stop signs at the folklWing five locations: a. Waverley Street at Hawthorne Avenue b. Homer Avenue at Cowper Street c. Hale Street at Hamilton Avenue d. Northampton Drive at Newell Road e. Padc Boulevard at Page Mill Road Based on the Committ~' 5 recommendation. staff will prepare a resolution to Council authorizing installation of stop signs at the ap;>ropriate locations. consistent with the recommendation of the Policy and Services Committee. . .. ' • .--.' , . POLICVIMPLICA TlONS The C~ Stop Intersection System was originally adopted by City O:luncil many years ago. Sm.::e that time, it lw been periodically updated 10 retlect eoon.'11-appro\'ed changes. The current proposed cbanges are in response 10 cbanging Iraffic cOOditions. EXECUfIVE SUMMARY The Citywide Stop Int=tioo System was originally adopted by the City Council mallY years ago (a map of the Stop Intersection System is availa"o!e for reference in the Transportation Division office, 250 Hamil:on Avenue, sixth Boor). Changes in traffic patterns and cbaracteristics, and the need to evaluate safety CO<lCeI1IS and respond to citizen requests, necessitates that the City periodically consider changes and updates to the system. Most cities in California use California Department of TnL .... sportation (Caltnms) criteria (Appendix A of Atl3chme!Jt J), 10 detenni!le if the installation of stop signs is warranted. These ai!eria include review of traffic volumes and traffic accident history. In Palo Alto, the justilica!ioo for a stop sign OIl a local street is based on: (1) The Council-adopled "Guard & Go' policy (tDStaIlatioo of slop signs at every oIher block to discourage through traffic within neighborhoods); (2) Caltrans criteria; or (3) Warrants adopIed by the City CounciJ in 1973. for installation of traffic control devices near schools (Appendix B of Atl3cbmenll). The ju.<titication for a stop sign 00 a collector street in Palo Alto is based either on Caltrans criteria or Council-adopted criteria for installation of traffic control devices near schools for safety reasons. City poli..,. bas been not 10 install stop signs on arterial streets. Staff receives many requests 10 install stop signs. All such requests are investigated and evaluated using the above criteria. As a result of such investigations (including field obserwIioos and re .... iew ofper!inenl data). safety improvements, which diminish the need for stop signs, are sometimes made (e.g., painting red curbs, trimming bushes. etc} WbiIe many residents in Palo Aho roques! and support stop signs, installation of new stop signs can be controversial because they require motorists to stop day and night, resulting in increased noise and air pollution. CMII.:lSl095 'are1ofS ., , : " --" . . . , O. -or.-- , '0' Installation o(stQf>signs requires Cooncil approval. Traditiooally, .. ..affhas recommended referaI 0( slOp sign requests and recommendations to ~ Policy and Services Committee lOr <XJOSideraIion. The Policy and Services Committee forwards its recommeOOatioos \0 the Council. EVALUATION Table 1 pn:sents a summa<y ",-aIuation and staff recommendation (or requests 10 in>1all stop signs at seven locations. tncluded in the attached technical appendix (Attachment I) is an informatiooaI sheet (Figu..-e$ 1-1) that includes a vicinity map, intersection layout, source of request, background and evaluation information. and staff recommendation for each intersection. For rtference, each iIlIersectioo bas been assigned a number and is illustrated 00 the co"er page of the technical appeiIdix. Basically, all of the requests Can be classified into a three major categories: concerns about speeding, visibility issues, and ot.her coocerPs. Concerns about Speeding There are requests lOr instaliation 0( stop signs on Fore$! Avenue at Emefsoo. Street (lntersedioo Nc>. I). on Waverley Street at Hawthorne Avenue (Intersection No.2) and on Park Boulevard at Page Mill Road (Intersection No.7) due to concerns about speeding Slop signs, however, are not speed control devices. They are used \0 resolve right-of-way problems cause<! by an excess;ve amount of traffic or accidents. Staff recogni7.es that drivers do slow down at stop signs and yield the righl-<lf -way to other vehicles; however, a study cooducted in Palo Aha and several ether cities indicates that drivers travel as fast ()f faster at mid-block locations, \0 make up time lost at stop signs. In addition, the ooise and air pollution caused by vehicles increases because 0( stop signs. Of the Ihiee intersections (Nc>: S I, 2, and 7). only the traffic c.onditions at !he intersection of forest Avenue and Emersoo Street (No.1) meet the criteria of the multi-way slOp sign warrant The existing traffic coo:litioos at Intersections NO.2 and No. 7 do DOl meellhe stop sign wammt criteria. TherefOfe, staff recommends the installation of slop signs on Forest Avenue at Emerson Street. Staff rerommends installing a supplemental u2_wayn sign below existing slOp signs lOr !he other two intersections t'No.'s 2 and 1). 1W~St. .. Hn~A __ • c.."..-""""A_ 4. W .... SIneff -....... ." --.......... - '"_ .... ~Dri~ 1.hrt..~ .............. , '$'~Stt'et:f • _A~ .......... ~ " f!aI< ...... , """""' ..... • Dri,'C ... "''''''''''''''' • No No No No >io ., -',4- ,--.. ~:-~ ~~~""2-WI)" Sip BeW.' EmtUw: StDf Sip em : &W!fJomc Ave ~ Etlmd' ~ Cun, (I!! SDo..1'lll M Romcr A\OC_ 'by 2G teet. ~;:" -. ~:\~" "''<:~~':''~~.:--.~.~~.~~.".:~.~.~.;' ~.;-" .... ~-:---------- , • /-. • VISibility Issues n." \t;1 " . The request f()l" stop signs on Homer Avenue at Co"lX'r Street (Intersection No.3) and Homer Avenue at Webster Street {In!=ecIion No.4) COI!Cerns sight distanc-e Of visibilily problems /Tom the side SIreeIS. Due 10 restricted visibility, staff recommends instaIIation of stop signs OQ Homer Avenue at Webster Street. The visibJ.1ity prOOlem at the int.e:rsecIion oCCowper Street and Homer Avenue is minor. Staff rec{)lIllDends extending the rnsting red crllrl:J on the south side of Homer Avenue by 20 feet from the intersection of Cowper Stn:et Other Concerns The request for stop signs OQ Northampton Drive at Newell Road (Intersection No. 6) invoM:s & set of unusual cirwmstances. Residents reported that student bikers and roner­ bladers are not !\topping at the stop sign controlled approa<:hes on Newell Road. Field observatioos coofinned that a majorily of the students who travel on ~ewell Road during the school hours are not stopping at the Newen Road stop signs. but students were observed watching for side stred traffic and being cautious, In addition, the volume of traffic OQ Northamptoo Drive is low and traffic travels at relatively slow speeds, Neither the Iraffic volumes noc the accident data al the intersection (No.6) meet the stop sign wammI criteria Therefore. staff does not recommend the installation of slop signs. It shoold be 00Ied that the City is OJImltl-J initiating a school safety commute roote study. That Siudy will involve extensive data collection and study of all major school commute routes, inclnding NeweD Road, which is the route to 1«dao School Finally, staff does not recomIDeild installation of slop signs on Hale Street at Hamiltoo Avenue (Intersection No. S). Neither traffic volumes oor accident data criteria are met FISCAL IMPACT InstaDation oC stop signs and associated signing and striping will be accomptished within existing budget resources of the Public Worlcs Department No additional funds are needed for this item. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Installation of stop signs is categorically exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act, and no assessment is necessary. ~-=,- . '-.. ," .. A'ITAGHMENTS I. 1995 City of Palo Alto Cityw'.de Stop Sign Request Evaluation and Recommendation report. C'brWopbcr Thnay, Transportation Engineer City Manager Approval: «: k»<>e Yamqjwa c.,...;.ec.­ FI'IIl~ Doris_ Doaalcf A Ban -Plaillipo ~L·£"'/vLfy KENNETH R. SCHREIBER Directoc of Planning and Community Eoviroomenl £.rJWM"".~ 1\, BERNARDM. S~ Assistant City Manager Mila: L)m''' Mr.. Mello !Cay Pinsla Stcpbca W. Player StI<ey BctnanIi • .. '