8TH STREET - EAST OF PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY

TRAFFIC MITIGATION REQUEST

Recommendation :

It is recommended that the City Council:

Approve the installation of "Chokers" on 8 ^th Street from Prospect to the half-street barricade located approximately 131 feet east of PCH on a six month trial basis, and

Direct Staff to return to Council after the six-month trail period with a report of findings.

Summary:

On April 13, 1999, residents of 8th Street, east of Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), petitioned the City Council to consider several traffic issues in their neighborhood. The primary concerns of the petition involved speed on the one way section of 8th Street and drivers who proceed the wrong way up 8th Street when entering from PCH. Please refer to the attached Location Map (Attachment 1).

The City Traffic Engineer, Public Works Superintendent and Police Chief worked together to develop measures to meet the concerns raised by the petitioners. Attached for your information is a list of the traffic mitigation measures that have been implemented administratively (Attachment 2).

Analysis:

After making improvements to relieve the traffic concerns of the petitioners, Staff met with petitioners on August 6 ^th to consider additional measures to help mitigate alleged speeding on 8 ^th Street and traffic intrusion into the neighborhood from Prospect.

Following a discussion of a wide range of traffic mitigation measures, the consensus of the group was to request that the City Council consider installing "chokers" at the corner of Prospect and 8 ^th Streets, and at one or more additional sites along 8 ^th Street. The chokers slow traffic turning into 8 ^th Street and traveling down the street to reach PCH.

The chokers will have the following effect:

At 8 ^th Street and Prospect (the top of the hill), a choker on the south side of 8 ^th Street will prohibit northbound drivers on Prospect from cutting the corner at a high rate of speed.

Along 8 ^th street, one or more chokers on the north side of the street will break up the "straight shot" drive to PCH, forcing drivers to slow down enough to maneuver around the barricade(s).

The temporary nature of these barriers will enable Council to evaluate the impact of traffic diversion to neighboring streets. Moreover, this will enable Council to determine whether or not permanent chokers should be installed.

In addition to the above measures, posting of signage on the barrier just east of PCH reading "WRONG WAY" next to the "Do Not Enter" sign was requested. This has been handled administratively. Furthermore, it was requested that Staff ask Caltrans to replace the signs at PCH and 8 ^th Street that read "No Outlet" with signs that read "Not a Through Street" on the mast arm of the signal and the northeast corner of the intersection.

Chokers : A choker, or curb bulb, is a narrowing of a street, either at an intersection or midblock, in order to reduce the width of the traveled way. While the term usually is applied to a design which widens a sidewalk at the point of crossing, it also includes the use of islands which force traffic toward the curb while reducing the roadway width.

Streets narrowed at the crosswalk reduce the distance over which pedestrians are exposed to vehicular traffic. Bulbs provide safe areas for people to walk or play, or may provide added area for landscape or gateway features, thereby improving the appearance of the neighborhood.

Effects on Traffic Volume. Studies to date have shown that curb bulbs reduce traffic volume only when they either reduce the number of lanes of travel or add friction to a considerable length of street.

Effects on Speed. Curb bulbs appear to have insignificant effect on speed.

Effects on Noise, Air Quality and Energy Conservation. No significant effects have been identified.

Effects on Traffic Safety. Curb bulbs can improve the safety of an intersection by providing pedestrians and drivers with an improved view of one another. They also reduce pedestrian crossing distance, thereby flowering their exposure time to vehicles.

Uniform Standards. Chokers or curb bulbs can be considered to be either normal extensions of the existing curb or channelizing islands as defined in the MUTCD and parallel design manuals.

 

Staff is recommending that that the chokers be installed on a six-month trial basis. Traffic counts will be taken before and during the test period to determine impact of traffic diversion.

Background :

For your edification, attached is a copy of the first page of the petition (Attachment 3).

The traffic signal at PCH and 8th Street is a Caltrans maintained and installed system. As Council is aware, Caltrans has recently added separate left turn phasing to PCH at 8th Street. For southbound traffic this has encouraged people to enter 8th Street and in some cases travel up the wrong way despite the ability to turn around in the commercial area adjacent to the barricade.

The City cannot control Caltrans operation on PCH. Realistically, Staff believes that Caltrans will not consider removing the separate phasing form one direction or both directions at 8th Street. Their project report relates the need for this type phasing because it was necessary to reduce the high number of left turn accidents.

Staff does not believe that speed bumps nor speed humps are the answer for 8th Street east of PCH. The steep grade, potential for liability and the need to determine if speed undulations are a realistic policy citywide are some of our reasons for negating the implementation of this design.

In conclusion, it is Staff’s belief that 8th Street is not in a dangerous condition. Accident history from our SWITRS reports show a very low incidence of accidents over the past five years on upper 8th Street and no accidents involving wrong way drivers or the barricade are between PCH and 131 feet east.

Reasonable drivers should heed the warnings and information Staff has provided. If they operate their vehicles in a reasonable and prudent manner there is not a substantial risk of injury.

Fiscal Impact :

The proposed work can be accomplished under the O & M budget. Therefore, no additional appropriation is required.

Attachments: 1. Location Map

2. Petition

3. List of Traffic Mitigation Measures

 

 

8TH STREET - EAST OF PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY

TRAFFIC MITIGATION

 

On April 13, 1999, residents of 8th Street, east of Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), petitioned the City Council to consider several traffic issues in their neighborhood. The primary concerns of the petition involved speed on the one way section of 8th Street and drivers who proceed the wrong way up 8th Street when entering from PCH.

Below are measures that have been implemented to help mitigation the traffic concerns.

 

 

Four additional one way arrow legends were installed on 8th Street; two between Prospect and Ocean Avenue and two from Ocean Avenue to the existing barricade (approximately 131 feet east of PCH).

The barricade, 131 feet east of PCH, was re-built adding new reflecting surfaces. The existing "DO NOT ENTER" sign on said barricade was replaced with a larger size sign.

Installed a "DO NOT ENTER" pavement marking at the front of the barricade.

Two, new "NOT A THROUGH STREET" signs were placed at the east side of the PCH - 8th Street intersection. This should alert the entering traffic that they cannot proceed through the barricade.

The symbol sign "NO LEFT TURN" at Ocean Avenue and 8th Street was moved to a higher, more visible location at the south side of the intersection.

The "STOP" pavement legends on Ocean Avenue at 8th Street are to be removed and relocated to a more visible location. "A DO NOT ENTER" sign will be added across the street from the "STOP" sign to further alert Ocean Avenue traffic of the proper way to travel.

8th Street is a two way street east of PCH for approximately 131 feet so that access from PCH to the commercial users can be retained.

 

ATTACHMENT NO. 2

 

ATTACHMENT NO. 3

 

ATTACHMENT NO. 1

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