February 1, 2005

SUBJECT: Canary Drive Traffic Calming – Consideration of Additional Measures

REPORT IN BRIEF

In June of 2002, City Council approved the Stage 2 Traffic Calming Plan for Canary Drive and authorized staff to construct the indicated traffic calming measures on Canary Drive.  A post-implementation study of the impacts and results of the traffic calming measures 6 months after installation was conducted and considered by Council on March 2, 2004.  The post-implementation study concluded that, based on the volume and speed of vehicles, the Stage 2 traffic calming measures installed on Canary Drive from Homestead Road to Inverness Avenue have adequately reduced the average speed and volumes to acceptable levels. Acceptable levels are 85^th percentile speeds less than 32 mph and average daily volumes less than 1000 vehicles per day for a neighborhood residential street.  These are values indicated in the City’s Traffic Calming Policy as statistics of roadways that do not meet the criteria for traffic calming.

At the March 2, 2004 meeting, a number of residents requested that the City investigate the installation of an additional speed hump.  Residents in attendance expressed concern that the installed devices were not completely effective at calming traffic.  Council directed staff to review the necessity and support for an additional speed hump.  

Staff has reviewed data and considered the impact of an additional speed hump.  A neighborhood meeting was held to discuss traffic data and resident perceptions as well.  Two votes have been held to gauge resident support, the first being inconclusive and the second showing a clear majority in support of no further traffic calming on Canary Drive.  At this time, staff recommends that no further traffic calming actions take place on Canary Drive.

BACKGROUND

In February 1997 the City Council adopted a traffic calming policy to address residential neighborhood traffic concerns and complaints. The policy outlines the process under which circumstances staff is to conduct traffic calming studies. It also delineates thresholds of significance to determine "real" rather than perceived traffic problems, and sets forth a variety of acceptable Stage I and Stage II traffic calming methods. Stage I methods are generally comprised of studies, observations, education, public involvement, enforcement efforts, and changes in signing and pavement markings in an attempt to reduce the problem and improve the situation. They do not include the use of physical controls or impediments on the roadway system. Stage II methods are generally projects which physically alter the nature or configuration of a neighborhood street such as speed humps, traffic circles, diverters, chokers, or cul-de-sacs. The City's policy outlines an extensive community outreach and participation process for Stage II actions. The administrative process for doing studies is on a first come first served basis.

In October 1999, City staff received a letter from residents on Canary Drive expressing concerns over the speed of traffic on Canary Drive between Inverness Avenue and Homestead Road.  Over the next three years, the neighborhood went through the steps of the City’s traffic calming process, including iterations of data collection, neighborhood consensus-building, and design of traffic calming measures.  The process resulted in approval of a Stage II traffic calming plan consisting of a landscaped traffic circle at the intersection of Canary Drive and Loch Lomond, a stamped concrete speed hump located on the property lines of four Canary Drive residences, and a 4 foot by 20 foot long median island with brick pavers on Canary Drive at Inverness Avenue.  This plan was approved by the City Council in June of 2002 and completed in March 2003.  Per Council direction, a 6 month post-installation study describing the results of the Stage II Traffic Calming installation was completed and presented to Council on March 2, 2004.  At that time residents requested additional consideration of a second speed hump installation on Canary Drive.

EXISTING POLICY

The following documents contain policy direction on this issue:

Land Use and Transportation Element C3: Attain a transportation system that   is effective, safe, pleasant, and convenient. 

Land Use and Transportation Element N1.5: Support a roadway system that protects internal residential areas from City-wide and regional traffic. 

Land Use and Transportation Element N1.5.2: Utilize the City's residential neighborhood "Traffic Calming" techniques to address specific neighborhood traffic concerns. 

Land Use and Transportation Element N1.5.3: Discourage non-neighborhood traffic from using residential neighborhood streets by accommodating traffic demand on city-wide and regional streets.

DISCUSSION

City crews finished constructing the Canary Drive Stage II traffic calming measures in March 2003.  The traffic calming measures installed includes a median island at the Inverness end, a speed hump midway down Canary Drive and a traffic circle at the Loch Lomond intersection.

Subsequent to the installation, the vast majority of comments received from residents and property owners in the Canary Drive neighborhood were positive.  Two negative responses were received by staff from residents on Eagle Drive; one expressed concerns about shifting traffic from Canary to Eagle, and the other expressed concern about the actual need for traffic calming on Canary Drive.

In order to gauge the effectiveness of the Stage II traffic calming measures installed on Canary Drive, staff conducted before and after studies.  The studies consist of speed and volume data collection and analysis.  Studies conducted prior to installation of traffic calming devices on Canary Drive showed that the average speed and the 85^th percentile speed was 31.3 mph and 35.7 mph, respectively.  The average daily traffic on Canary Drive was 1269 vehicles per day.  Approximately 6 months after the installation of the Stage II traffic calming measures, the average speed and the 85^th percentile speed was reduced to 24.1 mph and 28.6 mph, respectively.  The average daily traffic on Canary Drive dropped slightly to 1179 vehicles per day.  This data shows that Canary Drive experienced a 7.3 mph drop in average speed and a 7.1 mph drop in 85^th percentile speeds.  With the implementation of Stage II traffic calming measures on Canary Drive, speeds have dropped below the minimum thresholds outlined in the City’s Traffic Calming Policy.  The number of vehicles observed significantly exceeding the speed limit (>10 MPH) was about 6 vehicles per day.  Staff found that the Canary Drive devices did not cause a discernible change in traffic conditions on neighboring streets, specifically Eagle Drive.

Upon presentation of these findings to residents and the City Council, the Council directed staff to respond to resident desires for consideration of an additional speed hump.  Staff considered the impact of an additional speed hump installation on Canary Drive.  This device would optimally be located at 1641/1645 and 1634/1638 Canary Drive.  Staff anticipates that the street would experience another drop in the average speed to 19 mph and the 85^th percentile speed to 23 mph, although further speed attenuation is not necessary according to adopted criteria.  Residents report some noise and road rage issues with the existing hump that would likely be exacerbated with an additional hump.  Visibility of the existing hump was also cited as an issue.

A neighborhood meeting was held at the Ortega Park Building on May 5, 2004 that resulted in consensus on a range of possible actions for residents to consider.  A poll was then conducted on these actions.  Due to similarities between some of the potential actions (permanent vs. temporary speed hump installation) it was decided that the poll did not fairly represent conflicting points of view on further traffic calming.  A second poll was then held to simply gauge support for or against further traffic calming.  This poll resulted in 60 % of residents indicating support for no further traffic calming on Canary Drive.  Out of 82 ballots mailed, staff received a return of 45 ballots, or 45% of eligible voters.  

FISCAL IMPACT

There is no fiscal impact associated with the staff recommendation.  Currently the Canary Drive Traffic Calming project has a positive balance, any unused funds will be returned to the General Fund. If Council chooses to support the installation of a second speed hump on Canary Drive, the cost of this device is estimated at $25,000.  Funds are budgeted in Project 822220, Canary Drive Traffic Calming. 

CONCLUSION

At Council’s direction and in response to resident requests, Staff has investigated the need for an additional speed hump to be installed as part of the Canary Drive Traffic Calming Project.  Staff concludes that based on compliance with City traffic calming criteria and lack of a majority of residents’ support, no further traffic calming actions are recommended for Canary Drive.

PUBLIC CONTACT

Public contact was made through posting of the Council agenda on the City's official notice bulletin board, posting of the agenda and report on the City's web page, and the availability of the report in the Library and the City Clerk's Office. In addition, notices were mailed directly to property owners, tenants and concerned individuals in the Canary Drive neighborhood area.

ALTERNATIVES