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HomeMy WebLinkAbout(2015, 05/12) - L-26 - AmendedL-26 NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT POLICY The City has developed Neighborhood Traffic Management Guidelines in an effort to provide residents with traffic concerns access to traffic management measures that can serve to alleviate their concerns. It is the intent of this policy to identify traffic calming measures; establish speed and volume thresholds for the implementation of measures and; define step-by-step procedures to address neighborhood traffic concerns. GENERAL The Goals of the Neighborhood Traffic Management Program are: A. Manage the speed of vehicles on residential streets with “demonstrated speeding concerns” (as defined in this Policy) to levels consistent with residential speed limits, or other posted speed limits as determined by the California Vehicle Code or the City of Newport Beach Municipal Code. B. Discourage the use of local residential streets by non-local (cut-through) traffic by making the streets less attractive as commuter routes. C. Develop and emphasize focused neighborhood educational programs that will address residential traffic concerns. This shall be accomplished by the preparation of a traffic calming pamphlet; holding neighborhood meetings; and public hearings before the City Council. D. Implementation of selective police enforcement actions in neighborhoods with traffic related concerns. E. Minimize impacts on emergency vehicle response times, which may potentially be caused by implementation of neighborhood traffic calming measures. F. Limit the potential for shifting traffic from one residential street (or neighborhood) to another when implementing traffic calming measures. G. Respond to complaints in a timely manner. 1 L-26 TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT TOOL BOX Traffic management measures generally fall into three (3) categories: A. Level 1 Tools are comprised of actions and programs that are primarily educational and enforcement based. These tools include neighborhood meetings, police enforcement, signing, and the use of a speed radar trailer. B. Level 2 Tools include the construction of physical improvements to address documented speed concerns. These tools include road narrowing, chokers, gateways, traffic circles, speed bumps, speed tables, speed cushions and intersection channelization. C. Level 3 Tools include the construction of physical improvements to reduce traffic volumes on a local residential street. These tools include neckdowns, turn restrictions, cul-de-sacs, diagonal diverters, half-closures. The definitions for the different traffic calming tools are included in the Neighborhood Traffic Management Guidelines document. CRITERIA The implementation of Level 2 Tools will be considered for those public streets meeting all of the following criteria: 1. The street should be primarily a local, residential street with a posted (or prima facie) speed limit of 25 mph or 30 mph. 2. The section of road shall have no more than one lane in each direction, and shall be a maximum of 44 feet in width curb-to-curb. The street segment shall also be at least 800 feet in length, and have no intermediate STOP signs. 3. The volume of traffic on the street shall be between 500 and 4000 vehicles per day. 4. A speed survey must demonstrate that the 85 percentile speed is equal to or greater than 32 mph on a posted (or prima facie) 25 mph street, or equal to or greater than 37 mph on a posted 30 mph street. Speeds above these thresholds indicate a “demonstrated speed concern”. 2 L-26 5. The street must have a sustained longitudinal grade of 6 percent or less. The street must have a horizontal and vertical alignment such that there is adequate sight distance, as determined by the City Traffic Engineer. 6. Level 2 measures will not be installed if, in the opinion of the City Traffic Engineer, they will result in excessive diversion of traffic to parallel local residential streets. 7. Proposed Level 2 measures will be reviewed by the Police and Fire Departments for potential impacts to public safety response times. The implementation of Level 3 Tools will be considered for those public streets meeting criteria 1, 2, 6, and 7 as noted above, and as required by Level 2 Tools. In addition the following criteria must be met: 1. The volume of traffic on the street shall be greater that 4000 vehicles per day. PROCESS The following step-by-step procedures will be used by the City to address neighborhood traffic concerns: A. A resident will inform the City of a potential problem area. Any traffic calming request is required to include a petition signed by at least five (5) residents within the immediate vicinity of the problem area. B. The City will review the roadway conditions and collect the appropriate traffic speed and volume data. If it is determined that an immediate safety issue exists, staff will initiate a project to address the situation. Otherwise, staff will initiate the appropriate Level 1 traffic calming measures. C. The Level 1 measures shall be in place for a minimum of three (3) months. If the Level 1 measures do not address the residents concerns, the City will review the traffic data that has been collected, discuss the issues with the Police and Fire Departments, and determine if the street qualifies for Level 2 or Level 3 measures. The residents will be informed of the results of the traffic analysis. D. If the traffic data indicates that the street(s) may qualify for Level 2 or Level 3 measures, a letter will be mailed out to the neighborhood asking residents to identify specific concerns. After responses to the letter are received, a 3 L-26 neighborhood meeting will be held. This meeting may be used to develop recommended Level 2 or Level 3 implementation measures. A representative of the Public Works Department and the Police Department will attend the meeting. E. Based upon resident input and staff analysis, a draft improvement plan shall be prepared and submitted to the residents together with an approved petition for signatures. F. A neighborhood representative shall be responsible for circulation of the petition and draft improvement plan. The petition will be prepared by City staff together with the neighborhood representative, and shall be approved by the City Traffic Engineer prior to circulation. The City will provide a map of the affected area and/or a listing of all affected addresses to the designated neighborhood representative. The petition should include only residences or businesses within the affected area. Person(s) circulating the petition shall attempt to obtain signatures from all affected residences or businesses that are either an owner or tenant and at least 18 years. The petition must include the current address, printed name, and signature for person signing the petition. The petition requesting the neighborhood traffic management measures must be supported by seventy (70) percent of the total number of residential units/businesses. In the event that a traffic calming tool may increase traffic noise, one resident for each residence immediately adjacent to a proposed location of such traffic calming tool must sign the petition in favor of the draft improvement plan. G. If neighborhood support is demonstrated through the petition process, the project will be forwarded to City Council for approval. All Level 2 or Level 3 measures shall be approved by City Council prior to final design or construction. If the petition process is unsuccessful, City staff will continue undertaking the appropriate Level 1 actions. PRIORITY Requests for the installation of traffic calming measures using City funds shall be prioritized by the City Traffic Engineer considering the following factors: 1. Date of petition submittal. 2. Volume of traffic using the street. 4 L-26 3. Percentage of traffic exceeding the threshold speed limit. 4. Other factors including, but not limited to, number of houses, presence of parks or schools, street width, and number of residential driveways. The City shall also take into account any letters of interest from the residents (or Homeowners Associations) to provide funding for all or part of the costs of the design and construction of the improvements. Adopted – September 12, 2006 Amended – May 12, 2015 5