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HomeMy WebLinkAbout4/8/2004CITY OF DIAMOND BAR MINUTES OF THE TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION APRIL 8, 2004 CALL TO ORDER: Chair Pincher called the meeting to order at 7:10 p.m. in the South Coast Air Quality Management/Government Center Hearing Board Room, 21865 Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, California 91765. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Commissioner Shah led the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL: Present: Chair Pincher, Vice Chair Torng and Commissioners Shah and Virginkar. Commissioner Morris was excused. Also Present: David Liu, Public Works Director, Fred Alamolhoda, Senior Engineer; Sharon Gomez, Senior Management Analyst; Kimberly Molina, Assistant Engineer; Debbie Gonzales, Administrative Assistant and Deputy Diane Dodd. I. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: A. Minutes of March 11, 2004. VC/Torng moved, C/Virginkar seconded to approve the March 11, 2004 minutes as presented. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: COMMISSIONERS: Shah, Virginkar, VC/Torng, NOES: COMMISSIONERS: None/Pincher ABSENT: COMMISSIONERS: Morris !I. COMMISSION COMMENTS: C/Torng reminded the Commission that during the last meeting there was discussion about deleting this item from the agenda and incorporating with Commissioner's Comments under "Items from Commissioners." III. PUBLIC COMMENTS: None Offered. IV. CONSENT CALENDAR: None V. ITEMS FROM STAFF A. Traffic Enforcement Update — Report by Deputy Dodd - Received and filed on the following items: 1. Citations: March 2004 2. Collisions: March 2004 3. Future Deployment of the Radar Trailer APRIL 8, 2004 PAGE 2 T&T COMMISSION Chair/Pincher wanted to know why the DUI's for March 2004 were down 50 percent over March 2003. Deputy Dodd said the reduction could be attributed to a DUI expert working the desk during at least two weeks of March 2004. Vi. OLD BUSINESS: None ViI• NEW BUSINESS: A. Installation of Regulatory Signs to Augment the Chaparral Middle School Traffic Circulation Plan. SMA/Gomez presented staff's report. She read emails into the record from Ray Kirchner, White Fir Lane, who concurred with staff's recommendation for additional striping and signing, and Marilyn Hodges who felt that Diamond Bar Boulevard at Mountain Laurel Way should have a left -tum arrow and no turn on green due to the many accidents that have occurred there. She also felt the "Keep Clear" sign on Mountain Laurel was being ignored and that the street should be painted, like the area on Diamond Bar Boulevard, near the Albertsons Center. SMA/Gomez read a letter from Mr. and Mrs. Sree Kumar, 1615 Butternut Way, who expressed their concerns about the traffic congestion in the area. SMA/Gomez informed the Commission that Traffic Sgt. Chris Blasnek intends to immediately assign three Deputies to schools within the Walnut Valley Unified and Pomona Unified School Districts. The officers will be directed to visit the schools on a regular basis to enforce signage and basic traffic laws acid provide. detailed monthly reports as to their enforcement. Staff recommends that the Traffic and Transportation Commission concur with staff to 1) install a "No Left Turn 7-8 a.m., School Days Only" sign on eastbound Mountain Laurel Way at Spruce Tree Drive; 2) extend the double yellow striping on Mountain Laurel Way from Diamond Bar Boulevard to Spruce Tree Drive; 3) extend the eastbound lane striping for left and through/right turn lanes from Diamond Bar Boulevard to Spruce Tree Drive; and 4) install "No Parking 7-8 a.m. and 2-3 s Only" signs along the south side of Mountain Laurel Way between Ithhe residences of 22844 and 22910. Jeff Ross, 22724 White Fir Lane, was against installation of additional regulatory signs because drivers disobeyed the "No U-turn" signs that were currently in place. Unless law enforcement monitors the area, signs will not be effective. In addition, the street would be even more unsightly because of the additional signs. He understood staff's proposal but suggested that if the APRIL 8, 2004 PAGE 3 T&T COMMISSION three homeowners on Mountain Laurel Way would cooperate and move their parked vehicles most of the problem would be eliminated. It may help to centerline the street but it would be even more unsightly. Ultimately, he felt that increased enforcement would be a better solution than installation of additional signage. PWD/Liu stated that staff, school officials and the City's Traffic Engineers have been working together to better organize the traffic pattern by creating a circulation that would minimize the inconvenience to the residents. Granted residents will be inconvenienced during school drop-off and pick-up hours. However, the overall solution is better for the circulation within the entire neighborhood. The circulation plan was designed to accommodate the maximum amount of school traffic in an organized fashion. SMA/Gomez responded to Chair/Pincher that arrows would be extended up the street toward Spruce Tree Drive to designate traffic flow on either side of the centerline striping. In response to Chair/Pincher's question regarding restricted parking, PWD/Liu explained that unfortunately, the three residences impacted by the recommendation were not present this evening. Staff would like to make one more attempt to engage those residents in discussion about the proposal. The signage would be minimized to the greatest extent possible. CNirginkar felt that in accordance with the school traffic study staff's proposal appears to be the best possible solution to traffic circulation. He asked if it would be fair to implement no parking signs without input from the three affected residents. SMA/Gomez reiterated that .as PWD/Liu explained, upon approval staff would contact the residents. If any of the three residents voiced an objection staff would work with the residents to achieve common ground. CNirginkar felt it would be better to contact the residents for their input prior to the Commission taking action. PWD/Liu suggested that the Commission could amend Recommendation #4 to request staff to solicit the residents' input and cooperation in implementing the parking restriction. If the residents have a concern, the matter could be brought back to the Commission for further consideration. CNirginkar said he would be more comfortable continuing Item #4. PWD/Liu explained to Chair/Pincher that staff invited the three affected homeowners. In addition, staff and the Sheriff's Department have been actively dialoging with the homeowner at 22844 Mountain Laurel Way. The APRIL 8, 2004 PAGE 4 T&T COMMISSION homeowner understands the concern but believes she is entitled to continue parking in the area. Staff's recommendation is for no parking one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon, a minimal impact to the residents. C/Shah was concerned that school traffic going from Mountain Laurel W to Pecan Grove Drive to Ironbark Drive and back to Spruce Tree Drive would be making a left turn. If traffic backs up on Spruce Tree Drive it would be difficult for them to get out of the neighborhood. CNirginkar said that he concurred with staff's recommendations. He explained that during the several years he has driven the area this recommendation seems to be a big improvement. He wondered if it was time to consider placing surveillance cameras in school areas with real-time transmission to the Sheriff's Department. CNirginkar moved, C/Shah seconded, to concur with staff's recommendation on Items 1, 2 and 3. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: COMMISSIONERS: Shah, Virginkar, VC/Tomg NOES:COMMISSIONERS: Chair/Pincher ABSENT: COMMISSIONERS: None Morris CNirginkar moved, C/Shah seconded, to request staff to work with the three Property owners to solicit their input before implementation of the parking restrictions and report the findings to the Commission for further Commission consideration. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote. AYES: COMMISSIONERS: NOES: COMMISSIONERS: ABSENT: COMMISSIONERS: VIII. STATUS OF PREVIOUS ACTION ITEMS: Shah, Virginkar, VC/Torng Chair/Pincher None Morris None IX. ITEMS FROM COMMISSIONERS: VC/Torng thanked staff for their timely responses to his concerns. He complimented staff on the changes on Grand Avenue at Summitridge Drive. He received a complaint from a resident regardin the timing of the Brahma Boulevard signal. g PWD/Liu asked if the problem at Brahma Blvd was the lack of green time for left turn traffic to enter the high school. VC/Torng responded that the resident complained about having difficulty making a left turn during non -school hours. g APRIL 8, 2004 PAGE 5 T&T COMMISSION PWD/Liu explained that the Brahma Blvd and Fern Hollow Drive signals operate with the same controller. Therefore, whatever timing is allocated to Brahma Blvd would be the same timing/phasing for Fern Hollow Drive. If more time were given to the left turn into the campus the same time would be given to traffic turning left onto Brea Canyon Road. The difficulty is coordinating all local signals with Caltrans freeway signals. Chair/Pincher stated that during the last meeting she suggested combining Commissioner Comments" with "Items from Commissioners" and agendizing towards the end of the meeting. She suggested the matter be discussed at the next meeting so that C/Morris could offer his comments. Chair/Pincher said she was traveling east on Cold Spring Lane at Diamond Bar Boulevard. The light turned green and only one car made it through the intersection before the light turned red. She frequently travels between Brea Canyon Road and Pathfinder Road, and it seemed to her that when vehicles on side streets approached Diamond Bar Boulevard they were immediately given a green light. SMA/Gomez explained that after 9:00 a.m. the signals are no longer synchronized and convert to on -demand for increased residential traffic flow. C/Shah felt the striping near Heritage Park was confusing to people who were attempting to make a left turn onto Brea Canyon Road from Cold Spring Lane. XI. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS: PWD/Liu reported that at its April 6 meeting the City Council approved the mid- year budget adjustment that included an appropriation for a Neighborhood Traffic Management Program and a letter agreement with the City of Industry for Lemon Avenue on and off ramps at the SR -60. Congressman Miller is working to get a $12.6 million appropriation for the project. The local matching requirement is $3 million and the City of Industry has agreed to contribute to the local matching requirement. The total price tag for the project is $15 million. PWD/Liu reported that on April 21, 2004, Southern California Edison is slated to begin construction of the underground re -cabling project along Grand Avenue between Golden Springs Drive and Diamond Bar Blvd. On April 19th Southern California Edison will conduct an informational meeting for businesses and residents at the Diamond Bar Public Library beginning at 6:30 p.m. A. Caltrans SR57/60 Interchange Improvements. SE/Alamolhoda updated the Commission on the SR57/60 Caltrans HOV Project. APRIL 8, 2004 PAGE 6 T&T COMMISSION SMA/Gomez informed the Commission about the neighborhood meeting to be held in the Sheriff Department's mobile command post RV at 6:30 p.m. on April 21st near 547 and 553 Great Bend Drive regarding the speed humps on Great Bend Drive and Goldrush Drive. PWD/Liu reported that staff would be meeting with the Sheriff's Department next Tuesday to discuss the STOP program and how it may or may not work for the City of Diamond Bar. C/Shah said that Sunday's L.A. Times contains two articles giving positive feedback about speed humps. PWD/Liu responded to CNirginkar that staff will most likely present the Great Bend speed hump recommendation to the City Council during May following the neighborhood meeting. XII. SCHEDULE OF FUTURE CITY EVENTS — as agendized. PWD/Liu introduced Kimberly Molina, Assistant Engineer. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business to come before the Traffic and Transportation Commission, Chair Pincher adjourned the meeting at 8:42 p.m. Attest: Chair t_ian Pincher Respectfully, D G. L' , Secretary