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HomeMy WebLinkAbout8/11/2005CITY OF DIAMOND BAR MINUTES OF THE TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION MEETING AUGUST 11, 2005 CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Pincher called the meeting to order at 7:00 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 Virginkar led the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL: Present: Chairman Pincher and Commissioners Shay and Virginkar. Commissioners Morris and Shah were excused. Also Present: David Liu, Public Works Director, Fred Alamolhoda, Senior Engineer; Sharon Gomez, Senior Management Analyst; Kimberly Molina, Assistant Engineer; Michelle Chan, Senior Administrative Assistant and Debbie Gonzales, Senior Administrative Assistant. I. SELECTION OF A VICE-CHAIRMAN FOR THE TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION. Commissioner Virginkar nominated Commissioner Shah. Commissioner Shay seconded the nomination. There were no other nominations offered. Upon unanimous consent, Commissioner Shah was elected Vice Chairman of the Traffic and Transportation Commission. II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: 1. Minutes of June 9, 2005. (Continued to September 8, 2005) 111. PUBLIC COMMENTS: None Offered. IV. CONSENT CALENDAR: None. V. ITEMS FROM STAFF: A. Traffic Enforcement Update - Received and filed on the following items: 1. Citations: July 2005 2. Collisions: July 2005 3. Future Deployment of the Radar Trailer August 11, 2005 PAGE 2 T&T COMMISSION VI. NEW BUSINESS: A. Traffic Concerns at the Cimarron Oaks Condominiums, Golden Springs Drive between Sylvan Glen Road and High Knob Road. SMA/Gomez presented staffs report and recommended that the Traffic and Transportation Commission receive public comments and concur with staff for installation of a painted median on Golden Springs Drive in front of the condominium driveway to the north of Sunset Crossing Road along with additional red curbing. Tina Elliot, 540 N. Golden Springs Dr. said that the excellent solution proposed by SMA/Gomez would cover the top portion of the complex but not the bottom portion that exits at Willow Creek Road. It is very dangerous for drivers turning southerly onto Golden Springs Drive because there is a curve in the road and the vehicles park so close to the driveway that it interferes with site visibility. She suggested painting the curbing red on Golden Springs Drive to remove three to four parking spaces and free up about 80 feet to improve the site visibility. Peter Pirritano, 600 Golden Springs Drive, concurred with Tina Elliot and the other residents that the visibility on Golden Springs Drive at Willow Creek Road was limited and dangerous for drivers exiting the complex. In fact, he witnessed several accidents in that location and felt it was a matter of time that a serious accident would occur. In addition, parents park in the area to let their children off for the school across the street and that too is dangerous for the kids. Clayton, 1070 Golden Springs, said there had been at least 4 accidents in the past 45 days in the area. It is a very, very dangerous situation whether drivers are turning left or right. A median and perhaps greater enforcement would help. Susan Knox, 1020G Golden Springs Drive, said she has lived in the complex for three years and every time she goes in and out of the complex she prays that she does not get hit. In order to make a cross -lane turn into the complex, one must sit in an open lane to wait his turn to the northbound traffic. One evening she was in the line with one car in front and one behind her waiting to turn and a driver came barreling down the street and smashed into the car behind her. She proceeded into the complex and parked in her parking slot. About five minutes later a young man came through the complex screaming for the lady in the red truck. She went out onto her deck and asked him what was the problem and he replied she caused an accident out on the street and she needed to be arrested. The police came and instructed the young man that he was incorrect. She was ahead of hire and could not have caused the accident. August 11, 2005 PAGE 3 T&T COMMISSION Her point was that this is the daily scenario at her complex. No matter how many times residents look to the left, right and back to the left again, drivers never know when it is safe to pull out. Henry Aragai, 960D Golden Springs Drive said that less than a year ago the street was re -paved and there is a sign on the street between Sunset Crossing and High Knob that tells drivers in the right lane that they must turn right. In the past there was a dedicated line for the residents. The sign is present but the demarcation line is missing. He said he was hit twice in the area, once going northbound and once going southbound. Louise Latzenhiser, 530A N. Golden Springs Dr. stated that although she had never been hit she has come very close to being hit many times. In fact, she had to make a left turn to come to tonight's meeting and if the curb was painted red so that no cars could park in the area it would be a major improvement because a driver cannot see cars coming around the bend from the north. And, if vans are parked in the area it is even more dangerous and virtually impossible to get safely out of the complex. Kathy Beck, 970E Golden Springs Dr. felt there were multiple concerns with respect to the northern entrance: Traffic enforcement (speeding) and cut - through traffic. She wondered if the traffic lights could be synchronized to make sure that drivers stopped so that traffic could not gain speed coming down the hill and it would give residents an opportunity to get out of the complex. The median is important also and as previously stated, there was a right -turn lane into the complex that needs to be restored. SMA/Gomez stated that staff received a letter from Richard Chiao, 901 Golden Springs Drive Apt #A8, (Sunset Ridge) and he said he has lived in the unit for 13 years and never had a problem with parking on the side street of Golden Springs Drive. However, due to the news of having median pavement markings and red curbing on Golden Springs Drive he is very disturbed and strongly opposed to the proposed change. He is concerned that there is insufficient parking in the complex for his seven (7) vehicles and that generally even visitor parking stalls are full. C/Shay told the residents that he found it very interesting that he could fundamentally relate to many of the problems expressed and that it appears to him the two big concerns are blind spots and speeding. For law enforcement to be effective there has to be something for them to enforce. He asked if it would be possible to put a stop sign in the proximity of the ingress/egress so that law enforcement could be deployed. August 11, 2005 PAGE 4 T&T COMMISSION CNirginkar asked staff to comment on why the right turn lane was not repainted on the street. DPW/Liu said he could not remember the specifics but he did remember the right turn lane as indicated on the aerial maps from three years ago. The lanes may have been removed because of the street parking. SMA/Gomez responded to CNirginkar that parking on both sides of the street from Sunset Crossing Road to High Knob Road would be eliminated if the median was installed. PWD/Liu indicated to C/Shay that it was not a common practice to install stop signs along arterials. Stop signs could be used as an interim measure but that it was not usually done in Southern California. CNirginkar asked if Golden Springs Drive and Willow Creek Road intersection had come before the Commission previously as a request for a traffic signal and PWD/Liu said he could not recall that it had. CNirginkar said he understood the residents' comments and felt the issue was more complex in this area than in other areas of the City where traffic signals and stop signs were warranted. His initial reaction was to concur with staffs recommendation with a modification to add red curbing to the driveway across from Willow Creek Road. He suggested adding this matterto the NTMP forthe broader area of concern. In the alternative, the proposed mitigation could be done at this time with enhanced traffic barriers to be considered as separate phases within the NTMP. He concurred that increased enforcement could help and he was very concerned that there had been four accidents within the past 45 days. C/Shay said that whenever he hears lives and safety may be at stake, it gets his attention and he encouraged staff to look at this situation in terms of immediate, short-term and long-term mitigation. It is a petrifying experience when drivers are unable to safely make right and left turns out of their neighborhoods without the fear of being hit. CNirginkar asked if staff could offer Mr. Chaio an alternative solution for his parking concerns. Chair/Pincher said that in her opinion it was a matter of safety over parking. She felt staffs recommendation was a good first step and perhaps down the road something else could be done. She wondered if it would be good to reinstate the painted right -turn lane and she would like to have staff request extra enforcement. She also wondered if the traffic signals could be tweaked. CNirginkar moved to concur with staff's recommendation for installation of a painted median on Golden Springs Drive in front of the condominium August 11, 2005 PAGE 5 T&T COMMISSION LVA I driveways to the north of Sunset Crossing Road along with additional red curbing. C/Shay seconded the motion and requested an addendum to the effect that staff be directed to continue to communicate and investigate the situation to find out what the next step would be to solve the overall problem. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: COMMISSIONERS: NOES: COMMISSIONERS: ABSENT: COMMISSIONERS: Shay, Virginkar, Chair/Pincher None Morris, Shah PWD/Uu stated that if there was no reason for eliminating the painted right - turn lane it would be reinstated. Chair/Pincher thanked the residents for their input OLD BUSINESS: A. Manual for Implementation of Neighborhood Traffic Management Program in the City of Diamond Bar. SMA/Gomez presented staff, s report and recommended the Commission review the manual for implementation of the NTMP. C/Shaywanted to know underwhat circumstances this manual would be given to residents for review. SMA/Gomez responded that this program is for neighborhood traffic only and does not apply to arterials. For example, yesterday she received a request from a resident living close to Golden Springs Drive and Rancheria Road who indicated he has a problem with speeding on his street and wanted speed humps as a solution. In this instance, she would briefly explain the program to the resident and hand him the packet and explain what he could do to affect change on his street and in his neighborhood. C/Shay said he liked staff s approach of challenging the residents to come together to assist the City in making the neighborhoods better and felt that the number one tool in this process was education. CNirginkar commended staff and the consultant for putting together an excellent and very user-friendly document. Chair/Pincher felt the document was wonderful and easy to read. The only comment she had was that the City has a speed hump Resolution and since speed humps were a tool that could be used in residential neighborhoods so perhaps the speed hump policy should be rolled into this program. She assumed that because there would be costs involved in any form of mitigation the matter would have to go before the City Council for approval. SMA/Gomez responded that at the beginning of each fiscal year Council approves a budget August 11, 2005 PAGE 6 T&T COMMISSION that includes an amount for NTMP and/or for speed humps. Each time funds are needed for a specific type of mitigation, the specific individual request goes to Council for project and funding approval. She referred the Commission to Page 9 of the Manual for a summary of the NTMP process. C/Virginkar asked if there was a line -item budget for speed humps and PWD/Liu responded that during the past two years $30,000 was budgeted for speed humps. Beginning with the 2005/06 budget staff asked only for NTMP funds and Council awarded 50 percent of the request. In conjunction with signalization modifications, there have been a number of left -turn modifications in recent years and about 2-3 new signals installed each year. This year, s budget for traffic signals was about $2 million. SMA/Gomez and PWD/Liu continued with staff s presentation of the manual. Chair/Pincher said the document felt very friendly and she believed that a resident reading the document would feel that they had an opportunity to help make a difference in their neighborhood. PWD/Liu stated that an NTMP video was under production and staff planned to present the finished product to the Commission in the near future prior to the Council, s presentation. C/Shay suggested the City publish a mass breakout article in the City Newsletter. SMA/Gomez stated that a recommendation was made to staff to possibly change the name of the manual to handbook, guidebook, guidelines or some other name. PWD/Liu said that in accordance with the Commission, s request, the speed hump policy would be included in the resolution presented to the City Council. C/Shay offered that the manual should read: Planning for our Future through the Neighborhood Traffic Management Program for the City of Diamond Bar. C/Virginkar agreed that after looking at the document, it was a manual. However, C/Shay, , s point was well -taken and the current name was somewhat d ry. The Commissioners unanimously agreed that the manual was an excellent document that needed a standout presentation format and title. Chair/Pincher suggested the manual cover should be red to help it stand out. August 11, 2005 PAGE 7 T&T COMMISSION C/Shay moved, CNirginkar seconded to forward the manual to the City Council for adoption. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: COMMISSIONERS: NOES: COMMISSIONERS: ABSENT: COMMISSIONERS: VIII. STATUS OF PREVIOUS ACTION ITEMS: IX. ITEMS FROM COMMISSIONERS: Shay, Virginkar, Chair/Pincher None Morris None C/Shay stated that when drivers cross Grand Avenue traveling west on Golden Spring Drive, west of Gateway Center Drive and are heading down the hill the first speed sign is a 45 mph sign, the next sign prior to In 'N Out is 40 mph. That it is one of the priority spots for issuing speeding tickets. To be fair to drivers there should be a sign after the 45 mph sign prior to the 40 mph sign that indicates drivers should reduce their speed. PWD/Liu said staff would look into that recommendation. C/Shay suggested a more appropriate option might be to change the 45 mph sign to a 40 mph for consistency. CNirginkar suggested that staff consider putting in a traffic signal at Willow Creek Road because it would be the only way to slow traffic on that portion of the street. Although the distance is only 350 feet between Sunset Crossing Road and Willow Creek Road, there are similar signals in close proximity on Diamond Bar Boulevard. C/Shay felt a stop sign would be just as effective. CNirginkar asked for a six-month report to the Commission on the mitigation effort. SMA/Gomez responded to Chair/Pincher that the left -turn lane at Clear Creek Canyon Drive was installed two years ago and no modifications have been installed since that time. There may have been a power outage or malfunction that caused the green arrow not to engage. She said she would check with the traffic signal maintenance company. Chair/Pincher said she encountered the digital speed sign on Brea Canyon Road going north and found the placement to be perfect. On Diamond Bar Boulevard at the Von Is and K -mart driveways, traffic exiting the centers there are no pavement marking for vehicles crossing Diamond Bar Boulevard as well as turning right and left. It is a very confusing and congested area. PWD/Liu responded that staff would contact the management company to see if they could follow up with a better management plan to delineate the traffic movements out of the two driveways. AE/Molina reported that Von, s was remodeling their store, upgrading the parking lot and the circulation and that it might help to more properly queue the traffic. PWD/Liu asked AE/Molina to work with the Planning Department to address Chair/Pincher, s concerns. August 11, 2005 PAGE 8 T&T COMMISSION X. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS: 1. Caltrans 57160 Freeway Construction Project SE/Alamolhoda reported that 70 percent of the project was completed. Staff was just informed that the Brea Canyon Road On-ramp to the westbound SR60 would not be opened until August 2006 because Caltrans found that the water table was too high and the area must be de -watered or the design must be changed. It seems apparent that Caltrans intends to modify the design. 2. Striping of Phillips Ranch Road from SR60 to Diamond Ranch Road SMA/Gomez reported that at the June meeting C/Morris brought to staffs attention that the lane striping/center median striping needed to be repainted. She called Pomona's Engineering Department and found that they were aware of the need for re -striping and would be doing that in the near future. C/Morris also mentioned the on-off ramp areas for the eastbound SR -71 to the underpass and beyond were in need of restriping. In response, she and the City of Pomona contacted Caltrans to ask for re -striping of the area. 3. Traffic Signal Modification at Pathfinder Road and Brea Canyon Road SMA/Gomez responded to C/Shah's request for an additional right -turn lane for westbound Pathfinder Road onto northbound Brea Canyon Road. Staff was working on that matter and found that it would require re -striping as well as signal modifications to the eastbound left turn from Pathfinder Road onto northbound Brea Canyon Road. Staff intends to complete plans and drawings and obtain an engineer's estimate of costs to place the matter before Council for CIP approval. 4. Presbyterian Church Water Runoff/Cleanup SE/Alamolhada responded to C/Morris that the same night this was reported to staff the City's maintenance personnel had cleaned up the area and that the maintenance worker was asked to continue monitoring the area. 5. Development of Property North of Temple Avenue/Diamond Bar Boulevard in the City of Pomona SE/Alamolhada said that staff contacted Pomona's Planning Manager and discovered there was no development application on file. Several months ago a developer approached the property owner regarding possible negotiations to purchase and/or develop the property. Pomona held a public study session and many people from Phillips Ranch attended. Council gave no directive to staff regarding the environmentally sensitive area and the developer has not August 11, 2005 PAGE 9 T&T COMMISSION returned. If Pomona receives a proposal for development, an EIR would be required. 6. Grand Avenue/Diamond Bar Boulevard Turning Conflicts SMA/Gomez responded to C/Shah's concerns about traveling southbound on Diamond Bar Boulevard and making a right turn onto westbound Grand Avenue. Often there are vehicular conflicts because drivers who are attempting to make a U-turn from eastbound Grand Avenue to go back into the Starbuck's driveway conflict with cars turning right on red. The law states that a right turn on red can gDly be made if it is safe to do so and there are no other vehicles making legal turns. This intersection is part of Phase II of the Grand Avenue project slated to commence in six months or less. If modification can be made staff will take the matter under consideration. Chair/Pincher said she has observed drivers having to back up and try again to negotiate the u -turn. 7. Grand Avenue freeway Overpass Improvements by City of Industry SE/Alamolhada reported that during the July 7 kickoff meeting it was decided that the consultant would provide three alternatives for review and comment. During the meeting Diamond Bar staff indicated that it was the City's position that Grand Avenue between the bridge and Golden Springs should not be widened because of the Target and housing projects. The next meeting is scheduled for August 17. 8. Southbound SR57 Pathfinder Road On-ramp High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Carpool Lane SE/Almolhada stated that this is a common problem in Diamond Bar and other cities. Staff contacted Caltrans to report the problem and Caltrans responded that they would study the matter. This afternoon he received a call from Caltrans and was not able to return the call. He will report back to the Commission next month. He said he felt the response would be negative. 9. Grand Avenue Improvements Project Phases I & II SE/Alamolhada reported that construction on Phase I is well underway with the massive earth movement near completion and expected to be completed by the middle of next week. He estimated that the contractor was one week behind and Diamond Bar gave the contractor two -day's leeway. The contractor assured staff that he would be able to catch up and remain current on the project. The plans and specifications for Phase 11 will be submitted to Caltrans next week. Federal funds will be used for Phase III. August 11, 2005 PAGE 10 T&T COMMISSION 10. Slurry Seal Area 1 AE/Molina reported that a map of Area I was included in the July packet. The project is scheduled to begin August 17 pending availability of materials and the project is scheduled for completion on September 8. The contractor indicated the school areas would be targeted first so that the slurry seal and striping could be completed prior to commencement of the fall session. All residents are notified 10 days and again 48 hours prior to the commencement of the slurry seal application. 11. Traffic Signal Modification SMA/Gomez reported that this project will go into full swing Monday August 15. It includes the modification of three traffic signals for left turns and two full installations at Pathfinder Road and Peaceful Hills Road, and at Diamond Bar Boulevard and Maple Hill Road. Although this is a 100 day project the contractor feels that the three modifications would be up and running in a short period of time. The modification locations are: Diamond Bar Boulevard and Cold Spring Lane; Diamond Bar Boulevard and Sunset Crossing Road and Diamond Bar Boulevard to the northbound SR57 onramp. DPW/Liu introduced Michelle Chan who comes to Diamond Bar's Public Works Division from the County of Orange Road Department. XI. SCHEDULE OF FUTURE CITY EVENTS: As listed in the agenda. XII. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS: None XIII. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business to come before the Traffic and Transportation Commission, Chairman Pincher adjourned the meeting at 9:25 p.m. Respectfully, David el i , Secretary