HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/14/2021- Minutes - Regular MeetingCITY OF DIAMOND BAR
MINUTES OF THE TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION MEETING
JANUARY 14, 2021
Consistent with COVID-19 regulations, all Commissioners and staff participated via
teleconference and there was no physical location for public attendance. The Public
was invited to join the meeting online or by phone at the numbers printed on the
meeting agenda.
CALL TO ORDER:
Chairperson Gonzalez called the meeting to order at 6:50 p.m.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Commissioner Quan led the Pledge of Allegiance.
ROLL CALL: Commissioners Kim Hsieh, Surendra Mehta,
Cynthia Quan, Vice-Chair Andrew Wong, Chair
Michael Gonzalez
Telephonically Present: David Liu, Public Works Director; Hal Ghafari,
Public Works Manager/Assistant City Engineer;
Christian Malpica, Associate Engineer; Fabian
Aoun, Associate Engineer; Nicholas “Nick”
Delgado, Engineering Technician; Marcy Hilario,
Administrative Coordinator
I. APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
A. Traffic and Transportation Commission Meeting Minutes of November 12,
2020.
VC/Wong moved, C/Hsieh seconded, to approve the Meeting Minutes of
November 12, 2020 as presented. Motion carried by the following Roll Call
vote:
AYES: COMMISSIONERS: Hsieh, Mehta, Quan, VC/Wong,
Chair/Gonzalez
NOES: COMMISSIONERS: None
ABSENT: COMMISSIONERS: None
II. PUBLIC COMMENTS: None
III. ITEMS FROM STAFF:
A. TRAFFIC STATISTICS – October and November 2020.
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VC/Wong commented that, as expected, statistics on citations and accidents
are significantly lower this year as a result of COVID.
C/Quan moved, VC/Wong seconded, to receive and file the October and
November 2020 Traffic Statistics. Motion carried by the following Roll Call
vote:
AYES: COMMISSIONERS: Hsieh, Mehta, Quan, VC/Wong,
Chair/Gonzalez
NOES: COMMISSIONERS: None
ABSENT: COMMISSIONERS: None
B. MONTHLY UPDATES OF PROJECTS/PROGRAMS:
a) Adaptive Traffic Control Signal System (ATCS) – AE/Malpica -
Staff continues to monitor and adjust the ATCS to accommodate minor
traffic increases in the arterials during weekday rush hours.
b) Caltrans Pavement Rehabilitation Project on State Route 57
Freeway – AE/Malpica – Caltrans District 7 is preparing to commence a
roadway resurfacing and restoration project along State Route 57
(SR/57) freeway (the “Project”) for approximately 4.5 lane miles. The
Project will require 16 extended weekend closure detours over the
course of the three-year construction period, which is tentatively
scheduled to be implemented during the lower traffic hours. Per the
Project plans, the Sheriff’s Department will be notified to provide traffic
control during the detours, as needed, and traffic flow conditions will be
monitored by City staff, with the help of the City’s traffic consultant. A
Cooperative Traffic Detour Agreement was negotiated between the City
and Caltrans under which the City will be reimbursed for traffic
monitoring and signal adjustments, as well as the additional Sheriff’s
services. Per the Agreement and upon completion of the Project,
Caltrans, at its own cost, will restore the City streets impacted by the
detours to their original condition prior to the detours.
c) Grand Avenue/Golden Springs Drive Intersection Improvements –
AE/Malpica – The Temporary Construction License (TLC) agreement
between the County of Los Angeles, golf course owner, and the City of
Industry, in charge of the construction work, was approved during the
2020 December holidays. The pre-construction meeting is tentatively
scheduled for the week of January 18th with construction scheduled to
commence in February 2021.
d) Local Road Safety Plan (LRSP) – AE/Malpica – Federal regulations
require each state to develop a Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP)
with the goal to reduce traffic accident fatalities and serious injuries on
all public roadways. While the SHSP is used as a statewide approach
for improving roadway safety, a Local Road Safety Plan (LRSP) is the
JANUARY 14, 2021 PAGE 3 T&T COMMISSION
means for providing City-owned roads with the opportunity to address
unique highway safety needs in their jurisdictions, while contributing to
the SHSP. Staff is currently working with a traffic consultant firm to
develop an LRSP. As part of the effort, virtual meetings were held with
the school districts, Sheriff’s Department and Fire Department. The
City’s consultant completed a collision data analysis and is currently
completing a countermeasures report that incorporates the feedback
from all stakeholders to develop a proposed LRSP.
e) NTMP/Hawkwood Neighborhood – Neighborhood Traffic
Management Program – AE/Aoun – During the November 12th, 2020
Traffic and Transportation Commission meeting, a resident voiced his
concern regarding the traffic in the Hawkwood Drive neighborhood
where his parents live. He shared that drivers were creating a safety
hazard by speeding when on Hawkwood Drive. Staff reached out to the
resident to let him know about the City’s Neighborhood Traffic
Management Program (NTMP) and he and his family confirmed they
would like to pursue the NTMP and the resident volunteered to captain
the program. Staff will proceed to study the area and gather traffic data
to launch the NTMP.
f) NTMP/Del Sol Lane Neighborhood – Neighborhood Traffic
Management Program – AE/Aoun – Traffic detectors were placed
throughout the neighborhood to collect speed and volume data for
seven (7) consecutive days in the area of concern that included North
Del Sol Lane and Highland Valley Road. The data from the speed
detection surveys show a significant percentage of drivers are
comfortable traveling above the posted speed limit of 25 mph
throughout most of the neighborhood. The next step will be to organize
a neighborhood meeting and formally present the data to residents
before beginning the design of traffic calming measures.
g) Diamond Bar Boulevard Rehabilitation (Mountain Laurel Way to
Pathfinder Road) – AE/Aoun – This project will consist of a 2” – 6”
pavement grind and upgrade of newly constructed ADA curb ramps in
the locations where the existing ramps do not mee current ADA
standards. The Plans and Specifications have been approved by the
City Council and will now be advertised to solicit construction bids. The
project is anticipated to begin in February, consistent with the schedule
of last year’s project.
h) TCEP Grant Application for the SR57/60 Confluence Chokepoint
Relief Program – ET/Delgado – On August 3rd, 2020, the LA County
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (METRO), in partnership with the
California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), submitted the grant
application for the SR57/60 Confluence Chokepoint Relief Program
Project to the California Transportation Commission, seeking $217.9
million in funding from Senate Bill 1 (SB 1) Trade Corridors
JANUARY 14, 2021 PAGE 4 T&T COMMISSION
Enhancement Program (TCEP). The City of Diamond Bar actively
participated in the preparation of this application along with Caltrans,
the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (SGVCOG), and the
City of Industry. Key project components include the construction of an
additional travel lane on the northbound SR57, construction of a new
eastbound SR60 bypass off-ramp on Grand Avenue, reconstruction of
the south half of the Grand Avenue Interchange, and construction of
new eastbound on-ramps from Grand Avenue. This project has a total
cost of $420,200,000. On December 3rd, 2020, the California
Transportation awarded $217.9 million to METRO for the SR57/60
Confluence Project and LA County Measure M funds will be utilized to
cover the remainder of this project’s costs. Construction is anticipated
to start in August of 2022.
i) Street Sweeping Parking Enforcement – PWM/Ghafari – Last year
when enforcement was put on hold, it was scheduled to resume at the
beginning of 2021. Last week, staff began receiving calls confirming
that the “Courtesy Postcards” mailed to all residents had been received.
These postcards have answered questions about when and why the
issuance of street sweeping citations will resume and the response from
the majority of residents has generally been positive. Street sweeping
will take place every week in January and the issuance of street
sweeping citations will resume on Monday, January 18th. Warning
notices were issued beginning this week.
Chair/Gonzalez asked if staff received any complaints about
enforcement resuming on Monday. PWM/Ghafari responded that some
residents asked that the hold continue during stay-at-home orders.
However, the City has determined that enforcement will need to be
reinstated for health and safety reasons.
VC/Wong moved, C/Mehta seconded, to receive and file the updates on
Various Projects/Programs. Motion carried by the following Roll Call
vote:
AYES: COMMISSIONERS: Hsieh, Mehta, Quan,
VC/Wong, Chair/Gonzalez
NOES: COMMISSIONERS: None
ABSENT: COMMISSIONERS: None
IV. OLD BUSINESS: None
V. NEW BUSINESS: None
VI. STATUS OF PREVIOUS ACTION ITEMS:
PWM/Ghafari shared that the Sheriff’s Department reports indication of a significant
drop in traffic citations between August and September (November 12, 2020 Traffic
JANUARY 14, 2021 PAGE 5 T&T COMMISSION
Statistics report) is associated with the normal patterns of previous reports going from
the summer months into the fall and winter months, as well as the impacts of COVID,
and other emergency needs that the deputies were responding during the month of
September.
VII. ITEMS FROM COMMISSIONERS:
C/Hsieh shared her concerns about the inadequacy of the street sweeping and
provided staff with photographs of the area. She thanked staff for the meeting and
reports.
C/Mehta said he has received complaints from neighbors regarding Waste
Management’s service and response to telephone calls. PWD/Liu explained that
Waste Management has seen a significant impact to its employees as a result of
COVID. The City continues to follow up with the waste hauler to address the
deficiencies which staff believes is a temporary situation. C/Mehta thanked staff and
his colleagues for their patience.
VC/Wong thanked staff and his colleagues for their patience during COVID and
wished everyone to stay safe and enjoy good health.
C/Quan said that despite the challenges of COVID, Diamond Bar continues to be well-
maintained. She thanked staff and her colleagues for their participation.
VII. SCHEDULE OF FUTURE CITY EVENTS: As noted in the Agenda
ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business to come before the Traffic and
Transportation Commission, Chair/Gonzalez adjourned the meeting at 7:40 p.m. to
Thursday, March 11, 2021.
The foregoing minutes are hereby approved this day of ______________, 2021.
Respectfully Submitted,
______________________________
David G. Liu, Secretary
Attest:
_____________________________