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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSafety Commission mins 1992/07/09 . . MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE CHULA VISTA SAFETY COMMISSION Thursday, July 9, 1992 7:05 p.m. Council Chambers Public Services Building CAll TO ORDER 1. Roll Call: Present: Chair Thomas, Vice Chair Padilla, Commissioners Braden, Koester, Chidester, Matacia Excused Absence: Commissioner Pitts Also Present: Harold Rosenberg, Traffic Engineer; Frank Rivera, Associate Traffic Engineer; Shirley Buxton, Recording Secretary 2. Pledae af Alleaiance/Silent Praver 3. Oaenina Statement Read by Chair Thomas 4. ADDrDval of Minutes/SDecial Orders af the Dav . MSC (Thomas/Braden) ta approve the Safety Cammission Minutes of June 11. 1992 as presented. Approved 6-0- 1 with Commissioner Pitts absent. Commissioner Braden was presented with her gavel mounted on plaque, recognizing her two years as Chair of the Safety Commission. MEETING AGENDA 5. REPORT Traffic Concerns for Second Avenue North of E Street Frank Rivera presented staff's report. Commissioner Chidester said there were several 25 mph speed limit signs that were posted on Edgemere/North Second. He said there was only one sign now and asked what happened to all the signs. He would like to recommend the speed limit be reduced on Second Avenue. Frank Rivera said that the signs were advisory signs for the curves in the area and that staff has not removed any signs. Vice Chair Padilla asked staff why they gave the intersection of Second A venue and C Street the maximum 10 points for sight visibility and Second Avenue and D Street only given 2 points. Frank Rivera explained that the intersection of Second A venue and C Street is curved to the north and there is a grade differential. At the intersection of Second Avenue and Shirley Street, there is a block retaining wall and the roadway is narrow because of lack of street improvements. Both D Street intersections are T-intersections. . . ii~~ /tf;. \ ,~%t~\.rr\:s UNO~f\i'~~~!C""'"" Safety Commission Minutes July 9, 1992 Page 2 Gloria Attaway, 252 Sea Vale Street, Chula Vista, CA 91910 thanked the Commission and staff for responding to their concerns for this area and conducting the safety report. The greatest concern was the Second A venue and C Street area which is where the school bus stops for kindergarten and first grade students. Ms. Attaway said she did not feel that the pedestrian count was accurate because it was done the last week of school for Rosebank students, and during that week many parents were driving their children to school. There are many children that use the intersection. She also felt the speed survey did not accurately represent the speeds, saying that when people see the indicator trailer (SMART unit) that motorists slow down. Ms. Attaway said that she understands that the Safe Route to School Map is for use by parents to instruct their children on how to walk to school safely. However, children do not follow this route and take shortcuts. Children cross Second Avenue and go through a canyon to access Las Flores Drive as a shorter route to school. Ms. Attaway said that the home on the northwest corner of Second Avenue and C Street is not at street level and is elevated as is the retaining wall. This makes it more difficult to see oncoming southbound traffic. She asked for clarification on the pedestrian warrant system. Frank Rivera explained the warrant system. Ms. Attaway said it is just more than pedestrians crossing Second Avenue, but that Second Avenue and C Street is a blind intersection. Vice Chair Padilla asked when the pedestrian counts were done. Mr. Rivera said the pedestrian counts were done on Monday afternoon, June 15 and Tuesday morning, June 16, 1992 which was the last week of school. Donald Stell, 210 Sea Vale Street, Chula Vista, CA 91910, said motorists on southbound Second A venue from Sweetwater Road accelerate up the grade and since there is no traffic control measure for a one mile stretch of road, traffic speeds on the street. He said a person was killed on the corner of Second Avenue and Sea Vale Street and the motorist was driving in excess of 60 mph when he hit a gentlemen on moped. He reported several other accidents along Second Avenue. He feels this area is a dangerous situation and said a stop sign will stop most motorists. He said that even though the intersection doesn't meet the necessary criteria, the Safety Commission could waive the point requirement and asked the Commission to utilize this waiver and install the stop signs. Chair Thomas said that the Suggested Route to School Maps were intended to help children take the safest way to school. If a stop sign was installed at Second A venue and C Street it would encourage children to cross Second A venue rather than to use the suggested route which is to cross at E Street. MSC IBraden/Matacial to approve staff's recommendation that the Safety Commission deny the requests for an all-way stop at the intersections of Second Avenue and C Street and both intersections of D Street. Approved 6-0-1 with Commissioner Pitts absent. Vice Chair Padilla commented that he would like to see staff present all alternatives in their agenda statements. He would like to see more than just telling a citizen that his request is denied. Donald Stell, 210 Sea Vale Street, Chula Vista, CA 91910, wanted to amend the minutes to reflect that the safe route to school was not their only concern. The children have friends on either side of Second A venue and must cross the street. From C Street to E Street it is one half mile and he asked if the children are expected to walk a total of one mile to play with a friend who lives across the street. He agreed with the Commission that some motorists will speed up between traffic control devices, but felt that this number is a minority. Also, with a stop sign installed, the children trying to cross the street can see if a car is stopped or not, rather than trying to guess the speed of an on-coming car. Ut~OfFICIAL MBNUTE,S Safety Commission Minutes July 9, 1992 Page 3 . 6. REPORT Raised Medians on Third Avenue North of D Street Frank Rivera presented staff's report. Commissioner Chidester asked how soon the repainting could occur. Mr. Rivera reported that the repainting could take place within two or four weeks depending on the striping crew schedule, and the new signs could be placed within one or two weeks. MSC (Chidester/Braden I to accept staff's recommendation to repaint the raised asphalt medians, install additional warning signs and make minor revisions to the roadway striping. Approved 6-0-1 with Commissioner Pitts absent. 7. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Michael Gonzales. 135 Fourth Avenue, #C, Chula Vista, CA 91910 said he lives in the Somerset Apartments and does not feel there is adequate sight distance when trying to exit his complex due to parked cars on Fourth Avenue. He said there is not enough visibility to see vehicles travelling northbound on Fourth Avenue. When exiting, a motorist must inch out into on-coming southbound traffic which causes cars to swerve around the front of vehicles exiting the complex. . Mr. Gonzales said that he asked the City to review this area and was told that the policy stated that they could not do anything on his request, because he was not the owner of the property. He said he was told that he had to have the request made by his manager. He went to the manager and the manager said that there was a problem, but feared that if red curbs were extended, vehicles would illegally park in the complex. Mr. Gonzales was requesting a traffic analysis of the situation. Chair Thomas asked staff to clarify the process of submitting requests for traffic studies. Frank Rivera said that Traffic Engineering takes requests from any citizen. Depending on what the citizen is requesting, it will determine what procedure staff will follow. Generally, if a request is made by a resident of a multi-family dwelling, staff feels the resident should take their request to their apartment manager or homeowner association president. Staff has encountered problems, where a citizen's request was answered and then discovered that that citizen was in the minority and the majority of residents did not want any change to a situation. Mr. Rivera said that they did discuss this matter with the manager of the Somerset apartments and he did not feel that this was a priority matter. There would be loss of on-street parking which is needed in this area. Mr. Rivera said staff could prepare an investigation and report for the next Safety Commission Meeting which would include a survey of the other apartment complexes in the area. Commissioner Padilla said that he did not want any citizen to feel that they could not make a request to staff or the Safety Commission without having to get someone else's approval. Any citizen can make a request if they feel there is a safety problem. STAFF REPORTS . 8. 1992-93 CIP Status ReDort - Distributed for Commissioner information. 9. Chula Vista Police DeDartment Traffic Summary for Mav 1992 - Distributed for Commissioner information. r7~~~~r>"r:~r;.C< r .;.,~~; ,.','::;J~! !'-[r;:~~!/K?...:.~,:, pr: ~f\.~f. ~T'ES L5:"I~r:'~.~ .,::, Safety Commission Minutes July 9, 1992 Page 4 OTHER BUSINESS 10. Review of Safety Commission Annual Summary of Activities 11. Attendance List for FY 1991-92 12. Commissioner Comments None. 13. Commission WorkshoD Staff will be going to the City Council on approximately July 28, 1992 recommending a change to the City Charter making the Safety Commission an action group rather than an advisory group as the Commission requested and decided on at its May and June 1992 meetings. Chair Thomas encouraged the Commissioners to attend the City Council meeting when this item is presented. ADJOURNMENT MSC (Koester/Padilla) to adjourn at 8:30 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, UNOFFiC1Al ~'\iNUTES S8:SAFETYI0701112.MIN 072412