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Ord 1434 - URGENCY ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN OF LOS GATOS REGULATING TRAFFIC IN THE DOWNTOWN AREAORDINANCE NO. 1434 URGENCY ORDINANCE OF TIIE TOWN OF LOS GATOS REGULATING TRAFFIC IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA An emergency exists in the Town of Los Gatos. The Central Business District of the Town is bounded on the west by a bluff, hills and a crowded residential area, and except for four blocks of East Main Street, on the east by State Highway 17, a freeway. These boundaries converge at the southerly end of Town. Only three streets -- Main Street, State Route 9 and Blossom Hill. Road -- transect the business district from east to west and connect, it with outside areas. Of these three streets, only State Route 9 provides a street connection from the business district to outside areas in both an easterly and westerly direction, but even State Route 9 extends only 0.53 mile in an easterly direction and ends in an intersection with the same narrow, two lane street that carried all of the through traffic from Main Street. Westerly of the business district there are a few streets -- W.est Main Street, Bachman Avenue and six narrow streets connecting with San Benito Avenue which connect the business district with outside areas. The routes these streets traverse are circuitous, and the streets themselves are narrow and wholly impractical for use by other than light residential_ traffic. On many of them two automobiles can pass only at slow speed and cannot pass where automobiles are parked. On a north -south axis the business district is 1.4 miles long. There are only two continuous north -south streets, Santa Cruz Avenue and University Avenue. Like all of the other streets mentioned in this ordinance except State Route 9, they have only two traffic lanes and are unusually narrow. Under ordinary conditions over the years the streets of the central business district have often been full to capacity. Daily at the end of the public school day and during commuting hours there are traffic jams. The central business district and its environs were laid out and built up by about 1900. The cost of widening streets and providing freeway crossings suffic- ient to make a material change in the central business district traffic problem is far beyond the means of the Town, and any street widening or street connection project that would make a major improvement in downtown traffic conditions would - 1 - also destroy many houses and business buildings. The Town considered such projects, but adandoned them because of the cost and economic and social disruption thoy• would cause. In the summer of 1977 cruising became a traffic problem in the central business district. (The word cruising is here used in the sense in which it is defined in this ordinance.) Initially, a few hundred motorists would on weekend evenings spend several hours driving their automobiles around the central business district. The number of persons and automobiles involved increased rapidly until now an 800 - 1000 motorists engage in cruising in the central business district at once and the activity is neither limited to times when the weather is fair nor to weekends. The number of autos involved and their circling, destina- tionless pattern of movement has brought evening traffic in the central business district to a virtual standstill. Under these conditions there is insufficient space on the streets for fire trucks or ambulances to use answering emergency calls, law enforcement automobiles are useless and any energency requiring even a minor evacuation of persons would become a disaster. One of the Town's fire stations is in the area affected as is the Town's principal ambulance service. At critical times, both the fire trucks and the ambulance are nearly immobilized. Attempting to alleviate the problem, the police have rerouted traffic, forbidden turns at selected locations, intensively enforced traffic, curfew, traffic interference and automobile equipment laws, set up a temporary one -way street system and closed major streets. Only the closure of major streets have provided relief, and that measure (like the cruising itself) has been insupportable expensive both in terms of police officers! salaries and of loss of trade to businesses in the central business district. This ordinance is adopted to deter cruising in the central business district. THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF LOS GATOS ORDAINS: SECTION I Article X is added to Chapter 16 of the Los Gatos Town Code, to read.: Article X Cruising - 2 - SECTION -16 -100. DEFINITIONS The following definitions apply in this article X: (a) Central Business District means East Main Street and the area bounded by and including Blossom Hill Road from North Santa Cruz Avenue to Stave Highway 17, State Highway 17 to South Santa Cruz Avenue, South. Santa Cruz Avenue to Broadway, Broadway to Lingley, Lingley to West Main Street, West Main Street to Bayview Avenue, Bayview Avenue to Bean Avenue, Bean Avenue to Massol Avenue, Massol Avenue to 'Saratoga Avenue, Saratoga Avenue to San Benito Avenue, San Benito Avenue to Mariposa Avenue, Mariposa Avenue to North Santa Cruz Avenue, and North Santa Cruz Avenue to Blossom Hill Road. (b) Cruising is driving a motor vehicle on a highway (1) For the sake of driving, without immediate destination, (2) At random, but on the lookout for possible developments, or (3) With the purposes of (a) sightseeing repeatedly in the same area, and (b) while driving with the purpose of socializing with other motorists or pedestrians. Driving emergency vehicles on patrol, taxicabs for hire, and other business vehicles for business purposes is not cruising. (c) Highway and motor vehicle are defined is Section 360 and 415, respectively, of the Vehicle Code. SECTION 16 -105 CRUI PROHIBITED Cruising is prohibited in the central business district. SECTION 16 -110 PENALTY FOR CRUISING The minimum penalty for a first conviction of cruising is a $25.00 fine; for a second or subsequent conviction within one year, a $50.00 fine. SECTION 2 This ordinance is an urgency ordinance and is effective immediately on its adoption. The ordinance terminates September 4, 1979. If this ordinance is determined in a final adjudication to be ineffective as an urgency ordinance, it is neverless introduced and readopted as a regular ordinance of the Town, effective 30 days after its second adoption. - 3 - SECTION 3 The Town Clerk shall cause ordinance to be published twice, once within 15 days after its initial adoption and once within 15 days after its second adoption, in a newspaper of general circulation published and circulated in the Town. Introduced and adopted as an urgency ordinance of the Town of Los Gatos at a regular meeting of the Town Council held on June 4, 1979 by the following vote: AYES: Ruth Cannon, Mardi Gualtieri, Peter W. Siemens and John B. Lochner NOES: ABSTAIN: ABSENT: Thomas J. Ferrito None None SIGNED: � f 3 � JAMR OF THE 0 N OF OS GATOS ATTEST: CLERK G THE TOWN OF LOS TOS Readopted as a regular ordinance of the Town of Los Gatos at a.regular meeting of the Town Council held on June 18, 1979 by the following vote: AYES: Rut Ca nnon, Ma rdi Gualtieri, Peter W. Siemens and John B. :L NOES: Thomas J. Fer ABSTAIN: None ABSENT: None SIGNED: ATTEST: CLERK OF THE TOWN OF LOS ATOS 4 _. ORDINANCE NO. 1434 URGENCY ORDI14ANCE OF THE TOWN OF LOS GATOS REGULATING TRAFFIC IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA An emergency exists in the Town of Los Gatos. The Central Business District of the Town is bounded on the west by a bluff, hills and a crowded residential area, and except for four blocks of East Main Street, on the east by State Highway 17, a freeway. These boundaries converge at the southerly end of Town. Only three streets -- Main Street, State' Route 9 and Blossom Hill Road -- transect the business district from east to west and connect it with outside areas. Of these three streets, only State Route 9 provides a street connection from the business district to outside areas in both an easterly and westerly direction, but even State Route 9 extends only 0.53 mile in an easterly direction and ends in an intersection with the same narrow, two lane street that carries all of the through traffic from Main Street. Westerly of the business district there are a few streets -- West Main Street, Bachman Avenue and six narrow streets connecting with San Benito Avenue -- which connect the business district with outside areas. The routes these streets traverse are circuitous, and the streets themselves are narrow and wholly impractical for use by other than light residential traffic. On many of them two automobiles can pass only at slow speed and cannot pass where automobiles are parked. On a north -south axis the business district is 1.4 miles long. There are only two continuous north -south streets, Santa Cruz Avenue and University Avenue. Like all of the other streets mentioned in this ordinance except State Route 9, they have only two traffic lanes and are unusually narrow. Under ordinary conditions over the years the streets of the central business district have often been full to capacity. Daily at the end of the public school day and during commuting hours there are traffic jams. - 1 - The central business district and its environs were laid out and built up by about 1900. The cost of widening streets and providing freeway crossings sufficient to make a material change in the central business district traffic problem i.s far beyond the means of the Town, and any street widening or street connection project that would make a major improvement in downtown traffic conditions would also destroy many houses: •buildings. The Town -.cons dered.!such projects, but abandoned them because of tree cost and economic and social disruption they would cause. In the summer of 1977 cruising became a traffic problem in the central business district. (The word cruising is here used in the sense in which it is defined in this ordinance.) Initially, a few hundred motorists would on weekend evenings spend several hours driving their automobiles around the central business district. The number of persons and automobiles involved increased rapidly until now an estimated. 800 - 1000 motorists engage in cruising in the central business district at once and the activity is neither limited to times when the weather is fair nor to weekends. The number of autos involved and their circling, destinationless pattern of movement has brought evening traffic in the central business district to a virtual standstill. Under these conditions there is insufficient space on the streets for fire trucks or ambulances to use answering emergency calls, law enforcement automobiles are useless and any emergency requiring even a minor evacuation of persons would become a disaster.. One of the Town's fire stations is in the area affected as is the Town's principal ambulance service. At critical times, both the fire trucks and the ambulance are nearly immobilized. Attempting to alleviate the problem, the police have rerouted traffic, forbidden turns at selected locations, intensively enforced traffic, curfew, traffic interference and automobile equipment laws, set up a temporary one -way street system and closed major streets. Only the closure of major streets has provided relief, and that measure (like the cruising itself) has been insupportably expensive both in terms of police officers' salaries and of loss of trade to businesses in the central - business district. This ordinance is adopted to deter cruising in the central 'business district. - 2 - THE Ti COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF LOS GATOS ORDAINS: SECTION I Article X is added to Chapter. 16 of the Los Gatos Town Code, to read: Article X Cruising SECTION 16 -100. DEFINITIONS The following definitions apply in this Article X: (a) Central business District means East Main Street and the area bounded by and including Blossom HI-11 Road from North Santa Cruz Avenue to State Highway 17, State Highway 17 to South Santa Cruz Avenue, South Santa Cruz Avenue to Broadway, Broadway to Lingley, Lingley to West Main Street, West IVlain Street to Bayview Avenue, Bayview Avenue to Bean Avenue, Bean Avenue to Massol Avenue, Massol Avenue to Saratoga Avenue, Saratoga Avenue to San Benito Avenue, San Benito Avenue to Mariposa Avenue, Mariposa Avenue to North Santa Cruz Avenue, and North Santa Cruz Avenue to Blossom Hill Road. (b) Cruising is driving a motor vehicle on a highway (1) For the Sake of driving, without immediate destination, (2) At random, but on the lookout for possible developments, or (3) With the purposes of (a) sightseeing repeatedly in the same area, and (b) while driving with the purpose of socializing with other motorists or pedestrians. Driving emergency vehicles on patrol, taxicabs for hire, and other business vehicles for business purposes is not cruising. (c) Highway and motor vehicle are defined in Sections 360 and 415, respectively, of the Vehicle Code. SECTION 16 -105 CRUISING PRO Cruising is prohibited in the central business district. SECTION 16 -110 PEN FOR CRUISING The minimum penalty for a first conviction of cruising is a $25.00 fine; for a second or subsequent conviction within one year, a $50.00 fine. - 3 - SECTION 2 This ordinance is an urgency ordinance and is effective immediately on its adoption. The ordinance terminates September 4,1979. If this ordinance is determined in a final adjudication to be ineffective as an urgency ordinance, it is neverless introduced and readopted as a regular ordinance of the Town, effective 30 days after its second adoption. SECTION 3 The Town Clerk shall cause ordinance to be published twice, once within 15 days after its initial adoption and once within 15 days after its second adoption, in a newspaper of general circulation published and circulated in the Town. Introduced and adopted as an urgency ordinance of the Town of Los Gatos at a regular meeting of the Town Council held on June 1.,1979 by the following vote: AYES: Ruth Cannon, Mardi Gualtieri, Peter W. Siemens and John B. Lochner NOES: Thomas J. Ferrito ABSTAIN: None ABSENT: None SIGNED: iV1,AY R OF THE TOWN OF' LOS GATOS ATTEST: CLERK OF THE TOWN OF LOS �VTOS - 4, -