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Item 21 Staff Report Consider Report on Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program and Provide Staff with Comments and DirectionCOUNCIL AGENDA REPORT DATE: October 14, 1998 TO: MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL FROM: TOWN MANAGER SUBJECT: CONSIDER REPORT ON NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC CALMING PROGRAM AND PROVIDE STAFF WITH COMMENTS AND DIRECTION MEETING DATE: 10/19/98 ITEM NO. 2 / RECOMMENDATION: Consider report on neighborhood traffic calming program and provide staff with comments and direction. BACKGROUND: The Neighborhood Traffic Calming (NTC) Program report is an effort to assist citizens with traffic concerns in residential neighborhoods. The NTC program is designed to be an effective, systematic, and fair method for achieving the most appropriate solutions. Traffic complaints within residential neighborhoods have increased in association with urban growth. The most frequent complaints pertain to excessive traffic speeds and increased volumes. The NTC Program focuses on methods of education, enforcement, and engineering to solve these typical problems. Initial complaints will be managed with standard processes and policies. This will provide a more consistent approach improving staff analysis and response time while reducing related expenses. Staff researched existing traffic calming programs in other cities and found well defined programs were effective at addressing resident's complaints and assisting local government in obtaining cost effective solutions. Neighborhoods with strong community support and organized participation benefit the most from traffic calming programs. Staff considered and evaluated the plans for; Vancouver Washington, Boulder Colorado, Portland Oregon, San Luis Obispo and Mountain View California. These plans are available for review at the Permit Counter during normal business hours. Neighborhood streets once functioned to provide both physical and social access to neighborhoods, however local streets now seem to only accommodate traffic. Drivers should be guests not intruders on neighborhood streets. The NTC Program will primarily represent local neighborhood streets which are defined as providing access to residences and property. Arterial streets which carry through traffic, and collector streets that link the neighborhood streets to arterial streets, will be reviewed under the NTC Program on a case by case basis. PREPARED BY: SCOTT R. BAKER _ Director of Parks and Public Works N:1B&EIELLENITCALMIN3. WPD L RRY a J►D Chief of ' olice Reviewed by: —Attorney " Finance Revised: 10/14/98 3:15 pm Reformatted: 10/23/95 PAGE 3 MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL SUBJECT: CONSIDER REPORT ON NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC CALMING PROGRAM October 14, 1998 DISCUSSION: The goals of the program are: • Improve neighborhood safety for vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists • Reduce the number and severity of vehicle related accidents • Maintain the speed of motor vehicles to the posted limits • Decrease the volume of extraneous/cut-through traffic • Limit the impact on adjacent local streets • Preserve emergency vehicle's response times • Maximize the community participation and support in the program PHASE I The first phase is initiated when a resident reports a neighborhood traffic problem. Staff responds according to the severity of the concern. Staff reviews the written report and collects any relevant available data. Further investigation and a site visit is made as needed. The resident is notified by a letter of the status of their concern. The letter explains to the resident that either the problem is being resolved, was already resolved, or corrective measures can not be implemented. Staff currently strives to follow these steps when investigating a resident's traffic concern. However, when the problem requires more evaluation the NTC Program would offer a more cost effective means for finding a solution. The NTC Program would be initiated in Phase I with a letter to the resident explaining the program and how to initiate Phase II, the Neighborhood Traffic Watch Program. PHASE II Phase II may include an initial education and enforcement period. The Town's Traffic Sergeant may be able to respond to the citizen's complaints and provide relevant information. The Traffic Sergeant may also contact possible traffic violators to resolve the resident's concerns. Residents would be responsible for attending neighborhood meetings to learn about the operation of the program and their level of participation. Phase lI of the program would require additional funding to be functional. It is anticipated that an officer trained in this program would be needed to operate the program effectively. The time and involvement necessary for this service requires additional funding and approval by council. In order to provide an effective on going program the police department will request for the 1999-2000 fiscal year budget the reinstatement of the police officer position assigned to crime prevention. This position was cut several years ago. In addition, radar equipment, literature, signs, stickers, etc. requires additional funding and approval by council. Estimated costs for 2 new radar guns is $3,000, for signs and miscellaneous communications $1,000 and for traffic counts, speed studies, $4,000. The benefits of the NTC program would offset the expenses by the savings from managing traffic control device installation more effectively. PHASE III Phase III would begin when Phase II did not solve the problem within a reasonable time frame, typically a month to six weeks. Phase III consists of town meetings, forming of resident committees, and recommendations for Traffic Calming Devices. This phase would include a petition and survey of the neighborhood traffic problem to be conducted by the residents. This is a cost effective way to obtain relevant data for finding a solution to the problem. A report would be submitted to the Council with the fiscal impact for the preferred solution. Council would determine if the proposed solution would be forwarded for consideration in future Capital Improvement Projects. PAGE 4 MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL SUBJECT: CONSIDER REPORT ON NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC CALMING PROGRAM October 14, 1998 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS: Is not a project defined under CEQA, and no further action is required. CONCLUSION: Staff recommends this report on Traffic Calming be reviewed and staff provided with comments and direction. FISCAL IMPACT: Staff will return to council with a more detailed fiscal impact for Traffic Calming after receiving comments and direction. Distribution: Ms. Tracey Hobsen, 218 Wilder Avenue, Los Gatos, CA 95030 Ms. Anne T. Pimental, Business Manager, Oak Meadow Veterinary Hospital, 641 University Avenue, Los Gatos, California 95030 Mr. Ralph Mitchell, 15572 Corinne Drive, Los Gatos, CA 95032 Ms. C.M. Kirkland, 378 Penn Way, Los Gatos, CA 95031 Mr. Monte Moorehead, Highland Oaks Bella Vista Traffic Committee Town Council Minutes October 19, 1998 Redevelopment Agency Los Gatos, California PLANNING COMMISSION/PUBLIC HEARING PROCESS (20.20) Council considered a policy which would have commissioners refrain from meeting with applicants outside the public meeting process. Council Consensus was to draft a formal policy for the Planning Commission that says: the Commission should refrain from meeting with applicants and interested parties outside the public process (defined as a properly noticed meeting); that the Council still encourage them to visit the site, but discourage speaking to people while at the site; if Planning Commissioners do talk to someone they must disclose it in the public meeting; and encourage the Planning Commission at their discretion (should they feel the need to do so to further the public process) to have study sessions with the applicant, the public, and the entire planning commission, to work on discussion points concerning an application, and that this should happen only at the discretion of a simple majority of the planning commission. NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC CALMING PROGRAM (21.39) Council considered the report on neighborhood traffic calming program and provided some positive comments for staff. ANNEXATION OF FERRIS AND LOMA PROPERTY (22.11) Council considered the report and asked that staff explore the possibility of annexing property in the vicinity of the intersection of Ferris Avenue and Loma Street. The consensus was that at least a group of four lots should be annexed at one time. TRAFFIC SIGNAL VIDEO VEHICLE DETECTION SYSTEM (08.28) Motion by Mrs. Benjamin, seconded by Mr. Hutchins, that Council authorize an increase in the street resurfacing program by $124,730 to include video vehicle detection system funded from prior year road impact fees, and authorize a budget of $22,940 for video vehicle detection system at Los Gatos Boulevard and Nino Avenue funded from prior year road impact fees. Carried unanimously. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Lubeck adjourned this evening's meeting at 10:03 P.M. TC:D10:MM101998 A 1'1'EST: Marian V. Cosgrove Town Clerk 6