Staff Report. Temp Traffic Calming Shannon
PREPARED BY: Mike Vroman
Senior Traffic Engineer
Reviewed by: Town Manager, Assistant Town Manager, Town Attorney, Finance Director, Parks and
Public Works Director and Town Engineer
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● (408) 354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: 6/15/2021
ITEM NO: 21
DATE: June 1, 2021
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Laurel Prevetti, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Accept the Report and Authorize the Temporary Installation of Traffic
Calming Devices for Shannon Road Between Los Gatos Boulevard and Short
Road (CIP No. 812-9910 Traffic Calming Projects)
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the Town Council accept the report and authorize the temporary
installation of traffic calming devices for Shannon Road between Los Gatos Boulevard and
Short Road (CIP No. 812-9910 Traffic Calming Projects).
BACKGROUND:
The adopted Fiscal Year (FY) 2020/21-2024/25 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Budget
designates funding for the on-going Traffic Calming Projects (CIP No. 812-9910).
In accordance to the Town’s Traffic Calming Policy, residents of Shannon Road between Los
Gatos Boulevard and Short Road submitted a petition in January 2019 to be considered for a
traffic calming project. Shannon Road is a neighborhood collector street within the project
limits. Staff reviewed the petition, then proceeded with the collection of speed and traffic
volume data to determine if Shannon Road qualifies for the traffic calming project. To qualify
per the Town’s Traffic Calming Policy, 85th percentile speeds of vehicles traveling through the
neighborhood must exceed the posted speed limit by 5 miles per hour (MPH), or the average
daily traffic volume must exceed 3,000 vehicles per day for collector streets. Based on the data
collected, Shannon Road qualified for the traffic calming program under both traffic speeds and
volume. The Shannon Road traffic calming project request was placed on the program waiting
list while other traffic calming projects were being processed or completed.
PAGE 2 OF 4
SUBJECT: Accept the Report and Authorize the Temporary Installation of Traffic Calming
Devices for Shannon Road Between Los Gatos Boulevard and Short Road (CIP
No. 812-9910 Traffic Calming Projects)
DATE: June 1, 2021
DISCUSSION:
On November 18, 2020 and April 22, 2021, staff from Parks and Public Works (PPW), the Los
Gatos/Monte Sereno Police Department (LGMSPD), and the Santa Clara County Fire
Department (SCCFD) held online community meetings with the Shannon Road neighbors to
discuss traffic calming options for the project site and to build consensus on a traffic calming
plan. In addition to social media and website posts, over five hundred postcard notifications for
each meeting were mailed to residents on or near Shannon Road. Residents from Shannon
Road, Englewood Avenue, Hilow Road, Topping Way, Marchmont Drive, Loma Street, and other
nearby streets attended the meetings.
At the first meeting, PPW staff explained the Traffic Calming Policy process and presented the
data on traffic speeds and volume. LGMSPD and SCCFD provided feedback on the manageable
impact of the traffic calming devices on emergency services and answered residents’ questions
and concerns. The attending residents also expressed their concerns related to speeding and
stop sign violations, as well as pedestrian and bicycle safety in the neighborhood especially for
the many school children using Shannon Road. Residents discussed potential traffic calming
options to mitigate these issues, and there was a consensus at the meeting to consider speed
humps.
At the second online community meeting on April 22, 2021, staff presented a proposed traffic
calming plan to install five speed humps with signs and pavement markings on Shannon Road
(see Attachment 1 for the proposed plan). Three speed humps are proposed between Cherry
Blossom Lane and Short Road and could be installed by fall 2021. Two proposed speed humps
between Los Gatos Boulevard and Cherry Blossom Lane are planned to be installed with the
Shannon Road Pedestrian and Bikeways Improvements Project in FY 2022/23, if approved.
There was consensus at this meeting among the residents on Shannon Road to install the
proposed speed humps as presented.
A few residents that attended the second community meeting, who may not live on Shannon
Road, expressed that speed humps may slow down emergency responses, depreciate home
values in the neighborhood, and slow down commuters. Residents who do not reside on
Shannon Road also inquired why they were not allowed to vote on the traffic calming program
on Shannon Road. Staff explained that only those residents whose properties abut the street
and are most affected by the speeding are eligible to vote on the traffic calming plan per the
Town’s practice. Staff informed the residents that the Town has installed speed humps and
other traffic calming devices on thirteen other streets, including four neighborhood collectors
and two hillside collector streets. Speed humps have proven to slow down vehicular traffic on
streets where installed.
PAGE 3 OF 4
SUBJECT: Accept the Report and Authorize the Temporary Installation of Traffic Calming
Devices for Shannon Road Between Los Gatos Boulevard and Short Road (CIP
No. 812-9910 Traffic Calming Projects)
DATE: June 1, 2021
DISCUSSION (continued):
As per the Traffic Calming Policy procedure, staff mailed out ballots on May 3 to all 73 residents
on Shannon Road between Los Gatos Boulevard and Short Road. Of the votes submitted, a
two-thirds (66.7%) majority in support of the project is needed to move forward with the speed
humps per the Policy. The postmarked ballots were due on May 20, 2021. Staff received 54
timely responses with 48 in favor of speed humps (89% in support) and six not in support. The
support for speed humps on Shannon Road exceeded the required two-thirds majority.
If Council approves this item, PPW staff will work with existing Town contractors or obtain bids
in the open market for the three speed humps on Shannon Road between Cherry Blossom Lane
and Short Road to be installed by this fall. Two speed humps between Los Gatos Boulevard and
Cherry Blossom Lane would be installed later as part of the Shannon Road Pedestrian and
Bikeway Improvements Project in FY 2022/23.
Four to six months after the installation of the first three speed humps, staff will conduct
additional traffic studies to determine the project effectiveness in slowing down traffic.
Additionally, staff will conduct before and after traffic counts on Kennedy Road to assess the
traffic volume impact, if any, from the installation of speed humps on Shannon Road. A few
residents were concerned of traffic shifting over to Kennedy Road to avoid speed humps on
Shannon Road. Staff will then contact the Shannon Road residents to inform them of the new
data collected, conduct a final vote, and based on the final vote, return to Council for
consideration to make the speed humps on Shannon Road permanent.
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends that the Town Council accept the report and authorize the temporary
installation of five speed humps as the traffic calming plan on Shannon Road between Los Gatos
Boulevard and Short Road.
COORDINATION:
This project has been coordinated with the Finance Department, the LGMSPD, and the SCCFD.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Funding for this traffic calming project has been allocated through the adopted FY 2020/21-
2024/25 Capital Improvement Program Budget. Each year, $10,000 in GFAR funds are
approved for the Traffic Calming Projects.
PAGE 4 OF 4
SUBJECT: Accept the Report and Authorize the Temporary Installation of Traffic Calming
Devices for Shannon Road Between Los Gatos Boulevard and Short Road (CIP
No. 812-9910 Traffic Calming Projects)
DATE: June 1, 2021
FISCAL IMPACT (continued):
Traffic calming projects require significant staff time investments due to the number of
community meetings and correspondence as well as design and engineering. The annual
allocated funds are not sufficient to deliver the requested number of projects. To facilitate
delivery, staff seeks to combine the installation of traffic calming solutions with other projects,
typically the annual Street Resurfacing project. In addition, part time unbudgeted staff deliver
are used for project delivery to ensure full time staff can support more complex efforts.
The fund balance in the Traffic Calming Project is $19,135. Construction and staff costs for this
project total an estimated $116,000. Without relying on funds from the Street Resurfacing
Project, few traffic calming projects would be completed. Staff will include this topic in a
Capital Improvement Program discussion tentatively targeted for an August Council meeting.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:
This is a project defined under CEQA as being Categorically Exempt (Section 15301c –
existing streets, sidewalks, trails, and similar facilities). A Notice of Exemption will be
filed.
Attachments:
1. Temporary Traffic Calming Proposal - Shannon Road between Los Gatos Boulevard and
Short Road
2. Public Communication Received Prior to 11:00 am on June 10, 2021