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2000-133-Authorizing The Town Manager To Submit The Attached Application For A Safe Routes To School Grant To Develop And Implement A Traffic Calming Speed Reduction Plan For Winchester Boulevard InRESOLUTION 2000 - 133 RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF LOS GATOS AUTHORIZING THE TOWN MANAGER TO SUBMIT THE ATTACHED APPLICATION FOR A SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL GRANT TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A TRAFFIC CALMING/SPEED REDUCTION PLAN FOR WINCHESTER BOULEVARD IN THE VICINITY OF DAVES AVENUE WHEREAS, funds are available to .eligible applicants under the Safe Routes to School Program to perform a traffic study that would identify appropriate traffic calming and speed reduction measures for Winchester Boulevard in the vicinity of the Daves Avenue intersection, and for construction of the recommended improvements (the project). THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: by the Town Council of the Town of Los Gatos that the Town Manager is authorized to sign and submit the attached .application (Exhibit A), together with all necessary supporting documents, to Caltrans for a Safe Routes to School Grant for said project. PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the Town Council of the Town of Los Gatos,. California, .held on the 6t'' day of November, 2000., by the following vote. COUNCIL MEMBERS.: AYES: Randy Attaway, Jan Hutchins, Linda Lubeck, Joe Pirzynslci, Mayor Steve Blanton. NAYS: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None GATOS A"T'TEST: -- CLEItI~ OF'THE TOWN OF OS GAT LOS Gp~TOS, CALIFORNIA LOS GATOS, CALIFORNIA Local Assistance Program Guidelines EXHIBIT A A lication Form .APPLICATION FORM FOR SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL :PROGRAM FUNDS APPLICANT: (City of: or County of:) Town of Los Gatos SCHOOL DISTRICT: Los Gatos Union School District SCHOOLNAME(S):_ Dav .G AV nnr~ F1 mantarY Sch0o1 CALTRANS DISTRICT: 4 CHP DIVISION: 3 4 0 SHORT DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS: ~ Engineering study to develop traffic calmincr/speed reduction plan for Winchester Blvd., and implementation/construction of plan GENERAL LOCATION OF PROJECT: Winchester Blvd. in Town of Los Gatos, 1/4 mile north and south of Davies Avenue PROJECT COSTS: Preliminary Engineering Environmental ........................5 2 , 5 0 0 PS&E .................................» S2 2.5 0 0 Right-of-Way ....................................5 0 Construction Construction ...........................S 2 5 0, 0 0 0 Construction Eagineering..........S 5 , 0 0 0 Other (please list) ............................... S Total Project Cost .............................. 5 2 8 0, 0 0 0 PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT AWARD DATE: July 1, 2 0 O 1 The following parts of this Application Form .request specific project related information. Some of the sections request the applcantto prepare maps or other documents that..contain specific information. Other sections contain questions that the applicant can simply answer in .the space provided. If a section does not apply to the .proposed project or if data is not available, simply write "not applicable (N/A)" or "data not available (DNA)", respectively, beneath ornear the question heading or subheading. , 02/.10/00 Local Assistance Program Guidelines ~~~ A Aooiication Form. SCHOOL DEMOGRAPHICS The following. information may be acquired by a student survey taken on a typical. school day. Attach the survey, the data, and its summary, if available. Number of students at the school........ ...................... 5 6 8 .... .. Age range of students at the school'........... ....................... 4yr- 9mo to 11yr Number of students that walk to school .......................... A ~ - 4 ~ Number of students that bike to school ............................. 4 ~ = 2 3 Number of students. that take a bus to school ..................... 0 ~ - 0 Number of students driven to school with. parents or others..... _ $ 8 ~ = 5 0 2' Number of cars used. to drive students to schooh .................. 3 7 0 Percentage of students living within 2 miles of school............ 8 0 ~ The survey might also be written to answer questions 2, 3, and S below: 1. Does your project involve the improvement to an "existing" walking or bicycling route? Yes ~ No (If no, skip to Question # 4) 2. If yes, how many students currently use this route. to walk or bicycle to school? 12 3. How many students. will use this route after the improvements are made? Unknown 4. Does your project involve the creation of a "new" walking or bicycling route? Yes _ No,~ (If no, go to next Section) Not ant9.c pated, but may .. 5. If yes,. how many students. will use this-route upon. its completion? N / A Note: This. survey is a suggestion,. not a requirement Some projects. may not requitt a student trip survey to ,justify an improvement. For other protects, a survey will help demonstrate the need for a project and assist. participants in prioritizing a host of other proposed' improvements. The survey will also help the Project Review Committee prioritizeprojects on a statewide basis. Reassured that a large school will not be automatically ranked higher than a small school simply due to the "gross" number of students. attending: the school or using. a specific route to school. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM Provide a detailed, narrative description of the problem. Describe the breadth/scope of the population at risk. and the population to be served by the project. Include primary population (students) and. secondary population (parents, school employees, neighbors,. community, etc.). Discuss resources, financial and otherwise, that. have been identified to correct theproblem, but were not securod, or were insufficient. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED SOLU'I7ON Provide a detailed, narrative description of the proposed solution. Describe options or alternatives that were considered. Discuss how the proposed alternative is the best, most cost effective solution to the problem. ' The number of cars used. gives. an indication of traffic at the school. As well, it provides an indication of air pollution reduction potential with the improvement of walking and biking conditions. OZ/10/00 i Local Assistance Program Guidelines EXHIBIT A Annlication Form SAFETY INDEX CALCULATION As stated in Section N -Project Categories, 25% of the SR2S funding will be targeted specifically for locations that have a poor accident history. Projects that have documented .accident reports can .calculate a Safety .Index using the following formula: Safety Index ~ j(A•B) + (C*D)]/E where A = Number of pedestrian or bicycle fatalities in the pasta years B =Total comprehensive value of a fatality (x2,710,000) C = Number of pedestrian and bicycle injuries in the past 3 years D =Total comprehensive value of an average injury, (x51,656) E =Total Project Cost Projects submitted .for Safety Index funding must attach a listing of pedestrian and bicycle injuries sustained by students of the .school on their trips to and from school during the past three years. Diagrams indicating the approximate location and date of each accident. is desirable. Accident information beyond three years may also be attached, if it .provides more. compelling. evidence of a .problem. However, only the last :three years of accident history may be used in the formula. Remember, even if the project does not "make the cut" for Safety Index funding, it will automatically be moved to the Work Type Improvement fiurding category. Hence, all applicants are, encouraged to continue to complete this application in its entirety. SAFETY INDEX ~ N / A WORK'I~'PE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS All applicants should prepare an application that contains the following project information. This information will ;. assist the Project Review Committee in prioritizing Work Type Improvement projects. Describe how the project might reduce the potential for child injuries and fatalities. Include information on: • Potential safety hazards that are being corrected, removed or replaced as part of the project • Measures taken to reduce motor vehicle speeds, congestion, and traffic violations • Measures taken to reduce the exposure of pedestrians or bicyclists to vehicles + .Measures taken to provide more protection for pedestrians and bicyclists • Measures taken to attniccpedestrians and bicyclists • Measures taken to n:dir~ect motor vehicles to alternate routes • Measures taken to remove barriers along the route that inhibit pedestrian and bicyclist travel Attach a map of the school and nearby .surrounding .area that identifies the route(s) being .proposed for improvement. Ptease identify any existing and potential .safety hazards along the route(s). Safety hazards to look for an:. • Lack of, or unsafe sidewallcs • • Lack of, or unsafe bikeways • Lack of street lighting • Lack ofpedestrian-activated crosswalks and signals . • Non standard sidewallcs, bikeways, crosswalks, traffic signals, traffic signs and traffic stripes, etc. • Excessive speeding byvehicles • Continuous encroachment of vehicles into a walkway or bikeways • Poorseparation of vehicular traffic from pedestrian traffic 10 02/10/00 Local. Assistance Program Guidelines EXHIBIT A A~olication Form • Locations with a history of achral, or perceived, conflicts and/or accidents • Locations thatposea "barrier" to pedestrian/bicycle travel.. • Other Identify the participants that were involved with the development. of the project. Also,, provide a list of organizations that were contacted and support the project. Attach letters of support, if available. Groups, associations or organizations to contact include, but are not limited to: ' School based' associations (such as PTA,.. student associations) Traffic engineers (city, county, state, and federal). Elected officials Law enforcement agencies School officials Other community groups (wallcing and bicycling groups) Other neigbborhood groups Others California Highway Patrol Approval (if required): (Signature) (Signing Officer's. Name and Division) Project participants may also want to provide-comments on a variety of other factors-not identified above. The following. are general considerations that may warrant additional explanation by project participants: • Existing. groups thathave convened in the past to address this or similar problems. • Existing Pedestrian or Bicycle Master Plans that have been prepared: • Discussions on tha opportunities to partner or leverage existing resources with SR2S fiords • Preferences and practices that have emerged from existing transportation plans or community/school surveys • Checklists or surveys from "Walk a Child to School' Day„ events • Petitions submitted by students, parents or community groups Agency: Town of Los Gatos School Name: Danes Avenue Elementary Agency Official: Les White School Official: Mary Ann Park .Name Name Signatuue Signalise Title:. Interim Town MnQr. Title; Superntend'ant Phone Number. 0 4 0 8 ). 3: 5 4- 6 8 3 2 Phone Number. (4 0 8) 3 35 - 2 0 0 3 ' Email: lwhite@town.los- Email: park@lgusd.kl2.ca. us gatos.ca.us 1' 1 02/10/00 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM The intersection of Winchester 'Boulevard and Davies Avenue lies mostly within the Town of Los Gatos limits, with the western leg of the .intersection (Davies Avenue) lying within the City of Monte Sereno. Winchester Boulevard is a major thoroughfare consisting of two northbound lanes, one southbound lane, a shared turn lane, bike lanes in-each direction, and, .intermittently,. a .parking lane on one or both sides of the street. Crosswalks exist across two legs of the intersection. Currently, the intersection is .not controlled by stop signs or traffic signals {see Attachment "A" .for schematic, aerial photos, and ..location map). The posted speed'limit.along Winchester Boulevard to the north of Davies Avenue is 35 mph. The .posted speed limit to the south of Davies Avenue is 25 MPH. " 25 MPH when Children are Present" signs are posted on Winchester Boulevard.north and south of the intersection. Winchester Boulevard has become a popular bypass for Highway 17 commuters during commute'hours due to its generous width, tack of congestion, and long distance'between controlled intersections. This bypass has become increasingly popular in recent years. as traffic on Highway 17 :has worsened and is only expected to get worse. The Town of Los Gatos has both explored and attempted various measures to reduce the number of motorists cutting through town and. to reduce their speeds, but has had little success thus far. One such measure has been to have the police department place a radar speed trailer on Winchester Boulevard and increase enforcement of posted speed .limits. The ,police have found Ghat between the hours of 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., .approximately 1;000 vehicles ...pass through this .intersection and that the average speed. for asix-hour period is :34.3 MPH, with the highest at 67 .MPH on one occasion. Between January 1, 1998 and November 25, 1998, more than 450 citations were issued with more than half of those for speed violations. Nearly 570 children attend. Davies Avenue .Elementary School. in Monte Sereno, approximately one-quarter mile west of the intersection. Approximately 12 children per day who walk to school cross Winchester Boulevard. A crossing guard posted at the intersection has provided some measure of safety for students and other pedestrians. Although the crossing guard has helped, the situation there is still perceived by many to be too unsafe for children walking and riding to the school. It is reported that motorists often ignore the crossing guard's stop sign :and speed through the crosswalk. Due to the conditions at this intersection, most parents will only drive their children to school. As a result, this has exacerbated traffic, circulation, and safety problems in the immediate vicinity of the school. Should the pedestrian safety concerns at the intersection of Davies Avenue and Winchester Boulevard be addressed, the .problems on the streets surrounding the school would become less severe. The Town of Los Gatos and the City of Monte Sereno have received many phone calls and letters from concerned parents of children who attend Davies Avenue Elementary School, from members of the community, .and from officials of the Los Gatos Union School District (see .Attachment "B") urging them to take the necessary actions to improve the safety of the .intersection. On October 25, 2000, the Los Gatos Weekly Times published an article regarding this issue (see Attachment "C"), which will '.inevitably result in increased pressure from he public to make the intersection and surrounding areas safer, such that a greater number of children can walk and/or bicycle to school. To summarize the problem, Winchester Boulevard, with its high traffic volumes, >1 <us high. speed of vehicles, (see Attachment "D"), l~us generous width, l~us the crosswalk used by young children who walk to school, l~us, the absence of any traffic calming measures, equals a condition that is perceived by many to be too great a hazard for school-age pedestrians and bicylists. Due to this condition, most parents choose to drive their children to school, which then results in significant traffic problems in the immediate area of Davies Avenue Elementary School. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED SOLUTION In response to the growing community involvement, the Town of Los Gatos, City of Monte Sereno, and' Los Gatos Union School District have agreed to form a partnership to address the problem. The three. agencies, with the Town of Los Gatos serving as the head agency, are requesting. funds to improve the existing situation. Once funds are secured,. an engineering study will be conducted to determine the most appropriate solutions. Several solutions may exist which will. alleviate. the problem. The identified potential solutions to be explored. are: ^ Traffic calming .and speed reduction, which may include: neck downs, sidewalk bulbouts, raised crosswalks, raised intersections, narrowing lanes,. medians, etc. • Traffic. control devices, which may include: new traffic signal with pedestrian-activation and possible pedestrian-only phases,. traffic signs, traffic stripes, bicycle-sensitive signal actuation devices ^ Sidewalk improvements,, which may include: widened sidewalks, sidewalk gap closures, curb cuts, etc. Once the appropriate solutions are identified, the Town of Los Gatos and the. City of Monte Sereno will coordinate efforts to build' them. Afterwards,. afollow-up study will be performed to assess their effectiveness in creating a safer situation at the intersection of Daves Avenue and Winchester Boulevard, and to determine changes in the travel habits of students who live east. of Winchester Boulevard. Thee percentage of students who currently are. driven to schooP by parents is expected to significantly decrease once the intersection is made more pedestrian and bicycle friendly. The construction cost projections have been calculated based on the more expensive ~t£ the potential solutions, which is the installation. of a traffic signal. If the preliminary engineering study indicates a more appropriate and less expensive solution, then that alternative would be pursued. ATTACHMENT A Schematic, Aerial Photos, and Location Map of Winchester Boulevard and Davies Avenue Intersection Davey Avenue: Farley Road West [T:ILg-1'7.sidJ Scale 1:1.918 ~: MrSID Viewer jT:ILg-U.sidJ Scale 1:5.862 Mt~SdD Viewer ATTACHMENT B List of Involved Groups, Associations,. and Organizations with Letters from Community and! Local Officials LIST OF INVOLVED GROUPS, .ASSOCIATIONS, .AND ORGANIZATIONS The following ,groups, associations, and organizations have had .involvement in the safety problem at Winchester Boulevard andDaves Avenue: ^ PTA. ^ Traffic engineering consultant studying traffic-related issues at Davies Avenue Elementary School ^ .Elected officials • Monte Sereno: Mayor and City Council Members ^ Los Gatos: Mayor and Town Council .Members ^ Law enforcement agency: Los Gatos/Monte Sereno Police Department ^ School officials ^ Mary Ann Park, Superintendent: Los Gatos Union School District ^ Stephen Parsons, President: Los Gatos Union School District .Board of Trustees ^ Susan von Felten, Davies Avenue Elementary School Principal ^ Members, Board of Trustees ^ Davies Avenue Elementary School parents ^ :Local newspaper: Los Gatos Weekly Times Selected letters from those involved are included on the following pages. (~ (~ l :.~- LOS GATOS UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT MARY ANN PARK, SUPERINTENDENT 15766 POPPY LANE n LOS QATOS n CALIFORNIA ~ 95030-3228 n TEL: (408).335'-2000 n FAX: (408). 395-6481 October 1, 2000 1~ECEIVEl~ oct ~ s zooo Mr. Brian Loventhall, City Manager City of Monte Sereno 18041 Saratoga-Los. Gatos Rd. Monte Sereno, CA 95030 CITY OF MONTE SERENO Su ject: Safety of Daves Avenue School Children Crossing Winchester Blvd. and Fazley Rd. Dear Mr. Loventhall: As Superintendent of the Los. Gatos Union School' District, I am responsible for the safety of neazly 2800 children attending schools. in our District.. In particular, I .and the Board of Trustees aze greatly concerned about the traffic conditions and safety issues surrounding the intersections of Fazley Rd., Winchester Blvd, and Daves Ave. Nearly 570 children attend Daves Avenue School. at 17770: Daves Ave., many of whom walk. across those intersections daily on their way to and from school,. Our safety concerns are further heightened by the Planned Development PD 99-1 on Farley Road and the impactthat development will have on traffic and safety problems that already exist. at those intersections. The intersection of Daves Ave. and Winchester Blvd.. has experienced increased traffic volume over the last few years. Studies. conducted along. Winchester at the pedestrian. crossing at Daves Ave. show that close to 1,000. vehicles per hour cross that intersection. Along with the increased traffic at that intersection has come increased speed by motorists traveling on Winchester Blvd. Traffic speed radar monitors placed along. Winchester Blvd. in September clocked speeds of over 40 MPH in an azea_with a posted'." 25 MPH when Children are Present." The planned construction of an office building ~'D 99-1) on Fazley Road West will only further increase traffic at these. intersections, adding to the unsafe conditions that already exist. Crossing. Winchester has become very dangerous for pedestrians and even for motorists, with cars attempting to turn left or right from. Daves Ave.. onto Winchester in heavy,. fast. traffic. With drivers' attention focused on making. a turn onto Winchester Blvd. from either Daves Ave. or Farley Road West, it would be very easy to miss seeing a small elementary student attempting to cross Winchester or Fazley Rd West. BOARD OF TRUSTEES: n STEVE GUCKMAN n STEPHEN PARSONS ANDFaEW FANBIJ ~ THOMAS P. O'DONNELL ~ DOROTPiV ROUSE City of Monte Sereno Page 2 The crossing guard posted at the corner of Daves Ave. and Winchester Blvd. has provided some measure of safety for students crossing Winchester. However, with. the increased traffic .and the speed at which motorists travel on Winchester, a crossing guard may no longer be able to provide the level of safety needed. We respectfully request that a safet~study be conducted by the Town at Farley, Winchester and Davies .Ave., and that :installation of a three wav traffic control device_ like the one at Los Gatos Blvd., Roberts Rd. and Shannon:Rd. near Fisher Middle School, be considered before Planned Development PD-99-1 is completed. Louise Van Meter. and .Blossom Hill elementary schools and Fisher Middle School all -have intersections with traffic controls on busy streets to protect students as they come .and go from school. It is now time .for the same protection of Daves Avenue School. students. Thankyou for your careful .consideration of this important safety issue. We look forward to hearing fxom you soon. Sincerely, ~~ Mary ...Park, Superintendent Los Gatos Union School District a~ Stephen Parsons, President Los Gatos Union School .District Board of Trustees MAP:dd c: Susan von Felten, Davies Ave. School Principal Members, Board of Trustees Doug McNeil, Davies .Ave. School Parent ~~ September 30 2000 Ms. Trish Duarte Senior Enginee .ring. Technician Parks and Public. Works Department. Town of Los Gatos 110 Eo Main. Street Los Gatos, CA 95032 Subject: Planned Development PD-99-1 As a parent of a child attending Daves Avenue Elementary School and a resident. along Winchester Boulevard near Daves Avenue, I would. like to share with you my concerns regarding.. this proposed development. I was contacted by other homeowners and parents in the. area regarding the impact this development would have on Winchester Boulevard traffic and, snore specifically, on the intersection of Daves. Avenue and the Winchester Boulevard crosswalk. I was regretfully unable to attend the Planning Commission hearing on August 9 due to business travel. I would, however,. like the Planning Commission to consider the unsafe. conditions that. exist. at this location prior to moving: forward with this project. Your attention and. response to these concerns will have an impact on the safety our school children utilizing the crosswalks at the corner of Winchester Blvd.. and Farley Road West.. A letter was. presented to the Planning. Commission from local homeowners with a similar request (see. item 1, Exhibit I~ on August 7. For the past two years my wife,. daughter and baby son have accessed the crosswalk at Winchester Boulevard! adjacent to Farley Road' West, to walk my daughter to school. My wife,. in addition to other concerned parents, has commented on the increased traffic volume and unsafe traffic conditions that exist at this intersection. Having dropped off my daughter on a few occasions, I can personally tell you that navigating traffic through this uncontrolled intersection during peak commute .hours can be very challenging. On the mornings of September 18 and 20, I parked my .car on Winchester Blvd. and monitored both North and :Southbound traffic to gain first-hand knowledge of the volume, speed and general traffic conditions that exist in this location... I was specifically interested in observing this intersection. at the time students would be walking to school and using the crosswalk during. commute traffic (from 7:45 to $:45 am -school starts at 8:20). I was surprised to find that the volume of traffic crossing the .pedestrian access :along Winchester Boulevard was close to 1.;000 vehicles per hour (approximately 583 vehicles northbound and 403 southbound). Traffic , speed. radar monitors were ;placed along Winchester Boulevard, both North and South bound adjacent to Dave's Avenue (between Davies Avenue and Bruce Avenue) during the week of September 18. I was shocked at the number of drivers with peeds clocked at over 40 MPH. The average speed. during the time I was observing traffic was 38 MPH;' in a zone with a posted speed of 25 MPH when children "were" present: .(This data was consistent to the last traffic "Speed Spot" data traffic study conducted by Los Gatos in 1996). These monitors were in plain view of the drivers; however, most made no attempt to slow down upon noticing these units. I .found the driver's observation of posted speed limits analogous to the situation facing the children and parents trying to cross Winchester Boulevard, where commuters were reluctant. to provide the "Right-of - Way", to slow down, and to ..stop at the crosswalk. The, crossing guard at this. location informed me, "The crosswalk is blown through at least twice a week by drivers who are unwilling to wait for the pedestrians to cross". I personally watched one small girl my daughter' age attempt to cross Winchester Boulevard. She had to .run .for the curb when a driver braked and skidded to a stop at the last .minute. After watching this, I asked other parents crossing their children that morning whether they had experienced this before. They responded, "It's like this :everyday of the week". One mother told me that. they had formed a chain of adults across Winchester Boulevard one morning to stop traffic in order to provideright-of--way to children. walking on a field trip. During an average school year over 5,000 cars a week, or approximately 200,000 cars a year, will pass though this intersection during this morning hour,: driving at an average speed of 38 MPH with little regard to pedestrian traffic.. I would expect the traffic to increase as a function of the growth in Santa Clara valley. An article in the Mercury News on September 29 says it a11, "Safety study says protection. for pedestrians in Bay Area is scanty,. cars take priority". The main point of this article highlighted the structural problems that plague sprawling,. fast growing. cities which promotes development, but tragically deals with the secondary effects of pedestrian deaths as a result of poorly planned developments. Van. Meter Elementary, Blossom Hill Elementary and Fischer Middle School all have controlled intersections strategically located near the entrance to each school on :busy streets with successful results --- why not Dave's venue? In response to this issue,. Monte Sereno Mayor Suzanne Jackson has requested your participation in the "Safe Routes to School" Grant .along Winchester Boulevard. In addition, tie Superintendent of Schools, Mary Agin. Park, is also aware of this concern and recently received approval from the School Board to request your attention on this matter. I believe yet another new traffic. hazard will be introduced into this intersection as a function of new development on Farley Road West. This development will result in additional vehicles turning into and out of Farley Road West,. bisecting. the crosswalk on Winchester Boulevard. This will also introduce: a new problem. with inadequate turn access for vehicles traveling North and turning. on Dave's Avenue and traffic traveling South turning left in the same location on Farley Road West. This too small lane is already dangerous, as each direction vies for its use. If it backs up with multiple cars turning onto Farley Road West to get to the. new development, these cars. will be stopped across the crosswalk in question. Also, parents trying. to get to school. wil'1 not have access to this lane in order to turn onto Davies .Avenue. This additional traffic will place children and parents crossing Winchester directly in .front of drivers turning .left and right to gain access to the Proposed Development without. the aid of any controls or additional safety enhancements. I was disappointed to find that the traffic study performed in May (TJKM Project No.021-032) made no reference to the intersection in question. Today, we have a crosswalk, traffic signs and speed limits that fail to provide or address cafe pedestrian access across Winchester Boulevard .for the children of our .community. I appreciate the issues and budget considerations facing the Planning Commission at this time and respectfully request you ..accommodate the request to further study traffic conditions as a result. of this development. I appreciate the "due diligence" the city must follow to justify the cost of doing this study, however I believe this is the first tep toward .correcting a erious problem. Let's jointly address this issue before it's too late to ave the life of an innocent child. With the current traffic volume we have a dangerous situation. With the additional traffic created by new developments, this situation becomes critical and potentially fatal. Until this issue is addressed, we do not support Planned Development PD-99-1. I will be present on October 25 to hear your .recommendation to the parents of Davies Avenue Elementary School. Regards, Douglas :and Sheryl McNeil 17413 Pleasant-View Avenue Monte Sereno, California 9.5030 CC. Susanne Jackson, Mayor Monte Sereno Steven Blanton, Mayor Los Gatos Macy Ann Park, .:Superintendent of Schools TOWN OF LOS GATOS PARKS AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT Cmc C~a PHONE (408) 399-5770 110 ]s. IvGw StxFSr FAX (408) 399-5763 P.O. Box 949 Los Gn~rns, CA 95031 October 13, 2000 Douglas and Sheryl McNeil 17413 Pleasant Vlew Avenue Monte Sereno, CA 95030 REs 17435 and 17443 Fariev Road (PD-99-11 Winchester Boulevard Traffic Safety Issues. Dear Mr. and Mrs.. McNeil:. Thank you for taking the tune o write such a detailed letter (copy enclosed) expressing your concerns about traffic safety issues for pedestrians,. especially children, on Winchester Boulevard at the intersection with. Daves Avenue. As you are aware, this is a complex issue,. some of which need to be addressed: as part of the proposed project and some of which need' to be addressed by the Clty of Monte Sereno, the Lose Gatos Union School. District and the Town of Los Gatos, working cooperatively. Fortunately, there may be am opportunity to develop a cooperative approach through the Safe: Routes to Schools Program administered by the CaliforttiaDepartment ofTransportation{CalTrans), and the Los Gatos Town Council wiU' be specifically discussing this at their meeting oa November 6: Your letter has been forwarded to the Town's. traffic engineering firm, TJKM Transportation Consultants, to comment on .those issues related to the project,. as you stated oa pages three and four of your letter. We are unsure if TJKM will' be able to respond to those issues bythe Community Development Department's deadline. to be included. in reports. for the October 25, 2000 Planning Commission meeting. However, your letter will be included as an exhibit to the report for that project. Themore pressing issue, as you stated inyour letter, is speeding and'not stopping for the crossing guard at Daves Avenue and Winchester Boulevard. This situationmust beaddressed separately from thaproject. Sincethesituationexlsts now, the proposed projectis not the cause of the problem and therefore, by current statutes, cannotbe required to correct the problem. The project developers can only ba required to contribute. to the cost of any proposed .improvements., based on their share of traffic through the intersection. Thar requirement can bemade a condition of approval of the: project.. However, if the project does not go forward, there would be no contribution to any corrective. measures thatwould be installed at the intersection. This is another reason to address the project and theschool crossing issue separately. As you plainly saw, all the signs in the world do not make people obey the speed limit. This. problem can be handled in several differentways..-~Oae of the first things that can be done is to increaseenforcementnctivities in the area. WIth some types. of traffic violations, enforcement can. be very effective. This. may not be the case with the section of Winchester Boulevard'liom Blossom Hill Road to LarkAvenue.. Its generous width, lack ofcongestionand long distance between signalssubconsciously encourages motorists to speed. Ifthe traffic signs in thearea are adequate, other forms. of traffic comrol tray be required.. . The two most common Types of traffic control are "Stop" signs and traffic signals. There are benefits and drawbacks to both. However, before the Town can install either athree-way stop at Daves Avenue and Winchester Boulevard or a tt~affiic signal, a study must be conducted. The California Department of Transportation (CalTraas) has several criteria, lmown as "warrants" tharmust bemet before either should beinstalled Of course, the Town Council has the authority ovaxw:~ea~mts~RSU~crrEn.wao ~ ~; Page 2 Douglas and Sheryl McNeil Re: 17435 and 17443 Farlev Road October 13, 2000 to authorize the installation of either measure, even if they are not "warranted." Fortunately, there are separate warrants that are used to evaluate.school zones, making it easier to install stop signs and traffic signals in .those areas. If you .have additional questions concerning this project, .please telephone me at (408) 354-6860 or a-mail me at tduarte(~i town.los-gatos.ca.us. ~Sin-cer~ely, ~\Ji2 TR1SH DUARTE Senior Engineering Technician .LIP:TD cc; Mayor Suzanne Jackson, City of Monte Sereno, l 804.1 Saratoga=Los Gatos'Road, Monte Sereno, 95030 Superintendent Mary Ann Park, Los Gatos Union School District, 15766 Poppy Lane, Los Gatos, 95030-3228 Susan von Felton, Principal, Davos Avenue School, 17770 Davos Avenue, Los Gatos 95030 `Gary Kruger, P.E., TJKM TransportationConsultants, 4234 Hacienda Drive, Suite 101, Pleasanton, CA 94588- `272.1 'Mayor Steve Blanton Les White, Interim Town Manager Sandy Bally, Associate Planner, Community Development'Department Sgt. David Gravel, Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department `" DVSZ:W:18dE1TRISHILElTERS1MCNEU..WPD Subj: Safe Routes to School Grant ~ 17435 Farley Road West. Date: 10/2/00 1:30:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time. From: dmcneii@cisco:com (Doug McNeil) To: msplan@aol.com CC: Pduarte@town.fos-gatos.ca.us File: Letter to City of Los Gatos-Duarte:doc (271.36 bytes) DL Time. (33600 bps): < 1 minute Brian Lownthal, City Manager Monte Sereno, Hello,. I talked with-you two weeks ago regarding the traffic concerns with Doves Are. and Winchester Bird. I've included a copy of my letter (addressed to Trish Duarte, Senior Engineering Technician, Los Gatos Parks & Public Works Department) for your records regarding the proposed Los Gatos Development (17435 Farley Road.. West, PD-99-1) which wilt further impact the traffic situation at this location. Since our discussion on September 113, I asked Mary Ann Park,. Superintendent of Schools to support me In also providing a letter to the City of Los Gatos for which she has received approval from. the school Boarcl. I'm also working; with the schooD to distribute and collect Petitions from the parents at .Dave's Elementary for presentation on October 25th: I also spoke with Councilmember Jack Lucas on this subject. This morning, a group of Doves Avenue Elementary School parents/ concerned citizens staged' a protest at the intersection to raise community awareness, slow down. traffic and help children safely cross Winchester Bird. The Los Gatos/Monte Sereno police departments also participated in providing citations to many of the drivers not complying with the speed limit. I videotaped a few minutes of this mornings events for public recorci. I did CC a copy of the letter to Suzanne Jackson Mailed today (10/2). In the interest of time, I' was wondering if you could forward. a copy to her in support of her letter and upcoming: presentation to the Los Gatos City Council. Any other ideas or recommendations you may have to help improve conditions at this intersection would be appreciated. Thanks,. Doug McNeil Dares Elementary School Parent & Monte Sereno Resident 17413 Pleasant View Avenue __ Monte Sereno,. Calif. 408-399-6900 CC. Mary Ann Park; Superintendent of Los Gatos Schools Trish. Duarte, Senior Engineering Technician, Lose Gatos Parks & Public Works Department Headers Return-Path: <dmcneil@cisco:com> Received; from r1y-zd05.mx.aof.com (rly-zd05.mail.aol.com [172.31'.33.229)) by air-zd03:mail.aol.com (v76 r1.8) with ESMTP; Mon; 02 Oct 2000 16:30:00 -0400 Wednesday, October 04, 2D00 Ame~Ica OnUne: MSPtan Page: 1 r 'Mayor: Suzanne E. Jackson Vice-..Mayor: Barbara Nesbet Councilmember. Jcel Gambord Counciimember, Gordon Knight Councilmember: Jack Lucas July 25, 2000 Los Gatos Town Council 110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95032-6904 City of Monte Sereno RE: Winchester traffic engineering study Dear Mayor Blanton & .Honorable Counciirnembers; City'Managee Brian Loventhal City Clerk: Andrea Chefemengos Finance Officer. Sue L'Heurcux Building Official: Howanl'T. Bell The Monte .Sereno City Councii respectfully requests that the Town of Los Gatos jointly evaluate and improve vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian trafficalongWinchester Boulevard. Specifically, the 'Monte Sereno City Council proposes to jointly obtain an engineering .study to evaluate the traffic flow andsafety along Winchester Boulevard between Lark Avenue and Blossom Hill Road. The Monte .Sereno City Councii :also proposes that both councils ,pursue grant funding from the. Safe Routes to :School program to evaluate/improve the Davies Avenue and Winchester Boulevard intersection. The heavy use of this intersection by children walking to/from Davies Avenue School combined with the traffic volume and speed on Winchester Boulevard creates a concern for the safety of pedestrians of'both communities. To address this concem,'Monte Sereno City Councii proposes that our respective communities conduct a joint traffic engineering study for this intersection and consider the installation of #raffic control devices. A copy of the Safe .Routes to School grant application is enclosed with this letter. The Monte .Sereno City Council respectfully requests the .Los Gatos Town Councii to take the following actions: 1. Approve a joint engineering study to evaluate vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian traffic along Wnchester'Boulevardhetween .Lark Avenue and Blossom Hill Road.;: 2. Approve a joint grant application for the Safe Routes to School program to improve pedestrian safety at the Davies Avenue and Winchester Boulevard intersection. Thank you for your consideration. 5uzaa4fie Jackson, Mayor CC; Interim Town Manager I$0~1 'SAR.4TOGA-Los GnTOS Ro.~o ;~10XTE SERE\O, C;~ILIFOR~IA 95030--f299 TELEPHOXF.: -~0$,35~1,~635 HTTP://11'1~'N',!~f01TESERF.\O.ORG F.~csi~~i~c: ~t08.:~95.7653 o c~ ~.E:~~. ~~ Lof (idtoJ' ;;;;~t~ POL/CfDEP,~~l/IfNl/IEMOr~,9NDU/I ,~, Mo~te1eie~o TO: BRIAN LOYENTHAL DATE: MAY3,1999 MONTE SERENO CITY1lIANAGER FROM: LARRYJ. TODD CHIEF OF POLICE SUBJECT: WINCHESTER TRAFFICSURYEY Over the past several' months, many concerns have been. expressed about traffic on Winchester Boulevard. These concerns have. ranged from the numbers of cars passing on the street, to the speeds of those vehicles,. and. to motorists failing to yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk at Winchester Boulevard and Davies Avenue. T'he Police Department has responded to each ofthese concerns through the efforts ofboth patrol officers and the motorcycle traffic officer, providing traffic enforcement where appropriate. The Police Department also undertook a survey of the area, placing. its radar hailer on Winchester Boulevard near Davies Avenue,. the site with the. most complaints.. The primary purpose of this effort was to gauge the number of cars passing through thatarea,,with a secondary purpose of gathering speed data. The hailer was deployed on several different .dates both in the northbound and southbound. directions: Tuesday, January 12, 1999 (southbound); Tuesday-Thursday,. March 16-18, 1999 (northbound); Wednesday, April. 7,1999 (southbound). The summary sheets of each of those dates. is attached. During the deployment on January 12, 1999, there were 6,6U2 vehicles that. traveled southbound' through. the area. The single highest hour for traffic was from 5 p.m.- 6 p.m., with 767 vehicles. Peak traffic activity occurred between the hours of 5 p.m. and' 7 p:m., with 1,481 vehicles. The second greatest period of activity occurred between.3 p.m. and 5 p.m., with 1,293 vehicles; between the hours of 1 pm. and 3 p.m., there were 1,0'14 vehicles: Clearlythose six hours, witha total of 3,788 cars, or 57% of the total number of vehicles,.. accounts for the largest portion. of traffic on that roadway.. The average. speed. in that.. area was recorded as 34 MPH, with. the highest at 58 MPH. During the deployment of March 1.6-18, 1999, there were 6,809 vehicles. that traveled northbound through the area. As on January 12, the single highest hour for traffic was from 5 p:m.- 6 p.m., with 604 vehicles. However, the peak activity occurred between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., with 1,171 vehicles. Traffic between the hours of 1 p.m. and' 7 p.m. accounted for~47% of all vehicles, or 3,267 cars. The average speed was 34.3 MPH, with the highest recorded speed at 67 MPH. Finally, on Apri17,1999, the were 4;321 vehicles recorded in the area. The number of cars is probably artificially low, as the. radar hailer was not deployed after 6:30 p.m. Between the hours of 4 p.m. and. 6 p.m., there were 1,066 vehicles that passed through the area; between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., there were 980 cars. The total number of cars between 1 p:m. and 6:30 p.m. was 2,593. The average speed was .. , ., Wl ycrl~Srf~- ~ ~pc T Imo: ~ F" F` I ~' ~ ftJ t"~'t t~'o ~'t ~: 'Y ~ ~ START: Tl~ 04/01/98 18:24 EtOI: i~d 04/08/98 01:33 FfR Total care 0 0 1 0 2 0 3 0 . 4 0 5 0 6 0 1 142 ~8 295 9 326 f0 319 11 315 12 331 13 393 14 418 , 15 562 16 613 11 453 18 154 19 0 20 0 21 0 ZZ 0 23 4 Total .cars= 4321 Min speed= 12 MPM Max speed= 51 MRM pvg speed= 33.4 MPH 50th percentile 34 MPH 85th .percentile 39 MPH Ten site pace= 30 to 40 h~H Q1U r~' REPORT %.i ~e wv ~~;,; ,..,. .. , . .. w~: w, n~;, n1„ A:r.; rr~ tw aw iw * * * T~AFF I C SIJMMAf~Y 5TART:TI~ 03/1Li'~Y' ~~!:34 ENO:TtIiJ O;t/1S/99 13;39 Fri' TotaG cars Nf3 WI~Yc~+EfT~ ~ .~A~ 3sM ,~, 0 19 1 16 2 8 3 3 4 6 5 35 6 113 7 218. 8 66 4 561 10 443 11 44R 12 496 13 533 14 499 15 573 16 567 U 604 1B 491 19 341 20 298 21 243 Z2 112 23 18 Total cars= 6809 Min ~ps~d= 10 MPH. Max speed= 6T MPH Avg speed= 34.3 MPH 50th percentile= 35 MPH 85th percenti~ ~ MPH ten aide pace= 31 to 41 MPH EH0 ~ REPORT *** TFtAFFLC SUMMARY *** START:TLIE 01/12/99 08:55 ENIf:Tt~ 01/1~/99 22:12 N2 Total cars 0 0 1 0 2 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 b 0 7 0 8 12 9 433 10 391 1 i 489 12 508 13 456 .14 558 15 653 16 640 17 7b7 18 714 19 443 ZO 295 21 194 43 ?3 0 Total cars= bb02 Min speed= l0 MPH Max speed= SB MPN Avg speed= 34 MPH 50th percentile= 35 MPH 85th percentile= 39 MPH Ten flile pace= 31 to 41 MPH El1D Or (SORT ~~.'~ !~}pwa~'b C. Ana-wAlt 17'f10 Vi+~¢l~W Avth+We MonTe Sere»o. CA ~so~ •' ~ (~1;~s-o~;9 1 November 17, lyy8 6 • b• I1 . d / Mayor and Members of the City Council '' :~ ~ ' , . ~• ~1~~ Monte Sereno, Ca Ile: Speed and Regard for Pedestrians on Winchester °~` ~~ `~.~ ~~<<- . Ladies and Gentlemen: More and more i have noticed people taking to the streets for walks and runs in our neighborhood. However, once they reach Winchester they often must brave not the elements, but the speed and aggression of motorists. I ask that Monte Sereno and Los Gatos increase the. enforcement. of traffic safety and speed limits on Winchester. l.et me provide one. example in dosing this note to you. This afternoon shortly after four [took a-short run. When 1 attempted to cross Winchester going toward Vasona at daVQS Avenue, car after car bore down on the crosswalk never slowing down, let alone yielding the pedestrian right of way. When l returned, to crass Winchester the other direction 1 waited. at the edge of the crosswalk Finally a car in the center lane slowed to het me enter the street. No sooner had that driver done so, than another sped past. him and bore right down on .note as t walked into the street. !estimate that this driver must have been traveling more than fifty miles an hour as he drove ahead toward me. use take the necessary steps to do something about this. .. ~ ~~ .~ • -. ~ .. ~~.~ ,. ,, ~;~ ,~ ~nawalt ~~s Gatos ~ POL/CEDfP -=- ARTMENT Monte .Sereno November 25, 1998 Howazd C. Anawalt 1751 U Vineland Avenue Monte Sereno, CA 9503D Deaz Mr. Anawalt: Your etter of November T7, 1998 to the Monte Sereno City Council has been forwazded tome for information. You expressed concern about motorists speeding. on Winchester Boulevard and failing to .yield the right ofway to pedestrians. I would like to, respond to ,your concerns.. Your perceptions about speeding vehicles on Winchester Boulevard aze correct. Los Gatos/Monte Sereno Police officers spend a considerable :amount of time providing traffic enforcement in that area. Since January 1, l 998, officers have writtenmore than 450 citations on Winchester Boulevard. More than half of those have been for speed violations. Winchester Boulevazd is a major thoroughfare, and it cannot be .monitored around the clock. Like any other road, there will be motorists who speed when the police aze not present. The problem of drivers failing to yield to pedestrians is universal throughout all communities. This problem results from a combination of a low level of education of drivers and a .high level of expectations ofpedestrians. Many drivers aze simply unawaze or inattentive to theirresponsibilities to yield to pedestrians who aze crossing a street. Conversely, manypedestrians have an expectation that drivers must stop whenever a pedestrian stands at a crosswalk or intersection. The vehicle code requires drivers to yield the right of way to pedestrians crossing a street, but does not require them to stop because a person is standing at a corner waiting to cross. And, pedestrians may not suddenly walk out into the street in front of vehicles that are so close as to constitute a hazazd. The circumstances you .described in your letter emphasize the responsibilities ofboth parties. If in the first instance in which you crossed the street and the cars did not stop while you waited to cross, there was probably no violation. However, on your second trip across the street, the driver who passed the stopped car clearly was in violation. As evidenced by the high number of citations that have been issued on Winchester Boulevazd this year, patrol officers aze making a concerted effort to enforce traffic laws in that azea. Nevertheless, I have provided them with your input, and have directed them to increase their efforts. Should you Phone (408) 354-5257 • Fax .(408) .354-0578 • Civic Center • 110 East Main Street • P.O. Box 973 • Los Gatos, CA 95031 C~ C~ Howard C. Anawalt November 25,.1998 Page 2 have any questions about traffic enforcement,.pleasefeef free to contact Sergeant Michael Yorks at 354-6851. Sergeant Yorks is in charge of special. traffic enforcement requests. Thank you for taking the time to write. Sincerely, L J. odd. Chief of Police: cc: Brian Leventhal, Monte Serene Interim City Manager David W. Knapp,. Los Gatos Town Manager Sergeant Michael. Yorks ~~~`~~~ ,~'"~~~`''r o', . ~ Jy~'' ' ',per-~.~; =a` ~r 11/T8/9$ Dear Chief Todd, C+ CY OF IV~ONTE SERE ~J 1lO~1 SARATOGA•l0s GATOS ROAD MONTE SERENO, CALIFORNIA 95030 TELEPHONE: IOd•ad4.7d~8 FAX: 40d•!id•7dd3 At our council meeting last night, a number of residents voiced their concerns about the safety and the speed along Winchester Blvd. The discussion was initiated by the concern about the proposed Villa Felice project. After hearingtestimony, all that attended were informed oftlre Los Gatos hearing on this project on 1219 in your council chambers. This is going to be a hot potato! l would like to meet with you to share with you some ofthe other concerns that) became aware of while precinct walking. Winchester :Blvd. 1) Speed - peapte are going at least 4S to SO mph with NO regard to pedestrians in the crosswalks a) Physical island along Winchester with turn outs -Winchester is the only large thorough- fare in Los GatoslMonte Sereno without an island b) Alight either at Villa Felice or Vineland to low the traffic{this would also help people "find" the Villa Felice'entrance and help with the egress of Creekside) ' c) A flashing light at Raves Aver bat crosswalk is a pedestrian./car "chicken" area. I'm surprised nothing horrific hasn't happened there yet! d) Yes,1 know this is expensive for bath cities, -but the situation is getting worse and will intensify! Natelye / La Rinconada l) The have been a number of incidents in the late aftemooa at this intersection: people barreling down after one ortwo martini's, missing the turn and ending up on someone's lawn (thank God for the tree, otherwise Mrs. Downs would have had a few people over for dinner!) ?) Request a study; place 3-way stop atthis comer. Daves/Poppy Lane - 'I) This will nd go away. '.Meet with the school, PTA, our engineer, me ,Mike Yorks - to look at eny possible solutions a) Limited,parking on Poppy lane- specific times . b) No Parking c) One way street d) Sidewalk on one side of the street e) Help! Z) Raves traffic & drop off problems a) Winchester crosswalk, and walk ways on either side of Winchester The commuters have now abandoned the #17/#85 interchangeand are using our local streets again, especially Winchester and Rte. #9. Any thoughts? 1 would like to set up a meeting with you and whoever .you think needs to be involved to try to mitigate these problems to bath of our communities. Regards, • • LOJ' (~df01 ~~" ~~~ MO~telere~0 POL~CEDEP,~i~1/IENT/IE/IOrPANDUrI TO: BRL4NLOVENTHAL DATE: OCTOBER 6,1998 MONTE SERENO INTERIM CIT'YMANAGER FROM: I.ARRYJ. TODD CHIEF OF POLICE SUBJECT: TRAFFIC CONCERNS: DA VES A VENUE SCHOOL Attached is a copy of a letter sent to me by Mayor Jackson, expressing concern. about traffic and student safety for children attending Davies Avenue School. This memorandum is in response to the issues and suggestions raised by Mayor Jackson,. and to provide information about actions that have. been taken. In January, l 998, Mayor Jackson and Sergeant Michael Yorks attended a meeting of the Davies Avenue Home and School. Club. Attendees requested the parking restrictions described in the Mayor's letter. Eazlier this yeaz, in either March or April, the City Council, after considering input from residents in the azea, declined. to place the restrictions. The. school reconfigured its parking. lot and drop~ff/pick-up procedures to ensure a smoother flow of traffic. Working in conjunction. with the school,. Officer John Campos, the School Resource Officer, ensured that a letter explaining. the traffic problems. and drop-off/pick-up procedures was included in the. packet that is sent to each parent at the beginning of school.. One suggestion raised was. to increase the number of crossing. guazds in the azea. Mayor Jackson reports that Los Gatos Union School District policy is to limit to two the number of crossing guards for each. school. Dawes Avenue School already meets. this criteria (there is a crossing. guazd at Winchester/Daves and another at Daves/Poppy). Since the provision of crossing guazds is the responsibility of the School. District, it is suggested that pazents might be better served. to request the District o change. its policy. An additional paid crossing guazd or school security monitor could' benefit the resolution of problems at and azound the school. She has suggested using either the Department's Volunteers In Policing (VIP) or pazents to provide this function: Thee Police Department cannot commit to using VIPs in thin capacity. Because they are volunteers, VIPs schedule their work assignments in consideration of their personal schedules. While most aze very faithful in reporting for duty at their assigned times,, they are free to schedule themselves off whenever they have personal business to attend. to, when. they aze ill,. or when they simply want. to take a vacation or other time off. Should a VIP call in sick and. thus be unable to perform crossing guard duties, the Police Department would find itself in the position of having to assign a paid employee -most likely a police officer - to fulfill its commitment to perform that duty.. This would mean that a paid employee would be performing a duty normally performed by an unpaid volunteer, resulting. in an added, yet unfunded, expense to the Department.. This would cleazly be opposite the goal of reducing expenses by having. an unpaid. volunteer perform duties a paid'. employee would otherwise handle! As to having pazents perform crossing ,guazd duties, the issue of training comes to the forefront. While crossing guard duties are not difficult, they do require a certain amount of safety instruction to ensure that a child, or the crossing guazd himself, is not exposed to danger. I would strongly recommend against having parents ign up for "occasional crossing guard .duties." There would be no method to ensure that they have .had, and retained, the proper training. There would also be the question of coordination of this service, .and, as in the case of the VIPs, who would replace a pazent who called in sick. Finally, the consideration of insurance for pazents who might be injured while performing his service must be considered; it would probably be the province of the School District to pmvide some type of coverage. This, of course, would be a.cost item for the District. Mayor Jackson's third suggestion was an increase in "law enforcement presence in the morning and/or afternoon to monitor the traffic." The Police Department has requested additional traffic enforcement, by the motorcycle officer and patrol officers, .for the .areas of Daves/Poppy and Bruce/Poppy. The major problem is the volume of traffic, not the peed of the .cars. For this reason, it would be~ impractical to deploy the radar trailer. Officers will, however, be looking for stop sign and crosswalk violations, as well as other traffic violations relating to ..school safety. Sometimes it cakes a while for pazents to get used to new traffic patterns. It has been our experience that traffic4problems usually settle :down after a few weeks. It~ is at that time that a re-evaluation of traffic may identify long-term problems that must be dealt with. I have directed .Sergeant Michael Yorks to evaluate our efforts and recommend any changes that :could help. I will. report on any recommendations that aze implemented. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or Captain Jeff Miller. L odd Chief of Police i~ ~ ~~`x ~HJ %~, ' -.~~ September 11, 1998 Deaz Chief Todd, ~It OF ~ONTE ~EREN 10041 SARATOGA•LOb GATOS ROAD MONTE SERENO, CALIFORNIA 95030 TELEPHONE: 408.3lf4.7d3a FAX: 408.8>iS•70a3 This is the third time I have been aware of a traffic problem along the Daves/PoppyBruceNista corridor.. There is a great deal of concern .about the pedestrian safety of children "trying" to walk to school. especially from Bruce Avenue down Poppy. to the school. What the school/pazents aze requesting is possible restricted parking on the public right- of-way (east. side of Poppy) and/or the addition of crossing guard(s) -see attached letter. I believe. the school district only allows two per school, which. they already have. My idea was 1) Possibly using. VIPs. to help in this area;. 2) Instruct parents to volunteer in this. capacity; 3) Increased law enforcement presence in the morning and/or afternoon to monitor the traff c. Ms. Pickett did' share that many parents are now driving:. their children to school even where it is only a couple of blocks because they fear for the safety of their children. Please contact me and Susan. Penning (Principal) about. your ideas/solution to this potential safety risk. Sincerely, ~.. .,: Suzanne•E. Jackson Mayor _. cc: Susan Penning, Principal -Davies Avenue School Gwen. Cross, VIP Program Mary Pickett C:VNy DocumennlCCLItKOFt1CIT1'COUMCCMTdLTRVACKSOMulaolmffi¢,do~ 09/I I/9! Ic00 PM C ATTACHMENT C .Los Gatos Weekly Times Article October 25, 2000 Photograph by Kathy De t.a Torre Officer John Jennings gives a motorist a warning during the Fir orning eommute on Winchester Boulevard near the Daves Avenue intersection. Jennings says he patrols the area nearly every weekday because of heavy traffic and speeding. It's also an area where youngsfers must cross on their way to Daves Avenue School. The clock is ticking on federal safety funds By MICHELLE ALAIMO ederal funding could be the key to safer streets for children near Daves Avenue School. The Los Gatos TownCouncil will vote Nov. 6, on whether or not to join Monte Sereno in securing $200,000 for a traffic study from CaltransSafe Routes to School program. The safety of children crossing the intersee- tionofDaves Avenue and' Winchester Boule- vard prompted the need for a traffic study, Monte Sereno Mayor Suzanne Jackson, said. The applicationdeadline is Nov, 9.. "There are verylittle kids crossing a very big street witha lot of traffic," Los Gatos Union School District board member Steve Glick- man,said. The main issue of concern is speeding and increased traffic congestion at an.intersection where manychildren cross on their way to and from Daves Avenue. Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police S'gt. DavidGravel'confirmed that speed- ing is a probleminthearea. "The number of citations being issued in that area for speeding has increased sincethe begin- ning ofthe school year," Gravel said. He adds that more than 15 speeding ickets have beenissued near the Daves Avenue and Winchester Boule- vard intersection in the past few weeks. Gravel notes t hat much of the speeding occurs before the arrival of crossing guards at 7:45 a.m, each day and after the crossing guardleaves in the afternoon. "That is why people are driving. kids to school," Jacksonsaid'. "It is not safe for theme to walk to school." The posted speed for WinchesterBoulevard is 35 mph or 25 mph whenchildren are present. Gravel'attributessome ofthe speeding to the width of the road'that allows driversdo pay less attention to what theyare doing while picking up speed. LGLJSD SuperintendentMary Ann Park sent a letterto both Los Gatos and Monte Sereno on Oct.1, detailing the need for traffic remedies at the intersection, including a request for athree- waytraffic signal'. Her letter states that a study was conducted on Winchester.at the Daves Avenue pedestriancrossing that showednear- ly 1,000 cars cross the intersectioneach hour. "With.drivers' attentionfocused on making a turn onto Winchester Boulevard from either Daves Avenue or Farley Road West, it would be veryeasy to miss seeing a small elementary student attempting o cross Winchester or Far- ley Road West,"Park said in her letter. When Park wrote the letter, she said she was unaware thatJackson and the Los GatosTown Councilwere also looking foe waysto improve the dangerous traffic hazards existing inthe area. Monte Sereno Vice Mayor Barbara Nesbet explained that under AB1475 that createdthe Safe Routes. to School Act, the city,. not the school district, must apply for the funding. Because Daves Avenue. falls under Monte Sereno jurisdiction and Winchester Boulevard is under Los Gatos jurisdiction, Nesbet said the two cities must applyfor the funding jointly. The act. allows. up to $500,000 funding for each project. Jackson said it is estimated the traffic study will cost approximately $100,000. The remainderof the funding would be used for implementing whatever recommendations the traffic study suggested, Nesbet said.. With a Nov. 9 application deadline looming, Jackson. is concerned about getting the Los Gatos Town Council to vote for the issue. Jack- sonsent thexownaletter about obtaining fed- eratfunding onJuly 25. The issue wasplaced onthe towncouncil agenda three times before makingthe final cut for Nov. 6. However, Nesbet said she expects Los Gatos will agree to jointly applyingfor the fedeal funds because it is a"win-win situation" for bothcities. Los Gatos MayorSteve Blanton agreed'that the fundingseemed like agood thingfor both cities. r;i•Tnnr. ~ ~; ~~nJZJ t roc rrrnc NI?Rl:f.l'= f'i~l'IS r.~ . .. .........~ _.....,.. ............. ~.. --_ ..... .. ...., ........... .... v~.vur... a..,, ~.VUV ATTACHMENT D Speed Data July 1996 .. •• -•-- Bath Bel,rose EDPL Program ~ STREET .... .• ....... i1 WINCHESTER ` BLVD LIMITS' ... ........... .. LARK tELBURNE RECTION (S)........ .. SB 50TH PERCENTILE SPEED .................39 DATE...... ............ .. 85TH PERCENTILE SPEED.. ... .43 .......... .. TIME...... ............ .. 10 MPH PACD SPEED..........34 through 43 POSTED SPEED LIMIT.. .. 35 ~ PERCENT IN~ PACE SPEED ............... 86.1 -' PERCENT OVER PACE SPEED ....... ......12.5 PERCENT UNDER PACE SPEED...... ...... 1.4 CUM. ~' RANGE OF SPEEDS ............... ..33 to 49 PEED NO. PCT. PCT. ~ VEHICLES OBSERVED ............. ...... 72 _ __ __ ~~ AVERAGE SPEED. .. . .39.6 . . 3 3 '-- --~ . 4 34 2 2.8 4.2 + -+----+- + + -+----+- + + +- + 35 4 5.6 9.7 1-0 0 *******************100 ~ 37 8 11.1' 29.2 90 * 90 38 8 11.1 40.3 C - _ 39 9 12.5 52.8 U 80 * 80 40' 8 11,1 63.9 M - 4'1 6 8.3 72.2 70 * _ 70 42 7 9.7. 81'..9 P - * 43 4 5.6 87.5 E 60 _ 60 44 2 2.8 90.3 R - * 45 3 4.2 94.4 C' S0 _ 50 46 2 2.8 97.2 E - _ 47 1 1.4 98,6 N 40 * 40 48 0 0.0 98,6 T - _ 49 1' 1.4 100.0 S 30 * 30 20 * 20 10 * 10 - * _ 0******************* 0 15 25 35 45 55 65 20 20 P 1'S ~15 E - _ R - * _ C' - * _ E - **** _ N 10 **** * 10 -- S - ******* _ 5 ********* 5 is - ********* * - 15 25 35 45 55 65 SPEED IN MILES PER HOUR. , BatY~ -- Belrose Boje- Inc. SPEEDPY' '~ Program T STREET ... .... . .... ! 2O H1k. WINCHESTER BLVD, l LIMITS .. .. ..... ...... .. LARK to SHELBURNE DIRECTION (S).. ...... .. r!B 50TH PERCENTILE SPEED.. 38 DATE .. ... ..... ...... .. 7/30/ . 9fi 85TH PERCENTILE SPEED..........~~~ 41 TIME.. .......; ....... .,. 12:19 .,.. PM 1O MPH PACE SPEED..........33 through 42 POSTED SPEED L IMIT.. .. 35 PERCENT IN PACE SPEED..,...... 90 2 ....... PERCENT OVER PACE SPEED ....... .... 7 . 8 . . .PERCENT UNDER PACE SPEED...... . 2 . 0 CUM. .. .... RANGE'OF SPEEDS .......... 31 to . 46 :SPEED N0. PCT. PCT. ....... VEHICLES OBSERVED. 1 02 °°° __ = -_ --- ......,............. AVERAGE SPEED. .......... 38 4 31 1 1.0 1.0 .... ...... . . 32 33 1 2 1.0 2.0 2,0 3 9 +----+----+----+----+----+ -+----+----+----+----+ 100 34 5 4 9 . 8 8 - ********************* 100 35 8 . 7.8 . 16.7 90 ** ** _ 36 5 4.9 21.fi C - 90 37 14 13.7 3 .3 U 80 * _ 38 19 18.6 53.9 M - 80 39 13 12.7 66.7 70 _ 40 13 12.7 , 79.4 P - * , 70 41 9 8.8 88,2 E 60 - 42 4 3.9 92.2 R - * 60 43 2 2.0 94.1 C 50 _ 44 1 1.0 95..1 E - 50 45 3 2.9 9'8.0 N 40 _ 4fi 2 2.0 100.0 T - * 40 S 30 _ 30 20 * 20 - * 10 * _ 10 - * _ 0****************** 0 l5 25 35 45 55 65 20 20 _ * - * _ - * - * P 15 _ * 15 E - ** R - _ **** C - _ **** E - _ **** N 10 _ **** 10 T - ***** S - _ * ***** - - * ***** - * ***** _ - '~•-- --+----+----~•----•~ + + +----•~•,----1--~~i 1.5 25 35 45 55 65 SPEED IN MILES PER HOUR •Batheelrose Boje, Inc... SPEEDPLOrogram STREET............ `- Blk. WINCHESTER BLVD. ' LIMITS.................. SHELBURNE to BLOSSOM HILL DIRECTION(S). .... SB 50TH PERCENTILE SPEED .................28 DATE .. ... ..... ...... .. 7/3D/96 8'5TH PERCENTILE SPEED.. ....30 ~ TIME . ... ... ....... ~ .. 12:02 PM 1-0 MPH PACE SPEED.. .......22 through 31 POSTED SPEED LIMIT.. .. 25 PERCENT IN PACE SPEED .............. 92.4 PERCENT OVER PACE SPEED ............. 6.7 PERCENT UNDER PACE SPEED...... ....... 1.0 CUM. RANGE OF SPEEDS ............... ..21 to 36 SPEED NO. PCT. PCT. VEHICLES OBSERVED............... 10'5 _ ___ _= - -- -- AVERAGE SPEED... ........... ...... 28 0 21' 1 1.U 1 .0 .. . ..... . 22 3 2.9 3.8 +-- --+----+- + + + + +----+- + + 23 2 1.9 5.7 100 *******************************100 24 4 3.8 9.5 - **** _ 25 8 7,6 1.7.1 90 * 90 26 11 10.5 2T.6 C - _ 27 13 12.4 40.0 U, 80 80 28' 17 16.2 56.2 M - * - 29 18 17.1 73.3 70 ~ 70 30 15 14.3 87.6 P' - _ 31 6 5.7' 93.3 E 60 6D 3'2 1 1.0 94.3 R - * 33 1 1.0 95.2 C 50 _ 50 34 2 1.9 97.1 E - - 35 2 1.9 99.0 N 40 * 40 36 1 1.0 100.0 T - _ S 30 * 30 20 20 _ * _ 10 * l0 ** _ 15 25 35 45 55 65 20 20 - -, s * - _ •~ *71f _ P 15 ** 15 E - *** - R - *** _ C _ **** _ E - **** N 10' ***** 10. T - ***** - _. S - ****** _ ****** _ 15 25 35 45 5.5 65 .SPEED IN MILES PER HOUR Bat( r Belrose Boje, Inc. SPEEDP( t Program STREET ................ 121 Blk. WINCHESTER BLVD. .LIMITS...................... SHELBURNE to BLOSSOM HILL DIRECTION($).......... NB 50TH PERCENTILE SPEED.... ... .31 ~~~~~~~~ ~ DATE,. ... ............ ,. ?/30/96 85TH PERCENTILE SPEED.. .33 ~ TIME. . .... ............. .. 11:21 AM 10 .MPH PACE SPEED....... ...26 through 38 POSTED .SPEED LIMIT.. .. 25 PERCENT IN PACE SPEED, ... .... .. 95 2 PERCENT OVER PACE SPEED. . .... . ............... 3.8 PERCENT UNDER PACE SPEED. ............ 1.0 CUM. RANGE OF SPEEDS ......... ........25 to 40 .SPEED N0. PCT. PCT. VEHICLES OBSERVED........ ...... . 104 _ °=_ __ - -- .AVERAGE SPEED. .... ..... ..... . .... . 30 7 25 1 1.0 1.0 ..... . . 26: 3 2.9 3.8 + +----+----+----+ + + + + -+ + 27 8 7.7 11.5 100 *****************************100 28 10 9.fi 21.2 - *** 29 13 12.5 33.7 90 * _ 90 30 14 13.5 47.1 C - _ 31 17 16..3 63.5 U 80 * 8D 32 16 15.4 78.8 M - 33 12 11.5 90.4 70 _ 70 34 4 3.8. 94.2 P - * 35 2 1.9 96.2 E 6D _ b0 36 1 1.0 97.1 R - 37 1 1.0 98.1 C $0 _ 50 38 0 0.0 98.1 H - * 39 1 1.0 99.0 N 40 _ 40 40 1 1.0 100.0 T - * ~ S 30 _ 3D 20 * 20 10 * 10 _ * 0*** ******** - 0 15 25 35 45 55 fi5 20 20 * _- P 15 ** 15 E - ** _ R - **** _ E - *~*** _ N 10 ****** 10 -- S - ******* _ ******* _ 15 25 35 45 55 65 SPEED IN MILES PER HOUR . , l 1