TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Mark Danaj, City Manager
FROM:
Eve R. Irvine, Chief of Police
Robert Espinosa, Fire Chief
Derrick Abell, Police Captain
Andrew Harrod, Police Lieutenant
Erik Zandvliet, Traffic Engineer
Julie Dahlgren, Senior Management Analyst
SUBJECT:Title
Six Month Update on Pedestrian Safety at the Bike Path in the Area of the Pier (Police Chief Irvine).
RECEIVE UPDATE
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Receive the update on pedestrian safety and enforcement in the area of the Pier at the Bike Path.
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FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications in receiving this update.
BACKGROUND:
The Manhattan Beach Pier is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists each year, including our residents, and the safety of both pedestrians and bicyclists has been a topic of concern for many years. To enhance safety in the Pier area, a number of measures have been implemented over the years.
Since 1989, Municipal Code Section 14.28.140 "Bike Path Hazards" has provided public safety officials the ability to designate areas of the Bike Path as "Walk Only" zones, requiring bicyclists to dismount and walk their bikes in order to ensure the safety of both bicyclists and pedestrians. This is most often utilized near the Pier at the Bike Path crossing at times when the volume of pedestrians and/or bicyclists is high.
In June 2012, the Traffic Engineer conducted a study of pedestrian versus bicycle conflicts in the area of the Pier and recommended that a formal "Walk Only" zone be established with flashing light beacons. The formal "Walk "Only zone was also to include advanced warning signs for bicyclists. This recommendation was incorporated into the FY 2013-2014 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) project number 13829E. Installation of the flashing light beacons began in March 2015 and was completed in July 2015...
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