TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Mark Danaj, City Manager
FROM:
Anne McIntosh, Community Development Director
Erik Zandvliet, T.E., City Traffic Engineer
SUBJECT:Title
Approve the Valley Drive Neighborhood Traffic Management Plan Initial Measures as Recommended by the Parking and Public Improvements Commission (Community Development Director McIntosh).
APPROVE
Line
_________________________________________________________
Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve the Valley Drive Neighborhood Traffic Management Plan initial measures as recommended by the Parking and Public Improvements Commission (PPIC) on a six-month trial basis.
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FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
No fiscal implications associated with the recommended action.
BACKGROUND:
On November 19, 2002, the City Council approved the City-Wide Neighborhood Traffic Management Program (NTMP). This Program established a set of procedures to evaluate neighborhoods in an effort to improve livability of neighborhood streets. Since 2003, NTMP’s have been completed in the northeast, southeast and El Porto sections of the City, as well as eight school area neighborhoods.
The NTMP process includes the following seven steps:
Step 1- Identify Candidate Streets/Neighborhoods
Step 2- Preliminary Screening and Evaluation
Step 3- Engineering Analysis/Preliminary Recommendations
Step 4- Neighborhood Meetings and Survey/Petitions
Step 5- Develop, Install, and Evaluate Test projects
Step 6- Determination of Permanent Project
Step 7- Monitoring
The NTMP Program has been followed in developing a comprehensive traffic calming plan and conducting public outreach in the neighborhood bounded by Valley Drive to the east, 1st Street to the south, Crest Drive to the west, and 7th Street to the north.
In January 2015, the City received a petition from residents along 6th Place between Crest Drive and Valley Drive to either reduce traffic volumes and speeds on 6th Place. The residents are concerned that 6th Place carries an undue volume of traffic in comparison to other parallel streets, and vehicle speeds are too high for the alley conditions.
In March and April 2015, the City received two petitions from residents along 4th Street between Ingleside Drive and Valley Drive to convert 4th Street to a one way westbound street or close it and make it a walkstreet. The petitions are signed by 96 percent and 84 percent of the homes respectively. The residents are concerned about the narrow street and blind corners that make it difficult to drive or walk on 4th Street.
On October 27, 2016, the PPIC discussed the existing conditions evaluated by the City Traffic Engineer and heard public testimony from 28 residents in the neighborhood. The speakers and other correspondence identified specific concerns and observations about traffic and parking within the study area. Subsequent to the meeting, staff prepared and sent a survey of possible traffic calming measures to the residents within the study area for their opinion.
On February 23, 2017, the PPIC discussed the results of the survey, reviewed written correspondence, and heard public testimony from 25 residents. Nine speakers who live on 4th Street spoke in favor of making it a walk street, while 12 speakers who do not live on 4th Street spoke against it. None of the speakers were opposed to changing 4th Street to a one-way street. The complete staff report with exhibits and meeting minutes are included in Attachments 1 and 2.
DISCUSSION:
The NTMP area is located in the southwest quadrant of the city, just south of Downtown Manhattan Beach. The boundaries for this study are Valley Drive, 1st Street, Crest Drive and 7th Street. There are 359 residential properties within this neighborhood with 367 residences. Primary access for the neighborhood is via Valley Drive, Ardmore Avenue, and 1st Street/2nd Street. Vehicle access to the east is limited to Veterans Parkway crossings at 1st Street and 6th Place. 5th Street, 6th Street and 7th Street are walkstreets between Crest Drive and Valley Drive. 4th Street is a walkstreet between Crest Drive and Ingleside Drive. The “Place” streets are constructed as 20-feet wide alleys. Ingleside Drive is a one-way northbound street. 6th Place is stopped in the eastbound and westbound directions at Ingleside Drive. Ingleside Drive ends at the 7th Street walkstreet. Robinson Elementary School is located just south of the study area on Morningside Drive. There are approximately 251 public street parking spaces located in the study area. The City Traffic Engineer studied the traffic conditions and summarized them in the PPIC reports. (Attachment 1)
Based on the existing conditions and public comments received at the October 27, 2016 PPIC meeting, staff prepared a survey of eleven possible measures, including the original petition requests, and sent it to the residents within the study area. The survey asked whether residents were in favor of or opposed to these possible measures:
1. Convert 4th Street between Ingleside Drive and Valley Drive into a walkstreet.
2. Restrict traffic on 4th Street between Ingleside Drive and Valley Drive to one-way in the westbound direction with parking on the north side of the street.
3. Restrict traffic on 4th Street between Ingleside Drive and Valley Drive to one-way in the eastbound direction with parking on the south side of the street.
4. Construct a sidewalk on 4th Street between Ingleside Drive and Valley Drive. (requires removal of some private encroachments)
5. Construct a sidewalk on the west side of Ingleside Drive between 1st Street and 7th Street. (requires removal of private encroachments and 3 parking pads)
6. Prohibit westbound traffic on 6th Place across Valley Drive into the neighborhood to reduce volume. (Allow westbound to southbound left turns only.)
7. Install a stop sign on Ingleside Drive at 6th Place in the northbound direction.
8. Prohibit parking on both sides of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Place alleys at all times.
9. Provide targeted speed enforcement in the neighborhood.
10. Post 15 MPH speed limit signs on Ingleside Drive.
11. Post 15 MPH speed limit signs on 6th Place at Ingleside Drive (both directions).
The survey was not a vote on particular measures, but was intended to aid staff and the Commission in developing a comprehensive traffic calming plan. The survey was mailed out to about 1,050 addresses on February 7, 2017. Over 230 surveys were returned, representing 62% of the residences in the study area.
Based on the traffic studies, previous findings, citizen comments, survey results, and an evaluation of possible NTMP toolbox measures by the Traffic Engineer, staff recommended the following traffic calming measures:
1. Post a Left Turn Only restriction for westbound traffic on 6th Street at Valley Drive.
2. Restrict traffic to one-way westbound on 4th Street between Valley Drive and Ingleside Drive.
3. Install three 15 mph speed limit signs on Ingleside Drive between 1st Street and 6th Place.
4. Install two 15 mph speed limit signs on 6th Place east and west of Ingleside Drive.
5. Install high-visibility crosswalk signs and markings on Ingleside Drive at 5th Street and 6th Street walkstreet crossings.
6. Install a stop sign for northbound Ingleside Drive at 6th Place.
7. Increase enforcement of speeding and other moving violations on a regular basis.
At the February 23, 2017, meeting, the PPIC passed motions to recommend that the City Council approve traffic calming measures 2 through 7 on a six-month trial basis. A map of the PPIC recommended traffic calming measures is included in Attachment 3. Additional correspondence received after the PPIC meeting agenda posting is in Attachment 4.
Upon approval, the NTMP will then follow the remaining steps as identified in the city-wide NTMP procedures. During the trial period, a before-and-after study will be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the initial measures. This follow-up evaluation will be then forwarded to the PPIC at a future public hearing for further discussion to determine if the initial measures should be modified or made permanent, and if additional measures should be considered.
PUBLIC OUTREACH/INTEREST:
By way of mailed notices, the residents and affected parties within and surrounding the study area were invited to both PPIC meetings. Public notices were posted in three public locations and posted online on the City’s website, www.citymb.info. Further, a survey was sent out to residents in the study area to solicit their comments and opinions on a variety of possible traffic calming measures. Residents in the study area were sent mailed notices to the City Council meeting.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The City has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that the activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the State CEQA Guidelines; therefore, pursuant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines the activity is not subject to CEQA.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
Attachments:
1. PPIC Staff Report - February 23, 2017 with Exhibits
2. PPIC Minutes - February 23, 2017
3. Correspondence received after February 23, 2017 PPIC Meeting Posting
4. Map of Initial Traffic Calming Measures as Recommended by PPIC