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Home My WebLink AboutSS2 - Citywide Speed Survey UpdateCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT STUDY SESSION Agenda Item No.SS 2 September 28, 2010 TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL FROM: Public Works Department Antony Brine, City Traffic Engineer 949 - 644 -3329 or tbrine @newportbeachca.gov SUBJECT: CITYWIDE SPEED SURVEY UPDATE ISSUE The California Vehicle Code requires speed limits to be justified by an Engineering and Traffic Survey (E & TS) if the speed limits are going to be enforced by radar. The Vehicle Code also requires that every 5, 7 or 10 years, local agencies should reevaluate speed limits on segments of their roadways. RECOMMENDATION Direct staff to prepare an Ordinance amending Chapter 12.24 (Special Speed Zones) of the Municipal Code to update speed limits on various roads within the city. The updated speed limits shall be established per the State policy and procedures for setting speed limits. DISCUSSION The State legislature has established rules for determining speed limits in order to promote uniformity throughout the state. Section 40802 of the California Vehicle Code provides that radar may not be used as an enforcement tool if the posted speed limits are not set in accordance with these rules. Since the great majority of speed enforcement is performed by NBPD using radar, the City's speed limits need to follow the State's criteria. Recent court decisions have placed an increased burden on local agencies to provide more specific documentation to justify posted speed limits. The Police Department has expressed concern that they are unable to utilize radar for enforcement unless the city's speed limits are adjusted to conform to State law. The California Vehicle Code requires that an Engineering and Traffic Survey (ET & S) be performed to determine appropriate speed limits. This survey must take into Citywide Speed Survey Update September 28, 2010 Page 2 consideration prevailing speeds, accident records, and "conditions not readily apparent to the driver ". These conditions can include sight distance restrictions, bicycle usage, etc. The legislature requires Caltrans to establish the methodology for conducting the ET & S that cities must follow. As noted earlier, for enforcement purposes, the Vehicle Code requires the City to review its speed limits every 5, 7 or 10 years. For many roadway segments in the city, the last speed survey was completed more than 7 years ago. As part of this speed survey update, new traffic data was collected for every street in the city. On June 29, 2009, Caltrans approved a Policy Directive outlining new guidelines for establishing speed limits throughout the State. The basic process is to sample the speed of traffic on a roadway and identify the "critical speed ", or "85th percentile speed ", which is that speed at or below which 85% of the traffic is moving. The speed limit is to be established at the nearest 5 mph increment of the 85th percentile speed. When there is a high accident rate, or there are other "conditions not readily apparent to the driver ", a further reduction of 5 mph may be justified when documented. For example, when the 85th percentile speed is 43 mph, the speed limit should be 45 mph, or optionally reduced to 40 mph. When the 85th percentile speed is 42 mph, the speed limit can be set at 40 mph, or optionally reduced to 35 mph. Under earlier guidelines, speed limits could be set "within 5 mph" of the 85th percentile speed, as opposed to "at the nearest 5 mph ". In the previous example, a road with an 85th percentile speed of 43 mph could be set at 40 mph, or optionally reduced to 35 mph. The recent change in the guidelines requires the City to review the posted speeds on all roadways. On a number of roadway segments, the posted speeds are recommended to be raised 5 mph to meet the new State guidelines. A total of 97 roadway segments were surveyed. The results of the study indicate that the speed limits for 40 roadway segments should be raised 5 miles per hour. For 56 roadway segments, the posted speed limits will remain the same. For the segment of Coast Highway between Poppy Avenue and Cameo Shores Drive, it is recommended that the speed limit be raised by 10 miles per hour. An exhibit is attached which shows the roadways where the speed limits are recommended to be increased by 5 mph or 10 mph. As the exhibit shows, the majority of the highlighted roadway segments are arterial roads as defined on the City's Master Plan of Streets and Highways. The recommended speed limit increases already accounts for those roadway segments where staff has reduced the speed limits based on accident records and "conditions not readily apparent to the driver ". It is appropriate, and more efficient, for the City to update the Speed Survey and the controlling Ordinance for the entire city at one time. This will establish legally posted speed limits on all city roadways that will not need to be reviewed again for another 7 to Citywide Speed Survey Update September 28, 2010 Page 3 10 years, depending on the roadway segment. The updated speed limits will allow the Police Department to legally use radar for enforcement. Staff is recommending that a new Ordinance be prepared to amend Chapter 12.24 of the Municipal Code and update the speed limits citywide. It is proposed that staff place the new Ordinance on a future City Council agenda within the next two months. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW Staff recommends the City Council find this action is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act ( "CEQA ") pursuant to Sections 15060 (c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060 (c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no potential for resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly. PUBLIC NOTICE: The agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act. FUNDING AVAILABILITY: Additional funding for this project will not be needed. The cost to install the signs is minimal. Prepared by: Submitted by: Antony Brine, P.E., City Traffic Engineer Attachment: Powerpoint Presentation blic Works Director 20 10 Engineering &Traffic Survey Update City Council Study Session September 28, 2010 Need and Purpose Roadway speed surveys are required to be updated at specific time intervals (5, 7 & 10 years). Recent State Law changes require posted speed limit review. Correctly posted speed limits are required by State Law to enforce speed by radar. Approximately 34 streets in City have surveys that are 7 -10 years old. Police Department needs an updated Speed Survey to effectively enforce posted speed limits. Time for City -wide update. How are Speed Limits set The Basic Speed Law is based on the premise that the substantial majority (85 %) of motorists drive at a speed that is reasonable and prudent for the roadway conditions. . Speeds are measured multiple times on a given roadway. The critical speed (85th percentile) is calculated. This is the speed that 85 % of traffic is moving at, or below. 4. Speeds are posted at the nearest 5 mph increment of the 85th percentile speed. Posted speeds can be reduced an additional 5 mph under certain conditions. Recent History of Setting Speed Limits 1996 Caltrans Traffic Manual -Allowed Speed Limits to be set at nearest 5 mph below the 85th percentile speed. -Allowed reduction of 5 mph based upon engineering judgment (matching traffic safety and community concerns). Recent History of Setting Speed Limits 2 nifo ontrol Devi The speed limit shall be set within 5 mph of 85th percentile speed. - Reduction of 5 mph, if implemented, shall be documented in writing. 2009 Caltrans Policy Directive 09 -04 - Changes the rounding method for setting speed limits. Speed limit shall be at nearest 5 mph increment. - More restrictive on engineering judgment for 5 mph speed reductions. 851h Speed Rounding Examples 85th Percentile Speed of 43 mph = Previously, we could round down to 40 mph = Now, we have to round up to 45 mph 85th Percentile Speed of 42 mph = Can be rounded to 40 mph Additional 5 mph reduction is allowable for: high accident history - high pedestrian /bicyclist activity - conditions not readily apparent to motorist Results * A total of 97 roadway segments surveyed. * 40 roadway segment speed limits increase 5 mph. 56 roadway segment speed limits remain same. * I roadway segment speed limit increases 10 mph. (Coast Highway between Poppy — Cameo Shores) 25 al t )j eW W n+� 8 9: runNt City of Newport Beach Proposed Speed Limit Change LEGEND 10 MPH in<re.x ® 5 MPH incre.0 35— 40 Speed Urnk Change DIDrkI I - MIchRel F. Henn Dletrk1 l - Steven R..n.ky DiM d3 -Don Webb Dlltdd O - L Ile D.lyle Didrlet 5- Edw.rd D. Selleb Dirvid 6- Nancy G.rdner Dhldet ] - Keith D. Curry