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AGENDA BILL Agenda Item No. 5(B) Date: July 16, 2013 To: El Cerrito City Council From: Yvetteh Ortiz, Interim Public Works Director / City Engineer Subject: Establish Speed Limits for Eleven Speed Zones ACTION REQUESTED Adopt a resolution establishing the following speed limits for eleven speed zones to allow for enforcement of these limits using radar, lidar or other electronic device in conformance with State of California requirements: Speed Zone Speed Limit (miles per hour) Ashbury Avenue – Moeser Lane to Fairmount Avenue 25 Ashbury Avenue – Fairmount Avenue to South City Limits 25 Colusa Avenue – Eureka Avenue to Terrace Drive 25 Eastshore Boulevard – Potrero Avenue to San Pablo Avenue 30 Fairmount Avenue – Carlson Boulevard to Richmond Street 25 Fairmount Avenue – Richmond Street to Colusa Avenue 25 Hill Street – San Pablo Avenue to Elm Street 25 Key Boulevard – Elm Street to North City Limits 25 Moeser Lane – San Pablo Avenue to Navellier Street 25 Moeser Lane – Navellier Street to Arlington Boulevard 25 Sea View Drive – Colusa Avenue to Eureka Avenue 25 BACKGROUND Engineering and traffic surveys (“speed surveys”) are required to establish speed limits on streets that are functionally classified as collector and arterial streets and where speed enforcement involves the use of radar, lidar or other electronic speed measuring device. These surveys must be conducted in accordance with applicable laws and standards provided in the California Vehicle Code (CVC) and the California Manual on Uniform ---PAGE BREAK--- Agenda Item No. 5(B) Page 2 Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). If a speed survey meeting these requirements has not been performed, evidence of a speeding violation is not admissible in court per CVC Sections 40802 and 40803. A speed zone is a segment of roadway on which a speed limit has been established as reasonable and safe based on a speed survey. In 2005, the City conducted speed surveys for 41 speed zones excluding six segments along the state highway portion of San Pablo Avenue, for which Caltrans is responsible. The CVC requires that the speed surveys be updated every five years or up to seven years if requirements regarding police officer training and electronic device calibration are presented to the court. The renewal time frame for the speed survey may be further extended to ten years if a registered engineer conducts a review and determines that no significant changes in roadway or traffic conditions have occurred since the date of the last survey. Public Works engaged the services of Whitlock & Weinberger Transportation, Inc. Trans), one of our on-call transportation engineering firms, to reevaluate the boundaries of the existing 41 speed zones and prepare new speed surveys as appropriate. These zones were consolidated into 24 larger zones. Several speed zones were reconfigured to more logically group street segments that are continuous and similar. This change will facilitate administration of the speed surveys, which are provided to the Contra Costa Superior Court and to the public in response to information requests. The reduction in the total number of speed zones will also facilitate future updates of the speed surveys. Due to budgetary constraints, the surveys were broken into two phases. In early 2012, Public Works and Police Department staff collaborated to prioritize about half of the speed zones, which were identified based on higher existing traffic volumes and speeds, to be surveyed in the first phase. On June 19, 2012, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2012-49 establishing speed limits for the high-priority zones on Arlington Boulevard, Carlson Boulevard, Central Avenue, a portion of Colusa Avenue, a consolidated Cutting Boulevard-Elm Street-Richmond Street, Potrero Avenue, San Pablo Avenue and Stockton Avenue. The remaining zones for the second phase were surveyed in late 2012 and early 2013. ANALYSIS W-Trans performed the speed surveys in accordance with the requirements set forth in the CVC, MUTCD and established traffic engineering practices. The signed and stamped speed surveys are attached as Exhibit A to the Resolution. The speed surveys include considerations for prevailing speeds, collision records, and traffic and roadside conditions not readily apparent to the driver. The MUTCD requires that the prevailing speed be determined on the basis of the 85th-percentile speed. When the speeds of all motorists at one location are ranked from slowest to fastest, the 85th-percentile speed separates the slower 85 percent from the fastest 15 percent, who typically pose the greatest safety hazard. Experience has generally shown that 85 percent of drivers operate at speeds which are reasonable and prudent for the specific roadway conditions regardless of speed limit signs or enforcement. This method and procedure is widely accepted by engineers, law enforcement agencies and the court. As such, the MUTCD indicates that the speed limit be set to the nearest 5-mile per hour (mph) increment of the ---PAGE BREAK--- Agenda Item No. 5(8) 851h -percentile speed. The MUTCD also allows for the speed limit to be reduced by 5 mph from the nearest 5-mph increment based on collision history or other factors not readily apparent to drivers. Based on the speed surveys, W-Trans is recommending that existing speed limits on all survey zones be maintained. This means maintaining a speed limit of 25 mph on Ashbury A venue, Colusa A venue, Fairmount A venue, Hill Street, Key Boulevard, Moeser Lane, and Sea View Drive, and a speed limit of 30 mph on Eastshore Boulevard. Public Works staff recommends that the City Council establish the recommended speed limits for these 11 speed zones to allow for enforcement of these limits using radar, lidar or other electronic device in conformance with State of California requirements. FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS I Given that none of the speed limit signs will need to be changed, there is no cost associated with implementation of this resolution. LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS The City Clerk will certify the resolution and Public Works staff will file it with the Contra Costa Superior Court. Scott Hanin, City Manag~ Attachment: 1. Accompanying Resolution Page 3 ---PAGE BREAK--- Agenda Item No. 5(B) Attachment 1 RESOLUTION 2013–XX RESOLUTION OF THE EL CERRITO CITY COUNCIL ESTABLISHING SPEED LIMITS FOR ELEVEN SPEED ZONES WHEREAS, engineering and traffic surveys (“speed surveys”) are required to establish speed limits on streets that are functionally classified as collector or arterial streets and where speed enforcement involves the use of radar, lidar or other electronic speed measuring device; and WHEREAS, the Public Works Department engaged the services of Whitlock & Weinberger Transportation, Inc. (W-Trans) to reevaluate the boundaries of the existing speed zones throughout the City and prepare speed surveys for the new zones; and WHEREAS, W-Trans prepared the speed surveys in accordance with the requirements set forth in the California Vehicle Code (CVC), California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and established traffic engineering practices; and WHEREAS, the Public Works and Police Departments have reviewed the speed survey recommendations. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the El Cerrito City Council hereby establishes the following speed limits based on the speed surveys, attached hereto as Exhibit A and incorporated by reference, to allow for enforcement of these limits using radar, lidar or other electronic device in conformance with State of California requirements: Speed Zone Speed Limit (miles per hour) Ashbury Avenue – Moeser Lane to Fairmount Avenue 25 Ashbury Avenue – Fairmount Avenue to South City Limits 25 Colusa Avenue – Eureka Avenue to Terrace Drive 25 Eastshore Boulevard – Potrero Avenue to San Pablo Avenue 30 Fairmount Avenue – Carlson Boulevard to Richmond Street 25 Fairmount Avenue – Richmond Street to Colusa Avenue 25 Hill Street – San Pablo Avenue to Elm Street 25 Key Boulevard – Elm Street to North City Limits 25 Moeser Lane – San Pablo Avenue to Navellier Street 25 Moeser Lane – Navellier Street to Arlington Boulevard 25 Sea View Drive – Colusa Avenue to Eureka Avenue 25 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Public Works Director / City Engineer is authorized to post the speed limits as appropriate in accordance with this resolution; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Public Works Department is directed to file certified copies of this resolution with the El Cerrito Police Department and Contra Costa Superior Court; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its passage and adoption. ---PAGE BREAK--- Agenda Item No. 5(B) Attachment 1 I CERTIFY that at a regular meeting on July 16, 2013 the City Council of the City of El Cerrito passed this Resolution by the following vote: AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: ABSTAIN: COUNCILMEMBERS: IN WITNESS of this action, I sign this document and affix the corporate seal of the City of El Cerrito on July 2013. Cheryl Morse, City Clerk APPROVED: Janet Abelson, Mayor Pro Tem Attachment: Exhibit A ---PAGE BREAK--- Resolution 2013-X Exhibit A ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK---