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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNB 5 PKG INVESTIGATION 5-18-81/a c NEW BUSINESS No. 5 5-18-81 DATE: MAY 12, 1981 Inter -Com zTO: DAN BLANKENSHIP, CITY ADMINISTRATOR FROM: NORM HOWER, TRAFFIC ENGINEER SUBJECT: MITCHELL AVENUE PARKING, SPEED ZONING AND STOP INVESTIGATION Mitchell Avenue between Red Hill Avenue and Browning Avenue has been investigated for parking restrictions, speed control and a three -sway stop installation at the intersection of Mitchell Avenue and Heatherfield Drive. These have been done at the request of residents, homeowner's associations or managers of various properties fronting on Mitchell Avenue. The primary concern appears to be for visibility obscurement caused by a number of motor homes, campers and vans that utilize the on -street parking. It is apparent that very little, if any, off-street parking is available for these types of vehicles in the housing complexes. In addition, there is concern about the speed on the street which, coupled with the poor visibility in exiting the numerous driveways, is felt by the residents to be an extreme hazard. Mitchell Avenue has a total pavement width of 40' with parking allowed for the most part on both sides. Development consists primarily of multiple housing or multiple housing that has been converted to condominiums with one small area of single family residences on the north side near Red Hill Avenue and one small area on the south side at Heatherfield Drive. Speed Zone - The area previously in the County is not posted with a speed limit. There is one existing 25 M.P.H. sign for eastbound traffic just west of Heatherfiled Drive in what had been City territory. A radar survey of the speed was taken on Mitchell Avenue. This survey indicated the 85th percentile or critical speed is 40 to 42 M.P.H. A review of the available accident records shows a number of the sideswipe and right angle types that could be caused by excess speed and poor visibility. Parking is heavily used and, due to the large number of driveways where visibility is reduced by parked vehicles, it is believed that the speed limit should be set at 30 M.P.H. Stops - The intersection of Mitchell Avenue and Heatherfield Drive has been investigated for the installation of a three -sway stop. Heatherfield at the present time is stopped for Mitchell. There has been only one accident at this intersection that the City has record of though there may have been additional ones in the County area. This was a right angle accident that occured in June, 1980. The traffic volumes do not warrant a three-way stop at this intersection at any hour of the day and available accident data does not indicate a stop installation of this type is needed. Parking removal for adequate sight distance would decrease any accident potential. Parking Restrictions - There have been numerous requests from residents, homeowner's groups and managers for parking restrictions to improve visibility. There are numerous large vehicles that utilize the street parking on a long-term basis and greatly restrict the visibility at the driveways and the Heatherfield intersection. There is existing some parking removal that has been primarily installed by private individuals and this has all the appearances of becoming a "neighborhood feud". There are three possible solutions to the problem as follows: 1. All on -street parking can be removed, thereby resulting in maximum visibility and safety. 2. Limited time parking (2 hour parking any time) can be installed with minimal length parking removal at driveways for clearance purposes. This would eliminate long-term parking and remove those vehicles causing the most problems. 3. Parking can be removed for some distance on each side of drive entrances onto Mitchell for visibility and still retain some on -street parking as shown on the attached aerial photo. None of these will completely solve the problems. The first will result in the safest street while number three is perhaps the best all-around, since it will increase visibility and thereby result in a safer street while retaining some parking. All of these will result in some degree to shifting the problem of the parked large vehicle to some other area. Recommendations - It is recommended that Mitchell Avenue between Red Hill Avenue and Browning Avenue be speed zoned for 30 M.P.H. to provide adequate speed control for existing conditions. It is also recommended that parking control plan number three be adopted. This will result in a safer street but also utilize some of the on -street parking. It cannot be recommended that a three-way stop be installed at the intersection of Mitchell Avenue and Heatherf ield Drive since it does not meet any of the criteria for warrenting stops. If parking is restricted in the intersection area it should alleviate the problem without stop control. NORM HOWER TRAFFIC ENGINEER NH:db SPEED ZONE -SURVEY MITCHELL AVENUE - RID HILL AVENUE TO BROWNING AVENUE A radar survey of Mitchell Avenue within the above limits was conducted on April 10, 1981. This survey indicated the critical, or 85th percentile speed for eastbcund traffic is 42 m.p.h. and for westbound traffic it is 40 m.p.h. Existing accident records are incomplete due to the majority of the area being within the jurisdiction of the County of Orange until annexed by the City of Tustin on Nov. 31, 1980. A review of available accident records since that date indicates that a number of accidents that are occuring are sideswipe type of accidents with parked vehicles and right angle type with vehicles exiting driveways where visibility is limited due to parked vehicles. The 85th percentile speeds indicate that a speed limit of 40 m.p.h. would be required; but the available accident records indicate that because of the large number of driveways which are not readily apparent to the motorists due to the visibility problems caused by parked vehicles, the limit should be lower. It is recommended that a speed limit of 30 m.p.h. be established for Mitchell Avenue between Red Hill Avenue and Browning Avenue. NORM HOWE R TRAFFIC ENGINEER A \y \C! VI . f f � , i j i ai I 1 t Z 1 - i ri f 1 LL J w � � U- 0 u � > S f I trt st at 1 1 i I 1 i t 1 i I i It `i e CE ti ti� J 1 f q/1 ■n/ I J i 1 R� �4�j e 1xi" Il i = ■ ■■■gnn■n■q/ c1 G Ii ■>ss •� 1 1 1 i i A \y \C! } H 11 H M u 1 J J J J J Y� n i I 1 Z V V J V O T -I O N u u u � > S o V G trt st at 1 1 i I 1 i t 1 I i J 1 f q/1 ■n/ I J i ■n�/ 1xi" Il i = ■ ■■■gnn■n■q/ Ii �l��y1NL; } H 11 H M u 1 J J J J J Y� n i V V J V O b O N u u u � > S o V G trt st at ■/�/�W/n■ q/1 ■n/ n/�n/�■■�■n/�n■�■qq■� niumwn■//■/q�/�/ ■n�/ ■wm/mmmt = ■ ■■■gnn■n■q/ ■ q mwou } H 11 H M u 1 J J J J J Y� n i V V J V O b O N u u u � > S o V G trt st at } H 11 H M u 1 J J J J J MITCHELL AVENUE & HEATHERFIELD DRIVE VOLUMES INTERING INTERSECTION This intersection does not meet the volume warrants for three-way stop control during any hour of the day. MITCHELL AVENUE HEATHERFIELD - INTERSECTION EAST WEST TIME BOUND BOUND TOTAL NORTH BOUND TOTAL 25 12:00- 1:00 AM 15 10 25 0 1:00- 2:00 10 0 10 0 10 2:00- 3:00 0 5 5 0 5 3:00- 4:00 0 0 0 0 0 4:00- 5:00 0 0 0 0 0 5:00- 6:00 0 10 10 5 15 6:00- 7:00 20 30 50 15 65 7:00- 8:00 85 65 150 20 170 8:00- 9:00 90 65 155 20 175 9:00-10:00 55 40 95 15 110 10:00-11:00 70 40 110 10 120 11:00-12:00 90 55 145 5 150 12:00- 1:00 PM 140 85 225 10 235 1:00- 2:00 .115 40 155 15 170 2:00- 3:00 120 40 160 10 170 3:00- 4:00 140 115 255 10 265 4:00- 5:00 155 145 300 15 315 5:00- 6:00 170 135 305 15 320 6:00- 7:00 135 55 190 20 210 7:00- 8:00 65 30 95 5 100 8:00- 9:00 60 25 85 5 90 9:00-10:00 60 15 75 5 80 10:00-11:00 35 20 55 0 55 11:00-12:00 25 5 30 0 30 2,885 200 TOTALS 1,655 1,030 2,685 This intersection does not meet the volume warrants for three-way stop control during any hour of the day. STANDARD WARRANTS FOR 4 -WAY STOP CONTROL" IN USE BY: U.S. Department of Transportation -- State of -California Any of the following conditions may warrant a four-way stop sign installation: 1. Where traffic signals are warranted and the reed is urgent, the four-way stop can be used as an interim measure until a traffic signal can be installed. 2. An accident problem, as indicated by five or more reported accidents of a type susceptible of correction by a four-way stop installation in a 12 -month period. Types of accidents susceptible of correction include right angle and left turn collisions. 3. Minimum volume warrant: a. The total vehicular volume entering the intersection from all approaches must average at least 500 vehicles per hour fog any eight hours of an average day, and b. The corbined vehicular and pedestrian volume from the minor street or highway must average at least 200 units per hour for the same eight hours with an average delay to minor street vehicular traffic of at least 30 seconds per vehicle during the maximum hour. C. When the 85 -percentile approach speed of the major street traffic exceeds 40 miles per hour, the minimum vehicular volume warrant is 70 percent of the above requirements. At a "T" intersection (3 -way) a minimum vehicular volume of 75 percent May be used. (To-t—aT vehicular volume of 375,,minor street vo ume 6T7 150.