Council Agenda - City of Burbank

Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Agenda Item - 5

                                              CITY OF BURBANK
                                  PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
                                                  MEMORANDUM

DATE:	January 31, 2006
TO:	Mary J. Alvord, City Manager
FROM:	Bonnie Teaford, Interim Public Works Director By: Kenneth Johnson, Traffic Engineer
SUBJECT:	REQUEST TO CONSIDER ADDITIONAL SPEED CONTROL DEVICES ON EAST TUJUNGA AVENUE

PURPOSE

This memorandum is the first step in a two-step process for City Council to consider an appeal by Sharon Springer, 1145 Tujunga Avenue, on the decision by the Traffic and Transportation Committee not to install speed humps on Tujunga Avenue between Sunset Canyon Drive and Via Montana. The information includes a chronology of studies, public input, and public meetings conducted to discuss and identify a range of traffic calming devices installed on Tujunga Avenue in the last year. Staff reports and resident correspondence are attached for City Council consideration.

BACKGROUND:

In August 2004, several residents of Tujunga Avenue between Sunset Canyon Drive and Gibson Court petitioned staff to study the installation of speed humps, stop signs, cameras, flashing lights, medians, or security gates on Tujunga Avenue as a result of a head-on traffic collision near 1130 East Tujunga Avenue on July 22, 2004. Tujunga Avenue east of Sunset Canyon Drive is illustrated in Attachment 1. Staff met with interested residents at two evening meetings on September 21, 2004 and October 25, 2004 to discuss the resident issues and to formulate a list of potential improvements for staff to investigate.

Improvement options were thoroughly discussed at six Traffic and Transportation Committee meetings on November 18, 2004, March 10, 2005, May 12, 2005, July 14, 2005, September 8, 2005, and November 10, 2005. Over the yearlong period of discussion and evaluation, a number of improvements were installed on Tujunga Avenue and Sunset Canyon Drive. These improvements included pavement markings, signs, traffic controls, and visibility improvements as shown in Attachment 2. The Traffic and Transportation Committee determined that these traffic control improvements were adequate and sufficient to resolve the speeding and safety issues raised by residents.

Sharon Springer, by an E-mail communication on December 22, 2005, requested a review by City Council of the decision not to install other speed control devices, particularly speed humps, on Tujunga Avenue. The request is included as Attachment 3. The residents of Tujunga Avenue south of Gibson Court, through Sharon Springer, have been informed of the City Council review. Residents of Tujunga Avenue north of Gibson Court have been notified of the meeting through the neighborhood association.

ANALYSIS:

A head-on collision on July 22, 2004 in the lower curve of Tujunga Avenue was caused by a driver unfamiliar with Tujunga Avenue traveling westerly (downhill) crossing the unmarked centerline and colliding with a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction. This accident was one of three accidents on Tujunga Avenue in the last five years. Residents of Tujunga Avenue west of Gibson Court offered a petition to staff (Attachment 4). The petition listed traffic issues and several traffic calming measures that residents wished to be evaluated for the street.

Public Input and Studies - Two meetings were held with neighbors of Tujunga Avenue to discuss issues and possible modifications to traffic control devices to reduce speeding on the lower portion of the street. The meetings held on September 21 and October 25, 2005 resulted in a list of 18 potential traffic-calming devices for Tujunga Avenue. The options were discussed by 18 to 20 Tujunga Avenue residents at each meeting. The full list of options is shown in Attachment 5. Commentary on the various calming devices was also provided by the neighborhood as Attachment 6. Staff conducted a thorough investigation of all 18 potential calming options.

A series of six meetings were held before the Traffic and Transportation Committee to discuss various potential traffic control changes to Tujunga Avenue to control traffic speeds. The first meeting, on November 18, 2004, included a discussion of all options and recommended a stepped approach to implementation of the traffic calming devices. The November staff report (Attachment 7) suggests four initial improvements to the street and three possible future improvements. The Traffic and Transportation Committee approved the proposed four calming measures plus edge lines in the initial improvement program.

Subsequent Traffic and Transportation Committee discussions were held on March 10, 2005, May 12, 2005, July 14, 2005, September 8, 2005, and November 10, 2005. The staff reports for these meetings are provided as Attachments 8 through 12. The data collected during the study showed that traffic speeds and volumes were generally reduced in the lower portion of Tujunga Avenue. The raised markers and centerline painting on Tujunga Avenue have reduced the incidence of drivers crossing the street centerline.

History of Tujunga Avenue - Tujunga Avenue, east of Sunset Canyon Drive was initially constructed with Tract 11271 as a cul-de-sac serving about 20 single-family lots. As shown in Attachment 1, Tujunga Avenue ended at about house number 1201 Tujunga Avenue. In the mid-1980�s, Tujunga Avenue was extended with Tract 25292 to Via Montana. The extension of Tujunga Avenue was mandated to serve as a secondary access to homes along Via Montana and for an additional emergency services route to this fire prone area. This hillside residential area served by Tujunga Avenue and Via Montana currently contains about 142 single-family homes and 49 condominiums, for a total of 191 residential units. The area has two access roads, Tujunga Avenue / Camino de Villas and Country Club Drive / Via Montana.

Tujunga Avenue was constructed as a 36-foot wide street on a 50-foot right-of-way between Sunset Canyon Drive and Camino de Villas. The 36-foot width allows two standard travel lanes and two narrow parking lanes. The section of Tujunga Avenue between about 1130 Tujunga Avenue and 1310 Tujunga Avenue has a gradient of 15 percent. The street has a very curvilinear alignment, with centerline curve radii as short as 85 feet (near 1214 Tujunga Avenue) and several curve radii between 100 and 200 feet. A number of homes below Gibson Court have driveways on the interior of curves resulting in very short driver visibility for driver ingress and egress.

FISCAL IMPACT:

No fiscal impact on this issue since no further modifications are proposed for Tujunga Avenue.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Staff recommends that no further action be taken on speed control devices for Tujunga Avenue.