Item No. 6
Town of Atherton
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT – REGULAR AGENDA
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
GEORGE RODERICKS, CITY MANAGER
FROM: ROBERT OVADIA, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
DATE: NOVEMBER 20, 2024
SUBJECT: ADOPTION OF THE COUNTYWIDE AND TOWN OF ATHERTON
LOCAL ROADWAY SAFETY PLAN AND DESIGNATION OF
SAFETY CORRIDORS
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Council Adopt a resolution “Adopting the Countywide and Town of Atherton Local Roadway Safety Plan and accompanying Vision Zero Goal”, and designating “Safety Corridors” in the Town of Atherton.
BACKGROUND
A Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP) identifies and systematically analyzes roadway safety needs and develops a prioritized list of safety countermeasures. An LRSP offers a proactive approach to addressing safety needs and demonstrates an agency’s responsiveness to safety challenges through local agency partnerships and collaboration. The completion and adoption of the countywide LRSP allows jurisdictions in the County to be eligible for grant funding from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) OBAG 3 County & Local Program, and future funding for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Highway Safety Improvement Program and US Department of Transportation Safe Streets for All (SS4A).
C/CAG has recommended, upon their adoption on June 13, that local jurisdictions adopt the attached local resolution cosigning the Countywide LRSP, noting agreement with the vision/goals, countywide High Injury Network, prioritization method, and relevant proposed actions that pertain to local agencies. This serves as an interim measure to meet grant requirements.
The California Vehicle Code outlines the requirements for setting speed limits on local roadways. If jurisdictions wish to enforce using radar, an Engineering and Traffic Survey (E&TS) must be conducted and updated regularly (see CVC § 627 and CVC § 40802). Most roadways in California require an E&TS to justify radar enforcement. If no valid E&TS exists and radar enforcement is pursued, this is considered a “speed trap” (which is not legal in California).
However, some roadway types do not require an E&TS for radar enforcement - these roadways Local Roadway Safety Plan and Speed Limits
NOVEMBER 20, 2024
are therefore exempt from this requirement of the speed trap provisions.
For local roads and in certain prima facie zones (i.e., railroad crossings with an obstructed view, uncontrolled intersections with an obstructed view, and alleys), the prima facie speed limits apply even in the absence of actual speed limit signage.
In other prima facie zones (i.e., business districts and school, senior, and playground zones), prima facie speed limits apply only when speed limit signage is present Recent legislation allows jurisdictions to consider reduction of speed limits set via an E&TS on certain streets. Specifically, jurisdictions can consider reductions of 5 miles per hour in dense (as defined) residential districts, Business and Business Activity Districts, Senior Zones, and Safety Corridors. Legislation also allows for the establishment of 15 mile per hour limits in School Zones (within 500 feet of a school, when children are present), and 25 miles per hour up to 1,000 feet from school grounds.
ANALYSIS
Local Roadway Safety Plan
The Transportation, Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Committee received a presentation regarding the development of the San Mateo County City/County Association of Governments’ (C/CAG) Countywide Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP), as well as the Town’s draft LRSP at its April 23, 2024, meeting, as part of the public outreach phase for the development of the documents. The Transportation, Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Committee reviewed the draft Town of Atherton Local Roadway Safety Plan (Plan) at their September 24, 2024, meeting and recommended that the Plan be forwarded to the City Council for adoption.
The draft Town of Atherton Local Roadway Safety Plan was developed concurrently with the Countywide LRSP and refers to the Countywide LRSP for some discussion items. The LRSP has been developed as a living document that is flexible and responsive to evolving community needs.
It is recommended that the LRSP be revisited at least every five years.
The Town of Atherton has a 2023 population of 6,678 per California Department of Finance and has a total of 51 centerline miles of roadways per Caltrans 2022 California Public Road Data. From 2018 through 2022, there were 121 reported crashes on surface streets in the Town and 4 fatal/severe injury crashes. Pedestrians were involved in 10 percent of all reported crashes and 50 percent of fatal/severe injury crashes. Bicyclists were involved in 21 percent of all reported crashes and no fatal/severe injury crashes. Of reported at-grade crashes, 36 (30 percent) occurred on or along state highways. The LRSP provides Safe System-aligned strategies tailored to Atherton’s crash history and local priorities, as well as performance measures to evaluate progress.
As outlined in the draft LRSP, the Town of Atherton’s vision for roadway safety is:
• Reduce fatal and severe injury crashes to zero by 2050 Local Roadway Safety Plan and Speed Limits
NOVEMBER 20, 2024
• Promote a culture of roadway safety in Atherton’s departments, educational institutions, and residents
To support this vision, the following goals are included in the draft LRSP:
1. Regularly review crash history and community needs to identify and prioritize opportunities to reduce crash risk for roadway users of all ages and abilities.
2. Implement safety countermeasures systemically and as part of all projects to target emphasis areas and underserved communities.
3. Promote plan recommendations with identified safety partners to incorporate roadway safety through safety projects and educational campaigns in Atherton.
4. Provide opportunities for community engagement to identify issues and inform safety solutions across the community.
5. Embrace the Safe System approach to promote engineering and non-engineering strategies in the community.
6. Identify opportunities to incorporate social equity into safety improvements.
7. Monitor implementation of the Atherton LRSP to track progress towards goals.
The majority of these goals are currently part of ongoing Town activities and processes.
Together, C/CAG, its 21 local jurisdictions, and partner agencies will work to:
• Identify safety improvements, strategies, and programs using the Safe System Approach to eliminate fatalities and severe injuries on local roads. • Enhance the existing roadway network in a cost-effective manner that promotes traffic safety and social equity, meets the needs of the community, and enriches the lives of residents.
• Promote a culture across agencies and communities that puts roadway safety first in all actions.
C/CAG will lead, coordinate, and support each of its 21 local jurisdictions in achieving their respective vision and goals to reduce or eliminate fatalities and severe injury crashes across all public roadways.
Safety Corridors
The draft LRSP identifies a combined High Injury Network (HIN) for pedestrians, cyclists, and motor vehicles, as well as priority segments and intersections. Identified locations include certain local streets and intersections that are within Town control, locations under shared jurisdictional control, as well as along state highways that traverse the Town. Identification of these street segments and intersections assists the Town in prioritizing potential safety countermeasures, improvements and in applying for funding. The Town is already in the process of either studying, designing, and constructing improvements along some of these routes, including:
• El Camino Real – via the ongoing Complete Streets Gap Closure Study Local Roadway Safety Plan and Speed Limits
NOVEMBER 20, 2024
• Alameda de las Pulgas - via the Alameda de las Pulgas Traffic and Safety Improvements project currently under design
• Valparaiso Avenue Slurry Seal – cooperative project with Meno Park which is currently under construction and includes the installation of bike lane buffers from El Camino Real to Elena Avenue
Proposed Safety Corridors are consistent with the High Injury Network and priority locations identified in the Local Roadway Safety Plan and include the following streets:
Street Limits
Alameda de las Pulgas Stockbridge Ave to Camino al Lago Marsh Road Middlefield Road to Town Limit
Middlefield Road Encinal Ave to Ringwood Ave
Oak Grove Avenue Town Limit to Edge Road
Valparaiso Avenue El Camino Real to Town Limit
The Transportation, Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Committee reviewed the list of streets proposed for “Safety Corridor” designation, with the exception of Marsh Road which was inadvertently omitted from the list at their September 24, 2024, meeting and recommended that the City Council designate the streets as “Safety Corridors.”
Speed Limits
As noted above, the Town may reduce speeds by up to 5 miles per hour along designated Safety Corridors. The HIN can be considered as starting point in such designations. Legislation limits the number of streets that can be considered as Safety Corridors to 5% of the local roadways.
With the pending completion of the Valparaiso Slurry Seal project, Menlo Park would like to reduce the speed limit along Valparaiso Avenue from 30 miles per hour to 25 miles per hour.
Menlo Park has already designated Valparaiso Avenue as a Safety Corridor. The Town would need to do so as well to maintain a consistent speed limit of 25 miles per hour on both sides of the street.
The current speed limit and potential speed limits for the proposed “Safety Corridors” are as follows:
Street Limits Posted
Speed Limit
Potential
Speed Limit
Alameda de las
Pulgas
Stockbridge Ave to Camino al
Lago
30 mph 25 mph
Marsh Road Middlefield Road to Town Limit 30 mph 25 mph Middlefield Road Encinal Ave to Ringwood Ave 30 mph 25 mph Oak Grove Avenue* Town Limit to Edge Road 25 mph 20 mph Valparaiso Avenue* El Camino Real to Town Limit 30 mph 25 mph As noted above, the Transportation, Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Committee reviewed the above Local Roadway Safety Plan and Speed Limits
NOVEMBER 20, 2024
list of streets proposed for “Safety Corridor” designation, with the exception of Marsh Road, and discussed the potential of reducing speed limits along the corridors. They elected not to make a recommendation to reduce the speed limits at this time. It is noted that designation of Safety Corridors does not require revision of speed limits and provides flexibility to either revise in the future or allow for retention of existing limits should speed limit adjustment be required by a future ET&S. It is noted that Valparaiso Avenue and Oak Grove Avenue are partially within the City of Menlo Park’s jurisdiction and speed limit adjustments, depending on limits, would require coordination with the City of Menlo Park.
The Transportation, Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Committee also discussed the potential of reducing speed limits in school zones to 15 mph and deferred any recommendations to a future meeting to allow for additional consideration. School Zones under consideration include:
Street School Posted Speed Limit
Camino al Lago* Las Lomitas Elementary 25 mph
Edge Road Laurel Elementary 25 mph
Encinal Avenue Encinal Elementary 25 mph
Oak Grove Avenue Menlo-Atherton High School 25 mph
Ringwood Avenue* Menlo-Atherton High School and Laurel
Elementary
25 mph
Selby Lane Adelante-Selby School 30 mph
It is noted that Camino al Lago is partially within the unincorporated area of San Mateo County and would require coordination with San Mateo County to adjust the speed limit. Similarly, the Town’s jurisdiction along Ringwood Avenue is limited and coordination with both San Mateo County and the City of Menlo Park would be required to make desired speed limit adjustments.
Additional streets that can be considered include but are not limited to:
Street School Posted Speed Limit
Emilie Avenue Sacred Heart / St. Joseph 25 mph
Park Road Sacred Heart/ St. Joseph 25 mph
Elena Avenue Sacred Heart 25 mph
With the exception of direction regarding Valparaiso in coordination with Menlo Park, it is not recommended that the Council act on any specific speed limit reduction at this time. The Transportation, Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee is expected to provide a recommendation to the Council at a future meeting. However, the Council is welcome to provide feedback to staff that can be provided to the Committee at their future meeting with respect to speed limit adjustments along Safety Corridors and in School Zones, if any.
FISCAL IMPACT
None at this time.
Local Roadway Safety Plan and Speed Limits
NOVEMBER 20, 2024
GOAL ALIGNMENT
This Report and its contents are in alignment with the following Council Policy Goals:
• Goal Area B – Preserve Small Town Character and Quality of Life • Goal Area D – Manage Circulation and Improve Safety
POLICY FOCUS
The Council’s focus would be on the intent to adopt a Local Roadway Safety Plan/Vision Zero Plan, maintain eligibility for various roadway safety grant programs, and the desire to maintain or reduce speeds along designated Safety Corridors and in School Zones.
PUBLIC NOTICE
Public notification was achieved by posting the agenda, with this agenda item being listed, at least 72 hours prior to the meeting in print and electronically. Information about the project is also disseminated via the Town’s electronic News Flash and Atherton Online. There are approximately 1,200 subscribers to the Town’s electronic News Flash publications. Subscribers include residents as well as stakeholders –to include, but be not limited to, media outlets, school districts, Menlo Park Fire Protection District, service provides (water, power, and sewer), and regional elected officials.
COMMISSION/COMMITTEE FEEDBACK/REFERRAL
Transportation Committee (meets every other month)
ATTACHMENTS
1. Draft Atherton Local Roadway Safety Plan
2. C/CAG Countywide Local Roadway Safety Plan
3. Draft Resolution adopting the Town of Atherton Local Roadway Safety Plan and designating “Safety Corridors”