BACKGROUND:
This past year, the city has experienced significant challenges due to more consistent and unusually high wind speeds than in the past few years. The wind not only provides its own challenges with its own force, but the resulting blowsand movement within the Coachella Valley Blowsand Zone added and continues to add challenges for both our residents, motorists, and our Public Works field crews.
Referencing South Coast Air Quality Management District definitions, the Coachella Valley Blowsand Zone is considered two (2) miles north and south of centerline of Interstate 10 (I-10) from the junction of State Route 111 (SR-111) continuing southeast to the I-10/Jefferson Street interchange in Indio. This places Cathedral City right in the center of this designated corridor.
Seasonally the higher winds have come during the Spring months (March through early May). This year that window started earlier than usual in February and is currently continuing. The drier conditions caused by the current drought and possibly climate change have provided significant challenges, especially this past month of May, with gusts as high as 60 plus mph. These nonstop high winds across the Coachella Valley have set all-time records in April.
These wind gusts pick up blowsand and PM-10 (particulate matter that is less than 10 microns which when air bound are inhalable). The blowsand and PM-10 are also transported and deposited across transportation routes, which causes roadway buildup making it a traffic hazard. In addition, the blowsand impairs drivers’ vision. Lastly, with blow sand and PM-10 in the air, it makes it difficult to perform tasks outside.
These strong winds throughout Cathedral City have an affect on traffic signals, signage, ability for Public Works crews to perform normal maintenance tasks (e.g., painting curbs, landscaping, etc.) and add the additional task of blowsand cleanup along our major corridor roadways and neighborhood streets.
DISCUSSION:
Cathedral City roadways must remain open to prevent traffic congestion and long delays for citizens and visitors to the City, therefore it is a priority for the Public Works Department to remove the blow sand as soon as possible.
In past years, the Public Works crews spent the following days removing sand from the roadways:
•2019: 5 days
•2020: 7 days
•2021: 10 days
•2022: 30 days and continuing
The Public Works Blow Sand Removal Process
1. The Public Works crews use a combination of hand tools and heavy equipment (front end loader) to remove drifting sand from the roadway.
2. The sand is placed on a nearby lot normally creating a berm.
3. After all the roadways are cleared, the public works crews return to each area and address the berms.
The increase and reoccurrence of thick sand piles which have spread across the City roadways has presented a labor challenge for the Public Works crews to address in a timely manner. Proactively, the Public Works Department has had to retain the services of the City’s on-call landscaping contractors (Palm Springs Tree) to assist with the cleanup and removal of sand in order to open the streets in a timely matter.
With respect to the labor challenges identified above, the Public Works Staff is researching proposals for the costs associated with acquiring a Broom Sweeper which would reduce the manhours needed to clear the roadway. The City of Palm Springs has this piece of equipment within its fleet and Staff has seen its effectiveness on Gene Autrey Trail after each wind and blowsand event.
Other Impacts
The high winds have also damaged components of the City’s traffic signal system, specifically at the intersections at:
•Landau and Vista Chino
•30 th and Date Palm
•Cathedral Village and Ramon Rd
•Vista Chino and Date Palm
•Palm Drive and Paul Drive – monopole knock down
•Bob Hope and Varner
•Avenida Quintana and Vista Chino.
Lighting and Landscaping Districts: Century Park, La Paloma, Tapestry, Cimarron and Santoro Estates have been impacted. There will be additional cost to remove the blow sand from the landscaping areas surrounding these communities.
Roadway Traffic, directional and wayfinding signs: 60 plus mph winds have damaged traffic regulatory, safety, warning and directional signs throughout the city.
Staff has noted that this amount of damage to signage, has never been experienced before and the type of damage unprecedented.
Medians, Curb and Gutter: The amount of sand build up and debris around the medians and along the streets within the curb and gutter pans has proved difficult for the City’s Street Sweeping Contractor, with their equipment. The day-to-day street sweeping equipment they use cannot clean and/or sweep up the blowsand rifts and the equipment operators will drive around the rifts rather than go through the rift and clog their equipment. The Public Works crews are assisting the contractor by removing the heavy piles of sand prior to the street sweeping operation taking place.
Drains/Siphons: At this time, most of the drains and siphons located in Cathedral City are full of sand and/or blown in debris. The Public works Department is working to clear these drains and has proactively hired a contractor to pump the drains.
Spillways: Out of eleven (11) spillways that the Public Works crews maintain, four (4) have accumulated a significant amount of sand build that will diminish these stormwater receiving areas’ capacities. These receiving areas will need to be cleared as soon as possible to make ready for the rain season.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact as a result of this presentation.