Agenda Report
Fullerton Transportation and
Circulation Commission
MEETING DATE: OCTOBER 3, 2022
TO: TRANSPORTATION & CIRCULATION COMMISSION
SUBMITTED BY: PUBLIC WORKS /TRAFFIC ENGINEERING DIVISION
PREPARED BY: DAVID ROSEM AN, CITY TRAFFIC ENGINEER
SUBJECT: RECOMMENDATION TO REMOVE THE MARKED
CROSSWALK ON CHAPMAN AVENUE AT HART PLACE
SUMMARY
In accordance with the Commission’s previous action, City staff is pursuing the removal of the uncontrolled crosswalk on Chapman Avenue at Hart Place. The first step in the process was to post a public notice at the crossing slated for removal in accordance with State law, which resulted in public feedba ck received by City staff. Staff is now requesting the Commission consider the public feedback received and either reaffirm or withdraw the Commission’s previous action.
RECOMMENDATION
Hear and consider public testimony regarding the elimination of the uncontrolled marked crosswalk on Chapman Avenue at Hart Place, as shown in Exhibit “A” (Attachment 1), and then reaffirm the Commission’s concurr ence of the City Traffic Engineer’s recommendation to remove the crosswalk and forward said recommendation to City Council for approval.
DISCUSSION
At the August 1, 2022, Transportation & Cir culation Commission (TCC) meeting, the City Traffic Engineer presented findings and recommendations from the Chapman Avenue Traffic Safety review. The Commi ssion concurred with all six recommended traffic safety enhancements, which included a recommendation to pursue the removal of the uncontrolled crosswalk on Chapman Avenue at Hart Place. The Commission was advised at the time that signs would be posted at the crossi ng providing public notice of
Recommendation to Remove the Marked Crosswalk on Chapman Avenue at Hart Place October 3, 2022 - Page 2
the proposed crosswalk removal. Additionally, the Commission was adv ised that if staff received public feedback in opposition to t he removal that the matter would be brought back to the Commission for reconsideration based on the public feedback received.
California Vehicle Code Section 21950.5 requires that public notice be provided not less than 30 days prior to the removal of a mark ed crosswalk and that the public be allowed to be heard on the matter. In accordance wit h State law, staff posted the marked crosswalk on Chapman Avenue at Hart Plac e on August 17, 2022, identifying it for removal. At the time this report was writt en, City staff received one call in opposition to the planned crosswalk removal and one public inquiry who later expressed their support for the removal. Since oppos ition of the planned crosswalk removal was received by at least one individual, the City Traffic Engineer is bringing this matter back to the Commission for reconsideration of the Co mmission’s previous action based on the public feedback received. The per son that expressed oppositi on to the removal of the crosswalk was invited to this meeting to address the Commission directly.
As discussed at the August 1, 2022, Commissi on meeting, the crosswalk proposed for removal provides a direct connection from a re sidential cul-de-sac to Hart Place, which is a short discontinuous resi dential street. This crossw alk is the only uncontrolled crosswalk on Chapman Avenue between the CA- 57 freeway and Harbor Boulevard and there is a signalized crossing 4 75 feet to the west at Vict oria Drive that can provide pedestrians with the full protection of crossi ng the street under signalized control.
Observations of pedestrian crossings reveal ed that few pedestrians choose to use the existing crosswalk and that the crossing ac tivity falls well below that which would suggest a crosswalk is warranted. Additiona lly, the removal of the crosswalk will not prohibit pedestrians from cro ssing at the intersection, if they so choose to cross the street at that location. In consideration of the low pedestrian usage, the high speed of traffic on Chapman Avenue, the lack of a pedestr ian crossing attractor on either side of the street, and the presence of a signalized intersection withi n 500 feet, the City Traffic Engineer recommended, and the Commission concur red, that removal of the crosswalk was a prudent course of action.
Attachments:
Attachment 1 - Exhi bit “A” Vicinity Map