Agenda Report
Fullerton City Council
MEETING DATE: NOVEMBER 1, 2022
TO: CITY COUNCIL / SUCCESSOR AGENCY
SUBMITTED BY: MEG McWADE, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
PREPARED BY: DAVID ROSEMAN, CITY TRAFFIC ENGINEER
SUBJECT: CROSSWALK REMOVAL AT CHAPMAN AVENUE AND
HART PLACE
SUMMARY
Consideration of a Transportation and Circulation C ommission (TCC) recommendation, not supported by the Active Transportation Committe e, to eliminate the marked crosswalk at Chapman Avenue and Hart Place as part of the overall Chapman Avenue Traffic Safety Review.
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize removal of marked crosswalk at Chapman Avenue and Hart Place.
CITY MANAGER REMARKS
The neighborhood requested this removal.
PRIORITY POLICY STATEMENT
This item matches the following Priority Policy Statement:
• Infrastructure and City Assets.
FISCAL IMPACT
This action has no fiscal impact as the Fiscal Year 2022-23 Adopted Budget includes costs associated with removing existing painted markings and existing signage.
DISCUSSION
The Traffic Engineering Division conducted a traffi c safety review for the Chapman Avenue corridor between Raymond Avenue and State College Boulevard in response to recent safety concerns expressed by the public.
Crosswalk Removal at Chapman Avenue and Hart Place
November 1, 2022 - Page 2
The review recommended removing the marked unsignal ized crosswalk at the intersection of Chapman Avenue and Hart Place. This crosswalk is the only uncontrolled crosswalk on Chapman Avenue between th e CA-57 freeway and Harbor Boulevard. A signalized crossing 475 feet to the w est at Victoria Drive can provide pedestrians with the full protection of crossing th e street under signalized control.
Observations revealed that few pedestrians use the existing crosswalk. The crossing activity falls well below the level warranting a crosswalk at the location.
The City Traffic Engineer recommended, and the Comm ission concurred, removal of the crosswalk due to the low pedestrian usage, the high speed of traffic on Chapman Avenue, the lack of a pedestrian crossing attractor on either side of the street and the signalized intersection within 500 feet.
California Vehicle Code Section 21950.5 requires the City to provide public notice for 30 days prior to removal of a marked crosswalk and to allow the public to comment on the matter. Staff posted notices at the marked crosswal k slated for removal on September 1, 2022 and the Transportation and Circulation Comm ission held a public hearing on October 3, 2022.
The Commission received a signed petition from resi dents of Hart Place south of Chapman Avenue in support of removing the crosswalk at the public hearing. Nine residents signed the petition in favor of removal o f the crosswalk and a full closure of pedestrian access to southbound Hart Place from Cha pman Avenue. One resident and members of the Active Transportation Committee (ATC ) attended the TCC Public Hearing and expressed opposition to the removal bec ause the City’s 2012 Bicycle Master Plan lists the site as a potential future bi keway connection and requested ATC consider the item. The City Traffic Engineer presen ted the staff and TCC recommendation for crosswalk removal to ATC on October 19, 2022 to obtain feedback.
ATC did not support the recommendation for crosswalk removal.
Attachments:
• Attachment 1 – Proposed Crosswalk Removal
• Attachment 2 – TCC Staff Report (without exhibits)
• Attachment 3 - ATC Staff Report
cc: City Manager Eric J. Levitt
CHAPMAN AVENUE ‐ Chapman Ave at Hart Place
Proposed Crosswalk Removal
CHAPMAN AVENUE
HART PLACE
HART PLACE
VICTORIA DRIVE
475’
CROSSWALK PROPOSED TO
BE REMOVED
Exhibit A (AƩachment 1)
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
CHAPMAN AVENUE ‐ Chapman Ave at Hart Place
Proposed Crosswalk Removal
CHAPMAN AVENUE
HART PLACE
HART PLACE
VICTORIA DRIVE
475’
CROSSWALK PROPOSED TO
BE REMOVED
Exhibit A (AƩachment 1)
Staff Report
Fullerton Active
Transportation Committee
MEETINGDATE: OCTOBER19, 2022
TO: ACTIVETRANSPORTATIONCOMMITTEE
SUBMITTEDBY: PUBLICWORKS/TRAFFICENGINEERINGDIVISION
PREPAREDBY: DAVIDROSEMAN, CITYTRAFFICENGINEER
SUBJECT: PROPOSEDREMOVAL OF MARKED CROSSWALK ON
CHAPMANAVENUEAT HARTPLACE
SUMMARY
The City Traffic Engineer has recommendedthe removal of the marked crosswalkon ChapmanAvenueand Hart Place as a part of a safety study of ChapmanAvenue. The Transportationand Circulation Commission has considered the matter, heard public testimony, and has acted to recommendedremovalof the crosswalkto the City Council at a futuremeeting. The City TrafficEngineeris comingbeforethe ActiveTransportation Committee (ATC) to seekcommentsand feedbackon the matter.
RECOMMENDATION
Considerthe proposedremoval of the marked crosswalkon ChapmanAvenue at Hart Place and providefeedbackto the City TrafficEngineer.
DISCUSSION
At the August 1, 2022, Transportation & Circulation Commission (TCC) meeting, the City Traffic Engineer presented findings and recommendationsfrom the Chapman Avenue Traffic Safety review. The TCC concurred with all six recommended traffic safety enhancements, which included a recommendationto pursue the removal of the uncontrolledcrosswalk on Chapman Avenue at Hart Place. The TCC was advised at the time that signs would be posted at the crossing providing public notice of the proposed crosswalk removal. Additionally, the TCC was advised that if staff received public feedbackin oppositionto the removal that the matter would be brought back to the TCC for reconsiderationbasedon the publicfeedbackreceived.
ProposedRemovalof the MarkedCrosswalkon ChapmanAvenueat Hart Place October19, 2022 - Page2
CaliforniaVehicleCodeSection21950.5 requiresthat public noticebe providednot less than 30 days prior to the removalof a markedcrosswalkand that the public be allowed to be heard on the matter. In accordance with State law, staff posted the marked crosswalk on Chapman Avenue at Hart Place on August 17, 2022, identifying it for removal. City staff received one call in opposition to the planned crosswalk removal, one call in supportof the removal, and a petitionrepresentingnine of the elevenhomes on Hart Place south of Chapman Avenue supporting the removal. Since there was public interest expressed, the matter was brought back to the TCC at their October 3, 2022, meetingfor a public hearingand to considerthe public input received. In addition to the public input received, two members of the ATC expressed opposition to the removal of the crosswalk to the TCC. The reasons expressed by the two members includeda potentialfuturebikewayconnectionoutlinedin the City’s 2012BicycleMaster Plan and the opinion that the matter should be referred to the ATC for their consideration. The TCC consideredthe input receivedfrom the public and the two ATC membersand then actedto move the recommendationfor crosswalkremovalforwardto City Council.
As was discussed at the August 1, 2022, TCC meeting, the crosswalk proposed for removal provides a direct connectionfrom a residentialcul-de-sac south of Chapman Avenue to a short discontinuous residential street north of Chapman Avenue. This crosswalkis the only uncontrolledcrosswalkon ChapmanAvenuebetweenthe CA-57 freewayand HarborBoulevardand there is a signalizedcrossing475 feet to the west at VictoriaDrive that can providepedestrianswith the full protectionof crossingthe street under signalized control. Observations of pedestrian crossings revealed that few pedestrianschooseto use the existingcrosswalkand that the crossingactivityfalls well below that which would suggesta crosswalkis warranted. Additionally, the removalof the crosswalk will not prohibit pedestriansfrom crossing at the intersectionif they so chooseto cross the street at that location. In considerationof the low pedestrianusage, the high speedof traffic on ChapmanAvenue, the lack of a pedestriancrossingattractor on either side of the street, and the presenceof a signalizedintersectionwithin500 feet, the City Traffic Engineer recommended, and the TCC concurred, that removal of the crosswalkwas a prudentcourseof action.
Attachments:
Attachment1 - Exhibit “A” VicinityMap