CITY OF LAGUNA NIGUEL
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
To: Honorable Mayor and Council Members
FROM: Jacki Scott, Public Works Director/City Engineer
DATE: August 6, 2024
SUBJECT: Approval of the Installation of the Right-Turn Only Lane on Shark Bay
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the installation of the right-turn only lane (with buses exempt) on Shark Bay.
BACKGROUND
Since 2022, the Public Works Department and the Orange County Sheriff's Department have implemented a number of pedestrian and bicyclist safety improvements for Niguel Hills Middle School (NHMS) students. The improvements included:
• Education and guidance for e-bike users (e.g., walking bike along Shark Bay) • High visibility crosswalks
• Yellow reflective tape on traffic signal heads
• Video detection at Golden Lantern/Shark Bay and Golden Lantern/Paseo de Colinas intersections
• Traffic signal timing adjustments to meter traffic on Golden Lantern during school peak periods and "flush" out school egress traffic from Shark Bay • Artistic crosswalks featuring student artwork
• Conversion of bus lane on Shark Bay to right-turn only lane with buses exempt (ongoing trial basis)
The right-turn only lane was installed on Shark Bay in April 2023 on a trial basis in order to monitor the effectiveness of the bus lane conversion. This change would allow Via Estudio residents to bypass the school queue on Shark Bay and allow for deliveries to occur during school peak periods, as residents have requested. A location map and the Shark Bay improvement plan are provided as Attachments "A" and "B." A "Before and After" study of the right-turn only lane and associated impacts was implemented as part of this installation.
ANALYSIS
The Traffic and Transportation Commission reviewed the Shark Bay Right-Turn Lane "Before & After" Study discussion item at its meeting on August 23, 2023. The full staff report from the meeting can be found as Attachment "C". Based on the presentation provided by staff during the meeting, the Traffic and Transportation Commission recommended that the City Council approve the installation of the right-turn only lane (with buses exempt) on Shark Bay. Meeting minutes are provided as Attachment "D".
The "Before & After" study showed a 41% decrease in school-related U-turns made on Via Estudio, and a 6% decrease in school-related parking on Via Estudio. The reduction in school-related activity on Via Estudio is likely attributed to the effective outreach by NHMS. The NHMS Principal is in support of the right-turn only lane.
The right-turn only lane has now been in place on a trial basis for over a year, and City staff has been monitoring the intersection since the installation. City staff has not observed any issues or received any complaints about the right-turn only lane. Therefore, staff recommends that the City Council approve the installation of the right-turn only lane (with buses exempt) on Shark Bay, which supports City Council Goal 4 (Infrastructure and Technology) of the City's adopted Strategic Plan.
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The City Council may decide not to approve the installation of the right-turn only lane on Shark Bay and direct staff to restore the bus only lane. This alternative is not recommended because the right-turn only lane benefits Via Estudio residents. "Before" and "after" data showed no increase in school drop-off or pick-up activity on Via Estudio with the installation of the right-turn only lane.
FISCAL REVIEW
There is no fiscal impact as a result of this action.
LEGAL REVIEW
No legal review is required for this report.
CONCLUSION
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the installation of the right-turn only lane (with buses exempt) on Shark Bay.
Gren
City Manager Public Works Director/City Engineer
Kathy Nguyen
Enginer ny somes planager
Attachments:
A. Location Map
B. Shark Bay Improvement Plan
C. Traffic and Transportation Commission Staff Report, August 23, 2023 D. Traffic and Transportation Commission Meeting Minutes, August 23, 2023
ATTACHMENT A
Location Map
Niguel Hills
Middle School
VICINITY MAP
Shark Bay
Via Estudio
Paseo Lomita
Golden Lantern
Location Map
N
ATTACHMENT B
Shark Bay Improvement Plan
Shark Bay Improvements
ZK VIA ESTUDIO
ONLY
ONLY BUSES EXEMPT
RIGHT LANE BUSES EXEMPT
MUST
8-10 AM TURN RIGHT
3-4 PM
SCHOOL DAYS BUSES EXEMPT
SHARK BAY,
BUS
SCHOOL ONLY GOLDEN LANTERN
PASEO LOMITA
NIGUEL CLUCCEED
HILLS
MIDDLE La
SCHOOL
ATTACHMENT C
Traffic and Transportation Commission Staff Report,
August 23, 2023
CITY OF LAGUNA NIGUEL
TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION
AGENDA ITEM
To: Traffic and Transportation Commission Members
FROM: Kathy Nguyen, Engineering Services Manager/City Traffic Engineer DATE: August 23, 2023
SUBJECT: Shark Bay Right-Turn Lane Before & After Study
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Traffic and Transportation Commission recommend that the City Council approve the installation of the right-turn only lane (with buses exempt) on Shark Bay.
BACKGROUND
In August 2022, the Public Works Department and the Orange County Sheriff's Department presented a list of improvements that would enhance pedestrian and bicyclist safety for Niguel Hills Middle School (NHMS) students to the Traffic and Transportation Commission. The improvements included:
• Education and guidance for e-bike users (e.g., walking bike along Shark Bay) High visibility crosswalks
• Yellow reflective tape on traffic signal heads
• Video detection at Golden Lantern/Shark Bay and Golden Lantern/Paseo de Colinas intersections
• Traffic signal timing adjustments to meter traffic on Golden Lantern during school peak periods and "flush" out school egress traffic from Shark Bay • Artistic crosswalks featuring student artwork
During the August 2022 Traffic and Transportation Commission meeting, concerns were raised by residents who reside on Via Estudio. The only way to access the school and the neighborhood is through Shark Bay. A location map of the area is provided as Attachment "A". At the time, residents of Via Estudio were required to wait in the school queue to access their homes during the school drop-off and pick-up hours. Residents requested that the City evaluate traffic access improvements on Shark Bay.
Kimley-Horn & Associates, the City's on-call traffic engineering consultant, developed and analyzed conceptual plans for bus and residential access on Shark Bay. In October 2022, the Traffic and Transportation Commission concurred with staff's proposed conversion of the dedicated bus lane to a right-turn only lane with buses being exempt (Attachment "B").
This change would allow Via Estudio residents to bypass the school queue on Shark Bay and allow for deliveries to occur during school peak periods, as residents have requested. In February 2023, a liaison meeting was held involving City staff, school staff, Orange County Sheriff's Department, two Traffic and Transportation Commissioners, and neighborhood liaisons. Improvements on Shark Bay were discussed as well as concerns from the neighborhood liaisons. The right-turn only lane with buses exempt was installed in April 2023 on a trial basis.
The neighborhood was concerned that the conversion to a right-turn only lane would increase the volume of parents using Via Estudio for school drop-off and pick-up. This report will review the effects of converting the northbound bus only lane into a right-turn only lane with buses exempt.
ANALYSIS
To evaluate the impact on the Via Estudio neighborhood, a before and after study was conducted. This study included collecting turning movement counts, conducting a U-turn study, and conducting a parking study. The data was collected on a late-start Monday and a standard Tuesday during both the before and after periods to capture the school's varying schedules. The before study was completed in February 2023 and the after study was completed in May 2023.
VEHICLE TURNING MOVEMENT COUNTS
Vehicle turning movement counts (TMCs) were taken at the intersection of Shark Bay and Via Estudio to determine the total number of vehicles making a northbound right-turn into the Via Estudio neighborhood. The TMCs capture the total vehicular volume at the intersection and does not distinguish school-related or non-school-related traffic. A summary of northbound right-turns at the intersection of Shark Bay and Via Estudio is shown below in Table 1 and Figure 1.
Table 1: Northbound Right-Turns at Shark Bay and Via Estudio Before After Difference
50 51 +1
Shark Bay
Via Estudio
Before: 50 cars
After: 51 cars
Figure 1: Comparison of Northbound Right-Turns at Shark Bay and Via Estudio
U-TURN VEHICLE COUNTS
U-turn vehicle counts were taken on Via Estudio to determine if parents were utilizing the street as a pick-up and drop-off location. U-turns were collected along the entirety of Via Estudio and are shown in Table 2 and Figure 2. For these counts, live technicians identified non-school-related U-turns (residents, delivery trucks, etc.) from school-related U-turns in their notes using descriptions such as, "Parked to go in house" and "Picked up student in the street" for each data entry. School-related U-turns are summarized and illustrated in Table 2 and Figure 2.
Table 2: U-Turns on Via Estudio
Before After Difference
34 20 -14
Shark Bay Via Estudio
Before: 34 cars
After: 20 cars
Figure 2: Comparison of U-Turns on Via Estudio
The total reduction of U-Turns could be attributed to school outreach such as an announcement from Principal Jones in the school's weekly newsletter informing parents that the right-turn only lane was to be used by buses and Via Estudio residents only. The announcement also reminded parents that drop-off and pick-up operations would be unchanged for NHMS, and parents would continue to use the through travel lane on Shark Bay to enter the school property.
PARKING STUDY
Parking demand was collected on Via Estudio in the area between Shark Bay and 100 feet past the knuckle where Via Estudio begins to run north-south. For these counts, live technicians identified non-school-related parking events (residents, delivery trucks, etc.) from school-related parking events using descriptions such as, "Landscape workers" and "Picked up student" for each data entry. School-related parking counts collected on the northernmost portion of Via Estudio are summarized and illustrated in Table 3 and Figure
3.
Table 3: Parking on Via Estudio
Before After Difference
17 16 - 1
Before: 17 cars
After: 16 cars
Shark Bay Via Estudio
Figure 3: Comparison of Parking on Via Estudio
FINDINGS
The turning movement counts showed a 2% increase of northbound right-turning vehicles at the intersection of Shark Bay and Via Estudio. Since this data does not distinguish between neighborhood and school-related activities, it can be deduced that the increase of northbound right-turning vehicles is attributed to additional neighborhood activity as there was a decrease in school-related counts on Via Estudio. The U-turn study found a decrease of 41% of school-related U-turns made on Via Estudio, and the parking study showed a 6% decrease in school-related parking on Via Estudio. The reduction in school- related activity on Via Estudio is likely attributed to the effective outreach by NHMS. City staff will continue to coordinate with the Principal from NHMS on the ongoing outreach to parents.
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The Traffic and Transportation Commission may decide not to recommend that the City Council approve the installation of the right-turn only lane (with buses exempt) on Shark Bay and direct staff to restore the bus only lane. This alternative is not recommended because the right-turn only lane benefits Via Estudio residents. Before and after data showed no increase in school drop-off or pick-up activity on Via Estudio with the installation of the right-turn only lane.
FISCAL REVIEW
There is no fiscal impact as a result of this action.
LEGAL REVIEW
No legal review is required for this report.
CONCLUSION
Staff recommends that the Traffic and Transportation Commission recommend that the City Council approve the installation of the right-turn only lane (with buses exempt) on Shark Bay.
Engineering Services Manager/
Attachments:
A. Location Map
B. Shark Bay Improvement Plan
ATTACHMENT A
Traffic and Transportation Commission Agenda Item -
August 23, 2023
Location Map
Niguel Hills
Middle School
VICINITY MAP
Shark Bay
Via Estudio
Paseo Lomita
Golden Lantern
Location Map
N
ATTACHMENT B
Traffic and Transportation Commission Agenda Item -
August 23, 2023
Shark Bay Improvement Plan
Shark Bay Improvements
VIA ESTUDIO
ONLY
ONLY BUSES EXEMPT
RIGHT LANE BUSES EXEMPT
MUST
8 - 10 AM TURN RIGHT
3-4 PM
SCHOOL DAYS BUSES EXEMPT
SHARKBAY
BUS
SCHOOL ONLY GOLDEN LANTERN
6.6 PASEO LOMITA
NIGUEL
HILLS
MIDDLE
SCHOOL
ATTACHMENT D
Traffic and Transportation Commission Meeting Minutes,
August 23, 2023
MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF
THE CITY OF LAGUNA NIGUEL
TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION
August 23, 2023 - 7:00 p.m.
CALL TO ORDER - Chair Betonte called the Regular Traffic and Transportation Commission Meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
ROLL CALL
Commission Members: Chair Amy Betonte - Present
Vice Chair Susan Harden - Absent
Commissioner Robin Cashion - Present
Commissioner Gregory Clements - Present
Council Liaisons: Council Member Ray Gennawey - Present Council Member Gene Johns - Present
City Staff Present: Public Works Director Jacki Scott
City Traffic Engineer Kathy Nguyen
Administrative Sergeant Jason Howell
Commission Secretary Kaylee Choa
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE - Commissioner Cashion
PUBLIC COMMENTS
There were no public comments.
CONSENT CALENDAR
A MOTION was made by Commissioner Clements, seconded by Commissioner Cashion, to approve the Consent Calendar as presented.
Motion carried 3-0.
Minutes of the Regular Traffic and Transportation Commission Meeting on July 26, 2023
Approved as written.
DISCUSSION ITEMS
1. Shark Bay Right-Turn Lane Before and After Study
Laura Forinash, Traffic Engineer from Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., gave a presentation on the before and after study conducted on Shark Bay.
Discussion ensued between Commissioners and staff.
Traffic & Transportation Commission Regular Minutes Page 1 of 2 August 23, 2023 Commissioner Clements requested that Police Services issue tickets to motorists making right turns where there is a posted no U-turn sign.
Residents of Paseo Lomita, Charlie Ware, Susan Ware, Douglas Peel, and Greg Ellis, requested an exemption to make a left turn from the right-turn only lane.
Resident Melissa Caldwell shared concerns about the implementation of traffic circulation improvements on Shark Bay.
Public Works Director Scott stated that City staff has investigated numerous options to alleviate residents' concerns and that the next opportunity for improvements should include on-site management of drop-off and pick-up at Niguel Hills Middle School.
A MOTION was made by Commissioner Clements, seconded by Commissioner Cashion, that the Traffic and Transportation Commission recommend that the City Council approve the installation of the right-turn only lane (with buses exempt) on Shark Bay.
Motion carried 3-0.
2. Laguna Niguel Police Services Field Training
Deputy Sheriff Ha gave a presentation on Laguna Niguel Police Services field training.
Discussion ensued between Commissioners and staff.
A MOTION was made by Commissioner Clements, seconded by Commissioner Cashion, to receive the presentation from Police Services and file this report.
Motion carried 3-0.
STAFF, CITY COUNCIL, AND COMMISSION COMMENTS
City Traffic Engineer Nguyen provided updates on the Niguel Hills Traffic Study, the City's response to Tropical Storm Hilary, City Council's approval of a contract to begin the design of two-lane traffic on La Paz Road, and the City's signed Go Human Safety Pledge with Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) to commit to safety by designing and building streets that promote walking, biking, and community connection.
ADJOURNMENT - Chair Betonte adjourned the meeting at 8:18 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Kaylala
Kaylee Choa
Traffic and Transportation Commission Secretary
Traffic & Transportation Commission Regular Minutes Page 2 of 2 August 23, 2023