From: [email protected] on behalf of eSCRIBE.Admin To: Tonya Hussain
Subject: Public Comment Received
Date: Tuesday, August 6, 2024 11:20:16 AM
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User Ted Godshalk has enter the following comment(s):
Please pull this item for deeper discussion. Thank you. for Adoption of the National City Systematic Safety Analysis Report Program (SSARP) / Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP). in Special City Council Meeting - 5pm Regular 8/6/2024 5:00:00 PM
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Item 8.3 - Ted Godshalk
From: Ted Godshalk
To: Public Comment
Cc: Luz Molina
Subject: Item 8.3 for 8/6/24 -Inclusion of Cleveland Ave. on the Priority Safety Projects Date: Tuesday, August 6, 2024 11:23:39 AM
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Comment for item 8.3 for the City Council Meeting of August 6, 2024 from Mr. Ted Godshalk
Good Morning Council and Mayor,
At Tuesday’s City Council Meeting, I request that Item 8.3 be pulled for discussion. The item refers to adopting the Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP) and I believe that the City of National City needs to do more study of unsafe roadway and traffic conditions on Cleveland Avenue and then include this very busy and unsafe street on the list of High Collision Corridors and on the list of Priority Safety Projects.
On July 10, 2024, I attended the Traffic Safety Committee meeting at City Hall. City Engineers presented the LRSP for the committee to consider. I made comments at the meeting, as did other residents. First, I noted for the committee (three residents) that the data used in the LRSP is terribly dated. With old data, the plan, as well as the staff’s and the committee’s judgement, may be flawed. I think the Traffic Safety Committee is as important as the Planning Commission and should be treated as such. I noted for the committee that this report and recommendations do not include any analysis of the “Pandemic Period,” when we know traffic patterns changed, traffic enforcement slacked off, and speeds and drivers’ habits accelerated. The Kimley-Horn Addendum does little to assuage this fact. The Chen-Ryan plan, written in 2021 with data from 2013 to 2017, must have sat on the floor in Mr. Yano’s office or got lost somewhere. It certainly doesn’t seem to have been a very high priority.
This agenda item should not be supported by data from the years 2013 to 2017. I told the Committee that to present the LRSP with old data like this, must be for the sole purpose of including it with grant applications to the Federal, State, County , and SANDAG agencies.
This document needs to be for more than just chasing money.
At the committee, I shared the photos you see here to demonstrate that Cleveland Avenue is much more dangerous than the study shows. Why is this oversight happening today? Some of these photos show terrible accidents that resulted in serious damage to property and people.
My comments to the Committee included the recommendation to use newer data collected for the CPSM report to the city. Traffic data from 2020 was included in the Center for Public Safety Management's report to the city. While its data may support the LRSP findings to work harder on the main streets (Highland, NC Blvd., 24th Street, 18th Street, 16th Street, Euclid, 8th and Plaza), the report also called on NCPD to increase traffic enforcement throughout the city. The report noted deficiencies in the motorcycle unit and the methods of traffic division with respect to accident response and speed limit control. That report is but one of several (CalSTA Zero Traffic fatalities Task Force research, CHP Fatality Analysis and MTFC Item 8.3 - Ted Godshalk
Project) that could be used for current conditions. Or you could start a new study now. I lieu of that happening, I present my data (photographic evidence) to the committee and to you today.
The discussion at the committee meeting led to my main concern with the study of traffic and the allocation of resources to manage it. While future grant applications and projects should work on the identified roads in National City, one additional street should be included for consideration.We cannot wait for another study in five years or ten years like this time. I have photographic evidence that Cleveland Avenue is also dangerous and warrants being prioritized for new safety countermeasures. We can work now to make Cleveland Avenue safer for all users. In fact, planning ahead for the changes we may see when the Bayshore Bikepath goes in on McKinley Avenue and new development occurs at 24th Street. This is an opportunity to include Cleveland Avenue in short-term and long-term projects to make the street safer for motorists, cyclists, pedestrians, residents, and workers. Additional language in the resolution and plan document can make this a reality. Perhaps a delay of two weeks to discuss it deeper is possible.
Below I have included the photos I shared with the committee.
Thank you for your attention and concern for this,
Ted Godshalk
Description of photo above each photo:
Cleveland and 19th St.
During morning congestion into the Navy base
Early morning, car on sidewalk in area of peds crossing Police on site after accident
Poor site lines
Lack of yield protocols
Poor street lighting
No enforcement before the incident
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Cleveland and 22nd St.
Car at high speed with truck
White truck had poor site lines
2 parked cars hit also
Police on site
Injuries to driver
Little or no traffic law enforcement in the area
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Cleveland near PSI
Forklift exiting a business hits moving vehicle.
Working in the street
Distracted driver and worker
Unsafe business practices
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Cleveland TURN LANE Median conditions
Truck unloading in the median is very common
Workers in the street,
passing cars in median
cars speeding,
products unloaded unsafely in the right-of-way.
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Cleveland near PSI
2 truck accident
Police on site after accident
Poor site lines, high speed
Distracted driving
No enforcement
Traffic conflicts in new gas station area.
Parking in the median
Freeway exit issues
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Cleveland near 19th Street
Early morning congestion into the Navy Base 19th St entrance Cars using 1- travel lane NB, 2- Median NB, 3- travel lane SB to go NB Early morning widespread congestion back to freeway, Harbor Drive, 24th Street, and Tidelands Ave.
No NCPD on site
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City traffic signs on Cleveland.
Hit by truck
Big rig parking is a problem for parking and site lines Speed sign replaced after a month
Speed limit lowered to 30 MPH
More progress with enforcement and traffic calming needed ASAP ___________________
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Grant bought two speed indicators and placed by contractor in ineffective locations Drivers not aware of the speed limit
Not maintained in workable condition for more than three years ___________________
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SEE-Click-Fix reports on speeding outstanding over two years Situation remains dangerous on Cleveland Avenue.