Date: November 27, 2023
To: Public Works and Sustainability Commission
From: Department of Public Works
Subject: ALL WAY STOP CONTROLS AT FLAGLER LANE AND SPEYER LANE TITLE:
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING AN ALL WAY STOP INSTALLATION AT THE INTERSECTION OF FLAGLER LANE AND SPEYER LANE.
SUMMARY:
In response to a resident request, staff is bringing forward a recommendation for all-way stop (“AWS”) controls at the intersection of Flagler Lane and Speyer Lane. In accordance with the City Council’s policy for AWS requests, staff initiated a survey of residences within 150 feet of the intersection and received insufficient resident support to move the item forward on those grounds around October 2022. At the time, the matter was considered closed and a site analysis was not performed. After the onboarding of additional staff resources in September 2023, the City’s Transportation Engineer reopened this case in order to fully respond to resident concerns. Staff performed a site analysis in October 2023 and believes a relevant obstruction to sight lines exists at the intersection of Flagler Lane and Speyer Lane, and that the operation of the intersection could be improved with the installation of all way stop controls. Therefore, staff recommends the installation of an AWS at this intersection and is seeking the input of the public and the Public Works and Sustainability Commission before bringing the matter to City Council.
BACKGROUND:
Flagler Lane runs north-south, is classified as a local street, and has a 25-mph residential prima facie speed limit. It is approximately 28 feet wide with one travel lane in each direction that is separated by a double yellow centerline. Parking is prohibited on both sides of the street. Flagler Lane is not stop controlled at the subject intersection. Adjacent stop controls along Flagler Lane exist approximately 340 feet (one block) to the north at Belmont Lane and approximately 340 feet (one block) to the south at Morgan Lane.
Speyer Lane runs east-west, is classified as a local street, and has a 25-mph residential prima facie speed limit. It is approximately 28 feet wide with one travel lane in each direction that is separated by a dashed yellow centerline. Parallel parking is allowed only on the south side of the street. Speyer Lane is stop controlled at the subject intersection. There are stop controls approximately 640 feet (one block) to the west and east of the subject intersection at Harkness Lane and Green Lane, respectively.
Administrative Report
Fronting development in the vicinity of the intersection is predominantly single and multifamily residential. Jefferson Elementary School is located at Flagler Lane and Morgan Lane.
There are sidewalk, curb, and gutter improvements at the northwest, southwest, and southeast corners. Yellow school zone crosswalks are striped on the east and west legs.
The California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CA MUTCD) provides guidance for the installation of all-way stop controls. It suggests that all-way stop controls should be considered when:
• Criteria A - Where traffic control signals are justified, the multi-way stop is an interim measure that can be installed quickly to control traffic while arrangements are being made for the installation of the traffic control signal. • Criteria B – When there are five or more reported crashes in a 12-month period that are susceptible to correction by a multi-way stop installation. Such crashes include right-turn and left-turn collisions as well as right-angle collisions. • Criteria C - Where the vehicular volume entering the intersection from the major street approaches (total of both approaches) averages at least 300 vehicles per hour for any 8 hours of an average day; and combined vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle volume entering the intersection from the minor street approaches (total of both approaches) averages at least 200 units per hour for the same 8 hours, with an average delay to minor-street vehicular traffic of at least 30 seconds per vehicle during the highest hour. When the 85th-percentile approach speed of the majorstreet traffic exceeds 40 mph, the minimum vehicular volume warrants may be reduced to 70 percent of the above values.
• Criteria D - Where no single criterion is satisfied, but where Criteria B and C are all satisfied to 80 percent of the minimum values.
The CA MUTCD also provides other criteria that may be considered, including:
• The need to control left-turn conflicts;
• The need to control vehicle/pedestrian conflicts near locations that generate high pedestrian volumes;
• Locations where a road user, after stopping, cannot see conflicting traffic and is not able to negotiate the intersection unless conflicting cross traffic is also required to stop; and,
• An intersection of two residential neighborhood collector (through) streets of similar design and operating characteristics where all-way stop control would improve traffic operational characteristics of the intersection.
DISCUSSION:
Staff received an AWS request for at the subject location in October 2022. The request was due to a resident (or residents) concern with safety at the intersection.
Staff forwarded by USPS mail a survey (Attachment 1) to 23 residences within 150 feet of the respective intersections per the City’s AWS request policy approved by City Council. At the time, the City had not yet offered the option to respond to the survey electronically via a provided QR code. The responses were due by November 2, 2022.
At the time the City closed the request, the City had received five (5) supportive responses for installing AWS controls at the subject intersection, shown in Attachment 2. Because there were no negative responses, the response rate and the support rate were both 5 of 23, or about 22%. This is below the threshold to advance the AWS request on the merits of resident support alone. Staff also collected and analyzed reported traffic collision data at both intersections from SWITRS. A review of the available SWITRS crash data at the intersection during the five-year period revealed one potentially correctable collision between 1/1/2017 and 12/31/2022 that involved a driver and a bicyclist. At the time, staff who were responsible for traffic engineering duties did not perform further analyses and the case was considered closed.
Upon the hiring of additional staff resources in September 2023, the City’s Transportation Engineer reviewed older resident requests and decided to reopen this particular case. Staff visited the intersection in October 2023 and noticed visibility challenges for drivers traveling eastbound on Speyer Lane towards both directions of Flagler Lane that could be addressed by the introduction of AWS controls at that intersection. Despite the low crash history at the subject intersection, the City’s Transportation Engineer is recommending the addition of AWS controls at the intersection of Flagler Lane and Speyer Lane, based on the visibility challenges at the intersection. The residents previously surveyed were notified that this item would be placed on the agenda for this meeting of the Commission.
Staff recommendation for AWS control is based on the CA MUTCD “other criteria” listed above, specifically related to reduced visibility for conflicting traffic due to the prevailing slopes along Flagler Lane and Speyer Lane and the presence of adjacent development and landscaping. In addition, the presence of school zone crosswalks and proximity to Jefferson Elementary School would be reasons to introduce stop controls at this location.
ALTERNATIVES AVAILABLE:
1. Recommend staff advance consideration of AWS control at Flagler Lane/Speyer Lane to the City Council.
2. Do not support the recommendation from staff.
3. Other actions as determined by the Public Works and Sustainability Commission.
COORDINATION:
Coordination of the resident survey and the safety evaluation and this report took place within the Public Works Department. Noticing was provided for this proposed AWS in accordance with City AWS policy.
Prepared by:
Ryan Liu, Transportation Engineer
Submitted by:
Ted Semaan, Public Works Director
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Survey Notice Letter
2. Survey Response Results
10/19/2022
Resident
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR STOP SIGN(S) STUDY AT THE INTERSECTION OF Flagler Ln and Speyer Ln
The City of Redondo Beach has received a request for all-way stop controls at the intersection of Flagler Ln and Speyer Ln. The City’s current response policy requires staff to initiate a survey of nearby residences to determine the level of support for this request.
The City is providing this form to solicit your official response to the survey.
A few items to keep in mind:
Staff will conduct a safety evaluation of the intersection to further inform a decision to take this request to the City Council.
If the safety evaluation determines there is no compelling safety reason to move the request forward, the request may still be advanced if a sufficient number of survey responses in support of the request are received Completion of attached form does not guarantee that STOP signs will be installed.
A decision to install all-way stop controls can be made only by the City Council. Please respond within four weeks of this letter’s date. Only one response per address / household is permitted.
There is no need to return this form if you are not in support of the proposed additional stop signs.
A flowchart of the City’s process for response to all-way stop requests is included with this letter. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact us via email at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Andrew S. Winje, P.E.
City Engineer
cc: Christian Horvath, District 3 Council Member
Mike Witzansky, City Manager
Ted Semaan, Director of Public Works
REV 10.19.2022
Public Works Department
Engineering Services Division
415 Diamond Street
Redondo Beach, California 90277
www.redondo.org
tel: 310 318-0661
fax: 310 374-4828
SUPPORT OF ALL-WAY STOP REQUEST
I, the undersigned, desire, agree with, and request the installation of additional STOP signs at the intersection of Flagler Ln and Speyer Ln.
NAME (PRINTED)_______________________________________________________ SIGNATURE___________________________________________________________ ADDRESS_____________________________________________________________ PHONE NO.____________________________________________________________ EMAIL________________________________________________________________ DATE_________________________________________________________________ Upon completion of the form and within four weeks of the date of the attached letter, please scan and send by email to [email protected] or send by regular mail to:
Traffic Engineering, Engineering Services Division
City of Redondo Beach
415 Diamond Street
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
Public Works Department
Engineering Services Division
415 Diamond Street
Redondo Beach, California 90277
www.redondo.org
tel: 310 318-0661
fax: 310 374-4828
Response to Resident Survey for Support of AWS at Clark Ln and Goodman Ave Date Survey Sent October 2022
Address Date Yes No Counter USPS Email
1903 SPEYER
1901 SPEYER
906 FLAGLER
1905 SPEYER UNIT A
1905 SPEYER UNIT B
1902 SPEYER 10/23/2022 X X
808 FLAGLER
1904 SPEYER UNIT B 10/23/2022 X X
1904 SPEYER UNIT A
1820 SPEYER APT 1
1820 SPEYER APT 2
1820 SPEYER APT 3
1820 SPEYER APT 4
1818 SPEYER UNIT B
1818 SPEYER UNIT A
1822 SPEYER 10/29/2022 X X
807 FLAGLER
905 FLAGLER
1823 SPEYER 10/22/2022 X X
1821 SPEYER UNIT A
1821 SPEYER UNIT B 10/24/2022 X X
1819 SPEYER UNIT A
1819 SPEYER UNIT B
23 5 5 0 0 0 5
Ratio in support of all residences 22%
Ratio in support of responding residences 100%
Ratio opposed of all residences 0%
Ratio opposed of responding residences 0%
Total Resonse Rate 22%
Response Received Method of Response