Agenda Item: 1
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
AGENDA REPORT
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
DATE: April 23, 2024
SUBJECT: UPDATE TO SPEED HUMP/CUSHION PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT: Public Works
PRESENTER: Joel Bareng
RECOMMENDED ACTION
City Council approve the update to the Citywide Speed Hump/Cushion Program, which will allow an individual property owner to request a speed hump/cushion evaluation with the initial support of ten percent of the property owners on the subject street and establish timelines for subsequent installation or removal requests. The City of Santa Clarita would assume responsibility of surveying affected property owners on the subject street and costs associated with program implementation.
BACKGROUND
On July 13, 2010, the City Council adopted the City of Santa Clarita’s (City) Citywide Speed Hump/Cushion Program (Program). The Program established procedures and criteria for the installation of speed humps/cushions on residential streets. On July 10, 2018, the City Council updated the Program to change the minimum average daily traffic volume requirement from 2,000 vehicles to 1,500 vehicles. On February 27, 2024, the City Council considered amendments to the Program and directed staff to return with revisions.
The Program updates proposed action make the following modifications to the request, survey, and removal processes and formalizes the City's financial responsibilities for the Program.
Request for Speed Cushions
The current Program requires that a Neighborhood Watch Group or Homeowners Association initiate the request for speed cushions, which excludes neighborhoods without either group. The proposed update instead requires an individual property owner on the subject street segment to request speed cushions. Once the City receives this request, staff will establish preliminary boundaries of the subject street segment for speed cushions and require the requester to collect signatures from ten percent of property owners within the preliminary street segment to demonstrate support in concept for installation of speed cushions.
Survey Process
After the property owner demonstrates ten percent support, the City will conduct engineering and traffic evaluations to ensure the street segment meets Program criteria. If so, staff will conduct a survey of property owners within the established boundary, to ascertain 67 percent support of installation. In alignment with the current process, property owners outside the established boundary will not be surveyed, which may include property owners on the same street but outside the limits of the proposed speed cushions or property owners on adjacent streets not included in the request. Property owners outside of the subject street segment typically do not meet minimum criteria for speed cushions. The established boundary defines the property owners that are directly affected by speeding and the speed cushions on a subject street segment.
The current Program requires that the requester be responsible for collecting signatures. The proposed update authorizes the City to conduct the survey. Staff will mail a survey form to property owners within the established boundary, and if no response is received from an address, staff will make at least two attempts on separate days to contact the property owner.
Upon staff verification, property owners will be notified in writing of the results.
Removal and Duplicate Request Procedures
The proposed update to the Program establishes a timeline for removal requests and for requests for installation/removal after the initial request fails to gain sufficient property owner support.
After speed cushions have been installed, property owners on the subject street segment must wait at least 36 months to initiate a removal request. If the City receives a removal request after sufficient time has passed, staff will survey property owners within the prior established boundary, and if 67 percent support removal, the City will remove the speed cushions.
In the event that a request for installation or removal fails to meet minimum Program requirements, property owners on the subject street segment must wait at least 36 months to submit another request.
Financial Responsibility
The current Program requires installation of speed cushions to be funded by the property owners through a benefit assessment district; however, to date, the City has funded installation of all speed cushions. The proposed update to the Program brings financial responsibility for installation of speed cushions into conformance with the practice implemented since the start of the Program.
Throughout the process as proposed through this update, the City would be responsible for supporting staff and equipment/material costs associated with evaluating street conformance to traffic and engineering standards set forth in the Program, completing the survey of 67 percent support, and installing the speed cushions, if warranted and supported by the property owners on the subject street segment and funded and approved by the City Council.
Costs to the City will vary based on a variety of circumstances, including the collection and evaluation of traffic and engineering data, response rate of property owners to the survey, and
scope of the potential installation. Staff estimates that the preliminary traffic and engineering evaluation of a request costs $3,000 in staff time. If a street meets the minimum traffic criteria, the City would conduct the survey of property owners on the subject street segment, which includes mailing survey forms and following up in person on two separate days if the property owner does not respond, estimated to cost $5,000 in staff time. If the request meets both the traffic criteria and gains 67 percent support from property owners on the subject street segment, it is added to the City's speed cushion priority list. All installations and associated costs are funded and approved by the City Council through individual agenda items, subject to available funding.
Since January 2023, the City has received over 40 requests for speed cushions. Not every street segment requested meets traffic and engineering standards outlined in the Program or gains the required support from other property owners.
To date, the City has successfully installed speed cushions on 11 street segments. In all cases, the installation of speed cushions reduced prevailing speeds and collision rates as compared to pre- installation conditions.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
Other action as determined by the City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
Adequate funds are available in the Traffic and Transportation Planning Administration (1004400) budget for Fiscal Year 2023-2024 to support the recommended action.
ATTACHMENTS
Speed Hump/Cushion Program Package