TO: Traffic and Transportation Advisory Commission
FROM: Jim Mashiko, Senior Engineer
DATE: January 24, 2024
SUBJECT: Petition Request for Speed Humps on Hendrix Avenue (ACTION ITEM)
ISSUE:
Consider the petition request for the installation of speed humps on Hendrix Avenue, between Gainsborough Road and Janss Road.
RECOMMENDATION:
Consider this staff report, receive public input, and deny the petition request for the installation of speed humps as the current roadway conditions fail to meet City Speed Hump Policy numeric standards.
BACKGROUND:
This traffic engineering report evaluates the current traffic conditions along the 5/8th mile-long segment of Hendrix Avenue, between Janss Road and Gainsborough Road (Attachment #1). A petition circulated by residents was submitted to City staff in October 2023, which contained 37 signatures from the 49 properties fronting Hendrix Avenue requesting the installation of speed humps. The petition submitted satisfies the minimum required 75 percent support threshold of the properties along the street that are in support of the installation of speed humps to initiate an evaluation by City staff.
As part of the evaluation f or this new petition request, t raffic volume and speed measurements were recorded along Hendrix Avenue in early November 2023. The results of the recent survey will be discussed later in the report.
On January 18, 2024, a pproximately 195 notices were mailed to the local neighborhood inviting residents to provide input regarding this speed hump request at the January 24, 2024 Traffic and Transportation Advisory Commission (TTAC) meeting (Attachment #2). Traffic diversion to other parallel routes generally occurs after speed hump installation in neighborhoods . Based on the layout of the neighborhood, properties on Feather Avenue, Nowak Avenue, Donnick Avenue and Dover Avenue could be affected by this petition and therefore the residents of those streets were included in the meeting notification.
ATTACHMENT #2
DPW: 823-10\ev\Council\2024\111924\Hendrix Avenue Speed Hump Petition Att 2.pdf Petition Request for Speed Humps (Hendrix Avenue)
January 24, 2024
Street Description:
Hendrix Avenue is a standard residential street with a prima facie speed limit of 25 mph. Speed limit signs and white “25” pavement stencils are present at each end of the street to notify motorists entering either from Janss Road or Gainsborough Road of the legal speed limit. The street has a north-south alignment and provides access to several internal neighborhood streets such as Feather Avenue, Donnick Avenue, Thames Street, and Knowles Street. The street is fully improved with curb and gutter, sidewalks, and streetlights.
Speed Hump Warrants/Guidelines:
The criteria that must be satisfied for City staff to recommend the installation of speed humps along a residential street are identified in City Council Resolution 2022-025 (Attachment #3). From that document, the key numeric and measurable guidelines that staff focuses on are as follows (with all four of criteria needing to be satisfied in order to qualify for speed humps):
1. Petition Rate exceeding 75 percent;
2. Daily traffic exceeding 2,000 vehicles per day (vpd);
3. 75 percent of vehicles exceeding the 25-mph speed limit;
4. The street meets the Vehicle Code definition as a Residential Street with no more than two traffic lanes.
The City’s speed hump guidelines allow for the daily vehicle traffic threshold of 2,000 vpd to be relaxed by 500 vehicles, down to a minimum of 1,500 vpd if certain road conditions exist ; however, those conditions are not present along Hendrix Avenue. As such, the minimum daily volume threshold criteria of 2,000 vpd applies to this petition evaluation.
Traffic Speed & Volume Measurements on Hendrix Avenue:
Automated machine counters were placed at three points along Hendrix Avenue.
The lead petitioner provided staff direction as to where they believed the placement of one of the machine counters should be placed to yield an accurate representation of data that would be representative of the traffic conditions along the street.
The three tables below summarize the data collected at each count location and identify the nearest street address where the count machines were placed. Traffic investigations conducted by City staff did not include holidays and/or inclement weather conditions that may affect traffic count results.
Petition Request for Speed Humps (Hendrix Avenue)
January 24, 2024
The traffic data is tabulated below for the three machine counts:
Between Janss Road &
Donnick Avenue
Daily Traffic
VPD
Prevailing
Speed(85th)
mph
Percent
over
25 mph
At 1753/1775 Hendrix Avenue 867 35 84 percent
City Speed Hump Warrant 2,000 -- 75 percent
Meets Policy Requirement? No -- Yes
North of Feather Avenue
Daily Traffic
VPD
Prevailing
Speed(85th)
mph
Percent
over
25 mph
At 1609/1625 Hendrix Avenue 957 32 72 percent
City Speed Hump Warrant 2,000 -- 75 percent
Meets Policy Requirement? No -- No
North of Knowles Street
Daily Traffic
VPD
Prevailing
Speed(85th)
mph
Percent
over
25 mph
At 1363/1377 Hendrix Avenue 785 32 70 percent
City Speed Hump Warrant 2,000 -- 75 percent
Meets Policy Requirement? No -- No
The measured traffic volume at all three locations along Hendrix Avenue each falls well short of the required minimum daily volume thr eshold of 2,000 vpd that is needed to qualify a street for consideration for speed humps. The segment north of Feather Avenue carries the highest volume of traffic at 957 vpd and the prevailing speed is 32 mph; however, that volume is below 50 percent of the required threshold.
Only one of the three locations evaluated meets the single-speed component of the Speed Hump Policy which requires 75 percent of the vehicles to be traveling greater than 25 mph , which is the section between Janss Road and Donnic Avenue); however, that section carries only 867 vpd which is again well below the City’s minimum requirement.
Collision History:
For the 46 months between January 1, 2020, and October 31, 2023, there has not been one reported automobile -involved collision filed with the Thousand Oaks Police Department for the petition zone along Hendrix Avenue. It should be noted that s ome vehicular collisions are not reported , since the Vehicle Code only requires injury -related collisions and collisions involving property damage that Petition Request for Speed Humps (Hendrix Avenue)
January 24, 2024
exceeds $750 to be reported to local authorities.
DISCUSSION:
Speed humps on Hendrix Avenue are not eligible for installation at this time because the current traffic conditions do not fulfill the City's Speed Hump Policies as outlined above. The daily traffic volume along Hendrix Avenue ranges between 785 vpd to 957 vpd from three separate points along the street, which are all well short of the required 2,000 vpd.
The vehicle speeds on Hendrix Avenue match the speeds observed on typical residential streets of its type and function for neighborhood access. The data indicates 85 percent of traffic is traveling at or below a speed of 3 5 mph (also known as the 85 th percentile speed or “prevailing speed”) in the petition zone at the highest measured point along the street. The 85 th percentile speeds were measured to be 32 mph at each of the other two measurement points. It should be noted that City staff has found that the prevailing speed s on similar residential streets throughout Thousand Oaks generally range between 33 to 35 mph. This is consistent with t he segment north of Feather Avenue , it carries the highest volume of traffic and a prevailing speed of 35 mph.
Due to a greater emphasis to consider the impact of speed humps on emergency response time, the current City practice is to employ speed cushions (Attachment #4). Speed cushions are speed humps with strategically placed “slots” so that fire trucks maintain contact with the level pavement. The cut -outs are too wide apart for standard passenger vehicles to avoid. Thus, the targeted passenger vehicles must slowdown in the same manner as if speed humps are in place. Attachment #4 depicts a typical parabolic-shaped speed cushion design that spans 12 feet and a height of three inches. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), other public agencies , and Thousand Oaks’ experience with speed cushions confirm these devices are as effective as speed humps in reducing vehicle speeds but with less impact on emergency response time. The use of speed cushions is consistent with the City’s Speed Hump Policy (Resolution 2022-25).
Traffic diversion to other parallel routes generally occurs after a speed hump installation when there are nearby adjacent routes. With speed cushions, the diversion impacts are generally less. Based on the layout of the neighborhood streets, Feather Avenue, Nowak Avenue, Donnick Avenue and Dover Avenue appear to serve as convenient alternative routes for traffic diversion. Residents of those streets have been included in the notification process.
Petition Request for Speed Humps (Hendrix Avenue)
January 24, 2024
Other Potential Strategies To Address Speeding:
Based on the preceding information and analysis, several traditional actions and options may be more appropriate to address speeding concerns, as listed below.
Staff will consider the appropriateness of each of these potential strategies and implement them as appropriate, in coordination with the Thousand Oaks Police Department.
Police Enforcement of 25 mph Speed Limit
o PROS: The most effective deterrent to speeding.
o CONS: Short-term, expensive deterrent; most effective when an officer is present. Since speeding is a random occurrence, the officer's time is not always well spent waiting for the few motorists dri ving at "unreasonable" speeds.
Radar Speed Display Panel
The Thousand Oaks Police Department has an operational mobile radar speed display panel to help deter speeding throughout areas of the City. The Thousand Oaks Police Department and the Public Works Traffic Division work collectively in using the radar speed display panels where speeding concerns are greatest.
o PROS: Visual deterrent to speeding; raises neighborhood awareness of speeding concerns.
o CONS: Usually, effective only when display panel is present.
Increase the Number and Size of Speed Limit Signs
o PROS: Somewhat effective during the first two months of sign installation because larger signs are used, and flags attract attention; City costs for installation are approximately $200 per sign.
o CONS: Reduced aesthetic qualities of neighborhoods; resident opposition especially in newer tracts; results are temporary. Typically, after the third month, drivers begin to ignore sign presence.
Newsletter by Homeowners Associations (HOA) Requesting Homeowners to "Slow Down"
Often in residential tracts, speeding is by residents in the area. HOA’s and Neighborhood Watch Groups can actively address concerns by getting the word out to their residents of speeding concerns through an “email blast” or written monthly (or quarterly) HOA publication.
Petition Request for Speed Humps (Hendrix Avenue)
January 24, 2024
o PROS: Citizens can resolve problems cooperatively by promoting considerate driver behavior.
o CONS: Drivers may not remember to slow down unless a physical traffic control device (signs, striping, etc.) is installed. Speeding issues may recur in the future unless HOA’s or Neighborhood Watch Groups constantly remind residents.
PREPARED BY: Bradley Ackart, Engineering Associate
Attachments:
Attachment #1 – Vicinity and Location Maps
Attachment #2 – January 24, 2024 Traffic Commission Meeting Notice Attachment #3 – Resolution 2022–025 (City of Thousand Oaks Speed Hump Policy)
Attachment #4 – Speed Cushion Design
DPW: 823-10\Traffic Commission\2024\012424\Petition Request - Speed Humps on Hendrix Ave staff report.docx ATTACHMENT #1 to the January
24, 2024 TTAC Staff Report
VICINITY MAP
LOCATION MAP
DPW: 823-10\Traffic Commission\2024\012424\Petition Request - Speed Humps on Hendrix Ave staff Att 1.pdf
ATTACHMENT #2
January 24, 2024
Traffic and Transportation Advisory Commission
January 24, 2024 Meeting Notice
You are invited to attend and participate in a public meeting to be held January 24, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. in the Civic Arts Plaza Board Room, 3 rd floor, 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Thousand Oaks, CA 91362. The Traffic and Transportation Advisory Commission (TTAC) will consider a petition request for the installation of speed humps on Hendrix Avenue, between Janss Road and Gainsborough Road . You may also participate in a v irtual (online) meeting format via Zoom.
The t raffic engineering report on the matter will be available at www.toaks.org/traffic beginning January 19, 2024. The staff report will recommend that the most viable solution is to request additional police enforcement of the speed limit during the morning and evening commute and peak school periods , including the u se of portable radar feedback sign s.
Current traffic conditions for the installation of speed humps along Hendrix Avenue do not meet adopted City guidelines.
To obtain a copy of the staff report or register to provide public comments during the meeting via video or telephone, please visit the Traffic Commission website: www.toaks.org/traffic.
For help registering, please contact Julie Sandoval at: [email protected]. For view only access to the meeting, please visit www.youtube.com/c/CTOMeetings.
If you cannot attend and would like to forward your written concerns to the Traffic Commission, please submit all correspondence to Bradley Ackart, Engineering Associate, via e-mail at [email protected]. Correspondence received by 12:00 noon on January 24, 2024, will be provided to Commissioners prior to the meeting and entered into the meeting record. Correspondence received after 12:00 noon on January 24, 2024, will be provided to Commissioners after the meeting and entered into the meeting record. Phone inquiries can be directed to (805) 449-2436.
DPW: 823-10\Traffic Commission\2024\012424\Petition Request - Speed Humps on Hendrix Ave Att 2.pdf DPW: 823-10\Traffic Commission\2024\012424\Petition Request - Speed Humps on Hendrix Ave Att 3.pdf
ATTACHMENT #4
Typical Speed Cushion Design
Length spans 12’
Height = 2” or 3” “Cut Outs” for Fire Trucks
DPW: 823-10\Traffic Commission\2024\012424\Petition Request - Speed Humps on Hendrix Ave Att 4.pdf
“Arrowhead”
Striping Pattern