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Home My WebLink AboutVia Ave Bridge staff report 2001 and minutes 08_2001 ITEM NUMBER: B- 1 DATE: 08/28/2001 • .■ ®� ir1;79 Atascadero City Council Staff Report — Public Works Department Ensenada Ave. Traffic Volumes and Speed RECOMMENDATIONS: Council approve the following actions: 1. Closure of Ensenada Avenue, west of Via Avenue Bridge 2. Installation of a barricade, turn around improvements, and the necessary signage for the closure. 3. Installation of 5-way stop signs at the intersection of Ensenada Ave, Capistrano Ave, Mercedes Ave and Cabrillo Ave. • DISCUSSION: Background: Circulation Via Avenue Bridge, over Atascadero Creek, is used as a connection between the northeast and southeast quadrant of the City of Atascadero. (See Attachment"A"). Traffic Way is a minor arterial for the northeast quadrant of the City. Planned developments are under construction along Traffic Way. Traffic Way will have easy access to north El Camino Real when Santa Cruz Road is extended in the near future. Capistrano Ave is a collector street that services a large portion of the southeast quadrant of the City. South of Capistrano Ave. is State Route 41, which was recently constructed and connects Morro Bay to Creston through Atascadero. Ensenada Ave, south of Via Ave. Bridge, has been used as a route to Capistrano Ave., downtown Atascadero and City Hall. Ensenada Ave. is a narrow residential street; the traffic volumes on this street have been increasing. The residents living on Ensenada have been complaining about • the speed of the traffic and increasing traffic volumes. 166 ITEM NUMBER: B 1 DATE: 08/28/2001 • Workshop A vehicle struck a youth recently on Ensenada Ave. The youth was seriously hurt and is still in recovery. This accident spurred the neighborhood to request the City to mitigate the traffic volumes and speed on Ensenada Ave. A public workshop was held on July 18, 2001 at Fire Station# 1 to look for solutions. Residents on Ensenada Ave., Via Ave., Cabrillo Ave. and Capistrano Ave. were noticed of this workshop. 40 residents and Staff members from Police, Fire, Community Development and Public Works attended the workshop. At the workshop, each attendee was given an opportunity to express what they felt was the solution to the traffic problem. Staff gave a brief presentation on possible traffic solutions. Attendees voted on ,vhat traffic solution they felt would help mitigate the traffic volume and speed problem. Summary: Many ideas came up at the workshop on how to mitigate the traffic volume and speed. Some of the ideas were: • Closure of Via Ave. Bridge • Closure of Ensenada Avenue, west of Via Avenue Bridge. • Speed humps on Ensenada Ave. • Speed humps on Capistrano Ave. • • Increased traffic enforcement • 5-way stop at the intersection of Ensenada Ave., Capistrano Ave., Mercedes Ave. and Cabrillo Ave. • 4-way stop at the intersection of Cabrillo Ave. and Capistrano Ave. The vote by the residents was by far in favor of Closure of Ensenada Avenue, west of Via Avenue Bridge and installation of 5-way stops at the intersection of Ensenada Ave., Capistrano Ave., Mercedes Ave. and Cabrillo Ave. (See Attachment B"). Analysis: Ensenada Ave, east of Via Ave Bridge is a short direct route from Traffic Way to Capistrano Ave and State Route 41. The closure of west of Ensenada Ave does not constrict area wide circulation and lowers the volume of traffic on Ensenada Ave west of Via Bridge. This closure could easily be completed by constructing a barricade and turn around area west of Via Ave Bridge. This closure will increase the volume to the intersection of Ensenada Ave, Capistrano Ave, Mercedes Ave and Cabrillo Ave. South bound travel on Ensenada Ave at this intersection has poor sight distance at Capistrano Ave. The traffic volumes at this intersection are increasing. Itis recommended to install a 5-way stop at this intersection to mitigate the poor sight distance Conclusion: Based on community input and a review of area wide circulation impacts by Public Works and emergency access routes by Police and Fire, it is recommended to close Ensenada. • Avenue, west of Via Avenue Bridge and the installation of 5-way stop signs at the intersections of Ensenada Ave, Capistrano Ave, Mercedes Ave and Cabrillo Ave. 167 ITEM NUMBER: B- 1 DATE: 08/28/2001 • FISCAL IMPACT: The cost for the signage, barricade, paving and miscellaneous work is approximately $6,000.00 plus 3 days of a Public Works Maintenance crew and equipment. These funds are available in the Capital Projects Budget under Miscellaneous Road Repairs Account. ALTERNATIVES: 1. Do not construct improvments and wait for the Traffic Calming portion of the Circulation Element to be completed. y 2. Install traffic humps along Ensenada Ave. to slow traffic and reduce the volumes. ATTACHMENTS: Attachment A—Circulation Exhibit Attachment B—Recommended Alternative • 168 o _ , , , r " Gnu@ Via Brid a _ Ba de n Tur rou l• n - a _ i m ml _ m mm mm m mmm m �ppp�0o Opp000 p o , k 0 1 ' 0 • Y 4� E 69 IMAMS go,. mono , � J __~.CMN• \��' \ ' ■ 0•`•�lges. rra,,.a^°•— s / g •' .n 6MIa Re.� iV K ` 7 ` ae• r � 3'� �`� 4 s e Ae >M,1 A r a a4y 4� �'_....A.rpl R•N� ., ' '.... -...°^V`A ,,e V rMe � .- a !In - aF \ ..foal •i > .�-_,� y �,, Iola— sl A L 170" fir.•'`f°> `� -� l •� An•••Ree. ITEM A-1: City Clerk Marcia McClure Torgerson pointed out that pages 66 - 73 should be removed as they are duplicate attachments. MOTION: By Council Member Luna and seconded by Council Member Johnson to approve Consent Calendar Item#A-l. Motion passed 5:0 by a roll-call vote. ITEM #A-2: Mayor Pro Tem Scalise thanked the City Treasurer for his report and requested Treasurer's reports monthly as well as a tracking report to reflect the total yield earned per month. MOTION: By Council Member Clay and seconded by Council Member Johnson to approve Consent Calendar Item #A-2. Motion passed 5:0 by a roll-call vote. ITEM #A-5: Council Member Luna stated his concern with the current financial atmosphere and asked if there were a plan in place in case of a financial downturn in the City. City Manager Wade McKinney indicated that the City is financially solvent and the City has considered a potential downturn in the economy in its future projections. MOTION: By Council Member Luna and seconded by Council Member Johnson to approve Consent Calendar Item No. 5. Motion passed 5:0 by a roll-call vote. (SEIU Contract No. 2001-025, AFBU Contract No. 2001-026, APA Contract No. 2001-027, Mid- Management Professional Employees Contract No. 2001-028, Non- Represented Employees Resolution No. 2001-030.) B. MANAGEMENT REPORTS: 1. Ensenada Ave. Traffic Volumes and Speed ■ Fiscal Impact: $6,000 plus 3 days of Public Works maintenance crew and equipment. These funds are available in the Capital Projects Budget under Miscellaneous Road Repairs Account. ■ Staff recommendations: Council approve the following actions: 1. Closure of Ensenada Avenue, west of Via Avenue Bridge; and 2. Installation of a barricade, turn around improvements, and the necessary signage for the closure; and 3. Installation of 5-way stop signs at the intersection of Ensenada Ave., Capistrano Ave., Mercedes Ave., and Cabrillo Ave. [Public Works] Public Works Director Steve Kahn gave the staff report and answered questions of Council. Council Member Luna stated his support for this proposal using overhead documents. (Attachment E) PUBLIC COMMENT Yolanda Buchanan, 5425 Ensenada Ave., stated the neighborhood has expressed overwhelming support for this proposal. She asked the Council to approve this action. CC 08/28/01 Page 6 Mike Jackson, 5502 Ensenada Ave., felt that the public should be made aware of the penalties for speeding in the Capistrano Avenue area. Steve Allan, 5330 Ensenada Ave., urged the Council to approve this proposal and direct staff to make these changes as soon as possible before another child is injured. Mayor Arrambide closed the Public Comment period. Mayor Pro Tem Scalise commended Police Chief Dennis Hegwood and Public Works Director Steve Kahn for the speed with which they responded to the Ensenada Avenue residents' concerns. MOTION: By Mayor Pro Tem Scalise and seconded by Council Member Clay to close Ensenada Avenue, west of Via Avenue Bridge, and install a barricade, turn around improvements and the five-way stop sign at the intersection of Ensenada Ave., Capistrano Ave., Mercedes Ave., and Cabrillo Ave. Motion passed 5:0 by a roll-call vote. 2. Human Services Grants ■ Fiscal Impact: $20,000 (in FY 2001-02 budget) ■ Staff recommendation: Council approve Human Services Grants to the Agency's and in the amounts recommended by the Finance Committee in Attachment A. [City Manager] Mayor Arrambide stated that he would like the Council to consider the funding for Creative Alternative for Learning and Living (C.A.L.L.) separately from the balance of the applicants as he is now the Chief Executive Officer of C.A.L.L. and would need to step down on that decision. There was consensus of the Council to consider the funding for C.A.L.L. separately from the balance of the applicants. Mayor Arrambide announced that he will disqualify himself from consideration of funds for C.A.L.L. MOTION: By Council Member Johnson and seconded by Council Member Clay to approve the recommended amount of$1,700 to C.A.L.L. Motion passed 4:0 by a roll-call vote. (Arrambide abstained) City Manager Wade McKinney provided the staff report and answered questions of the Council. PUBLIC COMMENT Eileen Allan, Executive Director North County Women's Resource Center, thanked staff for recommending funding for the Center and thanked the Council for increasing the amount of funds available. Pearl Munak, 3850 Ramada Drive, Paso Robles, President of the Homeless Housing Project, expressed appreciation for staff's recommendation of funds for the Project. She requested that Council increase the amount recommended. CC 08/28/01 Page 7