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HomeMy WebLinkAbouttecp_061494TRAFFIC' ENGINEERING COMMIT"'EE UKIAH CIVIC CENTER Council Chambers 300 Seminary Avenue Ukiah, California 95482 JUNE 14, 1994 5:30 P.M. AGENDA KENNEDY, BUDROW, FERNANDEZ, FORD, HARRIS, AND TURNER I. CALL TO ORDER II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: APRIL 12, 1994 III. AUDIENCE COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS The Traffic Engineering Committee welcomes input from the audience. In order for everyone to be heard, please limit your comments to three (3) minutes per person and not more than 10 minutes per subject. The Brown Act regulations do not allow action to be taken on audience comments. IV. DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS: NEW BUSINESS a. Request (Petition) for "Children at Play" Sign, Special Warning Sign giving Notice of the Presence of Physically Impaired Persons, and Installation of 25 M.P.H. Speed Zone Sign on South Barnes -Utah Haley UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Request fora 4-Way Stop at Cypress and Bush Street Intersection - Cathy Edmonds b. Request for Traffic Signal Rephasing at North State and Scott Street - Lucille Mirata V. COMMITTEE MEMBER REPORTS VI. MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS VII. ADJOURNMENT Ni\TEC A061496 TRAFFIC ENGINEERING COMMITTEE CONFERENCE ROOM NO. 3 MAY 10, 1994 5:30 P. M. MINUTES MEMBERS PRESENT Budrow, Ken Fernandez, William Ford, Stephen Kennedy, Rick Woods, Larry MEMBERS ABSENT Chairman Steve Turner Harris, Michael STAFF PRESENT Kathy Kinch Recording Secretary OTHERS PRESENT Edy McGilliuray Cathy Edmonds Christy Harpe Laurene Sparks Reta Roberts The Traffic Engineering Committee meeting was called to order by Vice-Chairman Budrow at 5:30 P.M. Roll was taken with the results listed above. APPROVAL OF MINUTES The minutes of April 12, 1994, were not available. DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS: a. Request for 4-Way Stop at Cypress and Bush Streets - Cath~Edmonds Cathy Edmonds, 710 West Smith Street, advised she travels on Cypress and Bush Streets everyday to take her daughter to Pomolita School. She stated vehicles travel at excessive speeds. There are three (3) schools located within this area, and that there is always a Police MINUTES OF THE TRAFFIC ENGINEERING COMMITTEE MAY 1Q, 1994 1 Unit in the area during peak hours. She also advised there is a playing field where school events are held, soccer games, jogging, City league games, softball and track. There are numerous after school activities were children are walking or riding their bikes to and from the playing field. The current speed posted is 30 M.P.H. with a 25 M.P.H. school zone from Cypress to the bridge. Christy Harpe, 698 North Bush Street, presented a video tape to the Committee for their review of the intersection taken during and at the end of the school day. Steve Ford advised there are warrants for stop signs and multi-way stop signs. Stop signs are not installed to control traffic speed. When there are to many stop signs vehicles start yielding at stop signs because there are no obvious reasons for stopping, and this creates accidents. A speed study is performed to determine the proper speed for a speed zone, however, speed surveys are not performed adjacent to school property because the speed limit is automatically 25 M.P.H. Rick Kennedy stated that he anticipated the peak hours for this intersection occur in the morning commute period, noon hour and at the end of the school day. Staff could conduct intersection counts during the noon and mid-afternoon hour. He advised a recommendation must go before the City Council for the installation of stop signs. Discussion followed regarding traffic warrants that are considered for the installation of stop signs; stop signs are not installed to control traffic speed; stop signs are installed to provide right-of-way assignment; stop signs are not cure-all and when installed without meeting warrant guidelines can create problems not previously experienced at intersections; Engineering Staff perform traffic counts\speed survey on the north and south, and west approach; and with afour- way stop, during peak hours, the intersection will appear congested. A review of the Accident Summary Report for the period January 1, 1993 to December 31, 1993, indicates one accident involving a vehicle and an 8 year old bicyclist, and was caused by an improper turn by the 8 year old bicyclist. Staff is aware of a recent collision between a vehicle and a young male bicyclists which was the result of bicyclist failure to stop at Cypress as required. ON A MOTION by Ford, seconded by Fernandez, it was carried by a consensus vote the Engineering Department conduct an intersection traffic count/speed survey of Cypress and Bush Streets. If the survey meets all warrants, Staff is to recommend to the City Council that afour- way stop be installed. If warrants are not met, Staff is to bring all traffic information to the Committee for filrther review. b. Request for the Elimination of On-Street Parkin along Church Street at Spring_ - Ben Foster. Resident Rick Kennedy advised he received a telephone call from Mr. Foster requesting the elimination MINUTES OF THE TRAFFIC ENGINEERING COMMrITEE MAY lo, 1994 2 of on-street parking along Church Street at Spring. Ken Budrow advised Church Street is very narrow from Dora to Highland. There is one block that has "no parking" adjacent to the offices of Trinity School, between Hope and Barnes. Steve Ford recommended establishing a policy for parking on narrow streets, (34 feet or more, two-way traffic parking on both sides; 27 feet to 34 feet two-way traffic with parking on one side of the street; 20 feet to 27 feet two-way traffic no pazking on either side of the street; and under 20 feet is based on the situation. This is based on a 10 foot traffic lane with a 7 foot parking space. Rick Kennedy advised he is not aware of traffic problems within this area, and expressed a concern on the elimination of on-street public parking for homeowners. Ken Budrow inquired if Trinity School and residents were informed of this request. Rick Kennedy responded no. ON A MOTION by Ford, seconded by Fernandez, it was carried by a consensus vote to continue this item to the June 14, 1994 meeting, to receive comments from the Police and Fire Departments, and to forward a letter of notification to the residents within this area of the request. The Public Works Director/City Engineer establish a standard street width and policy for the elimination of on-street parking. c. Request for Special Parking Privileges to be Granted to Volunteers along Streets Surrounding the New Life School. 300 West Smith -Betty Wallen. Director Rick Kennedy advised he received a letter from Ms. Betty Wallen, Director of New Life School, for special on-street parking privileges for their volunteer workers. Currently the on-street parking is 2-hour parking. The pre-school uses the facility of the First Baptist Church and on several mornings the parking lot is filled with no spaces available. He also advised this item would be a recommendation from the Traftic Engineering Committee to the City Council for approval. Discussions followed regarding how many volunteers would require special parking privileges; displaying a plaque in the front window to identify which vehicles are the volunteers; and this location is within the Parking District. ON A MOTION by Ford, seconded by Fernandez, it was carried by a consensus vote the Traffic Engineering Committee recommend to the City Council to deny the special parking privileges to be granted to volunteers of the New Life School, along streets surrounding the New Life School because of the Parking District restrictions. d. Request for Traftic Si nag 1 Rephrasing at State and Scott Street -Lucille Mirata MINUTES OF THE TRAFFIC ENGINEERING COMMITTEE MAY 10, 1994 3 Rick Kennedy advised he received a letter from Lucille Mirata, 488 North State Street, concerning the hazardous situation at Scott and State Streets. The signal light for north bound traffic on Slate Street turns red before the signal light for south bound traffic on Slate Street. Drivers waiting to make a left turn onto Scott Street from the north bound lane tend to feel safe in completing the turn when the light turns yellow or red, unaware the south bound light is still green. She states she has observed numerous near misses and several collisions. Rick Kennedy advised during K-Mart hearings it was discussed relocating one of the traffic signals onto Clara. Discussion followed regarding the three phase signal with 1 controller which operates the Norton and Scott Streets intersection; the signal phase Inay change with the construction of the new K- Mart; the Engineering Department could conduct a turning movement count at the referenced intersection to determine if the lag green phase is still needed to facilitate the clearing of the short traffic lanes between Scott and Norton Streets on State, prior to the green phase for Scott and Norton Streets; and if the lag green phase is removed there is a good possibility that the north bound vehicles stopped in the approaches to Norton S[reet would not allow sufficient space for vehicles making a left turn from Scott to enter the north bound lanes. ON A MOTION by Budrow, seconded by Kennedy, it was carried by a consensus vote the Engineering Staff conduct a turning movement count at the referenced intersection to determine if the lag green phase is still needed to facilitate the clearing of the short traffic lanes between Scot[ and Norton Streets on State, prior [o the green phase for Scott and Norton Streets, and notify Mrs. Mirata of Staff's findings. e. Request for the Elimination of On-Street Parking alone McPeak Street between Clay and Mill Streets -Sound Off Article Ken Budrow expressed no one at this point has come forward and to make the request. Discussion followed regarding the establishment of a policy for the elimination of on-street parking for narrow streets this item can be reconsidered at that time. ON A MOTION by Kennedy, seconded by Budrow, it was carried by a consensus vote, to deny the request for the elimination of on-street parking along McPeak Street between Clay and Mill Streets until Staff presents a parking policy on narrow streets to the Committee for action. MINUTES OF THE TRAFFIC ENGINEERING COMMITTEE MAY 10, 1994 4 MTSCELLANEOUS ITEMS a. Distribution of Publication Entitled "Traffic Calming" to Committee Members. Rick Kennedy distributed to the Colnlnittee a copy of a Traffic Calming publication for their information. AD.TOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 6:15 p.m. Steve Turner, Chairman ,~ tf -~_1 ~ f Kathy Kinch, Recording Secretary B:1\TEC M051094 MINUTES OF THE TRAFFIC ENGINEERING COMMITTEE MAY ]0, 1994 5 M•E•M•O•R•A•N•D•U•M DATE: June 16, 1994 TO: City Council Charles L. Rough, Jr., City Manager FROM: Rick H. Kennedy, Director of Public Works/City Engineer RE: REPORT OF ACTIONS TAKEN BY TRAFFIC ENGINEERING COMMITTEE ON JUNE 14, 1994 1. Request (Petition) for "Children At Play" sign, special warning sign giving notice of the presence of physically impaired persons, and installation of 25 MPH speed zone sign on South Barnes -Utah Haley. Denied request for unofficial signs pursuant to Section 21465 of the California Vehicle Code. Made recommendation to City Council that: (a) a prima facia speed limit of 15 MPH be established for South Barnes between Clay and Betty Streets given existing geometrics of road (narrow and similar to alley), and (b) that a stop sign installation on South Barnes at Clay Street be approved given narrow road conditions and limited sight distance. Will be presented to Council for their action on July 6, 1994. 2. Request fora 4-way stop at Cypress and Bush Streets intersections -Cathy Edmonds. Denied request for 4-way stop installation based on the lack of warrants being met. Directed the installation of pavement markings, "Slow School Xing" on Bush approaches to Cypress as required by California Vehicle Code. Recommended that Public Relation Information on bicycle safety be provided by Public Safety Department. 3. Request for Traffic Signal Rephasing at North State Street and Scott Street - Lucille Mirata. Returned to Staff for further study. Staff to investigate other phasing possibilities and costs involved. 4. Established sub-committee to work with the Wagenseller and Orr Creek neighborhood to develop a neighborhood traffic management program to reduce traffic impacts on Clara Avenue and Ford Street. (Traffic calming). Sub-committee consists of Public Works Director/City Engineer, Senior Planner and Fire Marshal. First meeting to beheld Friday, June 17, 1994. RKK:kk BJ\TEC MCOUNCIL ~`~ ~ . % ~ F~ L. i= V 1 1~a~L3 S.13A~'t~~s ~, c %'a uk~ ~ ~~ ~-(- Ry w,~ 7'ti~. vt~<1~~s, yNC~ ~AK~ 7hF f~~~~,~, ,.-9 ~E d"vEff,r %~! 7'/~E ,c/rl~g o/= Pu/31~'c S.gF~kut A^r~ Ni~Bn,PXco~~ Hrf~Nno,..~:. wE ASN Tli 9f /f ,ZS~//Mph/ 5;~..~ !j~ I„trfA c c ~~ t47' Th ~ i,c., f~ rE; c~, .".. ~f So. BAKN _= S ~ K~ $E ffy 5'~j w r ~ ti T/~ e Si y.+! f A cF,:,-~ i/oRtti S'd l ~t q ~ uR: V 6/z~ s C'q ..,7 NEfJ) !~ v ~ S~E!' / t fJ J' %/~ c`i S' l o w ! o ti wf rals~ nsK rti~1->a "ct~~t>~,,,~ Cti;~~n6n- ~f p ~q S~; y~ Dc pL;~cE%~ .g-t 7'l)E so i+.~F1'~ c~~rt...~tzc,F cu, C"CHI ,a y~ SO, /3aet~t=s s~, dvE 7o i t~E F,g c 1' T~.q T T~E,~'E : s tvc~ s; c%f «.,~/!'; o„~ Sd, /3ARr~ Es 5~, ~~/: o ~`., av" c L Nr 'rte /3Eff~ s~. t9 t c~ p ~ c/E s ~~~ - /fi-t S /vt/Sf ~N9!!S ;tv 7/iE S~/2FE'7` T"O 7/r:9VEI?J,C T/ir77` SE~~,`o~- Sa . //3 e,~.~~ E r s~, ~qT><1 j/Wt: //S~ /~.9f q S',`~l /" nF SO.,.~E ~i .v c^! ,C3,E ~7LH cEc/ ~f %ttE S. 6V. Ca~11:,.{/f' O~ Gt~'.C lN/ bl v-xl $d, /~A ~N t"S .i ~, wgrni.Nr t„a//fo~.sf5 %tiAf tCJlayi?.al/ fn-~~~yi,7r'~~ pEnplE G.~vE a.,: Th-a~ / $T. f?"'/Ik//~ SfJF~.,aL Af3c_.- }~oa- ,tih~ ~E Q/?.~1,~/.~~ //" T/tNf //:f E%. yv4'/z 9 }/c.~/: ~,,. "~/ .9 ~~rC.+._~Si(/l,~~sl~.'a,, ~f / Tlil1 C ~FL~vEt ~, f 1~1 /c! ~.iKFq-ft!~ /)P~i.~Fa".Fi1FOC[j~ A.n7` a.~-/y vS /3yj t9Ltc /3~t r~ LC J7E 3~c~~5 - ) /l!E' ~ !~C/ }rf ~lt F~ )Y). NCf /-`G^ ~ . ~) ~F~..~ f Ot (~~1 ~!t'~e Si NCF/2/f"' ~'PRff.~ ~/ yc~1? f/:;r_"s--Cil nt~-~ /.~.'E ~ hbai:, S / ~' 2. ~: ~~% .mac -~ , CG: F ~~_; ~ JCS ~ ~' -~c~;fi l,/ `_ ~~. ~~~ ~~~ ~ -. ~ f i ~, ~ ~,' : ~~" ir.n ~t <. is ,. ~ _Q_'~_~ % ~._ RESOLUTION NO. RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF UKIAH DECLARING ITS INTENT TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT MEASURES TO LESSEN TRAFFIC IMPACTS IN THE RESIDENTIAL AREAS ON FORD STREET AND CLARA AVENUE WHEREAS, the City of Ukiah recognizes that the Wagenseller and Orr Creek Neighborhood (the Neighborhood) and its streets have been devoted historically to residential and other uses; and WHEREAS, Ford Street and Clara Avenue have become "collector" streets, being the only east-west streets currently available north of Perkins Street able to accommodate traffic to and from shopping areas developed along Orchard Avenue; and WHEREAS, it is recognized that recently approved expansion plans for KMart along Orchard Avenue will be completed prior to infrastructure improvements to Orchard Avenue and Brush Street; and WHEREAS, the purpose of this resolution is to assist in the preservation of residential uses in the Wagenseller/Orr Creek Neighborhood by discouraging the use of Clara Avenue and Ford Street as primary routes for cars and trucks trying to reach businesses on Orchard Avenue; and WHEREAS, nothing in this resolution is intended to, or has the effect of, limiting the City Council's discretion in adopting or amending general plan documents or zoning ordinances, or otherwise performing the planning and zoning functions assigned by law to the legislative body of the City. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of Ukiah: 1. Declares its commitment to have the Public Works, Planning, and Public Safety staff work with representatives of the Neighborhood in a timely and effective manner to develop and implement a Neighborhood Traffic Management Program to reduce impacts of traffic on Clara Avenue and Ford Streets. 2. The City's commitment shall include immediate steps to enforce the 25 MPH speed limit on Clara Avenue and Ford Street to ensure continued observance of safe driving in the Neighborhood. 3. The City's commitment shall include efforts to discourage increased use of the Neighborhood streets by any traffic generated by new developments along Orchard M•E•M•O•R•A•N•D•U•M DATE: June 10, 1994 TO: Traffic Engineering Committee FROM: Rick H. Kennedy, Director of Public Works/City Engineer RE: REQUEST (PETITION) FOR "CHILDREN AT PLAY" SIGN, SPECIAL WARNING SIGN GIVING NOTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF PHYSICALLY IMPAIRED PERSONS, AND INSTALLATION OF 25 M.P.H. SPEED ZONE SIGN ON SOUTH BARNES The warning signs that are requested are non-standard signs and have not been adopted for use by the Official Traffic Control Device Committee. As stated in Chapter 11 of the Traffic Manual, Rules and Regulations have been adopted and promulgated by the California Department of Transportation in compliance with various State Codes, in particular, the Vehicle Code. Pertinent Vehicle Code Sections are as follows: Section 440: Defines an official traffic control device "Any sign, signal, marking or device consistent with Section 21400, placed or erected by authority of a public body or official having jurisdiction, for the purpose of regulating warning, or guiding traffic, but does not include islands, curbs, traffic barriers or other roadway design features." Section 21400: Requires the Department of Transportation to adopt rules and regulations prescribing uniform standards and specifications for all official traffic control devices placed pursuant to the Vehicle Code. Section 21465: States that "no person shall place, maintain, or display upon, or in view of any highway any unofficial sign, signal, device, or marking, or any sign, signal, device or marking which purports to be or is an imitation of, or resembles an official traffic control device or which attempts to direct the movement of traffic or which hides from view any official traffic control device." Section 21467: States "that prohibited sign, signal, device, or light is a public nuisance. Authorizes and empowers local authorities to remove prohibited signs without notice. Local authorities may bring an action as provided by law to abate the nuisance." Section 360: Defines Highway. "Is a way or place of whatever nature, publicly maintained and open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel. Highway includes street." Traffic Engineering Committee June 10, 1994 Page 2 Regarding the requested warning sign for notice of the presence of physically impaired persons, Staff notes that Section 21351.7 of the Vehicle Code permits local authorities to place and maintain or cause to be placed and maintained appropriate signs along City streets which indicated that a deaf child is near. It is not known if this situation is appropriate for this location. Concerning the request for the speed limit sign, Staff notes the following: Section 22352 sets the prima facia speed limit of 25 M.P.H. for a business or residence district unless a different speed is determined by Traffic Engineering studies and as allowed under the Code. Under Section 21357, speed restriction signs may, but need not be erected at the entrance into a residence or business district. Staff notes the policy of the installation of a pedestrian symbol sign (W54A). This sign may be installed where pedestrian crossing may occur randomly over a substantial distance along the roadway. These signs are not normally placed in urban areas where motorist would expect pedestrian crossing at intersections. South Barnes between Clay Street and Betty Street is a narrow one way street for southbound travel. There is no curb and gutter and the pavement width is from 18 feet to 20 feet. The roadway has an appearance of an alley. The roadway serves as frontage for several of the residential structures. No speed studies have been conducted on Betty Street north and south of South Barnes to confirm if speeding is a problem. Betty Street north and south of Barnes is narrow and terminates a short distance above and below Barnes. Staff notes that it would be inappropriate to install a speed limit sign at a tee intersection facing the stem of the tee which s intended to regulate speed on the other approaches. RECOMMENDATION• 1. Discuss the merits of the request and consider other options to address concerns of residents. 2. Forward Committee's action to City Council for their review. cc: Charles L. Rough, Jr. City Manager BJ /fEC MHALGY y: CITY OF UKIAH f/ MEETING VOLUNTARY SIGN UP SHEET (PLEASE PRINT) ~_~ )L d ~ NAME ADDRESS /~ / ~ ' '/ / f ~' // f _ ~,.~ --; ~~~•1 ~; a ~a~:='v ~ ' i ~ r ~ ~~ ~ ~;-: \ j c c 7 _ ~. ~ SIGN UP SHEET FORMS4 ~~~. ~/-~125orv /r~3 cr<<~i~T-- f~tlt~ ; M•E•M•O•R•A•N•D•U•M DATE: June 9, 1994 TO: Traffic Engineering Committee FROM: Rick H. Kennedy, Director of Public Works/City Engineer r~~ RE: REQUEST FOR 4-WAY STOP AT CYPRESS AND BUSH STREET INTERSECTION -CATHY EDMONDS As directed by the Committee, the Engineering Staff conducted various traffic engineering studies of the subject intersection to determine if warrants are met for the installation of the requested four way stop. The warrants for amulti-way stop are as shown on the attached policy from the Traffic Manual. Anticipating that the peak hours for this intersection occur in the morning commute period, noon hour, and during the period at the end of the school day, Staff conducted intersection counts during the noon and mid-afternoon hour. The results are as shown on the attached Vehicle Volume Summaries. During the peak hour periods surveyed, the intersection volumes were 470 and 514 and the combined vehicle and pedestrian volume from the minor street were 28 and 107 units for the noon and mid-afternoon peak hours, respectively. A 85 percentile speed of 33 M.P.H. was determined from a speed survey conducted between 1:45 p.m. and 2:45 p. m. Although not verified by actual vehicular counts, we can assume that the morning peak has an intersection volume exceeding 500 and a unit count on the minor leg of at least 100. At most, the intersection experiences only three hours where the total intersection vehicular count is at or near 500 and it is doubtful that the intersection meets the unit count warrants on the minor leg more than 1 hour out of the day. The majority of the traffic entering the intersection (82% to 94%) is on the main approaches (Bush Street). From a review of the Accident Summary Report for the period of January 1, 1993 to December 31, 1993 (SWITRS Report run May 5, 1994), one accident involving a vehicle and an 8 year old bicyclist was reported. The accident occurred on September 16, 1993 and was caused by an improper turn (8 year old bicyclists). As of this report, the City has not received the Summary Report for the first quarter of 1994. However, Staff is aware of a recent collision between a vehicle and a young male bicyclists which was the result of the bicyclist failure to stop at Cypress as required. Staff also notes that not all accidents are reported. 4-3$ SIGN$ Traffic Manual 3asa~ POLICY A STOP sign is not a "cure•aIP' and is not a substitute for other traffic control devices. Many times the need for a STOP sign can be eliminated if the sight distance is Increased by remoJing the obstructions. STOP signs shall not be erected at any entrance to an Intersection when such entrance Is controlled by an official traffic control signal, nor at any railroad grade crossing which is controlled by automatic signals, gates, or other train-actuated control devices except as provided in CVC 21355, Stop Signs. The conflicting commands of two types of control devices are con- fusing. If traffic is required to stop when the operation of the stop-and-go signals is not warranted, the signals should be put on flashing operation with the red flashing light facing the traffic that must stop. Where two main highways Intersect, the STOP sign or signs should normally be posted on the minor street to stop the lesserflow of traffic. Traffic engineering studies, however, may justify a decision to Install a STOP sign or signs on the major street, as at a three• way intersection where safety consideretions may justify stopping the greater flow of traffic to permit cleft-turning movement. STOP signs should not be Installed Indiscriminately at all unprotected reilroad crossings. The allowance of STOP signs at all such crossings would eventually breed contempt for both law enforcement, and obedience to the sign's command to stop. STOP signs may only be used at selected reiVhighway grade crossings after their need has been determined by a traffic engineering study. Such study should consider approach speeds, sight distance restrictions, volumes, accident records, etc. This application of STOP signs should bean interim use period during which plans for lights, gates or other means of control are being prepared. Portable orpart-time STOP signs shall not be used except foremergency purposes. Also, STOP signs should not be used for speed control. ~ Multiway STOP signs The "Multiway Stop" Installation may be useful at some locations. It should oMinarily be used only where the volume of traffic on the Intersecting roads is approx- imatelyequal. Atraffic control signal is more satisfactory for an intersection with a heavy volume of traffic. Traffic Manual SIGNS q-39 3-1987 POLICY Any of the following conditions may warrant a multi- way STOP sign installation: 1. Where traffic signals are warranted and urgently needed, the multiway stop may be an interim measure that can be Installed quickly to control traffic while arrangements are being made for the signal installations. 2. An accident problem, as Indicated by five or more reported accidents within a 12 month period of a type susceptible to correction by a multiway stop Installation. Such accidents Include rlght- and lefritum colllslons as well as right-angle colllslons. 3. Minimum traffic volumes (a) The total vehicular volume entering the Inter section from all approaches must average at least 500 vehicles per hour for any 8 hours of an average day, and (b) The combined vehicular and pedestrian volume from the minor street or highway must averege 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 pervehicle during the maximum hour, but (c) When the 85•peroentile approach speed of the major street traffic exceeds 40 miles per hour, the minimum vehicular volume warrant is 70 percent of the above requirements. ~ Yield Signs The YIELD sign (R1-2) assigns right of way to traffic on certain approaches to an intersection. Vehicles controlled by a YIELD sign need stop only when nec essary to avoid Interference with other traffic that R1-2 Is given the right of way. ~ The YIELD sign shall be a downward pointing, equl- ~ YIELD ~ laterel triangle having a red border band and a white interior and the word YIELD In red inside the border band. The standard size shall be 36 x 36 x 36 Inches. ~'~~ • WarrantsforYIELDSigns Standard 38" The YIELD sign may be warranted: 1. On a minor road at the entrance to an Intersection where It Is necessary to assign right of way to the major road, but where a stop is not necessary at all times, and where the safe approach speed on the minor road exceeds 1 O miles per hour. 2. On the entrance remp to an expressway where an acceleration lane is not provided. Traffic Manual SCHOOL AREA PEDESTRIAN SAFETY 10-7 8-1993 10-03.8 Policy for School Area Signs STANDARD School Zone Signing defines the beginning of the school zone on all streets contiguous to schools serving students In Kindergarten through 12th grades. It should usually be posted at the school boundary, but may be posted up to 500 feet In advance, depending on prevailing approach speeds and visibility. However, school zone signing Is not required if there are no school pedestrians using the highway and the school grounds are separated from the highway by a fence, gate or other physical barrier (CVC 22352). POLICY i!~ SCHOOL Installation A SCHOOL SPEED LIMIT 25 WHEN CHILDREN ARE PRESENT Installation C W 63 Standard 36" x 36" W65 Standard 36" x 12" W 65 Standard 36" x 12" The Advance School symbol sign (W63) may be used In advance of remote school crosswalks outside of the school zone. It shall be used in advance of any Installation B School Crossing sign (see Page 10-6), unless Installation A or C is already posted. The SCHOOL plate (W65) shall not be used alone. On streets with prima facie 25 mph speed limit that are contiguous to a school building or school grounds, it is combined with the W63 to form Installation A, used to Inform drivers that are entering a school zone. On streets with higher speed limits, the W65 is R2 combined with R2(25) and R72 to Corm Installation C, Standard 36" x 45" used to Inform drivers they are entering a school zone with a 25 mph speed limit at certain times. Installation C may be used in lieu of Installation A. R72 Standard 36" x 18" Note: Installations A or C sign assemblies may be fabricated as a single unit (SW24 and SR4 respectively). Traffic Manual SCHOOL AREA PEDESTRIAN SAFETY 10-11 &1993 line should ordinarily be placed 4 feet in advance of and parallel to the neazest crosswalk line, but may be farther in advance where School Safety Patrols or Adult Crossing Guards aze operating. 10-04.5 Curb Markings for Parking Restrictions The color of curb mazkings shall conform to CVC 21458, quoted below: Curb mazkings may supplement standazd signs. When signs are not used, intended meaning should be stenciled on the curb. Signs shall always be used with curb mazkings in those areas where curb markings aze frequently obliterated by accumulations of snow and ice. 10-04.6 Word and Symbol Markings 21458. (a)Whenever local authorities enact local parking regulations and indicate them by the use of paint upon curbs, the following colors only shall be used, and the colors indicate as follows: (1) Red indicates no stopping, standing, or parking, whether the vehicle is attended or unattended, except that a bus may stop in a red zone marked or sign posted as a bus loading zone. (2) Yellow indicates stopping only for the purpose of loading or unloading passengers or freight for the time as may be specified by local ordinance. (3) White indicates stopping for either of the following purposes: (A) Loading or unloading of passengers for the time specified by local ordinance. (B) Depositing mail in an adjacent mail box. (4) Creen indicates time limit parking specified by local ordinance. (S) Blue indicates parking limited exclusively to the vehicles of disabled persons and disabled veterans. Regulations indicated as above provided shall be effective upon such days and during such hours or times as may be prescribed by local ordinances. SLOW SCHOOL XING legends shall be used in accordance with the provisions of CVC 21368 in advance of all yellow school crosswalks. They shall not be used where the crossing is controlled by stop signs, traf5c signals, or yield signs. They shall be yellow, with the word XING at least 100 feet in advance of the school crosswalk. SCHOOL XING legends and crosswalks may be used at remote locations outside of the school zone, and shall be white (CVC 21368). SCHOOL legends may be used with sign Installations A or C, except at locations where SLOW SCHOOL XING legends are required. When used, they shall be yellow, and should be located adjacent to the sign. Letters, symbols and numerals should be 8 feet or more in height; and, if the message consists of more than one word, it should read "up" i.e., the £u•st word should be neazest to the driver. Where approach speeds are low, somewhat smaller characters may be used. The space between lines should be at least four times the height of the characters for low speed roads but not more than ten times the height of the characters under any conditions. Pavement messages should preferably be no more than one lane in width except SCHOOL messages may extend to the width of two lanes. When atwo-lane width is used the characters should be 10 feet or more in height. ~ ~ ` ~ .~ SPEED ZONING ENGINEERING AND TRAFFIC INVESTIGATION .DATE: 5/16/94 STREET AND LIMITS: North Bush Street, Grove Avenue to Low Gap Road DATA: 1. Claeaification of terrain: Flat to gently rolling 2. Roadside development: Residences and school 3. Type of roadway: Asphalt concrete 4. Condition of surface: Good 5. Width curb to curb: 46' to 52' 6. Travel lane widths: 10' to 13' 7. Shoulder or parking width: 8' each aide 8. Bike path: 5' each aide 9. Sight distance: Good 10. Range of critical speeds on curves: N/A 11. Average daily traffic volume: 4950 as of 6/28/89 12. Reported accident e, months: 13. 85 percentile speed, miles per hour: 33 14. Speed range of pace, miles per hour: 24-34 15. Night conditions warranting change f rom daytime speed: CONCLUSION: RECOMMENDATION: None Larry J. Woods Associate City Engineer r: Engr. /dots/speed.mn VEHICLE VOLUME SUMMARY PEAK HOUR TRAFFIC MOVEMENT LOCATION BUSH S7: a,-f- CYPRESS ~Jrre, TIME i~: coo ~-~ i.'oo ~~ OATc ~ `~~v ` ~~/. wEATi1ER Sc~rrr~.cc SH~~u.•er; PREPARED BY '~~ . COUNTED BY l~/ Y ~'~ ~ 1 ~ . o ~~ ~ ~(~ ~x ~' a~1- ~ ~ 2~ ~ ~ 1 o~ ~ ti~ 1Q~ j~5 n ~ , ~~'` ,,,.~ ~ d~ ~!~- ~ ~ N ~ ~. Acv/ N~ k _ ~3 ~~ Il I I. ~ r I ;\ ~ I Z~ E . I ,},y\ I Q I ~ % ~~I /.3 i .'~ ~ r - z f ~ -r / ~ ~ 19 - - -~\ - ~ -j- - - - - ~I - - l _ tf \ I I ~i ~ .. ur . No P~'D~STRiANS CROSSED ~: N i BUSH 57.- BFTWF"EN /~.OD N Ai1/D 1: oo PM, 28 VENicLE ~f69 ~orAc 5 FRoM CYPRES, `57.' 0 I/EHIGLES ~ ~ ~ _._.. In CYPR65S ~f/~'~(~~" r-- I~ Iw I -`- I ~' i I m STREET VEHICLE VOLUME SUMMARY PEAK HOUR TRAFFIC MOVEMENT LOCATION ,BUSH S~ a,~' CYPRESS AvE. TIME /,'y5PM, ~nz:`/S P. M, OATc S- ~~' - ~[~ WEATHER ScgrrE.eD SI/OwERS PREPARED BY Y~~ COUNTED BY T/~ ~P/f Fr ~k N ~ G rte' 13 -+ `G~+iql / ° 236 ~ ~ ~ ~9 ~ Q- ~~ ~~ 0 o- ~ 1 `"~ ~ E ~~ ~~ /.`~ 5 Iti I .~ ~/- I ~ IY7 I \~'Cj~ I V~ ~\ I 2 S a, '~ z xo -- -~-- ~ 7----- ` -_ 9 _ Iz \\ 1 I 4 ~ ar ~ C YP S AVENL/E 1 RE _ I y ~'EDESTP IANS CPOSSED N ~' 1 BLISH ST. ANU ~: H 93 V6NtCCES 51 N 1 oTff~. ry r 0 I r-- STREET BgrWrE,v Cols P,M. 1 SP.M. ~I I FP.nM CyP,?555 Sr ~ o- ~ ~ ,,. m =~ I W ~ I~ ~ 1" ~' I, >~ LQ__T - ~ - - - ~ _ -- - - - - ~. --~- ~ ~ ~ ~ l I _ _ ~ 9I ~~ i - - __ - - g p __ - _ _ _ - - - - r - - - - _6 0_ - ro -- - - - - - - -- - - - - - U -- f - _ 7- ~ __ -- - - `L - - C a s v - U ,~ - _ _ . - - - ~ ~ _ . _ _ O ~ ~ - - n, - - _ _ _ - - - - ~ ~, ~ - - - -- - - - ~' O w __ _- _. .. - ~ __. _ _ _ r___ ~" -_ __. ~__ _ - ~ _ (a tt ~~'' _ ~ _ - _ _ _. - . _- -_ _ - U d __ _ _ W w V. _~ - __ __ - - _. ._ __. - _ - - v - __ _ _ tr Q - --- _ _ ___ __ W ~ - - m b - - -- -- -- - -- -- -- - ~ -- - 7 ~ o - _ ~ _ --- _. - - - - A - E - - - __ 2N _ 3_ ~ 1 N - - --- ~o ~5 so 35 - yo Ys sD MILES I'Ef? HOUR nono r~o.- r4r. 3p SPE SURVEY hlendocinu Couniy, D.P.IY. 0~'~_J_ DAil,j/~/~.~'.'~- es nencu+ri~~ J,? „~~. 1 M.P,li. NUh18ER OF VEHICLES 5 to IS =~ PERCENT OF TOTAL Cl R.1ULATIVE PERCENTAGE \J ~ 55 lp' ~ 5 a _ to t, L 51 - i _ ~~ hi 52 CV J C\- 51 _ C'1 U so _ y~ 49 ae 47 a6 45 as I,, V I ~rl qJ .I .~ a2 ~ f( Ai _ F- 40 X I IO o Q O J9 ~ ~ p / H Z w Je x X z 9 W w ~ ~ J2 X ~( 3 7 ,6 x x ~ y v J5 X 9 z J4 X X Y X _ 9I 3J x x x ,Y x I ~ - J= X X X X X 5 ~ - Jr Y. r X x x x X S 3 - Jo x x x x x , y, x ~• x x x x x ~ s ~s _ 29 X X }• / /~ / /~ x y /\ ~ S Q 29 x x x y~ x x x x x /~ v3 _ _~ X X ~ Y. X X Y X ~ JC ~ ~ 31 - =5 x X r. x x I - =5 x x r. x. x ,x ~ 24 x X x X _ 23 - =2 3 - 2, 3 - 20 X 3 - 19 o z -" ! a X / 2 _ !~ X 15 NOTES: IS PC T. OVER ~Jr M.P.H. t i4 IJ 1: 1 10 w.r. rn cn ~ ~TvTAL Nn. Off' VEHIGLES_ IDn 1 aono no. ~. SPF SURVEY ev: ~=i f' %-i -_~c_a, -- ~ DATt j .c,_ l~, M.P ~~ ~ Mendocino County, D.P1Y. ~ es PEACCnnL~ 3~ .,y~_ M.P.H, NUMBER OF VEHICLES S ]0 13 70 PERCEKT OF TOTAL ClT.1UlA71VE', PERCENTAGEI SS !! E S4 ~ (~ SJ ` ~ S2 ~ ~ S1 SO ~l G '9 m cn ~J ae "~i a ~ •6 a5 ~ ~` as ~ a3 I `` J` ~ ~ 42 \ (~ AI r 60 ~ F Z 79 ~ i 1 i ~' N W IY W 38 ~ q P `L ~ 37 O a I H 1- 36 ~ p ~ 3s % )C X ~ '2 `! y' 7 8 7 JI !~ i~ fit. X v 8 a 29 )C )C :< X K ,X ,Y :~" '~ :~: ~: `~. X X ,r l / 5 6 3 26 x ~ u. ,~ .-C. it L .~ .~ . ~ / ~ O _° 0 3 - 23 %1 ~~ L~ ~ ? 22 ~~ . X '~ ~ 9 :, '< 3 - =o ~ / 2 19 ` / to _ 1~ 16 NOTES: IS PCT. OVER M.P.H, t la IJ 12 11 l0 ""'' - ~^ °^ ` /l1TA/ Nn Off' VF/~/GEES Inn / !' °%s --- - ---- -- - ----__ __,-_ c--. ~ - - - -- I _ I o o-- -0 ~ _ _ I ~ i i ---- I + I I ~ i I ! i I I i I ~ i i i ~ I I i I I I I I I i j IW I I _ I I i ~ 17, ~ ~O ~ ~ '. ~ I i I ~ I ~ i ~ ~~ I ~ i i ~' ~~ i s a s '_ E ~ , r ~r- Q - ~~ ~ i ! ~ i I iU ~ ' oiG i I ~ i ,5 I ~` p i II ' _ i~ ^t~ I~ ~ I ' 1' ~ a I I I ~ i I ~ ~ i </ o ~ ~ = W , ;~ ~ p i ~ . ~ 3 Q j ~ j I~ ' ~ ~ j N _ ~ ~ I ~ I ! i ~ ~ I I o ~ ~ a ~ I i O ~ ~ I ~ _ ~P C~ I ~ - I I -~ P i -~- - , I ,~ - - zo MILES ~SPER l-I~~U~ as vo ys I\ ___ _ ~_- Roao no. ~~ _ _ - _. SP 7 SURVEY __._._. ev: /~' ~ ~ ~ ti/~5 .tea. OAT[ ,. _- ~--, M.- ~O h~end0 u..„ County, ~.P.PJ. es PERCEN TIL_ _ MyJ{, ~~ .P.H. NUMBER OF VEHICLES y l0 15 20 PERCENT OF TOTAL CU!.1ULATIVE'~ PERCENTAGE ~~ ~ S 5 , S4 v 33 a 52 ~ 5J Vj 50 ((~ 49 se `~( 1 ~ --'~ 47 4 6 j a5 ~. 't • 4 ,, as ~ . a3 ~ o Cam` a 2 ~ ~ AI ~ t 40 0: ~ ( ti 39 I Z vJ W 3S ~<• /00 w w L ~ 37 ~ 9 H r 36 X i~. / rp { 75 X X '- ~ 34 x x x x. x 9 9/ 1 33 ~ x X ~ X }( x I I I ~ 2 I ` - 31 X X' X x X )C X X ~ 3 6~ 28 x ~. , X __ 27 /' /~ ~/ /~ ~ \! x X /~ w~ /`~ I ~ ~ - 25 X I 3 3 - 25 x x ~ io - 24 X x s - 23 x x x F ~< x l I to - 22 2J - 20 '- 19 le 17 16 NOTES: 15 PCT. OVER M,P.H. t 14 ]J 12 II 10 '°"' ~ ~" "' ` ~TaTAL NO. OF YEH/G~ES_/pn X7,7 '~ 7 __ ~ ^_ -_Y_ __- ~ ~~ ~~ i ,. ~ ~ '. ~ i I ~I I I 1 ~ , I I I I , " I I I I I 1 i ~ Q~ 8'/ X I ii ~ I I I ~ I II i ! -~ I ' _ i , _~ , I ~ i ' ' ~ ', __ _ ~ ~ I I I ~ ~I i . i U. tN T i .T I ~ ~ i ~ I I I !~2~ W ~ ~S~ ~ ~ T r~r ~ ~ i i i i ---~ I m - ' I V I 5 , c3c /2 ~ c~N ~ 9 - ; ^I .'~o'PM' I o ~ ~ -- I - w' ~ I I I N I I i i I ~i o I ~ SIO of I I I l I I i I i I I I ~ ~ I I I TILE ~ D °ro ~ I I i , O j I I W', i it I I I II 1_ ~ W I , I i 3O col !~ ! I ~ I I ., I ~ I' I ~4 -, i I - _ I I ' I i ~~ I 12 0 ~ I I i , I I ~~ II I I I I I I I ~ - i - I I I I I I, I i I ~ I i I Q I i I I ~ ~ I I I - ~ ~ , T,_~ _ I ~I~ _ ~ i ~I I I -r _ _ rI-' FA!c E ~5,-_3 _ MPH ' i _~-~ -- I - p rs I - - -- -- _~ -- - - r - - ''I- - I~ -I i~ - ' ~a z 3 35 NO y$ MILS PER HOUR MEMORANDUM To: Chuck Rough FROM: Rick Kennedy SUBJECT: Request for Four-Way Stop at Cypress and Bush ~~ DATE: May 16, 1994 This request was heard by the Traffic Engineering Committee on May 10, 1994. Citizen groups presented their opinion and loaned a video tape of the intersection, which was taken during the end of the school day. The request has come forward because of a recent collision between a vehicle and a school-aged bicyclist. The bicyclist caused the accident by running the stop sign on the west leg of Cypress. The Committee directed staff to compile traffic volume counts. If volume warrant is met, (very doubtful) then staff is to recommend to Council that a four-way stop be installed. If warrants are not met, staff is to bring traffic information to the Committee for further review. We, the Committee, explained to the citizen group that the stop signs are not cure-alls and when they are installed without meeting warrant guidelines, they can cause problems not previously experienced at the intersection (i.e., when volumes on Bush are higher during peaks, intersection will appear to be congested if a four-way stop is installed). Citizen group also desires to slow down traffic on Bush. It is currently posted at 30 MPH with 25 MPH School Zone (when children are present) from Cypress to the bridge. They view the stop sign as a speed control device. It was explained that stop signs are installed to provide right-of-way assignment. Stop signs slow down traffic near the intersection, but not between the intersections. The Committee recommends you review the video tape. You will note in three separate instances, bicyclists are running the stop sign on Cypress Street. (This tape was taken after the incident with the bicyclist and the vehicle and the kids are still doing it!) What is needed here is bicycle safety training at Pomolita School. Staff is taking intersection counts today, one during lunch and one during the end of the school day, in lieu of taking a 24-hour count on each intersection leg, which would take at least four days because we have only one traffic counter. I suspect that the volume during peak hour will not meet volume warrant. Memo to Chuck Rough from Rick Kennedy - May 16, 1994 Volume warrants are: a. Total vehicular volume entering the intersection from all approaches must average at least 50o vehicles per hour for any eight hours of an average day, and b. The combined vehicular and pedestrian volume from the minor leg must average at least 200 units per hour for the same eight hours, with an average delay to minor vehicular traffic of at least 30 seconds per vehicle during maximum hours. c. The above volumes may be reduced to 70$ if speed on the major street is 40 MPH or greater. For the purpose of demonstrating what conditions would be like if a four-way stop sign was installed at this location, I recommend that we install a temporary Your-way stop (with portables and adequate advance warning signs) and video the conditions during afternoon and school peak hours. We would also conduct a traffic speed survey midblock from Cypress to Low Gap to demonstrate that vehicle speeds are not diminished between intersections by reason of four-way stops. Please note that the accident referenced in the "Sound Off" column was a rear-end accident on Bush. A four-way stop would not correct or eliminate this type of accident. C:\WP51\4-WAY M•E•M•O•R•A•N•D•U•M DATE: June 9, 1994 TO: Traffic Engineering Committee ) FROM: Rick H. Kennedy, Director of Public Works/City Engineer (~` RE: REQUEST FOR TRAFFIC SIGNAL RE-PHASING AT NORTH STATE STREET AND SCOTT STREET BACKGROUND As directed by the Committee, Engineering Staff conducted a turning movement count at the referenced intersection to determine if the lag green phase was still needed to facilitate the clearing of the short traffic lanes between Scott and Norton Streets on State, prior to [he green phase for Scott and Norton Streets. As indicated on the attached Vehicle Volume Summary sheet, a considerable number of vehicles are making a left turn from Scott to north bound State Street during the evening peak hour between 4:00 p. m. and 5:00 p.m. If the lag green phase is removed (as requested) there is a good possibility that the north bound vehicles stopped in the approaches to Norton Street would not allow sufficient space for vehicles making a left turn from Scott to enter the north bound lanes. It is Staff's opinion that the green lag phase is still needed to clear the traffic lanes to allow adequate storage spaces for the left turning traffic. RECOMMENDATION 1. Deny the request based on the need for the lag green phase. 2. Forwazd a report of Staff's findings and the Committee's action to City Council for their review. cc: Charles L. Rough, Jr. City Manager BJ\TEC MMIRATA VEHICLE VOLUME SUMMARY LOCATION: NORTH STATE STRHET, SCOTT STRHET, NORTON STREET INTERSECTIONS DATE ____5/17/94 WEATHHR ____PAIR PRHPARBD BY ___TM COUNTHD Bx ____TM SCOTT STREET 106 32 55 PHAK HOUR TRAFFIC COUNT DATH: S/17/94 TIMB: 4:00 PM TO 5:00 PM h N F W W P4 H W E C F y O z 35 NORTON STREET N B w S i~ ~ ~. \ ~.. ~.~`_ ~ _ (~ I~~Cc G \\~Y L= ~•_ C~v ~ ~ 1' .~ ~ JC 7__ i! ~. ~A~- . ~ a'.~~ v ~(' ", _~~~, ~_~~~ ~ ~~t ~l~ti ~~' t `k~~~l~ i y~-~-7~7 I ~Z,'/L~ ~ i`iL L. / C(~ ICS 7 ~ ~.~ ~ l i , `~~ f , e-~Cl ~d~e~~ s~i s~~oal c.~wy ;~ l~~" . ~~, , ~~ ~ ~i ~ o y~~~t 3i~ U NEW LIFE SCHOOL ~~ 700 W SMITH, UKIAH, CA 95dB 2, 70]-463-0803 Ltl\r11~,1 ~'Y~ April 11, 1994 City of Ukiah 300 Seminary Ave. Ukiah, California 95482 Enclosed please find a check for $12.00 for a parking citation that was issued on March 29th, 1994. The car that was ticketed belongs to our Tuesday morning "grandma Rose". Our Preschool uses the facilities of the First Baptist Church and on that morning all available parking spaces were filled. Since we often have parents come to volunteer their time at our school aiid because the streets surrounding the school have 2-hour parking limiCs, we are requesting information/help on how we can assist those people that volunteer their time to the children. Is it possible that we could have a sign that could be placed on dashboards during the time people are helping us? I am concerned that we will loose our elderly helpers because they are unable to afford parking tickets. If someone could talk with me about a solution to the problem, I would very much appreciate it. Sincerely, /// ~1~ /~J GC~~(~ Betty Wallen, Director ~~ ~ I i ~~ ~ ~ li ~ I. ~I ;. _~ ~' ~ ~ ,. _ . I I-~ ~ !i J ~}~-- I I J ~~i, i ~ i ,, ~~ ~ ' 3 n n mo ~ ~'.~ ' M1 b I, rY ~ 1 I r ~ ,. ~_ { Z ~9 t~n I 1 ~ I - ~i II ! ' c w ~ ~ ~ L , ~ u I !~ i~ vssa~ :~J~ ,,; YllZ~in.^ ,~ !~ i j U, I ~~F State Haim Se11s Life Ir~surance. BOB MIRATA, AGENT Auto-Life-Health-Home and Business 488 N STATE ST Corner of Scott & State Sts. UKIAH, CA 95482 PHONE (707) 468-0179 FAX (707) 468-3811 April 13, 1994 Fred Keplinger Ukiah Police Department 300 Seminary Ave. Ukiah, CA 95482 Dear Fred, A couple of years ago I wrote to the City of Ukiah about the hazardous situation at the intersection of Scott & State Streets. At that time they told me they would look into the situation, but nothing has been changed. As Director of Public Safety, I thought you may have some in- fluence in correcting the problem. As you are probably aware, the traffic light for northbound traffic on State Street turns red before the light for the southbound traffic. Drivers waiting to make a left turn onto Scott St. from the northbound lane, tend to feel safe in completing the turn when the light turns yellow or red, UN- AWARE that the southbound light is still green. Since our office is located at the corner of Scott & State Streets, we have observed numerous near misses and several collisions. We've never under- stood the reason for not having the lights change at the same time, but I think it would reduce the number of collisions at this intersection. I've enclosed a clipping from the paper showing the most recent accident. Sincerely ~ ///// ci lL~at , Office Manager RECEIVED APR 141994 UKIAH ?OLICE DEPT. ~, ~ ~i ~ m m co ' h ~ , ~ w aJ l ~ ~ m ~~ z ~ v ` l 1 \~ ~ ~~ C ' i ~ C v¢ O? 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'S a.9 ~a3 LL ovl~~ioa~~ TO: Rick Kennedy, Director of Public Works FROM: Steve Turner, Chair, Traffic Engineering Committee DATE: April 11, 1994 SUBJECT: Traffic Engineering Committee Meeting - April 12, 1994 Due to work commitments in Sacramento on April 12, I will be unable to attend and chair the meeting. I appreciate the quality of your report on the Talmage Road off ramp/intersection and I support your proposal for recommending that CalTrans reduce the speed limit to 35 MPH. Lastly, attached are two reports on "Traffic Calming". Please have them copied and distribute them to committee members for discussion at the next meeting with reference to the numerous requests we have received for speed controls in neighborhoods. ~~E Ga.a.E Q~s -~^c.~P~.-~ -~~ s 2-i ~~r-C.~ ~oorC' ORKSHOP NEIGHBOIRHOOD STREET '.~ TRAFFIC CALMING Neighborhoods were once a place where children could safely play and where people strolled in the evening. Neighborhoods were once quiet enough co sit on the front porch and share quiet moments with Friends. That days aze quickly disappearing. Particularly disquiccing azc the stories we hear of neighborhoods which sound more like away-zone, complete with gunfire, than a place where families live. San Luis Obispo is a quaint and vibrant city, and is the envy of much of California. However it is mazching along the same path that the rat of California embarked upon decades eazlier. The grisly neighborhoods people azc fleeing from are a poignant picture of our own future. SAN LUIS OBISPO IS A WONDERFUL PLACE Many of us live in San Luis Obispo because is is small, clean, and beautiful. We enjoy getting to know the local merchants as we shop downtown. There is a community spirit here chat makes us feel like a parr of the city and the community. We feel that San Luis Obispo is still a safe place for our children to grow up, play little league, go co the park and do all the things we did as we grew up. Recent trends have become somewhat disturbing as they rock our picture of San Luis Obispo. many store fronts down town aze vacant, our roadways become clogged ac rush hour, we actually have a rush hour, Poly Royal turns ugly, our air doesn't pass clean air standazds, gang acuviry invades Farmei s Market, the list goes on. Is San Luis Obispo feeling growing pains or is this a glimpse of our future? None of us can say what our fucurc is, but we can say that if we arc unable to articulate what our Future should be and what we value as a community, then we arc prone co becoming yet another Los Angeles look-a-like. WE HAVE THE POWER Pan of the reason our str«u n«d changing is that our ncighborhood roadways were designed az miniature freeways. Traffic planner in the 40's and 50's developed a vision for the United States that made efficient roadways a national defense priority. These same traffic planner then used the model of our efficient interstate freeway system to design urban and residencies! str«ts. Simply driving through Los Angeles neighborhoods which are surrounded by sound walk is enough to demonstrate how far we have come from our farmhouse roots. It is true that San Luis Obispo is not Los Angeles and that our neighborhoods are much more livable than those in the Southland, but the traffic planning policies that were used to cream Los Angeles are the exact same policies we are using to create San Luis Obispo. In fatt just months ago, the first sound wall surrounded community within our city limits was approved on Laurel Lane. It is necessary that in order for us to address the issue of more livable neighborhoods, we must address traffic planning and traffic politics head on. DON'T ALLOW EXPERTS TO DO THE PLANNING When planners confront congested road ways, thry s« a problem that needs fixing. Their logic tells them that if there are too many cars for the road, then the road muse be widened. Rarely do planners ever consider removing some of the cars. Yec this is the solution that makes sense from the point of view of the people who must live on the str«rs that cars run on. Only residents can say when enough is enough. You purchazed your home because you enjoyed the peaceful, quiet neighborhood. It is not fair that new development at the periphery of the city increaza the noise in your home and decreazes the livability of your street. Yet this is where the traffic that steams past your house is going. When residcnrs design roads ehty design things much differently than trained road cngin«rs do. Their designs are different not because chry are inappropriate deigns or less skillful. Their designs are different because thry actually live on the streets chry create. Residents know that roads are not just for cars. They walk these roads, their children play in chest roads, and their Acts cross these roads. They protett these uses when chry arc involved in the design process. Residents know chry have rights which traffic planners are quick to abridge in finding an eary solution. Residents arc much more willing to sic down az a ncighborhood and hash out the bat compromkes. Most importantly residents know their ncighborhood and have an insight that even the most «pensive traffic study can't ever provide. TRAFFIC CALMING EXAMPLES Following are scvera! examples of °tools" for changing the psychological fecl of your street. These cools ue intended to make the drivcrs of cars Fccl uncasy about traveling the speeds thry normally travcl on major thoroughfues. The more clegant tools oven augment the human scale of the street, making it appealing to pedestrians at the samc time as discouraging speeding autos. Remember that these uc simply «ample of what other ncighbor hoods have done in the past. The possibilities for what is possible are infinite. BULB OUTS Bulb oua are islands or planters, about the size of a parkcd car chat ue added co the sidc of an existing street. In this «ample, thty are used at the intersection co alert cars that thry are entcring a neighborhood street When bulboucs arc used as planters, thry can hold strcec trces which crcate beautiful places for pedestrians to walk. Neck downs are similar co bulb outs «ccpt chat thry arc uscd togethcr on opposite sidcs oFthc scrcet to crcacc a nurow scction which causcs cars co slow as thry pass through. SPEED TABLES Specd tables are similar co spccd bumps except chry don't launch your car into orbit. Like spccd bumps, spccd tables are humps of asphalt that extend the width of the roadway, but instead of being only 1-3 feet widc, thry are up to 20 fccc wide. Cars that drive ovcr spccd tables arc lifted and chcn dropped down insccad of being jotted as thry arc with spccd bumps. NECK DOwNS- HOW TO CREATE TRAFFIC CALMING Traffic calming is dearly a great benefit for neighborhoods. The question is, "How do we make it happen in our neighborhood?" Neighborhood organization is the firer step. The city of San Luis Obispo is seeking to create traffic calmed neighborhoods but only where there is strong ncighborhood support. A neighborhood that is organized and has a vision for how it wants to remake its streets will have the greatest chance of success for calming traffic. CREATE AN ORGANIZATION Organizing your neighborhood may sound daunting at first, but it is no more difficult than arranging ablock-long yard salt or planning a ncighborhood watch meeting. Most pcople begin neighborhood organization by calking with the neighbors chty already know. Thry azrange a meeting date and place with chae neighbors and then invite all the remaining neighbors to the mecting. Don't worry if very few people come to your initial meeting. Most people arc unwilling to become involved in a project that doesn't already have a clearly defined direction. The pcople who come to this initial mecting will be the visionazies; thry are precisely the people who are needed at this stage. DEVELOP A VISION :~ nth this first group of people who show up co your organizational meeting, shaze your worries and fears with each other. Share what you enjoy about your ncighborhood and your dreams for your furure and for the future of your community. Do not be surprised if initially what people shaze seems "mutually exclusive" or "loonry". Everyone has a different approach for imagining their "ideal world," however we ate all human and we have roughly the same needs. Underneath the many ideas chat will be presented at your meetings, there is usually some thread of common ground to be found. Brainstorm a list of what is right about your ncighborhood street. Indude such things as shopping and services you can walk to, public facilities such as pazks, or prominant street trey that are enjoyed by the neighbors. Indude less tangible things such as feelings of security, neighborhood identity, or supportive neighbors. Think about how you might reinforce, encourage and celebrate chae parrs of your neighborhood that you already value. Now, brainstorm a list of what is wrong about your street. List things chat prevent you from having chc kind of neighborhood you would enjoy living in. Include such things as lack of neazby services, factors that prevent you from knowing your ncighbon, or unsafe conditions for playing children. Remember the ncighborhood of your youth, what was present then chat is no longer present? ~ Use the lists chat you have brain stormed co develop several preliminary visions of what your street tray someday look like after you have addressed what is wrong and have reinforced what is right. Articulate that visions cleazly and concisely, tither with pictures or with words. f~ has a list of resource prnplc who can assist you. Some of these people azc draftsmen for drawing blueprints, some arc city employees who have access to aerial photographs and street survrys, others are Cal Poly smdenrs who can make azuscic drawings of what your plans will look like if you were walking down your newly reshaped street. IMPLEMENT YOUR PLAN When your drawings aze complete, it is time co contact the the public works director to request that they be built. He will review your plans and diretx them to the city engineer. Be prepazed for some negative reactions ac this stage. Public works and engineering aze chethe personnel who have created what hu been built to date. Thry will confront you with statistics and policies. Expect this but don't be daunted by it, remember that directors and engineers aze hired by city council and the city council wants traffic calming as much as you do. The tenacious will succeed. When the city claims that your plan will cost far coo much in these years of lean budgets, remember that Menlo Park built their initial bulb outs and round abouts with railroad tics. When the city saw how well chry worked chry gladly found the monry co build the real thing in only six months! RESOURCE LIST The following organizations will be helpful in providing advocary and expertise as you organize your neighbo rhood and enact your vision. Alternative Trarssporution Task Force Residents for Quality Neighborhoods Pat Veesan Ray Nordquist 976 Buchon P.0.12604 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 San Luis Obispo, CA 93406 546-0518 543-2544 The ATTF is an activist and advonry RQN is a group that advocates organized organization that lobbys city counal and neighborhoods. Thry can offer support city government to make such Things u in bewming organized and dealing with traffic calming, bike lanes, and mass any troubles you encounter along the way trarssit pan of public polity. Your work will be From the grass roots. Their work is Grell CoHousing Group to open the ears of government co hear David Braun what you have to say. Thry are a good 1308 Broad St #7 organization w call first becaux chry nn San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 direct you to whatever resources you 541-1148 might need. Grell CoHousing Group is not involved with traffic calming, but they are the . premier example in this county of what a well run neighborhood organiution looks like. Thry welwme abxrvers ac their meetings who wish to xe their group process. .., , . . „ a~qq~~; ~ ~~ ~ ££ ~ ,- { 4 ~y~ 1'~~~ C Y ~~ Y ~ 1 ~{ '~ D'~~ Ak t krf Ak,~ h.A~§ A~ Sr ke- .`]' ~ $c M L :. ~~"4f~~?~%FS=.t'.#. a '~ +h.~, ~~ Gvk~f ~ 4t s '~! t ~ ~~'Sen~ ' iq`w° r"'~,*~ ~3-se'h5~ d -;~'~' '~ .r,vi~~~t y~.}yq ~44`'oree a5"„-K. '-^~hebn.-v"~r-t'~'~{,"~~i'~ .~ti~-,,f~'u*~., y ... 3 k ~~i 5. ~ v~$g~94 ,. x3 3:~~L'x .xu. ~" ° ~Y3:&'. -~. Ar kra-uye, w~R'3y*~-'. j i 3~""" -~ ~_ r 'e ' ~ ~ ,~ ..r '* y x ~. Y }', i aY '''yyy,,,,, ,y3" k. S~ ~~.t p:. `s'.... %:c '' I/ ~ 4 ~A 'fir ~,~.. ,~ t ,ivi3y 4r;, + t >~ ~% to ~Y y djO~~ T ~~ `~~ ~~ tr ~S THE SOLUTION TO URBAN TRAFFIC ,AND A NEW VISION FOR 1NEIGHBORHOOD LIVABILITY ~ ~a Citizens Advocating Responsible Transportation ~ .. ~,~,FF~c .sM~ "The values of our citizens are probably the most stable building blocks on which to fashion a future. " - Region 2040 Study Metropolitan Service District, Portland, OR for decades, planners have shaped our communities by relying on policies and ideas originating from the late 1930's, as demonstrated at the 1939 World's Fair "Motorama": freeways, multi-level interchanges large arterials, au!a-dependent housing developments, strip malls, and "industrial parks" Residents of these new developments often questioned the wisdom of these creations, whic^ seemed to lack humanity and any sense of community or place Yet their concerns and suggestions were largely ignored by planners claiming that ordinary citizens we'e too ignorant, too disagreeable, or too subjective fo make wr'hwhile contributior; Aker all, we were the professional planners, the experts Now, fifty years Inter, we are beginning to reelize that we cannot cantinue to ignore these contributions; that we, as planners, have c moral end ethical responsibility to create places that have a human scale -and the best way to do thc• is to involve the people who live and work in the communities we create The results pf this new approach are astounding, increased citizen involvement has genera•ed development ordinances that foster a richer sense of place and a stronger sense ~~ community. Aker working with tens of thousands of people ~n the planning process, I am convinced that they -ordinary citizens -are the real experts One of the most important benefits of increased citizen partidpatie~ has been the discovery that community is fundamentally pedestrian-based More and more, citizens are rejecting the notion that streets are the excFu;ive domai- of the automobile Instead, they are redefining their streets as mportant p_plic spaces and reclaiming them for a multitude of community functions, such as artistic expression, commerce, recreation, communication, and social interedion. As a result, planners and citizens alike are beginning to understand that streets provide the unique visual, cultural, and spatial characteristics of a community that they define each community's unique sense of place Traffic Calming is a testimony to the contribution; ordinery citizens ore making to shape their streets -and their communities - to their own needs. The ideas and recommendations in this wonderful handbook are common-sense, profound, and absolutely critical to restoring the human scale in our communities end our lives. CART's ideas and approaches will inspire and empower you Use them, promote them, and implement them for a better future. -Anton C. Nelessen, M. Arch U D. President, A.C. Nelessen Associates, Princeton, NJ Associate Professor, Rutgers University School of Planning and Public Policy P S. For an energizing start, begin with Chapter 2, "The Eight Myth; of Traditional Traffic Planning" (page 9j. - A.C.N Contents Preface ;~ 1. How CART Discovered Traffic Calming 2. Eight Myths of Traditional Traffic Planning g 3. What Is Traffic Calming and How Does It Work? 17 4. Traffic Calming - A Ne~c Planning Ethos Emerges 21 5. Why Traffic Calming Is The Best Solution for Route ZO 27 6. Implementation -The Road Ahead 31 A Final Word gg References g g Bibliography g g (u1 one of the historic Bardon valleys the b1RD suyes[ed should be filled for the "Route 20 F: eemay". ~~ ' ~ __ ...x: ~:.... _ ~' ~' 'o,- #t ~.. Originally published in 1989 by CART 50 Exeter Street Ashgrpve, Q 1060 Ausirc'~,ia (07366 5265 Repured in the United States in 1993 with permission, by Sensioie Transportation Options for People ESTOP) 15405 S W. ' 16th Avenue #2026 Tigarc OR 9224-2600 1503;624-6083 ISBN ~ 7316 5414 5 Cccvright CART 1989 STOP 1993 All ric^4s resew+ed. No part of this publicction may be reproduced, stored in a re•rieval satem, or transmitted in any fc~m, or bo any means, electronic, mechanical, protocopying,recording or othen•.ise without the written permission of the publisher Preface When residents started fighting the Main Roads Department proposal to build a Western Arterial Bypass (The Route 20 F: eeway) -they were faced with a dilemma. Should they tackle the root causes of the p_oblem which were: no regional, long-term plan; piece-meal planning; oc:dated, paternalistic planning; and lack of creative, forward thinking? Or should they take the easy course and simply try to push the road into someone else's back yazd? To their credit, residents chose to tackle the root causes. The result is this book... a visionary plan, that not only addresses ~-e problem of Route 20, but will take Brisbane into the 21st century. The research contained in this book shows hat if ;his plan is adopted, the following results could be expected: • Up to 60% drop in deaths and serious ir_ pries. • Up to 50% drop in noise and pollution. • Up to 50% less peak-hour traffic. • Dramatic drops in public transport def`ic::s. The decisions made now end in Lie next few years will determine forever wi;et la"nd of piece we become. Lord Mayor Sallyanne Atkinson= "Traffic Calming: a solution for Route 20 and a new c~sion for Brisbane" is written for the following people: 1. LOCAL RESIDENTS. This book is part c'the ongoing process of community planning. It is to provide a bas's for rational discussion and debate about the future of our suburbs and neighbourhoods and our quality of life. 2. LAY PEOPLE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR CITF. Although some sections of this book are specific to Route _0, the bulk of the material is relevant to anyone concerned about the fut _re oft-eir city. 3. PLANNERS AND POLITICIANS. Although the material in this book is presented in layman's language, it is based on a wide range of technical reports from around the world. For those scanting to go further there is a comprehensive bibliography included. A SPECIAL THANKS This book would not have been possible without input from thousands of local residents who attended one or mare of the 21 public meetings and workshops held over the last two years. Those who have made a special contribution to putting this book together include the following: Sharon Channer (design), Alan Cazew (photos), Phil Day (detailed review and invaluable comments), Sand_a Finster (planning consultation), Di Glynn (translation work, research and hundreds of hours of leg work) John Hetherington (review), Phil Heywood ;invaluable feedback), Jeff Kenworthy (our man in Perth who pointed us in tie right direction, sent us voluminous reports and gave us invaluable leads;. Martin Lack (adviser and reviewer), Prof Rolf Monheim (our man in Germane who sent us so much material we are still translating it), Monique Negus (translation work) and Philip Taylor (typesetting). The writing of this book was a joint effort o: the following people: Phillipa Bevan, Thom Blake, Jeff Charmer. David Engwicht (editor). Mazk Finnane, Maureen Finnane, Nathalie Haymann, Mark McQ:rdy, and John Negus. 4 ~~~.~ ~~:.~ How CART discovered ~~;~~ Traffic Calming BRISBANE'S EARLY DE~"ELOPME\T WAS CONCENTRATED along the tram and train tracks that radiated from Le city centre. There was very little need for cross movements behceen these radial routes. In any case, [he natural geography of Brisbane discoura;ed the bc::ding of major cross links. As car ownership rose and the cite suread out, motorists discovered their own "short-cuts" or cross links. These roc:es were "rat-runs" - a zig-zag course along residential streets that we:e never cesigned to cazr+ the extra load of through traffic. One such rat-run existea :hrough ; = inner-western suburbs of Brisbane - providing a de-facto north-soul. link betr.ceen Ipswich Road, Milton Road, Waterworks Road and Stafford Road. In March 1976 the Brisbane City Co ;ncil published the "Map of Numbered Traffic Routes". In it. the BCC legitimised" this north-south rat-run by giving it a name... Route 20 Thev even erected signs to show people how to find their way along it. The families living on these streets were never asked if they wanted their residential streets turned into a major through-route; nor was this decision pazt of some overall regional plan. It was an ad-hoc decision and the ramifications were never properly considered. CONSEQUENT PLANNL~G DECISIONS funnelled traffic onto this "legitimised rat-run". In 1983, the Brisbane City Council and Main Roads Department derided a major north-south bypass azterial was needed. "Route 20" would form part of this bypass, linking the Western Freeway and a future Northern Freeway. As a result "Route 20" was placed under bfRD control. The intentions of the authorities n ere clear. Initial property purchases were paid for from the "Brisbane City Freeway (Jindalee-Everton Park) Account". But authorities became nervous about the word "freeway". The "Western Freeway" was renamed, becoming the "Western Arterial". The total north-south bypass became known as the '.Vestern Bypass Arterial". Much to the annoyance of authorities. residents referred to i[ as the "Route 20 Freeway". More recently the MRD recommended that the Route 20 section of their proposed bypass be called the "'Ashgrove' Sub-Arterial Road". .-1 protest rallvin just one of [he porks earmarked for destruction. A rat-run legitimised They even erected signs to show people how to find their way along the rat-rvn. Secrecy, subterfuge and more ad-hoc planning 5 -~5`~ _A:':_~J.o'~'JV°_~!~~r2 APP'C CAL~Il\'G C.13.U ,COD. A cartoon in the first ne,rspaper published by CART depicting the kind o(fnmily li(estyfe local residents urant to protect. ' C.D.D. 7:he Route?0 rat-run. Semantics aside, both the MRD and BCC were locked into a course of action because of their basic planning approach -allowing the past to dictate the future. By legitimising the rat-run additional traffic had been encouraged to use the "route". This made it "necessazv" to "upgrade" sections of the route -which encouraged even more traffic to use it, The snow'oall which stazted when the rat- run was first legitimised was allowed to roll on. Ir. fact the authorities felt it their duty to keep it rolling -mainly because it teas rolling To try to stop it or change its direction, was to stand in the way of "progress To make matters even worse, the paternalistic attitude of those in authority at the time deemed it necessary to keep residens in the dark. The Minister for bfain Roads at the time kept claiming that the works were only "a modest upgrade". On 21 September 1987 the Deputy Commissioner had a meeting with Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen and was able to report that thz Commasioner had taken action "to defuse the Route 20 issue and to try to eliminate public comment". The method? "This has been achieved by officer level discussion with community groups". (Leaked memo dated 22/9/8,-) CART bites the bullet DURING 1987 AND 1988 there were a series of public meetings attended by up to 1000 people which resolved to fight the \fRD plans. At these public meetings, community action groups were formed in Bardon and Ashgrove. In November 1987 these communiy' groups combined and became larown as CART (Citizens Against Route 201. The previous community action groups and CART took their direction from the public meetings and continually referred back to the people to have their mandate confirmed. CART's mandate to fight for a stopping of an upgrade was confirmed by an independent QIT survey in March 1988 which indicated that 86% of residents in The Gap and Paddington 4Vazds did not support the upgrading of Route 20. CART recognised early in the campaign that unless there was a basic change in the planning attitudes of the State and Local Government, any "win" on Route ZO would ultimately be a hollow victory. In January 1988, CART produced a documentz which called for a comprehensive. independent inquiry into Brisbane's transportation requirements. This call was backed by other community action groups and academics. Afrer a strong citizens' campaign opposing the MRD plans for "Route 20", the Brisbane Regional Transport Planning Polic}' Committee met on 17 February 1988 and deckled all work should be frozen on Route 20 and an environmental and social impact study conducted. A key element of this study was to be "community rnnsultation". - 6 H06V `' ' RT DISCO~BRED TRAFFIC CALMING In May 1988 the Sydney branch of SKP (Sinclair Knight and Paztners) was contracted to conduct a social and environmental impact study because of their experience in this field and their reputation of being leaders in the azea of "community consultation". WHILE CART WAS CONGER\~D about the underlying planning problems, the chief concern was ±o have -he upgrading stopped. Residents were adamant that they did not want the extra affic, the extra noise, the extra pollution and the spread of urban blight. So when SKP had their first meetings with CART in June, the message CART relayed on behalf of most residents was that Route 20 should not be upgraded apart from fixing any possible safety problems. However a dramatic change of perception took place in July 1988 at the very first community workshop conducted by SKP. A resident insisted they did not want SKP merely looking at what mieht happen in the next 20 years -they wanted SKP to look at what had already Happened in the last 15 years -and they wanted some of the damage already done =eversed. SKP said this was utopian. but this resident's concerns were confirmed b_v others at the workshop and echoed in all subsequent workshops. People were not just worried about a future threat of traffic increasing along Route 20, they insisted that present noise was too high, present traffic volumes were causing social dislocation and posing sioaificant safety problems (especially for children), present levels of pollution we_e too high and there was too much industrial traffic on residential s_eets no:•.. The problem as perceived by thes? . esidents was not just one of a future threat posed by the "upgrading" of Route '0. They felt that their quality of life had already been seriously eroded by tra=:c intrusion - an intrusion encouraged by past planning decisions. CART treated these expressions o:.oncern from the community seriously believing that any proposal for Route 20 or its environs must address these problems. Perceptions change -not just a future threat The problem as perceived by these residents was not just one of a future threat -they felt that their quality of life had already been seriously eroded by traffic intrusion. AFTER 21 PUBLIC ~fEETLVGS ~L\7 WORKSHOPS CART finally felt in a Consensus reached on problems position to articulate these problems. At a public meeting in November, CrllZT to be solved was given a mandate to search for a sche_z that met the following requirements: • Reduce noise* • Reduce pollution levels'* • Less heavy traffic through residential aeeas • Less rat-running traffic • Greater safety for children and motorists • Enhancement and prese~-ation o= [he unique character of the area • No new traffic corridors *.hrough established residential areas • Scheme to be part of regional play for whole of Brisbane. " Sf~ recommended that 63 dBA L10 should be ~e maximum day-time level for residential azeas. They report [hat "significant exceedences of 8-_ t dBA" occurred at all locations tested along Route 20. The recommended night time level was 50 dBA. ?our of the five locations tested exceeded this limit by e-it dBA. The level recommended far schools is 60 dBA. ~'arcellin School was 15 dHA over, Enoggera Stale School 6 dBA aver and Oakleigh and Mt St `.fichae:-s equal or slightly over.3 These figures are disturbing given [he latest rese_ch which shows that apart from the physical and psychological ill-effects that excessive noise has on same people, i[ can also retard the learning process of children. "' While SKP have concluded that air pollutiac =~.ong Route ZO is half acceptable levels,° many residents claim that present levels ahead} cause na~~ea and aggravate bronchial and asthma conditions. What SKP have failed to address so tat is Lhe en~.::omnental damage caused by present levels of exhaust Fumes -most notably [heir cuntr:'u~atloa to .e greenhouse effect. For hoth health and environmental r. sons loc s- r=sidents want present levels reduced. SUBU~'~S Research shows that children exposed to excessive noise suffer retardation in [heir learning processes. R seems unjust to ask [hat the children accept this retardation in learning- iust sa some motorists can go further faster 7 SAVE OUR ~~E~~ Fa,~FaMr~Y Rot HOW CAF.T DISCOVERED TRAFFIC CALMIT"' The search begins Many cities and countries around the world have adopted policies that, while still providing the same level of mobility for their residents, have dramatically cut the amount of traffic and its effects on residents. CART demons[mtes the impact of Route 20 on :Norman Buchan Pork SSCP'S RESPONSE TO THE RESIDENT at the fast workshop was indicative of the current planning ethos in Queensland: noise, air pollution and social disruption were just part of the price of "progress". The car must be given complete, unfettered freedom of the city. All demands must be met - no matter what the social or environmental consequences. CART dared to question this conventional "wisdom". Was it possible to provide a high level of mobility and at the same time reduce the undesirable side-effects of that mobility? CART didn't have any immediate answers but believed there had to be a better way. Hundreds of hours were spent in libraries, making phone calls around Australia, writing letters around the world, and poring over the research documents uncovered in the seazch. CART discovered that as far as traffic planning is concerned, Queensland is using out-dated methods. (There is one notable exception which will be discussed later.) Many cities and countries around the world have adopted policies that, while still providing the same level of mobility for their residents, have dramatically reduced the amount of traffic and its effects on residents. Some have even closed lanes on major roads and freeways, turning them into boulevards and parks. One term for these planning techniques is "Traffic Calming". But before we discuss traffic calming we first need to talk about another important discovery made in CART's search; the paucity of past planning policy and practice in Brisbane, Queensland and probably in the rest of Australia. What became apparent is that a large proportion of current planning is based on myths and incorrect assumptions. 8 Residents demons[mte their determinatlon to stop the Route 20 Freeway with a 100 hour vigil beside the proposed route. Eight Myths of Traditional Traffic Planning This chapter is not an attack on planners, bureaucrats and politicians. The bad planning of the past was not deliberate; it was the result of tunnel vision and an appalling lack of accountability. This chapter attempts to expose eight of the most common myths upon which traditional traffic planning is based. IT IS A CONVENTION FOR TRANSPORT STUDIES to forecast future traffic by projecting current trends, population growth and present travel habits, then use these projections to decide what roads aze needed for the future. Such an approach looks eminently sensible and forward thinking, until one realises it makes a prior assumption. It assumes the present is ideal and that present travel habits are worth projecting into the future. As Plowden observes: Transportation studies hardly ever contain an explicit analysis of the problems of the town under study. There is a very particular view inherent in the whole method of approach... even though very few practitioners seem to have realised quite what theyhave implicitly committed themselves to... Deeply embedded in this procedure is the idea that the present situation is satisfaciorys A classic example of this kind of traffic study is a document produced by SKP which "proves" via computer-generated predictions that traffic on Route 20 will increase by 57% by the year 2006 e But the study in no way addresses the hard questions about the desirability of encouraging this massive increase in traffic or how and why present traffic patterns have developed (the basis of the predictions) and whether what has been encouraged to develop is good or bad. The myth that traffic projections aze important in deciding what roads are needed is closely related to Myth 2: planners are not responsible for how much people want to use their cazs, and Myth 3: predicted traffic growth must be provided for. A world designed 6y engineers. MYTH 1: Traffic projections are important in deciding what roads are needed. Such an approach looks eminently sensible and forward thinking, until one realises it makes a prior assumption - it assumes the present is ideal... 9 MYTH 2: PRESENT TRAVEL HABITS WERE tvJT FORMID IN A VACUUM. Nor Planners are not responsible for were they inevitable. They aze the results of choices and policy decisions by how much people want to past and present governments and councils. Other cities have developed in use their cars. entirely different ways. In every city of the world the volume of ttnffic is limited, intentionally or unintentionally, bymeasures adopted by governments. If these measures were relaxed, there would 6e more traffic; if they were strengthened, there would be less. In other words the volume of traffic in a city is not something like the rainfall that has to be accepted..? The volume of traffic in a city is not Paris and Los Angeles aze good examples of how past policies shape something like the rainfall that has [ravel patterns. Both have almost identical populations. Ye[ roads and sidewalks to be accepted... in Paris only occupy 87 sq km while in Los Angeles they occupy 1201 sq km. Roads and sidewalks represent 24% of the total area of Paris, 37% of Los Angeles. (Off-street pazking accounts for another 23% of the Los Angeles central business district).e Houston residents consume two and a half times more petrol per person than Brisbane residents, six times more than London residents, and eight times mare than Amsterdam residents? Are we really expected to believe that these dramatically different levels of caz use aze to be attributed solely to some unseen force that decrees that people in Houston or San Francisco will have a greater desire to use their caz than people in London or Amsterdam? Even in Australia , Sydney and Melbourne have very different patterns of public transport and car usage to Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. MYTH 3: TRADITIONAL PLANNERS CLAIM it is irresponsible not to build bigger Predicted traffic growth must be roads to cater for forecasted traffic growth. But it is universally acknowledged provided for. that new or upgraded roads generate new traffic for the following reasons: 1. New trip destinations aze made possible. (For example, the Gateway Arterial opened up the Gold Coast as a more attractive day trip for those on the north of the city.) Traffic expands to fill the available 2. The frequency of some trips increases because access is now easier. road space. 3. People take jobs further from their homes. 4. Some people shift from public transport to private car due to the trip time for the caz being reduced. 5. As patronage for public transport decreases public transport becomes less viable and service deteriorates encouraging even more people to use their cars. What have we learnt Mayer Hillman in taking a critical look back 20 years after the landmazk'lY~affic ~ •. • from history o to say: in To Hea to emb b v i s nl d o th as s wa ace on orecost r y p p f f future levels of vehicle ownership and traffic so that these could be used to determine what scale of road network and parking provision should be planned for. These forecasts necessarilyrequired a confident view of the medium-to- long-term future. However, it was certainly erroneous to make no provision fora future in which economicgmwth and population did not rise at the anticipated rate. To some extent, an optimistic forecast can be seen as aself-fulfilling prophecy, for it is clear that more traffic is generated by a network of roads designed to accommodate high levels of vehicle ownership. Perhaps the primary objection that can be levelled at the use of traffic forecasts in the Report was that no change in public policy on car use or policy influencing ownership was assumed of sufficient magnitude to affect previously observed behavioural links... Instead forecasts simply ~~ EIGHT MYTHS OF TRADITIONAL TRAFFIC PLAMQING 6. New or upgraded roads displace people, spreading the city and therefore requiring that more people travel longer distances, again reducing the viability of public transport. This has caused many planners to talk of a Parkinson's Law of traffic: "Traffic expands to fill the available road space". 10 Or as Porter has commented, "Ironically enough, most communities aze trying to overcome the traffic crisis in ways that actually perpetuate it."33 Even more serious was the failure [of planners] to realise the connection between road-building and traffic volumes: the fact that providing more road space itself generates more traffic..,1z With this phenomenon in mind we can see why acceptance of the myth that all predicted traffic demand must be met results in more and more of our cities being handed over to roads. This is best summed up in the diagram OppOSlte. 1. A traffic study is done (year zero) basing future traffic predictions on past trends and travel habits. These trends have not occurred in a vacuum but have been the result of catering for predicted traffic demand. 2. These traffic predictions show that in 20 years time the present road will not cater for the predicted traffic. 3. So the road space for that traffic is created now. This road, by its very design has spaze capacih~ to take traffic for the next twenty yeazs. 4. But the generated traffic fills the road to capacity within a couple of years of its completion, causing the traffic planner to congratulate himself for his foresight in foreseeing the need for the new road or upgrade. 5. It also causes the planner to do a new traffic study based on the higher than expected road usage. This of course leads to the conclusion that the road will be hopelessly inadequate before the twenty years is up so it must be further upgraded. This type of planning is termed "predict and provide". It is spiral planning that encourages an exponential growth in traffic. Understanding this process is the key to why some local residents are so opposed to even a "minor" upgrade of "Route 20". They know as sure as night follows day that unless planners reject "predict and provide" planning, the upgrade will be "minor" today, "major" tomorrow, and "mammoth" soon after. i 5. New study ~ based on / new trends, ~/ / / / / 3. Road space ~ 4, 1kef6c expands created now - -------may - i ~~ 2. Pest hands 1. Study' Projected done into future -10 -5 0 5 10 15 7A 15 YEARS Broadty speaking, the amount o(troffic is governed 6y what is regarded as a tolerable ]evel of congestion. If the capacity of the road network is increased, whether by road construction or by tmffic management measures, the mileage will increase unto the same conditions obtain. If the capacity of the road network is not increased, the mileage performed will stabilise, and if the capacityis n;duced, the mileage will be reduced carrespandinglyl4 included the caveat that "...no proper allowances can be made... for possible changes in Government policies, for instance on restraint and mad provision", even though these obviouslyinfluence traffic levels. It is not surprising that forecasts of traffic levels and of vehicle ownership have been notoriously unreliable. Had the 1965 forecasts of car ownership in the Report for i980 been realised, there would have been an additiona115 million cars rather than the actual additional 8 million. Moreover, the reliability of more recent forecasts has tended to deteriorate. It is not surprising that a TRRL sponsored study led researchers to conclude that British transport studies which have relied heavily on these forecasts have "a chronic tendency to over-predict almost everything".rs Sinclair Knight and Partners, in their review of Route 20, continue the above 25 year old tradition of'chronic over-prediction' with predictions of a 57°/a growth in traffic on Route 20 by the yeaz 2006. They, too, claim they cannot ' take account of future social trends or political decisions. ...nothing . ~~ EIGHT MYTHS OF TRADITIONAL TRAFFIC ^*.ANNING MYTH 4: Bigger roads aze safer roads While planners build roads that encourage greater speeds they must bear some of the blame for a rising road toll. New speed Old speed _ ' s ri k factor Added' risk Cac[or 'Upper safety limit Upper safety limit Hefoxa new After new safeTy feature safety feature Why new safety measures can be self defeating. IF IT IS TRUE as many planners claim that "bigger roads aze safer roads', why does the road toll keep escalating? The answer is simple. Planners aze ignoring two fundamental factors. Firstly, while "upgraded" roads decrease the number of accidents per vehicle kilometre, researchers such as Jeff Kenworthy and J. Michael Henderson show that such figures are misleading. They do not take into account the extra trips which such upgrades encourage or the increased length of trips encouraged. Accident rates per trip or per hour spent on the road remain much the same. Urban freeways have lower crash loss rates per unit vehicle mile travelled, but may have little effect on the total number of casualties.ls According to German researchers, from 1960 to 1980 the number killed in relation to the number of cars has increased by 72% and in relation to the number of trips by 71%. In relation to the number of pedestrian trips, pedestrian deaths have risen 49%.16 Secondly, straighter wider roads encourage greater speed. Accidents that do happen aze therefore more severe, resulting in more injuries or a greater likelihood of death. The death rate for pedestrians hit in a 30km/h zone is only 15%. In a SOkm/h zone it is 60%." There is also a lazge body of reseazch which suggests that increasing the safety of a caz or road simply encourages the driver to take greater risks.18 Drivers aze willing to take a certain amount of risk in exchange for the benefit of faster travelling time. This risk is added to safety limits of the caz or road. The new safety features also lull the driver into a ne~v sense of security. Vigilance, concentration and attentiveness wane. Kenworthy argues that the most successful measures in reducing the road toll are those which "force a level of caz use in a direction away from the available limits of the caz and its driver".19 In other words, force drivers to drive at speeds and in a manner which are below the safety limits of the car and road. During the 1974 fuel crisis, America reduced its speed limits to 55 m/h. The result was an estimated saving of 3000 to 5000 lives -basically because people were forced to drive below the design speed of the highway. Denmazk, Finland, France, New Zealand, Ontazio, Sweden, iJK, Nest Germany and Victoria have all experienced drops of up to 48°~o in fatalities on major roads with a reduction in speed limit.''-0 Of course there are those who complain that reducing the speed limit is an infringement of people's freedom. But imposition of early death on another is an even greater infringement of freedom, and while planners build roads and streets that encourage greater speeds, they must bear some of the blame for a rising road toll. MYTH 5: IT IS WIDELY ACCEPTED that the more roads a city has the greater the Bigger roads increase people's level of mobility the residents enjoy, but one reseazcher claims that since 1950 mobility the average number of trips made by each person has hardly increased.21 It sounds unbelievable until you think about it. Building bigger roads has a number of consequences which we have already mentioned. • The city is encouraged to spread out. The result is that people must travel further to reach facilities -for example their jobs. Instead of a The net result of bigger roads is fifteen-minute tram ride from an inner-city suburb, it becomes a 45 i t i that we are condemned to spend m nu e commute n stop-start traffic from a new residential development, through the inner-city suburb which has been caned up for roads and more and more time behind the pazking lots. wheel of o car to reach fewer and fewer destinations. Believing the • Compact, functioning communities are destroyed by the new roads. I myfh that "bigger roads Improve " nstead of afive-minute walk to the local shops it becomes a twenty- minute drive to the large regional shopping complex. mobility has put us on a technological treadmill. We have to • Lazger roads encourage a decline in public transport. This puts more run faster just to stand still. cazs on the road. Each new caz requires 30 times more road space to move each person than a bus or tram it replaces. The result is that the new road quickly becomes just as clogged, or even worse, than the old one. In spite of all the new roads in Brisbane, in the last ten yeazs average speeds have 12 EIGHT MYTY" ~~F TRADITIONAL TRAFFIC PLANNING largely remained the same. In many cities the average speed has gone down as road space has increased. The net result of bigger roads is that we are condemned to spend more and more time behind the wheel of a caz to reach fewer and fewer destinations. Believing the myth that "bigger roads improve mobility" has put us on a technological treadmill. We have to run faster just to stand still. This myth is based on confusion about what "mobility" really is. As one writer puts it, "Mobility is being able to achieve many destinations, not being able to travel faster further'.zz For example, Person A who spends two hours driving to and from work is less mobile than person B who spends 30 minutes busing to work and with the 90 minutes saved has time to walk to the shops, call in at the library on the way, cycle to see a friend and then stop off at the local pazk for a jog. PLANNERS ARE FIRMLY CONVL~iCED that bigger roads benefit society overall -otherwise they would stop building them tomorrow. So let's look at those who don't benefit from bigger roads (groups usually ignored by traffic planners) and see whether they are a majority or minori[y group in society. 1. Those without cars -the poor, the elderly, the handicapped, the disadvantaged. Roads provide mobiliri for [hose with access to cars. Those v,~ho cannot drive, cannot afford a car, or choose to do without one must rely on other forms of transport: public transport, shared rides, bikes or walking. Each increase in the pros ision for private motor vehicles is usually made at the expense of the only means of transport available to these people. • Increasing road provision expands the city making public transport less viable. • Increasing road provision encourages more people to use their cazs more often making public transport less viable. • Road provision is usually made at the expense of walking and cycling space. • Increased traffic volumes make walking and cycling conditions increasingly unsafe and unpleasant, making these modes difficult or impossible. • The elderly, the poor and the disadvantaged are usually over- representedalong major traffic routes. They aze therefore the ones who aze uprooted to widen roads, usually having to move to places with less viable public transport. The elderly, poor, handicapped and disadvantaged in our society suffer a double disadvantage. Not only is their ow-n mobility limited by increasing caz usage, but they also beaz the major costs of other people's mobility -the noise, the air pollution, the invasive grime, an unsafe environment for their children, restricted access to their property, parking restrictions and a degraded outlook. Those who can afford a caz can also usually afford to buy a house divorced from its negative effects. While it may not be possible to turn this injustice around overnight - it is amoral responsibility of planners and local communities to at least try. The least we can do is to avoid adding to the disproportionate amount the poor and elderly pay for something from which they receive little benefit. Present planning tends to pander even further to those of us who can afford a caz while restricting the already limited mobility choices of others. To any fair-minded person, this must seem both immoral and unjust. 2. Children. Like the above groups, children must rely on walking, cycling, public transport or shazed ride. Bigger roads have the following disadvantages for children: • Loss of mobility. (Parents restrict movement for safety reasons.) • Loss of play space. (Remember „-hen children played in streets -safely?) MYTH 6: Bigger roads advantage more people than they disadvantage Contrary to popular belief, bigger roads disadvantage everyone and advantage no-one -except for the planners and engineers who build them. 13 Mobility is being able to achieve many destinations, not being able [o travel faster further. Doris Hams protesting the Hale S[reet Ring Aoad "Development". Another classic example of all thot is wrong with Brisbane planning. • Increased chance of death from traffic accident -the number one killer of children aged 1 to 16 in Australia. • Retazdation in learning skills if exposed to excessive traffic noise either at home or school. The social costs of freeways fall on the paor.za The automobile has given improved mobility primarily to the middle class. middle-aged. But these owner-drivers hove not merelygained new mobility through [he car they have also rearranged the physical location patterns of society to suit their own private needs, and unwitting/yin the process destroyed and severely limited the mobility and access of all others.zs 3. Residents. The landmazk "Livable Streets" study by Appleyazd demonstrated the dramatic effects traffic has on the quality of life in a neighbourhood. It showed, for example, that people living on a light traffic street (2000 vehicles per day) had an average of 3 friends and 6.3 acquaintances in their street. On moderate traffic streets (8000 vehicles per day) this dropped to 1.3 friends and 4.1 acquaintances. On heavy traffic streets (16,000 vehicles per day) it dropped even further to .9 friends and 3.1 acquaintances. Other effects on quality of life included: less time spent gazdening and relaying outdoors, greater fear of crime, greater noise and pollution (with its medical consequences) and a shrinking of the azea considered by residents to be their "home territory". Appleyazd concluded his study by saying, "People had withdrawn altogether from HEAVY street, leaving it to the traffic... The contrast between the two streets [heavy and light] was striking. On the one hand alienation. On the other friendliness and involvement." xa 4. The small businessperson. Large road developments carve up compact local communities. The viability of small businesses which rely on local trade - for example, the small corner stare - is seriously eroded. Some close. Local employment opportunities decrease, further affecting the viability of the remaining businesses. 5. Motorists. We have already shown hocv motorists are worse off in real terms once a road network develops past a certain size. This is not to mention the problem of a rising road toll and increasing congestion. 6. The City. A spread-out city is much more expensive to service with water, sewerage, roads and electricity than a more compact city. In addition, roads often destroy historic buildings, parks and natural features that give a city its distinctiveness. This loss reduces the attracfiveness of the city for both tourists and businesses. Contrary to populaz belief, bigger roads disadvantage everyone and advantage no-one -except for the planners and engineers who build them. MYTH 7: WHEN SKP WERE ASKED BY LOCAL RESIDENTS to consider broader It is not the job of traffic planners to issues such as the Greenhouse Effect, they replied that this was not their job. In look at wider social, political and fact most traffic planners are not "planners" at all. They aze traffic "facilitators" or environmental trends road "builders". Generally, these "planners" passively defend the status quo and are committed to its continuation. They do not examine the eventual results of continuation of present directions or how appropriate these results may be in a changing world. A narrow prognosis on future traffic growth is allowed to dictate "solutions". The attitude is, "What is, shall be". Planning which merely reacts to the past evill leave the city ill-equipped to handle the social, environmental and political changes of the future. While we cannot predict the future we can map out a range of possible scenarios based on current trends and knowledge. In the words of Friend and Jessop, we can then design "robust" planning solutions, "ones that leave the widest possible set of full solutions still available by providing fle~ibiliryin the face of uncertainry':zs Planning which merely reacts to the Unfortunately current planning does not first look at possible future past will leave the city ill-equipped economic, social, environmental and political trends, and then creatively shape to handle the social, environmental solutions that allow for the maximum flexibility. For example, it is considered and political changes of the future. by many residents to be planning lunacy to be planning for increased car usage in the light of the threats posed by the Greenhouse Effect. As a recent CSIItO publication, "Greenhouse -Planning for Climate Change" says: "To continue to plan on the basis of perpetuating the current profligate usE~ of the private car can no longer be justified... " zJ Or as the USA Senate heazing on the environment was told: 14 EIGHT MYTHS r1F TRADITIONAL TRAFFIC PLANMNG We cannot negotiate with the climate. Instead, the nations of the world must make choices, unilaterally and collectively, to adapt our behaviour in order to have the stable climate on which so much human endeavour depends... Motor vehicles are responsible for 50% of all the carbon dioxide generated re]eased into the atmosphere in this country byhuman activities. That is a segment of the problem which cannot be ignored.ze A recent conference on world climate change convened in Toronto by the Canadian Government called fora 20°/a cut in global emissions of cazbon dioxide by the yeaz 2005 with the ultimate goal of reducing emissions by 50°/a -the cut needed to stabilise the amount of gas in the atmosphere.zs Many residents consider it prudent to voluntarily restrict growth in traffic before such measures are forced on us. There aze fears that changes such as shrinking oil supplies may leave us with a massive infrastructure which will only serve as a monument to our stupidity and lack of foresight. Even though governments in Aus~alia are discovering "community consultation" there is still a strong belie:, both in the community and amongst planners, that planning should be left to the experts. "Community consultation' as seen by these people consists of "experts" presenting a prognosis for the future and telling the community what three alternative solutions there are. The "consultation" is allowing the community to chose one of the solutions which are simply three vaziations on the same theme. It's like being condemned to death and being "consulted" about whether you want to be shot, poisoned or hung. In the case of Route 20, residents were told they would be getting a 57°/o increase in traffic and "consulted" about how it could be accommodated. If "community consultation" is genuine and not merely an exercise in tokenism or manipulation, then ultimately it must be the wishes of the community -those whom the decisions directly affect -which prevail in forging a solution. After all it is our lives, and the fuhire of our children which are at stake. A paternalistic attitude on the pa.~t of planners, engineers or politicians is indefensib]e. An imposition of values by these people on local communities breaks a basic principle of natural justice -the right to decide one's own future.30 Or as Stephen Plowden put it when discussing the role of "experts": The most important questions that arise are not matters of expertise. The problem is to establish values and priorities and to decide what ]fines of attack are legitimate and what are not; in other words, to define the framework and terms of reference within which experts should work. This is a problem for society, not for the experts themselves.31 If community consultation is to be "fair dinkum'", the first step must be a critical review by the community of the results of past planning. This includes discussing what kind of city we will hate in 20 yeazs time if current trends and policies aze continued. And the community must have the opportunity to say a firm "yes" or "no" to these trends. The community must have an opportunity to undo some of the mistakes of the past and to creatively shape their future. Many local residents feel they hate been denied this opportunity. Projected figures aze presented (implicitly or explicitly) as being inevitable. When residents say they don't want to encourage a 57°/a growth in traffic running through their neighbourhood - pazticulazly when there is no projected growth in population in their local azea -they are told they are being "unreasonable" or "unrealistic". To this point SKP have been unwilling or unable to' grasp the nettle and put the problems of Route 20 in their widest context - a re-evaluation of where our city is going. MYTH 8: Planning should be left to the experts. The community must have an opportunity to undo some of the mistakes of the past and to creatively shape their future. A WINDSCREEN VIEW OF THE WORLD The jab of highway engineers has been to build highxvys. Theyhave not generally been asked to first arrive at some understanding of the form of a city and see what effect their road would have on it32 Most plannais still have a false, caroriented croncept of travel patterns. In an expert questionnaire traffic planners and engineers were asked to estimate the percentage of tats! trips undertaken by car. On the whole they overestimated the peroentage of car travel, and put trips 6y bike and foot at half their reallevel. The reason is obvious. Traffic planners are almost all professional men, making a good income. They are all motorists. Many drive big, sporty can. !n daily life they have handy any experience of trovelBng by foot, bike or pu6/ic transport. They are seldom shopper, and do not genemlly look after children. Because of this, their awn private, windscreen view of the world influences aB their planning.33 WE CANNOT CONTINUE PLANA"IIHG on the basis of ffiese eight myths. Time for a flesh start To do so will create a sterile city in which quality of life has been strangled by an ever-increasing road network. There is an obvious need for a new approach. One of these new approaches is "traffic calming". ~.5 BLOCK D1NN0 I~ Examples of LATM treatment (Local Area Traffic Management) -one of the techniques used in Traffic Calming. ]. Driveway link. Road has been closed mid- block and is connected by a driveway 2. Offse[ intersection and roundabout. Notice haw sigh[ lines are interrupted. 3. Slow points. Provides protected parking, visually nanrows the road and provides regular changes in direction. 16 What is Traffic Calming and how does it work? Where there was a perceived need, it was satisfied regardless of the impact upon the community as a whole. The growth of technology clouded vision. quality of lije was sacnfrced to that equally hackneyed label, "progress'. None of it was deliberate. Most other cides have suffered similarly. The thing now is what to do about those eroded features of our life which might 6e salvaged, and to decide what kind of city we want to be in the future. Don Petersen 34 We have lost the feeling for qualityin everything we do: we must win the feeling back and base our lives again in quality... Dietrich Honhofter 194235 It is obvious that traditional planning techniques don't work. Cities can not go on indefinitely handing over more and more of their living space to cars. Many city and state planning authorities overseas have abandoned these destructive planning methods and in their place have adopted a new planning outlook. In some countries this new planning approach has even been enshrined in federal law. Abroad term that covers this new approach is "Traffic Calming". Traffic calming is a holistic, integrated traffic planning approach based on common sense which seeks to maximise mobility while creating a more livable city by reducing the undesirable side effects of that mobility. One definition of traffic calming is "environmentally compatible mobility management". This chapter discusses the nuts and bolts of how traffic calming actually works. It looks at the principles of traffic calming, the techniques used in traffic calming and the results of employing these techniques. The next chapter traces the history of haw this new approach developed. The Principles THE FUNCTION OF ROADS is not solely to act as a corridor for traffic. PRINCIPLE 1: They are also for social interaction, walking, cycling and playing. Different roads Roads are not just for cars. will have these ingredients in differing proportions -but no one function must dominate to the exclusion of all others. RESIDENTS HAVE A RIGHT to the best quality of life a city can provide. PRINCIPLE 2: This includes the least noise possible, the least pollution passible, the safest Residents have rights environment possible and an environment which fosters a rich community life in which each individual is free to reach their fullest potential. All residents regardless of age, financial status, or social standing, have rights to an equal share of the mobility which a city can responsibly provide for 17 its residents. No person or group has the ..ont to increase their mobility at the expense of another person's mobility. This means recognising that an over- emphasis on caz transport discriminates against a large section of society. PRINICPLE 3: TRIPS ARE USUALLY ONLY A MEANS to achieving a desirable end. Maximise mobility while Therefore a trip is a "cost" we must pay to enjoy a "benefit" at journeys end. That decreasing the costs "cost" involves time, money, energy and social and environmental ill-effects. It therefore makes sense to minimise the "costs" a city and its residents must pay to enjoy access to a wide range of destinations. This principle involves managing the already existing road and public transport resources of a city with maximum efficiency. It means maximising the efficiency of a grossly inefficient road and public transport network before new infrastructure is built. TECHNIQUE 1: Reduce the speed limit ~s ~ ss as so io m >o ~ ss ss lll•mvr r..Ilo•, (W~0 1. 30km/h ~~ 60km/h 2. TECHNIQUE 2: Change the road design to force traffic to travel at a slower, more Techniques The following techniques are some of those employed to achieve results consistent with the above principles. It must be emphasised that this list is not exhaustive as part of the challenge of traffic calming is to find new ways of fulfilling the above principles. REDUCING SPEED has the following effects: 1. Slower traffic emits less noise and fumes 2. There are less accidents 3. Accidents that do happen are less severe 4. The capacity of existing road space is increased. The latter point surprises many people. It is natural to think that the faster traffic is travelling the more traffic the road would be able to handle in an hour. What is overlooked is that as you increase speed you must increase the safe travelling distance between each vehicle. There is an optimum speed for all roads. At speeds below or above this optimum level the number of vehicles the road can move in an hour drops. The optimum level for most roads lies between 25 and 40 kph. 30km/h an o 60km/h ~•~<~ 3. ~h~h ~ t~-i ~ off- ' 4. ROAD DESIGN METHODS employed to slow traffic include: • Narrow traffic lanes. Wide lanes encourage greater speed. • Interrupted sight lines. If motorists can see a long way into the distance, their speed increases. The interruption of sight lines with changes in the roads direction, roundabouts, "neck-downs' or breaking the road into smaller visual units with paved strips across the road causes the driver to slow down. It also means they widen their vision field becoming much more aware of pedestrians and cyclists. • Changes in road surface. Paved or cobblestone strips across the road cause a slight vibration in the caz which causes the driver to slow down. • Paved speed tables. A speed table is a slightly raised section in the road. It vazies from a speed bump in that it must be wide enough for both sets of wheels ~8 even pace '+'~ -.%~ . ~. `~A~°"C CAL'v:?VG A.VD HOW DOES IT WORK? to be on the tap of the table at once. They can be placed at pedestrian cros:sings or whole intersections can be raised to the same level as footpaths. These soeed tables can be crossed at 30-40 km/h quite comfortably, but not at higher speeds. Besides slowing speed ibis measure gives cyclists and pedestrians easier access across intersections. • Protected parking. The carriageway can "appear" to have been narrowed simply by building landscaped islands out from the footpath to provide protected pazking bays. • Neck-downs. Landscaped islands intrude into the carriageway to form a narrow "gate" through which the driver must pass. • Changes in direction. Forty-five degree bends can be introduced into the road by having end-in parking on alternating sides of the road. Other methods include roundabouts and offset intersections. To encourage traffic to move at a more even pace, traffic lights and signs are removed and replaced with strategically placed landscaping and paving io regulate the traffic flow. Because the traffic is moving at a slower pace the risks of collisions at intersections is reduced and traffic can enter the traffic stream much easier than at higher speeds. l,'eck-dawn WIDE EXPANSES OF BITUMEN say to a motorist, "This is your turf'. TECHNIQUE 3: Streets using paved strips, landscaping and narrowed lanes have a relaxed, Change the psychological feel of pedestrian feel that says to the driver, "Bewaze! This is a shared space". the street A recent Australian Bureau of Road Transport publication entitled "Children and Road Accidents"36 reported the following: • The higher the speed the more drivers put the onus on the pedestrian or cyclist to get out of their way. • The attitude of drivers at marked pedestrian crossings is "astoundingly ruthless". • Skills of judgement required to interact with traffic are only acquired by experience. Young children do not have these skills. Safety education is only of limited value - it cannot impart these skills. The report concludes: Solutions to the problems require countermeasures which look beyond the child, being primarily aimed at other road users. The only way to do this is not by legislation or regulation (speed signs) but by physical measures. Professor Stina Sanders, a world authority on children and road accidents, azgues that "even the best road safety education cannot adapt a child to modern traffic, so that traffic has got to be adapted to the child".3~ PRIVATE CARS USE 30 TENSES MORE ROAD SPACE to move each person TECHNIQUE 4: than trams or buses. This means more efficient use can be made of existing road Increase incentives to space and the existing public transport network by encouraging people to use public transport transfer to public transport. This is done by increasing the efficiency of public transport, by giving it a time advantage over cars and by offering an attractive fare system which may include discounted passes for particular markets. DISCOURAGING THE USE OF PRIVATE MOTOR VEHICLES is usually TECHNIQUE 5: used in tandem with incentives for using public transport. Measures that can be Discourage use of used include pazking restrictions in the central business district, higher parking private motor vehicles. fees or banning cars from the central business district altogether. A combination of these two management techniques was employed by authorities to move an extra 15 million people over a 6 month period in and out of Brisbane's inner city during Expo without creating any traffic chaos and using only our existing public transport network and facilities.38 IF IN THE PEAK HOUR the average number of people in each vehicle is TECHNIQUE 6: only 1.2 then traffic levels can be halved by doubling the number of people in Optimise the number of people each vehicle to 2.4. This can be done through car and van pooling programmes. using each car 19 • -. ,....;: '. v\.~' ~'G ;rs.` V'\ G A\7 104V' TOES 1T 4YORK? TE'CEINIQUIi 7: THROUGH THE COMBINATION of a public education campaign and the Encourage, people to oroaztise their introduction of traffic restraint measures, authorities can encourage people to own travel more efficiently organise their own travel more efficiently. This may mean making a greater effort to find a job close to home or when buying a new home, to buy one which is close to a number of high use activity centres (job, school and shops). It may mean combining a number of trips into one, or using public transport for work instead of buying a second caz, or organising a car pool. TECHNIQUE 8: Optimise choices for travel IF AUTHORITIES ARE GOING TO ENCOURAGE new patterns of travel, viable alternatives must be provided: improved public transport, and increasing the attractiveness and safety of the walking and cycling environment. TECHNIQUE 9: RATHER THAN BUILDING LARGE ROADS to large centralised facilities Create strong, viable local , the facilities are brought to the people. Strang, compact communities aze communities created with a wide range of facilities at hand. This policy reduces the amount of traffic on the road because: • People have to drive shorter distances to get to where they want to go. • Trips which had to be made by car can now be made by walking, cycling or public transport. • Children and the elderly are given independent mobility through walking and cycling, resulting in less chauffeuring. • A strong local economy leads to a higher level of localised employment. Measures that can be taken include making local shopping centres more attractive places to shop, grouping of activity centres, and encouragement of local festivals and entertainment. Most important is the need For along-term commitment to avoid carving up existing, viable communities with large roads. The Results TfIIs' STREETS - APLACE FOR HUMAN CONTACT The crucial quertfon is whetherornot the city, which was formerly built on the human scale, and in which thestreet existed primarily as a means of contact is to 6e replaced bye megalopolis where the dimensions of the street are on the scale required for its primmyuse bymechanical tmnsportP Are wegoing towa+ds titles with specialised'meeting facilities', ali linFed to each otherbphigh speed ,~- motorwaysT 38 ~ .. The urban envimnman[shouldagain became a place fawumble forhuman " encounter, forlooFing around,listening and talking to people, walldttgabout and sitting dawn. Stmets and squares should once again 6e treated as outside rooms within the city, os places when: the opportunityof contact between people is the primary considemtion!a BASED ON RESEARCH from Denmazk, Holland, Sweden, Japan, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, America, England and Australia, where these new planning initiatives have been tried the following results can be expected: • Noise and pollution reduced by up to 50% • The top speed of traffic down by 50°/a (Even though speed is dropped by 50%, journey times only increase by il% because there is less stop-start driving.) • Less heavy traffic and less rat-running • Smaller roads to move the same number of people. The extra space created by closing lanes or narrowing existing lanes is transformed into tree-lined avenues, bike-ways or walk-ways, mini-parks or squazes • Greater safety for drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and children playing in the street • For those unfortunate enough to be involved in an accident, 43-60°/a less chance of being killed ar seriously injured 30% to 50% less traffic on the roads in peak hour • Greater choice of travel methods for everyone - particulazly for those who don't have access to a car • Increased vitality of community life • Less stop-start driving • Enhancement of neighbourhoods with an increase in greenery and a decrease in the visual intrusiveness of the roads and pazked cazs and a decrease in the number of traffic lights and signs. Traffic calming gives you the best of both worlds -mobility and a better quality of life. Clearly traffic calming is not a narrow concept. It involves cars, roads, public transport, layout of the city and the education of residents. It is a holistic planning approach that is aimed at improving quality of life. It involves a whole new attitude and outlook. 20 Traffic Calming -anew planning ethos emerges The ethos and extent of present traffic calming practice can be best understood by looking at its historical development. THE SEEDS OF TRAFFIC CALMING were sown in Germany in the late 1920s - eazly 30s when four German towns built pedestrian malls in their inner- city azeas. The trend increased with urban reconstruction after the waz. These developments were generally opposed by shopkeepers until the mid-60s when shopkeepers realised the economic advantages of pedestrianised areas. In the 70s, this resulted in a "mall explosion", not only in Germany, but azound the world. But the Germans led this mall explosion, progressively giving over more and more of their central business districts to pedestrian malls. Peter Hall observes: "It is now generally true that the central business districts of German cities aze almost completely vehicle-free areas" a1 Nuremburg, a city about the size of Brisbane, has 5 kilometres of pedestrian mall in its central business district. When the program was begun in 1972 there were predictions of traffic chaos. But as Rolf Monheim reports: The predicted chaos on the roads did not occur because a large part of the previous motor traffic simply disappeated.az This "disappeazing traffic' encouraged some planners to begin thinking that traffic could be restrained and that growth was not inevitable. Meanwhile, in the late 60s and early 70s angry residents in a number of cities azound the world took to the streets demanding reductions in the level of traffic on their residential streets. Some even went so faz as to barricade their streets. As Vera van der Does, General Secretary of the International Federation of Pedestrians reported to a Brussels conference in 1976: In my country you can see indignant. protesting parents waving banners as they march to the Town Hall or to the Houses of Parliament to make if quite clear that they will dig up "their" street if steps are not taken to tame the motor car in residential areas.'" The mall explosion brought people back into the streets to enjoy their city. The predicted chaos on the roads did not occur because a large part of the previous motor traffic simply disappeared. 21 In November 1962 cars were banned from the first shopping street in Copenhagen. Shop owners feared economic ruin - but in flues years trade rose by 39%. ~~ ~ This movement, combined with the lessons learned from the pedestrianisation of city centres, led many cities to experiment with Local Area Trafi?c Management (LATM). Streets were classified into a hierazchy and traffic encouraged to stay on the major through routes and off "residential" streets. A variety of techniques were used including: • Turning some Local streets into cul-de-sacs Speed bumps • Narrowing of entries to streets or placing "neck-downs" mid-block • Tight roundabouts. Woonerf NOT MERELY EQUAL RIGHTS Other things being equal, one should presumably start with the principle that all travellers have equal rights, regardless of the means 6y which they choose to travel. But since tmvellen by motor vesicle are better armed and better protected than pedestnans and cyclists they tend to take priority whenever any conflict arises. One aim of policy should 6e to correct this bias. Moreover, from the geneml social point of view, other things are not at all equal. Pedestrians and cyclisfs are mach cheaper to accommodate than motor vetdcles and do no environmental harm. This is a strong reason forgiving them not merely equal, but preferential treatment.44 LEF'7i The woonerf is a "living yard"... which even includes play equipment! RIGF17': A Dutch woone+f showing the extent of rebuilding. IN AUSTRALIA, Woodville in South Australia (population 80,000) first experimented with traffic restraint in 1970 when four intersections were converted into T junctions. Since that time LATM (Local Area Traffic Management) schemes have been implemented in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. It must be stressed that these schemes aze entirely aimed at taking traffic off local "residential" streets and putting it onto major roads. LATM schemes result in lower traffic on the lower order roads but higher on the higher order. IN 1975, THE DUTCH built their first woonerf. These vazied from the LATM because the primary aim of LATMs was to stop rat-running and improve safety in the residential street. The primary function of streets remained the carrying of traffic. But implicit in the concept of the woonerf, which means "living yard", was the belief that streets were not just for cazs, they were also for social interaction, children, cyclists and pedestrians, and that the car must be subservient to these other functions -not vice versa. This attitude is best summed up in the letter sent by the local council to residents in Delft whose streets were about to be rebuilt: Every car should behave like a guest in your residential street, which in a way is your territory. The Dutch realised that simply erecting signs that asked cars to go no faster than 20 km/h and to act as if they were guests in someone else's front yard was not good enough -the traffic had to be physically restrained. So the woonerf was a totally rebuilt street. Footpaths, gutters and roadway were dispensed with. The whole azea was paved and obstacles introduced to physically slow the traffic. The streets literally became a paved courtyazd, an extension of people's front yazds. Obstacles were placed so that sight lines were interrupted with changes in traffic direction at least every 50 metres. The obstacles used included trees, planted areas, playing equipment, seating or pazking azeas for cars. OTHER COUNTRIES WATCHID the Dutch experiment with interest. While the Dutch schemes were successful in reducing accidents and creating a much more acceptable environment, they were also extremely expensive. Germany in particular took a keen interest in the Dutch experiment 22 TRAFFIC CALMIN' ANEW PLANNING ETHOS EMERGES because of their own success with pedestrianisation of their inner cities. They also had similar attitudes to the Dutch regazding the function of streets. As the Federal Ministry of Regional and Urban Planning's official publications stated: Yourhome street must become like a living room as The streets of tomorrow make traffic more bearable by creating a home environment in the street. The streets will belong to the people and be part of theirhomes.ae On the streets of tomorrow, road users will be partners, not opponents.4~ In 1976, an experiment was initiated by the state of North Rhine- Westphalia. Applications were called for cities to have areas of 5000 to 20,000 people traffic-managed with wohnstrasses -the equivalent of the Dutch woonerf. One hundred and thirty areas were nominated and 30 chosen. In 1979 a final report showed that injuries had been reduced by 44% and serious accidents and deaths by 53°/o in the 30 aeeas?s In response to this experiment the federal minister for urban planning proposed a new traffic law (1980) which allowed the "mixed use of streets by all traffic participants, each with equal rights"sa IN 1981, THE FEDERAL GOVERI~tifENT took a bold step past LATMs and past the woonerf. As already discussed, LATMs and woonerf schemes are for local streets with low traffic flows. But the Germans introduced the idea of azea-wide traffic restraint - or what has became known as traffic calming. Implicit in this idea of area-wide traffic restraint was a belief that LATMs and woonerf did not go faz enough and were in fact unjust. Traffic restraint [LATH and woonerf) in its strict interpretation leads to the often grotesque situation that quiet streets with light traffic become even quieter while the actual traffic problem zones remain areas of high traffic flows, ruined residential enc-ironments, high noise level and high accident risks.~t They argued that traffic must be calmed on all roads -including major roads, highways and even expressways. Clearly, area-wide traffic restraint includes also, and above all, main roads. This is first of all a breath-talang conceptual combination for many transport planners: traffic restraint on main roads? Not with the same policies as on residential roads but still with a clear speed reduction and land use change at the expense of the width of the carriageways. Out of ruined main roads will again come avenues, boulevards and thoroughfares in the true sense of the word.sz But area wide traffic restraint or traffic calming was seen as much more than just narrowing roads, closing traffic lanes and planting trees. Area-wide traffic restraint without including main roads must remain partial, and can never achieve the ambitious aims of relating to urban improvement, noise protection and road safety. Therefore the whole road network, the public transport system and all transport modes must be included. Programmes of promott'on of the bicycle and public transport also belong to area-wide traffic restraint policies as do parking space policies, operational ar price strategies for public transport and psychologically orientated marketing campaigns for sensible traffic behaviour... Area-wide traffic restraint aims at, es the name implies, the coverage of a lame built up area.sa In 1981 the Federal Republic of Germany began an experiment in azea- wide traffic restraint in six cities and villages. The cities and villages were chosen to see how traffic calming would work in a wide vaziety of situations and living densities: from inner-city to outer suburbs; from a 120 ha area in Berlin containing 30,000 people down to a village of just 2300 people (250ha). The lazgest experimental azea calmed was 610 ha in Mainz (15,000 people). (On a recent visit to Australia Professor Rolf Monheim was asked whether traffic calming would :vork in Australian cities with their low density. d major road Traffic Calmed. THE CASE OF THE DISAPPEARING TRAFFIC Local residents surrounding Washington Square Parkin New York were threatened with a plan to build a major highway through the park to replace an existing main road, the capacity of which was not thought adequate to cope with proposed developments in the surrounding ores. Instead theymanaged aftera political battle to have [he existing road closed, first on a trial basis and then permanently. The traffic commissioner in opposing rids scheme, had forecast immediate and very severe increases in the number of vehicles in the nearby streets, [o the extent that residents themselves would be obliged to ask for the park road to be re-opened. In fact, none of [he surrounding roads experienced an increase in traffic, and most experienced some decre¢se. Nar was there any sign that the traffic had chosen more distant alternative routes in other parts of the city; it had simply disappeared.98 23 ~..- He replied that the German experimeu, nod proved that traffic calming worked equally as well in low density azeas as in high density azeas.) The initial results of this experiment were as followss4 • TRAFFIC VOLUMES -same • AVERAGE SPEED -reduced from 37 km/h to 20 km/h • TIIvIE FOR AVERAGE TRIP -increased from 283 sec to 316 sec (an increase of 33 seconds) • ACCIDENTS -same number but less severe - fatalities 43-53% reduction - injuries 60% reduction • AIR POLLUTION - 10-50% reduction ~s% sr/• 39% z~% Before After Before After MOTORISTS RESIDENTS Approval aJ 30 km/h speed limit. • NOISE - up to 14dBa reduction • FUEL CONSUMPTION - 5% increase to 10% decrease (depending on driver). Part of these traffic calming experiments involved reducing speeds on residential streets to 30 km/h and on major roads to 40 km/h. The German auto club, the equivalent of our RACQ, was skeptical and decided to do their own reseazch. They interviewed motorists and residents before the schemes were introduced and after, asking if they considered 30 km/h to be an acceptable speed limit. The diagram opposite shows the results To physically control speed in traffic calmed azeas, the Germans employed many of the techniques developed by the Dutch, but without the need to rebuild whole streets: • deliberate narrowing of roads (space saved used for bikeways, parking, bus bays and landscaping) • pinch points or "gateways" using strong vertical features such as trees • creation of shazp bends, usually by creation of parking bays no longer than 50 metres on alternating sides of the road. • the raising of the carriageway to the same level as the footpath to form 'speed tables' pazticulazly at intersections or at bends • the elimination of defined priorities at junctions in favour of the general priority from the right • use of paved strips across the road. On major roads carriageways were narrowed, paving strips used and in some cases lanes removed. Waldstrasse, a major road in Berlin-Moabit was reduced from four lanes to two and the redundant lanes turned into a pazk. The main business street is to be narrowed from six lanes to four. What is interesting in the German experience is the progressive attitude of the politicians. There has been a change in the use of prognoses. In the entire post-war period, forecasted increases in volumes of car traffic inevitablyresulted in decisions to construct new roads. What was overlooked was that subsequent actual increases in car traffic were largelygenemted by the new roads themselves: in other words, classic cases ofself-fulfilling prophesies. Now politicians have dared to become disobedient to trend- Traffic calming on a major road. Notice paved cycle paths, protected parking, use of paving strips across road when approaching an intersection, use of trees in centre of road, narrowing of entries to minor roads and removal of traffic lights. 24 A speed ta61e. TRAFFIC CALMING -ANEW PLANMNG ETHOS EMERGES board planning. Placing greater weight on the political goal of improving environmental quality, they have been asking planners how to prevent their prognoses from becoming reality... While the concepts articulated here may seem revolutionary or utopian, one should stress that theyrecentlyhave become the officially acknowledged state-of--the-art in Germanyss OTHER CITIES AND COUNTRIES HAVE NOW FOLLOWED the German lead. Copenhagen has just closed two lanes of a four-lane freeway as pazt of an azea-wide traffic restraint scheme. Other cities adopting area-wide traffic restraint aze Odense in Denmark; Goteborg and Malmo in Sweden; Groningen, Delfr, Tiilburg, Den Haag and Amsterdam in Holland; Bologna and Pazma in Italy; Zurich and Basel in Switzerland; Osaka, Tokyo and Nagoya in Japan. Heiner Monheim concludes a report on these schemes: With widespread use of planning policyrepertoires ithas been possible in these towns to increase considerably the use of public transport and bicycle and perceptiblyreduce car traffic in some areas. For a long time this was seen as impossible for towns in the western, technologically- advanced and highly motorised world. In contrast, fears were stirred up that a reduction of car traffic would ruin the cities economically. The opposite is true. The towns and cities listed above flourish... The decline of car traffic and its domestication in the cities listed led to a remarkable decline of accidents, pollution and deficits of public transport... It is clear that if socieh~ is willing to change its priority and investment policies, then large reductions in car traffic can be achieved.ss The results of these experiments in Holland, Sweden and Japan have been staggering. Daily traffic has been decreased by 30-50%.s~ The government in Germany is no«- planning a major program of azea- wide traffic restraint and is predicting that by the yeaz 2000 public transport patronage will have increased by at least 20%. Community action groups have now sprung up all over Germany demanding their azeas be traffic calmed like the experimental azeas. Several German states have instituted competitions amongst their cities and citizen groups to promote and stimulate innovations in making cities more livable. TRAFFIC CALMING INVOLVES ACITY-WIDE POLICY of traffic restraint. While not calling it traffic calming, some American cities have introduced policies consistent with the ideas of area-wide traffic restraint. Pleasanton, California, has passed a local ordinance requiring developers and employers to reduce single-occupant car trips in the peak period by 45% over four yeazs. After just two yeazs, cars carrying just one person have fallen by 36% - faz exceeding the city's goal of 25%.'e Montgomery County has established a "transportation management district" in Silver Spring, Maryland. All employers of more than 25 employees and all new developments are required to develop traffic mitigation plans and participate in annual commuter surveys. To encourage participation, the County will provide a set of financial incentives in the form of discounted transit and commuter rail passes and discounts for caz or van pool vehicles in county car parks. Employers who exceed the goals of the programme will receive additional incentives. Northern Virginia has introduced rivo priority high-occupancy vehicle lanes on one of their major freeways and decreased commuter traffic in the beltway by 20% and traffic entering the Washington D.C. central business district by 10%. The USA has also seen a proliferation of "Transportation Management Associations" which seek the cooperation of local authorities, private enterprise, developers and employers in limiting traffic through "demand management". Singapore introduced a form of azea-wide traffic restraint by introducing a pass system for entering the central portion of the city. All vehicles entering the central city during certain hours must have fast purchased a pass. BEFORE AFTER Kn°ten Oder PI°tz 25 .= ~ ~ ' :'.. '_, i:.'v' - \ G - A SB~Y" ~~\ tiI VG ETHOS EMERGES Ottawa, Canada, introduced variable work hours and a dedicated busway service (roads for buses only) and in five yeazs saw public transport patronage climb by 36%. Stockholm has restricted all vehicles weighing over 3.5 tons fully laden to a special road haulage network from 10pm to Gam. The result has been a 60-70% drop in heavy trucks in the city centre at night. Further measures introduced by other cities include: • Reduction of parking spaces in the inner city • Increasing parking fees in peak periods • Mazketing of public transport. EYPO... our experiment with traffic caluung. The Expa experience proves three tln~ngs. 1. Ourpub/ic fmnsport network isgmssly under-utilised. 2. Peap]e will use public transport and leave their cats at home if the riglrt conditions are created by planners. 3. We are capable of cooperative, creative, far-sighted planning. AUSTRALIA HAS NOT AS YET ADOPTED traffic calming in the true sense of the word. A number of cities are using LATM schemes. Brisbane has a few isolated LATM streets but nothing on the scale of Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide. Our biggest experiment with the principles of traffic calming was Expo - an outstanding success. Like so many experiments with traffic calming overseas the results were above planners' wildest expectations. After the tall ships traffic fiasco, people were predicting traffic chaos for Expo, but authorities had the presence of mind to put their heads together and work out a strategy. The plans were to move an extra 7.2 million people in and out of the inner city over asix-month period using the existing public transport infrastructure and the existing road network. This was to be accomplished by a combination of pazking restrictions and promotion of public transport. This strategy was so successful, we not only moved twice the expected number of people but car pazks had to take out advertisements to try and attract customers! THE HISTORY OUTLINED ABOVE SH04VS countries "leap-frogging" each other in the development of traffic calming techniques. Our experience with Expo now puts Brisbane in a strong position to take the lead in traffic calming in Australia, jumping from the back of the pack to the front. The principles of traffic calming are not revolutionary or new. Many of these principles have been understood for 25 yeazs. What is new is the drawing together of those principles into a cohesive, comprehensive planning approach. What could distinguish the "Brisbane Traffic Calming Experiment" from all others could be its "completeness". Most cities have emphasised one side or other of the traffic calming equation. Europe has tended to emphasise changes to road design and greater use of bicycle, walking and public transport while America has tended to emphasise increasing the efficiency of existing resources - for example, the use of car and van pools. By synthesising the best from all these sources, we could take our place in the avant-garde of city planning that puts quality of life first. Before and after drawings of a major road in a smolt Cerman village (Borgentreich). Notice visual narrowing of road with paving. The trees also act to visually narrow the road. _/~- ~~ 26 Why Traffic Calming is the best solution for Route 20 The needs local residents want satisfied can be translated into a set of 12 goals by which any scheme can be evaluated. We will now compaze the ability of traffic calming and a "traditional upgrade" to meet these goals. CURRENT NOISE LEVELS ARE ABOVE ACCEPTABLE LIMITS along Route 20 -particulazly for a number of schools. By the MItD's own admission, this level will rise by .7 dBA once the road is upgraded. An independent assessment using the same modelling techniques as the MRD puts the rise at 3.O6dBA.~s By comparison, traffic calming can drop the noise caused by acceleration by 10 dBA and noise generally by 5 to 8 dBA. If truck traffic is restricted -even lazger reductions can be achieved. THE MRD CLAIM THAT THEIR UPGRADE will reduce vehicle emissions by causing traffic to flow more smoothly. This may be true for the day after the upgrade is completed. But what is not acknowledged is that the new traffic generated by the upgrade will more than cancel these savings. This generated traffic will also cause travel conditions to deteriorate to the former level resulting in similar emission levels per vehicle as before the upgrade. The net result will be an increase in air pollution. Traffic calming also decreases the emissions per vehicle by smoothing traffic flow. The difference is that traffic calming keeps its savings by maintaining traffic levels at current levels, or in some cases even reducing them. The 10-50% reduction in pollution is kept -permanently. TRAFFIC CALMING ACHIEVES up to a 60% reduction in deaths and injuries, which isn't eroded by increased number of trips and length of trips per person. GOAL 1: Reduce current noise below that recommended by SKP GOAL 2: Reduce air pollution below currentleveLs GOAL 3: Increase safety for motorists A TRADITIONAL UPGRADE would encourage an increase in traffic GOAL 4: volume and speed resulting in further deterioration in the safety and the Create a safer and more pleasant pleasantness of the environment for pedestrians and cyclists. environment for pedestrians and Even if some provisions are made For pedestrians and cyclists (which is cyclists, especially children not usually the case), the emphasis is still firmly on the road being primazily for the motorists. We could expect that road death will continue to be the number one killer of children aged one to 16 with 400 being killed annually and 4000 seriously injured. (Australian figures) Pedestrian overpasses and underpasses are not adequate compensation as studies show these are usually ineffective. Pedestrians would rather dodge traffic than climb a long set of stairs or face the feazs of stranger-danger lurking in underpasses. Traffic calming is both pedestrian-friendly and cyclist-friendly. THE MENTALITY THAT GIVES BIRTH TO TRAFFIC CALMING is much GOAL 5: more willing to restrict truck movements to designated routes, rather than the Reduce industrial through traffic traditional mentality which believes all demands should be automatically met. on residential streets including Traffic calming, as pazt of its drive to use existing resources more Route 20 efficiently, will try to find less intrusive ways of moving freight. 27 +, ~"e' "" ~.AF°'.C CASNILVG IS THE 9EST SOLC;TION FOR AOLTE 20 GOAI. 6: A TRADITIONAL UPGRADE MAY include a LATM scheme that Reduce the amount of non-local eliminates some rat-running, but this will be done at the expense of other traffic "rat-running" along residential streets such as Birdwood Terrace, Rainworth and Bazoona Road, residential streets Simpson's Road, Boundary Road, Jubilee Terrace, Kennedy Terrace, Arthur Terrace eic. These streets would be designated "collector' roads or "sub-azterial" and would probably require "upgrading". Traffic calming calms all roads. GOAL 7: Restrain or reverse growth in traffic and encourage more energy- efficient alternatives Some environmentalists claim that modern traffic represents en abuse of the tradidonol freedom of the highway. !n most counfn'es, if not all, the freedom [o use the public roads was recognised os a basic right long before the invention of the motor vehicle... Even in the days of the horse there was no "freedom" to use animals that were a menace to other mod users. At the other extreme it is possible to take the view [hat then= is no natural right, and never should be, [o take noisy, dirty, dangerous motor vehicles into public places, and permission [a do so should be regarded as a pnvilege.61 ONLY TRAFFIC CALMING CAN restrain or reverse growth in traffic. But there may be some who still object that such measures aze "restrictive". What these objectors fail to recognise is that society already accepts restrictions related to travel. For example, there are many destinations in a city that simply have no direct link. If people want to move between these destinations, they are "forced" to take a long, circuitous route. On the way they will be "forced" by the other drivers to drive at a less than optimum speed. It is simply impossible to provide unlimited freedom of movement unless the whole city is turned into one giant road. Plowden describes the present system not as "freedom", but as a "free-for- all". He says: To introduce controls should, therefore, be thought of as a means of correcting the restrictions and biases inherent in the situation, not as an additional restriction. If one person can only exercise his freedom at the expense of others, then it is right to restrict him,so It may come as a shock to some of us, but some planners argue it is a "privilege" to take a caz onto the roads - not a "right". To ask for a reduction in traffic does not mean that one is anti-car or anti- roads. It is a simple recognition of the rights of other road users and the rights of the residents whose homes the road passes. It is a call for a commonsense balancing of rights on the one hand and a privilege on the other. GOAL 8: THE i11RD PLANS [and early indications from SKP] aze that the intention Avoid creating a new traffic corridor is to further develop the north-south "Rat-run 20" into an arterial for through through existing residential areas traffic. Traffic calming repudiates the idea of dividing existing communities. Traffic calming is pro quality of residential life. GOAL 9: BY ENCOURAGING A BETTER USE OF EXISTING FACII.ITIES, traffic Provide better mobility for those calming encourages a greater use of public transport. As patronage rises, so does without cars: the poor, the elderly, the level of service. A traditional upgrade does the very opposite. the handicapped and children GOAL 10: URBAN BLIGHT IS THE MOST LIICELY OUTCOME of a traditional Maintain and enhance the existing upgrade as owners move out and a transient population move in and other character of our suburbs properties aze turned over to commercial uses. By contrast, traffic calming will enhance the relaxed, subtropical, spacious atmosphere of our residential areas. The dominance of the road in the landscape will be softened by narrowing of roadways and breaking them into smaller visual units with introduced bends and landscaping. Paving, landscaping and trees will impart a more casual, leisurely atmosphere. Lamp posts, seating, and landscape items can be designed in a theme befitting the historical chazacter of the azea. This goal is not being suggested simply because local residents want to see their area enhanced. There is a cleaz recognition that if you tear the "soul" out of a city, it becomes a corpse. Such a city loses its personality, its excitement, its spazkle, its zest, its mystique. That loss is a loss not just for the present residents, but for all generations that follow. Many people would argue that the "goat track roads" (including Route 20) are part of the "soul" of this area. They speak of a bygone era when horses and carts served the dairy farms scattered along Ithaca Creek. That leisurely spirit 28 WHY TRAFFIC CALMINf' -' THE BEST SOLUTION FOR ROUTF. 20 still prevails today. Concrete flyovers, cuttings and lazge expanses of bitumen do not fit the relaxed, bushland nature of the azea. They may be fine for Los Angeles -but they don't fit here. FOR THE SAKE OF A COMPARLSON, it will be assumed that the initial GOAL li: capital outlay for a traditional upgrade and a traffic calming upgrade are the Impose the minimum burden on same. (In reality the traditional upgrade would be far more expensive.) We will taxpayers while bestowing then do a compazison of benefits and additional costs to see which gives the best maximum benefits value for money. TRADITIONAL UPGRADE sENEFITs • Decreased travel time for some through- motorists. cows • Extra road maintenance • Extra repairs to gas, water and drainage due to vibration from trucks • Increased medical costs due m increased accident mte • Lass of productivity from extra early deaths • Infrastructure costs twater, roads. electricity, sewerage. drainage) for the urban sprawl that rasults • Loss of housing stock in imer-aty azeas • Increased subsidy to public transport • Loss of farmland due [o sprawl • Higher costs of living due [o higher costs of servicing a lower density city • Worsening balance of payments due to increased fuel usage • Health costs from increased stress caused by increased noise or illness aggravated by pollution • Loss of education suffered by students in class rooms exposed to excessive noise • Loss of property values for those dose to road • Cost of extra fuel consumed because of generated traffic and the spraadiag of the city • Cast associated with the Greenhouse Effect -droughts and inundation of low lying areas close to the sea • Loss of business due to loss of attractiveness of the city. TRAFFIC CALMING B1IVEETI'S • Savings in road maintenance • Savings in medical costs -decreased accident rate • Productivity from those whose lives have been saved • Saving in infrastructure costs due to the city remaining more compact • Less public transport subsidy • Retaining of farmland close to city • Preservation of housing stock in inner-city areas • Healthier balance of payments • Decreased medical costs resulting from less noise- iaduced stress • Decreased medical bills due to increased walking and cy~8 • Enhanced property values • Increased income from tourism due to enhancement of area • Increased attraction of city for business • Increased viability of local. small business • Savings in fuel. cos~rs • Maintenance of landscaped arses • Increase of II% in journey time. LET US JUST CONSIDER nine possible future trends to determine which GOAL 12: approach, traditional upgrade or traffic calming, will allow the maximum flexibility to cope with possible future changes. Allow the maximum flexibility to cope with future events or social 1. The Greenhouse Effect and the need for governments to cut back on changes. emission levels 2. Australia's increasing dependence on overseas oil resulting in a worsening balance of payments 3. Shazp increases in the price of fuel due to world-wide shortages 4. An increasing migration of jobs to suburbs 5. A migration of population and jobs to country regional centres as prices of properties rise in capital cities and the telecommunications revolution allows businesses greater decentralisation and increased distance from major banking and business headquarters 6. A greater flexibility in working hours spreading peak traffic times 7. More people working via computer terminals from home, reducing commuter traffic 8. An increasing emphasis on the "soul" or the "spirit" of a city as its major economic asset 9. Increasing welfare economy due to aging population resulting in less money for infrastructure provision and replacement. Without examining each of these trends or possible scenarios, one can easily see that planning for an escalation in car usage does not leave a city well prepared should a number of these trends materialise. 29 BORROWED... NOT i1VHERITED The exploitable resources of crude oil, oil sands and shales will be depleted as early as the middle of the next century. This means that severe shortage problems will appear sevem/decodes before that date. On the assumpo'on th¢t our present generation feels responsible for the living condih'ons of future generations, we would have to gear the development of our urban areas to a point where people were less dependent on the demand far trove/, This process has to be initiated new, since urban investments are long-term investments, designed to serve for 50 to 100 years. There is only one world and, os was pointed nut by the Austrdian Minister of the Environment at [he OECD Ministerial Conference on the Environment last November, we have not inherited the earth from our fathers and ale hence entitled to use it according to our wishes. We have rather borrowed it from our children and hove to maintain it properly until they can take Over.62 By stark comparison, traffic calming prepazes Brisbane for the future by "weaning" the city off its heavy dependence on the caz and providing acceptable alternatives that enable the city to cope much better with any of the above nine trends. It must be emphasised that this weaning process is gradual - not a sudden, traumatic change. If any number of the above trends materialise, the city will have already developed new habits that will help it survive. A public transport infrastructure will be in place. A walking and cycling infrastructure will be in place. Facilities and activity centres will have been decentralised and grouped in local communities. People will have already learnt how to shaze their vehicles with others. They will have learned to drive in a restrained way that respects the rights of others. The events of the future may still come as a shock, but the blow will be softened by prior preparation. Flexibility means being prepazed for a whole range of possible developments - so what happens if these trends do not eventuate? If they do not eventuate, we will have lost nothing and gained everything. Our city will be more compact and efficient. All residents will have less noise to annoy them. They will have cleaner air and a cleaner city. They will be healthier through increased walking and use of bicycles. Our children will be safer on the streets. We will have less chance of being killed when we drive. The less advantaged members of our city will enjoy a more equitable choice of travel destinations. We will not have to endure travelling such long distances to get to the places we enjoy. We will have discovered the joys of interacting with others as we travel together rather than alone. (Remember those conversations on the bus or train to Expo and while standing in the queues?j A greater sense of community spirit will have developed as we plan the future of our streets with our neighbours and as we increasingly participate in helping all levels of government find innovative, creative solutions to providing maximum mobility in a time of shrinking resources. A SUMMARY OF WHICI; UPGRADE MEETS COMhfUNITY GOALS BEST GOAL i. Reduce noise 2. Reduce sir pollution 3. Safety for matoriste 4 Safer end more pleasant for pedestrians and cyclists 5. Reduce industrial traffic 8. Reducerat-running 7. Restrain tra&c growth 8. Avoid new corridor 9. Better mobility for elderly, poor & handicapped 10. Maintain & enhance arse 11. Maximum benefit for minimum cost 12. Flexibility TKADTITONAL UPGRADE No - will increase No - will increase pollntim No - deceased rates cancelled by increased bevel No - Likelytoincre~se Possibly on some streets but not on others No -will do the opposite No -Route 20 is "new" corridor Unlikely No -will cause urban blight High cost - low benefit Leaves us unprepared for all future events TRAFFIC CALMING UPGRADE Yes -significantly Ym - 30.50% Yes - up to 60% Yes - definitely Likely m decrease Yes Yes Yes Yes - providing geah3ficetion is resisted Yes- definitely Low cast -high benefit Prepares city best for all pos~bilities 30 WHY TRAFFIC CALMING' THE BEST SOLUTION FOR ROUTE 20 Implementation - the road ahead 1: National, state and city-wide initiatives 2: Regional initiatives 3: Local initiatives. 1. National, state St city-wide initiatives ALL LEVELS OF GOVERN~`°I' -federal, state and local -could set goals National experiment of a significant reduction of vehicle kilometres per person over the next fifteen to twenty years. A reasonable goal maybe to meet the recommendations of the Toronto conference on world climate change which called fora 20% cut of vehicle kilometres by 2005. The recommendations of the OECD Environmental Committee could form the guidelines of such a policy of traffic calming. (See box next page: "Time to resurrect a fifteen year old blueprint".) The western suburbs of Brisbane could then be set up as a test azea for the principles of traffic calming or area-wide traffic restraint, similar to the experiments conducted by the Federal Republic of Germany. Interest groups such as universities, government departments and community groups could be invited to do before-and-after studies to gauge the effectiveness of various measures. The federal government could cons ene an annual conference on traffic restraint or traffic calming for exchange of information. Funding incentives may also be provided for states or cities that complied with national goals. 31 This chapter contains a list of possible initiatives that could be taken to implement traffic calming. The} would not need to be introduced simultaneously and some will be mare feasible than others. They aze merely offered as a starting point for creztive debate and planning. Suggestions have been grouped into three sections. Bandon shopping centre. As it is and as it could be. A proposed plan would need to 6e the subject of detailed discussion with shop owners and Iota] residents. IMPLEMENTATION -THE ROAD AHEAD Long term planning -Queensland An education campaign (federal, state, local or combination) should be instituted showing the benefits of traffic restraint, asserting the rights of residents, and encouraging people to think cazefully about the trips they make and the alternatives available. QUEENSLAND SHOULD HAVE A PLANNING AUTHORITI' with clear policy goals relating to the distribution and growth of both population and employment, and hence traffic restraint. A major goal of such an authority should be the creation of efficient, self sustaining neighbourhoods, communities, towns, cities and regions. Either this planning authority or an independent statutory body should also be responsible for conducting all environmental and social impact studies. The present system of depaztments being able to engage consultants without calling tenders opens the door to possible abuses. There is also a strong temptation for consultants to compromise the quality of their work and "tell the boss what he wants to hear" because he has the power of hire and fire. An independent body that conducted EISs on behalf of all government depaztments could subcontract consultants who would then feel freer to hand in reports that may be against the interest of the department originally requesting the study. Such an independent body should also be encouraged to find ways of involving the local community -not as some way of being able to "sell" projects, but as a means of tapping the invaluable wisdom and local knowledge available in local communities. Funds could be made available for the employment of community advocates who can be freed to participate in the social and environmental impact studies and organise community input. Public transport METHODS SHOULD BE FOUND to change the perceived costs of car transport and public transport. The running costs of a caz aze paid for in large, irregular payments which are largely removed from the actual point of usage. The average car costs $120 a week to run. If every morning a commuter had to put $24 in a meter before they took their caz to work, they would think twice about whether it was worth it. On the other hand, public transport commuters must put their hands in their pockets every morning and every night. Ways should be found to tie the TO RR.C7iRrtaCj` A 15 YEAR member 1974 the OE@ raged member countries,. g Anstralia,to adopt the g recommendations on imitation and Law-Cost meats of the Urban seek to strike a better balance ;en private and public portation by encouraging local ~rities and other responsible 's, particularly rn congested , to expand and rmprove the ry of trvnsporiation services, o encourage the use of means rrsport other than private aobiles whenever these urtive means are or can be available; 2 include m the above efforts, traffic management and other measures which ~n 6e implemented Sgt relativelylow cost -such as bus ~priorirymeasures, provision of bicycle ways, car pooling, traffic signal systems, parking control and establishment of car free areas; 3. complement the above policies with !ow-cost measures to improve the quality of the local environment, for example through the creation of small parks and open spaces, pedestrian areas, and conservation of the urban landscape; 4. support and encourage further experimental projects aimed at demonstrating the feasibility and financial, environmental and urban development implications of the measures referred to above and cooperate in the international dissemination of this experience; 5. in the longer run, seek to reduce the need for transportation through comprehensive land use and transportation planning and through other measures affecting the patterns of human activities.83 A yeaz later, the 23 member countries of OECD endorsed the following recommendation: Towns are better with less traffiq so long as adequate provision is made for the mobility of workers and residents and the distribution of goods. It is of urgent necessity that national and local governments in OECD member countries develop their efforts to reduce the adverse effects of motor traffic in urban areas. In so doing they should make provision for the needs of people who by choice or necessity do not have access to a car... The practical experiences and experiments reviewed at this Conference show that policies combining selected traffic limitation measures and public transport improvement can achieve a better urban environment, enhance accessibility for people and goods and conserve energy. Therefore the Conference concludes that the national and local governments should actively support and encourage the design, implementation and evaluation of such programmes.. ~" 3L EIvIENTA110N -THE ROAD AHEAD costs of car usage closer to the time of using and ways should be found to allow public transport to be paid for in two stages: a lump sum and a smaller amount at time of use. The council/state government could aggressively market a range of pass schemes which is aimed at pazticulaz mazkets. • Commuter Pass which is used only in peak hours. • Faze Cutter Card for people who use public transport for more than just commuting. After purchase of the Faze Cutter Card (say $28 for a monthly cazd), the user then pays a "top-up-faze' each time they use public transport (say 40¢). After making a certain number of trips (in this case 40 bus trips normally costing $1.10 each) the cazd has paid for itself. After that users start saving because each trip only costs the top-up-fare (40¢). In addition to a lower initial outlay for the user, the advantage of this system is the reduction in the incidence of the "riding-because-it-won't- cost" syndrome associated with cazds that offer unlimited "free" use of public transport. • Tokens which can be handed in as payment of faze. These are for the irregular traveller. The tokens are purchased for less than their face value. Part of the marketing exercise could be to raise existing fazes and then to have regular special offers so people don't actually pay any more. This "bazgain appeal" and "offer expiry date" aze needed to help people overcome inertia and motivate them to take the necessary action to purchase the pass/ticket. This marketing programme could also have as a major focus employers who could offer their employees commuter passes at a price unavailable anywhere else. The employer would then put in a bulk order and could simply deduct the amount from the employees pay packet. Alternatively, passes or pass subsidies could become atax-free salary bonus. (This could be pazt of participation in the "traffic restraint" programme mentioned below.) As mentioned earlier, these passes should be marketed aggressively. For example, promoting commuter passes through the employers would experience greater success if all those purchasing a pass went into a draw for a free overseas holiday. Employers would be similazly motivated by such offers! Ways should also be found to give public transport a greater time advantage over private cazs. An important part of this is the use of transit lanes and queuing points (explained later). There is also a perceived need to introduce uniform ticketing so people can use a mixture of bus and train for a journey and only need to purchase one ticket. PROGRAMMES TO GET PEOPLE ONTO PUBLIC TRANSPORT will work Disincentives for caz use much better if they are combined with disincentives to use the car. These could include the raising of parking fees, reduction of available parking spaces and the introduction of a fee for bringing the caz into the city centre. The latter involves the purchase of a daily/weekly pass which must be displayed on the windscreen. POSSIBLE MEASURES needed to make car and van pooling a success: Caz & van pooling • Changing of legislation to allow private individuals to charge fazes for those they take to work and for this income to be tax-free • Reduced parking fees for vehicles carrying four or more people (Losses from this measure could be made up by charging a surchazge on non-car pooling vehicles arriving between Gam and 9.30 am.) • Permission for vehicles carrying four or more people to use transit lanes • More lanes made into transit lanes for buses and multiple occupancy vehicles • Employees to be taxed for company-provided caz space at the commercial rate. Employers to be encouraged to provide a "commuting allowance" rather than a caz and caz park. If employees aze intelligent, they caz pool - or come by public transport -and pockFt the difference. 33 IMPLEMENTATION -THE ROAD AHEAD • Government departments to start acaz/van pooling programme for their own employees • The number of caz pazks required in office developments under the Town Plan reduced • Legislation requiring employers of more than 25 people to pazticipate in a "traffic restraint" or "traffic calming" programme which would include an annual commuting audit. Goals could be set and incentives offered for companies who met or exceeded these goals. Incentives could include: company tax rebate, payroll tax rebate, rates rebate for the employees, income tax rebate for employees, free/discounted transit passes, discounted parking vouchers (car pool vehicles only). Ideally the incentives must appeal both to the company and their employees if both are to be encouraged to participate. Other measures that could be considered are: • The three levels of government to combine in offering a yearly "bounty" for every commuter not travelling alone in a private car. This bounty is paid to the person who runs a caz pool, van pool, subscription bus service or by any other means, effectively takes a vehicle off the road. The value of this bounty is the cost of providing additional road space for each additional vehicle. (In the USA this works out around $1000 - $1500 per year.) This "bounty" could also be paid to those who cycle or walk to work. The rationale is that while the scheme eventually costs the same as providing additional road space it effects enormous savings in maintenance and creates a more efficient city. • Establishing acaz/van pool brokerage either run by the council or as a non-profit organisation. The brokerage would act as a clearing house for those who want to car or van pool and may supply vans and back up emergency drivers. Freight BECAUSE INDUSTRLSL TRAFFIC causes 80% of damage to roads and is a major contributor to noise pollution in residential azeas, all levels of government should look at creating an infrastructure that gradually reduces the need for, and the impact of, road freight. These aze possible courses of action: • The banning of transportation trucks over a certain size from all roads in Brisbane except on a designated through route/s. All freight could be unloaded at transfer depots on the periphery of the metropolitan area and delivered by light vehicles. • Greater use of rail Staggered work hours ONE WAY OF DECREASING PEAK HOUR CONGESTION is to stagger work hours. Because shopping hours in the CBD have been extended, it may be advantageous to open shops later in the morning. This would split the CBD commuters into two distinct groups: office workers and shop workers. 2. Regional initiatives Car/van pooling COMMUTER TRAFFIC ON MILTON ROAD, Waterworks Road and Samford/Kelvin Grove Roads could be reduced by 10-20% through car pooling. This would reduce congestion on these roads sufficiently to remove the incentive for drivers diverting up Route 20 and taking the longer rat-run route through Rainworth and Paddington. Transit lanes for buses and car poolers would need to be provided at strategic points. Queuing points EACH ROAD has an optimum level of traffic it can take. Add one car above that level and all the trafFic on the route is slowed below the optimum speed and the road clogs up. One method of keeping the road operating at maxim~im efficiency is to electronically monitor traffic levels and hold traf&c at a "queuing point" until the road is able to take the additional traffic without 34 becoming "overloaded". IN SMENTATION -THE ROAD AHEAD An integral part of this plan is to have bypass lanes at the queue points so that buses and multiple occupancy vehicles have unhindered access onto the major feeder route. This gives these vehicles a significant time advantage in peak hour because not only do they not have to queue, but they also have an unhindered drive once on the major route. It also gives a significant incentive to caz drivers to either transfer to public transport or car pool for the following reasons: • Instead of delays being broken up into a number of congestion spots, they aze amalgamated into one long delay at a queuing point. Total trip time is not increased but the delay is more striking. • While sitting in the queue they see the buses and caz pool vehicles whiz past • The major problem with bus transport (longer trip time than car) is removed Such a scheme has a major advantage for Route 20 if the queuing points aze situated on the radial routes west of their intersection with Rcute 20. Vehicles will be forced to queue before they reach Route 20. Because they will have an unhindered run into town once they pass the queue point, the incentive to divert via Route 20 and rat-run into the CBD will be removed. Queuing points could be established on the end of the Western Freeway and on Samford Road before Lavazack Pde. Waterworks Road probably doesn't need a queue point at this stage. 3. Local area initiatives THE SPEED LIIvIIT should be dropped on local access streets to 30 km/h. Local access streets In some cases this would need to be enforced through physical changes to the street layout or by selective closures. In the former case this could be accomplished by narrowing of streets, installation of paved speed ramps that raise the road to the same level as the footpath at intersections and/or mid-block, 45 degree bends at minimum spacings of 50 metres, pinch-points and physical obstacles such as trees, play equipment, or caz parking spaces. A priority classification should determine which streets are done first and how they will be funded. Priority 1: Streets surrounding schools or streets that act as major feeders to schools. Priority 2: Streets being used as major rat-runs with traffic flows over a certain daily rate. Priority 3: Streets being used as minor rat-runs. Priority 4: Streets used exclusively for local traffic Priority 1 & 2 streets should be cahned immediately as part of the initial plan. These would be funded 100% by the council/state government but must be designed in consultation with residents in the street. Priority 3 & 4 streets could be done as funds become available, or could be funded by the local residents. In the latter case, priority 3 streets could receive a $1.50 subsidy for every $1 contributed and with priority 4 streets, a dollaz for dollar subsidy. Where projects are undertaken by local residents, the Council may need to provide a supervisor to make sure plans meet Council approval and that the standazd of work is satisfactory. Plans for priority 3 & 4 streets should be approved by a cleaz majority of residents, for example 75%. Industrial traffic over a specified weight should possibly be banned altogether from these streets. 35 IMPLEMENTATION -THE ROAD AHEAD Local distributor roads Residential arterials THE SPEED LIMIT ON LOCAL DISTRIBUTOR ROADS should be reduced to 40 km/h. Methods used to physically slow this traffic would be similaz to those used on local access streets, but adapted to cater for the higher volumes of cazs and the slightly higher speed (for instance, introduced changes in direction maybe every 100 metres instead of 50 metres). Streets in the suggested test area which would be classified as local distributor aze those which currently constitute 'Route 20" and Latrobe/Given Terrace. An important part of these schemes would be protected pazking and protected bus bays. Where the existing local distributors have sharp bends or danger spots (e.g. Rouen Roadl, it will be important to build in devices which physically slow vehicles before entering these bends or danger zones. Serious consideration should be given to banning industrial traffic over a specified weight from these streets between lOpm and Gam. Such a measure would need enforcing. Because enforcement by police is likely to be ineffective, other surveillance methods could be adopted, such as an electronic "eye" that can distinguish vehicle types and photographs the numberplate of vehicles illegally in the azea. THE RADLSL ARTERLSLS COULD BE TRAFFIC CALMED as a second phase of the campaign once traffic volumes on these links have begun to drop. Bikeways BIICEWAYS SHOULD BE INSTALLED connecting major activity centres. For example, a bikeway could be built along Ithaca Creek which serviced the Slaughter Falls recreational azea, Ashgrove State School, Ashgrove West Shopping Centre, Ithaca Creek State School, Ashgrove Shopping Centre and Ithaca TAFE. Consideration should be given to providing secure bike storage facilities at local shopping centres and at selected bus stops. Adopt a "green space" programme THE MOST COMMON OBJECTION RAISID to increasing the amount of green space is the cost of maintenance. This is has to be balanced against the cost of maintaining the extra road space. One way to overcome the problem of r0 BARDON ]a~J As Jubilee Terrace could look wffic calmed. l i ~ Ise ~ 'i ~ ~ a i j 36 Local people pitch in to build [heir own tmff~c calmed ama! P SMENTATION -THE ROAD AHEAD maintenance, and to help engender community pride, is to have residents "adopt" a green space. A small plaque can be put up saying who "owns" the area. There could even be a bonus for those who do a good job - a free or discounted commuter pass. LOCAL AREA PUBLIC TRANSPORT may need to be provided to cater for Public transport shopping and school trips. Dial-a-bus services should be investigated for both these mazkets. The dial-a-bus services could operate within a two or three kilometre radius of local shopping centres as part of the drive to strengthen the self-sufficiency of local communities. Subscription mini-bus services could be considered as an alternative for schools. BECAUSE TRAFFIC CALMING would significantly enhance the chazacter Community housing of the test area, housing prices would probably rise significantly. This could force out some of the very people we aze seeking to protect -the elderly and poorer members of our community. To help provide security of tenure for these people, funds or housing stock should be provided to community housing cooperatives. BESIDES THE MEASURES mentioned under State and City initiatives, Building compact, self-sufficient local shopping centres should be made much more appealing places for people communities to meet and shop. They should be pedestrianised as much as possible. As many community activities as possible could be located/relocated at local shopping centres. THIS BOOK DEMONSTRATES the valuable contribution local Community consultation communities can make in the planning of their neighbourhoods and their city. It is time for authorities to break new ground in the art of genuine community consultation. It is also time to leave the outdated planning methods and myths of the past. It is time For a fresh start. It is time for traffic calming. % / a°~, /e . mss- ; /~°, 1 % ~~/ i I~ :j <~ i i ~. ~._ i- EXISTING BRIDGE OVER ITNACA CREEK Uu 1J TO ASHGROVE ~~ o~ , =P, ~ydY / r" ..~r~r ROUTE 20 REDEVELOPMENT SECTION OF JUBILEE TCE. 37 his time that the public of Brisbane are al/owed to playa genuine mle in the fonnulaSon of the plonning and devekpment of what is, after all, their coaununity. Lord Meyor Sallyeane Atkinsoneg A Final Word People have become passive consumers of whatever technology offers rather than pioneers of the standards of living that technologymakes possible. Cities are being built and rebuilt "not with h uman purposes in mind but with technological means at hand"... Cities are living organisms in a constant state of rebuilding, and the opportunity to begin creating a more satisfactory human environment is offered every day.6s The conditions that are pushing us [o seek new ways of living in the city will, if we are creative, cooperative, and not paralysed by fear, move us to new and richer experiences of community and the natural world.ee Brisbane has had a town plan, but never a regional design -plenty of drains but no dteams.fi~ The ultimate aim of all community design is an environment which leads the citizen to think new thoughts, create new things, to follow new dreams.68 38 Bibliography Appleyazd, D. 1981. Livable Streets. University of California Press, Berkeley. Arbeitskreis Verkehr e.V. Imd Umwelt. 1985. Neue Stichworte, Fakten and Argumente zum Stadtverkehr. Berlin. Atkinson, S. 1985. Lord Mayor's Budget Speech 1985-86. Brisbane City Council. Bates, J. W. & Lawrence, J. D. 1986. "Transit Mazketing: A Strategic Approach", Transportation Quarterly 40: 549-558. Bendixson, T. 1974. Instead of Cars, Temple Smith, London. Blunden, W. R. 1987. A Transport Policy for Sydney -Some Background Considerations. Coalition for Urban Transport Sanity, Sydney. Bossehnann, P. & O'Hare, T. 1983. "Traffic in Urban American Neighbourhoods; The Influence of Buchanan" Built Environment 9:127-39. ---- 1986 "Redesigning American Residential Streets" Built Environment 12:98-106. Bowers, P. H. 1986 "Environmental Traffic Restraint: German Approaches to Traffic Management by Design" Built Environment 12:60-98. Bruton, M. J. 1983. "The 'Traffic in Towns' Philosophy: Current Relevance" Built Environment 9:99-101. Bundesminister fur Raumordnung, Bauwesen and Stad[bau. 1979. WohnstraBen der Zukunft - Uerkehrsberuhigung zur I~erbesserung des Wohnumfeldes. Bonn. ---- 1982. Planungsfibel zur Verkehrsbe_ruhigung. Bonn. ---- 1986. Stadtverkehrlm Wandel. Bonn. CART 1988a. A Community Backed Call For a Comprehensive, Independent Inquiry Into Brisbane's Transportation Requirements. Brisbane. ---- 19886. Community Response to Route 20 Working Papers. Brisbane. Cervero, R. 1986. "Urban Transit in Canada: Integration and Innovation at Its Best" Transportation Quarterly 40:293-315 Congressional Record -Senate. 1988. "Global Environmental Protection Act" & "The National Energy Policy Act of 1988" Proceeding of Senate July 28. Day, P. 1988. The Big Party Syndrome - a study of the impact of special events and inner urban change in Brisbane. Department of Social Work, University of Queensland. Dean, T. B. & Godwin, S. R. 1985. "Safety Benefits of the 55 mph Speed Limit" Transportation Quarterly 39:321-342. Elliott, B. 1985. Children and Road Accidents: an analysis of the problems and some suggested solutions. Federal Office of Road Safety, Depaztment of Transport, Canberra. Gribben, J. 1988. "The Greenhouse Effect" New Scientist, 22 October. Hall, P. 1980. Great Planning Disasters. ~Yeibenfeld and Nicolson, London. ---- 1985. Can Rail Save the City: The Impacts of Rail Rapid Transit and Pedestrianisation on British and German Cities. Gower. ---- 1987. "Have Our Cities Got a Future?" Town & CountryPlonning, Mazch:78-80. Hass-Klau, C. 1986. "Environmental Traffic Management in Britain -Does It Exist?" Built Environment 12:7-19. Hillman, M. 1983. "The Wrong Turning: Twenty Yeazs on from Buchanan" Built Environment 9:104-5. REFERENCES " 1 Courier Mail. 28 March. 1985 ':y',~. 2 CART, 1988fl K 3 Sinclair Knight and Partners, 1988fl .,ys~:~' Working Paper No 4 ":`:i" 4 Ibid. Working Paper No B ~ "+;'4^ 5 Plowden, 1972, 50 - fz'-F K 6 Sinaloa Knight and Pettoers, 19886 „4.~ 7 OECD, 1978, 132 ' 8 OECD, 1979, 254 ..,, r 9 Kanworthy & Newman, 1987 ~ 70 Hall, 1980. 66; r 11 Porter. 3987,14 ~~~~ ~~.2~ i 12 Plowdea, 1972, 15 13 ibid .`.~~' 14 Hillman, 7983, 107 - 15 University of New South Wales.1979, 4t..` ~~ 16 Arheitskreis Verkahr e.V. and Umwelt, 3985 17Ibid. 18 Kenworthy, 1988 19 ibid. 20 Deen, 1985 21 Arbeitskreis Verkehr e.V. and Umwelt, 1985 22 Hundesministec Eur Raumordnung, ' Bauwesen and S[ad[bau, 1986, 8 23 Appleyazd, 1981, 26 ' 24 University of New South Wales. 1979, I.3 25 Newman, 1986, 26 26 CART, 19886, 23 27 Pearman, 1988, 609 -_ 28 Congressional Record -Senate, 3988 s10284, 30285 ' 29 ibid s10307 30 CART, 19886.3 _ 31 Plowden, 1972, 10 ' 32 University of New South Wales, 1979, 1.3 33 Arbeitskreis Verkehr e.V. and Umwelt, 1965 34 Petersen, 1988 35 Tanghe, 1984, vi 36 Elliot, 1985 37 Lacou[e, 1976, 182 38 Day, 1988, 36 39 Tanghe, 1984, 6 40 ibid. 3 41 Hall, 1985, SO 42 RolF MOnheim, 1986, 35 43 Lacoute, 1976, 181 44 Plowden, 1972, 25 45 Bundesminister tur Raumordnung, Bauwesen and Stadtbeu, 1979, 12 46 ibid. 1982,16 47 ihid. 11 48 Plowden, 1972, 17 " _ 49 Rolf Monheim, nd, 78 50 ihid. 51 Heiner Monheim, 1986, 74 s2 ibid. 75 53 ibid. 54 Ro1EMonheim, 1988 55 Rolf Monheim, nd, 77 56 Heiner Monheim, 1986, 81 ' 57 Monheim-Dandarfer, 1982, 4 58 Orski, 1987, 470 - 59 Rudder, 1988 60 Plowden, 1972, 26 ~~ 61 OECD, 1978, 135 62 OECD. 1975,4 63 ibid. 6 64Ibid. 9 65 Owen, 1972, 53 66 Van der Ryan, 1986, x111 67 Petersen, 7988 ' 68 Lacoute, 1976, 243 69 Atkinson, 1985 39 PHOTO CRIDiTS ANWH, Holland p22, 23 Alan Carew p1, 2. 5,17 Courier Mail p7 Daily Sun p13 (side), 38 Jaa ICeaworthy p9, 13 (top), 34, 23 NAASRA pi6 Jain, R. & Gudaitis, C. 1982. "The Connecticut Vanpool Program" Transportation Quarterly 36:365-75. King, J. 1987. "Adequacy of Transportation in Minority Communities for Handicapped, Low Income and Elderly Groups' Tmnsportation Quarterly 41:247-61. Kirby, D. S. 1981. "Vo14 -Evaluation of Options" Commission of Inquiry into the Kyeemagh-Chullora Road. Government Printer, New South Wales. Keller, H. 1986. "Environmental Traffic Restraints on Major Roads in the Federal Republic of Germany" Built Environment 12:44-58. Kenworthy, J. 1988. Personal communication. Kenworthy, J. & Newman, P. 1987. Learning From the Best and Worst: Transportation and land use lessons from thirty-two international cities. School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth. Kraay, J. H. 1986. "Woonerven and Other Experiments in the Netherlands" Built Environment 12:20-28. Lacoute, P. 1976. The Environment of Human Settlement: Human Well-being in Cities. Pergamon, Oxford. Monheim, H. 1986. "Area Wide Traffic Restraint: A Concept for Better Urban Transport" Builf Environment 12:74-82. Monhiem-Dandorfer, R. &Monheim, H. 1982. "Verkehrsberuhigung -ein neues Konzept fur den Verkehr in Stadten and Dorfern" Geographie Haute 3, August. Monheim, R. nd. "German Experiences with Policy-Oriented Planning for Traffic in Cities" Pedestrian Conference, Boulder. ---- 1986. "Pedestrianisation in German Towns: A Process of Continual Development" Built Environment 12:30-41. ---- 1988. Address to Western Australian Planning Authority. Video. Newman, P. 1986. Proceedings Royal Australian Planning Institute Conference. Nielsen, O. & Rassen, J. 1986. "Environmental Traffic Management in Odense, Denmazk" Built Environment 12:83-87. OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). 1975. Better Towns With Less Traffic. ---- 1978. The Automobile and the Environment-An International Perspective. MIT Press, Cambridge. ---- 1979. Urban Transport and [he Environment. Vol 1. Paris. Orski, C. K. 1986. "Transportation Management Associations -Battling Suburban Traffic Congestion' Urban Land, December. Owen, W. 1972. The Accessible City. The Brookings Institution, Washington. Peazman, G. Greenhouse -Planning for Climate Change. CSIItO. Petersen, D. 1988. "A Vision for Brisbane' Courier Mail 1-3 August. Plowden, S. 1972. Towns Against traffic. Andre Deutsch, London. Porter, D. R. 1987. "The Future Doesn't Work" TR News, December. Rudder, T. 1988. A Catholic Primary School and a Big Road: A Noise Assessment for 1988 & 1991. Unpublished paper. Sinclair Knight and Partners. 1988a. Route 20 Study Working Papers vo11. Sydney. ---- 1988b. Route 20 Study Working Papers 1012. Sydney. Tanghe, J. 1984. Living Cities - A Case for Urbanism and Guidelines for Re- Urbanizotion. Pergamon Press, Oxford. University of New South Wales. 1979. Symposium on Transporting People. University of New South Wales Occasional Papers 4. Van der Ryan, S. 1986. Sustainable Communities - A New Design Synthesis for Cities, Suburbs and Towns. Sierra Club Books, San Francisco. 40 FOR ADDITIONAL COPIES OF TRAFFIC CALMING CONTACT: In the USA and Canada: Sensible Transportation Options for People Sensible Transportation Options for People (STOP) 15405 S. W. 116th Avenue #202B Tigard, OR 97224-2600 (503 624-6083 In Australia: CART 50 Exeter Street Ashgrove O 4060 (07) 366 5265 US Copyright ©1993 by STOP -' ~ - f I. ' { r - z a 'i ~. - '.4 -. 4- r 8 j_ Y 1 i 1 1 r F K~~ ~ i ~~ - t- P k P ~ ry ~ Y _ { f ~~ _ Y ! 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S t ` "y9 1.. - i L s a, i i', 4 i ~- ~ ' ~ rn t z ~ ' r r $ "iM1 ~" ~ ~~ ~ e ..+ai ~~~ , a tw .:?~ + r a, _. ~t~ SEMINARY,S\ f_., ~~.,K!~: ~ ~._-° 95482 ^ ADMIN. 707/463-6200 ^ POLICE 463-6242 s FIRE 463-627 April 24, 1991 ?1rs. Lucille Ptirata 488 North State Street Ukiah. California 9`482 Dear Lucille: Thank you for your letter of concern about the signalization and inherent hazard at the intersection of North State Street and Scott Street. Please be assured that f, as well as other Staff members, share your concerns and are convinced some changes in programming or structural improvements are needed at that location. In fact, I believe the conditions at the Norton Street intersection should also be analyzed, because of its similarity and proximity to Scott Street. For these reasons I have asked Bill Beard, City Engineer, who also serves as liaison to the Traffic Engineering Committee to include this matter as a discussion item at the next Traffic Engineering Committee meeting scheduled for May 14, 1991, at 2:00 p.m. These meetings are held at the Civic Center, Conference Room 3, 300 Seminary Avenue, Ukiah, and are open to the public. Although it is not necessary for you to be present, you are invited and encouraged to attend and provide input to the Committee. Again, thank you for bringing this situation to our attention. We here at the City appreciate hearing ideas and concerns from our citizens. Sincerely, "T G` ~~h~~-_ ed L. Gofort Director of Public Works cc: City Manager City Engineer TLG:kk R:PW11 L MIRATA