REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
March 21, 2019
FROM: SCOTT L. MOZIER, PE, Director
Public Works Department
BY: ANDREW J. BENELLI, PE, City Engineer/Assistant Director
Public Works Department
JILL GORMLEY, TE, City Traffic Engineer / Traffic Operations and Planning Manager
Public Works Department, Traffic Operations and Planning Division
SUBJECT
Title
Annual update of the Citywide lists for new traffic signal installations and traffic signal left turn phasing modifications. (Citywide)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Council receive the annual update of the lists for new traffic signal installations and traffic signal left turn phasing modifications, as recommended by the Public Works Department, Traffic Operations and Planning Division.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Staff has completed the annual update of Citywide lists for new traffic signal installations and left turn phasing installations. The update of these lists includes new traffic counts, analysis of accidents during the past year, traffic signals which have gone into construction during the past year and engineering consideration of other field changes such as new schools that have opened in the vicinity of the subject intersections. The scoring criteria are based upon traffic engineering criteria established by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the California Department of Transportation.
BACKGROUND
Every year, the Traffic Operations and Planning Division in Public Works conducts updated traffic counts, reviews intersection accident reports and performs an engineering analysis in accordance with adopted standards of the FHWA and California Department of Transportation. This analysis includes eight-hour traffic volumes, peak hour volumes, pedestrian counts, accident history and proximity of schools to the intersections. Unsignalized intersections are analyzed to determine if installation of a traffic signal is warranted. Warrants are evaluated purely using the FHWA standards from the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. Existing signalized intersections that do not have left turn phasing (i.e., protected left turn movements via green arrows) are analyzed to determine if warrants are met for the installation of left turn phasing, which is based upon the number of peak hour conflicts between through traffic and opposing left turning vehicles or the number of accidents that would be correctable with installation of left turn phasing.
Intersections where warrants are met are then objectively scored and ranked in order Citywide. The point system for new traffic signal installations conforms to the FHWA’s requirements and is based upon overall traffic volumes for both directions (10 points maximum), peak hour traffic (10 points maximum), three-year history for correctable accidents (5 points per correctable reported collision in the annual average), schools within 0.25 miles (10 points maximum), activity centers within 1,000 feet (3 points maximum), potential signal coordination benefits (5 points maximum), intersection sight distance (2 points maximum), funding opportunities or cost/benefit ratio (2 points maximum) and engineering judgment of special conditions (3 points maximum). The point system for left turn phasing installations is based upon the peak hour product of left turning vehicles and opposing through traffic (5 points maximum), three-year history for correctable accidents (5 points per correctable reported collision in the annual average), schools within 0.25 miles (10 points maximum), activity centers within 1,000 feet (3 points maximum), intersection sight distance (2 points maximum), funding opportunities or cost/benefit ratio (2 points maximum) and engineering judgment of special conditions (3 points maximum).
The updated Citywide Traffic Operations and Planning Division lists are included as Attachments “A” and “B”. The lists also indicate the funding status of each intersection. Some intersections must be signalized as a condition of approval for a specific development and have been noted as “Developer to Install”. Other intersections have been funded as capital improvement projects based upon scores in prior years and/or a successful grant application for state and federal funds.
Intersections that have been completed or that have started construction since the 2018 annual report have been removed from the ranking lists. It should be noted that this past year since the last update, two intersections were signalized. These intersections have been removed from the ranking worksheets. The ranking lists will be used to prepare the FY20 capital improvement budget and to apply for grants in an objective manner based upon available and projected traffic signal mitigation impact fees. Council approved an update of the impact fees and the intersections covered by those fees on December 8, 2016. Attached to this report, are the ranking lists for new signal installations, modifications for left turn phasing, and traffic flow improvements.
The average monthly revenue for FY18 July to January is $90,933 which is a decrease from $113,229/month in FY17. Previous fiscal year monthly averages are as follows: FY 17 - $113,229/month; FY16 - $89,773/month; FY15 - $93,607/month; FY 14 - $81,356/month; FY13 - $95,243/month; FY12 - $60,009/month; FY11 - $75,707/month; FY10 - $63,885/month; FY09 - $95,572/month; FY08 - $124,223/month; FY07 - $247,024/month; and FY06 - $258,020/month. When developments have traffic signal conditions requirements in excess of their fee obligation, no impact fee revenues will be collected from those particular developments. Given the limited impact fees currently available for capital projects, the Department’s goal has been to pursue alternative funding sources such as federal and state grants for delivery of these projects. Impact fee revenue is primarily utilized to reimburse developers who have installed traffic signal improvements in excess of their fee obligation amount. Currently the traffic signal fee program owes approximately $302,500 to developers for previously completed traffic signal improvements, with more reimbursement applications pending for recently completely traffic signals.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
By the definition in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378, the update of the Traffic Operations and Planning Division lists does not qualify as a “project” as defined CEQA.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was not implemented because the update of the lists does not include a bid or award a construction or services contract.
FISCAL IMPACT
The annual update of traffic signal ranking lists has been accomplished within the operating budget of the Public Works Department. There will be no additional impact on the General Fund.
Attachments:
“A” - Traffic Operations and Planning Division 2019 New Traffic Signal Locations
“B” - Traffic Operations and Planning Division 2019 Warranted Left Turn Signal Phasing