CC 2019-02-12_8e Signage at Halcyon and The Pike
MEMORANDUM
TO: CITY COUNCIL
FROM: TERESA MCCLISH, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
BILL ROBESON, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS
BY: ROBIN DICKERSON, PE, CITY ENGINEER
SUBJECT: CONSIDERATION OF STRIPING AND SIGNAGE IMPROVEMENTS AT
THE INTERSECTION OF HALCYON ROAD AND THE PIKE
DATE: FEBRUARY 12, 2019
SUMMARY OF ACTION:
Adopt a Resolution approving the installation of a stop sign and associated striping. One
stop sign will be installed on southbound Halcyon Road at The Pike. Stop bars and other
associated striping will also be installed on the asphalt road near the stop sign.
IMPACT ON FINANCIAL AND PERSONNEL RESOURCES:
The estimated cost to perform the striping and signage installations at the subject location
is approximately $3,000. This can be funded from the FY 2018/2019 Public Works
Operating Budget.
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended the City Council adopt a Resolution approving the installation of one
stop sign on southbound Halcyon Road at The Pike and install the necessary pavement
striping improvements.
BACKGROUND:
Halcyon Road and The Pike have been identified as arterial streets in Arroyo Grande.
The intersection of The Pike and Halcyon Road are located at the City/County Boundary.
The intersection is a T-intersection (3 way) with a private drive that is aligned with The
Pike and enters onto Halcyon Road from the east. Currently there are stop signs installed
on east bound The Pike and the private drive way at Halcyon Road intersection. (See
Attachment 1 attached for location)
City staff working with a sub-consultant, is currently preparing the Halcyon Complete
Street study. In that study, the sub-consultant is recommending the installation of stop
Item 8.e. - Page 1
CITY COUNCIL
CONSIDERATION OF STRIPING AND SIGNAGE IMPROVEMENTS AT THE
INTERSECTION OF HALCYON ROAD AND THE PIKE
FEBRUARY 12, 2019
PAGE 2
signs on both north and southbound Halcyon Road at The Pike intersection. Due to the
number of accidents, the warrant for the stop signs was easily met. (See Attachment 2).
In August 2018 staff received a request from a concerned citizen about the speeds and
safety of the intersection in question. The citizen requested that the City look into installing
stop signs along Halcyon Road at The Pike intersection. Staff took the request in October
to the Pre Staff Advisory Committee (SAC) meeting. There was unanimous support from
the committee to look into the installation of the stop signs. Since the County controls
northbound Halcyon at The Pike intersection this would need to be a project supported
by both the City and the County. In November 2018 staff from both the County and the
City met to discuss the installation of the stop sign at the intersection of The Pike and
Halcyon Road. The County indicates that they would support a stop sign for northbound
Halcyon Road at The Pike. (See Attachment 5).
The Arroyo Grande Police accident reports show over 23 accidents occurred at this
intersect in the past 5 years. Nine of those accidents were broad side, nine were rear
end accidents and the remaining five were other types of accidents.
On January 30, 2019 during a special Staff Advisory Committee (SAC) meeting open to
the public, this item was discussed. (See Attachment 3). Two members of the public
attended the meeting, both agreeing that this traffic safety issue needed to be addressed
at this intersection, but not supportive of the stop sign installation. An email of opposition
was also received prior to the January 30, 2019 SAC meeting. (See Attachment 4). After
hearing from the public, reviewing the information and discussion, the SAC members
unanimously voted for the installation of the stop sign. SAC recommends that the City
Council adopt a resolution for the installation of the southbound stop sign on Halcyon
Road and to monitor the traffic over the next 6 months to determine if the installation of
the stop sign is effective at reducing speeds and the degree of impact to the flow of traffic.
It was also recommended that the Police Department install the electronic message board
out on Halcyon informing people of the installation of the new stop sign. Staff will also
coordinate the installation of a message board on The Pike and recommend that the
County place one to inform drivers traveling northbound on Halcyon.
ALTERNATIVES:
The following alternatives are provided for the Council’s consideration:
1. Approve staff’s recommendation for signage and striping installation;
2. Do not approve staff’s recommendation for signage and striping installation;
3. Modify as appropriate and approve staff’s recommendation; or
4. Provide alternate direction to staff.
ADVANTAGES:
Installation of the stop sign will cause people to slow down prior to entering the
intersection and allow east bound traffic from The Pike to safely make a left turn. If these
left turns can be made safely it may reduce the number of broad side accidents at this
intersection.
Item 8.e. - Page 2
CITY COUNCIL
CONSIDERATION OF STRIPING AND SIGNAGE IMPROVEMENTS AT THE
INTERSECTION OF HALCYON ROAD AND THE PIKE
FEBRUARY 12, 2019
PAGE 3
DISADVANTAGES:
The noise generated from vehicles starting and stopping will be more frequent. There is
a potential for vehicle stacking during peak hours at this intersection
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The project is categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15301(c).
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION AND COMMENTS:
The Agenda was posted at City Hall and on the City’s website in accordance with
Government Code Section 54954.2. At the time of report publication, no comments have
been received.
Attachments:
1. Vicinity Map and Road Improvements
2. Stop Sign Warrant
3. Minutes of the SAC Meeting January 30, 2019
4. Email of Opposition received Jan 24, 2019 from Marc and Kristin Lewis
5. Support Letter from the County dated February 7, 2019
Item 8.e. - Page 3
RESOLUTION NO.
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
ARROYO GRANDE APPROVING INSTALLATION OF A STOP
SIGN ON SOUTHBOUND HALCYON ROAD AT THE PIKE
AND THE NECESSARY PAVEMENT STRIPING
IMPROVEMENTS
WHEREAS the City has received a request for the installation of a stop sign on southbound
Halcyon Road at The Pike to enhance safety and assist in the orderly flow of traffic; and
WHEREAS, a sub-consultant had previously prepared a warrant on behalf of the City to
support the installation of the stop sign; and
WHEREAS, on January 30, 2019, the Staff Advisory Committee held an open meeting and
recommended that the City Council approve installation of a stop sign on southbound Halcyon
Road at The Pike intersection.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Arroyo Grande
hereby approves the installation of a stop sign on southbound Halcyon Road at The Pike
intersection with associated pavement markings.
On motion of Council Member __________, seconded by Council Member
_______________, and on the following roll call vote, to wit:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
the foregoing Resolution was passed and adopted this 12th day of February, 2019.
Item 8.e. - Page 4
RESOLUTION NO.
PAGE 2
CAREN RAY RUSSOM, MAYOR
ATTEST:
KELLY WETMORE, CITY CLERK
APPROVED AS TO CONTENT:
__
JAMES A. BERGMAN, CITY MANAGER
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
HEATHER K. WHITHAM, CITY ATTORNEY
Item 8.e. - Page 5
ATTACHMENT 1
Item 8.e. - Page 6
Proposed Stop Sign -
by City
Existing Stop Sign~
(to be replaced by Gity__l ~ \ -Existing
Private Stop Sign ... ,~
0
sad-Stop Sign J
LEGEND
0 EXISTING STOP SIGN
Q PROPOSED STOP SIGN
by County
--11ft "' w STOP SIGN INSTALLATION
PIKE AND HALCYON INTERSECTION
CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE DATE: DRAWN BY: CHECKED BY:
2/7/19 JB RD ENGINEERING DIVISION
ATTACHMENT 2
Item 8.e. - Page 7
August 4 , 2016
Multi-Way Stop Control Warrants
The intersection at Halcyon Road/The Pike is currently a two-way stop controlled intersection .
Due to the number of collisions which have occurred at this intersection , factors supporting the
employment of an multi-way stop control measure were reviewed . The Manual on Uniform
Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) Section 2B.07 states the following as a criterion which could
on its own warrant installation of a multi-way stop control :
Five or more reported crashes in a 12-month period that are susceptible to correction by
a multi-way stop installation . Such crashes include right-turn and left-turn collisions as
well as right-angle collisions.
Table 10 presents a collision summary for Halcyon Road/The Pike from January 2011 to
December 2015 . As shown, nine (9) collisions occurred within a 12-month period between
March 2014 and March 2015, and each collision appears to be of a type susceptible to
correction with installation of an all-way stop. This includes the March 2015 collision which
identified the pedestrian at fault. Providing a controlled intersection and crosswalk may have
reduced the likelihood of this type of collision. With the nearest existing pedestrian crosswalk
located 1,300 feet to the north at Sandalwood Avenue, pedestrians are currently expected to
cross at uncontrolled locations.
21
Item 8.e. - Page 8
August 4, 2016
TABLE 10
5-YR COLLISION HISTORY AT THE INTERSECTION OF HALCYON ROAD/THE PIKE
I •
j Driver: Proceeding Straight, traveling in the Eastbound direction
2011 05 Rear End • Involved Party: Slowing/Stopping, traveling in the Eastbound direction
' I
I
I
2013 02 !Tuesday Rear End
i Driver: Proceeding Straight, traveling in the Southbound direction
: Involved Party: NIA
I
i Driver: Making Left Turn, traveling in the Northbound direction
2013 04 'Sunda Broadside Involved Party: Proceeding Straight, traveling in the Southbound direction
2013 11 Wednesday Broadside
I
2015 08 !Tuesda
Based on the information presented in Table 10, installation of an all-way stop is warranted at
the intersection of Halcyon Road and The Pike based on collision history. An engineering study
is recommended by the MUTCD in support of a decision to install multi-way stop control.
22
ACTION MINUTES
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE STAFF ADVISORY COMMITTEE
TUESDAY, JANUARY 3 0, 2019
ARROYO GRANDE CITY HALL
300 EAST BRANCH STREET
ARROYO GRANDE, CALIFORNIA
1.CALL TO ORDER
City Engineer Dickerson called the Special Staff Advisory Committee meeting on meeting to order at
2:00 p.m.
2.ROLL CALL
Staff Present: Public Works Director Bill Robeson, Battalion Chief Riki Heath, Police
Commander Shawn Cosgrove, Planning Manager Matt Downing,
Building Official John Hurst, City Engineer Robin Dickerson, Assistant
Planner Andrew Perez, Assistant Engineer John Benedetti and Permit
Technician Patrick Holub were present.
PROJECTS
1.CONSIDERATION OF STOP SIGN INTSALLATION; LOCATION – INTERSECTION OF THE PIKE
AND HALCYON ROAD
City Engineer Dickerson opened the discussion and outlined the process moving forward regarding
the installation of a stop sign at the intersection of The Pike and Halcyon Road.
City Engineer Dickerson opened the meeting for public comment.
Chris Thyrring, Halcyon, spoke against the installation of a stop sign, mentioning that it will cause
further traffic delays for the residents of Halcyon. He asked that if the City decides to install a stop
sign, that the City review the effectiveness of the sign and any potential unforeseen impacts after a
trial period.
Jackie Christopher, 770 South Halcyon, spoke against the installation of a stop sign, mentioning that
the proposed sign would cause noise issues for her property. She also mentioned that the majority
of the collisions at this intersection are from cars rear-ending vehicles that are waiting to turn left onto
The Pike from northbound Halcyon Road.
Hearing no further public comment, City Engineer Dickerson closed the Public Comment period.
Police:
Commander Cosgrove asked whether the traffic study conducted for this intersection took into
account the potential closure of the El Campo crossing of Highway 101 and whether there were any
proposed crosswalks at this intersection in conjunction with the installation of the stop sign. He also
mentioned if the stop sign were installed, the Police Department would likely do educational
enforcement at first to make sure the regular users of the intersection were aware of the changes and
that traffic laws were being observed.
Public Works:
Public Works Director Robeson mentioned that he wanted to take a closer look at accident history
after hearing Mrs. Christopher’s public comment. He also mentioned that if the accident data is
supportive, he would be in favor of installing additional signage informing vehicles of the upcoming
intersection.
ATTACHMENT 3
Item 8.e. - Page 9
PLANNING COMMISSION PAGE 2
MINUTES
JANUARY 30, 2019
Planning:
Planning Manager Downing mentioned that this intersection came up during a traffic study conducted
for the Halcyon Complete Streets Project and that it was identified as one that needed to be
addressed. He also mentioned that he was in favor of the installation of a stop sign.
Fire:
Battalion Commander Heath mentioned that he would not like to see any speed bumps installed near
this intersection if alternative traffic calming measures are considered.
Building:
Building Official Hurst mentioned that he does not think advanced warning signs will help improve the
safety of the intersection and that the City should try to work with the mobile home park to have them
improve their on-site signage. It was noted that the mobile home property is outside of the City’s
jurisdiction.
Planning Manager Downing made a motion to recommend to the City Council installation of a three-
way stop sign at the intersection of The Pike and Halcyon Road with a six-month review period.
Building Official Hurst seconded the motion and the motion passed on a unanimous voice vote.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 2:53 p.m.
Item 8.e. - Page 10
1
Robin Dickerson
From:M. Lewis
Sent:Thursday, January 24, 2019 7:03 PM
To:Robin Dickerson
Subject:OPPOSED: 4-way stop sign proposal, Halcyon/The Pike
Dear City Staff,
As a homeowner in the neighborhood adjacent to the Halcyon/The Pike, I would like to express disapproval of
the city’s consideration of any project that would install stop signs at that intersection.
I was deeply involved in seeking improvements to the Willow/Halcyon crosswalk which was established in
1974. The city’s solution was to paint over the frequently used crossing area, with no future consideration to
improving sidewalks or traffic controls that would enhance conditions for pedestrians still continuing to utilize
that route.
The main factor influencing safety at the Halcyon/The Pike intersection is and always has been speed and poor
visibility. There have been preliminary studies to improve the Halcyon corridor and none, to my knowledge,
have proposed stop signs. Speed controls to bring vehicle traffic down to at least 35 mph such as rumble strips,
flashing yellow beacons and RADAR detection could be used from the Halcyon townsite, all the way through
the school zone at Fair Oaks. It is strict and conspicuous speed controls, not stop signs, that I believe will
reduce negative vehicular interactions at the intersection in question.
I would greatly prefer that the city and county implement measures that reduce vehicle speeds approaching the
city limit. I heard the city’s Chief of police and city engineering staff publicly state that the speed limit could,
as a technicality, be set as low as 25 mph since the zone is residential.
Very importantly, my home and those of the adjacent neighborhoods would be negatively impacted. ‘Round-
the-clock nuisance noise as passenger vehicles and large, pneumatically braked, or vacuum “jakebraking”
commercial trucks, stop and accelerate away (on a slope) would be unacceptable.
To conclude, stop signs would aggravate noise nuisances and create impediments to smooth traffic
flow. Conspicuous speed controls and visibility enhancement would maintain orderly traffic flow and
positively affect driver reaction times to pedestrian and vehicle hazards in the area.
I anticipate joining discussions with, and on behalf of my neighbors during the Feb. 12 City Council meeting.
Thank you for your consideration,
Marc and Kristin Lewis
Virginia Drive homeowners
ATTACHMENT 4
Item 8.e. - Page 11
ATTACHMENT 5Item 8.e. - Page 12February 7, 2019 COUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO Department of Public Works Colt Esenwein, P.E., Director Bill Robeson, Director of Public Works 1375 Ash Street Arroyo Grande, CA 93420 Robin Dickerson, City Engineer 300 E. Branch Street Arroyo Grande, CA 93420 Subject: Halcyon Road at The Pike -All-Way Stop Control Dear Mr. Robeson and Ms. Dickerson: Thank you for providing for our review the documentation from Omni/GHD. The County of San Luis Obispo Department of Public Works staff have reviewed the all-way stop warrant analysis. We concur with the conclusion and will be making a recommendation to amend the County Traffic Regulations Code to install a stop sign on the southeasterly corner of Halcyon Road and The Pike. We anticipate presenting the Board of Supervisors with the ordinance for approval at their March 12, 2019 meeting. Upon the City's approval of the stop at the northwesterly corner of Halcyon Road and after the Board approves County ordinance, we will be prepared, as a City/County coordinated effort, to place signage, markings and advance warning systems to alert drivers. In the meantime, County staff is prepared to work cooperatively with the City of Arroyo Grande staff to prepare implementation plans and press releases in order to place devices and notify the public appropriately. If you have any further concerns or questions, please feel free to contact Michael Britton at mbritton@co.slo.ca.us, or by phone at (805) 788-2318. Sincerely, Director of Public Works Attachment c: Lynn Compton, Supervisor District 4 Michael Britton, Transportation Planning and Traffic Operations File: Rd# 1139 L:\ Transportation\2019\February\Halcyon at The Pike Concurrence Letter -020419.docx County of San Luis Obispo Department of Public Works County Govt Center, Room 206 I San Luis Obispo, CA 93408 I (P) 805-781-5252 I (F) 805-781-1229 pwd@co.slo.ca.us I slocounty.ca.gov