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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTemp Traffic Signal Pre-emption System Las Palmas CC Emergency Gate on MontereyCITY OF PALM DESERT PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT STAFF REPORT REQUEST: Temporary Traffic Signal Pre-Emption System for Las Palmas Country Club Emergency Gate on Monterey Avenue SUBMITTED BY: Mark Greenwood, P.E., Director of Public Works APPLICANT. City of Rancho Mirage C/o Bruce Harry, Director of Public Works 69-925 Highway 111 Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 DATE: June 22, 2006 CONTENTS: Staff Report of April 27, 2006 Consultant's Report, inciuding Vicinity Map Recommendation: Direct staff to work with City of Rancho Mirage staff to install a temporary traffic signal pre-emption system for Las Palmas Country Club Emergency Gate on Monterey Avenue. Background: Rancho Las Palmas Country Club has approached the City of Rancho Mirage to request a traffic signal pre-emption system for their emergency gate on Monterey Avenue. In a staff report dated April 27, 2006, Public Works staff requested Council to postpone consideration of this request to a date uncertain, and to direct staff to include this system as part of a comprehensive study of all the traffic issues on this portion of Monterey Avenue. At the April 27, 2006, Council directed staff to work with the City of Rancho Mirage external traffic engineering consultant to consider a temporary solution to a pre-emption system until such a comprehensive study could be completed. Independent traffic engineer Nazir Lalani has been retained by both the City of Rancho Mirage and the City of Palm Desert to provide traffic engineering consulting services. Mr. Lalani is a well-known traffic engineer, respected worldwide, and City of Palm Desert staff hold his opinion in high regard. Mr. Lalani has reviewed the conditions and recommends that the pre-emption system be installed to allow enhanced emergency access onto Monterey Avenue. Staff Report - Temporary Traffic Signal Pre-Emption System for Las Palmas Country Club Emergency Gate on Monterey Avenue Page 2 of 2 June 22, 2006 Therefore staff requests direction to work with City of Rancho Mirage staff to install a temporary traffic signal pre-emption system for Las Palmas Country Club Emergency Gate on Monterey Avenue. Submitted By: Mark Greenwood, P.E. Director of Public Works Carlos L. O ega City Manager Approval: Nr �f— `v Homer Croy ACM for Development Services /dhl * By Minute Motion, postpone to a date uncertain a request to install a traffic signal preemption system for Las Palmas Country Club emergency gate on Monterey Avenue, and direct staff to include this system as part of a comprehensive study of all the traffic issues on this portion'of Monterey Avenue. ' "�_ITY C�UNCI� "ACTION: F�,,CE TVEi) DENIED OTHER�/' � .fry _ t,�,E'1TI_ DATE ?YES , NOES.* ABSTAIN: • "'By: ,, ,G ABSENT: ABST VERIFIED BY • r1�. Original on File va City ' crlerk's r f�j. Q e CITY OF PALM DESERT PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT STAFF REPORT REQUEST: Direct Staff Regarding the Consideration of a Traffic Signal Pre-Emption System for Las Palmas Country Club Emergency Gate on Monterey Avenue SUBMITTED BY: Mark Greenwood, P.E., Director of Public Works APPLICANT: City of Rancho Mirage C/o Bruce Harry, Director of Public Works 69-925 Highway 111 Rancho Mirage, CA 92270 DATE: April 27, 2006 CONTENTS: Vicinity Map Recommendation: Postpone to a date uncertain a request to install a traffic signal pre-emption system for Las Palmas Country Club emergency gate on Monterey Avenue, and direct staff to include this system as part of a comprehensive study of all the traffic issues on this portion of Monterey Avenue. Background: Rancho Las Palmas Country Club has approached the City of Rancho Mirage to request a traffic signal pre-emption system for their emergency gate on Monterey Avenue. This emergency gate is used during periods of flooding due to the fact that approximately 200 units are located on the north side of the White Water Channel with no other access point. When the Channel floods, these residents are essentially trapped either inside or outside their community except for the use of this emergency access on Monterey Avenue. Although no collisions have ever been reported at this location, residents have reported that when the emergency gate is in use there is an unsafe condition due to poor visibility as they exit onto Monterey Avenue, City of Rancho Mirage staff has proposed installing a pre-emption system which would involve placing a vehicle detector at the emergency gate to stop all southbound traffic on Monterey Avenue at the signal at Clancy Lane/Avenida Del Sol. This would allow a break in traffic for Las Palmas Country Club traffic to access Monterey Avenue. City of Rancho Mirage staff states that the cost to install and maintain the signal pre-emption system is and will be the sole responsibility of the City of Rancho Mirage. City of Rancho Mirage staff also states that the pre-emption system will operate in a manner than minimizes the impact to Traffic Signal Pre-Emption System Las Palmas Country Club Emergency Gate Page 2 of 2 April 27, 2006 Monterey Avenue southbound traffic and that access onto Monterey Avenue will be restricted to right -in right -out only from the emergency access gate. The pre-emption system will only be in operation when the emergency gate is used to access Monterey Avenue during periods of flooding. On April 4, 2006, representatives from the City of Palm Desert, the City of Rancho Mirage, Rancho Las Palmas and Monterey Country Club met to discuss the emergency access gate as well as other issues regarding existing and future conditions along Monterey Avenue. It was agreed at the meeting that the traffic signal pre-emption system for the Las Palmas Country Club emergency gate would be brought before the Palm Desert City Council for discussion and consideration. The City of Palm Desert Public Works Department staff does not support the proposed installation of this traffic signal pre-emption system. Public Works staff is of the opinion that the conditions at the emergency gate are typical of most driveways and side streets with access onto an arterial roadway. The lack of previous collisions indicates that the intersection operates in a safe manner. Additionally, the sight distance has been significantly improved by the recently completed construction project that removed the utility poles and undergrounded the utility lines along the west side of Monterey Avenue. Conditions at the emergency gate intersection do not demonstrate the need for additional traffic controls other than the existing side street stop controls. Public Works staff believes that any issue regarding access onto Monterey Avenue should be addressed in a comprehensive manner along with the study to determine the need for widening Monterey Avenue to six lanes south of Country Club Drive. The comprehensive study of Monterey Avenue should be prepared in partnership with the City of Palm Desert, the City of Rancho Mirage, representatives from Monterey Country Club and Rancho Las Palmas, as well as all area residents affected by the Monterey Avenue improvements. Therefore, staff recommends that the request be tabled at this time until capacity issues and the possible need for widening of Monterey Avenue can be studied. It is further recommended that this emergency traffic pre-emption system be evaluated as part of a comprehensive study of all the traffic issues on this portion of Monterey Avenue. Submitted By: Mark Greenwood, P.E. Director of Public Works Carlos Ortega City Manager Approval: Homer Croy ACM for Development Services /md/dhl G:1PubWorks\Staff Repo rts120061June 22114 Las Palmas Emergency Gate Pre-Emptiont04-27-06 Staff Report.doc TRAffEX ENGINEERS, INC. P. O. Box 5784, Ventura, CA 93005-0784 Telephone: (805) 647-1725 Mobile Phone: (805) 701-2021 Fax: (208) 330-8572 June 4, 2006 Bruce I larry Director of Public Works City of Rancho Mirage 69825 Highway 1 1 I Rancho Mirage. CA 92270 QIR I.kIANI. RE:. PRIM 1PALASSOCI � I E Email: n Lalanira),hotmail.com Web Site: .v,*,�%.traffexengineers.com Registered Traffic/Ci%il Engineer California License # 01 f15/40433 SUBJECT: EMERGENCY ACCESS ON MONTEREV AVENUE FOR RANCHO LAS PALMAS COUNTRY CLU B Dear Mr. Harry: Traffex Engineers received a request from the City of Rancho Mirage to address providing better traffic control at the emergency access on Monterey Avenue serving the northern portion of the Rancho Las Palmas Country Club. During certain weather conditions, it has been necessary to open this access to allow residents to enter and leave the Country Club. This report has been prepared to address residents' concerns about the safety of the emergency access. BACKGROUND The Rancho Las Palmas Country Club is located on the west side of Monterey Avenue between Clancy Lane and Avenida Las Palmas as shown in Figure 1. The emergency access serving the northern portion of the Rancho Las Palmas Country Club is located approximately 800 feet south of Clancy Lane and is shown in the aerial photograph provided in Figure 2. "The main access serving the section of the Country Club north of the Whitewater River Channel is provided by El "Moro Drive which crosses the Whitewater River Channel and connects to Avenida Las Palmas. During major rain storm events, the water flow in the channel is sufficient to preclude residents of the northern section of the Country Club from using EI "Toro Drive. The gate at emergency access on Monterey Avenue is opened in order to allow residents to enter and leave the Country Club. However, heavy traffic volumes on Monterey Avenue, which are well above 1.000 vehicles per hour in each direction for most of each day, provide few gaps for residents to enter the roadway from the emergency access. This report analyzes alternatives for providing better access to Monterey Avenue from the northern section of the Country Club when the water flowing in the Whitewater River Channel is sufficient to close El Toro Drive, an event that occurs approximately every three to four years. The City of Rancho Mirage staff has indicated that a project with the City ol'Palm Desert has been initiated to widen Monterey Avenue to three lanes in each direction. The project, anticipated to be completed by the end of 2008, will include the relocation of the emergency access to the northwest corner of the Country club near Don Quixote Drive where it will provide access to Clancy Lane. TRANSPORTATION CONSULTANTS Therefore, improving the safety of the existing emergency access onto Monterey Avenue is short term problem and the recommendations of this report have taken the widening project schedule into consideration. ALTERNATIVES FOR IMPROVING EMERGENCY ACCESS OPERATIONS There are a number of alternatives that coule be considered for improving the safety of the emergency access in the short term and these have been discussed briefly in this section of the report: Leave the Emer4encv Access as Existin,y: This "Do \othing" alternative would not address the valid concerns of the residents of the Countr Club. Even though only right turns are permitted when the emergency access gate is opened, drivers have difficulty entering Monterey Avenue because of the heavy traffic flows which are frequently exacerbated by other road closures during major storm events. 2. Post Temporary Stop Sins on Monterey Avenue: The impacts to traffic flow on Monterey Avenue would be severe and cause long queues backing up to and blocking adjacent traffic signals. Install Temporary Traffic Signals on Monterev Avenue: This type of operation has been used by other agencies including Caltrans to provide traffic control on a roadway that has to be limited to a single lane operation due to road damage. However. it is not typically use for controlling driveways and intersections because of the potential for broadside collisions by drivers running red signals they are not anticipating at a new location controlled by traffic signals. Temporary signals are not designed to provide overhead mast arm indications which drivers are accustomed to seeing at all other traffic signals on Monterey Avenue. 4. Provide Manual Traffic Control by Law Entorcement Officers: Based on observations during recent storm events, disruptive water flows in the Whitewater River Channel can last for several weeks. This would make the use of law enforcement personnel impractical because of the length of time that an officer would have to be present. Modifv the Operations of the Monterey/Clancy Traffic Sip'nals: This alternative would involve installing a Wavetronix SmartSensor detector (instead of an inductive loop in the ground). The detector would communicate via a wireless connection to the Econolite ASC2 controller operating the traffic signal at the Monterey Avenue/Clancy Lane intersection. When the emergency access gate is opened. the SmartSensor would be turned on to detect vehicles leaving the driveway and activate a timing parameter in the traffic signal controller at Monterey Avenue and Clancy Lane. The activation of this timing parameter would cause the signals for southbound Monterey Avenue traffic to stay red for at least 10 to 15"seconds, thereby creating a gap in traffic flow to allow Country Club residents to enter Monterey Avenue. The traffic signals on Monterey Avenue operate on a 120" second cycle length during the day and therefore, this timing modification would be implemented to work within the 120" cycle. RECOMMENDATIONS The City should proceed with implementing Alternative 5 involving the installation ofthe Wavetronix Smart Sensor for the following reasons: • The residents of the Rancho I,as Palmas Country Club have expressed valid concerns about the need to improve the safety of the emergency access operations during major rain storm events. • The other alternatives discussed in the report have significant disadvantages or negative impacts to traffic flow on Monterey Avenue. Alternative 5 will have relatively minor short term impacts to traffic now on Monterey Avenue. • Any modifications to improve emergency access to the Country Club will be temporary because the Monterey Avenue widening project will include relocating the emergency access to Clancy Lane. The changes associated with Alternative 5 are minor in nature and can be easily removed once the emergency access is relocated. • The wireless connection of the Wavetronix SmartSensor detector to the traffic signal controller at the Monterey Avenue/Clancy Lane intersection involves a short distance of about 800 feet which is well within the range of this technology. However, the antennas at both ends will need to be placed sufficiertly high enough above the ground to provide line of sight communication without interruptions by tree vegetation, power poles or any other solid structures. If Alternative 5 is implemented, the design should include also the following: The driveway apron of the emergency access should be posted with a No Left - Turn symbol sign and a right -turn only pavement arrow to reinforce to drivers that they are only allowed to make right -turns out of the emergency access. Channelizers identified in the California Supplement to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (ML FCD) as shown in Figure 3 should be installed on Monterey Avenue to provide a physical barrier to deter drivers from making left -turns into and out of the emergency access. Monterey Avenue is currently striped with two through lanes in each direction a center two-way left -turn lane. The Channelizers should be placed within the two- way left -turn lane. Alternatively, the Channelizers could be placed in the driveway to deter drivers from making left -turns. However, this design can be more easily circumvented. Sincerely, I'RAFFFX FNGINEFRS INC., Nazir Lalani, P.E. President Northern Section of Rancho Las Palmas Country Vvf)itesvater River Chang us Rancho Lac Palmas Count,, Club - � � �-�xa,Kaw: _......,yea-.....�,v..».,u Nar'r 'v.;:•i Dom. 9 Figure 1: Rancho Las Palmas Country Club Vicinitv Map Clancy Lane s Monterey Avenue � Em ergency Access Location cY Access tocatioS Vim the F-nl h of Moutere nue Sh 2aw . Xerial Photop-rap ure * Figure 3: Example of Channelizers used to Restrict Left -turns