AgdaPkt 2010-05-24 special, clsd and jnt

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EPORT 6.3F Page 1 To the Honorable Mayor and City Council From the City Manaaer May 24, 2010 SUBJECT Installation of Stop Signs on Redwood Shores Parkway at Cringle Drive RECOMMENDATION Approve, by resolution, the installation of stop signs on Redwood Shores Parkway at the intersection with Cringle Drive. BACKGROUND Many residents of the Redwood Shores community are concerned with traffic speed and pedestrian safety at the intersection of Redwood Shores Parkway and Cringle Drive. This issue has been studied and discussed in the community and among City staff. To address the pedestrian safety aspect, the City recommends that stop signs be installed on Redwood Shores Parkway at Cringle Drive, creating an all-way (four-way) stop-controlled intersection. The City received a letter from the Redwood Shores Community Association (RSCA) supporting the installation of stop signs. The letter cites concerns about the speed at which vehicles travel through this intersection, the lack of sidewalks on the south side of the parkway and pedestrian safety while crossing the parkway at this intersection. In response to community concerns earlier expressed to the City, staff installed electronic speed and pedestrian warnings signs, and also reconfigured the traffic lanes in an attempt to "calm" traffic and reduce speeds. While the pedestrian warning signs provide an additional level of safety to pedestrians, the other measures have not had an appreciable effect on traffic speeds and unfortunately, the speed warning sign suffered a mechanical malfunction that the manufacture was unable to correct. There remains a slightly-elevated average speed (37 mph) near this intersection. It has also been reported that a high percentage of motorists continue to fail to yield to pedestrians attempting to cross in the crosswalk. The traffic analysis indicates that two of the stop sign installation criteria, traffic volume and accident history, do not, in and of themselves, warrant the installation of stop signs. Additional installation criteria includes: roadway speed, sight distance, cyclist/pedestrian usage and adjacent land use. This intersection is located near parks and other recreational areas. The nearest stop-controlled pedestrian crossing/crosswalk is nearly 1,000 feet away (to the north/east at Marlin Drive). In order to further improve pedestrian safety at this intersection and to encourage pedestrian activity, staff is moving forward with this recommendation. Stop sign installations are permanent. Once installed, stop signs should not be uninstalled because of the potential to create driver confusion.