REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 03/15/2023
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Public Works Department
SUBJECT:
Title
ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBERS 3245, 3273, AND 3292 TO UPDATE THE PRIMA FACIE SPEED LIMITS ON CERTAIN STREET SEGMENTS IN THE CITY OF CORONA
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to consider amending the prima facie speed limits on certain street segments in the City of Corona. An engineering study performed on required road segments surveyed 48 segments and recommends six segments for a speed limit reduction, and one new segment to establish a speed limit where the speed survey justifies the proposed speed limits.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council introduce, by title only, and waive full reading of Ordinance No. 3366, an ordinance of the City of Corona, California amending Ordinance Numbers 3245, 3273, and 3292 to update the prima facie speed limits on certain street segments in the City of Corona.
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BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
California Vehicle Code, Section 40802, requires that Engineering and Traffic Surveys be performed at least once every seven years on street segments whose prima facie speed limits are being enforced by radar or other electronic devices used to measure the speed of moving vehicles.
ANALYSIS:
To meet this State requirement, the City updates its Speed Zone Surveys on a rotating basis that results in all required road segments being updated every seven years. According to the seven-year schedule, 48 roadway segments listed on Exhibit “1,” were surveyed and updated this year. The existing speed limits were determined in consultation with the Corona Police Department, and provide enforceability and support by the courts, promote consistency and uniformity between streets of similar design, provide for a safe and orderly movement of vehicular traffic, and are reasonable and safe for those street segments.
As noted on Exhibit “1,” 48 road segments were surveyed in the engineering study. The survey was conducted in Fall 2022 by staff members in the Traffic Engineering Division using a manual radar gun during the middle of the day. Based on the data collected, the existing speed limit posted for 41 road segments will remain unchanged. The following segments are recommended for a speed limit reduction:
1) Fullerton Avenue from Ontario to Foothill
2) Green River Road from the west end to Crestridge
3) Green River Road from Crestridge to State Route 91
4) Pico Street from California to Compton
5) Taber Street from Fullerton to California
6) Valencia Road from Payette to Upper.
The segment of Fullerton Avenue between Ontario and Foothill is a four-lane secondary arterial that serves residential properties in the area via side streets and a large private school and shopping center on the north end. In addition to the class II bike lanes and the segments adjacent to the north and south of this section posted at 40 miles-per-hour (MPH), this segment has multiple horizontal curves, which limit lateral visibility of the street, creating a line-of-sight concern. It is recommended to lower the speed from 45 MPH to 40 MPH to maintain safe conditions, ensure adequate egress opportunities onto Fullerton Avenue, and maintain consistency with adjacent segments.
The segment of Green River Road, between the west end and Crestridge, is a two-lane undivided collector that is 0.28 miles in length and carries 3,000 vehicles per day. This segment has class II bike lanes and serves mainly as a collector for residential uses via side streets, a business center via front-loading driveways, and a golf course. In addition to the golf course, this street provides direct access to the Santa Ana River Trail and includes a parking lot for the bike trail users, which is located at the west end. With the growing use of the trail, it is recommended to lower the speed from 45 MPH to 35 MPH to provide safe conditions for cyclists, and motorists, and ensure adequate egress opportunities onto Green River Road.
The segment of Green River Road between Crestridge and the SR-91 ramps is a four-lane major arterial that is 0.13 miles in length and carries over 10,000 vehicles per day. The segment is adjacent to the SR-91 Westbound on and off ramps and serves mainly retail via multiple frontloading driveways, which include two fueling station sites and multiple drive-thru restaurants. The close proximity of the freeway ramps to the fueling stations creates a heavily used segment for large trucks and passerby trips. It is recommended to lower the speed from 45 MPH to 35 MPH to provide safe conditions and ensure adequate egress opportunities onto Green River Road.
Pico Street is a two-lane, undivided collector that provides access to businesses via multiple front-loading industrial driveways. Additionally, the 85th percentile speed is 32 MPH, with existing posted speed limit of 40 MPH in this segment. It is recommended to lower the speed limit from 40 MPH to 35 MPH to maintain safe stopping distance, ensure adequate egress opportunities to Pico Street, and closer meet the 85th percentile speed.
Taber Street is a two-lane collector that carries 6,700 vehicles per day, serves residential properties via numerous side streets, and is fronted by a large public park. This segment has multiple horizontal curves, which limit lateral visibility of the street, creating a line-of-sight concern. It is recommended to lower the speed to 35 MPH to maintain safe conditions, ensure adequate egress opportunities onto Taber Street, and maintain consistency with adjacent segments.
The segment of Valencia Road between Payette and Upper is a two-lane collector street that provides access to residential neighborhoods. The segment is characterized by a horizontal and vertical curve that raises concern for a safe stopping sight distance that is not readily apparent to the motorist. Based on the nature of the street and to ensure adequate egress opportunities onto Valencia Road, it is recommended to reduce the posted speed limit from 40 MPH to 30 MPH.
One new segment of Cresta Road from Promenade to Collett was surveyed to establish a posted speed limit. This segment of Cresta Road Valencia Road is a two-lane collector street that serves residential uses via multiple side streets with a horizontal curve that raises concern for a safe stopping sight distance that is not readily apparent to the motorist. Based on the dense residential nature of the street, to ensure adequate egress opportunities onto Cresta Road, and to remain consistent with the adjacent segment to the west, it is recommended to continue a 35 MPH speed limit for this segment.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Signage for the road segments with changing speed limits will be funded by the "Citywide Traffic Signs" Capital Improvement Project No. 72160.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the commonsense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. The action merely reaffirms the existing speed limits on certain street segments, and there is no possibility that approving this amendment to City ordinances will have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: ROSALVA URENO, P.E., T.E., CITY TRAFFIC ENGINEER
REVIEWED BY: SAVAT KHAMPHOU, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
Attachments:
1. Exhibit 1 - Proposed Speed Limits
2. Exhibit 2 - Ordinance No. 3366