TC - Item 3C - Review of Traffic Conditions - Hellman Avenue E M�
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ROSEMEAD TRAFFIC COMMISSION
STAFF REPORT
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TO: TRAFFIC COMMISSION
FROM: MATTHEW HAWKESWORTH, ACTING PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
DATE: JUNE 4, 2015
SUBJECT: REVIEW OF TRAFFIC CONDITIONS — HELLMAN AVENUE
SUMMARY
Staff has received several requests to investigate traffic conditions along Hellman Avenue
as they pertain to speed and the ability for residents to enter and exit driveways along the
duration of Hellman Avenue. Staff engaged the services of a traffic engineering consultant
to review the traffic conditions along Hellman Avenue within the City. The traffic engineer
has recommended a number of improvements, including striping and signage
improvements, to slow the traffic along Hellman Avenue.
Staff Recommendation
It is recommended that the Traffic Commission recommend that the City Council approve
the traffic calming measures for Hellman Avenue, which include signage and striping
improvements.
ANALYSIS
Hellman Avenue is an east west collector road that spans approximately 1.5 miles across
the City of Rosemead. The roadway is between thirty-five (35) feet and forty (40) feet wide
and has one travel lane in each direction. Parking is permitted on both sides of the street
with the exception of street sweeping restrictions. The posted speed limit on Hellman
Avenue is thirty (30) miles per hour. Hellman Avenue is mostly residential with primarily
single family dwelling units fronting onto it with some multi-family units and churches
scattered along the street, mostly at the major intersections.
Review of Conditions
Staff, assisted by a consulting Traffic Engineer, reviewed the conditions in this vicinity in
order to address the concerns expressed by residents. The conditions that were reviewed
include vehicle speeds, accident data, and roadway configuration.
Vehicle Speeds
The posted speed limit on Hellman Avenue is 30 miles per hour, which was set most
recently by an Engineering and Traffic Survey in 2012. At the time of the survey, the 85'h
Traffic Commission Meeting
June 4,2015
Page 2 of 3
Percentile speed, which is typically used to generate a speed limit, was 34 miles per hour.
At the time, however, the engineering staff set the speed limit 5 miles per hour lower, which
is permitted by the California Vehicle Code (CVC) and the Manual for Uniform Traffic
Control Devices (MUTCD), based on the primarily residential land use and existing
accident data. The recent engineering review found the speeds to be consistent with the
data that was found as a part of the 2012 study.
Accident History
The Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) records and maintains data on
vehicle accidents. A review of the SWITRS data for this area over a period of four years
(2010-2014) showed that there were fifty (50) reported accidents in this time period.
Segment Total Accidents Accidents Incl. Midblock Intersection 1,
(2010-2014) Pedestrian or Accidents Accidents
Bicycle
New to Jackson 4 0 1 3 _
Jackson to Del Mar 14 0 3 11
Del Marto San Gabriel 16 2 5 11
San Gabriel to Walnut Grove 16 0 9 7
TOTALS 50 2 18 32
*Midblock Accidents include speed related, hit parked car, rear-end, hit object, hit car exiting driveway
'Intersection Accidents include turning movements such as broadside, head-on
Average Daily Traffic
Hellman Avenue is a collector road that parallels Interstate 10. As a result of the proximity
to the freeway, Hellman Avenue is a very busy street. The ADT data was counted in March
2015 and is expressed below.
Segment Vehicles Per Day
New to Jackson 9,409
Jackson to Del Mar _ 10,449
Del Mar to San Gabriel 7,800
San Gabriel to Walnut Grove 5,397
Recommendation
In response to the traffic concerns identified through the analysis of this area, conceptual
traffic calming options were examined for these streets. The strategies focused on traffic
calming measures aimed at encouraging slower traffic speeds. The following is a list and
explanation of recommended traffic calming measures for this area:
Narrow the Roadway - Install edge line striping to narrow the travel lane down to 10 feet
in width. This method has been utilized in other parts of the City as a reduced lane width
has been shown to reduce travel speeds and increase safety. The narrowing of the
travel lane will allow for a shoulder or parking lane to remain.
Traffic Commission Meeting
June 4,2015
Page 3 of 3
Improved Signage- It is recommended that additional and larger speed limit signs be
installed along this area. Speed limit signs are one of the most cost effective measures
in increasing awareness of the speed limit and slowing vehicles down. Additionally, it is
recommended that radar enforcement signs also be added to increase awareness of
the speed limit.
Increased Speed Enforcement — Work with the Sheriff's Department, Traffic
Enforcement Detail to increase the amount of traffic enforcement that is done in this are.
Upon Traffic Commission recommendation of these improvements, they will be forwarded
to the City Council for final approval. Upon approval by the City Council, staff will oversee
the striping and signage installation per the approved plan. Engineering staff will continue
to monitor the location, after the improvements are made, to evaluate their effectiveness
and determine if additional steps need to be taken.
Submitted by:
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Sean Sullivan
Acting Public Works Manager