TC - Item 4A - Review of Traffic Conditions - Temple City Boulevard and Ellis Lane E M 4
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4 ° R SEMEAD TRAFFIC COMMISSION
CIVIC PRIDE STAFF REPORT ci
/NCORPORATED∎959
TO: TRAFFIC COMMISSION
FROM: MATTHEW HAWKESWORTH, ACTING PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
DATE: JtJNE 4, 2015
SUBJECT: REVIEW OF TRAFFIC CONDITIONS —TEMPLE CITY BOULEVARD AND
ELLIS LANE
SUMMARY
Staff has received several requests to review the intersection of Temple City Boulevard and
Ellis Lane. This intersection has been reviewed and discussed at previous Traffic
Commission meetings, most recently in December 2013. At that meeting, the Commission
approved the installation of a "Keep Clear" Zone for northbound traffic on Temple City
Boulevard to help alleviate the issues with vehicles turning left from Ellis Lane onto Temple
City Boulevard. A serious traffic accident occurred at this intersection in March 2015 and
multiple requests have been made for the Traffic Commission to review the conditions at
this intersection again and provide direction on potential improvements.
Staff Recommendation
It is recommended that the Traffic Commission receive this report and provide feedback
regarding the intersection of Temple City Boulevard and Ellis Lane.
ANALYSIS
Temple City Boulevard is a north-south arterial that is approximately 60 feet wide. There
are two lanes for both north and southbound travel with restricted parking allowed on both
sides of the street. The posted speed limit is 40 mph. Temple City Boulevard is a major
north-south connector to Interstate 10 and has a large volume of traffic, especially during
peak hours. Ellis Lane is a north-south residential street that is approximately 40 feet wide.
Ellis lane has one lane of travel in each direction and a posted speed limit of 25 mph.
Parking is permitted on both sides of Ellis Lane, with the exception of street sweeping
restrictions. Ellis Lane intersects Temple City Boulevard at an angle.
Review of Conditions
Previous discussions of the intersection were focused on the turn movements being made
at this intersection and their difficulty as Ellis Lane intersects Temple City Boulevard at an
odd angle, different from a standard 90 degree angle. These discussions considered turn
movements both coming onto and off of Temple City Boulevard at Ellis Lane. In December
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Traffic Commission Meeting
June 4,2015
Page 2 of 3 .a
2013, the Traffic Commission recommended the installation of a "Keep Clear" zone on
northbound Temple City Boulevard to accommodate vehicles turning left from Ellis Lane to
Temple City Boulevard. Additional measures were also discussed at the time including the
installation of a refuge lane for turning vehicles, a left turn pocket for vehicles turning from
northbound Temple City Boulevard onto Ellis Lane, and other potential ideas.
The installation of the "Keep Clear" zone was completed in early 2014. Other discussed
measures, such as the refuge lane or additional turn pockets, will require further review and
study. Any installations like these may require a reconfiguration of the existing traffic lanes
to accommodate additional lanes and may result the need to remove parking spots along
Temple City Boulevard. Staff is requesting feedback from the Traffic Commission prior to
implementing additional review and studies for additional improvements in this area.
Potential Improvements
Below is a discussion of potential improvements that could be implemented in order to
alleviate the difficulty and dangers of left turn movements at the intersection of Temple City
Boulevard and Ellis Lane. Improvements numbered 1-3 were discussed at previous Traffic
Commission Meetings in November and December 2013. Improvement number 4 has not
been previously reviewed or discussed by the Commission.
1. Install a Refuge Lane
The installation of a refuge (storage) lane was presented as an option to alleviate the
difficulty of making a left turn from northbound Ellis Lane to northbound Temple City
Boulevard. This would allow drivers to make a left hand turn from Ellis Lane with an
acceptable gap in southbound traffic and safely merge from the refuge lane into
northbound traffic. The installation of a refuge lane will involve the installation of parking
restrictions along a portion of Temple City Boulevard as additional roadway is needed to
accommodate the additional lane. Per the engineer's proposed striping plan, the
installation of the refuge lane will require the addition of 120'(approximately 5 spaces) of
red curb (parking restrictions) along the east side of Temple City Boulevard to continue
with the existing striping. The existing parking restrictions on the west side of the street
will remain unchanged.
2. Install a Left Turn Pocket from Northbound Temple City Blvd. to Westbound Ellis Lane
During the discussion of Option 2, regarding the refuge lane, the idea was mentioned of
installing a turn pocket from northbound Temple City Boulevard turning left to
westbound Ellis Lane. Concerns about the safety of turning left against heavy
southbound traffic as well as delays in northbound traffic due to left turning vehicles
were among the reasons cited in support of a left hand turn pocket. According to the
striping plan prepared by the traffic engineer, the installation of the turn pocket would
require the installation of significant parking restriction to accommodate he needed
roadway. The installation of the turn pocket, in addition to the refuge lane, would require
the restriction of parking on the east side of Temple City Boulevard for 230' (an
additional 110' ( approximately 5 spaces) when added to the needed restrictions for the
refuge lane). Additionally, on the west side of Temple City Boulevard, 75'
Traffic Commission Meeting
June 4,2015
Page 3 of 3
(approximately 3 spaces) of parking restrictions would need to be added to the existing
red curbing.
3. Re-align the Intersection
The Commission previously discussed the potential to review a realignment of the
intersection to create a 90 degree angle as typical intersection are. A reconfiguration
would improve visibility for vehicles turning off of Ellis Lane, however, it would not
improve other elements of the turn movement. The reconfiguring of the intersection
would require extensive engineering and study, the demolition of the existing park
space, and extensive construction. A previous estimate of costs was approximately
$285,000 (November 2013), however, that figure would need to be updated to reflect
current construction costs. it is believed that all other remedies be attempted and
reviewed prior to undertaking the reconfiguration of the intersection.
4. Prohibit Left Turns from Ellis Lane to Temple City Boulevard
Public Works Staff, in reviewing the intersection, have discussed the potential of
prohibiting left turns from Ellis Lane onto Temple City Boulevard. If left turns were
prohibited at this intersection, vehicles wanting to turn left onto northbound Temple City
Boulevard would be able to do so from Guess Street or Marshall Street. The
intersections of Guess Street and Marshall Street at Temple City Boulevard are more
typical 90 degree intersections and the intersection at Marshall Street is signalized. Staff
believes that implementing these changes, as a temporary trial, could be an alternative
to the other discussed measures and it would not impact the level of parking available
on Temple City Boulevard. If direction were given to proceed in this manner, staff would
prepare a plan and implement this on a trial basis and report back to the Commission
after implementation.
At this time, it is recommended that the Traffic Commission review and provide input on
these alternatives. It would also be prudent to recommend other potential improvements for
staff to review.
Submitted by:
gig(
Sean Sullivan
Acting Public Works Manager
Attachments:
1. Diagram of "Keep Clear" Zone
2. Diagram of Refuge Lane
3. Diagram of Potential Intersection Realignment
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Attachment 1
Keep Clear Markings and Landscape Modifications
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1. Remove High profile L whcaping(bushes)at the southwest comer of the intersection&replace
with low profile vegetation.A few of the bashes partially block the view of the northbound traffic
1. Install' Clem-Pavement legends on Temple City Blvd for the Northbotmd lanes to pre«r!t
blocking of the left try movemous•1111 peak hour traffic when the queue of stopped cars would
extend southerly past Ellis Lane form V. •Blvd signalized nitersecnon
Attachment 2
Keep Clear Markings and Landscape Modifications
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-Installs mall storage lax(refuge lane)an the north leg of the intersection to allow for a safe left
an aosoemeru from Ellis Lane onto Temple City Blvd.This would minimize the need to have a
siaailioecros gap in both the northbound&soutbbormd traffic and would allow drivers to focus on
haft a gap in one direction at a time This would require the prohibition of parking and the
fion of red curb on the East side and North side of Temple City within the limits of the
striping modification
Attachment 3
Intersection Realignment
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