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TC - Item 2A - Minutes of July 11, 2024Minutes of the Special ROSEMEAD TRAFFIC COMMISSION MEETING July 11, 2024 The special meeting of the Rosemead Traffic Commission was called to order by Chair Drange at T01 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 8838 E. Valley Boulevard, Rosemead, California. FLAG SALUTE: Commissioner Chang INVOCATION: Commissioner Nguyen PRESENT: Commissioner Chang, Commissioner Nguyen, Vice -Chair Lang and Chair Drange ABSENT: Commissioner Hermosillo STAFF PRESENT: Director of Public Works Wang and Commission LiaiAn Nguyen PUBLIC COMMENTS None 2. CONSENT CALENDAR Chair Drange asked Traffic Commissioners if anyone would like to make revisions or additions to the minutes of May 2, 2024. Commissioner Nguyen a motion, seconded by Vice Chair Lang, to accept consent calendar. Vote resulted in: Yes: Chang, Nguyen, Lang, Drange No: None Abstain: None Absent: Hermosillo 3. NEW BUSINESS A. ALL WAY STOP REQUEST AT OLNEY STREET AND ELLIS LANE Chair Drange opened the public comment period. The City received a public comment from Belinda Rosales stating she is in favor of installing a stop sign at Olney Street and Ellis Lane, mentioning vehicles are speeding on Olney Street. Ms. Rosales asked if speed bumps could be another option as there are no sidewalks and cars do not slow down. She also mentioned an incident involving a police vehicle pursuit and how these drivers tend to end up driving through Olney Street. It was also mentioned that the residents residing on Olney Street have been requesting sidewalks, closure of the Olney Street freeway on-ramp, and speed bumps. Chair Drange closed the public comment period. Associate Engineer Richter provided a brief description of the item and presented a PowerPoint presentation of the studies that were conducted. Rosemead Traffic Commission Meeting Minutes ofJuly 11, 2024 Page 1 of 8 Associate Engineer Richter explained that the City received a resident request to review the intersection for Olney Street at Ellis Lane to determine if the intersection meets the requirements for an all -way stop. The request reported vehicles will often travel on Olney Street at a high rate of speed and is concerned for vehicles and pedestrians traveling through this area. The resident requested that an all -way stop be installed at the intersection. In response to this request and on behalf of the City, engineering staff completed a traffic review to determine if an all -way stop was warranted to be installed at the intersection of Olney Street and Ellis Lane, and recommended appropriate measures. After a thorough review of existing field and traffic conditions and per the guidelines in the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CAMUTCD), California Vehicle Code (CVC), and based on engineering judgement, it was determined that the intersection of Olney Street at Ellis Lane does not meet the requirements for the installation of an all -way stop. However, it was determined that this area along Olney Street at Ellis Lane would benefit from the installation of other traffic calming measures. Chair Drange asked if there was a reason no other traffic calming measures were considered such as roadway side striping. Associate Engineer Richter replied there are a few items to consider with side striping, including if there is enough space for the parked cars as well as the travel lanes. At this time, the side striping would not work due to the street not being wide enough. Vice Chair Lang commented that he occasionally walks along Olney Street and although there is no sidewalk, he stated he feels relatively safe. He reiterated the resident's public comment mentioning that the concerns appear to be coming from speeding vehicles traveling eastbound trying to enter the freeway on- ramp. He asked if there was any data that showed this and what time of the day the studies were conducted. Associate Engineer Richter replied the data was collected over a 24 hour period for the average daily traffic as well as the speed. Traffic Engineer Robbins added that within the 24 hour speed survey, the summary indicates that the 851h percentile is at 30, meaning 85% of vehicles are traveling 30 miles per hour or less. There were 14% between 30 to 39, which is higher than the posted 25 miles per hour speed limit. Chair Drange asked the commissioners if they would like to table this item until after the next item is discussed regarding the All Way Stop Request at Olney Street and Marybeth Avenue. Commissioner Chang made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Nguyen, to table item 3A until after discussion of item 3B on the agenda. Vote resulted in: Yes: Chang, Nguyen, Lang, Drange No: None Abstain: None Absent: Hermosillo B. ALL WAY STOP REQUEST AT OLNEY STREET AND MARYBETH AVENUE Associate Engineer Richter provided a brief description of the item and presented a PowerPoint presentation of the studies that were conducted. Rosemead Traffic Commission Meeting Minutes ofJuly 11, 2024 Page 2 of 8 Associate Engineer Richter explained that the City received a resident request to review the intersection for Olney Street and Marybeth Avenue. to determine if the intersection meets the requirements for an all -way stop. The request reported vehicles will often travel on Olney Street at a high rate of speed and is concerned for vehicles and pedestrians traveling through this area. The resident requested that an all -way stop be installed at the intersection. In response to this request and on behalf of the City, engineering staff completed a traffic review to determine if an all -way stop was warranted to be installed at the intersection of Olney Street and Marybeth Avenue, and recommended appropriate measures. After a thorough review of existing field and traffic conditions and per the guidelines in the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CAMUTCD), California Vehicle Code (CVC), and based on engineering judgement, it was determined that the intersection of Olney Street at Ellis Lane does not meet the requirements for the installation of an all -way stop. However, it was determined that this area along Olney Street at Ellis Lane would benefit from the installation of other traffic calming measures. Commissioner Chang asked if striping down the center line could be considered as an alternative option to side striping. Associate Engineer Richter replied that either a dashed or a double yellow could be considered. Traffic Engineer Robbins added that for an all -way stop, there needs to be minimum threshold volumes for each direction over a period of eight hours, and both these intersection locations do not have enough volume to meet the warrant. Vice Chair Lang asked why there is an all -way stop at the intersection of Olney Street and Vane Avenue. Traffic Engineer Robbins replied it was likely grandfathered, as they did not place it, and as consultants, standards and guidelines need to be followed. Chair Drange asked if the striping would go just to the stop sign or from east and west end of the street segment. Commissioner Chang made a motion, seconded by Vice Chair Lang, to approve staff recommendations for both item 3A and 313, with addition of installing a double yellow striping from Temple City Boulevard to Rio Hondo Avenue. Vote resulted in: Yes: Chang, Nguyen, Lang, Drange No: None Abstain: None Absent: Hermosillo C. ALL WAY STOP REQUEST AT JACKSON AVENUE AND GARVALIA AVENUE Associate Engineer Richter provided a brief description of the item and presented a PowerPoint presentation of the studies that were conducted. Associate Engineer Richter explained that the City received a resident request to evaluate the intersection of Jackson Avenue and Garvalia Avenue and determine if the intersection qualifies for the installation of an all -way stop. The resident expressed concern for vehicles speeding through the area along Jackson Avenue and has requested that an all -way stop or other traffic calming measures be installed at this location. In response to this request and on behalf of the City, engineering staff completed a traffic review to determine Rosemead Traffic Commission Meeting Minutes ofJuly 11, 2024 Page 3 of 8 if an all -way stop was warranted to be installed at the intersection of Jackson Avenue and Garvalia Avenue, and recommended appropriate measures. After a thorough review of existing field and traffic conditions and per the guidelines in the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CAMUTCD), California Vehicle Code (CVC), and based on engineering judgement, it was determined that the intersection of Jackson Avenue and Garvalia Avenue does not meet the requirements for the installation of an all -way stop. However, it was determined that this area along Jackson Avenue and Garvalia Avenue would benefit from the installation of other traffic calming measures. Chair Drange opened the public comment period. The City received a public comment via Zoom from Ping Lau expressing safety concerns stating they have lived along Jackson Avenue for over 15 years and have witnessed vehicles speeding up to 40 miles per hour from Fern Avenue all the way to south of Graves Avenue. He mentioned in 2022, his dog ran out of their gate and got hit by a driver. He also added that the intersection of Jackson Avenue and Garvalia Avenue is a two-way stop, however, many drivers are unaware that Jackson Avenue does not have a stop sign and will sometimes drive forward or make an unsafe turn. Chair Drange closed the public comment period Vice Chair Lang asked when the pedestrian study was performed and if it was during or after the school year. Associate Engineer Richter replied the study was performed at the end of the school year. Commissioner Chang reiterated the residents' concerns regarding the intersection of Jackson Avenue and Garvalia Avenue being a two-way stop, and drivers not knowing that. The proposed recommendations should address help address that issue. Vice Chair Lang asked for clarification on the recommendation to install red reflective strip on the stop signpost. Associate Engineer Richter replied it is a reflective tape that is placed on the stop signpost to allow more visibility for approaching vehicles. Vice Chair Lang made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Nguyen, to approve staff recommendations. Vote resulted in: Yes: Chang, Nguyen, Lang, Drange No: None Abstain: None Absent: Hermosillo D. ALL WAY STOP REQUEST AT MARSHALL STREET AND CHARIETTE AVENUE Associate Engineer Richter provided a brief description of the item and presented a PowerPoint presentation of the studies that were conducted. Associate Engineer Richter explained that the City received a resident request to evaluate the intersection of Marshall Street and Chariette Avenue and determine if the intersection qualifies for the installation of an Rosemead Traffic Commission Meeting Minutes ofJuly 11, 2024 Page 4 of 8 all -way stop. The resident expressed concern for vehicles speeding through the area along Marshall Street and has requested that an all -way stop or other traffic calming measures be installed at this location. In response to this request and on behalf of the City, engineering staff completed a traffic review to determine if an all -way stop was warranted to be installed at the intersection of Marshall Street and Chariette Avenue, and recommended appropriate measures. After a thorough review of existing field and traffic conditions and per the guidelines in the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CAMUTCD), California Vehicle Code (CVC), and based on engineering judgement, it was determined that the intersection of Marshall Street and Chariette Avenue does not meet the requirements for the installation of an all -way stop. However, it was determined that this area along Marshall Street and Chariette Avenue would benefit from the installation of other traffic calming measures. Chair Drange opened the public comment period. The City received a public comment from Betty Rodriguez stating she would prefer not to have a stop sign placed at the intersection as it would be placed right in front of her house, however, understands the need for it due to speeding vehicles between Walnut Grove Avenue and San Gabriel Boulevard. She commented that there are more car accidents at Delta Avenue and Marshall Street and suggested a stop sign be placed at that intersection. The City received a public comment via email from Jenny Zhang expressing her safety concerns and approval of speed limit and stop sign at the intersection. The City received a public comment via email from Alfred & Carmen Fong supporting the installation of stop signs at the intersection. The City received a public comment via email from Lisa Ng supporting the installation of the all -way stop signs at the intersection. The City received a public comment via email from Mary Perez & Olga Perez supporting the installation of the all -way stop signs at the intersection. Chair Drange closed the public comment period. Vice Chair Lang asked to confirm that the intersection will not have additional stop signs installed, and that the proposed recommendations are to only refresh the existing sign and add red curb. Associate Engineer Richter replied that is correct. Chair Drange asked why the speed limit at this location 35 miles per hour and not 25 miles per hour. Associate Engineer Richter replied the city conducts a citywide speed survey every ten years to review vehicle speeds traveling along a segment and look at the 85 percentile and it recently conducted in 2023. The speed limit on this segment was already 35 miles per hour before the speed survey was completed and there were no recommendations to change or adjust because that is how fast the vehicles were traveling. Traffic Engineer Robbins added that Marshall Street has different speed limits, with some segments being 30 and this segment at 35. In the speed survey, the 85 percentile for this segment was at 36 so the speed limit was set at 35. Rosemead Traffic Commission Meeting Minutes ofJuly 11, 2024 Page 5 of 8 Chair Drange asked if at the time of the speed survey, would the question to lowering the speed limit been possible. Traffic Engineer Robbins replied there are certain items to look at in order to reduce the speed limit and one being the number of collisions, accident rate, and land use around that segment. At the time it was determined that 35 miles per hour was appropriate. In order to change the speed limit, another speed sample on the segment would need to be conducted to see if the data justifies changing the speed limit. An amendment to the speed survey would also be needed, which would then have to be adopted by City Council. Vice Chair Lang commented that all four traffic items discussed reported zero collisions within the last three years, so it appears that as a city we are not reporting accidents or another issue. Chair Drange asked for this specific report, was just this particular intersection looked at for the collision survey or also the street segments a few blocks away. Traffic Engineer Robbins replied it was just at this particular intersection looked at for the collision survey. It was also mentioned that in a lot of cities, the police department and sheriffs typically do not report collisions if it is only property damage. For City of Rosemead, data is collected from Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS). Vice Chair Lang commented that if a speed survey were redone, the data likely would not change since there are no new traffic calming measures in place. For the next speed survey, if the traffic calming measures are effective on Marshall Street, we could propose changing the speed limit. Commissioner Nguyen commented that it is alarming that the data shows 20% of the traffic going above 35 miles per hour and 1% of traffic is going above 45 miles per hour. With around 5,000 vehicles, that is approximately 50 vehicles driving at those speeds. Commissioner Chang commented that Marshall Street appears to be categorized as a major collector road as opposed to the other streets looked at which are local roads. He asked if Marshall Streets serves some other purpose such as for evacuation and if that needs to be considered. Traffic Engineer Robbins replied Marshall Street was classified as a major collector by Caltrans, and mentioned that the city receives certain funds for collectors and above, while local roads do not receive road funds from Caltrans or Metro. There is a process required to change that road designation. Commissioner Nguyen commented that the city should revisit the discussion on speed hump policy as the traffic calming measures may not be sufficient in certain areas. Director of Public Works Wang replied that the commission and city council did recommend for the city to move forward with developing a speed hump policy and staff is currently working on it to bring to City Council meeting on July 23,d Commissioner Chang commented that a temporary measure to help slow down traffic could be using plastic bollards to narrow the road. Chair Drange recalled in a few past traffic items, as part of the traffic calming measures, side striping and double yellow center line was recommended. Rosemead Traffic Commission Meeting Minutes ofJuly 11, 2024 Page 6 of 8 Vice Chair Lang asked how it looks east of Walnut Grove Avenue along this segment. Chair Drange replied traffic is slower due to Janson Elementary being over there, as well as a stop sign at Bartlett Avenue and another stop sign at Muscatel Avenue. Commissioner Nguyen made a motion, seconded by Vice Chair Lang, to approve staff recommendations, and to include white side striping and double yellow center lines on Marshall Street from Walnut Grove Avenue to the westerly city limits. Vote resulted in: Yes: Chang, Nguyen, Lang, Drange No: None Abstain: None Absent: Hermosillo 4. MATTERS FROM STAFF None 5. COMMISSIONER REPORTS Commissioner Nguyen commented that she had recently attended a Los Angeles Board of Supervisors Leadership Conference and one of the key topics included discussions on public transportation within the City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County in preparation of FIFA 2026 and the Olympic Games in 2028. She wanted to just put a reminder on that to keep in consideration as we may get a lot of visitors in the Rosemead area. Vice Chair Lang recalled an item that was brought up in the previous meeting regarding Rosemead Boulevard and Mission Drive, by the In -N -Out that has been causing a lot of traffic at the intersection. Part of the discussion also included potentially looking into Mission Drive and the lighting in the area. He asked what the SLA or the response time. Director of Public Works Wang replied she did not have a response time, however, the item was added to the que for traffic review. Chair Drange commented that there has been an increase of motorized vehicles such as mopeds and electric scooters riding on the sidewalk, especially along Valley Boulevard and Garvey Avenue. The city does allow for bicycles on sidewalk, however, questioned if mopeds or electric scooters would be included. He asked if it could be looked into to make it safer for pedestrians. Commissioner Chang agreed with Chair Drange's comment and mentioned that nearby jurisdictions are looking into that issue to address these alternative modes of transportation. Director of Public Works Wang replied it will be looked into. 6. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 8:25 p.m. The next Traffic Commission meeting is scheduled for August 1, 2024, at TOO p.m. and will take place at the Rosemead City Hall, City Council Chambers, 8838 East Valley Boulevard. Rosemead Traffic Commission Meeting Minutes ofJuly 11, 2024 Page 7 of 8 ATTEST: Albert Leung Interim City Engineer 4 Rosemead Traffic Commission Meeting Minutes ofJuly 11, 2024 Page 8 of 8 Michael Drange Chair J