HomeMy WebLinkAbout4/4/2023 Item 5f, Horn and Wheeler - Staff Agenda CorrespondenceCity of San Luis Obispo, Council Memorandum
City of San Luis Obispo
Council Agenda Correspondence
DATE: April 4, 2023
TO: Mayor and Council
FROM: Matt Horn, Public Works Director
Bryan Wheeler, Transportation Planner / Engineer III
VIA: Derek Johnson, City Manager
SUBJECT: ITEM 5.f – AUTHORIZATION TO ADVERTISE BUCHON STREET
TRAFFIC CALMING, SPEC 91612
Staff is providing an additional alternative recommendation for Council consideration,
which would allow for efficient delivery of the project if construction bids come in above
the current engineer’s estimate:
3. Replace Recommendation #2 with: Authorize the Finance Director to
transfer up to $75,000 from the FY23/24 Capital Reserve Fund, upon
FY23/25 Financial Plan Adoption, to the project account; and, authorize
the City Manager to award the Construction Contract if the lowest
responsible bid is within the available project budget of $311,150.93 . By
authorizing use of CIP Reserve funds, Council would be able to ensure
sufficient funding becomes available to complete the project. The current
project balance is $236,150.96. With an additional $75,000 provided from the
CIP Reserve Fund, the available project budget upon July 1 st would become
$311,150.96. Any unused CIP reserve funding will be returned to th e reserve
upon project completion.
Additionally, staff received the following questions regarding Item 5f, the Authorization to
Advertise the Buchon Street Traffic Calming project. The questions are shown in bold
below, with staff responses following.
1) Why not install an all-way stop at the intersection of Buchon and Toro in lieu
of a traffic circle?
The California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CA MUTCD), a design
manual published by the Federal Highway Administration and Caltrans, define s the
requirements that must be followed by agencies in California to guide the installation
of traffic control devices, such as traffic signals, stop signs, and roadway markings.
The CA MUTCD includes specific guidance on when multi-way stop signs should or
should not be installed.
First off, it should be noted that CA MUTCD Section 2B.04 states that YIELD or STOP
signs should not be used for the purpose of speed control. Stop signs should be used
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Item 5.f – AUTHORIZATION TO ADVERTISE BUCHON STREET TRAFFIC CALMING Page 2
for the primary purpose of conveying right-of-way for users entering an intersection.
The decision to install multi-way stop control should be based on an engineering
study, which considers criteria or “warrants” based on the following factors:
1. Volumes entering the intersection from the major and minor street s
2. Crash history at the intersection
3. Pedestrian/bicycle crossing activity
4. Sight lines on the approaches to the intersection
Staff evaluated various design options for the Buchon Street/Toro Street intersection
early in the Buchon Street Neighborhood Traffic Management (NTM) planning process
and concluded that existing conditions at this intersection did not satisfy warrants for
installation of all-way stop control pursuant to the CA MUTCD. To achieve the
intended goal of the NTM project to reduce vehicle speeds along this stretch of Buchon
Street, staff is proposing the installation of a neighborhood traffic circle, as
documented in the staff report. According to data published by the Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA) and other sources, neighborhood traffic circles have been
proven to reduce both traffic speeds and collision rates at intersections.
2) What will happen to existing speed bumps on Buchon?
The large, raised speed table that currently exists on the east leg of the Buchon
Street/Toro Street intersection will be removed as part of this project, to be replaced
with the proposed traffic circle. That existing speed table, which was installed more
than 10 years ago, is no longer consistent with current City Engineering Standards,
has had limited effectiveness at reducing auto speeds, and has created challenges
for City Fire trucks due to the profile of the table.
In 2019, the City installed three mid-block speed humps on Buchon Street between
Santa Rosa and Johnson as the first part of this NTM project, with the Buchon
Street/Toro Street traffic circle to follow as a second phase. Those three-speed
humps, which were designed based on current City Engineering Standards, will
remain and have already reduced the prevailing (85 th percentile) speeds on Buchon
from 28 mph to 21 mph. The proposed neighborhood traffic circle is intended to both
(a) continue to facilitate these reduced speeds along the Buchon Street corridor, and
(b) slow speeds for vehicle turning maneuvers at the Buchon/Toro intersection, which
can improve safety for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists.
City Staff’s recommendation remains to install the neighborhood traffic circle, which is a
proven countermeasure to reduce speeds and collision rates.
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