HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Report - January 2, 1985 (57)t
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CE RAL AVENTM The City Council was recently asked to improve the inter-
SIGEff DISIRICf section of Eden Street and Central Avenue to make it safer
AND PARKING for children using the intersection going to and from school.
STUDY At the City Councils request, Public Works Department has
been reviewing the sight distance problem in the area of _
Central and -Eden, and in doing so has also, by necessity,
observed other angle parking on Central Avenue.
Parking surveys were taken just prior to Christmas and after
Christmas to determine the usage being made of the existing
parking stalls. On Decenber 18, 19 and 20, Tuesday,
Wednesday and Thursday, observations were taken of the area
between Tokay and through Eden to Flora. Decerrber 28, 29, 30
and 3I, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, obser-,rations
were taken on all the angle parking between Vine Street and
Lodi Avenue. The average occupancy was 17% and the maxirnya
occupancy was 530, with considerable differences from one
area and the next. It was noted during these observations
that:
(1) At times some people parked parallel in the angle
parking areas, particularly in front of residences.
(2) Children have a difficult, and hazardous, time making
the crossing of Central Avenue because of autos, vans, and
pickups parked near the intersections.
(3) Sight distances at all crossi;zgs was limited at times
because of parked cars.
(4) Some vehicles crossed over the center line in normal
driving because of the proximity of parked cars in angle
stalls.
(5) Church attendance in the area does not appear to
increase parking on either Saturday or Sunday.
The Average Daily Traffic on Central Avenue in this :area is
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feet, the same as the widest portions of School Street in the
dmmtown area where parallel opposite angle parking has
recently been installed. Field Pleasurements of standard
automobiles on Central Avenue give a clear distance between
automobiles of 24 feet, tip of bullper to tip of bumper.
While this may be reasonable for two lanes in a minor
residential area, it is narrow for the through traffic which
Central Avenue carries as a collector, particularly when one
considers the "shy" distance that drivers nozr.'tally use in
passing parked vehicles.
Traffic records were reviewed to determine the effect of the
angle parking on vehicular movement in the area and between
January, 1983, and September 30, 1984, approximately 13
accidents attributable to angle parking were reported during
1983, and 7 during the first 9 months of 1984.
Consideration was given to the possibility of angle and
parallel parking on opposite sides of the street in the
business areas, but because of the number of angle stalls
that would be eliminated to provide comparable sight distance
at the intersections, the net stall loss is near that for
parallel parking.
Based on usage, accidents and sight distance for pedestrians
it was Staff's recommendation that the City Council consider
the replacement of all angle parking in the area with
parallel. Notices have been seat to the owners of the
property fronting on the street where angle parking is
presently in use notifying them of this possibility. While
there are many alternates to total elimination of angle
parking, it would appear that other alternates are only a
partial solution.
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