SR-506-002 (10)
.
.
IlA
MAR 2 5 ..(',r--........,
i::;~;lJ
.:s'l'6' -C;Oz..
Santa Monica, California, March 17, 1980
TO: Mayor and Clty Council
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: Traffic Control DeVlces Installation Policy
Introduction
ThlS report transmits a proposed resolutlon for a Traffic Control Device
Installatlon POllCY.
Background
On March 4, 1980, the City Council instructed City Staff to prepare a resolution
for the adoptlon of a Traffic Control Device (Stop Sign) Policy.
The proposed POllCY is to establish warrants for the installatlon of stop slgns
which are more conduclVe to Santa Monica than the Caltrans warrants that Staff
presently uses. City Staff mod1fied Caltransl warrants to include conslderatlon
for lower traffic volume requirements, accldent rate, noise and air pollutlon,
and speclal conditions such as visibllity, steep grades, and/or schools. The
POllCY addresses the installation of two, three (T intersection), and four \'/ay
stops.
The pr1mary difference between the Caltrans warrant and the modifled warrant
is that the Caltrans warrant requires anyone of the warrants to be met 100
percent where the modlfled warrant takes into consideratlon all the factors to
deter~ine if a stop slgn is warranted. Several other cities in California have
used a modifled warrant similar to the proposed warrant with very good results.
I , A
MAR 2 5 4(''11'\
.
.
To: Mayor and C1ty Council
-2-
March 17, 1980
Recommendation
City Staff recommends that City Council adopt the proposed Traffic Control Device
Installation POllCY.
Prepared by: Stan Scholl
Ray Davl S
Attachments: A) Resolution & POllCY
B) Caltrans Warrants
~~,
~
j
i
<<
~
-~<
',.-.
t~
"'e"':.c
;r
-..
~-
~
--
.
STA fE OF CAll FORNIA
TRAFFIC MANUAL
4-12
E~HB 11 B
SIGNS
~o..1 1975
4-03.3 Deligh, Policy ond Location for Individual SighJ
R 1
.
WhIle 0" Qed
JO" o~'agon
10' Ser<el C I,Hr....
(....Iso ,,''''Iable m
2.&". 36' "nd -'8. .,n.l
I
f
j
I
PohcY' The Rl sign ,hall be used on pubhc roads
~\ here a stop lS reqUlrl?'d. Stop sIgns shall be erected
011 both the left and nght SIde of one-way roadways
\\ nlch are 30 feet or more III Vvldth Stop signs shall
not be mstalled at sIgnalIzed mtersectIons
ConditIOns warrantmg STOP signs are
1 On the less Important road at Its mter::.ectlOn
with a mam road where apphcatlOn of the nor-
mal nght of wav rule IS undul.... hazardous as
eVIdenced b\. accIdents susceptlble of correc-
tIOn by STOP sIgns
2 On a county road or C1tv street J.t Its mtersec-
tlOns wIth a state hlgh\\:~v
3\t the mtf.>rsectlDn of two mam h]gh\\.-'avs The
hIghway traffIC to be stopped depends on ap-
pro..lch speeds. volumes, and turnmg move-
ments
4 On a street entermg a legall)' estabhshed
through h]ghwav or street
5 On a mlllor street where the safe approach
speed to the mtersectIon IS less than 10 mdes per
hour
A STOP sIgn IS not a "cure-aU" J.nd IS not.! substi-
tute for other tr.1ffic control deVIces ~fam- hmes the
need for a STOP sign can be elImmated If the Sight
dlst.1l1ce IS mcreased by removlllg ohstrllctlOns
The IllstallatlOo ot STOP sIgns at locatIOns where
they ..Ire unexpected or where dppro,lch speeds dre
high should be aVOided If pOSSIble becaU'i'e they m"H'
mcre.1se aCCidents However, If thf'rc 15 no .11t(>ro;-
live to .1 STOP SH~n, then an ,}d\',mc(~ Code Wii
STOP \IIl~.\[) ~Ign md "lppropn,IIL' l>.l\f'ml'nt
m.ukmgs should bi' pl.lccd m CO!l)II11elIOU nlth It
Pllbhclt~ IhrouJ;:h the' r.ldlO .1l1rl pn'~~ I~ IHghh dl'-
slr.lble \\ hf'n STOP ~Igm .ITl' m<;t,llkd .md f'~pccl.IlIy
when It IS necessan to change their locatlOll
An} of the folloHlOg conditIOns may ....arrant d.
four-way stop sign mstallatlOn
1 Where traffiC SIgnals .Ire \\ .1rr,ll1ted ,md the
need IS urgent. the four-\\.I\ ~top IS :1.1 mteTlln
m('a~ure th,ll c,m bl~ lIl,>t,llIed qll]ckh to control
tufLc \\.hlle arr,mgC'rnents are bemg made for
the SIgnal 1l1stallatlOn
2 An aCCIdent problem" as 1l1d]cated bv f1\ e or
more reported aCCidents of a t\ pc 5USc~phble of
correctlOn b~ a four-\\ <1\ stop mstall,ltlOn m a
12-month penod T~ pes of .1ccldents susceptible
of correctIOn mclude right angle and left turn
colhslOns
3 \fmnnum \olume \\arrant
a The total \ ehlcul..lr \ olume entermg the 1Il-
tersectlOn from all ..Ipproaches must a\ erage
at least 500 \ eh]c1es per hour for anv eight
hours of an 3\ erage da\', and '-
b The combmed \ ('l-ncul.{r and pedestn.lIl \ 01-
ume from the mlllor street or hlgh\\ d} must
J.\CTagc at least 200 umts per hour fOT the
S.lme eight hours \\ Ith ,Ill ..1\ erage deb\. to
mmor street \ ehlcular tr .Ifflc of at le.1st 30
sec.onds per vehIcle dunng the maX1mum
hour
c When the 85-percent:le approach speed of
the major street traffiC e"c(',~ds 40 miles per
hour. the ffi1l11mU1l1 \ ehlcubr \ olume \\ ar.
rant ]570 perc.ent oJ thE' abo\ e reqUlrements
A four-way stop sign IIlst.lllahon IS a useful traffic
control measure when othf'r .1\ aIlable means of con-
trol are not adequate It should not be used unless the
volume of trnfflc on the mtprspctlIlg roads IS .lbout
equal and IS undesu..lble at low-volume mtersechons
When STOP signs ..Ire pLlced on all cntenng legs
of an mter:.ectlOn, each STOP su;n In..l} be supple-
mented by d separate plJte mounted below It WIth
the meS~.lge "3-Wo\Y", "4-W,\Y", ptc The supple-
l11('nt.II pl.1tC' shall h.lvc willIe IcttC'TS all a re-d b.1ck-
ground
Locution Fn.cl III I hL' ~t,\I1d ITd pO~lhon on tht'
n~ht or left It or 1\1" Ir lilt' l"nlr.lm c 10 ,ltllilh'r~l'dlOl1
or <it ,my [OC.ltlOll nece:'~.1ry to control tr .lff]c wlthm
an mtersectlOn
-37-