SR-071266-6BCITY OF SANTA MONICA
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DATE: July 8, i9o6 , `:i3
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TO: Perry Scott, City 1:anager
FROM: Bartlett L. Kennedy, City >;ngineer
SUBJECT: Traffic Signal `rdar-rants - Fourth and :Rontana
-vs. Sixth and ~,Viishire
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FOR r~~ilr~G, .."'E
As you know, the City Council during its review of 'che Traffic
Signs and Striping budget "deleted any reference to the loca-
tion of traffic signals but (left) in the amount of r.,oney
budgeted". This action was taken after a Council discussion
of the relative need for signals at Fourth at PHontana and
Sixth at ~s~Iilshire.
Before State Gas Tax :monies can be spent for traffic signals,
certain t'warrants° must be met. These ~rrarrants consider the
number of accidents, vehicle volurnesp pedestrian volumes,.
interruption of continuous traffic, and signal progression,
and are the generally accepted standard used by all jurisdic-
tions in determining the need for traffic signals at a soecific
location.
It is required that either (1) one of these warrants be eor;:-
pletely satisfied, o-r (2) two or more be 80f satisfied, for
State Gas Tax financing. County Gas Tax funds (and of coarse
City funds) can be spent for signals even though none of the
~srarrants are met at the proposed location.
Following is a comparison of the subject intersections with
regard to signal warrant s
I Accident warrant: A irinimum of at least five accidents
within a t,relve month period, of a type correctible by signal
control.
Since 1903, accident reports, giving type and cause of accident,
are filed in the Police Department in chronological order - not
by intersection. At the end cf the year the reports are tabu-
lated by intersection, separated as to injury and non-injury,
but not as to cause. In order to obtain information as to
cause, the entire file of reports for the year rust be revie,ved.
Ti,~~e has not permitted this complete revieda.
July 8, 1906
Subject; Traffic Signal ~,°larrants - Fourth and
tilontana vs . Sixth and `<3ilshire
Page 2
For 1963, such records are available, and show as follows:
4th at 6th at
T~tontana ~+Iilshi're
Accidents correctible by signal
control (1963) --------------------- 2 5
s+lar-rant satisfied -------------------- into Yes
Accident records for subsequent years, white not classified
as to cause, sho;v the following totals;
4th at TZontana 6th at :9ilshire
1963-a5 1900 to date 1963- 5 190o to date
Property darlage onry-- 5 0 9 2
Personal injury ------ 6 3 7 0
Total ---------------- 11 3 16 2
II Vehicle Volume :warrant; Tine total traffic entering the
intersection _zust equal 750 vehicles per hour for any eight
hours of the average day, with at least 1'(5 v._p.h. (of the
total} entering from the minor street,
4th atoth at
Montana ,wilshire
No. of hours total volume exceeds
'(50 per hours ----------------------- 7 14
la'arrant satisfied --------------------- Vo Yes
III Triinimurn Pedestrian Volume ; all of the following rust be
met - over 20 rn.p.h, speed, 250 pedestrians per hour for any
eight hours crossing main artery, and over '000 vehicles ;oer
hour (sas;;e eight hours} on main artery.
4th at 6th at
iQontana vlilshire
~war-rant satisfied -------------------- No No
July 8, 19'06
Subject: ^lraffic Signal ?^larrants - rou'rth and
Montana vs. Sixth and Wilshire
Page 3
IV Interruption of Continuous Traffic: requires minimum of
750 vehicles per hour on major artery for any eight hours.
4tn at
A~Tont ana
No. of hours volume on n?ajor artery
exceeds 750 v.;o.h. --------------
,da-rrant satisfied -------------------- No
12
Yes
V Signal Progression: A function of distance between signalized
intersections. This warrant is not satisfied by either inter-
section.
SUt'•'IP~IARY
4th at ; 6th at
Montana li Wilshire
;tirarrant ~ uTarrant Satisfied
No. Complete ~
i r~ Completes
~ i 800
I (1863} ~ No i No I Yes
II No i Yes I Yes
III j IQo ;
i No ~ No ; No
IV t
f Nc ; No ~ Yes ~
~
V ~ No ~ No ~ No ~ IQo
The above summary shours that the 4th and Iriontana intersection
cannot qualify for State %as Tax financing, while the o'th and
';di lshi're intersection can. Ho;vever, since these sane restric-
tions do not apply to signals financed with County Gas Tax
funds, I propose to include both. signals in the fortheorning
190'6-67 County Gas Tax ;grogram to be presented to the Council
in the near future.
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BARTLETT L. I PdNEDY
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City Engineer
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