City Council
MEETING DATE: 6/22/2015
TITLE:
Title
Amendments to the 2015 City Speed Limits Ordinance
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FROM:
Pat Milos, Community Development Director
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Staff recommends City Council approve an amendment to the existing 2015 City Speed Limits Ordinance, effectively lowering the speed limit on a section of Cathedral Canyon Drive north of East Palm Canyon to its intersection with Terrace Avenue, from the current posting of 40 MPH to a new posting of 25 MPH.
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BACKGROUND:
On October 28, 2009, City Council approved the first reading of Ordinance No. 684, amending section 12.20.010 of the Cathedral City Municipal Code relating to the designation of Special Speed Limits in the City. In November of 2009, the City Council approved the Second Reading of the Ordinance, and the revised 2009 Speed Limits became effective 30 days thereafter. The Council was acting on the recommendation of the Streets and Transportation Commission, who reviewed and approved a citywide Speed Limits Study by registered Traffic Engineer Bill Darnell of Darnell & Associates (Darnell) of San Diego.
Since 2009, two roadway segments were widened; two segments of east Ramon Road and a westerly segment of East Palm Canyon Drive. To comply with State Standards, the City was required to re-survey the Speed Limits on those widened road segments, so the City re-hired Darnell to re-survey those road segments.
On April 18, 2015 City Council approved the 2015 Speed Limits Ordinance No. 751, authorizing revised Speed Limits on widened roadway segments at: 1. Ramon Road (Date Palm Drive to Neuma Road), 2. Ramon Road (Neuma Road to the East City Limits at Da Vall Drive), and 3. East Palm Canyon Drive (Perez Road to the West City Limits at Golf Club Drive).
DISCUSSION:
Starting in 2013, and more recently in early 2015, City staff received concerns from Cove Area residents about the 40 MPH Speed Limit posted on Cathedral Canyon Drive from East Palm Canyon Drive to Terrace Road (especially the segment between Kings Road and Terrace Road). When conducting Speed Surveys on this roadway segment, it was discovered that this segment was listed on the City General Plan as a Secondary Highway (an undivided 4-lane road). In actuality the roadway is an undivided 2-lane Local Collector road, within a predominately residential neighborhood.
City staff hired Darnell to re-survey the speed limits on this lower Cove segment of Cathedral Canyon Drive. Darnell submitted his Traffic Survey report and recommendations to the City Engineer and Staff on May 19, 2015.
On June 3, 2015 City Staff and Darnell presented Darnell's Cathedral Canyon Drive Engineering and Traffic Survey Report to the Planning Commission. Darnell explained how he analyzed Cathedral Canyon Drive (from Kings Road to Terrace Road) under guidelines detailed in the California Vehicle Code Section 240 (CVC 240). This Vehicle Code Section provides the guidelines for Traffic Engineers to determine if a roadway is within a business or residential district. Darnell counted all of the residential driveways that fronted directly onto Cathedral Canyon Drive in relation to the length of this roadway segment, verified that the roadway had only one lane of travel in each direction and the road did not exceed 40 feet of overall driving width. Darnell determined that 30 homes on the subject segment took drive access directly off Cathedral Canyon Drive which exceeded the minimum requirement under CVC 240 and determined that this segment of Cathedral Canyon is a residential district, which may be posted at 25 mph to comply with the State Law under the California Vehicle Code, and can be enforced by City Police officers using radar.
A number of Cove area residents spoke in favor of reducing the speed limit on Cathedral Canyon Drive (Kings Road to Terrace Road). The Planning Commission heard the public's comments and recommended to also include the segment of roadway on Cathedral Canyon Drive from East Palm Canyon Drive to Kings Road in the reducing of the speed limits. This recommendation will make the roadway speed limits consistent and not force drivers to negotiate differing speed limits on the same roadway segment.
The Planning Commission approved and recommended the following to the City Council:
CITY STAFF & PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS:
Recommended Cathedral City Speed Limit 2015 Speed Limit 2015 Speed Limit
Revisions on the following roadway (Existing) (Proposed)
segments:
Cathedral Canyon Drive
(East Palm Canyon Drive to Kings Road) 40 MPH 25 MPH
Cathedral Canyon Drive
(Kings Road to Terrace Road) 40 MPH 25 MPH
Public Notification
It is recommended that the City Council set June 22, 2015 as a Public Hearing date to hear the first reading of a (revised) 2015 Speed Limits Ordinance in accordance with the City Municipal Code and state law.
FISCAL IMPACT:
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ATTACHMENTS:
1: SPEED LIMITS RECOMMENDATION by Darnell & Associates, dated May 19, 2015 (2 pgs.)
2: Revised 2015 SPEED LIMITS ORDINANCE, for June 22, 2015 Council consideration (3 pgs.)