In a special meeting this week, the Public Safety Commission entered into the public record two traffic engineering reports that will be pored over at the panel’s next meeting this month.
In introducing the reports compiled by the Los Angeles-based firm Iteris that analyzed local traffic circulation and speed patterns, the commission hoped the public would have a chance to dive into the data and conclusions prior to the Feb. 17 meeting. The commission will fully discuss the findings then and issue a recommendation to the City Council.
“We will discuss these two items in detail,” commission Chairman Al Boegh said Monday. “They will be the principal items on the agenda that evening.”
Council approval of the studies would enable the San Marino Police Department to use radar devices in issuing speeding citations, an easier and safer method than pacing alongside motorists. State requirements mandate speed surveys every 10 years to enforce speed limits with radar.
Some streets also are slated to be re-designated as residential district streets, meaning they will no longer need speed studies and their limit will remain 25 mph, and on two streets — Sierra Madre Boulevard and San Marino Avenue — the speed limit will be reduced by 5 mph, if the studies are approved.
Assuaging some residents’ fears that habitual speeders would prompt an increase of Huntington Drive’s posted speed limit, engineers recommended that the thoroughfare’s limit stay at 40 mph.
Iteris detailed key takeaways from the study in its report. Huntington Drive traffic patterns mimic much of L.A.’s, in that westbound traffic surges in the morning and eastbound flow picks up in the afternoon, with 1,800-1,900 vehicles measured at each respective peak hour.
Of the city’s 12 all-way stop intersections, the San Marino Avenue-Lorain Road intersection maintains the highest traffic volume. The most pedestrian-heavy intersections were Virginia Road-Euston Road (near Lacy Park), Virginia Road-Huntington Drive (near Huntington Middle School and Valentine Elementary School) and Del Mar Avenue-Huntington Drive (near San Marino High School).
The reports are available on the city’s website at CityOfSanMarino.org, where they are attached to the agenda for Monday’s Public Safety Commission. For any questions or additional information, Parks and Public Works Director Michael Throne asks residents to contact him at publicworks@cityofsanmarino.org.
Consultant Reports Findings on Local Traffic Circulation, Speed
