CCMIN062795 - Laserfiche WebLink

Mr. Felix stated that he agreed with the staff recommendation to open Mirador without restrictions. The Mayor closed the public comments. Ms. Mohr asked what speed would be expected in stacking lanes for a two lane road? Mr. Van Gelder said that Cal Trans is looking at higher speeds. The taper length quoted was higher than the minimum, which is 60 feet, but he felt he could not interpret what Cal Tans meant without talking to Cal Trans personnel. Ms. Mohr asked if a speed survey was ever done on Bernal, and what did the survey show as the average speed on Bernai at Mirador? Mr. Van Gelder stated such a survey had been done and that sections of Bernal is posted at 35 MPH. He stated that the survey was done prior to the signal installation and he wasn't sure whether it had been updated since. Ms. Mohr asked why most turn lanes are longer than those suggested and what determines the length? Mr. Van Gelder stated that when you have unlimited distance you can add more space in the turning lane. Here, distance was limited so what was designed was what could be done safely, within the geometric situation. Mayor Tarver asked if, at this intersection, this is the minimum for stacking lanes for two left turns in this area. He also asked if Mr. Van Gelder were designing the intersection now, would this be the ideal configuration. Mr. Van Gelder stated that this is not the ideal situation. He felt, however, that the length of the lanes is reasonable and functional. There was not another way to stretch the distance further and come up with a tie-in to Mirador. Ms. Dennis felt uneasy about the staff report. She could not comprehend that TJKM personnel did not know, when asked, how long the turn lane was and that whether the turn lane was 100 feet or 500 feet wouldn't affect its opinion one way or another. Ms. Dennis felt there were different standards used for this left turn than the City normally uses, and she did not feel she wanted to be forced to use those standards. She felt that this intersection is different from other turns on Bernal and if someone is going at a higher rate of speed to turn left on Mirador, the person won't be warned that there is a short turning lane. Mayor Tarver stated he was interested in getting community input. He originally recommended a review by the General Plan Steering Committee. He stated that this was a difficult issue, and that even the Steering Committee and the subcommittee could not agree. He 06/27/95 -9-