CCMIN062006 - Laserfiche WebLink

Dan Carl, a Pleasanton resident, addressed the Council about the removal of the roundabouts. He was concerned about the accidents that have occurred. Balancing the cost of the roundabouts vs. the liability, he supports removal. Mayor Hosterman closed the public comment period. It was moved by Mr. Brozosky, seconded by Mr. Thorne to approve staff recommendation to award the contract to Granite Construction Company. Mr. Thorne stated not all citizens' support removal of the roundabouts, due to costs. He commented on the accidents; many of the reported accidents were based on unsafe acts. There is a lot of public education to try and change bad habits. The efforts have not worked well so we look at the primary contributing factors; many times it is unsafe conditions. He believes that the roundabouts are contributing to the problem. They may not work well on Vineyard Avenue. It is a lot of money, but they should be removed. Ms. McGovern said these are a safety hazard to motorists and bicyclists. People unfamiliar with the area do not know how to navigate them. New bike lanes will be installed. Mr. Fialho stated a mobile speed sign trailer would be placed in the area during to monitor speeds after the removal. You may want to see the impact incrementally. Mr. Brozosky mentioned that a large number of emails has been sent and believed Council should listen to the community. He believed it is a safety issue. There are several problems with traffic roundabouts. It will get worse when more homes and traffic are there. Bike lanes have not worked well because they have to merge into the traffic circle. There are more houses coming to the Vineyard Avenue Corridor. It is good to complete the project during the summer, before school is back in session. Mayor Hosterman said she will be the lone dissenting vote this evening. By way of history, the City Council previously approved the roundabouts based on the proposed building of an elementary school; they were built in anticipation of the school and the new homes being built, they were placed to control the traffic. She cited a presentation by the mayor of Carmel, Indiana that has used roundabouts. The city exchanged lights with roundabouts and there have been fewer accidents. They were able to calculate that the use of gasoline decreased. She had hoped Pleasanton would follow this logic. She received a number of e-mails; she appreciates the input but also has to consider the information in the police reports. The accidents have not occurred due to design issues, but speed or driving under the influence. Some emails commented that the Council was dragging the process out. This is a quality of life issue for the community. She indicated it was not her intent for the process to be long. She thinks the Council is being premature in the removal; she would like to wait until the homes are built to monitor the issue. There are other projects in the city to fund rather than this. Mr. Brozosky believed staff has made the improvements to Old Vineyard Ave. Mr. Fialho concurred. Pleasanton City Council Minutes 8 06/20/06