DATE: July 10, 2018
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Steven E. White, Director
Department of Public Works and Planning
SUBJECT: Stop Sign at Cole and Sunnyside Avenues
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
TITLE
Adopt Resolution designating the intersection of Cole and Sunnyside Avenues a stop intersection and authorizing a stop sign at the intersection, stopping westbound traffic on Cole Avenue, making it a one-way stop.
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action will allow the installation of a stop sign at this location, improving traffic safety by requiring vehicles on Cole Avenue to stop in the westbound direction. This item pertains to a location in District 5.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION:
If the recommended action is not approved by your Board, the traffic controls at this location will remain unchanged.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. The estimated cost for the one-way stop is $175 for materials and $100 for equipment and labor performed by Department of Public Works and Planning personnel. Sufficient appropriations are included in the Department’s Roads Org 4510 FY 2017-18 Adopted Budget Fund 0010, Subclass 11000, Account 7260 (Special Departmental Expense).
DISCUSSION:
Cole and Sunnyside Avenues are two-lane county roads that intersect in a county pocket in Clovis. The intersection of Cole and Sunnyside is under the County’s exclusive jurisdiction. Cole is a dead-end road that is approximately a fourth of a mile long, which tees into Sunnyside Avenue. It serves seven residential homes that are on two-acre sized lots. Cole Avenue has a pavement width of approximately of 25-feet. There are no yellow centerline stripes separating opposing traffic in the east and westbound directions. However, yellow centerline stripes separate north and southbound traffic. The traffic volume on Sunnyside and Cole Avenues is approximately 4000 vehicles per day (VPD) and 200 VPD, respectively.
Each intersection has the potential for several different types of vehicular conflicts. Right-of-way assignment for uncontrolled intersections is defined in the California Vehicle Code (CVC). A basic rule of the road, at an intersection where no traffic-control devices are present, requires the vehicle on the left to yield to the vehicle on the right if they arrive at approximately the same time. Section 21800(a) of the CVC states that “The driver of a vehicle approaching an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle which has entered the intersection from another highway”. For intersections not controlled by yield signs, stop signs, or traffic signals, the driver of a vehicle approaching an intersection should be able to see potentially conflicting vehicles in sufficient time to stop before reaching the intersection. Stopping sight distance is provided continuously along each highway or street, including intersection approaches, is fundamental to intersection operation. Sight distance is provided at intersections to allow drivers to perceive the presence of potentially conflicting vehicles. This should occur in sufficient time for a motorist to stop or adjust their speed, as appropriate, to avoid colliding in the intersection.
One-way stop control can be useful as a safety measure at intersections where certain traffic conditions exist. When considering a one-way stop control at an intersection, the Department will conduct an engineering study. Based upon the information gathered during the engineering study, the Department will make a recommendation regarding the installation of a stop sign(s). Criteria considered in an engineering study may include the collision history, traffic volume, traffic delays, line of sight studies, or any combination of the foregoing.
Studies performed by Department staff indicate the line of sight for westbound traffic on Cole at Sunnyside Avenue is limited in a manner that justifies the installation of a stop sign stopping westbound traffic on Cole, at Sunnyside. Studies performed by Department staff also indicated that a stop sign stopping westbound traffic on Cole at Sunnyside is appropriate and will improve traffic safety at this intersection.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Vicinity Map
On file with Clerk - Resolution
CAO ANALYST:
Sonia M. De La Rosa