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Establishing Rules &
Procedures for Installing Traffic Diverters in Compliance With California
Vehicle Code Section21101 (f)
A. DEFINITIONS
- A traffic diverter is a roadway design feature
which is placed upon a street or roadway in order to prohibit
vehicular traffic from entering into, or exiting from, or both, any
street.
- A full diverter (cul-de-sac type) is placed
across both lanes of traffic and prohibits exit from, and entrance to,
a street.
- A diagonal diverter extends through the center of
an intersection, from one corner to the opposite corner across an
intersection, forcing a turn to the right or left.
- A semi-diverter is placed across one lane of
traffic and prohibits entry to, or exit from, a street.
- Official Traffic Control Signs are the signs
approved by Caltrans in accordance with California Vehicle Code
Section 21400.
- A local street is any street other than a major
or collector as shown on the Circulation Plan Map, on page 39, of the
Transportation Element of the Master Plan. The Master Plan calls for
the City to give priority to ease of access, pedestrian movement,
neighborhood amenity, resident parking, and prevent, to the greatest
extent possible, the use of local streets by through traffic.
B. RULES
- Traffic diverters shall be placed only on streets
under the jurisdiction of the City.
- Traffic diverters shall be placed only on local
streets.
- The diverter shall be in conformance with
policies of the Transportation Element of the General Plan.
- Placement of diverters shall be consistent with
the responsibility of the city to provide for the health and safety of
its citizens, including provision of emergency vehicle access,
effective decreases in exposure to noise and pollution, and decreasing
accidents and energy use.
- Appropriate traffic control signs shall be placed
on and in the vicinity of each diverter.
C. PROCEDURES
- A request for installation, removal, or
modification of a diverter may be initiated by the City Manager or by
City Council majority vote. The request shall specify the proposed
action and state reasons for the suggested installation, removal, or
modification of a diverter.
- Each request for installation, removal, or
modification of a diverter shall be reviewed by staff, who will
prepare a written report containing the following information to be
submitted to the Transportation Commission:
- (a) The action proposed and the reasons for
support of the request. For existing diverters, the report shall
include the history of the diverter, including date of
installation, reasons why it was installed, complaints received,
if any, and statements of support received, if any.
- (b) Existing conditions in the area which
would be affected by the proposed installation, removal, or
modification, including but not limited to:
- Traffic volumes, patterns, and speeds;
- Existing traffic control and traffic
management devices;
- On-street parking levels and patterns;
- Accident data; and
- Emergency vehicle access routes, public
transit and school bus routes, and other public service and
delivery routes.
Streets directly affected by the diverter
and streets which would be expected to handle diverted traffic
shall be considered. For existing diverters, the accident data
should include an assessment of role, if any, that the diverter
may have played (both positive and negative).
- (c) Design options for the diverter or
diverters.
- (d) Probable impacts of the proposed
installation, removal, or modification including, but not limited
to, impacts on the conditions described under (2) above; on air
pollution, fuel use, and noise; on transit service; on emergency
vehicle access times; on residential quality of life, and
estimated costs. Both streets directly affected by the diverter or
diverters and the streets which would be expected to handle
diverted traffic shall be considered.
- (e) Staff shall request comments on the
proposed diverter from the Department of Public Safety, the
Planning and Community Development Department, and AC Transit, if
any routes are impacted, and shall attach these comments to the
report.
- (f) Alternatives to the proposed action.
- (g) Statements or findings necessary to
comply with he California Environmental Quality Act.
- (h) Staff recommendation.
- In addition to transmitting the staff report to
the Transportation Commission, staff shall also send copies of the
report to the initiator of the request, to neighborhood organization(s)
in the area of the proposed action, to individuals who have stated an
interest in such matters, and to AC Transit, if any bus routes are
impacted.
- The Transportation Commission shall conduct a
public hearing within 90 days of receipt of the request. The notice of
the hearing shall be posted at least 10 days in advance of the
hearing, in accordance with Section 1.08 of the Berkeley Municipal
Code.
- After the close of the public hearing, the
Transportation Commission shall adopt a report recommending that a
diverter or diverters be installed, or removed, or modified, or that
no change be made. The report shall contain written findings that the
proposed action meets each of the requirements set forth in Section B,
shall specify the effect of the proposed action on traffic volume and
on the health and safety of Berkeley citizens as outlined in Section
B4, and that the action complies with CEQA. The Transportation
Commission may adopt the staff report as findings in support of its
decision.
- The Planning and Community Development Department
shall process the appropriate environmental document.
- The City Manager shall submit a report to the
City Council which includes reports from the Transportation Commission
and any environmental documents from the Planning and Community
Development Department.
- The City Council shall, by resolution, authorize
the installation, removal, or modification of any diverter. If the
proposal is for the installation of a new diverter, the City Manager
shall review the diverter after six months of operation concerning any
impacts, as outlined in Section C 2b of these Rules and Procedures,
and report the conclusions of such review to City Council.
D. IMPROVEMENTS
Council shall consider physical improvements for the
designated diverters during each year's budget process. Any such
improvements shall be processed in the same manner as any capital
improvement in the City except that Council may accept contributions in
cash or in kind to provide for improvements of diverters. First priority
shall be given to improving any diverter to enhance public health and
safety. Second priority for placement of physical improvements shall be
given to diverters in order of their date of installation.
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