How To Understand The Traffic Patterns In Coronado

Transcription

1 CITY OF CORONADO ANNUAL TRAFFIC REPORT PREPARED BY THE CITY OF CORONADO ENGINEERING AND PROJECT DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION PAGE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY i Quick Facts i Traffic Volume and Accident Trends i INTRODUCTION 1 TRAFFIC VOLUME 2 Overall Volume Entering and Leaving the City 2 Weekday vs. Weekend Traffic Patterns 4 TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS 7 Number of Accidents 7 Accident Locations 8 Type of Accidents 11 Time of Accidents 11 Primary Collisions Factors 13 Accidents Resulting in Fatalities 13 Pedestrian and Bicyclist Accidents 14 CONCLUSIONS REGARDING ACCIDENTS IN CORONADO 15 APPENDIX A ISSUES PRESENTED TO THE TRAFFIC A1 OPERATIONS COMMITTEE IN 2010 ATTACHMENTS 2010 Collisions Map (The Village) 2010 Collisions Map (The Cays) 2010 Pedestrian Collisions Map 2010 Bicycle Collisions Map

3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This executive summary is intended to give the reader quick facts regarding traffic circulation and traffic accidents within the City of Coronado during the year For a more complete summary, as well as analysis of the data presented, please refer to the main body of the report. Incorporated in 1890, the City of Coronado has a population of approximately 24,000, according to data collected during the 2000 census. City streets, along with State Highways 75 and 282, total more than 47 miles of roadway within City limits. Directing traffic along these roadways are 15 traffic signals, all but one of which is owned, operated, and maintained by Caltrans (the City controls the signal at the intersection of Orange Avenue and First Street). As the home of two naval bases, three world-class resorts, and a golf course that regularly ranks among the best of its class in California, Coronado welcomes more than 2 million visitors annually. Due to Coronado s unique location within San Diego Bay, vehicular access to and from the City is limited to two routes along State Highway 75: The San Diego-Coronado Bridge and the Silver Strand. Because of this, Coronado, in coordination with Caltrans, is able to monitor the number of vehicles entering and leaving the City on a day-to-day basis. Traffic volumes entering and leaving the City, as well as certain accident related data, for the year 2010 are summarized below: Quick Facts for ,900 vehicles, on average, enter and/or leave Coronado each day: o 75,000 vehicles per day, on average, enter/leave via the Bridge o 20,900 vehicles per day, on average, enter/leave via the Silver Strand There were 176 reported accidents within City limits: o 2 accidents resulted in fatalities o 95 accidents resulted in injuries o 20 accidents included a pedestrian or bicyclist o 15 accidents involved Driving Under the Influence The primary collision factors for traffic accidents were: 1) Unsafe speed 2) Improper turning 3) Automobile right-of-way violations Traffic Volume and Accident Trends Although the City of Coronado is considered to be built-out, traffic patterns can vary as they are heavily influenced by navy operations such as the arrival or departure of aircraft carriers and other supporting staff and equipment. It should be noted that the average daily volume of vehicles counted along the Silver Strand in 2010 was at its lowest level since 1982, and equal to traffic volumes measured in 1977 (the first year traffic volume data is available for Coronado). However, a small increase in total traffic volume into and out of the City of Coronado was observed during the 2010 calendar year as shown in Table 1 below: - i -

4 YEAR BRIDGE AADT* (THOUSANDS) TABLE 1: FIVE-YEAR TRAFFIC VOLUME TREND ANNUAL INCREASE / DECREASE SILVER STRAND AADT* (THOUSANDS) ANNUAL INCREASE / DECREASE AADT* (THOUSANDS) ANNUAL INCREASE / DECREASE % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % * Average Annual Daily Trips The overall number of reported accidents within the City of Coronado has been on the decline over the past five years, dropping 21.8% between 2006 and 2010, as summarized in Table 2 below: TABLE 2: FIVE-YEAR ACCIDENT TREND COLLISION TYPE Year Avg. FATAL COLLISIONS INJURY COLLISIONS PROPERTY DAMAGE ONLY AUTO/BICYCLE AUTO/PEDESTRIAN HIT AND RUN SINGLE VEHICLE UNDER THE INFLUENCE COLLISIONS In 2009 the number of accidents that occurred on City streets as opposed to State Highways was nearly equal. In 2010 this was not the case, as the number of accidents that occurred on City streets was fewer than the number of accidents along State Highways with 73 reported accidents occurring on City streets and 96 reported accidents occurring on State Highways (seven additional accidents on private property were reported during 2010). Maps showing the accident locations for 2010 can be found at the end of this report. It is important to note that while the total average daily two-way traffic entering and leaving the City of Coronado has increased approximately 78% since 1977, the number of reported accidents has decreased by approximately 66% during the same time frame. This trend suggests that any one, or all, of the following statements is true: 1) traffic control measures implemented by the City and/or Caltrans have had positive effects; 2) traffic enforcement practices have had a positive effect on the manner in which motorists within Coronado drive; 3) drivers within the City of Coronado have become more aware of their surroundings and are driving more appropriately; 4) accidents are not being reported as much as they were in prior years. - ii -

5 INTRODUCTION In accordance with Coronado Municipal Code Title , the City Engineer files an Annual Traffic Report with the City Council. According to the Municipal Code, the report shall contain the following: A) Traffic accident data, including the number of traffic accidents, the number of persons killed and the number of persons injured; B) The number of traffic accidents investigated and other pertinent data on the safety activities of the City; and C) The plans and recommendations of the City staff for future traffic safety activities. The report covers the period from January 1 to December 31 of the subject year, in this case, The statistical data regarding traffic accidents used in the preparation of the report is collected and analyzed using a computer program called Crossroads. The Crossroads program provides staff with a platform to organize accident data within a Global Positioning System (GPS) linked database that allows accident data to be easily sorted and analyzed. Crossroads also allows staff to download accident information relevant to the City of Coronado from the State of California Highway Patrol as it becomes available (typically quarterly), eliminating the significant amount of staff time that would otherwise be required to manually input the data. The data downloaded from the California Highway Patrol is based on information taken from Coronado Police Department accident reports, which are required to be submitted to the state. Unfortunately, accident information from the State of California Highway Patrol was not available on a quarterly basis during 2010, with nearly one-third of the year s accident information still unavailable for downloading as of December In order to complete the report, City staff manually inputted this data into the Crossroads system using Coronado Police Department traffic accident reports. Although not required by the Coronado Municipal Code, the Annual Traffic Report also includes traffic volume data. While the City of Coronado is built out, traffic patterns can significantly vary depending upon the season, and the number of civilian and military personnel reporting to the local navy bases. The volume data is primarily used by City staff to understand local traffic patterns, but can also be used to calculate accident rates along City streets to better understand the severity of safety issues that may be identified as a result of this report

6 TRAFFIC VOLUME Overall Volume Entering and Leaving the City There are two locations to enter or leave the City of Coronado by automobile: 1) SR 75 via the San Diego-Coronado Bridge (commonly referred to as the Coronado Bridge ), and 2) SR 75 via the Silver Strand. Coronado is fortunate in that both locations have been monitored by Caltrans using permanent traffic count stations for numerous years. These count stations are located within the toll plaza at the base of the Coronado Bridge and near Gate 3 of the Naval Amphibious Base (NAB) at Tarawa Road along SR 75. The data is continuously collected and can be used to analyze daily, weekly, monthly, or Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) volumes. The AADT, reported as the number of vehicles per day, is calculated by taking the total traffic volume for the year and dividing it by 365 (the number of days in one calendar year). The two-way AADT for 2010 across the Coronado Bridge was approximately 75,000 vehicles per day while the AADT for the Silver Strand Highway was approximately 20,900 vehicles per day. This results in a total AADT volume of approximately 95,900 vehicles per day entering or exiting the City during 2010, an increase of 0.6% from the 2009 figure of 95,300. These numbers can be further broken down as shown in Table 3: TABLE 3: ANNUAL AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC (AADT) ENTERING AND LEAVING CORONADO DURING 2010* ENTERING LEAVING CORONADO BRIDGE 37,900 37,100 75,000 SILVER STRAND 10,600 10,300 20,900 48,500 47,400 95,900 *The difference in average volume entering and average volume leaving Coronado is due primarily to inaccuracies of counting equipment and the margin of error introduced by averaging values Historical AADT data beginning with year 1977 for both the Coronado Bridge and the Silver Strand is listed in Table 4, and is graphically presented in Graph A. As can be seen in the table and graph, traffic on the Coronado Bridge has more than doubled since Silver Strand traffic volumes within the same time frame have, at times, been as much as 22% above 1977 volume levels; however, traffic volumes during 2010 are equal to 1977 traffic volumes. When combined, the total traffic volume of both the Coronado Bridge and Silver Strand has overall decreased during the past five years, but appears to have been increasing during the last two years ( )

7 YEAR TABLE 4: HISTORICAL DATA FOR ANNUAL AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC (AADT) ENTERING AND LEAVING CORONADO CORONADO BRIDGE AADT ANNUAL INCREASE SILVER STRAND AADT ANNUAL INCREASE AADT (X1,000) ANNUAL INCREASE (X1,000) (X1,000) % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % N/A 20.9 N/A 53.9 N/A - 3 -

8 Graph A: Traffic Volumes Coronado Bridge Silver Strand Total AADT [x1000] Weekday vs. Weekend Traffic Patterns Using the data provided by the Caltrans permanent count stations along SR 75 near the Coronado Bridge and along the Silver Strand, City staff is able analyze traffic patterns for both weekdays and weekends. As is the case in most cities, traffic volumes during the week tend to be significantly higher and more predictable than those experienced during the weekend. This is particularly true in Coronado due to the relatively high volume of weekday commuter traffic heading to and from the two naval bases located on the island, compared to the volume of local and visitor traffic experienced on the weekends. Weekend traffic tends to be more affected by seasonal influences (beach season being the primary seasonal influence) and specific activities that bring residents from other nearby cities. For these reasons, most engineering analyses performed by City staff focus on weekday, or five-day, traffic volumes. The following graphs show the five-day averages calculated for each month of 2010 using the data collected at both the Coronado Bridge (Graph B) and along the Silver Strand (Graph C). Also shown in these graphs are weekend averages for each month at the same locations. Based on the available data, the average five-day traffic volume on the Coronado Bridge in 2010 was 79,375 vehicles per day. The average five-day traffic volume along the Silver Strand for year 2010 was 22,365 vehicles per day. The average weekend volume on the Coronado Bridge during 2010 was 57,043 vehicles per day, while the Silver Strand typically averaged 15,420 vehicles per day during each weekend. This shows that there are approximately 30% more vehicles into/out of Coronado on weekdays than on weekends

9 AADT AADT 100,000 90,000 80,000 70,000 60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10, ,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 Graph B: 2010 Five-Day & Weekend Average Traffic Volumes - Coronado Bridge - 72,500 20,530 78,086 22,233 13,400 13,732 82,700 84,832 86,805 85,162 86,361 62,668 63,018 56,564 57,834 48,990 51,535 23,510 23,986 24,782 23,997 15,614 16,535 16,769 17,074 23,975 18,885 23,226 22,263 16,801 14,710 20,684 19,403 13,603 12,735 0 January February March April May January June February July March August April September May October November December June 76,524 67,957 63,523 78,999 74,031 70,783 54,838 51,081 49,467 Graph C: 2010 Five-Day & Weekend Average Traffic Volumes - Silver Strand - No Data Available July No Data Available August September October November December 5-Day Avg Weekend Avg. 5-Day Avg. Weekend Avg

10 In addition to state highway traffic volume data provided by Caltrans, the City utilizes pneumatic tube counters to sample traffic volumes at strategic locations throughout Coronado. These tube counters can be placed virtually anywhere along a City roadway to gain a better understanding of local traffic patterns and needs. The data is most often collected to respond to resident requests for stop signs or other such traffic devices, or to determine the effectiveness of newly installed traffic measures such as turn restrictions. The Typical Pneumatic Tube Counter Installation analysis required for these types of studies often requires a more detailed understanding of day-to-day traffic patterns. As a result, the data is typically analyzed to determine the Average Daily Traffic (ADT) as well as the morning and afternoon peak hours when traffic volumes are at their highest. Table 5 includes a summary of the data collected by City staff using pneumatic tube counters during calendar year TABLE 5: Traffic Volumes Sampled on City Streets in 2010 Street Location Date Weekday AM PEAK PM PEAK ADT Hour Direction Volume Hour Direction Volume Alameda Blvd. 100 Block 8/5-8/ NB SB 413 Fifth Street 1500 Block 8/13-8/ NB NB 215 Fifth Street 300 Block 1/12-1/ WB EB 74 First Street 300 Block 8/13-8/ SB SB 692 Glorietta Blvd Block 8/5-8/ NB NB 318 I Avenue 400 Block 1/12-1/ NB SB 57 J Avenue 400 Block 1/12-1/ NB SB 88 Ocean Blvd. 600 Block 6/16-6/ NB SB 649 Ocean Drive 1100 Block 5/25-6/ SB NB 181 Seventh Street 300 Block 5/25-6/ WB EB 47 Sixth Street 300 Block 2/4-2/ WB EB

11 TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS 176 accidents were reported in the City of Coronado during This represents a 2.7% decrease in the number of reported accidents compared to 2009 statistics, and is the third year in a row the number of reported accidents has declined. Two fatalities were reported during 2010 and 95 collisions resulted in injuries. In order to better understand accident trends within the City of Coronado, data including the number, location, and type of accidents have been summarized in this report as well as data regarding the primary collision factors reported, the type of accident (car vs. car or car vs. bicycle, etc.), and the time of year each accident occurred. Number of Accidents Historical data regarding the number of reported accidents in the City of Coronado dating back to 1977 are included in Table 6, and graphically shown in Graph D. TABLE 6: HISTORICAL DATA FOR NUMBER OF REPORTED ACCIDENTS IN CORONADO YEAR NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS INJURY ACCIDENTS PERCENTAGE INVOLVING INJURIES % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % - 7 -

12 It is important to note that while the total average daily two-way traffic entering and leaving the City of Coronado has increased approximately 78% since 1977, the number of reported accidents has decreased by approximately 63%. This trend suggests that the traffic control and enforcement measures implemented by the City have had positive effects. 600 Graph D: Reported Traffic Accidents 1977 to 2010 # of Accidents Injury Property Damage Only Total As illustrated in Graph D, the significant decrease seen in the overall number of accidents reported each year is due, in large part, to a reduction in the number of reported Property Damage Only accidents (property damage only accidents are calculated by subtracting injury accidents from the total number of accidents). While it is encouraging to note that injury accidents have decreased 20.8% from what was reported in 1977, reports of accidents resulting in property damage only have decreased by 79.2% in the same time frame. Reasons for this trend are difficult to determine. While a decrease in the overall number of property damage only accidents is a reasonable conclusion, the decrease may also be due in part to a reduction in the number of police reports requested for such accidents. Accident Locations By studying the locations where accidents occur, City staff can focus attention on improving those areas experiencing problems. The location of each accident is graphically shown on the Collision Maps included as pull-outs at the end of this report

13 As can be interpreted from the maps, the locations of all 176 accidents can be broken down as shown in Table 7. LOCATION THE VILLAGE (FROM AVENIDA DE LAS ARENAS TO THE NORTH) ORANGE AVENUE (BETWEEN POMONA AVENUE AND FIRST STREET) TABLE 7: 2010 ACCIDENT LOCATION BREAKDOWN SR 75 SILVER STRAND (INCLUDES CORONADO CAYS ACCIDENTS) (SOUTHERN CITY BOUNDARY TO AVENIDA DE LAS ARENAS) NUMBER OF REPORTED ACCIDENTS PERCENTAGE OF ACCIDENTS* % % % THIRD STREET % FOURTH STREET % *Percentages in Table 7 do not total 100% as some categories overlap. There are several locations (primarily intersections) that experienced five or more accidents in These locations, and the number of accidents reported at each, are listed in Table 8 below: TABLE 8: LOCATIONS WITH FIVE OR MORE ACCIDENTS DURING 2010 LOCATION NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS Orange Avenue at Seventh Street 7 Silver Strand Blvd. at Tarawa Road 6 Orange Avenue at Ninth Street 5 Fourth Street at A Avenue 5 Orange Avenue at Second Street 5 As seen in the table, and as would be expected, all but one of the locations that experienced five or more accidents are on SR 75 or Orange Avenue, two of the more heavily traveled roads that traverse Coronado. The Orange Avenue at Second Street location is the only location within the City s right-ofway that experienced five or more accidents. The locations along state routes that experienced five or more accidents, along with the reported primary collision factors, are detailed in Table 9. The locations along City streets that experienced three or more accidents, along with the reported primary collision factors, are listed in Table 10. In addition, a comparison of the number of accidents that occurred on State Highways versus City Streets is shown in Table

14 LOCATION Orange Avenue at Seventh Street Silver Strand Blvd. at Tarawa Road Orange Avenue at Ninth Street Fourth Street at A Avenue TABLE 9: LOCATIONS ON STATE ROUTES WITH FIVE OR MORE ACCIDENTS TYPE OF PRIMARY COLLISION TIME OF ACCIDENTS ACCIDENT FACTORS DAY Rear-End Rear-End Rear-End Rear-End Rear-End Auto/Ped Hit Object Sideswipe Hit Object Rear-End Head-On Sideswipe Sideswipe Auto/Ped Unsafe Speed* Unsafe Speed* Unsafe Speed* Unsafe Speed* Auto R/W Violation Auto R/W Violation Auto R/W Violation Unsafe Speed* Unsafe Speed* Ped R/W Violation Ped R/W Violation Improper Passing Improper Driving Unsafe Starting/Backing Unsafe Starting/Backing Improper Driving Improper Turning Unknown Unsafe Lane Change Auto R/W Violation Improper Driving Improper Turning Unknown OTHER 14:26 16:25 10:22 23:52 8:04 12:55 19:22 Involved a bicyclist 16:24 12:20 11:21 15:28 15:52 13:20 10:04 12:37 15:07 15:30 5:21 15:30 14:45 14:30 9:37 17:16 Involved a bicyclist Single vehicle accident Hit a parked vehicle Single vehicle accident Hit fixed object; DUI LOCATION Orange Avenue at Second Street B Avenue at First Street TABLE 10: LOCATIONS ON CITY STREETS WITH THREE OR MORE ACCIDENTS TYPE OF PRIMARY COLLISION TIME OF ACCIDENTS ACCIDENT FACTORS DAY 5 3 Sideswipe Overturned Hit Object Other Wrong Side of Road Ped R/W Violation Auto R/W Violation Unsafe Speed* Unknown Unsafe Starting/Backing Unknown Unknown 15:06 16:30 7:06 11:09 7:26 14:20 2:16 13:34 OTHER Involved a bicyclist Single vehicle accident Hit & run; hit parked auto Single bicyclist accident *Note: Unsafe Speed does not necessarily mean excessive speed. Unsafe speed can be characterized as driving too fast for the conditions present. For instance, a rear-end collision with a car going five miles an hour hitting a stopped car could be classified as being caused by unsafe speed

15 STATE HIGHWAY CITY STREET PRIVATE PROPERTY TABLE 11: FIVE-YEAR COMPARISON OF ACCIDENTS ON STATE HIGHWAYS VERSUS CITY STREETS ACCIDENTS % OF ACCIDENTS % OF ACCIDENTS % OF ACCIDENTS % OF ACCIDENTS % OF % % % % % % % % % % % 0 0% % 0 0% 7 3.9% % % % % % Type of Accidents Table 12 details the types of accidents reported during 2010 as well as similar data for the time frame since FATAL COLLISIONS INJURY COLLISIONS PROPERTY DAMAGE ONLY AUTO/ BICYCLE AUTO/ PEDESTRIAN EACH TABLE 12: TYPES OF REPORTED ACCIDENTS % OF EACH % OF EACH % OF EACH % OF EACH % OF 5 YEAR AVG. 3 1% 0 0% 1 <1% 0 0% 2 1% % 98 50% % 85 47% 95 54% % 97 50% 83 45% 96 53% 73 41% % 15 8% 15 8% 15 8% 14 8% % 6 3% 8 4% 7 4% 6 3% 7.6 HIT AND RUN 50 22% 32 16% 26 14% 37 20% 26 15% 34.2 SINGLE VEHICLE UNDER THE INFLUENCE COLLISIONS 35 15% 31 16% 34 18% 19 10% 25 15% % 25 13% 23 12% 17 9% 15 8% Note: % of Total columns do not total to 100% as some categories overlap. Time of Accidents The total number of accidents reported within Coronado during each month of 2010 is reported in Table 13 as well as the number of specific types of accidents. Graph E depicts the overall number of accidents each month during 2010 as well, but separates them into Property Damage Only and Injury Accident categories. Coronado typically experiences an increased number of accidents during the summer months (typically considered to be May through August) when the number of visitors coming to Coronado is at its peak. As can be seen in Table 13, the month with the highest number of

16 accidents was May, which also corresponds to the month having the highest weekday ADT for both the Bridge and the Strand. FATALITIES INJURY COLLISIONS TABLE 13: TYPE OF ACCIDENTS REPORTED DURING 2010 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC S INJURIES AUTO/ PEDESTRIAN AUTO/ BICYCLE AUTO/ MOTORCYCLE HIT AND RUN UNDER THE INFLUENCE SINGLE VEHICLE COLLISIONS Graph E: Property Damage vs. Injury Collisions by Month during 2010 # of Accidents Property Damage Only Injury Collisions Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

17 Primary Collision Factors Primary collision factors for all 176 reported accidents within Coronado City limits during 2010 are included in Graph F. As seen in the graph, the majority of accidents were caused by unsafe speeds, improper turning, or right-of-way violations. The majority of collisions caused by auto right-of-way violation and unsafe speed occurred on the state highways; however, the locations of the accidents do not appear to have any other similar traits as they are scattered across the entire length of each highway and are not isolated to signalized or unsignalized intersections. Accidents due to improper turning seem to occur on both State Highways and City streets with no apparent pattern. 45 Graph F: Primary Collision Factors # of Accidents Unsafe Speed Improper Turning Auto R/W Violation Unknown D.U.I Other Improper Driving Unsafe Starting/Backing Following too Closely Traffic Signals/Signs 3 3 Other Hazardous Movement Other than Driver/Ped Ped R/W Violation Other Unsafe Lane Change Wrong Side of Road Fell Asleep 0 0 Hazardous Parking It should be noted that unsafe speed does not imply that these accidents were caused by vehicles traveling in excess of the posted speed limit. Unsafe speed can be better characterized as traveling too fast for the conditions present at the time of the collision. For instance, a rear-end collision with a car going five miles per hour could have unsafe speed listed as a primary factor in the collision. In examining the accidents that had unsafe speed listed in as a primary factor in 2010, it was found that 31 of the 39 (80%) were, in fact, rear-end accidents; 20 of the 31 rearend accidents involved one vehicle hitting another vehicle that was stopped in the road. Based on this, it doesn t appear that speeds in excess of the speed limit represent a large percentage of the reported accidents

18 Accidents Resulting in Fatalities The City unfortunately experienced two accidents in 2010 that resulted in fatalities. The first accident occurred in April on northbound Silver Strand Boulevard just north of Loew s Coronado Bay Road. A vehicle was stopped at a red signal on Silver Strand Boulevard and received a green light to proceed north. That vehicle began to pull away from the intersection when it was rear ended by a second vehicle that was traveling northbound at approximately 65 mph. A passenger in the slow moving vehicle was killed upon impact and the driver that failed to slow and subsequently rear ended the first vehicle was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. This collision occurred on a Wednesday at 1410 hours when the weather was cloudy and the roadway was wet. The second fatal collision occurred in November in the 900 block of Glorietta Boulevard. A pickup truck was traveling northbound on Glorietta Boulevard at a high rate of speed when it ran off the road and hit a tree on the golf course side. A passenger in the pickup truck was killed instantly. The investigation ruled out alcohol/drug use by the driver and cited unsafe speed, along with reckless driving as a cause. Neither accident would likely have been prevented by any engineered traffic improvement and, as a result, no improvements to reduce the likelihood of similar crashes at these locations in the future are recommended at this time. Pedestrian and Bicyclist Accidents Accidents involving pedestrians and bicyclists can, depending upon the location, require a different set of improvements in order to rectify potential safety issues. With the large number of pedestrians and bicyclists that travel across Coronado every day, and the increased risk of injuries or fatalities resulting from these types of accidents, it is important to pay special attention to these types of accidents. Maps showing the locations of all pedestrian and bicyclerelated accidents are included as pull-out attachments to this report

19 CONCLUSIONS REGARDING ACCIDENTS IN CORONADO Overall, the number of accidents occurring within the City of Coronado has been declining for three decades. However, the decrease seen from year to year seems to be getting smaller, suggesting that current traffic facilities, combined with current traffic patterns, may be reaching a natural plateau with regard to the number of resulting traffic accidents. This by no means indicates that staff s work in the area of traffic safety is complete. As long as collisions continue to occur, City staff will research the causes of accidents to see if improvements can be made. After analyzing data for the year 2010, staff believes the following statistics are worth noting: 25 accidents involved a single vehicle. This is slightly lower than the five-year average of 28.8 single vehicle accidents. Unfortunately, this type of accident is often caused by driver error and is not easily correctable through traffic control measures. 95 accidents resulted in injuries. This is slightly higher than the five-year average of 92.8 injury accidents. 15 accidents involved driving under the influence. This is considerably lower than the five-year average of 22.0 DUI accidents. 6 accidents were auto/pedestrian accidents. Although this is lower than the five-year average of 7.6 auto/pedestrian accidents, and is a relatively small number, the City is committed to increasing pedestrian safety and always seeking ways to make improvements. For example, the City just received final approval from Caltrans to install curb bulbouts along Third and Fourth Streets in an effort to improve pedestrian safety. At this time no specific patterns are seen regarding the location and reason for these accidents and, as a result, no specific improvements are recommended at this time. In 2010, 27 accidents occurred on the Silver Strand portion of SR 75 between mileposts 11.2 (Coronado s southern city limit) and 18.0 (Avenida de las Arenas). Although this represents an increase from the number of accidents in 2009, the resulting accident rate, considering the volume of vehicles that use the road on a daily basis, is relatively low. 26 accidents were considered hit and run. This is lower than the five-year average of 34.2 and equal to the number of hit and runs reported in accidents were auto/bicycle accidents. The five-year average is 13.8 auto/bicycle accidents per year. The 2010 statistic is lower than the 15 accidents reported in 2007, 2008 and 2009 but higher than the 10 accidents reported in In an effort to improve bicycle safety in the City of Coronado, a Bicycle Master Plan was adopted by the City Council in March The plan includes recommendations for future Capital Improvement Projects aimed at improving bicycle safety. In 2010, the most common primary cause factor for accidents was Unsafe Speed as defined by California Vehicle Code Section This section states No person shall drive a vehicle upon a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable or prudent having due regard for weather, visibility, the traffic on, and the surface and width of, the highway, and in no event at a speed which endangers the safety of persons or property. As a result, an accident resulting from unsafe speed can occur under

20 many circumstances and increased speed enforcement will not always result in a decrease in collisions due to unsafe speed. For example, an accident report for a rear-end collision in which a stopped vehicle is hit from behind typically notes unsafe speed as the primary collision factor even if the vehicle that caused the accident was traveling at five or 10 mph. This is because the safe traveling speed for these conditions would have been zero mph since traffic was not moving. As a result, Unsafe Speed does not always mean an accident was caused by excessive vehicle speeds, and the number of accidents resulting from unsafe speed can t be reduced through the implementation of any single improvement or speed enforcement strategy. Coronado Police Services play a key role in ongoing efforts to improve safety for the traveling public. Mobile speed radars are routinely placed at various locations throughout the City to increase driver awareness of their speed compared to the posted speed limits. Police Services also deploy variable message signs (as does Public Services) to alert motorists of traffic incidents or special events. The message signs are also used to deliver brief educational slogans encouraging drivers to obey traffic laws. City of Coronado Engineering staff is continuously looking for ways to improve safety for motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians traveling within City limits. Engineering staff typically presents trafficrelated safety issues to the City s Traffic Operations Committee (TOC) on a monthly basis. If recommended by the TOC, these items are either forwarded to the City Council for approval, or installed in the field, depending upon the item in question. Examples of measures recommended by the TOC that were ultimately installed include in-pavement pedestrian crossing signs, right-turn restrictions off Third Street, and additional speed limit signs at strategic locations within the City. A complete list of the items brought before the TOC during 2010 is included in Appendix A of this report. Locations within the City of Coronado right-of-way that experienced three or more accidents have been reviewed by City staff to determine what, if any, efforts could be made to reduce the number of accidents at each location. The intersection of Second Street and Orange Avenue experienced five accidents in 2010 with a variety of factors cited as the primary reason for each collision, making it difficult to identify any single cause for the number of reported accidents. Staff will continue to monitor that location in an effort to identify safety concerns and recommend improvements. The intersection of First Street and B Avenue experienced three accidents, one which involved a single bicyclist and another involved a parked car. Considering the nature of each accident, staff believes the intersection is properly designed and doesn t require additional improvements to improve safety at this time. Overall, policies and practices currently in place in the City of Coronado continue to be effective as demonstrated by the continued reduction in the number of reported accidents within the City. \\chfile\en\shared\traffic\annual Reports\Annualreport2010.docx

21 APPENDIX A ISSUES PRESENTED TO THE TOC IN 2010 January 28, Modification of the Blue Curb Zone Warrant 2. Possible Improvements to the Bike Path Crossing at the Coronado Cays Entrance February 25, Blue Curb Zone in front of 1448 Third Street 2. Red Curb Zones at Multiple Locations in the Coronado Cays 3. Consistency in Turn Restriction Signage on Third Street between A Avenue and Orange Avenue March 25, Blue Curb Zone at Coronado Middle School 2. Traffic Calming Devices in City Alleys April 29, Left-Turn Restriction from Third Street to B Avenue 2. Blue Curb Parking Space in Front of the Pharmacy at 230 Prospect Place 3. Review of Existing MTS Bus Stop Locations along Orange Avenue May 27, Valet Parking for Sharp Coronado Hospital at 250 Prospect Place June 24, Time-Restricted Parking Spaces in front of the Building at 1113 Adella Avenue 2. Traffic Calming Devices in City Alleys July 22, Stop Sign at the Intersection of Adella Avenue and Eighth Street 2. Review the Lane Configuration on the R. H. Dana Place Approach to Orange Avenue August 26, Minute Time-Restricted Parking Spaces Adjacent to the Building at 878 Orange Avenue September 23, Install Keep Clear Pavement Legends at the Intersection at Orange Avenue and Loma Avenue Annual Traffic Report October 21, Intersection Analysis on Alameda Boulevard at First Street - A1 -