Agenda Item 8CAGENDA ITEM # 8C
AUGUST 27, 2012
STAFF REPORT
City of Atlantic Beach
Commission Meeting
AGENDA ITEM: Commissioner Request to evaluate traffic safety in Aquatic
Gardens
DATE: August 17, 2012
SUBMITTED BY: Michael D. Classey, Chief of Police
BACKGROUND:
Commission Daugherty met with residents from Aquatic Gardens last month regarding a
variety of concerns the citizens wanted to discuss. Following that meeting, he completed
a report listing their concerns which he submitted at the July 23 commission meeting.
Specifically, he reported the following concern as a part of that report:
"Speeding and through traffic - There is a perception that Aquatic Gardens is being
used as a through street for the Royal Palms neighborhood. There used to be signs
posted at the north entrance that said no through traffic and the residents are asking
for the sign to be reinstalled. They are also asking for two speed bumps to be
installed in the neighborhood."
Pursuant to Municipal Ordinance 19 -6, the Police Department was asked to complete a
traffic evaluation of the area. A subsequent conversation with resident and neighborhood
meeting organizer, Rita Pierce, confirmed that they believed the problem was on the
northern portion of Aquatic Drive near Cutlass Drive.
The Police Department conducted a covert speed study in that area for 1 week. Several
pieces of data were obtained from that study. The speed limit is 20 mph and there were
3,858 vehicles that drove through that area in one week. Of the total number of vehicles,
only 133 or 3% drove 6 mph or more over the speed limit.
Staff also reviewed accident data for 2009 through the present. The following accidents
were recorded:
1. 2009 — Improper backing into a parked vehicle
2. 2010 —Fleeing and Eluding Law Enforcement, no damage
3. 2010 — Improper backing into parked vehicle
4. 2011 — Careless driving, hit parked vehicle
None of the accidents made any reference to speed being a contributing factor.
AGENDA ITEM # 8C
AUGUST 27, 2012
Following the initial data collection, an analysis was performed. First of all, the speed
study results indicate that the speed violations account for a very small percentage of the
total number of vehicles. Further, accident history is very low and none were attributed to
speed.
With regards to traffic volume, 3,858 vehicles in a week appears, on initial review, like a
high number for a residential area. However, there are a number of factors that must also
be considered. Aquatic Gardens has 132 homes in it. Based upon census data and other
studies, there are on average, 2 vehicles per household. Even if you calculated only 2
trips per day, which is much lower than national averages, for that number of vehicles
and for a week's time, that would total 3,696. Admittedly there are other variables which
are difficult to factor, but the bottom line is Aquatic Drive is considered a low volume
roadway.
The topic of speed bumps or humps has come up periodically for consideration. Atlantic
Beach has traditionally denied those requests with rare exception and then only when
justified by objective data. A few of the potential problems with speed humps are as
follows:
1. May only divert traffic to other residential roadways.
2. Can cause damage to some vehicles
3. May slow emergency vehicle response
4. Can cause increased noise
5. Drivers may be distracted by the speed humps and overlook other safety hazards
The process for evaluating a request for "traffic calming devices such as speed humps" is
contained within City Ordinance 19 -6 and requires that the Police Department declare the
area a "traffic safety hazard ". After a complete review of all the information, there is
insufficient justification to declare the area a "traffic safety hazard ".
The other part of the concern listed above is that Aquatic Gardens is being used as a
through street and that it used to have a sign prohibiting that. According to Public Works
records, there was a "No Thru Traffic" sign on Cutlass west of Skate installed in 1993,
but there is no record of why or who authorized it and it was subsequently removed.
Research revealed that there are only two other locations city wide that utilize that sign
and those were posted many years ago. In addition, both of those streets are dead ends.
"No Thru Traffic" or "Local Traffic Only" signs are not recognized by the Manual of
Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). They do not appear in the manual as either
a regulatory or warning sign. They are unenforceable and the city has not, in recent
history, approved the installation of this type signage on any public road. Staff does not
recommend installing these signs in Aquatic Gardens.
AGENDA ITEM # 8C
AUGUST 27, 2012
Staff has deployed the speed trailer (with speed display) in the neighborhood periodically
to remind and educate drivers about their speed. Traffic enforcement has also been
conducted in the neighborhood. Both of these will be continued in the future.
BUDGET: None
RECOMMENDATIONS: Based upon the research completed, there is insufficient
justification to declare the road a "traffic safety area ". Staff recommends against the
installation of speed humps or a "No Thru Traffic" sign.