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Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES - 10072003 - SD5 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FROM: MILLIE GREENBERG, SUPERVISOR DISTRICT III DATE: OCTOBER 7, 2003 SUBJECT: PROPOSED VASCO ROAD SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATIONS)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION I. Financial lmpact: ESTABLISH a Daylight Headlight Section on Vasco Road in Contra Costa County and DIRECT the Public Works Director to coordinate with Alameda County in installing the signs; and REQUEST Senator Tom Torlakson to sponsor legislation to designate Vasco Road a Safety Corridor and establish a double fine zone; and ESTABLISH a Vasco Road Safety Task Force to include Contra Costa and Alameda Counties,the Cities of Brentwood and Livermore, the California Highway Patrol and Caltrans to develop an action plan for additional safety improvements in the Vasco Road Corridor. Continued on Attachment: X SIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR _RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(SI: ACTION OF BOARD ON October 7, 2003 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER X *See attached addendum for Board action* I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board VOTEo �SUPERVISORS UNANIMOUS(ABSENT None of Supervisors on the date shown. ) AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: ATTESTED:. October 7, 2003 G:\Grp6ata\AdtninVutielB0 Vasco Boatel Order Oct 7.doc JOHN SWEETEN, Clerk of the Orig.Div: Public Works(Admin.Svs.) Board of Supervisors and County Contact: (425)313-2342 Administrator C: Senator Torlakson Assemblymember Houston Sohn Sweeten,CAO Maurice Shiu,FWD Director r� S �v y, s By`} ' ,�fr ., Deputy Jerry Fah Trans.Eng. s,�.."tl r (f� t , City of Brentwood Alameda County City of Livermore CHP Caltrans SUBJECT: PROPOSED VASCO ROAD SAFETY MPROVEMENTS DATE: OCTOBER 7, 2003 PAGE: 2 II. Financiallmpact: There will be no impact to the General Fund. Planning and implementation costs will be funded with road funds or through grants. III. Reasons for Recommendations and Background: Vasco Road is a rural two-lane road that runs from Brentwood in Contra Costa County to Livermore in Alameda County. The Contra Costa County section was relocated by the Contra Costa Water District in 1996 for the Los Vaqueros Reservoir. The new section of road was built to current standards with 12-foot lanes and. 8-foot shoulders in 1996. The posted speed is 55 miles per hour. Vasco Road carries over 20,000 vehicles per day, and the 85`" percentile speed in Contra Costa County is 64 to 66 miles per hour, which means that 85 percent of the vehicles are traveling at that speed or lower. The Alameda section is narrower with tighter curves and a lower speed limit. Recently there have been some serious accidents resulting in fatalities on Vasco Road in both counties.Excessive speeding and driver inattention have contributed to the cause of the accidents. In an effort to improve the safety of the road, the County has been working with the California Highway Patrol(CHP)to increase traffic enforcement by establishing aerial patrols in the corridor.We have applied for a grant to install active speed indication signs that will remind drivers of the speed limit and give immediate feedback on the speed they are driving. The County is also working with the CHP, Alameda County and the City of Brentwood to look at engineering and operations improvements that will increase safety. Some agreed upon outcomes are to establish a Daylight Headlight Section on Vasco Road and to try and establish a double fine zone.Daylight Headlight Section can be established with direction from the Board of Supervisors. Establishing Vasco Road as a Safety Corridor and implementing a double fine zone requires legislative action. For the development of a comprehensive program to address safety, concerns a Vasco Road Task Force of Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, Cities of Brentwood and Livermore, the CHP and Caltrans will be established. This task force will develop an action plan for the corridor that encompasses engineering, enforcement and education. ADDENDUM TO ITEM SD.5 October 7, 2003 The Board of Supervisors considered the proposed Vasco Road safety improvements to establish a Daylight Headlight Section on Vasco Road in Contra Costa County. Supervisor Millie Greenberg presented the recommendations. Also present was Maurice Shiu, Director, Public Works Department. The Chair invited those who wished to address the Board on this matter. There were no speakers. After Board discussion, Supervisor Greenberg moved to approve the item with an addition to recommendation #3 "Establish a Vasco Road Safety Task Force to include Contra Costa and Alameda Counties, the Cities of Brentwood and Livermore, the California Highway Patrol and Caltrans to develop an action plan and implement additional safety improvements in the Vasco Road Corridor". Supervisor Clover second the motion. The Board of Supervisors took the following action: o ESTABLISHED a Daylight Headlight Section on Vasco Road in Contra Costa County o DIRECTED the Public Works Director to coordinate with Alameda County in installing the signs; o REQUESTED Senator Tom Torlakson to sponsor legislation to designate Vasco Road a Safety Corridor and establish a double fine zone; o ESTABLISHED a 'Vasco Road Safety Task Force to include Contra Costa and Alameda Counties, the Cities of Brentwood and Livermore, the California Highway Patrol and Caltrans to develop an action plant and implement additional safety improvements in the Vasco Road Corridor. The-Board of Supervisors ContraJahn Sweeten County Administration Building Clerk of the Board 651 Pine Street,Room 106 Costa and Martinez,California 94553-1293 �� County Administrator Jahn Gioia,1st District Cou {825}335-1900 Gayle S.1liikerna,2nd District SEA Millie Greenberg,3rd District Mark DeSaulnler,4th District r Federal D.Glover,5th District October 7, 2003 °. @ C`OU.'1Y Senator Torn Torlakson CapitolBuilding#5061 Sacramento,CA 95814 Dear Se son. Thank you for your leadership and support in the effort to develop the state highway system in East Contra Costa County. Your success in sponsoring Senate Bill 802 to include portions of State Highway Route 84(Vasco Road)and State Highway Route 239(Byron Highway)as eligible interregional and intercounty routes was an important step. We would like to continue to work with you to build on that progress and to increase safety on the existing roadways. Caltrans Participation-As you know,Alameda and Contra Costa County are joining together to define safety improvements in the Vasco Road corridor.We will need to work closely with Caltrans on the planning and implementation of these improvements,to ensure they meet Caltrans' standards,to facilitate the conversion of Vasco Road to State Route 84. It is also important that we begin to define an alignment to extend Byron Highway to Route 580 in San Joaquin County and to identify improvements to Byron Highway within Contra Costa,Alameda and San Joaquin counties that are necessary for it to become State Route 239. Caltrans'participation will be critical in both these efforts. We appreciate your further support to ensure that necessary State resources are available to achieve these goals, Safety Corridor Legislation--The County is also looking at shorter-term strategies to improve the safety of Vasco Road by implementing programs to help change driver behavior.To that end,we have worked with the California Highway Patrol to provide aerial enforcement,and are proceeding with making Vasco Road a daylight headlight corridor. We would also like to implement a double fine zone for traffic violations and a driver safety awareness campaign.Therefore, in addition we are seek your help in sponsoring legislation and are requesting the designation of Vasco Road as a pilot project in the"Safety Enhancement-Double Fine Zones"program. The Board of Supervisors deeply appreciates your leadership and support in improving our transportation infrastructure,and look forward to our continued partnership with you as we work to make Route 84 and Route 239 a reality. Sincerely, i Mark DeSaulnier Chair,Board of Supervisors cc: Caltrans Assemblymember Guy Houston Representative Ellen Tauscher Representative Richard W.Pombo Alameda.County Board of Supervisors San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors Bentwood City Council Oakley City Council Antioch City Council Livermore City Council Mark Watts,Smith,Watts and Company Bethel Island Municipal Advisory Council Byron Municipal Advisory Council Discovery Bay Community Services District Knightsen Town Advisory Council Maurice Shiu,Public Works Director,Contra Costa County Steve Goetz,Community Development,Contra Costa County