With a 4-0 vote at its September 19 meeting, Orinda City Council approved the addition of new speed cushions for the 200 block of Ivy Drive. Mayor Steve Glazer was out of town and did not vote.
That action followed nearly a year of analysis and planning by the City's Traffic Safety Advisory Committee (TSAC) and Ivy Drive's Neighborhood Action Team (NAT), which resulted in TSAC's approval on March 19 of the NAT proposal to install cushions crossing Ivy Drive at residence numbers 215 and 216. TSAC's action was conditional, pending approval both by property owners abutting the cushion locations and the City Council.
On June 28, City staff mailed informational brochures with pre-paid polling postcards to "Orinda property owners abutting Ivy Drive between Coral Drive and Moraga Way south" to solicit their input. Of the 42 residents polled, 20 responded in favor and nine were opposed. The poll had a 69 percent response rate; a minimum 50 percent response rate was required.
Benefits cited at the time included speed reduction and low initial installation and maintenance costs. Cons identified were a 3.8 second delay to fire trucks with potentially longer delays for ambulances due to their narrower wheel bases - and the possibility that the addition of the new cushions would only divert speeders to other streets.
The operations chief for the Moraga-Orinda Fire District spoke briefly during the public forum to reiterate the department's request that careful attention be paid to the width of the speed cushions installed to ensure that MOFD personnel will not be delayed in reaching residents in emergency situations. Vice Mayor Amy Worth responded, saying that it was her understanding that adjustments have been made to the width of cushions in response to MOFD concerns.
The cost for the installation of the new cushions and related signage is estimated at $7,500.
That action followed nearly a year of analysis and planning by the City's Traffic Safety Advisory Committee (TSAC) and Ivy Drive's Neighborhood Action Team (NAT), which resulted in TSAC's approval on March 19 of the NAT proposal to install cushions crossing Ivy Drive at residence numbers 215 and 216. TSAC's action was conditional, pending approval both by property owners abutting the cushion locations and the City Council.
On June 28, City staff mailed informational brochures with pre-paid polling postcards to "Orinda property owners abutting Ivy Drive between Coral Drive and Moraga Way south" to solicit their input. Of the 42 residents polled, 20 responded in favor and nine were opposed. The poll had a 69 percent response rate; a minimum 50 percent response rate was required.
Benefits cited at the time included speed reduction and low initial installation and maintenance costs. Cons identified were a 3.8 second delay to fire trucks with potentially longer delays for ambulances due to their narrower wheel bases - and the possibility that the addition of the new cushions would only divert speeders to other streets.
The operations chief for the Moraga-Orinda Fire District spoke briefly during the public forum to reiterate the department's request that careful attention be paid to the width of the speed cushions installed to ensure that MOFD personnel will not be delayed in reaching residents in emergency situations. Vice Mayor Amy Worth responded, saying that it was her understanding that adjustments have been made to the width of cushions in response to MOFD concerns.
The cost for the installation of the new cushions and related signage is estimated at $7,500.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA