The city of Sunnyvale wants to resolve a problem that has triggered complaints from some residents for years--heavy traffic and speeding cars through residential neighborhoods.
At its Jan. 8 meeting, the City Council looked at a study that recommended continuation of police services, installation of signs and public education to alleviate the problem.
The study by the traffic engineering division of the Department of Public Works also suggested that city staffers continue to work with residents to identify problems and to resolve them.
The study marks the first time Sunnyvale has tried to ease the problems on a citywide basis. The city ranked the issue as a priority a year ago and began to search for ways to ease or resolve the problem, said David Vossbrink, the city's community relations officer.
The council will approve a plan of action at a later date, he said.
The root of the problem stems from cars that roar through the residential streets and from certain neighborhood roadways that are connected to major roadways, the study said.
Many of the city's neighborhoods were designed with a limited number of streets connected to such roadways.
With this type of road configuration, a large majority of the residents live on streets that have very little traffic, while a relatively small percentage of residents experience most of the traffic problems, the study said.
Some of the trouble spots are Inverness Way, which serves schools and parks in large residential neighborhoods; Blair Avenue, which services Mary Avenue and Hollenbeck Road; and El Camino Real, the study said.
Installing speed bumps and more street signs and closing streets would help ease the problem, but the city has shied away from them as possible solutions, the study suggested.
For one thing, the city is concerned the road improvements might shift problems to another neighborhood, Vossbrink said.
"These measures can change the character of neighborhoods. So before we do anything, we need to get in touch with the people," he said.
In place of making physical improvements, the city has met with residents in affected neighborhoods, done traffic studies and had police officers monitor heavily used neighborhood roads, the study said.
Police enforcement works effectively, but owing to the size of the city, it would be difficult for it to provide the amount of services some residents want, the study said.
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, January 15, 1997.
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