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Salinas traffic staff outlines engineering, Safe Routes, AB 43 daylighting and new tech
Summary
On March 13 the commission received an overview of traffic engineering and operations including resurfacing opportunities, Safe Routes to School planning, AB 43 ‘daylighting’ at intersections, neighborhood traffic‑calming options and emerging virtual detection technology for signals.
Jaime Rodriguez, the city’s on‑call traffic engineer, gave a broad introduction to traffic engineering and operations on March 13, describing how resurfacing projects, master plans and small operations tasks combine to shape what drivers, cyclists and pedestrians experience on Salinas streets.
Rodriguez explained that resurfacing and restriping create opportunities to implement bicycle and pedestrian network elements and described master plans such as bicycle/pedestrian networks, complete‑streets policies and Safe Routes to School studies. He said Safe Routes work typically produces two outputs: preferred walking/biking route maps and per‑school infrastructure recommendations (for example, new crosswalks or pedestrian‑activated beacons).
On state law, Rodriguez reviewed Assembly Bill 43 (AB 43), the so‑called daylighting requirement for intersections. He said AB 43 generally requires curb areas near crosswalks and intersection corners to be free of parked vehicles so motorists have a clear line of sight to pedestrians; staff said some agencies are combining education and a multi‑year rollout with warning notices before citations. The presentation included outreach materials and an example of a police or parking‑control warning notice used in other jurisdictions.
The briefing covered neighborhood traffic calming and the staff approach to requests. Rodriguez and commissioners discussed a three‑stage response: 1) low‑cost, quick‑build fixes and education, 2) targeted engineering measures, and 3) larger capital fixes such as speed cushions or speed tables. Rodriguez noted speed humps can add roughly 30 seconds of delay per hump for emergency vehicles; alternative designs such as speed tables or cushions can reduce that delay to a smaller increment while slowing neighborhood traffic.
On engineering guidance, Rodriguez reviewed the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and the California Vehicle Code as primary standards; he also referenced guidance and best practices from ITE and NACTO. He highlighted a practical detail: where crosswalks are painted without a white limit line, the legal stopping point for drivers can be ambiguous under the California Vehicle Code, which can have implications for crash liability.
Rodriguez described technology trends including interactive Safe Routes maps (an example used Google Maps) and “virtual detection” for signals: mobile apps that can send detection requests for bicyclists, buses or pedestrians so signals can adjust earlier and reduce wait times when traditional loop or video detection fails.
Public commenters and commissioners raised enforcement, education and equity concerns. Several speakers urged stronger enforcement of parking in bike lanes, more bicycle racks at retail sites, and school‑based bike and pedestrian education programs. Commissioners asked for follow‑up items including the city’s curb‑management inventory, a study session on the traffic‑calming program, and whether the city can supply educational and warning notices about AB 43. Staff said they plan a study session on neighborhood traffic calming later this summer and noted the city is currently issuing warnings rather than citations while rolling out AB 43 education.
Ending: Staff said it will return with additional detail on traffic calming priorities and a study session on the neighborhood program; commissioners requested copies of the speed‑table/traffic‑calming graphics and AB 43 outreach materials.
