Traffic & Safety Commission

CITY OF BELL GARDENS Traffic & Safety Commission REGULAR MEETING Tuesday, April 7, 2026 at 5:30 PM AGENDA LOCATION: CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 7100 GARFIELD AVENUE, BELL GARDENS, CA 90201 The meeting will be held at Bell Gardens City Hall in the Council Chambers. The public may attend the meeting in person or virtually as instructed below. You may view the meeting live on the City's website at https://www.bellgardens.org/i-want-to/watch-commission-meetings . Agendas are available by clicking here. ACCESSIBILITY: If requested, the agenda and backup materials will be made available in appropriate alternative formats to persons with a disability, as required by Section 202 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 12132), and the federal rules and regulations adopted in implementation thereof. Any person who requires a disability-related modification or accommodation, in order to observe and/or offer public participation may request such reasonable modification, accommodation, aid, or service by contacting Elva Gamboa, Secretary by telephone at 562-806-7770 or via email Pwadmin@bellgardens.org no later than 72-hours before the scheduled meeting. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: The members of the public may address the members of the Traffic and Safety Commission on any item listed on the agenda or on matters which are not listed on the agenda but are within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Traffic and Safety Commission. Public participation are limited to three (3) minutes. Public participation for non-agenda items will be limited to a total of 30 minutes. Public participation can be made by any of the following ways: IN-PERSON: Members of the public can provide in-person participation at the podium in the Council Chamber. The Council Chambers will have seating available for members of the public to attend the meeting in person, subject to capacity limits. Public participation are limited to (3) minutes per speaker, unless different time is announced by the presiding chair. Speakers who wish to address the Traffic & Safety Commission should do so by submitting a "Public Comment Card" by 5:00 pm. BY TELEPHONE: Phone Number: (669)900-9128 Webinar ID: 813 0091 8706# Passcode: 2021# To address the City Council press *9 to raise your hand then *6 to unmute yourself when instructed. VIRTUALLY LIVE: Members of the public may participate via Zoom by https://zoom.us/join and entering the Zoom Meeting ID: 813 0091 8706 Passcode: 2021 Page 1 of 14 Public participation may also be made via the Zoom app by using the "Raise Hand" feature when it is your turn to speak the host will unmute you. Participation will not be accepted in the QandA Chat function of the zoom app. WRITTEN COMMENTS: Public participation may be emailed to PublicComments@bellgardens.org or mailed to: Department of Public Works, 8327 Garfield Ave., Bell Gardens, CA 90201. To ensure distribution to the members of the Traffic and Safety Commission prior to consideration of the agenda, please submit comments no later than one (1) hour prior to the meeting. Those comments, as well as any comments received after, will be distributed to the members of the Traffic and Safety Commission and will be part of the official public record of this meeting. For more information, you may contact Elva Gamboa office during regular business hours 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday at (562) 806-7770. Page 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. INVOCATION 3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 4. ROLL CALL OF TRAFFIC & SAFETY COMMISSIONERS Edgar Lopez / Commissioner Gustavo Mendez / Commissioner Samuel Perez / Commissioner Pedro Trujillo / Commissioner David Heredia / Chair 5. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ON AGENDA ITEMS ONLY During this time, the members of the public may address the Traffic and Safety Commissioners regarding any items listed on the agenda. Public participation are limited to 3 minutes per person. 6. CONSENT CALENDAR All matters listed under the Consent Calendar are considered to be routine and can be acted on by one roll call vote. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless members of the Traffic and Safety Commission request specific items to be removed from the Consent Calendar for separate action. Items called for separate discussion will be heard as the next order of business. 6.1 Approval of Minutes of Traffic and Safety Commission - March 3 2026 Meeting 4 Recommendation: It is staff's recommendation that the City Council approve the minutes of the March 3, 2026, Traffic and Safety Commission Meeting 7. DISCUSSION 7.1 Traffic Safety Analysis – Request for Red Curb Parking Restriction at 5959 and 5954 8 Page 2 of 14  Ludell Street Recommendation: It is the City Traffic Engineer's recommendation that the Traffic and Safety Commission approve for City Council consideration the installation of red curb parking restrictions fronting 5959 and 5954 Ludell Street. Attachment: Exhibit 1 - Proposed Condition 7.2 Traffic Safety Analysis – Request for Speed Humps on Gotham Street between Ira 11 Avenue and Gephart Avenue Recommendation: It is the City Traffic Engineer's recommendation that the Traffic and Safety Commission: 1. Authorize staff to distribute a Speed Hump Survey Questionnaire to all residents fronting Gotham Street from Ira Avenue to Gephart Avenue, requesting their confirmation of support or opposition of the proposed speed hump installation; and 2. If at least 51% resident support is obtained, approve for City Council consideration the installation of the proposed speed humps on Gotham Street; or if less than 51% resident support is obtained, then deny and close out the citizen speed hump request. 8. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS 9. DEPARTMENT UPDATE REPORT 10. ADJOURNMENT Karla Gonzalez, Senior Management Analyst Agenda Posted on April 3, 2026 Page 3 of 14  CITY OF BELL GARDENS Traffic & Safety Commission REGULAR MEETING Tuesday, March 3, 2026, at 5:30 PM MINUTES LOCATION: CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 7100 GARFIELD AVENUE, BELL GARDENS, CA 90201 The meeting will be held at Bell Gardens City Hall in the Council Chambers. The public may attend the meeting in person or virtually as instructed below. You may view the meeting live on the City's website at https://www.bellgardens.org/i-want-to/watch-commission-meetings. Agendas are available by clicking here. ACCESSIBILITY: If requested, the agenda and backup materials will be made available in appropriate alternative formats to persons with a disability, as required by Section 202 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 12132), and the federal rules and regulations adopted in implementation thereof. Any person who requires a disability-related modification or accommodation, in order to observe and/or offer public comment may request such reasonable modification, accommodation, aid, or service by contacting Elva Gamboa, Commission Secretary by telephone at 562-806-7770 or via email pwadmin@bellgardens.org no later than 72-hours before the scheduled meeting. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: The members of the public may address the members of the Traffic and Safety Commission on any item listed on the agenda or on matters which are not listed on the agenda but are within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Traffic and Safety Commission. Public comments are limited to three (3) minutes. Public comments for non-agenda items will be limited to a total of 30 minutes. Public comments can be made by any of the following ways: IN-PERSON: Members of the public can provide in-person comments at the podium in the Council Chamber. The Council Chambers will have seating available for members of the public to attend the meeting in person, subject to capacity limits. Public comments are limited to (3) minutes per speaker, unless different time is announced by the presiding chair. Speakers who wish to address the Traffic & Safety Commission should do so by submitting a "Public Comment Card" by 5:00 pm. Page 4 of 14 BY TELEPHONE: Phone Number: (669)900-9128 Webinar ID: 813 0091 8706# Passcode: 2021# To address the City Council press *9 to raise your hand then *6 to unmute yourself when instructed. VIRTUALLY LIVE: Members of the public may participate via Zoom by https://zoom.us/join and entering the Zoom Meeting ID: 813 0091 8706 Passcode: 2021 Comments may also be made via the Zoom app by using the "Raise Hand" feature when it is your turn to speak the host will unmute you. Comments will not be accepted in the Q and A Chat function of the zoom app. WRITTEN COMMENTS: Public comments may be emailed to pwadmin@bellgardens.org or mailed to: Public Works Department, 8327 Garfield Ave., Bell Gardens, CA 90201. To ensure distribution to the members of the Commission prior to consideration of the agenda, please submit comments no later than one (1) hour prior to the meeting. Those comments, as well as any comments received after, will be distributed to the members of the Commission and will be part of the official public record of this meeting. For more information, you may contact the Public Works Department during regular business hours 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday at (562) 806-7770. 1 CALL TO ORDER The Traffic and Safety Commission held its regular meeting on March 3, 2026, in the City Council Chambers, 7100 Garfield Avenue, Bell Gardens, CA with Chairperson Heredia calling the meeting to order at 5:38 p.m. 2 ROLL CALL OF TRAFFIC AND SAFETY COMMISSION MEMBERS Present: Edgar Lopez / Commissioner Samuel Perez / Commissioner Pedro Trujillo/ Commissioner David Heredia / Chair Absent: Gustavo Mendez / Commissioner 3 INVOCATION The invocation was given by Public Works/Facilities Director Bernardo Iniguez. 4 PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Commissioner Samuel Perez. 5 PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS AND AGENDA ITEMS UNDER THE SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION OF THE TRAFFIC AND SAFETY COMMISSION During this time, the members of the public may address the Commission regarding any items within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Traffic and Safety Commission. Public comments are limited to 3 minutes per person subject to an overall 30-minute period for non-agenda items and overall 30- Page 5 of 14 minutes for agenda items. Government Code Section 54590 prohibits the City Council /Successor Agency from taking action or engaging in discussion on a specific item unless it appears on the agenda. No public comments were received. 6 CONSENT CALENDAR (Item Nos. 6.1) All matters listed under the Consent Calendar are considered to be routine and can be acted on by one roll call vote. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless members of the Commission request specific items to be removed from the Consent Calendar for separate action. Items called for separate discussion will be heard as the next order of business. 6.1 Approval of Minutes of the Traffic & Safety Commission Meeting of December 2, 2025 RECOMMENDATION: It is staff's recommendation that the Traffic and Safety Commission approve the attached minutes. A motion was made by Commissioner Perez to approve staff’s recommendation, seconded by Commissioner Lopez to approve Item No. 6.1. The motion carried 4-0-0-1 with the following vote: Moved by: Samuel Perez Seconded by: Edgar Lopez YES: Edgar Lopez, Samuel Perez, Pedro Trujillo and David Heredia Carried 4-0 7 DISCUSSION (Item Nos. 7.1) 7.1 Traffic Safety Analysis – Request For Red Curb Parking Restrictions Fronting 6423 El Selinda Avenue RECOMMENDATION: It is staff’s recommendation that the Traffic and Safety Commission approve for City Council consideration the request for the installation of three (3) feet of red curb parking restrictions on the south side of the driveway fronting 6423 El Selinda Avenue to improve sight distance conditions. Bernardo Iniguez, Director of Public Works/Facilities, and Dennis Barnes, City Traffic Engineer, provided a traffic safety analysis report. A motion was made by Commissioner Lopez to approve staff’s recommendation, seconded by Commissioner Trujillo to approve Item No. 7.1. The motion carried 3-1-0-1 with the following vote: Moved by: Edgar Lopez Seconded by: Pedro Trujillo YES: Edgar Lopez, Pedro Trujillo and David Heredia NO: Samuel Perez Carried 3-1 Page 6 of 14 8 COMMISSIONERS COMMENTS Members of the Traffic and Safety Commission provided comments. 9 STAFF COMMENTS Bernardo Iniguez, Director of Public Works/Facilities, provided updates and comments. 10 ADJOURNMENT Chairperson David Heredia adjourned the meeting at 5:58 p.m. _________________________ Elva Gamboa Senior Secretary Page 7 of 14  CITY OF BELL GARDENS PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AGENDA REPORT TO: Honorable Chair and Members of the Traffic and Safety Commission FROM: Bernardo Iniguez, Director of Public Works/Facilities BY: Doug Benash, City Engineer Dennis Barnes, City Traffic Engineer SUBJECT: Traffic Safety Analysis – Request for Red Curb Parking Restrictions Fronting 5959 and 5954 Ludell Street DATE: April 7, 2026 RECOMMENDATION: It is the City Traffic Engineer’s recommendation that the Traffic and Safety Commission approve for City Council consideration the installation of red curb parking restrictions fronting 5959 and 5954 Ludell Street. BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION: Staff received a request from a resident in the neighborhood regarding street flooding following heavy rainfall. The City Engineer completed a site investigation of the location to confirm existing conditions of the site and parking and trash activity impacts. The Public Works Department actively monitors these catch basins during all storm events to ensure the basins are clear of any debris that would hamper drainage. However, effective maintenance is contingent upon clear access to these structures. If vehicles are parked in front of the catch basins, they can restrict access to the devices, preventing necessary maintenance and increasing the risk of street flooding during heavy rain events. INVESTIGATION AND DISCUSSION: The Ludell Street neighborhood is a mix of single and multi-family homes. A field inspection confirmed that there are catch basins in Ludell Street between Colmar Avenue and Adamson Avenue. However, recent field observations also indicated that parked vehicles frequently obstruct these locations, including parking over an on-street drainage grate. Page 8 of 14 The storm drain maintenance of these catch basins promotes proper drainage in the neighborhood during rain events. In response to these findings, the City is desirous of installing red curbing at critical drainage points and near specific catch basins. At this location, there are two critical catch basins in front of 5959 and 5954 Ludell Street. The City Traffic Engineer recommends the installation of red curbs at both locations. These restrictions will not have a significant impact on available street parking. The proposed red curb restrictions are as follows: • 5959 Ludell Street. The proposed red curb will be nine (9) feet in length from the top of curb of the driveway going westerly of the property. This creates twenty- seven (27) feet of parking space on the property to the west of the 5959 Ludell Street property. • 5654 Ludell Street. The proposed red curb will be 10 feet in length from the top of curb of the driveway going easterly of the property. This creates seventeen (17) feet of parking space on the property to the east of the 5954 Ludell Street property. CONCLUSION: After a review of the existing site conditions, City’s Traffic Engineer recommends the installation of the red curb at the catch basins on Ludell Street to facilitate stormwater drainage in the area. FISCAL IMPACT: $500 for materials and labor from the Street Maintenance Account ATTACHMENTS: Exhibit 1 – Proposed Condition Page 9 of 14 Exhibit 1 – Proposed Red Curb Conditions Page 10 of 14  CITY OF BELL GARDENS PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AGENDA REPORT TO: Honorable Chair and Members of the Traffic and Safety Commission FROM: Bernardo Iniguez, Director of Public Works/Facilities BY: Dennis Barnes, City Traffic Engineer SUBJECT: Traffic Safety Analysis – Request for Speed Humps on Gotham Street between Ira Avenue and Gephart Avenue DATE: April 7, 2026 RECOMMENDATION: It is the City Traffic Engineers recommendation that the Traffic and Safety Commission: 1. Authorize staff to distribute a Speed Hump Survey Questionnaire to all residents fronting Gotham Street from Ira Avenue to Gephart Avenue, requesting their confirmation of support or opposition of the proposed speed hump installation; and 2. If at least 51% resident support is obtained, approve for City Council consideration the installation of the proposed speed humps on Gotham Street; or if less than 51% resident support is obtained, then deny and close out the citizen speed hump request. BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION: The Public Works Department received a signed Speed Hump Petition from residents requesting the installation of speed humps on Gotham Street from Ira Avenue to Gephart Avenue in accordance with the City’s Policy for the Installation/Removal of Speed (Policy). The residents expressed concerns regarding speeding activity on this street segment. Figure 1 shows an aerial photo of the subject street block and Figure 2 shows an aerial view illustrating that Gotham Street meets the Policy requirement of being less than 40 feet wide. Page 11 of 14  Figure 1 - Aerial View of Gotham Street from Ira Avenue to Gephart Avenue. . Figure 2 - Aerial View of Gotham Street Showing Existing Street Width Less Than 40 Feet. Page 12 of 14 ANALYSIS OF REQUEST In accordance with the Policy, each speed hump request is reviewed on a case-by-case basis and submitted to the Traffic and Safety Commission for review and consideration. The following information summarizes some of the key points reviewed during the speed hump evaluation process by the City Engineer and/or City Traffic Engineer: • Local, residential street with one lane of travel in each direction. • Roadway width is not more than 40 feet. • There are no curves that would make it difficult for drivers to see the speed humps. • Traffic volumes are between 500 and 3,500 vehicles per day. • Posted speed limit/Prima facia speed limit of 25 miles per hour (MPH). • Actual measured 85th percentile speeds greater than 25 MPH by 8 MPH or more. • Speed humps shall not be installed on roadways with grades over 6 percent. • Street is not a transit route or primary emergency response route. • Citizen Support: Prior to the installation of speed humps, at least fifty-one (51%) percent of residents residing along the affected street should support the request (one vote per each legal address). In response to the request, the City Traffic Engineer ordered traffic volume counts and a speed profile for Gotham Street between Ira Avenue and Gephart Avenue. The purpose was to confirm the extent of reported speeding activity on Gotham Street and review the traffic volume data needed to determine if the local street meets the Policy’s requirements. Gotham Street is an east-west local residential street providing one lane of travel in each direction with a prima facia and posted speed limit of 25 MPH. This block has single- family and multi-family homes on both sides of the street. The roadway width is approximately 38 feet wide from curb to curb. The block length of Gotham Street from Ira Avenue to Gephart Avenue is approximately 945 feet. The results of the average daily traffic volume count over a three-day period show that Gotham Street carries an average of 1271 vehicles per day. The traffic volumes were recorded from February 24, 2026, to February 26, 2026. If the 85th percentile speed exceeds the posted speed limit by 8 MPH, this would indicate speeding activity. The recorded speed profile measurements for the combined directions of eastbound and westbound Gotham Street varied. There were three days in which the 85th percentile speed exceeded the prima facia posted speed limit of 25 MPH by 8 MPH. February 24, 2026, recorded an 85th percentile speed on Gotham Street of 33 MPH while February 25, 2026, and February 26, 2026, recorded an 85th percentile speed on Gotham Page 13 of 14 Street of 34 MPH. The three days meet the Policy requirement of Gotham Street, being 8 MPH over the posted speed limit; therefore, it meets the Policy’s speed criteria. CONCLUSION: After reviewing the Policy criteria and the collected traffic-related data, the City Traffic Engineer has determined the subject residential block of Gotham Street meets the requirements to proceed with the next step in the consideration of the citizen speed hump request; which would include the distribution of the Speed Hump Survey Questionnaire to all residents fronting Gotham Street from Ira Avenue to Gephart Avenue. Figure 3 shows the proposed speed hump locations. Figure 3 – Proposed Speed Hump Locations on Gotham Street From Ira Avenue to Gephart Avenue. FISCAL IMPACT: If the necessary resident support is received based on the results of the Speed Hump Survey Questionnaire, and the City Council subsequently approves the request, the estimated cost for the installation of speed humps, signage, and pavement markings is approximately $3,795, which is available in the current Street Maintenance Budget. Page 14 of 14