Transportation Action Requests

Do you have a concern about vehicle, bicycle or pedestrian safety?

Complete and submit a Transportation Action Request (TAR) form to inform the City of vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian safety issues in your community.  The Transportation Action Request Form (pdf form) is the first step towards review of your transportation concern, such as changes in parking regulations, or installing stop signs or crosswalks.

Simply enter your request onto the fillable form and return it to Patrick Golier (PGolier@ci.lafayette.ca.us) with a copy to Therese Kain (tkain@ci.lafayette.ca.us).

If you are seeking solutions to vehicle speeding on your street, please visit the Traffic Calming webpage for more information on how to apply to the City for consideration of traffic calming.  Traffic calming is defined as “the combination of mainly physical measures that reduce the negative effects of motor vehicle use, alter driver behavior, and improve conditions for non-motorized street users.” 

The Traffic Calming webpage includes an updated Guidebook that describes the City’s Traffic Calming Program, and a Request Form to be submitted.

How are Transportation Action Requests reviewed and processed?

Once you turn in a TAR form, Engineering staff will review it to see if it can be handled administratively, or if it needs to be forwarded to the Transportation & Circulation Commission for a hearing. Requests forwarded to the Transportation & Circulation Commission will be scheduled for an upcoming meeting as the agenda load permits. If your request is handled administratively, but not to your satisfaction, you still have the option to appeal in writing to the Transportation & Circulation Commission, or contest in person at one of its meetings during the Public Comments portion of the agenda.

The TransCirc Commission hears requests that cannot be handled directly by Engineering Department staff. The Commission will not hear requests or appeals for denied requests for improvements under the jurisdiction of an engineer and/or state or national engineering guidelines. Examples include traffic control devices such as stop signs, placement of roadway markings, and changes in speed limit. The Commission is responsible for recommending discretionary actions to City Council such as changes in parking, installation of walkways, and requests for some signs within the right-of-way. The TransCirc Commission seeks public input from interested parties prior to making its recommendation. Once the Commission makes a recommendation, staff issues a work order if the work reinforces an existing regulation, or staff will forward the Commission’s recommendation on to City Council for final consideration.

Many Transportation & Circulation Commission recommendations that are forwarded to the City Council are included on the Council’s agenda under the “Consent Calendar,” which means “non-controversial” and normally require no further discussion. Items needing discussion by the City Council are listed under “New Business” or "Staff Report". Once City Council has taken an affirmative action on a matter, staff issues a work order or arranges the appropriate follow-up work.

For an overall view of the Transportation Action Request process, in flow chart format, click here.

When should a petition be submitted and who needs to sign it?

If your request will impact a number of people, the City encourages you to submit a Petition form (attached to the TAR form) to demonstrate  support for your request from those who might be affected by it. Requests that require financial contribution other than by the City (such as some traffic calming measures), require a petition. Additionally, walkways, stop signs, traffic control devices, and changes in parking regulation should be supported by petitions. For an effective petition, the applicant should canvas at least 300 feet, about one block length, in each direction of the area that would be impacted by the request. For example, for a stop sign request at an intersection, the area canvassed should cover about one block length on both sides of the street on all legs of the intersection. You should collect names, addresses and phone numbers of people who sign the petition. Petition forms are also available from City staff. 

How will you be notified of the status of your request?

When a request is handled directly by staff, staff will contact you to inform you of the City’s recommended action. When an item is scheduled for the TransCirc Commission’s agenda, the City will send you an email notifying you of the upcoming meeting.

For subsequent meetings of the TransCirc Commission and the City Council, the applicant is responsible for tracking meeting dates. You may look up meeting dates and agendas on the City’s web site at www.lovelafayette.org or sign up for E-notifications at https://www.lovelafayette.org/residents/e-notification/e-notification to receive meeting agendas via email for upcoming meetings of the TransCirc Commission (or any other commission/committee of your choice).

Stop signs, crosswalks and traffic control devices: A few things to keep in mind

Stop signs are not to be used for speed control, but rather to assign right of way at an intersection. Many times the need for a stop sign can be eliminated if the sight distance is increased by removing an obstruction. 

For concerns about vehicle speed control on your street, an application for traffic calming is required.  More information on the city’s Traffic Calming Program can be found at www.lovelafayette.org/trafficcalming.

Installation of a crosswalk does not automatically change the level of safety of a pedestrian crossing. A marked crosswalk should be used to direct pedestrians where to cross rather than as a safety or protection device. To improve the safety of crossing a street additional remedies may be required.

Who pays?

As a general rule, the City will pay for a solution to a problem where the area affected by the solution is within a public right-of-way. Adjoining property owners are generally responsible for the cost of solutions or parts of solutions located on private property. Walkways, certain traffic calming measures and control devices, and changes in parking are governed by special City policies regarding installation and responsibility of cost.