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Engineering Department
 
Tel: (408) 615-3000 Fax: (408) 985-7936
 
The Engineering Department is comprised of four divisions:
 
Design Division
The Design Division prepares studies, budgets, agreements, public works construction documents; administers consultant contracts; and provides construction consultation for public works improvements. It maintains records of public improvements and disseminates the information to the public. It also administers public works agreements and grants.
 
Land and Property Development Division
The Land and Property Development Division helps citizens find the dimensions or location of a lot or the distance from the lot line to the sidewalk. It maintains a complete set of tract maps, parcel maps, record of surveys, and easements that encumber private property. If a person wants to build a fence, a pool, a building or other types of private improvements within an easement or the public right of way, they must apply for an encroachment permit. The Division also reviews and prepares development fee statements for particular developments, performs site clearance reviews to determine public works requirements prior to building permit issuance, and prepares Property Development Agreements for large-scale developments. The Division also prepares documents for rights-of-way, easements, and special agreements, and reviews record maps and facilitates review of developer's improvements plans.
 
Encroachment Permits
  • Easement encroachment permits, when approved, allow private improvements, such as structures, to be installed in public easements.
  • Right-of-way encroachment permits, when approved, allow private improvements, such as structures, to be installed in the public right-of-way (public streets).
  • Monitoring well encroachment permits allow private wells for monitoring of groundwater contamination to be installed in public easements or in the public right-of-way (public streets).
  • Street encroachment licenses allow private water discharge lines or private communication lines to be installed in public easements or in the public right-of-way (public streets).
Field Services Division
The Field Services Division provides surveying for planning and design of projects and construction control, inspects work performed by public works contractors, tests construction materials for public works projects, inspects work authorized under the City street opening permit (SOP) (PDF) program, and handles complaints and questions about construction in the public right of way. The Division also manages the soil contamination clean up on City owned property.
 
Traffic Engineering Division

The Traffic Engineering Division is responsible for the movement and safety of vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic in the City of Santa Clara. The Division is involved with the following functional capacities.

  • The Division designs, monitors, controls, and coordinates the City's traffic signals. The Division optimizes the timing of many signals along major traffic corridors within the city.
  • The Division fabricates and installs most of the traffic signs that you see on the street, and installs pavement lines and markings, and paints curbs for parking restrictions.
  • The Division responds to requests to improve safety on the roadway and bikeway system, in neighborhoods, and in school zones.
  • The Division supports the City’s Bicycle Advisory Committee and participates in the City’s ADA Committee.
  • The Division participates in the programs of various transportation groups and other agencies, including the Traffic Safe Communities Network, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Congestion Management Program, and the VTA’s BART to San Jose/Santa Clara Technical Advisory Committee.
  • The Division reviews development permits, and also issues permits for oversize vehicles and gives advice to citizens on permits for refuse bins.
  • The Division coordinates the City's employee commute alternatives program and the City’s involvement with Spare the Air Day and the Bay Area Air Quality Clean Air Consortium.
  • The Division is responsible for design and construction assistance of Reaches 1 and 2 of the San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail.
Calming Neighborhood Traffic
The City has adopted a Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program (NTCP) to address and resolve local neighborhood traffic concerns in a systematic and efficient manner. Among the issues that this program addresses are limited sight distance due to overgrowth of vegetation and parked vehicles, pedestrian safety, right-of-way control at intersections, accidents, vehicle volumes, and vehicular speeding. Options described in the NTCP are categorized either as Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3, depending on the physical configuration necessary to implement the measure and their impact on emergency response times. Many Level 1 options have been utilized by the City for many years, and include such measures as increased police enforcement, speed radar trailer, speed limit signs, pavement messages, striping narrow lanes, higher visibility crosswalks, stop signs, and turn restriction signs. Level 2 options force or prohibit a specific action and include such measures as chokers, gateways, and rumble strips. Level 3 options are similar to Level 2 options in that they generally require physical reconfiguration of a roadway. The main difference lies in the fact that Level 3 options adversely impact emergency response times, making them undesirable for installation on emergency response routes. Level 3 options include such devices as speed humps, traffic circles and intersections, median barriers, intersection channelization, diagonal diverters, and cul-de-sacs.

Not all traffic calming devices can be utilized to remedy a residential traffic concern. The nature of the problem and the existing conditions in the problem area should first be identified to determine the suitability of a traffic calming measure. The NTCP provides residents and City staff with the means to accomplish desired traffic calming objectives, allowing involved parties to determine the suitability of a traffic calming treatment for a given neighborhood, and requiring community input prior to implementation. It incorporates both the City's desire to mitigate neighborhood concerns in a systematic and efficient manner, and the sentiments of residents who wish to maintain peaceful and people-friendly streets within their neighborhoods.

For more information, contact the Traffic Engineering Division at (408) 615-3000 or by email .
 
[ More Links ]

Beautify the Community
Benchmarks (PDF)
Commute Alternatives & Transit Options
Flood Protection Information
Preparedness Advisory for Santa Clara
Santa Clara Station Area Plan
Station Area Plan Community Workshop (PDF)
Ways to Make Your Home and Community FloodSAFE
 
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