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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-12-13 City Council (6)City of Palo Alto City Manager’s Report TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PLANNING AND COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT DATE:DECEMBER 13, 2004 CMR:518:04 SUBJECT: STATUS OF MIDTOWN/MIDDLEFIELD ROAD TRAFFIC STUDY This is an informational report and no Council action is required. BACKGROUND As part of Council’s May 19, 2003 approval of a new traffic signal on Middlefield Road at the Midtown Shopping Center and Bryson Court (including new left-turn pockets for both directions), Council directed the Transportation Division to conduct a feasibility study of re- configuring Middlefield Road in the vicinity of Midtown from four to three lanes. Council also asked staff to evaluate the need for the pedestrian signal near Baskin-Robbins and Walgreens, along with consideration of any further measures to enhance pedestrian and cyclist safety in the vicinity. Staff was directed to report back to Council with findings and recommendations within a year of installation of the new Midtown traffic signal. The minutes of the Council meeting of May 19, 2003 pertaining to these topics are attached (Attachment A). " The Midtown signal was installed and made operational in July 2004. Staff convened an informal panel of residents and business people to assist in the evaluation tasks directed by Council. The advisory group, which initially was comprised of representatives of the Midtown Residents Association Traffic Committee and other Midtown area residents, the Palo Alto Bicycle Advisory Committee, and Midtown merchants, has since been augmented by the addition of several residents of Ross Road and Cowper Street who have expressed interest in participating. The composition of the advisory group is shown in Attachment B. DISCUSSION The study Council directed staff to undertake is underway and is comprised of several elements. Staff received a Traffic Engineering Technical Assistance Program (TETAP) grant from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) for consultant assistance in computer simulation of the effects of a three-lane design on the operation of the signal at Middlefield/Midtown shopping center and Bryson Court. This work was completed prior to CMR:518:04 Page 1 of 3 installation of the new signal. With respect to the existing pedestrian signal at the northerly Midtown shopping center driveway, staff has collected data on pedestrian crossings and the number of times the signal is actuated. Staff also plans an operational test of a three-lane configuration of Middlefield in the Midtown environs through placement of traffic cones on Middlefield between Moreno and Colorado Avenues for one midweek evening commute peak period, beginning at 4 p.m. and ending at 7 p.m. The intersection of Middlefield and Oregon Expressway will retain its current configuration in order to provide sufficient space for northbound drivers waiting for a signal change. The evening peak period is typically the time of highest traffic demand on Palo Alto arterial streets. During this period, staff will conduct twelve timed runs in each direction, as well as collect traffic volume data though placement of automated traffic counting tubes. For comparison purposes, staff will do a companion set of travel time runs and traffic count data collection without the traffic cones during a midweek peak period. This study methodology is considered best practice in traffic engineering. A very important concem in a study of re-configuring Middlefield is any effect reduction in the number of through lanes might have with respect to traffic on nearby residential streets. Thus evaluation of travel time changes on Middlefield with a three-lane configuration between Moreno and Colorado are an important part of the Midtown/Middlefield traffic study. Staff will present the empirical findings and evaluation of the data collected during the study to the informal study advisory committee. Staff will present findings and recommendations from this study for discussion by the informal advisory committee and the wider Midtown community before reporting to the Planning and Transportation Commission and Council. RESOURCE IMPACT No additional resources have been required to undertake the Midtown/Middlefield study directed by Council. Any additional improvements to Middlefield Road, Middlefield Road crosswalks, or Middlefield Road traffic signals in the vicinity of Midtown presented for Council approval would have to be funded from a $55,000 allocation in the Capital Improvements Program (CIP PL04003). POLICY IMPLICATIONS The following Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan Goals pertain to the Midtown!Middlefield study: Goal T-3: "Facilities, Services, and Programs that Encourage and Promote Walking and Bicycling" Goal T-4: "An Efficient Roadway Network for All Users" CMR:518:04 Page 2 of 3 Goal T-5" "A Transportation System with Minimal Impacts on Residential Neighborhoods" Goal T-6: "A High Level of Safety for Motorists, Pedestrians, and Bicyclists on Palo Alto Streets" PREPARED BY: DEPARTMENT HEAD: Joseph Kott C~ation Director of Pl.anning and Community Environment Official CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: cc:Midtown Residents Association EMILY HARRISON Assistant City Manager CMR:518:04 Page 3 of 3 ATTACHMENT A & Tremaine and to Enter into a Contract with the Law Firm of Moses & Singer Vice Mayor Beecham stated he would not participate in Item No. 5 due to conflict of interest because of the location of his property. Council Member Kleinberg stated she would not participate in Item No. 7 due to conflict of interest because of a potential financial interest of her husband’s former law firm being affected by a contract with Moses and Singer, the City’s New York Enron Counsel. MOTION PASSED 9-0 for Items Nos. 1 - 2A and 4, 6. MOTION PASSED 8-0 for Item No. 5, Beecham "not participating." MOTION PASSED 8-0 for Item No. 7, Kleinberg "not participating." UNFINISHED BUSINESS 8,Approval of Installation of a Traffic Signal and TurnLeft Pockets at the Intersection of Middlefield Road and Bryson Avenue ~xter~ continued from May 12, 2003) Chief Transportation Official Joseph Kott, recommended installing a new traffic signal at the main Midtown driveway and Bryson Court.The presentation came with a recommendation by the Planning and Transportation Commission (P&TC). The main motivation of the recommendation would be improved safety for both drivers and passengers .of motor vehicles, as well as for pedestrians in the location of the intersection. The location had the fourth highest intersection accident rate in Palo Alto. .Transportation Engineer David Stillman stated traffic signals provided positive control for all modes of transportation at the intersection and the left-turn pockets would take left-turn vehicles out of the main flow of traffic and increase visibility. Staff would report to Council within 12 months of implementation of the project. Council Member Kishimoto said she wanted to be sure City Staff was aware that the Comprehensive Plan (Comp Plan) called for using the available right-of-way to create outside travel lanes with adequate widths for shared use by motorcycles and bicyclists when constructing or modifying roadways rather than using the right-of-way for additional automobile and travel use. She also stated the neighborhood understood it took a little more time to look at the three-lane option, which she knew many people supported. 05/19/03 7 Annette Ashton, Chairperson for Midtown Resident’s Association, 2747 Bryant, said the association endorsed both the staff and the P&TC’s recommendations for installation of the light in Midtown Center. Every study since 1995 had recommended installation of a light. The Midtown Resident’s Association recommended leaving four through lanes on Middlefield Road with the inclusion of middle turn lane. Sheri Furman, Traffic Chair of the Midtown Resident’s Associationi 3094 Greer Road, said safety was the primary concern and felt the light was needed. She noted a new restaurant and the new Walgreen’s would exacerbate the traffic at Bryson Avenue. She felt the area from Oregon Expressway to Loma Verde Avenue needed a long-range study. Ellen Fletcher, 777-108 San Antonio Road, acknowledged the need for a three-lane solution. She was pleased the staff would be back in 12 months. Council Member Kishimoto questioned staff whether the 12-month timeframe included evaluation of the three-lane option. Mr. Kott said staff was interested in the three-lane option and was conscious of the Bike Master Plan recommendation. Council Member Kishimoto questioned the staff as to what area would be covered. Mr. K0tt replied the area to be covered would be between Colorado and Mor~no Avenues on Middlefield Road in front of Midtown. He said part of the analysis would be to determine how much of the area should be included. MOTION: Council Member Kishimoto moved, seconded by Vice Mayor Beecham, to approve the staff and the Planning and Transportation Commission (PT&C) recommendation to approve installation of a traffic signal with left-turn pockets at the intersection of Middlefield Road and Bryson Avenue, and to make it explicit that staff return within 12 months evaluating impacts of these changes and the three,lane option, Vice Mayor Beecham said he looked forward to intersection improvements. The City Staff recommendations were correct. He would like to find a feasible way to improve safety for everybody, especially cyclists. He thought it would take some work and analysis to come up witha three-lane option at that particular intersection. He said he expected the modifications would improve the safety for cyclists as well as automobiles, even in the five-lane configuration. Council Member Lytle asked about the 12’month study of the three-lane option and if the installation of the signal would be a waste of money or could it be easily switched. 05/19/03 8 Mr. Stillman said no changes to the traffic signal would be required if it was switched from what was currently there to the three-lane option. Council Member Lytle said she would support moving forward on the motion only because of the follow-up study of a three-lane option. She agreed that expanding the number of lanes in that area would be counter to the Comp Plan and the Midtown Area Plan policies. She said she didn’t find the expansion of lanes to be consistent with the Comp Plan policies. Mayor Mossar thought it was important to note that staff indicated in the original report that they would move forward with the study. Council Member Kleinberg asked staff if they would consider the placement of the bus stop. She said it was dangerous when cars drove around stopped ¯ busses, especially in the middle of Colorado Avenue. Mr. Stillman agreed. Council Member Kleinberg said she thought this report was a tremendous improvement, even in its four-lane configuration, and commented that safety would be the number one priority. Council Member Morton said he would rather look at having a central-turn lane the whole length from Walgreen’s to Colorado Avenue. There were five lanes at Colorado Avenue and four lanes at Oregon Expressway. Mayor Mossar stated the three-lane option was having the central turn lane. Council Member Morton disagreed. He said it was a three-lane option, not a five-lane option. He said that he wanted the turn lane to be the full length and didn’t want to lose lanes. The Bicycle Plan and safer parallel streets needed to be looked at. He also had some major concerns about the timing of lights and large backups. He believed the traffic flow speed and the timing of the lights be studied and asked for the five-lane option to be considered. Council Member Freeman asked what the Citywide Coordinated Traffic System achieved and where it was currently activated. Mr. Stillman said certain roadways were timed to be coordinated at certain vehicle speeds and a Citywide System was in place where all of the signals were coordinated to some degree. The City was in the process of replacing that system with a newer, state-of-the-art system, which was the Signal Upgrade Project. Mr. Kott said the Council received a report on that Citywide Traffic Signal System upgrade. The first phase allowed the change of signal timing in real 05/19/03 9 time by observing on a computer screen what happened at the signals in terms of backups. The second phase required even more work towards traffic adaptive signal timing. In real time, the signals reset themselves depending on traffic demand at the approaches. Council Member Freeman questioned if that would happen during the 12- month study period. Mr. Stillman replied the signal upgrade project would be completed within 12-18 months of when the contract was signed. Council Member Freeman asked if there were a left-only signal at the new intersection into the parking lot in the proposal. Mr. Stillman replied no. He said there would be a dedicated left-turn pocket, but not what would be called protective left-turn phasing. Council Member Freeman asked the rationale behind not having protective left-turn phasing. Council Member Morton said ~part of the study would be to determine if a protected left turn phase was needed. Council Member Freeman said there were three bus stops in the section and suggested the historical perspective be looked at to possibly aid in assisting the three-lane pattern study. Confusion on the part of the motorist, as well as bicycle safety in that area, was a concern. Council Member Morton felt the whole area of Middlefield Road should be looked at and the area up to Loma Verde Avenue would be impacted by those decisions. Mr. Kott agreed ~here needed to be better provisions for pedestrians crossing Middlefield Road between Loma Verde Avenue and Colorado Avenue, but acknowledged the City was conservative about putting in crosswalks. He would like to see physical improvements made to provide refuge and protection for pedestrians crossing that section. MOTION PASSED 9-0. Mayor Mossar stated it was Council Member Lytle who removed both Item Nos. 9 and 10 and asked if it would be acceptable to combine the discussion. BY A CONSENSUS OFTHE COUNCIL Item Nos. 9 and 10 would be heard simultaneously. 05/19/03 10 ATTACHMENT B Middlefield/Midtown Study Informal Advisory Group Committee: Name Jim Barbera Sheri Furman Chris Glazek Bob Jackson Michael Mora Bob Roth John Stemfield Karen Singer Mike Wallau Jeff Weitzman Staff: Joe Kott David Stillman Affiliation Resident Midtown Residents Association Traffic Committee Resident Palo Alto Bicycle, Advisory Committee Resident Resident Resident UPS Mike’s Caf6 Resident Transportation Division Transportation Division