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Home My WebLink About2001-04-09 City Council (15)City of Palo Alto City Manager’s Report TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PLANNING AND COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT DATE: SUBJECT: APRIL 9, 2001 CMR:189:01 EMBARCADERO ROAD TRAFFIC CALMING PROJECT-PHASE 1 This is an informational report and no Council action is required. The purpose of this report is to inform Council that staff is proposing to defer the trial installation of the Embarcadero Road traffic calming base plan indef’mitely, primarily due to a lack of funds and staff resources to design and construct the project. BACKGROUND In November 1995, Council discussed the issue of calming traffic along Embarcadero Road and decided that the most effective way of addressing traffic issues on a long-term basis would be .to explore alternatives to change the physical character of the road. Given Council direction, staff included funding in the. 1997-98 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for a study that would include planning, feasibility and schematic design for traffic calming measures. Staff formed a Project Advisory Group consisting of various citizens and Board and Commission members to help evaluate and select a consultant to conduct the study and review and comment on the consultant’s work. Following an extensive consultant selection process, Sebastian and Associates, including Michael Wallwork, a nationally known traffic calming expert as a member of the consultant team, was selected to conduct the study. The study began in late 1998. Two well,publicized and well-attended public workshops were held in 1999 to share information and seek public input. The study results, including a set of staff recommendations, were forwarded to the Planning and Transportation Commission on November 8, 2000. The report to the Planning and Transportation Commission is included with this report as Attachment A. The Master Schematic Traffic Management Plan prepared-by the consultant included several elements as follows: Reduction of two through lanes in each direction to one through lane in each direction with left-turn lanes at intersections, with the exception of maintaining the four-lane section in proximity to Middlefield Road due to capacity constraints (Attachment B). CMR: 189:01 Page 1 of 6 2.Repla(~ment of traffic signals at St. Francis Drive, Greer and Newell Roads, and Waverley Street with 0he-lane roundabouts.. Traffic signals would be maintained at Middlefield and Louis goads and Bryant~Street (Attachment C). 3.A roundabout on Embarcadero Road at West Bayshore Road (Attachment D). 4.Installation of on street bike lanes in each direction from Alma Street to St. Francis Drive, except close to Middlefield Road (Attachment B). 5. Geometric modifications of the intersections to make them intersect Embarcadero Road at right angles (Attachment E). 6. Maintenance of existing parking between St. Francis Drive and Alma Street, and provision of new bulbouts to protect the parking lanes (Attachment C). 7. Installation of new lighting fLxtures in order to better illuminate pedestrians. 8. Provision of a raised, landscaped median in the middle of the street (Attachment B). 9. Widening of the narrow planting strip east of Middlefield Road by reconstructing and moving the curb and gutter outwards toward the street, and the sidewalk inwards toward the houses. After taking into consideration the public input, the intent of the project, the Comprehensive Plan policies and cost, staffrecommended that the Planning and Transportation Commission approve in principal a basic traffic calming base plan to be implemented in two phases. Phase 1 would include a trial implementation and Phase 2 would include making the trial installation permanent. The staff-proposed base plan did not include four elements of the master plan: geometric modifications to the intersections, bulbouts, street lights, or widening of the planting strip west of Middlefield Road. These improvements would provide minimum safety improvements and speed reduction benefits and were expensive to implement. In addition, the street lights raised many issues such as lighting levels,, aesthetics, maintenance, neighborhood ambience, safety, etc., and staff believed they could best be looked at as part of a citywide lighting study. The Planning and Transportation Commission discussed this issue in its meeting of November 8, 2000 and, after extensive public testimony, concurred with the staff recommendations and recommended that the Council: 1.Approve in principal a traffic calming base plan for the Embarcadero Road Traffic Calming Project to include: (a) reduction of two through lanes in each direction to one through lane in each direction with left-turn lanes at intersections, with the exception of maintaining the four-lane section in proximity to Middlefield Road due to capacity constraints; CMR: 189:01 Page 2 of 6 (b) replacement of traffic signals at St. Francis Drive, Newell Road and Waverley Street ¯with one-lane roundabouts; (traffic signals would be maintained at Middlefield, Louis, and Greer Roads and Bryant Street); (c) installation of on-street bike lanes in each direction from Alma Street to St. Francis Drive, except close to Middlefield Road; (d) construction of a roundabout on Embarcadero Road at West Bayshore Road as a gateway feature; (e) construction of a raised median in the center of the street; and ¯ (f) maintenance of existing parking between St. Francis Drive and Alma Street. 2.Implement the base plan in two phases. Phase I would include a trial implementation, and Phase II would include making the trial installation permanent. Staff would report back to both the Planning and Transportation Commission and Council on the results of Phase I before Council authorized Phase II. There would be no Phase II until authorized by Council. 3. Direct s~aff, in conjunction with residents of each street, to prepare traffic calming plans for Channing and North California Avenues. The plans were to be completed beforem and their implementation on a trial basis was to begin at the same time as--the trial implementation (Phase I) of Embarcadero Road traffic calming. 4. Endorse in concept the long-term Master Plan recommended by the Embarcadero Road Traffic Calming Advisory Group. Due to its complexity and cost, the master plan may require twenty years or more to fully implement. 5. Direct staff to work with the Public Art Commission to integrate public art into the project, both in Phase I and, if implemented, Phase II of this project. In addition, the Commission asked ~taff to evaluate whether a trial roundabout elsewhere in the city would assist in the implementation of the Embarcadero Road plan by allowing citizens to experience the comparative successes and failures of a trial roundabout. This was not a mandate, but was a suggestion. The elements of the traffic calming base plan (or even the master plan), which would be primarily responsible for speed reduction are roundabouts, the raised central median and, to a lesser degree, the reduction in the number of lanes. The reduction of lanes is primarily to accommodate on-street bike lanes to enhance the safety of bicyclists, accommodate the central median to enhance the aesthetics of the street, and reduce traffic speeds. Roundabouts are essential to reduce excessive queuing that would result from a two-lane section at Waverley Street, Newell Road, and St. Francis Drive. Hence a minimum trial project to reduce speeding and improve bicycle and pedestrian safety must include all elements of the staff-proposed base plan. CMR:189:01 Page 3 0f6 DISCUSSION Staff is recommending indefinite deferral oft he Embarcadero Road Traffic Calming Project due to financial and staff resource considerations. No funds are currently available for design, construction, or maintenance of a trial installation. Subsequent design and construction to make the trial installation permanent would approximately cost over $3,000,000. Embarcadero Road traffic calming efforts and feasibility studies for the remaining residential arterials, as well as design and construction of traffic calming features, would require substantial financial commitment by the City. Traffic calming projects have been funded to date through gas tax funds. However, projects of such magnitude cannot be funded using gas tax funds,which also support the City’s street resurfacing and intersection improvement projects. Additionally, the General Fund Infrastructure Financing and Prioritization Plan approved by the Council in July 1998 directed that such projects should be funded through new revenue sources such as general obligation bonds, grants, new or increased taxes, or assessments. The Transportation Division conducted the Embarcadero Road Traffic Calming Feasibility . study. Design and construction of the project would be managed by the Public Works Department. Existing staff resources in Public Works have been committed to completing infrastructure projects included in the current five-year CIP. In addition, the Public Works Department recently reprioritized work assignments in order to complete the Homer Avenue Undercrossing project within the timeline mandated by the Transportation Equity Act for the 21St Century (TEA-21) grant. To accomplish this, the E1 Camino/Churchill Avenue Intersection Modification project (CIP 10117) has been postponed indef’mitely and the Page Mill/Hanover Intersection Improvement project, which was scheduled for 2000-01, has been postponed to 2004-05. There is no additional staffmg capacity to also undertake implementation of Embarcadero traffic calming measures.. Staff is also recommending not preparing contingency traffic Control plans for Channing and North California Avenues as indicated in Recommendation 4, because this is not necessary without implementation of the trial Traffic Calming Base Plan on Embarcadero Road. However, both Channing and California Avenue residents could seek relief from existing negative traffic impacts under the City’s newly developed Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program. Although staff has suggested deferral of the physical changes to Embarcadero Road, staff will pursue the following actions in an attempt tO calm traffic on Embarcadero Road. 1.Synchronize traffic signals at 25 mph and install signs informing drivers that the signals are timed at 25 mph. While this does not mean drivers will comply with the progression ¯ speed of 25 mph, it may encourage some drivers to slow down. 2.Police officers will continue to monitor the vehicle speeds on Embarcadero using several methods. Speed enforcement will continue using, primarily, motorcycle officers. CMR: 189:01 Page 4 of 6 3.A speed trailer will be deployed a minimum of once every two weeks, to alert motorists to vehicle speeds. 4.Police staff intends to develop a plan for distribution of educationalbrochures to motorists informing them of the posted speed limits. In the past, officers have stopped motorists as part of the distribution process. However, staff has been informed by the District Attorney’s office that these stops constitute illegal detainment and, therefore, cannot be conducted. 5. Staffwill complete engineering and traffic surveys on Embarcadero Road to determine if the existing posted limit of 25 mph is consistent with the California Vehicle Code and Caltrans requirements, especially in view of a new law, AB 2767, which now allows consideration of additional factors. Police can use radar to enforce a posted speed limit that is consistent with valid engineering and traffic surveys. 6. Police will continue to enforce red light, right-of-way, bicycle, and pedestrian violations. 7. In cooperation with the Police Department, the Transportation Division is conducting, through the Traffic Safety Education Campaign, a series of public outreach workshops with different community groups, neighborhood associations, school groups, senior groups, and employers. The goal of this program is to discuss the impacts of personal decision making on the overall state of.traffic safety in Palo Alto. Topics include bicycle/pedestrian safety and responsibility, speeding, red-light running, and jaywalking. Special emphasis is put on arterials, school zones, residential areas, and high accident intersections. The discussion focuses on specific behaviors, traffic laws, and the individual’s role in using the street safely. The objective is to cause a behavior and social change in driving habits so all can share the road in a calm and safe manner. 8. Transportation staff, through the Commute Coordinator’s Program, will work with Stanford University and other employers of Embarcadero Road commuters to encourage use of transit, ridesharing, and other commute options. Given the newness and controversy surrounding the use of roundabouts, the Planning and Transportation Commission recommended that Council also include an evaluation of a trial installation of a modem roundabout at a location other than Embarcadero Road. The Commission view was that a practical demonstration of the safety and efficiency benefits of roundabouts in a less contentious setting would contribute to public understanding and dialog about innovative traffic management measures. In response to the Commission’s suggestion, the Transportation Division staff has solicited nominations from Palo Alto neighborhood associations for a six-month trial based on the criteria listed in Attachment F. Staffwill return to Council for approval of a preferred trial location. If the trial is approved, existing traffic calming Capital Improvement Program funds will be used to construct the roundabout for the six-month trial period. ATTACHMENTS - A. November 8, 2000 Report to Planning & Transportation Commission B 1. Illustration of Typical Roadway Section, Newell to Bayshore "CMR:189:01 Page 5 of 6 B2.Typical Roadway Section, Alma to Middlefield C.Typical Roundabout D.Roundabout at Embarcadero/W. Bayshore E.Typical Intersection Modification F.Solicitation for Location for Trial Roundabout Installation PREPARED BY: Ashok Aggarwal, City Traffic Engineer DEPARTMENT HEAD: G. EDWARD Director of Planning and Community Environment EMILY HARRISON Assistant City Manager. CMR: 189:01 Page 6 of 6 ATTACHMENT A TRANSPORTATION DIVISION STAFF REPORT TO:PLANNING & TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION FROM:DEPARTMENT:Planning- AGENDA DATE: November 8, 2000 SUBJECT:EMBARCADERO ROAD TRAFFIC CALMING PROJECT - PHASE I RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the Planning and Transportation Commission fred the proposed Base Plan consistent with Programs T-41 and T-42 of the 1998-2010 Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan and recommend that the City Council: 1.Approve in principal a Traffic Calming Base Plan for the Embarcadero Road Traffic Calming Project to include: (a) reduction of two through lanes in each direction to one through lane in each direction with left-turn lanes at intersections, with the exception of maintaining the four-lane section in proximity to Middlefield due to capacity constraints; (b) replacement of traffic signals at St. Francis, Newell and Waverley with one-lane roundabouts; (traffic signals would be maintained at Middlefield, Louis, Greer and Bryant); (c) installation of on-street bike lanes in each direction from Ahna to St. Francis, except close to Middlefield; (d) construction of a roundabout on Embarcadero Road at West Bayshore Road as a gateway feature; (e) construction of a raised median in the. center of the street; and (f) maintenance of existing parking between St. Francis and Ahna. C:\cmrs~p-tc\embarc traf calming 2.doe Page 1 of 15 2.Implement the Base Planin two phases. Phase I would include a trial hnplementation, and Phase II would include making the trial installation permanent. Staff would report back to both the Planning and Transportation Commission and Council on the results of Phase I before Council authorizes Phase II. There would be no Phase II until authorized by Council. 3. Direct staff, in conjunction with residents of each street, to prepare traffic calming plans for Channing and North California Avenues. The plans are to be completed before - and their implementation on a trial basis is to begin at the same time as - the trail implementation (Phase I) of Embarcadero Road traffic calming. 4. Endorse in concept the long-term Master Plan recommended by the Embarcadero Road Traffic Calming Advisory Group. Due to its complexity and cost, the Master Plan may require twenty years or more to fully hnplement. As such, staff does not recommend its implelnentation at this time. 5. Direct staff to work with the Public Art Commission to integrate public art into the project, both in Phase I and, if implemented, Phase II. of this project. BACKGROUND Traffic safety has been a Council priority for several years, and traffic speeds have been a citywide issue. In 1995, staff brought to Council several proposals to address citywide traffic, issues. The Council approved several of these recommendations, including increased traffic patrols, motorcycles, and citizen radar guns. In addition, the Transportation Division and the Police Department are currently implementing a coordinated traffic safety education and enforcement initiative funded through a grant from the state Office of Traffic Safety. In November 1995, in response to a memo from Council Members Fazzino, Huber and Kniss (Attachment 1), Council discussed the issue of calming traffic along Embarcadero. Council decided that the most effective way of addressing Embarcadero traffic issues on a long-term basis would be to explore alternatives to change the physical character of the road, so that the roadway would be consistent with the residential areas adjoining it. Alternatives might include narrowing of lanes, median strips, parking bays, landscaping, etc. Given its complexity and cost, subsequently the funding for plamaing, feasibility, and schematic design work for developing traffic calming for Embarcadero was included in the !997-98 Capital improvement Program (CIP). The goal of this project is to reduce the impact of traffic and improve the quality of life along a residential arterial street through physical changes to the roadway environment. Project objectives may be summarized as follows: 1.Reduce traffic speed. 2.Enhance traffic safety. 3.Improve bicycle.and pedestrian safety and convenience. C:\cmrs\p-tc\embarc traf calming 2.doc Page 2 of 15 o Enhance the aesthetic character of the street. Retain the function of Embarcadero as a carrier of.through traffic and an important link between Pal. Alto and the region’s road network. Avoid shitting traffic from Embarcadero to other residential streets. The Embarcadero Road Traffic Calming Project is the first phase of the City’s multi-year Residential Arterial Traffic Calming project, which is mandated in the Pal. Alto 1998-2010 Comprehensive Plan as follows: "Policy T-30: Reduce the impacts of through-traffic on residential areas by designating certain streets as residential arterials." Program T- 41 of the Comprehensive Plan identifies five Residential Arterials: Embarcadero, Middlefield, Charleston, Arastradero, and University. These streets are to be considered for design and construction of physical changes to the roadway for the purpose of reducing traffic speeds. A Project Advisory Group (PAG) was formed to help evaluate and select a consultant to conduct the study, review and comment on the consultant’s work, and provide guidance to staff throughout the study process. The PAG has included the members listed below. Citizen Members: 1.Rosemary Beduar 2.Joseph Bellomo 3.Phyllis Cassel 4.Yoriko Kishimoto 5.Iris Kriegler 6.Auggie Lavagnino 7.Ruth Lizak 8.Doug Mueller 9.Bob Peterson 10.Richard Swent 11.Alan Wachtel 12.Judith Wasserman 13.Natalie Wells Pal. Alto Unified School District Architectural Review Board Planning and Transportation Commission Resident of Embarcadero Road Duveneck Neighborhood Association Pal. Alto Unified School District Resident of Embarcadero Road Resident of Embarcadero Road Architectural Review Board Pal. Alto Bicycle Advisory Committee Pal. Alto Bicycle Advisory Committee Public Arts Commission Public Arts Commission City Staff: Ashok Aggarwal Transportation Division Karen Bengard, Public Works Department Ruben Grijalva, Pal. Alto Fire Department Lymae Johnson, Pal. Alto Police Department Leon Kaplan, Pal. Alto Art Center Joseph Kott, Transportation Division Virginia Warheit, Planning Division Following an extensive consultant selection process, including written proposals and oral interviews, Scott Sebastian of Sebastian & Associates was selected to conduct the study. C:\cmrs~p-tc\embarc traf calming 2.doc Page 3 of 1~ Michael Wallwork, a nationally know traffic calming expert, is part of the consultant team. Other consultant team members included Michele DeRobertis, a traffic engineer with Wilbur Smith & Associates of San Francisco, and Patrick Siegman, a transportation planner based in Palo Alto. On October 5, 1998, the Council approved an agreement with Sebastian & Associates for the feasibility study and development of a schematic plan. DISCUSSION ¯ The study is now complete and a draft summary report prepared by the consultant is attached (Attachment 2). An extensive public process was used to develop a Master Schematic Plan as described in the consultants’ report. In addition to working with the advisory group closely, two public workshops were held. The first workshop was held January 23, 1999 and the other March 20, 1999. The purpose of the workshops was to share information and seek public input, as well as ensure that community members had an appropriate opportunity to understand the issues and participate in, the development of alternative designs for Embarcadero Road. Approximately 870 notices were mailed to the residents of Embarcadero Road, Channing Avenue, California Avenue, Seale Avenue, St. Francis Drive, and Newell Road, as well as every cross street adjacent to Embarcadero between St. Francis Drive and Alma Street. The notice was also placed in the Council packet, and sent to the Planning Commission, Architectural Review Board, Historic Resources Board, and Public Arts Commission; the list of Neighborhood and Community Associations; schools, community groups, and businesses adjacent to Embarcadero; Stanford University; Stanford Hospital; the Palo Alto Bicycle Advisory Committee; and the City/School Traffic Safety Committee. In addition, a press release was issued to the Palo Alto Daily, Palo Alto Weekly, San Jose Mercury News, and San Francisco Chronicle, and an ad run in the Palo Alto Daily and Palo Aho Weekly. Approximately 100 and 60 people attended the first and second workshops, respectively. A similar outreach effort has been undertaken to notify the public prior to the November 8, 2000. Planning & Transportation Commission public hearing on the Embarcadero Road project. In addition, the Transportation Division sponsored two public informational sessions on the topic of roundabouts: a noontime video show and discussion program in the .Council Conference Room on June 23, 2000 and an evening slide show, lecture, and discussion program at Cubberley Community Center on November 1, 2000. The draft f’mal report.and the Planning & Transportation Commission staff report on the Embarcadero Road traffic calming project has been posted on the Transportation Division web site. Staff has also responded to numerous telephone calls and e-mail notes on the proposed traffic 6aiming plan and related topics. Existing Situation Currently the residential portion of Embarcadero between St.. Francis Drive and Alma Street has two through lanes in each direction, with left-turn lanes at St. Francis, Newell, Middlefield, Waverley and Bryant. single residential homes, two parks and two schools border this segment of Embarcadero. The street carries approximately 25,000 vehicles C:\cmrs~p-tc\embarc traf calming 2.dec.Page 4 of lo per day. Embarcadero Road between St. Francis and Newell is 56 f~et wide, with parking allowed on both sides. The planting strip in this section is approxhllately 10 feet wide and has a regular planting of camphor trees. The section between Newell and Middlefield is 52 feet wide and has parking only on the north side in front of Rinconada Park. The section west of Middlefield is 46 feet wide and parking is prohibited on both sides of the street. The planting strip in this section is approximately 5 feet wide and has relatively few trees. While Embarcadero Road carries a substantial amount of bike traffic to and from Palo Alto High School, Waker Hayes School, and recreational biking, no on- street bike lanes exist on Embarcadero. Traffic Signals exist at St. Francis, Louis, Greer, Newell, Middlefield, Waverley, and Bryant. ~ Master Schematic Traffic Improvement Plan Based on public input, the intent of the project, and Comprehensive Plan policies, the consultant team has developed a Master Schematic Plan. Copies of the Master Plan, contained in the draft f’mal report, are available in the Transportation Division. The Master Plan is also available as part of the draft final report posted on the Transportation Division web site. While there are several references in the consultant’s draft report to two alternatives (Alternatives 1 and 2), the two alternatives are essentially the same, with the exception that Alternative 1 has a two-way left-turn lane in the center of the street and Alternative 2 has a raised median with street trees and planting instead of pavement. The Master Schematic Plan is described below and it includes the raised median. The elements of the plan are: 1.Reduction of two through lanes in each direction to one through lane in each direction with left-turn lanes at intersections, with the exception of maintaining the four-lane section in proximity to Middlefield due to capacity’constraints (Exhibit 1). 2.Replacement of traffic signals at St. Francis, Greer, Newell, and Waverley with one- lane roundabouts. Traffic signals would be maintained at Middlefield, Louis and Bryant (Exhibit 2). 3.A Roundabout on Embarcadero at West Bayshore Road (Exhibit 3). 4.Installation of on street bike lanes in each direction from Alma to St. Francis, except close to Middlefield (Exhibit 1). 5. Geometric modifications of the intersections to make them intersect Embarcadero at right angles (Exhibit 4). 6. Maintenance of.existing parking between St. Francis and Alma, and provision of new bulbouts to protect the parking lanes (Exhibit 2). 7. Installation of new lighting f’Lxtures in order to better illuminate pedestrians. 8. Provision of a raised, landscaped median in the middle of the street (Exhibit 1). 9. Widening of the narrow planting strip east of Middlefield by reconstructing and moving the curb and gutter outwards toward the street, and the sidewalk inwards toward the houses. C:\cmrs~p-tc\embarc traf calming 2.doc Page 5 of 15 -Typical Roadway Section Newell to Bayshore EXHIBIT 1A 56’ R,O.W, 86’ Existing Section 10’ 7.5’ i 5’=~i 10,5’ Park Bike Travel "1..0’ ..I..10,5"5’7.5’¯. ~ ~!~. Travel Bike Park R,O.W.86’ 10’ Master Plan Section & Proposed Base Plan Section D:V~nok\emb_~x, cdr IT~ical Roadway Section " -Alma to Mid~lefield EXHIBIT 1B R.O,W, 71’ Existing Section . 5". 9.5’ .1.5’.t. 11’.,.’ 10’ .I. 11’ Bike Travel Travel R,O,W 7 I’ Master Plan Section 5’ i 5’~. 7’ I 11’i 10’~’ li’ Bike Travel Travel 7’ ~ 5’~ 5’13’ Bike R.O.W. 71’ Proposed Base Plan Section EXHIBIT 2 Roundabout Drawing Showing a Typical Roundabout & a Parking Lane Bulb out EXHIBIT 3 EXHIBIT 4 Drawing Showing a Typical Intersection Modification Reduction of Lanes Reduction in the number of through lanes from four to two, is considered essential to (a) provide on-street bike lanes, (b) reduce speeds on Embarcadero Road and (c) maintain parking. While Embarcadero Road carries a substantial amount of school-related (Palo Alto High and Walter Hays. School) and recreational bicycle traffic in both directions, no on-street bike la~es exist on Embarcadero. Bicyclists generally use the sidewalks, which is inherently considered unsafe for both pedestrians and bicyclists. On-street bike lanes will improve bicyclist and pedestrian safety. Consideration of on-street bike lanes on Embarcadero Road was also included in the School Commute Corridor Study. In addition to bike/pedestrian safety, reduction in the number of lanes is also considered a speed-reduction measure. Traffic Impacts of a Two-Lane Embarcadero Road The traffic analysis for a two-lane section of Embarcadero Road with traffic signals maintained indicates that all of the signalized intersections (except Middlefield, ,with existing volumes), would continue to operate at a Level of Service (LOS) of D or better, which is acceptable (Exhibit 5). A four-lane section would need to be maintained close to Middlefield for that intersection to continue operating at an acceptable LOS. However, the queue lengths will increase by 300 to 400 percent, resulting in queues of up to 1,000 feet at Waverley, 1,200 feet at Newell, and 1,300 feet at St. Francis (Exhibit 6). While traffic would continue to move through the intersections, staff believes that such long queue lengths would result in traffic shifting to other streets, such as Channing Avenue, North California Avenue, etc. Replacement of traffic signals with roundabouts would reduce these maximum queues approximately in half, to under 500 feet at Waverley and under 600 feet at both Newell and St. Francis. The pattern of queue lengths in a two-lane section with roundabouts would not differ substantially from the pattern for the current four-lane section. Overall queue lengths.would shorten somewhat. ’ The traffic data include analysis for the year 2010 using projected volumes based on the Comprehensive Plan. The 2010 analysis indicates that all of the signalized intersections would continue to operate at LOS D or better, which is acceptable, except for Newell, which will operate at LOS E. The queue lengths would be even longer at Waverley, Newell, and St. Francis, than projected for current traffic volumes. Queue lengths with 2010 volumes would be substantially lower for a two-lane section with roundabouts compared to the same number of lanes with signals. In contrast, year.2010 queue lengths for the two-lane section with roundabouts would be roughly the same for a four-lane section with signals. While. the master plan includes roundabouts at several locations, they are, only essential at Waverley, Newell, and St. Francis to reduce queuing and improving the LOS at Newell from E to D, which would help minimize traffic diversion to other streets. Roundabouts, C:\cmrs\p-tc\embarc traf calming 2.doc Page 6 of 15 EXHIBIT 5 22 September 1999 Table 1 Peak Hour Level of Service and Delay Four Lanes, Traffic Signals 2010 Volumes Two Lanes, Traffic Signals 2010 Volumes Existing Volumes A.M.P.M. A A. (4.5)(4.2) B B (13.7)(12.1) Location A.M.P.M.A.M.P.M. Bryant A A B A (5.2)(4.6)(14.8)(7.7) Waverley B B D C (14.3)(13.4)(40.0)(23.3) Middle-All alternatives assume the existing signal and four lanes at Middlefield will be left field unchanged. Newell Existing Volumes A.M.P.M. A A (8.3)(6.1) C B .(23.8)(18.o) T Lou~ Existing Volumes A.M.P.M. A A (0.9)(0.7) C A (19.4)(3.2) G~eer Francis West Bayshore Two Lanes, Roundabouts 2010 Volumes A.M. P.M. A A (1.8) (1.1) C B (28.8) (8.2) B B B B D D E E B (17.7)(17.9y (19.9) (19.5) (38.7) (39.2) (71.7) (76.7) (13.7) A A A A A A B B A (8.0)(6.3) (8.2) (6.9) (9.6) (9.2)(11.8)(13.3)(1.0) A A A A A B B B A (8.3)(9.4)(8.2)(9.9)(9.5)(12.8)(11.4)(17.9): (1.5) B A B B C C D D B (16.2)(9.4)(17.6)(10.5)(28.5) (20.6) (44.8) (38.3) (9.0) B C C C A C B D A (12.1)(19.4)(15.8)(23.6)(9.8)(17.5) (12.6) (25.8)(1.0) A B D (9.9) (15.7) (43.4) A A A (0.8) (1.4) (1.0) A A A (2.0) (2.0) (3.1) B B C (3.0) (15.4) (12.8) A A A ¯ (1.0) (1.6) (1.5) Notes: 1. (XX,X) = Average delay in seconds to each entering vehicle. 2. Year 2010 AM results for Waverley and Newell roundabouts assume a right-turn slip lane on the north approach to each roundabo.ut. 3. Traffic signal timing for Bwant assumes bicycle call approximately every 60 seconds. Page 35 EXHIBIT 6 22 September 1999 Table 2 Peak Hour Queue Lengths on Embarcadero Road Four Lanes, Traffic Signals Two Lanes, Traffic Signals Two Lanes, Roundabouts Existing 2010 Existing 2010 Existing 2010 Volumes Volumes Volumes Volumes Volumes Volumes A.M.P.M.A.M. P.M.A.M. P.M.A.M.P.M.A.M. P.M.A.M. P.M. 1571 215/.192/268/376/4911 178/691/92/180/116/258/ 242 160 298 186 800.402.837 ,532 286 231 482 353 169/234/1901 275/330/563/400/993/109/261/82/6361 260 234 293 275 1021 443 1719 668 454 154 1006 213 All alternatives assume the existing signal and four lanes at Middlefield will be left unchanged. 282/332/3241 377/694/1129/11411 1771/185/286/385/679/ 335 345 399 397 1223 1231 1935 1936 18.1 574 302 476 201/207/224/242/386/491/5021 859/115/149/151/204/ 224 214 254 255 372 418 452 615 141 149 192 205 205/254/219/284/366/504/4361 888/122/157/1631 2171. 198 244 213-276 347 452 411 762 121 172 160 243 2306/2411 346/2821 757/5171 1459/991/587/2711 5731 5711 340 309 388 369 1137 1363 2068 2909 158 280 151 467 Location BrTant Waverley Middle- field , Newell Louis Greer St. Francis West Bayshore 200/193/253/235/3/191 51 256/231/2771 3541 4561 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 160 179 223 256 Notes: 1. Queue lengths are measured in feet. The ~st value indicated is the length of the longest queue on the west approach; the second value indicates the longest queue on the east.approach. 2. Year 2010 AM results for Waverley roundabout assume a right.turn slip lane on the north approach. 3. Traffic signal timing for Bryant assumes bicycle call approximatdy every 60 seconds. Page 36 due to their nearly continuous vehicular flow, offer greater efficiency than conventional signalized intersections. Replacement of signals with roundabouts generally would result in substantial decreases in seconds of delay, both with existing volumes and with year 2010 volumes. These efficiency improvements would hold both in comparison to the current four-lane section or a hypothetical two-lane section with all signals remaining. Roundabouts Roundabouts are proposed for several intersections to (a) reduce speeding, (b) reduce delay and queuing, (c) improve LOS and (d) improve safety. A roundabout is a circular shaped raised island that sits in the middle of an intersection. Entering and departing traffic at each of the. four approaches to the roundabout is separated by a triangular- shaped "splitter island" set back from the curb line. This "splitter island" also provides a median refuge for pedestrians. There are between 80,000 and 100,000 roundabouts worldwide. They are most extensively used in Western Europe and Australia: Installations of modem roundabouts in the U.S. are increasing sharply. California examples include roundabouts in Santa Barbara, Petaluma, Davis, andMilpitas. Motorists approaching a roundabout yield to the traffic within the roundabout going in a counter clockwise direction, make a right turn into the traffic flow, and then another right to exit. The number of conflict points at a roundabout is reduced to eight (compared to 32 conflict points at a four-way signal- or stop-controlled intersection), thus reducing the potential for accidents and improving safety. Roundabouts are generally designed for slower speeds, which results in vehicle speeds of 20 mph or less, as well as fewer and less severe accidents. Pedestrian safety is enhanced because (a) fine splitter islands at roundabouts, which channel traffic safely into the roundabout, act as refuge islands, (b) pedestrians have to look only one way, (c) the crossing distance is small, about 12 feet, as a person is crossing only half of the street at a time, and (d) the speed is slow. Bicyclists are able to circulate in the roundabouts at speeds equal to or faster than vehicles. The recent Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Study of safety effects of roundabouts, the most comprehensive U.S. analysis to date, found reductions of 39 percent for all crashes, 76 percent for all injury crashes, and about 90 percent for crashes resulting in death or incapacitating injury after roundabouts replaced signals or stop signs at 24 intersections in 8 states (Attachment 3). While roundabouts seem to have many advantages, they are new. People are generally not familiar with them, which may create initial difficulties. The difficulties may be minimized through good design. While there was strong support for roundabouts during the two workshops,, general public acceptance is unknown. Unlike traffic signals, roundabouts do not provide positive right-of-way-control, so that, for example, pedestrians may need to use their judgment and be patient to make sure that drivers are going to stop for them prior to crossing. A recent Atlanta Journal and Constitution article (Attachment 4) contains an excellent summary of the safety, efficiency~ and financial effects of roundabouts. C:\cmrs~p-tc\embarc traf calming 2.doc Page 7 of 15 Roundabout at West Bayshore Road A roundabout on Embarcadero at West Bayshore would act as gateway feature. It would slow the high-speed traffic coming off the freeway exit rmnps. It would announce to motorists that the character of the street changes at that point. Given the large amount of right-of-way needed to install a roundabout at this location, it would be possible to do all sorts .of entry features, from landscaping to public art. However, any modifications to this area, including modifying the roundabout at St. Francis, will require Caltrans’ cooperation and approval, since Embarcadero, east of St. Francis is within the State right- of-way. Central Median Continuous raised medians in the center of the street with landscaping and trees have several distinct advantages that are important to meeting the project objectives. Medians ¯ are aesthetically pleasing and add to the urban design values of the community. They are used as speed control measures. They tend to reduce left=turn, head-on, and speed-related types of collisions, thus improving safety. Medians facilitate pedestrian crossings by providing refuge in the middle of the street. However, a continuous landscaped median on Embarcadero Road also raises several issues. There may be long-term, high maintenance costs due to planting and irrigation that would require a high ¯level of maintenance. This maybe partially offset by savings in maintenance of the paving area replaced by the median. Maintenance vehicles would block the travel lanes next to the median when maintenance work is required, which would force regular traffic to use the bike lanes. Tree roots from mature trees may puncture sanitary sewer lines, which are located in the middle of the street. Should there ever be a need for major utility work, like the work recently conducted on Embarcadero and Middlefield Roads, traffic would be diverted to other streets. In contrast, the two-way left-turn lane option provides .easier access to residential driveways and additional space for directing traffic around traffic accidents, and is preferred by the Fire Department due to better maneuvering room for emergency vehicles. Past experience, however, shows that some drivers use two-way left-turn lanes as passing lanes. Providing small landscaped islands at strategic locations can discourage this type of behavior. ¯However, two-way left-tttrn lanes are not as effective as a landscaped median in reducing travel speeds or improving safety, and would do very little to enhance urban design aspects. Geometric Modifications to the Intersections These modifications would tend to slow traffic as it enters and leaves Embarcadero and reduce the crossing distance on the side streets for pedestrians. This modification could be problematic because it would force through drivers to make a left turn and then an immediate right. It Would have minimal safety improvement and speed reduction benefits and would be very expensive to implement due to extensive storm drainage work. C:\cmrs~o-tc\embarc traf calming 2.doc Page 8 of 15 Bulbouts Bulb outs in the parking lanes, from Newell to St. Francis, would protect the parked cars and reduce pedestrian crossing distances. Shnilar to geometric modifications, bulbouts would have minimal safety improvement and speed reduction benefits, and would be very expensive to implement due to extensive storm drainage work. Street Lights The Master Schematic Plan includes replacing the existing street light poles and fixtures with pole mounted lurninaires, similar in design to those used Downtown on University .Avenue, and replacing existing monochromatically yellow high~pressure sodium lamps with metal halide lamps. The consultant’s scope of work did not include an in-depth study of this issue. The consultant’s suggestion raises several issues including lighting levels, aesthetics, maintenance, neighborhood ambience, safety, etc. Lighting is a citywide issue and staff believes that lighting along Embarcadero Road should be studied as part of the citywide issue. Widening Planting Strip East of Middlefield, the planting strip is 10 feet wide, and has a regular planting of healthy camphor trees. West of Middlefield, the planting strip is 5 feet wide. So it is narrow and has no buffer between the vehicular traffic and the trees. As a result, the trees in this area are not healthy. Therefore, the consultant’s plan includes widening the narrow planting strip by reconslxucting and moving the curb and gutter outward toward the street and the sidewalk inward toward the houses. Such a change would cost over $1 million to design and construct. Staff believes that this improvement would provide minimal benefits and is not essential. The proposed plan includes provision of 5-foot wide bike lanes, which could provide sufficient buffer for the healthy growth of trees. In addition, the existing soil could be replaced with industrial soil for even healthier trees. Base Plan As discussed above, all elements of the master plan provide some benefits. However, geometric modifications, parking lane bulbouts, and widening the planting strip provide minimal benefits and are not cost effective. Additionally, street lighting is a citywide issue. In view of the above, staff suggests a Base Plan for (1) slowing traffic, (2) improving the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians, and (3) improving the aesthetic character of Embarcadero Road as follows: 1.Reduction of the two through lanes in each direction to one through lane in each direction, with left-turn lanes at the intersections, with the exception of maintaining the four-lane section in proximity to Middlefield due to capacity.constraints. 2.P, eplacement of traffic signals at St. Francis, Newell, and Waverley with 0ne-lane roundabouts. Traffic signals would be maintained at Middlefield, Louis, Greer and Bryant... C:\cmrs~p-tc\embarc traf calming 2.doc Page 9 of 15 3.Installation of on street bike lanes in each direction from Alma to St. Francis, except close to Middlefield. 4.Construction of a roundabout on Embarcadero Road at West Bayshore Road as a gatgway feature. 5. C&i~ruction of a raised, landscaped median in the center of.the street. 6. Maintenance of existing parking between St. Francis and Alma. Phasing Given the size and complexity of this project, the newness of roundabouts, and concern that lane reduction may cause congestion along Embarcadero Road, thus shifting traffic to other streets, staff suggests implementing the Base Plan in Phases. Phase I would be implemented on a one-year trial basis, and would include restriping the road, thus reducing the number of through lanes from four to two, installation of on-street bike lanes, and construction of roundabouts at Newell, Waverley and St. Francis and a raised, non-landscaped median using temporary materials such as asphalt curbing, as well as covering traffic signal equipment and related signing. During this phase, staff would monitor and collect the. necessary data to determine the effectiveness of the Base Plan in calming traffic on Embarcadero Road, and identify any problems associated with it including the possible shift of traffic to other streets. Phase I would also include preparation of traffic calming .plan and trail installations of traffic calming measures on Channing Avenue and North California Avenue. While staff does not believe that there will be any significant traffic shift onto these streets due to traffic calming on Embarcadero. Staff recommends these measures as proactive steps to insure that these shifts do not occur. At the end of Phase I, staffwould forward an evaluation report to the Council. Following discussion oft he evaluation report and Council direction, staff would proceed further to make any adjusmaents deemed necessary and make the Base-Plan permanent or, in at Council direction, discontinue the project. Issues Traffic Diversion: Embarcadero Road could be reduced to two through lanes, under the current conditions, with maintaining all the traffic signals. While the average delay and queuing at Bryant, Louis and Greer would be greater than with four lanes, congestion at the intersections would not significantly increase and traffic would not be diverted to other streets. However, long queues would form at Waverley, Newell and St. Francis, likely causing traffic to shift to streets such as Channing and California. Therefore, it is essential to construct roundabouts at these three locations to reduce queuing and likely traffic diversion. Staff believes that with roundabouts at Waverley, Newell and St. Francis, traffic should not shift to other streets. Nevertheless, staff would monitor traffic conditions before and after implementing changes on Embarcadero, to determine any possible shift of traffic and take appropriate action based on the problem and its extent. In addition, staff will work with residents of Channing Avenue and North California Avenue to develop trial C:\cmrs~p-tc\embarc traf calming 2.doc Page 10 of 15 traffic calming projects for those streets to be implemented at the same time as a trail program begins on Embarcadero Road. Emergency Response: Embarcadero Road is an emergency response route and must continue to function effectively for police and fire vehicles. Traffic would be able to pull into bicycle lanes and parking lanes to allow emergency vehicles to get by. Fire personnel are concerned that some of the drivers may freeze in the travel lane thus restricting or delaying their passage. Fire personnel prefers a continuous two-way left- turn lane with intermittent medians, to permit added flexibility in getting around, any vehicle that fails to yield the right-of-way to emergency vehicles. Stanford Football and Special Events: The Police Department converts all four lanes on Embarcadero Road, between Middlefield and Alma, to one-way, east- or westbound traffic to handle the excess traffic generated by special events at Stanford. This occurs six or seven times a year. With two lanes on Embarcadero and a median, drivers passing through this corridor would experience an increased amount of delay or shift to other parallel streets, including Sand Hill Road, Oregon Expressway and University Avenue. Staff will need to develop a mitigation program for these events. Such a program would likely include added green time for remaining signals on Embarcadero Road and - in conjunction with Stanfotd- both encouraging the use of Oregon Expressway as an alternative route and the use of alternatives modes of travel, including public transport, to and from the games. Embarcadero/Middtefield Intersection: it is essential to maintain all four through lanes, left-turn lanes, and the traffic signal on Embarcadero in the vicinity of Middlefield, due to capacity Constraints. This means there would be no on-street bike lanes or raised median in this area. Both Embarcadero and Middlefield carry a large amount of traffic. The intersection would operate at LOS F, which is unacceptable, with two lanes of through traffic and a traffic signal. A one-lane roundabout with two through lanes, similar to other locations, would also cause significant delays to traffic and long queues. A two- lane roundabout with two through lanes would operate at an acceptable LOS and would reduce delays. However, it would require additional right-of-way and encroach intothree of the corner properties. Additionally, a two-lane roundabout would be complex, .more difficult to negotiate, and larger in size. Therefore staff suggests maintaining four lanes of traffic and the traffic signal on Embarcadero in the. vicinity of Middlefield. This issue will need to be re-visited if and when a conceptual plan and feasibility study is undertaken for traffic calming on Middlefield Road. Probable Outcomes Based on Project Objectives Speed: Eighty-fifth percentile Speeds in the range of 37 and 38 mph have been recorded .in the past on Embarcadero Road. Staff estimates that roundabouts and a continuous landscaped median would reduce this speed by 6 to 7 mph, to about 31/32 mph range. C:\cmrs~p-tc\embarc traf calming 2.doc "Page 11 of 15 On the other hand, a two-way left-turn lane with intermittent islands is expected to reduce speeds by 4 to 5 mph, to 33/34 range. Safety: A total of 119 accidents were reported on Embarcadero Road, between Alma and St. Francis, 12om January 1, 1995 to December 31, 1997. Of the 119 accidents, 12 accidents occurred mid-block, and the remaining 107 accidents at or close to the intersections and side streets. Of the 12 mid-block accidents, 10 are susceptible to correction by installation of a median. Of the 107 accidents, 28 accidents are susceptible to correction by installation of a roundabout. The total number of accidents susceptible to correction under the base plan would be 35 (10 + 28 minus the 3 at Greer, since the base plan does not include a roundabout at Greer). Normally 100 percent of the accidents susceptible to correction by any engineering solution are not eliminated. Staff expects that 50 to 80 percent of the 35 accidents susceptible to correction by.the median and the roundabouts may be eliminated. Traffic Volumes: Staff does not believe that there would be any substantial shift of traffic to other streets or reduction in traffic volumes on Embarcadero Road as a result of either the master plan or base plan. Technically, traffic shifts to other streets due to long delays, queues or congestion along a certain corridor. As indicated earlier in this report, all the intersections would continue to operate at acceptable LOS and queues due to the proposed roundabouts at Waverley, Newell and St. Francis. .Traffic analysis also indicates that, with existing traffic volumes, implementing either of the Base Plan or the Master Schematic .Plan would reduce peak hour delay by approximately 37 to 46 percent (not considering the Embarcadero/Middlefield intersection). Year 2010 analysis assumes 14 percent higher traffic volumes, as per Comprehensive Plan projections. For this case both the master and the base plans reduce the delay minimally, and the overall delay would essentially be the same as if the existing signals with four-lane configuration were kept unchanged. ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMlV~NDATION As an alternative to the Base Plan proposed by staff, the Planning Commission could consider the following: Maintain four lanes on Embarcadero Road, synchronize traffic signals at 25 mph, and install dynamic signs informing motorists that the signals are timed at 25 mph. This is the least expensive alternative. However, it will not affect the current traffic patterns or volumes, improve pedestrian/bicycle safety, or enhance the aesthetic character of the street. In addition, timing the signals at 25 mph does notmean drivers will comply with the progression speed of 25 mph. As a result, this alternative may not reduce speeds between signals on Embarcadero Road. 2.This option is the same as the Base Plan proposed by staff except the continuos raised landscaped median could be replaced with a continuous two-way left-turn lane and C:\cmrs\p-tc\embarc traf calming 2.doc ’Page 12 of 15 small hardscaped or landscaped islands at strategic locations. This option strives to achieve the project goals at a minimal cost. It would result in fttrther savings in design and construction costs. It will reduce speeding somewhat less than the recommended plan with a median. In addition, replacing the median with a two-way left-turn lane may result in somewhat reduced improvements in bicycle and vehicular safety compared to a median. This is due to the allowance of left turns out of driveways. This option, however, does little to enhance the aesthetic character of the street. RESOURCE IMPACT The 1997-98 Capital Improvement Program includes $125,000 for a planning, feasibility, and schematic design study for calming traffic on Embarcadero Road. The total esthr~ated construction cost, based upon currently developed information for the Base Plan recommended b~ staff is $3.1 million and for the Master Plan is $7.9 million. Inflation, use of any special landscaping, construction materials, artwork, etc., would add further to the construction costs. A breakdown of the construction cost for each of the major design elements for each alternative is shown in below: Base Plan Center Median Roundabouts Signing & Striping Total Alma - Middlefield $50t,000 $362,000 $70,000 $933,000 Middlefield - Bayshore $583,000 $1,086,000 $100,000 $1,769,000 Total $1,084,000 $1,448,000 $170,000 $2,702,000 Estimated Construction Cost Design Contingencies, 15 percent Total Construction cost = $2,702,000 =.$4O5,OOO = $3,107,000 Master Plan Lighting Widen Planting Roundabouts Geometric strip Modifications $978,000 $412,000 Alma Middlefield Middlefield Bayshore ’ Total Center Median $501,000 $583,000 $1.084,000 $373,000 $538,000 $911,000 $978,000 $362,000 $1,449,000 $1,811,000 $1,508,000 1,920,000 Signing Striping $70,000 $100,000 $170,000 Estimated Construction Cost Design Contingencies, 15 percent Total Construction Cost = $6,874,000 = $1,031,000 = $7,905,000 Notes: 1. Does not i~clude design, testing, inspection maintenance costs 2. Typical roundabout cost is estimated at $363,342. contract administration, and Total $2,696,000 $4,178,000 $6,874,000 ongoing C:\cmrs~o4c\embarc traf calming 2.doc Page 13 of 15 No funds are available for design or construction of any of the schematic design elements on Embarcadero Road or conducting.such a study for any one of the other residential arterial streets. In the past, traffic-calming strategies have been funded through gas tax funds (Street Improvement Funds). Subsequent design and construction of improvements to Embarcadero Road, and feasibility studies for the remaining residential arterials, would require substantial f’mancial cormnitment by the City. However~ this project, and a variety of other important projects including the library master plan, a new public safety building and citywide infrastructure needs, exceeds the City’s funding capability. In July 1998, the Council approved a General Fund infrastructure financing and prio.ritization plan, which indicated that such projects should be funded through general obligation bonds, grants, new or increased taxes, and assessment or spe,,cial tax districts. Since roundabouts induce lower and more even vehicle speeds--~ind thus reduce mobile source air pollution in contrast to traffic signals--grant funds may be available through the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to defray the costs of one or two of the proposed roundabouts. The Residential Arterial Streets Traffic Calming Project would need to be financed from one of the above revenue sources. In addition to the design and construction costs, the project would require management staff resources that exceed the current availability of time, and it will result in increased maintenance costs. It will be necessary for the Public Works Department to retain the services of a project management firm to provide day-to-day staff’mg needs for this project to oversee the design and construction stages of the project. These outside management services will reduce, but not eliminate, the need for City staff involvement and review during all phases of the project. The design and construction management costs are not included in the construction costs and are estimated to be approximately 16 percent of the construction costs. This project will result in increased maintenance costs. Such costs include repair and replacement, water, electricity, etc. While the actual cost cannot be. determined at present, it is important that the City be committed to securing the necessary staff and!or contract services to provide for the additional maintenance work. It may be important to note that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates annual savings of up to $5,000 a year in electricity and maintenance costs when a traffic signal replace POLICY IMPLICATIONS The Transportation Element of the 1998-2010 Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan contains numerous policies related to traffic calming including the following Policy and Programs which specifically relate to calming traffic on residential arterial streets. ¯ Policy T-30: "Reduce the impacts of through-traffic on residential areas by designating certain streets as residential arterials." C:\cmrs~p-tc\embarc traf calming 2.doc Page 14 of 15 Program T-41: "The following roadways are designated as residential arterials. Treat these streets with landscaping, medians, and other visual improvements to distinguish them as residential streets, in order to reduce traffic speeds .... " Program T-42: "Use landscaping and other improvements to establish clear "gateways" at the po:ints where. University Avenue and Embarcadero Road transition from freeways to neighborhoods." ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW An Environmental Assessment will be prepared prior .to implementation of a Traffic calming Project. ATTACHMENTS 1: November 1995 Council Memo 2. Embarcadero Road Traffic Calming Project Draft Final Report PREPARED BY: Ashok Aggarwal, City Traffic Engineer Joseph Kott, Chief Transportation Official COURTESY COPIES: City Council Project Advisory Group Prepared by:Ashok Aggarwal, City Traffic .Engineer Joseph Kott, Chief Transportation Official (.~seph Kott, Chief Transportation Official C:\cmrMp4c\embarc traf calming 2.doc Page 15 of 15 ITypical Roadway Section Newel] to Bayshore ATTACHMENT B1 56’ R,O,W, 86’ Existing Section 10’ .i. 7’5’..Ls’-L 10,5" Park Bike Travel 1:0’=1.10.5’ I 5’ ,7,5’=i~ 10’-.,. .i.,,.L Travel Bike Pa’k R,O,W-86’ Master Plan Section & Proposed Base Plan Section D:~t’K)k~rnb_~.cdr fTv~ical Roadway Section "~Alma to Mid~lefield ATTACHMENT B2 5’ 5’46’1,5’ ~ 5’ R,O.W, 71’ Existing Section .!. 5’.!" 9.5’ .I. 5’.;., 11’ Bike . Travel R,O,W 71° -ITM "1TM Travel Bike Master Plan Section 2’"~i. 5’i-~ 5’~ 7’ I 11’ i 10’i Bike Travel R,O,W, 71’ Travel Bike Proposed Base Plan Section ATTACHMENT C Roundabout Drawing Showing a Typical Roundabout & a Parking Lane Bulb out ATTACHMENT D ATTACHMENT E Drawing Showing a Typical Intersection Modification MEMO RANDU M ATTACHMENT F, December 21, 2000 TO: Palo Alto Neighborhood Associations FROM: ~’J~e Kott, Chief Transportation Official ~,~p, Patrick Siegman, Transportation Planner SUBJECT:Solicitation of Interest in "Hosting" a Trial Modem Roundabout The Transportation Division is soliciting the interest of a neighborhood association to "host" a six-month trial of a modem roundabout in Palo Alto. Roundabouts are emerging in the U.S. as an innovative way tO improve both intersection safety and efficiency. I have enclosed a brief article from the University of California Institute of Transportation Studies that describes roundabouts and discusses the essential differences between this form of intersection control and rotaries such as are found in Boston, as well as traffic circles such as our own at Bryant and Addison. The enclosed press release lists required - along with desired - characteristics we are seeking in a trial roundabout intersection. They are: Required - ¯Nomination from a neighborhood association ¯Location in a four-way intersection, with at least one of the two intersecting streets . either a collector or an arterial. ¯An intersection controlled by either a stop sign or traffic signal ¯Council authorizes the installation at the selected location Desired - ¯A school, park, or community center within 1,O00feet of the intersection ¯At least one of the streets is on apubtic transit route ¯At least one of the streets has bicycle lanes in each direction I have enclosed a map of the Palo Alto street network to identify arterial and collector streets, as well as a sungnary of findings from a major U.S. study of safety at roundabouts. Good web links with extensive information on modem roundabouts may be found in our Embarcadero Koad Traffic Cahning web page, which is: http : / !www. city .pal o-alto, ca .us!embarcadero! The Institute of Transportation Studies newsletter article also has a good annotated bibliography and some Web links on roundabouts. We will require the nomination of a location to be agreed to at a regular .. me~ting or through a special ballot of the neighborhood association. Please send your nominations, with date or meeting or ballot that confmns the nomination, to: Joseph Kott, Chief Transportation Official City of Palo Alto Transportation Division P.O. Box 10250, Palo Alto, CA 94303 Nominations are due by 5:00 p.m. Friday, March 2, 2001. We look forward to hearing from interested neighborhoods and to working with a neighborhood association to develop a successful roundabout trial. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact either one of us at the Transportation Division general number, 329-2520. You may also wish to send questions and/or comments to j oseph_kott@c ~ty .pa~- alto. ca .u~, SUMMER 1997 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Institute of Transportation Studies Technology Transfer Program Technology Transfer for Local Transportation Agencies Modern Roundabouts By Michael Wallwork and Patrick Siegman ¯ For the past two decades, thousands of mod- em roundabouts have been replacing traffic signals and stop signs all across Europe. This trend is well documented by several papers presented at the conference "Giratoires ’92"(Roundabouts ’92). France, for instance, has been building about 1,000 roundabouts per year. In the Netherlands, more than 400 were built between 1986 and 1992. In Norway, the number swelled from just 15 in 1980 to 500 in 1992; in Switzer- land, from 19 to 220 during the same period. And, with the construction of some 50 mod- ern roundabouts in the last five Years, roundabouts have finally gained a foothold in the U.S. . Modem roundabouts are now found in at least 13 U.S. states, including Califomia, Nevada, Florida, South Carolina, Massa- chusetts, Vermont, Tennessee, Texas, Wash- ington, Kansas, Wisconsin and Maryland. They are being used in a wide range of applications: to control speeds on residen- tial streets; to improve capacity at congested freeway interchanges; to beautify gateway entrances to towns and shopping centers; and, most importantly, to reduce the number and severity of crashes at both major and minor intersections. In many communities, the roundabouts have been so successful that residents have quickly demanded more to fix other problem intersections. A growing number of studies show that in many situations, modem roundabouts are both safer and more efficient than either traffic signals or stop signs. Not a Traffic Circle These modem roundabouts should not - repeat not- be confused with the old, large, high-speed traffic circles of the past. Justifi- ably, old traffic circle designs have a reputa- A roundabout in Bradenton, Fla. tion for driver confusion, congestion and high accident rates. Usually, these old circles employ orie of three types of flawed de- signs: ¯ Circulating traffic must yield: The earliest designs require circulating vehicles to yield to the entering traffic. With heavy traffic, this arrangement quickly clogs the circle. ¯ High-speed merge: In a second variety of large circle, drivers circulate at 30 to 35 mph. Entering drivers approach at speed, and must cross exiting traffic to merge onto the circulating roadway. With such high speeds, drivers need large gaps to be able to enter safely: this limits capacity severely. Such circles also need long merging dis- tances to work well: but with right-of-way often limited, they are often built too small. ¯ Perpendicular approach: A third variety of traffic circle requires the entering driver to turn hard right into a gap, and then accelerate to stay ahead of approaching vehicles, which circulate at high speed. Again, drivers need large gaps to be able to (Continued on page two] MODERN ROUNDABOUTS (Continued frora cover) make a safe merge, and so capacity is se- verely limited. Other varieties exist too: some old traffic circles have been signalized in an attempt to solve the initial design problems, while oth- ers even allow parking within the circle. Finally, Seattle and several other cities have recently, and much more successfully, retro- fitted residential streets with ’neighborhood traffic circles.’ These circles are small (typi- cally 9 to 12 feet in diameter for a 20 foot wide street), and have been suecesful in reducing speeding and crashes. But they too are different from modem roundabouts: they typically lack the yield signs and splitter islands used on modem roundabout ap- proaches. Because of the legacy of all of these varied traffic circle designs, people are often con- fused about modem roundabouts, and their potential to solve capacity and safety prob- lems is often unrecognized. In this article, we hope to make clear the key features that define a modem roundabout, and why they work much better than the designs of the past. Key Features of Roundabouts Four key features define a modem round- about: 1) Size: Compared to most traffic circles, roundabouts are small. Usually, a round- about can be retrofitted within the space used by an existing traffic signal or stop- controlled intersection, with little or no ad- ditional right-of-way required. 2) Yield-On-Entry Rule: At each approach to a roundabout, yield signs (never stop signs or traffic lights) require entering driv- ers to yield to drivers already in the circle. 3) Splitter Islands: At each entrance, trian- gular ’splitter islands’ prevent drivers from going around the circle the wrong way, and simultaneously provide a safe refuge for crossing pedestrians. 4) Low Speed: Vehicle speeds are physi- cally constrained to 10 to 20 mph by a geometry that requires drivers to slow and turn. At modem roundabouts, motorists enter by selecting a gap in the circulating traffic. Their only decision is whether or not the approaching gap is large enough for them to enter the roundabout safely. If no circulating vehicles are present, drivers can adjust their speed and enter without stopping. This simple decision-making process, at low speed, is the major reason for the quick acceptance of roundabouts by drivers around the world and in this country. Slower is Better The basic philosophy of roundabout design is to physically limit vehicle speeds to less than 25 mph, no matter what the circum- stance. Higher design speeds will negate both the safety and capacity benefits of us- ing a roundabout. It is the low speeds, usu- ally below 20 mph, that allow drivers to select very small gaps in the circulating traffic stream, and so provide high capacity. In designing roundabouts, slower is better. This applies even when roundabouts are used at freeway interchanges. As with traffic signals at the foot of an off-ramp, long ramps are used to help drivers make an initial change from high to low speed before they encounter a roundabout~ Safety In both the United States and other coun- tries, modem roundabouts have achieved a 50% to 90% reduction in collisions com- pared with intersections using stop control or traffic signals. Pedestrian/vehicle and bi- cycle/vehicle collisions at roundabouts are likewise rare. The number of possible conflict points for vehicles decreases from 32 at a four-way intersection to eight at a roundabout. This reduction in crashes occurs for several reasons: ¯ The number Of possible conflict points between vehicles decreases from 32 at a four-way intersection, to eight at a round- about. (See the figures above.) By reducing the number of conflict points, roundabouts also reduce the number of collisions. ¯ Vehicle speeds at roundabouts are much lower, generally less than 25 mph. Lower speeds mean shorter braking distances and longer decision-making time. Therefore, even if someone makes a mistake a collision is easier to avoid. ¯ Decision-making is simplified. A driver about to enter has one decision: "Is there a vehicle circulating in the roundabout block- ing my path?" If not, the driver enters. Otherwise, the driver waits for a gap. ¯ If a collision does occur at a roundabout, the force of impact is much lower due to the lower speed and the low angle of impact. No one can"run the red" and cause a right angle collision. Nor can a left-turning driver make a mistake in selecting a gap in the approach- ing through traffic, with the resulting head- on or right angle crash. 2 TECH TRANSFER University of Calil’omia Aerial view of the roundabout at Interstate 70 and Vail Road in Vail, Co. Photo courtesy of Leif Ourston. Capacity of Roundabouts Generally, roundabouts can offer 30 % higher capacity than traffic signals, because of the fundamental differences between these two types of intersection control. Traffic signals allocate time between conflicting groups of road users: they take time from major road users and give that time to cross traffic, pedestrians and left turn movements. As a result, they substantially reduce the capac- ity of the major road to handle traffic - usually, by 40% to 60%. Traffic signals turn intersections into the bottleneck points on the road system. Roads are often widened for just one reason: to provide a place to stack up cars waiting at red lights. By their nature, traffic signals usually per- mit only two traffic movements to occur simultaneously in an intersection. Between phase changes, they permit vehicles only to clear the intersection: no new vehicles may enter. This significant proportion of each traffic signal cycle is lost time - of no benefit to the approaching or waiting traffic. Lost time equals lost capacity. Compounding this inefficiency, any gaps that occur during the green phase (as is particularly common toward the end of the green phase) also represent time lost, be- cause cross traffic cannot take advantage of these gaps. As more signals are coordinated, with longer cycle times and resulting longer headway at the end of the cycle, this lost time/capacity concern is increasing. In contrast, at even the smallest roundabout, it is possible for vehicles to enter the round- about simultaneously from each approach. The only restriction on entering a round- about is the availability of gaps in the circu- lating traffic. The small diameter, restricted entry and low circulating speeds provide a slow speed environment where drivers can and do select very small gaps, often as low as one second. It is this ability to make use of every small gap, and allow vehicles to enter simultaneously from multiple, ap- proaches, that gives roundabouts their dem- onstrated capacity advantages. Some recent American study results make clear this high capacity: ¯ In Daytona Beach, Florida, on State Road 430, a single-lane roundabout was mea- sured in 1991 carrying 2,832 vehicles in the peak hour. Average Daily Traffic (ADT) through the intersection is 33,000. ¯ In Spartanburg, South Carolina, a two-lane roundabout with four approach roads plus freeway diamond interchange has an ADT of 44,000 vehicles. ¯ Three-lane roundabouts in both Australia and the U.S. currently carry more than 4,700 vehicles per hour. A three-lane roundaboutin Long Beach, California, that was recently converted from a traffic ckcle is carrying 4,700 vehicles per hour. The average delay is two to five seconds in the peak period. Best Uses for Roundabouts Roundabouts are effective in many intersections, but they are not a panacea. Roundabouts are particularly effective: ¯ At freeway interchanges, where signals often fail because of high left-turn volumes. Here, roundabouts (in single or dual ar- rangements) can avoid the need for multi- million dollar bridge or underpass widen- ing. Unlike that of signalized intersections, roundabout efficiency increases with higher left-turn volumes: left-turning vehicles break up the through traffic to let side street traffic enter the roundabout. ¯ At "Y", offset or many-legged intersec- tions, traffic signals are very inefficient and roundabouts are a good alternative. The ap- proach angle, number of roads or their off- sets from each other does not affect the operation of a roundabout. When They Won’t Work Roundabouts are usually unsuitable when: ¯ There are insufficient gaps in the major flow, so that the minor flow has difficulty entering the roundabout. Sometimes, how- ever, this problem can be fixed by signaliz- ing one approach to a roundabout to create gaps for another leg. Usually, this signal need only be turned on during the peak hour. ¯ Traffic volumes are very high, say 6,000 vph. Here a very large signalized intersec- tion is necessary to separate vehicles in time. Alternatively, an overpass is probably more suitable and safer. Michael Wallwork is. a senior transportation engineer with Genesis Grotep, Inc., in Jacksonville, Fla., (904) 730-9360; e-mail: mwallwork@ggise.com Patrick Siegman is a transportation analyst at Stanford Transportation Programs in Stanford, Ca. RECOMMENDED VIDEOS The following videos are available on loan from the ITS Library. To request a loan, please send a fax to (510) 642- 9180. All the videos may also be purchased from the Santa Barbara- based consulting firm of Ourston & Doctors, (805) 683~1383. ¯Modern Roundabouts ¯1-70/Vail Road ¯ ¯ Nonconforming Traffic Circle Becomes Modern Roundabout No. 58 SUMMER 1997 3 For information on the availability of these materials, write to lnterlibratTy Lending, ITS Library, 412 McLaughtin Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-1720; telephone us at (510) 642-3604; send a fax to (510) 642-9180 or e-mail us at itslib@uclink4.Berkeley.edu. "Is the Roundabout Revolution Coming to the United States?" By Georges Jacquemart. Journal .of Trans- portation Engineering, Vol. 122, No. 6, pp. 411-413. Noting the explosive growth in construction of modern traffic circles in Europe and Aus- tralia, the author urges the establishment of national design guidelines for roundabouts in the U.S. The differences between tradi- tional and modem roundabout .design are briefly explored, and numerous benefits are cited, including substantial safety improve- ments, shorter delays and increased fluidity, reduced maintenance costs, and aesthetic advantages. Speculating on U.S. reluctance to adopt modern roundabouts, the author notes that because the moderu roundabout is physically configured to slow down traffic it challenges our current ideas about design speed and safety. The article includes brief summaries about the experiences of Lisbon, Md., Vail, Colo., and Montpelier, Vt. with modern roundabouts. Operational Performance Measures of American Roundabouts By Aimee Flannery and Tapan Datta. Paper presented at the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting, January 1997.21 p. Concerned that foreign design and opera- tional manuals may not accurately depict the ’ performance level of roundabouts driven by American drivers, the authors undertook this study of four single-lane roundabouts in the United States. Driver characteristics were compared to findings in Australia, and the suitability of Australian capacity methods for American roundabouts was explored. The study demonstrates that gap acceptance at roundabouts was similar to that of two-way stop control, but that drivers at roundabouts accept smaller gaps in the traffic stream on entry. The authors conclude that roundabouts should perform better than two-way or all- way stop controlled intersections under most conditions, and that use of the Austroads Guide in determining critical gap and fol- low-up time for U.S. conditions is conserva- tive in most cases. "Roundabouts: A Direct Way to Safer Highways" By Leif Ourston and Joe G. Bared. Public Roads, Vol. 59, No. 2, Autumn 1995, pp. 41- 49. This article takes a look at roundabout acci- dent experience in the United States and some European countries for roundabouts constructed since 1990. The article provides some general information about the charac- teristics of modem roundabouts, and their rapid adoption in Europe. The safety advan- rages of roundabouts are documented with statistics from several nations’. The full text of this article is available at the following Web address: http://www.tfhrc.gov/pbrds/ fal195/p95a41.htm State of the Art Design of Roundabouts By Joe G. Bared, William A. Prosser and Carol Tan Esse. Paper presented at the An- nual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, January 1997.28p. Growing experience with modern roundabouts in Europe and Australia has resulted in more uniform design practices, particularly a yield-at-entry traffic rule and vehicle path deflection through the round- about. For the benefit of American planners and designers, this paper provides a synthe- sis of design standards and makes recom- mendations based on up-to-date intemational and domestic practices. Practical design is- sues are concisely discussed: justification of a roundabout, safety and accident predic- tion, capacity, delays, location, vehicle de- sign considerations, and bicycle and pedes- trian considerations. "Design Criteria for Roundabouts" By Mountasser A. Rahman. 1995 Compen- dium of Technical Papers. Washington, D.C.: Institute of Transportation Engineers, 1995, pp.147-153. The author, a project manager with Mary- land DOT, presents a design criteria for both single and multi-lane roundabouts adopted from the-Maryland State Highway Administration’s 1995 Draft Roundabout Design Guidelines and Australia’s 1993 Guide to Traffic Engineering Practice. Geo- metric features, traffic data, parameters of the Critical gap, headway in circulating flow, absorption capacity, delay, and entry queue length are considered. Following this dis- cussion, a sample problem giving the sig- nificant points and procedures for the design of a single-lane roundabout is presented. Maryland is one of two state DOTs which have prepared roundabout design guidelines. (Florida is the other.) "Traffic Signals and Roundabouts: Are they Really Safer?" " By Peter Adams. Road & Transport Re- search, Vol. 4, No. 4, December 1995, pp.88- 100. A detailed statistical analysis of accident. data was conducted for 11 intersections in western Sydney which had been improved with traffic signals and 13 which were con- verted to modem roundabouts. Accident sta- tistics were examined for the two years be- fore and after treatment. Significant reduc- tions in accident frequency were recorded at signals (35.1%) and roundabouts (71.1%). Reductions in the proportion of severe acci- dents were recorded for roundabouts, but not at signals. For a list of some roundabout references on the World Wide Web, please see the list on page 5 of this newsletter. !~) 4 TECH TRANSFER University of California ROUNDABOUT REFERENCES ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB http:llwww.uftrc.ce.ufl.edul wwwroundlrnd-home.htm Roundabout Traffic Control Information Center. This Web site created and main, rained by the University of Florida Transportation Research Center in coop- eration with the Florida DOT contains a variety of roundabout information7. " http:llwww.uftrc.ce,ufl.edul wwwround/montpeli.htm "Montpelier’s Modem Roundabout At Keck Circle: Neighborhood Opinion Survey." This paper ehrorticles the political and institutional history of the Keck Circle Roundabout, summarizes accident experi- ence since conversion, and presents the results of a neighborhood survey. http:l/www.tfhrc.govlpubrdslfal1951 p95a41,htm "Roundabouts: A Direct Way to Safer Highways." On this site is the full text of a useful article published in Public Roads magazirm. Its content is described in more detail in the list of roundabout references on page 4 of this newsletter. http:l/www,west.netl~owendeel index.htm! Ourston & Doctors on Modern Round- about Interchanges. This site maintained by a Santa Barbara-based consulting firm includes an order form listing videos and publications that are available for pur- chase. WINNERS OF THE 8TH ANNUAL TRANNY AWARDS On April 30 in Sacramento, the California Transportation Foundation presented its 1997 awards for excellence in transporta- tion. Among those honored were: Person of the Year: Dianne McKenna, Santa Clara County Supervisor Project of the Year: I- 110 Harbor Freeway and Transitway by Caltrans District 7, Los Angeles Project Awards Highway: Harbor Blvd. Widening and Underpass, City of West Sacramento Transit: South "Y" Transit Station, City of South Lake Tahoe Special Recognition: Colma BART. Station, San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District Program Awards Community Awareness: Central Freeway Public Information, Caltrans District 4, Oakland; Environs Enhancement: Bay Avenue/Porter Street Interchange Mural, Contra Costa County Transportation Agency; Highway Management: Red Light Photo Enforcement, City of San Francisco; Transit Management: CalTrain B us Shuttles/Public-Private Partnerships, Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board; Transportation Management: RIDE ON Transportation Management Association, San Luis Obispo Area. Harold E. Wight, Manager of Airports, Con- ira Costa County, was manager of the year. ROUNDABOUT E-MAIL LIST Mark Pettibone (e-mail: mpett@sapitwa.wwc.edu) has created an e-mail list for subscribers interested in roundabouts. To subscribe to the list, send mail to lists@sapitwa.wwc.edu with "subscribe roundabout" in the body of the message. 49th University .of California Transportation Symposium The 49th University of CalifomiaTranspor- tation Symposium promises to be an exeit- . ing blend of information about the applica- tions of new technologies and fundamental engineering practices. This year’s theme is Promises and Practices: Linking Transpor- tation Research and Applications. Follow- ing the modgl that was established last year, this year’s symposium focuses on.three tech- nical specialties: oprmtions, infrastructure, and planning and finance. ¯General sessions will highlight the South- em California Priority Corridor Showcase Project and feature presentations by Gloria Jeff, Associate Administrator for Policy, Federal Highway Administration, and Adib Kanafani, Director of the Institute of Trans- portation Studies at UC Berkeley. Concurrent sessions develop such topics as The Reauthorization of !STEA, Advanced" Traffic Signal Controls, Quality Control/Qual- ity Assurance Initiative, Congestion Pricing] User Charges, Smart Shuttles, Planning for Local ITS Deployment, Traffic Engineering fbr All Road Users, Pavement Management Success Stories, LOcal Funding Strategies, Smart Systems for Managing Urban Conges- tion, and Hot and Cold Recycling Techniques. The symposium will be held Oct. 2-3 at the Hyatt Regency Alicante in Anaheim. A tour and recepti6n at the District 12 Traffic Man- agement Center areplanned. A video-linked presentation of the California ATMS Test Bed at UC Irvine is included in the tour. For more information, call (5 I0) 231-9590 or check our Web site: www.its.Berkeley.edu/ -By Susan Ker, Program Manager No. 51~ SUMMER 1997 City of Palo Aim: Ne~,’~ ,¢.etease NEWS RELEASE Date: December 19, 2000 For Immediate Release Contact: Joseph Kott Chief Transportation Official 650-329-2578 "Host" Neighborhood Sought for Trial Roundabout Palo Alto, CA -- One of the recommendations made by the Planning and Transportation Commission at its November 8 public hearing on the Embarcadero Road Traffic Calming Plan was for. staff to conduct a trial installation of a modern one-lane roundabout at a location separate from Embarcadero Road. The Commission’s view was that a practical demonstration of the safety and efficiency benefits of roundabouts in a less contentious Palo Alto setting would contribute to public understanding of and dialogue about innovative traffic management . measures. In response to the Commission’s suggestion, Transportation Division staff proposes to solicit "nominations" from P.aio Alto neighborhood associations for a six-month roundabout trial demonstration. Criteria for selection will include the following: Required: ¯Nomination from a neighborhood association ¯Location in a four-way intersection, with at least one of the two intersecting streets being either a collector or an arterial ¯ An intersection contro#ed by either a stop sign or traffic signal ¯ Council authorizes the installation at the selected location Desi red: ¯A school, park, or community center within 1,000 feet of the intersection ¯At least one of the streets is on a pubfic transit route ¯At least one of the streets has bicycle lanes in each direction Staff will collect "before" and "after" data on motor vehicle volumes, speeds, traffic accidents, and resident opinion. A website will be established to provide updates on the demonstration trial. A report evaluating results will be prepared for both the Planning and Transportation Commission and. the Council. Modern roundabouts, unlike either rotaries or traffic circles, provide clear separation between entering and exiting traffic through use of curved triangular "splitter" islands in the medians at each of the four intersection approaches. One-lane and two-lane roundabouts are also substantially smaller than rotaries found in Boston or Washington, D.C. The safety benefits of roundabouts for drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists are well documented in studies in the U.S. and worldwide. The Insurance Tnstitute for Highway Safety, in a major study issued earlier this year documented that conversion of such intersections to roundabouts in the U.S. has resulted in a reduction of about 40% in all crashes and a 76% reduction in injury crashes. I of 2 12120100 1:33 P CO L..L~..C~OI::K F P,F_..F,_ .WAY Vol. 35, ~o. 5, May 13, 2000 . Report, VoL 3~, lYo. 5, May 13, 2000 resulting in occupant injuries. Researchers at Ryerson Polytechnic University, the Insti- tute, and the University of Maine studied crashes and injuries at 24 intersections be- fore and after construction of roundabouts. The study found a 39 percent overall de- crease in crashes and a 76 percent decrease in injury-producing crashes. Collisions in- volving fatal or Incapacitating injuries fell as much as 90 percent. ¯. These findings are consistent with those from other countries Where roundabouts have beenused extensively for decades. They also are consistent with preliminary studies of U~. roundabouts. The safety bendits don’t come at the ex- pense of traffic flow. In fact, where round- abouts replace intersections with stop signs or traffic signals, delays in traffic can be re- duced by as much as 75 percent. "Given the magnitude of these crash re- ductions, there’s no doubt that roundabouts are an important countermeasure for many intersection safety problems," says Institute president Brian O’Neill. "Replacing signals or stop signs with roundabouts will reduce the number of crashes and save lives while at the same time improving traffic flow." The recent study focuses on urban and rural intersections in California, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, South Carolina, and Vermont. The roundabouts placed stop controls or traffic signals. Old idea improved: Rotary intersec- tions aren’t new. They predate the automo- bile. In 1905, the ~st U.S. traffic circle, then known as a "gyratory," was constructed in New York City, and European countries built them in great numbers through the early part of this century. In its basic form, a traffic circle consists of a raised island at the center of an ordi- nary right-angle intersection. The island, which directs cars counterclockwise, is in- tended to reduce speeds, although this goal isn’t always achieved. Other configurations can be more complex. They may Involve split lanes and combinations of yield signs, stop signs, and traffic lights -- all of which can be corffusing to drivers trying to negoti- ate them. The modern roundabout improves on such designs. This is an important distinc- tion, because the older traffic drdes aren’t always easy to navigate, so they haven’t been very popular. "At modem roundabouts, triangular lands at each entrance blow approaching ve- hicles," explains Richard Retting, Institute senior h’affic engineer and an author of the study. "In older traffic circles, no physical structures prevent drivers from speeding fight into the intersection. This lack of con- trol contributes to high-speed conflicts in- side the circle"-- a problem solved by the islands at roundabouts. Another feature is that vehicles ap- proaching roundabouts yield to cixculating traffic. No stopping is required. Some older traffic circles and many conventional inter- sections alternate traffic with stop signs or signals. Roundabouts enable all cars to move continuously through Intersections at the same low speed. "People assume that because there are so many traffic signals out there, they must be efficient. The fact is, they’re not. When half of the cars are stopped at an intersec- tion at any given time, delays are Inevitable. It may seem counterintuitive that round- abouts increase capacity while lowering speeds, but that’s exactly what happens," Retting points out. Other design elements set roundabouts apart from traffic drcles. Pedestrians cross only at the perimeter, vehicles can’t turn ahead of the central island, and parking isn’t allowed inside the circle. These require- ments minimize distractions and opportuni- ties for collisions. More common in other countries: The traffic calming properties of roundabouts may explain why they’ve been widely used in other countries but not in the United States. The American penchant for fast driv- ing has created a culture where "slowing down" seems an encroachment on conve- nience. But the bias for speed isn’tjust among drivers. American universities and institutions that influence road planning and engineering have reinforced the historical practice of building high-speed intersec- tions. Teachings haven’t emphasized traffic calming as a preventive measure, at least not until recently. ’~ne priority for road planners and engi- neers in this country has been to process as much ira/tic as possible. Tragic signals have become the technology of choice, It’s hard to deviate from that approach," O’Neill explains. "Countries In Europe and else- where have been much more progressive in focusing on traffic calming and making in- tersections safe for pedestrians. They caught on long ago to something we’ve ignored be- cause of our fascinatlon with technology. Recent interest in roundabouts in the b~t- ed States is one sign that priorities finally are shifting." Geometryellminates the won~ crashes Roundabouts benefit from good geometry, exhibiting only a fraction of the trouble- some crash patterns typical of right-angle intersections, Such intersections "place ve- hicles on a high-sPeed collision course, with crashes avoided only if drivers obey traffic laws and use good Judgment. Re- search shows many drivers don’t, so the potential is high for right-~.gle, left-turn, and rear-end conflicts," Retting explains. Such conflicts make up about two-thirds of police-reported crashes on urban arterials. The geometry of roundabouts eliminates many of the angles and traffic flows that create opportunities for crashes, particular- ly the right-angle and rear-end kind that tend to produce injuries. The lack of right angles, combined with reductions in speed, make the intersections safer for pedestrians and bicyclists as well as people in cars. The speed depends on the intersection but gen- erally remains at about 15 mph. At that speed, drivers and others on the road have more time to react, so there’s a smaller chance of collision. When crashes do hap- pen, most will be minor. Fewer pedestrian crashes: Concern has been expressed that installing roundabouts might endanger pedestrians, but these fears appear unfounded. Experience in Europe shows roundabouts reduce the risk of pe- destrian crashes, Such crashes also declined at the U,S, roundabouts (co.hues on p.6.) 6 St~s Report, VoL 35, No. 5, May 13, 2000 (con~nued from p.3) in the new study, but the numbers were too small to be significant. The combination of a rotary design and yield at entry, as opposed to right angles and stop controls, lends other safety bene- fits. Because there are no traffic signals to obey, drivers don’t feel compelled to "beat the red light" or be first to cross the line when the light turns green, This not only re- duces collisions but also takes the edge off at least one manifestation of aggressive driv- ing. Plus the absence of a traffic signal and the curved roadway associated with round- abouts force drivers to pay attention to their surroundings, which further enhances road safety. Cheaper, cleaner, and a nicer view:. Roundabouts are becoming popular in the United States for more than Just safety rea- sons. They’re less expensive than intersec- tions controlled by traffic signals, saving up ¯ to $5,000 per year per intersection in elec- tricity and maintenance. Fewer traffic snarls due to blocked inter- sections or backups can mean additional savings. For example, a pair of roundabouts introduced at a freeway interchange in Vail, Colorado, saves $85,000 each year in traffic control costs. Environmental and aesthetic benefits add to the appeal. Roundabouts cut vehicle emissions and fuel consumption by reduc- ing the time drivers sit idling at intersec- tions. Traffic that moves more slowly through intersections creates less noise and congestion, rni~ing the expressway look and feel of roads in urban and suburban ar- e.as. Landscaping on the islands replaces the asphalt of conventional intersections, which offers visual appeal and restores a bit of nature. Roundabouts also ereate visual gateways to communities or neighbor- hoods, and in commercial areas they can improve access to adjacent properties. "Roundabout construction should be strongly promoted as an effective safety treatment at intersections," Retting con- cludes. "There’s nothing to lose from con- structing them and everything to gain. The proof is already there." For a copy of "Crash reductions follow- ing installation of roundabouts in the United States" by B. Persaud et al., write: Publica- tions, Insurance Institute for Highway Safe- ty, 1005 N. Glebe Rd., Arlington, VA22201. Worst theft losses are for Mercedes model; 2 of 3 worst are Acuras The M~cedes S class, a very large luxu- ry car, heads the list of passenger vehicles with the highest insurance losses for theft, Overall losses for this car are 10 times high- er than the average for all passenger cars.