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HomeMy WebLinkAbout0380.093I July .15. 1993 HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL Palo Alto, California '" " THIS 00() AGBNDIIBD l'OR ~y 1., 11'3, BUT IS BBXXG DISrRIBUTBD BARLY TO ALLOW ADDITIONAL TIKE 1'OR PUBLIC AIID COUIICU REVI" Evaluation of Six-Month Trial of Bryant Street Temporary Street ~9~ure for the Bicycle Boulevard Extens;i,.Qn Members of the council: IlBPOI'.T III BRIEF This report presents the findings of the trial period of the Bryant Street closure bet~een Channing anG Addison, installeQ as part ot the Bryant Street Bicycle Boulevard extension. The Bryant Street closure was the only aspect of the exten~ion that ~as approved on a trial basis. other issues related to the bicycle boule,~ard extension are also discussed. Traffic volumes have decreased on BrJ'ant, and they have increased ~n Addison, waverley. Ramona, and Channing. Speeds have not substantiall.y increased. Bicycle volumes on Bryant have increased. No accidents related to the street closure have occurred. Impacts on government and private services have been minimal. Residents living near the route of the extension are in favor of keeping the closure; but, in the Professorville ares, opinion is evenly divided fot" and against. Some residents have experienced. specific negative i.pacts with regard to increased traffic. Staff concludes that the closure is functioning acceptably because thEte have been no significant increases in traffic volumes I no substantial changes in speeds, and no ac~idents or major problems caused by the closure; there is overall acceptance of the closure a~ong residents; and the closure facilitates the use of bicycles on the bicycle boulevard. staff, therefore, recommends that the closure be made perm~nent at its present location. In December 1991, Council approved the plan for the Bryant Street Bicycle Boulevard Extension l including the trial installation of a street closure on Bry~nt Street I as shown in Figure 1. In July 1992. after tvo meetings I Council approved the construction contract. This approval came after considerable public testimony and discussion reqarditl.g tho;; heed tor the closure. The spec if ic locati~n for the closure was based upon the preferences of CMR,380,93 -:". w '" .,.;;:: .. -, j..,., ',' ,.'-.' FiGURE t ~ ~ • ! I i ! i i z I , < 2 • Ii' i p ii w > • i 0 i • IE • ~ ., ; i 0 ~ > W J g W J Q > l;i ~ w w ~ ~ 0 " Z ~ ( ~ m i ~ ~ i I j i ! i ----- .- '-( residents of the area, as determined durinq two neiqhborhood meetings (Location. A in Fiqure 1, and sho-.m in more detail in Figure :4:). The street closure w~s the only element of th-s extension that vas approved on a trial basis. The extension was co~structed during Septemb@r and October 1992. The street closure was installed on October Land t..""e Bryant/Embarcadero signal was activated on October 9. The formal dedication of the extension was held on October 15. The sixth­ month trial period tor the closure ended in April 1993, and staff has been gathering evaluation data since then. The removal of bicycle lanes from Waverley Street ha's not yet occ\..~rred, pending resurfacing of Waverley, and is expected to be cv~pleted by this fall. IIVAL nnoa OF !'EIIPOJIARY S'I'REB'l' CLOSUlIE Traffic Vo~ Averaqe daily traffic volumes (ADTs) were measured before and after the implementation of the bicycle boulevard extension, a.s presented in Figure 3. staff had expected th,::lt volumes o~ Addison, Lincaln, and Kingsley 'Would increase., with Addison receiving the largest increase, due to diversion caused by the closure. However, there was no chan~e on Lincoln and a decrease on Kingsley. The in~rease on Jtddison was expected to be about the same east and west of Bryant. West of Bryant, the actual increase vas 273 ADTi whereas, east o.)f Bryant, the increase was only 60 AnT. The easterly location was re-measured in May., but the result was the same. However, during a five-hour o~servation period at the wuverley/Addis~~ intersection (discussed in detail later in this report), staff counted about equal volumes of traffic flowing between Bryant and both blocks of Addison. One explanation for this ap~rent discre~ncy is that ~he closure may have caused a decrease in certain traffic movementR in the easterly block of Addison (such as drivers circulating to (i~ parking), offsetting the increase in diverted traffic from Bryant. The chanqes; in traffic volumes antering all a.pproaches of three Addison intersections are approximately: Wave~leYJAddison: +60~ AOT (+11'); Bryant/Addison: -1400 AnT (-33\); and Ramona/Addison: +260 (+15%). Deecript.ion of I»paets. Changes in traffic volumes can be evaluated using the TIRE (Traffic Infusion on Residential Neighborhcods) Index, a method of measuring and descrioing residents I perceptions of the effect of traffic on residential activities. The index was deve.loped by neighborhood traffic management researchers, based on empirical studies in reside.r.tial areas. It serves as a reference tool for judging the effect of changes in traffic volumes in residential areas. In these studies., CMR:38Q:93 7/8/93 Page 3 w a: ::> en o -l (.) .... w w a: .... en .... z ~ a: m u.. o z o ~ (.) 9 ;; ~ ~ .5 ~ ~ .. e • " ';; • .. :; • 0 c • 0" .. -.. : "'" - ~ ~= ---. , r I I , I / -l .. J f ;\ . , " '1 " , ~J. I FIGURE 2 .! c • " ~ c ~ = =-----' 1~ , z l' • I: · • r,. · · I': " ~ l-i w \ w a: Ii; • 0 c I- 0 Z ~"2 ~ ". <>. a: '" .. '" \.. ( ' .. " BICYCLE BOULEVARD EXTENSION BEFORE/AFTER TRAFFIC VOLUMES Waverlay --~:!o-'--l--:!~-------I: -----'--f----67/ -j ---~:---t--- I a~ 2825 Bryant .:4746 .;4740 +886 "215 scott b:~565 0.: 7300 +7.'5 , -, I -I b:1665 o 0: 1730 I +65 1 -, - b: 1265 e: 15<10 0 +275 -, --.­ b: 1950 0:880 -1070 Ramona --e­ b:~ a: 885 +~40 Emerson 1-0--- 8'1 '§I ., 6 1 b:1476 8:1495 +0 §I '-I ~i I o b:350 8:360 +0 -0 -­ b:785 a: 775 +0 , b: 1005 • 0:990 I +0 -875 ~ b'6Q6 I / ' 8:315 / b:620 -190 , 0 .'715 I I / +9S , ; I I b:l300, ., 'j-----~ .: 1020 I -280 -0 -- b: 970 &:650 -320 -. ,J--, J c § :J • D; 285 a: 240 +~ ! 1 j 1 X /1 e/l -&',' ~ <J' / 'Vl l? ! / / ; ; ! i ; Legend: b: 24·hour count take" April-May 1992, before bicycle boult' .... ard extension WilJ irr.plernented, I"' 24-hoor """nlto .... Jon .. F.b 1993. four months I'fter l't.Qenskm was Imp!tl<nented. and before afat1 of utilities oonslruC1lon project Of'! WavfH1ey. All counts haw been multi~ed by 1.055 to ieasonally adjlJsl to MElt oondrtiol'rs. 10 + Indicate. clumgl In 24-haur count f/om before to alter ""'a&U'ement. Change. amaner thun 50 are recotded aa Pro. i II J ~I !! -C> :l ~I Qi <5 c: ~ ;JJ I m W , ' .'''-' / an increase of 0.1 in the TIRE index~ equivalent to an increase in ADT or 20-30 percent, was found ~o be the minimum increase that was noticea.ble to the average resident. A change of 0 . .2 or more, equivalent to an increase in ADT of abOut 50 percent or more," was definitely noti.r::ed by residents. A table of TIRE indices is included as Attachment 1. Applying the TIRE index to the AnTs shown in Figure 3 concludes there is only one location where the increase in ADT results in a TIRE i~do!':x increase exceeding C.1, ar .. d thus wuuld be considered noticeable. This is the increase of 240 ADT (37 perce.nt} on Ramona between Channing and Addison, representinq a TIRE index increase of 0.15, Sta~t had anticipated an even larger increase in AOT in this block, because this is: the same block in which the closure is located on ~ryant. In the sa~e block on Waverley, t~e increase of 865 ADT (22 percen~), vhich had also been antiCipated, represents a TIRE index increase of less than 0.1, which is not considered to be noticeable. Noticeable decreases occurred on Bryant street, as had been expected. conclusion. The 240 APT increase on Ramona between Channing and Addison is an unavoidable consequence of the Bryant Street closure. Thouqh probably noticeable to residents, the increase is not suffi­ ciently ~arge t..'1.at any c""Jrrective action, such as removal of parking on one side of the st.reet, is necessary. According to the TIRE index, increases in other locations. including the Waverleyl Addison and Ramolla/Addison intersections, are not. large enough to be considered definitely discernible by residents~ Decreases have occurred on Bryant and at the Bryant/Addison intersection. Nevertbele.ss, residents have }:Ieen sensitive. to some changes in traffic ~ovements. For example, the pro~ortion of turns at these intersections has increased, and some residents are conce~ned about d't'ivers speeding; through turns at Bryant/Addison. One resid-ont h.ad two ex~riences where speeding vehicles tUrned the corner from Lincoln to Ramona and almost hit her child. Many reSidents were concerned abOut pote~tial speed increases along Bryant where stop SiSIlS -were relil:oved, especially in the professorville ne.ighborhood. Before and after speeds were measure.d at four .idblock locations on Bryant street, as displayed in the following ta!lle (speeas of turns through intersections wer"! not .easured). EXcept for one location, the chanqes were less than one mile per hour, which is too small to distinguish from inherent measurement error. On Bryant, through the Everett intersection, the speed increased from 24.5 to 26.6 mph. A speed of 26.6 mph is still less than the 85th perc~ntile speed of 30-32 mph qenerally observed on re'Sidential streets. The increase ;:lay, in fact~ be due to a reduction in the dips on Bryant, as a result of the new storm drain installation which 'Was in progress at the time of the -a'fter" measurement. It appears, therefore, that the stop sign removals have not resulted in significant changes in speeds along aryant. CMI!:380:93 7/8/93 page 6 ------------_._-------- .' o TABLE 1 BEFOREI AFTER !15TH PERCENTILE 5 PEEDS LOCATION BEFORE (1992) AFTER (1993) CRANGE Bryant ~w;;;,;.n Addison and UncoIc 31.7 mpb 30.8 mph - Bryant berM .... LiIlcoln and 30.6 mph 31.0 mph - Kingsley Bryam bdw.." Kellogg and 30.5 mph 30.7 mph - Churchill I Bryam at Ev ... .., (dlrough "', 24.5 mph 26.6 mph +2.1 mph intersection) Notes: Before. measurements were made in May 1992. After measurements were mad~ in February 1993. The symbol • _. indicates mat the change is too ~mall to be coasideriM:I meaningful. Sample size ranged from 35 1.0 50 vehicles. Bicvp:ht Volumes Mea.surements of hicycle volumes were ct)nducted in two locations before and after the extension of the bicycle boulevard. All measurements ~ere made while school ~as still in session. TABLE 1 BEFORE/AFTER BICYCLE VOLUMES (7:00 A.M. to 7;00 P.M.) LOCATION BEFORE AFTER CHANGE (hn. 1992) (June 1993) Bryant at Embarcadero, NQrth/South 285 I 455 +6091 Directions JIryIIIlI b-.otw=l Evorett and I'JO 210 +3191 Hawthorne The number of bicycli$ts using Bryant has increased substantially since the expansicn was implemented. Measurements on Waverley and Emerson were not made, so it is not known ho~ much of the increase represents ne~ riders. Much of the increase is probably due to a shift of riders from waverley, due to very disruptive cor.struction activity on Waverley earlier this year. C!!R: 380: 93 7/8/93 Paqe 7 ", -,- .. ~ ... ' '.- Impact' on Service Providers Fire Deportment. The Fire Department favors the development of facilities that promote bicycling, such as the bicycle boulevard. How-ever, Bryant Street is freque.ntly used for Fire Department emergency responses. Since January 1992, over 1DO calls requiring fire and paramedic response$ were received f~om the Nursinq Center and the Urgent Car-e Center-, roth of which are adjacent to the street closure. The Fire Depal. c.ment continues to be concerned with the current and continued development of phys.i..cal traffic impedi­ ments on City streets, because it impairs the Departmpnt's timely response, resulting in a lover level of emerqency fire services to buildings and persons, including those O~ and near Bryant Street. Regarding the Bryant Street closure~ one Captain reported that it had been a -blessing in disguise", because a fire enqine could be parked in the street when reaponding to calls at the Urgent Care Cente.r .. itbo-ut causing traffic problem$. Fire officers have indicated th~t during the ttial period, the only negative impacts froJl]. the closure have been minor access inconveniences. Assuming that the closure stays in this part.icular location , the Fire Department requests that the block in the center of the closure be retained for the pe.rmanent de.s ign, because ita llows most fire engines and paramedic vans to pass through the closure without a ballard having to be unlocked and removed. Police Department. The Police Department reported that the clo$ure bas not affected its operatic~a. Public Works Oepartment-operations Division. This division received three complaints that the asphalt block in the center of the closure is too low, and that some non-emergency vehicles drive over it. A resi~ent livinq near the closure has also mentioned that motorcycles and larqe vehicles drive through the closure occasionallY _ On the surfa!:"e of the block, staff has noticed numerous qouges and lack of the white paint that ~a6 originally 2re.sent. Nevertheless, the original heiqht of the block, 6~ inches, "Was the!: maxiJn'll1n that ~o'..lld be installed and. ~till allow most Fire Department vehicles to pass over it. O"ther high­ undercarriage vehicles can alsc pass over it, albeit illegally, as the closure is signed ~Do Not Ent~r". The block will have to be repaired or replaced from ti~e to time to maintain its height~ If the closure remains permanently, the asphalt block would be replaced with a harder concrete block. P310 Alto Sanitation Company {PASCO}, and U.S~ Postal Service~ Both agencies reported i:hat the extension had not created any problems for them. Palo Alto Nursing Center. This facility is located on the east side of Bryant Street, immediately adjacent to the closure. The director of the center feels that the closure is a mixed blessing~ and that they could get by with or ,.dthout it. The be.nefit is less CKR:)80:93 7/8/93 Page 8 , "." / o traffic on Br,!ant, but the dravbacks are that it is harder for people to qet to t.he center and harder fcr them to circulate to find parlc.in'l' Urgent CAre Center~ this facility, part or the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF), is located on the west side of Br/a~t street~ immediately adjacent to the clos..:''t'e. The closure was placed between the center's two driveways so that drh~ers could reach it frca either direction on Bryant (refer to Figure 2). ~he director of the center s~ates that the closure's primary negative impact is that ambulances approaching on Bryant fro~ the south cannot easily qet to the bUilding entrance. The closure also disrupts qeneral traffic access to the center. 7he dlrector suggested that the clos\!I'e be JIloved one block 'lorth. PAMY" strongly supports the bicycle boulevard extension because PAMF has a strong interest in proeoting alternative transportation modes~ Palo Alto Bicycle Adyisory Committee (PABACl COmnl$J'Its go the street Closure PAB1\C agrees that the street closure and the tr-aff ic movel:lent restrictif'\ns at BryantjEml'larcadero have be~n effective in reducing traffic on Bryant~ The closure has not been a problem for bicyclists4 PABAC Qlso notes tha~ the block in the center of the closure has beer. badly degrad6Q by vehicles driving over it. PABAC favors replacinq th.e block 'With a steel ballard in order to e1iminate this problem, and because a ballard is more visible to c..'Yclists. PABAt; does not perceive. that vehicle speeds have increased along Bryant between Embarcadero and Addison~ Some pembers have experienced problems While ~iding on Bryant cro~sin9 "ddison, Linc~ln, and (;hurchill, where drivers:~ after stopping' at stop signs, did not seem to see the cyclists and/or did not yield the riqht-of-way~ PABAC feels th~t obstructions such as bushes, fenoes, and parked cars !flay be part of the cause4 PABAC also COlUlentad on other issues related to the. bicycle boulev;).rd, as discussed later in this report. Traffic MOVements Near the Closure sta~f observed actjvity at the closure on one typical weekday for almost five peak flow hours (7:50 a~m~ to 9:30 a.m~~ 11~50 a.m. to 1:00 P4~4' and 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.). During this ti~e, a total of approximately 12 U-turns were observed on each side of the closure~ Most appeared to be drivers looking for parking spaces. rather than lost drivers~ No one was observed drivinq through or around the closure. There are indications that drivers have driven around the closure throuyh the dirt landscape strip on the west side. Thi6 has probably occurred infrequently. as staff has not received complaints about this problem. If the closure location becomes permanent, a ballard or other impediment will De installed ne~t to the sidewalk to block this route. uuring the above observation C)!R:380:93 7/8/93 Page 9 ·. : / periods, no unsafe traffic movements were observed. No accidents related to the street closure ~ere reported to the Police Depart­ ~ent durinq the trial period. Bryant!Addison Intersection Addison has bicycle lanes from Bryant to Channing and is a school commute route to Addison School. The ~ormer stop siqns on Bryant at Addison were removed as part of the bicycle boulevard extension. An evaluation of this ir,tersection is qermane to the street closure issue, because Council intended the closure to be a mitiqation for the stop sign removal. Observations. Staff observed activity in the vicinity of this intersection ~or the five peak flo~ hours described above. Durin9 that period.,. fiv:a children of grammar school age pl'.5sed i...nrough the intersection--t~o on foot and three on bicycles (four of these were acco.panied by adults). Nine drivers on Addison (about 2 percent at total drivers on Addison during the period) did not yield the right-of-way to drivers or bicyclists who were approachinq the intersection on Bryant Street. They either did not: fully stop at the stop signs, or after they did stop, they proceeded without yielding to oncoming traffic. These incidents were relatively minor in that they were not ·close calls~. It appeared that the drivers did not lOCK carefully for oncoming traffic, rather than there being poor visibility. In qeneral, driver speeds were Blo~, and the large lIlajority of drivers and bicyclists operated their vehicles properly while approachinq and passing through the intersection~ No accidents were reQOrted to the Police Department during the trial period. The traffic volume on Bryant has decreased trom 1950 to 880 AOT,. and traffic passing through the intersection bas decreased from 3200 AnT to 2200 ADT. The propor­ tion of turns has increased~ Visibility. When the Bryant Street st~p ~igns were removed, 20 feet of red curb was installed on all four corners of Bryant, in order to improve visibility. For eastbound and vestbound drivers Of. JQd~ son, Visibility is still parlly impeded by parked cars on Bryant, especially on the north leg. This condition is similar ~o that at many other intersections where on-street parking is heavy. Visibility will be illproved for eastbound Addison drivers by extending the red zone on the northWest corner another 20 feet. Driver Behavior. Failinq to stop or yield the riqht-of-waj-are not unique to the Bryant.,t Ad.dison intersection. Such actions have been observed at other stop sign intersections~ and may be more a function of driver attitude than of the physical conditions of the intersection. Some drivers do not take the necessary time to look carefu~1y for oncoming traffic, especially for bicyclists, who tend to ride to the side of the roadway and have considerably le-ss visual area than other vehicles. This also occurs at four-way stop CMR:380:93 7/8/93 Page 10 . .-. .;..- -- ,- '- in~rsections. A 1976 consultant study or Palo Alto'~ stop sign system found that, on all four approaches of Bryant/Addison (then a four-way stoP)~ the average speed of drivers through the stop siqns, 'whether or not other cars were coming, ranged from 3 ~ 75 to 6.25 .ph. lout-Way Versus TwQ-~ay S~op. Ourinq the trial period, six people coaplained that northbound drive~s on Bryant turn onto Addison too f&st. SOme are concerned tha.t parked cars limit visibility of oncoming trafiic for school children. These and other people have requested that the stop signs on Bryant be reinstalled, as a means to reduce tu~nin9 speed and to improve safety for school children. With the reduced traffic volume on Bryant, staff has observed that tbere are long gaps ira traffic during which school chi ldren cOllld cross Bryant without the aid at stop 5igns~ The 1976 stop siqn study, and staff's observations of drive~ behavior, suqqest that installing stop siqns is n(.lt a panacea for school crossing safety~ The stop siqn study recommends aqainst tile installation of stop signs for school crossing purposes, even on ~ollector streets, if there are adequate qaps in traffic for a safe crossing. Whether or not stop signs are present, it would seem that the safest way for a chi1d to cross Bryant (or any street), would be to cross when no vehicles were approachin9~ CODcluaion Regarding Bryant/AddisQq. Turning movements at Bryant/A.ddison have increased, and some residents have reported that drivers so.etimes speed throuqh turns~ However, the overall volume of traffic pa~sing through the in~ersection has decreased, and there are ~ufficient gaps d~rinq which school children could cross Bryant. The observed right-of-way violations are not considered to be unusual O~ frequent enough to warrant any cbanges other than the increased red curb zone on th~ northwest corner. Neighborhood SUrveY At the end ot May, a preliminary evaluation of the impacts of the street closure was distributed ~o all residents and businesses on and between Bryant, Waverley, and Emerson Streets, from Palo Alto Avenue to Lowell Avenue, fol'" a total of about 2000 addr-esses. A postcard survey form ~as included (Attachment 2)~ Approximately 4S0 persons returned the survey, including about 150 COmEents about all aspects of the extension. CMR,)80,93 7/8/93 Page 11 . ' TABLE 1 NEIGHBORHOOD PREFERENCES REGARDING DlsrOSmON Of BRY . .\.NT STREET TEMPORARY CLOSURE North I>o...-Pmfes-South of No PREFERENCE of ,-$Orville. Embar-,rea Lyuoo SouIh of caJero Idenh- Fares! fi'" I. The temporary closure should 93 16 86 50 5 be made pecnaneot where it is DOW. 2. The remponuy ,1",,= should 41 26 82 26 3 be removed and Bryant Street r<OpeDed. 3. The temporary closure should 1 I 10 0 0 be moved to a different Icca- tiOD • .No preference indicated. 4 2 5 2 0 TOTAL RE.OPONSES 139 45 183 78 8 TOTAL 25O 178 12 13 453 Overall, residents were in favor of the closure~ In the Profe.ssorville neighborhood, which is most affected by the closure., opinion seems to be evenly divided. This has been the case in other neighborhoods, such as Evergreen Park. This schism seems to reflect the Characteristics of street closures, in that, for the grcup cost affected, there are roughly equal and offsetting benefits and dis-benefits. Respondants were invited to submit comments abo~t all aspects of thE extension, as listed below~ Comments have been paraphrased, and similar cOZlUllents have been grouped together.. only those comments mentioned three or more times are listed.. Not listed here are about 40 other comments whiCh were made once or twice .. CMR:380:9J 7/8/93 Page 12 .{ { I j ~ ., , .~. ., .--' ~,''' .. ,;~~~~;~~ ". /~ . :.}jif TABLE 4 SUMMAR\' OF COMMENTS NFJGHBORHOOD SURVEY - o BICYCLE BOULEV ARV TEMPORARY STRE1IT CLOSURE COMMENT Very supportive of bicycle boulevard e)ll;tension. UnsupportiVI!I; streat closure is ".ery inconvenient, bardship, bad for hus;iness CompiaiDts about traffic volume increase:!. on Waverley, Ramona, andlor AddiS(. ,1.. Too much money is being spem for too littl-e benefit; abandon entire extension. Parkin&: remooraI on Addison is a bad idea-reinstate it. Rerum 4-W3}' stop signs to Bryant/ Addiso~ intersectioD. A street cI!mlI'e is Deeded aD Bryant in Downtown North Deigh horhood . Bicyclists ipore red lights. other traffic laws. The dip 0" Bryaot at Kellogg is iii problem. Chere M~ DOt: enough new cyclists t() warrant the st.red: ciosure. Use stop signs. oot the cJ05ure, 10 reduce speed and volumes Use speed humps. DOt the closure to rtdu<.:e speed. Signal .. Bryant/Embatcadoro doesn', change easily (fast) enough for bicyclists, Ramona Street is too narTO'W to serve as an alternate route to Bryant. There are too few bicycle'! on Addison to have bicycle la."1eS. AREA· ~ NPS 20 DPS 17 P 7 NS 6 NP 6 P 6 N 5 NPS S P 4 P 4 P 3 P 3 NS 3 P 3 p 3 *1&&aIst: • AREA.. is where residents live who DUde the comment .. {N Downtown; P = ProfeuorvilleJSoutb of Forest; S = Soo'"~ of Embarcadero). of people mating the comment. Nortll of Lytton; D "FREQ" is the number conclusion staff concludes that the street closure should seay permanently in its present location, for the follo~in~ reasons. • There have been r.o une.xpected or si9n~ficant: increases in traffic volumes or speeds as a result ot the closure and the removal of stop siqns; • The n\llaber of cyclists using the bicycle boulevard has increased; • No accidents or other major problems occurred as a result of the closure or the removal ?f stop signs; • Even thouqh the opinion of Professorville residents about the closure seems to be divided, this is not unusu"l, and the majority of people responding to the survey are in favo~ of i~. CMR:3BO:93 7/B/93 Page 13 Alternatives for the final d~sign of t!":e closure include (a) retaining the temporary design (pending a decision on relocation of the Palo Alto Medical Fvcndation and the urq~nt Care Center, whic~, if approved, may occur within five years); (b) constructing a basic design similar to the one at Lowell and Bryant (estimated cost $1.0,000-$12,000); and (c) constructing a special closure to be desiqned in conjunction with residents of the block where the clOsure is located, plus other interested persons, which would then be reviewed by the Historic Re&ources Board end approved by the Architectural Review Board (estimated cost $20,000-$30,000) ~ Staff favors retaining the temporary design, as it ~ould potential­ ly save the cost of movinq and reconstructinq the closure to bettel: fit a futula new driveway confiquration on Bryant~ If the Urgent Care parcei is redeveloped, the closure location~ould be adjusted within the frontage of that parcel accordinq to the driveway loca­ tions of the new development. The temporar:;r closure could probably cOl'tinue in place tor five years with minimal maintenance. In December 1991, Council approved an ordinance amending the budget for FY 91-9~ to establish a new CIP project in the amount of $69,000 (street Improvement Fund--Bryant S~reet Bicycle Boulevard Extension, No. 19212), to provide .for the unfunded portion of 'l.he closure. The source of funds is a 1992-93 Transportation Develop­ ment Act (TOA) grant. The CIP project budgeted a sum of ~12,OOO for a possible street closure, which is still available for that use. The funds from the 1992-9.3 TDA qrant a!:'e availl'llble UIltil June 1995. Thereafter, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission viII allocate unused funds to other pr~jects. If a more costly street closure were pursued, additional fundinq beyond the budgeted $12,000 would be necessary. BVlU.nTZOW OJ' 0'l'BD UPJl(."1'8 OJ' 'I'IIZ BICYCLlI BotILBVlUUl ErJ.'ZIIs:tOli Cgmplaints Since the extension was implemented, the 'rransportation Division received about one dozen unsolicited complaints about some aspect of the extension. Approxill'lately half of these were critical of the parking situation on Addison, F,amona and Scott Streets. Several persons stated that there are very few bicyclists using the .bicycle lanes on Addison. Two requested better warning of the dip on Bryant at xingsl~y. Two complained about drivers illegally crossing Embarcadero on Bryant. Others complained about drivers speedinq through turns at intersections, as discussed earli~r in this report. Accidents Accidents reported to the Police Department from Janu~ry 1992 to Hay 1993 were tabulated for the area bet\ieen Homer, Ch.u!'cnill~ Waverley, and Eaerson. One accident involving a bicycle w-as reported in that period, at the intersection of Bryant and Kellogg CMR: )80:93 7/8/9) Page 14 • .. ~ I , o on April 30, 1~93;O In Cds case, an eastbound driver on Kellogg, after stopping at the stop siqn~ entered the intersection and collided with a nor-thbound cyclist. The driver 'Was clt.ed ~or failure to yield the ~iqht-of-way. Two residents commented in the neighborhood survey that visibility needs to be improved at this location. staff checked the location and found that there were no problems with visibility from either the eastboUJ'lQ or-'Westbound directions on Kellogg, but this observation was made after adjacent Ca.st,illeja School had adjourned for the SU4:mer. Staff will check this location again when school is in full session, to see if on­ street parking at this corner may be causing a problem. A non-injury vehicle accident occurred in March 199'3, at the Bryant/Embarcadero inter-section, in whiCh a vehicle turneY. left from ea&tbound Eabarcadero to northboUnd Bryant and hit and broke the nose of the traffic channelization island Which was installed .for the. Hew traffic Signal. The nose of the island on the other approach ot Bryant ho& also been hit and broken. The public Works Department suqqests that the desiqn of the5e islands be improved so that it does not become a continual maintenance problem (which will be dGne) ~ No other accidents were reported ti .. at were directly related to the bicycle boulevard eA~ension. Parking on Addison parking was removed from the south side of Addison between Bryant and 'laver ley between 7: 00 a.m. and 7: 00 p~m., in order t.o install bicycle lanes. These lanes provide a connection between the bicycle boulevard and bicycle lanes on Addison Street and Channinq Avenue further east. Several residents living en and near Addison a.re concerned about this parking loss. The Palo Alto Medical Foundatien is also concerned and prefers tha~ all-day parking be returned to that area. Staff conducted six parking counts, one on each of four weekdays between 11:00 a.m. and 2:30 p~m., and one on each of two weekdays at 6:45 p.m., as summarized below. CMR:380:93 7/8/93 Page 15 ..... _-._--- ''j ~'t: :~, -, TABLE 5 PARXING ON ADDISON I E-loc!t I Total I On~ I' Vehides P.rted , V-ehiclcs I Slme( Spaces'" 11 AM·2:3D PM F"bd t I {4 oM'!"Rlioru;} 6:"5 PM {2 obsen..a~ tioos) Adddoo b,lw lhymIlIPd W."ecWy. DOtth side IS IJ S • 9 10 7 ooly Addi60D betweeu bmoDa and Bryant, both &ideo; I. I. I. 10 S 7 7 _._sides 17 10 II 12 16 7 • Bryant hetwoca l..mcoln and Addi.iOfl, both sjd,es l3 IS " 12 12 17 I. Ramona. b/w l...iDI;;aln and oWisoa, hath sides 3. 23 I. 17 11 I. IS Midday, during the peak time of employee and customer parking downtown, it appears that there is substantial parking available on Addison, even though parking on tl:te south side of the street .... as removed~ At 6:45 p.m., when most residents would be at home, but parking is still prohibited on th~ south side of the street r there is still sUbstantial parking aVailable. Nevertheless, some residents feel that parking is more of a problem than before the bicycle lanes were install~ on Addison. Pip ou Bryant at Kinasley There is a dip in Bryant where it crosses Kingsley, especially in th$ sC"'.!~bound direction, Before the bicycle boulevard was ex.tended, there 'Were stop signs on Bryant at Kingsley. After their relltOval, standard -DIP" wdrning signs were instal Ie"! in bOth directions on Bryant about 100 feet in advance of the intersection. Hovever I complaints have been received fLom residents living at that intersection that some drivers drive over the dip too fast~ There are several gouges in the pavement of the dip hi the southround direction. The warr.inq signs ha'le been placed in the s~andard position for such siqns--a SUfficient distance in advance so that driv~r3 can react and slow down--and are very visible. It is apparent that some drivers are not paying a~ten~ion or are not heedinq the signs. As a potential solution, s~aff will augment the warning in the southbound direction by installing a ~Dlpn legend on the pavement at Kingsley, and adding a a15 MPH" speed advisory ~late under the existinq -DIP" sign. CMR:380:93 '. '~~ 7/8/93 Page: ~6 .~---------.- .... --' o 1cmporAry WArning signs signs advising that ·cross traffic does not stop· were install~d at each intersection vh~re stop signs had been removed~ in order to alert those drivers who were accustomed to stop signs at those locat~ons. 8eca~se sufficient time has paseed for those drivers to become acquainted with the new configuration, the 'Warning signs will be remove~. Tbe permanent use of these signs interferes with driver visibility~ and is n~t standard practice~ Small supplemen­ ~al sign plates indicating "two-~ayft are already in place in these locations~ and will rem~in. Bryant/Embarcadero Signal This sifJnal is coordinated lIIith the signal at Waverley .and Embarcadero~ Coordination is in effect Monday through Friday, from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. No coordination is provided on weekdays between 8:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. or on 'Weekends~ because the~e are periods when trarfic v~l~es on Embarcadero arp. relatively low; and coordination creates unnecessary delays for side street tr-aftic durinq low volumes. Westbound Embarcadero trAffic is heavier between 7:00 a.m. and 2:00 p~m~, and then again between 6:00 p.~. a..l'ld 8: 00 p.m. Accordinqly, preference is given to ~estbou.nd traffic during those hours~ Between 2:00 p.m. ana 6:00 p.Ul., eastbound. traffic is heavier, and preference is qiven to that direction. Field observations indicate that the coordination works well in the preferred (heavier) direction of traffic~ However, in the other directiGn, 6oBetiae9 stvpped cars at the beginning of tne queue at one intersection also stop at the other intersection for a brief period (about five seconds), while most cars do net stop. Generally, drivers are not stopping bOth at Bryant and Waverley. The Palo Alto Bicycle Advisory Committee (PABAC) feels that, from the point of vie~ of bicyclists, the signal operation is accept­ able. PABAC would prefer le&s delay to cyclists on B~Jant, but understands that Embarcadero is a heavy traffic carriar and that the signal is part of a coordinated system with Waverley. In the neighborhood survey, three persons noted that the signal seemed to take too lonq to respond. to Bryant street tr-aftic. PArAe also recommended that a bicycle symbol be painted on the signal li.ltector loop on each Bryant approach, as ~ replacement for the existing siqn ~hat tells cyclists where to wait for the signal, which will be done .. Bryant/Homer and B~~~nning Intersections In staff's previous recommended plan for the bicycle boulevard extensior., stop signs 'Were included on Homer and Channing at Bryant. Council did not include these stop signs in the plan it Cl!R~3eO:93 7/8/93 Page 17 --.... ----,~,-- approved. staff reasoned that these additional stop sig~s would facilitate travel for bicyclists by making it easier and safer to cross these collector streets, and would also address some existing vehicular and pedestrian safety iS3ues. Hovever, the stop siqns would require all traffic on Channinq and Homer to stoP. with consequences similar to those experienced at stop sign installa­ tions throughout the city. Staff al~o considered the possibility of adding stop siqns on Bomer and Channing, While removing those on Bryant, but ~oncluded that the volume and character of traffic on Channing anc Homer is suell that it would be un'"r'ise and potentially unsafe to qive a low volum~ street preference over a hiqh volume street. PABAC recently voted in favor of installing the above stop siqns in conjunction with removing the. existing stop signs on Bryant at Homer and Channing~ PABAC's reasoninq is that there are currently too many impe.diments along the bicycle boulevdrd between Channing and Lytton (three siqnals and three stop signs). Citing the precedent of the Bryant/Churchill intersection. PAMe felt that the bicycle boulevard should be considered ~s a collector street for bicycles, and thus. despite Bryant's lower volume, it 'Wou.ld be reasonable to stop Homer and Channing traffic for Bryant traffic. since Sept~r 1991, when staff's previous recommended plan was developed, five more right-angle accidents have occurred at Bryant and Channing, and four more at Homer and Channing. Staff still believes that Bryant should not be given precedence over Hoger and Channing, but continues to be in favor of stop signs on Homer and Channinq at aryant for the reasons stated above, and as further supported ~y continuinq accidents at these locations~ IIIIV2ROJDaJl'l'AL AnI. YSI S An envlronaental assessment (91-EIA-2B) was previously prepared for this project, and Council apPLoved a Ne9ative Declaration for this project at its meeting of December 2, 1991~ statf recommends that the trial Bryant Street closure be made per.anent in its present l~ation, but that the final design not be developed or constructed until after a decision is made on redevelopment of the Urgent Care Center parcel. The permanent closure location would remain within the frontaqe of that parcel, but could be adjusted according to the driveway locations of the new development. CMR:380:93 7/8/93 Page 18 , Respecttully submittea. CARL STOFFEL Transportation Engilleer ~~ City Manager Attachments: 1. 2. TIRE Index Table Postcard Survey Form CC: Planning Commission Architectural Review Boa~d Historic R~SOurce6 Board KENNETH R. SCHREIBER Director of Planninq ana Community Environment Palo Alto Bicycle Advisory Committee Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce City of Menlo Park Stanford University CHR: 380:93 7/8/93 Page 19 ~ .~ ."'. ' ATIACHME'NT 1 TIRE Indo: Table VWUIZl!:i laS;U:l~ II:! frggll", Pre-Exrst.iD& Volume a{l.l ChaLFin a 0.2 Change in B l'D't Cidrisk, I!i[ Pay TIRE Iodex ~ ~~ 29 3S 1.5 • 6 • 15 36 44 16 + 8 + 20 45 56 1.7 + 10 + 2S 57 70 1.8 + 13 + 32 71 :l9 I.' + 17 + '1 90 110 2.0 + 22 + 51 111 140 2.1 + 29 + 65 141 18() 2.2 + 40 + 80 IB1 220 2.3 + 51 + 100 m 280 ,. + 65 + 125 281 3SO 25 + 79 + 160 351 450 2.6 + 9< + 1115 451 S60 2.1 • 11. + 2I<l 561 710 2.8 + 1<0 + 330 TIl 8W 2.9 • 170 + 415 891 1,100 3.0 + 2:20 + 520 l,1Gl 1,400 3.1 + 290 • 6:;0 1,401 l,8OO 3.2 + 380 + 800 l,801 2,200 3.3 + 500 + 1,1n) 2,201 2,800 3.4 + 650 + 1,300 2,801 ~,500 1.5 + 82S + 1,700 3,S01 4,500 3.6 + l,025 + 2,200 4,S01 s,6OO 1.7 + l,2SO + 2,800 5,601 7,100 3.8 + 1,500 + 3,500 7,lDl 8,900 3.9 • 1,800 + ',300 8,1101 l1,OOO 4.f) + 2,300 + 5,300 1l,001 14,000 4.1 + 3,000 + 6,500 14,001 l8,OOO 4.2 + ',000 + s,ooo 18,00:. ZI,OOO (3 + 5,200 .... 10,000 22,001 28,000 ... + MOO + 13,000 28,001 35,000 4.5 + 8,200 + 17,000 35,001 45,oDO 4.6 +10.000 +22,000 4S,oot 56,000 4.7 + 12,;00 +28,000 S6,001 71,000 4.8 + 14,800 + 35,000 7l,OOi 89,000 ... + 18,000 + 43,000 Sour= BMtoa-AIchmaD Associates, IDe.. !rom Goodrich Tr.offi, Group, bued 00 .... k by Il<mald Appleyard ~ 'e~; <J ATTACHMENT 2 BICYCLE BOULEVARD TEMPORARY STREET CLO~;URE NEIGHBORHOOD SURVEY '!he temporary clO5W'e is C\U'f'eDtly Jocatro 011 8ryam, rnio""'lJoclI: bet'weeq CbanD.inf aDd Addison, oeu die boImdary Clf tbf t\r,to-family and multiple-~J zone jl.$. triot!J. A pe.rmaaarI stnec closure .... ould pro&.bly coo.sist of two 11IDd.:aped is­ lands ~ of ~~. similu to lhe permm=!.t cklswe ~ the £Iryat1l'lWeD int:ersccboa. Pl..E.ASE INDICATE. YOUR PREFERENCE BY CIRCUNG ONLY ~ OF THE FOlLOWiNG THREE STATEMENTS: 1. 1Jw /atpDTrU7 t:iDsIuf dtoWJ H """" ptl'mQM.'I1 1f'1.err it is IrQW. 2. 7h kItIJI01'fU1 tWsan 8lwM:d brt rmwPOi GIld B'1fVIJ Snw1 rtopttwd. P\euemail IhispoQcatd by 1'111H1 1. "ThInl: you for your cooperatlOll!