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HomeMy WebLinkAbout0383.093\ ~ . . '" :-,,", ,': July e, 1993 HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL Palo Alto, California / Attention: Policy and services Committee Waverley/Addison Traffic Study--status Report Members ot the Council: IlB1'ORT II' BRUP This is an informational status report; no council action is required. In August 1992, the Policy and Services Committee directed staff to work on this study within the same time fra~e as the evaluation of the hicycle boulevard extension. TWo working qroup meetinqs have been held I from 'Which emerged a trait ic management plan fer Waverley street and Addison Avenue. This was present~d to the Professorville neighbOrhood through a mailing and a neighborhood meetinq. The predominant opinicr. at the nei9hborhood meeting was disagreement with the working group plan and the natur$ of the study process. The next steps are to bring the study to the Hintoric Resources Board in July ~993, ana back to the Policy and Services COmmittee in August or September. IlACJ:GROVIID In Auqust 1992, the Policy and Services committee discussed ti:e -Waverley/Addison Traffic Proposal-, which had been su~mitted to the Council by two residents of Addison Avenue and Waverley street (Hessrs4 Bill MCGlashan and Michael Kast). The residents I proposal is designed to (in their wo~ds) -incorporate features into Waverley, Ad~ison and other streets in the neighborhood as -required, that will reduce the impact of ~raffic without impairing access·. The residents' specific objectives are to (1) reduce noise generated at stop signs on Waverley between Embarcadero and Channinq; (2) improve the visual appearance of Waverley and ~dQison; (3) reduce through and bypass trdftic alonq Addison; and (41 develop a parking plan for the area. The residents' concerns ~ere motivated by the apparent growth of traffi~ in the Professorville =r~~. the prospect of the expan~ion of the Palo Alto Medical Clinic, and the changes in traffic patterns resulting from CM!<:3B3:93 . • ! I o ttl.!: extension of the Bryant Street 8icyc:e. Boulevard. After cO~6iderable discussion. the Policy and Services Co~mittee asked the 'franspot'tation Division to investigate strategies to accomplish tha first three of the above objectives (Le .• not including a parking plan). The committee expressed interest jn the evaluation of varicus types of traffic manaqement strategies that had not yet been tried in Palo Alto, and possi:i:lly in testing one on wavet'ley Street that might also be useful in other neighborhoods. The Committ~e asked staff to work on this project within the same time frame as the evaluation of the bicycle boulevard extensio~. It was understood that staff would not be committed to developing a fixed plan for Waverley and Addison~ but ""ould look at various traffic management concepts, share that information yith the wider neighborhood, and thus return to the committee with a better idea of what might be possible. The committee directed that the Wavarley/Addison study be bt'ought back. to th2 Committee after Council had acted on the Bryant street closure issue. WORKXBG GROUP KEETIBGS In February 1993, staff mailed a letter describing the WaverleYI Adaison Study to approximately 475 residences in the Professorville Historic District-{as recently expanded} , ?~US additional residences between Webster Street and Eme.rson street north to Channing Avenue. Interested residents .. ere ask.ed to join a "vorking group" that would meet .-ith staff t .. ice to develop and review ~raffic manaqement proposals for Waverley and Addison. Eighteen residents volunteered for this group. Two working qroup meetings were held in May, with 14 residents attending the first meeting, and 9 attendinq the second meeting. Several of the attendees lived on Addison and waverley near that intersection~ and had participated in developing the original plan that was submitted to council. At the first vorking group meeting ~~ere was a discussion of the purpose and objectives of the study. This was followed; by a discllssion of the im,rentory of traffic management teChniques that could be considered for Waverley and Addison, including drawings of each techniq~e as applied to waverley and Addison~ and numerous photographs of each technique a~ used in other cities (refer to Exhibit 1) ~ After the .first meetinq~ a subgroup of working group members, including Mr~ Kast, spent several bours developing a proposal to present as a starti!lg point for discussion at the second meeting~ The second meeting w~s intended to develop two or three alternative traffic management plans for each street. By th~ end of the second meeting, a single conceptual plan had emerged. This was, essentially, the one developed by the residents who comprised tea subqroup~ bet .. een the two workins group meetings~ At neither meeting did there seem to be any strong disagreements or discord CKR:383:93 ',', 7/8/93 Page 2 • \ 'I among the members. Many wondered why the study seemed to be so limited in geographic area. The issue most discussed seemed to be ~~e 10s6 of parking on Addison bet~een Bryant and W~verley due to the new bike lanes, and why bicycle lanes were needed anywhere on Addison. WOIUtIJra GJlO11P PLAN The priDary purpose of the plan developed by ~~e working group is to (al reduce speeds on WaverleYI (b) develop an alternati~e to the tour-way stop at the Waverley/Addison ir'ltersection, (co.) reduce the impact of increased traff ic vo lwne on Add ison, (dJ improve the visual ~ppearance of both streets, and (e) have no loss of parkinq on Addison. In addition, residents agreed tbat a variety of planter and circle arrangements should be tested for an initial trial, and that the cost of a potential permanent ir.stallation should be kept as low as possible. The overall working group plan is illustrated in Exhibits 2 and 2a, and detailed plans in Exhibits 3-5. On waverley, the working group plan includes a landscaped traffi~ circle and plant~rs, resulting in a meandering centerline at these locations, with each location designed to ~e driven at 15 mphL The traffic circle at ·t.he Waverley/Addison intersection would substitute for the current stop signs on Waverley ot i\.~;":Hson. The workinq group plan does not propose any changes south of Kingsley. The intent is to slow traffic on waverley by introducing a rather abruptly curving center line~ and to provide an alternative to the stop siqns on waverley at Addison which ;..·esidents feel are routh.coly iqnored by drivers. On Addison, in addition to the traffic circle at Waverley/Addison intersection, a sltall landscaped traffic circle lII"ould :be placed at the Scot.t/J..ddison int".ersection. Should the circle at Waverley/ Aadison not be implemented, the Scott/Addison circle would still provide some of the same effect on Aadiso~ traffic~ It may ~lso improve visibility at this intersection, as short "'no parking" zones would be required to accommodate the circle~ On Aodison between Cowper and Bryan~~ bicycle lane striping would be redesigned to allow daytime parking to alternate between the north and south sides of the streets, creatinq a jog in the lane striping at two locations. The traffic circle and the lane jogs are designed to be driven at 15 mph. Narrow mid-street iSlands were desired for the locations where the lane lines jog, if they could be installed without losing parking. The plan for Addison would result in some parking loss, beyond the recent loss 0: daytime parkinq for the new bicycle lanes between Bryant and Waverley; but the loss has bee~ minioized as much as possible. The working group plan does not propose any changes west of Bryant or east of Cowper. The changes on Addison are designed to slow traffic, and possibly to divert some of it to pa=allel adjacent streets. CMR:383:93 7/"193 page J -~------... ;-, ... --_._-----_ .. _.---_ .. - ,,.' . o o The exact locations of midbloc)c planters on Waverley and the reversals of parking on Addison will depend on field verification of driveway locations~ Pl~nter design is only conceptual at this point. They would probably range from 10-20 feet in length and from 8-10 feet in width. would be t.:lpered at each end to facilita.te street sweeping, and VOUld be separated from tne curb by 2 feet to allow for gutter flow. The Scott/Addison traffic circle Yould be ebout 43 feet in diameter and the Waverley/Addison circle about 24 feet in diameter~ It has been assUlIIed that, should this, or any other, traffic ~nagement plan ultimately be approved by Council. it would first be implemented on a trial basis~ Relatively inexpensive temporary lI1&terials would be used to simulate the circles and islands for the trial. Jiln GIIlIOJUloon HIIftXJ1G In ..!une., a letter ...,as s.ent r.O the same 475 residences described above, providing the same d~scription and exhibit of the working group plan described above. Residents were invited to comment on the plan by let't.er, and/or to ~ttend a neighborhood meeting on June 22. Approximately ten letters and telephone calls were received, and 25 -30 people attended the meeting, includinq 5 participants from the working qrOllp JJ1eetings. Staff" explained the origin, purpose; and precess of the study, and presented the details of the working group plan. Nume~ous sketches and photographs of various traffic 'tttanage'D'lent techniques 'Were on display. This was f~llowed by an hour of comments and discU55ion~ staff encouraged attendees to comment on the working group p~an and to propose other techniques and plans for Waverley and Addison. The predominant opinion expressed was cordial disagreement with the working group plan and the nature of the study. The most-e.xpressea comments are paraphrased as follows. • The study approach is backwards and piecemeal~ The !ocus is too narrow. A..'"'l overall plan should first be developed for the entire neiqhborhood; then specific streets should be selected for traffic manaqeme~t. Residents of this neighborhood want to worK tQgether. • Traffic from Waverley wi 11 be diverted tc other streets. such as Cowper, 'Which liould then have fewer impediments than Waverley. This is another reason 'Why the entire neighborhood reed~ to be included~ • The plan should include something for the Bryant/Addison intersection because of drivers turninq too fast from ~~yant to Addison (due to the removal of stop signs and the street closure installed for the bicycle boulevard extension). CMR:383:93 7/8/93 Page 4 • • " .... ' .. perhaps a test is not necessary. installations of other cities. Use the results from the There are not severe enough problems on Waverley to warrant such measures. • Safety for school children will be compromised hy the removal of stop signs on Waverley at Addison and the installation of the traff~c circle. It already has been compromised by the remuval oi stop signs on Bryant at Addison for the bicycle boulevard. • People constantly run the stop signs on Waverley at Addison. The stop signs should be retained at waverley/Addison, plus slowinq techniques should be installed in advance of the stop Giqns so that people will be more inclined to stop. • Th.e bic:,'cle boulevard extension is the major cause of the problems that this study is tryinq to address. • The devices proposed for waverley should he triad on Bryant in place of the street closure. ~~y experiment on Waverley when you are already experimenting on Bryant? • The working qroup plan came about because a particular grQup of residents was coc.cerned enough to develop some ideas and voice their opin:!.ons to the: council. One goal is to test some techniques that could then be used or. other Professorvilla streets. There is no intenti':>n to move the problem from Waverley and Addison to other streets. RZV%1IIr BY PALO AL'l'O BICYCLE ADVISORY COIOOTTEI! {PABAC) PARAe reviewed the working group plan, ~d _as not in favor of the proposals tor eitner street. The committee fclt that the abrupt lane. jogs would compromise the safety of cyclists. because the traffic circles and islands tend to crowd bicyclists and drivers together, even where bicycle lanes were present on Addison. On Waverley, cyclists would probably be best off by using the entire traffic lane. On Addison, parked cars may encroach on the ~ransition areas and therefore encroach on the bicycle lanes. PRlILDUIt\RY STAPP lIEVI n At this point# the working group p]an has heen only preli~inarily reviewed by Transportation Division staff; it haa not been reviewed by other City sta.ff ~ Most of the proposed traffic management aeasures have been used successfully in other cities. standard acceptable dimensions for the circles, planters, an~ lane widths were suggested by staff to the working group and have been applied; and standard traffic signing would be used in all locations. The CMR:3SJ:93 7/8/93 Page 5 • reversal of parking on Addison to create the jog in the bicycle and traffic lanes is relatively novel and untested j and thus needs closer start scrutiny. The transition zones where lane lines joq have been purposely designed to be dr-iven at 15 mph and, thus~ are rather abrupt, but have been based on a standard traffi~ engineering formula. rt is expEcted that drivers will traverse these areas at about 25 mph. Drivers and bicyclists may not sta~ within the lane striping in these transition zones, especially On Addison. The curving center line and the visual impact of the traffic circ!e and planters on Waverley may cause some diversion of trdffic to other streets. It is not anticipated th4t substantial diversion will occur. but staff will rese.arch the reports available from other cities fo~ their experience with traffic diversion. If diversion does take place$ the measures on Waverley could be modified or removed~ as one of the primary goals of staff and the residents is .not to divert traffic from Waverley. The traffic circles may cause traffic ~o encroach into c~osswalk areas ~hen it moves right to go around the circles. The circles ~ill not permit large trucks to turn left around the outside of the circles. Upon further review of the working group plan, staff may propose some changes to it, and/or may propose an alternate plan. Precise CO&t estimates are not yet available, but a general estimate for peraanent ~nstallation of the working group plan is about $80,000- $lOD,OOO~ A trial installation is est:".mated to cost on the order of $25,000. JIEn S'l'BPS As directed by Council, this stUdy will be brought to the Historic Resources Board for review, scheduled for July 7. The Waverley/ Addison study is tentatively scheduled for the Policy and Services Co .. ittee meeting of AUgust 3. By the committee meeting, staff will have conducted a review of the working group plan, including any chanqes or alternative plans. The study report w~ll also include a full discussion o~ the inventory of traffic mdnagement :neasures that could be instituted on Waverley and Addison or on other Palo Alto streets. If staff d~termines that another neighborhood and/or working group meeting is needed, the Policy and Services Committee review woul~ be moved to late SeptF~ber. CI!R:383:93 7/8/~3 Page 6 • \ Respectrully submitted, CARL STOFFEL Transportation Engineer City Manaqer Attachme.ii.t!l: Exhibits 1-6 cc: Historic Resources Boatd Architectural PRview Board Planninq Commission Palo Alto Medical Foundation -// / .r' (/. / /f..t~;:'/,1;tl:a,' /\. _4d iU'/'("~'? KENNETH R. SCHREIBER Director of Planninq and Community Environment Palo Alto Bicycle Advisory Committee stoe~ker and Northway Associates Bi.!l McGlashan Members of the Residents Working Gr~up 0IR:383:93 '1IS/93 Page 7 ._-----.-.... ftAJ' PIC MAIIl\GEIIE!I'l' XEA8 URES WAVBRLBY/ADD%80H BTVDY (w=waverley only; A=Addison only; W/A=both Waverely and Addison) : Measures to Consider Note: city staff may ll2:t ultimatlb::' recommend some of these measures for actual implementation on wa~~L~c1 dnd Addison. • Traffic circles at intersections 4 (WJA) • Median planters {slow points), midblock. (W/A} • Hedian planters (slow points) at int~rsections. (~JA) • Bulbouts/chokers at intersections. (W/A} • Bulbout~/chokers, midblock. (W/A) • Offset centerline with planters~ midb~ock. (W/A) • Offset centerline with planters at intersections. (W/A) • Collector road bumps (22 fe~t long). (W) • Regular roa.J bumps (12 feet long) ~ (A) • Median planter on road bump~ (W/A) • One way closure (semi-diverter). (A) • One way chicanes with two-way traffic. {A) • One-way qate with two-way traffic. {A) Measures Not Being Considered • Pavement treatments (varied, textured). • Full street closures. • Diagonal diverters. • Rumble strips. • Siqninq without physical treatment (e.g.~ restricted turns). • striping without physical treatment (e.g.~ painted islands, speed stripes). • Diagonal parking on streets with bike lanes. • Offset centerline using diagonal parking, midblock. • Full block reconstruction/narrowing (a la "Woonerf-). e Raised or -plat~o~" intersections. • Raised crosswalks, or bumps~ at intersections. cs 6/2S/93 ~~11- , I ~----~,--, .-- ,--, - I I \ \ Ex!,;l),t-3 ---I- I , ~ ~-~- I ~ 'i '-u ~ ExhIbIt 1, -~ " j \. ~ ,) \ ~ ~ " ='1 • ~ ,~ ::l -..., " ~ 31 <:/ It \j , {l ~ N ..., \:l.. i.. ~ ~'ir Q -.., ~ o u oJ ~ " & " '-l' ----• I I , i I ! , j , 9 ---- Q) I I I ~ ~I ~! \. 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