HomeMy WebLinkAbout0368.095;-,'
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City of Palo Alto
City Manager's Report
TO: HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PLANl'olNG
DATE: August 3. 1995. CMR:368:95
SUBJECT: Status Report on the Tnrr", Monitormg aDd Mitigation
Requirements Program for Stanford Uoinrsity
REOUEST
This is an informational report. and 110 Council action is requested. The report
summariz.cs the staIus 0( a trafIic monitoring and mitigation program that has been applied
10 Stanford UnM.sity as a condition 0( approval 0(. series 0( developmenl projects. The
program expired 00 May 31,1995.
RECOMME.'mATlONS
No Council action is recommended.
POLICY IMPLICATlONS
There are 110 policy impIi<:ations .from this informational report, as no action is
recommended. However, if the Stanford type of mitigation agr=nent were permitted 10
be utilized by 0Iher developers, the implications of that policy would be anal)zed at that
future date.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Back8round
Stanfonl has been respooSJ.ble fur a traffic mitigation and mooitoring program, the
'Annual Level of Service Analysis', since 1986. This analysis was a time-limited
agreement that expired on May 31. 1995. It was required by Palo Alto and Santa Qara
CoonIy as a mitigation and roodition of approval for several projects in the Medical
CeD!ec area approved between 1983 and 1981.
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Annual "eye! ofSenice A.'l3lys;s for MeJical Center Projects
The' Annual Level of Service Analysis' was developed in response 10 Palo Alto's and
Saltla Clara County's awrovaJ of a series of projec~ in the Medical Center Area that.
coincidetitally, occurred within a few years of each other: Welch Road Extension (1983).
Medieal School Office Building (1985), 1100 Welch Road (apartments and bometel,
1986). Center for Molecular and Genetic Medic ine (1986), and New Children's Hospital
at Stanford (1987). During the course of r."iewing the development awJications,
. Stanford staff argued that Iong-Ierm cumulative traffic impacts would be less than
; predicted. Stanford staff reached this conclusion for two primary reasons. First, they
believed thaI the likely level cf activities in the Medical Cenler area buildings would be
less than typical, with respect 10 employment and other factors used 10 generate traffic
projectioos. Second, Stanford staff believed that the traffic forecasting metbOOology used
in Palo Alto and Santa Oara County environmental r."iew Jlfoc~ses tended, because of
"teasooable worst casen assumptions, \0 overstate the severity of filtur. traffic conditions.
The resolution of this matter involved ba ving separate agreeIll<ln!s concerning traffic
mitigation developed foe each project. all with :;imilar language concerning the
impIemen!ation of roadway improvements. The agreements required that Stanford retain
an independent registered traffic engineering firm to measure !he level of senice (LOS)
of six intersections in Ibe Medical Center area each April or May until 1995. and 10
submit a report 10 Saltla Clara Counrj and Palo A.'to each May 31. May 1995 was
identified as the termination date for the agreements and mitigation respoosibi1ities.
~ause it was the forecast year used in the environmental reviews for determining
cllnudative project impacts and related mitigations. If an intersection LOS exceeded "D",
the improvements specified for thaI intersection were considered 10 be "triggered", and
Stanford was required 10 complete the impro',emellts subject 10 approval of the agency
Ilaviog jurisdiction (Menlo Pade, Palo Mo, or Sania Clara County). Once impeo,"e ments
were completed, LOS monitoring was JIO longer required. Attacbmeru 1 i; a list of !he
six imersectioos and the roadway improvements fOr each intersection, as required by Ibe
mitigation agreements for the five projects. Table I summarizes the level of service
measurements al each intersection fwm the beginning of the monitoring program in
198610 \he las! measurements in April 1995. 1be six intersections are:
I. Sand Hill Road at Pasteur Drive
2. Pasteur Drive at Welch Road
3. Welcll Road at Quarry Road. including Quarry betwecn Welch and Arboret.nn
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TABLE I
STANFORD Al~AL LEVEL OF SERVICE ANALYSIS
1986-1995
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S. Ca:mpus DIiYe WC91." AlrUpmJ Sata_ .. A/piDe ltood.J\m1p<n> S«ra
-"4 -1_ tJnsj~ itm J986 10 199.3. 2. W ... _ .....
J. &01",,"_ ROIripedio IaIe 1991.
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4. Quarry Road at Arboretum Road
S. Campus Drive West at lunipero Serra Boulevard
6. Alpine Road at Iunipero Serra Boulevard
Compleled Improvements
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Of the silt inIersectioos, improvcmenIs at locations 2 and 4 were triggered and COOlpleted
during the life oCthe monitoring program (Pasteur/Wekh and Quarry! Arboretum). The
compIeIed improvements an: as described in Attachmenr I, except that the westbound leg
of Arooo:tum at Quarry (Jocation 4) was configured differently than originally specified.
This clumge was agJeed 10 mutually by Stanford and City engineers based on actual field
oonditions at the time of triggering, as pennitted by the mitigation agreement. At the
WeIcbIQuarry intersection (location 3), the improvements were completed befoce they
were triggered. Stanford was already mOOiJized ill Ibe area foc odIer Quarry Road
improvements related to the Psycb iatry Ceoter proj"'t; and. because they felt Ibat
WelcblQuarry would eventuany be triggered. they concluded that significant cost
savings would accrue by completiog the WelcblQuarry improvements at the same lime.
Art improJWmellt at a fourth inter=tion-Alpine Road at lunipero Serra Boulevard
(Iocatioo 6}-was triggered in 1990 by an LOS E measurement, bnt has not been
implemented. This intersection is in Menlo Parle, which was in the midsl oC updating its
Genera1 Plan at that time and wanted to postpone the improvement until aft .... the update
was completed Now, because of Stanford's formal application foe the Sand lhll Road
projects, Menlo Park believes that it would be premature to complete the improvement
urltit it is known what new Irnffic !lows and impacts would result from the Sand Hill Road
projects. LOS measurements have continued at Alpine!Junipero Serra for the past five
years since 1990, with a coosislent measurement of LOS C ever since. Even though it
was IIOl formally addressed in the mitigation agreements, it was geneflilly agreed that
the inlen! of the agreements was that an improvement needed to be triggered only once
to require its implementation. Menlo Park still intends to proceed with this
improvement, bazring any changes in field conditions caused by the Sand Hill Road
projects that would render it inappropriate.
This mooitoring program has ended without triggering the specified improvements at Sand
HilVPasleur and C.ampus Drive West/Junipero Serra (locations 1 and 5). Future
development in the area, SIlGh as the proposed Sand Hill Road projects or possible
expansion oC the Medical Center, may eventually result in improvements at these two
locations.
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Effectiyeness of Annual Level of Semce Analysis Program
This is an appropriate time 10 discuss the effectiveness of Ihls mitigation program and !he
fUture appIicaIioo of similar programs. Palo Alto, Stanf()(d and Santa Clara CoonIy were
well ser;ecl by this program. Two of the six intersections were improved at !he time t1Ie
imp£ovcments were needed. and one intersection was improved before warranted by
traffic conditions. Two of the intersections never crossed the threshold of needing
improvemeoI. and were thus DOl improved IIIUlCCessarily, as !hey might have been under
a IypicaI mitigation requirement Thererocc, such a mitigation agreement ensures that
potentially costly mitigation measures are implemented only if actual field CODditions
warrant Ifter a development project is built. Under I more typical implementation
program, mitigation mea5llres would have to be implemented before 01" at the same
Ii me as a development p£ojecl, based on ~etical traffic impact calculations in !he
enwonmental document.
In order b'!he Stanford type ofprogram 10 be successful, a developer must agree 10 carry
out a long-term mooit()(ilJg program (1 () years in this case). In addition, the responsible
jurisdic6on(s) must commit 10 roonitor the program results during thaI period, as weD 2S
ensure that the physical space for the potential improvements is preserved during the life .
of!he program. Such a loog-tenn agreemeol with a developer ()( applicant with whom the
responsible jurisdictions are noc familiar, or with one of questionable financial resources,
may be risky for the responsible jurisdictions. Future such agreements with Stanford oc
odler reliable developersfapplicants with whom !he City has had a loog-established
relationship are desirable, provided that aD parties are wiUing 10 undertake the required
Ioog-term responsibilities.
If a future traffic mooi!()(ilJg program IS developed, an issue to be addressed is whether
the mitigation is triggered by one ()( two years of unacceptable traffic conditions. The
agreements with Stanford were silent on this issue, and City staff look the position that
an LOS E measurement in one year wostiMed a mitigation requirement With traffic
()()(lditions subject to daily fluctuations, a counl in one particular year could be argued to
be less than cooclusive proof that the mitigation improvements are warranted. The
situaIioo at Alpine and Junipero Serra. where LOS E OCCUlTed in 1990. to be followed by
LOS C conditions in the next five years, reinforces the COIlCem. As noced above, the
physical improvements at the AIpmellunipero Serra intersection have not been
imPlemented because they have not be<on authorizOO by the City of Menlo Parle.
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Fonna! Mitigation Mooitoring Programs Required bv California Envirorunental Oualitv
Act (CEQA)
In 1989, CEQA was amended by Assc:n.bIy Bill (AB) 3180, requiring public agencies 10
impIemenI a tqXJ<ting or monitoring program ~ they approve mitigation measures
fir • developmeol project. The purpose of!he CEQA monitoring program is to ensure that
mitigation measures required by the public agency are implemented by the private
developer. The Stanford monitoring program discussed in this staff report predate the
amendment 10 CEQA and were 00( required by Palo Alto and Santa Clara County as
fOOnaI mitigation monitoring programs under CEQA. The Stanford monitoring programs
are different from the formal CEQA-required mitigation measure monitoring program
becausc. in the Stariford program, (al the appl;"ant bears primary responsibility foc the
mooitoring instead of !he public agency, and (b) the applicant is not required to implement
the mitigations unless a specified threshold is reached as detemined by the monitoring
program.
Sand Hlll Road Traffic
Ofparticular inten:llt are the da!a pro-.ided by the monitoring program relative 10 changes
. in traffic levels along Sand HiD Road betweeo 1985 and 1995. Figure I is a graph
showing the ten-year history of PM peak boor traffic volumes at the Sand Hlll1Pasteur
intersection. As shown in the graphs, traffic volumes have not increased at this
intersec:tion in the past ten years, nor have they increased at the other primary western
(southern) gateW2Y of Junipero Serra/Campus Drive West The level of service at the
Sand wwPasteur intersection has remained at "B~ during that time period. .xcept fir
1987 and 1988 (refer 10 Table J). Notwithstanding. City of Palo Alto measurements of
average daily traffic (ADT) aloog Sand HiD Road between Pasteur and San Francisquito
Creel.: have shown a steady increase on this road over !he past 24 years, at an approxim~te
rate of 1.8 percent per year (refer 10 Figure 2). This rate is sirrular 10 long-term increases
in ADT observed at most other Iocatioos in Palo Alto.
From these measurements, one can conclude that <al traffic on Sand Hill Road is
increasing in a manner typical of other Palo Alto major streets; (b) traffic generated by the
StmfOO:I Medical Center ove.-the past ten years may D'Jt be increasing. and/or may have
been redistributed among the three or four major roadways leading !o that area. .
FISCAL IMPACT
Tbere-is 00 fiscal impact related 10 t/>js report.
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PM PEAK-HOUR VOLUMES
Total Intersect.ioo
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~~+-~--'----~~----------------------1 : Jom1pero s.m , e
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Figure 1
Plot Peak-Hour Volumes
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Historical Volumes
Location #9-·Sand Hill Road wlo Pasteur
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. ... . .. :,..-, r·~
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-t-+-"1f--t-t--f--I-l legend
+ ADT
-.-Fl '2OCOi-t-t-~ri-t-t-r-r-r~-t-i-t-t-~ri-+-t-t-+-r~'-'-'-'-r4 ,~+-···~··.~·I_···+-~·~·~··~··_··~~··~r_'+'_"~-+'-1'_"'+'-"~-+-r'+-+-~~-+-r4-+-~
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~4-+-+-~~~-f-+-+-+~4-4-4-+-+4-i-1-t-t-~r1~-+-+~~~;
... " .... "
6()(X) ++-~-+-+-'l-
4000 +++-+-+-+-t-t-...:..L .........
2OCO ++-+-+-+-+-t-t-t-I--I-l -,....·t-t-t-HHHNNN..--/..--/-f-f-+-+-+-1
. --... _.--..
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65 67 .69 7t 73 75 77 79 fH 83 85 87 89 91 93 9S
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. ENVIRQNMENTALASSESSMENT
AI! enviromnenIal assessment is ooc required with this report.
AlTACHMENTS
J. Intersection improvements required under Level of Service Analysis monitoring
program.
Prepared by. Carl Stoffel. rraosportation Engine«
Depar1ment Head Review: ~tf .L.Au~"
lCENNETII It. SCHREIBER
DireclOr of Planning
and Community Enworunent
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Assistant City Manager
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Be.ued Septembor 21. 1981
_ LIst of r ... tenectIon and Road.....,.lmprov_
Acreed to by 8tanfonI Umv ...... f7
.. Mltlp&ull and CODditlo .... of Approval
{Soum. document. _ ohown m bi-acbla. See pqe 14 Co< cila!io;Lo and nctes.]
GeIwftII'nIvfaIou
DmiDc April or Mor'cC each 708". Stanli>rd .......,. tM level cl...-rice 01 each 01 tM
inler&e<:&oa 1ioted below, and oubmlla .. ",pori 10 Bania Clara CouDl1and the Clty 01
Pa10 IJto by May aL The C>OUIltI and ...wJ'RI _ to be ~ by an in<lependenl
l'Oji.oIond Inf5e .",;-r. uoina' the Operational "",!bod 01 the 1986 Highway Ct!.pccity
MtJ>IMl. Metl!odoIoio' ean be changed 1>1 mutual """""'l
Ifet cq cC the inlersEctiowl the operations are ......, than LOS D. the listed improve
ment. "'" to be comple!ed .nt!Ur. 18 IDOIltbo, .ubjoc:t to apl"'OVlll by the "i"""7 havinr jurisdicIjoo.. ,
1. Sand BlD Roa4 at J>uteju Drive
Either cl the So1Iowing:
L If the 8aJ>d Hill Road Enension ,..,. IICl-l>een built, add a ~ lane on Band
Bill &ad oouthbouDd (toward Bania Cruz A'mlue), mending from 20CI norih 01
Paoteur Drive to 5(X1ooutla 01 Paneur Dri .... .ntla ....,.,;,,~ Bienal modilica
&ica&; or
1>. JC the Band Hill Road E%!enBioo ,..,. been built, add • oe<OI>d through lane OIl
Sand Hill Road DOrthbound (toward El c..mino Real), uteno!lrq: from 20CI aoutla
cl Pulell1' Drive to 200' north 01 Pasteur Drive, .ntla """';"!ed ai(aal moc!ili.ca
tiooa. [MSOBIll()() Wel<:M:MGM]
.. PaaIeur Drive at Welch Road
Allolthe~
L Add alifDBl, [Welch Road Erlension Proj«I; deadline postponed bl Ille City.)
h. Add a rlihUum lane OG Welch Road .1 the earner 01 the 1100 Welch Road
pnUed, for turns towud Band Hill Road. [1100 Welch]
II-U5W If II t10DG
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L Welch Road at Qaarrl'Road
Add an udusi .. left tuna I.!u>e on Welch, and • Ie<ODd lane a10cz Quarry Road &om
Welch to Arboretum. INCHOSl
L Jfthe Sand Hill Road Erlenslon has not been buill, .dd • tuna lane OIl Quarry
R<>ad DOC1h)wm n d. lor oeparate o""""'mOOation at,;pi turno toward Palm Drive.
left _ ""'ta!'d Sand Hill Road. and throua'h \ral5c: toward Hoover Pavilion.
(l(SOIlIllOO Walcbi'CMGM)
l>. :RaIripe ArlJoz-etum Road westbound. to provide OlIelusive IeJ\, through and
throtIghhirhi I4nea, with relsted oipaI modificationo. [NCH@Sl
~ 19<11 eounts ohowecl U>at Quarry/Arboretum reacl1ed Ih. trigger point..
5. Campus Drive Weot BDd "lIIIipero Serra Boulevard
Add • aecaDd richl tuna 1ane OIl Cam~ Drive. with osaodated oignaIlDocIilica!ioco;
proftde • richl tuna ....... phase and • 150' aocoIeratian 1ane on Junipero Sern.
vestboond, lor Junu; &om CamPUI Drive toward Alpine Road.
{MSOM1OO WolchA:MGM]
8. Alpine Road at Junipero Serra BoaJevard
Ii the Sand Hill Road Exlenaion has not been built, and only afIer completion ot Ih~
San Francisquito c.eek Bridge replacement project. add • "para'" right tun. Ian. on
AJpina Road northbound, lor turns \award Campus Drive. {MSOB/llOO We~MGM]
EMM51ftt .... OOO
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MSOB. "Mitiptiou> or Projecl<>d Cumulative'1'railic Impacla or the Medi<al School 0I00e
Buildi!I&' ~" daf<>d Na.y 21. 1985. I/.equire.1 moui\orina' and im_t or !our
intene<tiooa: Band HilllPasIeur; Quan7IArboretwn; Campoli Drive WesVJ..mlpero Serra;
and AJpiDw'Junipero Be .... 'The .. umber ia reduced to two it the Sand Hill Rod Enenmn
ia built. Ezpireo Ma.y 81. 1995.
CMGM. "StaleDlent <L 1nfl>.n00n fteeardlng Traffic Relaf<>d Improvemenla in CoonectioIl
lrilll the Cenler b: Molec:ular and Ge..etle Medicine.' filed pursuant to Co=9 approval or the OMGN project in June 1986. Co..!ain.& the """'. provisions as the MSOB agree
ment.. Espires Ma.y 81. 1 ~
1100 Welch Road. 8ubdiviIrimi Agreement dated Mardll2, 1986. Ditfen £rom MSOB
__ in two _peets: (1) adde PaateurJWel<:h to the list; and (2) adde ~ on
perbmance or work, wammtiea, ole Ezpireo Ma.y 81. 1~
NCSos. "A&reemenl ~ Trid!ie Improvement. in Co.mec:tion willi the New
Cbildnm'. Hospital at Stumord," daf<>d May 29, 1981 requireo !hal NCHiS mOiliIor and
improve inlersecliomo; the "'fhree.Party Agn!ema>t" or the laDle date ~ NOHiS'
~sib1jtieo to Sta..r<rd. Fan ..... the ._ or pnmOWl agreemenla, but:
(l) Ipeci1ies JeO:Jnd improvement al two in~ (QwnTJr!ArboreIum, PuteudWeIch);
(2) adde ODe in!enec:tion (Quarry/Wel<:h); (3) provides. mecl>aniam Cor cl>aIlglng analyti
cal met.bodo by mutlW CODJeD.t; and (4) .. ta dale Cor begi"Dini moDlIorint <L Qusrr1I
Wekh at Ma, 1985. ExpIru Me, 31, 1995.
Prepared by J. Fremon
723-9362