Trip Distribution
Driveway Movements – The TIA reports that both driveways permit right-in/right-out movements only. However, Exhibit 11: OYP LANE Geometry and Intersection Controls shows left-turn egress at Driveway #1 on Santa Clara Street. This inconsistency should be fixed in the text and related exhibits.
Internal Drive Aisles – The TIA reports that the access roadway between Project buildings allows two-way circulation, but 100% of Project trips are distributed outbound at the driveway on Huntington Drive (Driveway #2). It seems more reasonable to assume that some of the units near Driveway #1 will utilize Driveway #1 to egress the site.
Outbound Trips – Some outbound trips at Driveway #1 on Santa Clara Street should be assumed and analyzed in the TIA. Vehicles may wish to exit the Project at Driveway #1 and turn right at Santa Clara Street & Huntington Drive (Study Intersection), adding to the existing queue that reportedly exceeds the existing storage length during the morning peak hour.
Project Trips Figure – The TIA should include a Project trips figure showing only Project traffic at the two driveways and the Study Intersection.
With the revised trip distribution assuming some Project trips egress at Driveway #1 on Santa Clara Street, the Study Intersection will receive more Project trips than the two morning peak hour and nine afternoon peak hour Project trips currently shown.
As shown, all exiting trips exit onto Huntington Drive and head west, but none come back through the Study Intersection to head eastbound or northbound. The most convenient eastbound route appears to be Huntington Drive south/west to Centennial Way eastbound, back to Huntington Drive north/east, and through the Study Intersection. The other potential eastbound route takes Project trips through the residential neighborhood off San Rafael Road; if this neighborhood intrusion is expected, it should be discussed in the TIA.
Queueing
Lane Configurations – The TIA and Comment Letter state that the existing morning queue of the southbound right-turn lanes from Santa Clara Street onto Huntington Drive exceeds the turn pocket storage length of 180 feet (see TIA Table 5). Please verify if the TIA’s queueing analysis should identify the combined storage length of the dual southbound right-turn lanes at the Study Intersection totaling 360 feet of available turn-pocket storage. The TIA should note that there is room beyond the two right-turn lanes for additional queue storage and that the next signalized intersection is more than 1,000 feet away.
Proximity of Driveway #1 to the Study Intersection – The Comment Letter states that the Project’s peak hour trips would not appreciably increase the southbound right-turn queue, especially given there is a second primary driveway directly onto Santa Clara Street. This is unlikely, as Project trips using Driveway #1 would contribute to the queue that, as reported, exceeds the storage length and blocks the driveway during the morning peak hour. The queueing discussion should be updated and a discussion of the potential blockage of Driveway #1 should be included once Project trips are distributed outbound to Santa Clara Street.
Kevin Merrill
September 17, 2025
Site Distance and Turning Movements
Site Distance Figures – The site distance analysis provided in Exhibit 7 of the TIA should be enlarged to show more detail and include aerial background imagery, similar to the turning radii figure in Exhibit 8. The current diagram does not show potential obstructions within the sight triangles, and clear sight lines cannot be determined.
Turn Templates – While Exhibit 8 of the TIA provides turn templates for inbound vehicle movements, the analysis should be expanded to include outbound vehicle movements for the units closest to the public right-of-way. Specifically, the TIA should evaluate whether drivers parked at Units 18 and/or 34 would need to encroach onto the public sidewalk when backing out of the tandem parking spaces or if the maneuver can be accomplished entirely on-site. The analysis should also consider whether the proximity of Units 18 and/or 34 to the public sidewalk poses potential safety concerns at the driveways.
Further, the turn template analysis should show the vehicle fully entering and exiting the garage.
As shown in the TIA, vehicles at both Units 18 and 34 are at the front of their parking spaces, but at angles that do not appear to make a single turning movement into the garage possible.
Please verify that a three-point turn will not be required to access these spaces. Unit 34 may have adequate room to accommodate this three-point turn, but Unit 18 does not appear to have any room between the parking space and the property line for such a maneuver. A three-point turn into the Unit 18 garage will require backing onto the sidewalk and potentially backing into the vehicle lane on Santa Clara Street, neither of which would be acceptable from a safety standpoint.
A larger passenger vehicle with a larger turning radius should also be considered for the turn template analyses. The length and width of the passenger car appear to be consistent with larger sport utility vehicles, but verify the other factors (track width, lock-to-lock time, etc.) are consistent with larger vehicles.
Recommendation for Alternative Scenario
The Project is located within 0.25 miles of Santa Anita Park (Racetrack), a thoroughbred horse racing venue and multi-use event facility that hosts racing and non-racing events year-round.
The City’s General Plan has different levels of operating acceptability (level of service [LOS] D during non-race days and LOS E on race days) at the Study Intersection depending on the presence of events at the Racetrack.
Racetrack Event Scenario – Traffic counts were taken on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, a day on which no major events were held at the Racetrack. Because the Project is located on a main thoroughfare to the Racetrack, analysis of event day traffic conditions should be prepared.