CITY OF COMMERCE AGENDA REPORT
TO: Honorable City Council
FROM: City Manager
Item No.
SUBJECT: Approval of Telegraph Corridor Improvements Concept Plan from West City Limit to Atlantic Boulevard MEETING DATE: February 21, 2023
RECOMMENDATION:
After receiving a presentation and kindly reviewing the attached concept plans and presentation, the City Council will consider:
Receiving and filing a Presentation from Richard Gibson at Gibson Transportation Consulting Inc., the City’s Project Consultant on Telegraph Corridor Improvement Study; and Approving the Telegraph Corridor Improvement Concept Plan; and Authorizing staff to release Request for Proposal (RFP) for design services; and Authorizing staff to proceed with removal of uncontrolled marked crosswalk on Telegraph at Ferris and Duncan Avenue pursuant to requirements of California Vehicle Code.
BACKGROUND:
Telegraph Road from west City limit to Atlantic Boulevard is a concrete 4-lane major road with 2 lanes in each direction, left turn lanes at some intersections, and posted at 45 MPH. There is an approximately 12-foot-wide sidewalk on the east side of the street and approximately 5-foot-wide sidewalk on the west side. There are approximately 14 side streets that intersect Telegraph Road on the east side and one 4-way intersection at Eastern Avenue. Along this segment of Telegraph Road there are 3 traffic signals, a number of obsolete decorative streetlights, operating wooden and steel streetlights, trees, 2 uncontrolled crosswalks, and Metro bus stops. There are red curbs throughout this stretch of Telegraph Road at some of the intersecting streets, parking is allowed along the east side of Telegraph Road and prohibited along the west side.
The west side of the Telegraph Corridor does not provide adequate sidewalk width to accommodate pedestrians despite the presence of multiple bus stops. Accessing the bus stops located at Telegraph Road at Ferris Avenue and Telegraph Road at Duncan Avenue requires crossing Telegraph Road at a marked but uncontrolled crosswalk and at Telegraph Road at Clela Avenue requires crossing Telegraph Road at an unmarked, uncontrolled crosswalk. There is an additional marked, but uncontrolled crosswalk across Telegraph Road at Duncan Avenue in between controlled crosswalks at Arizona Avenue and at Eastern Avenue. Both uncontrolled crosswalks and the unmarked crossing at Clela Avenue put pedestrians at risk due to low visibility and high vehicle speeds.
On January 11, 2022, the City Council awarded a contract to Gibson Company for engineering services for the preparation of a Complete Corridor Study along Telegraph Road from Marianna street (west city limit) to Atlantic Boulevard.
ANALYSIS:
Gibson Transportation Consulting Inc. (Gibson) conducted a transportation study and investigated potential improvements to portions of the Telegraph Road corridor that can increase pedestrian safety while not adversely affecting vehicular circulation. A number of potential roadway configurations were considered and analyzed before a preferred alternative was selected. The preferred alternative includes replacing one lane of northbound vehicle traffic with a painted center median along with the installation of southbound left-turn lanes and curb bump-outs at the minor street intersections. The preferred alternative would remove uncontrolled marked crosswalks, install continental crosswalks at all remaining marked crossings, enhance street lighting using the existing decorative lights, if possible, improve landscaping with new street trees, and install storm water discharge elements to improve drainage. Gibson prepared a technical memorandum summarizing their analysis and findings with recommendations which can be found in the following link: J1970 - Telegraph Corridor Technical Memo - Feb 2023.pdf In summary the study resulted in the following recommendations:
Removal of one northbound traffic lane (southbound traffic would keep two travel lanes).
Installation of painted center lane.
Installation of curb bulb-outs at 14 side streets along the Telegraph Corridor to reduce crossing distance for pedestrians.
Removal of the uncontrolled painted crosswalk on Telegraph Road at Ferris Avenue for pedestrian safety.
Removal of the uncontrolled marked crosswalk across Telegraph Road at Duncan Avenue.
Installation of continental crosswalks at all marked crossings.
Consolidation of the underutilized bus stops at Ferris Avenue and at Clela Avenue with Arizona Avenue and Atlantic Avenue which will allow the City to remove the painted crosswalk at Ferris Avenue and will eliminate the need for pedestrians to cross at locations not protected by a signal to board the Metro transit.
It is also important to note that Gateway Council of Government (COG) through an agreement with Cities of La Mirada, Santa Fe Springs, Downey, Pico Rivera, Commerce, and Montebello and unincorporated County of Los Angeles has begun a complete street study of Telegraph Corridor. The COG study is mostly funded by Metro and will take about one year to complete. Complete streets are designed to maximize the efficiency of not only automobile, truck, and bus traffic, but also bicycle and pedestrian. Although COG is aware of the City’s study that begun last year, staff plans to share the approved plans with COG upon approval.
Richard Gibson from Gibson Transportation Consulting Inc., will be making a Presentation on their study, findings and recommendations tonight. Upon City Council approval of the concept plans, staff will proceed with the RFP for the design phase after Measure AA funding is budgeted. The design phase is expected to take 9-12 months and construction is expected to take 6-9 months to complete.
Staff recommends, upon conclusion of Gibson’s Presentation, City Council approve the Telegraph Corridor Concept Plan, authorize staff to release an RFP for design services and authorize staff to proceed with removal of the uncontrolled painted crosswalks on Telegraph Road at Ferris Avenue and at Duncan Avenue pursuant to requirements of California Vehicle Code 21950.5.
ALTERNATIVES:
1. Approve staff recommendation
2. Disapprove staff recommendation
3. Provide further direction to staff
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact at this time. Staff will return to City Council to request approval of the design and funding allocation at a later date.
RELATIONSHIP TO STRATEGIC GOALS:
This agenda item relates to the 2016 Strategic Plan, Infrastructure and Facilities:
Guiding Principle 3: Maintain and prioritize improvements to city facilities and infrastructure in accordance with adopted master planning documents including the Green Zone Implementation Plan to accomplish achievable annual and long-term goals.
Guiding Principle 4: Develop and invest in infrastructure and beautification projects that support economic growth.
Approved by: Gina Nila, Department of Public Works
Reviewed by: Vilco Domic, Assistant City Manager
Approved as to form by: Noel Tapia, City Attorney
Respectfully submitted: Edgar P. Cisneros, City Manager ATTACHMENT:
Concept Plan
Gibson’s Presentation
Resolution