Fremont City Council Meeting: 02/08/22 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Public Works
Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Public Projects
SCHEDULED
Sponsors:
STAFF REPORT (ID # 4532) DOC ID: 4532
Updated: 2/4/2022 10:23 AM by Susan Gauthier Page 1
CENTERVILLE COMPLETE STREETS PROJECT - Approval of Direction for the Street Design Along Fremont Boulevard to Retain Four Vehicle Lanes (Two in Each Direction) in the Centerville Business District Area, Generally Between Thornton Avenue and Central Avenue, as Part of the Centerville Complete Streets Project (PWC 8946)
Contact Persons:
Name: Jeanne Suyeishi Hans Larsen
Title: Senior Civil Engineer Public Works Director
Div/Dept: Public Works Public Works
Phone: 510-494-4728 510-494-4722
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]
Executive Summary: The purpose of this report is to facilitate design direction for improvements along Fremont Boulevard in the Centerville area that address interests for all travel modes and the local business community. Through an extensive community outreach process, interests have been expressed for a wide range of design options. In 2021, a demonstration project was conducted to test the effects of reducing Fremont Boulevard from four to three vehicle lanes. Based on studies of the demonstration project and community input, staff recommends retaining Fremont Boulevard with four vehicle lanes.
BACKGROUND: In September 2018, the State of California approved legislation (SB 989, Wieckowski) relinquishing to the City, State Route 84 running through the City of Fremont including portions of Thornton Avenue, Fremont Boulevard, Peralta Boulevard, and Mowry Avenue. The relinquishment has provided Fremont with local control over how to improve the street with regards to safety, travel modes, pavement conditions, and support for the historic Centerville business district.
The City has received a grant of Federal funds through the Alameda County Transportation Commission (CTC) in the amount of $7.7 million to improve portions of Thornton Avenue and Fremont Boulevard referred to as the Centerville Complete Streets project. Based on the grant conditions, the project is required to be ready to advertise for construction contract bidding by January 1, 2023.
Since prior to the State Route 84 relinquishment, the Centerville Community and Business Association has advocated for modifications to Fremont Boulevard to improve conditions for the local business district related to pedestrian safety, sidewalk dining, community gathering, parking, and aesthetics. Additionally, the City has adopted safety and multimodal policies that encourage increased travel by walking, bicycling and transit.
In an effort to address the complex set of policy and community interests in the Centerville business district area, a community outreach process was initiated to help guide the design of Centerville Complete Streets project. In July 2019, the City Council approved a contract with PlaceWorks to assist with the community engagement process. Four community meetings were held along with several stakeholder meetings to: 1) identify and prioritize the key issues and inform the community on complete streets design options; 2) review Staff Report (ID # 4532) Meeting of February 8, 2022
Updated: 2/4/2022 10:23 AM by Susan Gauthier Page 2
design alternatives based on community input; and 3) present a preferred desig n and receive community feedback. A project webpage includes information from the community meetings and design options (see weblink below).
The residential and business community response to assigning roadway priorities and design alternatives was mixed, generally with residents preferring to maintain vehicle throughput along Fremont Boulevard, and the business representatives preferring to reduce the number of vehicle lanes in favor of traffic calming, more parking and enhanced outdoor gathering space. The range of options varied from keeping Fremont Boulevard with four through lanes for vehicle traffic to reducing it to two lanes (one lane in each direction). In response to the conflicting community feedback, staff implemented a six-month long demonstration project on Fremont Boulevard that reduced the number of vehicle lanes to three, with the northbound direction reducing from two lanes to one. The change allowed for adding on- street parking, enhanced bike lanes and pop-up patios to create outdoor spaces during the pandemic. The demonstration project was largely funded through an Alameda CTC Rapid Covid Response grant. The test period for the demonstration project period started in June 2021 and extended through the end of December 2021.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: For the demonstration project, staff collected data throughout the test period to determine the effects on corridor travel times and vehicle delay, bicycle and pedestrian use, and corridor crashes/collisions. Because the test period occurred during the Covid pandemic, it is not possible to draw significant conclusions related to changes in travel conditions associated with the demonstration project. Overall, traffic volumes in the Fremont Boulevard corridor were about 30% lower during the test period than they were before the start of the pandemic.
At the midpoint of the demonstration project, an online community survey was conducted to gather community input on the traffic impacts and patterns on Fremont Boulevard and neighboring streets, pedestrian and bicycle activity, and on the use of the pop-up patio dining areas.
The survey received approximately 400 responses with 50% of the respondents being Centerville residents and 38% being Fremont residents living outside the Centerville area.
• 70% of the respondents utilized the roadway at least 3 times per week, while an additional 20% utilized the roadway at least once/twice per week • 97% of the respondents typically drive through the corridor, while 27% also used alternative transportation modes such as walking, biking, and transit • 74% responded that the project increased pedestrian safety • 74% responded that the project increased traffic congestion • 26 businesses reported greater difficulty for business access • The “pop-up patios” received very little use.
An overwhelming majority (over 90%) of the written feedback opposed reducing vehicle lanes due to the impacts on traffic congestion and communicated a preference for Fremont Boulevard to remain a major thoroughfare, but there was also significant support for Staff Report (ID # 4532) Meeting of February 8, 2022
Updated: 2/4/2022 10:23 AM by Susan Gauthier Page 3
complete streets elements that improve pedestrian crossings and add protected bike infrastructure. Based on feedback from the Centerville community, staff is recommending returning Fremont Boulevard to a 4-lane road configuration while adding sidewalk improvements, enhanced pedestrian crossings, and either a buffered bike lane or an elevated bike lane on Fremont Boulevard.
All of the design alternatives that feature four vehicle through-lanes offer less space within the public right of way that can be devoted to new outdoor gathering space, which was a community priority based on the design workshop conducted at the first community meeting. As a way to enhance gathering space in the Centerville business district, staff recommends that future efforts focus on utilizing existing open space to create more vibrant gathering areas at the Centerville Train Depot and Bill Ball Plaza.
Next Steps and Other Centerville Area Projects
Subject to City Council approval of the staff recommendation, final design work will proceed on the Centerville Complete Streets project based on retaining Fremont Boulevard as a four - lane street. Significant improvement elements will include pavement rehabilitation, modified intersections at Fremont/Thornton and Fremont/Peralta, new pedestrian signal at Fremont/Bonde Way (near Centerville Train Station), new pedestrian flashing beacon (at Artist Walk entrance), separated bikeway or buffered bike lanes (dependent on space availability), transit stop enhancements, and sidewalk repairs throughout the corridor. For the area south of Peralta Boulevard, future improvements will be made in conjunction with the planned private development project (formerly Silicon Sage). Note that the Centerville Complete Streets project will also include improvements along Thornton Avenue consistent with “safe routes to school” plans by the City and Fremont Unified School District , and will include a new traffic signal at the Thornton/Oak intersection.
There are other significant transportation improvements planned in the Centerville area which include:
• Fremont Boulevard Traffic Signal Modernization – Currently in construction for nine miles along Fremont Boulevard from north Fremont to south Fremont. Project completion is planned for Fall 2022
• Peralta Boulevard and Fremont Boulevard Underground Utility Conversion – The City and PG&E are working to underground the overhead utility lines along Peralta Boulevard between Fremont Boulevard to Sequoia Road and Fremont Boulevard between Alder Avenue to Thornton Avenue. Construction is planned for 2024 • Centerville Corridor Railroad Quiet Zone – Planning work has commenced to provide railroad crossing safety improvements and establish a railroad quiet zone in the Centerville area, including the crossings at Fremont Boulevard, Maple Street, Dusterberry Way, and Blacow Road. The project is eligible for funding from regional grants.
FISCAL IMPACT: The cost to implement the improvements on Fremont Boulevard are within the scope of the grant funding received from Alameda CTC.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: Environmental review will be conducted upon further development and implementation of the approved design direction discussed in this Staff Report.
Staff Report (ID # 4532) Meeting of February 8, 2022
Updated: 2/4/2022 10:23 AM by Susan Gauthier Page 4
ATTACHMENTS: None.
WEBLINK: https://www.fremont.gov/3462/Centerville-Complete-Streets
RECOMMENDATION: Approval of direction for the street design along Fremont Boulevard to retain four vehicle lanes (two in each direction) in the Centerville business district ar ea, generally between Thornton Avenue and Central Avenue, as part of the Centerville Complete Streets Project (PWC 8946).