Fremont City Council Meeting: 04/19/22 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Public Works
Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Presentations
SCHEDULED
Sponsors:
STAFF REPORT (ID # 4588) DOC ID: 4588
Updated: 4/15/2022 11:51 AM by Alberto Quintanilla Page 1 PASEO PADRE PARKWAY STREET DESIGN - Approval of Direction for Street Design Elements Along Paseo Padre Parkway between Driscoll Road and Washington Boulevard as Part of the Paseo Padre Parkway Complete Streets Project
Contact Persons:
Name: Noe Veloso Hans Larsen
Title: Assistant City Engineer Public Works Director
Div/Dept: Public Works Public Works
Phone: 510-494-4774 510-494-4722
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]
Executive Summary: The purpose of this report is to facilitate design direction for improvements along Paseo Padre Parkway between Driscoll Road and Washington Boulevard that address the history of speeding and reckless driving along the corridor and that implement safety and operational enhancements for all travel modes. A community outreach process revealed interest for a wide range of street design elements that include pedestrian crossing beacons, a new traffic signal, traffic signal modernization, reduction in vehicle lanes, and better bike lanes.
BACKGROUND: In 2019, the Public Works Department initiated plans to modify the street design along Paseo Padre Parkway to reduce the total number of vehicle lanes from four to two, and then add buffered bike lanes, commonly referred to as a “road diet”. The purpose of the project was to improve safety along a corridor with a history of severe injury crashes and to close a gap in the City’s planned bikeway network. The project aligns with the City’s policy goals related to traffic safety (Vision Zero) and the Bicycle Master Plan which seeks to provide a bikeway network suitable for all ages and abilities.
Staff conducted community outreach for the project in 2019 which consisted of mailed postcards to residents within the project corridor, along with notifications through social media. Input received included supportive comments from people living in the area that were interested in traffic speed management and safety for people walking and bicycling. A greater number of comments were received from people generally opposed to reducing traffic lanes particularly when traffic congestion was severe in the area around Paseo Padre/Washington and the 680/Washington interchange.
Action on the Paseo Padre Parkway Safe and Complete Streets project was subsequently deferred until planned improvements to widen I-680 in the Sunol Grade area were completed. This project would help reduce afternoon traffic congestion on I-680 which caused traffic to back up onto local Fremont streets, including along Washington Boulevard and Paseo Padre Parkway. The I-680/Sunol Grade widening project was completed in October 2020.
On July 13, 2021, the City Council approved a contract for construction and implementation of the “Bikeway Improvements Project” which included improvements to segments of twelve City streets. Regarding the project segment on Paseo Padre Parkway between Washington Staff Report (ID # 4588) Meeting of April 19, 2022
Updated: 4/15/2022 11:51 AM by Alberto Quintanilla Page 2 Boulevard and Driscoll Road, the Council provided direction to staff to not remove vehicle lanes. During the Council’s discussion of the agenda item, various interests were raised about the scope and timing of changes to the street design for Paseo Padre Parkway.
On September 14, 2021, staff returned to the City Council for clarification on the roadway design for Paseo Padre Parkway. Council directed staff to implement an interim design that retained four lanes on Paseo Padre Parkway (two lanes in each direction), with lane widths reduced to 10 feet, and provide a “basic” bike lane (without a buffer) next to an on-street parking lane. Council also directed staff to conduct a community engagement process to solicit feedback on various safety issues along the corridor and potential safety measures that could be implemented as part of a larger complete streets project. In January 2022, the interim roadway striping plan was installed with the approved configuration.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: A new community feedback survey was conducted on the Paseo Padre Parkway street design topic in February and March of 2022. The survey received over 800 responses with 7% of the respondents living on Paseo Padre Parkway, 28% living within the project area, and 65% living in other parts of Fremont or a neighboring city.
• 54% of all respondents drive the corridor daily, 34% drive the corridor a few times per week, and 12% drive through the corridor less than once per week • 95% of all respondents have driven through the corridor and 18% have also walked, biked, or scootered through the corridor
• 52% of all respondents identified traffic congestion at the major intersections (Paseo Padre/Washington and Paseo Padre/Driscoll) as an issue of concern.
Among “local” respondents living on Paseo Paseo Parkway, 62% view excessive speeding as an issue of concern.
Regarding potential street design and safety improvements:
• 82% of all respondents support or are open to considering flashing beacons at pedestrian crossings
• 58% of all respondents support or are open to considering a new traffic signal • 87% of all respondents would support or are open to considering improved traffic signal coordination along the corridor
• 71% of all respondents would support or are open to considering additional speed feedback signs along the corridor
• 50% of respondents living on Paseo Padre Parkway support or are open to considering a reduction in vehicle travel lanes, while 75% of all other respondents are opposed
• 75% of respondents living on Paseo Padre Parkway oppose removal of on- street parking
Staff Report (ID # 4588) Meeting of April 19, 2022
Updated: 4/15/2022 11:51 AM by Alberto Quintanilla Page 3 Recent data collected in March 2022 shows that excessive speeding continues to be an issue along the corridor even with the new interim roadway striping that narrowed vehicle travel lanes. Approximately 1,400 vehicles of the 8,900 vehicles (16%) traveling the roadway daily are “speeding” at over 45 miles per hour (mph). The posted speed limit is 35 mph.
Such excessive speeds make backing out of driveways, turning in/out of side streets, biking along the corridor, or crossing the street for pedestrians significantly uncomfortable.
Additionally, traffic congestion conditions have largely been eliminated in the Paseo Padre/Washington area due to the benefits of the I-680 project. While current telework levels are expected to decline as employees return to work, staff estimates that past local traffic congestion levels have been substantially alleviated by the I-680 project. Moreover, the Paseo Padre Parkway Safe and Complete Streets project is not changing any vehicle lane configurations at the intersections of Paseo Padre/Washington or Paseo Padre/Driscoll where overall traffic flow capacity is most affected, rather, the street design changes are limited to the area between these major intersections.
Given the ongoing excessive speeding along the corridor, need for improved pedestrian crossing and bike facilities, and overall decline in traffic congestion, staff recommends the following, taking into consideration City policy goals (safety, complete streets, and efficient signal operations), community input, and staff’s professional judgement:
1. Install a new traffic signal at Covington Drive. This signal is located midway between Washington Boulevard and Driscoll Road. In addition to providing a safe crossing location for people driving, walking, and bicycling, the signal helps to create gaps in traffic flow to make it safer and easier to access driveways and cross streets.
2. Install pedestrian crossing flashing beacons at Dorne Place and at Mento Drive or Olive Avenue. Staff has been systemically improving uncontrolled crossings on high-speed multi-lane roadways citywide as part of the Vision Zero program. These crossings also serve as walking/bike routes to Hopkins Junior High School and Mission San Jose High School. Further analysis is needed to determine the placement of a flashing beacon at either Mento Drive or Olive Avenue.
3. Upgrade existing traffic signals along Paseo Padre Parkway at Driscoll Road and at Washington Boulevard with modern technology (hardware and software) to allow for more efficient traffic flow and that can adapt to changing traffic conditions.
4. Modify traffic lane configuration between Driscoll Road and Washington Boulevard to reduce to one lane in each direction and provide buffered bike lanes. Current and estimated future traffic volumes do not justify having four lanes for vehicles. Reducing vehicle lanes through a “road diet” is the only viable way to achieve the City’s bike plan goals for having a continuous bike lane in the area, supporting bike travel by all ages and abilities.
Perspectives on Road Diets
The City’s traffic safety (Vision Zero) and bike plans identify the consideration of “road diets” to improve safety and to provide space for installing bicycle infrastructure. Many streets in Fremont had been designed with more vehicle capacity than what traffic demand Staff Report (ID # 4588) Meeting of April 19, 2022
Updated: 4/15/2022 11:51 AM by Alberto Quintanilla Page 4 justified. When traffic lane capacity is significantly higher than the demand, such streets are more prone to excessive speeding, difficulties for pedestrian and bicycle access, and more severe traffic crashes. In general, the need for more than two traffic lanes (one in each direction) occurs when vehicle volumes exceed 20,000 vehicle per day. The table below provides a summary of Fremont streets where road diets have been recently implemented or considered.
Street Segment ADT* Comments
Rancho Arroyo Pkwy 2,000 Reduced from 4 to 2 lanes
Paseo Padre Pkwy
- Washington to Warren
6,500 Reduced from 4 to 2 lanes
Civic Center Dr
- Stevenson to Mowry
11,000 Reduced from 4 to 2 lanes
Paseo Padre Pkwy
- Driscoll to Washington
(8,900 in 2022)
13,500
Currently 4 lanes; recommended for
reduction to 2 lanes
Washington Blvd
- Gallegos to Mission
13,000 Kept at 2 lanes; was planned for 4
Peralta Blvd
- Parrish to Mowry
16,000 Kept at 2 lanes; was planned for 4
Fremont Blvd
- Thornton to Parrish
24,000 Kept at 4 lanes; was considered for 3
(area has frequent train crossings)
* Average Daily Traffic (ADT) in 2019 (pre-pandemic and before I-680 improvements)
Community Meeting
A virtual community meeting was held on the evening of April 7, 2022, to share with the community results from the recent feedback survey, staff’s proposed direction for the project, and responses to questions. The meeting had approximately 35 participants.
Survey results and meeting presentation materials are available on the project website.
Alternative Council Direction
In light of the significant community input expressed in opposition to the “road diet” element of the project, that reduces the number of total travel lanes from 4 to 2 and adds buffered bike lanes, the City Council could delete this element from staff’s proposal.
FISCAL IMPACT: The proposed improvements on Paseo Padre Parkway are estimated to cost approximately $1.5 million. Sufficient funding is available in the City’s Capital Improvement Program from current programs that support traffic safety, pedestrian and bicycle facility improvements, and traffic signal modernization.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: Environmental review will be conducted upon further development and implementation of the approved design direction discussed in this Staff Report.
ATTACHMENTS: None.
Staff Report (ID # 4588) Meeting of April 19, 2022
Updated: 4/15/2022 11:51 AM by Alberto Quintanilla Page 5
WEBLINK: https://www.fremont.gov/3347/Paseo-Padre-Parkway-Street-Design
RECOMMENDATION:
Approval of direction on the proposed street design elements along Paseo Padre Parkway between Driscoll Road and Washington Boulevard as part of the Paseo Padre Parkway Complete Streets Project that includes:
Option 1 - A new traffic signal at Covington Drive; pedestrian flashing beacons at Dorne Place and at Mento Drive or Olive Avenue; traffic signal modernization at Paseo Padre/Driscoll and Paseo Padre/Washington; and a “road diet” to reduce traffic lanes from 4 lanes to 2 lanes total, and allowing for the installation of buffered bikes lanes.
Or
Option 2 – Same as Option 1, but without the “road diet” element.