CITY OF FRESNO
CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT NO. PW01024
THE PROJECT DESCRIBED HEREIN IS DETERMINED TO BE CATEGORICALLY
EXEMPT FROM THE PREPARATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTS
PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 19 OF THE STATE CEQA GUIDELINES.
APPLICANT: Steve Delsid
Department of Public Works
City of Fresno
2600 Fresno Street
Fresno, CA 93721
PROJECT LOCATION: Friant Avenue from Audubon Avenue to Shepherd Avenue in Fresno, California
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The City of Fresno Department of Public Works is proposing to make improvements to the intersections of Audubon and Friant, Friant and Shepherd, and Fr iant Avenue between Audubon and Shepherd. The proposed project will modify the existing traffic signal of East Audubon and North Friant, to permit southbound bicycle traffic along Friant Avenue and improve southbound right turn traffic and to provide a longer southbound right turn lane, modify the roadway striping from Sheph erd to Audubon on Friant, make room for bicycle traffic, and to slightly alter the intersection of Shepherd and Fr iant by reducing the size of traffic lanes to make room for a bike lane. These changes will move traffic over a small amount to make room for the bicycle traffic. The roadw ay modifications will not alter any of the right of way or landscaping within the project limits.
This project is exempt under Section 15301/Cl ass 1 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines.
Section 15301/Class 1 consists of the operation, repai r, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of use beyond that existing at the time of the lead agency's determination. The types of "existing facilities" itemized below are not intended to be all-inclusive of the types of projects which might fall within Class
1. The key consideration is w hether the project involves neg ligible or no expansion of an existing use.
Specifically included in this class of exemption are:
(c) Existing highways and streets, sidewalks, gutters, bicycle and pedestrian trails, and similar facilities (this includes road grading for the purpose of public safety, and other alterations such as the addition of bicycle facilitie s, including but not limited to bicycle parking, bicycle-share facilities and bicycle lanes, trans it improvements such as bus lanes, pedestrian crossings, street trees, and other similar alterations that do not create additional automobile lanes).
The proposed traffic signal modification of Audubon and Friant and bike lane additions involves no alteration to the rights-of-way within the improvements. The proposed changes will improve public safety at this intersecti on and provide for the addition of bike lanes. The traffic signal alteration will replace two signal heads with ones which include arrows for motor vehicles turning right onto Audubon from Friant. The pr oposed lane reconfiguration improvements consist of reducing the width of the travel lanes by removing and repainting the lane striping to allot room for the Class II bike lane. The propos ed alteration does not include expansions of existing use. Thus, the project is exempt under CEQA Guidelines Section 15301/Class 1.
None of the exceptions to Cat egorical Exemptions set forth in the CEQA Guidelines, Section 15300.2 apply to this project. Furthermore, the proposed project is not expected to have a significant effect on the environm ent. Accordingly, a categorical exemption, as noted above, has been prepared for the project.
No adverse environmental impacts will occur as a result of the proposed project.
Date: July 11, 2023
Prepared By: Steve Delsid, PE
Submitted by:
Steve Delsid
Supervising Professional Engineer
City of Fresno
Public Works Department
(559) 621-8725