Agenda Report
Fullerton City Council
MEETING DATE: May 16, 2023
TO: CITY COUNCIL / SUCCESSOR AGENCY
SUBMITTED BY: raul godinez, interim public works director PREPARED BY: Stephen Bise, City engineer / assistant director of public works dave roseman, City traffic Engineer
SUBJECT: ASSOCIATED ROAD LANE REDUCTION PROPOSAL FROM BASTANCHURY ROAD TO IMPERIAL HIGHWAY
SUMMARY
The Engineering Division will present a proposed lane reduction on Associated Road between Bastanchury Road to Imperial Highway.
RECOMMENDATION
Provide input on proposed reclassification and lane reduction.
Direct staff to refine design and conduct another community meeting to present the revised concept.
CITY MANAGER REMARKS
The City Engineer held a public meeting to discuss the proposed lane reduction. Based on feedback during the meeting, the City Manager recommends that staff provide an update to City Council and follow-up with a second public meeting prior to any action consideration by the City Council.
PRIORITY POLICY STATEMENT
This item matches the following Priority Policy Statements:
Public Safety
Infrastructure and City Assets.
FISCAL IMPACT
Additional staff time for re-design and outreach efforts.
DISCUSSION
Staff programmed infrastructure improvements for pavement rehabilitation and re-striping on Associated Road for Fiscal Year 2022-23 with scheduled construction to begin July 2023. The Traffic Division reviewed the project for potential modifications and safety improvements.
Three decades of traffic data indicate drivers underutilize the segment of Associated Road between Bastanchury Road and Imperial Highway. Best practices suggest a lane reduction and reassignment of the roadway space. This design would reduce the roadway from two lanes in each direction to one lane in each direction and maintain the center two-way left turn lane. The lane reduction provides safety benefits and an opportunity to install on-street parking and a protected Class IV bikeway.
The proposed lane reduction objectives include:
Primary: Improve safety
Secondary: Reduce the needs and/or limits of future roadway maintenance Tertiary: Reassign underutilized roadway space.
Associated Road is part of the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Master Plan of Arterial Highways and requires approval prior to implementing any lane revisions. OCTA finds the lane reduction appropriate and the OCTA Board approved reclassifying Associated Road from a Secondary Arterial to Secondary Collector in April 2023. Staff presented this project to the Transportation and Circulation Commission (TCC) for approval and both the Active Transportation Committee (ATC) and Infrastructure and Natural Resources Advisory Committee (INRAC) for comments. TCC and ATC both approved the recommendations to reduce the number of lanes, plus add on-street parking and the Class IV bicycle lane. INRAC recommended community input before taking the project to City Council for contract award as INRAC does not make striping recommendations.
Staff hosted a community meeting at City Hall on May 4, 2023 to discuss the recommended striping changes. Residents provided comments and public testimony noting the on-street parking as the primary concern. Residents expressed concerns with safety, litter and noise if the City allowed on-street parking. Staff recommends refining the design based on community comments and presenting the revised concept at another community workshop.
Attachments:
Attachment 1 – PowerPoint Presentation
cc: City Manager Eric J. Levitt
Proposed Lane Reduction Associated Road from Bastanchury to Imperial May 16, 2023 - Page 2