Agenda Report
Fullerton City Council
MEETING DATE: OCTOBER 21, 2025
TO: CITY COUNCIL / SUCCESSOR AGENCY
SUBMITTED BY: SUNAYANA THOMAS, DIRECTOR
PREPARED BY: CHRIS SCHAEFER, AICP, PLANNING MANAGER
SUBJECT: HARBOR BOULEVARD BETWEEN BASTANCHURY ROAD AND BERKELEY AVENUE RECLASSIFICATION
SUMMARY
The City of Fullerton requests an amendment to the Master Plan of Arterial Highways (MPAH) and Exhibit 6: Roadway Classifications contained in The Fullerton Plan (i.e., Fullerton General Plan) by reclassifying Harbor Boulevard between Bastanchury Road and Berkeley Avenue from Major Arterial Highway to Primary Arterial Highway.
PROPOSED MOTION
Adopt Resolution No. 2025-XXX.
RESOLUTION NO. 2025-XXX - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FULLERTON, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING A GENERAL PLAN REVISION TO REVISE THE MASTER PLAN OF ARTERIAL HIGHWAYS AND EXHIBIT 6 ROADWAY CLASSIFICATIONS MAP THAT INCLUDES A CHANGE FROM MAJOR ARTERIAL HIGHWAY TO PRIMARY ARTERIAL HIGHWAY FOR HARBOR BOULEVARD BETWEEN BASTANCHURY ROAD AND BERKELEY AVENUE
ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS
Approve the Proposed Motion
Other options brought by City Council.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the Proposed Motion.
CITY MANAGER REMARKS
None.
PRIORITY POLICY STATEMENT
This item matches the following Priority Policy Statements:
Fiscal and Organizational Stability
Public Safety
Infrastructure and City Assets.
FISCAL IMPACT
The street designation change in the General Plan has no fiscal impact to the City. The City received a Federal Transportation Improvement Program (FTIP) grant which requires the proposed Harbor Boulevard street improvements have consistency with The Fullerton Plan (i.e., General Plan).
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
The project includes a General Plan Revision to change The Fullerton Plan, Page 147, Exhibit 6: Roadway Classifications to downgrade the Harbor Boulevard classification between Bastanchury Road and Berkeley Avenue from a six-lane major arterial street to a four-lane primary arterial street to provide continuous sidewalks on both sides, center medians, ADA improvements, new traffic signal and convert the existing bike lane from a Class II to a Class IV protected bike lane in each direction. Staff attached a diagram showing the present condition and proposed street re-striping (Attachment 3).
Fullerton categorizes roadways as one of five different facility types: Major Arterial Highway, Primary Arterial Highway, Secondary Arterial Highway, Local Collector Street or Residential Street, as detailed in the Roadway Functional Classifications of The Fullerton Plan, and further describes each street type based on the number of travel lanes, right-of-way width and typical daily volume (Attachment 9).
Harbor Boulevard has a Major Arterial Highway classification, described as a six-lane street (three lanes in each direction). The typical traffic on this road type range between 33,000 to 49,000 trips per day, determined by all vehicles traveling on the subject street in both directions.
Fullerton conducts traffic counts to determine the number of trips made on most streets approximately every five years. The City conducted traffic counts on two different segments of Harbor Boulevard: Bastanchury Road to Brea Boulevard and Brea Boulevard to Berkeley Avenue with the following count ranges:
Bastanchury Road to Brea Boulevard - 31,600 trips (2008) to 29,800 trips (2024) Brea Boulevard to Berkeley Avenue - 40,100 trips (2008) to 41,600 trips (2024).
The historic traffic counts for the past 16 years for the Bastanchury Road to Brea Boulevard segment support consistency with the Primary Arterial Highway classification, making the recommended reclassification, which requires lane reduction, feasible. The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) requested reclassification of the Brea Boulevard to Berkeley Avenue segment, while it has remained around 40,000 daily trips, to provide consistency along the corridor. The reclassification does not require a physical width reduction and the City has no plans to implement changes along this segment.
A series of events occurred between June 2023 and October 2025 to bring this project forward. The following provides a summary of actions taken to date:
June 19, 2023: Project presented to the Infrastructure and Natural Resources Advisory Committee. No objection from the Committee and the Committee received and filed the item.
September 19, 2023: Public survey posted to obtain feedback on the proposed project. Survey results included in pending application.
September 20, 2023: Project presented to the Active Transportation Committee. All Committee members expressed support for the project and grant application submission.
October 2, 2023: Project presented to the Transportation and Circulation Commission. All Commissioners expressed support for the project and grant application submission.
October 3, 2023: Project presented to City Council. City Council authorized staff to submit the grant application.
October 5, 2023: Staff submitted the project application to OCTA, including community survey, outreach results and letters of support from St. Jude Medical Center, OC Bicycle Coalition, Supervisor Doug Chaffee, Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva and Senator Josh Newman.
February 12, 2024: OCTA Board approved priority list, including Harbor Boulevard application.
June 6, 2024: Southern California Association of Governments approved project award.
July 2024: The City made a social media post on the project award and description.
August 29, 2024: OCTA Regional Transportation Planning Committee approved Master Plan of Arterial Highways amendment (required for lane reduction).
September 9, 2024: OCTA Board approved MPAH amendment (required for lane reduction).
December 16, 2024: Caltrans programed the project into the Federal Transportation Improvement Program.
February 6, 2025: Staff submitted documents to Caltrans to review and approve allocation funding for design. The City released the Request for Proposal for design services.
April 1, 2025: City Council accepted grant funding and approved budget appropriations for the project.
October 7, 2025: The Planning Commission unanimously recommended City Council approve reclassifying the subject portion of Harbor Boulevard.
October 2025: Design consultant selected; award pending City Council approval.
CEQA Determination
The project is Categorically Exempt from environmental review and qualifies for a Class 1 (Existing Facilities) Exemption in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Section 15301(c). Additionally, the project qualifies for a Class 4 (Minor Alterations to Land) Exemption, in accordance with Section 15304(h).
Public Comment
Staff received one comment from residents from the local area abutting the project site after sending out public noticing for the project.
Attachments:
Attachment 1 – PowerPoint Presentation
Attachment 2 – Draft City Council Resolution No. XXX
Attachment 3 – Project Fact Sheet
Attachment 4 – Fullerton Plan Exhibit 6
Attachment 5 – Project Plans
Attachment 6 – October 3, 2023 City Council Agenda Report Attachment 7 – October 3, 2023 City Council Minutes
Attachment 8 – OCTA letter dated October 21, 2024
Attachment 9 – Mobility Tables and Exhibits
Attachment 10 – Public Comments
cc: Interim City Manager Eddie Manfro
Portion of Harbor Boulevard Reclassification
October 21, 2025 - Page PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 2