DATE:
January 10, 2023
CATEGORY:
Consent
DEPT.:
Public Works
TITLE: Charleston Transit Boulevard—Extension
of Temporary Bus Lanes
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Mountain View Amending Resolution No. 18575, Temporarily Designating for Exclusive Use Bus -Only Lanes Along Charleston Road, from Landings Drive to Shoreline Boulevard, Pursuant to California Vehicle Code Section 21655.5 and Finding the Resolution to be Exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act Under California Code of Regulations Title 14, Section 15301 , to be read in title only, further reading waived (Attachment 1 to the Council report).
BACKGROUND
The North Bayshore Precise Plan (NBPP), adopted in 2014 and amended in 2017, established street typologies to guide the planned development in North Bayshore. One designated typology is Transit Boulevard, which includes portions of S horeline Boulevard and Charleston Road. For Charleston Road, the planned configuration includes one transit lane and one general traffic lane in each direction.
On June 22, 2021 , Council adopted a resolution to allow for a temporary bus lane in e ach direction of travel along Charleston Road from Landings Drive to Shoreline Boulevard . This resolution aimed to address traffic congestion and increase the person -carrying capacity of Charleston Road consistent with the NBPP prior to construction of th e permanent Charleston Transit Boulevard project. The resolution included the following terms:
• One travel lane, Lane No. 2, in each direction of travel along Charleston Road, from Landings Drive to Shoreline Boulevard, to be temporarily designated as a bus-only lane for exclusive use for High -Occupancy Vehicles (HOVs) , meeting the definition of a “bus” as defined in California Vehicle Code Section 233, which is generally any vehicle designed, used, or maintained for carrying more than 1 5 persons, including the driver , or more than 10 persons, including the driver, when used to transport persons for compensation or profit or is used by a nonprofit organization or group . A bus under the Vehicle Code excludes a vanpool vehicle.
Charleston Transit Boulevard—Extension of Temporary Bus Lanes January 10, 2023
• This temporary designation shall be 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and shall commence upon initial use of the HOV bus-only lanes and terminate one year thereafter.
• The Public Works Director is delegated authority to temporarily suspend or terminate the bus-only lane as needed to address congestion management and public health and safety concerns.
Google completed installation of the temporary bus lane marking and signage in February 2022 under a permit issued by the City prior to the return of many North Bayshore employees in April 2022. As part of the permit requirements, the City required Google to provide the City with periodic monitoring reports of the bus lane operations and congesti on levels using an independent traffic consultant.
Staff also indicated in the June 2021 Council report that if the temporary bus lanes prove to operate well and be beneficial, staff could return to Council to recommend extending the designation of temporary bus lanes.
ANALYSIS
The Charleston temporary bus lanes are set to expire on February 11, 2023, one year after initial use of the bus lane. However, construction of the permanent Charleston Transit Boulevard project is not expected to begin before late 2023, with completion anticipated in 2025 . Council will consider approval of the funding sources and timing for the construction of the project as part of the five-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) in spring 2023.
Initial multi-modal counts collected by Google since August 2022 indicate that the temporary bus lanes are performing well and are serving 120 to 139 bus movements during the peak hour at the following intersections: Charleston Road/Shoreline Boulevard, Charleston Road/Joaquin Road, and Charleston Road/Rengstorff Avenue/Amphitheatre Parkway/Garcia Avenue. Motor vehicle traffic counts indicate that there is available capacity in the adjacent vehicular travel lanes.
Additionally, there have been no reported safety concerns, collisions, or near-misses in the bus lanes or adjacent vehicular travel lanes. Google also collected bus occupancy data in October 2022 and will provide further analysis findings to the City in January 2023.
Given the positive performance of the temporary bus lanes so far, and the desire to provide seamless transit quality between current conditions and the permanent Transit Boulevard, staff recommends extending the temporary bus lanes until the Charleston Transit Boulevard project is constructed and provides permanent bus lanes.
Charleston Transit Boulevard—Extension of Temporary Bus Lanes January 10, 2023
FISCAL IMPACT
The recommended action to extend the temporary bus lanes will have no fiscal imp act to the City.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Do not approve the resolution.
2. Provide other direction.
PUBLIC NOTICING
In addition to the City’s standard agenda posting requirements, a copy of the Council report was provided to the Mountain View Transportation Management Association, Valley Transportation Authority, and Google.
Prepared by:
Ben Pacho
Transportation Analyst
Ria Hutabarat Lo
Transportation Manager
Reviewed by:
Damian Skinner
Assistant Public Works Director
Approved by:
Dawn S. Cameron
Public Works Director
Audrey Seymour Ramberg
Assistant City Manager/
Chief Operating Officer
BP-RHL/LL/1/CAM
902-01-10-23CR
202573
Attachment: 1. Resolution for Extension of Charleston Temporary Bus Lanes