Agenda Item
City Council
Item #: 6.1. 8/22/2023 File #: 23-0496
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THRU: Tom Kisela, City Manager
FROM: Christopher Cash, Public Works Director
1. SUBJECT
Consideration of an appeal of the City Traffic Commission’sdecision to deny removal of on-street parking on the south side of Katella Avenue between Sacramento and Handy Streets, Appeal No.
CTC 0001-23.
2. SUMMARY
Katella Avenue between Sacramento and Handy streets is designated a six-lane facility (three in each direction) in the City’sGeneral Plan. General Plan conformance can be achieved by removing on-street parking from the south side of Katella Avenue and reconfiguring the eastbound lane lines.
The City Traffic Commission’sdecision to deny the parking removal request is being appealed to the City Council.
3. RECOMMENDED ACTION
The City Council shall consider the record and such additional evidence as may be offered and may affirm, reverse, or modify, in whole or in part, the action that was appealed.
4. FISCAL IMPACT
The total expenditure for the project is $2,000 and will be funded in Minor Traffic Control Devices (16302) through Traffic Improvement Measure M2 (263).
5. STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
Goal 1: Provide for a safe community.
b. Provide and maintain infrastructure necessary to ensure the safety of the public.
6. DISCUSSION AND BACKGROUND
Background
Katella Avenue between Sacramento and Handy streets is currently asymmetric (three westbound lanes and two eastbound lanes.) The need to balance the number of lanes by adding a third eastbound lane has long been identified in the City’sGeneral Plan. Providing for the additional lane can be achieved by making minor modifications within the existing roadway but requires the elimination of on-street parking form the south side of the street. The proposal to eliminate parking was considered and denied (5-1 vote) by the City Traffic Commission (CTC) at their June 14, 2023, regular meeting, during which 13 residents spoke in opposition. Subsequently, an appeal was filed City of Orange Printed on 8/15/2023Page 1 of 3
powered by Legistar™
Item #: 6.1. 8/22/2023 File #: 23-0496
by Mayor Dan Slater to bring this matter before the City Council.
Third Lane Benefits
Based on the traffic volumes and number of travel lanes, a roadway’sperformance can be expressed as a level-of-service (LOS). LOS is typically reported as a letter grade, “A”through “F”,with “F”being worst. The LOS of Katella Avenue is currently at “E”between Sacramento and Handy Streets and “F”between Handy Street and Wanda Road, with traffic congestion expected to worsen over time.
The City’sGeneral Plan requires that all streets on the Master Plan of Arterial Highways are planned for Level of Service “D”. The introduction of the third lane would improve the LOS to a more efficient and sustainable level.
Among other expected benefits of the added capacity is a reduction in traffic congestion, queue lengths, and rear-end accident potential. Moreover, the traffic density of eastbound traffic during the afternoon commuter peak has been observed to be such that lane changes can be challenging. A third lane would substantially reduce traffic density, allowing motorists to make lane changes more comfortably by reducing potential conflicts.
Parking Conditions
Because reconfiguring the street to provide for the third lane involves a trade-off (parking) and several residents have expressed concern, a parking analysis was conducted to quantify any impacts.
Based on the length of the affected segment, there is sufficient curb space on the south side of Katella Avenue for approximately 38 vehicles. Several parking surveys were conducted during the night hours (most recently on July 14, 2023, at 4:30 AM) to determine parking demand, the results of which indicated an overall average occupancy of about 26% (10 vehicles.). This indicates that parking demand along Katella is moderately low.
Moreover, the homes along the affected segment generally have garage access from an alley abutting the rear of the property. In addition to garages for vehicle storage, many of the houses in the study area have driveways that can accommodate between four and six vehicles. The on and off- street parking supply in the area are sufficient to accommodate any parking displacement.
Summary
Notwithstanding the CTC’sdecision, a third eastbound lane continues to be recommended because it benefits the motoring public, improves traffic operations, and achieves General Plan conformity.
Removing the conflicting parking would facilitate this change. Further, the City has also received a letter from OCTA concurring with the need for the third eastbound lane. The Master Plan of Arterial Highways (MPAH) classifies the segment of Katella as a major (six-lane, divided) arterial. The removal of the parking and the establishment of the third eastbound lane would bring consistency to the MPAH. If the parking removal were to be approved, staff would proceed with implementing the minor modifications needed to create the additional eastbound lane on Katella Avenue. The additional lane would be installed on the segment of Katella Avenue described above, and between Handy Street and Wanda Road/Santiago Boulevard, where parking is already prohibited.
City of Orange Printed on 8/15/2023Page 2 of 3
powered by Legistar™
Item #: 6.1. 8/22/2023 File #: 23-0496
7. ATTACHMENTS
· Appeal Application
· Site Sketch
· June 13, 2023, CTC Report
· June 13, 2023, CTC Minutes
· OCTA Letter
City of Orange Printed on 8/15/2023Page 3 of 3
powered by Legistar™