March 20, 2023
Adrianne Carr
General Manager
North Coast County Water District
2400 Francisco Boulevard
Pacifica, CA 94044
SUBJECT: NCCWD Headquarters Project
Proposed Angled Parking
Dear Ms. Carr:
The Engineering Division of the Public Works Department is sending this letter in response to the proposed angled parking located on Francisco Boulevard adjacent to the North Coast County Water District (NCCWD) Headquarters Project at 2400 Francisco Boulevard (Project). As you know, one of the design elements of the proposed Project is angled parking. The City’s Engineering Department provided comments on the Project on April 5th, July 11th, and September 22nd 2022 recommending the elimination of the proposed angled parking along Francisco Boulevard because angled parking would create traffic safety hazards on Francisco Boulevard.
Moreover, allowing angled parking would conflict with City’s right-of-way uses and goals. The Engineering Division again requests that the angled parking be eliminated from the Project.
NCCWD submitted a Project Traffic Evaluation and Trip Generation Analysis (Project Traffic Evaluation) to analyze the angled parking proposal. The Project Traffic Evaluation studied a stop sign at Francisco Boulevard and Brighton Road intersection and the feasibility of backing out of an angled parking space onto Francisco Boulevard without entering the southbound lane.
As is typical, the Engineering Division contracted with Fehr & Peers, a well-known traffic engineering firm in the Bay Area, to perform a peer review of the Project Traffic Evaluation. Fehr & Peers disagrees with the determinations contained in the Project Traffic Evaluation and recommends against installing both the angled parking as well as the proposed all-way stop sign on Francisco and Brighton.
As set forth in the attached report prepared by Fehr & Peers, the following traffic safety issues were identified:
• Angled parking has a higher crash rate and frequency and should never be considered when on-street parking is sufficient. The City’s Sharp Park Specific Plan study of parking in the area showed adequate on-street parking in the area. • The vehicle overhang on to the sidewalk from the proposed angled parking will narrow the sidewalk potentially making it impassable for a wheelchair.
• Back-in parking is not feasible in the area given the proximity of the parking spaces to Clarendon Road because of the conflicts between the queued vehicles waiting at stop sign and the cars backing into the angled parking. • The request for an all-way stop at Francisco and Brighton does not meet any of the necessary criteria (warrants) required by the California Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
In addition to the traffic safety issues identified by Fehr & Peers, angled parking on Francisco does not align with City’s right-of-way uses and multi-modal goals of the City. NCCWD wants angled parking to provide more parking for board members and visitors to the proposed expanded NCCWD facility. However, the right-of-way is available for all public use and cannot be reserved for NCCWD.
Additionally, previous parking studies prepared for the Sharp Park Specific Plan, which studied parking availability in the Project area, found there to be adequate on-street parking in the area. Finally, as set forth in the City’s adopted General Plan, the City also has broader
CITY OF PACIFICA
170 Santa Maria Avenue • Pacifica, California 94044-2506 www.cityofpacifica.org
MAYOR
Tygarjas Bigstyck
MAYOR PRO TEM
Sue Vaterlaus
COUNCIL
Sue Beckmeyer
Mary Bier
Christine Boles Scenic Pacifica
Incorporated Nov. 22, 1957
goals to transition Francisco Boulevard to support multi-model users. The General Plan’s Circulation Element Table 5-3 indicates that on collector streets, as Francisco Boulevard is designated, three modes of transportation shall have priority: bicycles, pedestrians, and automobiles shall be accommodated and no mode shall dominate. As a result the installation of the angled parking on Francisco Boulevard would prevent the installation of any future bike lanes and an effective clear pedestrian path on the sidewalk.
Due to the safety issues identified herein and highlighted by Fehr & Peers, and adverse impacts to multi-modal use of the public rightof-way, the Engineering Division intends to recommend that the Planning Commission condition any approval of the Project on elimination of both the proposed angled parking along Francisco Boulevard; and the all-way stop sign at Francisco and Brighton from the Project.
It is always the goal of Engineering Division staff to resolve disagreements with applicants in a mutually satisfactory way prior to a public hearing. With that in mind, the Engineering Division encourages you to remove the angled parking from your proposed Project plans prior to an upcoming public hearing on the Project. Doing so would enable the Engineering Division to make a recommendation of approval on the Project as proposed by NCCWD. Without any such revision to the Project description, we will be proposing eliminating the two items referenced above from the Project. I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Roland Yip
Deputy Director of Public Works/City Engineer
Attachment: Fehr & Peers Peer Review
C: Kevin Woodhouse, City Manager
Lisa Petersen, Director of Public Works
Christian Murdock, Planning Director
Michelle Kenyon, City Attorney
345 California Street | Suite 450 | San Francisco, CA 94104 | (415) 348-0300 | Fax (415) 773-1790 www.fehrandpeers.com
Memorandum
Date: February 14, 2023
To: Roland Yip and Raymund Donguines, City of Pacifica
From: Bob Grandy
Subject: Peer Review for Traffic Evaluation for North Coast County Water District HQ SF23-1284.01
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide a peer review of the January 10, 2023 Traffic Evaluation prepared by Sandis for the North Coast County Water District (NCCWD) Headquarters Project in the City of Pacifica.
The NCCWD project would result in an expansion of the existing 9,315 square-foot building and maintenance buildings to a 11,460 square foot facility. The existing NCCWD headquarters has up to 20 employees, ten to 12 daily visitors, and one daily delivery, each of which would not change under the proposed expansion in floor area.1
The January 10, 2023 Traffic Evaluation evaluates and presents findings for two proposed elements of the project.
• Modification of the Francisco Boulevard frontage to convert existing parallel parking to diagonal parking
• Installation of an All-way Stop Control at the intersection of Francisco Boulevard/Brighton Road
Modification of Francisco Boulevard Frontage
The proposed modification of the Francisco Boulevard frontage would convert a portion of the existing parallel parking on Francisco Boulevard to diagonal parking. Table 1 provides a summary of on-street and off-street parking supply under existing and future conditions. 1 “Trip Generation Analysis for the North Coast County Water District Headquarters Upgrade Project”, W-Trans, May 24, 2022.
Roland Yip and Raymund Donguines
City of Pacifica
February 14, 2023
The Francisco Boulevard frontage of the NCCWD facility has a curb length of approximately 200 feet. A fenced driveway that appears to be permanently closed is located at approximately the mid-point of the frontage. The approximately 80 foot of curb between Brighton Road and the driveway is marked green for short-term parking and could accommodate up to four vehicles. The approximately 100 foot of curb between the driveway and Clarendon Road has a single marked space reserved for oversize vehicle parking. Between the oversize vehicle parking space and the driveway is unmarked curb that could accommodate up to three vehicles. The Francisco Boulevard frontage currently can thus accommodate up to four vehicles in the short-term parking area, three vehicles in the unmarked parking area, and one oversize vehicle. The Brighton Road frontage of the NCCWD facility currently has a curb length of approximately 130 feet that could accommodate up to six vehicles with one marked accessible space. The Clarendon Road frontage of the NCCWD facility currently has a curb length of approximately 45 feet, west of the existing bus stop zone, that could accommodate up to two vehicles.
The proposed modification to the Francisco Boulevard frontage would provide a total of three parallel parking spaces and seven angled parking spaces, for a total of 10 parking spaces. This would result in an increase of two parking spaces over the current frontage configuration.
The Traffic Evaluation does not state the purpose of the proposed modification to the Francisco Boulevard frontage, but it is presumed to be due to the fact that the modification of the existing facility buildings and maintenance yard would result in a reduction in the number of off-street parking spaces from 13 to 11 spaces, for a net loss of two parking spaces.2 Field observations of the site conducted during the early afternoon of Thursday, February 9, 2023 indicated that only one vehicle was parked along the project frontages on Francisco Boulevard, Brighton Road, and Clarendon Road. With the proposed curb designations, up to 18 vehicles can park on-street (15 standard vehicles, one handicapped space, and one space reserved for an oversized vehicle) along the project frontages.
The proposed angled parking on the Francisco Boulevard frontage would present the following transportation issues.
Parallel parking is preferable to angled parking as research has shown that angled parking has a higher crash rate and frequency. Where the supply of parking is sufficient, researchers have concluded that the conversion of on-street parking from parallel to angle should not be considered.3
The existing sidewalk along the Francisco Boulevard frontage where the angled parking is proposed is approximately six feet wide between the curb and the parking lot fence. The 2 North Coast County Water District Planning Package, Noll & Tam Architects, 6/17/22. 3 Safety Comparison of Angle and Parallel Parking, Oregon Department of Transportation Traffic Management Section, March 15, 2001.
Roland Yip and Raymund Donguines
City of Pacifica
February 14, 2023
proposed plan for the angled parking shows five feet between the parking lot fence and the edge of the nearest part of the angled parking space. Vehicles parking in the angled parking spaces would overhang the end of the front curb of the angled space, however, thus reducing the effective clear width of the sidewalk, potentially making it impassible for a person in a wheelchair. It could also reduce the overall quality of the pedestrian environment in the area.
Concerns about conflicts between parked vehicles exiting angled parking spaces and cyclists traveling in the travel lane, due to limited visibility of the vehicle driver to the rear, have resulted in cities replacing or installing back-in angled parking spaces instead of angled parking spaces to improve visibility and increase the driver field of vision. Back-in angled parking would not be feasible at the project site given the proximity of the parking spaces to Clarendon Road.
The peak parking demand for the NCCWD facility is estimated to be 22 parking spaces, assuming that 90 percent of employees and four of the 12 daily visitors drive and are parked during the peak hour which is estimated to occur on a weekday between 10 am and 2 pm.
The estimated peak parking demand of 22 vehicles could be accommodated by the proposed 11 off-street parking spaces and the existing 16 on-street parking spaces on the project frontages based on the existing parallel parking configurations. The planned elimination of the driveway on Francisco Boulevard would add one on-street space to the existing frontage supply with parallel parking, resulting in a total of 28 on-street and off-street parking spaces.
Table 1: Parking Supply Comparison
PARKING LOCATION
EXISTING
CONDITIONS
PROPOSED PROJECT
W/ ANGLED PARKING ON
FRANCISCO BLVD.
PROJECT ALTERNATIVE
W/ PARALLEL PARKING
ON FRANCISCO BLVD.
OFF-STREET PARKING (NCCWD) 13 112 112
SUBTOTAL OFF-STREET 13 11 11
ON-STREET PARKING
FRANCISCO BLVD. 81 10 91
BRIGHTON RD. 62 62 62
CLARENDON RD. 2 2 2
SUBTOTAL ON-STREET 16 18 17
TOTAL 29 29 28
Source: Fehr & Peers
Notes:
1. Supply includes parking for one oversized vehicle.
2. Supply includes one marked accessible stall.
Roland Yip and Raymund Donguines
City of Pacifica
February 14, 2023
Based on the above review, we recommend that angled parking not be installed along the Francisco Boulevard frontage and that the existing parallel parking configuration be retained.
Installation of All-way Stop Control
The applicability of an All-way Stop Control at the intersection of Francisco Boulevard/Brighton Road is based on a review of warrants in the California Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (California MUTCD). The California MUTCD is published by Caltrans and is issued to adopt uniform standards and specifications for all official traffic control devices in California, in accordance with Section 21400 of the California Vehicle Code (CVC).
The California MUTCD provides the following guidance regarding the use of signs. Regulatory and warning signs should be used conservatively because these signs, if used to excess, lose their effectiveness.
Section 2B.07 of the California MUTCD provides the following context for the location of multiway stop applications. Multi-way stop control can be useful as a safety measure at intersections if certain traffic conditions exist. Safety concerns associated with multi-way stops include pedestrians, bicyclists, and all road users expecting other road users to stop. Multi-way stop control is used where the volume of traffic on the intersecting roads is approximately equal.
Section 2B.07 of the CA MUTCD indicates that installation of a multi-way stop control should be based on an engineering study and that the following four criteria should be considered. Where traffic control signals are justified, the multi-way stop is an interim measure while arrangements for installing a signal are made.
Five or more reported crashes in a 12-month period
Minimum vehicle, pedestrian, and or bicycle volumes
Combination of the above criteria
The January 10, 2023 Traffic Evaluation prepared by Sandis concludes that none of the above warrants for a multi-way stop control is met and we concur.
Section 2B.07 of the CA MUTCD indicates that four other criteria may be considered in an engineering study.
Need to control left-turn conflicts
Need to control vehicle/pedestrian conflicts
Roland Yip and Raymund Donguines
City of Pacifica
February 14, 2023
Locations where a road user, after stopping, cannot see conflict traffic and is not able to negotiate the intersection unless conflicting cross traffic is also required to stop An intersection of two residential neighborhood collector (through) streets of similar design and operating characteristics where multi-way stop control would improve traffic operational characteristics of the intersection
The January 10, 2023 Traffic Evaluation prepared by Sandis concludes that the third optional consideration is met based on a line of sight exhibit and recommends installation of a multi-way stop control based on this assessment. The line of sight assessment is based on application of the intersection corner sight distance in section 405.1 of the Caltrans Highway Design Manual (HDM) and an 85th percentile speed of 32 miles per hour based on data collected north of the Francisco Boulevard/Brighton Road intersection. The sight triangles are set based on the driver being located 18.8 feet back from the edge of traveled way. The HDM indicates that the setback for the driver of the vehicle on the minor road should be a minimum of 10 feet plus the shoulder width of the major road but not less than 15 feet. With the proposed installation of the curb on the southwest corner of the intersection, vehicles stopping on Brighton Road would be able to stop closer to the edge of traveled way of Francisco Boulevard than the 18.8 feet of distance applied in the line of sight assessment, reducing the sight triangles.
The side street sight distance condition at the Francisco Boulevard/Brighton Road intersection exists at virtually all of the side streets at intersections along the 0.5 mile segment of Francisco Boulevard between Paloma Avenue and Clarendon Road. There is no history of crashes at these intersections that would be the case if there were a significant safety issue associated with a lack of sight distance.
We do not recommend installation of a multi-way stop sign at the Francisco Boulevard/Brighton Road intersection based on existing conditions for the following reasons.
The volume on the two streets is not approximately equal, as traffic volumes on Francisco Boulevard are considerably higher than those on Brighton Road. There is no history of crashes at the intersection that would be corrected by a multi-way stop installation.
None of the primary warrants for installation of a multi-way stop are met. Installation of a multi-way stop control at this intersection, given the above conditions, may result in a substantial rate of non-compliance where motorists traveling on Francisco Road fail to stop.