City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: JANUARY 16, 2024 FROM: PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WARD: 2
SUBJECT: ABERNATHY DRIVE AT PERTHSHIRE PLACE – TEMPORARY CUL-DE-SAC PILOT PROJECT MODIFICATIONS UPDATE ISSUE:
Consider modification of the existing temporary cul-de-sac six-month pilot project at the westerly terminus of Abernathy Drive at its intersection with Perthshire Place.
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council:
Authorize the Public Works Department to replace existing temporary materials with semi-permanent materials to maintain cul-de-sac operations at the intersection of Abernathy Drive and Perthshire Place until a permanent design has been completed; and Authorize Public Works & Parks Departments to evaluate the feasibility of constructing a new parking lot facility for Sycamore Highlands Park, and permanently cul-de-sac the northerly terminus of Perthshire Place at its intersection with Abernathy Drive.
BACKGROUND:
Sycamore Highlands Park offers many recreational amenities including a wooden gazebo, landscaped trellis, children’s playground, hiking trail connections and a picturesque sunset background during summer evenings. Sycamore Highlands Park is designated as a neighborhood park, draws high interest from the public which results in an increased parking demand, does not have a parking lot facility, and requires visitors to park on the adjacent streets.
Various curb paint and posted parking and/or stopping restrictions exist within the area to alleviate impacts to the nearby residential neighborhoods and deter after-hours park use.
A permit parking zone (PPZ) has been adopted on Perthshire Place between Abernathy Drive and Speyside Road and an overnight “No Parking 9PM to 6AM” exists on Abernathy Drive between Fair Isle Drive and Perthshire Place. Both restrictions are intended to deter overflow parking from the adjacent Sycamore Highlands Park. Despite the existing parking restrictions and continuous parking enforcement efforts, excessive parking violations from park users and associated issues continued to occur.
Perthshire Place residents engaged the Public Works Department, Riverside Police Department, and the Ward 2 City Council Office regarding ongoing concerns with traffic, parking, noise, trash, loitering, and after-hours park use generated by Sycamore Highlands Park visitors as well as some illegal and illicit activities within their neighborhood.
The Public Works Department received a signed petition supported by all eleven (11) Perthshire Place residents to consider installing a six-month temporary cul-de-sac pilot project at the westerly end of Abernathy Drive at its intersection with Perthshire Place to address ongoing resident concerns regarding the adjacent park-related impacts to their neighborhood.
On May 2, 2023, City Council approved recommendations from both the Mobility and Infrastructure Committee and Transportation Board Committee to construct a temporary cul-de-sac six-month pilot project at the westerly end of Abernathy Drive at its intersection with Perthshire Place.
The temporary six-month pilot project was installed in full on May 18, 2023, and is currently still in place.
The project is currently composed of temporary water-filled barricades to restrict through traffic on northbound Abernathy and eastbound Perthshire. The project also added various signage modifications and red curb markings.
Figure 1: Image of temporary closure and parking demand near Sycamore Highlands Park The temporary six-month pilot project trial period ended on November 18, 2023, and staff are seeking City Council approval to extend the pilot project using durable, semi-permanent materials.
DISCUSSION:
The Public Works Department supports developing creative alternatives to mitigate traffic and parking impacts. Staff conducted before and after studies to assess the effectiveness of the pilot project and determine if some of the concerns would spillover onto neighboring streets.
Pilot Project Analysis
Prior to pilot project implementation, staff visited the location on a Saturday when a large event was taking place at Sycamore Highlands Park. Staff counted over 100 parked vehicles on the following streets adjacent to the park – Perthshire Place, Abernathy Drive, Lockerton Lane, Fair Isle Drive, and Allendale Drive.
Staff visited the location after implementation on six different occasions during both weekdays and weekends and various times throughout the day. Parked vehicles were observed ranging in number between 5 and 87 on the same streets adjacent to Sycamore Highlands Park.
The Public Works Department performed an analysis of parking citations issued along Perthshire Place, Abernathy Drive, Allendale Drive, and Lockerton Lane for a 12-month period from November 18, 2022 through November 17, 2023, which allowed for a study period of 6 months before and after implementation of the pilot project. The comparison of parking citations issued are shown on Table 1:
Table 1 – Before and After Pilot Project Implementation Comparison of Parking Citations Issued Total Number of Parking Citations Issued
Street Name
Before Pilot
11-18-2022 to 5-17-2023
(6 Months)
During Pilot
5-18-2023 to 11-17-2023
(6 Months)
Percent Change
Perthshire Place (PPZ + Street Sweeping)
87 22
-75%
Abernathy Drive (PPZ + Street Sweeping)
21 157
+648%
Lockerton Lane (PPZ+ Street Sweeping)
2 13
+550%
Allendale Drive (Street Sweeping)
10 20
+100%
Fair Isle Drive (Overnight Restrictions + No Parking Entire Block) 0 8
-
TOTAL
120
220
+83%
After implementation of the pilot project, data shows that parking citations issued were significantly reduced on Perthshire Place by seventy-five (75%); but also resulted in an increase of parking violations issued on the surrounding neighborhood streets ranging from 100% to 648%.
Table 2 – Parking Citations Issued by Type of Violation Type of Parking Violation
Before Pilot
11-18-2022 to 5-17-2023
(6 Months)
During Pilot
5-18-2023 to 11-17-2023
(6 Months)
Percent Change
10.52.140(c) ZONE PERMIT REQ-PRKG
25 95
+280%
10.52.030(bcde) STOP/STAND/PARK PROHIBITED
65 85
+31%
10.52.030(a) STREET SWEEPING
26 21
-19%
TOTAL
116
201
+73%
After implementation of the pilot project, data shows that PPZ violations and Stop/Stand/Park Prohibition violations increased, while street sweeping violations decreased.
Resident Feedback
Public Works staff received numerous calls, emails, and letters from the residents of Perthshire Place indicating their support and gratitude for the pilot project. They indicated that traffic volumes and speeds on Perthshire have been greatly reduced. Residents have also observed a large reduction in illicit activities occurring by park visitors in front of their homes. Residents expressed interest in extending the pilot project beyond the original 6-month trial period and consider a longer extension or consider implementing a permanent closure of Perthshire at Abernathy.
Staff received one call from a resident living on Abernathy Drive east of Fair Isle Drive (outside of the Pilot Project area), who complained about the project. He observed increased littering, illicit activity, and traffic violations in front of his house. The resident also complained that the temporary cul-de-sac creates a situation where vehicles must make 3-point turns to turn around when no parking spaces are available on Abernathy Drive within the park’s frontage.
On October 19, 2023, staff attended a meeting with residents and Ward 2 Council to discuss the effects of the pilot project. At the meeting, Perthshire Place residents continued to express their support for the project, while some residents living elsewhere in the neighborhood complained that problems had spread closer to their residences.
Interdepartmental Coordination
The Public Works Department coordinated with the City’s Fire Department, Solid Waste Division, and Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department (PRSCD) regarding effects of the pilot project.
The Fire Department continues to express concern regarding maneuverability and delayed response times to residents on Perthshire Place. Should traffic remain closed on northbound Abernathy Drive and eastbound Perthshire Place, maneuverability of fire apparatuses would be limited since the project does not provide standard cul-de-sac turn-around space. In addition, Fire Department services would need to access Perthshire Place via Fair Isle Drive and Speyside Drive, adding delay to emergency response times. The pilot project will not impact the Fire Department’s usage of Abernathy Drive to access the Sycamore Highlands Park, which serves as an entry point to the adjacent Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park. The Public Works Department will consider all design alternatives to maximize available turning radius within the existing footprint of the intersection if the pilot project is modified.
The Solid Waste Division maintains that the closure of through traffic on northbound Abernathy and eastbound Perthshire impedes the required turning radius for solid waste vehicles (a minimum of 34-feet for the inside wheel and 50-feet for the outside wheel per manufacturer standards). The Solid Waste Division also noted that vehicles parked along the street during park hours impede the turning radius for their trucks. Consequently, Solid Waste vehicle ease of access would be impacted, potentially requiring modifying current routes, increasing travel time for completion of routes, and requiring trucks to make multi-point turns or back-up to exit. The Solid Waste Division noted that the project requires street sweeping maintenance to be done by hand on a quarterly basis.
Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department (PRCSD) advised that there have been no negative impacts on Sycamore Highlands Park since the implementation of the pilot project.
Public Works staff met with PRCSD staff on December 4, 2023 to discuss potential long-term solutions. PRCSD provided history on the planning and development of Sycamore Highlands Park, which took place in 2002. The City Planning Commission Report from October 2002 shows that the community was opposed to constructing a parking lot on site, limited parking will be provided on-streets adjacent to the park, and park users will be expected to walk or bike to the site. PRCSD staff also shared that the Sycamore Highlands Park Neighborhood Master Plan does not include any future expansion or development of a parking lot.
Proposed Actions
Upon considering all public input, interdepartmental feedback and empirical data collected, the Public Works staff propose to replace the existing pilot project temporary materials with semi-permanent materials, while simultaneously reviewing options to expand parking in the immediate vicinity of Sycamore Highlands Park to absorb displaced parking demand.
This option would:
Consider community feedback received thus far by maintaining the closure of through traffic on northbound Abernathy and eastbound Perthshire by utilizing engineered rubber curb, pavement markings, raised pavement markers, and signage. The reconfiguration will also seek to slightly enhance maneuverability at the closure point.
Study options to expand parking within the park’s frontage on Abernathy Drive and Fair Isle Drive to alleviate the observed spillover of parking violations on adjacent neighborhood streets.
Study options for permanent solutions to better facilitate emergency and solid waste vehicle access.
This proposal allows more time for residents in the impacted area to express their opinions on the preferred long-term solutions, provide ample time to collect empirical data, and utilizes a relatively low-cost mitigation measure. Public Works has utilized similar materials in other locations throughout the City to modify traffic operations. Public Works will return with an update to the Transportation Board within one year of the installation of semi-permanent pilot materials.
As previously noted, throughout the extended pilot period City teams would work across departments and with the community to evaluate the potential construction of a future parking lot serving Sycamore Highlands Park and a permanent cul-de-sac at the northerly terminus of Perthshire Place. This parking lot would require coordination between Public Works and PRCSD and consideration of a street vacation on Abernathy Drive between Fair Isle Drive and Perthshire Place to allow PRCSD control of the parking facility.
More analysis is needed to determine the extent of the permanent improvements required. PRCSD estimated the costs of constructing the parking lot and cul-de-sac would range between $1-2 million. Consideration of a parking lot may require Planning Commission approval to evaluate traffic pattern modification measures and additionally may require the Parks Commission to revise and update the Sycamore Highlands Neighborhood Park Master plan. Should parking facilities be deemed feasible and appropriate on Abernathy Drive and/or Fair Isle Drive, Public Works and PRCSD will return to Council with a request for fiscal appropriations to fund the project at a later date.
Alternative Options
In preparing recommendations for the City Council, staff considered the following alternative options; however, staff believe the preceding proposed actions and report recommendations best address community needs.
Alternative Option A: Extend existing pilot project for an additional six (6) months:
Alternative Option A allows more time for residents in the impacted area to express their opinions on a preferred long-term solution without installing semi-permanent materials. Public Works would return to City Council at the end of the extension and present long-term options.
Alternative Option B: Remove pilot project and return to pre-pilot conditions:
Alternative Option B would remove existing pilot project temporary materials and restore the intersection back to the original pre-pilot existing conditions. Parking violations and illicit activities that were reduced during the pilot project period are expected to return to previous levels on Perthshire. Parking violations and illicit activities that increased during the pilot project period on adjacent neighborhood streets are expected to return to prior levels.
Alternative Option C: Privatization of Public Street:
Residents on Perthshire Place may choose to privatize their street through the city’s street vacation process. If this option is pursued, residents would be responsible for applicable street vacation fees as well as any future maintenance and repairs once the street is converted from a public street to a private street. This option would give residents more control over traffic, parking, trash and debris, and illegal and illicit activity on Perthshire Place generated by Sycamore Highlands Park. Some residents of Perthshire Place have expressed opposition to this option.
City Staff is recommending proceeding with the report recommendations and actions detailed under ‘Proposed Actions’ based on the feedback from the community, input from other city departments and analysis of empirical data.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This item contributes to Strategic Priority 2 – Community Well-Being and Goal 2.4 - Support programs and innovations that enhance community safety, encourage neighborhood engagement, and build public trust.
This item aligns with the five Cross-Cutting Threads as follows:
Community Trust – The proposed pilot project modification will support community involvement in seeking alternative potential resolutions to ongoing neighborhood traffic and parking issues generated by Sycamore Highlands Park patrons while still allowing patrons to continue to access and enjoy the park site and amenities.
Equity – The proposed pilot project modification would balance the needs of the immediately impacted residential neighborhoods and the high usage from park patrons.
Fiscal Responsibility – The proposed pilot project modification considers minimized project costs. Most of the required semi-permanent materials are currently in stock at the City Corporation Yard. The City Streets Division would utilize in-house methods and materials to implement the pilot project modification to reduce project costs.
Innovation – The proposed pilot project modification would support innovative measures to mitigate traffic and parking impacts and preserve neighborhood safety and quality of life in highly impacted areas.
Sustainability & Resiliency – The pilot project modification is designed to be easily installed and maintained by City Streets Division crews, rubber curb materials are reusable and would not go to waste.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The fiscal impact associated with the recommended action is estimated to be under $10,000. Paint and signage materials are currently in stock at the City’s Corporation Yard and costs of deployment by City crews would be minimal. Funding is available in the existing Public Works, General Fund, Traffic Division, Planning & Investigations account number 9520830-440313, to cover this cost.
Prepared by: Philip Nitollama, City Traffic Engineer
Approved by: Gilbert Hernandez, Public Works Director
Certified as to
availability of funds: Kristie Thomas, Finance Director/Assistant Chief Financial Officer Approved by: Kris Martinez, Assistant City Manager Approved as to form: Phaedra A. Norton, City Attorney
Attachments:
Site Map
Aerial Map
Proposed Semi Permanent Installation
City Council Meeting Minutes 5.2.2023
City Planning Commission 2002 Report Excerpt
Sycamore Highlands Park Neighborhood Master Plan
Abernathy Drive at Perthshire Place – Existing Temporary Cul-De-Sac Pilot Project Modifications ● Page 2