May 23, 2024
Bobby Latino
City of Salinas
65 West Alisal Street
Salinas, CA 93905
RE: Interagency Review of Proposed Tentative Map Located Southeast of John Street and Abbott Street Intersection in the CO-FG-4 (Commercial Office – Abbott Streer Focused Growth Overlay) and IG (Industrial-General) Zoning District
Dear Mr. Latino:
Monterey-Salinas Transit District (MST) provides public transportation throughout Monterey County and operates an extensive bus network and transit center in the City of Salinas. MST serves, operates, and maintains two (2) existing stops within the proposed Tentative Map Area, which currently serves Line 96.
MST has reviewed the Proposed Tentative Map for the parcels located southeast of the John and Abbott Street and would like to submit the following comments for your consideration:
Tentative-Parcel Map – Site Layout Plan (Sheet #C1.3)
MST recommends the developer and City of Salinas keep the proposed lane width of 12-feet for the Abbott Street corridor. A minimum lane width of 12-feet is required on streets where transit is operating to avoid encroaching on other lanes and minimize the risk of collision. Sidewalks provide a safe connection between passengers, the bus, and their ultimate destination. Sidewalks should also remain at the proposed widths of 10 and 9-feet along the frontage of the planned area. Sidewalks are required to have an 8-foot by 5-foot passenger landing pad to ensure adequate access pertinent to the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Bus stop layouts and designs are outlined in MST’s Designing for Transit Guidelines and all designs should adhere as closely as possible to ensure safe and adequate transit access.
The proposed signalized intersection at Maple and Abbott Street would result in a near-side stop design for MST’s existing Bus Stop #3789. MST recommends the developer include bus stop infrastructure consistent with MST’s Designing for Transit Guidelines (2020) for a new far-side bus stop at the intersection of Abbott St. and Maple St. Near-side stops are usually less efficient and require a slower and shaper entry angle, which slows down the bus and the traffic behind it. Near-side stops can also increase the risk of collisions with vehicles making right turns in front of the bus as the bus pulls out of a stop.
MST also recommends the far-side stop have a minimum bus stop length of 90-feet in the event that Line 96 utilizes a full-size 40-foot coach. The bus stop area also requires a 10-foot minimum spacing between the end and front of the crosswalk.
Access to safe bicycle infrastructure is crucial for all residents and transit riders. Buses and bicycles interact with each other as they share space on the right side of the road and travel at similar speeds. MST recommends that the proposed bike lane on Abbott Street include green hatching paint to alert all road users of the crossover area where MST buses pull in and out of stops.
Transit-Oriented Development
MST led a Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Planning Study as part of the SURF! Busway and Bus Rapid Transit Project. The study identifies land use policies and first-/last mile transportation strategies to support TOD opportunities, increase transit ridership potential, and reduce vehicle-miles traveled and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The study identified TOD opportunity sites along Abbott Street, which does not include the proposed Tentative Map area. However, the proposed residential and commercial units for this area offer an opportunity for TOD. MST recommends the developer use MST’s TOD Planning Study as resource to best apply TOD principles into this plan. Please visit MST’s website to access MST’s TOD planning study: https://mst.org/about-mst/planning-development/
Closing
As this plan moves forward, we ask that the City of Salinas continue to collaborate to ensure that this new proposed development area has adequate transit access. MST would like to request digital copies of updated plans as they become available. If you have any questions about the above design recommendations or comments above, please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected] or 831-264- 9288.
Sincerely,
Emma Patel
Planning Manager