CITY OF SAN MATEO
CITY OF SAN MATEO
Agenda Report
City Hall
330 W. 20th Avenue
San Mateo CA 94403
www.cityofsanmateo.org
Agenda Number: 4 Section Name: {{section.name}} Account Number: 10-4662 File ID: {{item.tracking_number}} TO: City Council
FROM: Alex Khojikian, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Public Works Department
MEETING DATE: June 17, 2024
SUBJECT:
City Standard Drawings – Update
RECOMMENDATION:
Adopt a Resolution to update the City’s Standard Drawings for trenching and asphalt speed cushions and to include new drawings for pavement restoration, streetlight details, pavement markings, and signposts and authorize the Director of Public Works to sign the drawings as approved.
BACKGROUND:
The City’s Standard Drawings serve as essential standards for the development, construction, and maintenance of public infrastructure within the City. These drawings cover critical aspects such as streets, sidewalks, stormwater and sewer infrastructure, streetlights, and traffic signage/striping. The majority of the existing Standard Drawings were updated more than 20 years ago, prompting a necessary review to align with industry best practices, technical advancements, and regulatory requirements.
City staff initiated a targeted review of the existing City’s Standard Drawings to assess and identify necessary updates. This review included a comparative analysis of standard drawings from neighboring municipalities, including South San Francisco, Redwood City, Millbrae, Menlo Park, San Carlos, Belmont, and Marin County. This benchmarking exercise provided insight into regional practices in public works design and helped staff identify areas where the City’s Standard Drawings could be improved or streamlined.
The updated and new standard drawings, as shown in Attachment 2, have been subjected to substantial review by City engineering staff. Details regarding the updated and new standard drawings are summarized below:
Updated Standard Drawings:
•Trench Detail (Nos. 153A-153E)
•Asphalt Speed Cushion (No. 156)
•Typical Electrolier Details (Nos. 160A-160G)
New Standard Drawings:
•Pavement Restoration (Nos. 153F-153H)
•Pavement Markings for Stop Controlled Intersection Approach with Marked Crosswalk (No. 260) •Typical Sign Post Installation (No. 261)
DISCUSSION:
Trench and Pavement Restoration Details (Nos. 153A-153H): On February 3, 2023, staff provided City Council with an update regarding the City’s Pavement Management Program. Staff informed City Council that staff would bring forth an
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updated trench details as an additional strategy to extend pavement life. The updated trench details proposed also include specific details for various types of trenches as further described below:
•Typical Trench – This trench type is typically used by water, sewer, stormwater, and gas utilities. Details have been added to provide direction for streets with concrete road sections in addition to the typical asphalt streets. •Microtrench – In 2021, the California Legislature approved SB 378, the “Broadband Deployment Acceleration Best Practices Act of 2021.” As part of this legislation, local agencies are required to allow “microtrenching” for the installation of communication fiber. Microtrenching as defined by SB 378, is a “narrow open excavation trench that is less than or equal to four inches in width and not less than 12 inches in depth and not more than 26 inches in depth.” In order to comply with SB 378, staff have prepared a new microtrench detail to include in the City’s Standard Drawings.
•Rockwheel Trench – These trenches are excavated via a “rockwheel” (large, toothed metal wheel) and are used by electrical and communication utilities. These trenches are narrow and a maximum of six inches wide. •Pothole – Potholes are performed by contractors to determine the size, location, and depth of existing underground utilities. Potholing is performed prior to excavation to ensure the proposed excavation work will not damage or conflict with existing underground utilities. Details have been added to clarify restoration requirements for potholes.
•Pavement Restoration Details – Pavement restoration details are proposed to clarify the extent of pavement replacement after a trench is excavated. These details are critical for restoring pavement surfaces to their intended condition following excavation and ensure that the quality, durability, longevity, and safety of City streets are maintained.
These details will be applied on all excavations within the City including: the City’s capital improvement projects, third- party encroachment permit work (largely by utility companies), and development projects. Doing so requires that all parties contribute to the preservation of the City’s largest asset – its streets. This supports a reduction in the amount of paving that the City must do to achieve its pavement condition goals.
Staff have assessed the fiscal impacts of the proposed updates to the City’s Standard Drawings applicable to residents, developers, and utilities. Resident impact primarily stems from sewer or water lateral replacements, with an estimated overall increase in costs of 5% in such replacements. Developers are expected to experience minimal impact, as they typically are required to implement significant pavement restoration as part of their Conditions of Approval. Although precisely quantifying impacts on utilities proves challenging due to the varying scopes of their projects, staff have concluded that project costs are likely to rise by 3% to 6%. The City can expect a similar increase in project costs for utility projects encompassing sewer, stormwater, and streetlight improvements. Updated City Standard Drawings will be incorporated into all forthcoming City projects two weeks after resolution adoption.
Asphalt Speed Cushion (No. 156): The Asphalt Speed Cushion standard plan has been updated to remove reference to outdated versions of the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CA MUTCD) and updates the speed cushion design to align with the Institute of Transportation Engineer’s recommended best practices for speed cushion installation.
Typical Electrolier Details (Nos. 160A - 160G): During the design process for the High Voltage Street Light Conversion program, it was identified that the standard detail for Typical Electrolier Installation with Direct Burial Secondary Service for streetlight infrastructure installation no longer aligned with current best practices. This standard detail is proposed to be replaced with seven new detail sheets that outline the current best practices for electrolier installation.
Pavement Markings for Stop-Controlled Intersection Approach with Marked Crosswalk (No. 260): In an effort to enhance pedestrian safety, the City has standardized implementation of a separate delineation between where vehicles must stop, also called a “stop bar,” and the crosswalk. Previously, the crosswalk markings were able to both delineate the location for pedestrians to cross as well as function as a stop bar. The newly recommended standard detail establishes a requirement to install a separate stop bar and no longer allow for the crosswalk to also function as a stop bar, thereby providing additional space between stopped vehicles and crossing pedestrians. Doing so increases pedestrian visibility at intersections.
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Typical Sign Post Installation (No. 261): With over 15,000 signs in the City, efforts to replace signs occur frequently and for a variety of reasons – to meet regulatory requirements for retroreflectivity, to update per language requirements for clarity and safety reasons, and to replace when signs and posts have been knocked over. As such, developing a standard detail for sign post installation is recommended as it defines the City’s preferred installation method and material when these various scenarios arise that require the post to be replaced. Guidelines for the signs installed on these posts are contained in State-approved documents such as the CA MUTCD. As such, a standard detail for the signs themselves are not needed.
BUDGET IMPACT:
This action will have no impact on budget as it is an administrative item that updates City Standards. Future City projects will incorporate the appropriate Standard Details and construction costs budgeted accordingly.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION:
This project is not a project subject to CEQA, because it is an organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. (CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5).)
NOTICE PROVIDED
All meeting noticing requirements were met.
ATTACHMENTS
Att 1 – Proposed Resolution
Exhibit A – Standard Drawings Updates
STAFF CONTACT
Stephanie Piñon, Senior Engineer
[email protected]
650-522-7315