490 Mendocino Avenue, Suite 201 Santa Rosa, CA 95401 707.542.9500 w-trans.com SANTA ROSA • OAKLAND
January 22, 2026
Mr. Janver Holly
Holly and Associates
73 St. James Drive
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
Response to Comments in the Lago Fresco Project Appeal
Dear Mr. Holly;
As requested, W-Trans has prepared the following responses to comments made in the appeal of the approval of the proposed residential project to be located at 2445 Summerfield Road in the City of Santa Rosa. The specific comments have been summarized and are provided in italics followed by our responses. It is noted that comments numbered 4 and 8 are not about the traffic study, so are not addressed herein.
1. The traffic study was based on data obtained in 2021 during the COVID shut down, so many residents were working remotely and offices were shut down. Further, traffic volumes were lower during that time than they are today. The project will rely on street parking, which is not as available today with offices open again. Project residents are expected to use street parking because the on-site parking supply would be inadequate, creating a dangerous condition for pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers traveling through the area.
Response: As noted in the comment, the parking data was obtained in 2021, though it was obtained in November 2021 well after most offices had reopened. Staff of many offices worked remotely during COVID, resulting in personal vehicles being parked in front of homes rather than at their offices. Following COVID many businesses have transitioned to a hybrid schedule wherein employees work from home one or more days per week. While the number of parked vehicles associated with office uses on the south side of Hoen Avenue would likely have been lower post-COVID, the number of residents on the north side using their street parking would have increased. The total use of the on-street parking supply would therefore have been similar during the 2021 data collection to what it would be under current conditions.
Regarding the traffic volumes, the analysis was based on counts from February 2019 provided by the City. As noted by Mr. Michael Vanmidde of the City’s Public Works Department during the hearing, volumes obtained by the City on Hoen Avenue indicate that daily volumes were slightly higher in 2019 than in 2025. However, as the distribution of movements can affect queuing, the analysis was updated to determine queuing based on data collected in 2024. Based on the 2019 data the 95 th percentile eastbound queue was projected to extend to 77 feet during the morning peak hour and to 188 feet during the evening peak hour. Under the 2024 volumes, these values changed to 174 feet during the a.m. peak hour and 183 feet during the evening peak hour. While the queue during the morning peak hour is substantially longer based on the newer counts, it is still less than that during the 188 feet during the evening peak hour that formed the basis of the recommendation for striping changes. The use of the more recent volumes therefore has no effect on the validity of the analysis prepared using 2019 volumes, which overstates the design queue by five feet compared to the updated analysis. Copies of the updated queuing calculations are enclosed.
The appeal asserts that having residents use on-street parking near their home creates a dangerous condition. It seems reasonable to assume that it would not be any more dangerous for the new residents to park on Hoen Avenue than it is for existing residents and office workers to park there. Though it is anticipated that the supply available on the south side of the street will be adequate to accommodate the project’s residents, should any residents choose to park on the north side of the street there would be a crosswalk with rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs) installed to facilitate crossings. With this improvement, it is anticipated that there would be no hazards introduced by the project due to residents parking on Hoen Avenue.
2. The collision data used in the study was from 2017 to 2022, which includes the effects of COVID. Further, two pedestrian-involved crashes occurred in 2023 that are not accounted for in the crash analysis.
Attachment 17
Mr. Janver Holly Page 2 January 22, 2026
Response: To provide more current data, the most recent available collision data for both the intersection of Hoen Avenue/Summerfield Road and for the segment of Hoen Avenue between Yulupa Avenue and Summerfield Road was obtained. It is noted that the traffic study previously included only the intersection collision rate, so even if it had been prepared in 2023, the two pedestrian-related crashes cited in the appeal letter would not have been included as these occurred away from the study intersection. The study area was therefore expanded to better address this comment.
Based on crash data from 2020 through 2024 (2025 data is not yet finalized), the study intersection of Summerfield Road/Hoen Avenue had a collision rate of 0.25 collisions per million vehicles entering (c/mve). This is lower than the statewide average for similar intersections of 0.33 c/mve. Though a collision rate for the roadway segment was not calculated for the previous study, crashes for the segment between Yulupa Avenue and Summerfield Road were evaluated. The collision rate for the segment was determined to be 0.94 collisions per million vehicle miles (c/mvm), which is substantially less than the statewide average for three-lane facilities of 1.61 c/mvm. It is noted that while the overall crash rate and the fatality rate were below average, the injury rate was above the average, indicating that while fewer crashes occurred than on average, more of those that occurred resulted in an injury than would be typical. Since the speed of traffic affects the severity of crashes, the City may wish to implement focused enforcement along this corridor to reduce the incidence of crashes resulting in injury and help eliminate the potential for fatalities, consistent with the City’s “Vision Zero” goal. Copies of the updated collision rate calculations are enclosed for reference.
3. Lack of adequate parking, including for deliveries and visitors, poses a serious concern for collisions. Residents and visitors will park in nearby private parking lots and on residential streets nearby. The crosswalk on Hoen Avenue is not going to deter jaywalking and dangerous behavior.
The parking analysis performed for this project indicates the anticipated parking demand based on data collected at similar land uses across the country would be for 64 parking spaces; 63 are proposed. The proposed parking supply is therefore nominally less than the anticipated demand. It is noted that the parking rates used include residents and guests and reflect real-world experience at multifamily and affordable housing sites. Conversely, the City’s parking requirements were generally developed in the mid-1900’s and reflect an autocentric society with higher parking needs. Current policies emphasize better facilities for non-auto modes to reduce the dependence on automobiles and thereby the amount of parking that is needed. The data presented in the traffic study indicates that the supply and demand are well-balanced, and no evidence to the contrary has been presented in the appeal.
As regards parking in private lots and on nearby residential streets, again, the data indicates that a nominal amount of street parking will be needed by the project so there is no reason to assume that residents or their guests will park in private parking lots.
Finally, it is assumed that by “jaywalking” the appellant is referring to crossing other than in a crosswalk. It is noted that unless signed otherwise, it is legal for a pedestrian to cross the street anywhere except between adjacent signalized intersections, which is the definition of jaywalking. In 2023, the State of California via Assembly Bill 2147 decriminalized jaywalking such that pedestrians are able to cross the street anywhere without being cited, so long as it does not present an immediate risk of collision. While it is legal for pedestrians to cross anywhere along the block of Hoen Avenue between Sierra Creek Lane and Summerfield Road, the provision of a crosswalk with flashing lights is intended to encourage pedestrians to cross in a location that is marked and convenient to the project site.
5. Most residents will be exiting to travel west and there is no safe or practical way for them to exit. Drivers turning left will have to cross two eastbound lanes, which may be blocked by queued traffic.
While crossing the eastbound lanes to turn left out of the project site and travel west would be challenging, it would be no more difficult than doing so from 4750 Hoen Avenue, next door. This situation is common for developments adjacent to signalized intersections and results in delays for residents and guests when leaving the Mr. Janver Holly Page 3 January 22, 2026
site. While not ideal, this situation is not inherently unsafe as drivers throughout Santa Rosa and elsewhere have learned to negotiate similar conditions safely. During the five-year study period for crashes, there were no crashes reported as occurring at the driveway to 4750 Hoen Avenue.
6. The proposed driveway location is close to the one for 4750 Hoen Avenue, which is already dangerous because following drivers assume the right turn will be at Summerfield Road and not at the driveway. The additional driveway and crosswalk will make conditions less safe.
While the driveway for 4750 Hoen Avenue is within about 100 feet of the intersection, and therefore near the area where most drivers would be signaling to turn right onto Summerfield Road, the project driveway will be about 170 feet from the intersection. Per the California Vehicle Code (CVC), a turn signal is only required within 100 feet of making the turn. A driver signaling at more than 200 feet from the intersection to enter the project driveway should not be mistaken for one planning to turn at Summerfield Road.
7. There is not major public transportation near this site. It has one bus route with hourly service and bike lanes are unsafe.
Santa Rosa CityBus Route 8 runs at approximately half-hour headways and can be caught on Summerfield Road just south of Hoen Avenue or on Yulupa Avenue, also south of Hoen Avenue. Both stops are within approximately a half mile of the project site, which is typically considered an acceptable walking distance. Route 18, which stops on Hoen Avenue just west of Yulupa Avenue, runs hourly. Between the two routes there is service approximately three times per hour, and not once per hour as stated in the appeal.
While the appellants cited concerns about the safety of the bike lanes, this is not a project issue. While the westbound bike lane on Hoen Avenue crosses over the Highway 12 on-ramp, it is not “cut off” and the City has marked the lane in green to increase awareness and provide better guidance to both cyclists and drivers. The termination of the bike lane on northbound Summerfield Road at Montgomery Drive should be directed to City staff for potential modifications. However, there are bike lanes both north-south and east-west serving the project site, making it readily accessible for cyclists.
9. Traffic has increased on Hoen Avenue since merging Slater Junior High into Montgomery High School. This is not factored into the traffic study.
It is understood that the additional grades moved into Montgomery High School in 2025, so this traffic would not be included in the 2024 traffic counts. However, as discussed above the critical time period used in evaluating potential impacts was the p.m. peak, when volumes are higher than in the morning peak hour. The morning peak hour conditions even with the added volumes associated with the junior high students moving to Montgomery High School would therefore be captured by the evening peak hour analysis.
Thank you for giving W-Trans the opportunity to provide these services. Please call if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Dalene J. Whitlock, PE, PTOE
Senior Principal
DJW/djw/SRO576.L3
Enclosures: Queuing Calculations, Collision Rate Calculations
Queues
1: Summerfield Rd & Hoen Ave 01/13/2026
AM Existing 2024 Plus Project 1/13/26 Synchro 12 Report Lane Group EBL EBT EBR WBT WBR NBL NBT SBL SBT SBR
Lane Group Flow (vph) 216 222 109 98 82 170 408 33 338 315 v/c Ratio 0.54 0.55 0.32 0.32 0.25 0.62 0.27 0.20 0.65 0.55 Control Delay (s/veh) 28.4 28.5 10.6 31.3 10.2 42.8 15.4 34.5 28.3 9.5 Queue Delay 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Total Delay (s/veh) 28.4 28.5 10.6 31.3 10.2 42.8 15.4 34.5 28.3 9.5 Queue Length 50th (ft) 76 78 0 34 0 63 46 12 116 16
Queue Length 95th (ft) 171 174 47 95 39 #207 122 45 236 88 Internal Link Dist (ft) 1652 1461 868 788
Turn Bay Length (ft) 155 155 105 120 120 120
Base Capacity (vph) 1168 1184 337 794 729 274 1724 213 847 1181 Starvation Cap Reductn 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Spillback Cap Reductn 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Storage Cap Reductn 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Reduced v/c Ratio 0.18 0.19 0.32 0.12 0.11 0.62 0.24 0.15 0.40 0.27 Intersection Summary
# 95th percentile volume exceeds capacity, queue may be longer.
Queue shown is maximum after two cycles.
Queues
1: Summerfield Rd & Hoen Ave 01/13/2026
PM Existing 2024 Plus Project 1/13/26 Synchro 12 Report Lane Group EBL EBT EBR WBT WBR NBL NBT SBL SBT SBR
Lane Group Flow (vph) 245 248 201 92 148 141 286 73 353 403 v/c Ratio 0.59 0.59 0.52 0.34 0.41 0.58 0.24 0.42 0.70 0.64 Control Delay (s/veh) 29.7 29.4 11.5 33.9 10.3 43.5 18.1 40.9 31.6 10.6 Queue Delay 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Total Delay (s/veh) 29.7 29.4 11.5 33.9 10.3 43.5 18.1 40.9 31.6 10.6 Queue Length 50th (ft) 92 93 1 35 0 55 44 29 129 25
Queue Length 95th (ft) 182 183 57 89 46 #163 85 80 248 99 Internal Link Dist (ft) 1652 1461 868 788
Turn Bay Length (ft) 155 155 105 120 120 120
Base Capacity (vph) 1061 1081 388 704 695 242 1512 188 750 1119 Starvation Cap Reductn 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Spillback Cap Reductn 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Storage Cap Reductn 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Reduced v/c Ratio 0.23 0.23 0.52 0.13 0.21 0.58 0.19 0.39 0.47 0.36 Intersection Summary
# 95th percentile volume exceeds capacity, queue may be longer.
Queue shown is maximum after two cycles.
Date of Count:
Number of Collisions: 8
Number of Injuries: 5
Number of Fatalities: 0
Average Daily Traffic (ADT): 17400
Start Date: End Date:
Number of Years: 5
Intersection Type: Four-Legged
Control Type: Signals
Area: Urban
8 x
17,400 x x 5
Study Intersection 0.25 c/mve
Statewide Average* 0.33 c/mve
Notes
c/mve = collisions per million vehicles entering intersection * 2023 Collision Data on California State Highways, Caltrans Lago Fresco
Tuesday, February 19, 2019
Intersection Collision Rate Worksheet
January 1, 2020December 31, 2024
Intersection # Summerfield Road & Hoen Avenue
47.7%
ADT = average daily total vehicles entering intersection 1:
Collision Rate
Collision Rate = 365
Number of Collisions x 1 Million
0.6%
Collision Rate = ADT x Days per Year x Number of Years
62.5%
1,000,000
Injury RateFatality Rate
0.0%
W-Trans 1/13/2026
Location:
Date of Count:
Average Daily Traffic (ADT):
Number of Collisions: 14
Number of Injuries: 10
Number of Fatalities: 0
Start Date:
End Date:
Number of Years: 5
Highway Type: Conventional 3 lanes
Area:
Segment Length: 0.5 miles
Direction:
14 x
x 365 x 0.54 x 5
Study Segment 0.94 c/mvm
Statewide Average* 1.61 c/mvm
Notes
c/mvm = collisions per million vehicle miles
* 2023 Collision Data on California State Highways, Caltrans Number of Collisions x 1 Million
ADT x Days per Year x Segment Length x Number of Years 15,100
43.8%
71.4%
Lago Fresco
1,000,000
1.8%
East/West
Hoen Ave: Yulupa Ave to Summerfield Rd
Tuesday, February 19, 2019
Fatality RateInjury Rate
ADT = average daily traffic volume
December 31, 2024
Urban
January 1, 2020
Collision Rate
Roadway Segment Collision Rate Worksheet
15,100
0.0%
Collision Rate =
Collision Rate =
W-Trans 1/22/2026