CITY OF SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO
INTER OFFICE MEMORANDUM
DATE: June 2, 2022
TO: Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Councilmembers
FROM: Eunejune Kim, Director of Public Works/City Engineer SUBJECT: Public Works Department Update
Grand Avenue and Airport Blvd Streetscape Improvement Project (Content provided by Jeffrey Chou, Associate Engineer)
The Grand Avenue and Airport Boulevard Streetscape Improvements Project (Project) is part of a larger effort undertaken by the City to improve pedestrian and bicycle accessibility and safety for neighborhoods within the project's vicinity and the City’s downtown area. The design of the project was also reviewed and approved by Caltrans.
The Project will construct pedestrian and bicycle improvements that will close the gap between the West Plaza of the new South San Francisco Caltrain station, while further connecting bicyclist from the northern limits of the city to the downtown area and the new Caltrain station.
The progress of the Project was previously shared at a January 15th, 2020, City Council Meeting with the preliminary conceptual design and in a Thursday Memo to Council with an updated progress design on April 1st, 2021. City staff has also presented the progress design of the Project to the City’s Bicyclist and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC) in 2021.
Key features include:
City’s first combination two-way pedestrian/bike crossing of Airport Boulevard at Grand Avenue. This exciting new feature includes an enlarged refuge area in the median which helps to serve the Caltrain station and downtown area with increased safety. Removal of the channelized right turn lane from northbound Airport Boulevard to eastbound Grand Avenue. The existing channelized right turn lane promotes higher speed vehicular travel and reduces pedestrian safety. Removal of this feature permits additional space for Caltrain station entry plaza, slows traffic, increases bike/ped safety, and does not affect traffic level of service.
New Airport Boulevard dedicated bike lanes in both directions of Airport Boulevard between Grand and Miller. Currently this area is missing bike lanes. Per council feedback, we will work with the designer to add delineators at the buffer striping locations and include this new scope of work as a change order with the selected contractor. See note G below for more information.
New Airport Boulevard dedicated bike lanes in both directions between Grand and Baden.
Currently this area is missing bike lanes. The proposed green bike lane layout is a traffic engineering best practice utilized in areas of traffic weaving. The separated bike lane aligned on the left side of the vehicular right turn lane will eliminate the critical conflict of cars turning across bike traffic. Many traffic collisions are caused by a motorist’s improper turn and not yielding the right-of-way to the bicyclist or caused when the bicyclist is in the driver’s blind spot. The southbound right turn lane from Airport Boulevard to westbound Public Works Department Update
June 2, 2022
Baden Avenue is required due to high vehicular volumes. See note E for more information.
The pedestrian and bicyclist safety improvements include (please refer to the Pedestrian Bicycle Enhancements map with the “lettered” annotated notes below):
(Attachment 1)
A. Creating protected intersections at the southeast and southwest corners to enhance pedestrian and bicycle experience by providing refuge areas for bicyclists and pedestrians outside of vehicular travel way
B. Reducing the length of the bicycle and pedestrian crossing by more than 50 feet across Airport Boulevard, which minimizes the amount of time pedestrian interface with vehicular traffic
C. Removing the free right turn onto eastbound Grand Avenue to slow traffic and providing a bulb-out and refuge area for pedestrians and bicyclists separate of the vehicular travel way
D. Installation of striped dedicated Class 2 bicycle lanes and dashed conflict zones (i.e., intersection crossings, driveways, bus stops, etc.) along Airport Blvd between Baden Ave and Miller Ave with green paint to increase visibility of bicycle facilities for vehicles.
Public Works Department Update
June 2, 2022
Green paint bike facility benefits:
Promotes the multi-modal nature of a corridor.
Increases the visibility of bicyclists.
Increases bicyclist comfort though clearly delineated space. Increases motorist yielding behavior.
Discourages illegal parking in the bike lane.
Helps reduce bicycle conflicts with turning motorists. When used in conflict areas, raises motorist and bicyclist awareness to potential areas of conflict.
Reinforces that through bicyclists have priority over turning vehicles or vehicles entering the roadway (from driveways or cross streets). Guides bicyclists through the intersection in a straight and direct path.
The use of green striping and pavement markings is supported by the National Association of Transportation Officials (NACTO) as well.
E. Between Grand Avenue and Baden Avenue in the southbound Airport Boulevard direction, the standard design from the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) indicates that bicycle traffic shall transition to the space between a dedicated right turn lane and thru lane where bicyclists continue straight through an intersection. Although, the bike lane weaving cannot be avoided, it is made safer with the proposed striping by increasing the awareness of the right-turning motorists to the presence of bicycles, by slowing motor vehicle traffic and by directing bicyclists to the correct position from which to ride through the intersection.
Alternatively, moving the bike lane to the curb line will discourage the bicycle thru movement across the Baden intersection and will pose a conflict with the right turn vehicles turning across bike traffic at the intersection as many traffic collisions are caused by a motorist’s improper turn and not yielding the right-of-way to the bicyclist or caused when the bicyclist is in the driver’s blind spot. In turn, this alternative would direct bicyclists to turn right onto Baden Avenue and head in the eastbound direction along Baden in lieu of continuing southbound on Airport Boulevard.
F. At the intersection of Miller Ave and Airport Blvd, new bike lanes and dashed conflict striping are extended across this intersection, guiding bicyclists, providing enhanced visual cues to vehicles of the presence of a bicycle facility, and connecting to the existing bike lanes along Airport Blvd.
G. Installation of buffer striping, of typically 3 feet or more, between the bicycle and vehicular lanes for additional separation between cars and bikes where additional space is available in the existing street width and geometry (southbound Airport Boulevard between Miller Public Works Department Update
June 2, 2022
Avenue and Grand Avenue; northbound Airport Boulevard between Baden Avenue and Grand Avenue).
Buffered bike lane benefits:
Provides greater shy distance between motor vehicles and bicyclists. Provides space for bicyclists to pass another bicyclist without encroaching into the adjacent motor vehicle travel lane.
Provides a greater space for bicycling without making the bike lane appear so wide that it might be mistaken for a travel lane or a parking lane. Appeals to a wider cross-section of bicycle users.
Encourages bicycling by contributing to the perception of safety among users of the bicycle network.
Delineators or Safe hit post may be added at select locations where conflicting vehicle movements (i.e., driveways, bus stops, parking strips, truck movements for delivery vehicles, etc.) are not anticipated in the striped bicycle buffer zones as a means of providing an additional visual cue to drivers to avoid encroaching into adjacent bicycle facilities.
Maintenance considerations such as difficulty of street sweeping and the frequency for repairs or replacement of the barriers should be considered when installing delineators.
H. Installation of new traffic signal modifications with a new bicycle and pedestrian phase, inclusive of a bicycle-specific signal head, in the east-west direction across Airport Boulevard. While the bicycle and pedestrian phases are active, a red right turn arrow is active for vehicles waiting to complete right-turn movements from eastbound Grand Avenue on to southbound Airport Boulevard. This mitigates potential right-turn vehicle conflicts with bicyclists and pedestrians.
I. Installation of a new traffic signal modification to include a new bicycle phase in the northsouth direction across Grand Avenue. While the bicyclists are crossing Grand Avenue in the northbound direction, a red right turn arrow is active for vehicles in the right-turn lane on Airport Boulevard leading to eastbound Grand Avenue. This mitigates potential rightturn vehicle conflicts with bicyclists and pedestrians.
J. At the US-101 and Airport Boulevard intersection north of Grand Avenue, the following improvements, visual cues, crossing reduction length solutions, and bicycle facility enhancements are included in the design:
Reduction of the travel lane widths to 11 feet (standard lane widths are typically 12 feet) and pulling back and reducing the existing island to accommodate a dedicated bike lane.
Green conflict zone skip boxes are also included across the US-101 intersection with Airport Boulevard to provide enhanced visual cues to vehicles of the presence of a bicycle facility through the off-ramp.
Public Works Department Update
June 2, 2022
Cross-hatch white striping was included on the existing US-101 on-ramp to visually narrow the length of the bicycle crossing and provide a larger refuge area for bicyclists moving the middle of the intersection.
Please also note that these improvements were reviewed and approved by Caltrans.
K. To further the larger connectivity goals planned for future project phases, designs have been carefully planned to align with the future bicycle lane along the southern side of Grand Avenue within minimal impacts to improvements proposed as part of this project.
As this is the initial phase of the larger Grand Avenue Streetscape vision, the Project’s goal is to enhance the streetscape at this gateway intersection and provide immediate improvements to better link the downtown Grand Avenue district with the new Caltrain Station and Caltrain Plaza.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Jeffrey Chou, Associate Engineer at [email protected].
CITY OF SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO
INTER OFFICE MEMORANDUM
DATE: June 2, 2022
TO: Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Councilmembers
FROM: Eunejune Kim, Director of Public Works/City Engineer SUBJECT: Public Works Department Update
Grand Avenue and Airport Blvd Streetscape Improvement Project (Content provided by Jeffrey Chou, Associate Engineer)
The Grand Avenue and Airport Boulevard Streetscape Improvements Project (Project) is part of a larger effort undertaken by the City to improve pedestrian and bicycle accessibility and safety for neighborhoods within the project's vicinity and the City’s downtown area. The design of the project was also reviewed and approved by Caltrans.
The Project will construct pedestrian and bicycle improvements that will close the gap between the West Plaza of the new South San Francisco Caltrain station, while further connecting bicyclist from the northern limits of the city to the downtown area and the new Caltrain station.
The progress of the Project was previously shared at a January 15th, 2020, City Council Meeting with the preliminary conceptual design and in a Thursday Memo to Council with an updated progress design on April 1st, 2021. City staff has also presented the progress design of the Project to the City’s Bicyclist and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC) in 2021.
Key features include:
City’s first combination two-way pedestrian/bike crossing of Airport Boulevard at Grand Avenue. This exciting new feature includes an enlarged refuge area in the median which helps to serve the Caltrain station and downtown area with increased safety. Removal of the channelized right turn lane from northbound Airport Boulevard to eastbound Grand Avenue. The existing channelized right turn lane promotes higher speed vehicular travel and reduces pedestrian safety. Removal of this feature permits additional space for Caltrain station entry plaza, slows traffic, increases bike/ped safety, and does not affect traffic level of service.
New Airport Boulevard dedicated bike lanes in both directions of Airport Boulevard between Grand and Miller. Currently this area is missing bike lanes. Per council feedback, we will work with the designer to add delineators at the buffer striping locations and include this new scope of work as a change order with the selected contractor. See note G below for more information.
New Airport Boulevard dedicated bike lanes in both directions between Grand and Baden.
Currently this area is missing bike lanes. The proposed green bike lane layout is a traffic engineering best practice utilized in areas of traffic weaving. The separated bike lane aligned on the left side of the vehicular right turn lane will eliminate the critical conflict of cars turning across bike traffic. Many traffic collisions are caused by a motorist’s improper turn and not yielding the right-of-way to the bicyclist or caused when the bicyclist is in the driver’s blind spot. The southbound right turn lane from Airport Boulevard to westbound Public Works Department Update
June 2, 2022
Baden Avenue is required due to high vehicular volumes. See note E for more information.
The pedestrian and bicyclist safety improvements include (please refer to the Pedestrian Bicycle Enhancements map with the “lettered” annotated notes below):
(Attachment 1)
A. Creating protected intersections at the southeast and southwest corners to enhance pedestrian and bicycle experience by providing refuge areas for bicyclists and pedestrians outside of vehicular travel way
B. Reducing the length of the bicycle and pedestrian crossing by more than 50 feet across Airport Boulevard, which minimizes the amount of time pedestrian interface with vehicular traffic
C. Removing the free right turn onto eastbound Grand Avenue to slow traffic and providing a bulb-out and refuge area for pedestrians and bicyclists separate of the vehicular travel way
D. Installation of striped dedicated Class 2 bicycle lanes and dashed conflict zones (i.e., intersection crossings, driveways, bus stops, etc.) along Airport Blvd between Baden Ave and Miller Ave with green paint to increase visibility of bicycle facilities for vehicles.
Public Works Department Update
June 2, 2022
Green paint bike facility benefits:
Promotes the multi-modal nature of a corridor.
Increases the visibility of bicyclists.
Increases bicyclist comfort though clearly delineated space. Increases motorist yielding behavior.
Discourages illegal parking in the bike lane.
Helps reduce bicycle conflicts with turning motorists. When used in conflict areas, raises motorist and bicyclist awareness to potential areas of conflict.
Reinforces that through bicyclists have priority over turning vehicles or vehicles entering the roadway (from driveways or cross streets). Guides bicyclists through the intersection in a straight and direct path.
The use of green striping and pavement markings is supported by the National Association of Transportation Officials (NACTO) as well.
E. Between Grand Avenue and Baden Avenue in the southbound Airport Boulevard direction, the standard design from the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) indicates that bicycle traffic shall transition to the space between a dedicated right turn lane and thru lane where bicyclists continue straight through an intersection. Although, the bike lane weaving cannot be avoided, it is made safer with the proposed striping by increasing the awareness of the right-turning motorists to the presence of bicycles, by slowing motor vehicle traffic and by directing bicyclists to the correct position from which to ride through the intersection.
Alternatively, moving the bike lane to the curb line will discourage the bicycle thru movement across the Baden intersection and will pose a conflict with the right turn vehicles turning across bike traffic at the intersection as many traffic collisions are caused by a motorist’s improper turn and not yielding the right-of-way to the bicyclist or caused when the bicyclist is in the driver’s blind spot. In turn, this alternative would direct bicyclists to turn right onto Baden Avenue and head in the eastbound direction along Baden in lieu of continuing southbound on Airport Boulevard.
F. At the intersection of Miller Ave and Airport Blvd, new bike lanes and dashed conflict striping are extended across this intersection, guiding bicyclists, providing enhanced visual cues to vehicles of the presence of a bicycle facility, and connecting to the existing bike lanes along Airport Blvd.
G. Installation of buffer striping, of typically 3 feet or more, between the bicycle and vehicular lanes for additional separation between cars and bikes where additional space is available in the existing street width and geometry (southbound Airport Boulevard between Miller Public Works Department Update
June 2, 2022
Avenue and Grand Avenue; northbound Airport Boulevard between Baden Avenue and Grand Avenue).
Buffered bike lane benefits:
Provides greater shy distance between motor vehicles and bicyclists. Provides space for bicyclists to pass another bicyclist without encroaching into the adjacent motor vehicle travel lane.
Provides a greater space for bicycling without making the bike lane appear so wide that it might be mistaken for a travel lane or a parking lane. Appeals to a wider cross-section of bicycle users.
Encourages bicycling by contributing to the perception of safety among users of the bicycle network.
Delineators or Safe hit post may be added at select locations where conflicting vehicle movements (i.e., driveways, bus stops, parking strips, truck movements for delivery vehicles, etc.) are not anticipated in the striped bicycle buffer zones as a means of providing an additional visual cue to drivers to avoid encroaching into adjacent bicycle facilities.
Maintenance considerations such as difficulty of street sweeping and the frequency for repairs or replacement of the barriers should be considered when installing delineators.
H. Installation of new traffic signal modifications with a new bicycle and pedestrian phase, inclusive of a bicycle-specific signal head, in the east-west direction across Airport Boulevard. While the bicycle and pedestrian phases are active, a red right turn arrow is active for vehicles waiting to complete right-turn movements from eastbound Grand Avenue on to southbound Airport Boulevard. This mitigates potential right-turn vehicle conflicts with bicyclists and pedestrians.
I. Installation of a new traffic signal modification to include a new bicycle phase in the northsouth direction across Grand Avenue. While the bicyclists are crossing Grand Avenue in the northbound direction, a red right turn arrow is active for vehicles in the right-turn lane on Airport Boulevard leading to eastbound Grand Avenue. This mitigates potential rightturn vehicle conflicts with bicyclists and pedestrians.
J. At the US-101 and Airport Boulevard intersection north of Grand Avenue, the following improvements, visual cues, crossing reduction length solutions, and bicycle facility enhancements are included in the design:
Reduction of the travel lane widths to 11 feet (standard lane widths are typically 12 feet) and pulling back and reducing the existing island to accommodate a dedicated bike lane.
Green conflict zone skip boxes are also included across the US-101 intersection with Airport Boulevard to provide enhanced visual cues to vehicles of the presence of a bicycle facility through the off-ramp.
Public Works Department Update
June 2, 2022
Cross-hatch white striping was included on the existing US-101 on-ramp to visually narrow the length of the bicycle crossing and provide a larger refuge area for bicyclists moving the middle of the intersection.
Please also note that these improvements were reviewed and approved by Caltrans.
K. To further the larger connectivity goals planned for future project phases, designs have been carefully planned to align with the future bicycle lane along the southern side of Grand Avenue within minimal impacts to improvements proposed as part of this project.
As this is the initial phase of the larger Grand Avenue Streetscape vision, the Project’s goal is to enhance the streetscape at this gateway intersection and provide immediate improvements to better link the downtown Grand Avenue district with the new Caltrain Station and Caltrain Plaza.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Jeffrey Chou, Associate Engineer at [email protected].
255 SHORELINE DRIVE
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REDWOOD CITY, CA 94065
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PEDESTRIAN BICYCLE ENHANCEMENTS
GRAND AVE - AIRPORT BLVD, SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO
AA B C D D E F G G H I J K