RTC 22-0134 – Consideration of
Improving Traffic Operations at
Fremont/Bernardo/Hwy 85
City Council Meeting
April 5, 2022
2City of Sunnyvale – RTC 22-0134 – Consideration of Improving Traffic Operations at Fremont/Bernardo/Hwy 85 – March 2022
1. Project Background
2. Study
3. Potential Traffic Signal Operations Improvements
4. Conclusions
5. Recommendations to City Council
Agenda
3City of Sunnyvale – RTC 22-0134 – Consideration of Improving Traffic Operations at Fremont/Bernardo/Hwy 85 – March 2022 Project Background
4City of Sunnyvale – RTC 22-0134 – Consideration of Improving Traffic Operations at Fremont/Bernardo/Hwy 85 – March 2022 History
• 2018 Traffic signal retiming incident.
• At the November 13, 2018, Council
meeting, study issue DPW 19-10
proposed
• Ranked/funded for FY19/20
• Study Session was held in November
2021 to brief City Council
5City of Sunnyvale – RTC 22-0134 – Consideration of Improving Traffic Operations at Fremont/Bernardo/Hwy 85 – March 2022 Project Limits – Fremont/Bernardo/Hwy 85 Area
Fremont Avenue Signalized Intersections
6City of Sunnyvale – RTC 22-0134 – Consideration of Improving Traffic Operations at Fremont/Bernardo/Hwy 85 – March 2022 Study
7City of Sunnyvale – RTC 22-0134 – Consideration of Improving Traffic Operations at Fremont/Bernardo/Hwy 85 – March 2022 Study
• Caltrans coordination
No support for relinquishment nor
delegation of O&M responsibility
• Conducted a corridor and intersection
analysis
Traffic data was collected pre-COVID-19:
• Weekday AM/Midday/PM Peaks
• Weekend AM Off-Peak/Midday Peak
• Based on field observations and
modeling the ramps and intersections
operated acceptably with minimal
delay during all periods
8City of Sunnyvale – RTC 22-0134 – Consideration of Improving Traffic Operations at Fremont/Bernardo/Hwy 85 – March 2022 Study - Continuation
• The interchange operations
Time-of-day coordination during the
weekday AM peak
Traffic responsive mode all other times of
the day and during the weekend.
• Caltrans preference is to continue running
their proprietary software and traffic
responsive operation along this corridor
9City of Sunnyvale – RTC 22-0134 – Consideration of Improving Traffic Operations at Fremont/Bernardo/Hwy 85 – March 2022 Study- Continuation
• Caltrans interchange software provides
the most efficient operations for the
characteristics and configuration of the
interchange
• Based upon field observations and
computer modeling of settings, the
current operations work well throughout
the day
• Ramp metering operations
Flow rate is actively adjusted based on
freeway condition
Queue spillback loops
10City of Sunnyvale – RTC 22-0134 – Consideration of Improving Traffic Operations at Fremont/Bernardo/Hwy 85 – March 2022 Potential Traffic Signal
Operations Improvements
11City of Sunnyvale – RTC 22-0134 – Consideration of Improving Traffic Operations at Fremont/Bernardo/Hwy 85 – March 2022 Potential Traffic Signal Operational
Improvements
• Removing left turn lanes for eastbound and westbound Fremont Avenue at Bernardo Avenue
Will allow for increased throughput on Fremont Avenue Result in cut-through traffic due to diversion of left turn traffic • Add a second Fremont Avenue left turn lane at both on-ramps and widening of the on-ramp to receive the second left turn lane traffic. Need to reconstruct of SR85/Fremont Avenue interchange. • Implement protected left turn operation on Bernardo Avenue at Fremont Avenue.
Will require right-of-way acquisition or easements
Potential Study Issue
12City of Sunnyvale – RTC 22-0134 – Consideration of Improving Traffic Operations at Fremont/Bernardo/Hwy 85 – March 2022 Conclusions
13City of Sunnyvale – RTC 22-0134 – Consideration of Improving Traffic Operations at Fremont/Bernardo/Hwy 85 – March 2022 Conclusions
• No Caltrans support for relinquishment or delegation of O&M • Current operations work well during all periods
Lack of communications=more periodic maintenance required • Remote monitoring and adjustments
• Traffic Signal infrastructure, software and hardware improvements • ~$3.0M is needed to upgrade signal infrastructure, software and equipment 14City of Sunnyvale – RTC 22-0134 – Consideration of Improving Traffic Operations at Fremont/Bernardo/Hwy 85 – March 2022 Recommendation to City Council
15City of Sunnyvale – RTC 22-0134 – Consideration of Improving Traffic Operations at Fremont/Bernardo/Hwy 85 – March 2022 Recommendation to City Council
• Direct Staff to not proceed with requesting delegation of operations and maintenance from Caltrans for the traffic signals along Fremont Avenue corridor between Bernardo Avenue and Belleville Way and to work with Caltrans to periodically optimize traffic signal timing and implementation.
16City of Sunnyvale – RTC 22-0134 – Consideration of Improving Traffic Operations at Fremont/Bernardo/Hwy 85 – March 2022 Questions?