Council Meeting: November 13, 2001 Santa Monica, California

TO: Mayor and City Council

FROM: City Staff

SUBJECT: Recommendation to Conceptually Approve Crosswalk Enhancements and Street Modifications for 26^th Street; Authorize Staff to Proceed With the Preparation of Construction Drawings and Specifications; and Appropriate $498,600 of STP-L funds for the Construction of 26^th Street Improvements

INTRODUCTION

This report recommends that the City Council conceptually approve proposed crosswalk enhancements for 26^th Street, authorize staff to prepare construction drawings and specifications by integrating the work into Phase 2 and appropriate funds totaling $498,600.

BACKGROUND

On February 13, 2001 City Council directed staff to conduct a crosswalk enhancement study of the 26^th Street corridor and to accelerate implementation by incorporating the approved enhancements into the Phase 2 design and construction process. On April 10, 2001 City Council authorized the conceptual study for the length of 26^th Street, consistent with the study process for all other streets.

A community workshop was held in June, 2001 to seek comments and suggestions concerning pedestrian crossing issues along 26^th Street. The workshop was well attended by approximately ninety residents and community members. A questionnaire was distributed to community members upon request. The technical team gathered and reviewed pedestrian counts, traffic data, collision reports and field observations of pedestrian/land use patterns and physical characteristics of the street. Preliminary site-specific recommendations were developed and were presented at a workshop in September, 2001 to obtain feedback from the community. Approximately fifty people attended the second workshop. Comments concerning the recommended program are summarized in this report.

RECOMMENDED ENHANCEMENTS

The crosswalk enhancements recommended for 26^th Street are summarized in the matrix labeled Attachment A and shown in the maps labeled Attachment B1-7.

General Recommendations

The measures applied to all other study corridors also apply to this corridor.

· Zebra Striping Pattern: Use high-visibility two-foot wide striping (white or yellow, depending on proximity to a school) alternating with a wide section of unpainted pavement at uncontrolled crosswalks (no traffic light or stop sign), crosswalks contiguous with a zebra-striped crosswalk and at mid-block pedestrian signals.

· Pushbutton Equipment: Upgrade to large push buttons and add information placards to explain "Walk" and "Don't Walk" at every push button location.

· Limit Lines: Apply limit lines in advance of each crosswalk to encourage the motorist to stop before the crosswalk rather than in the crosswalk.

· Crosswalk Signs and Pavement Markings: Install “Ped Xing” signs and pavement markings in advance of uncontrolled crosswalks.

· Stripe Cross-street Crosswalks: Add crosswalk markings parallel to the major street, across the controlled access streets.

· Alley Treatment: Mark all alleys, at the approach to a sidewalk, with a limit line and a painted “stop” in the pavement.

· Wheelchair Ramps: Install new or repositioned wheelchair ramps where it is determined that they are required in conjunction with the installation of a new crosswalk.

· Align Markings: Align markings so that crosswalk is generally at right angles with the curb line to provide the shortest, most direct pathway.

SITE-SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS

The specific recommendations for each location were developed based on consideration of pedestrian use, traffic characteristics and street geometrics.

New Roundabout/Crosswalks at Washington Avenue

For many years residents in the area have stated the desire for a safe pedestrian crossing at 26^th Street and Washington Avenue as a direct way to access both Franklin School and Douglas Park. Currently there are no marked crosswalks and a steady, quick-moving volume of cars on 26^th Street makes it difficult for pedestrians to cross. The continuous stream of vehicles on 26^th also makes it difficult for vehicles to cross or turn left onto 26^th street from Washington, resulting in a pattern of side-impact crashes occurring at this intersection. Because of the history of this intersection, the vehicular safety issue must be addressed along with the pedestrian access issue.

A roundabout is a solution that will address both the pedestrian access and vehicular safety issues. It would slow traffic along 26^th Street and create a configuration where the pedestrian is highly visible and has to cross only one lane of traffic at a time. It also allows traffic on Washington to cross 26^th Street or turn left by waiting for a gap in one direction and then having the right-of-way to proceed safely within the circle. The recommended layout is shown in Attachment B-7 and has been developed in consultation with national engineering expertise. The components of this “modern” roundabout include:

· A small raised landscaped center circle;

· A texturized “truck apron” pavement ring around the center circle that is sloped to allow large trucks to roll over;

· Widened corner radii curb to allow better turning;

· Curb extensions and splitter-islands on the four approaches to slow and channelize traffic (the splitter-islands on 26^th Street are raised and landscaped and the islands on Washington are thermoplastic);

· Zebra-striped crosswalks through the splitter islands that provide refuge for pedestrians at the half-way point so pedestrians only have to cross one lane and direction of traffic at a time;

· Pathways to crosswalks set back from the corner, with grass planted at the corners to channelize pedestrians; and

· A “Yield” sign at all four approaches. The roundabout has the effect of slowing the traffic, but traffic is able to continue moving through. Vehicles entering the circle must yield to vehicles in the circle.

Two operational measures will accompany the installation of the roundabout. First, an education program will provide information about driving through an all-yield roundabout. The City of Santa Barbara and other cities have developed successful campaigns that could be used as models. Second, although a roundabout is not likely to encourage the same level of neighborhood cut-through traffic as a signal (discussed in the comment section), it is a concern of the residents on Washington that traffic will increase because vehicles will be able to safely cross 26^th Street. In order to assess any possible impact, staff will conduct traffic counts in the area before the roundabout is installed and then recount the area after installation to assess changes in the volume of traffic through the neighborhood. If necessary, calming measures could be applied along Washington Avenue.

New Mid-block Crosswalk At Country Mart

High volumes of jaywalkers were observed crossing 26^th Street in the commercial section between San Vicente Boulevard and Georgina Avenue. This is unsafe for pedestrians and disruptive to vehicular traffic. A new zebra-striped mid-block crosswalk with curb extensions on both sides will increase visibility and channelize pedestrians to one safer location. The location, as shown in Attachment B-1, is just south of the Brentwood Country Mart driveway.

New Crosswalk at Carlyle Avenue

A new zebra-striped crosswalk on the north side of the Carlyle Avenue intersection will serve the bus stop at the northwest corner of Carlyle. Curb extensions will be installed to increase visibility. Small raised median islands will be added both north and south of the crosswalk to “shadow” the crosswalk and prevent vehicles from using the left turn lane to skirt around a vehicle stopped for a pedestrian. The islands will also provide a visual cue to slow traffic on 26^th Street, which is a common complaint of residents who live along the street. The islands will be narrower than the current left turn lane, have a low level of landscaping and be signed to be highly visible to passing vehicles.

Enhanced Crosswalk at Georgina Avenue

The marked uncontrolled crosswalks at Georgina can be made more visible by re-aligning it across 26^th Street, as shown in figure B-1, to shorten and straighten it. Curb extensions and zebra striping will be installed to increase visibility. The crosswalk across Georgina, parallel to 26^th Street will also be zebra striped.

Enhanced and Added Crosswalks at Marguerita and Alta Avenues

Currently there are marked crosswalks on the south side of Marguerita and Alta Avenues across 26^th Street. Pedestrian access will be improved by also marking the crosswalks on the north side of each intersection, since both are four-way intersections. Curb extensions will be installed on all four corners of each intersection to increase visibility and all four crosswalks will be zebra striped. Small median islands, as described for Carlyle Avenue, will be installed on both the north and south approaches to each crosswalk, as indicated in Attachment B-2.

San Vicente Intersection Improvement

The angled geometrics of the intersection impair the visibility of pedestrians crossing from the northeast and northwest corners. To address this issue, it is recommended to revise the curb radii through the installation of curb extensions at the northeast and northwest corners.

New Marked, Signalized Crosswalk at Pennsylvania Avenue

High volumes of pedestrians were observed crossing 26^th Street in this section between the Water Garden office complex and parking or other destinations along Pennsylvania Avenue. The wide expanse of multiple lanes of traffic is difficult to cross. A pedestrian activated (push-button) signal is recommended to facilitate crossing the multiple lanes of traffic. A pedestrian-only activated signal works at this location because Pennsylvania is one-way eastbound from 26^th Street and traffic on the other side is exiting from a private driveway, as indicated in Attachment B-6.

Edge-Striping North of Wilshire to Slow Speeds

Residents north of Wilshire continually express concern over travel speeds along 26^th Street as related to the issue of pedestrians being able to cross the street. The most significant safety issue on 26^th Street is speed-related traffic accidents. Past staff analysis has shown that there is a lower traffic accident rate in the section of 26^th Street where the edge-striping has been applied to better delineate the travel lane. It is recommended that edge-striping be added to delineate the parking lane in the section of 26^th Street between Wilshire Boulevard and Montana Avenue. It is also recommended that in the entire section north of Wilshire, the parking lane be widened by ½ foot to 8.5 feet and the travel lane be narrowed by ½ foot to 10.5 feet (with the 10 foot center turn lane remaining the same dimension) as a perceptual measure that will be effective in reducing speeding.

Community Comment on Recommended Program:

In response to the recent workshop and outreach efforts, the following additional issues were raised:

Roundabout: Since the recommended roundabout is different than any measure currently being utilized in Santa Monica, many questions were raised. A full test of the recommended configuration was conducted in a beach lot in September to find out how well the roundabout accommodated emergency response vehicles and large trucks such as sanitation vehicles. Responses to the questions and concerns are as follows:

o Installation of a traffic signal or in-pavement flashers instead of the untried roundabout: A traffic signal would induce through traffic on Washington Avenue and this issue is of great concern to residents along Washington Avenue. In-pavement flashers would not address the safety issue of side-impact vehicular accidents. Also, in-pavement flashers are not visible to turning vehicles and would not be effective for the vehicles on Washington turning right or left onto 26^th Street.

o Delay on 26^th Street: A concern was expressed that the roundabout would not be able to handle the traffic volume along 26^th Street. The size of the proposed design is similar to various locations around the country with comparable traffic volumes. The circle will slow traffic and, therefore, may create a slight back-up at peak times during the day as vehicles slow then proceed through roundabout. Any delay will be much less than that caused by a traffic signal or a stop sign.

o Accommodation for large trucks: The roundabout at this location takes into account the movement of large trucks. It has been tested with the City’s fire truck fleet and the trucks are able to fully negotiate the circle from all directions. This section of 26th Street is a secondary truck route. The design of the circle will accommodate any large truck proceeding straight through on 26^th Street. The left turning movements onto Washington Avenue will be difficult for very large trucks such as moving vans and it would be recommended that trucks access the residential area from a parallel street such as Montana Avenue, which is an approved truck route.

o All-way yield: There was concern that drivers will not know what to do at an all-way yield. The experts and other cities that have implemented a roundabout have emphasized the need for an education campaign in conjunction with the implementation of a first roundabout. The City of Santa Barbara conducted an extensive effort, including printed literature and a dedicated web-site linked to the City’s web site. Both roundabouts have been highly successful and Santa Barbara is considering additional locations. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety both recently issued a report on roundabouts with statistics showing that the safety record of modern roundabouts is superior to other types of controlled intersections. The recommended roundabout markings and signage are consistent with FHWA’s recently issued Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

o Pedestrian safety and convenience: It is true that a pedestrian must walk slightly further, since the crosswalk is set back from the corner. However, the configuration is beneficial to the pedestrian because it reduces the number of potential conflicts that a pedestrian will have with turning vehicles, making it easier and less stressful to cross.

o Pedestrian pathway and impact on adjacent residence: The location of the new pathway from the sidewalk through the parkway to the crosswalk will be designed with sensitivity to the adjacent residence.

o Bicycle safety and convenience: The recommended rule for bicycle riders is to “take the lane” as the safest way to negotiate a roundabout. Vehicles are proceeding at slow speeds so that an experienced rider should have no problem. It is recommended that a child or inexperienced rider should cross the street as a pedestrian.

o Need for temporary demonstration first: Some people asked whether the roundabout would be installed as a temporary demonstration measure before the improvements are finalized. The configuration requires widening the corner radius, which can not be accomplished as a temporary measure.

Speeding and more measures needed: Several residents along 26^th Street between Montana and Georgina expressed the need for more traffic calming measures in this section to slow traffic. There was a request to install an additional roundabout at one additional intersection (Carlyle was suggested) but conditions do not warrant a roundabout in this section of 26^th Street. Residents have also expressed concern about the speed of traffic on 26^th Street south of Wilshire, specifically between Wilshire and Santa Monica Boulevards. With the completion of the new Traffic and Engineering Survey to support the posted speed limits, the Police Department is better able to enforce speed limits. The Police Department is making enforcement on 26^th Street a high priority.

Small Median “Shadow” Islands: Several residents on 26^th Street expressed concern that the islands would interfere with their driveway access. This issue was anticipated and islands have been carefully placed only where they do not interfere with driveway access. There are also community members who do not support any physical “impediments” in the roadway, raising concerns about slowing traffic and creating hazards. The islands will be narrower than the current striped left turn lane and will have reflective signage.

Curb Extension: Some residents oppose curb extensions because of the potential to impede turning movements. The curb extensions will be designed carefully to improve line-of-site but not interfere with turning movements.

PROJECT SCHEDULE

Development of Phase 2 construction drawings and specifications is currently underway and the 26^th Street enhancements will be incorporated into this process. The design and review process for the 26^th Street improvements will take approximately three months. It is estimated that the entire Phase 2 crosswalk enhancement package, including the 26^th Street improvements, will be ready to go out to bid in March 2002.

BUDGET/FINANCIAL IMPACT

Design (construction drawings and specifications) and project/construction management funding was appropriated as part of the April 10, 2001 Council action authorizing the 26^th Street study. Funding must be appropriated for construction, since the Phase 2 contract will be put out to bid this fiscal year and 26^th Street improvements were not part of the original Phase 2 CIP project approved for FY’ 01-02. Staff has identified the City’s local Surface Transportation Program (STP-L) funds as an eligible source of construction funding for 88.53% of the project cost, with a required 11.47% local match. The total cost of construction is estimated at $563,200, including a 10% premium to address federally funded project requirements. Staff recommends the appropriation of $498,600 (88.53%) of STP-L funds to expenditure account C20045602.589000 and the establishment of a revenue budget of $498,600 at account 20266.406610. The local match requirement of $64,600 will be funded from the existing Phase 2 construction account of C01045602.589000 (it is intended that a portion of Phase 2 General Fund money will be replaced by additional STP-L funds when the construction contract is approved by Council, freeing up $64,600 in Phase 2 General Fund allocation to use for the 26^th Street local match.)

CEQA ANALYSIS

The proposed 26th Street Crosswalk Enhancement Project has been determined to be categorically exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to Article 19, Section 15301 (c) which was recently amended to define Class 1 exempt project in the following way: "Class 1 consists of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving little or not expansion beyond that existing at the time of the lead agency's determination..." This exemption lists as an example of "existing facilities: (c) Existing highways and streets, sidewalks, gutters, bicycle and pedestrian trails, and similar facilities." The pedestrian and crosswalk enhancements, including minor curb alterations; addition of raised median islands within the painted medians; and a traffic roundabout placed within the intersection, are to existing streets and sidewalks and include negligible or no expansion of these existing facilities.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Staff recommends that the City Council take the following actions:

1. Authorize staff to proceed with the preparation of constructions drawings and specifications for the recommended crosswalk enhancements for 26^th Street.

2. Appropriate $498,600 of STP-L reserve funds to the Crosswalk Improvement Account C20045602.589000 and increase the revenue budget for account 20266.406610 by $498,600.