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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPW Third and Hetherton Traffic Study PPTProject Background •Awarded $580k Highway Safety Improvement (HSIP) grant from Caltrans for design and construction •This intersection is Caltrans’ right-of-way, but operated and maintained by the City •This intersection requires Caltrans approval Project Goals •Improve pedestrian safety •Improve traffic throughput •Balance safety improvements and traffic impact •Design accepted and approved by Caltrans Coordinated design with other projects Transit Center Relocation 3rd Street Rehabilitation Central San Rafael Adaptive Traffic Control System Relocation of crosswalks at 2nd Street / Irwin Street 2nd Street and 3rd Street Queue Cutters New crosswalk on 3rd Street between Union and Embarcadero Alignment with the Parking and Wayfinding Study Alignment with the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan Existing Conditions •Southbound Direction: 1 right turn, 3 thru lanes •Westbound Direction: 1 left turn, 1 shared left- thru, 2 thru lanes •Westbound Lane #1 = 60 feet long; comfortably fits 2 passenger vehicles or 1 semi-trailer truck •Peak Hour Volume:200 pedestrians and 3,500 vehicles per hour •Collision History:Since January 1, 2011, 70 collisions recorded, 11 of them involving a pedestrian or bicyclist •Several High Traffic Generators:Transit Center, SMART Station, San Rafael High School, Montecito Plaza, Downtown, Highway 101 On- and Off-ramps Existing Recommended Concept Geometric and Physical Changes Recommended Concept 1. Signal equipment upgrades -Replace 8 inch signal heads to 12 inch signal heads -Install accessible pedestrian signals -Additional pole and mast arms -Flashing yellow left turn arrow 2. Blank-out sign 3. Leading Pedestrian Interval of 5 sec 4. Tighten Curb Radii -Bulb-out at northwest corner -Elimination of westbound lane #1 1 1 3 4 4 2 Flashing Yellow Left Arrow Signal Benefits of the Recommended Concept ➢Bulb-outs shorten crossing distances for both the north and south crosswalks and forces vehicles to turn at slower speeds ➢Leading pedestrian interval improves visibility of pedestrians ➢Elimination of westbound left turn lane #1 improves visibility of pedestrians and removes a conflict point ➢Installation of accessible pedestrian signals provide countdown information for pedestrians and improves accessibility for those with visual and audio impairments ➢Improves vehicle signage and signal visibility Traffic Analysis Results Scenario Maximum Delay from Existing Conditions (seconds of delay per vehicle) AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour Recommended Concept +3.1 +2.3 ▪The maximum delay in the AM peak hour (defined as 7 AM to 9 AM) will occur between 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM and will be no more than 3.1 seconds ▪The maximum delay in the PM peak hour (defined as 4 PM to 6 PM) will occur between 4:45 PM to 5:45 PM and will be no more than 2.3 seconds ▪All other times of the day will not experience more than 2.3 seconds of delay Flexible Improvements Examples of Painted Safety Zones Oakland, CA Seattle, WA San Francisco, CA New York, NY Flexible Improvements with Bike Parking Cost Estimate for Design & Construction Estimated Cost ($) for Permanent Design Estimated Cost ($) For Flexible Design Total Design + Construction $284,000 $118,500 Benefits of Pilot Project / Implementing Flexible Design o Lower cost and shorter construction duration o Flexible design could easily be reversed or modified Recommended Terms of the Pilot Project ➢Study Period: one year ➢Measure of Effectiveness o Travel Time Runs •Hetherton Street •3rd Street o Collision Rates •Total Collisions Rate •Pedestrian and Bicyclists Rate •Severity ➢Results of One Year Pilot Report determines o Reversal/removal of the bulb-outs (will require Caltrans approval) o Keeping project as-is in its current form o Extending pilot study period o Implementing permanent solution Alternatives Considered and Eliminated Removal of south crosswalk / sidewalk on 3rd St, between Hetherton and Irwin Double southbound right turn lane Pedestrian scramble / separation of pedestrian phase from turning vehicles Westbound geometry modification to 2 thru lanes and 1 left turn lane Westbound geometry modification to 3 thru lanes and 1 left turn lane X X X X X Next Steps 1.Procure a designer 2.Gather “Before Pilot Project” data 3.Project design must be completed and approved by Caltrans before October 2019 4.Begin construction (must be completed by October 2021) 5.Construction is completed / Begin Pilot Project for one year 6.Collect “After Pilot Project” data 7.Pilot Project study period ends 8.Prepare Pilot Project Results Report Staff Recommendation ➢Accept report with recommended conceptual design ➢Implement Flexible Design to allow flexibility for coordination of future projects ➢Use Flexible Design for cost and time savings ➢Pilot Project for one year