Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutPW Southern Heights Bridge ReplacementIfIl' SAN RAFAEL 1 THE CITY WITH A MISSION Agenda Item No: 4.f Meeting Date: February 21, 2017 SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT Department: Public Works Prepared by: Bill Guerin, City Manager Approval: Director of Public Works File No.: 16.01.266 TOPIC: SOUTHERN HEIGHTS BRIDGE REPLACEMENT- BRIDGE WIDTH SUBJECT: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING STAFF TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE DESIGN OF OPTION 4 FOR THE SOUTHERN HEIGHTS BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROJECT (PROJECT NO. 11282) RECOMMENDATION: Adopt the resolution directing staff to move forward with the design of Option 4, a 12 -foot wide traveled way, for the reconstruction of the Southern Heights Bridge. BACKGROUND: The Southern Heights Bridge currently has a clear roadway width of 9 feet which accommodates a single lane of two-way traffic with no sidewalks. The roadways that approach the bridge are approximately 11.5 feet wide, with a 4 -foot shoulder on the west side (downhill side) of Southern Heights Boulevard. The current average daily traffic (ADT) for Southern Heights Boulevard is 150 vehicles per day with approximately 35 pedestrians accessing the bridge per day. The Southern Heights Bridge needs to be reconstructed, and the replacement of the bridge is fully funded by the Highway Bridge Program (HBP), a federally funded program that enables States to improve the condition of their bridges. On June 6, 2016, the San Rafael City Council approved a resolution which authorized the City Manager to enter into an agreement with Mark Thomas and Company, Inc. to develop the design for the Southern Heights Bridge Replacement. Public Works held one informal and one formal public meeting regarding this project. At the November 3, 2016 formal public meeting, the community was presented with a proposed bridge width of 16 feet which would accommodate a single 12 -foot wide lane with a 4 -foot wide sidewalk. The community members present stated they wanted the same quaint style of the existing bridge and believe that widening the bridge, and providing a sidewalk, would change the character of the community as well as increase vehicle speed in the neighborhood. They also remarked that a pedestrian walkway was not needed on the bridge and that they preferred vehicles to yield to pedestrians on the structure as they do now. A representative from the San Rafael Fire Department was present at the meeting and noted that they require a 12 -foot lane for emergency vehicles. FOR CITY CLERK ONLY File No.: 4-3-620 Council Meeting: 02/21/2017 Disposition: Resolution 14281 SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Paae: 2 ANALYSIS: Southern Heights Blvd. is a two-way road which is exceptionally narrow in places and does not allow two vehicles to pass in certain areas, essentially resulting in a single -lane roadway. Vehicles that need to pass each other generally utilize widened areas at driveways, street intersections and parking areas. The traveled way (where vehicles drive) varies from 11 feet to 14 feet in width. The downhill approach to the existing bridge is 11.5 feet wide while the uphill approach width is 12 feet. This existing roadway has no sidewalks and has narrow sections that provide a 10 foot lane with 2 foot shoulders in which pedestrians and vehicles share the same space. These areas, in general, are shorter than the proposed bridge length. The existing bridge, which as noted above has a clear roadway width of 9 feet, has been hit in the past by vehicles. In addition, the existing roadway has a slope of approximately 10% which exceeds accessibility standards. However, the bridge has no history of vehicle -pedestrian accidents and, as noted above, it is also deemed by the community to be a scenic amenity that contributes to the character of the neighborhood. Staff, as well as the design consultant from Mark Thomas Company, Inc., reviewed the City's Municipal Code, the State of California Standards, and American Association of State Highway and Transportation Official (AASHTO) standards regarding the width of the bridge. Those standards include a variety of minimum width recommendations, ranging from 9 to 20 feet. On February 6, 2017, staff presented four design options to the San Rafael City Council in relation to the width of the bridge, as shown on Exhibit A to the resolution attached to this report. All four options would meet the Fire Department's minimum traveled way requirement of 12 feet in width to accommodate access by emergency vehicles. Options 1, 2 and 3 all have a total usable width of at least 15 feet so as to also include a dedicated pedestrian path. Option 4 proposes a bridge with only a 12 - foot traveled way, and is similar to the existing bridge in that it does not have a separate pedestrian walkway, but instead allows for vehicles to share the lane with pedestrians. At the February 6 meeting, the City Engineer and the City's design consultant noted that the reconstruction of the bridge provides an opportunity to enhance pedestrian safety by adding width to the traveled way to accommodate a pedestrian path. The unanimous written and oral comments received from the public urged adoption of Option 4, the 12 -foot width design, advising that the narrower width actually acts to calm vehicular traffic and thus enhances pedestrian safety. The public noted the lack of vehicle -pedestrian collisions on this bridge in its 50 -year history. Given all the evidence, the City Council deemed that Option 4 would be the best option for the community. The Councilmembers indicated that the additional 3 feet of width provided in Option 4 would provide necessary access for emergency vehicles and also additional room for vehicles and pedestrians to navigate the bridge together safely. Accordingly, Council directed staff to return with a Resolution authorizing further design work on Option 4. Staff has prepared the attached resolution for City Council approval. RECOMMENDATIONS: Adopt the resolution approving Option 4. ACTION REQUIRED: Adopt the resolution approving Option 4 and authorizing the City's design team to continue the design of the Southern Heights Bridge according to that Option. ATTACHMENT: Resolution with attached Exhibit A — Options 1 through 4 RESOLUTION NO. 14281 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING STAFF TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE DESIGN OF OPTION 4 FOR THE SOUTHERN HEIGHTS BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROJECT (PROJECT NO. 11282) WHEREAS, the Southern Heights Bridge is currently a one -lane timber bridge located on a narrow two-lane roadway in San Rafael, situated among the trees in a scenic way that adds valued character to the Southern Heights neighborhood; and WHEREAS, the Southern Heights Bridge is structurally deficient, obsolete and has been noted by the California Department of Transportation as needing replacement; and WHEREAS, the replacement of the Southern Heights bridge is fully funded by the local Highway Bridge Program (HBP); and WHEREAS, on June 6, 2016, the City Council of the City of San Rafael approved and authorized the City Manager to enter into an agreement with Mark Thomas and Company for the design of the Southern Heights Bridge Replacement Project, Project No. 11282; and WHEREAS, the Department of Public Works held a formal public meeting on November 3, 2016 and discussed options for the design and replacement of the bridge, at which the members of the public present expressed a strong preference for the installation of a new bridge similar to the existing narrow bridge; and WHEREAS, the City Fire Department requires a minimum of a 12 -foot wide traveled area for emergency vehicle access; and WHEREAS, on February 6, 2017, the City Council held a public hearing at which staff and the City's design consultant presented four design options for reconstruction of the bridge, designated as Options 1, 2, 3, and 4 on Exhibit A attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference; and 1 WHEREAS, Options 1, 2, and 3 each propose a new bridge with at least 15 feet of traveled way that would include a dedicated pedestrian walkway in addition to a 12 -foot vehicle lane accommodating emergency vehicle access; and WHEREAS, Option 4 proposes a bridge with a 12 -foot traveled way that would accommodate emergency vehicle access and would be similar to the existing bridge in that it would not have a separate pedestrian walkway, but would instead allow for vehicles to share the lane with pedestrians; and WHEREAS, City staff and the City's design consultant advised the City Council that, although they have found no record of pedestrian -vehicle collisions at this bridge, it was their preference to pursue Option 1, a bridge width of 15 feet, given that construction of a new bridge provides an opportunity to increase safety for pedestrians by adding width to the traveled way; and WHEREAS, numerous members of the Southern Heights neighborhood, including a representative of the neighborhood association, appeared and spoke at the City Council's February 6, 2017 public hearing and consistently testified to the importance of maintaining the existing bridge in close to its current dimensions, explaining their historical observations that the narrow bridge acts to slow vehicular traffic and therefore actually enhances pedestrian safety; and WHEREAS, public testimony as to the safety of the existing 9 -foot wide bridge for pedestrians is supported by the history of safe shared use of the bridge by both vehicles and pedestrians for approximately 50 years; and WHEREAS, the written and oral comments received from the public at the February 6, 2017 hearing uniformly urged the City Council to approve the 12 -foot wide bridge shown in Option 4; and WHEREAS, upon questioning by the Council, City staff and the City's design consultant confirmed that Option 4 would be three feet wider than the existing bridge, that there N is no record of vehicle/pedestrian collisions on the existing 9 -foot bridge during its 50 -year history, and that CalTrans has indicated it will approve funding for the 12 -foot wide bridge in Option 4 if that design is supported by the community and ultimately approved by the City Council; and WHEREAS, the Council finds no evidence that the existing Southern Heights Bridge is dangerous for pedestrians, and that Option 4, which would add three feet in width to the existing bridge, would be likely to further enhance the pedestrian and vehicular safety of the bridge; and WHEREAS, the proposal in Option 4 appears to have uniform neighborhood support, and therefore under the circumstances would be in the best interests of the community. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of San Rafael hereby authorizes and directs City staff and the City's design consultant to move forward with the design for the replacement of the Southern Heights Bridge according to Option 4 on attached Exhibit A. I, ESTHER C. BEIRNE, Clerk of the City of San Rafael, hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was duly and regularly introduced and adopted at a regular meeting of the Council of said City on the 21 st day of February 2017, by the following vote, to wit: AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: Colin, Gamblin and Vice -Mayor Bushey NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: None ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: Gamblin and Mayor Phillips - !t ► ESTHER C. BEIRNE, City Clerk File No.: 16.01.266 3 = 15' _ 2' SHOULDER 11' TRAVEL WAY 2' SHOULDER RAISED PAVEMENT MARKERS ° a d OPTION 1 - CONTINUOUS WALKWAY SCALE. NTS. = 16' _ 12' TRAVEL WAY 4' SIDEWALK OPTION 2 - SEPERATED WALKWAY SCALE. N T S. 17'+ a = 12' TRAVEL WAY 4' SIDEWALK °d ° ° e d a d a e ° e OPTION 3 - BARRIER WALKWAY SCALE- N S = 12' TRAVEL WAY = s e ° OPTION 4 - 12FT ROADWAY SCALE. N T.S. EXHIBIT A SOUTHERN HEIGHTS BRIDGE RAf4 CITY OF SAN RAFAEL DEPARTMENT OF ° PUBLIC WORKS `yy WITH P _`^--- RA f, z ROUTING SLIP / APPROVAL FORM INSTRUCTIONS: Use this cover sheet with each submittal of a staff report before approval by the City Council. Save staff report (including this cover sheet) along with all related attachments in the Team Drive (T:) --> CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEMS 4 AGENDA ITEM APPROVAL PROCESS 4 [DEPT - AGENDA TOPIC] Agenda Item # Date of Meeting: 2/21/2017 From: Bill Guerin Department: Public Works Date: 2/10/2017 Topic: SOUTHERN HEIGHTS BRIDGE REPLACEMENT WIDTH Subject: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING STAFF TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE DESIGN OF OPTION 4 FOR THE SOUTHERN HEIGHTS BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROJECT (PROJECT NO. 11282) Type: ® Resolution ❑ Ordinance ❑ Professional Services Agreement ❑ Other: APPROVALS ® Finance Director Remarks: Approved -Van Bach ® City Attorney Remarks: LG -Approved 2/15/17. ® Author, review and accept City Attorney / Finance changes Remarks: ® City Manager Remarks: FOR CITY CLERK ONLY File No.: Council Meeting: Disposition: