HomeMy WebLinkAboutPW Third Street Improvements____________________________________________________________________________________
FOR CITY CLERK ONLY
Council Meeting: 11/02/2020
Disposition: Accepted report
Agenda Item No: 5.e
Meeting Date: November 2, 2020
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
Department: Public Works
Prepared by: Bill Guerin,
Director of Public Works
City Manager Approval: __________
TOPIC: THIRD STREET IMPROVEMENTS
SUBJECT: INFORMATIONAL REPORT ON THE THIRD STREET REHABILITATION AND
THIRD STREET SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS PROJECTS
RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the City Council accept the informational report.
BACKGROUND: In 2004, the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) established the Measure
A Expenditure Plan (Plan), a voter-approved sales tax providing funds for major roadway
projects in Marin County. Plan projects were prioritized based on roadway condition, traffic
volumes, transit frequency, and existing bicycle and pedestrian access. In 2016, San Rafael
received $11 million from Measure A and an additional $1.5 million from the State Local
Partnership Program for the purpose of making significant infrastructure improvements along
Third Street.
Starting in 2017, City staff and the BKF Engineers design team (contract awarded on April 17,
2017) conducted community outreach to receive public input and conceptualize which elements
should proceed to construction. The conceptual plans that were included in the feasibility report
presented to the City Council at the June 3, 2019 meeting are available online at
https://www.cityofsanrafael.org/third-st-rehab.
In 2018, the City applied for federal funding through the Highway Safety Improvement Program
(HSIP) administered by Caltrans. Upon favorable review, the City was awarded $1,575,000 in
funding for Third Street between Lindaro Street and Union Street. As project delivery utilizing
federal funds can be complex and impact timelines, staff subdivided the entire Third Street
corridor into two projects. The environmental and design phase went through a qualifications-
based selection process and the contracts were awarded by Council as follows:
1. Third Street Rehabilitation Project – Miracle Mile to Lindaro Street (Rehabilitation
Project) awarded to CSW/Stuber-Stroeh Engineering group on November 18, 2019.
2. Third Street Safety Project – Lindaro Street to Union Street (Safety Project) awarded to
Kimley Horn and Associates, Inc. on March 2, 2020.
ANALYSIS: The Third Street Rehabilitation and Safety Projects consist of roadway, pedestrian,
and bicycle improvements, including but not limited to, street resurfacing, curb ramps, sidewalk,
raised intersections through the downtown core, storm drain, traffic signal upgrades, adding
bulb-outs for improved pedestrian visibility, shortening crossing distances at key locations,
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 2
narrowing travel lanes, adding trees, and reconfiguring the roadway between West Street and
Shaver Street to allow room for an eight-foot-wide Class IV cycle track on the south side of
Second Street.
In addition, the Rehabilitation project will be a joint effort with Marin Municipal Water District
(MMWD) and San Rafael Sanitation District (SRSD) for pipeline replacement work. Combining
these three projects into one will provide a cost savings for all parties by sharing construction
management resources, improving coordination among different types of work, and by reducing
construction impacts and the overall project timeline for residents and businesses.
On September 23, 2020, City staff hosted its first virtual community meeting of the design phase
to discuss and receive feedback on project elements. To disseminate information on the
community meeting, Public W orks staff used various social media channels, the City website,
homeowner’s association contacts, fliers on cars, mailers, and changeable message signs
located near the project. In addition to the approximately 65 participants in the community
meeting, staff has received over 50 emails providing written feedback on the projects.
Prior to the community meeting, a letter was mailed to residents on Second Street between
Hayes Street and West End advising them of one design alternative which would reduce on-
street parking along Second Street, to ensure their input was received.
The community raised several issues for consideration including: access to the parking lot
adjacent to Walgreens on Third Street at Lindaro Street, maintaining the left turn pocket from
Third Street onto Lindaro Street, providing a complete bicycle facility from Shaver Street to West
End, continuing to provide on-street parking along the south side of Second Street between Ida
Street and West End, and maintaining the eastbound left turn pocket at East Street into the
shopping center that includes the Jack-in-the-Box, Best Buy Outlet and the West End Center.
City staff has worked with residents and business owners to review the key issues presented at
the September community meeting. Based on the feedback we received, staff has made a
number of changes to accommodate the concerns identified. At the Lindaro Street intersection,
the Safety Project will narrow vehicle lane widths on Third Street to maintain the existing left
turn pocket from westbound Third Street onto southbound Lindaro Street, while still reducing the
crossing distance for pedestrians. We still recommend that the parking lot entrance to
Walgreens from Third Street be closed, so the Walgreens driveway on Lootens Street will be
widened to provide better access in and out of this parking lot.
On the south side of Second Street between Shaver Street and West Street, Public Works and
the Rehabilitation Project design team have created a concept design that achieves the goals of
all the users along this section of road. The revised layout includes a sidewalk, Class IV bicycle
facility and parking on the south side, while maintaining two travel lanes in each direction,
sidewalk on the north side, and a left turn pocket into the shopping center at East Street. This is
achieved by using all the available City right-of-way, narrowing vehicle lanes, and providing
minimum widths for the bikeway and sidewalk.
The improvements to the Fourth Street-Miracle Mile-Marquard Avenue intersection that includes
the final connection of the bikeway between West End and West Street falls outside the current
budget available for these projects. The City is exploring possible funding sources to include
these improvements with a concurrent project.
PUBLIC OUTREACH: Public Works and the consultant teams have held several meetings and
outreach events over the last three years to receive feedback from community members and
key stakeholders for the Third Street projects. Meetings held include:
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 3
▪ July 2017: Technical Working Group Meeting
▪ October 2017: Community Working Group Meeting
▪ November 2017: Community Meeting #1 - Feasibility Study
▪ February 2018: Community and Technical Working Group Meeting
▪ March 2018: Community Meeting #2 - Feasibility Study
▪ June 3, 2019: Feasibility Study Report Presentation at City Council
▪ July 15, 2020: Technical Working Group Meeting
▪ August 5, 2020: City’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC)
▪ August 23, 2020: Community Working Group Meeting
▪ September 23, 2020: Community Meeting #3
▪ October 8, 2020: Economic Development Subcommittee Meeting
▪ October 21, 2020: Association of Neighborhoods Meeting
In addition to these meetings, Public W orks has maintained an updated project website and met
with residents and business owners virtually and onsite to discuss key issues.
FISCAL IMPACT: As an informational report, there is no fiscal impact associated with this
action. When a construction contract is ready for award in Spring 2021, staff will return with this
item before the City Council for action.
OPTIONS: The City Council has the following options to consider relating to this matter:
1. Accept the informational report as presented.
2. Do not accept the informational report.
3. Direct staff to return with more information.
RECOMMENDATION: Accept the report.
ATTACHMENT:
11/2/2020 Mail - Lindsay Lara - Outlook
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Fwd: Please do not make our downtown experience MORE difficult by closing the 3rd
St. entrance to Walgreen's!
April Miller <April.Miller@cityofsanrafael.org>
Mon 11/2/2020 5:50 PM
To: Lindsay Lara <Lindsay.Lara@cityofsanrafael.org>
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From: lisa merigian <>
Sent: Monday, November 2, 2020 5:49 PM
To: Maribeth Bushey; John Gamblin; Andrew McCullough; April Miller; Lauren Davini
Subject: Fw: Please do not make our downtown experience MORE difficult by closing the 3rd St. entrance to
Walgreen's!
Hello, City Council Members!
I didn't realize I needed to send this to all of you for "official" considera on at tonight's mee ng. It's too
late for submission, and anyway, I should write a more professional le er if it's going to be included on
the agenda. I'm new to par cipa on in city council proceedings - just a ci zen with some concerns, I
don't represent anyone or any organiza on.
I'm forwarding this now in hopes only that at some point you will read it and consider the value of it's
content. I will try to familiarize myself with the process and formally submit something for review before
the next mee ng.
Thank you for your me and considera on,
Lisa Merigian
From: lisa merigian
Sent: Monday, November 2, 2020 1:54 PM
To: April.Miller@cityofsanrafael.org <April.Miller@cityofsanrafael.org>; bill.guerin@cityofsanrafael.org
<bill.guerin@cityofsanrafael.org>; jim.schutz@cityofsanrafael.org <jim.schutz@cityofsanrafael.org>;
kate.colin@cityofsanrafael.org <kate.colin@cityofsanrafael.org>; gary.phillips@cityofsanrafael.org
<gary.phillips@cityofsanrafael.org>; frontdesk@srchamber.com <frontdesk@srchamber.com>
Subject: Please do not make our downtown experience MORE difficult by closing the 3rd St. entrance to
Walgreen's!
Dear City of San Rafael,
I am a San Rafael resident since 1989. I am a graduate of Dominican University and I absolutely love
living in San Rafael. I am a frequent flyer in the parking lot adjacent to Walgreens on 3rd St. As in, I am in
that parking lot and in that area some mes more than 4 or 5 mes per week. My elderly mother
requires medica ons and supplies from Walgreens; I shop for mul ple pets at the Woodlands Pet
Market across the street; my bank is Mechanics Bank on the corner of 4th St. and Lootens; I o en eat at
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Double Rainbow; I get my hair cut at Caterine Peter's or Sol Salon both near the corner of 4th St. &
Lootens. I live back in the area near Davidson Middle School.
I am wri ng to implore you NOT to close the 3rd Street entrance into the Walgreen's parking lot.
I have read your proposal and looked at the drawings of what seems to be the current proposal, but I
don't understand:
What problems are you hoping to solve? It says "safety", but your proposal to close the entrance to the
Walgreen's lot from 3rd St. creates more safety issues for pedestrians and motorists than it solves.
1) Pedestrians walking west on 3rd street will s ll have to cross autos turning right, onto Lootens instead
of into the parking lot, but now without the safety and aid of a stop-light. Pedestrians who turn right
onto Lootens headed toward 4th Street will now have to cross the ONLY exit and without a stop light,
therefore also crossing the path of ALL THE CARS a emp ng to exit the lot. This puts more pedestrians
in front of cars, not fewer.
2) The ONLY egress, onto Lootens, will now require vehicles exi ng the lot, trying to get back onto 3rd
street, to zig zig, across on-coming traffic, or drive around in circles crossing paths with more
pedestrians and clogging up the streets with more traffic.
Please consult a map. With the proposed single exit from the lot onto Lootens, cars exi ng the lot trying
to get back to 3rd street must either:
a) turn right on Lootens, right on either the alley or on 4th St, right on Cijos and THEN right on busy 3rd
Street - all of which means more turns, avoiding more pedestrians, and most of those turns have no
regula ng stop lights. This, instead of exi ng once from the lot onto 3rd St WITH the aid and safety of a
stop-light.
Or,
b) autos will have to turn le out of the parking lot onto Lootens, across oncoming traffic, with no light
at the entrance for pedestrians, and now with increased traffic of people trying to access the only
entrance, onto a narrow street (Lootens) with two lanes of traffic AND parked cars, then right onto 3rd
St. Insted of exi ng once from the lot onto 3rd St. WITH the aid and safety of a stop-light).
All this equals more cars driving in circles, more traffic conges on in the area, more mes an auto has to
turn and avoid oncoming traffic and pedestrians with no help from street signals.
Honestly, I just don't understand how the city sees this as solving any safety issues. It makes it more
dangerous for cars, pedestrians, and even bicycles.
2) Your proposed closure also makes the lot itself more dangerous for vehicles and pedestrians.
Closing that entrance will leave ci zens of San Rafael with only ONE exit from the busy and congested
parking lot; a lot which is already too small for the number of cars in it. Currently, with the exis ng two
exits, it is s ll o en impossible to maneuver from or into a parking space as cars block you in while they
wait to exit from either or both of the exits. Forcing only one egress op on will clog and congest the lot
further.
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It also looks like you are removing one parking spot to widen the Lootens entrance, but adding three
others? Why do you think we need more parking spots in the already small, congested, and difficult lot?
We don't. There is much needed on-street parking on Lootens AND a gigan c parking structure right
there across the street. By adding addi onal spots you've increased the load on the lot, while at the
same me the decreasing egress op ons by half. So you've increased how many cars are trying to park
and maneuver, but you've reduced how many cars can exit at a me and increased wait me trying to
leave the lot. This equals more conges on. More cars trying to avoid pedestrians walking across the lot.
More cars wai ng to get out of the lot, clogging up the egress. More cars trying to avoid pedestrians
leaving the lot. How is this helpful?
3) The proposed closure makes ge ng to Davidson Middle School, the Bret Harte neighborhood, or the
many businesses in West Francisco corridor even more difficult than it already is. It doesn't seem like
anyone involved in this project lives in the Bret Harte area? Or has children who a end Davidson Middle
School? Or Laurel Dell School? Or that any of you have ever tried to get from this area downtown
(Walgreens) to the West Francisco corridor, Best Buy/Staples/Spouts complex, or Bret Harte businesses?
It certainly doesn't seem like it. Because if you did, it seems like you would understand the value and
importance of that exit out of the lot straight onto Lindaro.
Lindaro is the ONLY straight-shot access or connec ng street from downtown to the Woodland Ave.
corridor, Davidson Middle School, Bret Harte neighborhood, and it takes you to Anderson Dr. which is
the main thoroughfare for accessing the MANY businesses in the area. How can it be helpful to make it
difficult and force cars to drive in circles to get over there?
Elimina ng the 3rd street egress from the Walgreen's parking lot straight onto Lindaro will eliminate
that access and force motorists to travel in circles, adding traffic to streets they wouldn't need to be on if
you kept the entrance open. With the new proposal, how would one get from the lot at Walgreen's to
say, pick up their child at Davidson Middle School, or get home to Bret Harte? How would one get back
onto Lindaro to head south towards Bret Harte, the schools, the West Francisco businesses, the
Woodland Corridor? Let's look at it:
The proposed closure would send cars out the ONE exit on Lootens. To get back to Lindaro, they would
have to either:
a) turn le across Lootens (into oncoming traffic, avoiding pedestrians, without a light), right onto 3rd
Street (avoiding pedestrians at the corner without a stop-light), cu ng quickly across three lanes of
traffic to turn le onto the ny street, Brooks, then le onto 2nd Street as the traffic comes rushing by
(again with no traffic signal), then cut across 3 lanes quickly to get back to Lindaro and now turn right
onto Lindaro. All of that, instead of exi ng once out of the parking lot, across 3rd St., onto Lindaro, WITH
the aid of a traffic light.
Or,
b) turn right out of the lot (avoiding pedestrians without a light), right onto either the alley way or onto
4th street, right again onto Cijos, right onto 3rd St. (avoiding pedestrians without the aid of a traffic
signal), cut quickly quickly quickly across three lanes of 3rd St. traffic to turn le onto Lindaro. Again, all
of that, instead of exi ng once out of the parking lot, with the aid of a traffic signal, across 3rd St. onto
Lindaro.
More traffic conges on, more zig-zagging, more trying to avoid pedestrians WITHOUT the aid of traffic
lights = more dangerous, not less.
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4) And finally, the million-dollar ques on: why does the city think motorists slowing to turn right onto
Lootens, avoiding pedestrians without the aid of a traffic signal for safety, as opposed to slowing to turn
directly into the parking lot, will significantly decrease traffic conges on along 3rd St.? It's basically the
same right turn, just up about 30 feet. It makes no sense.
With the proposed closure of the 3rd St. Walgreen's entrance, instead of turning right into the parking
lot where there is a light, cars will instead make the same right turn, 30 or so up on the same stretch of
3rd St., onto Lootens, with NO LIGHT for pedestrian safety, and now onto a narrow street with two-way
traffic and parked cars. Motorists will slow and pause and wait there at Lootens to turn right just as they
would to get into the parking lot. But now bicycles and pedestrians will not be regulated by a streetlight.
Which makes it more dangerous for them and more likely the car will sit there wai ng to turn right onto
Lootens. Cars will s ll have to slow to turn there just as they did to get into the parking lot, but without a
stop light. So, it doesn't seem to do much to decrease traffic along 3rd St, and it makes it more
dangerous for pedestrians.
.
I am sure someone has some though ul answers, and I look forward to hearing them, but at the
moment, it remains unclear why the city thinks the closure would either increase safety for pedestrians
or decrease traffic. It seems the proposed entrance closure would make the situa on more, not less,
dangerous for pedestrians and for bicycles; it would increase traffic conges on in an already difficult and
crowded parking lot, along Lootens, and around 4th St; it would make it almost impossible for someone
to get from that area back to Davidson Middle school area, Woodland Corridor, over by the Best Buy
complex, or the Bre hart neighborhood without going significantly out of their way, zig-zagging around
clogging up the streets and adding unnecessary traffic; and it does not seem in any way to aid in keeping
traffic moving on 3rd Street as it s ll requires cars to slow to make a right turn (onto narrow Lootens
instead of directly into the parking lot) and now WITHOUT a stop light there to help regulate pedestrian
traffic.
How is making intersec ons less safe and driving more complex and convoluted helpful to San Rafael
residents, pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers alike?
A simpler solu on might be to remove the shrubs along 3rd street for greater pedestrian visibility,
remove (fla en) the dip in the 3rd St. to make turning quicker, and widen the 3rd St. entrance to
Walgreen's so cars could more quickly make the turn from 3rd st into the parking lot. Or something. But,
please, closing that entrance en rely will make things worse and less safe. Please, let's find another
solu on. One that takes into account ALL the factors the city is trying to address while s ll keeping in
mind the ci zens of San Rafael who frequently access that area. Closing that entrance will truly make an
already difficult situa on so much worse and so much more dangerous for more San Rafael ci zens.
Thank you for your me and considera on.
Sincerely,
Lisa Merigian