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CC - (1) Provide direction to staff regarding which traffic calming measure to install on Colonial Avenue, 120 feet north of Washington Boulevard, in order to minimize traffic on Colonial Avenue from the Market Hall development; and (2) authorize a nine-month trial installation of Option 2 (Modified Cul De Sac) if that option is selected.
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Meeting Date: September 24, 2018
Contact Person/Dept: Gabe Garcia/Public Works Department
Phone Number: 310-253-5633
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [] Attachments: [X]
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X] Date:
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (09/19/18);
Department Approval: Charles D. Herbertson, Public Works Director/City Engineer 9/12/18
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council: (1) provide direction to staff regarding which traffic measure to install on Colonial Avenue, 120 feet north of Washington Boulevard, in order to minimize traffic on Colonial Avenue from the Market Hall development; and (2) authorize a nine-month trial installation of Option 2 (Modified Cul De Sac) if that option is selected.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
On April 23rd, 2018, the City Council approved the sale of City property located at the northwest and northeast corners of Washington Boulevard and Centinela Avenue, to Regency Centers, LLC (Developer), for the development of the Culver Public Market project (Market Hall), This approval was subject to approval by the Oversight Board of the Successor Agency to the Culver City Redevelopment Agency (Oversight Board) and the California Department of Finance (DOF). On May 10th, 2018 the Oversight Board adopted a resolution approving the sale of the property.
The Project has been entitled and the Project conditions require that the Development restrict through traffic northbound on Colonial Avenue past the project driveway, and only allow traffic exiting the project driveway westbound onto Colonial Avenue to turn left. The Project shall be responsible for preparing and implementing design plans and specifications to the satisfaction of the City Engineer.
On June 6th, 2018, staff from Community Development Department and Public Works Department, along with the Developer, held a community meeting regarding the Project, to which all residents of Colonial Avenue were invited to attend. The meeting focused on the review of options to address residents’ concerns regarding traffic on Colonial Avenue stemming from the Project (the Project’s traffic study concluded that there would be no traffic impact on Colonial Avenue, and therefore the options presented in this report do not constitute California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) mitigation to address Project traffic impacts). The input received from the residents of Colonial Avenue in attendance at the meeting of June 6th, focused on two options:
1. A semi-diverter that would prevent northbound traffic from entering Colonial Avenue from the south end of the block, while keeping the southbound side of Colonial Avenue open;
2. A modified cul-de-sac composed of several small raised, landscaped islands with separations designed to allow larger City services vehicles (such as fire trucks and refuse collection trucks), to enter from the north or south, while preventing access by passenger vehicles.
The graphics in the attachment illustrate the two options.
Traffic Impacts by the Modified Cul-De-Sac (Option 2)
In 2017, the Developer’s traffic engineering consultant collected Average Daily Traffic (ADT) data. The existing volume is as follows:
Colonial Avenue 402 ADT
Boise Avenue 1,055 ADT
Wasatch Avenue 532 ADT
If the Modified Cul-De-Sac is installed on Colonial Avenue, the projected traffic volume on each street, in 2019, is projected to be as follows:
Colonial Avenue 188 ADT (a decrease of 222 trips, or -54%)
Boise Avenue 1,126 ADT (an increase of 50 trips, or 5%)
Wasatch Avenue 715 ADT (an increase of 172* trips, or 32%)
According to Public Works Department ‘Traffic study criteria for the review of proposed development projects within the Culver City,’ an increase of greater than 120 trips on a street segment with less than 1,000 ADT, constitutes a significant impact.
The Developer’s traffic engineering consultant concluded that Option 2 will decrease traffic on Colonial Avenue, and will increase it on Boise Avenue and Wasatch Avenue. Please see attachment for further details.
Colonial Avenue Advisory Survey
It was the consensus at the community meeting of June 6th, that the two options would be put on an Advisory Survey in which written opinion is sought from all residences on the block of Colonial Avenue, to express a preference for one of these two options. The Advisory Surveys were mailed on July 10, 2018, to residents of Colonial Avenue, and were due back by July 27, 2018.
In support of the Advisory Survey, and to further inform consideration of the options by the residents, the Developer produced a video description of the two options, and the following link to the video was shared, along with the Advisory Surveys: <https://vimeo.com/278157228/665e9c9d89>.
The results of the Colonial Avenue Advisory Survey were as follows:
Eighteen out of 28 residents on Colonial Avenue participated in the survey. The businesses to the south of the alley were not included in the Advisory Survey per NTMP guidelines.
The Advisory Survey rules, contained in the City Council-adopted Neighborhood Traffic Management Program (NTMP), were applied. A minimum of 14 residences, plus 1 more, were required to document support (50% + 1).
Support the Semi-Diverter (Option 1): 17.86% (or 5 residences);
Do not support the Semi-Diverter (Option 1): 42.86% (or 12 residences);
Support the Modified Cul-De-Sac (Option 2): 50.00% (or 14 residences);
Do not support the Modified Cul-De-Sac (Option 2): 14.29% (or 4 residences);
Did not participate in the Advisory Survey: 35.71% (or 10 residences)
Based on the criteria used, support for Option 2 was short by 1, but did attain the highest support at 50%.
Boise Avenue and Wasatch Avenue Advisory Survey
At the community meeting of June 6th, it was agreed with the residents of Colonial Avenue, that if the majority of Advisory Surveys supported the modified cul-de-sac (Option 2), then a follow-up Advisory Survey would also be mailed to residents of Boise Avenue and Wasatch Avenue, because this option will cause an increase in traffic on these two parallel neighboring streets.
On August 2nd, 2018, Advisory Surveys were mailed to the residents of Boise Avenue and Wasatch Avenue, asking which of the two options they supported for installation on Colonial Avenue. The Advisory Surveys were due back by August 24, 2018. The results are as follows:
Boise Avenue advisory survey results
Five of twenty-eight residences responded to the Advisory Survey.
Support the Semi-Diverter (Option 1): 4% (or 1 residence);
Do not support the Semi-Diverter (Option 1): 14% (or 4 residences);
Support the Modified Cul-De-Sac (Option 2): 0% (no residences);
Do not support the Modified Cul-De-Sac (Option 2): 18 (or 5 residences);
Did not participate in the Advisory Survey: 82% (or 23 residences)
Wasatch Avenue advisory survey results
Ten out of twenty-eight residences responded to the Advisory Survey.
Support the Semi-Diverter (Option 1): 32% (or 9 residences);
Do not support the Semi-Diverter (Option 1): 4% (or 1 residences);
Support the Modified Cul-De-Sac (Option 2): 0% (no residences);
Do not support the Modified Cul-De-Sac (Option 2): 29% (or 8 residences);
Did not participate in the Advisory Survey: 64% (or 18 residences)
The returned Advisory Surveys for Boise Avenue and Wasatch Avenue indicate that no residences support the Modified Cul-De-Sac (Option 2), but almost all the returned surveys indicate opposition to it.
Staff seeks the City Council’s (1) direction regarding which traffic measure option to install on Colonial Avenue; and (2) if the installation of Option 2 (Modified Cul-de-Sac) is directed by the City Council, staff asks for authorization of a nine-month temporary trial installation to evaluate traffic volume changes on each street, based on empirical data. At the conclusion of the trial period, and after evaluating traffic data, staff would return to the City Council to inform of the results, as well as to seek direction regarding proceeding or not, with a permanent installation.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
There is adequate funding in the Public Works Department Neighborhood Traffic Management Project capital project in the current fiscal year, to implement a temporary trial installation and collect traffic data, should the City Council direct staff to proceed with a trial.
ATTACHMENTS
Colonial Graphics
MOTION
That the City Council:
1. Provide direction to staff regarding which traffic measure option to install on Colonial Avenue, 120 feet north of Washington Boulevard; and,
If Option 2 (Modified Cul de Sac) is selected:
2. Authorize a nine-month temporary trial installation and evaluate the traffic volume changes on Colonial Avenue, Wasatch Avenue, and Boise Avenue, and return to the City Council to present the results, and to obtain further direction.