SR-506-003-01 (13)
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Santa Monica, Callfornla, August 27, 1981
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To: 1>1ayor and City Councll
From: General Sennces
Subject: Recorrrrendation for IrrproveIreIlts to
Th'enty SlXth Street between San vicente
Boulevard and Wilshire Boulevard
IntroductLOn
This report advlses City Council of the recent hlSto:ry of 26th street
and rrBkes recorrnendatlons to irrprove the existing comb:tlons.
Back9TIlund
On August 18, City Counc1l lnStruCted Staff to revlew 26th street
between San Vicente and W11shire B::>ulevards and rrake reconrrendations
on heM to lltprove the eXlstlng problem related. to speed and res1dential
ingress and egress.
'lWenty-sixth street 18 a IraJor trafflc north south artery providlng
connectlon from a large PJrtlon of our C1 ty and neighbor1ng COI'111llll.J. tles
Wl th direct access to the Santa fun1ca FreEWay.
In 1%6 the roadw'ay width varled between 32 and 40 feet from curb to
curb. The street was wldened to 48 feet "to reduce the traffic congestlon
and inconvenience to both IlDtorists and local res1dents". In addi hon to
W1dening the street, parking restrictlons were jX)sted to proV1de two
trafflc lanes during the peak corrmuter hours. In 1966, the two way traffic
VOlUITES on 26th street between San Vlcente and W1lshire totaled 10,862
verllcles per day. There were 609 southbound ve1-11cles dur1ng the a.m.
peak hour and 766 northbound vehicles during the p.m. peak hour.
Recent trafflC counts indicate the two way volune on 26th street between
San vicente and Jl<bntana is 12,872 vehicles per day W1th 571 southbound
vehicles during the a.m. peak and 641 northbound velucles durlng the p.m.
peak. The two way traff1c volune on 26th street between MJntana and lVl1shlre
is 14,063 velucle8 per day with 631 southbound velucles durlllg the a.IT1.
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SEP 8 1981
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Santa MJnica, .itomia, August 27, 1981
'Ib: ,t.1ayor arrl Cl ty Cm.ID.cll
peak and 808 northbound vehicles durlTlg the p.m. ~.
A speed zone survey conducted in 1967 1.lldlcated the 85 percentlle speed
was 38 rrIh and the mean speed was 34 qih. The survey also indicated 37 per-
cent of the traffic exceeded 35 rrph and 5 percent of the traffic exceedillg
40 nph.
Recent speed. zone surveys on 26th street 1ruhcate the 85 percentlle
speed is 38 nP1 arrl the rrechan speed is 35 rrph. The survey indlcates 48
percent of the traff1c exceeds the jX)sted 35 l7ph speed Imt and 9 percent
of the traffic exceeds 40 l1{:h.
AnalYS1S of the data collected ill 1966 corrpared to the 1981 trafflc
data lndlcates traffic has lncreased on 26th street over the last 15 years
beuveen one and two percent annually. An one to two percent annual lncrease
on a collector or arterial street lS expected. The peak hour has not Sign1-
flcantl y increased over the years. HaV€ver, the comuuter peak hours have
spread over the years. In 1966 there was one hour Wlth a sigtuflcantly
higher trafhc vo1l.lIte than the preceding and follClltlmg hours.
The speed zone surveys indicate the 85 percentile and rredian speeds have
ren:ained constant even though the p:lsted speed limit was increased from
30 to 35 rrph. 'lhere has been an lllcrease of vehicles exceedl.hg 35 nph from
37 percent to 48 percent of the total velucles traveling the street.
We have no records on the accld.ent rate on 26th street between San Vicente
and Wllslnre Boulevard prlor to the street w1delung in 1966. The eXlstlng
accident rate lS 60 percent of the average accident rate for a collector
or artenal street carrymg similar trafhc volurres.
In general, a single traffic lane capaclty is 1800 vehicles per hour
asS1..ll1llng a two second headway between vehicles. If there lS a traffic
slgnal the capacity lS reduced 50 percent or to 900 velucles per hour.
Any velllcles naking tun1s would agam reduce the capacity of the single
trafflc lane. For all practlcal purposes, the capacity of a slngle traffic
lane ranges between 600 and 750 vehicles per hour.
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Santa l-bmca, Califom~a, August 27, 1981
'lb: Mayor and City Council
Staff has reviewed all the intersecbng streets along 26th street
beu."een San V~cente and vlilsh:Lre Boulevard. None of the exJ.sbng
non signalized intersections neat the guidelmes for a traff1.c signal
ll1Stallation. The only exception was h'ash:mgton Avenue prior to t..'le
traffic diverter installatlon.
Staff proposes to rrodify the existing four lane 26th street bet:/Veen
San Vicente Boulevard and funtana Avenue to one lane in each nlrectl.On
seperated by a two way left tUTIl lane and allow park1.ng on ooth sides
of the street at all tines. If this proves to be successful, Staff Wl.ll
return and reco.rrrrend the sane for 26th street between M:>ntana Avenue
and Wilshue Boulevard. It should be noted that during the peak periods
ingress and egress from the adjoining property nay be very dJ..ffl.cult.
'nus will only occur for residents on the west side of the street dur:mg
the a.m. peak hours and on the east side of the street during the p.m.
hours. '!he proposed change will increase the safety of velll.cles making
left turns in and out of driveways. '!he Police will be able to park on-
street to enforce the exl.sting speed limit Wl.th parking allowed at all
ti.rres .
RecoIlIIEIlda tians
It is recomrended C~ty CotmCil instruct Staff to m:xhfy the existing
roadway georretrics on 26th street between San vicente Boulevard and
!-bntana Avenue to provide one lane in each ni rectlon seperated by a
two way left turn lane and renove the existing peak hour parJang
restrictions .
Prepared by:
Stan Scholl, Duect.or of General Services
Ray Davis, parking & Trafflc Engineer
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