SR-506-003-01 (33)
PT:RD:tg Santa Monlca, Callfornla
CounCll Meeting, July 12, 1983
6-1/6 -cV05~O/
If-A
JUL 12 1983
To: Mayor and Clty Council
From: Clty Staff
Subject: Fourth Street Modiflcations between Pico Boulevard and
Hlll Street.
Introductlon
ThlS report provldes Clty Council with lnformatlon on the
proposed Fourth Street Modlflcatlons between Pico Boulevard and
Hi 11 Street.
Background
Staff flrst met wlth resldents to dlSCUSS their concerns
about safety, vehlcular speeds and volumes. and the lack of
on-street parklng, ln April 1982.
Staff developed a serles of plans to analyze the most
effectlve way to resolve the residents' concerns and not to
create an unsafe condltlon for pedestrlans, blCycllStS. and motor
vehlcles,
In August 1983. residents along Fourth Street between
P1CO Boulevard and Hlll Street met in HotchklSS Park to discuss
the proposed Fourth Street plans and ways to fund the proposed
changes with Clty Staff.
These were then presented to City
Counc,7 1n September 1982. The a7ternatlves presented were:
1) One lane ln each dlrectlon with a contlnuous two
way left turn lane and blcycle lanes in each
direction.
2) One lane in each dlrectlon wlth diagonal parklng.
3) One lane 1n each d1rectlon separated by a raised,
landscaped medlan wlth parklng on one slde of the
median, and
4) Slmllar to #3. but the raised medlan would not be
contlnuous,
1
II-A
JUL 1 2 1983
PT:RD:tg Santa Monlca, Callfornia
Councll Meetlng, July 12. 1983
Resldents supported the one lane ln each dlrection wlth a
raised continuous median (excludlng lntersections), because lt
would mltigate most of thelr concerns regarding Fourth Street.
Clty Councll lnstructed Staff to work wlth the resldents to
develop the most approprlate and economlcally feasible plan,
conduct an envlronmental assessment of the recommended plan. and
determlne the appropriate way to fund the proJect,
City Staff completed the Envlronmental Assessment and the
Negative Declaratlon was slgned by the Planning Director and Clty
Englneer on November II. 1982.
The analys1s lndicated no
slgnificant lmpacts will occur due to the proJect.
Sta ff
advertlsed the proJect for the 30 day public reVlew period on
November 23, 1982 and had copies available at the llbrary, City
Clerk's offlce and the Planning Department. The review perlod
ended December 23, 1982.
No wrltten or oral comments were
received by Staff.
At the January 25th Clty Councll meeting, Staff recommended
and
City
Councll
unanlmously
approved the Environmental
Assessment and appropriated $30.000 from the Capltal Improvement
Fund Reserves for the lnstallat10n of the abbreviated Fourth
Street median plan with strlping between the planted medlans and
parklng In the median. Clty Councll lnstructed Staff to reVlew
the contlnuous ralsed landscape medlan as part of the FY83-84
Capltal ProJect Program.
Staff lS still determlnlng the most
appropriate fund1ng sources to accomplish the second phase of the
proJect,
2
PT:RD:tg Santa Monlca. Callfornia
Councll Meetlng. July 12, 1983
In Aprll. Clty Councll awarded the bid to construct the
first phase of the medlan project. ThlS was part of City's Clty
wlde resurfacing program. Actual constructlon was due to begln
the end of May but has been delayed at the request of Councll
members. A re-analysis of the maJor items of consideration for
thlS project IS shown below:
Trafflc Flow
A concern WhlCh has reoccured is the trafflc flow on Fourth
Street and what affect the changes will have.
Fourth Street between P1CO Boulevard and Hill Street has an
average dally traffic flow of 12.400 vehicles per day and 18,300
vehlcles per day durlng the peak summer weekend days. The
eXlstlng roadway capacity is 45,000 vehlcles per day. The
proposed reductlon of vehicle travel lanes wlll reduce the
capaclty to 25,000 vehlcles per day. The Circulation Element has
proJected the average dally trafflc volumes wlll lncrease from
12,400 vehicles per day to 13,900 vehlcles per day 1n the year
2000.
ThlS equates to 62 percent utillzation of the redeslgned
capacity.
Trafflc flow problems tYPlcally begln to occur when the
trafflc volumes reach 75 percent of the design capaclty. Th1S
means the average daily traffic would have to lncrease 5.000
vehlcles per day beyond the year 2000 projection before capacity
problems will begln to occur.
3
PT:RD:tg Santa Monlca, California
Council Meeting. July 12. 1983
It is ant1cipated when the main entrance of the beach
parklng lot lS relocated to Blcknell Avenue. the peak summer
weekend trafflc will signlflcantly drop.
PRe Voorhees. the consultant preparlng the clrculatlon element
of the land use plan, has revlewed the proposed project and
concurs wlth Staff's analysls that the proposed plan will not
have any adverse lmpacts on the area's trafflc flow. Both Staff
and Voorhees agree lt 1S not likely that traffic wlll be diverted
from Fourth Street to parallel routes because the trafflc volumes
are well below the capacity of the street, In addltion there are
no other through streets WhlCh are easlly accesslble to vehlcle
drlvers except for Third Street. Third Street lS the only through
street to Ocean Park Boulevard. At Ocean Park Boulevard vehlcle
drlvers must turn rlght and go to Main Street to continue south.
It should be noted the proJected trafflC volumes on Fourth Street
by PRC Voorhees for the year 2000 assumes there wlll be an
eastbound Fourth Street on-ramp to the Santa Monica Freeway.
Staff support of 4th Street on-ramp has assumed narrowing of
4th Street between P1CO and Ocean Park Boulevard. Constructlon of
the on-ramp absent narrowlng is llkely to pose signlflcant
add1tlonal lnconvenience to resldents. The on-ramp is vitally
necessary for contlnued growth of the downtown area. Downtown
growth can and should be consistent with neighborhood stablllty.
4
PT:RD:tg Santa Monlca, California
Councll Meetlng. July 12. 1983
Safety
It lS antlClpated the overall safety to pedestrlans. motor
vehicles
and
blcycles
will be lmproved by the proposed
lmprovements. The proposed median wlll provide a refuge area
between the trafflc lanes for pedestrians crosslng Fourth Street.
Parklng ln the median may increase the number of pedestrlans
crossing at mldblock locations. However. Phase II may mltlgate
thlS problem by deslgnlng the median to lncourage pedestrlans to
walk to an intersectlon prlor to crossing.
It lS antlclpated overall vehicle speeds will be reduced. It
lS dlfflcult to anticipate the actual speed reductIons but our
experlence on 11th. 14th, and 26th Streets lndlcates a reductlon
of vehlcle speeds between 5 mph and 9 mph. The reductlon of speed
wl11 increase the safety of vehlcles crossing Fourth Street.
The proposed medlan wlll also increase safety by reduclng the
number of locatlons where left turns may be made and thus reduce
the potentlal of vehlcle confllcts.
Effect on Residents
The proposed project will lncrease parking by over 100 spaces.
reduce vehlcle speeds. and lmprove the safety. However. the
medlan will make lt less convenlent to enter and eXlt thelr
driveways. The reductlon of trafflc lanes from two lanes to one
lane may make it more dlfficult for area resldents to turn onto
or cross Fourth Street durlng the peak hours because of the
5
PT:RD:tg Santa Monlca, Callfornla
Councll Meetlng, July 12, 1983
increased density of trafflc, ThlS problem should not occur
during the non peak hours.
FlnanClal Analysis
Approprlatlon authorlty of $30.000 was approved by the Clty
Councll on January 25, 1983 and is ln the FY 1982-83 budget or
account
number
01-500-421-000-905. Slnce these funds were
encumbered durlng FY 1982-83 as part of the City's clty-wide
resurfaclng program. for FY 1983-84 this approprlatlon authorlty
wlll be controled as part of the Clty'S prlor year accounts.
Coastal Commlss;on Status
Staff has submltted an appllcat;on for a Coastal Permlt to
construct the proposed proJect. The publlC hearlng on the permlt
wlll be held in Marlna Del Ray durlng the Coastal CommisSlon's
August 23-26 meetlng.
Recommendatlon
It lS recommended that Councll lnstruct Staff to install tree
wells and a painted medlan wlth parking on Fourth Street between
P1CO Boulevard and Hlll Street.
Prepared by: Stan Scholl, Dlrector of General Services
Ray Davis. Parklng and Trafflc Englneer
Attachment: PRC Voorhees Report
Fourth Street Layout
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Planning Research Corporation
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.21J-t-"~~05'
July L, 19&3
Mr. Raymond E. Davis III
Parking and Traffic Engmeer
City of Santa \'tonka
City Hall
1685 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90407
RE: Capacity of Fourth Street, from Pica Blvd. to Hill Street, With
proposed \1edian Island
Dear Mr. Davis:
I have reviewed the CIty of Santa ","omca Department of Engineering's
proposed plans for the installation of a traffic median on Fourth Street,
between PICO Blvd. and HIll Street, and have the followmg observatIOns to
make:
1. The update of the Circulation Element of the Cay of Santa
\1onIca General Plan is currently being prepared by PRC Voor-
hees and wlllmclude deSignation of functional clasSIficatJOns for
all streets in the CIty. Although the CirculatIon Element has not
yet been completed and adopted by the CIty of Santa \1onJca,
our preliminary recommendatIons WIll include deSIgnation of
Fourth Street as a reSIdential collector street. The proposed
plan, for two traffic lanes WIth parkmg on both sldes of the
street, is consistent WIth the anticipated residential collector
street designation which will be assigned to this section of
Fourth Street.
2. The proposed plan is also consistent with the existUlg roadway
cross section on Fourth Street, south of Hill Street, where the
fronting land uses continue to be resJdentJal in nature. North of
Pica Blvd., the land uses along Fourth Street change to public/-
institutional or commercw land uses. North of Downtown,
Fourth Street again transItions back to a two-lane residentIal
collector at California Avenue.
3. The physical traffic-carrying capacity of a street is determmed
by a number of factors including number and type of travel
lanes, lane widths, presence or absence of curb parking, number
of driveways, percentage of buses and trucks, type of traffic
control devices (signals or stop signs), etc. The eXlstmg capacity
of Fourth Street, between Pica and Hill, in terms of the number
of vehicles that it can carryon a daily baSIS, 15 approximately
45.000 vehicles per day (vpd). With the installation of the
proposed plan, the capacity will be reduced to between 20,000
and 2',000 vpd (20,000 m sections where left-turns must be made
from the through travel lane, and 25,000 in sections where left
turns can be made from a separate lane or in the middle of the
mtersectlon. not blocking through traffic).
4. The eXistIng average dally traffiC (ADT) volume on Fourth Street
IS approXimately 12.400 vpd, or rougl11y 28% of the eXlstmg
capacity. Under the proposed plan, the existing ADT Will utIlize
approximately 5596 of the street's reduced capacity. PRe
Voorhees has also projected future traffiC volumes WhICh are
hkely to occur as a result of future development In Santa ~omca
through the year 2000. Our estimate of future traffiC volumes
on Fourth St., south of Pica, IS 13,900 vpd. TIus volume would
represent about 6296 of the dally capacity of Fourth Street, if
the proposed plan is Implemented. The proposed plan, therefore,
will provide adequate capacity to carry the existmg and future
daily traffic volumes projected for Fourth Street between Pica
Blvd, and HiU Street.
,. An estimate of peak hour conditIons on this sectIon of Fourth
Street was prepared to determine if the reduced capacity would
also be adequate during peak hours. The attached table prOVides
-2-
a comparison of our estimate of eXisting and future peak hour
conditions. Without the benefit of up-to-date peak hour counts,
we estimated the peak hour volumes by assuming a 10% peak
factor and 6'/3' north-south directional split. As indicated on
the table, the existing street cross-section has the capacity to
carry approximately 23'0 vehicles per hour in either direction.
The proposed plan will be able to carry about one-third fewer
vehicles (1880 northbound, 1310 southbound) during peak hours,
As illustrated on the attached table, the existing and projected
future peak hour volumes are beLow the capacity of Fourth
Street, following implementation of the proposed plan, In the
northbound direction, during the morning peak hour, the volume-
to-capacity ratio is estimated to increase from 0.34 to 0.48 as a
result of implementation of the proposed plan. In the southbound
direction, dunng the afternoon peak hour, the volume-to-capa-
city ratio change will be from 0.34 to 0.62. Even WIth the
Increased traffic projected for the future, the peak hour/peak
directIon volume-to-capaclty ratios are estimated to Increase to
0.48 and 0,69 In the mornmg and afternoon peak hours, re-
spectively. This analysis lOdlcates that the reduced capacity
proposed on Fourth Street. between Pico and Hill, will still be
adequate to accomodate eXisting and projected peak hour
volumes.
6. Under current Circumstances, four eleven-foot travel lanes are
prOVided on Fourth Street. Twelve-foot lanes are the generally
accepted standard lane Width used throughout the Country,
where nght of way permits. FollOWing implementation of the
proposed plan, a fourteen-foot wide lane will be provided in the
southbound direction and a sixteen-foot wide lane in the north-
bound direction. The extra-wide lanes included in the proposed
plan should make it safer for blcychsts to ride along thiS section
of Fourth Street. 'The wider lanes should also make it safer for
persons to enter and exit vehicles parked along the curb.
-3-
I .
7, The presence of vehicles parked along the median island may
however, tend to off-set the safety improvements gained by the
wider travel lanes for persons parked along the curbs. Persons
who park along the median island 11I'111 likely have the tendency to
"Jaywalk" from their parked cars to the sidewalk. This would
increase the chances for mid-block pedestrian accidents. Per-
haps the landscaped median islands, to be provided adjacent to
the crosswalks at each intersection could be redesigned to
contain a sidewalk along one side of the island. This would
provide persons parking along the median island with the oppor-
tunity to walk along the median Island to the crosswalks, rather
than forcing them to jaywalk. It is likely that the majority of
persons who will park along the median island will be residents of
the area and that they Will quickly become familiar with the
safest way to utilize those parking spaces. The City should
however consIder Implementation of some measures, such as the
redeSigned Islands discussed above and potentially pavement
mark10gs directmg parkers to the crosswalks. 10 order to discour-
age jaywalking by persons park10g along the median.
8. The extra Wide lanes (14' and 16') should also faCilitate bus
movements along thIS sectIon of Fourth Street. Bus stops wIll be
provIded along the curb (at locations where parking IS prohibited)
so there should be no disruptIon to through traffic associated
with contmued use of Fourth Street by S\1\1BL buses.
9. Because the volumes projected for Fourth Street will continue to
be comfortably below the capacity of the street, even with the
reduced capaCIty associated with the proposed plan, it IS not
lJkely that traffic will be forced to divert away from Fourth
Street to alternate parallel routes. On the contrary, as noted in
the circulation analysis prepared in conjunCtion with the General
Plan Update, future traffic volumes on Lincoln Blvd. are pro-
jected to exceed lOO~ of that street's capacity. The pressure
-4-
I.
w1ll therefore eXist for traffic to shift away from Lincoln toward
Fourth Street, Mam or !',j1elson. The proposed plan may, lJl fact,
serve as somewhat of a disincentive toward drivers who might
have considered diverting from Lincoln (a major commercial
arterial) to Fourth Street (a residential collector street).
1 trust that this brief analysis provides you with the information necessary
to objectively evaluate the pros and cons associated with implementation of
the proposed median on Fourth Street. If you have further quest10ns or
concerns about this project please do not hesitate to call upon PRC
Voorhees for further analys1s.
Sincerely,
PRC VOORHEES, a DiVIsion
of PRe ENGINEERING. INC.
. ~)~ ,-
\i:chael P. \1.eyer ~
Semor Assoc1ate Engmeer
Callforma Registered ProfeSSIOnal Engmeer TR 1390
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