SR-506-003-04-01 (5)
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.~. GS';SS:RD:db . Santa Mon~ca, calif.ia, October 12, 1981
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To: Mayor and Clty Councll
OCT 2 7 ,ga,
From: General SerVlces
SubJect: Recolm~en~atlOn to Approve t1odlf1catlOn of Parklng
Restrlctlon and Str1Dlng on 26th Street Retvreen
San Vlcente and Wilsnlre &oulevard
Introductlon
ThlS report adVlses Clty Councll of the recent history of
26th Street and makes recommendat~ons to improve the eXlstlng
conditions.
Background
On August 18, Clty Councll instructed Staff to reVlew 26th
Street between San Vicente and Wllshlre Boulevards and make
recommendatlons on how to improve the existing problem related
to speed and resldentlal ingress and egress.
Twenty-slxth Street 1S a major trafflc north south artery
provldlng connectlon from a large portlon of our City and
nelghborlng comrounltles wlth dlrect access to the Santa Mon~ca
Freeway.
In 1966 the roadway wldth varled between 32 and 40 feet from
curb to curb. The street was wldened to 48 feet "to reduce the
traffic congestlon and 1nconvenlence to both motorists and local
resldents". In add1tion to w~denlng the street, parklng restrlC-
tions were posted to provlde two trafflC lanes during the peak
cowmuter hours. In 1966, the two way traffic volumes on 26th
Street between San Vicente and W11shlre totaled 10,862 vehlcles
per day. There were 609 southbound vehlcles durlng the a.m. peak
hour and 766 northbound vehlcles durlng the p.m. peak hour. It--t;
OCT 2 7 1 gat
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. G::; :'SS : RD: db Santa Mon1ca, October 12, 1981
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To: Mayor and Clty Council --'
Recent traffic counts indlcate the two way volume on 26th
Street between San V1cente and Montana is l2,872 veh1c1es per
day w1th 571 southbound vehicles during the a.m. peak and 641
northbound vehicles during the p.m. peak. The two way traffic
volume on 26th Street between Montana and Wilshire is 14,063
veh1cles per day with 63l southbound veh~cles during the a.m.
peak and 808 northbound vehicles during the p.m. peak.
A speed zone survey conducted in 1967 indicated the 85 percentl1e
speed of 38 mph, and a rr-ed1an speed of 34 mph.
The survey lndlcated 37 percent of the trafflc exceeded 35 mph
and 5 percent of the trafflc exceeding 40 mph. Rece::1t speed zone
surv~ys on 26th Street indicate the 85 percentile speed 1S 38 I'1:Jh
and the median speed is 35 mph. The survey lndlcates 48 percent of
the traff~c exceeds the posted 35 mph speed limlt and 9 percent of
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the traffic exceeds 40 mph.
Analysls
Analysis of the data collected In 1966 compared to the 1981 traffic .
data indlcates trafflc has lncreased on 26th Street over the last
l5 years between one and two percent annually. A one to two percent
annual lncrease on a collector or arterlal street ~s expected. The
peak hour has not slgnlficantly lncreased over the years. However,
the commuter peak hours have spread over the years. In 1966 there
was one hour with a significantly higher trafflc volume than the
precedlng and followlng hours.
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' . GS : S5 : RD: db Santa Monica, October l2, 1981
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Mayor and C~ty Council .,r'''- ~_7
To:
The speed zone surveys ind1cate the 85 percentile and roed1an
speeds have remained constant even though the posted speed limit
was increased from 30 to 35 mph. There has been an increase of
veh~cles exceed~ng 35 rnph from 37 percent to 48 percent of the
total veh1cles traveling the street.
We have no records on the accident rate on 26th Street between
San Vicente and Wilshire Boulevard prior to the street w~den~ng
10 1966. The eX1st1ng accident rate is 60 percent of the average
acclcent rate for a collector or arterial street carrying Slrnllar
volumes. Most of the acc1dents occur 1n the even~ng or at n1ght
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dnd are speed refated. The installation of traffic cor.~~ol dev1ces
wlll not solve th1S problem.
In l!eneral, a slngle traffic lanes capac1ty 1S 1800 verucles per
h~)ur aSSum1ng a two second headway between veh1cles. If there 15
a trafflc slgnal the capaClty is reduced 50 percent or to 900
vehicles per hour. Any vehlcles making turns would again reduce
the capac1ty of the single trafflC lane. For all practlcal purposest
the capaclty of a slngle trafflC lane ranges bet~een 600 and 750
vehicles per hour.
Staff has rev1.ewed all the intersectlng streets along 26th Street
between San vicente and Wllshire Boulevard. Staff's analysis indicates
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that none of the subject intersections meet the guidlines for a
trafflC signal or all-way stop sign installation.
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'"- GS: SS: RD: db Santa ~onl.ca, October l2, 1981
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To: Mayor and City Councl.l
Residents' Meeting
On October 8, Staff met with 26th Street residents to discuss
Staff's proposal to change 26th Street's roadway geometrics to
one travel lane in each directl.on separated by a two way left
turn lane and 24 hour parking on both sides of the street. Staff
advl.sed the residents the proposed changes may make it difficult
for them to exit their driveways during the morning peak hour. -
However, overall ~ngress and egress to the area will be greatly
~mproved. One of the maJor compla~nts besides veh~cles travel::ng
at exceSS1Ve speeds was a safe locatlon =or pedestr~a~s to cross
the street. StafTls proposal w~ll lffiprove pedestrian safety by
reGUClng the nur.ber of vehlcle travel lanes a pedestrlan must cross
fro~ 4 to 2 lanes. In add~tion there ~s a 10 foot wide left turn
lane separatlng the travel lanes and an 8 foot parklng lane on
each side. Th~s effect~vely reduces the potentlal vehlcle-pedestrlan
confllct area from 48 feet to 22 feet. There was a consensus by the
residents to proceed wlth Staff's proposal as a short term solutlon.
The residents also requested the installatlon of 4 way stop slgns
at each of 4 ~ntersectlons between San Vlcente and Montana Avenue.
The resldents proposed a long term solutlon of physlcally narrowlng
26th Street. Staff adv~sed the resldents the estlmated cost would
be around $500,000 and any such changes would probably involve
assesslng the effected property owners. ThlS would mean each
effected property owner would be assessed $12,200. The residents
have not made any decisions to pursue this matter.
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. 'G~: S S : RD : db Santa Monica, October 12, 1981
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To: Mayor and City Counc11
Reconunendat1ons
It is recommended City Council instruct Staff to mod~fy the
exist1ng roadway geometr1cS on 26th Street between San Vicente
Boulevard and Montana Avenue to provide one lane in each
d1rect1on separated by a two way left turn lane and remove the
eX1st1~g peak ho~r parking restr1c~10ns.
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Prepared by: Stan Scholl, D~rec~or of General SerV1ces
Ray Davis, Park1ng and Traffic Engineer
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