SR-506-003-04 (13)
GS:SS:RD:db Santa Monica, California
Council Meeting, May 18, 1982 Nf~ 11-8
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: General Services
Subject: Proposed One Way Street Changes
INTRODUCTION
This report recommends City Council instruct Staff to convert
Arizona Avenue between Lincoln Boulevard and Ocean Avenue and
Slxth Street between Wilshire Boulevard and Colorado Avenue from
one-way, appropriate $21,000 to do the work, and for Staff to
return in three months with recommendations to improve traffic
flow on 4th Street.
BACKGROUND
There has been concern expressed by both residents and
business owners as to the disruption of traffic circulation and
confusion experienced by motor vehicle drivers in the downtown.
Arizona Avenue was converted from a two-way to an one- way
street in January 198!. Arizona Avenue was converted one-way to
be the second half of the one-way couplet with Broadway. Before
the conversion, Arizona Avenue had an average daily traffic (ADT)
volume of 6900 vehicles per day. Since the conversion, Arizona
has an ADT of 3300 vehicles pe r day. Santa Monica Boulevard has
experienced an increase of 4500 vehicles per day since the
conversion. This indicates vehicle drivers are not using the
one-way street couplet. Instead vehicle drivers are using Santa
Monica Boulevard to travel westbound if their destination is
north of Santa Monica Boulevard.
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GS:SS:RD:db Santa Monicat California
. Council Meeting, May 18, 1982
I . ~
Staff's analysis indicates Arizona can carry 12,000 vehicles
per day and maintaln a level of service IIC" or 35 to 40 average
seconds of delay. This i n d i c ate s it is not necessary to maintain
Arizona as an one-way street to provide for growth.
Staff1s meetings with members of the public and Chamber of
Commerce indicated Arizona Avenue as being the one street that
should be converted back to a two-way street due to motor vehicle
driver inconvenience and confusion.
The conversion of Arizona Avenue will eliminate 28 on-street
parking spaces and reduce potential revenue by approximately
$33,600 per year. The cost to change the street from one-way to
two-way is estimated to be $15,000. S8.000 will be required to
modify the traffic signal at Ocean Avenue and Arizona and the
balance to orient the stripingt signing, traffic signals and
parking meters to two-way operation.
The conversion may require Wilshire Palisades to modify their
vehicle ingress and egress. They have estimated the cost will be
between $20.000 and $35,000. However, regional access to their
building wi 11 be significantly improved. The conversion of
Arizona cannot begin until the traffic signal is modified. It is
anticipated three months will be required for the modification.
Sixth Street is not an effective half of couplet with Fifth
Street because it is only 8 blocks long and does not provide
regional distribution. Sixth Street carries 5400 vehicles per day
as an one-way street. Prior to the Sixth Street conversion it
carried 4500 vehicles per day as a two-way street. Sixth Street
can carry 15,000 vehicles per day and maintain a level of service
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GS:SS:RD:db Santa Monica, California
Council Meeting, May 18, 1982
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lIell. This indicates it is not necessary to maintain Sixth Street
as an one-way street to provide for growth.
The cost to convert Sixth Street to two-way is estimated to be
$6,000. The two-way street will eliminate 20 on-street parking
spaces and reduce potential rev en ue by $24,000. This work can
begin within four weeks after Council approval.
The Director of Planning believes that the one-way street
system was designed for a much greater development potential than
that which now exists (no helght or bulk limits). An one-way
street sytem i s the characteristic difference between a medium
sized pedestrian scale City and a large automobile oriented City.
One-way streets especially in conjunction with two-way streets
cause confusion, irritated pedestrian and increased signage. In
the case of Santa Monica the present one-way system discriminates
those buslness properties north of Santa Monica Boulevard,
especially 1 n the Third Street Mall area by disproportionately
carrying traffic into the southern half and out of the northern
half.
The intersection of 4th Street and Santa Monica Boulevard is
the major problem area in the Central Business District. The
consultantls Executive Summa ry of the Traffic Circulation
Analysis (p.3) states the intersection "often becomes
oversaturated due to heavy left turn volumes and no left turn
lanes to accommodate the need II. It points out several solutions,
one of which is to prohibit left turns. The Staff believes that
any changes should be done only after meeting with affected
businesses as well as members of the community.
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GS:SS:RO:db Santa Monica, California
. Councll Meeting, May 18, 1982
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It is estimated that such input and analysis will take
approximately three months.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that City Council authorize the following:
1) Conversion of Arizona between Lincoln and Ocean
Avenues and appropriate $15,000 for the work.
2 ) Conversion of Sixth Street between Wilshire
Boulevard and Colorado Avenue and appropriate
$6000 for the work.
3 ) Instruct Staff to return in three months with
recommendations for 4th Street between Wilshire
and Colorado Avenues.
Prepared by: Stan Scholl, Oi rector of General Services
Ray Davis, Parking and Traffic Engineer
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May 18, 1982
The Honorable Santa Monica City Council
Santa Monica City Hall
1685 t1ain Street
Santa Monica, California 90401
Re: Conversion of Sixth Street to a two-way
Street south of Wilshire Boulevard
Dear City Council:
On behalf of the owners and tenants of the Broadway Profes-
sional Center, formerly the Santa Monica Federal Employees'
Credit Union Building, we would strongly support conversion
of Sixth Street back to its original two-way use.
The existing one-way use of Sixth Street (southbound only),
combined with the existing one-way use of Broadway Avenue
(westbound only), makes it difficult for clients and cust-
omers to reach our offices, and often causes wany unneces-
sary extra trips around the block.
Most importantly, the junction of two one-way streets
creates untold confusion and results in numerous wrong
way turns and near-misses in front of our building.
Making Sixth Street a two-way street will alleviate what
we believe to be a dangerous traffic condition.
Yours truly,
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Donald C. McDaniel
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