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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-28-2006 Traffic Studies Study Session Minutes Planning Commission February 28, 2006 Study Session 1 Planning Commission Study Session Minutes CALL TO ORDER A special meeting of the City of Dublin Planning Commission was held on Tuesday, February 28, 2006, in the Council Chambers located at 100 Civic Plaza. Chair Schaub called the meeting to order at 5:05 p.m. ATTENDEES Present: Chair Schaub; Vice Chair Wehrenberg; Commissioners Biddle, Fasulkey, and King; Jeri Ram, Community Development Director; Chris Foss, Acting Planning Manager; Ray Kuzbari, Traffic Engineer; and Rhonda Franklin, Recording Secretary. 1.1 Study Session – Traffic Studies Ray Kuzbari, Traffic Engineer, presented the details of how the City conducts Traffic Studies. Cm. Fasulkey asked Mr. Kuzbari if the presentation would pertain to local and regional traffic studies. Mr. Kuzbari stated that the presentation would pertain to developments within the City, as well as the regional impacts associated with the developments. Cm. Fasulkey asked Mr. Kuzbari to discuss the portion of I-580 that runs through the City and the overall impact of traffic studies. Mr. Kuzbari agreed to address Cm. Fasulkey’s concerns during the presentation. Mr. Kuzbari stated that any development project that is expected to generate 100 or more trips during the A.M. or P.M. peak hours is considered a significant project. Chair Schaub asked what the A.M. peak hours are. Mr. Kuzbari stated that the A.M. peak hours are typically between 7:00 A.M. and 9:00 A.M. and are determined by traffic counts conducted in the area. Cm. Fasulkey asked if peak hours could begin at 6:30 A.M. based on traffic in the area. Mr. Kuzbari said yes, and further stated that traffic typically peaks between 7:00–9:00 A.M. in the morning and 4:00-6:00 P.M. in the evening. Cm. Wehrenberg asked if the number of expected trips generated which qualifies a development as significant is a national or regional standard. Mr. Kuzbari stated that the number could vary, but 100 is a common threshold. Cm. Fasulkey asked how the threshold is determined and Mr. Kuzbari stated that he makes the decision. Mr. Kuzbari stated that a level of service analysis is conducted at corresponding intersections to determine the level of traffic congestion. Grade levels from A-F are Planning Commission February 28, 2006 Study Session 2 assigned, with levels A-D representing acceptable conditions and E -F representing unstable conditions. Cm. King asked how level D is defined. Mr. Kuzbari stated that there are certain thresholds for the volume to capacity ratio. The maximum acceptable volume to capacity ratio for signalized intersections is .90. The method is based on a national standard called Circular 212. Cm. Fasulkey asked for further explanation on how the volume to capacity ratio is defined. Mr. Kuzbari stated that the critical volumes at the intersections determine what the cycle length needs to be. The most critically effected movements are added to the volumes for the movements then the total is divided by the capacity of the intersection. The capacity is based on the number of lanes that are serving each movement. For example, the hourly capacity for two left turn movements is 3,300 vehicles. Cm. King asked who created Circular 212. Mr. Kuzbari stated that the Transportation Resource Board created Circular 212. Cm. Biddle asked if the City currently has any areas that are rated level E-F. Mr. Kuzbari said no and further stated that we may encounter such levels in the future. Chair Schaub commented that Fallon Road would probably be at level E or F in the future. Mr. Kuzbari stated that the City has areas at level D, but no level E or F at this time. Mr. Chris Foss, Acting Planning Manager, mentioned that the City’s General Plan is to strive for a level of D or better. Cm. Fasulkey asked if Pleasanton controls the intersection of Dublin Boulevard and Dougherty Road. Mr. Kuzbari stated that Dublin controls the intersection of Dublin Boulevard and Dougherty Road, and Pleasanton controls the signals at the I580 freeway off-ramps at Hopyard Road and Dougherty Road. Mr. Foss asked if future improvements at the Dublin Boulevard and Dougherty Road intersection would be due to future development and Mr. Kuzbari said yes. Cm. Fasulkey asked when the most recent level of service analysis was conducted at the intersection of Dublin Boulevard and Dougherty Road. Mr. Kuzbari stated that an analysis at that intersection is conducted annually. Cm. Wehrenberg asked if the annual frequency of the analysis is due to the number of new developments in the area and Mr. Kuzbari said yes. Cm. Schaub asked if worst-case scenarios are considered in traffic studies. Mr. Kuzbari stated that worst case scenarios are difficult to model. Cm. Wehrenberg asked if it would be logical to add worst-case scenarios into the traffic study equation. Mr. Kuzbari stated that the general traffic flow of the area, including the assumption that some cars will divert from the freeway to City streets, is already considered in traffic studies; however, the model should not be designed based on incidence. Planning Commission February 28, 2006 Study Session 3 Cm. Fasulkey asked how much of the congestion at the Dublin Boulevard and Dougherty Road intersection is a result of Pleasanton not building through their contiguous streets adjacent to I580. Mr. Kuzbari stated that Staff has requested that Pleasanton provide analysis to show how its future development would impact Dublin Boulevard. Cm. Fasulkey asked if both scenarios of future projects would be presented to the Planning Commission. Mr. Kuzbari said no and further stated that the scenarios for future projects would be presented under the existing General Plan. Cm. Fasulkey commented that it should be the wisdom of the Planning Commission to try to consider the future developments of surrounding cites when discussing Dublin projects. Chair Schaub pointed out that the Financial Plan for Dublin was created for a population of no less that 60,000. He further stated that at a population of less than 60,000, it would become an unsustainable business model. Chair Schaub pointed out that he would be joining an Alameda County Commission on Traffic on behalf of the Mayor. Cm. King asked for additional clarification on the Financial Plan for Dublin and Chair Schaub explained the Plan in detail. Mr. Foss explained that the Eastern Dublin Specific Plan was built on the foundation that new development would pay its own way with no cost to the existing residents. An extensive fiscal model was designed that included different land use assumptions, property values, and sales taxes generated which showed that proposed development could pay its own way. If the quantity of proposed development began to decrease, at some point, the model would begin to fail. Cm. King asked where the number of 60,000 residents comes from and Mr. Foss stated that it comes from the Eastern Dublin Specific Plan. Cm. King asked where the role of the Planning Commission ends. He questioned whether the Planning Commission should be concerned about the impact that future developments may have on traffic or should the Planning Commission be concerned with the economic plan for the City. Chair Schaub stated that it is best for the Community if the Planning Commission deals with land use and the City Council deals with the economics issues of the City. Cm. Biddle asked if input from surrounding cities is received when traffic studies are conducted and Mr. Kuzbari said yes. Mr. Kuzbari stated that the eastern Dublin street system was designed to ensure that Dublin traffic is not dependent on I580 between I680 and Fallon Road. He stated that Dublin’s impact on Pleasanton is limited due to the increased employment and housing opportunities that are being created in Dublin. Planning Commission February 28, 2006 Study Session 4 Chair Schaub pointed out that the new development in Dublin might reduce commute lengths on I580 due to increasing opportunity for area residents to live closer to their place of work. Cm. King asked if the idea behind mixed-use developments is to reduce the amount of commuter traffic. Mr. Foss stated that one goal of mix-use projects, like the Transit Center, is to encourage use of public transportation. Ms. Jeri Ram, Community Development Director, stated that the one of the ideas behind the Eastern Dublin Specific Plan is to try to achieve a jobs/housing balance. Chair Schaub mentioned that Sybase employees are steadily migrating to the Dublin area to live closer to their jobs. Mr. Foss pointed out that one of the reasons Sybase moved to Dublin was that 55% of their employees lived in the area. Cm. Fasulkey asked if Sybase could provide information on whether more of their employees have moved to the Dublin area due to the increased housing opportunities and Chair Schaub stated that he would look into it. Mr. Kuzbari stated that empirical data suggests that if one lives within .33 miles from their job or public transportation, there is an increased chance that they will not drive. He stated that 25% of residents in the Transit Center are expected to use public transportation. Cm. Wehrenberg asked if the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) reviews City traffic studies and places conditions of approval on projects. Mr. Kuzbari said no and further stated that Caltrans reviews projects like Mitigated Negative Declarations and Environmental Impact Reports to determine the impacts on the freeways. Cm. Fasulkey asked why congestion on I580 has increased. Mr. Kuzbari stated that there are planned improvements for I580; however, funding may be an issue. Cm. Fasulkey asked if such improvements would be funded by Traffic Impact Fees (TIF). Mr. Kuzbari stated that the fees intending for regional improvements do not support all of the costs associated with such improvements. Mr. Kuzbari explained that the current travel demand model is based on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s (MTC) Regional Model. He further explained that the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) took the MTC model and refined it to the Contra Costa County and Tri-Valley areas. The City of Dublin created its own model as a derivative of the CCTA model. This is the buildout model which coincides with the year 2025. This model is used on every traffic study. Chair Schaub asked if using this model makes Dublin appear contentious to surrounding areas. Mr. Kuzbari said no and further stated that Livermore and Pleasanton have their own models as well. He stated that Dublin’s model is well respected and is being used by local agencies in Contra Costa County and on the Tri-Valley Triangle study. Cm. Fasulkey asked if there are similar levels of service grades for freeway flows and Mr. Kuzbari stated that the same grade system is used. Cm. Fasulkey asked who calculates Planning Commission February 28, 2006 Study Session 5 the impact that new development will have on freeway traffic. He further asked if anyone calculates the amount of freeway traffic that diverts onto City streets in the event of freeway stoppages. Mr. Kuzbari stated that it is difficult to calculate. Cm. Wehrenberg asked if Caltrans conducts traffic studies to account for such diversions. Mr. Kuzbari said no and stated that Caltrans uses their travel demand model as is. Cm. King asked what the buildout level of eastbound traffic on Dublin Boulevard would be. Mr. Kuzbari stated that the only area that raised a red flag was the intersection at Dublin Boulevard and Dougherty Road. Cm. King asked if traffic studies take into account the freeway traffic that diverts onto City streets. Mr. Kuzbari stated that traffic diversions are accounted for as best as possible. He further stated that in the near future, all freeway on-ramps will be metered. This should help to improve traffic flow on the freeway and create less incentive to divert onto City streets. Cm. Fasulkey asked if traffic study analysis is done on a computer. Mr. Kuzbari stated that it is computerized and maintained through a consultant. Cm. Fasulkey asked if the database is shared with surrounding cities. Mr. Kuzbari stated that every city uses its own model. Cm. King asked if TIFs go into the City’s General Fund and Mr. Kuzbari said no. Cm. Fasulkey asked if every dollar of TIF is associated with a particular project. Mr. Kuzbari explained that in most cases, developers use TIF to construct improvements that will provide access to their projects. Once the improvements are constructed, the developers receive TIF credits. Chair Schaub asked about the width of Fallon Road. Mr. Kuzbari stated that Fallon Road is supposed to be 8 lanes between I580 and Dublin Boulevard, and 6 lanes between Dublin Boulevard and Gleason Drive. Chair Schaub asked if Staff could update the Planning Commission on Dublin traffic conditions every quarter and Mr. Kuzbari said yes. Chair Schaub asked how Planning Commission decisions on parking restrictions for a specific project would be enforced. Mr. Foss stated that the conditions of approval require specific departments to ensure each condition has been satisfied. Ms. Jeri Ram stated that during the project’s final inspection, each department is required to sign-off based on the project satisfying each condition of approval. Cm. Wehrenberg asked if the final inspection sign-off is computerized and Ms. Ram said not at this time. Cm. Wehrenberg asked if traffic studies take into account the quantity of pedestrians and juvenile bicyclists in the area and Mr. Kuzbari said yes. Cm. Fasulkey asked what is done with this data. Mr. Kuzbari stated that the data is used to analyze the general safety of the area, including pedestrian crossing activities. He further stated that the level of service analysis does not take into account any delay to traffic or pedestrians as a result of high pedestrian activity at the intersection. An operational analysis, which is done on a case by case basis, would look at controversial intersections where there are too many pedestrians crossing the streets or intersections. Planning Commission February 28, 2006 Study Session 6 Cm. Fasulkey expressed concern about the duration of pedestrian clearance intervals. Mr. Kuzbari stated that a national formula is used to calculate the pedestrian clearance interval. Cm. Biddle asked if traffic studies account for pedestrian and bicycle traffic. Mr. Kuzbari stated that the CCTA model looks at trips as people trips and assigns people to different modes of transportation. He further stated that for the Transit Center, traffic was discounted by 25% of vehicle trips due to the expectation that most residents will walk. Cm. Biddle asked about the evolution of a project. Mr. Kuzbari stated that they first review the site plan for circulation and access. Mr. Foss added that a traffic consultant is hired to work with the traffic model. He further stated that Mr. Kuzbari is the only contact for traffic issues in the City. Chair Schaub asked if the City chooses the traffic consultant and Mr. Foss said yes. Cm. Wehrenberg asked at whose expense is the traffic consultant compensated and Mr. Foss said the developer’s. Mr. Kuzbari explained the traffic related history of the proposed IKEA project. Chair Schaub asked about the evolution of the traffic inputs for the proposed IKEA project. Mr. Kuzbari explained that traffic impacts for the entire parcel of land and adjacent intersections were analyzed. He further stated that the appropriate TIF program has been updated to include additional improvements and mitigations. Chair Schaub asked if traffic analysis software could pinpoint traffic areas that need updated inputs and Mr. Kuzbari stated that it has not yet happened. Mr. Foss asked if traffic trips have been assigned for vacant parcels in eastern Dublin based on the General Plan and Mr. Kuzbari said yes. Chair Schaub asked about the intersections in the area of the proposed Fallon Village. Mr. Kuzbari stated that the 1993 Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is the foundation of the General Plan. Chair Schaub asked if 1993 was the last major update to the General Plan and Ms. Ram said yes and further stated that each time an update is done, a traffic study is also done. Cm. Biddle added that it is important to understand that traffic studies are estimates and are based on assumptions. The Planning Commission thanked Mr. Kuzbari for putting this Study Session together. Hearing no further comments, Chair Schaub closed the Study Session at 6:49 p.m.