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Home My WebLink About7.3 Civic Center Study Committee i 6 CITY OF DUBLIN 2 00-(D AGENDA STATEMENT MEETING DATE : April 25 , 1983 SUBJECT Civic Center Study Committee EXHIBITS ATTACHED Traffic Engineer ' s Report dated April 19 , 1983 RECOMMENDATION Designate Civic Center Study Committees 1( / FINANCIAL STATEMENT: None at this time - DESCRIPTION In accordance with City Council direction, the Traffic Engineer has evaluated the access problems which were previously identified with utilizing the Dublin San Ramon Services site for a permanent City office location. The Traffic Engineer has indicated that those access problems could be mitigated with both on-site improvements and improvements to Dublin Boulevard. It is Staff ' s recommendation that the City Council designate a Civic Center Study Committee , consisting of two City Councilmembers and Staff. The Committee would be charged with the responsibility of surveying those sites within the City which might be suitable for a permanent City office location. The survey would also include a preliminary review of the advantages and disadvantages of each site . In addition, the Committee would also meet with representatives of the Dublin San Ramon Services District regarding the potential for the use of the DSRSD site . --------------------------------------------------------------------------- COPIES TO: ITEM NO. ~' MEMORANDUM TO: Richard Ambrose City Manager FROM: Chris D. Kinzel DATE: April 19, 1983 SUBJECT: D.S.R.S.D./City Hall Site Traffic Analysis At the request of the City Council , I have examined the traffic implications of establishing Dublin City offices at the existing DSRSD site on the north side of Dublin Boulevard between Village Parkway and Clark Avenue. As I understand it, all City operations including the Police Department would be located at this site in addition to existing DSRSD operations. This memorandum summarizes our investigation. Existing Conditions Dublin Boulevard is a four-lane roadway along the site frontage - generally with parking prohibited. There is a center continuous two-way left turn lane, for a length of approximately 500 feet between the median near Village Parkway and the eastbound left turn lane for Clark Avenue. Dublin Boulevard varies in width along the frontage of the DSRSD site with approximately 84 feet curb-to-curb on the west end of the site and approximately 68 feet curb-to-curb at the east end of the site. In effect, Dublin Boulevard is transitioning from what was originally designed to be a four-lane undivided roadway east of the site to a four-lane divided roadway west of Village Parkway. The site lies within that transition area. It is expected that the City Council will consider the adoption of future width plan lines for Dublin Boulevard within the next two to three months . At that time, it is possible that the need for long range widening of Dublin Boulevard in this area may be recommended. However, widening would appear to only involve the relocation of curb, gutters and sidewalks and minor landscaping throughout most of the length of the street, as no major improvements such as buildings are within the path of a widened facility. Two driveways currently serve the DSRSD site; one at either end of the Dublin Boulevard frontage. The main entrance is at the east end of the property and serves automobile traffic related to the site as well as some maintenance and operation vehicles. The driveway at the west end of the site passes through a fenced gate at the site of the corporation yard. Between the DSRSD site and Village Parkway, there are a total of four driveways serving various commercial buildings and uses. Most of these driveways are of inadequate width and some ( such as the Wendy' s -1- driveway) are at awkward locations. East of the site, the auto club building is located which has no driveways onto Dublin Boulevard. Traffic volumes are relatively heavy in the area with a total of some 24 ,000 vehicles per day on Dublin Boulevard, 2,000 vehicles per day on Clark Avenue north of Dublin Boulevard, and 1 ,000 vehicles on Clark Avenue south of Dublin Boulevard. Traffic volumes at the intersection of Clark Avenue and Dublin Boulevard are not sufficiently high to indicate that traffic signals are needed or desirable at this intersection at the present time. Based on the relatively complete development in the area , it is not expected that traffic volumes on Clark Avenue will increase appreciably in the future. For this reason, it is not expected that there would be a need for traffic signals at this intersection in the future. City Hall Operation It is expected that the site would house all City operations. This would include staff and visitors, police operations and could include day and night meetings involving the public. The use of existing- DSRSD driveways for access is rather awkward. These driveways are too narrow, especially when used for right-turn movements since the through traffic lane is immediately adjacent to the curb. In addition, occasionally the - traffic congestion in the area and specifically the backup from the Village Parkway intersection blocks the frontage of the DSRSD site. In the future, it may be necessary to widen Dublin Boulevard along the frontage to accommodate a full four-lane divided roadway. Driveways could be improved at that time if not sooner. In addition, it is also possible that the existing continuous left turn lane could be replaced with a raised landscaped median. Because of the location of the main DSRSD driveway, such a median would restrict the use of this driveway to right turn movements in and out only. However, the DSRSD frontage is sufficiently long such that an opening for left turn entrances could be created in the possible future median at a point approximately midway between the two current driveways. Therefore, it is safe to assume that left turn egress from the site could be changed , restricted or eliminated in the future. None of these issues should present insurmountable problems to those users of the City Hall in the categories of staff, visitors or attendees of public meetings. However , the el i'mination of left turns by police vehicles on emergency runs could be a problem. It is noted that many police emergency runs would be made from patrol locations in the field rather than emanating from City Hall itself. In this case, restricted left turn access need not be of paramount consideration. Alternate access from the DSRSD site to Clark Avenue via the auto club parking lot was considered. It is assumed that such an access would be made via an easement in which a clear area is maintained both for access to the auto cl ub site as wel 1 as the DSRSD site. In this case, it is assumed that such an access point would lie at the extreme northern edge of the auto club parking lot and would connect with the north edge of -2- r -w the DSRSD property. Such a access facility would require fairly extensive modifications to the auto cl ub parking lot in the form of revised and modified landscape area in order to widen the driveway. Such an access to Clark Avenue would enable either regular or emergency vehicles to gain access to Clark Avenue and then either to Dublin Boulevard or the residential districts to the north . Although left-turns could be made at Dublin Boulevard from Clark Avenue, as stated earlier based on present traffic volumes , traffic signals would not seem to be necessary at this location in the foreseeable future. Conclusions From a traffic standpoint, the Dublin Boulevard DSRSD site has good public exposure and access. A number of access related issues currently exist and which may change in the future as Dublin Boulevard experiences increased traffic and possibly widening with installation of a raised median . It would appear that most of the problems or issues related to the site could be resolved by improvements such as street widening, driveway widening or the installation of a new access point. Although there are some benefits associated with providing a direct connection to Clark Avenue via an easement through the auto club parking lot, this would seem to be an expensive connection considering the changes required on both sites. I will be present at the April 25th Council meeting to answer any remaining questions that the Council may have on this matter. -3-