HomeMy WebLinkAboutREDjudb4RECEIVE D
JUL 15 2010 .
SLO CITY CLER K
VISIONS OF A BALANCED TRANSPORTATIO N
SYSTEM IN SLO-SOUTH
Current intersection of Tank Farm Road and Broad Street
By : Eugene Jud, P.E .
Fellow Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE )
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Jud Consultant s
P.O. Box 114 5
San Luis Obispo, C A
(805) 545-591 9
(805) 756-172 9
www.judcons .co m
http ://ceenve3.calpoly .edu/ju d
July, 15, 2010
BALANCED TRANSPORTATION IN SLO-SOUTH
Making Buckley Road a Regional Highway leading directly to Highway 101 relieves Tank Farm
and Prado Road from traffic .Attractive public transportation such as:Bus Rapid Transit,bicycles,
pedestrian facilities, car-sharing, etc . further reduce traffic jams in and near Broad Street .
These two measures bring more relief to the critical intersection of Tank Farm and Broad Stree t
than a Prado Road adjacent to the sports fields .
1 . Introduction
The Prado Realignment Initiative (no road through the sports fields area) leads to the genera l
question:
"Do we want a highly car oriented SLO-South or a more sensitive and aesthetic solution based on a
realigned Buckley Road and attractive public transportation including Bus Rapid Transit,bicycles ,
pedestrian facilities, car-sharing, etc ?"
Voters should see it that way. This report humbly sketches out a few thoughts and possibilities
hopefully leading to discussions in informal or formal groups before November 2010 and to a
revised Circulation and Land Use Element in the year 2012 .
Discussions about Prado Road started with the General Plan Map of 1962 . In contradiction t o
today's interpretation,Prado Road is shown on the Map only as a "Major Street" without an y
freeway interchange and without extensions to Madonna Road or to east of Broad Street . The main
(regional) "Thoroughfares" were Tank Farm Road and Buckley Road with a full freewa y
interchange and leading out to the hinterland east of Broad Street .Today's custom of calling Prad o
Road a regional route is misleading . It is an intracity arterial and some people call it the "road fro m
nowhere to nowhere." Caltrans has made it clear that they do not consider Prado Road a regiona l
route at all and will not contribute financially to a possible freeway interchange or a traffic light o n
Broad Street. In addition, the feasibility of the freeway interchange at Prado Road is questionable .
The interchange would be too close to the one at Madonna Road and might cost $80 million with n o
funding in sight . It appears that Caltrans would rather consider Buckley Road a regional route fro m
Arroyo Grande (Hwy 227)to Los Osos through the improved Los Osos Valley/Hwy 10 1
interchange .
A traffic model was built based on data of 1996 and 1997 by Jones & Stokes, and is used unti l
today . As so many changes have occurred in the last 40 years, a new way of looking at traffi c
forecasts is needed. Instead of using one growth curve alone, minimal and maximal projection s
employing a scenarios technique should be used. Such a technique has been used, for example, in
planning for Paso Robles and for air pollution control districts. Given the current economy, wher e
traffic volumes are actually declining in some places (while public transit is growing), the results o f
the traffic model should be taken "with a grain of salt ." We must be very clear and transparent wit h
the assumptions that go into "the black box." Otherwise we may use a "garbage in, garbage out "
procedure, as traffic modelers call it .
The doom-and-gloom prophecies about the traffic collapse in the southern part of the town, shoul d
be viewed with some skepticism . We have had dozens of these prophecies in the last 40 years . Just
to mention a few,all of which turned out to be unsubstantiated :
2
BALANCED TRANSPORTATION IN SLO-SOUT H
a.In the 1960s, merchants wanted the area south of the Mission,including the creek, paved
over with a parking lot because they feared the collapse of downtown businesses .Today, we
have a pedestrian zone there (Mission Plaza), and the downtown is faring well .
b.At one time, a "bypass road" between Laguna Lake and Serro San Luis was considere d
essential for the city . Today we have a park there and the city is still alive .
c.A few years ago, the four-lane South Street was transformed through a "road diet," into a
two-lane street . Many people expected "the worst," and today the street functions better tha n
ever .
2.What Has Changed Since 1996 ?
The official Prado Road concept dates back to approximately 1996 . Since then, conditions hav e
changed dramatically . Not only has the economy "tanked," but people, especially the younge r
generations, are very aware of climate change . When surveyed, 95% of Cal Poly students believe i n
climate change, and 80% believe that it is manmade . Governor Schwarzenegger is implementing hi s
mandates (AB32 and SB375)through Climate Action Plans (CAPs), which require considerabl e
reductions in vehicle miles traveled by cars and trucks . In addition, the "end of cheap oil," i s
already happening in some countries, and much higher gas prices and more drastic measures ar e
probable . This, and the "greening" of society, must be taken into account when discussing th e
transportation system of SLO-South .
3.Two Road Alternatives Compete with Each Othe r
On the following Figure A,a less car-oriented alternative is sketched out. It shows a realigne d
Buckley Road leading from the east directly into the freeway interchange of Los Osos Valley Roa d
and bypassing Vachell Lane and the two Los Verdes neighborhoods. Such an alternative is als o
favored by Mayor Dave Romero, although we may differ about technicalities and timing .
This alternative would reduce possible traffic jams on Tank Farm Road and Broad Street . Along the
Margarita Area, Prado Road would be a two-lane residential collector, and Tank Farm Road woul d
become a four-lane arterial, leading all the way eastward out of town . In 2003, then-citizen Dave
Romero wrote a letter favoring this configuration :
"An alternative . ..would be to extend Prado Rd. in a SE direction from the Margarita Area to connec t
to Tank Farm Rd and thereafter use Tank Farm Road as the arterial access . This alternativ e
would eliminate the need to construct approximately %2 mile of the Prado Rd . extension to Broad
St ., would create less environmental damage, would eliminate the conflicts with the Damon-Garci a
sports fields and eliminate the need for an additional signalized intersection on Broad St . Traffic
movements (particularly trucks) can be better accommodated ...In my view this alternative is clearl y
superior to any alternatives ..." (Airport Area and Margarita Area EIR, Volume I, page 255 )
The official road concept,according to the Circulation Element of the City, is illustrated in Figure
B . Prado Road is a four-lane "Regional Route," going through the sports fields area . Tank Farm
Road, so far, is a two-lane arterial . Buckley Road is unimportant in this concept.
Appendix Al shows the estimated daily traffic volumes in the less car-oriented alternative an d
Appendix A2 depicts the traffic volumes of the official road concept . There is ample east-wes t
traffic capacity when Prado, Tank Farm, and Buckley Roads are added together . Today . the system
carries 20,000 vehicles per day and could carry 64,000 vehicles if running at full capacity, which
3
BALANCED TRANSPORTATION IN SLO-SOUT H
means a generous safety factor of more than three . However, in the less car-oriented alternative ,
the intersection of Tank Farm and Broad Street could become more critical than in the official road
concept .
4.Dramatic Lack of Public Transportation
The Broad Street corridor south of Orcutt Road is hardly served with public transportation . Bus
route 3 arrives only every 40 minutes and travels in only one direction . There is no bus connection
at all to the airport area with hundreds of employment places around . The less car-oriente d
alternative proposes considerable improvements through bus rapid transit (BRT), car-sharing, an d
possibly even light rail transit (LRT) using Broad Street or the existing railroad tracks from Ca l
Poly to downtown, to the airport, and further south to Santa Maria . See the visions in Appendix A3 .
Also generous bicycle facilities are planned, including a bike-pedestrian path without cars, from th e
Orcutt area all across the valley to Los Osos Valley and Madonna Roads . Also better pedestria n
facilities are planned in our concept . Such measures can reduce vehicular traffic by up to 30%.
5. Improving the Intersection of Tank Farm Road and Broad Stree t
After the above measures have been initiated, the intersection of Tank Farm Road and Broad Stree t
should be improved. As a minimum, the intersection should be widened into the empty lan d
northwest of it, with two more turn lanes as described in Appendix A4 .Three additional lanes can
be discussed, but this may mean widening the roads to a degree that the crossing of pedestrian s
becomes very uncomfortable .
After intersection widening, the concept of a quasi-roundabout could be discussed . As shown i n
Appendix A5,this concept would simplify the traffic movements, be pedestrian friendly, and woul d
even allow a little park and lake with a fountain . A bigger roundabout is shown in Appendix A6 .In
the long-term, as shown in Appendix A7,a two-level intersection with Broad Street going unde r
Tank Farm Road can be imagined . This intersection would be relatively pedestrian friendly and
allow the hurried air-passenger coming from San Luis Obispo, to zip smoothly toward the airpor t
and vice versa .
Therefore, the initiative appears to be supported by a modern concept of transportation and cit y
planning.
(See also Appendix A8)
Eugene Jud
July 15, 2010
4
Sports Field Initiative [2010 ]
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For advantages ,disadvantages, and traffic
capacities, see separate notes .
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FIGURE A
Circulation Element [2006 ]
LE6EN o
FREewA Y
REG, ROUTE
A RTERIA L
D FIGURE B
Proposed Circulatio n
through Initiativ e
Average daily traffic (ADT),
vehicles in the futur e
C, D = Levels of service a t
,i intersection s
Estimates based on traffic
model Fehr & Peers, 2000
Comments
1 . Prado Road onl y
needs 2 lanes
from Empress
Street eastward.ri 2 . The critical
intersection of
Tank Farm Roa d
and Broad Stree t
can function wit h
approximately
28,000 vehicles
per day o n
Tank Farm Road —
probably bette r
than Santa Rosa
and Foothill Blvd.
today. Multiple
measures are
possible to achiev e
this level of service .
There appears to b e
land available fo r
improved traffi c
design .
Wit ~11~1
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4 L N
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New ; b ;r c 4-L ;kk 4vHwy toi
g u€ttEl :1 2. LP4 +/2,OOV .
Current Circulation
Element - City o f
San Luis Obisp o
37 000
C, D = Levels of service at
intersection s
Based on traffic model
Fehr do Peers, 2000
Comments
1.Prado Road throug h
sports field area
would only need to
be 2 lanes for th e
projected 14,00 0
vehicles.-
2.All intersection s
function at acceptabl e
levels of service.
Visions for Enhanced Public Transportatio n
Between Cal Poly, Downtown, Marigold, Airport, and Further to Santa Mari a
Using Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and Light Rail (LRT )
A quantum leap in public transportation in the Broad Street corridor is needed t o
fulfill the governor's green house gas reduction mandates and to reduce vehicula r
traffic at the intersection of Tank Farm and Broad Street . Alternative
transportation and transportation demand management can be successfully applie d
in this corridor.
The system plan was separated into phases in order to build up to the end goal of a countywide Light Rai l
Transit system in attainable intermediate steps. The first step was to introduce a conventional bus line tha t
would provide short term access to San Luis Obispo Regional Airport from downtown San Luis Obispo . By
2015, conventional buses would be replaced by a Bus Rapid Transit system which would serve the corrido r
from the Airport to Cal Poly . The final phase would be to implement a Light Rail Transit serving the same
corridor by the year 2030 .
BRT in Eugene, Oregon.
BRT Station at Broad and Santa Barbara Streets .
The Visionary Consultants propose a phased scheme . Initially, extend SLO Transit Route 3 further south o n
Broad Street to provide access to the airport using public transportation . By 2020, implement Phase I ,
which includes the following : a bus rapid transit (BRT) line extending from the airport to Cal Poly ,
additional SLO Transit bus loops that cross Broad Street and have preferential treatment, and six activit y
centers along this main corridor . Additionally, the BRT will run in a counterclockwise rotation through th e
airport providing direct access to the airport terminal . By 2050, implement Phase II, which include s
replacing the BRT system with a light rail transit (LRT) along the same right-of-way as the BRT an d
relocating the San Luis Obispo heavy rail station. At Cal Poly and south of the airport the LRT will use th e
same alignment as the Pacific Coast Heavy Rail Line and extend from Santa Maria to Paso Robles .
Marigold Transit Center and Marigold Transit Oriented Development looking west
LRT Station at Airport looking west .
Nli nh 24 '
--I.
and Broad Shee t
"WIDENED WITH ADDITIONAL LANES "
35m
Intersection of Tank Farm Roa d
Easy expansion
Highly efficient :
1)Add right turn lane BN to T W
2) Add left turn lane TW to B N
Less efficient :
3)Add left turn lane BN to TE
4)Add straight lane TW to T E
5)Add right turn lane TW to B S
For more pedestrian comfort and aesthetics (lake wit h
fountain) roundabout schemes may be superior .
Ju, July 201 0
70 m250'
Intersection of Tank Farm Road .
and Broad Street as a
"SMALL ROUNDABOUT "
At least one traffic light is unavoidable due to th e
configuration of the existing roads, namely
Tank Farm Road and Broad Street .
This simple traffic light will be with tw o
phases only . Roads on the undeveloped land, i n
a first phase, could be two-way, but later would b e
used as part of the one-way roundabout .
Legend
r.~2,3,4 – number of one way lane s
Stop bar of traffic light
Ju, July 201 0
0
250'
0
35 m 70 m
1 `1 5 `l I i
Intersection of Tank Farm Roa d
and Broad Street as a "BIG ROUNDABOUT "
within a transit oriented development (TOD )
At least one traffic light is unavoidable due to th e
configuration of the existing roads, namel y
Tank Farm Road and Broad Street .
This simple traffic light will be with two
phases only . Roads on the undeveloped land, i n
a first phase, could be two-way, but later would b e
used as part of the one-way roundabout .
Legend
2,3,4 – number of one way lane s
Stop bar of traffic ligh t
Pedestrian/bicycle overpas s
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) or Light
Rail (LRT) Station
Ju, July 201 0
IIIIN11111111IIII'
111111111111111111 :
0 500'75m 150 m
Intersection of Tank Farm Road
and Broad Street with a
ROAD UNDERPAS S
For Build-out with high traffic volume s
(Dozens of alternatives are possible )
Public Transit not shown .
Legen d
.Traffic Lane
Ju, July 2010
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http :l/ceenve3 .calpoly .edu/jud Eugene Ju d
Cal Poly President Baker and Eugene Jud at a Bicycle Event
Resum e
Eugene Jud Resum e
See also www.judcons .com
Contents of Main Course s
CE 221 Fundamentals of Transportation Engineerin g
CE 424 Public Transportation
CE 527 Sustainable Mobilit y
Results of Main Course s
CE 527 Spring 10 : Bicycle Path from Cal Poly to Morro Bay 2025-204 0
CE 424 Fall 08: Enhancement of Regional Bus Transit to Questa College 2010-205 0
CE 424 Fall 07 : Plans for Public Transportation from Cal Poly to Airport in 205 0
CE 424 Fall 05 : Plans for "San LuisObispo South 2050 "
CE 527 Spring 05 : Plans for "San Luis Obispo Downtown + 2050 "
Results of Individual Students' Wor k
2007 : Plans for Bus Rapid Transit or Rail in San Luis Obispo County.
2007 : Well Designed Streets for Livable Communities on the U .S . West Coast (200 pages )
Main Consulting done by Eugene Ju d
2010 : Bicycle/Pedestrian Integration into Urban Communities ,
Ongoing MTI Research Project, Co-author with Professor C . Nuworsoo
2009 : Providing Senior Citizen Mobility at Minimum Public Cost ,
Research for Leonard Transportation Center, CA, Co-author with Professor C . Nuworsoo (128 pages )
2003 : Cal Poly Circulation Element : Suggestions for Implementation (200 pages)