HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 6b. Request to advertise the Higuera Complete Streets and Revised 50 Higuera Widening Projects for construction Item 6b
Department: Public Works
Cost Center: 9501
For Agenda of: 2/17/2026
Placement: Public Hearing
Estimated Time: 60 min
FROM: Aaron Floyd, Public Works & Utilities Director
Prepared By: Luke Schwartz, Transportation Manager
SUBJECT: REQUEST TO ADVERTISE THE HIGUERA COMPLETE STREETS AND
REVISED 50 HIGUERA W IDENING PROJECTS FOR CONSTRUCTION
RECOMMENDATION
Higuera Complete Streets Project
1. Adopt a Draft Resolution entitled, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of San
Luis Obispo, California, Authorizing Appropriation of $2,000,000 from the
Infrastructure Investment Fund to support the Higuera Complete Streets Project,
Specification Number 2001057” (Attachment A); and,
2. Adopt a Draft Resolution entitled, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of San
Luis Obispo, California, Accepting a Future Automobile Level of Service Deficiency at
the Intersection of Higuera Street and Los Osos Valley Road in Connection with the
Higuera Complete Streets Project, Specification Number 2001057” (Attachment F);
and,
3. Authorize transfers to the Higuera Complete Streets Project (Account 2001057) from
the following capital project accounts:
a. $500,000 from Prado Creek Bridge Replacement (No. 2091252)
b. $204,847 from Active Transportation Plan Implementation (No. 2000608)
c. $100,000 from Vision Zero Implementation (No. 2000073)
d. $50,000 from the Traffic Signal Maintenance & Replacements (No. 2001003)
e. $120,000 from Water Valve Cover Adjustments (No. 2001005)
f. $50,000 from Sewer Valve Cover Adjustments (No. 2000084); and,
4. Approve the project plans and specifications, authorize the City Engineer to approve
any minor refinements to final plans and specifications prior to advertisement, and
authorize staff to advertise for bids for the Higuera Complete Streets Project,
Specification Number 2001059; and,
5. Authorize the City Manager to award the Construction Contract for the Higuera
Complete Streets Project pursuant to Section 3.24.190 of the Municipal Code for the
bid total, if the lowest responsible bid is within the publicly disclosed funding amount
of $12,960,700; and,
6. Authorize the City Engineer to approve Contract Change Orders for the Higuera
Complete Streets Project up to the available project budget, including any
amendments authorized by the City Manager; and,
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7. Authorize the use of up to $200,000 in unspent Higuera Complete Streets Project
capital funds to support increased street sweeping obligations following project
completion.
50 Higuera Widening Project
8. Approve project plans and specifications for the revised 50 Higuera Widening Project,
Specification No. 2091294; and,
9. Authorize staff to advertise for bids for the 50 Higuera Widening Project, Specification
No. 2091294; and,
10. Authorize the City Manager to award the Construction Contract for the 50 Higuera
Widening Project if the lowest responsible bid is within the Engineer’s Estimate of
$315,000; and,
11. Authorize the City Engineer to approve Contract Change Orders for the 50 Higuera
Widening Project up to the available project budget; and,
12. Approve the transfer of $22,600 from the 50 Higuera Widening Project Account (No.
2091294) to the New Streetlights CIP Account (No. 2001016); and,
13. Authorize the Finance Director to approve the transfer of any remaining unspent State
Urban Highway Account project funds not required for construction of the 50 Higuera
Widening Project to the Higuera Complete Streets Project (Specification No.
2001057).
REPORT-IN-BRIEF
This agenda item requests that the City Council approve plans and specifications and
authorize two closely-related projects on the Higuera Street corridor to be advertised for
construction:
1. the Higuera Complete Streets Project, and
2. the revised 50 Higuera Widening Project.
While both projects advance traffic safety improvements on Higuera Street, they have
different scopes, funding sources, and grant-related delivery requirements, and must be
constructed in a specific sequence under separate contracts. The following report
provides more information on each project, including the relationship between the two.
Higuera Complete Streets
The Higuera Complete Streets Project (the “Complete Streets Project”) advances the
City’s highest-priority infrastructure recommendation identified in the 2021 Active
Transportation Plan (ATP) and supports the mode shift priorities of the General Plan and
Climate Action Plan, the Vision Zero goal to reduce severe traffic crashes, and the City’s
Major Goal of Infrastructure and Sustainable Transportation. This project has been
consistently ranked as the top infrastructure priority by the City’s A ctive Transportation
Committee (ATC) and prioritized by the City Council for funding in the City’s Capital
Improvement Plan.
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The Complete Street Project advances improvements to walking, bicycling and overall
traffic safety along the Higuera Street corridor from Marsh Street to Los Osos Valley Road
and strengthens east-west active transportation connections via Madonna Road and the
Meadow Park neighborhood. Improvements include pavement rehabilitation, refreshed
roadway striping, more than 50 enhanced crosswalks, ADA curb ramp and signal
upgrades, a new traffic signal at Higuera/Elks, over two miles of physically protected bike
lanes, a four-lane to three-lane “road diet”1 between Bridge Street and Margarita, and
other measures to reduce illegal motor vehicle speeds and improve safety for all road
users.
Final designs were informed by public input provided over nearly three years of project
development and based on specific feedback provided by the City Council during the
February 4, 2025 Council Study Session. Emergency access and evacuation needs were
also a key consideration in guiding final project planning and recommendations for pre -
and post-project monitoring and ongoing coordination between City Public Works and
emergency services, as discussed in detail herein.
The Complete Streets Project is fully designed and construction-ready, with over $9
million in secured outside grant funding, including $6.9 m illion from the Caltrans Active
Transportation Program (ATP Cycle 6). The purpose of this item is to request that the
Council approve the final Project plans and specifications, approve additional funding
appropriations needed to advance to construction, and authorize staff to advertise th is for
construction bids.
50 Higuera Widening Project:
In addition to the Complete Streets Project, a separate, but related capital project is also
presented herein—the revised 50 Higuera Widening Project (the “Road Widening
Project”). This project has been in development for several years and was already
approved for construction by the City Council on April 15, 2025. However, due to
significant environmental concerns involving designated heritage trees that were
discovered prior to breaking ground, the Road Widening Project is no longer considered
feasible at this time as originally designed. The purpose of the Road Widening Project,
which has been advanced to this stage via a Federal Highway Safety Improvement
Program (HSIP) grant, is to provide width for a center turn lane on Higuera Street between
Bridge Street and Elks Lane to address an ongoing collision pattern with left turns in/out
of driveways. A revised design approach has been prepared to accomplish the intent of
adding width for a center turn lane, albeit with a smaller area of road widening and revised
roadway striping configuration. The roadway widening extents that remain will provide
width to add a center turn lane at Bridge Street, which could not be accomplished without
widening the roadway width. South of Bridge Street, the 50 Higuera Widening Project
would effectively advance a portion of the “road diet” planned with the Higuera Complete
Streets Project, but needs to be advanced prior to the Complete Street s Project and via
1 A “road diet” involves motor vehicle lane reductions or narrowing, often involving reallocation of this
roadway width for other uses, such as addition of on-street parking, turn lanes, bicycle lanes or
pedestrian facilities. Per FHWA, 4-lane to 3-lane road are a proven safety countermeasure with potential
to reduce crashes by 19-47%.
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a separate construction contract due to federal grant restrictions. This project will carry
forward improvements identified in the Higuera Complete Streets Project so that it is a
seamless transition for all roadway users. Staff is requesting that Council approve the
revised project plans and specifications and authorize staff to advertise the revised Road
Widening Project for construction.
Pending Council approval, both the Complete Streets Project and Road Widening Project
would be advertised for construction in winter of 2026. The Road Widening Project would
start construction in spring 2026 and take approximately one month to complete. The
Complete Streets Project would most likely begin construction early summer 2026
following completion of the Road Widening Project, and continue through summer 2027.
POLICY CONTEXT
Higuera Complete Streets Project
The City’s ATP recommends improvements to bicycling and walking along the Higuera
Street corridor as a Tier 1 (highest priority) project. The Complete Streets Project
advances these improvements along Higuera Street and improves connectivity to other
cross-town active transportation routes to the east and west of the Higuera corridor. To
date, the Complete Streets Project has been prioritized in the 2023 -25 and 2025-27
Capital Improvement Plans for funding to support planning, environmental review, design
and construction, and the City’s Active Transportation Committee (ATC) identified this
project as their top funding priority for FY2023-25 and FY2025-27.
The Complete Streets Project supports the City’s General Plan Circulation Element and
Climate Action Plan’s sustainable transportation goals and mode shift objectives, and
directly aligns with the City’s current Major City Goal of “Infrastructure and Sustainable
Transportation”.
The Complete Streets Project also advances the planned closure of Walker Street at
Higuera as recommended in the Mid-Higuera Enhancement Plan, and implements
several safety improvements recommended in the City’s Draft Vision Zero Action Plan2.
As noted in the Draft Vision Zero Action Plan, Higuera Street is part of the City’s High-
Injury Network—the 10% of city road miles where 75% of fatal and severe injury collisions
have occurred. Safety improvement recommendations were identified based on a data-
driven analysis of ongoing crash trends along the Higuera Street corridor, including 11
fatal or severe injury crashes that have occurred on Higuera Street between Marsh and
Los Osos Valley Road between 2018 and 2023. Over this time period, approximately 29%
of all fatal crashes in San Luis Obispo occurred on this segment of Higuera Street.
The recommended actions for the Complete Streets Project funding appropriation and
contract award are supported by the City Council’s adopted Capital Improvement Plan
2 The Vision Zero Action Plan is currently in draft form and scheduled for final review and potential
adoption by the City Council in spring of 2026. Visit the City’s Traffic Safety (Vision Zero) Website for
more information on the Action Plan and traffic safety data.
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(CIP) as well as its Fund Balance and Reserve Policy. The City’s Fund Balance and
Reserve Policy states that the City will maintain a designated fund for the purpose of
funding infrastructure projects that contribute to improved economic development and
enhanced quality of life in San Luis Obispo—the Infrastructure Investment Fund (IIF). The
use of IIF funds must support a project that would not otherwise be feasible due to
economic timing or issues outside of control of the project proponents or the City. The
recommended use of the IIF to supplement the Complete Streets Project is consistent
with this policy in that these funds would support a project that would improve community
safety and mobility, and would not otherwise be economically feasible without this
funding, and will offset construction cost escalations that have occurred since the project
was originally scoped. This action will also leverage and avoid forfeiture of the more than
$9 million in outside grant funding already secured for the project.
50 Higuera Widening Project
The City’s General Plan Circulation Element and Mid-Higuera Enhancement Plan identify
plans to widen various segments of Higuera Street to provide width for continuous center
medians/left-turn lanes. The 50 Higuera Widening Project (“Road Widening Project”)
would accomplish the goal of providing a center turn lane along the stretch of Higuera
Street between Bridge Street and Elks Lane, while also advancing traffic safety
recommendations from the City’s Draft Vision Zero Action Plan for this portion of Higuera
Street. The Widening Project would not advance the full road widening extent as originally
proposed and as contemplated in the Circulation Element and Mid-Higuera Enhancement
Plan at this time due to environmental constraints but would not preclude future
implementation of further road widening.
With regards to both the Complete Streets and Road Widening Projects, California
Government Code §830.6 establishes design immunity, protecting public entities from
liability for injuries caused by a plan or design of public improvements when the design
was approved in advance by a discretionary authority and supported by substantial
evidence, even if the design later proves dangerous. The recommendation for the City
Council to approve the project plans, and to authorize the City Engineer to approve any
minor refinements to the project plans prior to construction advertisement, helps affirm
the City’s design immunity in advancing these projects.
DISCUSSION
Higuera Complete Streets Project Background
In 2021, the City Council adopted the City’s first ATP, providing a blueprint to improve
bicycling and walking as modes of transportation and to support the City’s climate action,
mode shift, and traffic safety goals. The ATP identifies a list of infrastructure projects
organized by tier, with “Tier 1” projects representing the highest -priority projects with the
greatest potential to increase bicycle and pedestrian mode share and reduce existing
collision trends. Following adoption of the ATP, the City’s Active Transportation
Committee (ATC) ranked the Higuera Street corridor as the top ATP Tier 1 project to
advance for development. Since early 2022, staff have completed preliminary planning,
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secured over $9 million in outside grant funding, completed a traffic operations study and
environmental technical studies, and conducted significant public outreach, including a
Council Study Session held on February 4, 2025 (see section further below for more
details on Study Session feedback). Final construction documents are now complete,
and staff is requesting that the Council approve final plans and specifications and
authorize advertisement of this project for construction bids.
Higuera Complete Streets Project Scope
The Project scope includes Higuera Street as a primary north/south backbone corridor
from Marsh Street south to Los Osos Valley Road, with additional improvements along
Madonna Road to the west and through the Meadow Park neighborhood to the east to
complete connections between the Higuera Street corridor and other prominent active
transportation routes to the east and west. A project vicinity map is provided below.
The project includes improvements for all road users, traffic calming elements to address
illegal speeding, as well as enhancements to improve safety. At its core, the project
repurposes existing street width to improve safety, reduce severe crashes, and add
protected space for people walking and biking, while maintaining access for emergency
vehicles. Below are some of the improvements included in the project plans:
a) Pavement repairs and roadway sealing along full project extents
b) >50 upgraded/new pedestrian crosswalks, ADA upgrades at >70 pedestrian ramps,
addition of ADA audible pedestrian signals at six (6) intersections
c) Closure of Walker Street at Higuera/Pacific as recommended in the Mid -Higuera
Enhancement Plan
d) Installation of a new traffic signal at the Higuera/Elks intersection
e) High-visibility traffic signal backplates with yellow reflective borders to reduce red light
running at all signals within Project limits
f) Addition of protected only left turns (green arrow only for lefts) at the Higuera/Los Osos
Valley Road intersection
g) Addition of dedicated bicycle crossing traffic signal phases on southbound Higuera
Street at Madonna and Los Osos Valley Road intersections
h) Addition of radar speed feedback signs to discourage illegal speeding
i) Reconfiguration of Higuera Street to one auto lane in each direction from just north of
Margarita Avenue to just south of Bridge Street (“road diet”) to provide width for a
center median/turn lane, buffered/protected bike lanes, and to reduce speeding. No
traffic lane reductions are proposed anywhere else on Higuera Street.
j) Neighborhood greenway connections to Hawthorne Elementary School and Broad
Street, including traffic calming within the Meadow Park neighborhood on streets with
existing speeding concerns
k) Addition of green bike lane markings to increase visibility at intersection and driveway
conflict areas
l) Installation of over two (2) miles of physically protected bike lanes (see focused
discussion later in this report regarding bikeway separation).
m) Addition of Emergency Vehicle Preemption (EVP) equipment at all City-controlled
traffic signals currently lacking this equipment within project limits.
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Figure 1: Higuera Complete Streets Project Vicinity Map
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Final Complete Streets Project plans and specifications are provided for review. A
simplified summary of the Higuera Complete Streets Project improvements is also
provided as Attachment B.
February 2025 Higuera Complete Streets Council Study Session Feedback
On February 4, 2025, a City Council Study Session3 was held to present draft (65%-level)
project designs and invite input from the community and Council to guide final designs.
Specific feedback provided by the Council, is summarized as follows:
1. Higuera Street Road Diet Limits – The Council majority supported retaining the
limits of the proposed 4-lane to 3-lane “road diet” on Higuera Street between
Bridge Street and just north of Margarita Avenue as initially proposed, with
additional direction to pursue expanding width of the center turn lane and timing of
new Higuera/Elks traffic signal to improve access for drivers exiting the Chumash
Village driveway.
2. Protected Bikeway Separation – The Council majority was supportive of using flex
posts as vertical separation for protected bike lanes along most of the corridor but
supported trying concrete curbs for bikeway separation along the “road diet”
segment of Higuera Street between Bridge Street and Margarita where sufficient
width is available, if financially feasible. Council also provided direction to make
any concrete curbs as visible as possible and expressed support for designing
concrete bikeway separation so that it could be modified or removed in the future,
3 For more information on February 4, 2025, Council Study Session, see staff report and meeting minutes
(see Agenda Item 7).
Figure 2: Proposed Road Diet Limits on Higuera Street
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if needed, without significant effort/cost.
3. Higuera Street & Los Osos Valley Road Design – The Council majority supported
the Study Session “Option 2” design strategy for the Higuera/Los Osos Valley
Road intersection, which involved adding a dedicated bicycle signal phase to
separate the southbound bike lane from conflicts with right-turning vehicle traffic.
4. Madonna Overpass Bikeway – The Council majority provided feedback to staff to
continue further planning and design efforts for a potential shared -use path on
Madonna Road as a future project following the Higuera Comp lete Streets Project,
as staffing and funding resources allow. (Preliminary concept design provided
here).
Staff has incorporated this feedback into the final Project plans, but would like to highlight
the following updates:
Chumash Drive Access – While Council direction at the February 2025 Study Session
did not recommend modifying the proposed Higuera Street road diet limits to avoid
reducing traffic lanes at the Chumash Drive driveway, staff has conducted additional
analysis and incorporated recommendations into the final project designs and post-
project monitoring strategies to try and reduce potential concerns regarding ingress
and egress for Chumash Drive residents.
a) A focused analysis of traffic operations at the Higuera Street/Chumash Drive
intersection for existing and future traffic conditions concluded that the
Complete Streets Project would add 3-5 seconds/vehicle of additional delay on
average exiting Chumash Drive during peak periods, add no additional delay
entering Chumash Drive, and the intersection would operate at acceptable level
of service (LOS) C or better during peak hour traffic periods with or without the
project.
b) A signal warrant analysis was conducted for the Higuera/Chumash Drive
intersection based on California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
(CAMUTCD) standards to confirm if a traffic signal could be considered for this
intersection. Based on current traffic conditions and state engineering
standards, a traffic signal is not currently warranted at this location.
c) It is expected that the new traffic signal at the Higuera/Elks intersection will
create more gaps in southbound traffic flows downstream on Higuera at
Chumash Drive, which should create more opportunities for drivers to turn left
when exiting Chumash Drive compared to existing conditions. The traffic
operations analysis results noted above conservatively do not reflect the
potential benefits of this new upstream traffic signal.
d) Radar speed feedback signs have been added to the project plans, including
signs placed for eastbound and westbound traffic upstream of the Chumash
Drive intersection. The intent of these signs are to encourage slower speeds
on Higuera Street approaching Chumash Drive, which can make it easier for
drivers exiting Chumash Village to find gaps in traffic to turn onto Higuera.
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e) Additional red curb paint and NO PARKING signs were installed at Chumash
Drive in 2025 to address concerns with illegal parking in the driveway line -of-
wight. Final plans for the Complete Street Project further reinforce these
parking restrictions and increase the width of the center turn lane, which
provides more flexibility for drivers to turn left out of Chumash Drive in two
stages and more clearance for emergency vehicle response. The graphics
below provide more detail on the project designs at the Chumash Drive
intersection. The plans also add high-visibility ladder crosswalk markings to
increase visibility of pedestrians at this intersection.
f) Staff recommends collecting existing and post-project data on average delays
for drivers entering/exiting Chumash Village to confirm potential increases in
driver delay. Results will be shared with the City Council, and potential remains
to implement striping modifications in the future to restore the existing traffic
lane configuration at this location if the City Council determines that potential
increases in delay are unacceptable. See further detail later in this report on
post-project monitoring strategies.
Existing and proposed street designs at the Higuera Street /Chumash Drive intersection
are further illustrated in the figures below.
Figure 3: Existing and Proposed Street Configuration of Higuera Street at
Chumash Drive (Cross Section View)
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Figure 4: Existing and Proposed Street Configuration of Higuera Street at
Chumash Drive (Birds Eye View)
Update on Protected Bikeway Separation – The Final Plans include the addition of
pre-fabricated concrete curbs for protected bikeway separation along the “road diet”
segment of Higuera. Pre-cast curbs are manufactured off site, then placed directly on
top of the roadway and pinned into place (imagine a large parking lot wheel stop), so
that they can be moved/removed easily. However, due to cost concerns, these
concrete bike curbs are included in the current construction documents as a “Bid
Additive Alternate”, with flex posts included as the exclusive form of bikeway
separation in the Project “Base Bid”. Concrete curbs are estimated to add $300,000 -
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$500,000 in project costs, and there is concern that there may be insufficient funding
to accommodate this if bid prices exceed current estimates. For this reason, staff
recommends bidding the concrete curbs as an “additive alternate”, which will help
confirm the exact cost for this design option and provide flexibility for staff to (a) choose
to include this component in the construction contract award if funding allows, or (b)
install flex posts only as the “base bid” if current funding cannot support adding the
concrete features.
Figure 5: Example Photo of Pre-Cast Concrete Bikeway Curbs in Bid
Additive Alternative for Higuera (Bridge to Margarita)
Update on Madonna Shared-Use Path – Staff has progressed as far as current
funding allows for development of preliminary plans for a future shared-use path along
the Madonna Road Overpass. While the ATC, City Council, and community members
have expressed clear interest in advancing this as a future project, no funding is
currently programmed in the 2025-27 Financial Plan to advance with further feasibility
studies, environmental review, or formal design work. Staff has a coordination
meeting scheduled with Caltrans in early 2026 to discuss preliminary concepts,
feasibility, and project development path moving forward, which will help guide future
staffing and financial resource planning if Council supports prioritizing this project for
funding in future budgeting opportunities. It should be noted that there are several
complex considerations and unknowns that may affect the path forward with this
project, including potential constraints with modifying the existing Madonna Road
Overcrossing bridge structure, drainage and utility conflicts, and need for Caltrans
review, permitting and approval of proposed designs, including a likely need for
approval of features that do not meet Caltrans design standards for traffic lane and
shoulder widths, which are more conservative than requirements for a local city street.
The current design approach for the Higuera/Madonna intersection provides benefits
with the current bikeway configuration on Madonna Road, while also allowing for a
seamless connection to a future shared-use path on the north side of Madonna Road,
if this path extension can be constructed in the future, avoiding the need for costly
reconstruction of this intersection again in the future.
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Background on 50 Higuera Widening Project and Revised Design
On April 15, 2025, the City Council approved plans and specifications and authorized staff
to advertise the 50 Higuera Widening Project for construction. Given recent City
experience with tree conflicts on major capital projects, staff elected to reevaluate
potential impacts on the heritage trees located adjacent to the project before initiating
construction and commissioned an updated arborist evaluation prior to breaking ground.
As originally planned, this project included roadway widening along a 600-foot stretch of
Higuera Street fronting the Caltrans District 5 offices at 50 Higuera Street. The primary
intent of this road widening was to provide additional width for a two-way left turn lane—
the existing roadway has two lanes in each direction and no left turn lanes, which
contributes to an ongoing trend of crashes at driveways and intersections. For reference,
the proposed limits of road widening, as originally planned, are shown in the figure below
(Figure 4).
The City previously secured federal grant funding through the Highway Safety
Improvement Program (HSIP), completed environmental review, plans and
specifications, and secured easements from Caltrans needed to const ruct the Project.
However, staff have since encountered significant and unresolvable constraints that will
not allow for construction of this project as originally envisioned.
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Figure 5: 50 Higuera Road Widening Extent as Originally Planned
Environmental Constraint Precluding Original 50 Higuera Roadway Widening Design
Both California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) environmental review were previously completed for the Road Widening Project.
As part of the review, an independent Arborist Report was prepared in 2016 to evaluate
potential impacts to existing trees that exist on Caltrans property along the 50 Higuera
Street frontage, including seven (7) Heritage Trees4. These trees were planted between
1930 and 1950 and officially designated as Heritage Trees by the City Council on
September 7, 2010, due to their unique addition to the historic and horticultural
development of the city. More details are provided in the September 7, 2010, staff report
and corresponding resolution.
4 The City’s website provides more information on the Heritage Tree Program. A GIS map with more
information on specific heritage trees in San Luis Obispo is also available here.
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Figure 6: Incense Cedar and California Sycamore Heritage Trees Fronting 50
Higuera Street
The road widening would encroach near these trees, but the 2016 Arborist report
concluded that the trees could be preserved by modifying the alignment of a portion of
the new sidewalk and by implementing a tree protection plan during construction.
Preservation of these trees was an important assumption in the CEQA/NEPA
environmental impact determination for the original project. Project designs and
construction specifications were previously finalized in accordance with these
recommendations.
Considering significant challenges with unanticipated tree conflicts encountered during
construction of other recent City capital projects (including the Mission Plaza
Enhancements Project and the Cultural Arts District Parking Structure), in spring of 2025,
staff decided to commission an updated Arborist Report from a third-party consultant out
of an abundance of caution before initiating construction on the 50 Higuera Widening
Project. Unfortunately, the updated 2025 Arborist Report presented more troublesome
findings regarding tree conflicts and concluded that (a) the proposed road widening would
present a severe risk to several of these Heritage Trees, and (b) even a well-crafted tree
protection plan could not reasonably shield these trees from a high likelihood of long-term
decline, structural instability, or death. The City Arborist has conducted additional field
observations and reviewed the updated 2025 Arborist Report and concurs with the finding
that the road widening project as originally planned would present significant risk to these
Heritage Trees that cannot be effectively mitigated.
Per Section 12.24 of the City Municipal Code (Tree Regulations), designated heritage
trees must be protected and maintained and are prohibited from removal unless the City
Arborist authorizes the removal based on poor tree health or hazard to public safety or
property. At this time, there is insufficient justification to remove these trees based on
these factors. Removal of these Heritage Trees or proceeding with construction despite
the documented risk of causing severe harm to these trees would not only conflict with
City policy but would also conflict with the previous CEQA and NEPA environmental
approvals for this project.
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Based on these concerns, staff has concluded that the 50 Higuera Widening Project could
not proceed as originally planned, and a modified project design is recommended with
this staff report.
50 Higuera Widening Project Redesign
Staff is proposing a revised design for the Road Widening Project that would accomplish
the primary intent of this safety project—provide a center left turn lane along this street
segment—through roadway restriping and a smaller area of road widening near Bridge
Street where there are no tree impacts.
The modified design would involve restriping the two (2) existing northbound traffic lanes
on Higuera Street between Elks Lane and Bridge Street to one (1) through traffic lane
and one (1) one center turn lane. This design would provide the safety benefits of
providing a two-way left-turn lane, as required per the HSIP grant, without requiring the
full road widening and risking tree impacts. Essentially, this would implement half of the
future road diet proposed with the Higuera Complete Streets Project (see further
discussion on the Complete Streets Project below). Attachment E shows the typical street
cross section for (a) the roadway widening project as originally envisioned, (b) the revised
project design, and (c) the proposed ultimate cross section with completion of the future
Higuera Complete Streets Project.
Final plans and specifications for the revised project have been prepared, and the
modified design approach has been approved by Caltrans, who administers the federal
HSIP grant program in California. The revised design continues to meet the safety
objectives and grant requirements of the HSIP program. Staff is now requesting that
Council approve these construction documents and authorize staff to advertise the project
for construction bids.
Relationship between Higuera Complete Streets and 50 Higuera Widening Projects
Ideally, the road widening proposed with the 50 Higuera Widening Project would simply
be added to the Complete Streets Project plans and implemented cohesively under a
single construction contract. However, because the 50 Higuera Widening Project includes
funding from a federal HSIP grant, incorporating this work into the Complete Streets
Project would in turn “federalize” the Complete Street s Project, adding the need for
additional environmental review per federal standards (NEPA), more complex and
onerous bidding requirements, financial reporting, and administrative obligations that
come with a federally funded project. Failure to construct the 50 Higuera Widening
improvements per federal requirements could require the City to re-pay the approximately
$400,000 in HSIP grant funds already expended for pre-construction work. For this
reason, staff recommends advancing these improvements as two stand-alone
construction projects. See “Next Steps” discussion below for more information on
construction timing of each project.
Emergency Response and Evacuation Considerations
Based on a detailed review of project plans and analysis of evacuation considerations
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with city emergency services, staff does not expect the proposed improvements to
substantially interfere with regular emergency response or the ability of properties to
effectively evacuate along the Higuera Street corridor during an emergency event. While
certain street design strategies—specifically the proposed traffic lane reductions (“road
diet”) and traffic calming features (i.e. lane narrowing, protected bike lane vertical
elements)—are likely to result in modest increases in evacuation times compared to
existing conditions, total evacuation clearance times along the Higuera Street corridor are
estimated to remain within typical benchmarks used for urban evacuation planning. Still,
as discussed further below, Public Works staff is committed to ongoing monitoring and
coordination with local emergency services during and after construction of these
improvements, and is prepared to implement minor refinements to projec t designs if
needed to address unanticipated concerns. See detailed discussion below for more
information on emergency response and evacuation analysis.
While the 50 Higuera Widening and Higuera Complete Streets Projects have been
designed to ensure compliance with all state and local requirements for emergency
vehicle access, as discussed at the February 2025 City Council Study Session, it is also
important to review final design details closely with emergency service provide rs,
specifically the City Fire Department (SLO Fire) and Police Departments (SLO PD) to (a)
minimize potential for increases in emergency response delays and (b) ensure that the
proposed Project would not present any significant impediment to the ability t o evacuate
during a large-scale emergency event.
Balancing street designs that prioritize day-to-day traffic safety while simultaneously
accommodating rapid emergency response and surge traffic during potential evacuation
events is a constantly evolving challenge. Design elements that are proven traffic safety
countermeasures—such as narrower auto lanes, road diets, separated bike lanes, and
enhanced pedestrian crossings—can reduce illegal speeding and improve safety under
normal conditions, but may also introduce friction for emergency vehicles that need to
move quickly and bypass traffic during emergency events. City Public Works and
emergency services (SLO Fire and SLO PD) have been collaborating closely on this topic
through development of the Draft Vision Zero Action Plan and will continue to work in
unison to make informed recommendations on each roadway improvement that balance
these priorities with an overarching goal to improve overall public safety.
Based on previous review of the Higuera Complete Streets Project with emergency
services, the following design refinements have been incorporated into final project plans
to reduce potential for impacts to day-to-day emergency response:
a) Flex posts are used as the primary form of protected bikeway separation. Flex
posts have a narrow profile and can be easily adjusted/removed if needed or
mounted by a vehicle in a dire emergency. Bikeway vertical elements are omitted
at intersection approaches, near fire hydrants, and where raised center medians
exist to retain extra road clearance for emergency vehicles.
b) Wherever possible, the width of the striped center turn lane/median on Higuera
has been increased to allow more flexibility for emergency vehicles to use this
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space to bypass other vehicles during an emergency.
c) Emergency Vehicle Pre-emption Equipment (EVP)5 will be added as part of the
project at all city-owned traffic signals within the project limits that currently lack
EVP equipment, such as Higuera/South, Higuera/Madonna and
Higuera/Margarita. GPS EVP detection equipment is added (in addition to existing
infrared-based detection) at select intersections to improve upstream detection
and add more time to clear traffic ahead of an emergency vehicle.
d) EVP equipment upgrades for SLO Fire and SLO PD vehicl es have been funded
as part of the South/King Crossing CIP Project and are expected to be installed
prior to completion of the Higuera Complete Streets Project.
e) The closure of Walker at Higuera has been designed in a way that closes the street
to unauthorized vehicles, while preserving pedestrian safety and retaining access
for maintenance and emergency response when needed by using removable
bollards.
Further, the future addition of Fire Station #5 near the Avila Ranch development, which
could be operational as an interim station within the next two to three years, is expected
to significantly improve the day-to-day emergency response capabilities within the
southern portion of the city, including response to the South Higuera corridor.
As part of the City’s in-progress work on a Citywide Evacuation Study, a focused
evacuation study was prepared for the Higuera Street corridor (Attachment C) to evaluate
potential changes to evacuation times with addition of the Complete Streets Project. The
evacuation study, prepared by the San Luis Obispo Community Fire Safe Council, models
evacuation conditions for the following potential emergency events that could impact
Higuera Street:
Evacuation Scenario A: A fire or flooding event along San Luis Obispo Creek affecting
creek-adjacent neighborhoods west of Higuera Street between Prado Road and Los
Osos Valley Road (Evacuation Zone SLO-024)6.
Evacuation Scenario B: A wildfire in the South Hills Open Space (Evacuation Zone
SLO-025), requiring evacuation of the Margarita Area, Chumash Village and
surrounding neighborhoods.
This analysis conservatively assumes the worst-case evacuation demand, with a potential
large-scale emergency event occurring at a time where most residential and commercial
properties are occupied and need to evacuate immediately. To evaluate the effects of the
Complete Streets Project, the roadway capacity on Higuera Street was modified to reflect
5 EVP equipment allows emergency vehicles to communicate with a downstream traffic signal to prioritize
green lights in the direction the vehicle is traveling. This helps queued traffic to clear out of the way of an
approaching emergency vehicle and improves safety for first responders by holding red lights for all
conflicting intersection approaches. A key recommendation in the City’s Draft Vision Zero Action Plan
(Post-Crash Care Chapter) is to invest in EVP upgrades throughout the city to improve EMS response
times.
6 Evacuation Zone boundaries can be viewed on the following map, or the www.prepareslo.org website.
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the proposed 4-lane to 3-lane road diet between Bridge Street and Margarita and
assuming a 5 mph reduction in operating speeds along the full Higuera Street corridor
due to the proposed traffic calming and complete streets design features. The table below
summarizes the estimated evacuation clearance times for each emergency event with
and without the Complete Streets Project.
Table 1 – Evacuation Clearance Times with and without the Higuera Complete
Streets Project
Zone Emergency
Type
Evacuation Clearance Time
Change Existing
Conditions
Complete
Street
Project
SLO-024 (SLO
Creek w/o
Higuera Street)
Flood 107 min 117 min +10 min
Fire 100 min 114 min +14 min
SLO-025
(South Hills) Fire 95 min 103 min +8 min
The analysis estimates that during a worst-case evacuation event, the addition of the
Complete Streets Project could increase evacuation clearance times by approximately 8 -
14 minutes compared to existing conditions. Actual evacuation times would vary based
on incident conditions, evacuation activation notice, and public response; however, the
modeled clearance times provide a reasonable, if not conservative, planning-level
estimate consistent with accepted practices to guide emergency preparedness and
planning decisions.
Currently, there are no specific Federal, State or locally adopted performance thresholds
for maximum evacuation times; however, the evacuation study states that the modeled
evacuation clearance times remain within two hours, which is commonly used as a
performance benchmark for urban neighborhood-scale evacuation planning. It is
important to note that every evacuation involves numerous variables that can affect
overall clearance times. The type of incident, such as flood, fire, hazardous materials
release, or civil disturbance, presents different operational challenges, and evacuation
timelines may need to be adjusted accordingly. Under certain conditions, evacuations
could reasonably take longer than two hours; however, the two-hour benchmark is used
as a planning assumption, providing a consistent baseline against which evacuation
strategies, infrastructure constraints, and operational decisions can be evaluated.
The study concludes that with proper evacuation noticing, effective public communication
and coordinated traffic management strategies, the transportation network is expected to
continue to function acceptably during an emergency evacuation event with or without the
Complete Streets Project.
To minimize potential increases in emergency response and evacuation times in
conjunction with the Complete Streets Project, staff propose the following actions prior to
and during construction:
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1. Evacuation Signal Timing Plans: Prepare pre-programmed traffic signal timing
plans at intersections along the Higuera Street corridor that could be activated
during an evacuation event to prioritize movement of traffic away from the hazard
area. (Transportation Engineering staff will implement these timing plans prior to
start of construction).
2. Construction Coordination:
a. Schedule a pre-construction meeting between City Public Works and
emergency services staff to coordinate project construction phasing,
construction schedule and strategies to minimize impacts to emergency
response during construction activities. (Public Works staff will arrange a pre-
construction meeting with local emergency services representatives and
continue with regular updates and communication during construction).
b. Retain at least one lane open to traffic in each direction on any primary
emergency response routes affected during construction. (Project bid
documents require that the contractor always retain one lane of traffic in each
direction on Higuera Street and Madonna Road, unless otherwise approved by
City emergency services. The construction documents also require the most
disruptive work on these major roadways to be scheduled as night work, where
feasible).
In addition to the above recommendations, staff will also monitor post-construction
performance and will be prepared to quickly implem ent refinements to project designs as
needed if any concerns are identified by local emergency response providers. See “Next
Steps” section below for further detail.
Next Steps
Higuera Complete Streets Project Next Steps and Monitoring Strategies
On January 29, 2025, the California Transportation Commission (CTC) approved the
allocation of $6.9 million in Caltrans ATP grant funding awarded to the Complete Streets
Project construction. With Council approval of the recommendations presented in this
staff report, staff will advertise this project for bids during winter of 2026, with plans to
award the construction contract and start construction in late spring/early summer 2 026.
Project construction is expected to take up to one year to complete, including lengthy lead
times for traffic signal equipment.
Through the City’s SLO in Motion Program, updates to the community will be provided
prior to and throughout construction to notify the public and emergency service providers
of upcoming construction activities and potential travel delays. Where feasible, the most
disruptive road work will be scheduled as night work to minimize impacts to road users.
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Item 6b
As a requirement of the Caltrans ATP grant, staff will be conducting pre- and post-
construction data collection for the Complete Streets Project to track changes in
auto/ped/bicycle traffic volumes and vehicle speeds. In addition, staff will conduct the
following monitoring after construction to evaluate performance and need for design
refinements, if any:
a) Monitor average vehicle delays and driver behavior along the “road diet” segment of
Higuera between Madonna and Margarita Street, including delays for drivers exiting
the Chumash Village driveway (0-12 months post-construction)
b) Review crash data compared to pre-project conditions (12-18 months post-
construction)
c) Observe traffic operations, bicycle and pedestrian user behavior to identify if any minor
sign/striping/traffic signal refinements are needed (0-12 months post-construction)
d) In coordination with SLO Fire, invite feedback on any observed impacts to emergency
response and compare pre- and post-project EMS response times to destinations
along the Higuera Street corridor (0-24 months post-construction)
Because most of the street design changes involve pavement markings and low-cost
elements, such as flex posts, if needed, minor refinements can generally be implemented
quickly and at a relatively low-cost following construction.
Staff will prepare a summary of the post -construction monitoring results 12 months after
construction completion to inform the Council and community on project performance and
proposed design refinements, if any.
50 Higuera Widening Next Steps
A scope change request has already been approved by Caltrans, which will allow the City
to advance the revised 50 Higuera Widening project and deliver on the original HSIP grant
obligations for this project. Following approval by the City Council, staff will request
construction authorization from Caltrans and advertise the project for construction winter
of 2026. Construction is expected to begin by spring 2026 and take approximately one
month to complete. Construction of the Higuera Complete Streets Project is expected to
begin summer of 2026 and project schedules and areas of work will be coordinated
closely to avoid conflicts.
Potential for Future Road Widening
While the traffic analysis prepared for the Higuera Complete Streets Project indicates that
Higuera Street between Bridge and Margarita can operate within acceptable levels of
service into the 20+ year planning horizon as a three -lane roadway, this assumes that the
City’s long-term land use plan and transportation plans are advanced as anticipated per
the adopted General Plan Land Use and Circulation Elements. If future actions approve
a higher level of development intensity and/or significantly delay the Prado Road/US 101
Interchange, the segment of Higuera Street between Margarita and Bridge Street may
need to be reconfigured to two lanes of traffic in each direction to avoid levels of traffic
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Item 6b
congestion and delays that exceed the City’s adopted thresholds. It would not be possible
to provide two lanes of traffic in each direction and retain a center turn lane on Higuera
between Elks Lane and Bridge Street without revisiting the larger road widening originally
contemplated near 50 Higuera. If this City Council (or a future City Council) desires to
revisit the full road widening as originally envisioned along the 50 Higuera frontage,
several of the existing Heritage Trees would need to be removed, which would require
additional environmental review, approval by Caltrans, and City Council approval,
including a potential action to remove these trees from the list of designated city heritage
trees.
Previous Council or Advisory Body Action
Higuera Complete Streets Project
Active Transportation Committee (ATC) Input
The ATC first reviewed the Higuera Complete Streets project on February 6, 2022, to
provide early input on the project scope and concept designs. The ATC then provided
review and comment on 65%-level designs on May 16, 2024. The ATC’s key
recommendations to staff following review of 65% designs included:
1. Preference for the Higuera/Los Osos Valley Road intersection design alternative
featuring addition of a dedicated southbound bicycle signal phase
2. Support for the Higuera road diet limits as proposed between Margarita and Bridge
Streets
3. General preference for more permanent (concrete) vertical separation for
protected bikeways, with interest in providing more gaps in bikeway barriers to
allow cyclists to merge out of bike lanes to pass other riders and to merge across
traffic lanes ahead of intersections
4. Desire for more significant bicycle safety improvements, if feasible, at the
Higuera/Suburban intersection, which has a history of bicycle right-hook collisions,
including a recent fatal collision
5. Preference for staff to continue further design refinement and coordination with
Caltrans on a design concept for Madonna Road that includes protected facilities,
ideally as a two-way shared-use path on the north side of the roadway
The final plans reflect most of the ATC’s recommendations, except for (a) use of mo re
permanent concrete barriers for bikeway separation throughout the project, (b) addition
of separated bikeways on the Madonna overpass, and (c) incorporation of more robust
improvements at the Higuera/Suburban intersection. Updates on these items are
summarized as follows:
a) As described above, concrete bikeway separation is included in the plans as a bid
additive alternate for the segment of Higuera between Bridge and Margarita only,
with flex posts used for bikeway separation elsewhere. This recommendati on is
based on cost constraints and concerns with using rigid barriers where street width
constraints require use of minimum-allowed auto lane and bike lane widths on a
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Item 6b
higher-speed street, which increases chance of accidental bicycle and vehicle
strikes.
b) While staff pursued strategies to provide a physically separated bikeway along the
Madonna Road Overpass, this was ultimately not feasible within the cost and
schedule constraints of the current grant-funded project. Staff will continue to
coordinate with Caltrans and explore feasibility of a future shared-use path on
Madonna Road as resources allow.
c) Staff evaluated various options to address vehicle vs. bicycle collision concerns at
the Higuera/Suburban intersection. The ideal ultimate improvement would involve
widening the intersection to provide width for a dedicated northbound right -turn
lane and/or provide a protected bicycle crossing area; however, this requires off -
site right-of-way acquisition and utility relocations that are not feasible at this t ime.
An interim improvement is planned which will modify the Higuera/Suburban traffic
signal to provide protected left turn phasing (left turns on green arrows only) and
an electronic illuminated sign to provide further warning to right-turning vehicles to
yield to bicyclists. A construction contract is already awarded for this minor traffic
signal modification and work should be complete within the next two months.
Regular project updates have been provided to the ATC following the February 2025
Council Study Session and leading into this final hearing regarding the project.
City Council Input
As noted previously, the City Council provided feedback and policy direction on the
Complete Streets Project at a Study Session on February 4, 2025. More detailed
information on the Study Session is provided previously in this report.
50 Higuera Widening Project
The City Council previously approved the original project on April 15, 2025, as a consent
item. Staff is returning to seek authorization to proceed with the redesigned project.
Public Engagement
Higuera Complete Streets Project
Over the last three years, a series of community outreach activities have been provided
for the Higuera Complete Streets project. The public engagement strategy consisted of a
combination of both formal and less-formal outreach activities (including weekend,
afternoons and weeknights) to maximize opportunities for feedback and to ensure that
input reflects the diverse voices of the full San Luis Obispo community. For those who
were not able to attend in-person events, staff also collected input via email and phone.
Public engagement activities included two neighborhood pop-ups (at Food 4 Less Market
and Meadow Park), two open house workshops, a resident forum hosted by the Chumash
Village community, a site meeting with a property owner affected by the proposed Walker
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Item 6b
Street Closure, multiple presentations to the ATC, a City Council Study Session, and a
project webpage. For a comprehensive description of outreach activities and a summary
of input, see the February 2025 Council Study Session Agenda Packet, Attachment G.
Staff has endeavored to incorporate this feedback into the project designs, where
feasible, including a redesign of proposed traffic calming strategies within the Meadow
Park neighborhood based on initial feedback from community members.
50 Higuera Widening Project
Opportunities for public input regarding plans to widen Higuera Street between Bridge
Street and Elks Lane were provided as part of the 2014 General Plan Land Use and
Circulation Element (LUCE) Update, as part of the Mid -Higuera Enhancement Plan, and
with approval of CIP project funding appropriations through several recent City Financial
Plans. This project was on the Council Agenda for the October 17, 2023, meeting to
approve easement acquisitions, and again on the April 15, 2025, Council Agenda to
approve the original project plans. This agenda item provides an additional opportunity
for the public to provide input on the revised 50 Higuera Widening Project prior to
implementation and will follow all required postings and notifications. The public may have
an opportunity to comment on this matter at or before the meeting.
CONCURRENCE
The Complete Streets and Road Widening Project details and this report have been
reviewed and have concurrence from the City Public Works Department, City Arborist,
Police and Fire Departments, City Attorney’s Office, and City Administration. See
previous section on “Emergency Response and Evacuation Considerations” for more
details on collaboration with emergency services.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Higuera Complete Streets Project
Environmental analysis for the Complete Streets Project was conducted by Rincon
Consultants, Inc. Based on evaluation of the project’s design details, the analysis
concluded that the project is eligible for a Class 1 Categorical Exemption (CE) under
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Section 15301(c) (Existing Facilities). A
Notice of Exemption (NOE) was filed with the County Clerk on July 25, 2025.
As discussed in detail at the February 2025 Council Study Session, the Project will
implement traffic signal modifications that will increase vehicle delay at the Higuera
Street/Los Osos Valley Road intersection, which is already projected to operate at a level
of service (LOS) below the City’s adopted target threshold of LOS D or better in the future
with or without the Complete Streets Project. Acceptable LOS will be retained in the
short-term; however, this LOS deficiency is projected to occur in the near-term (5-10 year)
horizon with or without the Project. Congestion at this intersection is expected regardless
of the project, and the project does not create a new environmental impact under CEQA.
Pursuant to CEQA policy, LOS or other measures of automobile delay are no longer used
to define significant environmental impacts. To retain acceptable LOS in the future, either
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Item 6b
(a) the Higuera/Los Osos Valley Road intersection would need to be widened to add
additional vehicle lanes, (b) the proposed Los Osos Valley Road Bypass Road would
need to be constructed, or (c) the bicycle signal phase proposed with the Higuera
Complete Street Project would need to be eliminated in the future. However, in approving
the Project, the Council will be formally accepting this local policy deficiency for motor
vehicle LOS at this intersection, which is acknowledged in the draft resolution provided
as Attachment F.
50 Higuera Widening Project
Both California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) environmental review have been completed for the 50 Higuera Widening project.
The project was determined to be Categorically Exempt per CEQA Guidelines Section
15301 (Class 1 Exemption – Existing Facilities), and a Notice of Exemption has been filed
with the County Clerk’s Office. Caltrans, assuming responsibility as lead agency for
environmental review pursuant to NEPA for federally funded projects in California,
determined that the project would not pose any significant impacts on the environment,
approving a Categorical Exclusion (CE) in 2014.
The re-design of this project retains this Categorically Exempt determination, as
previously documented. The modified project does not introduce any changes that would
create potential for new or exacerbated impacts beyond what was evaluated under the
previous project description. With a much smaller area of road construction, the modified
project would have less overall effect on the built and/or natural environment than the
previous project design.
FISCAL IMPACT
Budgeted: Yes Budget Year: 2025-26
Funding Identified: Yes
Fiscal Analysis:
The tables below summarize the project costs and funding for the Higuera Com plete
Streets and 50 Higuera Widening Projects.
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Item 6b
Higuera Complete Streets Project
Table 2 – Fiscal Impact Summary for Higuera Complete Streets (No. 2091057)
Funding Sources Total Budget
Available
Current
Funding
Request
Remaining
Balance
Annual
Ongoing
Cost
General Fund
Capital Outlay - LRM
(Higuera Complete Street,
No. 2001057)
$3,062,560 $3,062,560 $0
Capital Outlay - LRM
(Prado Creek Bridge Project,
No. 2091252)
$2,277,019 $500,000 $1,777,019
Capital Outlay
(ATP Implementation, No.
2000608)
$88,650 $88,650 $0
Capital Outlay - LRM
(ATP Implementation, No.
2000608)
$116,197 $116,197 $0
Capital Outlay - LRM
(Vision Zero Implementation,
No. 2000073)
$144,742 $100,000 $44,742
Capital Outlay - LRM
(Traffic Signal Maintenance &
Replacements, No. 2001003-
02)
$100,000 $50,000 $50,000
*Capital Outlay - LRM
(Infrastructure Investment
Fund)
$14,658,406 $2,000,000 $12,658,406
State $0
Caltrans ATP Grant
(Higuera Complete Street,
No. 2001057)
$6,951,000 $6,951,000 $0
SLOCOG Grant
(Higuera Complete Street,
No. 2001057)
$2,501,910 $2,501,910 $0
Other $0
Water Fund
(Water Valve Cover
Adjustments, No. 2001005)
$314,748 $120,000 $194,748
Sewer Fund
(Sewer Valve Cover
Adjustments, No. 2000084)
$161,509 $50,000 $111,509
Total $30,413,041 $15,540,317 $14,872,724
*Current Infrastructure Investment Fund (IIF) balance is $14,658,406, with an estimated balance of
$11,158,406 on July 1, 2026 following a planned appropriation to Prado Creek Bridge project for FY2026-
27. An additional $1,212,229 of FY 2024-25 General Fund Unassigned Fund Balance is proposed to be
allocated to the IIF as part of the FY 2024-25 Second Quarter Budget Report, which will be reviewed by
the Council on February 17, 2026.
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Item 6b
Table 3 – Detailed Cost and Funding Summary for Higuera Complete Streets
Project (No. 2091057)
Higuera Complete Street Project (No. 2001057) Costs & Funding Summary
State
Grant
General
Fund
Water
Fund
Sewer
Fund
Total
Costs
PROJECT COSTS
Base Bid Construction Estimate $9,452,910 $3,082,221 $75,000 $25,000 $12,635,131
Construction Contingency $0 $1,226,136 $45,000 $25,000 $1,296,136
Construction Management $0 $1,000,000 $0 $0 $1,000,000
Materials Testing $0 $150,000 $0 $0 $150,000
Printing & Advertising $0 $1,000 $0 $0 $1,000
Public Relations $0 $100,000 $0 $0 $100,000
Base Bid Total Estimate $9,452,910 $5,559,357 $120,000 $50,000 $15,182,267
Add Alt A Construction Estimate $0 $325,500 $0 $0 $325,500
Add Alt A Contingency $0 $32,550 $0 $0 $32,550
Additive Alternative A Total
Estimate $0 $358,050 $0 $0 $358,050
Total Construction (Base + Add
Alt A) $9,452,910 $5,917,407 $120,000 $50,000 $15,540,317
PROJECT FUNDING
Available Project Account Balance $9,452,910 $3,062,560 $0 $0 $12,515,470
New Funding Request $0 $2,854,847 $120,000 $50,000 $3,024,847
TOTAL PROJECT
BUDGET $9,452,910 $5,917,407 $120,000 $50,000 $15,540,317
(1) See expanded Project Cost and Funding table in Attachments.
Construction Costs
The Higuera Complete Streets Project plans and specifications are structured with a Base
Bid and a Bid Additive Alternate A—the additive alternate adds concrete curbs for
protected bike lane separation along a portion of Higuera Street. While staff hopes to
have sufficient funding to award the full scope of improvements, this strategy provides
flexibility to award only the Base Bid up to the Publicly Disclosed amount of $12,960,700
in compliance with Public Contract Code Section 20103.8(c) if the lowest responsive bid
exceeds available funding resources.
As shown in the table above, the total estimated Project cost is $15,540,317, including
the Base Bid and Bid Additive Alternate construction contract costs, construction
contingencies and support costs (contract construction management support, materials
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Item 6b
testing, etc.).
Currently, there is $12,515,470 in available funding in the Higuera Complete Street
Project account, including $9,452,910 in outside grant funding consisting of $6.95 million
in Caltrans ATP Grant funding and $2.5 million from SLOCOG Community Betterments
Grant funding. The SLOCOG funds were awarded as the result of two cycles of
competitive call-for-projects for Community Betterment grants—a program intended to
support projects of local significance.
Staff is requesting authorization to transfer an additional $1,024,847 in funds from other
active CIP project accounts to the Higuera Complete Street Project (No. 2001057), as
follows:
a) $500,000 from the Prado Creek Bridge Replacement (No. 2091252)
b) $204,847 from the Active Transportation Plan Implementation (No. 2000608)
c) $100,000 from the Vision Zero Implementation (No. 2000073)
d) $50,000 from the Traffic Signal Maintenance & Replacements (No. 2001003)
e) $120,000 from the Water Valve Cover Adjustments (No. 2001005)
f) $50,000 from the Sewer Valve Cover Adjustments (No. 2000084)
The funding transfer from the Prado Creek Bridge Project represents the cost for the new
traffic signal at Higuera/Elks—this signal is required as a mitigation measure during
removal/replacement of the bridge and was originally included as part of the bridge project
scope and costs; however, the Higuera Complete Street Project is moving forward sooner
and will install this signal first. The other transfers are from CIP project accounts that
support the types of improvements included in the Higuera Complete Street Project, such
as sewer/water valve cover adjustments during paving/sidewalk reconstruction, traffic
safety improvements on the high-injury network as identified in the Draft Vision Zero
Action Plan, and traffic signal modernizations (i.e. ADA-compliant pedestrian signals,
high-visibility signal backplates, traffic signal phasing adjustments).
In addition, staff is requesting authorization to transfer an additional $2,000,000 in funds
from the Infrastructure Investment Fund to fully fund construction. There is a current
balance of $14,658,406 in the Infrastructure Investment Fund, and a projected balance
of $11,158,406 on July 1, 2027, following a planned appropriation of $3,500,000 to the
Prado Creek Bridge project in FY 2026-27. Staff is recommending allocation of
$1,212,229 of FY 2024-25 General Fund Unassigned Fund Balance as part of the FY
2024-25 Second Quarter Budget Report that will be presented to the City Council on
February 17, 2026, before this item is heard (see Item 6a of this Agenda Packet). The
table below shows the current Infrastructure Investment Fund balance, funding
transactions proposed in the February 17, 2026 Council items on the Higuera Complete
Streets Project and FY2024-25 General Fund Unassigned Fund Balance and planned
capital project earmarks from this fund in the coming years.
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Item 6b
Table 4 –Infrastructure Investment Fund (IIF) Balance and Planned Expenditures
FY 2025-2026 IIF Fund Summary
Payment Amount Ending Balance
Starting Fund Balance FY 25-26 $14,658,406.00 $14,658,406.00
Higuera Complete Streets Project FY25-
26 (March 17, 2026) $(2,000,000.00) $12,658,406.00
FY 24-25 Unassigned Fund Balance
FY25-26 (March 17th, 2026) $1,212,229.00 $13,870,635.00
FY 2026-27 Capital Reserve (July 1,
2026) $787,771.00 $14,658,406.00
Prado Bridge Widening (Design) FY 26-
27 (July 1, 2026) $(3,500,000.00) $11,158,406.00
Prado Bridge Widening FY 27-28 (July
1, 2027) $(11,158,406.00) $ -
Maintenance Costs
The addition of protected bike lanes with the Complete Street Project is expected to
increase ongoing maintenance costs for contract sweeping and repair/replacement of
bikeway flex posts. Based on typical costs for flex posts repairs and contract street
sweeping within protected bike lanes at other locations within the city, th is project is
expected to incur an additional annual maintenance cost of approximately $50,000 -
$70,000. Staff is requesting authorization to use contingency funds from the Complete
Street Project CIP account that may remain unspent following construction (up to
$200,000) to support increased maintenance needs. Ongoing funding for additional
maintenance obligations will be requested as part of the 2027 -29 Financial Plan. If
additional maintenance funds cannot be secured using unspent contingency funds or with
future budget requests, regular bikeway sweeping will be scheduled as frequently as
resources allow, with spot sweeping performed when specific hazards are reported.
Funding & Cost Breakdown
The following tables break down the Complete Street Project funding by source and
construction costs by project feature:
Table 5 – Higuera Complete Street Cost Breakdown by Fund Source
Project Funding by Source %
Local 39%
General Fund (Non-LRM) 2%
General Fund (LRM) 36%
Water & Sewer Funds 1%
Outside Grant 61%
State ATP Grant 45%
SLOCOG Grant 16%
Total 100%
Page 341 of 444
Item 6b
Table 6 – Higuera Complete Street Cost Breakdown by Feature
Construction Cost by Project Feature % of Total
Paving 29%
Pedestrian Curb Ramps, Sidewalks, Crosswalk Beacons 27%
Protected Bike Lane – Flex Posts 3%
Protected Bike Lane – Concrete Curbs (Bid Add Alt) 2%
Traffic Signal Improvements 13%
Signs, Striping & Traffic Calming 16%
Other (Temporary Traffic Control, Mobilization, etc.) 10%
Total Construction Costs 100%
As shown above, the majority (61%) of project costs are funded by outside grant funding,
which was secured based on the project’s benefits to walking, bicycling, and traffic safety.
Two thirds (66%) of construction costs are related to essential road pavement
maintenance, pedestrian accessibility upgrades (ADA curb ramps & sidewalk repairs) and
misc. construction support elements (construction traffic control, mobilization, etc.).
If the City were to implement this project with only the essential maintenance/accessibility
improvements and no other active transportation or traffic safety “betterments”, the project
would not be financially feasible with local funding alone. The outside grant funding
secured for this project allows the City to make significant progress supporting its active
transportation and safety goals, while also accomplishing essential maintenance needs
at the same time.
50 Higuera Widening Project
Table 7 – Fiscal Impact Summary for 50 Higuera Widening Project (No. 2091294)
Funding
Sources
Total Budget
Available
Current Project
Funding Request
Remaining
Balance
Annual
Ongoing
Cost
General Fund
General Fund
(Capital Outlay)
$2,760 $2,760 $0 $0
Local Revenue
Measure (LRM)
$22,600 $0 $22,600 $0
Other:
State Grant
(SLOCOG
USHA Grant)
$663,536 $335,431 $328,105 $0
Federal Grant
(HSIP)
$67,500 $42,450 $25,050 $0
Citywide TIF $859 $859 $0 $0
Total $757,255 $381,500 $375,755 $0
Page 342 of 444
Item 6b
Table 8 – Detailed Cost and Funding Summary for 50 Higuera Widening Project
(No. 2091294)
50 Higuera Widening Account (2091294)
Totals General
Fund
General
Fund
(LRM)
State
Grant
(SLOCOG
USHA)
Federal
Grant
(HSIP)
Citywide
Traffic
Impact
Fee (TIF)
Project Costs
Construction
Estimate $2,760 $268,931 $42,450 $859 $315,000
Contingencies (20%) $63,000 $63,000
Construction Costs $2,760 $0 $331,931 $42,450 $859 $378,000
Materials Testing $3,000 $3,000
Printing & Advertising $500 $500
Total Project Costs $2,760 $0 $335,431 $42,450 $859 $381,500
Project Funding
Current Balance $2,760 $22,600 $663,536 $67,500 $859 $757,256
Remaining Balance $0 $22,600 $328,105 $25,050 $0 $375,756
The Road Widening Project construction cost is estimated at $381,500, including
contingencies and support costs (materials testing, printing and advertising).
There is a current balance of $757,256 in the Project Account, including General Fund,
State Urban Highway Account (USHA) grant funds administered by the San Luis Obispo
Regional Council of Governments (SLOCOG), remaining HSIP grant funds administered
by Caltrans, and Citywide Traffic Impact Fee (TIF) funds. This provides sufficient
resources to fund construction.
When the original 50 Higuera Widening Project was approved, the City Council authorized
the transfer of $22,600 in General Fund (LRM) funds to the Project account from the New
Streetlights CIP Account (No. 2001016), as the original scope included installation of a
new streetlight. With the revised project, this streetlight will no longer be installed and
these funds are no longer needed for this purpose, so staff is recommending that these
funds be transferred back to the New Streetlights CIP Account.
As shown in the funding tables above, there is $67,500 in HSIP grant funding remaining
in the Project Account; however, only $42,450 of these funds are eligible for use in the
construction phase of the project. The remaining portion of the HSIP funding is specifically
tied to previous right-of-way and utility coordination phases and cannot be used towards
construction. These remaining funds will ultimately go unspent—no repayment of this
balance is required, these funds will simply be zeroed out when the project account is
closed following construction completion.
The current SLOCOG USHA funding allocated to this project is expected to exceed the
amount needed to fund construction by up to $328,000. Staff is requesting Council
Page 343 of 444
Item 6b
authorization to transfer any remaining unspent USHA funds to the Higuera Complete
Streets Project Account (No. 2001057), if needed to supplement this related high -priority
CIP project. SLOCOG has already affirmed that the Higuera Complete Street Project is
an eligible project for use of the USHA funding; however, a minor amendment to the
existing cooperative agreement between the City and SLOCOG would be required prior
to expending and seeking reimbursement for this additional funding.
ALTERNATIVES
Higuera Complete Streets Project
1. Council could decide not to approve the Project plans and specifications or
request to advertise for construction bids at this time. The delay caused by this
alternative could lead to forfeiture of more than $9 million in outside grant funding. Per
the conditions of the Caltrans ATP Grant, the construction contract for this project
must be awarded by the end of June 2026. As currently scoped, the Project would be
infeasible to deliver without this grant funding and would need to be delayed
significantly and redesigned to align project scope with reduced funding resources.
2. Council could direct staff to return prior to awarding the construction contract
if construction bids exceed the amount needed to fund the base bid and bid
additive alternative (concrete bike lane protection). If desired, staff could return to
the City Council to award the construction contract following receipt of construction
bids (if bids exceed current funding) and present recommendations to appropriate
additional funds to the project account to fully fund and award the base project and
bid additive alternate. In order to increase project funding, staff would likely need to
identify other planned or in-progress capital projects that would need to be de-
funded/deferred.
50 Higuera Widening Project
1. Council could decide not to approve the advertisement of the revised 50 Higuera
Street Widening Project, directing staff to take the required steps to advance
the larger road widening project, as originally envisioned. To advance the larger
50 Higuera Widening Project as originally envisioned, the project scope would need
to assume that removal of several Heritage Trees would be required. This would
conflict with City Policy regarding preservation of Heritage Trees and could very likely
present a significant environmental impact under CEQA/NEPA. Updated
environmental review would be required, which may potentially result in disclosure of
significant and unavoidable impacts that cannot be feasibly avoided/mitigated.
Caltrans would also need to approve removal of these trees. If removal of these trees
was ultimately approved, these actions could delay the project for at least 18 to 24
months. These delays would incur additional cost escalation, and could lead to failure
to deliver the HSIP-funded project on schedule, which could require repayment of
approximately $400,000 in HSIP grant funding already spent to date.
ATTACHMENTS
Page 344 of 444
Item 6b
A - Draft Resolution Authorizing Appropriation of Funds from the Infrastructure
Investment Fund to the Higuera Complete Streets Project
B - Summary of Higuera Complete Street Project Plans
C - Higuera Complete Street Project Emergency Evacuation Study
D - Higuera Complete Street Project Detailed Cost and Funding Table
E - 50 Higuera Widening Project - Typical Street Cross Section Exhibit
F – Draft Resolution Accepting a Future Automobile Level of Service Deficiency
Page 345 of 444
Page 346 of 444
R ______
RESOLUTION NO. _____ (2026 SERIES)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN LUIS
OBISPO, CALIFORNIA, AUTHORIZING USE OF $2,000,000 FROM THE
INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT FUND TO SUPPORT THE HIGUERA
COMPLETE STREETS PROJECT, SPECIFICATION NUMBER 2001057
WHEREAS, on February 17, 2026, the City Council authorized advertisement of
the Higuera Complete Streets Project and delegated authority to the City Manager to
award the construction contract if the lowest responsive bid was within the publicly
disclosed funding limit of $12,960,700; and,
WHEREAS, the project includes pavement rehabilitation, roadway restriping,
addition of protected bike lanes, pedestrian accessibility and crossing improvements, and
traffic safety improvements that benefit all road users, covering segments of Higuera
Street, Madonna Road, and local roadways near Meadow Park; and
WHEREAS, proposed improvements in the Higuera Complete Street Project
support the Major City Goal of Infrastructure and Sustainable Transportation, advance
several “Tier 1” (highest-priority) improvements recommended in City’s 2021 Active
Transportation Plan, and support the City’s overarching Vision Zero Goal to eliminate
severe injury and fatal traffic collisions; and
WHEREAS, the City created in Infrastructure Investment Fund to set aside funding
for future infrastructure projects that contribute to improved economic development and
enhanced quality of life in the City of San Luis Obispo; and
WHEREAS, the use of these funds is at the discretion of the City Council based on
the guidelines established; and
WHEREAS, to provide sufficient funding to proceed with the Higuera Complete
Streets Project, staff is recommending the City Council approve use of $2,000,000 from
the Infrastructure Investment Fund; and
WHEREAS, a balance of approximately $14,658,400 is currently available in the
Infrastrucure Investment Fund, which is sufficient to cover the funding requested to
supplement the Higuera Complete Street Project.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of San Luis
Obispo as follows:
Page 347 of 444
Resolution No. _____ (2026 Series) Page 2
R ______
SECTION 1. The City Council authorizes the appropriation of $2,000,000 from the
Infrastructure Investment Fund to the Higuera Complete Streets Project account
2001057.
Upon motion of _______________________, seconded by
_______________________, and on the following roll call vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
The foregoing resolution was adopted this _____ day of _____________________ 2026.
___________________________
Mayor Erica A. Stewart
ATTEST:
__________________________
Teresa Purrington
City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
__________________________
J. Christine Dietrick
City Attorney
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the
City of San Luis Obispo, California, on ______________________.
___________________________
Teresa Purrington
City Clerk
Page 348 of 444
ADD BICYCLE LEFT TURN BOX TO
IMPROVE ACCESS & VISIBILITY FOR
CYCLISTS TURNING FROM EB LOS OSOS
VALLEY RD TO NB HIGUERA ST
TRAFFIC SIGNAL MODIFICATIONS:
- PROTECTED ONLY LEFT TURN ARROWS FOR
NORTHBOUND HIGUERA APPROACH
- ADD DEDICATED BIKE SIGNAL PHASE FOR
SOUTHBOUND HIGUERA (SOUTHBOUND
RIGHT-TURN SEPARATED WITH RED ARROW
DURING BIKE SIGNAL PHASE). INCLUDE "NO
RIGHT TURN ON RED" DURING BIKE SIGNAL
- ADD ADA-COMPLIANT PEDESTRIAN SIGNALS
GREEN BIKE LANE MARKINGS THROUGH
CONFLICT AREAS FOR ADDED VISIBILITY (TYP)
BUFFERED BIKE LANE W/ FLEX POSTS PROVIDE PROTECTED
BIKE LANE SEPARATION, WITH GAPS AT DRIVEWAYS, FIRE
HYDRANTS, AND FOR BIKES TO ENTER/EXIT BIKE LANES (TYP)
PROTECTED ONLY LEFT-TURN
SIGNAL PHASING FOR
NORTHBOUND LEFTS
GENERAL NOTE:
WHILE NOT SHOWN IN DETAIL IN THESE EXHIBITS, PROJECT DESIGNS INCLUDE
INSTALLATION OF THE FOLLOWING FEATURES THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT LIMITS:
- ADA-COMPLIANT PEDESTRIAN SIGNALS WITH AUDIBLE MESSAGING
- ADA CURB RAMP UPGRADES AT 70+ LOCATIONS
- ADDITION OF HI-VISIBILITY TRAFFIC SIGNAL BACKPLATES W/ YELLOW REFLECTIVE
STRIPS AT ALL SIGNALIZED INTERSECTIONS WITHIN PROJECT LIMITS
- EMERGENCY VEHICLE PREEMPTION TRAFFIC SIGNAL UPGRADES
- PAVEMENT REPAIRS AND AND RESURFACING ALONG ALL ROADWAYS IN PROJECT
LIMITS
DIAGRAM OF PROPOSED SOUTHBOUND
BICYCLE AND VEHICLE RIGHT TURN SIGNAL
PHASING
Page 349 of 444
CONTINUOUS GREEN BIKE LANES BETWEEN
SUBURBAN AND TANK FARM WHERE WIDTH IS
INSUFFICIENT FOR BUFFERED/PROTECTED
BIKE LANES
TURN BOX WITH PUSH BUTTON TO PROVIDE
SIGNALIZED CROSSING OF HIGUERA FOR
SOUTHBOUND LEFT-TURNING BICYCLISTS
INSTALL HI-VISIBILITY CROSSWALK
MARKINGS (TYP)
ADA CURB RAMP UPGRADES
THROUGHOUT PROJECT, WHERE
NEEDED (TYP)GREEN BIKE LANE MARKINGS AT DRIVEWAY AND
INTERSECTION CONFLICT AREAS (TYP)
PROTECTED ONLY LEFT-TURN
SIGNAL PHASING FOR
NORTHBOUND LEFTS
TRAFFIC SIGNAL MODIFICATIONS TO BE
INSTALLED AT HIGUERA/SUBURBAN VIA
SEPARATE PROJECT PRIOR TO COMPLETE
STREETS CONSTRUCTION:
- CONVERT SOUTHBOUND LEFT TURNS TO
PROTECTED ONLY PHASING
- INSTALL ILLUMINATED LED SIGN TO
INCREASE VISIBILITY OF NORTHBOUND
RIGHT-TURNING VEHICLES VS. BICYCLE
CONFLICTS
INSTALL RADAR SPEED FEEDBACK SIGN
Page 350 of 444
CONTINUOUS GREEN BIKE LANES BETWEEN
SUBURBAN AND TANK FARM WHERE WIDTH IS
INSUFFICIENT FOR BUFFERED/PROTECTED
BIKE LANES
BUFFERED BIKE LANE W/ FLEX POSTS PROVIDE
PROTECTED BIKE LANE SEPARATION, WITH GAPS AT
DRIVEWAYS, FIRE HYDRANTS, AND FOR BIKES TO
ENTER/EXIT BIKE LANES (TYP)
ADD FLEX POSTS AND "NO LEFT TURN" SIGNAGE TO
DISCOURAGE ILLEGAL TURNS AROUND MEDIAN NEAR
SILVER CITY AND THE SLO PUBLIC MARKET
PU
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Page 351 of 444
PATCH POT HOLES AND RESURFACE ROADWAY
PAVEMENT THROUGHOUT PROJECT (TYP)
BUFFERED BIKE LANE W/ FLEX POSTS PROVIDE
PROTECTED BIKE LANE SEPARATION, WITH GAPS AT
DRIVEWAYS, FIRE HYDRANTS, AND FOR BIKES TO
ENTER/EXIT BIKE LANES (TYP)
GAPS IN BIKEWAY SEPARATION PROVIDED TO
ALLOW CYCLISTS TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC
LANES FOR LEFT-TURNS AT DOWNSTREAM
INTERSECTIONS AND DRIVEWAYS (TYP)
Page 352 of 444
TURN BOX WITH PUSH BUTTON TO PROVIDE
SIGNALIZED CROSSING OF HIGUERA FOR
SOUTHBOUND LEFT-TURNING BICYCLISTS
FLEX POSTS AND SIGNAGE TO DISCOURAGE
ILLEGAL LEFT TURNS AROUND MEDIAN
BUFFERED BIKE LANE W/ FLEX POSTS PROVIDE
PROTECTED BIKE LANE SEPARATION, WITH GAPS AT
DRIVEWAYS, FIRE HYDRANTS, AND FOR BIKES TO
ENTER/EXIT BIKE LANES (TYP)
Page 353 of 444
GREEN BIKE LANE MARKINGS AT DRIVEWAY AND
INTERSECTION CONFLICT AREAS (TYP)
FUTURE RECONSTRUCTION OF HIGUERA/PRADO INTERSECTION PLANNED AS
PART OF PRADO CREEK BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROJECT. INTERIM
IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDE HI-VISIBILITY CROSSWALKS AND GREEN BIKE LANE
CONFLICT MARKINGS
BUFFERED BIKE LANE W/ FLEX POSTS PROVIDE
PROTECTED BIKE LANE SEPARATION, WITH GAPS AT
DRIVEWAYS, FIRE HYDRANTS, AND FOR BIKES TO
ENTER/EXIT BIKE LANES (TYP)
Page 354 of 444
INSTALL RADAR SPEED FEEDBACK SIGN
GREEN BIKE LANE MARKINGS AT DRIVEWAY AND
INTERSECTION CONFLICT AREAS (TYP)
INSTALL HI-VISIBILITY CROSSWALK
MARKINGS (TYP)
HIGUERA ST. RECONFIGURED TO THREE LANES
(ONE LANE EACH DIRECTION + CENTER TURN
LANE) BETWEEN MARGARITA AND BRIDGE ST.
Page 355 of 444
REFRESH RED CURB PAINT AND SIGNAGE TO
ENFORCE "NO PARKING" RESTRICTIONS WITHIN
CHUMASH DRIVE SIGHT TRIANGLE
BETWEEN MARGARITA AND BRIDGE STREET,
BASE BID INCLUDES FLEX POSTS ONLY FOR
BIKEWAY SEPARATION. BID ADDITIVE
INCLUDES PRE-CAST, REMOVABLE CONCRETE
CURBS (6" HEIGHT, 18' WIDTH) FOR PROTECTED
BIKEWAY SEPARATION WHERE SHOWN
BIKEWAY MEDIANS PULLED BACK MINIMUM 20'
FROM ALL DRIVEWAYS (TYP)
INSTALL HI-VISIBILITY CROSSWALK
MARKINGS (TYP)
EXTRA WIDE CENTER TURN LANE
PROVIDED TO SERVE AS
EMERGENCY BYPASS LANE FOR
EMERGENCY VEHICLES
WIDEN PAVEMENT AND CONSTRUCT TEMPORARY
DRAINAGE GUTTER -- REMAINING WIDENING AND
SIDEWALK GAP CLOSURE IN FUTURE (PENDING
RIGHT-OF-WAY ACQUISITION)
Page 356 of 444
BETWEEN MARGARITA AND BRIDGE STREET,
BASE BID INCLUDES FLEX POSTS ONLY FOR
BIKEWAY SEPARATION. BID ADDITIVE
INCLUDES PRE-CAST, REMOVABLE CONCRETE
CURBS (6" HEIGHT, 18' WIDTH) FOR PROTECTED
BIKEWAY SEPARATION WHERE SHOWN
Page 357 of 444
INSTALL RADAR SPEED FEEDBACK SIGN
INSTALL NEW TRAFFIC SIGNAL AT
HIGUERA/ELKS INTERSECTION
PUSH BUTTONS PROVIDED TO ALLOW
BICYCLES AND PEDESTRIANS TO ACTUATE
TRAFFIC SIGNAL TO CROSS HIGUERA ST.
HIGUERA ST. RECONFIGURED TO THREE LANES
(ONE LANE EACH DIRECTION + CENTER TURN
LANE) BETWEEN MARGARITA AND BRIDGE ST.
BETWEEN MARGARITA AND BRIDGE STREET,
BASE BID INCLUDES FLEX POSTS ONLY FOR
BIKEWAY SEPARATION. BID ADDITIVE
INCLUDES PRE-CAST, REMOVABLE CONCRETE
CURBS (6" HEIGHT, 18' WIDTH) FOR PROTECTED
BIKEWAY SEPARATION WHERE SHOWN
Page 358 of 444
CENTER TURN LANE ADDED TO IMPROVE
ACCESS TO/FROM BRIDGE ST.
NORTHBOUND APPROACH RESTRIPED AT
HIGUERA/MADONNA TO PROVIDE DUAL
LEFT-TURN LANES, WHICH IMPROVES EXISTING
AND FUTURE TRAFFIC OPERATIONS
RECONSTRUCT NORTHWEST CORNER OF
HIGUERA/MADONNA INTERSECTION TO
IMPROVE BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN CROSSIGN
EXPOSURE AND SAFETY. PROVIDE
OPPORTUNITY FOR FUTURE SHARED-USE
PED/BIKE PATH CONNECTION NORTH TO
MADONNA RD PATH
TRAFFIC SIGNAL MODIFICATION PROVIDES
DEDICATED SOUTHBOUND VEHICLE
RIGHT-TURN PHASE AND SEPARATE
SOUTHBOUND BIKE SIGNAL PHASE TO REDUCE
CONFLICTS WITH TURNING VEHICLES.
TWO-STAGE BICYCLE LEFT TURN BOX FACILITATES
NORTHBOUND LEFT-TURN MOVEMENTS FOR BICYCLISTS
TOWARDS WESTBOUND MADONNA RD
SOUTHBOUND LEFT-TURNS RESTRICTED,
RE-DIRECTED TO BRIDGE ST
AREA FOR
FUTURE TREES
HIGUERA ST. RECONFIGURED TO THREE LANES
(ONE LANE EACH DIRECTION + CENTER TURN
LANE) BETWEEN MARGARITA AND BRIDGE ST.
DIAGRAM OF PROPOSED SOUTHBOUND
BICYCLE AND VEHICLE RIGHT TURN SIGNAL
PHASING
Page 359 of 444
TWO-STAGE BICYCLE LEFT TURN BOX (TYP)
PROTECTED BIKE LANE WITH FLEX POSTS FOR
VERTICAL SEPARATION, (TYP)
INSTALL HI-VISIBILITY CROSSWALK
MARKINGS (TYP)
Page 360 of 444
PROTECTED BIKE LANE WITH FLEX POSTS FOR
VERTICAL SEPARATION, (TYP)
CLOSURE OF WALKER STREET AT HIGUERA, AS PROPOSED IN MID-HIGUERA
ENHANCEMENT PLAN. STREET CLOSURE WITH REMOVABLE BOLLARDS AND DECORATIVE
PAVEMENT TREATMENT IMPROVES COMFORT FOR PEDESTRIANS AND AESTHETICS WHILE
RETAINING EMERGENCY VEHICLE ACCESS
INSTALL HI-VISIBILITY CROSSWALK
MARKINGS (TYP)
NEW CROSSWALK WITH RECTANGULAR
RAPID FLASHIGN BEACONS (RRFB)
Page 361 of 444
Page 362 of 444
CONTINUOUS GREEN BIKEWAY MARKINGS FOR
ADDED VISIBILITY ALONG MADONNA RD
OVERCROSSING WHERE NARROW STREET WIDTH
PRECLUDES PHYSICAL BIKEWAY SEPARATION PER
CALTRANS DESIGN STANDARDS.
HI-VIS CROSSWALKS AND GREEN BIKE LANE
MARKINGS THROUGH INTERSECTION AND
DRIVEWAY CONFLICT AREAS
Page 363 of 444
HI-VIS CROSSWALKS AND GREEN BIKE LANE
MARKINGS THROUGH INTERSECTION AND
DRIVEWAY CONFLICT AREAS
PROTECTED BIKE LANE WITH FLEX
POSTS FOR VERTICAL
SEPARATION WHERE WIDTH
ALLOWS OUTSIDE OF CALTRANS
R/W, (TYP)
Page 364 of 444
PROTECTED BIKE LANE WITH FLEX
POSTS FOR VERTICAL
SEPARATION WHERE WIDTH
ALLOWS OUTSIDE OF CALTRANS
R/W, (TYP)
Page 365 of 444
NEIGHBORHOOD GREENWAY MARKINGS AND
GUIDE SIGNAGE ALONG THE MEADOW PARK
GREENWAY FOLLOWING BRIDGE ST,
EXPOSITION, CORRIDA, AND WOODBRIDGE
STREETS
Page 366 of 444
NEIGHBORHOOD GREENWAY MARKINGS AND
GUIDE SIGNAGE ALONG THE MEADOW PARK
GREENWAY FOLLOWING BRIDGE ST,
EXPOSITION, CORRIDA, AND WOODBRIDGE
STREETS
RAISED CROSSWALK WITH NEW LIGHTING TO
IMPROVE CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN MEADOW
PARK, HIGUERA STREET AND OTHER BIKE/PED
CONNECTIONS SOUTH OF DOWNTOWN
Page 367 of 444
ADD RED CURB TO "DAYLIGHT" ACCESS POINT
TO MEADOW PARK SHARED-USE PATH
NETWORK.
ADD WAYFINDING SIGNAGE TO GUIDE ROUTE
BETWEEN BRIDGE STREET PATH, MEADOW
PARK SHARED-USE PATHS AND OTHER
BIKEWAYS IN THE AREA
INSTALL SPEED HUMPS ALONG
GREENWAY ROUTE WHERE EXISTING
VEHICLE SPEEDS > 25 MPH (TYP)
STRIPED BULBOUTS WITH FLEX POSTS TO
REDUCE TURNING SPEEDS AT KEY
INTERSECTIONS ALONG GREENWAY
ROUTE (TYP)
Page 368 of 444
RAMP FOR BIKE ACCESS TO/FROM
MEADOW PARK
NEIGHBORHOOD GREENWAY MARKINGS AND
GUIDE SIGNAGE ALONG THE MEADOW PARK
GREENWAY FOLLOWING BRIDGE ST,
EXPOSITION, CORRIDA, AND WOODBRIDGE
STREETS
Page 369 of 444
RAMP FOR BIKE ACCESS TO/FROM
MEADOW PARK
STRIPED BULBOUTS WITH FLEX POSTS TO
REDUCE TURNING SPEEDS AT KEY
INTERSECTIONS ALONG GREENWAY
ROUTE (TYP)
ADD ALL-WAY STOP AT
MEADOW/WOODBRIDGE TO IMPROVE
PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS TO/FROM
MEADOW PARK AND ALONG GREENWAY
ROUTEINSTALL SPEED HUMPS ALONG
GREENWAY ROUTE WHERE EXISTING
VEHICLE SPEEDS > 25 MPH (TYP)
Page 370 of 444
INSTALL SPEED HUMPS ALONG
GREENWAY ROUTE WHERE EXISTING
VEHICLE SPEEDS > 25 MPH (TYP)
CONNECT TO EXISTING PEDESTRIAN
HYBRID BEACON CROSSING AT BROAD &
WOODBRIDGE
Page 371 of 444
INSTALL SPEED HUMPS ALONG
GREENWAY ROUTE WHERE EXISTING
VEHICLE SPEEDS > 25 MPH (TYP)
NEIGHBORHOOD GREENWAY MARKINGS AND
GUIDE SIGNAGE ALONG KING COURT TO
CONNECT WITH MEADOW PARK SHARED-USE
PATHS AND GREENWAY NETWORK
NEW PEDESTRIAN HYBRID BEACON
CROSSING AT SOUTH & KING TO BEGIN
CONSTRUCTION 2026
Page 372 of 444
Higuera Street Emergency Evacuation Analysis
Prepared by:
San Luis Obispo Community Fire Safe Council
Date:
January 18, 2026
City of San Luis Obispo
Executive Summary
This report evaluates emergency evacuation conditions along the Higuera Street corridor
and assesses the potential effects of the proposed Higuera Complete Street Project on
evacuation performance. The analysis focuses on evacuation clearance time, route
efficiency, and operational constraints under both fire and flood emergency scenarios.
Two evacuation zones, SLO-024 and SLO-025, were analyzed using conservative
assumptions reflecting maximum allowable development and worst-case evacuation
demand.
1. Purpose and Scope
The purpose of this study is to evaluate emergency evacuation conditions along the
Higuera Street corridor and to assess changes in evacuation clearance time, route
efficiency, and operational performance associated with implementation of the Higuera
Complete Street Project. The analysis is intended to support emergency planning,
transportation design review, and environmental documentation.
Page 373 of 444
2. Emergency Scenarios Evaluated
Two emergency scenarios were evaluated independently based on known hazards
affecting the Higuera corridor. Scenarios are not assumed to occur at the same time
Scenario A – Fire or Flooding in San Luis Obispo Creek (Evacuation Zone SLO-024)
This scenario models either a fire or flooding event affecting creek-adjacent
neighborhoods west of Higuera Street. Zone SLO-024 contains mobile home parks,
multifamily areas, and commercial parcels located close to the creek corridor, where
hazards can develop quickly and restrict access.
Flooding may limit creek crossings, reduce roadway capacity, or obstruct access routes.
Fire conditions along the creek corridor can also generate rapid evacuation needs. This
zone relies heavily on Higuera Street as its primary evacuation pathway, making it
sensitive to congestion and roadway constraints.
Scenario B – Wildfire in South Hills Open Space (Evacuation Zone SLO-025)
This scenario evaluates a South Hills wildfire requiring evacuation of the Margarita Area
and surrounding neighborhoods. Zone SLO-025 covers a larger geographic area with
both built and entitled parcels under current land-use designations.
Evacuation performance is influenced by total population loading, merging onto arterial
routes, and traveling distance to safe areas. Compared with Zone SLO-024, the zone
has more route options but a larger number of households, requiring careful modeling of
demand and travel time.
3. Data Sources and Key Assumptions
The analysis uses conservative assumptions to reflect worst-case evacuation
conditions and maximum possible population.
3.1 Roadway Network Data
County roadway centerline and functional classification data were used as the base
transportation network. These were modified to incorporate the proposed Higuera
Complete Street Project, including:
• Reduction to one vehicle lane in each direction (Bridge St. → Margarita Ave.)
• Addition of a continuous center turn lane
• Reduced operating speeds (−5 mph corridor-wide) to represent traffic-calming
features
3.2 Address, Land Use, and Population Data
Residential address data were sourced from City of San Luis Obispo land-use and
zoning datasets. Evacuation demand reflects the maximum population allowed under
existing zones, regardless of whether all units are currently developed. This ensures
modeling accounts for full build-out conditions and long-term emergency planning needs.
Page 374 of 444
3.3 Vehicle Assumptions
A standard assumption of two vehicles per address was applied to all residential units.
This is consistent with regional household vehicle ownership and provides a
conservative planning-level estimate of evacuation demand.
3.4 Mobile Home Parks
Mobile home parks with a single parcel address require manual population estimation.
Each park’s total number of dwelling units was counted using satellite imagery to identify
individual mobile homes, ensuring accurate representation of evacuation demand in
higher-density communities.
3.5 LADRIS Evacuation Modeling Tool
LADRIS (Life and Death Response Information System) served as the modeling platform
for this analysis. LADRIS simulates evacuation behavior by loading population and
vehicle demand onto the roadway network using GIS data, route assignment logic, and
congestion modeling.
It is a planning-level tool designed to compare evacuation performance across
scenarios, not a detailed traffic engineering simulator. LADRIS does not fully account for
traffic signal operations, stop controls, officer-directed traffic, contraflow, or special
evacuation signal timing plans.
Therefore, results represent planning-level estimates intended to guide emergency
preparedness, roadway design decisions, and policy, not precise real-time operational
forecasts.
4. Transportation Network Conditions
Existing roadway lane configurations, intersection geometry, traffic control, and
prevailing operating speeds were assumed for baseline conditions. The primary
evacuation routes for this area are southbound Higuera Street toward Los Osos Valley
Road, northbound Higuera Street toward Madonna Road, eastbound on Tank Farm
Road, and eastbound on Prado Road toward northbound Highway 101. This analysis
also assumes that Prado Road to Highway 101 will be closed during the flooding
scenario.
The Complete Street Project configuration reflects reduced vehicle lanes between
Bridge Street and Margarita Avenue, the addition of a continuous center turn lane, and
an assumed five-mile-per-hour reduction in operating speeds along the Higuera Street
corridor due to proposed traffic-calming and complete street design features such as
speed feedback signs, protected bike lanes, and reduced traffic lane widths.
Page 375 of 444
5. Evacuation Clearance Time Results
Evacuation clearance time represents the total time required for all vehicles within an
evacuation zone to reach a designated safe area under emergency conditions.
5.1 Evacuation Zone SLO-024
Creekside / West of Higuera – Fire and Flood Scenarios
• Total residences to be evacuated: 349
• Total evacuating vehicles: 6,932
Fire Scenario A:
Existing Conditions – Total Evacuation Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Fire Scenario A:
Complete Street Project – Total Evacuation Time: 1 hour 54 minutes
Page 376 of 444
5.1 Evacuation Zone SLO-024
Flood Scenario A:
Existing Conditions – Total Evacuation Time: 1 hour 47 minutes
Flood Scenario A:
Complete Street Project – Total Evacuation Time: 1 hour 57 minutes
Note: Fire and Flood scenarios use identical demand assumptions. Results differ due to
network constraints, the closure of Prado Rd due to flood history, and routing conditions
specific to each scenario. Page 377 of 444
5.2 Evacuation Zone SLO-025
South Hills / Margarita Area – Fire and Flood Scenarios
• Total addresses to be evacuated: 871
• Total evacuating vehicles: 4,740
Fire Scenario B:
Existing Conditions – Total Evacuation Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Fire Scenario B:
Complete Street Project – Total Evacuation Time: 1 hour 43 minutes
Page 378 of 444
6. Summary of Evacuation Clearance Times
Evacuation Zone Emergency Type Roadway Condition Clearance Time
SLO-024 Fire Existing 1 hr 40 min
SLO-024 Fire Complete Street 1 hr 54 min
SLO-024 Flood Existing 1 hr 47 min
SLO-024 Flood Complete Street 1 hr 57 min
SLO-025 Fire Existing 1 hr 35 min
SLO-025 Fire Complete Street 1 hr 43 min
SLO-025 Flood Existing 1 hr 49 min
SLO-025 Flood Complete Street 1 hr 51 min
7. Conclusions and Key Findings
The analysis indicates that the Higuera Complete Street Project would result in
increases in evacuation clearance times for both fire and flood scenarios within
Evacuation Zones SLO-024 and SLO-025. These changes are primarily associated with
reduced vehicular capacity and lower operating speeds consistent with the project’s
safety and traffic-calming objectives. Importantly, the modeled evacuation clearance
times remain within the City’s two-hour performance benchmark used in recent
evacuation and emergency planning evaluations. With early evacuation activation,
coordinated traffic management, pre-programmed evacuation signal timing, and effective
public communication, the transportation network is expected to continue to function
acceptably under emergency conditions.
End
Page 379 of 444
Page 380 of 444
Water Valve
Cover
Adjustments
(2001005)
Sewer Valve
Cover
Adjustments
(2000084)
Traffic Signal
Maintenance &
Replacements
(2001003)
Vision Zero
Implementation
(2000073)
Prado Creek
Bridge
(2091252)
State Grant
( ATP)
State Grant
(SLOCOG)
General Fund
LRM
General
Fund
General
Fund LRM Water Fund Sewer Fund
General Fund
LRM
General Fund
LRM
General Fund
LRM
Base Bid Construction Estimate $6,951,000 $2,501,910 $2,432,221 $0 $75,000 $25,000 $50,000 $100,000 $500,000 $12,635,131
Construction Contingency $630,339 $88,650 $116,197 $45,000 $25,000 $390,950 $1,296,136
Construction Management $1,000,000 $1,000,000
Materials Testing $150,000 $150,000
Printing & Advertising $1,000 $1,000
Public Relations $100,000 $100,000
Base Bid Total Estimate $6,951,000 $2,501,910 $3,062,560 $88,650 $116,197 $120,000 $50,000 $50,000 $100,000 $500,000 $1,641,950 $15,182,267
Add Alt A Construction Estimate $325,500 $325,500
Add Alt A Contingency $32,550 $32,550
Additive Alternative A Total Estimate $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $358,050 $358,050
Total Construction (Base + Add Alt A) $6,951,000 $2,501,910 $3,062,560 $88,650 $116,197 $120,000 $50,000 $50,000 $100,000 $500,000 $2,000,000 $15,540,317
Current Project Account Balance $6,951,000 $2,501,910 $3,062,560 $12,515,470
Additional Funding Request:$88,650 $116,197 $120,000 $50,000 $50,000 $100,000 $500,000 $2,000,000 $3,024,847
TOTAL PROJECT BUDGET $6,951,000 $2,501,910 $3,062,560 $88,650 $116,197 $120,000 $50,000 $50,000 $100,000 $500,000 $2,000,000 $15,540,317
Detaled Project Costs and Funding Summary
Higuera Complete Street Project (No. 2001057)
Higuera Complete Street (2001057)ATP Implementation
(2000608)Infrastucture
Investment
Fund
Total Costs
Page 381 of 444
Page 382 of 444
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Conflicting with Road
Widening
ATTACHMENT E: 50 Higuera Widening Typical Street Sections
Page 383 of 444
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Page 384 of 444
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Page 385 of 444
Page 386 of 444
R ______
RESOLUTION NO. _____ (2026 SERIES)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN LUIS
OBISPO, CALIFORNIA, ACCEPTING A FUTURE AUTOMOBILE LEVEL
OF SERVICE DEFICIENCY AT THE INTERSECTION OF HIGUERA
STREET AND LOS OSOS VALLEY ROAD IN CONNECTION WITH THE
HIGUERA COMPLETE STREETS PROJECT, SPECIFICATION NUMBER
2001057
WHEREAS, the City of San Luis Obispo General Plan Circulation Element
establishes a minimum automobile Level of Service (LOS) standard of LOS D or better
for locations outside of the downtown; and,
WHEREAS, the traffic operations analysis prepared for the Higuera Complete
Street Project indicates that the intersection of Higuera Street and Los Osos Valley Road
is projected to operate at deficient LOS E during the PM peak hour in the future near-term
(5-year) and cumulative (20-year) horizon conditions; and,
WHEREAS, the Higuera Complete Street Project includes traffic signal
modifications that include converting the northbound left-turn movement to “protected
only left-turn phasing” and adding a dedicated southbound bicycle signal phase at this
intersection, which are best practice safety countermeasures intended to reduce potential
for intersection crashes; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed traffic signal modifications are projected to increase the
average PM peak hour delay at this intersection by approximately six seconds per vehicle,
further exacerbating conditions at this intersection, which is already projected to operate
at deficient LOS E in the future; and,
WHEREAS, acceptance of this LOS deficiency supports the City’s General Plan
mode share targets, Vision Zero commitment to eliminate fatal and severe injury crashes,
Infrastructure & Sustainable Transportation Major City Goal, and Climate Action Plan
objectives to increase use of sustainable transportation modes; and,
WHEREAS, the City Council finds that the safety, sustainability, and multimodal
circulation benefits of the proposed intersection improvements outweigh the incremental
increase in automobile delay at this location.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of San Luis
Obispo as follows:
Page 387 of 444
Resolution No. _____ (2026 Series) Page 2
R ______
SECTION 1. The City Council hereby accepts the projected automobile Level of Service
E condition during the PM peak hour at the intersection of Higuera Street and Los Osos
Valley Road under future conditions.
SECTION 2. The City Council affirms acceptance of the incremental increase in vehicle
delay to be added to the intersection of Higuera Street and Los Osos Valley Road with
the Higuera Complete Street Project, finding the project and its related benefits to be
consistent with the General Plan as a whole.
SECTION 3. The City Council finds that this action does not amend the City’s adopted
Level of Service standard, which shall remain in effect unless modified by future City
Council action.
Upon motion of _______________________, seconded by
_______________________, and on the following roll call vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
The foregoing resolution was adopted this _____ day of _____________________ 2026.
___________________________
Mayor Erica A. Stewart
ATTEST:
__________________________
Teresa Purrington
City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
__________________________
J. Christine Dietrick
City Attorney
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the
City of San Luis Obispo, California, on ______________________.
___________________________
Teresa Purrington
City Clerk
Page 388 of 444
1
Request to Advertise Higuera Complete Streets and 50 Higuera Widening Projects for Construction
City Council Meeting
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
Luke Schwartz, Transportation Manager
Adam Fukushima, Active Transportation Manager
2
Recommendation
Summarized Staff Recommendation
1.Approve the Plans for the Higuera Complete Streets and 50 Higuera Widening Projects
2.Approve Funding Strategy
3.Authorize Bid Advertisement to Begin Construction
* Detailed Staff Recommendation is in Council Agenda Report
3
Project BackgroundHow Did We Get Here?
Active Transportation Plan
•Higuera Corridor part of Tier 1
Network
•Highest priority project by ATC
4
5
Safety
•11 fatal or severe injury collisions on
Higuera since 2018 (4 involving
victims walking or bicycling)
•Higuera St is part of the High Injury
Network in Draft Vision Zero Action
Plan
6
Higuera Corridor Connectivity
•One of few north-south routes in City
•Connections to Laguna Middle
School/Hawthorne Elementary
•40 Prado Homeless Services Center
•Housing Dev: Avila Ranch, Margarita
Area
•Meadow Park
•Grocery Stores
•Bob Jones Trail: Existing and Future
Connections
7
Project Scope
•Higuera Street: Los Osos Valley Road
to Marsh Street
•Madonna Road: Entrance to the
Madonna Inn/US 101 Southbound
Ramps to Higuera Street
•Meadow Park Neighborhood
Greenway Segments connecting
Higuera east to Broad (via the Meadow
Park local streets) and South Streets
8
Project Development Background•2022:
•Initiated concept planning & prelim outreach
•$7 million grant (Caltrans Active Transportation
Program)
•2023-2024:
•$2+ million grant (SLOCOG Community Betterments
Program)
•Environmental Review and Traffic Studies
•Extensive planning and outreach activities
•2025:
•Council Study Session
•Final Design
•Secured Permits and Allocation of State Grant Funds
9
Public Outreach
1.Neighborhood Pop-Ups
2.Open House Workshop at City/County Library
3.Open House Pop-Up at Meadow Park
4.Resident Forum at the Chumash Village
5.Active Transportation Committee Meetings
6.Project Webpage, Postcards, Press Releases,
Email Update List, and Media Interviews
7.Individual Meetings with Community Members
10
Project Scope Highlights
•Roadway repairs & sealing along full project
•70+ ADA curb ramp upgrades
•45 high-visibility crosswalks
•2+ Miles of protected bike lanes
•Radar Speed Feedback Signs
•Emergency Vehicle Preemption at Traffic Signals
•New Signal at Higuera / Elks Lane
11
12
13
14
Key Input from February 2025
City Council Study Session
15
Higuera Street Road Diet Limits
Chumash Dr
Existing
Proposed
*Dimensions vary by location
16
EXISTING – Higuera Street (Bridge St to Fontana)
17
Proposed Road Diet
City Council Direction:
1.Retain road diet limits as initially proposed (from just south
of Bridge Street to just north of Margarita)
2.Expand the center turn lane where feasible
3.Evaluate timing at new Higuera/Elks signal to improve gaps
in traffic for Chumash Village egress, where feasible
18
Proposed Road Diet
Could protected bike lanes be advanced as wide sidewalk-level
facilities to avoid removing existing traffic lanes?
•Potentially as a future project, but not feasible at this time
•Would require 2’-4’ widening on each side of Higuera Street,
private R/W acquisition, relocating utilities, drainage systems,
etc.
•Based on costs for Madonna Road Shared-Use Path, would add
$5m-10$m to construct sidewalk-level bike facilities excluding
width needed to add center turn lane
19
City Council Direction:
1.Supportive in general with flex posts for majority of
project, but interested in trying concrete curbs where
feasible (where road width & funding allows)
2.Where curbs are used, make sure they are as visible
as possible
3.Support design approach that allows for adjustment or
removal of concrete curbs if they aren’t working
Materials for Vertical Bikeway Separation
20
Materials for Vertical Bikeway Separation
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Materials for Vertical Bikeway Separation
Chumash Dr
Proposed
Base Bid – Flex Posts Only
22
Materials for Vertical Bikeway Separation
Proposed
Bid Additive Alternative – Pre-Cast
Concrete Curbs
6” Tall x 18” wide
pre-cast curb
23
Higuera St
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Higuera & Los Osos Valley Road Intersection
EXISTING
24
Higuera & Los Osos Valley Road Intersection
Council Direction – Advance OPTION 2: Curbside Bike Lane with Bike Signal
(ATC Preferred Design Option)
PROTECTED BIKE LANE
WITH FLEX POSTS
REMAINS CURBSIDE.
25
Higuera St & Suburban Intersection
Coming Soon (March/April 2026)
26
Future Madonna Road Shared-Use Path
27
Future Madonna Road Shared-Use Path
28
Chumash Village Considerations
Input from Chumash Village Residents:
1.Concern road diet will add congestion, particularly during an
emergency event
2.Reduce speed limit on Higuera Street
3.Desire for traffic signal at Chumash Drive
4.Illegal parking concerns blocking driveway line-of-sight
5.Desire for improved streetlighting and pedestrian safety at
driveway
29
Chumash Village Considerations
EXISTING
30
Chumash Village Considerations
31
Chumash Village Considerations
No change to lanes on
Chumash Drive
(retain 2 exit lanes)
Add ladder
crosswalk markings
32
Chumash Village Considerations
•Traffic Operations
•Acceptable LOS; +5 seconds/veh delay added with road diet
•Intersection does not meet warrants for signalization per engineering
standards
•Higuera/Elks signal may add more breaks in traffic for Chumash drivers to
turn onto Higuera --- does not preclude future signal if conditions change
•Added hi-vis crosswalk markings, radar speed feedback signs, increased parking
restrictions near driveway, application to PG&E for streetlighting
33
Emergency Response
1.Designs meet all formal emergency access standards
2.Design review with SLO Fire and SLO PD to identify other concerns
3.Refinements to Final Plans:
•Wide center median/turn lane
•Increase gaps in bikeway vertical elements
•Use narrow elements for bikeway separation, increasing clearance for
emergency vehicles
•Emergency Vehicle Preemption (EVP) Upgrades
4.Additional Recommendations: Continue coordination SLO Fire & SLO PD
during and after construction; install EVP equipment in SLO PD vehicles prior to
construction; monitor results after construction; prepare to make design
refinements if issues arise
34
Evacuation Analysis
•2 evacuation zones studied
A.SLO Creek (Fire & Flood)
B.South Hills Fire
•Compared Existing vs. Project
Conditions
•Conservative Approach:
•Residential & commercial
properties occupied
•2 cars/household evacuate
•No traffic signal timing changes
or emergency traffic control
35
Evacuation Analysis
Zone Emergency
Type
Evacuation Clearance Time
ChangeExisting
Conditions
Complete
Street Project
Scenario A
SLO-024 (SLO Creek)
Flood 107 min 117 min +10 min
Fire 100 min 114 min +14 min
Scenario B
SLO-025 (South Hills)Fire 95 min 102 min +7 min
36
Evacuation Analysis
Findings:
•Planning level analysis – much will vary based on specific evacuation
incidents & needs
•No standard threshold for evacuation clearance time; 2 hrs is a
reasonable benchmark for planning
•Project likely to increase total clearance times slightly, but not expected
to significantly impair evacuation using Higuera
•Recommendations:
•Pre-program evacuation traffic signal timings
•Use findings to guide evacuation preparedness communications,
emergency planning, traffic handling
37
Higuera Complete Streets Fiscal Impact
•$15.5 million total (construction + contingency + support)
•Transfer $2m from Infrastructure Investment Fund + $1m from other CIP Projects
•61% funded from outside grants
•70% total cost for road repairs, pedestrian improvements, traffic signal upgrades
(protected bike lane elements – 5%)
Construction Cost by Project Feature % of Total
Paving 29%
Pedestrian Curb Ramps, Sidewalks, Crosswalk Beacons 27%
Protected Bike Lane – Flex Posts 3%
Protected Bike Lane – Concrete Curbs (Bid Add Alt) 2%
Traffic Signal Improvements 13%
Signs, Striping & Traffic Calming 16%
Other (Temporary Traffic Control, Mobilization, etc.) 10%
Total Construction Costs 100%
38
50 Higuera Widening Project
•Challenging legacy project, 10 yrs in
development
•Objective – provide center turn lane between
Bridge St & Elks Ln to address high crash rate
•$450k funding via Federal HSIP grant
•Original Design – Widen roadway along 525’
west side of Higuera fronting 50 Higuera
(Caltrans D5 Headquarters) to add center turn
lane while retaining 2 traffic lanes each
direction
•April 2025 – City Council approved final plans
& construction advertisement
39
50 Higuera Widening Project
•7 Heritage Trees fronting 50 Higuera (Designated by City Council 2010)
•4 trees of particular risk due to road widening (planted between 1930-1950)
•Updated Arborist Report (2025) – Road widening not feasible without significant risk to trees
40
50 Higuera Widening Project
Revised Project
•Eliminate portion of road widening that risks Heritage Trees
•Retain smaller portion of road widening (apx. 25% of original
widening)
•Restripe Higuera between Bridge St and Elks Ln to provide
width for center turn lane (advances portion of ultimate
Complete Street Project road diet)
•Reduces cost by $300,000+, may free up some funds for
Higuera Complete Street, if needed
41
50 Higuera Widening Project
Existing
50 Higuera Widening - Interim
Higuera Complete Streets - Ultimate
42
50 Higuera Widening Project
Why advance some road widening while also removing traffic lanes?
•Advances portion of desired long-term road widening
•Provides width to add center turn lane at Bridge Street, improves 4-lane to 3-
lane transition south of Madonna Road
Why not combine work with Complete Streets Project?
•Constraints with Federal HSIP Grant, would “federalize” both projects
•Could unbundle Road Widening Project from Federal HSIP grant, but could
risk repayment of $400k in previous grant funds used for preconstruction
(design, right-of-way, environmental, utility coordination)
43
50 Higuera Widening Project
Could full road widening be revisited in future?
•Yes, would still provide long-term value for wider center lane, wider bike lanes
& bikeway separation, or to add traffic capacity if needed in future
•Traffic operations works on Higuera with future GP build-out, but may exceed
congestion thresholds if Prado Overcrossing is significantly delayed/canceled
•No clear precedent for removal of Heritage Trees. Would require additional
environmental review, City Council and Caltrans approval, or clear evidence
that trees are in poor health or create immediate public health and safety risk
44
Next Steps
50 Higuera Widening:
•Construction start spring 2026
•Complete by summer 2026
Higuera Complete Street:
•Construction start summer 2026
•Complete by summer 2027
45
Questions?
46
Recommendation
Higuera Complete Streets Project
1.Adopt a Draft Resolution entitled, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of San Luis Obispo,
California, Authorizing Appropriation of $2,000,000 from the Infrastructure Investment Fund to
support the Higuera Complete Streets Project, Specification Number 2001057” (Attachment A); and,
2.Adopt a Draft Resolution entitled, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of San Luis Obispo,
California, Accepting a Future Automobile Level of Service Deficiency at the Intersection of Higuera
Street and Los Osos Valley Road in Connection with the Higuera Complete Streets Project,
Specification Number 2001057” (Attachment F); and,
3.Authorize transfers to the Higuera Complete Streets Project (Account 2001057) from the following
capital project accounts:
a.$500,000 from Prado Creek Bridge Replacement (No. 2091252)
b.$204,847 from Active Transportation Plan Implementation (No. 2000608)
c.$100,000 from Vision Zero Implementation (No. 2000073)
d.$50,000 from the Traffic Signal Maintenance & Replacements (No. 2001003)
e.$120,000 from Water Valve Cover Adjustments (No. 2001005)
f.$50,000 from Sewer Valve Cover Adjustments (No. 2000084); and,
47
Recommendation
Higuera Complete Streets Project
4.Approve the project plans and specifications, authorize the City Engineer to approve any minor
refinements to final plans and specifications prior to advertisement, and authorize staff to advertise
for bids for the Higuera Complete Streets Project, Specification Number 2001059; and,
5.Authorize the City Manager to award the Construction Contract for the Higuera Complete Streets
Project pursuant to Section 3.24.190 of the Municipal Code for the bid total, if the lowest responsible
bid is within the publicly disclosed funding amount of $12,960,700; and,
6.Authorize the City Engineer to approve Contract Change Orders for the Higuera Complete Streets
Project up to the available project budget, including any amendments authorized by the City
Manager; and,
7.Authorize the use of up to $200,000 in unspent Higuera Complete Streets Project capital funds to
support increased street sweeping obligations following project completion.
48
Recommendation50 Higuera Widening Project
8.Approve project plans and specifications for the revised 50 Higuera Widening Project, Specification
No. 2091294; and,
9.Authorize staff to advertise for bids for the 50 Higuera Widening Project, Specification No. 2091294;
and,
10. Authorize the City Manager to award the Construction Contract for the 50 Higuera Widening
Project if the lowest responsible bid is within the
Engineer’s Estimate of $315,000; and,
11.Authorize the City Engineer to approve Contract Change Orders for the 50 Higuera Widening
Project up to the available project budget; and,
12.Approve the transfer of $22,600 from the 50 Higuera Widening Project Account (No. 2091294) to
the New Streetlights CIP Account (No.
2001016); and,
13. Authorize the Finance Director to approve the transfer of any remaining unspent State Urban
Highway Account project funds not required for
construction of the 50 Higuera Widening Project to the Higuera Complete Streets Project
(Specification No. 2001057).
49
Alternatives
Higuera Complete Streets Project
1.Council could decide not to approve the Project plans and
specifications or request to advertise for construction bids at this
time.
2.Council could direct staff to return prior to awarding the construction
contract if construction bids exceed the amount needed to fund the
base bid and bid additive alternative (concrete bike lane protection).
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Alternatives
50 Higuera Widening
1.Council could decide not to approve the advertisement of the
revised 50 Higuera Street Widening Project, directing staff to take
the required steps to advance the larger road widening project, as
originally envisioned.
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Options for Protected Bikeway Vertical Elements
Mountable Options:
•“Armadillos”
•Lower-height rubber bolt-down curb
•Lower-height cast-in-place concrete curb
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Options for Protected Bikeway Vertical Elements
Lower-height cast-in-place concrete curb
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Highlights of Public Input
Automobile Traffic & Speeding Concerns
•Community Input:
•Concerns about traffic, speeding, heavy vehicles,
distracted driving.
•Staff Response:
•Speed reduction measures including road diet on Higuera
Street, reduce lane width, digital speed feedback signs
•Addition of high-visibility crosswalks and striping elements
for safety.
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Active Transportation Committee Input
1.Dedicated SB bike signal phase for Higuera / Los Osos Valley Rd
2.Higuera Road Diet (Bridge to Margarita Streets)
3.Permanent Concrete Bikeway Separation (with gaps)
4.Safety Improvements at Higuera / Suburban
5.Coordination with Caltrans on Madonna Overpass for separated
bikeway
55
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Highlights of Public Input
Additional Concerns & Responses
•Community Input:
•Need for gaps in protected bike lanes for left turns.
•Difficulty crossing Higuera (e.g., Las Praderas, South/Bee
Bee).
•Access to Silver City Mobile Home Lodge and Chumash
Village lighting.
•Staff Response:
•Protected bike lanes with gaps at key locations.
•Signal study at Las Praderas > high-visibility crosswalks at
Tank Farm/Suburban.
•Improvements to access at Silver City and additional lighting
at Chumash Village.
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Walker Street Closure
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IIF PLACEHOLDER
Payment Amount
Starting Fund Balance $ 14,658,406.00
Higuera Complete Streets Feb 2026 $ (2,000,000.00)
Unassigned Fund Balance (Higuera Repayment) Feb 2026 $ 1,212,229.00
BALANCE POST FEB 17, 2026 $ 13,870,635.00
Capital Reserve (Higuera Repayment) July 2026 $ 787,771.00
Prado Bridge Widening (July 2026)$ (3,500,000.00)
BALANCE POST July 1, 2026 $ 11,158,406.00
Prado Bridge Widening (July 2027)$ (11,158,406.00)
BALANCE POST July 1, 2027 $ -