HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/15/2003, SS1 - PLANNING FOR HIGHWAY 101 IMPROVEMENTS Council M fi °�y-1S'-03
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CITY OF SAN LU IS O B I S P O
FROM: Mike McCluskey,Director of Public Works
SUBJECT: Planning for Highway 101 Improvements
CAO RECOMMENDATION: REVIEW INFORMATION PRESENTED AND
PROVIDE FEEDBACK AS REQUESTED
DISCUSSION
At today's study session, representatives from Cal Trans and SLOCOG will be making
presentations on the various studies and associated projects that are currently underway or planned
in the future that primarily focus on enhanced transportation opportunities on Highway 101 within
the City limits.
Ron DeCarli, Executive Director of the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) will
give a short presentation on the overall transportation planning needs in our general vicinity and his
outlook for future possibilities and opportunities for projects and their funding in the future. This
informational presentation should take about 10 minutes and no formal need for feedback is
anticipated.
Rich Krumholz, Deputy District Director of Planning and Local Programs for Cal Trans District
5, will lead a discussion and presentation concerning two candidate projects in the Route 101
corridor: a) auxiliary lanes between Marsh Street and Broad Street, and b) a comprehensive study
of the Hwy 101/1 Interchange. At this time, the two candidates are at different levels of
development and no specific funding has been identified for either one. A preliminary
engineering and planning report called a Project Study Report (PSR) is being developed for each
project. A PSR must be prepared before State and Federal funding can be used to fund the
proj ect.
A. Auxiliary Lanes
The first project that Cal Trans will present involves the construction of auxiliary(aux) lanes on
Route 101 between Marsh Street and Broad Street in both the northbound and southbound
directions. "Aux" lanes connect adjacent on- and off-ramps thus providing smoother and easier
merging of traffic between two interchanges. Such a project was recently completed in the
southbound direction between the southbound Marsh Street Interchange on-ramp and the
Madonna Road Interchange southbound off-ramp. The two proposed aux lanes are elements of a
larger PSR that is being developed for the Route 101 corridor(the SLO 101 Operational
Improvements 11).
This PSR is being developed by Caltrans at the request of the SLOCOG Board. Caltrans will
specifically be looking for Council feedback. Feedback could include preferences for widening
Council Agenda Report—Highway 101 traffic planning
Page 2
to either the inside or outside of the existing roadbed and related vegetation and aesthetic issues.
This feedback is important to hear at this preliminary stage, although all viable project
alternatives will likely be retained until detailed studies and public input is received during the
development of the project's formal environmental study.
B. Highway 101/1 Interchange
The second Caltrans candidate project is much more complex and larger in scope than the
Marsh/Broad auxiliary lanes. It is a comprehensive study of the Route 101-Route 1
Interchange. This PSR, which is in the very earliest stages of development, will look at a range
of possible changes needed to make the interchange more efficient at handling the ever-
increasing traffic loads. There are many possible solutions and the Caltrans study is only in the
very preliminary stages of planning. Nonetheless, it is important for the Council to know of the
project and its potential benefits and drawbacks to the City.
Each PSR will study a viable range of alternatives that eventually will be narrowed down to a
preferred action. Caltrans is committed to regular information sharing and seeking feedback from
the Council. Route 101 and Route 1 have functioned very well for several decades, but the
system is experiencing ever-increasing traffic volumes and adjacent growth. The PSR is the
initial step in the Caltrans process that enables the pursuit of cost-effective projects that will
optimize the use of the existing facility and provide for the long-term needs of the local, regional
and interregional users of the transportation system.
We have tentatively allocated 10 minutes for the SLOCOG presentation, then one hour for the
Cal Trans presentation and the final 20 minutes for questions, answers and feedback for either
the SLOCOG or Cal Trans presentation.
L\Council Agenda Reports\2003 agenda reportsTlanning for Highway 101 improvements.doc
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