Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout07/19/2011, B 1 - PISMO - BUCHON NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC CALMING ACTION PLAN: RELOCATION OF JOHNSON AVENUE LANE REDUCTIO council July 19,2011 j acEnaa uEpmt ,�N-b CITY OF SAN LU I S OB I SPO FROM: Jay D. Walter, Director of Public Works Prepared By: Jake Hudson, Transportation Operations Manager SUBJECT: Pismo - Buchon Neighborhood Traffic Calming Action Plan: Relocation of Johnson Avenue Lane Reduction at the Union Pacific Railroad Bridge. RECOMMENDATION Reaffirm the recommendation to relocate the current Johnson Avenue lane reduction from the west side to the east side of the Union Pacific Railroad Bridge at San Luis Drive. DISCUSSION Background As the result of a six-year community-based neighborhood traffic calming effort, one of the recommendations made was to relocate the Johnson Avenue lane reduction from its current location west of the Union Pacific Railroad bridge, between Pismo and Buchon, to the east side of the bridge at San Luis Drive. In 2010, neighborhood residents to the north and south of Johnson Avenue, between San Luis Drive and Marsh Street, voted on the proposed changes with 72% in support of specifically moving the Johnson Avenue lane reduction up to San Luis Drive. At its June 1, 2010 meeting, the Council reviewed and approved the action plan which included relocation of this lane reduction. On May 17, 2011, Council approved the construction documents and authorized staff to advertise for construction bids. Following this authorization, Council received several emails protesting the changes on Johnson Avenue, primarily citing objections raised by Dave Romero (Attachment 4), which expressed concern that the changes would inconvenience motorists on Johnson, create confusion and congestion, and questioned whether enough City residents had been notified of the changes. As a result, Council asked that this issue be brought back for further discussion. Why is this modification recommended ? As part of the Pismo - Buchon Neighborhood Traffic Calming Action Plan, the neighborhood identified several issues impacting their neighborhood streets including cut-through traffic volumes, speeds and safety. After further study, staff confirmed that neighborhood traffic volumes and speeds exceeded,the Circulation Element maximums and that this section of Johnson Avenue is one of the top-ranked collision rate locations in the City's Annual Traffic Safety Program. Through an extensive analysis, staff identified numerous contributing factors and developed corrective measures to these issues in cooperation with neighborhood representatives. The final plan represents the culmination of all the proposed corrective measures. Attachment 2 provides a graphic of the proposed changes on Johnson Avenue, with B1-1 13 Relocation of Johnson Ave. Lane Reduction at the UPR Bridge Page 2 call-outs describing the purpose each of the changes are intended to serve. These changes are guided by City Circulation Element Policy 5.2 as it applies to Johnson Avenue as a Residential Arterial; `-`Preservation of neighborhood.character is as important as providing for-traffic flow". Won't the modification cause more congestion? In short, based on extensive modeling and studies it won't. Traffic studies and models are predicting that traffic congestion should not change significantly from current levels with this modification. At first thought this can seem counter intuitive; .the perception that reducing lanes on Johnson will cause congestion is a perfectly understandable concept. However, the full explanation is much more complicated than that. A thorough evaluation of traffic models and studies indicate that, even with relocation of this lane reduction, congestion levels will remain similar to what they are today for primarily two reasons`. 1. Johnson Avenue currently reduces lanes just west of the railroad bridge. As such, the second lanes in both directions are not being fully utilized. Since the utilization of the second lanes are relatively low, the impact of reducing the lanes is also relatively low. 2. As part of this project, the left turn capacity from San Luis Drive onto Johnson Avenue will be increased by adding a second left turn lane. This will provide for approximately 20-25% more green time on Johnson Ave. Essentially, this means that the traffic on Johnson Avenue will be allowed to flow longer and stop less often, offsetting the impact of reducing lanes on Johnson Avenue. An independent consultant has also evaluated the proposed configuration and produced the same findings as staff; concluding that traffic congestion should not change significantly as a result of reallocating the lane reduction and thereby concurs with staff's recommendation. The consultant has provided a letter summarizing its findings for the purpose of this report. This letter has been provided as Attachment 3. What if the City's & Consultant's analysis is both wrong and it does cause more congestion? Although some citizen correspondence has been received opposing this striping change, transportation professionals that have been involved in the development of this neighborhood action plan and that have formally studied and modeled changes assert a high level of confidence in this recommendation. That being said, traffic operations is not a perfect science, and staff realizes there are no absolutes when working with dynamic, individual behaviors and travel decisions. Staff is prepared for this by having the changes along Johnson Avenue only made in paint, which can easily be adjusted or even returned to the current striping plan configuration if needed. Public Noticing Over the six-year course of this neighborhood traffic calming effort there have been five public notification mailings dating back to 2008, totaling approximately 3,000 notices to the neighborhoods north and south of Johnson Ave. between San Luis Drive and Pismo Street prior to the May 17'', meeting. This level of noticing was consistent with other prior roadway B1-2 Relocation of Johnson Ave. Lane Reduction at the UPR Bridge Pa-ge 3 reconfiguration projects such as the South Street Road Diet and the Buena Vista & Garfield at Monterey Intersection Reconfiguration. Public noticing for this current Council item has included approximately 490 individual notices to the same neighborhood area as previously noticed, a display advertisement in the Tribune Run on July 6`h& 13`, 2011, and a notice posted on the City's website. Summary Based on the thresholds established in the City's Circulation Element, Neighborhood Traffic Management guidelines, and the rankings provided in the City's Annual Traffic Safety Program, the Pismo - Buchon neighborhood is legitimately impacted by excessive traffic speeds and vehicle cut-through volumes. Studies and models have shown the potential benefits of reconfiguring the lanes on Johnson Avenue to mitigate these impacts exceed the drawbacks of not addressing the traffic issues currently impacting the neighborhood. CONCURRENCES Neighborhood Approval City staff has worked closely with neighborhood representatives and held approximately eight public meetings over the course of the Neighborhood Traffic Management (NTM) Action Plan development. The neighborhood voted for each of the Action Plan elements as part of the NTM process. Public Safety The Fire Department and Police Department have reviewed the traffic calming measures in the recommended NTM Action Plan and concur with its implementation. Public Works staff worked closely with both public safety departments in the design of each NTM Action Plan element in an effort to minimize impacts to emergency vehicle response times and to maintain emergency vehicle access. FISCAL IMPACT There is no fiscal impact associated with the staff recommendation or alterative. Johnson Avenue is scheduled to be repaved and new striping must be installed. The cost difference between replacing with the current striping configuration or the proposed striping configuration is negligible. ALTERNATIVE Deny proposed striping configuration. The City Council could deny the proposed striping configuration on Johnson Avenue and direct staff to reinstall the current striping configuration. Staff does not recommend this alterative because it is inconsistent with Policy 5.2 of the City's Circulation Element, the traffic conditions of this neighborhood will not be addressed, and studies, traffic models, and analysis by City staff and independent consultants have shown that traffic congestion should not change significantly as a result of reallocating the lane reduction. B1-3 Relocation of Johnson-Ave..Lane-Reduction at the UPR Bridge Page 4 ATTACHMENTS 1. Vicinity Map 2. Johnson Avenue Proposed Striping Plan 3. Independent Consultant.Letter of Concurrence 4. 6/1/2011 Tribune Letter to the Editor t''-✓.'t^! h�.iY .4. =w � 0 q' nY, •a T:\Council Agenda ReportsTublic Works CAR\2011\TransportationTismo&Buchon-Johnson UnderpassUohnson Ave Reconfiguration.doc B1-4 Relocation of Johnson Ave. Lane Reduction at the UPR Bridge Attachment 1 Vicinity Map Q O C) �p O PHILLIPS PEACH 10 � J� PROJECT LOCATION �o Q O�AND O � � O AFF O � ti EN R KRISTY y s,F CoQ G� D �� g,S G� NNIFER qG PISMO&BUCHON NEIGHBORHOOD VICINITY MAP B1-5 O Johnson Avenue: Proposed Striping Changes Attachment 2 ' r , PISMO Sr .o , ' I z , �D „ , LBUC;ON ST ' a40 -- d' si 23 —_ r SAN , LUIS D , I e f f Cj i f kyrG i B1-6 Johnson Avenue: Proposed Striping Changes & Intent of Changes Attachment 2 Increased left tum storage LV'Szr capacity to reduce blockage / Speed Feedback device to of Johnson thru lane during y school hours. reduce excessive speeding. V _ PISMO ST , Speed Feedback device to 0 reduce excessive speeding. 2 Left tum trap eliminated to stop vehicle trapping into neighborhood&discourage I neighborhood cut-thru Merge location moved to other side of San Luis Drive traffic. I Z 0 to eliminate weaving I I, conflicts,trapping into neighborhood,&discourageneigh4Right turn/bicycle lane traffic. correction cut-thrn I correction to reduce 1 a Q1 vehicle/bicycle conflicts. I WB Johnson Bicycle lane ' Left turn refuge provided provided to reduce so residential driveway and vehicle/bicycle conflicts. Buchon St. left turns no longer have to be made Signal timing modification iyi I from thin lane. and addition of dual left on San Luis Drive to provide ( i Left tum refuge provided to for more continuous flow of improve left tum access Johnson,offsetting from NB Buchon to relocation of lane reduction. I �i Johnson. y - Lane modifications to 4jBUCHON ST improve left tum clearance Lane&median from San Luis Drive andmodifications to improve intersection lane alignments. effectiveness of WB Johnson SAN a left tum restriction at LUIS D !� Buchon. Merge location on straight u and level segment to reduce merging conflicts&vehicles Lane modifications to trapping. m y`p`� improve Buchon Sight Distance. B1-7 Independent Consultant Letter of Concurrence Attachment 3 G omni • meanss ENGINEERS L June 15,2011 Jake Hudson Traffic Operations Manager City of San Luis Obispo Traffic Engineering Division 919 Palm Street San Luis Obispo,CA 93401 RE:PismoBuchon Neighborhood Action Plan—Johnson Avenue Reconfiguration Dear Jake: We have evaluated in detail the proposed striping reconfiguration on Johnson Avenue which moves the current transition from a two-lane cross section to a four-lane cross section from west of the railroad bridge to San Luis Drive. We find that this change should not significantly affect congestion levels along Johnson Avenue. The primary reasons this change should not affect congestion levels are the following: • The addition of a second left turn lane on San Luis Drive will provide additional"green time' to clear through traffic on Johnson Avenue in both directions. • The movement of the added through lanes in each direction on Johnson Avenue,from west of the railroad overcrossing to San Luis Drive,represents a shift of about one to two blocks. Utilization of the second through lanes along this segment is relatively low today and largely consists of vehicles preparing to make left turns. Therefore,moving the transition from two through lanes to four through lanes,as proposed,will not significantly affect traffic flows or lane utilization on Johnson Avenue. Sincerely, OMNI-MEANS,Ltd. Engineers&Planners C Martin R.Inouye Charles C. Rutter,P.E. Principal Project Engineer CCR/NIRI C1476LTROOI.doc/25-6457-01 943 Reserve Drive,Suite 100,Roseville,CA 95678 — (916) 782-8688 fax(916)782-8689 ROSEVILLE REDDING VISALIA WALNUT CREEK B1-8 Tribune Letter to the Editor Attachment 4 Tribune Letter to the Editor 6/01/2011 Shared concern? The residents of the Johnson Avenue area should be aware that on May 17, the City Council approved plans to modify traffic striping under Johnson Underpass so as to reduce the current two lanes in each direction to one lane in each direction. This was approved as consent item "C8 Pismo/ Buchon Neighborhood Traffic Management"with no plans presented at the meeting and no special notice to Johnson Avenue residents. This heavily traveled route between the Johnson Avenue area and downtown is a vital traffic link. In my opinion as a longtime traffic engineer, reducing the through lanes at the underpass will create confusion and congestion, with unnecessary inconvenience to motorists from the Johnson Avenue area. At the council meeting, I pointed out that there are less extreme ways to resolve current problems. However, the council ignored my request that the project be delayed, citing concern that the changes must be completed prior to the start of high school classes this fall. In my opinion, changes of this magnitude, affecting a large area of the city, should be made only after proper notice and an opportunity for affected residents to provide testimony. If you share my concern, you should notify City Council members or city administration in the near future. Dave Romero San Luis Obispo Editor's note: Dave Romero is a former mayor of San Luis Obispo and, before joining the council, was the city's public works director. B1-9 I 1' _�?���.. '� if :� •1 r � 1, ` •l' .� ` 277G�1 B/ From: Chris McBride[SMTP:CHRIS.PAPPAS.MCBRIDE@GMAIL.COM]/!Q/// am'val, A1462?1At6 Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2011 3:53:50 PM —rc: a" Map, � : ,I _ 5�� To: Council, SloCity r�ttcT7 Subject: Support of Johnson Ave Changes A5&—C4"X4c Auto forwarded by a Rule A704woy Ctfclt,� Dear Mayor Marx and City Council Members, As a 25+resident of San Luis Obispo and the neighborhood bordered by Santa Rosa- Johnson-Leff-Buchon as well as being a long-time cyclist and mother of two teenagers enrolled at San Luis Obispo High School, I support the changes for the Johnson Ave. corridor. My children regularly bicycle to school using Buchon - Johnson - San Luis Drive to SLOHS (and back). The addition of the bike lanes and changes to slow cars down will make it safer for everyone to share the road in this area. Unfortunately, I am unable to attend the meeting tonight to express my support in person. Chris McBride 1633 Santa Rosa, San Luis Obispo From: George Griffin[SMTP:GEORGE_MAIL@SBCGLOBAL.NET] Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2011 3:18:36 PM To: Council, SloCity Subject: Johnson Avenue on tonight's agenda Auto forwarded by a Rule Dear Mayor marx and Council Members, I am a SLO City resident who drives a car and rides a bike. The Circulation Element of the General Plan has many terrific features in it that enhance the livability of our city, of which bicycle improvements are just one feature. the Johnson Avenue traffic safety plan, Phase 2, is one more component that will greatly enhance safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. I live on the 900 block of Buchon Street and often use the underpass on Johnson Avenue. The proposed addition of a bike lane on Northbound Johnson under the underpass is sorely needed. I'd like to advocate for more, not less, bicycle friendly improvements in San Luis Obispo. Please support the completion of the Johnson Avenue traffic safety plan, Phase 2 as designed. Thank you, George Griffin 976 Buchon Street San Luis Obispo 543-0542 RECEIVED JUL 2 0 2011 SLO CITY CLERK From: Gary Corsiglia[SMTP:I466262@THEGRID.NET] _ RED FILE Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 20118:18:50 AM To: Council, SloCity — MEETING AGENDA Subject: Johnson Ave underpass changes DATE, 7t�.' ITEM #—E%L– Auto forwarded by a Rule Hello, I previously wrote to the City Council to question the planned changes at the Johnson Ave. underpass. I asked that a meeting be scheduled for public input. I am away from the area, but have learned that the meeting I requested has been scheduled for today July 19th at TOOPM. Thank You for scheduling the meeting. But since I am still away I will not be able to attend. Please read this Email into the record of the meeting, that I am opposed to the plan reducing Johnson Ave. to a single lane in each direction at.the underpass. Sincerely, Gary Corsiglia 2707 Johnson Ave. lard caeman: San Luis Obispo, CA a COUNCIL a CDD DIR o CITY MGR a FTr D1R 93401 o ASSTCM o FIRE CHEEP (805) 544-0890 o ATTORNEY a PWDIR o CLERWORIc a POLICE CHEEP a PIB a PARRS&REC DIR o TRIBUNE o UTILDIR a NEWTDM a FIRDIR o SLOCE YNEWS a COUNCIL. a CITY MGR a cLERR From: scudi[SMTP:KAFEN@PACBELL.NET] REO BIW Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 20119:46:32 AM .,= M96TINCI AIMNIDA To: Council, SloCity PAT l4 t IT�It� Subject: Neighborhood Traffic -- Auto forwarded by a Rule I support the existing City Council.Johnson-Buchon-Pismo traffic calming plan that had been agreed upon after years of discussion and research by the city. 1) A delay on this action increases the risk liability of the city regarding accidents at that location. Knowing the problems that exist there with a blind turn going North on Johnson at the underpass, the history of accidents, and the history of residents' notices to the City of their concerns, any lawsuit regarding an accident that occurs now will be problematic for the City to defend. 2) There are roads designated as appropriate routes for this type of traffic which will take them through town. 3) The original plan received much input and approval from many who are directly impacted. Let's implement that plan and move forward without delay. 4) 1 am including below Mr. Kuykendall's letter because he so succinctly states the rational for continuing with the existing plan herd copy: email: c COUNCIL o CDD DM o CrrYMOR o FIT DM Claudia Kafenhaus o AMCM aFM CHIEF o ATTORNEY o PW DM 1132 Buchon St o CLERWR1G c PouCEcHIEF o PB o PAM&RECDIR Aan Luis Obispo, Ca 93401 ° T olMDM p , o NEwTIMES o ARDIR 543-7722a SIACr1YNEM o 00MCIL o CrrY MOR O CIPX I'm sending you this message to ask for your support of the Johnson Avenue traffic safety plan. Our neighborhood has been working with you (the City Council), Public Works, and the Police Traffic Department for the past 6 years to address traffic safety problems. Currently residential collectors Buchon and Pismo streets are used for through traffic. This is contrary to the city's traffic circulation plan (sections 7.0.1, 7.0.2, 7.0.3 and 7.1.1). This situation has led to an increase in 'cut through traffic' volume and speed. In the last 5 o years there have been over 7 accidents involving automobiles and residential property in our neighborhood. This number does not include.non-property related accidents. At your direction a traffic safety plan was created by Public Works and a Neighborhood Action Team. Because no single measure could address all traffic issues, a plan with a series of measures in two phases was created. Neighborhood households voted overwhelmingly to support the plan. The plan was then approved by City Council. Phase 1 has been implemented. It has had a positive impact, reducing the speed on Pismo. Recently there has been some concern expressed over the second phase of the plan's impact on traffic congestion. We understand that encouraging traffic-to use arterials rather than residential streets and collectors may have some effect on traffic flow, but using the arterials for through traffic is far safer for both motorists and pedestrians alike. We urge the City Council to support the completion of the Johnson Avenue traffic safety plan Phase 2 as designed. This includes re-striping of Johnson Avenue, raised crosswalks on Buchon and Pismo, safety island on Buchon and a road diet with bike lane on Pismo Street. We also encourage the City Council to include Marsh and Higuera, between Johnson and Osos, in the city's traffic circulation plan. Making better use of these underutilized arterials could provide an attractive alternative for through traffic.. Dave Kuykendall From: Sherry Fontan[SMTP:SLOTOWN78@GMAIL.COM] Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 20118:27:44 PM To: Council, SloCity Subject: Johnson Street safety plan Auto forwarded by a Rule I'm sending you this message to ask for your support of the Johnson Avenue traffic safety plan. Our neighborhood has been working with you(the City Council), Public Works, and the Police Traffic Department for the past 6 years to address traffic safety problems. At your direction a traffic safety plan was created by Public Works and a Neighborhood Action Team. Because no single measure could address all traffic issues, a plan with a series of measures in two phases was created. Neighborhood households voted overwhelmingly to support the plan. The plan was then approved by City Council. o o Phase I has been implemented. It has had a positive impact, reducing the speed on Pismo. We urge the City Council to support the completion of the Johnson Avenue traffic safety plan Phase 2 as designed. This includes re-striping of Johnson Avenue,raised crosswalks on Buchon and Pismo, safety island on Buchon and a road diet with bike lane on Pismo Street. Sherry Fontan and Jim Kelleher 0 From: cynthia semel[SMTP:CSEMEL@SBCGLOBAL.NET] RED FILE Sent: Thursday, July 14, 20112:15:23 PM MEETING AGENDA To: Council, SloCity �y��� Subject: Johnson Avenue Traffic Safety Plan DATE_�"T-' ITEM # a j Auto forwarded by a Rule Dear City Council Members, I'm sending you this message to ask for your support of the Johnson Avenue traffic safety plan. Our neighborhood has been working with you (the City Council), Public Works, and the Police Traffic Department for the past 6 years to address traffic safety problems. Currently residential collectors Buchon and Pismo streets are used for through traffic. This is contrary to the city's traffic circulation plan (sections 7.0.1, 7.0.2, 7.0.3 and 7.1.1). This situation has led to an increase in `cut through traffic' volume and speed. In the last 5 years there have been over 7 accidents involving automobiles and residential property in our neighborhood. This number does not include non-property related accidents. At your direction a traffic safety plan was created by Public Works and a Neighborhood Action Team. Because no single measure could address all traffic issues, a plan with a series of measures in two phases was created. Neighborhood households voted overwhelmingly to support the plan. The plan was then approved by City Council. Phase 1 has been implemented. It has had a positive impact, reducing the speed on Pismo. Recently there has been some concern expressed over the second phase of the plan's impact on traffic congestion. We understand that encouraging traffic to use arterials rather than residential streets and collectors may have some effect on traffic flow, but using the arterials for through traffic is far safer for both motorists and pedestrians alike. We urge the City Council to support the completion of the Johnson Avenue traffic safety plan Phase 2 as designed. This includes re-striping of Johnson Avenue, raised crosswalks on Buchon and Pismo, safety island on Buchon and a road diet with bike lane on Pismo Street. We also encourage the City Council to include Marsh and Higuera, between Johnson and Osos, in the city's traffic circulation plan. Making better use of these underutilized arterials could provide an attractive alternative for through traffic. bard coyr. emm7: Sincerely, o COUNCIL o CDDDIR a aTYMGR o FrrDIR O ASSUM 0 FDIECMU Steve Linder and Cynthia Semel o AATrORMCLERVORIo PWDIROUCE CHW o PID o PARES&RECDIR 0 TURM o UMDIR o NEWTDM a HRDIR a sIACrIYNEws c COuNCR G CnY MGR o CLERK u J council MCMORAnoum July 18,2011 TO: City Council RED FILE MEETING AGENDA FROM: Jay D. Walter, Director of Public rks DATE !t f ITEM #. � VIA: Katie Lichtig, City Manager SUBJECT: RED FILE ITEM-Johnson Ave U erpass There has been some interest in the specific notices that have gone out for the July 19° Council meeting for this item. The purpose of this red file is to provide those specific notices to the Council. Tribune Display Advertisement—July 6u' & 13"2011 ` lq OF Johnson Avenue Striping Mott>!mi�doms ��Sdri W1S o8ispo between San Luis Drive'&Pismo Street On July. 19th tbd City Council will review the:proposed iestriping.planl for the Johnson Ave.underpass;which-modifies the,cuiient 4 Is=configuration to a 3 lane configuration as partof the Pismo-Buchon Neighborhood Traffic Management Plan. This modification is being proposed along with seve;al other traffic calming measures 'developed as pan of a six-Year community based neighborhoodtraffic calming effort- for the neighborhoods along this segment of Johnson.Currently,traffic volumes and speeds in these neighborhoods exceed City policy desired maximums and the section of Johnson Ave.near Buchan is ranked as one of the highest collision locations in' the City's Annual Traffic Safety Program.The proposed restriping allows the City to hard eo : t aril• achieve approximately 12 corrective measures,among them being excessive speed a COUNT o CDD Dur reduction,vehicle trapping and cut-thm traffic within the neighborhoods,vehicle vs. o CnY MGR o FIT DIR bicycle conflicts,school traffic left tum queues blocking thru traffic on Johnson and a ASST CTI o FntE CHEEF improving'hierseclion sight distance,left tum access for Buchon and from Johnson. a ATTORNEY o PW Dut to fronting residences. o CIERK/ORIG o POLICE CHIEF o FM o PARKS&RECDIR The most common question about this change is whether it will cause more congestion a TRIBUNE o UTILDIR along Johnson Ave. Numerous transportation professionals and specialists,both a NEWTUM a HRDIR City staff and independent consultants, have studied and modeled these changes a SLOMY tEws a COUNCIL and found that congestion levels should not de a CrrY MGR ng grade. Thera will be an improvement o CLERK because the left turn capacity from San Luis Drive to Johnson is being doubled allowing the City to change the signal timing at San Luis Drive so that Johnson traffic can flow longer and be stopped'less often,offsetting the impact of the lane reduction.Also the left tum lane from Johnson to San Luis Drive will be.lengthened, so traffic should not back up into the through lane. The next most common question about this change is what if the analysis is wrong and more congestion does occur: The engineers and planners that have studied and modeled'this configuration have a high degree of confidence in its operation. however traffic is not a perfect science because it involves personal drivel behaviors and travel decisions.The City is prepared for this by having all the changes on Johnson being made only in paint,which can easily be adjusted or even returned to the current striping coffigt¢ation if traffic condition's do not result as projected.The City has in the past implemented numerous changes similar to this around the City and is always evaluating their performance with the annual Traffic Safety Program. If you have any gpestions please contact the City's Public Works Department at 805.781.7190. Neighborhood Resident Notice—June 30`h 2011 91111mig1111111m111111 city of San tui s OBISPO Public Works Department 805-781-7200 919 Palm Street San Luis Obispo,California 93401-3218 PISMO & BUCHON NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC CALMING PROJECT COUNCIL ACTION UPDA TE In April of 2010 residents of the Pismo& Buchon neighborhood voted on a neighborhood traffic calming plan which was subsequently approved by the Council on June 1 st 2010. In January of this year the first phase of that plan (speed humps)were installed on Pismo Street. In May construction plans for phase two of the project was completed. The plans include further traffic calming measures on Johnson, Pismo, & Buchon. On May 17th, 2011 the Council authorized staff to proceed with construction if bids are within the engineer's construction estimate. Following the May 17th approval and in response to a letter to the editor of the Tribune questioning effectiveness of the project, the Council received several emails from residences outside the Pismo/Buchon/Johnson neighborhood area protesting the proposed improvements. The primary concerns expressed were the restriping of the Johnson Avenue under the UPRR bridge from 4 lanes to 3, eliminating the Johnson left tum trap onto Pismo. At its June 7`h, 2011 meeting the Council directed staff to bring this issue back to Council for reevaluation before construction begins. Four of the five council members commented that their intent is not necessarily to change the plan rather this particular portion of the project warranted a more detailed citywide public noticing, beyond typical City noticing practices. What does this mean for the action plan? Although not the stated intent of the Council, revaluation of the project could result in changes to the plan. If the plans are changed, this will result in a delay for the remaining traffic calming measures to be installed. Neighborhood residents should consider attending the Council meeting on July 19th to hear the Council's discussion particularly if there are concerns of the management project moving forward as quickly as possible with the Action Plan. As soon as the Council has had an opportunity to consider the Johnson underpass issue, we will be ready to begin construction with the Action plan if the project is reaffirmed as is. If you have any questions, please contact Chris Overby at 805-781-7178 or coverby@sloc4.org. J J City Website Notice-July 12° thru July 19`h 2011 Election on Tuesday, Augu: proposed charter amendme Section 1105 and the repe• Bodies • Aget Johnson Avenue Irish Hills Striping Natural Re! _-ment ProjectsModifications Conservati Between San Plan U2dat Luis Drive & Draft ational Values Pismo Street The draft Irish On July 19, the City Natural Resen Council will revievrthe (IHNR) Conset ity Bill proposed restriping Plan update is plan for the Johnson for public revie Ave. underpass, plan, Planning which moves the Commission A current Johnson .Ave. Report, Parks lane reduction from Recreation the west side of the Commission 5 Railroad Bridge to the Report, and C east side at San Luis Aaenda Repor Drive. Read the together outlir agenda report for important natL more information on features of th, this project. and the meas the City will to Student protect those features. The Community will be reviewe Liaison the City counC July 19th at 7: Committee in the Council The mission of SCLC Chambers, 99 is to enhance St.. San Luis C RED FILE From: Dave Romero (mailto:daveromero2057@gmail.com] MEETING AGENDA Sent: Thursday, July 14, 2011 12:10 PM DATE /9 ITEM #,8r To: Lichtig, Katie Subject: Johnson Underpass Katie, Attached is a copy of a draft of the presentation I propose to make at the meeting Tuesday evening. You may distribute it to whomever you feel appropriate. Dave Johnson Underpass Presentation On behalf of the thousands of residents in the Johnson Ave. area who must use this underpass as their primary access to and from downtown, I thank you for the special published notice and this public hearing. For many Johnson Ave. residents there is simply not a convenient alternative to downtown other than driving through Johnson Underpass. This vital traffic link must operate as efficiently as possible, with major changes made cautiously and only after full public notice. As a qualified traffic engineer and very frequent user (I estimate over 90,000 trips through the underpass over the past 51 years), it is my judgment that changes proposed by staff are excessive and will create more harm than benefit. Currently, vehicles traveling eastbound through the underpass have available two travel lanes and a small left turn pocket at the San Luis Drive signal. Thru traffic on Johnson is about equally distributed between the two lanes and moves efficiently. For approximately '/z hour in the morning on school days only, the left turn pocket is inadequate and traffic backs up into one of the thru lanes, however the other lane continues to function and thru traffic can continue to flow. The staff proposal will convert one of the thru traffic lanes to a left turn pocket extending thru the underpass. During peak periods, when this pocket proves to be inadequate, traffic will back up into the only remaining thru lane, resulting in GRIDLOCK of the underpass. Since the June 17 high school graduation, I have traversed this route approximately 125 times and have observed a TOTAL of only 6 vehicles in the left turn pocket. �: herd co o COUNCIL o CDD DIR o CnyMGR o Frr DIR o ASST CM o FIRE CHIEF o ATrORNEY n PW DIR 0 CLFRKIORIG C POLICE CIIIDIF o FIB c PARRS R REC DIR 0 TRIBM O UMDIR o NEWTDM aERDIR p SLO crrY NEWS o COUNCIL o CITY MGR a CLERK 0 0 Currently, vehicles traveling from the Johnson Ave. area westbound can align at the San Luis Drive signal, with motorists wishing to turn left on Pismo in the left lane and motorists wishing to travel thru on Johnson in the right lane. This allows both lanes to travel through the underpass efficiently. Improved signage on Johnson Ave. would help unfamiliar motorists. The staff proposal would allow only one lane westbound thru the underpass, leading to longer lines backed up Johnson Ave. at all times but especially during daily peaks. Staff is proposing a left turn pocket at Pismo for only three cars. During the often congested times motorists will back up into a proposed two-way-left turn lane or back up into the single Johnson Ave. thru lane, causing Gridlock. Staff is relying on allowing two lanes to turn left from San Luis Drive to Johnson Ave. to offset the impact of reducing the lanes on Johnson Ave. Although this will help some, this could have been done any time in the past or at this time to make traffic flows easier without reducing the traffic capabilities of the underpass. Staff states that if problems occur with the new striping plan, they can easily correct with paint as needed. I did not find this to be the case when restriping was misaligned for the Johnson Ave approach to the San Luis Drive intersection approximately 2 '/i years ago. It was never corrected, and to this day almost every car traversing this intersection is inconvenienced. In summary, on behalf of the thousands of motorists in the Johnson Ave. area, I thank you for the public notice and this hearing. I believe many of the changes proposed by staff will do more harm than good. I believe much less disruptive changes such as improved signage, two left turn lanes from San Luis Drive to Johnson Ave., reflectorized pavement marking, and safety pruning of shrubbery for improved visibility would better serve the city. From: Dan Kallal[SMTP:DAN KALLAL@GMAIL.COMI RED FILE Sent: Thursday, July 14, 2011 10:58:49 AM MEZrINP AGENDA To: Council, S►oCity DAT � ' I ITEM #�_ Subject: Johnson Avenue Road Diet Auto forwarded by a Rule To the members of the San Luis Obispo City Council, After studying the proposed Johnson Avenue "Road Diet", I am in complete support of the proposed changes. The changes appear to be well thought out and will make that section of Johnson Avenue safer for everyone traveling it. I have no concerns about this proposal increasing congestion or causing any other form of inconvenience for traffic or adjacent residence. This proposal appears to be a win-win solution for everyone; cars, residence and bicyclists. I encourage the City Council to support this proposal in it's entirety. Thank You, Dan Kallal 835 Francis Ave., SLO "Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal." Martin Luther King Jr. hOld co email: a COUNCIL a CDDDIR o Cr1YMGR a FIT Out o ASSTCM a FMCHU o ATIDRNEY a PW DIR a CLERRIORIG a pOLICECFIIEF a PM a PAW&RECDIR a TRIBUNE a UMI)IR o NEWTIMES a SRDIR o SLOaNNEWS a COUNCIL a arY MGR a a ray J J From: Giniritz [SMTP:GINIRITZ@ME.COM] Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2011 9:48:22 PM To: Council, S1oCity Subject: Johnson Avenue Traffic Safety Auto forwarded by a Rule Dear Mayor and City Council, The Johnson Avenue traffic safety plan did not emerge out of a vacuum. It is the result of years of study called for by the City's own Neighborhood Traffic Planning Process with public input and participation. Phase 1 has been successfully completed and is working. We urge you to stand by your vote to implement the completion of the second phase of the plan. It will be a vote for public safety and safer traffic routes across town and within the neighborhood. Sincerely, Gini and Robert Griffin 1436 Johnson Avenuel Lo Sent from my iPhone hard copy: email: c CDUNCIL n CDD DIR O CrN MGR a FIT DIR O ASSTCM o FIRE CHEF .RED FILE o ATroaNEx o PWDIR o cLERRRroRIc o PoucEccl>gF o PIR c PAM&RECDIR MEETING AGENDA cTRMUn m.D °u >R a NEW TALES a HR DIA DATE-4o/ //ITEM #. _ sLocrrrxEws aDoaxcn. a CRY MGR o CLERK Page 1 of 6 ` � O Codron, Michael From: Hudson, Jake Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2011 8:46 AM RED FILE To: Walter, Jay; Codron, Michael — MEETING AGENDA Subject: Johnson Underpass-SLO Bike Coalition DAT ITEM # P — FYI... From: SLO County Bicycle Coalition [mailto:adam@slobikelane.ccsend.com] On Behal'iWL�O County email: Bicycle Coalition o COUNCIL o CDD DIR Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 20118:30 AM a CrrYMGR o FTTDIR To: Mandeville P a AMCM a ME CHEF Peggy a ATTORNEY o PW DIA Subject: Speak Up for Bicycles! -July 2011 Coalition Update a CLERIuoRIG o POLICE CHIEF a PIB o PARKS&RECDIR a TRIBUNE a U77L DIR view as a webpage to share with your friends &family. a NEW77MES a HR DIR o SID MY NEWS 000UNCIL a CrIY MGR a CLERK LO C • u n tv �- • � icyc1c tor Bicycl - ,. Become A Member -- --: Save the Johnson Ave Road Diet! Quick links: glop Facebook Flickr < '- Twitter ro. 4 • Our Programs: . ,:� F > -,,. • t 1- ..� Bike Ed Bike Kitchen WFs Bike Valet ABuy "I bike SLO" — 1 Shirts Online:Buy ftw \ Platinum Sponsors When:Tuesday, July 19th, 6:00 pm Where: City Hall, 990 Palm St, SLO map Why: The Johnson Ave Road Diet is at risk, view our intographic 7/12/2011 Page 2 of 6 ` O about the project and read about the project on our blog -A%*% CLEg��ro Seg 1 0*o Your support is needed at the next San Luis Obispo City Council ,7?� meeting in order to keep the Johnson Ave Road Diet project on track! i°oGN E This project has been carefully thought out by City staff for nearly six years, and is important to improve visibility and safety of bicyclists and pedestrians near this dangerous intersection of Johnson Ave and San Luis Drive. This intersection is extremely important because of it's proximity to a`_U'<Y SLO High School, Cal Poly and downtown SLO. Currently, bicycles LAWYERS traveling northbound do not have a bike lane, and traffic speeds are upwards of 45 mph at a blind turn, leading to incredibly dangerous conditions. Despite having a posted limit of 25 mph, few drivers adhere to the speed limit as they head down this steep hill. New drivers from the high school and bicyclists being forced to cross over the lane in order to continue on Johnson Ave are a dangerous combination, something the road diet actively fixes. P e O SWUM 7/12/2011 _ Page 3 of 6 ` U The Coalition asks that you join us at the next City Council hearing to express your support for this project in order to increase the safety of biking and walking in this area! Read even more about the project on our blog. FREE Bike Ed Workshop July 16th vq - - r� 1 When: Saturday July 16th, 8:30am - 1:OOpm Where: Coalition Headquarters, 860 Pacific St, SLO map Bicycling is making a comeback, and we have the tools to make it easier for you. Our workshops are a great way to boost your confidence on a bike and learn some useful tricks for riding around town. Tell your friends, all abilities are welcome, and it's FREE! Register online to ensure a spot in the workshop. 7/12/2011 o From: slo2oz2@charter.net[SMTP:SLO2OZ2@CHARTER.NET] Sent: Saturday, July 09, 2011 12:22:11 PM To: Council, SloCity RED FILE Subject: Buchon area traffic plan MEETING AGENDA Auto forwarded by a Rule DAT r' i ITEM #_ L To the City Council We live on the periphery (Leff &Toro) of the area affected by the traffic calming plan for the Buchon/Pismo neighborhood. We have been impressed by the dedication and diligence of our neighbors in working with the City and numerous agencies, as well as making sure that all of those affected have been heard. After much work a plan was approved and we have already observed improvement in traffic speed along Buchon and Pismo. (Although some folks now speed down Leff instead, so perhaps we need another calming device on Toro between Buchon and Leff). While we and others may have our own ideas about possible plans, the current one. is the one that was created by the folks who put the work and thought into it, going through all the correct channels and weighing all the options. Everyone who worked on the plan is capable and experienced, and their final product has real merit. With all due respect for our former mayor, his opinion via a letter to the editor should not be given more weight than the opinions of the people who have been directly involved and worked so hard on this. Good communities encourage citizen involvement through respect for their work. The plan that has been in the works for so long should be implemented. Mike and Carol Selby 1201 Leff Street 593-0187 t+aed copr, ema1L• ° coumn °CDD DIR ° CITYMGR °MTDDt ° AM CM °FM CHIEF ° AMRNEY °PW DM ° cu RKIGRIG o POLICE CIDEF From: Dave Kuykendall[SMTP:DAVE@VELCROSWORLD.COM] o Pia °PAPM&RECDIR ° TRIBUNE °UMDDt Sent: Saturday, July 09, 2011 10:05:01 AM ° NEWTDM °HRDDt o slncrrYNm °coUNcn. To: Council, SloCity °CrrYMGR Subject: Johnson Avenue Changes °.CLERK Auto forwarded by a Rule I'm sending you this message to ask for your support of the Johnson Avenue traffic safety plan. Our neighborhood has been working with you (the City Council), Public Works, and the Police Traffic Department for the past 6 years to address traffic safety problems. Currently residential collectors Buchon and Pismo streets are used for through traffic. This is contrary to the city's traffic circulation plan (sections 7.0.1, 7.0.2, 7.0.3 and 7.1.1). This situation has led to an increase in `cut through traffic' volume and speed. In the last 5 years there have been over 7 accidents involving automobiles and residential 0 0 property in our neighborhood. This number does not include non-property related accidents. At your direction a traffic safety plan was created by Public Works and a Neighborhood Action Team. Because no single measure could address all traffic issues, a plan with a series of measures in two phases was created. Neighborhood households voted overwhelmingly to support the plan. The plan was then approved by City Council. Phase 1 has been implemented. It has hada positive impact, reducing the speed on Pismo. Recently there has been some concern expressed over the second phase of the plan's impact on traffic congestion. We understand that encouraging traffic to use arterials rather than residential streets and collectors may have some effect on traffic flow, but using the arterials for through traffic is far safer for both motorists and pedestrians alike. We urge the City Council to support the completion of the Johnson Avenue traffic safety plan Phase 2 as designed. This includes re-striping of Johnson Avenue, raised crosswalks on Buchon and Pismo, safety island on Buchon and a road diet with bike lane on Pismo Street. We also encourage the City Council to include Marsh and Higuera, between Johnson and Osos, in the city's traffic circulation plan. Making better use of these underutilized arterials could provide an attractive alternative for through traffic. Dave Kuykendall 1218 Pismo St San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 daver ,,velcrosworld.com 805 542-9559 From: Sue Power[SMTP:SPCSLOQGMAIL.COM] Sent: Sunday, July 10, 2011 6:49:47 PM To: Council, S1oCity Cc: Dave Kuykendal Subject: Pismo & Buchon Neighborhood Traffic Calming Project Auto forwarded by a Rule I find it very interesting that the most recent calibration of traffic on Buchon was taken AFTER San Luis High School was on summer break as was both CAL POLY and CUESTA. On two different days, police cars were parked on the 1200 block of Buchon mid day, not even at the busier morning and evening commute time. The next day the traffic counter equipment was installed. will these statistics be used by City Council? Suzanne Power-Carpine - Homeowner 1227 Buchon Street 0 0 From: Michele Stoutenborough[SMTP:AUTUMNLEAVESSLO@YAHOO.COM] Sent: Sunday, July 10, 2011 11:15:53 AM To: Council, SloCity Subject: I SUPPORT AND HAVE VOTED FOR PHASE 2 TRAFFIC SAFETY PLAN! Auto forwarded by a Rule TO: San Luis Obispo City Council FROM: Michele Stoutenborough, 1241 Pismo Street, San Luis Obispo Dear Council Members, I own and reside in my home at 1241 Pismo Street, located four houses on the left from Johnson Avenue. When exiting or entering my own driveway, I am often in fear of being struck from behind by the traffic that swings swiftly off of Johnson to use Pismo as a "thoroughfare". This is especially dangerous during "rush hour" and early evening; but it occurs often, at any hour. Even with my turn signal on, and my left arm waving furiously out my window, pointing to my driveway to alert cars coming behind me, I often have to wait for a long string of cars to all swing around me, continuing on down Pismo St., without stopping to allow me to get home. It seems that I am perceived as an 'obstacle" to their frantic need to get through town. This is where I and many other wonderful neighbors live. It is our residential neighborhood, and this hazardous traffic situation must be stopped! I urge the City Council to support the Johnson Avenue Traffic Safety Plan, Phase.2, as designed; as has been voted for and previously supported by me and my neighbors, and which already has been approved by the Council. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Michele Stoutenborough From: Mary Ellen Gibson[SMTP:MEGI BSON @CHARTER.NET] Sent: Monday, July 11, 20118:53:01 PM To: Overby, Chris; Council, SloCity Subject: PHASE 2 TRAFFIC SAFETY PLAN for Buchon-Johnson-Islay Auto forwarded by a Rule I support the existing City Council Johnson-Buchon-Pismo traffic calming plan that had been agreed upon after years of discussion and research by the city. .1) A delay on this action increases the risk liability of the city regarding accidents at that location. Knowing the problems that exist there with a blind turn going North on Johnson at the underpass, the history of accidents, and the history of residents' notices to the City of their concerns, any lawsuit regarding an accident that occurs now will be problematic for the City to defend. 2) There are roads designated as appropriate routes for this type of traffic which will take them through town. 3) The original plan received much input and approval from many who are directly impacted. Let's implement that plan and move forward without delay. 4) 1 am including below Mr. Kuykendall's letter because he so succinctly states the rational for continuing with the existing plan Mary Ellen Gibson 1251 Buchon St. San Luis Obispo 540-0495 I'm sending you this message to ask for your support of the Johnson Avenue traffic safety plan. Our neighborhood has been working with you (the City Council), Public Works, and the Police Traffic Department for the past 6 years to address traffic safety problems. o Currently residential collectors Buchon and Pismo streets are used for through traffic. This is contrary to the city's traffic circulation plan (sections 7.0.1, 7.0.2, 7.0.3 and 7.1.1). This situation has led to an increase in 'cut through traffic' volume and speed. In the last 5 years there have been over 7 accidents involving automobiles and residential property in our neighborhood.This number does not include non-property related accidents. At your direction a traffic safety plan was created by Public Works and a Neighborhood Action Team. Because no single measure could address all traffic issues, a plan with a series of measures in two phases was created. Neighborhood households voted overwhelmingly to support the plan. The plan was then approved by City Council. Phase 1 has been implemented. It has had a positive impact, reducing the speed on Pismo.. Recently there has been some concern expressed over the second phase of the plan's impact on traffic congestion. We understand that encouraging traffic to use arterials rather than residential streets and collectors may have some effect on traffic flow, but using the arterials for through traffic is far safer for both motorists and pedestrians alike. We urge the City Council to support the completion of the Johnson Avenue traffic safety plan Phase 2 as designed. This includes re-striping of Johnson Avenue, raised crosswalks on Buchon and Pismo, safety island on Buchon and a road diet with bike lane on Pismo Street. We also encourage the City Council to include Marsh and Higuera, between Johnson and Osos, in the city's traffic circulation plan. Making better use of these underutilized arterials could provide an attractive alternative for through traffic. Dave Kuykendall 0 0 council mcmoRAnbum July 12, 2011 TO: Mayor Marx& Members of the City Council FROM: Sue Chippendale, City Clerk's Office° VIA: Katie Lichtig, City Manager (P �. SUBJECT: Item B 1 —Pismo—Buchon Neighborhood Traffic Calming The bottom line of agenda Item B1 on page 1 was not scanned with the agenda report. The error has been corrected on the website and the new page B I A is attached. Please contact the City Clerk's Office if you have any questions. TXamcilTouncil Memos hod copy... CmSfl: a COUNCIL a CDD DIR a CITY MOR o FIT DIR o ASST CM o FIRE CHIEF RED FILE a ATMPjM a PW= D CLERKIORIG o POLICE CHIEF a PM aPARKs&RECDIR M�C3 AGENDA a NEWTOM a HRDIR DATE �q ITEM #e" a swcrMEs aCOUN o SI,OCIIYNEWS a COUNCIL o CITY MOR a CLERK t council M"wwDw July 19,2011 j acenaa nepoin 1�N.1" CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO FROM: Jay D. Walter, Director of Public Works Prepared By: Jake Hudson, Transportation Operations Manager SUBJECT: Pismo -Buchon Neighborhood Traffic Calming Action Plan: Relocation of Johnson Avenue Lane Reduction at the Union Pacific Railroad Bridge. RECOMMENDATION Reaffirm the recommendation to relocate the current Johnson Avenue lane reduction from the west side to the east side of the Union Pacific Railroad Bridge at San Luis Drive. DISCUSSION Background As the result of a six-year community-based neighborhood traffic calming effort, one of the recommendations made was to relocate the Johnson Avenue lane reduction from its current location west of the Union Pacific Railroad bridge, between Pismo and Buchon, to the east side of the bridge at San Luis Drive. In 2010, neighborhood residents to the north and south of Johnson Avenue, between San Luis Drive and Marsh Street, voted on the proposed changes with 72% in support of specifically moving the Johnson Avenue lane reduction up to San Luis Drive. At its June 1, 2010 meeting, the Council reviewed and approved the action plan which included relocation of this lane reduction. On May 17, 2011, Council approved the construction documents and authorized staff to advertise for construction bids. Following this authorization, Council received several emails protesting the changes on Johnson Avenue, primarily citing objections raised by Dave Romero (Attachment 4), which expressed concern that the changes would inconvenience motorists on Johnson, create confusion and congestion, and questioned whether enough City residents had been notified of the changes. As a result, Council asked that this issue be brought back for further discussion. Why is this modification recommended ? As part of the Pismo - Buchon Neighborhood Traffic Calming Action Plan, the neighborhood identified several issues impacting their neighborhood streets including cut-through traffic volumes, speeds and safety. After further study, staff confirmed that neighborhood traffic volumes and speeds exceeded the Circulation Element maximums and that this section of Johnson Avenue is one of the top-ranked collision rate locations in the City's Annual Traffic Safety Program. Through an extensive analysis, staff identified numerous contributing factors and developed corrective measures to these issues in cooperation with neighborhood representatives. The final plan represents the culmination of all the proposed corrective measures. Attachment 2 provides a graphic of the proposed changes on Johnson Avenue, with B1-1 J - hard copr. email: o COUNCLL c CDD DIR q CRY MGR o M DiR To: SLO City Councilmembers and Mayor Marx July 11, 2011 ' MORN °�i o AMCEY c PW Q OUCEC From: Will Powers,Ph.D c CLERxrowG o ARU&t� o P!B o PARKSBRECDIR DRL Re: July .19 discussion of Johnson-San Luis Drive intersection ° NEWTO m HR L o NEWTS oHRDIR a SLD CRY NEWS o COUNCIL O CRYMGR Councilmembers and Mayor Marx: c C3 As I said on July 5, I submit a packet re my proposal for the above intersection, an alternative to the Public Works plan called by Dave Romero "a mistake". I hope my crude drawing, along with a picture of a similar intersection in Bakers- field, and this brief summary, will make my proposal understandable: The drawing: 1) There is to be a wall (even as low as a foot) running down the line between lanes 1 & 2 of outbound Johnson. 2) The designated left-tum lane from Johnson to San Luis Drive remains as in the PW proposal, except there's a small, pie-shaped raised island in lane 2, (shown in yellow) 3) Everything else from the PW proposal remains the same EXCEPT there will be only a 1-lane left turn up the hill from SL Drive to Johnson. Advantages: 1) The single outbound lane 1 of Johnson (same as proposed by PW) will have a green light AT ALL TIMES. Unlike the PW plan, which will result in traffic con- tinually backing up the hill toward town (with likely numerous rear-end collisions), there is virtually no chance of Johnson outbound ever getting stopped. 2) Thecost of this superior plan is virtually the same as the PW plan and will result in little planning delays and implementation delays. Disadvantage (only ONE): 1),Pedestrian crossing on SL Drive across Johnson will be eliminated. This is a MINOR loss. Pedestrians, especially SL High students, can be taught (with communication help from HS staff) to cross SL Drive at California if they need to proceed inbound on Johnson. There are VERY few residences south of Johnson between Buchon and Lizzie, so students can merely cross at Lizzie or Buchon, as they do now. PLEASE consider this superior plan and don't make "a mistake". Thank you. RECEIVED _= RED FILE JUL 11 1011 — MEETING AGENDA DATE SLO CITY CLERK S ici t iTEM #�_ Td. r I �! F � r i J i r ' t � 1 n f q°Q 'f�� d.���' 7` a � r r ., I • i - j� `• y,1 ,�C C� ., f. c (.I 1. • ^'�,K�1 t , a. ' s '. � J,h i i' I`�� r 1 1 5'if a '` • ',; f a i J 1= w J ` e • j `i < `'. {y♦.� i � 9 .� 1� S� � ,� r . �.,;try Icy �� t' \ ��,•3 "ti, [,� °�. 1 r�-1� ,.+ef�. � M1 i� {,�' ti.�.1 1 iYax 4 �. t J e ?•. .1 ` 1 �f't ` �• c� ♦ •� ,ES � y♦S�. � f:\;,( p� i ,� � _,�c'7c.; i c � r 1 .' � a J S t t.' •♦ t' � v i , ' t•" rx ��D o �7 vi, >• .. � ! � _ G�v ytt T {!+'7 �S -.s.•,.\ � 1 i,�:. .�i. r-!,.� .SS.f''y. 3.i'"�+, _,'� .. ov"., 0 0 From: Bruce Collier[SMTP:MGBCOLLIER@CHARTER,.NET] Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2011. 4:10:43 PM To: Council, S1oCity Subject: Pismo Buchon Neighborhood Traffic Calming Auto forwarded by a Rule At your July 19th meeting , you will again address our Neighborhood traffic calming plan developed and voted upon by the local community. It has taken nearly 8 years to get this far and now , once again, persons outside our local area have complained of the plan.. It was the intent to return our small area back to being a residential area, not a high speed escape from other community areas and SLO High School. There are streets which can handle the traffic and those that cannot. We must direct the heavy traffic from Johnson to Marsh and Higuera, and not on Pismo. Reducing traffic on Johnson Avenue can only help the safety of the area. One lane of traffic from San Luis Drive and eliminating the dedicated lane to turn on Pismo will achieve our goals. The traffic from the High School should exit via California and travel south via Marsh and Monterey. Please do not change the vote of the community to benefit those who only consider how rapidly they can get thru our residential area. The School District buses should also be re-routed off Pismo and Buchon. Bruce & Myla Collier mgbcollier@charter.net herd coav, 1: o COUNCIL a CDD DIR o CrN MGR o FITDIR RED FILE o TrrORR`"M aPWDIR MEETING AGENDA G CLERKIORIG o POLICE CHIEF o PMo PARKS @ REC DDl O TR®UNE O UTIL MRDATE / ITEM # B( o n vnuw o HRDM o SLO CIW NM a COUNT. o CITY MGR a CU RK RECEIVED JUN 30 2011 SLO CITY CLERK council qua July 19,2011 agenda Repom CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO FROM: Carrie Mattingly, Utilities Director Chk---.07 Prepared By: Ron Munds, Utilities Conservation Manager SUBJECT: GREEN WASTE PROCESSING RECOMMENDATION 1. Approve the use of green waste material as Alternative Daily Cover at Cold Canyon Landfill for green waste processing.. 2. Direct staff to apply the associated costs of using green waste as Alternative Daily Cover in the solid waste rate analysis for the proposed solid waste rate increase submitted by San Luis Garbage Company. 3. Direct staff to reevaluate the green waste processing method on an annual basis as part of the solid waste rate setting process. DISCUSSION Background The City has a long history with San Luis Garbage Company dating back to the 1940's. The City Council, expressing a high level of satisfaction with the services provided to the community by San Luis Garbage Company, approved a fifteen year renewal of its three franchise agreements for solid waste, recycling, and green waste services in July 2010. Due to odor complaints, San Luis Garbage Company must change the way it processes its green waste. As required by the franchise agreement, the garbage company has proposed alternative methods of green waste processing. Council must select one of the methods. The City and garbage company Utilize a rate setting methodology for which an overview is provided in this report. The garbage company has submitted its annual rate application per the rate setting methodology, but before staff can evaluate if for completeness and conformance with rate setting policies,the issue of how the City desires to process green waste must be resolved. Green Waste Processing In August 2010 Cold Canyon Landfill was directed by the State of California to cease operation of its green waste composting operation. The closure was a result of odor complaints to state compost facility regulators by residents with properties adjacent to or near the landfill. The property owners claimed that odors from the facility exceeded state standards. The State ruled in favor of the property owners which resulted in the closure of the green waste composting operation. B2-1 O Green Waste Processing Page 2 Since that time, Cold Canyon Landfill has been grinding the green waste material and using it for cover on the landfill face. Landfill operators are required to cover the active face of a landfill at the end of every day to prevent odors and risks to public health. The traditional material used for this purpose is soil but other materials, such.as processed green waste and tarps, can also be used for this same purpose. These different cover materials are called alternative daily cover(ADC). Under the California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989 (AB 939), the state's waste reduction and recycling law, the use of alternative daily cover is counted as recycling, and the materials are not considered "landfilled". Using green waste as ADC is not the preferable, long- term option to recycle green waste and is in conflict with the City's adopted Source Reduction and Recycling Element (which identifies using collected.green waste to produce usable compost) but it is a viable short-term alternative. Cold Canyon Landfill is exploring the possibility of. building an enclosed anaerobic digestion green waste processing facility. This type of facility would minimize odors thereby addressing the current composting odor concerns. According to the City's Green Waste Services Agreement with San Luis Garbage Company, if the company is unable to deliver the City's green waste to the designated green waste facility (in this case Cold Canyon Landfill composting operation) the company shall propose alternatives and the related costs. The City shall select the alternative to be used. San Luis Garbage Company has provided the City with two alternatives. Alternative L Using Green Waste as Alternative Daily Cover Using green waste material as ADC involves grinding and applying the material on a daily basis to the landfill face. While not a preferable long-term solution (composting is preferred), it is currently an allowed method when calculating solid waste diversion by the state regulating agency, Cal Recycles. The downside of using green waste as ADC is that it impacts landfill space. It is estimated that if green waste was used for ADC over a twenty year period, it would result in the loss of about two to three percent of the available landfill space over that period of time. Alternative Z Trucking the Green Waste to Santa Maria for CSmposting The green waste can be transported to Engel and Grey, a company that specializes in green waste, food waste, and biosolids composting. The City currently contracts with Engel and Grey for its biosolids composting. Green waste material would be deposited at Cold Canyon Landfill then loaded into transfer trucks for the transport to Engle and Grey's facility in Santa Maria. It is estimated this would require a minimum of 230 truck trips per year plus the cost to construct a transfer facility at Cold Canyon Landfill. While composting the green waste material is the preferred long-term solution, trucking the material out of the county presents sustainability issues with the environmental impacts associated with the number of truck trips it will take to move the material to Santa Maria. B2-2 J Green Waste Processing Page 3 This alternative would also shift the green waste tipping fee revenue from Cold Canyon Landfill to Engle and Grey. Offsetting this loss in revenue may require higher landfill tipping fees in the future. Solid Waste Rate Setting Overview While Council is not considering solid waste rates at this time, understanding the background on how the rates are set may assist in the decision-making process related to green waste processing. An integral part of the franchise agreements is the solid waste rate setting methodology, which applies to each of the three agreements. The procedures in the Rate Setting Process and Methodology Manual for Integrated Solid Waste Management Rates, adopted by Council in 1994, have ensured stable and competitive rates for the community. The Rate Setting Process and Methodology Manual for Setting Integrated Solid Waste Rates provides a process and schedule for rate application review and binds the contractor and the City to a method of determining revenue adequacy for the contractor while ensuring the community is receiving quality service at competitive rates. Under the methodology, base year applications are prepared in year one of a three year cycle. Base year applications require a detailed submittal and review of past, current, and estimated future operating expenses. Less detailed interim year applications are required in year two and three of the cycle. Interim year applications are intended to adjust for the prior year's consumer price index changes and changes to the landfill tipping fees (which are considered pass through costs). The current three year rate setting cycle began with the submittal of the base year application in 2010. This application recommended no rate increase based on the formulas and policies in the rate setting methodology. On June 24, 2011 San Luis Garbage Company submitted a 2011 interim year application. This application reflects the rate adjustment for changes in the consumer price index and has a landfill tipping fee increase component. It also contains the change to green waste processing that requires City Council direction prior to staff proceeding with evaluating the application for completeness and conformance with the rate setting policies. Cost Comparisons The preliminary information submitted by San Luis Garbage Company indicates about a one percent difference in the rate increase to implement either alternative (Alternative 1 is less expensive than Alternative 2). The City produces about 5,525 tons of green waste material per year which results in the following rate increase scenarios. Alternative 1:—.Alternative DailCover.__ _ COLA pera eement 1.03% Green Waste as ADC 0.94% Landfill Tipping Fee Increase 2.646/o Total 4.61% B2-3 Green Waste Processing Page 4 Alternative 2_Costing in Santa Maria COLA pera eement 1.03% Green Waste composting 2.07% _ Landfill Tipping Fee Increase 2.64% Total 5.74% The difference in the percentage increase between Alternative 1 and 2 as proposed by San Luis Garbage Company is 1.12%. The impact to the average customer with Economy Service between the two alternatives is $0.13 per month. Summary It is recommended the City Council chose Alternative 1 and approve the City's green. waste material be recycled as alternative daily cover at Cold Canyon Landfill. Staff recommends the method of recycling green waste be reevaluated on an annual basis. This would ensure that if progress towards constructing a permanent green waste composting facility at the landfill site is not proceeding in a timely manner, the issue can be brought back to Council for its consideration whether to direct the green waste to Santa, Maria for composting or pursue another long-tern solution. CONCURRENCES The General Manager of the San Luis Obispo County Integrated Waste Management Authority, San Luis Garbage Company, and Cold Canyon Landfill concur with the recommendations in this report. FISCAL IMPACT There is no direct fiscal impact to the City resulting from the approval of the recommendations. Staff will return to the City Council in September with a full solid waste rate analysis. At that time the City Council will conduct a public hearing to consider the interim rate application and proposed solid waste rate increases requested by San Luis Garbage Company. Although there is no explicit legal requirement to do so, City staff is electing to follow Proposition 218 noticing and hearing requirements for the proposed solid waste rate increases to ensure the legal validity of those rates. ATTACHMENT San Luis Garbage Company Letter B2-4 HM[NI San Luis Garbage Company ............. 2945 McMillan Avenue • Suite 136 • San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 805-543-0875 The difference between the two is Option #1 involves taking the curbside greenwaste to Cold Canyon Landfill to be ground up and used as daily cover on the garbage. It counts for AB939 credit, its cheaper, and the revenue dollars stay with Cold Canyon. Option#2 involves trucking the curbside greenwaste from Cold Canyon Landfill to Santa Maria to be turned into compost. It involves more truck trips and air pollution, its costlier, but it adheres to the true recycling intent. Sending the curbside material to Santa Maria would be a $348,000 hit to landfill revenues which would have to made,up in garbage tipping fees at some point. I would be more than happy to meet with'council for a study session if that is what they want. The annual cola percentage is based on the November 2010 Bureau of Labor all city average for inflation. The greenwaste percentage is based on the cost of taking it to Santa Maria or leaving it at Cold Canyon. The landfill increase is based on a $5 per ton increase for garbage trucks effective 1-1-2011. Contractor tipping fees at Cold Canyon were raised $15/ton. Call me with questions Tom Martin, General Manager B2-5