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HomeMy WebLinkAboutR8376 Circulation Element of General Plan - Update 11-29-1994o RESOLUTION NO. 8376(1994 Series) A RESOLUTION OF THE SAN LUIS OBISPO CITY COUNCIL ADOPTING A REVISED CIRCULATION ELEMENT OF THE GENERAL PLAN, MAKING ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS AND RESCINDING THE SCENIC HIGHWAY ELEMENT The Council of the City of San Luis Obispo resolves as follows: 1. Record of Proceeding The City Council has reviewed and considered the Planning Commission recommendations, the staff recommendation, correspondence, and public testimony concerning the revised Circulation' Element. The City Council has reviewed and considered the draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and EIR Supplement, and comments and responses to them. Drafts of the revised Circulation Element have been widely available for review and comment by interested agencies and individuals. 2. Environmental Considerations The City Council has certified the final EIR as accurate . and complete and prepared pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the State and City CEQA Guidelines (reference Resolution 8392). These items are on file in the office of the City Clerk. The City Council has considered how changes to the Circulation Element made during the hearings may affect the environment, and has determined that further environmental review is not needed because the adopted Circulation Element proposes projects and programs that are within the scope of projects, programs and alternatives evaluated by the draft EIR and Supplement. 3. Status of Environmental Impacts and Miti ag tion No new significant environmental impacts have been raised based on changes made to the Circulation Element during the adoption process. Resolution 8332 certifying the final EIR for the Circulation Element stipulates specific measures needed to mitigate the 'impacts of Circulation Element projects or including statements of overriding considerations where significant impacts will not be mitigated. Supplementary findings are included below: A. Significant, adverse impacts, despite proposed mitigation, for which findings of overriding considerations are hereby made: (1) Impacts on conversion of prime agriculture land by extending Prado Road from Madonna Road to Route 101. R- 8376 V i Page 2; Resolution 8376 (1994 Series) 0 Overriding Consideration: Project needed to serve a reasonable share of anticipated regional growth within the urban reserve line, contiguous to existing development, while preserving land outside the, urban reserve line. B. Impacts not significant with mitigation recommended by the draft EIR and EIR Supplement and included in the'draft Circulation Element. (1) Aesthetic impacts of street extensions in residential areas Mitigation Summary: Inclusion lof Objective #20, Policy 8.5 and Program 8.11 that calls for the preparation of landscape plans for city streets. Monitoring: Project level design and environmental review. (2) Traffic speed in residential areas . Mitigation Summary: Adoption of Neighborhood Traffic Management Plans (Program 6.5) and application of traffic calming measures within residential areas (Program 6.6). Monitoring: City to establish ongoing traffic monitoring program and neighborhood traffic management programs (3) Traffic congestion on arterial streets Mitigation: Trip Reduction programs to achieve an AVR of 1.6 or greater (Program 1.10); implementation of a long -range transit plan (Program 2.8), establishing transit use incentives (Program 2.9), and evaluating the centralization of transit service (Policy 2.12) promoting bicycle transportation (Programs 3.7- 3.13); promoting pedestrianism and improving pedestrian safety (Policy 4.5 and programs 4.7- 4.10). Monitoring: Annual transportation monitoring program .(Program 7.6). 4. Internal Consistency Council hereby determines that the revised Circulation Element is consistent with all elements of the General Plan. I, I Page 3: Resolution 8376(1994 Series) 5. Conformance with State Law and Guidelines Council hereby determines that the revised Circulation Element conforms with requirements of the California Government Code and the advisory General Plan Guidelines of the State Office of Planning and Research. 6. Repeal of Previous Circulation Element The 1982 General Plan Circulation Element, as amended, is hereby repealed, on the effective date of the revised Circulation Element. 7. Repeal the General Plan Scenic Highway'Element Since this revised Circulation Element includes polices and programs that address the preservation of scenic roadway resources, the 1983 General Plan Scenic Highway Element is hereby repealed, on the effective date of the revised Circulation Element. 8. Adoption of Revised Circulation Element The revised Circulation Element, consisting of text and maps dated November 29, 1994, on file in the City Clerk's Office, is hereby adopted. 9. Publication and Availability The Public Works Director shall cause the newly adopted Circulation Element to be published and provided to City officials, concerned agencies, and public libraries, and to be made available to the public at a cost not to exceed the cost of reproduction. 10. Effective Date The newly adopted Circulation Element shall be effective on the thirtieth day after passage of this Resolution. On motion of Settle , seconded by Roalman , and on the following roll call vote: AYES: Vice Mayor Settle, Council Member Roalman and Mayor Pinard NOES: Council Member Romero ABSENT: Council Member Rappa Page 4: Resolution 8376(1994 Series) the foregoing resolution was passed and adopted this 29th of November, 1994. Mayor Pj� g Pinard ATTEST:, ,--,( '0/m K &Vfal- C' Jerk Diane R. cadwell APPROVED: 'Ma "0 n v!' i G: \wp51 \circ26 { �►--c - C MAN Emu city of San LUIS OBISPO CIRCULATION ELEMENT Adopted November 29, 1994 w, r4l;1777 CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT 955 Morro Street, San Luis Obispo, California 93401 GENERAL PLAN CIRCULATION ELEMENT Adopted by the City Council of San Luis Obispo on the 29th day of November, 1994 Resolution #8376 (1994 Series) W 01 III -P-10 • CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT 955 Morro Street; San Luis Obispo, California 93401 (Telephone 805-781-7210) CITY COUNCIL Peg Pinard - Mayor Allen Settle - Vice Mayor Penny Rappa William Roalman Dave Romero PLANNING CONIlVII,SSION Dodie Williams, Chair Barry Karleskint Gilbert Hoffman Brett Cross Charles Seen Mary Whittlesey Grant Williams CITY ADNIINISTRATION John Dunn, City Administrative Officer Ken Hampian, Assistant City Administrative Officer PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT Michael McCluskey, Public Works Director Wayne Peterson, City Engineer Terry Sanville, Project Planner Pamela King, Christine Comejo (Technical Support) The City's General Plan is made up of sections called "elements." Each element focuses on certain topics as required or allowed by State law. According to State law, each element carries equal weight in defining City policies. In November 1994, the following elements comprised the City's General Plan: Title Adoption or Last Major Revision Date Land Use 1994 Housing 1994 Circulation 1994 Open Space 1994 Conservation 1973 Parks and Recreation* 1982 Noise* 1975 Seismic Safety* 1975 Safety* 1978 Energy Conservation 1981 Water & Wastewater* Management 1987 * The City is updating its General Plan. Revisions to these elements are under consideration. CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO GENERAL PLAN CIRCULATION ELEMENT INTRODUCTION Purpose..................................................._...2 Relationship to Other General Plan Elements ................................. 2 Definitions............... ....................................3 Transportation Goals and Objectives .................... .......... .... 6 TRAFFIC REDUCTION Community Trip Reduction...........................................11 Transit Service....................................................12 Bicycle Transportation .............................................. 14 Walking.......................................................15 Types of Streets ................................ .......... _ ....17 Neighborhood Traffic Management......................................20 TrafficFlow....................................................22 Street Network Changes ........................ ...................24 OTHER TRANSPORTATION PROGRAMS Truck Transportation .................. i.............................31 Air Transportation.................................................33 Rail Transportation................................................34 Parking Management ............. _ .................................35 SCENIC ROADWAYS.............................................37 IlVIPLEIVIENTATION, PROGRAM FUNDING AND MANAGEMENT .............. 40 LIST OF MAPS AND TABLES Figure #1: Modal Split Objectives........................................10 Figure #2: Streets Classification Map.....................................19 Figure #3: Neighborhood Traffic Management Study Areas ........................ 21 Figure #4: Major Street Network Changes.................................27 Figure #5: Truck Route Map..........................................32 Figure #6: Scenic Roadways Map.......................................39 APPENDICES Appendix A: Description of Level of Service (LOS) ........................... 43 Appendix B: Scenic Roadway Survey Methodology ............................45 Appendix C: Summary of Circulation Element's Projects and Programs ............... 49 Appendix D: Operational Changes to Santa Rosa Street ......................... 53 Appendix E: List of Streets and Current Traffic Count and J evel of Service Estimates ....... 54 Appendix F: City Council Resolution Adopting This Circulation Element .............. 56 1 INTRODUCTION The city's general plan guides the use and protection of various resources to meet community purposes. The general plan is published in separately adopted sections, called elements, which address various topics. This Circulation Element describes how the city plans to provide for the transportation of people and materials within San Luis Obispo with connections to county areas and beyond. Relationship to Other Elements While the Land Use Element describes the city's desired character and size, the Circulation Element describes how transportation will be provided in the community envisioned by the Land Use Element. The vision of San Luis Obispo described by the Land Use Element is influenced by the layout and capacity of streets and the location of other transportation facilities described in the Circulation Element. Transportation facilities and programs influence the character of neighborhoods, the location of specific land uses, and the overall form of the city. History The City adopted a master plan for streets and highways in 1953 and in 1962. In 1973, it adopted its first Circulation Element which was completely revised in 1982. This Circulation Element is a revision of the 1982 element. By incorporating policies and programs addressing scenic roadways, this Element replaces the Scenic Highways Element adopted September, 1983. This Element's preparation was coordinated with the preparation of a revised Land Use Element. Public Participation Before adopting or revising any general plan element, the Planning Commission and the City Council hold public hearings. The City publishes notices in the local newspaper to let citizens know about the hearings at least ten days before they are held. Also, the City prepares environmental documents to help citizens understand the expected consequences of its planning policies before a general plan element is adopted. The Planning Commission and City Council reviewed an administrative draft of this Circulation element at public meetings during 1991 and 1992. A public hearing draft of the Element was published for public review in May, 1992. An Environmental Impact Report (EIR), which evaluates the effects of both this Circulation Element and a revised Land Use Element, was published for public review in October, 1993. In January and February, 1994 the Planning Commission held public hearings to review the Circulation Element and EIR and forwarded recommendations to the City Council. 2 In August 1994, the City Council certified the Final EIR for the Circulation and Land Use Elements as accurate and complete. In September through November 1994, the City Council held public hearings to consider the adoption of the Circulation Element. The City Council adopted this Circulation Element on November 29, 1994. For More Information For more currant or detailed information concerning this element, contact the Public Works Department at 955 Morro Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401, telephone (805) 781-7210. Definitions Terms that are unique to the Circulation Element and transportation planning include: Alternative Forms of Transportation -- something other than single -occupant vehicles, including buses, bicycles, car and van pools, and walking. Average Daily Traffic (ADT) -- The total number of vehicles that use a particular street throughout the day (24 hours). I Average Vehicle Ridership (A VR) is a number derived by dividing the number of people in a geographic area or at a specific site by the number of cars that they drive to that location. For example: If 100 people work at a site and they all drive a car to work, then AVR = 1.0 (100 people _ 100 cars). If 100 people work at a site but only 50 drive cars and the rest use alternative forms of transportation then AVR = 2.0 (100 people _ 50 cars). Bikeways — include the following: Bike Lane — part of a roadway that is reserved for bicycles. Bike Path — a paved path separated from a road that is reserved for bicycles. Bike Route — routes that bicyclists use to travel throughout the city. Billboards — are signs which are made available for lease or rent. Capital Improvement Plan — part of the city's budget that describes how money will be spent on the construction, maintenance or replacement of buildings, streets, sewer and water mains and other publicly -owned facilities. 3 Commercial Core — the part of the "Downtown Planning Area" (Downtown) that is zoned for central commercial (CC) and public facility (PF) uses. Commercial Truck — a vehicle weighing more than 10,000 pounds used to make commercial deliveries. Cut -Through Traffic — people who drive on a particular residential local or collector street who do not live in the neighborhood and are passing through it to some other destination. Downtown Planning Area (Downtown) — the triangular area bounded by High Street, the railroad tracks and Highway 101. Level of Service — a measurement of the quality of traffic flow on a street or at an intersection during the peak hour of the day. Level of Service (LOS) "A" is free-flowing traffic while LOS "F" is extreme congestion. (See Appendix A.) Erpansion Areas — are land areas shown on the Land Use Element Map. Modal Split — describes how people use different methods of transportation (such as automobiles, transit, bicycles, and walling) to account for all the trips they make. For example, Figure #1 estimates that city residents use motor vehicles for 71 % of all their trips and buses, bicycles, walking and car pools for the remaining 29%. Paratransit — transportation systems such as jitneys, car pooling, van pooling, dial -a -ride services, and taxies that serve the specialized needs of groups such as the elderly or handicapped. Peak Hour Traffic -- the single time period during the day when the greatest number of vehicles are using a street. Pedestrian Path — a walkway reserved for pedestrians that is not along a street. Public Uti!Ws — include telephone lines, electrical power lines, cable television, fire protection valves and related plumbing, traffic signal control boxes, and other equipment and facilities that are often placed above ground. Scenic Resources — are natural features having scenic value including Laguna Lake, San Luis Obispo and Stenner Creeks, the Santa Lucia, Davenport, and Irish Foothills, Cuesta Ridge, the Morros (including Bishop Peak, Cerro San Luis Obispo, and Islay Hill), Orcutt Knob, Terrace Hill, and South Street Hills. Scenic Roadways — are segments of Residential Arterial or Arterial streets, Regional Routes and Highways or Freeway 101 that provide people with views of important scenic resources. 13 Single -Occupant Vehicle a motor vehicle occupied only by the driver. Street Right -of -Way — is a strip of land that contains public facilities such as streets and highways (including paved and unpaved shoulders), bike lanes, sidewalks, landscaped areas, and utilities. Through Traffic — people who drive through an area where neither their origin nor their destination is within the area. Tmffic Reduction Programs — any activity that gets people to use alternative forms of transportation. Transit Service' — bus service provided by the city or regional agencies. Trip — a person traveling from one place (origin) to another (destination). Truck Route -- streets that commercial trucks use to make regular deliveries. Vista -- a point from which several important scenic resources can be viewed.. View — the ability to see a scenic resource from a moving vehicle on a major street. Viewshed is the area that can be seen from a scenic roadway. 5 TRANSPORTATION GOALS AND OBJECTIVES Goals and objectives describe desirable conditions. In this context, they are meant to express the community's preferences for current and future conditions and directions. In the following statements, San Luis Obispo means the community as a whole, not just the city as a municipal corporation. TRANSPORTATION GOALS 1. Maintain accessibility and protect the environment throughout San Luis Obispo while reducing dependence on single -occupant use of motor vehicles, with the goal of achieving State and Federal health standards for air quality. 2. Reduce people's use of their cars by supporting and promoting alternatives such as walking, riding buses and bicycles, and using car pools. 3. Provide a system of streets that are well-maintained and safe for all forms of transportation. 4. Widen and extend streets only when there is a demonstrated need and when the projects will cause no significant, long-term environmental problems. 5. Make the downtown more functional and enjoyable for pedestrians. 6. Promote the safe operation of all modes of transportation. 7. Coordinate the planning of transportation with other affected agencies such as San Luis Obispo County, Cal Trans, and Cal Poly. 8. Reduce the need for travel by private vehicle through land use strategies, telecommuting and compact work weeks. OVERALL TRANSPORTATION STRATEGY Meet the transportation needs of current and planned -for population by: 1. Managing city and regional growth consistent with the Land Use Element; 2. Funding alternative forms of transportation; 3. Sponsoring traffic reduction activities; 4. Providing the infrastructure needed to accommodate, the desired shift in transportation modes; R 5. Focusing traffic on Arterial Streets and Regional Routes and Highways; 6. Accepting some additional traffic on Arterial Streets and Regional Routes and Highways; 7. Providing facilities that improve transportation safety. TRANSPORTATION OBJECTIVES Encourage Better Transportation Habits San Luis Obispo should: 1. Increase the use of alternative forms of transportation (as shown on Figure #1) and depend less on the single -occupant use of vehicles. 2. Ask the San Luis Obispo Regional Transportation Agency to establish an objective similar to #1 and support programs that reduce the interregional use of single -occupant vehicles and increase the use of alternative forms of transportation. Promote Alternative Forms of Transportation San Luis Obispo should: 3. Complete a network of bicycle lanes and paths, sidewalks and pedestrian paths within existing developed parts of the city by 2000, and extend the system to serve new growth areas. 4. Complete improvements to the city's transit system serving existing developed areas by 2000, and provide service to new growth areas. 5. Support the efforts of the County Air Pollution Control District to implement traffic reduction programs. 6. Support and develop education programs directed at promoting types of transportation other than the single -occupant vehicle. Manage Traffic San Luis Obispo should: 7. Limit traffic increases by managing population growth and economic development to the rates and levels stipulated by the Land Use Element and implementing regulations. Limit increases in ADT and VMT to the increase in employment within the City's Urban Reserve. 8. Support county -wide programs that manage population growth to minimize county -wide travel demand. 9. Support county -wide programs that support modal shift while utilizing our existing road system and reducing air pollution and traffic congestion. 7 10. Provide a system of streets that allow safe travel and alternate modes of transportation throughout the city and connect with Regional Routes and Highways. 11. Manage the use of Arterial Streets, Regional Routes and Highways so that traffic levels during peak traffic periods do not result in extreme congestion, increased headways for transit vehicles, or unsafe conditions for pedestrians or bicyclists. 12. Ensure that development projects and subdivisions are designed and/or retrofitted to be efficiently served by buses, bike routes and pedestrian connections. 13. Consistent with the Land Use Element, allow neighborhood -serving business and provide parks and recreational areas that can be conveniently reached by pedestrians or bicyclists. 14. Protect the quality of residential area by achieving quiet and by reducing or controlling traffic routing, volumes, and speeds on neighborhood streets. 15. Coordinate the management of San Luis Obispo County Airport and the planning of land uses around the airport to avoid noise and safety problems. Support Environmentally Sound Technological Advancement San Luis Obispo should: 16. Promote the use of quiet, fuel-efficient vehicles that produce minimum amounts of air pollution. A. The City will continue to support the use and development of compressed natural gas fueling stations in the San Luis Obispo area. B. When replacing any City vehicle or expanding the City's vehicle fleet, the City will consider purchasing alternative fuel vehicles that reduce air pollution. C. The City encourages the use of alternative fuels on a regional basis. . 17. Advocate the use of communication systems that enable the transmission of information to substitute for travel to work or meetings. Develop goals and policies for City employee participation in telecommuting systems. 18. Solicit ideas from private industry for the -development and implementation of innovative transportation technologies in San Luis Obispo. 19. Support the use of alternative pavement materials for public streets, roads and other transportation corridors. Support a Shift in Modes of Transportation. San Luis Obispo will: 20. Physically monitor the achievement of the modal shift objectives shown on Figure til and bi-annually review and adjust transportation programs if necessary. Establish and maintain beautiful and livable street corridors. The City will: 21. Pursue changes to existing corridors and support the design of new corridors that create safe, attractive, and useful environments for residents, patrons of adjoining land uses and the traveling public. 9 CL W� UE sic �a I l i aS O 0; `O F tR tft tft N �O !9 Nl e9 11819 im s ea o�e^sreW1i Q 1prr 8=89 r on r O Z, 3O N Vl N a �O a `O n n `O r r n r r %p at r r W, W r r e CL X o 8WM. Q g o 6q F v T •� v c' ppO ami N _ e •qg v' o• u e •qg u S F C E-go3 9 C Y Et-ia r O Z, 3O N Vl N a �O a `O n n `O r r n r r %p at r r W, W r r e CL X o 8WM. Q g o 6q F �. v � •� v c' .� u cz.a� v c° � '7g e e •qg v' o• u e •qg u S F C E-go3 9 C Y Et-ia Y CY I-*m 9 �J 3 v T=U. C N v O TRAFFIC REDUCTION INTRODUCTION The small city character of San Luis Obispo is an important quality to maintain. This quality is being eroded by high volumes of. traffic. This section presents policies and programs for reducing the use of automobiles and emphasizing alternative forms of transportation. POLICIES AND PROGRAMS Community Trip Reduction Policies 1.1 The City should support county -wide and community programs in order to substantially reduce the number of vehicle trips and parking demand. 1.2 The City should support flex time programs and alternative work schedules where they reduce peak hour traffic levels. 1.3 Employers should participate in trip reduction programs. 1.4 The City should establish programs that reduce congestion in the downtown in a way that does not damage the downtown's long-term economic viability. 1.5 The City will support trip reduction programs as a. long-term sustained effort to reduce traffic congestion and maintain air quality. If air quality degrades or level of service (LOS) standards are exceeded, the City will pursue more stringent measures to achieve its -transportation goals. Progorris 1.6 The City will participate and cooperate with the County Air Pollution Control District's and other agencies' efforts in establishing county -wide trip reduction programs. 1.7 The City recommends that county -wide trip reduction programs include an Average Vehicle Ridership (AVR) standard of 1.60 or larger. 1.8 The City will support aggressive efforts of the Air Pollution Control District to establish trip reduction programs that affect downtown employers, Cal Poly and Cuesta College, and the California Mens Colony. 11 1.9 City government will aggressively pursue a trip reduction plan for City employees with the goal of achieving an AVR of 1.7 or larger. 1.10 The City will work with area employers, the Chamber of Commerce, Air Pollution Control District, Transportation Management Association, and other agencies to support a voluntary trip reduction program. For employers with 50 or more employees, the program will be structured as follows: A. Candidate employers will be surveyed to determine base year average vehicle ridership (AVR) levels. B. Candidate employers will be offered assistance in preparing plans to reduce automobile dependency of their work forces. C. Twenty-four months from the initiation of this assistance program, candidate employers will again be surveyed. If meaningful progress is made toward achieving AVR targets (a 10% or greater increase in AVR of the candidate work force), the voluntary participation program will continue. If meaningful progress has not been made toward achieving AVR targets, then the City will consider adopting a mandatory trip reduction ordinance. Transit Service Policies 2.1 The City should encourage transit development, expansion, coordination and aggressive marketing throughout San Luis Obispo County to serve a broader range of local and regional transportation needs including commuter service. 2.2 The City should improve and expand city bus service to make the system more attractive, convenient and accessible. Transit ridership should be expanded so that it accounts for: A. 7% of all in -city trips in San Luis Obispo by 2000. B. 8% of all in -city trips in San Luis Obispo by 2010. 2.3 Paratransit service for the elderly and handicapped should continue to be provided by public and private organizations. 2.4 The City should continue to work with Cal Poly to maintain and expand the "no fare program" for campus service and Cal Poly should continue to provide financial support. The City should encourage Cuesta College and other agencies to establish similar programs. 12 2.5 The definition of Unmet Transit Needs used by the San Luis Obispo Regional Transportation Agency should continue to include transit service for a broad range of purposes. 2.6 The city supports the following service standards for its transit system and for development that is proximate to the transit network: A. Bus fares will be set at levels where cost is not a constraint for people to use buses. B. The frequency of City transit service will compare favorably with the convenience of using private vehicles. C. Routes, schedules and transfer procedures of the City and regional transit systems should be coordinated to encourage commuter use of buses. D. In existing developed areas, transit routes should be located within 1/4 mile of existing businesses or dwellings. E. In City expansion areas, employment -intensive uses or medium, medium-high or high density residential uses should be located within 1/8 mile of a transit route. 2.7 New development should be designed to facilitate access to transit service. 2.8 The City will adopt a short-range Transit Plan (5 -year time frame) and a long-range Transit Master Plan (20 -year time frame). 2.9 To help reduce traffic and the demand for parking, employers should be encouraged to purchase monthly transit passes in bulk and make them available to their employees. The City will develop a bulk discount rate for passes. 2.10 The City will maintain a downtown trolley service as part of its overall transit system. 2.11 The City of San Luis Obispo should encourage the San Luis Obispo Regional Transit Authority (SLORTA) to expand commuter bus service to Cuesta College and the California Mens Colony during peak demand periods. 2.12 The City will cooperate with efforts of the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) to evaluate the effectiveness of centralizing transit service. 2.13 The City will develop a comprehensive marketing and promotion program to reach target audiences. 13 Bicycle Transportation Policies 3.1 Bicycle transportation should be encouraged. 3.2 At least 33 % of all Cal Poly trips should be made by bicycle by the year 2000. 3.3 The City shall complete a continuous network of safe and convenient bikeways that connect neighborhoods with major activity centers and with county bike routes as specified by the Bicycle Transportation Plan. 3.4 New development should provide bikeways, secure bicycle storage, parking facilities and showers, consistent with City plans and standards. 3.5 Bikeways should be designed and maintained to improve bicycling safety, convenience, and encourage people to use bicycles to commute to work or school. 3.6 Bikeways designated in the Bicycle Transportation Plan should be established when: A. The street section is repaved, restriped, or changes are made to its cross-sectional design; or B. The street section is being changed as part of a development project; or C. The construction of bike lanes or paths are called for by the City's Capital Improvement Plan. 3.7 All arterial street projects should provide bicycle lanes. Residential Arterials may or may not be able to accommodate bike lanes; the evaluation of bike lanes on these streets will consider the neighborhood context. Programs 3.8 Cal Poly and Cuesta College shall be encouraged to provide incentives to all students, faculty and staff to use alternative forms of transportation. 3.9 The City will update its bicycle plan consistent with the objectives, policies and standards of this Circulation Element. The Bicycle Transportation Plan shall establish official city bike routes. 3.10 Cal Poly and Cuesta College shall be requested to adopt a bike plan, coordinated with other agency plans, that shows the location of all on -campus bike lanes and bike storage areas and includes programs that encourage the use of bicycles. 14 3. 11 In cooperation with the City, Cal Poly and Cuesta College shall be requested to revise their campus master plans to de-emphasize the use of automobiles and promote the use of alternative forms of transportation. 3.12 The City will modify its zoning regulations to establish standards for the installation of lockers, and secured bicycle parking, and showers. 3.13 The City should obtain railroad right=of-way and easements to establish a separated bike path and pedestrian trail through San Luis Obispo. 3.14 The City will give a high priority to using street funds for ongoing maintenance of bicycle lanes and paths or other public bicycle facilities. Walking Policies 4.1 Walking should be encouraged as a regular means of transportation for people who live within a 20 -minute walk of school, work, or routine shopping destinations. 4.2 The City should complete a continuous network of sidewalks and separated pedestrian paths connecting housing areas with major activity centers and with trails leading into city and county open areas that avoid sensitive areas. 4.3. New development shall provide sidewalks and pedestrian paths consistent with City policies, plans, programs and standards. 4.4 New or renovated commercial and government public buildings should provide convenient pedestrian access from nearby sidewalks and pedestrian paths, separate from driveways and vehicle entrances. 4.5 To improve pedestrian crossing safety at ' heavily used intersections, the City should institute the following: A. Install crossing controls, where warranted, that provide adequate time for pedestrians to_ cross the street. B. In the downtown, install textured cross walks and landscaped bulb -outs, where appropriate. C. On Arterial Streets, Parkways or Regional Routes with four or more travel lanes, install medians at pedestrian crossings where roadway width allows. 4.6 Sidewalk area in the commercial core should allow for the free flow of pedestrians and should include conveniently -located rest areas with shade and seating. 15 Programs 4.7 The city will adopt a Pedestrian Transportation Plan to encourage walking and to expand facilities that provide pedestrian linkages throughout the community. 4.8 The City will pursue the installation of sidewalks to complete a continuous network throughout the community. 4.9 The City will continue its annual program of replacing existing curbs with handicapped ramps. 4.10 The City should work with parents and teachers of elementary school students to establish a "suggested routes to school" program for bicycling and walking. 16 TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT INTRODUCTION City, County and State governments maintain a network of public streets that provide access throughout the community. How these streets are designed, constructed and managed can affect levels of traffic congestion, noise and air pollution, the economic viability of commercial areas, and the quality of living throughout the city. The following policies and programs spell out how the City intends to manage the community's street system. POLICIES AND PROGRAMS AND STANDARDS Purpose 5.1 The primary purpose of street corridors is to enable the movement of vehicles (automobiles, transit, delivery vehicles, bicycles) and pedestrians. The design and use of streets should relate to- and respect the character and type of surrounding land uses.. If residential areas are to maintain their character, they cannot be treated in the same manner as commercial or industrial areas. Types of Streets 5.2 The following descriptions and standards apply to streets shown on Figure #2: Average Daily Traffic (ADT) is the total number of vehicles that use a particular street throughout the day (24 hours). Level of Service (LOS) describes the quality of traffic flow during the peak traffic hour of the day. Level of Service (LOS) "A" is free-flowing traffic while LOS "F" is extreme congestion. At LOS "D," the recommended standard, drivers can expect delays of 25 to 40 seconds and sometimes have to wait through more than one cycle of a traffic signal. Vehicle may stack up at intersections but dissipate rapidly. At LOS "E," delays increase to 40 to 60 seconds and drivers frequently have to wait through more than one cycle of a traffic signal. Stacked lines of cars at intersections become longer. Descriptions (2) Existing Desired Maximum Desired Maximnmr Travel of Street Types ADT/LOS (1) ADT/LOS Speeds (3) Lanes Local Commercial Stress directly serve non- 5,000 25 mph 2 residential development that front them and channel traffic to commercial collector streets (reference black line streets on Figure #2). Local Residential Streets directly serve resi- 1,500 25 mph 2 dential development that front them and channel traffic to residential collector streets (reference black line streets on Figure #2). Commercial Collector Streets collect traffic 10,000 25 mph 2 from commercial areas and channel it to commercial arterials. 17 Policy 5.2 (Continued) Descriptions (2) Existing Desired Maximum Desired Maximum Travel of Street Types ADT/LOS (1) ADT/LOS Speeds (2) Lanes Residential Collector Streets collect traffic 3,000(3) 25 mph 2 from residential areas and channel it to arterials. Residential Arterials are bordered by residential LOS D 35 mph 2-4 property where preservation of neighborhood character is as important as providing for traffic flow and where speeds should be controlled. Arterial Streams provide circulation between major LOS E (Downtown) 25 mph 2-4 activity centers and residential areas. LOS D (Other routes) 40 mph Parkway Arterials are arterial streets with LOS D 45 mph 4-6 landscaped medians and roadside areas, where the number of cross streets is limited and direct access from fronting properties is discouraged_. Highway/Regional Routes connect the city LOS D 45 mph in City 2-6 with other parts of the county and are used by people traveling throughout the county and state and are designated as primary traffic carriers. Segments of these routes leading into San Luis Obispo should include lapdscaped medians and roadside areas to better define them as community entryways. Freeway is a regional route of significance LOS D 55 mph 4-6 where access is controlled. (1) To determine the classification of a particular street segment, refer to Figure d12: Streets Classification Map and Appendix E. Appendix E includes the most recent traffic counts and estimates of level of service (LOS). Traffic counts will be different for various segments of a particular street. In some cases, a range of LOS ratings are shown on Appendix E for 'Arterial" streets because of the variability of traffic flow conditions along a particular corridor; and some street segments approaching intersections may have poorer LOS than shown in this table. (2) Desired maximum speed means that 85 % of the motorist using the street will drive at or slower than this speed. (3) For Chorro Street, north of Lincoln Street, the maximum desired ADT goal is 5,000 ADT. (4) Changes to the classification of any street shown on Figure N2 will require amendment to this Circulation Element. IV m U V) U 5.3 The City and County should jointly develop and adopt design and construction standards for streets within the City's Urban Reserve.. 5.4 The City will revise its Subdivision Regulations to include right-of-way and design standards for each type of street shown in 5.2. Neighborhood Tratiic Management Policies 6.1 Through traffic should use Regional Routes and Highways, Arterials, Parkway Arterials and Residential Arterial streets and should not use, Collectors or Local streets. 6.2 The City should not approve commercial development that encourages customers, employees or deliveries to use Residential Local or Residential Collector streets. 6.3 The City should ensure that neighborhood traffic management projects: A. Provide for the mitigation of adverse impacts on all residential neighborhoods. B. Allow for adequate response conditions for emergency vehicles. C. Allow for convenient through bicycle or pedestrian traffic. 6.4 In the Irish Hills Special Design Area and the Margarita and Orcutt Expansion Areas, dwellings shall be set back from Regional Routes and Highways, Parkway Arterials, Arterials, Residential Arterials, and Collector streets so that interior and exterior noise standards can be met without the use of noise walls. Progmms 6.5 The City will adopt neighborhood traffic management plans for residential areas shown on Figure #3 in order to protect neighborhood areas from intrusive traffic problems.. Other areas not shown on Figure #3 may be eligible for traffic management plan preparation when the Public Works Director determines that traffic volumes and speeds exceed maximum levels established in Policy 5.2. If these standards are exceeded: A. The Public Works Director will define the neighborhood planning area and will survey the area's households. If more than 10% of the area's households respond to the survey and more than 50% of the respondents to the survey support the preparation of a traffic management plan, the Public Works Department will proceed with plan preparation. PA 21 B. The plan will be prepared on an area -wide basis to ensure that traffic problems along specific street corridors are not shifted to adjacent corridors or areas. 6.6 The City will undertake measures to control traffic in residential areas where traffic speeds or volumes exceed standards set by policy 5.2. Measures that will be considered include: A. Installation of signs on arterial routes that encourage motorists to use routes that do not pass through residential areas. B. Operational changes (eg. signalization, turn lanes and turn pockets at intersections) on arterial streets that encourage their use as inter -community connectors. C. Bulbouts or other traffic calming devices at intersections on streets leading into residential areas to inform motorists that they are entering a neighborhood area. D. Meandering street designs, traffic circles, road humps, raised cross walks, stop signs, speed tables, planters, textured streets, offset intersections and other traffic control devices designed to slow traffic speeds without increasing City liability. E. Community educational programs to promote selection of routes within the City that do not pass through residential areas. 6.7 The City shall help organize neighborhood traffic calming workshops that assist residents in redesigning their own streets for a safer and more human environment. 6.8 When requested by neighborhoods, residential streets shall be analyzed for their livability with regards to traffic noise, volumes and speed. Traffic calming or other intervening measures may be necessary to maintain the resident's quality of life. 6.9 Operators of City vehicles, excluding police patrols, should not use Residential Collector or Residential Local streets as shortcut routes for non -emergency City business. Traffic Flow Policies 7.1 The City will attempt to manage the use of arterial streets and regional routes/highways to accommodate increases in traffic levels limited to and permitted by the City's adopted growth management plan so that levels of traffic congestion do not exceed the peak hour LOS standards shown in Policy 5.2. To maintain these standards, the City will pursue the following strategy: 22 A. When traffic reaches LOS "C," the City will pursue the following: (1) Limit increases in all traffic via traffic management programs identified in this document. (2) Institute programs that require the use of alternative forms of transportation and establish policies and programs that act as disincentives to the use of vehicles.. (3) Make minor changes within existing roadways to improve pedestrian and bicycling safety while improving traffic flow. B. When traffic reaches LOS "E," the City will consider the selective widening of Arterial Streets, Regional Routes and Highways when improvements to public safety and traffic flow outweigh the fiscal and environmental costs, and do not hinder this plan's alternative transportation policies. 7.2 The City should cooperate with county and state government to institute programs that reduce the levels of peak -hour and daily vehicle traffic. 7.3 The City should manage the street network so that the standards presented in Policy 5.2 are not exceeded. This will require new development to mitigate the traffic impacts it. causes or the City to limit development which affects streets where congestion levels may be exceeded. The standards may be met by strengthening alternative modes to the single occupant motor vehicle. 7.4 Driveway access from development fronting arterial streets should be minimized wherever possible. 7.5 Those traffic programs identified in Policy 7. LA which have the greatest potential to reduce traffic increases permitted by the City's growth management plan shall have priority for implementation. 7.6 The City will establish an on-going and comprehensive transportation monitoring program that, at a minimum, will keep track of (on a bi-annual basis): A. Changes in traffic volumes throughout the city. B. Changes to the Level of Service (LOS) on arterial streets, regional routes and highways. C. Traffic speeds. F*1 D. Changes in the use of bike lanes. E. The location, type and frequency of accidents. 7.7 The City will bi-annually conduct a survey of residents to estimate their use of different types of transportation. 7.8 The City will maintain a computerized traffic model of the city's circulation system and cooperate with the Regional Transportation Agency in maintaining a traffic model for San Luis Obispo County. 7.9 The City will cooperate with State and Regional agencies in evaluating the effectiveness of high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on state highways. If State Routes 101 or 227 are widened to add travel lanes, the additional capacity should be reserved for HOV/transit use. Street Network Changes Policies 8.1 New development will be responsible for constructing new streets, bike lanes, sidewalks, pedestrian paths and bus turn -outs or reconstructing existing facilities. 8.2 Specific Plans prepared for areas within the city's urban reserve should include a street system that is consistent with the policies, programs and standards of this Circulation Element. 8.3 The City will facilitate public participation in the planning, design and construction of major changes to the street network. 8.4 Major changes to the city's street network (not listed on Figure #4) may be initiated (included in the budget) only after amendment to this Circulation Element. 8.5 The City will seek opportunities to improve the livability of existing arterial streets through redesign of street corridors. 8.6 Street projects should be implemented as development occurs. 8.7 Rights-of-way should be reserved through the building setback line process or through other mechanisms so that options for making transportation improvements are preserved. Programs 8.8 The City will establish building setback lines for routes listed on Figure #4. 24 8.9 The City will ask the California Department of Transportation to designate Prado Road between Broad Street and Highway 101 as State Highway 227. 8.10 The City will ensure that changes to Prado Road (projects A.1, A.2, B.4 and CA) and other related system improvements are implemented in a sequence that satisfies circulation demands caused by area development. The sponsors of development projects that contribute to the need for the Prado Road interchange (project C.1) will be required to prepare or fund the preparation of a Project Study Report for the interchange project. The Project Study Report shall meet the requirements of the California Department of Transportation. 8.11 The City will adopt a plan and standards for the installation and maintenance of landscaped medians, parkways, signs, utilities, street furniture, sidewalks and bicycle lanes. 8.12 The City will evaluate optional street designs as a method for achieving an overall objective of the Conceptual Physical Plan for the City's Center to improve the pedestrian environment in the commercial core. 8.13 During Fiscal Year 1995-1996, the City will evaluate the feasibility of establishing an arterial street connection between Santa Barbara Street and the south end of Santa Rosa Street. 8.14 The City shall ask the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (as the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization) to: A. Monitor the pattern of development throughout San Luis Obispo County and provide feedback to agencies on its impact on the transportation system. B. Sponsor a study that addresses the traffic needs of regional corridors that serve east -west traffic between San Luis Obispo and the coast to include an evaluation of: (1) Reconstructing the Santa Rosa Street interchange to improve Route 101/Route 1 connections. (2) Widening Santa Rosa Street to six lanes between Olive Street and Foothill Boulevard. (3) Constructing an underpass or an overpass at Foothill Boulevard and Santa Rosa Street to reduce intersection congestion. (4) Constructing a reliever route for Route 1. LAI This study should be conducted within the context of the City's transportation policies and priorities. 8.15 As part of any proposal to further develop the Dalidio-Madonna-McBride Area, the alignment and design of a road connecting Prado Road (west of Route 101) with Los Osos Valley Road shall be evaluated and established. 8.16 As part of any proposal to further develop the Maino-Madonna Area, the need for- and design of a frontage road paralleling the west side Route 101 between Marsh Street and Madonna Road shall be evaluated. 26 N O� �gEy m m m p O O O Q p r O A ° m cd 00 3 as V ,^ V N O � 00 v � E U e� � e y Y � Q •° P C° W to Y R r m 04 X Go .� •U a 00 d a s to o -c m a a 9 CL p t C c m At F s °• 9 y W o {� o •C c �p m 9 ri pp V T m E JA 3 p m a w � PE -E `n a � a N O� �gEy m m m p O O O Q p p O A ° m cd 00 3 as N �gEy m m m p O O O p p O A N A T r -i 'O E1 t Q o N ° a � cc mtoCD2 o a o a N n= o a m = o a a cc m ol _ a `� U Cf Ci TJ U m 4o U Cf O Q7 y lu aQi aQi o a 0 0 0 0 0 >> m m m m m m m A U A U A U A A U A U A 3 � U U U U U U U U U U U N a m o` o e U yy N ON1 aai to_ O m N O ca0. m 3 Q Q O O N 0 `ai aL��' O. v ?0 O 7 v aCL C 'C 3 i. a ° a m$ = e 72a Q a Q `` m N 0 cc im co D fir. °e o 3 CU 0 3 U rr N C OD .m ` C x 3O N 00 Com d �n O Tx Om 41 [—cn 3 Q � x rc ai ai m ai cri ) } � J2 i © 2 k � � ) }§ 7f ) M. ) o - E - 7� . t§ \/ Icaa $ � $®,)\ § k 04§k 22 ƒ -a } 7 2 ■ £ £ 2 § ƒ 2 ■�a z� � 2 2 � z <- ■ e� a | 2 ) Q k e e � 2 7 e § f § kaa § �1 � i ƒ k%: - » ! C6 \a @ f to § § § ■ \ § � I 3 c % I ± ■ � � \ E \ 2 ] k � � § : t 7e 2 g \& >% f_, 7 2■ 2\ \�= BE be � k§ 9 A I -2 ] g 2 2/25; )3 C% C14 u e m Lill U Y O �Si1 8 _ a> > ° `E � 8 r. h U 'r a1 N Yv p,a•K �v m= ad 3 � •� da � a y o CE C o y d � > = 9 W N N V `"o gZ OV..CG a. 2 40 o ��y eye o 'U M U 3 •y s o a.Cm " PG N U v 61 C a paq cn o a) •o tR G- •Za e.o to == E r� N C6 o eo a� a c u o a o =j d c oN a E • m N V wrs:67 W � F 0 Z v v v TRUCK TRANSPORTATION INTRODUCTION The delivery of most goods and materials to businesses in San Luis Obispo is done by trucks. Delivery services are essential to the functioning of the city. However, commercial trucks can cause traffic congestion in the downtown, and create noise and safety problems in residential areas. The following policies and programs spell out how the city intends to manage delivery services so that problems associated with truck transportation are minimized. POLICIES AND PROGRAMS Policies 9.1 Commercial trucks should use the City's established truck routes. 9.2 When the level of congestion on downtown streets reaches LOS "D," truck deliveries should not be made during peak traffic periods. 9.3 Trucks should turn off motors when parked. The City will work with the Air Pollution Control District (APCD) for guidance in establishing standards that address air and noise pollution from idling trucks. 9.4 The City's Home Occupation Permit Regulations should be amended to ensure that commercial trucks are not used to make regular deliveries to home occupations in residential areas. 9.5 As part of this element, the City adopts the truck route plan shown on Figure #5. 9.6 The City will continue to provide reserved commercial truck loading zones in all appropriate downtown areas. 9.7 If level of service (LOS) standards are exceeded, the city will adopt an ordinance that limits delivery times for commercial trucks in the commercial core. 31 32 AIR TRANSPORTATION INTRODUCTION San Luis Obispo city and county are served by the county -owned airport located off Broad Street near Buckley Road. The airport allows people to fly private aircraft and to use commercial carriers -to connect with national and global commercial carriers. The following policies and programs address the continued use of the county airport. Policies 10.1 The City should respect the recommendations of the Airport Land Use Plan as it relates to noise and safety concerns. 10.2 The County airport should provide for general aviation and commuter air service to San Luis Obispo. 10.3 The City and the County should regulate land use surrounding the airport so that it is compatible with airport operations and does not threaten the continued use of the airport. 10.4 The City will require development projects and subdivisions within Airport Planning Zones #1 through #4 to include measures that protect the health, safety and comfort of residents and employees. 10.5 The City should encourage the County to continue to appropriately address aircraft operations so that noise and safety problems are not created in developed areas or areas targeted for future development by the City's Land Use Element. 10.6 Public transit service should be encouraged to serve the county airport as soon as practical. Programs 10.7 The City should work with the County Airport Land Use Commission to encourage the use of quieter and more environmentally sensitive aircraft. 10.8 The City shall encourage the County Airport Land Use Commission to complete its update of the Airport Land Use Plan for the San Luis Obispo County Airport. 33 RAIL TRANSPORTATION INTRODUCTION The Southern Pacific Transportation Company owns and maintains a railroad that extends through the county. AMTRAK uses the Southern Pacific line to provide passenger service to San Luis Obispo with connections to the San Francisco and. Los Angeles metropolitan areas, and other coastal cities. Rail transportation is energy efficient and can provide convenient connections to destinations throughout the state. The following policies identify how the city supports rail service. Policies 11.1 The City supports increased availability of rail service for travel within the state and among states. 11.2 The City supports increased availability of rail service for travel within the county. 11.3 State or federal programs that support passenger rail service to San Luis Obispo should be maintained and expanded. 11.4 The City should provide transit service to the train station in accordance with its Short Range Transit Plan. 11.5 The City supports using the railroad right-of-way to help meet intra -city transportation needs. Programs 11.6 There should be daily train service connecting San Luis Obispo with points north and south, with departures and arrivals in the morning and evening, to complement the current mid-afternoon long-distance Amtrak service. 11.7 The San Luis Obispo Council of Governments should evaluate the feasibility of passenger rail service to connect points within the county. 34 PAREING MANAGEMENT INTRODUCTION San Luis Obispo's central business district includes the highest concentration of commercial, office and governmental uses in the city. Parking is needed for patrons of downtown businesses, tourists and employees. Use of curb -side parking in residential areas can affect the character of these areas. The following policies identify the City's role in providing and managing downtown parking and addressing neighborhood parking needs. Commercial Parking Policies 12.1 To reduce congestion, people working in the commercial core should use alternative forms of transportation to get to and from work. Workers who do drive individual vehicles should use parking structures or common facilities rather than curb parking. 12.2 Curb parking in the commercial core is intended for short-term use by those visiting businesses and public facilities. 12.3 City parking programs will be financially self supporting. The City, County, merchants, business owners and users of parking spaces should provide the funds needed to maintain and create parking spaces. Proarams 12.4 The City will periodically update its Parking Management Plan. 12.5 The City will monitor the use of public parking in the commercial core. 12.6 The City will work with Caltrans to consider park-and-ride lots that serve commute purposes. 12.7 Additional parking structures should only be built after a comprehensive parking study (that includes the evaluation of alternative transportation possibilities) is completed and its results considered. 35 12.8 The City will work with the Business Improvement Association (BIA) to evaluate the use of curb space in the downtown and identify opportunities for creating additional parking spaces - 12.9 The City should continue to operate the downtown trolley as a parking management tool to reduce congestion. Neighborhood Parking Management Policies 13.1 'Each residential property owner is responsible for complying with the City's standards that specify the number, design and location of off-street parldng spaces. Programs 13.2 Upon request from residents or other agencies, the City will evaluate the need for neighborhood parking permit programs or other parking management strategies in particular residential areas. 36 SCENIC ROADWAYS INTRODUCTION The following provisions address the scenic importance of local roads and highways in the San Luis Obispo area. Policies 14.1 Views of important scenic resources from major streets should be preserved and improved to the maximum extent possible. 14.2 The route segments shown on Figure #6 are designated as scenic roadways. 14.3 Development along scenic roadways should not block views or detract from the quality of views. A. Projects in the viewshed of a scenic roadway should be considered as "sensitive" and require architectural review. B. Development projects should not wall off scenic roadways and block views. C. As part of the city's environmental review process, blocking of views along scenic roadways should be considered a significant environmental impact. D. Signs along scenic roadways should not clutter vistas or views. E. Street lights should be low scale and focus light at intersections where it is most needed. Tall light standards should be avoided. Street lighting should be integrated with other street furniture at locations where views are least disturbed. However, safety priorities should remain superior to scenic concerns. 14.4 The City and other agencies should be encouraged to avoid cluttering scenic roadways with utility and circulation -related equipment and facilities. A. Whenever possible, signs in the public right-of-way should be consolidated on a single low -profile standard. B. Public utilities along scenic highways should be installed underground. C. The placement of landscaping and street trees should not block views from Scenic Routes. Clustering of street trees along scenic roadways should be considered as an alternative to uniform spacing. 37 D. Traffic signals with long mast arms should be discouraged along scenic roadways. 14.5 The County should protect and enhance scenic roadways that connect San Luis Obispo with other communities and recreation areas. 14.6 The City will promote the creation of Scenic Highways within San Luis Obispo and adjoining county areas. This support can happen when: A. Reviewing draft county general plan elements or major revisions to them. B. Reviewing changes to the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) as a member agency of the San Luis Obispo Council Regional Transportation Agency. C. Reviewing development projects that are referred to the city that are located along routes shown on Figure A. 14.7 The City will advocate that the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) or the County designate qualifying segments of Highways 1, 101 and 227 as Scenic Highways. o r 14.8 The City will participate with Caltrans, the county and other cities to establish a program for enhancing the visual character of the Highway 101 corridor. 14.9 The City will revise its Architectural Review Guidelines to incorporate concern for the protection of views and vistas from scenic roadways. 14.10 The City will adopt a street corridor landscaping plan for scenic roadways. Indigenous species will be used unless shown to be inappropriate. 14.11 Both the City and the County should enforce an amortization program for the removal of billboards along scenic roadways. 14.12 The City will amend its sign regulations to prohibit billboards along designated scenic roadways. kij S , 1 I 1``j �l` •i 1 p Z - I ol i •' i \f I I Is - % j I s • 00 1 1 '4•$, :A1YI FARM ,V' � �' �• _.J i � � BOC7iLZY N ' ► ' ScuE r _ Aow , • FIGURE #6: SCENIC ROADWAYS MAP v VISTA ® ROADS OF HIGH SCENIC VALUE ®® ROADS OF MODERATE SCENIC VALUE Sim •••••••••••e ROADS OF HIGH OR MODERATE SMIC CrN OF SAN LUIS OBIS?0 VALUE OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS '20 CIRCULATION ELEMENT 51PLEMENTATION9 PROGRAM FUNDING AND MANAGEMENT INTRODUCTION The following policies should guide city departments in budgeting for and implementing this Circulation Element. Policies 15.1 The City should focus efforts on managing city and regional growth because they are the principal causes of traffic increases. 15.2 Programs that reduce dependence on single -occupant vehicles and encourage the use of alternative forms of transportation should be implemented first. 15.3 The City's Financial Plan and Capital Improvement Program (CIP) should support the programs, plans and projects identified in this Circulation Element. 15.4 Funding for street projects and parking structures should not prevent the city from meeting its non -vehicular program objectives. 15.5 The City should allocate more of the cost of constructing and maintaining facilities that accommodate automobile use to the users of these facilities. 15.6 The City should reduce user costs for alternative forms of transportation. 15.7 Development projects should bear the costs of new transportation facilities or upgrading existing facilities needed to serve them. 15.8 Mechanisms for spreading the cost of transportation systems among the users of the systems, the City and County, and State and Federal agencies should be developed. 15.9 The City should reorganize and expand its transportation programs to improve the planning, delivery and management of transportation services. 15.10 The City intends to update its Circulation Element every five years. 15.11 The City shall evaluate development proposals to determine their effect on the entire community. 40 15.12 A Transportation Work Program will be incorporated into each City Financial Plan. The work program must be consistent with the Circulation Element, will cover a four-year period, and will establish: A. Implementation schedules for all City transportation programs and projects including those described in the Circulation Element. B. A comprehensive funding strategy which identifies funding for each program type by source and amount. 15.13 The City will adopta transportation impact fee ordinance that requires developers to fund projects and programs that mitigate city-wide transportation impacts associated with their projects. 15.14 Prior to implementation of a project identified in this element, it shall be thoroughly reevaluated. The reevaluation shall include the analysis of alternatives that can achieve the desired results at lower costs and with less environmental impacts. Alternatives include: A. Other projects listed in the Circulation Element; or B. Projects made feasible by new or improved technology not existing when this Element was adopted. 15.15 Major development proposals to the City will include displays of the proposal's interfaces with nearby neighborhoods, and indicate expected significant qualitative transportation effects on the entire community. 41 APPENDICES Appendix A: Level of Service (IAS) Definitions Appendix B: Scenic Roadway Survey Methodology Appendix C: Summary of Circulation Element Projects & Programs Appendix D: Operational Changes to Santa Rosa Street Appendix E: List of Streets and Estimated ADT/LOS Appendix F: City Council Resolution Adopting This Circulation Element 42 APPENDIX "A" LEVEL OF SERVICE DEFINITIONS Street Segments Level of services (LOS) is a qualitative measurement of the degree of congestion on a roadway. LOS is described by a letter scale from A to F. A represents the best service and "F" represents the worst service. LOS E occurs when the volume of traffic approaches the road's capacity. LOS E is characterized by low operating speeds and numerous delays with much congestion. LOS F represents a forced flow situation with more traffic attempting to use the road than it can handle. LOS F is characterized by stop -and -go traffic with numerous, lengthy delays. The photographs (taken from the High3W CaMily Manual) illustrate the six grades of level of service. The level of service on urban streets and intersections are described with the same scale and have similar congestion associated with them. LEVEL OF SERVICE "A" LEVEL OF SERVICE "B" LEVEL OF SERVICE "C" 43 LEVEL OF SERVICE "D" LEVEL OF SERVICE "E" LEVEL OF SERVICE"F" LEVEL OF SERVICE DEFINITIONS Signalized Intersections Level of Service (LOS) Description Volume/ Capacity Ratio A Little or no delay (under 5 seconds per vehicle) Most -<.59 vehicles arrive during the green phase and do not stop at all. B Minimal delays in the range of 5-15 seconds per vehicle. .60-.69 Generally occurs with good progression and short cycle lengths. An occasional approach phase is fully used. C Acceptable delays in the range of 15-25 seconds per .70-.79 vehicle. Individual cycle failures may begin to appear at this level, and most drivers feel somewhat restricted. A significant number of vehicles stop, although many still pass through the intersection without stopping. D. Moderate delays in the range of 2.5-40 seconds per .80- .89 vehicle. The influence of congestion becomes more noticeable, with drivers sometimes having to wait through more than one red indication. Individual cycle failures are noticeable. Queues develop but dissipate rapidly. E. Significant delays in the range of 40-60 seconds per vehicle. .90-.99 This is considered to be the limit of acceptable delay. Individual cycle failures are frequent occurrences, with long queues forming upstream of intersections. Drivers may have to wait through several red indications. F Represents jammed conditions with excessive delays of over > 1.0 60 seconds per vehicle. This condition often occurs with over -saturation, when arrival flow rates exceed the capacity of the intersection. Resulting queues may block upstream intersections. Source: Highway Capacity Manual, Transportation Research Board, 1985 CV -1! APP SCENIC ROADWAY sSiURVEA YDMETHODOLOGY 1. Identify the visual resources. 2. Conduct field investigations: A. Identify the Freeway, Highway -Regional Routes and arterial streets (reference Figure #2). B. Designate points of view along each street. C. Record observations. 3. Transfer field observations onto a worksheet and assign valences to each visual unit. 4. Multiply good or fair or poor (3, 29 1) views by major or minor (2, 1) assessments. Good (3) Major visual unit (2) Fair (2) X or = 1-6 Poor (1) Minor visual unity (1) 5. Sum the products for each point to determine a visual index value at each point. 6. Calculate the statistical man, median, and mode. 7. Categorize the visual quality index numbers into High, Moderate, and Low classifications. 8. Map the Scenic Roadways with a High or Moderate classification. 45 - 1 3, ' i 6r_ I _ i I FIELD 013SERVAiION LOCATIONS Numbers refer to the location of the field observation noted on the opposite page . VW - 1 3, ' i 6r_ I _ i I FIELD 013SERVAiION LOCATIONS Numbers refer to the location of the field observation noted on the opposite page . APPENDIX B: SCENIC ROADWAYS MAP n. Zr L:F�- V I STA city 0� ®N ROADS OF HIGH OR MODERATE SCENIC VALUE OUTSIDE THE SAN LUIS OBISPO CITY LIMIT san Luis oBispo 22-42 ROADS OF MODERATE SCENIC VALUE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 900 Pelm SL / P.O. Box 321. Son Luis Obigoo. 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E �M onoM / �•_§ tz4ze� ]ate )gf£rA II±Ia �a o -� 0_,e2&}�� f22 tk]2) °�2)$ ^|�9` \§j %§39|J cc s }) ƒ/ . 002 0.�� ! )BB�4 0 �_« § =�Icaz x<j2m Geeu2 2 e £ � § C6 § ■ § 00�e=o 2�==e ) =_666 2 =____ e $ § / � *t u u k k } E tn APPENDIX "D" OPERATIONAL CHANGES TO SANTA ROSA STREET Project # Inte smdon Description B.8 (a) Santa Rosa/Foothill Construct an east -bound right turn lane on Foothill B.8 (b) Santa Rosa/Olive Construct a north -bound right turn lane on Santa Rosa B.8 (c) Santa Rosa/Walnut Construct a west -bound left turn lane and an east -bound left turn lane on Walnut 53 APPENDIX E LIST OF STREETS AND CURRENT ADT/LOS ESTIMATES Street Segment Count ADT Count LOS Year Location (2) Date (3) Estimated ,aha Capitolio (Broad - Sacramento) EBroad 5,100 8-13-92 — — El Mercado (S/Madonna) S/Madonna 9,500 8-15-91 — — Industrial (Broad - Sacramento) EBroad 2,300 4-4-92 — — Palm (Chorro-Santa Rosa) W/Osos 4,700 11-12-92 — — Sacramento (Orcutt-Industrial) Sante Fe (Buckley -Prado) Augusta (Bishop -Laurel) W/Laurel 2,900 6-26-91 — — Bishop (Johnson -Broad) W/Johnson 2,700 3-22-90 — — Broad (Foothill -Lincoln) N/Murmy 4,400 1-15-92 — — S/Serrano 2,500 1-30-87 — — Buchon (High -Johnson) E/Osos 5,300 10-15-92 — — W/Carmel 1,700 3-18-88 — — Bullock (Orcutt-Tank Farm) S/Orcutt Chorro (1) (Palm -Highland) N/Lincoln 11,000 1-15-92 — — Flora-(N/Southwood) S/Sydney 800 12-18-92 — — Fredricks (Grand -Hathaway) W/Kentuckey 1,200 10-18-85 — — High (Broad-Higuera) E/King 2,700 2-6792 — — Highland (Ferrini-Patricia) W/Stanford 2,400 3-22-90 — — Laurel (Johnson -Flora) Lincoln (Broad-Chorro) W/Chorro 3,700 1-15-92 — — Magarita (E/Higuera) E/Higuera 2,600 7-10-91 — — Mill (Grand-Chorro) W/Pepper 2,300 7-23-92 — — Oceanaire (LOUR -Madonna) S/Lakeview 1,900 8-7-86 — — Patricia (N/Foothill) N/Foothill 3,900 4-4-92 — — S/Foothill Pismo (Higuera-Johnson) W/Johnson 4,200 5-7-92 — — Prefumo (LOVR-CL) W/LOVR 3,400 10-8-92 — — Ramona (Patricia -Broad) WBroad 4,500 1-16-92 — — San Jose -La Entrada S/Foothill 1,200 12-12-88 — — (Ramona-Luneta) San Luis (Calif. -Andrews) E/California 1,700 4-9-92 — — Southwood (E/Laurel) E/Laurel 1,800 I1-30-88 — — Sydney (Flora -Johnson) E/Johnson 1,700 10-10-86 — — Broad (South -Pismo) — — A 1991 California (Taft -Cal Poly) — — A -B 1991 Foothill (Broad -CL) — — A 1991 Grand (Mill -Cal Poly) — — A 1991 Johnson (Pismo-Orcutt) — — A 1991 South (Beebe -Broad) — — A 1991 54 ON Route 101 (throughout) — — A -C 1991 NOTES (1) For Chorro Street, north of Lincoln Street, the maximum ADT goal is 5,000 ADT. (2) Traffic counts wi11 be different for various segments of a particular street. 'To find out about the availability of traffic counts on street segments other than those shown above, contact the City Public Works Department. (3) In some cases, a range of LOS ratings are shown on Appendix E for "Arterial" streets because of the variability of traffic flow conditions along a particular corridor, and some street segments approaching intersections may have poorer LOS than shown in this table. 55 .................XEXX; .;:......::::::...... ltlf Stred Segment Count ADT Count LOS Year Location (2) Date (3) Estimated Broad �����)A A -F 1991 Buckley (Broad-Higuera) 1991 California (Taft -San Luis) — — A 1991 Chorro (Palm Pismo) — — A -C 1991 Foothill (Broad -California) — — A -D 1991 Highland (Ferrini-Cal Poly) — — A 1991 Higuera (Johnson -City Limits) — — A-E 1991 Johnson (Pismo -Monterey) — — — A A 1991 1991 Laurel (Johnson-Orcutt) — B -D 1991 Los Osos Valley (Route 101-I iguera) — — Los Osos Valley (North City Limits/Madonna) — — A 1991 Madonna (Higuera-LOVR) — — A -C 1991 Marsh (Higuera-California) — — A -B 1991 Monterey (Chorro-Route 101) — — A -F 1991 Orcutt (Broad -Tank _ A -C. 1991 _ Farm) A 1991 San Luis (California Johnson) — — Santa Barbara/ — A -D 1991 Osos (Broad-Higuera)— A -C 1991 Santa Rosa (Walnut -Pismo) — — Los Osos Valley (Madonna -Route 101) — — A 1991 Prado (Route 101 -Madonna) — — NA Tank Farm (Higuem-Orcutt) — — A 1991 Broad (S/South) — — — A -D A 1991 1991 Foothill (CL -Los Osos Valley) — — A 1991 Los Osos Valley (W/City Limits) — — A 1991 Orcutt (S/City Limits) — — A 1991 Prado (Route 101 -Broad) — A -C 1991 Santa Rosa (N/Walnut) _ _ A 1991 South Higuem (S/City Limits) — — ON Route 101 (throughout) — — A -C 1991 NOTES (1) For Chorro Street, north of Lincoln Street, the maximum ADT goal is 5,000 ADT. (2) Traffic counts wi11 be different for various segments of a particular street. 'To find out about the availability of traffic counts on street segments other than those shown above, contact the City Public Works Department. (3) In some cases, a range of LOS ratings are shown on Appendix E for "Arterial" streets because of the variability of traffic flow conditions along a particular corridor, and some street segments approaching intersections may have poorer LOS than shown in this table. 55 APPENDIX F RESOLUTION NO. 83760994 Series) A RESOLUTION OF THE SAN LUIS OBISPO CITY COUNCIL ADOPTING A REVISED CIRCULATION ELEMENT OF THE GENERAL PLAN, MAKING ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS AND RESCINDING THE SCENIC HIGHWAY ELEMENT The Council of the City of San Luis Obispo resolves as follows: The City Council has reviewed and considered the Planning Commission recommendations, the staff recommendation, correspondence, and public testimony concerning the revised Circulation Element. The City Council has reviewed and considered the draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and EIR Supplement, and comments and responses to them. Drafts of the revised Circulation Element have been widely available for review and comment by interested agencies and individuals. 2. Environmental Considerations The City Council has certified the final EIR as accurate and complete and prepared pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the State and City CEQA Guidelines (reference Resolution 8392). These items are on file in the office of the City Clerk The City Council has considered how changes to the Circulation Element made during the hearings may affect the environment, and has determined that.further environmental review is not needed because the adopted Circulation Element proposes projects and programs that are within the scope of projects, programs and alternatives evaluated by the draft EIR and Supplement. 3. Status of Environmental Impacts and Mitigation . No new significant environmental impacts have been raised based on changes made to the Circulation Element during the adoption process. Resolution 8332 certifying the final EIR for the Circulation Element stipulates specific measures needed to mitigate the impacts of Circulation Element projects or including statements of overriding considerations where significant impacts will -not be mitigated. Supplementary findings are included below: A. Significant, adverse impacts, despite proposed mitigation, for which findings of overriding considerations are hereby made: (1) Impacts on conversion of prime agriculture land by extending Prado Road from Madonna Road to Route 101. 56 R- 8376 Page 2: Resolution 8376 (1994 Series) Overriding Consideration: Project needed to serve a reasonable share of anticipated regional growth within the urban reserve line, contiguous to existing development, while preserving land outside the urban reserve line. B. Impacts not significant with mitigation recommended by the draft EIR and EIR Supplement and included in the draft Circulation Element. (1) Aesthetic impacts of street extensions in residential areas Mitigation Summary: Inclusion of Objective #20, Policy 8.5 and Program 8.11 that calls for the preparation of landscape plans for city streets. Monitoring. Project level design and environmental review. (2) Traffic speed in residential areas Mitigation Summary: Adoption of Neighborhood Traffic Management Plans (Program 6S) and application of traffic calming measures within residential areas (Program 6.6). Monitoring: City to establish ongoing traffic monitoring program and neighborhood traffic management programs (3) Traffic congestion on arterial streets Mitigation: Trip Reduction programs to achieve an AVR of 1.6 or greater (Program 1.10); implementation of a long-range transit plan (Program 2.8), establishing transit use incentives (Program 2.9),. and evaluating the centralization of transit service (Policy 2.12); promoting bicycle transportation (Programs 3.7-3.13); promoting pedestrianism and improving pedestrian safety (Policy 4.5 and programs 4.7-4.10). Monitoring: Annual transportation monitoring program (Program 7.6). 4. Internal Consistency Council hereby determines that the revised Circulation Element is consistent with all elements of the General Plan. 57 Page 3: Resolution 8376(1994 Series) 5. Conformance with State Law and Guidelines Council hereby determines that the revised Circulation Element conforms with requirements of the California Government Code and the advisory General Plan Guidelines of the State Office of Planning and Research. 6. $gaeal of Previous Circulation Element The 1982 General Plan Circulation Element, as amended, is hereby repealed, on the effective date of the revised Circulation Element. 7. Repeal the General Plan Scenic Highway Element Since this revised Circulation Element includes polices and programs that address the preservation of scenic roadway resources, the 1983 General Plan Scenic Highway Element is hereby repealed, on the effective date of the revised Circulation Element. 8. Adol2tion,of Revised Circulation Element The revised Circulation Element, -consisting of text and maps dated November 29, 1994, on file in the City Clerk's Office, is hereby adopted. 9. Publication and Availability The Public Works Director shall cause the newly adopted Circulation Element to be published and provided to City officials, concerned agencies, and public libraries, and to be made available to the public at a cost not to exceed the cost of reproduction. 10. Effective Date The newly adopted Circulation Element shall be effective on the thirtieth day after passage of this Resolution. On motion of settle , seconded by Roalman , and on the following roll call vote: AYES: Vice Mayor Settle, Council Member Roalman and Mayor Pinard NOES: Council Member Romero A BSENT: Council Member Rappa 58 Page 4: Resolution 8 3 7 6 (1994 Series) the foregoing resolution was passed and adopted this 29th of November, 1994. ATTEST: C Jerk Diane R. dwell APPROVED: G:\wp51\circ26 nsen Mayor &g Pinard 59