HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/06/1993, 10 - CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF THE DESIGN OF THE GRAND AVENUE RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT M EETIT 0�1TE:1993
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Miz. COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT ffEM NUMBER: �
From: Mike McCluskey, Public Works Dire
Prepared By: Wayne Peterson, City Engineer
Terry Sanville, Principal Transportation Planner
Subject: City Council approval of the design of the Grand
Avenue reconstruction project
CAO RECOMMENDATION: By minute action, approve the -design for the Grand
Avenue reconstruction project,as recommended by staff,
for implementation during FY 19934994.
REPORT IN BRIEF
Grand Avenue needs to be repaved and partially reconstructed. It has been a high priority
project funded by the City's street reconstruction program. However, repaving the street'has
been delayed to allow for its coordination with improvements to the Grand Avenue
medians. The reconstruction and. landscaping of the Grand Avenue medians was included
in the 1988-1989 Budget but implementation was delayed due to the drought and was
deferred by the City Council in June, 1992.
Staff is asking the City Council to approve the preliminary design for Grand Avenue. This
approval will allow staff to prepare plans and specifications,for resurfacing the street and
constructing new medians. The project would be completd during FY 1993-1994. If a
contract can be awarded for the pavement work prior to June 30, 1993, the. City can take
advantage of State grand funding that will contribute $59,300 to the project's construction.
Therefore, timely Council action is requested. Design of the median landscaping requires
ARC approval and will be covered under separate contract.
Design of this project involves the following significant issues: (1) the desired width.of the
medians and the landscaping of median and sidewalk areas; (2) the need to avoid planting
trees too close to water lines that run under part of the median; (3) the need to establish
bicycle lanes on both sides of Grand Avenue since it is a designated bike route to Cal Poly;
and (4) the desire to minimize the removal of curb parking in high demand areas.
Resolution of any one of these design issues influences the solution to the others.
The planning, engineering, transportation and utilities staff met to resolve the project's
design. The recommended design is shown on attached Exhibit "B" and summarized on the
following page. The estimated total cost of the project is $471,000, including
design/inspection and contingency costs.
DISCUSSION
A. Design of the Street
As major design parameters, the staff assumed that all changes to Grand Avenue would be
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COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
done within the existing right-of-way, curb alignments would not be changed, and the water
line running under sections of the median would not be relocated. These parameters tend ,
to limit the scope (and cost) of the project.
Recommended Cross Section Design for Grand Avenue
Segment 1: South of Highway 101 Segment 2: North of Highway 101
(Monterey Street to Highway 101) (Highway 101 to Slack Street)
Street trees in/behind sidewalk Street trees in/behind sidewalk
8-foot parking bays on both sides 8-foot bike lane on west side
5-foot bike lanes on both sides 5-foot bike lane on east side
Four 11-foot travel lanes 8-foot parking bay on east side
11-foot landscaped median (ground Four 11-foot travel lanes
cover and shrubs) 16-foot landscaped median (w/trees,
berms, shrubs and ground cover
1. Landscape Medians
Wider medians north of Highway 101 (16 feet) will allow for a fuller range of landscape
elements -- trees, shrubs, berms and ground cover. With careful selection of tree types and
planting techniques, trees can be planted in the section of the median that has a water line
under it (eg. the last 600 feet of median closest to the Cal Poly).
Coupled with the planting of road-side street trees, the appearance of Grand Avenue as a
major link between Highway 101 and Cal Poly will be significantly improved. Staff suggests
that this type of landscape treatment be considered for other arterial streets — a strategy
suggested by the draft Circulation Element (1993).
2. Travel Lanes, Bicycle Lanes and Curb Parking
The wider the medians, the narrower the travel lanes and bicycle lanes have to be if curb
alignments are to be maintained. Staff has recommended 11-foot travel lanes which is
consistent with other similar streets in San Luis Obispo and provides for safe travel.
North of Highway 101, parking would be removed from the west side of the street and an
8-foot bicycle lane installed. This side of the street was chosen for parking removal because:
(a) Bicycles are moving fast down Grand Avenue and a wider bike lane without
interference from parked cars is safer.
(b) Fewer people park on the west side of Grand north of the Highway 101. Off street
and side street parking is available for residents. A segment of the west side of
Grand Avenue between McCollum and Fredricks Streets is reserved as permit
City of SA AJIS OBISp0 �.
A COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
parking for residents. However, both daytime and evening parking surveys did not
show these permit curb spaces being used.
The area on the west side of Grand Avenue between McCollum and Slack Streets
(about 50% of the west side frontage) is occupied by Pacheco and Jesperson Schools.
The schools have sufficient off-street parking. The ten curb spaces adjoining the
schools are close to Cal Poly campus and are fully occupied by university student
vehicles.
Our sampling of parking use on Grand Avenue north of the freeway shows the
following:
Grand Avenue Parking Survey
Day Time Side of Street # Parked Cars % of Spaces Used
Sunday 11 am west 5 17%
east 15 48%
Monday 2 pm west 13 44%
cast 22 70%
Tuesday 8 pm west 3 10%
cast 12 39%
Wednesday 11 pm west 2 7%
East 14 45%
(c) City buses stop along the west side of Grand Avenue. The bus will be able to use
the 8-foot bike lane during stops and avoid blocking the travel lane.
(d) A wider median can be installed and trees planted where they will not conflict with
the existing water line.
South of Highway 101, curb parking would be retained because of past demand for its use.
Four- to five-foot wide bike lanes would be placed on the outside of the parking bays and
a 11-foot median constructed. Because of the limited median width and the presence of the
water line under the median, landscaping would be limited to ground cover and shrubs.
3. Roadside Landscaping
There are few street trees along Grand Avenue. Staff recommends that this project's budget
include funds for street tree planting in back of sidewalks with trees planted within the
sidewalk at strategic locations where pedestrian flow will not be hampered.
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We COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
B. FISCAL IMPACT
This project will be funded as part of the City's street reconstruction program Its
implementation will involve the awarding of two contracts:
1. Street reconstruction and resurfacing.The reconstruction and resurfacing component
of the project is eligible for reimbursement under the State/Local Partnership
Program. Caltrans estimates that the amount of reimbursement will be
approximately $59,300. However, to qualify for this reimbursement, a contract must
be awarded by June 30, 1993. Therefore, timely Council action is needed to take
advantage of this funding. The CAO would be authorized to award the contract after
adoption of the FY 1993-1994 budget and before July 1, 1993 in order to encumber
City funds and secure State grant funding.
2. Median area landscaping and street trees. A separate contract will be awarded for
the design and installation of median landscaping and street trees. This strategy will
allow for timely review and approval of the landscape plans by the Architectural
Review Commission.
Both project components are recommended for funding and construction during FY 1993-
1994.
GRAND AVENUE RECONSTRUCTION COSTS
Street Reconstruction/resurfacing $350,000
Median landscaping & Irrigation system $ 40,000
Additional Street Trees $ 20,000
Subtotal: $410,000
Project Design $ 20,000
Contingencies (10%) $ 41,000
Total Project Cost: $471,000
State/Local Partnership Reimbursement $ 59,300
TOTAL CITY COST: $411,700
C. PHASING POTENTIAL
The implementation of this project could he spread over more than one year, although all
pavement work should be completed as a single phase. For example,
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MoGe COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
POTENTIAL PHASING
GRAND AVENUE RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT
Phase Work Cost
1 Reconstruct road, $355,000
install median curbs and
water System connections
2 Install median landscaping $359000
and irrigation system
3 Plant addition street trees $207000
Estimated Total Cost: $4109000
Most of the project's cost is associated with street reconstruction, resurfacing and median
construction which should happen under a single contract. Only the landscape component could
be deferred to subsequent fiscal years. Staff is not recommending phasing of this project.
This road project has been rated a high priority project by the pavement management system for
the last three years. Due to its cost ($412,000), this project will require over half of the street
reconstruction funding($750,000)available for FY 93-94. Smaller projects will be pursued with
the remaining funding.
D. CONCURRENCES
The recommended design has the support of the Community Development and Utilities
Departments.
In March, 1992, the Bicycle Committee reviewed options for establishing bicycle lanes on Grand
Avenue. On March 2, the Committee supported the removal of parking on the west side of
Grand Avenue north of the freeway as recommended by staff. However, at its March 16
meeting, after receiving testimony from a long-time resident of Grand Avenue, the committee
changed its recommendation to support parking retention on both sides of Grand Avenue and the
placement of five-foot bike lanes on the outside of the parking bays.
If the Council supports the Bicycle Committee's recommendation, the median north of the
freeway would need to be reduced from 16 to 11 feet and trees or other major landscape
elements eliminated from its design. This alternative is described below as the "Minimal
Improvements" option.
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City Of SAn LUIS OBISPO
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
E. DESIGN ALTERNATIVES
The Council could decide to support one of the following options:
1. Minimal Improvements: The recommended design for Grand Avenue south of Highway
101 would be applied to areas north of the freeway.
Comments: The striping of the street would be changed to accommodate 5-foot bike
lanes along the west side of Grand Avenue on the outside of the parking bay. Curb
parking on both sides of the street would be retained. The medianwould not be
widened. Estimated construction cost would be $375,000 assuming that some
replacement landscaping would be included in the medians.
2. Alternative Design Street: Grand Avenue could be designed as a two lane arterial
street. The street's cross section would include:
8-foot parking bays on both sides
8-foot bike lanes on both sides
Two 13-foot travel lanes
26-foot median
Comments: This option would maximize the area available for landscaping and enable
the full range of landscape elements to be included in the medians. It would also retain
all curb parking and provide for wide bike lanes.
There would be loss of street traffic capacity and possibly congestion near the entrance
to Cal Poly and Monterey Street due to the elimination of a travel lane in each direction.
With only one traffic lane and a wide center median, vehicles would need to occupy the
bicycle lane when being passed by emergency vehicles.
Estimated construction cost would-be similar to the recommended project. More of the
street would be excavated and replaced with a wide median and landscaping. The
amount of paving would decrease while the amount of median curbing and landscaping
would increase.
ATTACHMENTS
Exhibit A: Project Location Map
Exhibit B: Recommended cross sections for Grand Avenue
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s : EXHIBIT "A"
Curb Parking Removal GRAND AVENUE RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT
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