For Transportation Commission Meeting [April 2, 2019]
TO: Honorable Chairperson and Commission
APPROVAL: Robert G. Eisenbeisz, P.E., Public Works Director/City Engineer
FROM: Azzam Jabsheh, P.E., T.E., Associate Civil Engineer
Title
Focused Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) - 61 Unit Residential Tract on the East Side of Acacia Avenue north of Randall Avenue.
(ACTION ITEM)
Body
BACKGROUND:
On November 8, 2018, the 1st Scoping Agreement was submitted for the proposed residential subdivision. On January 28, 2019, the 1st TIA was submitted and reviewed. On March 4, 2019 a revised 2nd TIA was submitted and on March 12, 2019 a 3rd TIA was submitted.
The proposed project consist of 61 single family detached residential dwelling units on 8.53 acres of land on the east side of Acacia Avenue approximately 750 feet north of Randall Avenue. The project is projected to generate 576 average daily trips (ADT) with 45/60 AM/PM peak hour trips.
The site location is shown on Page 2 of the TIA in Figure 1, which is included as Attachment 1, while the site plan is shown on Page 3 in figure 2 of the TIA, which is included as Attachment 2.
The site will have one main access onto Acacia Avenue approximately 900 feet north of Randall Avenue. There is also a proposed secondary emergency only access located approximately 700 feet north of Randall Avenue. The main access on Acacia Avenue was analyzed as full access. The width of the main access (84 feet) suggests there will be proposed gates at the main drive indicating a potential for restricted access to the interior streets. The depth of the entrance is approximately 65 feet.
The trip impacts were estimated using data from the 10th Edition of the ITE Trip Generation publication based upon a residential use, which is very close to similar rates published in the 9th Edition. Page 19 Table 2 of the TIA, which is included as Attachment 3, shows the estimated Project Trips. Total estimated daily project trips are 576 with the AM/PM peak hour being 45/60 trips. The provided intersection volume counts were collected on Tuesday, November 27, 2018, which is four days after the Thanksgiving holiday.
The mitigation improvements recommended in the TIA are include construction of adjacent street improvements on Acacia Avenue to City standards and improvements at the intersections of Acacia Avenue/Merrill Avenue, Acacia Avenue/Randall Avenue and Sycamore Avenue/Randall Avenue. The TIA notes that a fourth intersection, Sycamore Avenue/Merrill Avenue, will have the southbound leg of the intersection at LOS E/F but did not include any improvements or a fair share contribution toward future mitigation measures. This proposed development does not add any traffic to the deficient movement at that location. The intersection of Sycamore Avenue/Randall Avenue is on the priority list for new traffic signals and all nearby projects have contributed fair shares toward the installation of a future traffic signal. This project is also proposing a fair share. The TIA also identifies the need for a traffic signal at Acacia Avenue/Merrill Avenue and proposes a fair share contribution from this project. Additionally, there are proposed striping modifications to add an eastbound left turn lane and a shared thru/right turn lane at Acacia Avenue/Randall Avenue.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION:
The analysis is based on ITE trip rates from the 10th Edition of the Trip Rate Manual for single-family detached housing. The TIA used traffic counts collected in November of 2018.
The widths of interior streets do not meet City standards and appear to be proposed as private streets with a single entrance from Acacia Avenue. The Planning Department conducted a public meeting on January 24, 2019, at Morris Elementary School with notification to surrounding property owners and received input from local property owners. The majority of the concerns raised were traffic issues related to the density of the homes with a single entrance.
Randall Avenue west of Acacia Avenue is a four-lane roadway. As this tract develops, it is assumed that the tract at the northeast corner of Acacia Avenue/Randall Avenue will have completed the widening of Randall Avenue east of Acacia Avenue. The curb separation in Rialto is at 64 feet; however, within the City of San Bernardino (approximately 650 feet east of the centerline of Acacia Avenue), the curb separation is only 52 feet. All way stop controls exist at the intersections of Randall Avenue/Acacia Avenue, at Randall Avenue/Sycamore Avenue and at Acacia Avenue/Merrill Avenue. A Traffic signal exists at Sycamore Avenue/Merrill Avenue. The Acacia Avenue/Randall Avenue and Acacia Avenue/Merrill Avenue intersections both have school (yellow) crosswalks.
The project is anticipated to generate 576 daily trips with 45/60 AM/PM peak hour trips using the single main entrance. Secondary emergency only access is provided by a gated access approximately 700 feet north of Randall Avenue.
The TIA identifies a calculated fair share contribution toward construction of a new traffic signal at Sycamore Avenue/Randall Avenue in the amount of $49,800. The TIA also identifies a calculated fair share amount for minor striping improvements at Acacia Avenue/Randall Avenue in the amount of $1,900 along with and another fair share contribution toward a new traffic signal at Acacia Avenue/Merrill Avenue in the amount of $74,400. By comparison, the 50 SFH tract at the northeast corner of Acacia Avenue/Randall Avenue was conditioned to pay a fair share amount of $72,800 toward the traffic signal at Randall Avenue/Sycamore Avenue. The lesser amount for this larger project is due in part to overall higher traffic from cumulative projects and 40% of project traffic expected to travel to and from the north on Acacia Avenue. The TIA shows the southbound leg of Sycamore Avenue/Merrill Avenue as LOS F but this is a signalized intersection with residential development on three corners and an elementary school on the fourth corner and the proposed development does not add any additional traffic to the deficient approach at this intersection.
Conclusion
The first scoping agreement was submitted November 8, 2018. The first version of the TIA for this Project was provided to staff on January 28, 2019. Staff reviewed the draft TIA and provided comments. On March 4, 2019, a revised TIA was submitted that addressed most of the concerns of the first review. On March 12, 2019, a 3rd TIA was submitted.
This project will be conditioned to complete roadway improvements adjacent to the project site.
Fair shares for future new traffic signals at Randall Avenue/Sycamore Avenue and at Acacia Avenue/Merrill Avenue as well as striping modifications at Acacia Avenue/Randall Avenue were identified in the TIA and estimated to be a total fair share amount of $126,100.
The project appears to be consistent with zoning and required site adjacent street improvements will be in place prior to opening.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Staff requests that the Transportation Commission:
• Set final conditions and recommendations related to approval.
• Establish the proposed fair share amount for future traffic signal at Randall Avenue/Sycamore Avenue in the amount of $49,800.
• Establish the proposed fair share amount for future traffic signal at Acacia Avenue/Merrill Avenue in the amount of $74,400.
• Establish the proposed fair share amount for striping improvements at Randall Avenue/Acacia Avenue in the amount of $1,900.
• Recommend approval to the City Council.