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Home My WebLink AboutItem 3a - Instalation of left turn lanes on Second Ave. & Foothill Blvd. IntersectionV~ GPLIFORNj9��f F I .... V ... Ud August 5, 1903 °� °�t�� STAFF REPORT Development Services Department DATE: August 20, 2013 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Jason Kruckeberg, Assistant City Manager /Development Services Director By: Philip A. Wray, Deputy Dir. of Development Services /City Engineer SUBJECT: CONSIDERATION OF THE INSTALLATION OF LEFT TURN LANES AND THE REMOVAL OF ON- STREET PARKING ON SECOND AVENUE AT THE FOOTHILL BOULEVARD INTERSECTION AND APPROVAL OF A CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION PURSUANT TO THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA) FOR THE IMPROVEMENTS Recommendation: Approve SUMMARY In November of 2010, the City Council considered a plan to install left turn lanes on Second Avenue approaching Foothill Boulevard to improve intersection safety and traffic congestion. The plan called for the elimination of approximately six (6) on- street parking spaces on Second Avenue south of Foothill Boulevard. The adjacent property owners opposed the plan because of the loss of parking. The City Council heard their concerns and approved an alternative recommendation to study other traffic signal modification options with and without left turn lanes. The County of Los Angeles, Traffic Division received a grant to improve traffic flow and signal synchronization on Foothill Boulevard from Monrovia to Pasadena, which includes the Second Avenue Intersection. The County performed the study and determined that installing left turn lanes on Second Avenue, with or without left turn phases, is a superior option to no left turn lanes. The County also determined that left turn lanes could be installed on Second Avenue and only two (2) on- street parking spaces would need to be eliminated. In addition, the study found that Foothill Boulevard can be restriped to add at least five (5) on- street parking spaces near the intersection. The nearby businesses were once again notified of the study and the resulting net gain of at least three on- street parking spaces in the vicinity. The businesses were notified a second time of the City Council's consideration of this item. Staff has received no comments or complaints and recommends proceeding with the preferred option. Installation of Left Turn Lanes August 20, 2013 Page 2 of 4 BACKGROUND The City has received periodic complaints regarding the congestion on Second Avenue at Foothill Boulevard. Second Avenue is a two -lane street with one lane approaching the Foothill Boulevard intersection in each direction. The one lane accommodates all turning and through movements, and the traffic signal is a single north /south phase with no separate left turn phases. Second Avenue is fairly busy at certain times of the day with both vehicles and pedestrians. Foothills Middle School is located 600 feet north of the intersection, which contributes to the morning and afternoon congestion. Vehicles desiring to proceed straight either wait behind the left turning vehicle or pass on the right, adding to the confusion and distractions to drivers in the intersection. There is also an issue with the position of the lanes approaching the intersection and how they align. Because the centerline aligns with both sides of the intersection, vehicles waiting to make left turns on both sides of the intersection are not lined up, which limits sight lines and complicates the driver's judgment of safe gaps for turning. With the traffic volumes that exist on Second Avenue at Foothill Boulevard, the simple one lane concept in each direction is inefficient for accommodating vehicle movements. Between 1996 and the present, the intersection has experienced an average of over three accidents per year. Many of them appear to be left turn related. Although only a few accidents involved pedestrians, staff has received complaints of other near misses. The intersection was studied for ways to ease the congestion and improve the conditions. After considering several options, the recommended modification was to install left turn lanes on Second Avenue. The intent of the left turn lanes is to line them up so they face each other head on. This is so that drivers in the left turn lanes know the vehicles directly opposite them are making left turns and vehicles in the adjacent lane are all either going straight or making right turns. The aligned left turn lanes allow better sight lines for viewing on- coming traffic, spotting traffic gaps, and understanding the opposing driver's intentions. The left turn lane also allows the driver a safe queuing lane to wait for the opportunity to turn left, and not feel as though they are blocking traffic or causing a hazard. The City's original proposal would have caused the elimination of six on- street parking spaces south of Foothill Boulevard. The property owners adjacent to Second Avenue south of Foothill Boulevard were notified of the City's intentions and both submitted letters of opposition. On November 16, 2010, the City Council reviewed the proposal and directed staff to study the matter further. Specifically, staff was directed to investigate the potential impacts of a split phase signal plan (where northbound and southbound traffic get separate green lights), and a separate left turn phase on the intersection. Installation of Left Turn Lanes August 20, 2013 Page 3 of 4 Subsequent to the City's work, the County of Los Angeles, Traffic Division, received a grant to improve traffic flow and signal synchronization on Foothill Boulevard from Monrovia to Pasadena. The scope of the grant project included traffic signal improvements at the Second Avenue intersection. After being briefed by the City on the previous work and the City Council's direction, the County offered to perform the study. In the fall of 2012, the County completed the study and provided the results to the City. DISCUSSION The results of the County's study show that maintaining the current conditions and changing the traffic signal to a split phase (where north and south traffic get separate green times) would have a detrimental effect on the intersection. The County also analyzed the intersection with: • Left turn lanes and no left turn phase • Left turn lanes and a protected /permissive left turn phase • Left turn lanes and a protected left turn phase The County found that all three of these options improved the intersection. The best option from the analysis based on the Level of Service (LOS) calculation is to add the left turn lanes and make no changes to the traffic signal. This option takes the least amount of green time away from Foothill Boulevard, but still allows for safe storage of left- turning vehicles on Second Avenue while allowing vehicles to pass through the intersection. The County modified the layout of the left turn lanes so that south of Foothill Boulevard only two on- street spaces would be eliminated. In addition, the County proposes restriping Foothill Boulevard to gain five new spaces in the vicinity of Second Avenue. The City engineer concurs with the County's findings and recommendations. See Attachment A for the proposed plan. If approved, this work will be incorporated into the County's Foothill Boulevard Corridor project, which is scheduled for construction in summer of 2014. If the City Council chooses to not approve the work, the County will exclude the Foothill Boulevard and Second Avenue intersection from their project and move ahead. On June 5, 2013, a letter was sent to the two businesses on Second Avenue that have frontages in the affected area explaining the details of the proposed modifications. A second letter was sent on August 2, 2013, to inform them of this City Council meeting, and staff's intention to recommend approval. To date, the property owners have not responded. Installation of Left Turn Lanes August 20, 2013 Page 4 of 4 ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS The proposed installation of left turn lanes is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15301 (c). FISCAL IMPACT The improvements would be paid for by the County of Los Angeles using Metro grant funds. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council approve the installation of left turn lanes and the removal of on- street parking on Second Avenue at the Foothill Boulevard intersection and approve a categorical exemption pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for the improvements. Approved, Dominic Lazza d City Manager Attachment: Exhibit A - Proposed Plan I " 90 EXHIBIT A PROPOSED PLAN