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9.A. - Page 6 <br /> • All travel lanes are kept at the intersection with Emerald Hill to maintain the <br /> existing capacity. <br /> • Design was adjusted to minimize parking removal in front of residences (note <br /> there are many existing areas with no parking). <br /> Even with the increase in traffic volumes that were observed last year, a three-lane <br /> cross section will provide sufficient capacity for vehicular traffic in the peak periods <br /> (Table 1 provides some context for the proposed change). But more importantly, it will <br /> reduce the existing, excess capacity during off-peak times which facilitates unsafe <br /> driving. Additionally, once installed, signal timings along the corridor can be reoptimized <br /> to minimize delays through signalized intersections. <br /> Table 1: Area Road Characteristics <br /> Street Travel Lanes Average Daily Traffic <br /> Farm Hill Boulevard 4 13,000 <br /> Jefferson Avenue 4 17,000 <br /> Highland to Alameda de las Pulgas <br /> Woodside Road 4 34,000 <br /> Edgewood Road 2 13,000 <br /> Ralston 3 24,000 <br /> South Road to Alameda de las Pulgas <br /> During peak commute times, residents are likely to have the hardest time getting into <br /> and out of their driveways and people driving through the area might experience delays <br /> at stop signs or signals. If commuters are frustrated with delays they may be less likely <br /> to stop and let residents get out of their driveways. These delays are an issue today and <br /> may get worse with a three-lane design; it would be a focus area when evaluating the <br /> effectiveness of the pilot. <br /> Although the increased difficulty in exiting driveways is an issue with the current <br /> roadway design, it has not been raised as a problem following the implementation of our <br /> past projects (such as Alameda de las Pulgas, Middlefield Road, or most recently <br /> Brewster Avenue) nor has it been reported as an issue from other communities with <br /> similar projects (such as Marin Avenue in Albany which connects to 1-80 in Berkeley and <br /> carries between 19,000 and 21,000 vehicles per day2). <br /> Converting the undivided, four-lane street to a street with three lanes is one of the most <br /> effective engineering changes available to achieve the goals of enhancing safety and <br /> livability for residents, visitors, and commuters. A three-lane configuration: <br /> 2 An article on the Marin Avenue project can be viewed here: <br /> http://files.mtc.ca.gov/pdf/street_talk/2013_StreetTalk-Nov 13.pdf <br /> Page 6 of 10 <br />