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<br />;76' - / <br /> <br />REPORT <br /> <br />To the Honorable Mayor and City Council <br />From the City Manager <br /> <br />July 11, 2005 <br /> <br />Subject <br />Approval of Jefferson Avenue "Road Diet" lane configuration plan between Middlefield <br />Road and Marshall Street <br /> <br />Recommendation <br />Approve the plan to modify the traffic lane and parking configuration on Jefferson <br />Avenue, between Middlefield Road and Marshall Street, from two lanes in each <br />direction with parallel parking on both sides, to a new configuration with one lane in <br />each direction and a center left-turn lane, with angle parking on one side and parallel <br />parking remaining on the other side. <br /> <br />Background <br />Dan Burden's presentation to Council last March on '~Healthy Streets for Healthy <br />People," along with his all-day workshop on "Walkable Communities" for staff, <br />generated severaHdeas for changes to Downtown streets that could help create a more <br />pedestrian-friendly traffic environment. During his visit, Mr. Burden accompanied staff <br />to field review the existing traffic conditions on Jefferson Avenue between Middlefield <br />Road and Broadway. Based on his field review, and upon being informed of the <br />projected future traffic volumes, Mr. Burden did not hesitate to enthusiastically <br />recommend a "Road Diet" for Jefferson Avenue. A Road Diet typically consists of <br />reducing the number of through lanes for motor-vehicle traffic on a roadway, which <br />encourages slower, but more consistent vehicle speeds. The results can be safer <br />pedestrian crossings, smoother traffic flow, and thereby fewer accidents, especially <br />accidents with injury. Incorporating a left-turn lane at intersections and major driveways <br />in the road diet configuration typically minimizes the potential impact on traffic-carrying <br />capacity, particularly when converting from four through lanes to a total of three lanes <br />that include a center left-turn lane. <br /> <br />Staff proposes to modify the lane configuration on Jefferson Avenue between <br />Middlefield Road and Marshall Street, (as described in the recommendation above and <br />shown on the attached Plan), to make it more appealing to pedestrians and to <br />customers of local businesses, to make it a more attractive public space, and to slow <br />down traffic. The new configuration will facilitate and enhance the safety of the <br />anticipated increase of pedestrians crossing Jefferson Avenue to be generated by <br />Downtown revitalization, especially at the mid-block crosswalk near the Post Office. <br />With the existing multiple through lane configuration, pedestrians at the mid-block <br />crosswalk would often observe a driver in one lane stop for them, only to see a driver in <br />the adjacent lane fail to stop or even slow down. With only one through lane in each <br />direction, this multiple lane crossing problem will be mitigated somewhat. The new <br /> <br />Page 1 of 3 <br />