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<br />7'Li'- Ã!: <br /> <br />configuration will also improve parking conditions by providing an additional eight <br />angled on-street spaces in front of the businesses on the south side of Jefferson <br />between the Post Office and Marshall Street. <br /> <br />With Downtown revitalization, left turns from Jefferson will occur at the entrance to the <br />new Downtown Public Parking Garage (below the retail/cinema complex), and left turn <br />volumes are likely to increase at Broadway and other intersections. Because vehicles <br />waiting to make these left turns would frequently block the existing second traffic lane in <br />each direction, replacing those two lanes with a single left-turn-only lane should not <br />have a severe impact on through traffic flow. The road diet configuration will provide <br />this separate lane for left turns at the Middlefield, Broadway, and Marshall intersections, <br />and at the entrance to the new Public Parking Garage. This will increase traffic safety <br />by reducing the potential for rear-end accidents associated with the existing <br />configuration, where left turns share a lane with through traffic. The new configuration <br />between Middlefield and Marshall will require transitional striping of the existing lane <br />adjacent to the centerline to a left-turn-only lane, on eastbound Jefferson approaching <br />Middlefield from the Caltrain underpass, and westbound approaching Marshall from <br />Bradford, but no other changes beyond Middlefield or Marshall will be implemented at <br />this time. <br /> <br />Providing left-turn-only lanes on Jefferson at the Middlefield intersection will allow <br />modification of the traffic signal sequence to include: left-turn arrow ~ignals separated <br />from the through traffic signals in each direction on Jefferson, green signals for <br />Jefferson through traffic in both directions simultaneously, "walk" signals for pedestrian <br />crosswalks on both sides of Jefferson simultaneously, and shorter signal cycle lengths. <br />These changes snould reduce waiting time and significantly increase convenience for <br />pedestrians at the intersection. The more efficient signal sequence allowing Jefferson <br />through traffic in both directions to proceed simultaneously should help offset the loss of <br />a through lane in each direction. Some relatively minor modifications of the signal <br />equipment at the Jefferson/Middlefield intersection will be required to implement these <br />changes. <br /> <br />Reducing the number of lanes across Jefferson Avenue (from four to three) increases <br />pedestrian safety by: (1) reducing the number of travel lanes to be crossed, (2) reducing <br />the crossing distance, and hence the amount of time a pedestrian is in the vehicular <br />traveled way, (3) by allowing curb "bulb-outs" to be painted at the existing crosswalks to <br />help emphasize pedestrian crossing areas, and (4) by slowing down traffic. Vehicular <br />traffic speeds through the segment will likely decrease because of the increased "traffic <br />friction" that will result from higher vehicle per lane density and the increased number of <br />on-street parking spaces. With the current configuration of two lanes in each direction, <br />a vehicle can pass to the left around another vehicle maneuvering in or out of the <br />existing parallel spaces. With only one through lane in each direction, vehicles making <br />parking maneuvers may block the through travel lane. However, through traffic can also <br />briefly divert into the center turn lane to go around vehicles making parking maneuvers, <br />and this will be less of a problem on the side with the new angled spaces, where less <br />maneuvering is required. <br /> <br />Initially, improvements will be installed using pavement markings and lane lines, rather <br />than more permanent construction features. If the new configuration is successful in <br /> <br />Page 2 of 3 <br />