Laserfiche WebLink
REPORT <br />To the Honorable Mayor and City Council <br />From the City Manager <br /> <br />November 13, 2017 <br /> <br />SUBJECT <br />Extension of Farm Hill Boulevard Pilot Improvement Project <br /> <br />RECOMMENDATION <br />By motion, extend the pilot project for one more year and find that the Project is exempt <br />from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under CEQA <br />Guidelines Section 15301 (Existing Facilities) <br /> <br />BACKGROUND <br />The “Farm Hill Boulevard Pilot Improvement Project” focuses on the stretch of Jefferson <br />Avenue and Farm Hill Boulevard between Alameda de las Pulgas and Woodhill Drive. <br />Figure 1 depicts this stretch of roadway, which serves both local and regional trips for all <br />roadway users (people driving, walking, and riding bicycles and transit). Prior to the pilot <br />project, which began in in September 2015, this stretch of Jefferson Avenue and Farm <br />Hill Boulevard had two lanes of traffic in each direction. The hilly, curvy terrain and the <br />original design of the street makes it easy for drivers to speed and there is a history of <br />speed-related collisions on the street. These speed-related collisions resulted in severe <br />injuries, as well as damage to nearby property. <br />With a resurfacing project planned for the corridor and in response to ongoing safety <br />concerns from neighborhood residents, staff collaborated with residents to design a pilot <br />project. The City Council first considered the pilot improvements in 2012. At that time, <br />the City Council opted to make minor safety improvements first. <br />The City Council reconsidered the project in January 2015 and opted to proceed on a <br />trial basis. For most segments of the corridor, the pilot configuration has one lane of <br />traffic in each direction, a two-way left-turn lane and bicycle lanes. Installation of the <br />pilot reconfiguration project was completed in September 2015, and was scheduled to <br />last for one year. Following extensive feedback received at a community meeting in <br />November 2015, and City Council guidance in January 2016, the pilot design was <br />modified in April 2016. <br />6.1.C. - Page 1