TO:
Honorable Mayor Powell and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
David N. Carmany, City Manager
FROM:
Richard Thompson, Director of Community Development
Nhung Madrid, Management Analyst
Jack Rydell, Traffic Engineer
SUBJECT: Title
A Proposed Scope of Work to Evaluate and Determine the Feasibility to Install Roundabouts on Valley Drive/Ardmore Avenue at the Intersections of 15th Street and Manhattan Beach Boulevard.
APPROVE
Body
____________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that City Council approve the Request for Proposal and Scope of Work for the Roundabout Analysis and Feasibility Study.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
The City was recently notified that the grant that was requested for this project was not approved, therefore staff is moving forward with the Request for Proposal using funds that were allocated in the budget for this purpose. With input from the Public Works Department, the Traffic Engineer has prepared the Scope of Work for the Roundabout Analysis and Feasibility Study as shown in Attachment A. $80,000 has been allocated in the 2012-2013 Capital Improvement Budget for this specific project. $100,000 has also been allocated in the 2012-2013 Capital Improvement Budget for enhancing non-motorized transportation projects.
BACKGROUND:
This project is consistent with the City’s Strategic Plan Goal: “Maintain and enhance city facilities, programs and the infrastructure”. It is being addressed as an outgrowth of a previously identified work plan project: “Valley/Ardmore Realignment”, and also the Healthways/Blue Zones Vitality City initiative. Healthways/Blue Zones Vitality City initiative is a community-wide, well-being improvement program to create healthier, happier, and more productive citizens using evidence-based environmental and policy changes to motivate residents to adopt and maintain healthier lifestyles. As part of Vitality City’s engagement with the Cities of Hermosa, Redondo, and Manhattan Beach, a Livability Plan was developed for the three Cities to provide a general assessment of existing conditions and provides specific recommendations for improving policy and the built form to be more supportive of livability.
This Plan, which was adopted by City Council on November 15, 2011 included input from the City Traffic Engineer and City staff, and outlined recommended policies and actions for implementation centered on adoption of livability, infrastructure and educational policies to create and sustain a more livable environment in Manhattan Beach and the South Bay.
With the adoption of the Livability Plan, the City is initiating actions, programs and events that promote healthy lifestyle changes as well as adopting policies regarding livability, building, creating, and replacing the City’s infrastructure. As stated in these policies, the City is encouraged to:
1. Revise appropriate policies and plans to include “Complete Streets” policies and design guidelines for livable streets
2. Develop and adopt city and regional pedestrian plans
3. Direct staff to pursue funding in 2012 to begin the planning process for 2013
4. Identify locations and plans to install roundabouts
All of these policies in the Livability Plan support the evaluation of the Valley Drive/Ardmore Avenue Corridor Plan as prioritized by City Council through the Vitality City initiative. This plan includes the evaluation of the realignment of Valley Drive and Ardmore Avenue at Live Oak Park and the Joslyn Center, the relocation of parking spaces along Valley Drive from the east side of the street to the west side of the street, and the feasibility of installing a modern roundabout at the intersection of Valley Drive/Ardmore Avenue/15th Street.
Staff identified the scope of work for this corridor plan, and in March 2012, submitted an application for the Community Based Transportation Planning Grant, which funds projects related to the coordination of transportation and land use planning to promote public engagement, livable communities, and a sustainable transportation system that includes mobility, access, and safety. Based on Staff’s knowledge of the grant program and information provided by Caltrans on recently funded projects in other public agencies, Staff felt strongly that this grant program was the appropriate avenue to fund the study necessary to accomplish the work plan item identified above. Due to the pending grant application, staff was unable to move forward with the project because expenses incurred prior to receiving funds (if awarded) could not be reimbursed retroactively. In late August 2012, the Office of Community Planning notified the City that we were not awarded the grant. A total of 109 applications were submitted, and only four grants were awarded to agencies within Los Angeles County.
DISCUSSION:
Roundabouts facilitate through-traffic and turning movements without requiring signal control. Roundabouts are made up of a circulating roadway with an island that is often used for landscaping or other decorative features. The circulating roadway is typically wider than the approach roadways and features an additional ‘apron’ against the edges of the island; both of these features allow for fire trucks, ambulances and other larger vehicles. Roundabouts increase intersection volume by up to 30 percent. As the only requirement for yielding the right-of-way is to traffic already in the circulating roadway, vehicles can continue moving through intersections carrying light volume, requiring no queue at the approach roadways and potentially allowing all intersecting streets to use the intersection at once.
The Roundabout Analysis and Feasibility Study will evaluate the realignment of Valley Drive and Ardmore Avenue in order to provide a conceptual multi-modal planning foundation. In addition to the originally identified intersection of Valley Drive/Ardmore Avenue and 15th Street, the intersection of Valley Drive/Ardmore Avenue and Manhattan Beach Boulevard is included in our Scope of Work since both locations are important intersections along the City’s primary recreational north-south street corridor. Specifically, the intersection of Manhattan Beach Boulevard at Valley Drive/Ardmore Avenue is the gateway to the City’s Downtown and Pier attractions, and the intersection of 15th Street at Valley Drive/Ardmore Avenue leads to the City’s Police/Fire facility, City Hall and the County Library. The study will address impacts to emergency services responses and also determine the feasibility of relocating the parking that is currently on the east side of Valley Drive to the west side of Valley Drive so it is directly adjacent to Joslyn Senior Center and Live Oak Park.
Veteran’s Parkway, located between Valley Drive and Ardmore Avenue, serves as a recreational area that is heavily utilized by joggers, walkers and bicyclists. This area provides a variety of attractions and destinations such as the civic center, library, post office, downtown area, Live Oak Park, the weekly Farmers Market and several elementary schools. Many special events are also staged along the corridor, such as art shows, food and beverage events and various parades. The realignment of Valley Drive and Ardmore Avenue will include different complete street features that can be implemented to provide a roadway facility that best meets the needs of all users as well as continue to realize the ultimate vision for the community.
Staff will be soliciting proposals from consulting engineering firms to perform an analysis, cost and feasibility study with regards to converting one or both of the above-mentioned traffic signal controlled intersections to roundabout controlled intersections as described in the Scope of Work. Upon review of the received proposals, the City may pursue analysis of either or both of the intersections. Staff will return to City Council when the contract is ready to be awarded, which is expected to occur before the end of the year as shown in the scope of work timeline.
Attachment:
1. Request for Proposal: Roundabout Analysis and Feasibility Study