TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
David N. Carmany, City Manager
FROM:
Richard Thompson, Community Development Director
Nhung Madrid, Management Analyst
Erik Zandvliet, T.E., City Traffic Engineer
SUBJECT:Title
Installation of Shared Roadway Bicycle Markings (Sharrows) on Pacific Avenue from 5th Street to Rosecrans Avenue
DISCUSS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
The Parking and Public Improvements Commission recommends the installation of shared roadway bicycle markings (Sharrows) on Pacific Avenue from 5th Street to Rosecrans Avenue and placement of markings immediately after an intersection and spaced at intervals not greater than 250 feet thereafter.
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FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
The cost to initially install the shared roadway bicycle markings on Pacific Avenue is approximately $2,500 which includes materials and labor. If approved, implementation could be funded as a Non-Motorized Transportation project within the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) fund which has an available balance of $100,000.
BACKGROUND:
Pacific Avenue is classified in the General Plan as a major north-south local roadway from Manhattan Beach Boulevard to Rosecrans. There are a number of plans being developed and implemented which will affect Pacific Avenue, including roundabout feasibility, Veterans Parkway Master Plan, sewer projects including lift station replacement, storm drains, and an update to the Mobility Plan.
A Mobility Plan is one of the required elements of the City General Plan. The update, now underway, will replace the current Circulation Plan which is within the Infrastructure Element of the General Plan. The City's General Plan identifies the community's vision for its collective future and establishes the fundamental framework to guide decision making about development, resource management, public safety, public services, and general community well-being. When completed, the Mobility Plan update will provide goals and policies for a balanced, multi-modal transportation system for the safe movement of people and goods in Manhattan Beach. A balanced system uses multiple modes of travel to meet the needs of all users to include motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, children, persons with disabilities, seniors and users of public transportation.
The first Mobility Plan Public Workshop was held on Monday, February 4, 2013, at the Police/Fire Community Room. Since the February 4th Public Workshop, a number of plan tasks have progressed, including:
1. Organizing stakeholder outreach and meetings
2. On-going assessment of transportation goals and policies from currently adopted General Plan element
3. Ongoing assessment of Complete Streets best practices in other cities
4. Ongoing assessment of South Bay Bicycle Master Plan recommendations
5. Reviewing Multi-modal Level of Service procedures and applicability to Manhattan Beach
6. On-going assessment of bicycle and pedestrian involved crashes in the City
7. Completed assessment of traffic volume changes between 2001 to 2010
8. On-going assessment of transit services in the City
On November 15, 2011, City Council adopted the South Bay Bicycle Master Plan. The adopted Bicycle Master Plan can be found on the November 15, 2011, City Council agenda under item no. 11/15/11-15. This plan is the region's first multi-jurisdictional bike plan which serves as a guiding document for increasing the City's bikeability as well as providing connectivity throughout the South Bay. Specifically, the Bicycle Master Plan proposes to expand the bikeway network an additional 213.8 miles across the seven cities of Manhattan Beach, El Segundo, Lawndale, Gardena, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Torrance over the next 20 years.
The South Bay Bicycle Master Plan identifies many roadways throughout the City targeted for modifications to create bicycle facilities. The new facilities can take the form of Class I bike paths (a completely separated, paved right-of-way designated for the exclusive use of bicycles); Class II bike lanes (a restricted right-of-way striped on a street and designated for the exclusive use of bicycles, with cross flows by pedestrians and motorists permitted); Class III bike routes (an on-street right-of-way designated by signs or pavement markings to be shared between bicyclists and motorists); or Bicycle Friendly Streets (Class III bike routes that have been enhanced with treatments that prioritize bicycle travel, including signage, pavement markings and traffic calming such as sharrows).
Prior to adoption of the Bicycle Master Plan, the City had approximately 3.2 miles of bicycle facilities (The Strand and Valley Drive) and the Master Plan proposed to increase it by 27.8 miles for a total of 31 miles of bikeways in the City. On February 7, 2012, the City Council designated Pacific Avenue and Redondo Avenue as Bicycle Friendly Streets. Designating these two roadways into Bicycle Friendly Streets has increased they City's bicycle facilities by 2.9 miles, essentially doubling the City's bicycle network.
DISCUSSION:
Transportation planning issues intersect almost every kind of urban planning activity - this is probably the most quantitative and technical of the city planning specialties. This is both a strength and weakness. On the one hand, the structured methodology of a regional planning process gives rigor and discipline to the resulting plans. On the other hand, focusing exclusively on technical solutions can cause other factors, such as neighborhood desires and cohesion, to be undervalued. More importantly, dependence on technical approaches can foster two false notions: first, that every transportation problem has one correct solution; second, that transportation planning does not involve value judgments.
In order to fully embrace the model and practice of creating Bike Friendly Streets throughout the City, the implementation of enhancements should be a phased approach with additional discussion and participation from the community. The improvements planned for Pacific Avenue are based on four premises identified below:
1. Follow the goals and objectives in the South Bay Bicycle Master Plan
2. Immediately pursue easily implementable items
3. Identify items that require additional discussion, approval and funding
4. Adhere to the standards and guidelines in the current California Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CA MUTCD)
With the approval of City Council to transform Pacific Avenue into a Bike Friendly Street, the Traffic Engineer reviewed the roadway and developed a series of locations to install BIKE ROUTE signage which have been in place since March 2012. These signs were installed at the beginning of each block location where Pacific Avenue intersected another roadway identified in the South Bay Bicycle Master Plan as a bike facility. This clearly identifies to bicyclists as well as motorists that the roadway is intended for bicycle use. It also provides consistent guidance to bicyclists that they are on a designated bicycle route. All signage was installed on existing poles, except for one sign that required the installation of a new pole at the intersection of Pacific Avenue and 5th Street.
With the Bike Routes signs in place, staff is now pursuing installation of shared roadway bicycle markings also known as sharrows as the next phase of the project. Included are examples of a sharrow roadway marking on Hermosa Avenue in Hermosa Beach as
well as one showing their use on a two-lane roadway.
These markings perform several functions including advising bicyclists where to ride to avoid impacting opening doors or parked vehicles, reinforcing to bicyclists that they are on a roadway intended for bicycle use and alerting motorists to the potential for encountering bicyclists.
On December 6, 2012, the Parking and Public Improvements Commission held a public meeting to seek input from the public on the installation of the sharrow markings along Pacific Avenue. Specifically, staff was interested in the level of support for sharrow markings and the quantity of sharrow markings that should be considered. Staff presented the Commission a few options, and the Commission unanimously recommended approving placing the sharrow markings immediately after an intersection and spaced at intervals not greater than 250 feet thereafter. This approach is compatible with suggestions contained within the California Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices for frequency and spacing of sharrows. One nearby roadway with sharrows, Hermosa Avenue in Hermosa Beach, exceeds this suggested frequency and spacing suggestion and appears to have resulted in increased cycling without an observed increase in accidents. Using this increased frequency of sharrows may provide a greater degree of motorist awareness of the potential for encountering bicyclists and would better assist bicyclists in avoiding the door zone of parked vehicles.
Staff will ensure that any recommendation that is implemented is appropriate per the California Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices and consistent with the City Council's intent regarding expansion of bike facilities. The Public Works Engineering Division has reviewed the Parking and Public Improvements Commission's recommendation and has no preliminary concerns at this time to the suggested markings. The Police Department has preliminary concerns- which could perhaps be overcome with public education and diligent enforcement - with respect to public safety and bicyclist safety.
If approved, Staff will pursue improvement, with a separate funding source through the Capital Improvement Plan, for modification of the traffic signal for the intersection at Manhattan Beach Boulevard and Pacific Avenue in order to install bicycle detection at this intersection. This will provide increased convenience for bicyclists by allowing them to easily activate a green phase when they are present. Bicycle detection can take the form of either loops in the roadway or video detection.
Tonight's meeting was noticed by way of a mailed postcard notice to all property owners along Pacific Avenue (Attachment 3). The City also worked with Vitality City/Blue Zones Project and the South Bay Bicycle Coalition on additional outreach efforts through email notification. Public comments from the Parking and Public Improvements Commission meeting have been provided in Attachment 1, Exhibit F and all other additional comments since the Commission meeting have been provided in Attachment 4.
CONCLUSION:
The Parking and Public Improvements Commission recommends that the City Council approve the installation of shared roadway markings (Sharrows) on Pacific Avenue to further enhance this roadway as a Bike Friendly Street.
Attachments:
1. PPIC Staff Report from December 6, 2012 with attachments
2. Final PPIC Minutes Excerpt from December 6, 2012
3. Mailed Public Notice
4. Additional Public Comments