As part of the planning for a capital project to address non-neighborhood cut through traffic issues in the Fairwood area, City staff have completed a draft neighborhood traffic study. This neighborhood is located north of Highway 101 between Lawrence Expressway and the City of Santa Clara’s Great America commercial/industrial area.

The study was prepared to analyze in greater detail the nature and degree of non-neighborhood cut-through traffic problems. The City has long planned a new roadway connection and traffic signal at Lawrence Expressway and Wildwood Avenue, but has not comprehensively studied traffic patterns and volumes in association with this project. The study investigates the ramifications of a Lawrence/Wildwood project. The study further investigates whether reasonable alternatives exist to a traffic signal project based on a comprehensive analysis of data.

The study finds that cut-through traffic is not a large problem in the neighborhood, but that one street is significantly affected by non-neighborhood traffic. Also at issue is intersection capacity and operations at the Lawrence/Sandia intersection, due in part to cut-through traffic. The study concludes that there are a range of alternatives to address cut through traffic issues, and that there is no clear "best choice." Neighborhood outreach conducted as part of the study found that residents strongly perceive traffic problems, and that some action is desired.

Staff is recommending that the City Council accept the Fairwood Neighborhood Traffic Study. Staff further recommends that the Council direct staff to implement a traffic control test on Wildwood Avenue at the Sunnyvale/Santa Clara border to evaluate in the field the impacts of various road closure or directional traffic control scenarios. Staff will return to Council after a period of time to be determined by Council to present the findings of the traffic control test, and to recommend a permanent resolution to the non-neighborhood cut through traffic issue.

The issue of cut through traffic from development in Santa Clara has a a long history in the Fairwood neighborhood. Staff has constructed the following chronology of the Santa Clara cut through issue and the Lawrence Expressway/Wildwood Avenue roadway realignment and signal project to outline past consideration of this issue.

In 1983, the City undertook a traffic study of the Wildwood/Sandia area in response to neighborhood concerns over development proposals for the Mission College area by the City of Santa Clara. Cut-through traffic using the Lawrence/Sandia intersection to reach Santa Clara was estimated to be considerable (approximately 50% of all traffic). Construction of a traffic signal at Lawrence/Wildwood or closure of Wildwood Avenue at the City limits was recommended.

In January, 1984, the County Board of Supervisors, against the recommendation of the County Transportation Commission, approved a City request for authorization of construction of a new traffic signal at Lawrence/Wildwood. The City programmed a project into it’s Capital Improvement Program at this time. The signal was to be built coincident with development of the future Mercado Mission College site.

In the Fall of 1988 the City of Santa Clara circulated a traffic study for development of the Mission College site. Sunnyvale City Council comments on potential neighborhood traffic impacts and calls for an EIR to be prepared. An EIR was prepared and circulated in 1989, and Sunnyvale commented, asking for more analysis of neighborhood traffic impacts. Signalization of Lawrence/Wildwood was ultimately identified as a mitigating alternative, and the City of Sunnyvale began planning to construct a signal.

In 1992, the County of Santa Clara indicated through its planning for the Lawrence Expressway Commuter Lanes project that HOV lanes would preclude the installation of a traffic signal. At that time, closure of Wildwood Avenue at the City limits was advocated by the City Traffic Engineer as an alternative to the signal. The City de-programmed the signal from its Capital budget in 1993.

For the next few years, possibly because of the economic climate and the Loma Prieta earthquake, the issue simmered without significant action as no development occurred at the Mission College site. However, in Winter, 1994 the City of Santa Clara released a new supplemental EIR to update the 1989 document for development of the Mission College site. This study noted that traffic increases will occur on neighborhood streets in the Lakewood Village area. A staff report to the Sunnyvale City Council on impacts and alternatives, including access modifications at Wildwood/Bridgewood and Lawrence Expressway, initially recommended closure of Wildwood Avenue. However, a more detailed feasibility study was commissioned on a traffic signal alternative at Lawrence/Wildwood that would take into account the design of the Lawrence Expressway Commuter Lanes project and a new Lawrence Expressway/101 Interchange project, located immediately adjacent to Wildwood Avenue. With more detailed designs for the HOV project and the interchange project available, the City study found that a signal is potentially feasible, but might potentially affect the proposed location of the 101 offramp.

In 1995, a traffic signal project was again included in the City’s Resource Allocation Plan. Staff began work with Caltrans and the County to modify the HOV and Interchange plans so as not to preclude a possible future signal. Over the next several years staff negotiated with Caltrans and the County of Santa Clara for approval of a signal alternative. Two additional studies were prepared. As the HOV project and the Caltrans interchange project were nearing construction, the County and Caltrans expressed opposition to the signal if it were to slow their projects or cause their redesign. As a result, the City efforts were delayed to satisfy the requirements of the approving agencies.

In Spring of 1997, the Mercado Santa Clara shopping center was completed and occupied. In Fall of that year, the City and the County of Santa Clara came to agreement on a signal alternative at Lawrence and Wildwood.

It was not until March, 2000, after the submittal of several additional iterations of information and with the assistance of elected officials, that the City received a letter from Caltrans granting conditional support for a project to construct a new traffic signal at Lawrence/Wildwood. At this point, City staff began negotiations with a design consultant to prepare construction plans.

It was through these negotiations that an issue of cost effectiveness and ability to secure approval of a project design from the regulatory agencies was raised. Given these issues, the design costs were estimated and found to be more than the originally estimated total project costs. Conditions placed by Caltrans in their approval letter greatly increased the estimated cost. Staff also recognized that through the long history of the project, there has been very little study of the actual traffic conditions in the neighborhood. Exploration of traffic conditions and improvement alternatives was recommended.

Upon approval of the 2001/2002 capital budget, the City retained a traffic consultant to prepare a neighborhood traffic study. Data and analysis was conducted over a six month period. A neighborhood outreach effort culminated in two neighborhood meetings in March, 2002, and a draft study was assembled subsequently.

Land Use and Transportation Element C3.1.2, Monitor the operation and performance of the street system by establishing a routine data collection program and by conducting special data collection as the need arises.

Land Use and Transportation Element N1.5, Support a roadway system that protects internal residential areas from City-wide and regional traffic.

There are several reasons for preparing the neighborhood traffic study at this time. Staff recognized that past planning for improvements was largely based on estimates of what traffic might be, rather than actual data gathered in the neighborhood. These forecasts were also becoming quite dated as well. Also, there had never been a comprehensive collection and analysis of traffic data in the neighborhood. An update and evaluation of what and where problems were was desired, to ground decisions on improvements in reality.

Also, since the first consideration of a traffic signal or a road closure, the City had adopted its Traffic Calming Policy. This policy had never been applied in the Fairwood neighborhood. An evaluation of neighborhood streets against the traffic calming criteria to determine the applicability of traffic calming solutions might provide alternative solutions to consider.

Considering a broader range of solutions based on comprehensive, real data was an important objective of the study. Most importantly, the study included a neighborhood outreach component. Targeted neighborhood outreach on this issue had not been conducted in many years.

The purpose of the study, therefore, is to determine the extent of the problem, identify appropriate alternatives, understand the costs, benefits and tradeoffs of those alternatives, and evaluate alternatives against each other. Public input on the issues and alternatives is also factored into this evaluation.

The study included intensive data collection throughout the neighborhood on a range of traffic characteristics. Field observations were made on several days to understand and experience traffic flow. More objectively, traffic counts were taken at 11 locations and speed surveys at two locations. Vehicle tracking surveys were also conducted to trace travel patterns. Travel time surveys provided information on most logical routes, and a search of collision records was also done.

The study identified early on at what times cut through traffic was most prevalent, and for the most part focused on these times. Cut through traffic is heaviest and most notable after 8 PM on Friday and Saturday evenings, primarily due to the Mercado movie theaters. Cut through traffic is also prevalent during the evening peak commute hour, but is not as noticeable because the platooning of cars associated with the end of a movie showing does not occur as much.

The study found that the majority of traffic originating in Santa Clara stays on Wildwood Avenue and does not use neighborhood streets, 70%. Another 9.3% is traffic bound for the neighborhood. Of the remaining 19%, 6.9% is cut through traffic using Sandia Avenue, and 13% is cut through traffic using Blazingwood Avenue. No other streets experience cut through traffic originating in Santa Clara. The overall volume of traffic originating in Santa Clara and traveling to or through the neighborhood is low, under 4,000 vehicles a day and about 265 peak cut through hour vehicles.

This translates to around 25 westbound cut through vehicles on Sandia during the peak cut through time, and 35 on Blazingwood Drive, with the rest of the non-neighborhood traffic using Wildwood Avenue to reach Lawrence Expressway via Bridgewood Avenue. Figure 1 illustrates this traffic pattern.

In the other direction, traffic entering the neighborhood eastbound from Lawrence Expressway and Sandia Drive, the majority of traffic is destined for destinations in the residential neighborhood or to commercial or other destinations on Wildwood Avenue in Sunnyvale. 17.1% of this traffic, or about 75 peak hour vehicles is non-neighborhood cut through traffic that uses Blazingwood Drive, and 4.2%, or about 20 peak hour vehicles, is non-neighborhood cut through traffic using Sandia Drive. Another 17.6% of vehicles use Blazingwood Drive, a residential neighborhood street, to access commercial uses in Sunnyvale on Wildwood Avenue. This can be considered non-neighborhood traffic. Figure 2 illustrates this travel pattern.

An investigation of travel speeds found that there is a low rate of speeding on Sandia and Blazingwood. Less than 5% of drivers travel over 35 MPH, and 85% or better of drivers travel at or below the speed limit. Collision statistics identify a high collision rate at the Blazingwood/Sandia intersection, however. To a lesser extent, the intersection of Lawrence Expressway/Bridgewood/

Wildwood also has a slightly higher than typical collision rate.

Two locations in the study area experience traffic congestion. The Blazingwood/Sandia intersection experiences traffic congestion, with the northbound direction of Blazingwood backing up significantly. Virtually all of this backup can be attributed to non-neighborhood traffic. Also, the Lawrence Expressway/Lakehaven-Sandia intersection has an existing capacity deficiency for the northbound left turn. Traffic from Santa Clara contributes to this deficiency, but to a much lesser extent than at Blazingwood/Sandia. Approximately 15% of traffic using this left turn originates from Wildwood Avenue, and some proportion of this 15% is Santa Clara traffic.

From this data a number of conclusions can be drawn. These include:

• Cut through traffic using neighborhood streets is confined to Blazingwood and Sandia.
• The volume of cut through traffic is low.
• Cut through traffic is twice as likely on Blazingwood than Sandia.
• Residents of the neighborhood use and benefit equally or greater from Santa Clara Connection- Fairwood residents use the Santa Clara connection in greater amounts than non-neighborhood cut-through traffic.
• 50% of traffic on Blazingwood is non-residential traffic, but destined for Sunnyvale destinations on Wildwood Avenue rather than Santa Clara destinations.
• Blazingwood Drive at Sandia experiences a high rate of traffic collisions, and traffic congestion, due in large part to non-neighborhood traffic.
• The Lawrence Expressway/Lakehaven-Sandia intersection has an existing capacity deficiency for the northbound left turn. Traffic from Santa Clara and Wildwood Avenue contributes slightly to this deficiency.

Traffic calming is a relatively recent phenomenon in the traffic engineering industry and in the City of Sunnyvale. The City adopted a formal Policy in 1997, and initiated a program in 1998. The policy outlines a two-stage, citizen-driven process. Initiated by citizen requests, "Stage 1" actions such as signs, striping, enforcement and other "soft" actions will be considered and implemented. If certain traffic conditions are present, and if resident concerns continue, a process is followed to identify "hard" roadway improvements (Stage II) and collect neighborhood consensus for implementing those improvements. The actual plan and investment of funds is then brought to the City Council for consideration. In Fairwood, there has not been consideration of Stage II calming, but "Stage 1" effectively has already been implemented.

The Fairwood Traffic Study considered whether Stage II traffic calming was appropriate for those streets subjected to non-neighborhood traffic – Sandia and Blazingwood. The Traffic Calming policy applies only to streets designated as local neighborhood streets, so Sandia Avenue, which is classified as a collector street, by policy is not a candidate for calming. In order to consider Stage II calming, a criterion of daily traffic volumes exceeding 1,000 ADT then must be met. Blazingwood Drive meets this criterion. Also, Blazingwood is a narrow, residential street not designed or intended to carry non-local traffic. It is a strong candidate for traffic calming. Sandia Avenue, however, is designed to carry the current traffic load.

With this base information, staff and the consultant considered alternatives to address the identified problems. Five alternatives were initially identified for more detailed study. Information was developed on two additional alternatives subsequent to the public outreach process. The alternatives investigated in some detail were as follows:

• Traffic Signal at Wildwood/Lawrence
• Blazingwood Traffic Diversion Alternative
• Neighborhood Closure Alternative
• Periodic Road Closure at Wildwood/Calabazas
• One Way Directional Flow at Wildwood/Calabazas
• Travel Time Increase (Stop Sign Installation) at Wildwood/Sandia

Six criteria were used to compare and contrast alternatives.

• Neighborhood Traffic Diversion & Perceptual Impact to Residents (TIRE)
• Cost & Maintenance
• LOS Impacts to Region & Lawrence Expwy
• Traffic Safety
• Emergency Response
• Trial Period

Details of the findings of the impact of each alternative are discussed below. Attachment 1 summarizes findings for each alternative.

The traffic signal alternative would sever the connection between Wildwood Avenue and Bridgewood Avenue and between Bridgewood Avenue and Lawrence Expressway. Wildwood Avenue would be realigned to connect directly to Lawrence, and a full access, signalized "T" intersection would be created. Attachment 2 illustrates this alternative.

The traffic signal alternative was found to be the most expensive alternative, with an estimated cost of approximately $ 3.6 million. This estimate is based on evaluation of preliminary engineering drawings that were prepared as a part of previously completed feasibility studies, and on quotations received for construction engineering. A more detailed planning level cost breakdown is included as Attachment 3.

This alternative provides potentially more direct access to southbound Lawrence Expressway for Wildwood Avenue traffic. Approximately 625 vehicles/day are forecast to make this movement. The signal would improve level of service at the Lawrence/Sandia intersection, and improve the left-turn capacity situation at Lawrence/Sandia. It also improves safety in the neighborhood by realigning Wildwood and reducing the volume on Blazingwood, which eliminates the current collision problem.

In free-flow conditions, based on travel time. it removes cut-through traffic from most neighborhood streets except southbound Blazingwood. Because a Lawrence Expressway/Sandia – Blazingwood – Fairwood route would offer shorter travel times than a route via the new traffic signal, it is unlikely that a traffic signal would divert this traffic. Therefore, a signal does not completely solve the non-neighborhood traffic issue on the currently most heavily impacted street. There is also the potential to encourage or increase cut through traffic due to anticipated long traffic signal cycle times. The County of Santa Clara intentionally favors expressway traffic at signalized intersections, and with the low anticipated cross street traffic volumes at Wildwood it can be expected that delays for Wildwood traffic would be significant. This could create the potential for delayed traffic to divert into the neighborhood at Fairwood Drive to reach the Lawrence/Sandia signal, rather than wait at a Wildwood signal. This alternative would also add significant non-neighborhood traffic to Blazingwood Drive between Bridgewood and Fairwood, where none currently exists.

This alternative offers no opportunity for a trial period, while other alternatives could be tested for effectiveness and neighborhood acceptance. There are also significant operational issues relating to the proximity of adjacent signalized intersections. Further, because the work would encroach on the California Department of Transportation’s right of way, the project is subject to Caltrans approval. Caltrans has communicated significant, conditional and expensive design issues which are subject to its’ approval.

These issues include:

• Ramp queue detection
• Commitment to future off ramp widening
• Traffic signal interconnection
• Negotiate shared or relinquished traffic signal equipment and control authority between County, Caltrans (City has no authority to do this)
• Approval of design exceptions
• Commitment to any mitigation request submitted within one year of completion
• Commitment to considering abandonment of the project in the event of impacts to the freeway

Attachment 4 illustrates the change in traffic patterns that could be anticipated with the installation of a traffic signal.

This alternative is a form of traffic calming that would sever the ability for through traffic to use Blazingwood Drive (Attachment 5). Diverted traffic would be encouraged through additional diverters and traffic controls to use Sandia Avenue (a collector street) or Fairwood Drive.

This alternative features moderate costs, estimated at $350,000. It solves the cut-through traffic problem on Blazingwood, but does not address Sandia Avenue. Staff believes the small amount of cut through traffic on Sandia Avenue is acceptable for the design and classification of the street. Traffic dispersed from Blazingwood would be perceptible to residents of other streets to which the traffic would be diverted to. This alternative also adds delay to Lawrence Expressway by shifting northbound cut through traffic on Blazingwood to the Lawrence Expressway/Sandia northbound right turn.

In doing so, this alternative would increase the capacity deficiency and cause a significant safety concern on northbound Lawrence Expressway due to excess left turn queues. There would be some improvement in safety in the neighborhood by realigning Wildwood and reducing the traffic volume on Blazingwood. Delays for emergency response are acceptable, and the alternative would provide the opportunity for a trial period. It is also possible to phase the "traffic calming" improvements to moderate the amount of traffic dispersion.

Attachment 6 illustrates the change in travel patterns that might be anticipated from this alternative.

Neighborhood Closure Alternative

This alternative features closure of all streets connecting Fairwood neighborhood to Wildwood Avenue (Attachment 7).

This alternative also is a moderate cost alternative, estimated at $440,000. It solves the neighborhood cut-through problem on all streets, but at significant cost. There is a severe impact on mobility, by cutting off single-family homes from Wildwood Avenue. Traffic from the neighborhood uses Wildwood Avenue in greater proportions than non-neighborhood traffic, and this mobility would be severely constrained. The diverted traffic is removed from some neighborhood streets, but adds traffic to others. There is also a significant LOS impact at Lawrence/Sandia due to the increased diverted traffic on Sandia and the increased northbound left turn volumes on Lawrence. Level of service would degrade to "F," which is considered unacceptable. It would also degrade the southbound left-turn at Lawrence/Duane/Oakmead due to increased U turning traffic. Severe new safety concerns are created on Lawrence Expressway from excess queue lengths. There would be an opportunity for trial period, but staff believes the issues associated with this alternative far outweigh any merits.

Attachment 8 illustrates the anticipated travel patterns with implementing this alternative.

This alternative features a gated night time closure of Wildwood Avenue at the City limit. This time period was selected based on cut through traffic volume patterns, the desire to maintain some mobility, and the greater impact of eliminating platoons of movie traffic at times when residents are most likely to be home. Attachment 9 illustrates this alternative.

Costs to implement this alternative would be low, ranging from $40,000 to >$100,000 depending on the sophistication of the gate design. A gate would maintain the same mobility during peak commute hours, and maintains daytime access for Fairwood residents. It would help to ease the problem on Blazingwood, as traffic would be reduced and distributed more evenly during evening hours. Neighborhood traffic that is diverted to other routes due to the closure would be imperceptible – the reduction in cut through traffic offsets the diversion of neighborhood traffic. There would be no change in delay and capacity problems on Lawrence Expressway at Sandia during peak hours, however. This alternative offers the opportunity for trial period, as well as the opportunity to test alternative closure times.

Attachment 10 demonstrates the change in travel that could be realized due to this alternative.

In response to public comment at a neighborhood public meeting, staff and the consultant investigated in further detail a suggestion for consideration of one way (eastbound) traffic control at the City limits. This alternative would restrict, through physical barriers and signs, the ability for traffic originating in Santa Clara to travel into Sunnyvale.

There are four components to the non-neighborhood cut-through traffic: Traffic bound for commercial addresses on Wildwood Avenue versus Santa Clara-bound traffic, and traffic inbound from Santa Clara versus traffic outbound towards Santa Clara. This scenario only addresses "Santa Clara inbound" cut throughs, which make up about 700 daily vehicles. Plus, 27% of this traffic is bound for the neighborhood, and would be rerouted through the Sandia/Lawrence (on-third) or Bridgewood/Lawrence (two thirds). The inbound trips at Lawrence/Sandia headed for the high density uses are likely to use Blazingwood, which replaces a lot of the Mercado traffic. The plus side is that these would be right-turns onto Blazingwood from Sandia. These would replace the Mercado northbound lefts at Blazingwood/Sandia that currently contribute to Lawrence Expressway/Sandia northbound left turn congestion.

Pro/cons are as follows:

Also in response to requests from residents, staff and the consultant considered the installation of a stop sign at Wildwood Avenue and Sandia Avenue as a means to increase travel time on Wildwood and discourage cut through traffic from using this route. Residents also perceive the Wildwood/Sandia intersection as dangerous and difficult to traverse in the southbound direction.

A stop warrant study was conducted. This study found that this location did not have sufficient conflicting traffic volume to warrant a stop sign. Because of the low volume of conflicting side street traffic. it is likely that a stop sign would be largely ineffective for stopping or slowing Wildwood traffic, and could become a safety hazard in it’s own right. Investigation of the effect on travel time found that even if drivers were compliant, the amount of added travel time was insignificant as compared to alternative routes, and therefore unlikely to discourage cut through traffic.

An effort currently underway by the County of Santa Clara, in coordination with Sunnyvale and other cities, is the development of a long range improvement plan for the County Expressway system. This system includes Lawrence Expressway, which is a County-controlled road. This study is important to consider in the context of the Fairwood Neighborhood Traffic Study because of the potential for inclusion of improvements to the Lawrence/Sandia intersection.

The Lawrence/Sandia intersection was identified in the 1994 Lockheed Master Use Permit Environmental Impact Report as needing future improvement due to projected traffic congestion. At that time the identified improvement was a grade-separated interchange. This project subsequently was included in the City’s General Plan.

Since the initiation of the Comprehensive County Expressway Planning Study by the County, and other related studies by the City, the need for a future grade separation has been re-visited. More detailed studies and more up to date information show that while it is likely some future improvement will be necessary, the nature of that improvement will probably be reconfiguration or minor widening of the intersection. County and City staff preliminarily agree that planning for a grade separation is not necessary.

The most likely improvement recommendation will be to add a second left turn lane to the northbound approach. Should this occur, this would address any capacity issues from Santa Clara cut through traffic at Lawrence/Sandia. The County is still studying what and how improvements would be made, but technically feasible alternatives have been identified. A draft study will be released for public review in September, 2003.

The City Council and City staff are represented on policy and technical groups for the Expressway Study. It is important that the Expressway Study reflect the impact that Lawrence/Sandia improvements will have on Fairwood neighborhood traffic. Staff is recommending that the Council advocate for identification of feasible improvements at Lawrence/Sandia through the Expressway Study Policy Advisory Board and Technical Working Group, and inclusion of those improvements in the County Plan.

Two public meetings were held in the Lakewood and Fairwood neighborhood to present initial study findings and gather feedback. Notification of the meetings and solicitation of input via correspondence, email, or phone was sent to all property owners in the Fairwood area, and a notice was included in the distribution of the Lakewood Village Neighborhood Association newsletter with a circulation of approximately 1,800. Attendance at the first meeting was significant, estimated at 200+. The second meeting featured attendance by 24 residents.

In general comments at the public meetings were largely inquiring, and the study was well received. Concerns were expressed about the time of data collection, due to the effect on traffic of the economic slump and the high degree of office vacancy in the area. In response, staff and the consultant quantified the vacancy rate and conducted a sensitivity analysis of the findings of the study with an increase in traffic at full vacancy. This analysis concluded that the basic findings of the study would remain unchanged. Travel patterns would remain the same, and the increase in traffic volumes was not significant enough to change the study findings. Residents were primarily concerned with any proposal to limit access to Lawrence Expressway, create further division of the Lakewood/Fairwood area, or reduce mobility of residents. Several comments were received indicating that resident mobility should not be sacrificed to address the cut through problem. Only one resident of Blazingwood Avenue commented, however.

The second meeting featured a "vote" by residents of favored alternatives. Residents were also allowed, in a second vote, to identify and vote for non-study alternatives. This exercise concluded that support for traffic calming (diversion or neighborhood street closure) was virtually non-existent. Support for a traffic signal or closure of Wildwood Avenue at the City limits was split.

Additionally, staff received two letters and one email on the topic.

Also, a notice was sent informing residents of the April 30 Council study session, and the subsequent May 14 Council hearing. Further, public contact was also made through advertisement of the Council meeting agenda in the San Jose Mercury News, posting of the Council agenda on the City's official notice bulletin board, posting of the agenda and report on the City's web page, and the availability of the report in the Library and the City Clerk's Office.

Staff believes that some action to address this issue is warranted, based on public concern over the issue. However, the magnitude of the problem is minor. The range of solutions do not offer one clear best choice – various alternatives have differing pros and cons.

Staff believes that a significant multi-million dollar investment in improvements is not warranted at this time. A traffic signal solution does not fully address one of the two primary quantifiable problems (Blazingwood cut through traffic), and provides only minor relief of the Lawrence Expressway/Sandia Avenue capacity issue. Implementation of a project is questionable, from an administrative, political and cost-effectiveness standpoint.

Residents are concerned about alternatives which change or degrade current neighborhood traffic patterns and mobility. Traffic calming solutions in the neighborhood or at the periphery of the neighborhood do not seem favorable.

Staff believes that given the relatively minor nature of the problem, and the indistinctness of a solution, that emphasis should be placed on field testing of actions. The ability to test certain alternatives for effectiveness and public acceptance is an opportunity to be taken advantage of. Because of the general negative public opinion of traffic calming within the neighborhood, staff recommends that a test of periodic closure of Wildwood Avenue is the best short-term action the City can take. This addresses the cut-through issue during the most sensitive time of day, and potentially has the most promise for improving neighborhood perception of traffic. More importantly, a trial period will allow the City to gather additional information and feedback from residents. A gated closure/directional traffic control will also allow testing of various directional and/or time of day scenarios to tailor the traffic control to a most acceptable plan. Lastly, a trial closure can be removed if it is determined to be unsuccessful. The ability to implement other alternatives remains intact.

Staff recommends that the Council direct staff to implement a traffic control test on Wildwood Avenue at the Sunnyvale/Santa Clara border to evaluate in the field the impacts of various road closure or directional traffic control scenarios. Staff will return to Council after a period of time determined by Council to present the findings of the traffic control test, and to recommend a permanent resolution to the non-neighborhood cut through traffic issue. Staff will develop a work plan proposal and schedule for a test project and return to Council for approval within one month. Staff anticipates that a series of closure or directional scenarios would be tested for periods up to six months each, in order to allow for traffic levels to adjust to each scenario, and the assure that the test period encompasses seasonal variations in traffic flow. The project would be designed so that any closure or directional control could be immediately halted at any time during the test should significant negative impacts occur.

Staff further recommends that the Council advocate for identification of feasible improvements at Lawrence/Sandia through the Expressway Study Policy Advisory Board and Technical Working Group, and inclusion of those improvements in the County Plan. Identification of an effective and acceptable periodic closure or directional flow scheme, combined with capacity improvements to the northbound Lawrence/Sandia intersection, could very effectively address neighborhood traffic concerns.

Depending on the direction given by Council, the fiscal impact of making traffic improvements could range from no impact to an impact of $ 1 million in additional expenditures. Funds are budgeted in the Resource Allocation Plan in the amount of $ 2,005,703, including $ 690,703 in funds for FY 2001/02, a portion of which have been used to prepare the Fairwood Neighborhood Traffic Study. Budgeted funds would be more than sufficient to implement all of the study alternatives except construction of a traffic signal and realignment of Wildwood Avenue. Current estimates for traffic signal construction are $ 3.6 million, meaning the project is currently underbudgeted in the amount of $ 1 million. Implementation of one of the other alternatives would likely result in a positive impact to the budget by returning unused funds. Implementation of the staff recommendation to test road closure and directional traffic control alternatives could result in a positive fiscal impact if the test resulted in the identification of an effective and acceptable traffic operations system. If the test did not lead to a permanent solution, other alternatives to address traffic might be pursued, at an unknown fiscal impact.

1. Accept the Fairwood Neighborhood Traffic Study.

2. Approve the implementation of a trial closure/directional traffic control test on Wildwood Avenue at the City limit, and direct staff to return to Council with a Work Plan for implementation of the test.

3. Advocate for identification of feasible improvements at the Lawrence/Sandia intersection through the Expressway Study Policy Advisory Board and Technical Working Group, and inclusion of those improvements in the Comprehensive County Expressway Plan.

4. Continue implementation of a Lawrence Expressway/Wildwood Avenue traffic signal capital project.

5. Implement neighborhood traffic calming in the Fairwood neighborhood.

6. Direct staff to investigate or implement other alternatives to address neighborhood traffic issues in the neighborhood.

7. Take no action at this time.

Staff recommends Alternatives 1, 2 and 3. Alternative 1 is that the City Council accept the Fairwood Neighborhood Traffic Study. Staff further recommends Alternative 2, that the Council direct staff to implement a traffic control test on Wildwood Avenue at the Sunnyvale/Santa Clara border to evaluate in the field the impacts of various road closure or directional traffic control scenarios. Staff will return to Council to recommend a permanent resolution to the non-neighborhood cut through traffic issue after a trial period. Prior to initiating the test, Staff will return to Council with a Work Plan for implementation of a test. Staff also recommends Alternative 3, that the Council advocate for identification of feasible improvements at the Lawrence/Sandia intersection through participation on the County of Santa Clara’s Expressway Study Policy Advisory Board and Technical Working Group; and inclusion of those improvements in the Comprehensive County Expressway Plan.

Prepared by:
Jack Witthaus

Transportation and Traffic Manager

Reviewed by:
Marvin A. Rose

Director of Public Works

Approved by:
Robert S. LaSalaCity Manager

Attachments:

Attachment 1 – Comparison of Alternatives
Attachment 2 – Traffic Signal Alternative
Attachment 3 – Lawrence/Wildwood Traffic Signal Cost Estimate
Attachment 4 –Travel Pattern, Traffic Signal Alternative
Attachment 5 – Blazingwood Diversion Alternative
Attachment 6 - Travel Pattern, Blazingwood Diversion Alternative
Attachment 7 – Neighborhood Closure Alternative
Attachment 8 – Travel Pattern, Neighborhood Closure Alternative
Attachment 9 – Wildwood Periodic Closure Alternative
Attachment 10 – Travel Pattern, Periodic Closure Alternative