The Plan would affect expressways in Sunnyvale by providing for short and long term roadway capacity and operations needs to maintain levels of service, providing policy direction and selected improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists, and identifying landscaping goals and needs. The plan for the most part is consistent with City policy and plans. Vice-Mayor Tim Risch and Councilmember Manny Valerio served on a Policy Advisory Board for the study to give local and regional perspectives. Staff is recommending conditional endorsement of the Plan.

County Roads and Airports staff will be in attendance at the City Council meeting to give a brief overview of the Study and Plan and answer questions.

BACKGROUND

The County of Santa Clara, in cooperation with local and regional agency representatives, has prepared and released for review and comment a Comprehensive County Expressway Planning Study and Implementation Plan. This Plan will serve as a long range strategic plan for the improvement and

The study process involved the retention of a consultant team, augmentation of County staff, and formation of policy and technical groups. The Board of Supervisors established the Expressway Study Policy Advisory Board (PAB) on October 9, 2001. PAB membership consists of two County Supervisors (Supervisors Beall and Gage), one council member each from twelve cities (Vice-Mayor Tim Risch is the Sunnyvale representative), two Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Board members (Councilmember Manny Valerio is one of the VTA representatives), and two County Roads Commissioners (ex-officio). Supervisor Beall chairs the PAB. The PAB was divided into Small Groups to deal with expressway-specific issues, leaving the full PAB to discuss system wide topics.

A Technical Working Group (TWG) was also formed to facilitate interaction with local agency and Caltrans staff. Transportation and Traffic Manager Jack Witthaus represents the City to this Group.

The first phase of work on the Expressway Study began in September 2001. The purpose of the first phase was to develop a complete understanding of the current conditions and deficiencies for each expressway. Activities included data gathering; public outreach including workshops and a public opinion poll; meetings with staff from each city, Caltrans, VTA, and the California Highway Patrol; and formation of policy and technical groups to advise County staff and the consultants on the progress of the work and to coordinate local input.

The first phase culminated in a series of PAB Small Group workshops conducted in May and June 2002. A significant conclusion from the first phase of work is that each expressway has its own unique character, function, and community relationship. Therefore, the ultimate build-out of each expressway must vary to meet community needs. All subsequent work has proceeded with that in mind. Primary characteristics determined for the two expressways in Sunnyvale, Central Expressway and Lawrence Expressway, were to serve volumes of through traffic at higher speeds.

Second phase work to identify improvement elements proceeded in a similar way, in close collaboration with the PAB and Technical Working Group. The culmination of the second phase was the assembly of the proposed improvements and strategies into the Draft Implementation Plan which was presented to the PAB on March 5, 2003.

At its meeting on March 5, 2003 the PAB unanimously approved referring the Draft Study Implementation Plan documents to the Board of Supervisors, with the recommendation that the Board release the Draft for review and comment. The County Board of Supervisors subsequently approved release of the draft document for review and comment at it’s March 25, 2003 meeting. The comment period closes on May 14, 2003.

Land Use and Transportation Element Goal R1, Protect and sustain a high quality of life in Sunnyvale by participating in coordinated land use and transportation planning in the region.

Land Use and Transportation Element R1.2, Support coordinated regional transportation system planning and improvements.

Land Use and Transportation Element R1.3.1, Participate in intergovernmental activities related to regional and sub-regional land use and transportation planning in order to advance the City's interest.

Land Use and Transportation Element R1.3.3 Monitor significant land use and transportation decisions pending in other communities to ensure that Sunnyvale is not adversely affected.

DISCUSSION

The Draft Comprehensive County Expressway Planning Study will serve as a long range strategic plan for the improvement and maintenance of the expressways. The Draft Study Implementation Plan includes seven elements devoted to describing the project, operations, and maintenance needs and improvement recommendations. An eighth element recommends a funding strategy. Finally, the plan includes recommendations for further study of South County transportation needs.

The plan identifies capital improvement program needs totaling $1.7 – $2.0 billion, and unmet maintenance and operations needs totaling $13.7 million annually. Delivery of the entire capital program would also require $11.4 – $13.4 million in annualized matching funds, assuming the projects are subject to federal grant match requirements.

Implementation of the Capacity and Operational Improvement Element would result in substantial traffic congestion relief. Currently, 30 out of 129 intersections on the expressways are operating at Level of Service (LOS) F, the worst category of traffic congestion measurement. Study projections for 2025 baseline conditions indicate 50 of these traffic signal locations would be operating at LOS F. The proposed capacity and operational projects mitigate 28 out of the existing 30 LOS F intersections, and 43 out of 50 of the projected 2025 LOS F intersections. All but one of the LOS F intersections to remain deficient are the subject of prior policy decisions or are the subject of continuing study (e.g. Capitol Expressway in the area of a planned light rail transit project).

Corridor-wide traffic analysis shows overall corridor LOS to be significantly improved with implementation of the capacity/operational improvements. Six of the eight expressways would operate at a minimum of LOS D with some expressway segments achieving LOS C. Montague Expressway east of I-880 would improve from LOS F to E. West of I-880, Montague would continue to operate at LOS F but the queuing and overall delay would be reduced significantly (25% reduction in delay of all vehicles; 13 minute reduction in travel time). Capitol Expressway from Neiman Blvd. through the US 101 interchange would improve from LOS F to E and would remain D west of US 101. Projected LOS information for Capitol north of Neiman to I-680 is not available since the projects have not been fully defined due to ongoing light rail planning.

Other elements of the plan address and quantify needs related to signal operations and Traffic Operations System (TOS) improvements, High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes, bicycle accommodations, pedestrian facilities, frontage finishing with landscaping and sound walls, and maintenance and operations at a recommended level of effort.

A key to the success of the expressway study has been the strong collaborative planning process used. All elements of the plan have been developed in full partnership with the PAB and the Technical Working Group (composed of city and Department staff), and with extensive outreach via the project web site and telephone hotline, telephone surveys, and community outreach meetings including meetings with homeowner associations, Chambers of Commerce, and representatives of the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group.

The draft Study and Plan are made up of Elements relating to different components of the expressway system, such as roadway capacity operations, bicycles, finishing (landscaping, soundwalls) and maintenance. This section of the Report to Council summarizes portions of each Plan Element as it relates to expressway facilities in Sunnyvale.

The Capacity and Operations Element presents near term and long term automobile capacity and operations improvement needs. This includes roadway capacity improvements and safety improvements. The County produced a transportation model forecast for the year 2025 and developed project cost estimates as part of this effort. Land use forecasts for the Sunnyvale area included potential growth in the Moffett Park area consistent with the most current Moffett Park Specific Plan project alternative. A sensitivity analysis was also performed for growth under the most current Downtown Improvement Program project alternative.

The study determined existing and long range capacity deficiencies throughout the expressway system, and then developed improvement strategy alternatives. The recommended Plan alternative "tiers" the identified improvements into the following categories:

• Tier 1A – Intersection, signal or other at-grade improvements to improve existing level of service (LOS) "F" intersections to LOS "E" or better, safety oriented operational improvements, feasibility studies for major interchange improvements.
• Tier 1B – Grade separation/interchange projects to improve existing LOS "F" conditions.
• Tier 1C – Projects (grade separations or at-grade improvements) to improve future year (2025) LOS "F" conditions.
• Tier 2 – All other expressway capacity improvement projects that can facilitate improved traffic flow, signal technology upgrades
• Tier 3 – Major facility reconstruction, freeway interchanges/HOV direct connectors

Proposed capacity or operations improvement plans for Sunnyvale segments of expressways are as follows:

City staff worked closely with County staff and the consultant team during the modeling and improvement identification process. Staff believes that the identified improvements are appropriately identified and prioritized from the perspectives of technical justification, need, policy consistency, and potential funding and programming. However, it is important to point out that improvements at the Central Expressway/Mary Avenue and Lawrence Expressway/Tasman Drive intersections are recommended not on the basis of correcting forecast level of service problems, but rather improving intersection operations. These locations are not forecast to violate City or regional level of service criteria in the future. The recommended improvements would improve certain specific expressway or side street operations only and are advocated for inclusion by County staff. At this time City staff is comfortable with listing these locations as long term priorities, as the time frame for any improvement at these locations would be long term, and conditions and community support for these improvements could change to warrant more emphasis or investment at these locations. However, including these locations is not warranted on the

basis of City level of service policy according to current projections. Community support, particularly for a grade separation at Lawrence Expressway/Tasman, is also questionable.

Also, the Lawrence/Wildwood location is listed to recognize City plans to construct a new intersection at this location. It is prioritized in Tier 2 as an unfunded project that will facilitate traffic flow but will not effect level of service deficiencies.

It should be noted that the draft Plan does not include a project identified in the late 1980’s and currently programmed in the VTP 2020 for carpool lanes (HOV lanes) on Central Expressway in Sunnyvale. This project is "replaced" by a safety improvement project to construct auxiliary lanes at on and off ramps in the City. The study effort has determined that projected use of HOV lanes on Central Expressway would be low, given that HOV trips are longer and the travel corridor is already served by HOV lanes on US 101. Current use of HOV "queue jump" lanes on Central Expressway in Santa Clara is very low. Analysis of collision records for Central in the Sunnyvale portion reveals a high rate of collisions associated with merging on and off the Expressway. Improving merge lanes has been determined to be a higher priority improvement for this segment of the Expressway as a result.

The Signal Operations Element focuses on technology upgrades, both underway and planned, to provide a comprehensive Traffic Operations System (TOS) for North County expressways, including Central Expressway and Lawrence Expressway. The 1998 Measure A/B Program included funding upgraded interconnect systems and centralized traffic management; these improvements are underway. The City is also partnering with the County on a demonstration project of "adaptive" signal technology on Lawrence Expressway and several cross streets in the Oakmead Park area. The project promises to enhance the ability of groups of mainline and side street signals to adapt signal timing to traffic conditions.

The Study and Implementation Plan build on the current activities the County is undertaking by incorporating TOS improvements into capacity improvements identified in the Capacity and Operations Element, and "finishing" the TOS system for the North County. Projects to enhance the TOS beyond basic interconnect capabilities would include electronic information signs, advisory radio, web feeds, expressway-to-expressway communications, expressway-to-City communications, additional adaptive signal systems, and technology updates. Total necessary investment in the North County area (Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Los Altos) is estimated to be $ 83-105 million over the life of the Plan. $ 18 million in TOS enhancements are prioritized as Tier 1A investments. In addition, the County estimates that $ 1.5 million would be needed annually to operate and maintain the TOS system countywide.

No additional HOV improvements are proposed in Sunnyvale. As presented above, removal of the HOV lane on Lawrence Expressway from US 101 to Elko Drive is proposed due to poor utilization and high violation rates. This segment of HOV lane is relatively short between two Caltrans freeway interchanges. A large number of vehicles must merge into and out of the current HOV lane for freeway access. This causes a high violation rate and decreases the functionality and efficiency of the HOV lane. In addition, Caltrans does not approve of curb lane HOV facilities, so the lane technically "ends" at the freeway interchanges, creating gaps in the system. Conversion of the facility to a standard mixed flow lane also addresses future capacity needs at the Lawrence Expressway/Lakehaven-Sandia intersection, potentially eliminating the need for major capacity improvement of this location. Major improvements are generally opposed by residents of the neighborhood.

Also recommended for removal from long range plans for the expressway system is the provision of an HOV lane on Central Expressway in Sunnyvale, as discussed above. This project would be replaced by a safety improvement project to improve merge lanes.

Bicycle Element

The Bicycle Element of the Study and Implementation Plan presents a set of generalized Bicycle Accommodation Guidelines for standardizing bicycle treatments on expressways. These guidelines recognize the bicycles are allowed on all expressways, but that the nature of the facilities demands use by and accommodation of only advanced, skilled cyclists. Using the Guidelines, the Plan identifies locations needing improvement to bring shoulders, striping, and signing into full compliance. There are no locations identified in Sunnyvale as being out of compliance.

The Sunnyvale Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee reviewed the Bicycle and Pedestrian Elements of the draft Study and Plan at it’s April 17, 2003 meeting and made a number of technical comments, summarized as follows:

1. The Committee would like wording regarding the use of expressways by bicyclists to be changed "the expressways should not be used by children or novice bicyclists." or "inexperienced bicyclists should not be encouraged to use the expressways".
2. Requirements for off-ramps should include placement of the R 4-4 "begin right turn, yield to bikes" sign.
3. Consistent treatment of pedestrians throughout the expressway system should be encouraged.
4. Maintenance of vegetation and maintenance of clear shoulder areas in expressways should be part of the Maintenance Element as well.
5. Bike space on Lawrence Expressway from Kifer to El Camino Real is very limited. The Bike Element does not show any plans to improve that.
6. Pedestrian improvements listed should be Tasman to Palomos on the east side; Tasman to Moffett Park Drive on the East Side; Lakebird to Lakehaven on west side.
7. The Mary and Central crossing should be added to this list of pedestrian crossing improvement locations, particularly the south-east corner free right turn onto eastbound Central.
8. A County-wide consistent regulation should be developed for pedestrian use of the expressways.
9. New interchanges should not degrade conditions for bicyclists and pedestrians. Attempts should be made to grade separate bikes/peds from motor vehicle traffic if feasible as done for interchanges in the Netherlands.

Staff recommends that these comments be transmitted to County Roads and Airports staff for their consideration.

Pedestrian Element

To determine future pedestrian facility needs, the County conducted an inventory of existing pedestrian facilities and conditions along the expressways and then determined appropriate treatments for those areas without pedestrian facilities, based on the use characteristics of the expressway. Expressways with more local, multi-modal characteristics were generally considered suitable for sidewalks; more freeway-like expressways were determined to need alternative pedestrian facilities. The County also worked with local jurisdictions to identify needs for enhanced pedestrian crossings of the expressways.

In Sunnyvale, new sidewalks were found to be warranted to improve bus stop and parallel facilities on Central Expressway near Mary Avenue, and Lawrence Expressway near Tasman and Sandia. The Plan also identifies the need to improve crossing facilities in association with the City’s Bernardo Avenue Caltrain Undercrossing project. These improvement locations are illustrated on Attachment 1.

Finishing Program Element (Soundwalls, Landscaping)

Improvements in the right of way behind the curb to the edge of the right of way were assessed and summarized in a Finishing Program Element of the Draft Plan. These improvements are comprised of soundwall and landscaping improvements.

The Expressway Study assessed the need for both new soundwalls and and retrofitting of existing walls that are functionally obsolete or have reached the end of their design life. A technical survey and analysis was conducted to inventory the right of way and perform a noise study to determine degrees of compliance with State and Federal noise standards. This analysis was augmented with an examination of community preferences to address locations where soundwalls were warranted but not desired. The resulting comprehensive plan identifies locations for new soundwalls and replacement walls, as well as locations where no soundwalls will be installed or existing walls are adequate.

In Sunnyvale, locations along the Central Expressway "trench" are included for the installation of new walls. Other locations in Sunnyvale have adequate walls or are commercial/industrial frontage or vacant land, which are excluded from the assessment. The plan assumes that these walls would be provided as part of a Central Expressway auxiliary lanes project, which is proposed as a Tier 1A high priority capital improvement in the Plan. Soundwall improvement locations are illustrated on Attachment 2.

Landscaping recommendations of the draft Plan are based on a 2000 County of Santa Clara Expressway Master Landscape Plan. This Plan established an interim policy whereby new landscaping would only be installed if it could be properly maintained. Currently, the County Roads and Airports Department budget does not allow for maintenance of landscaping other than the most basic nuisance and safety abatement. The County has in several cases, however, approved cooperative agreements with local jurisdictions or private developers for maintenance of landscaping, allowing for upgraded landscape medians and shoulders.

The Operations and Maintenance Element of the draft Study and Plan focuses on the County’s current level of effort for expressway maintenance versus a desirable level of effort. The premise, as stated in the document, is "the County’s current practices are limited by available funding." The draft Study and Plan identify a level of effort comensurate with the other local agencies through which the Expressways pass through and which participated in the Study. Currently, many operations and maintenance functions for the expressways occur at minimal levels due to insufficient funds. The County does not have the land development or population bases to generate revenue to support operations at or near the levels that cities do. Therefore, the objective of the Operations and Maintenance Element of the draft Study and Plan was to identify an appropriate level of maintenance, and the level of financial resources necessary to achieve that level.

City standards were used as the basis for determining desired service levels. The Plan estimates that a $ 13.7 million annual shortfall exists for operations and maintenance. These estimates are systemwide, with no breakdown for local jurisdictions. No specific means of generating revenues to cover this shortfall are identified, although the Funding Strategy Element of the draft Plan presents general targets for new funding.

Public outreach has been a significant component of the study process, culminating with review and comment on the draft Plan. The consultant team includes a public outreach specialist. A number of workshops, community meetings, and two public opinion polls have been conducted to date. A website was established with input opportunities incorporated. Two formal workshops have been held for Lawrence Expressway/Central Expressway area residents, and Vice-Mayor Risch and Council Member Valerio met with Lakewood Village residents early in the study effort.

Input specific to Sunnyvale residents and businesses centered primarily on two issues, major projects in the Lakewood Village area and funding for future expressway improvements. At a meeting of the Lakewood Village Neighborhood Association, a significant representation of the community spoke against the notion of major projects on Lawrence Expressway that would grade separate the expressway from cross streets, specifically Lakehaven/Sandia. There is opposition to projects that would "wall off" the community on either side of the expressway, as well as introduce freeway-style facilities in the area. On the issue of funding for future improvements, Sunnyvale companies were heard from indirectly through outreach to the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group, of which major Sunnyvale employers are active. Opposition to freight-based, payroll based, or other taxes that would directly target commerce for expressways was heard.

Of particular interest were the results of the two public opinion polls. These polls were conducted by the independent research firm of Evans/McDonough Company. Detailed telephone surveys of a statistically significant cross-section of Santa Clara County voters were done in early 2002 and again in early 2003. While the mood of the voters on financial matters predictably varied between the two time frames, there was a clear recognition of the importance of the expressway system in both polls. Significant was the finding that voters know what the expressway system is, as differentiated from the freeway system or the arterial street system. Respondents were very aware of the utility of expressways – fully 55% of respondents used an expressway every day, and 84% used expressways frequently. In both polls, respondents were supportive of expressway improvements, particularly improvements that relieve traffic congestion. This information underscores the importance of the expressways not only from the technical perspective of moving traffic, but also for providing transportation facilities that the public knows and supports.

Circulation of the Draft Implementation Plan, and coordination with local cities to obtain their support and endorsement of the plan, is the next step in the process. To implement this next step, the County is outreaching in four general ways.

• City Council Meetings – Staff is visiting the city council of each city involved in the study to receive comments and endorsements for the Draft Implementation Plan.
• Advisory Committees and Commissions – The Expressway Study Draft Implementation Plan is being brought to various committees and commissions for review and comment, including the Sunnyvale Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, the County Roads Commission, the County/VTA Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, and the VTA Citizens Advisory Committee.
• Homeowner Associations (HOAs)/Community Groups – County staff have worked with Sunnyvale PAB representatives and Office of the City Manager staff to solicit the interest of community groups in the city.
• Expressway Study Open House – An Open House was scheduled for May 12, 6 p.m. at the Brocher Elementary School in Santa Clara, for the general public to view and comment on the Draft Recommendations.

The Comprehensive County Expressway Planning Study Draft Implementation Plan is on file in the Office of the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors or available in the Web at www.expressways.info for viewing.

The funding needs identified over the whole of the draft Study and Plan are considerable: $1.7 to 2 billion in capital construction/maintenance, and $ 13.7 million in annual existing unmet maintenance needs. Funding the entire Plan or even single elements of the Plan would clearly require the creation of new funding resources. The draft Study and Plan does not provide a comprehensive funding element or strategy. However, the study team and Policy Advisory Board undertook a comprehensive examination of the potential of a wide range of funding sources and certain sources, e.g. a new gas tax or local sales tax were deemed to have more promise than other sources.

The examination of funding sources also forged connections to VTA funding and budgeting efforts, which are still being played out. The VTA, because of it’s dire financial situation, is examining some of the same types of funding sources that were identified as promising for generating new revenue for expressway improvements. It was determined that a coordinated effort would be potentially beneficial to both agencies.

Also, the County tabs a funding category in VTP 2020, the Local Streets and County Roads Program, as a potential source for an initial series of expressway improvements. The VTP 2020, as the regional transportation plan for Santa Clara County, identifies "realistic" long range potential funding for various transportation improvements and operations. For local streets and roads, VTP 2020 forecasts $ 410 million to be available over the 20 year life of the Plan.

These funds have not yet been allocated to specific projects, as revenues have not yet been realized and funding criteria are being developed. The Comprehensive County Expressway Planning Study is one potential component of the identification of eligible projects for Local Streets and County Roads funding. The Funding Strategy of the draft Plan specifically calls out for the Board of Supervisors to request that the VTA Board of Directors designate $ 70 million of VTP 2020 programming for Local Streets and Roads for the County Expressway capital improvements, specifically the Tier 1A list of projects.

The final aspect of the current funding strategy calls for the County to pursue any and all existing funding sources, e.g. grants, development mitigation, in-kind improvements, etc. The strategy closes to state that because of the volatile transportation budget and funding situation currently at all levels of government, the draft Strategy is not intended to be a final funding element for the Expressway Study and Plan.

The City is developing it’s own long range transportation capacity improvement program, the Transportation Strategic Program (TSP). The TSP includes capacity improvements to the expressway system in Sunnyvale, as they serve a considerable amount of locally generated traffic and therefore are key to the development of the City’s land use plan. City staff have relied on the County’s planning efforts to determine expressway capacity needs. Therefore, improvement recommendations for the TSP will be entirely consistent with the County’s forecast improvement needs.

With regard to funding of expressway improvements mutually identified in the Comprehensive County Expressway Study and the TSP, City staff are assuming that a fair share contribution to County expressway capacity needs in Sunnyvale would be a component of the TSP. City staff propose that a cooperative agreement be made between the City and the County to memorialize the fair share. An agreement is under discussion between City and County staff, and will be brought to Council at an appropriate later date. The current proposal would have the TSP providing for a portion of the cost of Tier 1A improvements for Lawrence Expressway, and the full cost of one Tier 1B grade separation on Lawerence Expressway. Central Expressway operational improvements and Lawrence Expressway Tier 2 projects either do not provide additional capacity or do not address City level of service policy and are not included in the scope of the TSP or the proposed cooperative agreement. Staff believes the City’s proactive approach to identify reasonable City participation in funding the improvement needs for the County expressways is appropriate as these facilities are critical to support the City’s Land Use and Transportation Element of it’s General Plan. Staff is recommending that the City Council underscore this position by encouraging the Board of Supervisors to foster this type of planning by other cities served by the Expressway system.

FISCAL IMPACT

There is no fiscal impact associated with the staff recommendation.

This item was posted with the Council Agenda. Reports to Council are also available at the City Library and the City’s Web Site.

ALTERNATIVES

1. Endorse the draft Comprehensive County Expressway Planning Study and Implementation Plan, with the condition that future improvements at the intersections of Central Expressway/Mary Avenue and Lawrence Expressway/Tasman Drive be listed with the notation that local and regional level of service standards are not projected to be violated at these locations within the timeframe of the Plan, and recommend approval by the County Board of Supervisors.
2. Encourage the County of Santa Clara to pursue shared cooperative local match funding with adjacent local jurisdictions for Comprehensive County Expressway Planning Study and Implementation Plan capital project needs.
3. Direct staff to forward Sunnyvale Bicycle and Pedstrian Advisory Committee comments to the County of Santa Clara Roads and Airports Department.
4. Endorse the Comprehensive County Expressway Planning Study and Implementation Plan with alternative conditions.
5. Do not endorse the Comprehensive County Expressway Planning Study and Implementation Plan.

Staff recommends Alternatives 1, 2 and 3.

Prepared by:
Jack Witthaus
Transportation and Traffic Manager

Reviewed by: 
Marvin A. Rose
Director of Public Works

Approved by:
Robert S. LaSala
City Manager

Attachments:

Attachment 1 – Expressway Sidewalk Improvements
Attachment 2 – Expressway Soundwall Improvements