01-20-2004 - South Azusa Avenue Traffic Capacity Enhancement Study - Project #SP-01125TO: Andrew Aasmant, City Manager
and City Council
City of West Covina
! Memorandum
AGENDA
FROM: Shannon A. Yauchzee, Director/City Engineer
Public Works Department
ITEM NO. E=
DATE January 20, 2004
SUBJECT: SOUTH AZUSA AVENUE TRAFFIC CAPACITY ENHANCEMENT
STUDY - PROJECT NO. SP-01125
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council provide staff with policy and funding direction to:
1. Hold an additional town hall public meeting and then complete the South Azusa Avenue
Capacity Enhancement Study in compliance with the original scope of work.
2. Approve funding for an additional town hall meeting and completion of the Study in the
amount of $9,000 from Project No. SP-02104 (Account No. 121-320-3253-7200).
DISCUSSION:
Summary
The South Azusa Avenue Traffic Capacity Enhancement Study and environmental document
(referred to hereafter as "the Study) was initiated as a tool to allow the City to apply for
additional competitive grants in the future, and if desired, to design and construct all or only
phases of the traffic improvements identified in the conceptual Study such as intersection
improvements. Funds were approved for emergency traffic congestion relief and the projects
objective is to improve the traffic on South Azusa Avenue to comply with the City's General
Plan Circulation Element which recommends a six -lane avenue. MTA requirements for the
Study involve making traffic projections to the year 2020 to identify necessary traffic
improvements per the City's General Plan and the preparation and processing of an
environmental document.
Alternatively, the City could ultimately choose not to make any future improvements. In fact,
currently there are no MTA funds available for design or construction.
This Study was initiated by the City based upon direction from the City Council.during the
consideration of the San Jose Hills Business Park in 1999. ' With the City Council's
authorization, staff obtained $95,000 in competitive State Grant Funds through the Los Angeles
County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). The State funds were intended for
emergency traffic congestion relief with the objective to improve the traffic on South Azusa
Avenue to comply with the City's General Plan Circulation Element which recommends a six -
lane avenue. The Study approach identified in the original application was to complete a traffic
capacity enhancement study. An enhancement study involves immediate emergency congestion
relief measures. This Study was not intended to be consistent with completion of a corridor
study. Corridor studies typically include analysis of a "no build" alternative, analysis of other
alternatives and more significant public outreach throughout the project.
Public Meeting
The Study requires a public meeting be held to present information and allow the public to
comment on the Study. On September 9, 2003, staff held an informational meeting at the
regularly scheduled Planning Commission meeting to explain the objectives and to obtain public
comments the on the Study. Per MTA guidelines,, the meeting was advertised in the San Gabriel
Valley Tribune newspaper and notification notices were mailed to properties within 300 feet of
the project. During the meeting, the public provided comments on the Study, however, there was
some confusion on the public's part that staff was completing the Study in an effort to encourage
more traffic on Azusa Avenue. The scope of this Study only predicts the traffic projections for
year 2020 and provides a concept to comply with the City's existing General Plan Circulation
Element and accommodate the future traffic levels. The report indicates that if no improvements
are completed, traffic levels and congestion will continue to increase.
Z:\AGENDA - 2004\SP-01125 South Azusa Capacity Enhancement reduced.doc
Andrew G. Pasmant, City Manager
and City Council
Page 2 — January 20.2004
Many public complaints centered on the current traffic, noise, and pollution problems associated
with living adjacent to Azusa Avenue. Other public comments suggested solutions that are
beyond the scope, funding, and grant guidelines of this Study, and may require a revised General
Plan. The public comments included such items as dead -ending Azusa Avenue, constructing an
underground (tunnel) roadway, constructing a new roadway east of South Azusa Avenue, and
opening Citrus Street or other streets through to Amar Road.
The Planning Commission asked that another public input session be held and asked to
contemplate some of these issues which are beyond the scope, funding, and grant guidelines of
the Study. However, these items could be addressed in a future Corridor Study, if so directed.
Current Study
The next step is to complete the current Study within the currently authorized scope of services
including. the completion of the environmental documentation. In addition to the General Plan
.concept of three travel lanes in each direction along all segments of the roadway, the draft Study
recommends intersection and traffic signal improvements, and construction of bus turnouts.
Along the northerly section of the roadway, the Study recommends on -street parking restrictions
during peak hours to allow for the third lane until such time that widening could occur. The
widening would be an average of about three to four feet on each side of the roadway, and
narrowing of the existing raised medians to accommodate a third lane and on -street parking.
Phasing
The Study recommends phasing the improvements. Each phase would be subject to grant
funding availability, the City's ability to provide matching funds and City Council final approval.
With this approach, the City Council is not be bound to implementing all of the considerations
in the Study, in fact the City Council would approve or disapprove any phase at each stage of the
project, such as submittal of a funding application, the initiation of design and the award of bid
for construction. It is possible that all phases, only the first few phases, or none of the phases
would ever be constructed, depending upon funding availability and City Council direction.
MTA grants require between 10% and 25% of City matching funds. Currently due to State,
MTA, and local funding availability, it is unlikely that any of the phases would be funded within
the next three to five years.
Improvements identified in the draft Study do not anticipate any full property acquisition. Partial
takes for some bus turnouts or lane widening would average three to four feet and be a maximum
of about six to eight feet in a few small areas. The preliminary opinion of probable construction
cost for all of the improvements is between $5 and- $7 million, depending upon the cost of
property.
Next Step
An additional town hall public meeting can be held to explain the Study in more detail, receive
additional public comments, and answer questions. As an alternative, three separate town hall
meetings could be held, one on the north end, one in the mid -section, and one on the south end of
the project limits. When completed, this Study must be brought back before the City Council for
approval to certify the draft environmental document.
Z:\AGENDA - 2004\SP-01125 South Azusa Capacity Enhancement reduced.doc
Andrew G. Pasmant, City Manager
and City Council
Page 3 — January 20, 2004
ALTERNATIVES:
The City Council may elect to direct staff to:
1. Hold an additional town hall public meeting for additional public explanation and comment
and then complete the Study in compliance with the original scope of work. Staff may then
continue to pursue future grant funding for only preliminary phases such as traffic signal
modifications and intersection improvements subject to future City Council approval.
2. Hold an additional town hall public meeting and complete the Study in compliance with the
original scope of work and pursue future grant funding for all of the project phases, such as
signal and intersection improvements, bus turnouts, parking restrictions, and lane widening.
3. Complete the Study in compliance with the original scope of work without an additional
public meeting. Staff may then continue to pursue future grant funding for only preliminary
phases such as traffic signal modifications and intersection improvements.
4. Initiate a Corridor Study by completing the current Study and directing staff to pursue future
grants funding to expand the scope of work to the level of a Corridor Study and to revise the
General Plan to consider alternatives to widening Azusa to three lanes each way.
5. Complete the Study in compliance with the original scope of work and put the study "on the
shelf', and direct staff not to pursue any future grant funding for the final design and
construction phases. If future grant funding is not pursued for future design and construction
phases, MTA could request that the City refund the grant money, thus costing the City up to
$95,000. At this time it is unclear if MTA would enforce this provision.
6. Do not complete the Study and close this project. If the Study is not completed according to
the grant guidelines, MTA could request that the City refund the grant money, thus costing
the City up to $95,000. At this time it is unclear if MTA would enforce this provision.
7. Do not complete the Study, close this project and direct staff to revise the General Plan to
consider alternatives to widening Azusa Avenue to three lanes each way.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The cost to proceed with the Study and to hold an additional town hall meeting is about $9,000.
The cost to proceed with the Study and to hold three separate town hall meetings is about
$12,000. These additional costs can be funded from Project No. SP-02104 (Account No. 121-
320-3253-7200) previously set aside by the City Council for matching funds for a future Azusa
Avenue traffic enhancement.
If the Study is not completed according to the grant guidelines, MTA could request that the City
refund the grant money, thus costing the City up to $95,000. At this time it is unclear if MTA
would enforce this provision. If the project is not completed before July 2004, the City could
loose $10,000 in unexpended grant funds.
1
AA
4yPre-e
:,Naresh J. alkhiala
Principal Engineer
Reviewed/Approved by:
Reviewed/Approved by: Shannon A. Yauchzee
Director/City Engineer
Finance Planning
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