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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWidening Coast Hwy -Between Dover Dr & Rocky Points r . CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH PLANNING COMMISSSION STAFF REPORT February 9, 2006 *5 TO: CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION FROM: Public Works Department Rich Edmonston, Transportation & Development Services Manager 949 - 644 -3345 SUBJECT: WEST COAST HIGHWAY ANALYSIS BACKGROUND During the meeting of January 19, 2006, the Planning Commission requested further analysis of extending the widening of West Coast Highway that is proposed as part of the Mariners Gateway project. The specific request was limited to widening across the frontage of the McDonalds restaurant immediately to the west of the project site. • DISCUSSION The McDonald's frontage is three hundred feet (300') long and a twelve foot (12) wide strip was dedicated for street purposes in 1988. The Mariners Gateway project proposes to widen West Coast Highway across their frontage. The concept plan for the widening was prepared by the City's transportation consultant on the project, RBF Consulting. This concept plan includes a sliver widening across the McDonalds frontage. The attached letter report from RBF Consulting discusses three scenarios for the McDonalds frontage including the one shown on their prior concept plan. The conclusion reached by RBF Consulting is that there is minimal additional benefit to extending the full widening across the McDonalds frontage and that the limiting factor is the lack of additional right -of -way along the properties to the west of McDonalds. Prepared by: Transportation & Development Services Manager Public Works Department • Attachment: RBF Consulting report FBF ■ ■ CONSULTING February 6, 2006 Mr. Tony Brine CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH 3300 Newport Boulevard Newport Beach, CA 92658 -8915 Subject: West Coast Highway Widening Assessment Dear Tony: JN 10- 104911 As you requested, RBF has prepared a traffic assessment to identify potential benefits and impacts associated with the widening under consideration of West Coast Highway (WCH) along the McDonald's restaurant frontage in the City of Newport Beach. The Mariner's Mile Gateway project has been conditioned by the City of Newport Beach Planning Commission to widen WCH along the Mariner's Mile Gateway project frontage and a portion of WCH along the McDonald's frontage by up to 2 -feet. While the City of Newport Beach Planning Commission has discussed widening or improvement of WCH between Dover Drive and Rocky Point to provide three westbound lanes as part of the City 2006 Capital Improvement Program (CIP), this assessment reviews the qualitative benefits and impacts associated with potential widening of WCH along the McDonald's restaurant property frontage as an initial step to achieving a king -term goal of providing three continuous westbound lanes on WCH. The recently reconstructed McDonald's restaurant site includes two driveways, and a 12 -feet easement to accommodate the future potential widening of WCH in accordance with the City of Newport Beach General Plan Circulation Element. For the purposes of this assessment, the westerly McDonald's driveway is referenced as Driveway A, and the easterly McDonald's driveway is referenced as Driveway B. A 12 -feet wide sidewalk borders the McDonald's properly frontage along West Coast Highway. On- street parking on WCH is prohibited along the McDonald's restaurant • frontage, which is approximately 300 feet long. PLANNING ■ DESIGN ■ CONSTRUCTION 14725 Alton Parkway, Irvine, CA 92618 -2027 • P.O. Box 57057, Irvine, CA 9261 9-7057 • 949.472.3505 • Fax 949.472.8373 Offices located throughout California, Arizona & Nevada • www.RBFoom Otl.m,� , • W Tony Brine February 6, 2006 JN: 10.104911 Page 2 As requested by the Planning Commission, this assessment discusses the benefits and impacts associated with the following three analysis scenarios: Scenario 1 — As conditioned on the Mariner's Mile Gateway Project, widen WCH by 2 -feet adjacent McDonald's restaurant property frontage by reducing sidewalk from 12 -feet to 10 -feet. Scenario 1 provides three westbound WCH through lanes from Dover Drive to 200 -feet west of the planned Gateway Driveway/West Coast Highway signalized intersection as shown in Exhibit 1. Beginning 200 -feet west of the planned Gateway Driveway/West Coast Highway signalized intersection, WCH begins to transition from three westbound through lanes to two westbound through lanes at a 50:1 taper. Scenario 2 — Narrow sidewalk from 12 -feet to 8 -feet and widen WCH by approximately 16 -feet adjacent McDonald's restaurant property to Driveway B. Scenario 2 is the same as Scenario 1 except a wide right shoulder is provided between the Gateway Driveway/West Coast Highway signalized intersection and Driveway B as shown in Exhibit 2. • Scenario 3 — Narrow sidewalk from 12 -feet to 8 -feet and widen WCH by approximately 16 -feet at easterly McDonald's restaurant property to provide 20:1 roadway curb face taper to meet existing curb and sidewalk at the • westerly McDonald's restaurant property. Scenario 3 is the same as Scenario 1 except a roadway curb face taper is provided along the McDonald's restaurant frontage to meet the existing curb face at the Dolce restaurant property rather than at the McDonald's restaurant property. Narrowing of sidewalk and widening of WCH in Scenario 3 is greatest (approximately 16 -feet) at the easterly McDonald's restaurant property, and meets the existing curb face at the westerly McDonald's restaurant property boundary with the Dolce restaurant property. This traffic assessment assumes the potential widening of WCH along the McDonald's restaurant property frontage with no widening along the adjacent Dolce restaurant property which abuts the back of the existing fronting sidewalk. Widening scenarios that extend westerly to or beyond the Dolce restaurant property would likely include property impacts to the Dolce restaurant; widening scenarios westerly to the West Marine property would like include on- street parking prohibitions, thus reducing parking spaces available for West Marine and the Dolce restaurant patrons. As identified in Table 1, impacts associated with potential WCH widening along the McDonald's restaurant property are reduction of landscaping and /or property signage relocation impacts. • • Mr. Tony Brine JN: 1D-104911 February 6, 2006 page 3 Table 1 West Coast Hiahwav Benefits & Imoacts Summary West Coast Highway Widening Circulation System Benefits McDonald's Restaurant Widening Summary Property Impacts Scenario Widening WCH widening Three westbound through lanes and 5- Reduces sidewalk width by up to Scenario 1 conditioned d on foot wide right shoulder from Dover Dr 2 -feet, no impact to McDonald's Mariner's Mile to 200 -feet west of the planned restaurant landscaping or Project Gateway Drvry1WCH intersection. signage- 16-foot WCH Three westbound through lanes and Reduces McDonald's restaurant widening and 1 8-foot wide right shoulder from Dover landscaping between easterly Scenario 2 sidewalk Drive to Driveway B. Wide right boundary and Driveway B by up construction to shoulder may be utilized for on- street to 16 -feet. Reduced sidewalk Driveway B parking or a right -turn lane into width by up to 4 -feet Directional Driveway B. signage relocation. 20:1 roadway curb Increased curb face taper between face taper along Mariner's Mile Gateway project and Reduces McDonald's restaurant McDonald's McDonald's restaurant property. Three landscaping between easterly restaurant westbound through lanes and widened boundary and Driveway A by up Scenario 3 property frontage right shoulder from Dover Drive to 200- to 16 -feet. Reduces sidewalk to meet existing feet west of the planned Gateway width by up to 4 -feet. Multiple curb face at Dolce Drwy/WCH intersection. Widened right directional signage relocations. restaurant shoulder varies from approximately 18- property. foot to 5 -foot wide shoulder. As identified in Table 1, the benefits of the planned Scenario 1 widening as conditioned on the Mariner's Mile Gateway project is provision of three westbound WCH through lanes from Dover Drive to 200 -feet west of the planned Gateway Driveway/West Coast Highway signalized intersection. The benefits of the potential Scenario 2 widening is the ability to provide a right shoulder for on- street parking or a right -turn lane for decelerating vehicles to turn into the McDonald's restaurant at the same location where westbound through vehicles would merge together as the Number 2 and Number 3 lanes on westbound WCH transition from three westbound through lanes to two westbound through lanes. Specifically, the widened right shoulder allows decelerating vehicles preparing to turn right into the McDonald's restaurant to maneuver out of the adjacent through lane where vehicles are typically traveling at a higher rate of speed. Hence, better vehicular flow for through movement on WCH is provided since decelerating vehicles are removed from the through movement lane. Additionally, the likelihood of decelerating vehicles being rear -ended is typically reduced when decelerating vehicles are provided a separate lane from the through lane in which to decelerate. Mr. Tony Brine JN: 10004911 Febnrary 6, 2006 Page 4 Widening of WCH to provide a dedicated right -tum lane is expected to separate approximately 21 right -tum vehicles at Driveway B from the approximate 1,400 through vehicles on westbound WCH during the a.m. peak hour and approximately 20 right -tum vehicles at Driveway B from the approximate 2,400 westbound through vehicles on westbound WCH during the p.m. peak hour. The benefits of the potential Scenario 3 widening of WCH adjacent the McDonald's restaurant property is the ability to provide an increased transition of the roadway curb face. However, widening Scenario 3 does not lengthen the transition from three through lanes to two through lanes on westbound WCH, nor would the increased roadway curb transition be utilized for on- street parking or a right -tum lane into the McDonalds restaurant property. Hence, the circulation benefits for widening Scenario 3 are minimal. While Scenario 1 provides operational improvements to West Coast Highway by providing three westbound lanes across the Mariner's Mile Gateway project frontage and partially along the McDonald's frontage, the potential Scenario 2 and Scenario 3 widenings provide minimal additional operational improvements to westbound through traffic on West Coast Highway. The potential Scenario 2 and Scenario 3 widenings provide modified roadway curb face scenarios and increased shoulder widths, but no lengthening of the three westbound through lanes on WCH. • CONCLUSIONS The benefits of the planned Scenario 1 widening as conditioned on the Mariner's Mile Gateway project is provision of three westbound WCH through lanes from Dover Drive to 200 -feet west of the planned Gateway Driveway/West Coast Highway signalized intersection. While Scenario 1 provides operational improvements to West Coast Highway by providing three westbound lanes across the Matinees Mile Gateway project frontage and partially along the McDonald's frontage, the potential Scenario 2 and Scenario 3 widenings provide minimal additional operational improvements to westbound through traffic on West Coast Highway. The potential Scenario 2 and Scenario 3 widenings provide modified roadway curb face scenarios and increased shoulder widths, but no lengthening of the three westbound through lanes on WCH. The impacts associated with potential WCH widening along the McDonald's restaurant property are reduction of landscaping and /or property signage relocation impacts. It should be noted the Scenario 1 widening as conditioned by the Mariner's Mile Gateway Project has been reviewed and approved by the City of Newport Beach Planning Commission, and is currently in the review process with Caltrans as part of the encroachment permit process. Scenario 2 and Scenario 3 would require review and approval by the City and further dialogue and consideration with Caltrans. r 1 • Mr. Tony Brine February 6, 2006 Please contact me with any questions at 949.855.7005. Sincerely, d IA -r.cs Paul Martin, PE, TE Associate RBF Consulting ire JN: 10- 104911 Page 5 I wx- db a "Ilk 0 � F - W% -V w 7 Go 00 :1A1- L A.Al ix ct Iw 0-M of w oil "Ilk 0 � F - W% -V w 7 11 C14 0 0. Z L) LLJ CL cD U) 0 C 0 M> 3: 0 0 ni E� C-4 X W