SAINT MARY S COLLEGE SPECIAL EVENT TRAFFIC AND PARKING PLAN MORAGA, CA. Prepared for: SAINT MARY S COLLEGE OF CALIFORNIA

Transcription

1 SPECIAL EVENT TRAFFIC AND PARKING PLAN MORAGA, CA Prepared for: SAINT MARY S COLLEGE OF CALIFORNIA SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION... 1 SAINT MARY S COLLEGE BACKGROUND... 1 PARKING SYSTEM... 2 EXISTING PARKING SYSTEM... 3 CURRENT PARKING POLICIES... 3 PARKING MANAGEMENT... 5 SPECIAL EVENTS... 6 SPECIAL EVENT DEMAND... 7 PARKING AND CIRCULATION FOR SPECIAL EVENTS... 7 PARKING PLAN... 7 ONSITE OFFSITE ACCESS PLAN CIRCULATION PLAN ROADWAY CONTROL PARKING AREA CONTROL EMERGENCY AND PUBLIC SAFETY VEHICLES PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGN ONSITE SIGNING OFFSITE SIGNING EVENT COORDINATOR/SUPERVISOR ONSITE PERSONNEL OFFSITE PERSONNEL... 13

3 SAINT MARY S COLLEGE SEPTEMBER 18, INTRODUCTION In order to maintain a high academic standard and to compete with other academic institutions, Saint Mary s College must constantly upgrade its facilities. The development of new facilities has triggered environmental reviews required by the Town of Moraga. Two Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND), were issued for a Recreation Center that the College intends to build on campus. In response to TRAFFIC 2 of the mitigation measures stated in the MND, Walker developed this Special Event Traffic and Parking Plan to guide the College as it endeavors to make more efficient use of campus parking resources during special events on campus. SAINT MARY S COLLEGE BACKGROUND Saint Mary s 420 acre campus is located in the hills overlooking the Town of Moraga; approximately 14 miles east of Oakland and 23 miles east of San Francisco if traveling by car. The general location of the campus is illustrated in Figure 1. Figure 1: Location of Saint Mary s College Campus of California Source: Saint Mary s College,

4 PARKING SYSTEM In academic year , the College had approximately 2,800 undergraduates and 800 graduate students attending fulltime and approximately 4,100 students total. In addition, the College employs approximately 500 faculty (200 fulltime) and approximately 500 staff (350 fulltime) members. The campus is comprised of four schools: Economics and Business Administration, Education, Liberal Arts and Science. The schools serve two separate student populations undergraduate and graduate students. The locations of campus buildings and activity centers are shown in Figure 2. Figure 2: Saint Mary s College Campus Map Source: Saint Mary s College,

5 In addition to the main campus, the Rheem Campus also serves the College. This campus is located in Moraga about twomiles northwest of the main campus. The Rheem campus is located in a former retail space and has been converted to serve as classroom space, office space and meeting rooms for Graduate Business Programs, Leadership Programs and Advancement staff. In addition to the building there are approximately 130 parking spaces. EXISTING PARKING SYSTEM The main campus contains approximately 2,100 spaces with an additional 130 spaces located on the Rheem Campus. The Filippi Lot (240 spaces), is the largest, while the majority of the other lots that serve the campus contain fewer than 50 spaces. The lots are designated for use by one or more of the following user groups: Commuter, Faculty, Staff, Resident and Visitor. Commuters are defined as any student not residing on the main campus, while the other user groups are selfexplanatory. CURRENT PARKING POLICIES Parking is currently free to all users, except for those driving to campus and parking for men s basketball games, who must pay $5. All parkers must have a valid permit visible and are required to park in a lot designated for their user group. Commuter, Faculty, Staff and Resident permits are each a unique color and letter and must be displayed on the car s front windshield. Visitor permits are paper permits that must be displayed on the car s dashboard. These permits are typically obtained from the entry gate attendant. Information obtained from the College s website1 with regard to parking permits and other parking related policies are as follows: POLICY The College requires that all vehicles operated on college property observe all college parking and traffic regulations and all applicable provisions of the California Vehicle Code. All vehicles must have a valid license plate and properly display a valid campus parking permit. PERMITS 1. Parking permits are required for all vehicles on campus 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 2. All vehicles (including motorcycles, mopeds and motor scooters) must display a current campus permit. 3. Permits are only issued by the Public Safety Department and are property of Saint Mary s College. Permits may be revoked at any time and must be surrendered upon request. 4. Parking permits must be displayed according to instructions given with the permit. 5. Permits are only valid for the vehicle they are issued to and are not transferable to another person or vehicle. 6. Issuance of a permit does not guarantee availability of a parking space. 7. Spaces are on a first come, first served basis in lots that are valid for specific permits. RESPONSIBILTY The responsibility for finding a legal parking space rests with the vehicle operator. Lack of space in lots designated for your permit is not a valid reason for violating parking regulations

6 Improperly parked vehicles are subject to campus citation, immobilization and/or towing at the owners expense. The College assumes NO LIABILITY for loss or damage to any vehicle or its contents nor liability for damage to persons or property for any parked or moving vehicle on campus. GUEST/VISITOR PARKING Guests and visitors may park in designated visitor lots where directed by Public Safety personnel. Guests and visitors are issued temporary permits at the entrance gate. Special event parking and permit requirements are determined on a casebycase basis. REGULATIONS Parking must be in full accordance with posted signs and campus regulations. Regulations are enforced 24 hours a day, seven days a week by the Public Safety Department. All cars, trucks, motorcycles and mopeds are required to be registered with Public Safety and display a current Saint Mary's College parking permit. Parking permits are to be placed on the outside of the windshield, on the driver's side, lower corner of the windshield and only one (1) parking permit per vehicle. Using your parking permit on another vehicle is prohibited. Permits are nontransferable. The parking permit numbers must be visible at all times. The parking lots on campus are enforced Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. After 3 p.m., you may park in any parking lot. Red curbs, fire lanes, handicapped stalls, blocking traffic, blocking a walkway, not in a marked stall, no current parking permit, stop signs, and speeding are enforced 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. If you are uncertain as to where you can park, refer to your map of the campus. The map will show you where you can and cannot park from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Not all parking lots have signs. If you are uncertain where to park, refer to your map, your map is your sign. If you are driving a different vehicle and/or expecting a guest, it is your responsibility to obtain a temporary and/or visitor's parking permit with the map showing you and/or your visitor where to park. If you have a vehicle and it does not have license plates yet, you are still required to register the vehicle with Public Safety Department and obtain a current SMC parking permit. Once you get your license plates, inform Public Safety. Violation from any of the above laws and policies while on campus, can result in citation, immobilization or the towing of the vehicle at your expense. Moving violations (speeding, stop sign, etc.) will not be tolerated. Moving violations cannot be appealed. Moving violations will be handled through the Director of Public Safety. Faculty, Staff, Commuter, Visitor and Temporary parking permits, maps of the campus, and parking policies can be obtained at the Public Safety Gatehouse at the entrance of the College, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Resident parking permits are ONLY issued from the Public Safety Administration Office located in Assumption Hall West. For questions or general information please call Public Safety at (925)

7 All policies and procedures are approved through the Saint Mary's College Public Safety. The campus speed limit is 15 mph. Pedestrians will be given the right of way at all times on campus. Passing another vehicle on campus is prohibited. Parking is permitted only in lots designated for your permit and only in marked parking stalls. All provisions of the California Vehicle Code must be obeyed on campus including the helmet law and restrictions against passengers in the rear of uncovered pickup trucks. Removal or tampering with any item placed for parking or traffic control is prohibited. Parking is prohibited in the following areas: o Any roadway, driveway, walkway, landscaped or dirt area. o In any fire lane, red zone, or within 15 feet of any fire hydrant. In any area prohibited by signs or markings. o In any pedestrian crosswalk or area that impedes vehicle or pedestrian traffic. o In any reserved space or lot without the appropriate permit. o In any handicapped space without the proper license plate or placard. PARKING MANAGEMENT Walker s definition of parking management entails incorporating policies and practices that make the most efficient use of parking. For special events this becomes more critical as attendees want to arrive prior to the start of the event and then depart immediately thereafter. The overall Parking Management Plan presented in a separate document outlines key management techniques that will improve the efficiency of the overall parking system on typical days. Several of the recommended approaches outlined in the report include the following: Transportation Demand Management o Improved Public Transit o Parking Cash Out o Free Transit and Eco Passes o Ride Sharing: Carpools and Vanpools o Car Sharing o Biking Pricing Parking Increased Enforcement Parking Ambassador Program Each of these elements is discussed in detail in the Parking Management Plan and most can be applied to special event parking applications to one degree or another. One important item to bring forward from the Parking Management Plan is the population served by the campus. This includes students that are residents on campus, commuter students, faculty and staff as well as visitors. The number of residential (R) permits issued by class from 2007 to 2012 is illustrated in Table 1. 5

8 Table 1: Residential Parking Permits by Class Class Freshmen Sophomores Juniors Seniors Average Total 1, ,002 Source: Walker Parking Consultants, 2012 In addition to resident students there are commuter students attending full time that must be accommodated as well as part time students. According to St Mary s College administration there are 2,800 full time undergraduate students, 800 full time graduate students, and 500 part time students for a total of 4,100 students. The college currently employs 200 full time faculty and 350 full time staff along with 300 and 150 part time faculty and staff respectively. SPECIAL EVENTS Preparation of this special event parking plan was required by the Town of Moraga as an environmental mitigation measure for the construction of the new recreation center being planned for campus. In order to have a special event parking plan which can be adaptable to multiple events, the following events are considered in the plan development: College Fair; St Mary s baseball games occurring during the early weekday afternoons; St Mary s men s basketball games; and Commencements. The purpose of this plan is to identity opportunities for improved parking management to accommodate special event traffic and parking that coincide with the peak hours of traffic on typical days. The plan should provide the College with a blueprint for administering parking at special events in order to assure safe access and departure for all visitors, avoid excessive congestion on Town of Moraga streets, and accommodate parking demands within campus boundaries. The following issues are addressed: Advance planning for the event; Identification of available parking areas for each event; Control of access and circulation throughout the campus; Need for a parking coordinator for special events; Day of event onsite supervision; On and offsite traffic and parking directors; and Warning and guidance on adjacent streets. 6

9 The plan recommends approaches for access, circulation, and parking during special events. Provision of guide signs is outlined as well as assignment of tasks and responsibility for advance planning and information, and dayofevent coordination. SPECIAL EVENT DEMAND The demand for parking during special events is unique for each type of event and is driven by the expected event attendance. Factors affecting the demand are the expected number of offcampus visitors, the average vehicle occupancy, and the extent of transit usage. The maximum expected crowds for each of the events considered in this plan are as follows: College Fair: Known as East Bay College Connection, this event draws 3,000 to 5,000 attendees with 2,000 present at any given time, plus an additional 150 college representatives; this event was formerly on a weekday evening but now occurs on a Saturday in the spring. Baseball: Men s Basketball: Capacity crowd for the new stadium of 950 fans with 475 from offcampus. The only indication of conflict with peak hour traffic for these events would be for a game that is played early weekday afternoon with an ending time coinciding with PM peak hour traffic. Weekday games are expected to draw 300 fans with 150 from offcampus. Capacity crowd of 3,700 fans including 1,200 resident students (2,500 net off campus guests); according to administration, all basketball events will be held in the evening or on weekends which will not conflict with PM peak hour weekday traffic. Commencements: Two commencements occur on a weekend in May, with undergraduate commencement being held on Saturday morning and graduate commence being held on Sunday afternoon. Each commencement draws 5,000 attendees. Based upon these attendance figures and when the events are held, the expected parking and traffic demand for an afternoon baseball game seems to be the only event that could have potential conflicts with PM peak hour weekday traffic. PARKING AND CIRCULATION FOR SPECIAL EVENTS The proposed plan for providing parking and on and offsite circulation during special events at Saint Mary's College is discussed in the following paragraphs. Parking areas to be utilized for events are identified, and actions to be followed for each event are outlined. The parking and circulation plan outlined presents a conservative approach for parking management. Based on ongoing observations and operations during subsequent events this plan should be adjusted as conditions warrant. PARKING PLAN A map of current parking lots (highlighted in yellow) and table with parking space counts post Recreation Center development are indicated on the following map and table. 7

10 Figure 3: Map of Parking Lots on Campus Source: Saint Mary s College; Walker Parking Consultants The following table indicates the number of spaces and user group designations for each of the lots shown on the map. User group designations are as follows: C Commuter V Visitor F Faculty S Staff R Residential 8

11 Table 1: Campus Parking Lot Matrix Source: Saint Mary s College; Walker Parking Consultants Map Key User Designation Total Spaces 1 CVFS 50 2 CV FS 88 4 R 38 5 CVFS 21 6 FS 26 7 FS 9 8 FS 22 9 CVFS CVFS CVFS FS CV FS R FS CV R R FS FS R R R CVFS R R R R R R R R R R 91 Total 2,041 9

12 ONSITE The parking lot matrix (Table 1) was utilized to determine the appropriate parking areas for each special event. Activities for all events are expected to be near the Soda Activity Center, Rahill Athletic Center, and the baseball stadium. Events at the Soda Activity Center are best served by immediately adjacent lots 9, 10, 11, and 25 as well as larger lots near the entrance to campus: 2, 13, 14, 15 and 16. Events at the Rahill Athletic Center are best served by immediately adjacent lots 9, 10 and 11 as well as larger lots near the entrance to campus: 2, 13, 14, 15 and 16. Events at the baseball stadium will be best served by lots near the entrance to campus: 1, 2, 13, 14, 15 and 16. Handicapped and VIP parkers should be given first priority for parking spaces closest to each activity center. OFFSITE With implementation of measures outlined in the Parking Management Plan, parking demand is expected to be handled onsite for all the events analyzed in this study. As mentioned previously Transportation Demand Management efforts should be employed where possible to reduce traffic and parking demand for all events. While the use of noncollege remote parking areas may not be necessary, it could however be necessary to provide shuttle service from a designated BART station and/or the parking lot at the Rheem Campus to the main Saint Mary's College Campus for each event. Specifically, this shuttle could be part of the overall transportation and parking plan for the College Fair. The shuttle should provide service from at least onehour before to at least onehour after each special event. The shuttles should run on a set schedule to and from the BART station or Rheem Campus. Trips to the BART station should be coordinated in order to closely match the arrivals and departures of the trains. This transit shuttle service could be provided through contract with a local shuttle service provider. ACCESS PLAN Access to the parking areas during special events should utilize the main driveway, Saint Mary s Parkway. An auxiliary entrance to/from Saint Mary's Road should be explored further as part of an overall Campus Master Plan. For Saint Mary's Parkway, two inbound lanes and one outbound lane should be provided before an event: after an event, one inbound and two outbound lanes should be provided. Lanes should be marked, channelized, and changed using lane delineators or traffic cones. The main entrance would be utilized by vehicles from all directions to fill the internal lots. After the internal lots fill, the main entrance would be closed and signed to direct users to overflow lot locations. Shuttle buses, recreational vehicles, and other oversized vehicles should use the main driveway during special events. Emergency access can be accommodated before an event by temporarily stopping vehicles from exiting, and utilizing the one outbound lane. After the start of an event, emergency access can be accommodated on the one inbound lane. CIRCULATION PLAN Effective onsite circulation is key to a successful parking management plan. Handicapped and VIP guests must be identified and directed to the correct areas, regular patrons must be directed to all available parking areas, pedestrian corridors must be identified linking parking lots to the event areas, and shuttles must be effectively managed. 10

13 ROADWAY CONTROL For all events, access to the loop road (De La Salle Drive) should be carefully controlled to prevent traffic jams and to assure that full emergency access is always available. PARKING AREA CONTROL In order to minimize conflict points, oneway travel through all of the parking areas should be encouraged. This action is most easily accomplished through provision of trained traffic directors to guide vehicles to available parking. This service can be accommodated by a professional parking event company under the direction of the Public Safety department, or by internal staff trained to administer parking protocol. EMERGENCY AND PUBLIC SAFETY VEHICLES At all times during special events, access, parking and circulation must be available for emergency and public safety vehicles. As mentioned previously, emergency access will be maintained at all times on Saint Mary's Parkway through stopping of traffic and use of either an inbound or outbound lane. Emergency vehicles should be able to use De La Salle Drive at all times PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGN Saint Mary's College will periodically conduct a public information campaign to ensure that guests to the campus are aware of public transit, BART shuttles, and parking availability well in advance of the special event day. The information to be made available includes the following: A schedule of times that a shuttle bus will leave the BART station; Route numbers and schedule information for public transit bus routes serving the campus; Approximate travel times from major origin communities to the campus; A map showing available parking areas for each special event; Recommendations to carpool since parking is limited; Recommendations to arrive early; Requests that all campus guests follow the directions of parking lot attendants; A phone number for the Saint Mary's College Event Coordinator where further parking information can be obtained. All of this information should be distributed to season ticket holders for men s basketball. For the College Fair, this information should be sent to all high schools from which students are expected to attend. For commencement, this information should be sent to the home addresses of graduating seniors and graduate students. This information should also be included in press releases to local newspapers, in public service announcements on local radio stations, on local access channels for cable television depending on the event or the sport season and on the College s website. Responsibility for conducting this public Information campaign should rest with an event coordinator at Saint Mary's College. 11

14 ONSITE SIGNING The intent of informational signing on the Saint Mary's campus is to direct drivers to parking areas, and direct pedestrians to shuttle areas and walkways. Temporary and moveable roadway signs can be ordered from any number of traffic sign shops; as they will not be used on public roads, there is considerable flexibility In terms of color, letter sizing, and light reflection for the signs. No parking signs should be placed at all locations where guest parking is not allowed locations such as along De La Salle Drive and Saint Mary's Parkway, at driveways between parking areas, and at all fire lanes. All signs should be used for the College Fair, baseball and men s basketball games, and for the commencements. OFFSITE SIGNING The intent of informational signing off of the Saint Mary's campus is to direct guests to the correct entrance and notify other drivers of potential delays on Saint Mary's Road. These signs can be ordered from traffic sign shops; they should be constructed to meet Town of Moraga requirements for size, color, letter sizing, and light reflection. Offsite signage should be located at key intersections approaching campus. Northbound Moraga Road at Saint Mary s Road Southbound Moraga Road at Saint Mary s Road Southbound Saint Mary s Road at Rheem Boulevard Southbound Rheem Boulevard at Saint Mary s Road Southbound Rheem Boulevard at Moraga Road Southbound Moraga Road at Rheem Boulevard The Saint Mary s College website, Town of Moraga website and any community gathering spots should also be used to display a general notice several days before an event. EVENT COORDINATOR/SUPERVISOR Saint Mary's College should appoint a coordinator for parking and circulation for all special events. This person would be responsible for all of the following: Assuring that the public information campaign is carried out; Hiring all onsite and offsite traffic directors and attendants (see following sections); Assuring that a supervisor is present to carry out the parking management plan; Confirming that all onsite and offsite signage is in place before each event; Assuring that all required parking areas are available; and Coordinating with the Town of Moraga and Cities of Orinda and Lafayette for placement of signs and for any other needed assistance. The person appointed to this position should be given full authority over any necessary campus departments to see that each action item can be carried out quickly and effectively. 12

15 A dayofevent supervisor will also need to be appointed to assure that all parking lot directors and attendants are assigned to the appropriate areas, and that the parking plan is being carried out smoothly. The supervisor should be a Saint Mary's College employee (perhaps the event coordinator) so that actions required by the college can be performed quickly. This supervisor will need to be present on the campus throughout the course of each event. ONSITE PERSONNEL Saint Mary's College should utilize trained traffic directors and parking lot attendants to collect parking fees, direct motorists to designated parking spaces and move lane delineators as necessary. These directors should be furnished with twoway radios to allow constant communication, and they should be easily identifiable (furnish with orange vests/orange flags). OFFSITE PERSONNEL Uniformed police officers should be hired as demand warrants to direct traffic at key offsite locations for all special events. These key locations are: Saint Mary's Road/Rheem Boulevard Saint Mary's Road/Saint Mary's Parkway These officers should be present at the intersections during all times that guests will be arriving and leaving the campus at special events. The officers will be responsible for controlling turning movements, assigning rightofway, controlling pedestrian movements, and generally directing compliance with special signing. The officers should work closely with the parking supervisor for each event to assure that all parking areas can be accessed. 13

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