TRIP GENERATION AND PARKING ANALYSIS 2556 TELEGRAPH PROJECT City of Berkeley Prepared for: Realtex Group 505 Sansome Street, Suite 400 San Francisco, CA 94111 Prepared by: 1875 Olympic Boulevard, Suite 210 Walnut Creek, CA 94596 December 19, 2016
2556 Telegraph Avenue Mixed Use Project in the City of Berkeley TRIP GENERATION AND PARKING ANALYSIS 1) INTRODUCTION This report describes the transportation characteristics of the proposed mixed-use project located at 2556 Telegraph Avenue. The purpose of this report is to present the expected trip generation and parking demand of the proposed project and to provide information on the parking conditions in the vicinity of the project. 2) PROJECT DESCRIPTION The 2556 Telegraph Avenue Mixed Use Project is a Mixed Use project with residential development over ground-floor retail with no on-site parking. The proposed project will include 15 units with one to three bedrooms, 24 units with four bedrooms, and one live/work unit. There will also be 3,200 square feet of ground floor retail space. The project is located on the southwest corner of Telegraph Avenue and Blake Street in downtown Berkeley. The site is currently occupied by a 14,500 square foot building that is been used by retail businesses and small restaurants. 3) TRANSPORTATION SETTING Roadway Network - The primary roadways that would be affected by this project are Telegraph Avenue and Blake Street. Telegraph Avenue is a four-lane street along the frontage of the project, and changes to a two-lane roadway north of Dwight Street. It is an arterial street with traffic signals at all major intersections, parking meters, loading zones, and significant pedestrian, bicycle, and transit activity. Blake Street is a two-lane local residential street with on-street parking on the north frontage of the property. Parker Street and Chilton Way and Dana Street are nearby local streets that could be either positively or negatively affected by the project. Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities - Bicycle paths, lanes and routes are typical examples of bicycle transportation facilities, which are defined by Caltrans as being in one of the following three classes: Class I Provides a completely separated facility designed for the exclusive use of bicyclists and pedestrians with crossing points minimized. Class II Provides a restricted right-of-way designated lane for the exclusive or semi-exclusive use of bicycles with through travel by motor vehicles or pedestrians prohibited, but with vehicle parking and cross-flows by pedestrians and motorists permitted.
Page 2 of 10 2556 Telegraph Trip Generation and Parking Analysis Class III Provides a right-of-way designated by signs or permanent markings and shared with pedestrians and motorists. Many of the streets in the vicinity are part of the City s bicycle network. In the project area Telegraph Avenue, Dana Street and Parker Street are designated as bicycle routes (Class III). Telegraph Avenue is the only one that currently has bicycle lanes. Channing Way, Bowditch Street, and Hillegas Avenue are designated as bicycle boulevards. Transit Service - There is bus transit service provided by Alameda-Contra Costa County (AC) Transit adjacent to the project. Route 6 operates directly adjacent to the project site with direct service to the Berkeley BART Station. Please note the nearest bus stops are about two blocks from the site. The downtown Berkeley BART station is located on Shattuck Avenue at Center Street, which is about two-thirds of a mile from the project site. This station is located on the Richmond-Fremont Line which connected to other destinations in the Bay Area at the MacArthur Station. There is also direct service to Downtown San Francisco as well as continuing service to Milbrae (please note the service to Milbrae only operates before 8 AM Monday through Friday). There is also extensive bus transit service provided by Alameda-Contra Costa County (AC) Transit at the BART Station. The following lines serve the station: Local Bus Transit Lines 1: Berkeley BART to Bay Fair BART via Telegraph Ave, International Blvd, and E 14 th Street. 1R: International Rapid UC Berkeley Campus to Bay Fair BART via Berkeley BART, Telegraph Ave, International Blvd, and E 14 th Street. 7: El Cerrito Del Norte BART to Berkeley BART via Arlington Dr and Shattuck Ave. 18: University Village, Albany, to Montclair via Solano Ave, Shattuck Ave, Children s Hospital, Martin Luther King Jr. Way, downtown Oakland, and Park Blvd. 25: Two-way Loop El Cerrito Plaza BART, Central Ave, Pierce St, University Village, Gilman St, Hopkins St, MLK Jr. Way, Berkeley BART, MLK Jr. Way, Solano Ave, Colusa Ave, Fairmount Ave. 49: Two-way loop: Rockridge BART, College Ave, Ashby Ave, 7th St, Dwight Way, Shattuck Ave, Berkeley BART, Bancroft Wy/ Durant Ave, Piedmont Ave, Warring St, Derby St, Claremont Blvd, Claremont Ave and College Ave. 51B: Rockridge BART to Berkeley Amtrak or Berkeley Marina via College Ave, Bancroft Way / Durant Ave, Shattuck Ave, Berkeley BART, and University Ave. 52: University Village to UC Campus via University Village, Cedar St, Sacramento St, and University Ave, looping the UC Campus via Hearst Ave, Gayley St, Bancroft Way, and Shattuck Ave (Berkeley BART). 65: Berkeley BART to Lawrence Hall of Science or Senior Ave and Grizzly Peak Blvd via Hearst Ave, Euclid Ave and Grizzly Peak Blvd. 67: Berkeley BART to Grizzly Peak Blvd and Spruce St via Oxford St and Spruce St Weekends serves Tilden Park. 88: From Berkeley BART to Lake Merritt BART via University Ave, Sacramento St, Market St. and downtown Oakland All-Nighter Bus Transit Lines 800: All Nighter. Richmond BART to Market St. and Van Ness Ave, S.F., via Macdonald Ave, San Pablo Ave, University Ave, Telegraph Ave and downtown Oakland. Returns via Market St. and West Oakland BART.
Page 3 of 10 2556 Telegraph Trip Generation and Parking Analysis 851: All Nighter. Downtown Berkeley to Park St & Santa Clara Ave, Alameda, via UC Campus South, College Ave, Broadway, downtown Oakland and Santa Clara Ave. Transbay Bus Transit F: UC Campus to Transbay Temporary Terminal, San Francisco via Shattuck Ave, Adeline St and 40th St. 4) PROJECT TRIP GENERATION The number of vehicle trips that will be generated by the proposed project is forecast based on the number of residential units that are planned and the amount of retail and commercial space. The trip generation rates have been adjusted to account for local travel characteristics and the amount of pass-by traffic for the retail and restaurant uses based on surveys of similar commercial uses. The proposed project will include 15 units with one to three bedrooms, 24 units with four bedrooms, and one live/work unit. There will also be 3,200 square feet of ground floor retail space. The estimated trip generation for the project is the shown in Table 1. Land Use Table 1 Project Vehicle Trip Generation ITE Code Size ADT AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour In Out Total In Out Total ITE Apartment Rates - Trips per Unit 220 Per unit 6.65 0.10 0.41 0.51 0.40 0.22 0.62 Trip Generation for the Proposed Apartments ------- 40 units 426 7 26 33 26 14 40 Reduction for Non-Auto Trips (40%) 170 3 10 13 10 6 16 Subtotal Net Trips from the Apartments 255 4 16 20 16 8 24 ITE Retail Rates - Trips per 1,000 sq ft 820 Per sq ft 42.70 0.60 0.36 0.96 1.78 1.93 3.71 Retail Trip Generation -------- Reduction for Pass-By/Non-Auto Trips (34%) 3,200 sq. ft. 147 2 1 3 6 6 13 50 1 0 1 2 2 4 Subtotal - Trips for the Retail 97 1 1 2 4 4 8 Total Trip Generation from the Proposed Development 352 5 17 22 20 12 32 The trip generation rates are based on the ITE rates for Apartments (Land Use 220), and Retail (Land Use 820), and are taken from the ITE (9th Edition of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Manual). Please note the apartment rates are assumed to be based on surveys of apartment buildings with an average of two bedrooms so for the purposes of these trip generation estimates each of the four bedroom units have been counted as two units. As a result the trip generation in Table 1 is actually based on 64 apartment units. Based on the ITE rates it is estimated the project would generate 32 vehicle trips during the afternoon (PM) peak hour, 20 trips inbound and 12 outbound. For a project such as this which has no on-site parking, and therefore no driveway curb cuts, it is expected this added traffic would mainly take place on Telegraph Avenue.
Page 4 of 10 2556 Telegraph Trip Generation and Parking Analysis Berkeley Trip Generation - The residential trip generation has been adjusted to account for the urban conditions such as transit travel and pedestrian activity in this part of Berkeley. The commercial rates have been adjusted using the applicable reductions for pass-by traffic mentioned above, as specified by ITE in the Trip Generation Handbook (2 nd Edition). For the proposed project, a trip reduction of 40% has been applied to the unfiltered trip generation rate for the residential uses. The ITE trip generation rates are based on surveys of primarily suburban locations and this reduction is intended to account for walk, bicycle, and transit trips as well as shared trips. The 40% reduction was based on data from the Alameda County Transportation Commission s Travel Demand Model, trip generation surveys compiled by ITE and the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), and census data on vehicle ownership and travel patterns provided by the City of Berkeley. Since there is no on-site parking planned for the project, this would help to limit the number of vehicle trips that would be generated. Existing Traffic to be Eliminated - For this site, which is currently occupied by an existing building with retail, restaurants and commercial uses, the existing traffic needs to be subtracted in order to determine the number of net new vehicle trips that would be generated. The existing building has 14,500 square feet. The uses include 5,399 square feet of retail, 5,917 square feet of restaurant uses and 3,184 square feet of common space. For each land use type, the trip generation has been reduced to account for pass-by trips and non-auto trips. Trip Generation from Existing Uses on the Site - Table 2 presents the trips generated by the existing uses on the site; which include 38 vehicle trips during the PM peak hour, 22 inbound and 16 outbound. During the AM peak period, the site currently generates about 6 vehicle trips per hour, 4 inbound and 2 outbound. Land Use ITE Retail Trip Rates - Trips per 1,000 sq ft ITE Restaurant Trip Rates Trips per 1,000 square feet Trips from the Existing Retail Space Reduction for Pass-by/Non-Auto Trips (34%) Table 2 Trip Generation from Existing Uses on the Site ITE Code Size ADT AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour In Out Total In Out Total 820 42.70 0.60 0.36 0.96 1.78 1.93 3.71 931 148.15 6.92 4.43 12.35 12.91 12.91 25.82 5,399 sq ft 231 3 2 5 10 10 20 78 1 1 2 3 4 7 Net Trips from the Retail Uses 153 2 1 3 7 6 13 Trips from the Existing Restaurant Land Uses Reduction for Pass-by/Non-Auto Trips (43%) 5,917 sq ft 532 3 2 5 26 18 44 229 1 1 2 11 8 19 Net Trips from Restaurant Uses 303 2 1 3 15 10 25 Total Trip Generation from Existing Uses 455 4 2 6 22 16 38
Page 5 of 10 2556 Telegraph Trip Generation and Parking Analysis Net New Traffic Generated by the Site - The expected trip generation from the new project has been adjusted to account for the elimination of traffic from the existing uses. Table 3 show the comparison of the trip generation from the site as it is currently used (as per Table 2) to the proposed uses (as per Table 1). This comparison reveals that afternoon (PM peak hour) will have a net reduction in traffic once the project is completed. However, the overall traffic in the AM peak hour will be slightly higher than the existing conditions. During the AM peak period the number of trips will be increased by 16 trips per hour. During the PM Peak Hour, the total traffic from the site will be reduced, and it is estimated that there will be about 6 fewer vehicle trips when compared to existing conditions. Land Use Table 3 Net New Trip Generation from the Site ADT AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour In Out Total In Out Total Proposed Project 352 5 17 22 20 12 32 Existing Uses 455 4 2 6 22 16 38 Net New Trips -103 +1 +15 +16-2 -4-6 With the result that the net traffic in the critical PM peak hour will be less than the existing conditions, it is anticipated intersection capacity conditions will not be changed at the signalized intersection of Telegraph Avenue and Blake Street. Since there is no on-site vehicle access or driveways, the slight increase in AM peak hour trips will not be concentrated at any one location. INTERNAL CIRCULATION AND ACCESS It is assumed that further of analysis of thtese issues will not be required since there is no onsite parking and there will not be any new driveways on the project frontage, and therefore no direct impact or interference with the existing traffic operations in the area. PARKING ANALYSIS This section discusses the City of Berkeley s zoning and the estimated parking demand for the project. The proposed project will not include any on-site parking. The amount of auto use would be very limited, and would generally be replaced by transit trips, pedestrian trips, bicycle usage and the use of Zip-cars and other car-sharing services. Parking demand for the project would be accommodated by nearby public parking garages, by utilizing on-street parking, and through private arrangements with existing property owners who have off-street parking. Telegraph Avenue Commercial District - Section 23E.56.080 (updated 5/20/14), Parking Number of Spaces states that: A. No off-street parking spaces are required. In addition, no off-street loading spaces are required. E. No new off-street parking shall be permitted on any lot abutting Telegraph Avenue exclusively, and shall only be permitted on lots abutting other streets where access to the parking is gained from curb cuts existing on July 6, 1989. Southside Plan - It should be noted that an additional goal and policy is contained in the City s Southside Plan area. There is a recommended TDM action program that includes a recommendation for Eliminating the minimum requirements for housing.
Page 6 of 10 2556 Telegraph Trip Generation and Parking Analysis Parking Zoning Standards - According to the City s Municipal Code (Section 23E.36.080) the off-street parking requirement for residential units in this area also specifies one space for every 1,000 square feet of gross floor area. With 44,370 gross square feet of residential space (for the 39 units) this equates to a requirement of 44 spaces for the proposed project. For the commercial space a minimum of 2 spaces per 1,000 square feet is required, which would equate to 8 parking spaces. Using this standard the proposed project would have a zoning parking requirement of 52 spaces. There are several related downtown guidelines and factors that can be considered in Berkeley. These include: 1. Residential Parking Demand Based on US Census Data and UC Berkeley Student Surveys - For this location in a central business district with excellent transit access (and located next to a major university) the parking demand is much less than the typical ITE rate in the Parking Generation Manual. 2. Residential Parking Occupancy Surveys at Other Berkeley Residential Projects Previous traffic studies in the area have gathered parking data for comparable developments during evening peak periods when the parking demand from residential uses would typically peak. 3. Residential Parking Demand Based on ITE Parking Generation Rates - To provide additional background for the parking demand analysis, a summary of the parking demand results using the average ITE parking generation rates can be used. These rates apply to apartments in a Central Business District (CBD) and are taken from the 4 th Edition of the ITE Parking Generation Manual. Residential Parking Demand Based on US Census Data and UC Berkeley Student Surveys - In addition to the zoning, there are other factors that can be considered with regard to residential parking. For a location on the fringe of the central business district with excellent transit access (and located next to a major university), the parking demand is much less than the typical parking demand rate in the ITE Parking Generation Manual. The parking demand is based on many of the same characteristics that are discussed in the trip generation section. The availability of transit, the use of bicycles, and the attractiveness of walking in the mixed-use university/downtown environment clearly results in reduced vehicle trip generation and an associated reduction in the need for parking. Since it is anticipated that a substantial portion of all travel will occur by walking, bicycling, shared vehicles and through the use of public transit, it is expected that very few of the apartment residents would have personal vehicles. To provide additional information on the potential parking demand in the project area U.S. census data was also utilized based on Census Transportation Planning Products summary of data from the American Community Survey (2010). The U.S. census data indicated the parking demand for the census tract where the project was located averaged 0.56 automobiles per dwelling unit. Based on the U.S. census data the residents of the proposed 39-unit apartment building would be forecast to generate a parking demand of approximately 22 vehicles. It should also be noted that UC Berkeley survey data indicates that undergrad students who do not live in university housing tend to own an average of.26 vehicles/student. Assuming one student per bedroom this would equate to an estimated 34 vehicles. Other Downtown Berkeley Projects - Previous traffic and parking studies in downtown Berkeley have gathered parking data for comparable developments during evening peak
Page 7 of 10 2556 Telegraph Trip Generation and Parking Analysis periods when the parking demand from residential uses would typically peak. The results of these surveys are presented in Table 4. These other projects have an average parking occupancy rate of 0.35 spaces per unit. Applying this rate (and counting each of the four bedroom units as two units) results in an estimated demand for 22 parking spaces for the residential component of the proposed project. Project Title Table 4 Parking Occupancy at Other Downtown Berkeley Projects Address of the Project No. of Units Parking Provided Number of Spaces Occupied Acton Courtyard 1370 University Ave 71 63 34 ARTech 2002 Addison St 21 8 8 Bachenheimer 2119 University Ave 55 30 16 Berkeleyan 1910 Oxford St 56 25 15 Fine Arts 2110 Haste St 100 60 40 Gaia 2116 Allston Way 91 39 32 Touriel 2004 University Ave 35 5 5 Note: The parking occupancy counts were taken on weekdays during the months of August and September. ITE Parking Generation Rates - An additional factor to be considered in the parking demand analysis is the ITE parking generation rates for apartments in a Central Business District (CBD) taken from the 4 th Edition of the ITE Parking Generation Manual. This reference indicates that the parking demand can be as low as 0.66 spaces per unit. Using this rate, the parking demand generated by the project is expected to be approximately 26 parking spaces for the residential component of the project. Table 5 provides a comparison of the various methods of measuring parking demand for apartment projects. An overriding consideration is shown in the Table as the 4 th scenario. The City s Southside Plan includes a recommended TDM program that calls for Eliminating the minimum parking requirement for housing. Retail Parking Requirements - Based on the City s zoning code the retail portion of the project would be required to provide up to 8 off-street parking spaces. However, for projects with a location like this one on the edge of the Central Business District and its proximity to UC Berkeley, BART, and AC Transit bus routes, this requirement is frequently eliminated. Section 23E.36.080 of the Berkeley Municipal Code specifies that The number of off-street Parking Spaces required for the commercial portion of Mixed Use projects, may be modified or waived by the Board by approval of a Use Permit. In this case the retail parking requirement could be waived. On-street Parking in the Vicinity of the Site - There are a significant number of on-street parking spaces on the streets in the vicinity of the project. These include both parking meters and signed permit parking. The parking meters are located on Telegraph Avenue and some of the connecting streets. There are 81 on-street parking meters within two blocks of the project site, almost all of these on Telegraph Avenue. These meters primarily have two-hour limits, and
Page 8 of 10 2556 Telegraph Trip Generation and Parking Analysis are in effect between 9 AM and 7 PM on all days except Sundays and holidays. The location of these metered spaces are shown on Figure 1. The on-street parking meter spaces are fairly heavily used, but there is frequent turnover. Some limited observations and surveys showed that 27 of the metered spaces (33%) were available at 2 PM, and 35 spaces (43%) were available at 8 PM on weekdays. On the streets with residential frontage, there is signed permit parking. This is generally a twohour parking limit that is in place from 8 AM to 7 PM on all days except Sundays and Holidays and with exceptions for vehicles with Area B parking permits. There is no parking permitted on days where there is street sweeping. These spaces are generally not marked. There are about 72 of these types of spaces within about two blocks of the project, primarily located on Blake Street, Parker Street and Chilton Way. These spaces are also shown on Figure 1. In addition to the meters and the signed spaces, there is other on-street parking comprised of short-term parking locations (stopping and/or loading/unloading). These are variously marked with yellow, white or green curb markings. The on-street signed permit parking spaces were observed to be heavily occupied during our field surveys. The permit parking spaces on Chilton Way, around the corner from the project, were 90 to 100 percent occupied at all times. Parking on Blake Street and Parker Street was usually about 70 percent occupied, although some spaces could be found at most times of the day. Off-street Private Parking - There are also a number of off-street parking areas on private property that are located near the site. These include a parking lot at the corner of Parker Street and Regent Street with 17 spaces (7 spaces plus 10 Zip-cars). Local retail and commercial businesses have some off-street parking. These include parking at the corner of Telegraph and Parker with 9 spaces at a 7-11 store, parking at Telegraph and Carleton (CVS store), and parking on the southeast corner of Telegraph and Parker of about 25 spaces (6 spaces plus 18 used for vehicle storage by the auto service businesses). SUMMARY OF FINDINGS ON PARKING Based on these studies, the residential parking provided could be up to 30 spaces short of the estimated demand using U.S. Census data for the residential portion of the project and the City s parking requirements for retail portion. However, the City could still consider making the findings that allowing the project to proceed without any on-site parking is reasonable and appropriate. The justification would be as follows: Bicycle Use and Bicycle Parking - For the residential component of the project, the applicant plans to exceed the requirement for bicycle parking. There would also be bike racks for additional bicycles to park outside for use by the commercial tenants. The project location is within one-half mile of a large portion of the UC campus. Transit Services - There are existing bus stops directly one block from the site that provide direct access a BART station which also includes access to five different AC Transit bus routes including a trans-bay route (Route FS) and an all-nighter (Route 800). In general there is extensive public transportation available in the project area including a BART station less than two thirds of a mile walk. The University bus system also operates on Bancroft Avenue a few blocks to the north of the project. Public Parking - There is a public parking garage on Channing Way (three blocks north of the project) which is the nearest public parking to the site. The Telegraph Channing
TELEGRAPH CHANNING GARAGE Channing Way Haste St Dwight Wy 10 5 10 Dana St 1 10 Regent St LEGEND Meters Signs Blake St Chilton Wy 3 2 5 2 4 Telegraph Ave 4 5 9 3 Parker St 7 No Parking Carleton 2 PARKING METERS 2556 TELEGRAPH PROJECT City of Berkeley
Page 10 of 10 2556 Telegraph Trip Generation and Parking Analysis Garage (formerly the Sather Gate Garage) is located just two blocks from the UC Berkeley Campus. With entrances on both Durant Avenue and Channing Way, the Telegraph Channing Garage is convenient to shops, restaurants, Telegraph Avenue and the UC campus. Designated motorcycle parking available, although motorcycles may park in regular marked spaces throughout the garage. Shared Parking Systems - There are numerous car sharing locations in the area. Within ¼ mile of the project site there are four (4) Zipcar locations and a City Car Share location. The nearest Zip-car parking lot is on Parker Street, east of the project with 10 spaces. Among the other Zip-car locations in the vicinity of the site are locations at Telegraph Avenue and 66 th Avenue, Channing Way and College Avenue and Durant Avenue and Fulton Street Project Mitigations - Among the mitigation measures, the proposed project will provide a substantial amount of bicycle parking and storage. City of Berkeley General Plan Policies - The City of Berkeley has a number of policies that support a reduction in on-site parking. These include policies related to the goals of increasing the use of public transit, limiting increases in vehicular traffic, improving air quality, limiting fuel consumption, and improving conditions for pedestrians in the area. Each of these factors, goals, and objectives is described in one form or another in the City s General Plan. These policies could provide additional support for making the findings to approve the project with reduced parking.