Revised Report Traffic Study for Safeway Fuel Center at Washington Square Shopping Center In The Pleasanton Fresno Sacramento Santa Rosa TJKM www.tjkm.com
Revised Report Traffic Study for Safeway Fuel Center at Washington Square Shopping Center In The TJKM www.tjkm.com Prepared by: TJKM 4305 Hacienda Drive Suite 550 Pleasanton, CA 94588-2798 Tel: 925.463.0611 Fax: 925.463.3690 \\Pl4\projects\JURISDICTION\P\Petaluma\077-070 Safeway TIA & Circulation\Report\R 081314_Petaluma Safeway Fuel Center TIA.docx
Table of Contents Introduction and Summary... 1 Introduction... 1 Summary... 1 Intersection Analysis Methodology... 6 Study Intersections... 6 Study Scenarios... 6 Level of Service Analysis Methodology... 6 Signalized Intersections... 6 Unsignalized Intersections... 7 Level of Service Threshold Criteria... 7 General Plan Policies... 7 Existing Traffic Conditions... 8 Pedestrian and Transit Accessibility... 8 Level of Service Analysis... 9 Existing plus Project Conditions... 12 Project Trip Generation... 12 Project Trip Distribution and Assignment... 14 Level of Service Analysis... 14 Project Access and Circulation... 18 Project Access... 18 Project Circulation... 18 Proximity of Eastside Transit Center (ETC) to the Safeway Fuel Center... 20 Fuel Truck Delivery Path at the Safeway Fuel Center... 23 Existing plus Approved (Background) Conditions... 24 Level of Service Analysis... 24 Background (Existing plus Approved) plus Project Conditions... 26 Level of Service Analysis... 26 Cumulative Conditions... 28 Cumulative Improvements... 28 Intersection Level of Service Analysis Results (Cumulative Conditions)... 28 Cumulative plus Project Conditions... 30 Intersection Level of Service Analysis Results (Cumulative plus Project Conditions)... 30 Conclusions... 32 Study Participants and References... 34 TJKM Personnel... 34 Others... 34 References... 34
List of Appendices (In A Separate Cover) Appendix A Level of Service Analysis Methodology Appendix B Raw Traffic Data Appendix C Level of Service Worksheets: Existing Conditions Appendix D Level of Service Worksheets: Existing + Project Conditions Appendix E Level of Service Worksheets: Existing + Approved Conditions Appendix F Level of Service Worksheets: Existing + Approved + Project Conditions Appendix G Level of Service Worksheets: Cumulative (2025) Conditions Appendix H Level of Service Worksheets: Cumulative (2025) + Project Conditions List of Figures Figure 1: Vicinity Map... 3 Figure 2: Proposed Project Site Plan... 4 Figure 3: Existing Turning Movement Volumes... 11 Figure 4: Proposed Project Trip Distribution and Assignment Assumptions... 16 Figure 5: Existing plus Project Turning Movement Volumes... 17 Figure 6: Existing plus Approved Turning Movement Volumes... 25 Figure 7: Background plus Project Turning Movement Volumes... 27 Figure 8: Cumulative Conditions Turning Movement Volumes... 29 Figure 9: Cumulative plus Project Turning Movement Volumes... 31 List of Tables Table I: Intersection LOS Existing Conditions... 10 Table II: Project Trip Generation (Weekday Peak Hours)... 13 Table III: Project Trip Generation (Saturday Peak Hour)... 14 Table IV: Intersection LOS Existing plus Project Conditions... 15 Table V: Intersection LOS Existing plus Approved (Background) Conditions... 24 Table VI: Intersection LOS Background plus Project Conditions... 26 Table VII: Intersection Levels of Service Cumulative (2025) Conditions... 28 Table VIII: Intersection Levels of Service Cumulative (2025) plus Project Conditions... 30
Introduction and Summary Introduction This report presents the results of TJKM's traffic analysis for a Safeway fuel center to be located at 335 South McDowell Boulevard in the. The project site is located in the southeast corner of the Washington Square Shopping Center. The proposed Safeway fuel center is expected to provide multi-product fuel categories at each of 16 fuel positions (8 pumps two fuel positions per fuel pump). The proposed project will replace the current land uses at the project site, which are typical commercial site components such as a veterinary clinic, an optometry, a restaurant etc. As part of this traffic study, TJKM analyzed selected study intersections that include estimated traffic from the proposed development. Figure 1 illustrates the project location and its vicinity. Figure 2 shows a preliminary project site plan. Summary The proposed project is expected to generate 210 trips (105 inbound and 105 outbound trips) during the a.m. peak hour and 276 trips (138 inbound and 138 outbound) during the p.m. peak hour. To be conservative with this traffic impact analysis, no trips were reduced for the existing commercial site components. It should be noted that for both the weekday and weekend trip generation estimates, no deductions or discounts were taken due to the replacement of existing land uses at the project site for the purposes of developing a conservative traffic analysis. It should also be noted that no trip discounts were taken for either the internal trips within the shopping center or pass-by trips to the fuel center to maintain a conservative traffic analysis. The peak period estimated discounts due to internal and pass-by trips could be in the range of 10 to 20 percent of peak hour trips, meaning that new vehicle trip generation from the Petaluma fuel center could amount to 10-20 percent less than the conservative trip estimates provided. In addition, this conservative trip estimate accounts for the occasional fluctuations in fuel center trips at the end of month when customers cash in expiring promotional fuel points. All study intersections operate or are expected to operate at acceptable levels of service of LOS D or better under both Existing and Existing plus Project Conditions during both a.m. and p.m. peak hours. Under Existing plus Approved (Background) Conditions, all intersections are expected to operate acceptably, with the exception of the Washington Street/McDowell Boulevard intersection (LOS E during p.m. peak hour). Under Background plus Project Conditions, the LOS E condition at the Washington Street / McDowell Boulevard intersection is expected to remain, while the remaining study intersections are expected to remain operating acceptably. However, the Washington Street / McDowell Boulevard intersection is expected to have only four seconds increase in average delay, which in consultation with City staff was determined not to be significant, consistent with TJKM experience in multiple Bay Area jurisdictions. Therefore, the LOS E condition is not considered an adverse project-related impact. Under Cumulative (2025) Conditions and Cumulative plus Project Conditions, all study intersections are expected to operate acceptably at LOS D or better. Slightly improved LOS at the study intersections are anticipated due to the expected completion of the Rainier Interchange Project by 2025 per the approved City General Plan. This project would alleviate congestion on the Washington Street and Old Redwood Highway corridors and US 101 interchanges. Page 1
The stacking area and the alignment of fuel pumps at the Campbell Safeway location (a representative site) match the proposed fuel center site layout at Petaluma. Thus, it is expected that the queue conditions and service rate at the proposed project site would be very similar to the Campbell location, which TJKM observed at a maximum of six vehicles during the p.m. peak hour and 12 during the Saturday peak hour. Given the proposed 16 fuel positions at the Petaluma site and based on engineering field observations at the Campbell site, it is expected that the maximum six to 12-vehicle queue would be distributed over multiple islands such that spillover would be minimized. As a result, no queue spillover is anticipated onto Maria Drive or upstream at the Maria Drive / S. McDowell Boulevard intersection. Based on the field observations at various representative Safeway fuel center locations, TJKM recommends employing fuel ambassadors (Safeway employees), a practice used at existing locations. These employees would direct arriving vehicles to the vacant fuel pumps to minimize the occurrence of any potential queuing or blocking of the project driveway. TJKM recommends one-way entry pavement striping and DO NOT ENTER signage at the fuel center exit only location nearest the Maria Drive / S. McDowell Boulevard intersection. In addition, a DO NOT BLOCK pavement legend is recommended along the project driveway at the entering approaches to the fuel center waiting area to alleviate potential blocking. With such signage and striping, any latent demand related to the fuel center is expected to proceed through the project driveways if the vehicles do not wish to enter the fuel center waiting area during the peak hours. To achieve adequate sight distance requirements at the two-way project driveway on Maria Drive nearest the proposed Safeway fuel entryway, the project applicant proposes a 12.5-foot recessing of the existing sidewalk to accommodate a bus turn bay for Petaluma Transit s Eastside Transit Center (ETC). This design would allow up to three 40-foot buses at 10-foot spacing to park at ETC during normal timed transfers while remaining out of the line of sight of drivers exiting and entering the project driveways. The design meets minimum AASHTO design standards for driveway sight triangles. In terms of pedestrian facilities, there would continue to be continuous sidewalks along both sides of Maria Drive even with the proposed modifications to ETC. Also, TJKM observed during the a.m. peak hour that there are elementary school-bound pedestrians walking across the McDowell Boulevard/Maria Drive intersection in the project vicinity. However, since the project would not substantially alter existing available pedestrian facilities, no impacts to pedestrian circulation and safety are expected. In terms of bicycle facilities, a future Class III facility is proposed on Maria Drive fronting the project site. Given that the project would not substantially alter the roadway, there are no known impacts expected with respect to bicyclists. Page 2
Safeway Fuel Center Traffic Study Vicinity Map Figure 1 SONOMA MOUNTAIN PKWY. WASHINGTON ST. ELY BLVD. MARIA DR. 4 McDOWELL BLVD. 2 3 Project Site DR. MARIA 6 5 ELLIS ST. 1 KENILWORTH DR. PAYRAN ST. 101 KENILWORTH DR. 116 N O R T H Not to Scale LEGEND Study Intersection 77-070 T1-4/18/14 - AK
Safeway Fuel Center Traffic Study Proposed Project Site Plan Source: Stantec Architecture Inc. 77-070 T1-9/6/13 - JL Figure 2
Illustration 1 below shows the locations of the existing Safeway grocery store and the proposed fuel center at the Washington Square shopping center. Existing Safeway Grocery Store Maria Drive Proposed Safeway Fuel Station McDowell Boulevard Illustration 1: Existing Safeway Store and Proposed Fuel Center Location at Washington Square Shopping Center Page 5
Intersection Analysis Methodology Study Intersections The traffic impact study focused on six study intersections that the proposed project may potentially impact based on consultation with City engineering staff: 1. Washington Street/US 101 SB Ramps (Signalized) 2. Washington Street/US 101 NB Ramps (Signalized) 3. Washington Street/McDowell Boulevard (Signalized) 4. Washington Street/Maria Drive (Signalized) 5. McDowell Boulevard/Maria Drive (Signalized) 6. Maria Drive/Project Driveway (One-way Stop) Study Scenarios The following six scenarios were addressed in this study: 1. Existing Conditions Current (Year 2013) traffic volumes and roadway conditions. 2. Existing plus Project Conditions Current (Year 2013) turning movement volumes and roadway conditions with traffic added only from the proposed project development. 3. Existing plus Approved (Background) Conditions Current (Year 2013) traffic volumes and roadway conditions with the addition of traffic from approved developments within the. 4. Background plus Project Conditions Identical to Background Conditions, plus the traffic added from the proposed project. 5. Cumulative Conditions this scenario is based on the General Plan traffic model for the year 2025 conditions. The scenario includes anticipated City developments consistent with the current General Plan, but does not include the proposed project. 6. Cumulative plus Project Conditions - this scenario is identical to Cumulative Conditions, but with the addition of traffic generated by the proposed project development. Level of Service Analysis Methodology Level of service is a qualitative measure that describes operational conditions as they relate to the traffic stream and perceptions by motorists and passengers. The level of service generally describes these conditions in terms of such factors as speed and travel time, delays, freedom to maneuver, traffic interruptions, comfort, convenience and safety. The operational levels of service (LOS) are given letter designations from A to F, with A representing the best operating conditions (freeflow) and F the worst (severely congested flow with high delays). Intersections generally are the capacity-controlling locations with respect to traffic operations on arterial and collector streets. Signalized Intersections The study intersections under traffic signal control were analyzed using the Highway Capacity Manual 2000 (HCM 2000) Operations Method contained in the standard traffic software Traffix. This methodology determines LOS based on average control delay per vehicle for the overall intersection during peak hour intersection operating conditions. LOS A indicates free flow conditions with little or no delay, while LOS F indicates jammed conditions with excessive delay and long back-ups. The methodology is described in detail in Appendix A. Page 6
Unsignalized Intersections The operating conditions at the study intersections with minor stop-controlled approaches (one-way or two-way) were evaluated using the HCM 2000 Unsignalized Methodology, also contained in Traffix. For one-way stop controlled intersections, LOS is based on and reported for the stop-controlled approach. For two-way stop controlled intersections, LOS is based on and reported for the worse of the two minor approaches (stop controlled). For all-way stopcontrolled intersections, LOS is based on the average control delay experienced on all approaches. It should be noted that none of the study intersections are either two-way stop or all-way stop controlled intersections. The methods rank level of service on an A through F scale (similar to that used for signalized intersections) to describe travel delay and congestion. The methodologies for unsignalized intersections are also presented in Appendix A. Level of Service Threshold Criteria All study intersections fall within jurisdiction. The Petaluma General Plan 2025 has adopted a standard of LOS D as the minimum acceptable operations for City streets. Therefore, this LOS D threshold was applied to all study intersections, including the US 101 / Washington Street ramp intersections. Additional General Plan policies with respect to mobility are described below. General Plan Policies The General Plan Policies for mobility are specified as follows: 5-P-10: Maintain an intersection level of service (LOS) standard for motor vehicle circulation that ensures efficient traffic flow and supports multi-modal mobility goals. LOS should be maintained at level D or better for motor vehicles due to traffic from any development project. 5-P-19: All new and redesigned streets shall be bicycle and pedestrian friendly in design. 5-P-20: Ensure that new development provides connections to and does not interfere with existing and proposed bicycle facilities. 5-P-22: Preserve and enhance pedestrian connectivity in existing neighborhoods and require a wellconnected pedestrian network linking new and existing development to adjacent land uses. 5-P-43: Support efforts for transit oriented development around the Petaluma Depot and along the Washington Street, Petaluma Boulevard, McDowell Boulevard, Lakeville Street, and other transit corridors. Page 7
Existing Traffic Conditions The is bisected by the US 101 freeway, which serves as a primary route between San Francisco, Marin and Sonoma Counties. The US 101 freeway serves over 90,000 vehicles per day within the limits. Based on the General Plan document, the City consists of approximately 140 miles of streets that includes arterials, collectors, connectors and local streets. The major arterials serving the project site are Washington Street and McDowell Boulevard. The project site can also be accessed from Maria Drive. Washington Street is a major four-lane, east-west arterial providing access to the US 101 freeway from surrounding communities, with a posted speed limit of 35 miles per hour (mph) in the project vicinity. The roadway includes Class II bicycle lanes on both sides west of McDowell Boulevard, and there are plans for future Class II bicycle lanes east of McDowell Boulevard as shown in the City of Petaluma designated bikeway system in Illustration 2 below. Currently, Washington Street carries approximately 21,158 vehicles per day (vpd) during the weekdays based on 2011 TJKM daily counts collected for the MTC regional signal timing project conducted on this roadway. McDowell Boulevard is a four-lane, north-south arterial between Redwood Highway to the north and Lakeville Highway to the south with a posted speed limit of 30 mph. This roadway provides a Class II bikeway between Washington Street and Frates Road as shown in Illustration 2. Based on TJKM engineering experience that weekday p.m. peak traffic represents approximately 10 percent of average daily trips, it is estimated that the weekday ADT on this roadway is approximately 13,470 vehicles. Maria Drive is a two-lane collector that serves primarily residential areas between Washington Street and McDowell Boulevard, with a posted speed limit of 25 mph. The has designated this roadway as a future Class III bikeway between Washington Street and McDowell Boulevard in the project vicinity (see Illustration 2). Based on TJKM engineering experience that weekday p.m. peak traffic represents approximately 10 percent of average daily trips, it is estimated that the weekday ADT on this roadway is approximately 3,530 vehicles. Pedestrian and Transit Accessibility Currently, there are sidewalks along both sides of Washington Street, McDowell Boulevard and Maria Drive in the project vicinity, and would be unchanged with the project s implementation. The proposed project is not expected to generate significant pedestrian traffic from the adjacent neighborhood. All the study intersections except for the project driveway intersection have crosswalks and pedestrian signals that provide controlled access to the project site. However, wheelchair curb ramps are provided at the project driveway to facilitate wheelchair access across the driveway opening. Page 8
Illustration 2: designated bikeway system (existing and proposed) Source: Sonoma County Authority (http://www.sctainfo.org/bike_main_files/petaluma_map.htm) Level of Service Analysis Weekday peak-hour turning movement counts at the study intersections were conducted in May 2013 when local schools were in session. At the direction of City staff, TJKM additionally collected Saturday counts on April 5, 2014 between the peak period of 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., during which Safeway fuel center vehicle traffic typically peaks based on historical Safeway fuel center transaction data. This Saturday count also occurred on the same day of Petaluma little league baseball games at the baseball field on Maria Drive across from the Safeway shopping center. The purpose of the Saturday count and analysis was to provide a baseline for documenting how weekend level of service traffic conditions compare to weekday conditions. Figure 3 illustrates the peak hour turning movement volumes at the study intersections. The a.m. peak hour traffic volume is the highest peak hour (any continuous 60 minutes) traffic between the 7 and 9 a.m. peak period. Similarly, the p.m. peak hour traffic volume is the highest peak hour traffic within the 4 and 6 p.m. peak period, and the Saturday peak hour represents the highest one hour of traffic between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. The collected traffic counts and lane geometries are provided in Appendix B. Table I summarizes the results of the intersection analysis under Existing Conditions. The detailed LOS calculations (TRAFFIX output) are contained in Appendix C. Under Existing Conditions, all study intersections are expected to operate at an acceptable service level (LOS D or better) during all three peak hours (weekday a.m., weekday p.m., and Saturday midday). Page 9
Table I: Intersection LOS Existing Conditions ID Intersection Control 1 2 3 4 5 6 Washington Street/US 101 SB Ramps Washington Street/US 101 NB Ramps* Washington Street/McDowell Boulevard Washington Street/Maria Drive McDowell Boulevard/Maria Drive Maria Drive/Project Driveway Note: A.M. Peak Hour P.M. Peak Hour Saturday Peak Hour Average Delay (sec/veh) LOS Average Delay (sec/veh) LOS Average Delay (sec/veh) Signal 28.1 C 25.1 C 26.5 C Signal 11.7 B 13.9 B 9.6 A Signal 35.3 D 35.2 D 47.4 D Signal 21.6 C 22.4 C 26.5 C Signal 11.6 B 12.4 B 13.3 B One-Way Stop 9.2 A 10.2 B 11.2 B Average Delay = Average intersection delay in seconds/vehicle for Signalized intersection or minor street approach delay for One-Way Stop Control; LOS = Level of Service; *- The freeway interchange intersections, US-101/Washington Street Southbound and Northbound ramps, are currently undergoing planned lane improvements. As of the first week of October 2013, partial lane improvements are complete and open for public use at the US-101 northbound ramp intersection and the northbound on-ramp traffic direction from the east side of Washington Street is now a right-turn movement, a noticeable improvement. The previous northbound (westbound right turn) on-ramp traffic was a critical left-turn movement. Thus, volume adjustments were made to May 2013 traffic counts to show the current turn movements at this intersection for all the study scenarios. Also, Saturday counts were taken on April 5, 2014, when these interchange improvements were already in place. LOS Page 10
Safeway Fuel Center Traffic Study Existing Lane Geometry and Turning Movement Volumes Figure 3 Intersection #1 Washington Street/US-101 SB Ramps Intersection #2 Washington Street/US-101 NB Ramps Intersection #3 Washington Street/McDowell Blvd. Intersection #4 Washington Street/Maria Drive 198 (278) [249] 2 (2) [3] 278 (285) [324] 794 (968) {1,177] 434 (267) [297] 1,359 (1,323) [1,553] 75 (181) [156] 284 (524) [405] 445 (598) [615] 117 (134) [117] 610 (467) [594] 117 (31) [38] 44 (64) [47] 396 (509) [418] 270 (301) [340] 23 (19) [22] 56 (33) [47] 107 (85) [115] 18 (34) [21] 727 (570) [680] 34 (30) [26] 34 (41) [31] 28 (41) [29] 28 (16) [33] 790 (1,061) [1,249] 150 (100) [172] 792 (1,039) [1,191] 207 (308) [293] 243 (441) [247] 113 (155) [181] 443 (526) [561] 390 (676) [610] 205 (285) [222] 49 (167) [130] 342 (614) [713] 27 (47) [34] Intersection #5 McDowell Blvd./Maria Drive Intersection #6 Maria Drive/Project Driveway 41 (76) [38] 363 (503) [396] 31 (43) [23] 48 (36) [44] 7 (18) [10] 8 (9) [10] 56 (74) [84] 12 (17) [12] 95 (133) [121] 87 (143) [103] 528 (615) [518] 24 (13) [5] 14 (52) [44] 54 (106) [98] 47 (77) [57] 92 (164) [97] 16 (13) [22] 85 (99) [145] MARIA DR. SONOMA MOUNTAIN PKWY. WASHINGTON ST. ELY BLVD. 4 McDOWELL BLVD. 2 3 Project Site 6 DR. MARIA 5 ELLIS ST. 1 PAYRAN ST. KENILWORTH DR. 101 KENILWORTH DR. 116 LEGEND XX (XX) [XX] Existing Study Intersection Traffic Signal Stop Sign AM Peak Hour Trips PM Peak Hour Trips Saturday Peak Hour Trips N O R T H Not to Scale 77-070 T3-4/18/14 - AK
Existing plus Project Conditions This Scenario is identical to Existing Conditions, but with the estimated project traffic from the proposed Safeway fuel center development added to Existing Conditions. Safeway will own and operate the proposed service station in conjunction with its on-site grocery store. As proposed by the project applicant Safeway, the project will include the following: Safeway would seek a permit for proposed hours of operation between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. daily. The proposed project consists of eight fuel pumps with16 fuel positions that dispense multiproduct fuel categories (both diesel and gasoline). The fuel pump area will be covered by a canopy with a directional entry parallel to Maria Drive. The project would include a 697 square feet convenience store kiosk adjacent to the fuel center canopy. As per the site plan, the project applicant proposes six parking spaces at the fuel center, which includes an accessible parking space. Project Trip Generation Proposed project trip generation was estimated based on rates provided in Trip Generation, 9 th Edition, published by the Institute of Engineers (ITE), as well as field surveys of two existing Bay Area Safeway fuel centers that are substantially similar in terms of the proposed Petaluma fuel center s size, hours of operation, circulation layout, adjacent grocery store size, and suburban shopping plaza setting. The two existing fuel centers observed in Pleasant Hill and Campbell represent the highest traffic-generating facilities for Safeway. Table II shows the expected project trip generation for the proposed Petaluma Safeway fuel center for typical weekday a.m. and p.m. peak hours. The table shows ITE trip generation rate estimates for a gas station with a convenience market (land use category 945) and TJKM survey data of two Safeway fuel center locations. TJKM experience has found that the ITE trip estimates for gas stations are typically lower than field observed rates at discount fuel centers such as Safeway. Therefore, weekday p.m. rates for the Petaluma project were calculated based on an average of the two existing Safeway fuel centers p.m. trip rates ((15.88+18.5)/2=17.19). Similarly, TJKM calculated a conservative weekday a.m. trip rate for Petaluma by multiplying ITE a.m. rates by a ratio of the calculated p.m. average rate to ITE p.m. rates (10.26*17.19/13.51=13.1). Based on these composite weekday a.m. and p.m. trip rates, the proposed project is expected to generate 210 trips (105 inbound and 105 outbound trips) during the a.m. peak hour and 276 trips (138 inbound and 138 outbound) during the p.m. peak hour. Table III shows expected trip generation at the Petaluma site based on a field survey of typical Saturday demand at the Safeway fuel center site in Campbell, which is substantially similar in operation to the proposed Petaluma facility. Based on this field survey, the proposed project is expected to generate 336 trips (168 inbound and 168 outbound) during a typical Saturday peak hour. It should be noted that for both the weekday and weekend trip generation estimates, no deductions or discounts were taken due to the replacement of existing land uses at the project site for the purposes of developing a conservative traffic analysis. It should also be noted that no trip discounts were taken for either the internal trips within the shopping center or pass-by trips to the fuel center to maintain a conservative traffic analysis. The peak period estimated discounts due to Page 12
internal and pass-by trips could be in the range of 10 to 20 percent of peak hour trips, meaning that new vehicle trip generation from the Petaluma fuel center could amount to 10-20 percent less than the conservative trip estimates provided. In addition, this conservative trip estimate accounts for the occasional fluctuations in fuel center trips at the end of month when customers cash in expiring promotional fuel points. Table II: Project Trip Generation (Weekday Peak Hours) ITE & TJKM Surveys Source Gasoline/Service Station with Convenience Market (945) 1 Campbell Safeway fuel center (5-day average) 2 Pleasant Hill Safeway fuel center Size PM Peak Rate: Average of TJKM survey data i.e., 17.19 trips/position & AM Peak Rate: Weighted per PM Peak average rate AM Peak Hour (between 7 and 9 a.m.) Rate (trips/position) In Out Total PM Peak Hour (between 4 and 6 p.m.) Rate (trips/position) In Out Total 16 positions 10.26 82 82 164 13.51 108 108 216 16 Positions 10.25 82 82 164 15.88 127 127 254 12 positions - NA NA NA 18.50 111 111 222 13.10 17.19 Proposed Project Petaluma Safeway fuel center Notes: 16 Positions 13.10 105 105 210 17.19 138 138 276 1 Source - ITE Trip Generation Manual, 9 th Edition, 2012; Land Use Type (Land Use Code); 2 Campbell Safeway fuel center 5-day transaction data and TJKM weekday survey NA = not available (not surveyed) Page 13
Table III: Project Trip Generation (Saturday Peak Hour) TJKM Survey Source Campbell Safeway fuel center (field survey) 1 Size Saturday Peak Hour (between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.) Rate In Out Total (trips/position) 16 Positions 21.0 168 168 336 Prop. Project Notes: Petaluma Safeway fuel 16 Positions 21.0 168 168 336 center 2 1 Trip generation based on Campbell Safeway fuel center field survey on Saturday, April 5, 2014, confirmed through review of site transaction data. 2 ITE Saturday trip generation data for Land Use Code 945 (Gasoline/Service Station with Convenience Market) not available; thus field surveys for Campbell Safeway Fuel Center used as a basis for Petaluma Saturday trip estimate. Project Trip Distribution and Assignment Trip distribution assumptions for the proposed project were based on consultation with City of Petaluma staff, existing travel patterns, and knowledge of the study area. Traffic from the proposed project is expected to travel to and from the site according to the distribution assumptions shown in Figure 4 and described below for both weekday and weekend peak hours: 5 percent will travel to/from the north via US 101 southbound ramps 15 percent will travel to/from the south via US 101 northbound ramps 20 percent will travel to/from the north via McDowell Boulevard 15 percent will travel to/from the east via Washington Street 10 percent will travel to/from the west via Washington Street 15 percent will travel to/from the north via Sonoma Mountain Parkway 10 percent will travel to/from the east via Ely Boulevard 5 percent will travel to/from the south via McDowell Boulevard 3 percent will travel to/from the west via Lakeville Street neighborhood 2 percent will travel to/from the south via Park Lane neighborhood Level of Service Analysis Figure 5 illustrates the Existing plus Project turning movement volumes. The results of the LOS analysis are summarized in Table IV and detailed calculations are provided in Appendix D. With the addition of project trips, all the study intersections are expected to operate at acceptable levels of service (LOS D or better) during both weekday and weekend peak hours. Given that intersection service levels on Saturdays are expected to be very similar to weekday conditions, it is expected that future year Saturday conditions would also be very similar to corresponding future year weekday conditions, and therefore no additional future year Saturday analysis was conducted. For the purpose of maintaining a conservative traffic analysis, all project traffic is assumed to enter and exit the project site via the two-way Maria Drive site driveway located closest to the fuel center to estimate worst-case level of service. This assumption is considered conservative (worst- Page 14
case) since in reality trips would distribute to multiple existing driveways at the shopping center. TJKM expects that approximately 40 percent of the project peak hour trips (55 inbound and 55 outbound trips) would access via Maria Drive, 30 percent (42 inbound and 42 outbound trips) would access via McDowell Boulevard and 30 percent (42 inbound and 42 outbound trips) would access via Washington Street. Table IV: Intersection LOS Existing plus Project Conditions ID Intersection Control 1 2 3 Washington Street/US 101 SB Ramps Washington Street/US 101 NB Ramps Washington Street/McDowell Boulevard A.M. Peak Hour P.M. Peak Hour Saturday Peak Hour Average Delay (sec/veh) LOS Average Delay (sec/veh) LOS Average Delay (sec/veh) Signal 28.3 C 25.6 C 26.9 C Signal 11.8 B 14.0 B 9.7 A Signal 35.6 D 35.8 D 50.3 D 4 Washington Street/Maria Drive Signal 25.0 C 26.8 C 32.4 C 5 McDowell Boulevard/Maria Drive Signal 15.2 B 15.6 B 17.9 B One-Way 6 Maria Drive/Project Driveway 10.4 A 13.4 B 21.4 C Stop Note: Average Delay = Average intersection delay in seconds/vehicle for Signalized intersection or minor street approach delay for One-Way Stop Control; LOS = Level of Service LOS Page 15
Safeway Fuel Center Traffic Study Proposed Project Trip Distribution and Assignment Assumptions Figure 4 Intersection #1 Washington Street/US-101 SB Ramps Intersection #2 Washington Street/US-101 NB Ramps Intersection #3 Washington Street/McDowell Blvd. Intersection #4 Washington Street/Maria Drive 14 (18) [22] 5 (7) [8] 35 (46) [55] 21 (28) [34] 16 (21) [25] 21 (28) [34] 35 (46) [55] 16 (21) [25] 26 (35) [46] 14 (18) [22] 29 (39) [47] 5 (7) [8] 35 (46) [55] 26 (35) [46] 16 (21) [25] Intersection #5 McDowell Blvd./Maria Drive Intersection #6 Maria Drive/Project Driveway 56 (73) [89] 56 (73) [89] 5 (7) [8] 44 (58) [71] 61 (80) [97] 44 (58) [71] 5 (7) [8] 61 (80) [97] SONOMA MOUNTAIN PKWY. WASHINGTON ST. 15% MARIA DR. ELY BLVD. 10% 20% 15% 4 McDOWELL BLVD. ELLIS ST. 2 3 Project Site 6 DR. MARIA 2% 15% 1 5% 5 5% PAYRAN ST. 10% KENILWORTH DR. 3% KENILWORTH DR. 101 116 LEGEND Existing Study Intersection XX AM Peak Hour Volumes (XX) PM Peak Hour Volumes [XX] Saturday Peak Hour Volumes Trip Distribution N O R T H Not to Scale 77-070 T3-4/18/14 - AK
Safeway Fuel Center Traffic Study Existing plus Project Turning Movement Volumes Figure 5 Intersection #1 Washington Street/US-101 SB Ramps Intersection #2 Washington Street/US-101 NB Ramps Intersection #3 Washington Street/McDowell Blvd. Intersection #4 Washington Street/Maria Drive 214 (299) [274] 2 (2) [3] 278 (285) [324] 808 (986) [1,199] 439 (274) [305] 1,394 (1,369) [1,608] 75 (181) [156] 305 (552) [439] 445 (598) [615] 117 (134) [117] 610 (467) [594] 117 (31) [38] 44 (64) [47] 417 (537) [452] 305 (347) [395] 23 (19) [22] 72 (54) [72] 107 (85) [115] 18 (34) [21] 727 (570) [680] 60 (65) [68] 60 (76) [73] 44 (62) [54] 28 (16) [33] 804 (1,079) [1,271] 150 (100) [172] Intersection #5 McDowell Blvd./Maria Drive 821 (1,078) [1,238] 207 (308) [293] 248 (448) [255] 113 (155) [181] Intersection #6 Maria Drive/Project Driveway 443 (526) [561] 390 (676) [610] 240 (331) [277] 49 (167) [130] 342 (614) [713] 27 (47) [34] 97 (149) [127] 363 (503) [396] 31 (43) [23] 48 (36) [44] 7 (18) [10] 8 (9) [10] 112 (147) [173] 12 (17) [12] 100 (140) [129] 92 (150) [111] 528 (615) [518] 24 (13) [5] 58 (110) [115] 115 (186) [195] 108 (157) [154] 92 (164) [97] 60 (71) [93] 85 (99) [145] MARIA DR. SONOMA MOUNTAIN PKWY. WASHINGTON ST. ELY BLVD. 4 McDOWELL BLVD. 2 3 Project Site 6 DR. MARIA 5 ELLIS ST. 1 PAYRAN ST. KENILWORTH DR. 101 KENILWORTH DR. 116 LEGEND XX (XX) [XX] Existing Study Intersection Traffic Signal Stop Sign AM Peak Hour Trips PM Peak Hour Trips Saturday Peak Hour Trips N O R T H Not to Scale 77-070 T3-4/18/14 - AK
Project Access and Circulation Project Access Access to the project site is via any of the two project driveways located along Maria Drive, two driveways along McDowell Boulevard and the farthest driveway access via Washington Street. To access the fuel center area, most patrons are expected to enter from either Maria Drive or McDowell Boulevard. Project Circulation The proposed fuel center is designed to achieve efficient circulation flow through the station, which minimizes the conflicts between the fuel pump bound traffic and fuel delivery trucks. The project site plan shows two rows of pumps with a directional traffic flow parallel to Maria Drive. Based on the site plan review, TJKM expects that the waiting area outside the fuel canopy could stack a minimum of 12 passenger vehicles, i.e., three vehicles per each aisle not including the vehicles at each of the pumps. The fuel pumps are spaced 25 feet from each other and the pump spacing could position and accommodate simultaneous re-fueling of full-size pickup trucks or sport utility vehicles (SUV). There is a spacing of approximately 36 feet between the rows of pump islands and this spacing would be adequate for the vehicles to either reach a pump or leave a pump to exit the station without the need to wait for vehicles ahead to leave the fuel positions. Once vehicles pullout of fuel positions, they can either exit the fuel center towards Maria Drive/McDowell Boulevard intersection via a right-out-only driveway on Maria Drive or exit via any of the other project driveways located along Maria Drive, McDowell Boulevard and Washington Street. Thus, there are several access driveway options for the vehicles to enter or leave the fuel center. Based on the estimated trip generation rates provided previously, the vehicle ingress/egress at the project site driveways is not expected to cause any significant queuing. Based on the field observations at a representative Safeway fuel center location in the City of Campbell, TJKM highly recommends employing fuel ambassadors (Safeway employees) to direct the arriving vehicles to the vacant fuel pumps to reduce the potential queuing and potential blocking of the project driveway. At the Campbell Safeway fuel center (with 16 fuel positions), TJKM observed a maximum queue of six vehicles during typical weekday peak hours and maximum 12 vehicles during typical weekend peak hours with fuel ambassadors facilitating efficient traffic flow and fuel pump use. Illustration 3 shows how up to 12 vehicles would queue (up to three in each lane) behind the fuel pumps. As TJKM has generally observed in the field at existing sites, Safeway s existing fuel centers typically have an even distribution of queues behind each fuel island because the fuel ambassadors actively direct fuel customers to the next open fuel pump. In addition, customers can fuel their cars from either side regardless of their fuel tank opening locations as Safeway provides extra-long fuel pump hoses. Collectively, these features enable the most efficient utilization of all fuel positions and minimize the occurrence of empty fuel positions during peak periods. At the Campbell site, it should be noted that the observed queue never exceeded the stacking area provided during all peak periods. The vehicle stacking area behind the pumps and the alignment of fuel pumps at the Campbell location match with the proposed fuel center site plan at Petaluma. Thus, it is expected that the queue conditions and service rate at the proposed project site would be similar to the Campbell location, which is a maximum of six vehicles during the p.m. peak hour and 12 vehicles during the weekend peak hour. The maximum queues are expected to be Page 18
distributed evenly over multiple islands and thus are not expected to extend into the adjacent site driveway. Consequently, minimal spillover, if any, is expected onto Maria Drive and the upstream Maria Drive / S. McDowell Boulevard Intersection. TJKM recommends one-way entry pavement striping and DO NOT ENTER signage at the fuel center exit only location nearest the Maria Drive / S. McDowell Boulevard Intersection. In addition, a DO NOT BLOCK pavement legend is recommended along the project driveway at the entering approaches to the fuel center waiting area to alleviate potential blocking. With such signage and striping, any latent demand related to the fuel center is expected to proceed through the project driveways if the vehicles do not wish to enter the fuel center waiting area during the peak hours. Illustration 3: Vehicle entrance stacking area and exit only location (latter is nearest Maria Drive / S. McDowell Boulevard Intersection) Page 19
Proximity of Eastside Transit Center (ETC) to the Safeway Fuel Center TJKM understands that the Eastside Transit Center, located along the curbed area between the two project driveways on Maria Drive, is one of the busiest bus stops in the City and is adjacent to the proposed fuel center. Four lines on Petaluma Transit (2, 3, 11, and 33) operate at half-hour and hourly headways and stop at ETC. Petaluma Transit has scheduled the lines such that in most cases they will converge at ETC every 30 minutes to enable timed transfers. Based on TJKM field review, these transfers can include up to three buses lining up simultaneously at ETC. TJKM observations also indicate that sometimes the buses park at the bus stop for an extended period, possibly due to break time for bus drivers. A significant number of passengers at the bus stop area either boarded or disembarked a bus to visit the shopping center. Due to the expected increase in traffic volumes entering and exiting the Safeway site due to the proposed fuel center, TJKM assessed the sight distance triangle for the exiting passenger vehicles. The field measurement shows a sight distance of only 60 feet when the buses are parked, which is a current condition. As shown in Illustration 4 below, a safe stopping sight distance of 155 feet is required for a roadway with a 25 miles per hour posted speed limit. Illustration 4: Existing sight distance triangle on Maria Drive at Project Driveway To achieve minimum sight distance requirements at the project driveway adjacent to the fuel center, the project applicant proposes a bus turn out area recessed into the shopping center site. This turn out area would provide a refuge for buses that is out of the line of sight of drivers exiting and entering the project driveways. The proposed design of the transit center turn out bus bay, as shown in Illustration 5, meets minimum sight distance requirements of 155 feet (as shown by red triangles and per AASHTO design standards). As the graphic shows, a turn out bay with 12.5 feet Page 20
recessed width will be provided, which will require reconstruction of sidewalk and other transit center related facilities such as bus shelters and benches. The design of the bus bay will enable three 40-foot buses to park inline with 10-foot spacing in between. Illustration 5: AASHTO sight distance triangle on Maria Drive at Project Driveway with Proposed Bus Bay Layout It should also be noted that during the a.m. peak hour, there are elementary school-bound pedestrians walking across the McDowell Boulevard/Maria Drive intersection in the project vicinity. As the proposed project would not be expected to impact existing local pedestrian facilities, the expected traffic increase due to the proposed project during the a.m. peak hour that coincides with the school peak is not expected to impact pedestrian safety. Page 21
Illustration 6: Bus stop waiting area at Eastside Transit Center along Maria Drive Illustration 7: Typical bus stacking at the Eastside Transit Center (ETC) Page 22
Fuel Truck Delivery Path at the Safeway Fuel Center The fuel delivery trucks to the project site are expected to make one morning delivery between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. and a second delivery after 8:00 p.m. daily. The site plan shown below illustrates a typical fuel delivery truck (with a trailer) ingress and egress path using the AutoCAD/AutoTurn software package. As shown in Illustration 8 below, there are no apparent issues or conflicts with the truck ingress or egress pathway. Illustration 8: Fuel truck circulation through proposed fuel center site Source: Safeway, Inc. Page 23
Existing plus Approved (Background) Conditions This scenario is similar to Existing Conditions, but with the addition of traffic from approved developments within the site vicinity. Approved projects consist of developments that are under construction, are built but not fully occupied, or are not built but have final development approval from the City. Based on recent communication with the City staff, the following approved projects are expected to generate some traffic through the study intersections: 1. Oil Stop (Quick lubrication and automated carwash) 2. Deer Creek Village (Shopping center) 3. East Washington Place (Shopping center) 4. Park Square (Residential condos & Shopping center) 5. North River Landing (Apartments, Assisted living & Shopping center) 6. North McDowell Commons (Single Family Residential) 7. Celsius 44 (Residential condos/townhomes) 8. Quarry Heights (Single-family detached) 9. Logan Place (Apartments) 10. Kelgren Senior Housing (Senior adult housing) 11. Addison Ranch (Apartment Complex) 12. Maria Drive (Apartment Complex) 13. Vintage Chateau 14. Lindberg Circle Level of Service Analysis Figure 6 illustrates the Existing plus Approved (Background) turning movement volumes and Table V summarizes the results of the intersection analysis. The detailed LOS calculations are contained in Appendix E. All study intersections are expected to continue to operate at acceptable conditions (LOS D or better) under Background Conditions, except for the Washington Street/McDowell Boulevard intersection (LOS E during the p.m. peak hour). Table V: Intersection LOS Existing plus Approved (Background) Conditions ID Intersection Control 1 Washington Street/US 101 SB Ramps A.M. Peak Hour Average Delay LOS (sec/veh) P.M. Peak Hour Average Delay LOS (sec/veh) Signal 30.4 C 34.5 C 2 3 Washington Street/US 101 NB Ramps Washington Street/McDowell Boulevard Signal 11.9 B 15.3 B Signal 38.2 D 60.2 E 4 Washington Street/Maria Drive Signal 29.1 C 33.3 C 5 McDowell Boulevard/Maria Drive Signal 13.5 B 14.2 B 6 Maria Drive/Project Driveway One-Way Stop 9.7 A 11.4 B Note: Average Delay = Average intersection delay in seconds/vehicle for Signalized intersection or minor street approach delay for One-Way Stop Control; LOS = Level of Service Page 24
Safeway Fuel Center Traffic Study Existing plus Approved Turning Movement Volumes Figure 6 Intersection #1 Washington Street/US-101 SB Ramps Intersection #2 Washington Street/US-101 NB Ramps Intersection #3 Washington Street/McDowell Blvd. Intersection #4 Washington Street/Maria Drive 986 (1,397) 469 (307) 1,636 (1,913) 195 (305) 729 (712) 117 (31) 18 (34) 830 (819) 43 (65) 128 (364) 300 (584) 536 (862) 44 (64) 429 (558) 337 (383) 23 (19) 62 (53) 170 (236) 60 (65) 43 (55) 61 (33) 231 (366) 2 (2) 314 (373) 979 (1,555) 161 (129) 1,006 (1,601) 207 (308) 260 (492) 125 (184) 547 (781) 484 (926) 239 (393) 102 (321) 429 (868) 33 (71) Intersection #5 McDowell Blvd./Maria Drive Intersection #6 Maria Drive/Project Driveway 59 (141) 395 (607) 31 (43) 102 (114) 12 (17) 121 (183) 48 (36) 7 (18) 8 (9) 118 (190) 583 (706) 24 (13) 14 (52) 54 (106) 47 (77) 141 (275) 16 (13) 158 (189) SONOMA MOUNTAIN PKWY. WASHINGTON ST. ELY BLVD. MARIA DR. 4 McDOWELL BLVD. 2 3 Project Site 6 DR. MARIA 5 ELLIS ST. 1 PAYRAN ST. KENILWORTH DR. 101 KENILWORTH DR. 116 LEGEND XX (XX) Existing Study Intersection Traffic Signal Stop Sign AM Peak Hour Trips PM Peak Hour Trips N O R T H Not to Scale 77-070 T1-4/18/14 - AK
Background (Existing plus Approved) plus Project Conditions This Scenario is identical to the Existing plus Approved Conditions, but with added traffic from the proposed project development. Level of Service Analysis Figure 7 illustrates the Existing plus Approved plus Project turning movement volumes. The results of the LOS analysis are summarized in Table VI and detailed calculations are provided in Appendix F. With the addition of project trips, all of the study intersections are expected to operate at essentially the same level of service as Background Conditions with a slight increase in average delay. The LOS E condition at the Washington Street / McDowell Boulevard intersection is expected to remain, with only four seconds expected increase in average delay, which in consultation with City staff was determined to not be significant, consistent with TJKM experience in multiple Bay Area jurisdictions. Therefore, the LOS E condition is not considered an adverse project-related impact. Table VI: Intersection LOS Background plus Project Conditions ID Intersection Control 1 2 3 4 5 6 Note: A.M. Peak Hour Average Delay (sec/veh) LOS P.M. Peak Hour Average Delay (sec/veh) Washington Street/US 101 SB Ramps Signal 30.6 C 35.7 C Washington Street/US 101 NB Ramps Signal 12.1 B 15.8 B Washington Street/McDowell Boulevard Signal 38.6 D 64.2 E Washington Street/Maria Drive Signal 31.8 C 37.7 D McDowell Boulevard/Maria Drive Signal 16.4 B 16.9 B Maria Drive/Project Driveway One-Way Stop 11.3 B 17.1 C Average Delay = Average intersection delay in seconds/vehicle for Signalized intersection or minor street approach delay for One-Way Stop Control; LOS = Level of Service LOS Page 26
Safeway Fuel Center Traffic Study Background plus Project Turning Movement Volumes Figure 7 Intersection #1 Washington Street/US-101 SB Ramps 1,000 (1,415) 474 (314) Intersection #2 Washington Street/US-101 NB Ramps 1,670 (1,958) Intersection #3 Washington Street/McDowell Blvd. 195 (305) 729 (712) 117 (31) Intersection #4 Washington Street/Maria Drive 18 (34) 830 (819) 69 (100) 128 (364) 321 (612) 536 (862) 44 (64) 450 (585) 372 (429) 23 (19) 78 (74) 170 (236) 87 (100) 59 (76) 61 (33) 247 (387) 2 (2) 314 (373) 993 (1,573) 161 (129) 1,036 (1,639) 207 (308) 266 (499) 125 (184) 547 (781) 484 (926) 273 (438) 102 (321) 429 (868) 33 (71) Intersection #5 McDowell Blvd./Maria Drive Intersection #6 Maria Drive/Project Driveway 115 (214) 395 (607) 31 (43) 158 (187) 12 (17) 127 (190) 48 (36) 7 (18) 8 (9) 124 (197) 583 (706) 24 (13) 58 (110) 115 (186) 108 (157) 141 (275) 60 (71) 158 (189) SONOMA MOUNTAIN PKWY. WASHINGTON ST. ELY BLVD. MARIA DR. 4 McDOWELL BLVD. 2 3 Project Site 6 DR. MARIA 5 ELLIS ST. 1 PAYRAN ST. KENILWORTH DR. 101 KENILWORTH DR. 116 LEGEND XX (XX) Existing Study Intersection Traffic Signal Stop Sign AM Peak Hour Trips PM Peak Hour Trips N O R T H Not to Scale 77-070 T1-4/18/14 - AK