HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-05-06; Traffic Safety Commission; ; UPDATE ON THE TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION WORK PLANItem # 2
Meeting Date: May 6, 2019
To: Traffic Safety Commission
Staff Contact: Marshall Plantz, Transportation Director
marshall.plantz@carlsbadca.gov or 760-602-2766
Subject: Update on the Traffic Safety Commission Work Plan
Recommended Action
Receive a presentation updating the Traffic Safety Commission (TSC) on the development of the
work plan and revisions to the associated sections of the Carlsbad Municipal Code (Code).
Background
City Council approved Resolution No. 2018-052 on April 17, 2018 affirming the following City
Council goal:
By April 2019, amend the duties of the Traffic Safety Commission to include
advising the City Council on matters related to implementation of the General Plan
Mobility Element.
In response to this goal staff is preparing a draft work plan, as required in Code Section
2.15.020 as adopted by the City Council on July 14, 2018, for review and consideration by the
TSC that amends the duties to include advising the City Council on matters related to the
implementation of the General Plan Mobility Element. At the March and April 2019 TSC
meetings, staff solicited input on the work plan. In conjunction with the work plan staff will also
prepare draft revisions to the applicable sections of the Code.
Discussion
In advance of presenting the draft work plan and Code update, staff will provide a presentation
reviewing past TSC activities and an overview the General Plan Mobility Element.
To identify the character of the work completed by the TSC in the recent past staff reviewed the
meetings since 2014. During this time frame the TSC has considered a variety of items which
can be characterized as being related to Engineering, Enforcement and Education topics. Many
of these items were for information and feedback and a smaller set were for action. The action
items typically recommended that the TSC approve staff’s recommendation that the City
Council approve a plan, a speed limit, or a traffic control device. The following table
summarizes the work by the TSC from 2014 to today:
The General Plan is the city’s long-term blueprint for the city’s vision of future growth
that reflects community priorities and values. A mobility element (also referred to as a
circulation element) is one of the mandatory components of a general plan. The
mobility element is not simply a transportation plan, but rather a strategy addressing
infrastructure needs for the circulation of people and goods. By statute, the mobility
element must correlate directly with other general plan components including the land
use element that promotes the thoughtful, equitable, and accessible distribution of
different land uses including residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, and open
space. By aligning with the land use element, the provisions of a mobility element will
affect a community’s physical, social, and economic environment, as well as its health.
Key features of the Mobility Element are the introduction of the multimodal transportation
system concept and the livable/complete streets approach that balances the needs of all users
of the street. As a result, the Mobility Element defines a set of roadway typologies that are
assigned to streets throughout the city.
The General Plan includes goals and policies to guide and implementation. The attached
Mobility Element includes a set of seven goals and thirty policies which provide guidance for
implementing the Element and as such they can provide a roadmap for developing the TSC
work plan.
Necessary Council Action
None at this time.
Next Steps
Staff will prepare a draft work plan and draft revisions to the Code for review and consideration
by the Traffic Safety Commission. Once the work plan and Code changes are finalized they will
be presented to City Council for approval.
Number of Items
Year # of Meetings Action Administrative Info./Feedback Total
2014 6 4 2 6 12
2015 7 3 2 10 15
2016 9 9 4 17 30
2017 9 9 3 23 35
2018 8 7 1 15 23
2019 to date 5 1 1 12 14
Totals 44 33 13 83 129
Exhibits
1. General Plan Mobility Element
The Mobility Element seeks to enhance vehicle,
walking, bicycling, and public transportation
systems options within Carlsbad, and improve
mobility through increased connectivity and
intelligent transportation management.
Increasing transportation options and improving
connectivity within the city are core values
of the Carlsbad Community Vision and
also support other core values of the vision,
including sustainability, access to recreation
and active, healthy lifestyles, and neighborhood
revitalization .
__ City of Carlsbad
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This element provides a short context for
Carlsbad's existing mobility system, identifies
how that system was developed, and
communicates the current vision for the future
of mobility within the city. Topics addressed
include:
• Livable Streets
0 Multi;Modal Levels of Service
0 Walking
0 Bicycling
0 Transit
• Connectivity to Support Mobility
• Parking
• Transportation Demand Management
• Traffic Signal Management
• Freight and Goods Movement and
• Innovation in Transportation Mobility
3.1 Introduction
Background and Purpose
Much of Carlsbad's transportation system has developed within the last
30 years, concurrent with the city's physical expansion. The transportation
emphasis during this period has been on improving travel by the automobile,
within the framework provided by Proposition E (commonly referred to.as the
Growth Management Plan) passed by Carlsbad voters in 1986. The 1994 General
Plan and the Growth Management Plan helped assure that infrastructure was
provided in a systematic fashion as the city grew and developed.
The transportation system envisioned in the 1994 General Plan has largely
been realized, with the majority of the street infrastructure constructed to its
ultimate configuration. As the city looks increasingly to infill development
rather than outward expansion, the primary transportation issues relate to pro-
tecting and enhancing the community's quality oflife, as reflected in the core
values of the Carlsbad Community Vision. The community's vision includes
better pedestrian and bicycle connections between neighborhoods, destina-
tions, and different parts of the community, and a balanced transportation
system rather than a singular focus on automobile movement.
In recent years, the city has· been taking steps to support complete and livable
streets. In January 2012, the City Council identified complete and livable streets
as a top strategic focus area for the city. In February 2013, the city completed
a Livable Streets Assessment report that reframes potential challenges into .
opportunities, based on best practices in other jurisdictions wrestling with
similar challenges. In 2C>11-2013 the city implemented a traffic signal program
to better serve and manage motorists and connect traffic signals throughout the
city. This element focuses on providing livable streets that improve mobility and
connectivity for all users of the transportation system.
Relationship to State Law
California state law ( Government Code Section 65032(b)) requires that a general
plan include a circulation element that consists of "the _general location and
extent of existing and proposed major thoroughfares, transportation routes,
terminals ... and other local public utilities and facilities, all correlated with the
land use element of the [general] plan." This Mobility Element includes all infor-
mation required of circulation elements, except that the location and extent
of "other local public utilities and facilities" is addressed in the Public Safety
Element.
Additionally, in 2008, the State of California passed Assembly Bill 1358, the Cal-
ifornia Complete Streets Act. This bill requires that all circulation elements
developed after January 1, 2011 include a complete streets approach that balances
the needs of all users of the street, including motorists, pedestrians, bicycles,
General Plan
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City of Carlsbad
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children, persons with disabilities, seniors, movers of commercial goods, and
users of public transportation. This Mobility Element uses the term "livable
streets" in place of "complete streets"; providing livable streets throughout the
community is the core focus of this element.
Relationship to Community Vision
While the Mobility Element responds to many of the core values of the Carlsbad
Community Vision, it most closely furthers:
Core Value 5: Walking, Biking, Public Transportation and Connectivity.
Increase travel options through enhanced walking, bicycling and public trans-
portation systems. Enhance mobility through increased connectivity and
intelligent transportation management.
Relationship to Other General Plan Elements
The Mobility Element generally focuses on mobility and connectivity of the
city's transportation system and is complementary to other elements within the
General Plan. This element was developed to support and enhance the Land Use
and Community Design Element, which has the strongest relationship to this
element.
In addition, the Mobility Element will inform future updates to the city's Bicycle
Master Plan, Pedestrian Master Plan, and Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) Transition Plan, and Trails Master Plan efforts; all of which provide a
greater level of detail related to those planning efforts compared to this element.
Furthermore, future noise contours in the Noise Element and air quality policies
in the Open Space, Conservation and Recreation Element reflect considerations
of future traffic generation, as outlined in this element.
3.2 Context: Existing
Transportation System
Currently, Carlsbad's transportation system includes streets (travel lanes,
bicycle lanes, sidewalks, etc.), trails, transit (bus and train), truck routes, and the
McClellan-Palomar airport. The existing transportation system is described
below.
Streets
The city accommodates motorists via its system of freeways, regional streets
and local streets. North/south facilities include Interstate-5, El Camino Real,
Carlsbad Boulevard, College Boulevard, Paseo del Norte, Avenida Encinas,
Rancho Santa Fe Road and Melrose Drive. East/west facilities include Carlsbad
Village Drive, Chestnut Avenue, Tamarack Avenue, Cannon Road, Faraday
Avenue, Palomar Airport Road, Poinsettia Lane, Aviara Parkway, and La Costa
Avenue. Many of these streets not only serve Carlsbad, but also provide regional
connectivity to the north county area. Although there are numerous east/west
streets through the city, major barriers interrupt connectivity -the north/
south railroad that parallels Interstate-5 and Carlsbad Boulevard, the Inter-
state-5 freeway, three lagoons, and the general rolling hill topography of the city.
While State Route 78 does not run within the city limits of Carlsbad, it provides
a regional east-west freeway just north of Carlsbad that connects with Interstate
15 in Escondido.
Many city-maintained streets provide for pedestrian and bicycle travel on such
facilities as parallel bike lanes, trails, and/or sidewalks. Walking and bicycling
environments are critical to Carlsbad's high quality of life, especially in areas
that have a high demand for those services (such as the Village area, along the
coast and near the lagoons).
Trails
Trails typically serve pedestrians and, where allowed, bicycles. Automobiles are
prohibited on trails. While the city's rolling topography can be challenging, its
open space areas, three lagoons, coastline and Mediterranean climate make it
an ideal location to provide an extensive trail system.
In April 2013, the city initiated a Trails Master Plan update. This update will
include identification of existing and proposed trails within the city that will
integrate with other transportation system elements. Additionally, the Trails
Master Plan will ensure consistency with the city's recently completed and
accepted ADA Transition Plan. The Trails Master Plan will be completed in
coordination with the Carlsbad Active Transportation Strategy, also initiated
by the city in April 2013. The Comprehensive Active Transportation Strategy
will result in a set of strategies to identify and construct livable streets solutions
for the city's street system.
General Plan
Pedestrian-attracting land uses
include lagoons (top) and the coastline
(bottom).
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City of Carlsbad
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Transit
Transit in Carlsbad includes bus service, ADA paratransit service, the
COASTER commuter rail, and Amtrak rail service; indirectly, transit service
is also provided by the Sprinter light rail system and Metrolink commuter rail.
These services are described below:
• Bus Service -Bus service is provided by the North County Transit
District (NCTD) and is referred to the BREEZE. BREEZE currently oper-
ates approximately ten bus routes within the city.
• Paratransit Service -NCTD also offers LIFT, a curb-to-curb service for
eligible disabled persons who are unable to utilize the BREEZE.
• COASTER Commuter Rail -This is a north-south commuter rail transit
service connecting north San Diego County to the City of San Diego.
Carlsbad is served by two COASTER stations, one located north of
Poinsettia Lane (just west of Interstate-5) and the other is located in the
Carlsbad Village area.
• Sprinter -This is an east-west light rail transit service connecting
Oceanside to Escondido and many educational destinations such as Mira
Costa College and California State University San Marcos. Although the
Sprinter does not run within the city limits, it is just north of Carlsbad and
connections to Carlsbad are provided via the COASTER and BREEZE
services in addition to bicycle accessibility.
• Amtrak -Amtrak is a national passenger rail service connecting San
Diego to San Luis Obispo. There are currently six Amtrak trains per day
at associated Amtrak stations in Carlsbad.
• Metrolink -Metrolink is a commuter rail service serving Los Angeles,
Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. The Orange County line
connects to the COASTER line in Oceanside.
This Mobility Element also recognizes the unique opportunity the city has
with its two COASTER stations and Amtrak stations. The city has the ability
to service regional commuting in the area via transit without requiring the use
of an automobile on north-south corridors in the city. In addition to the special
treatment of streets and connectivity in and around the transit stations, this
Mobility Element also seeks to connect people with businesses and other des-
tinations by improving the quality of bus service through coordination with
NCTD, evaluating transit quality along routes that connect to employment
areas, important destinations and transit stations, encouraging the provision of
shuttle services, and in other new innovative ways.
Although the basic regional transit backbone infrastructure has been imple-
mented within the city (discussed above), one of the biggest deterrents to transit
use is the "first mile/last mile" portion of the transit trip, which refers to the
method and ability for transit users to actually connect to their ultimate desti-
nation once they get off of the primary transit mode. This concept is also referred
to as "door-to-door" transit service, which addresses transit in a more compre-
hensive manner than "stop-to-stop." This Mobility Element further promotes
the improvement of the "first mile/last mile"/"door-to-door" transit service
through developnient incentives that incorporate and encourage shuttles and
other connectivity to and from the transit infrastructure system.
Goods Movement
The movement of goods in Carlsbad typically occurs on the rail line, freeway
and via designated truck routes within the city. This connectivity assures
that goods can be moved safely and efficiently in the city. Many of Carlsbad's
businesses and residents rely on goods movement whether for deliveries or
importing/exporting product.
Carlsbad Municipal Code Section 10.32.091 enumerates the designated and
established truck routes in Carlsbad. The designated truck routes provide access
from Interstate-5 and State Route 78 to commercial areas, the Village, business
park areas, McClellan-Palomar Airport, and points beyond the city limits.
Carlsbad streets that are designated truck routes are designed to accommodate
large vehicles.
McClellan-Palomar Airport
McClellan-Palomar Airport is a class 1 commercial service airport (pursuant
to its operating certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Administration). The
airport serves all types of scheduled operations oflarge air carrier aircraft (31
or more passenger seats), as well as small air carrier aircraft (more than nine
but less than 31 passenger seats). The airport currently serves smaller general
aviation aircraft up to larger corporate jet aircraft, and is the only airport with
an instrument landing system between Lindbergh Field (San Diego) and John
Wayne (Santa Ana) airports that can accommodate the majority of instrument
rated aircraft.
Medevac and transient helicopters also operate at the heliport/helipad located
east of the runway. The Carlsbad Municipal Code prohibits the City Council
from approving any legislative act (such as a zone change or general plan
amendment) authorizing the expansion of McClellan-Palomar Airport without
.voter approval.
General Plan
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Cit of Carlsbad
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3.3 Livable Streets Vision and
Strategies
Livable Streets
A livable streets vision is more than implementation of a state-mandated
approach during a general plan update process. It is a fundamental shift in how
the city will plan and design the street system -recognizing the street as a public
space and ensuring that the public space serves all users of the system (elderly,
children, bicycles, pedestrians, etc.) within the urban context of that system (e.g.
accounting for the adjacent land uses).
The Mobility Element is consistent with and further enhances the state and
federal requirements for complete streets by implementing a f'livable streets"
strategy. Livable streets recognize that each street within the city is unique given
its geographic setting, adjacent land uses, and the desired use of that facility.
As such, this element identifies a street typology appropriate for the uniqueness
of the street and surrounding land uses and identifies which modes of travel
(pedestrian, bicycle, vehicles, etc.) should be accommodated on that street.
The following are notable examples of how Carlsbad streets have been, or are
planned to be, developed or retrofitted to better accommodate all users of the
street system and interface appropriately with adjacent land uses:
• Streets within Bressi Ranch, the Village area, Robertson Ranch, and the
Pine Park area;
• The "road diet" along La Costa Avenue to improve safety. A road diet is a
process whereby streets are modified from (traditionally) a four-lane facility
with no turn lanes or bicycle lanes to a two-lane facility with a two-way left-
turn lane and bicycle facilities;
• Installation of the Kelly Drive crosswalk and pedestrian median island at
Kelly Elementary School;
• Pedestrian crosswalks and median improvements and rectangular rapid
flashing beacons along Carlsbad Boulevard;
• Enhancing, buffering and widening bike lanes during routine street
maintenance;
• Repurposing of Carlsbad Boulevard across Buena Vista Lagoon -reduce
the number of vehicle lanes with enhanced pedestrian and bicycle facilities
(trail, bike lanes, sidewalk);
• Installation of a roundabout at the Carlsbad Boulevard. and State Street
intersection; and
• Installation of sharrows on State Street connecting to the Coastal Rail Trail
Reach 2 through the Village. Sharrows are special pavement stencils denot-
ing that bicycles may use the lane with motorists.
• Planned traffic calming improvements, such as traffic circles, roundabouts,
and median islands, in the Barrio and Village areas.
The City of Carlsbad Livable Streets Assessment (February 2013) is a document
that benchmarks the city's position on implementing livable streets. It
documents best practices of other jurisdictions and recommends actions the
city can take to continue to implement livable streets concepts. The Carlsbad
Active Transportation Strategies study will serve as the livable streets imple-
mentation plan for the city.
While many transportation projects have historically been vehicle capacity
enhancing and traffic control focused, this Mobility Element supports a new
paradigm to evaluate each project and explore all potential solutions to enhance
the mobility for all users of the street, including vehicles, pedestrians, bikes, and
transit. Many of these projects will involve repurposing existing right-of-way
rather than acquiring and constructing new right-of-way.
General Plan
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Cit of Carlsbad
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The city's approach to provide livable streets recognizes that optimum service
levels cannot be provided for all travel modes on all streets within the city. This
is due to competing interests that arise when different travel modes mix. For
example, pedestrian friendly streets typically have slow vehicle travel speeds,
short-distance pedestrian crossings, and include some type of buffer between
the vehicle travel way and the pedestrian walkway. However, automobile
friendly streets typically have wide travel lanes, multiple turn lanes (increas-
ing the pedestrian crossing distance), and high automobile speeds. Therefore,
this Mobility Element utilizes a livable streets approach to provide a balanced
mobility system that identifies, based on the location and type of street (street
typology), the travel modes for which service levels should be enhanced and
maintained per the multi-modal level of service (MMLOS) standard specified
in the city's Citywide Facilities and Improvements Plan.
Table 3-1 describes the city's livable street typologies and Figure 3-1 depicts the
city's livable street system. Table 3-1 identifies which modes of travel are accom-
modated on each street typology and specifies, depending on the type of street,
which modes are subject to the MMLOS standard and which modes are not.
While Table 3-1 does not require a minimum level of service for some travel
modes on some types of streets, the intent is not to degrade levels of service for
any travel mode. Rather, Table 3-1 provides the city with the flexibility to provide
a balanced mobility system that meets the mobility needs of all modes and
persons of all ages and abilities; and recognizes that to do so it may not always be
possible to provide an optimum level of service for all travel modes on all streets.
The Environmental Impact Report (BIR) evaluated the transportation impacts
of the General Plan, including this Mobility Element. At the time the BIR was
prepared, the draft Mobility Element used the terms "prioritized" and "non-pri-
oritized" travel modes .to indicate whether or not a travel mode is subject to the
MMLOS standard ("prioritized'') or not subject to the standard ("non-priori-
tized''). In order to clarify the meaning and intent of those terms, this Mobility
Element was revised to indicate which modes of travel are subject to the MMLOS
standard and which modes are not, without the use of the terms "prioritized" and
"non-prioritized." Where Table 3-1 identifies that a travel mode is subject to the
MMLOS standard, the BIR evaluated such modes as "prioritized" travel modes;
and where Table 3-1 identifies that a travel mode is not subject to the MMLOS
standard, the BIR evaluated such modes as "non-prioritized" travel modes.
General Pla n
TABLE 3-1: CARLSBAD LIVABLE STREETS GUIDE
STREET TYPOLOGY AND ACCOMMODATED MODES
ACCOMMODATED SUBJECT STREET TYPOLOGY DESCRIPTION AND PREFERRED ATTRIBUTES
MODES TO MMLOS
STANDARD (YIN)
Freeways
jj;a y . High-speed facilities designed to accommodate vehicles and buses moving through the
city and region
~ y . Bicycles and pedestrians are prohibited
Arterial Streets .. y • These are the primary vehicle routes through the city for both local and regional vehicle
trips. . Designed to safely move all modes of travel while efficiently moving vehicles and buses
throughout the city.
~ N . Traffic signals shall be coordinated to optimize vehicle movements . Bicycle lanes shall be provided and can be further enhanced or complemented by other
facilities or off-street pathways . Pedestrian facilities to be provided consistent with ADA requirements
A N • Mid-block crossings should not be provided . On-street parking should be prohibited along these corridors . Vertical traffic calming techniques (such as speed tables, humps, etc.) should not be
considered
~ y . Special considerations can be considered on arterials within proximity to schools to
enhance Safe Routes to Schools for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Identity Streets
Iii;; N . These streets provide the primary access to and from the heart of the city -the Village . Designed to safely move all modes of travel while enhancing mobility for pedestrians
and bicyclists . Vehicle speeds should be managed to promote safe pedestrian and bicycle movement . No pedestrian shall cross more than five vehicular travel and/or turn lanes . In addition to ADA compliant ramps and sidewalks, sidewalks should support the adja-
cent land uses as follows:
i y -Adjacent to retail uses, modified/new sidewalks should generally be a minimum of
10 feet (12 feet preferred) in width where feasible and taking into consideration the
traffic volumes of the adjacent roadway, and allow for the land use to utilize the
sidewalk with outdoor seating and other activities
-Adjacent to residential uses, modified/new sidewalks should be a minimum of six
feet in width
Elsewhere, modified/new sidewalks should be a minimum of eight feet in width
A y . Where feasible, bicycle lanes should be provided . Vehicle speeds should complement the adjacent land uses . Bicycle parking should be provided in retail areas . Bike racks should be readily provided within the public right-of-way and encouraged on
private property . Traffic calming devices, such as curb extensions (bulbouts) or enhanced pedestrian
crossings should be considered and evaluated for implementation
~ ' N . Street furniture shall be oriented toward the businesses . Mid-block pedestrian crossings could be provided at appropriate locations (e.g. where
sight distance is adequate and speeds are appropriate) . On-street vehicle parking sh.ould be provided. In areas with high parking demand, in-
novative parking management techniques should be implemented/ considered . Pedestrians should typically be "buffered" from vehicle traffic using landscaping or
parked vehicles
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Cit of Carlsbad
TABLE 3-1: CARLSBAD LIVABLE STREETS GUIDE
STREET TYPOLOGY AND ACCOMMODATED MODES
ACCOMMODATED SUBJECT STREET TYPOLOGY DESCRIPTION AND PREFERRED ATTRIBUTES
MODES TO MMLOS
STANDARD (YIN)
Village Streets
~ N . Primary purpose is to move people throughout the Village; providing access to busi-
nesses, residences, transit and recreation within the Village area.
• Designed to safely move all modes of travel while enhancing mobility for pedestrians
y and bicyclists. ~ . Vehicle speeds should be managed to promote safe pedestrian and bicycle movement -. Promote pedestrian and bicycle connectivity through short block lengths . Bicycle lanes should be provided
A y . Bicycle boulevards can be considered . Pedestrians should be accommodated on sidewalks adjacent to the travel way (mini-
mum 5' wide sidewalk)
wililiiiillilil N . Mid-block pedestrian crossings and traffic calming devices should be considered, but
only at locations with high pedestrian activity levels or major destinations/attractions . On-street parking may be provided
Arterial Connector Streets
atii. y • Primary purpose is to connect people to different areas and land uses of the city by con-
necting to/from arterial streets . Designed to safely move all modes of travel while enhancing mobility for pedestrians
~ y and bicyclists and efficiently moving vehicles between arterial streets. . Bicycle lanes should be provided _
~ y • Pedestrians should be accommodated on sidewalks adjacent to the travel way (mini-
mum 5' wide sidewalk) . Mid-block pedestrian crossings and traffic calming devices should be considered, but ---N only at locations with high pedestrian activity levels or major destinations/attractions
• On-street parking may be provided
Neighborhood Connector Street .. N . Primary purpose is to connect people to different neighborhoods and land uses of the
city . Designed to safely move all modes of travel while enhancing mobility for pedestrians
~ y and bicyclists. . Vehicle speeds should be managed to promote safe pedestrian and bicycle movement . Bicycle lanes should be provided
~ y . Bicycle boulevards can be considered . Pedestrians should be accommodated on sidewalks adjacent to the travel way (mini-
mum 5' wide sidewalk)
~ N . Mid-block pedestrian crossings and traffic calming devices should be considered, but . only at locations with high pedestrian activity levels or major destinations/attractions . On-street parking may be provided
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General Plan
TABLE 3-1: CARLSBAD LIVABLE STREETS GUIDE
STREET TYPOLOGY AND ACCOMMODATED MODES
ACCOMMODATED SUBJECT STREET TYPOLOGY DESCRIPTION AND PREFERRED ATTRIBUTES
MODES TO MML0S
STANDARD (YIN)
Employment/Transit Connector Streets .. N . Primary purpose is to connect people to and from the employment areas of the city, as
well as importaht destinations and major transit facilities. . Designed to safely move all modes of travel while enhancing mobility for pedestrians
~ y and bicyclists and efficiently moving buses to employment, transit stations and major
destinations. . Vehicle speeds should be managed to promote safe pedestrian and bicycle movement
A y . Direct connections to bus stops should be provided . Enhanced bus stops should be considered that include shelters, benches, and lighting
• Bicycle lanes and sidewalks should be provided
~ y . Pedestrian crossing distances should be minimized . On-street parking may be provided
Coastal Streets .. N • Primary purpose is to move people along the city's ocean waterfront and connect
people to the beach, recreation, businesses and residences in close proximity to the
waterfront. The street serves as a destination for people who seek to drive, walk and
bicycle along the ocean waterfront. . Designed to safely move all modes of travel while enhancing mobility for pedestrians
and bicyclists.
~ y . Vehicle speeds shall be managed to support uses along the coast . Enhanced bicycle and pedestrian crossings should be provided, including:
-High visibility crosswalks
-Enhanced pedestrian notifications {e.g. responsive push-button devices)
A y -Enhanced bicycle detection
-Bicycle lanes shall be provided and can be further enhanced or complemented by
other facilities (such as bicycle lane buffers or off-street pathways) . Pedestrian facilities should be a minimum of five feet and shall strive for six to eight
feet in width and shall conform to ADA requirements . Pedestrian crossing distances should be minimized ~ N . Trail facilities should be encouraged . Opportunities for mid-block pedestrian crossings should be investigated . On-street parking should be provided . Transit facility and operation improvements should be encouraged
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Cit of Ca rl sbad
TABLE 3-1: CARLSBAD LIVABLE STREETS GUIDE
STREET TYPOLOGY AND ACCOMMODATED MODES
ACCOMMODATED SUBJECT STREET TYPOLOGY DESCRIPTION AND PREFERRED ATTRIBUTES
MODES TO MMLOS
STANDARD (YIN )
School Streets
N . Primary purpose is to connect people to schools from nearby residential neighbor-
hoods. . Designed to safely move all modes of travel with an emphasis on providing safe pedes-
trian and bicycle access for students traveling to and from nearby schools.
tt y . Vehicle speeds shall be managed to support school uses {typically 25 MPH)
• Enhanced bicycle and pedestrian crossings should be provided, including:
-High visibility crosswalks
-Enhanced pedestrian notifications {e.g. responsive push-button devices)
A y -Enhanced bicycle detection
-Bicycle lanes shall be provided and can be further enhanced or complemented by
other facilities or off-street pathways . Pedestrian facilities should be a minimum of six feet and shall strive for eight feet in ..... N width and shall conform to ADA re'quirements . Pedestrian crossing distances should be minimized
• Opportunities for mid-block pedestrian crossings should be investigated . Traffic calming devices that improve service levels and safety for pedestrians and bicy-
clists should be considered
Industrial Streets
Iii-y . Primary purpose is to connect people to businesses within the city's industrial parks.
• Designed to safely move all modes of travel while efficiently moving vehicles and buses
~ N from arterial streets and employment/transit connector streets to businesses. . Traffic calming devices are generally discouraged given the propensity for larger trucks
and heavy vehicles in this area
A N • On-street parking may be provided as long as it does not interfere with the turning
radii of heavy vehicles.
~ y
Local/Neighborhood Street ... N . Primary purpose is to connect people to and through residential neighborhoods and
local areas of the city. . Designed to safely move all modes. of travel while enhancing mobility for pedestrians
and bicyclists.
-~
y . Vehicle speeds should be managed to promote safe pedestrian and bicycle movement . Pedestrians should be accommodated on a sidewalk or soft surface trail {such as de-
composed granite) unless those facilities are inconsistent with the existing desirable
~ y neighborhood character
• Bicycles can be accommodated with a bicycle lane or route if vehicle volumes and/or
speeds necessitate; otherwise bicycles can share the street . Bicycle boulevards can be considered
~ N . Traffic calming measures should be considered when supported by the neighborhood
or when warranted for safety reasons . On-street parking should be considered
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General Plan
TABLE 3-1: CARLSBAD LIVABLE STREETS GUIDE
STREET TYPOLOGY AND ACCOMMODATED MODES
ACCOMMODATED SUBJECT STREET TYPOLOGY DESCRIPTION AND PREFERRED ATTRIBUTES
MODES TO MMLOS
STANDARD (YIN)
Bicycle/Pedestrian Pathway
i y . Primary purpose is to provide safe bicycle and pedestrian access throughout the com-
munity by connecting people to residences, businesses and recreation uses. . For bicycles and pedestrians only-no vehicular access is permitted
A y Serves commuters and recreational users .
Streets within ½ Mile of a Transit Center
~ N . Primary purpose is to connect people to/from the city's transit centers. . Designed to safely move all modes of travel while enhancing mobility for pedestrians
and bicyclists and efficiently moving vehicles and buses to/from transit centers.
i y . Vehicle speeds should be managed to promote safe pedestrian and bicycle movement . Provides access to the Breeze/COASTER system via enhanced bicycle/pedestrian connec-
A y tivity or via shuttle service from the stations to the ultimate destination . Could include enhanced transit systems, such as signal priority for transit, dedicated
ROW for transit, or queue bypass lanes.
y . Mid-block pedestrian crossings and traffic calming devices should be considered in llililiiliillil these areas . Parking should be provided and managed using innovative parking techniques
Multi-Modal Levels of Service
Traditionally, transportation systems have been designed to achieve a level
of service from the perspective of the driver, not pedestrians or bicyclists.
However, cities throughout the country are now designing their transportation
systems to achieve levels of service for all travel modes. Some cities, such as Fort
Collins, CO, San Francisco, CA, Gainesville, FL, Charlotte, NC, and others,
have been doing this for more than a decade; and in 2010, national guidelines
were developed by the Transportation Research Board to encourage other cities
to establish levels of service for all travel modes.
The California Complete Streets Act (2008) requires cities in California to plan
for a balanced, multi-modal transportation system that meets the needs of all
travel modes. This Mobility Element establishes a multi-modal level of service
(MM LOS) methodology for Carlsbad that determines the vehicle level of service
by the Highway Capacity Manual and evaluates the service levels for pedestri-
ans, bicyclists and transit users.
The city's MMLOS methodology will provide a qualitative "grade" assigned to
specified travel modes (see Table 3-1), ranging from a level of service (LOS) A to
LOS F. LOS A reflects a high service standard for a travel mode (e.g. outstanding
characteristics and experience for that mode) and LOS F would reflect a poor
service standard for a travel mode (e.g. congestion for vehicles, no bicycle, pedes-
trian, or transit facilities, etc.). Thresholds are identified to balance supply and
demand to create a sustainable system of public right-of-way, keeping in mind
3-15
City of Carlsbad
3-1~
on-going maintenance of the infrastructure and implementation of livable
streets. The level of service of the various travel modes are evaluated according
to the following factors:
• Vehicular Level of Service. Level of service will be determined by the
most recent version of the Highway Capacity Manual. This methodology
evaluates vehicles based on their freedom to maneuver and overall delay
experienced at intersections.
• Pedestrian Level of Service. Level of service to be evaluated using the
Carlsbad MMLOS method. This method evaluates the quality of the
pedestrian system (e.g. number of vehicle lanes that need to be crossed
and the speed of adjacent traffic) and the friendliness of the infrastructure
at intersections (e.g. pedestrian countdown heads, dedicated pedestrian
phases (e.g. a scramble phase), curb extensions, refuge median).
• Bicycle Levels of Service. Level of service to be evaluated using the
Carlsbad MMLOS method. This method evaluates the quality of the
bicycle system (e.g. bicycle route; bicycle lanes, or bicycle pathway; pres-
ence of bicycle buffers from the vehicle travel way), the amenities of the
system (e.g. presence of bicycle parking), and the friendliness of the infra-
structure (e.g. bicycle detection at intersections, pavement conditions,
presence of vehicle parking).
• Transit Levels of Service. Level of service to be evaluated using the
Carlsbad MMLOS method. This method evaluates the transit vehicle
right-of-way (e.g. dedicated or shared, signal priority), hours and fre-
quency of service (e.g. weekday/weekend hours, peak period headway);
performance (e.g. on-time or late); amenities and safety (e.g. lighting,
covered stop, bench, on-board bike/surfboard storage); and connectivity
(e.g. to other transit routes, employment areas, schools, visitor attrac-
tions, and other major destinations).
Future Operations and Street Improvements
Most of the envisioned Carlsbad street system is built out. The remaining planned
street improvements are summarized in Table 3-2; these facilities serve the needs
of land uses identified in the Land Use and Community Design Element. The
planned streets are identified on the Street Network map, Figure 3-1.
In addition to the new street connectivity and capacity expansion described in
Table 3-2, the city is also implementing a citywide traffic signal system upgrade
effort. This effort includes retuning of traffic signals, upgrading the control-
ler and detection technology, and integration of the traffic control system
to a single point traffic management center. This ena.bles· the city to monitor,
manage, and adjust traffic signal timing along major corridors to improve
mobility and manage vehicle flow within the city. Improved traffic signal timing
also enhances the safety for drivers, improves air quality by reducing emissions
and brake dust, and improves commute times.
Figure 3~1: Street System
--Freeway
-ArterialSrreets
-ldenticySrreets
--VillageStreets
--Arterial Connector Streets
--Neighborhood Connector Streets
--CoastalSrreets
-schoolStreets
--Employment/Transit Connector Streets
--Industrial Streets
--local/Neighborhood Srreec
••••• Planned Arterial Streets
••••• Planned Arterial Connector Streets
·• ..... · Planned Local/Neighborhood Streets
--Highways
~~Railroad * TranslcCenters
OHalfMi!eRadius
[~~·] City Limits
EB 100
ACRES
Source:Oty of Urtsbid, 1013:SANDAG. lOll; Fthr & P<.~rs, '2013;
Dyett & Bhni1.2013.
3-17
TABLE 3-2: PLANNED CITY OF CARLSBAD STREET CAPACITY
IMPROVEMENTS
IMPROVEMENT NAME IMPROVEMENT DESCRIPTION
College Boulevard Complete improvements between Cannon Road
and El Camino Real to arterial street typology
standards
Poinsettia Lane Complete improvements between Cassia Road
and El Camino Real to connector street typology
standards
Camino Junipero Extend to the eastern city limit as a local street
Extension
lnterstate-5 North Coast Includes the widening of lnterstate-5 to include
Project high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) (carpool) managed
lanes and auxiliary lanes connecting adjacent
interchange off-ramps and on-ramps as needed
lnterstate-5/State While in preliminary design, identifying
Route-78 Interchange transportation options will relieve congestion
Improvement on the freeway as it is a bottleneck that impacts
adjacent interchanges, regional streets, and the
movement of goods and people. This interchange
is not located within the City of Carlsbad but is
part of the Caltrans Public Works Plan for the
lnterstate-5 North Coast Corridor Project.
Future Traffic Operations
With build-out of the Land Use and Community Design Element, the completed
street network presented in Table 3-1 and on Figure 3-1 will have capacity con-
straints on arterial streets and on freeways within and adjacent to the city. The
analysis of the Land Use and Community Design Element indicated that the
following freeways and arterial street facilities will operate at LOS E or LOS F in
the city at build-out:
• Interstate-5
• State Route-78
• La Costa Avenue between Interstate-5 and El Camino Real
• El Camino Real between Palomar Airport Road and La Costa Avenue
• Palomar Airport Road between Interstate-5 and College Boulevard
• Palomar Airport Road between El Camino Real and Melrose Drive
These facilities would generally be congested during peak periods; however,
during most hours of the day, these facilities would have sufficient capacity
to serve the vehicle demand. The city does not have regulatory authority over
Interstate-5 or State Route-78 and has no control over managing traffic on those
General Plan
3-19
_City of Carlsbad
3-20
facilities. When these freeways are beyond capacity, some motorists will use City
of Carlsbad arterials rather than the freeways to bypass congestion. Adjacent
communities outside of Carlsbad also utilize Carlsbad's regional infrastructure
to bypass congestion on freeways.
The four Carlsbad arterial street segments listed above would need to be
widened beyond their six-lane cross-section to operate at the city's standard for
vehicle level of service on those facilities (LOS D or better); however, creating
streets wider than six lanes is inconsistent with the goals of this Mobility
Element. In addition, widening these streets beyond six lanes creates new chal-
lenges for intersection operations, maintenance, and storm water management.
Therefore, rather than widening these arterial streets beyond six lanes, the city
shall implement transportation demand management (e.g. promote travel by
modes other than the single-occupant vehicle), transportation system manage-
ment (e.g. signal timing coordination and improved transit service) and livable
streets techniques to better manage the transportation system as a whole.
Concurrent with City Council adoption of this Mobility Element, the city's
Growth Management standard for circulation identified in the Citywide
Facilities and Improvement Plan will be amended to reflect the livable streets
approach to mobility described in this element.
Bicycling, Walking, and Transit
A balanced transportation system in Carlsbad will provide adequate facilities
for people to bicycle, walk, or take transit to their destinations. To achieve this
balanced transportation system, service levels for bicycle, pedestrian and transit
modes will be maintained/enhanced on a variety of streets, as shown in Table
3-1 and Figure 3-1.
In addition to maintaining and enhancing bicycling, walking and transit
service levels on streets, the city has a series of off-street trails and pathways
that also serve the mobility needs of bicyclists and pedestrians (these facilities
are described in more detail in the Open Space, Conservation and Recreation
Ele~ent). Additionally, transit is provided on dedicated right-of-way within
the city, consisting of the COASTER commuter rail line. This Mobility Element
integrates and enhances the service levels of travel modes that complement uti-
lization of transit facilities near the COASTER stations.
Bicycle Facility Classification System
Caltrans has defined three bikeway facility types in Chapter 1000 of the
Highway Design Manual. These facility types are described below as well as in
the City of Carlsbad Bicycle Master Plan.
Class I Bikeway (bike path) -provides a separated corridor that is not served
by streets and highways and is away from the influence of parallel streets. Class
I bikeways are for non-vehicle use only with opportunities for direct access and
recreational benefits, right-of-way for the exclusive use of bicycles and pedestri-
ans, and cross flow conflicts are minimized.
Class II Bikeway (bike lane) -provides a delineated right-of-way assigned to
bicyclists to enable more predictable movements, accommodating bicyclists
through corridors where insufficient room exists for side-by-side sharing of
existing streets by motorists and bicyclists.
Class III Bikeway (bike route) -shared facility that serves either continuity
to other bicycle facilities or designates preferred routes through high demand
corridors.
In addition to the three facility types described above, a number oflocal streets
help complete the bicycle network. These streets typically do not have a bikeway
designation; however, the entire street system may be fully adequate for safe
and efficient bicycle travel, where signing and pavement marking for bicycle use
may be unnecessary. These are most commonly found along local streets where
vehicle speeds are relatively low, which enables bicycle travel to be accommo-
dated with vehicle travel.
Proposed Bikeway System
As of 2010, there was an estimated 98 miles of bicycle facilities in Carlsbad.
Of these facilities, approximately 92 miles were Class II bicycle lanes located
throughout the city on streets such as Carlsbad Boulevard, Carlsbad Village
Drive, Tamarack Avenue, Chestnut Avenue, El Camino Real, Palomar Airport
Road, Rancho Santa Fe Road, Melrose Drive, College Boulevard, Cannon Road,
and La Costa Avenue. These on-street bikeways provide direct routes for expe-
rienced cyclists comfortable with riding on relatively high vehicle volume and
speed streets. New cyclists may be encouraged to use these on-street bikeways
by designing the bikeways to increase the comfort and safety ofless experienced
riders, narrowing travel lanes to manage vehicle travel speeds, implementing
traffic calming measures, and by promoting land use patterns that decrease
distances between destinations. In addition to incorporating additional routes
into the bikeway network, clear directional/way-finding signage and secure
bicycle parking at schools, shopping centers, beaches, employment centers and
transit stops will encourage more people to ride bicycles and enhance the level
of comfort for all.
While the majority of the Mobility Element streets within the city currently
include a bicycle facility of some type within the right-of-way, there are several
gaps at critical locations. In particular, bicycle lanes are discontinuous along
Palomar Airport Road, just east of Carlsbad Boulevard, and within many
General Plan
3-21
City of Carlsbad
3-22
of the Interstate-5 interchanges and crossings. These gaps and other barriers,
such as the railroad and freeway, greatly diminish connectivity to the coastline
for cyclists. Caltrans' Interstate-5 North Coast Corridor Public Works Plan -
a proposed 40-year program to create a multi-modal system of rail, highway,
transit, bicycle and pedestrian improvements that span from La Jolla to
Oceanside -proposes additional trail connections across lagoons and along the
freeway, and to enhance all interchanges and crossings to better integrate and
accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians.
The Carlsbad Bicycle Master Plan identifies the location of bikeways and
recommends the enhancement of the existing bicycle network with the imple-
mentation of approximately 6.5 miles of new Class I bike paths, 2.8 miles of
new Class II bike lanes, and 4.2 miles of new Class III bike routes. The planned
bikeways include the Coastal Rail Trail, a Class I bike path on Carlsbad
Boulevard at Ponto, two Class II bike lanes -one on Hillside Drive and another
on Avenida Encinas, and five Class III bike route projects in the northwest
quadrant of the city.
In addition to the planned bikeways and bicycle facilities, the Carlsbad Bicycle
Master Plan outlines new educational and promotional programs aimed at bicy-
clists and motorists. These programs include bicycle parking improvements,
multi-modal (transit) support facilities, bicycle safety and education programs
for cyclists and motorists, safe routes to schools programs, community and
employer outreach programs, continued development of bikeway network
maps, and bike-to-work and school day events, among others.
The Carlsbad Bicycle Master Plan is a comprehensive document that provides
detailed information on the city's bicycle network and a bicycle network map
depicting existing and planned bikeways and facilities.
Pedestrian Facilities
Pedestrian facilities (i.e., sidewalks, crosswalks, trails) are a key component of
a multi-modal transportation system, which should enable people of all age
groups and abilities to safely walk to their destinations. Pedestrian facilities
connect various land uses, like neighborhoods, schools, shopping, employment,
transit stations, community services, and recreation. Areas that are particularly
attractive to pedestrians include the coastline, lagoon areas and the Carlsbad
Village, which offers a pedestrian friendly environment and concentration of
shopping, dining and entertainment uses. In general, pedestrian-attracting
land uses are fairly evenly distributed across the city.
Proposed Pedestrian System
Carlsbad has adopted several programs and plans related to improving the
walking environment. The city's Pedestrian Master Plan identifies the location
of pedestrian facilities and guides the future development and enhancement of
pedestrian facilities to ensure that walking becomes an integral mode of trans-
portation in Carlsbad. The Carlsbad Residential Traffic Management Program
provides a mechanism for community members to report issues relating to
speeding and traffic volumes on residential streets, which assists the city in
"calming" traffic in these areas to make them more comfortable for vehicles,
pedestrians and bicyclists.
Physical barriers to pedestrian access include gaps in sidewalks, topography,
lagoons, high-volume high-speed streets, incomplete or missing road segments,
and regional infrastructure such as freeways and railways. There are four sig-
nificant concentrations of high pedestrian needs across the city, including the
following locations:
• The entire northwest quadrant, especially the Carlsbad Village area,
Barrio area and along the coast
• The entire coastal area along Carlsbad Boulevard
• Several locations along El Camino Real, near Camino Vida Roble, Aviara
Parkway/Alga Road and La Costa Avenue
• The southeastern portion of the city, stemming from the intersection of
La Costa Avenue and Rancho Santa Fe Road
A range of potential improvement projects exist to enhance pedestrian mobility,
local connectivity, usage, safety and accessibility. These improvements include
missing sidewalk connectivity, upgrading substandard sidewalks, new connec-
tions to pedestrian attracting designations (such as access across the railroad
track to the beach at Chestnut Avenue, for example), safe routes to school,
enhanced crosswalks, pedestrian countdown signals, improved signage and
markings and provision of ADA improvements.
Proposed Transit System
Future transit service in the city will primarily be coordinated by NCTD.
However, there are several transit improvements, which are part of San Diego
Association of Governments (SANDAG) regional planning efforts, which are
reflected in this Mobility Element:
• Coastal rail improvements are proposed for the tracks serving the
COASTER and Surfliner trains in San Diego County along the Los
Angeles to San Diego rail corridor. These proposed improvements
include double tracking, bridge replacements, grade separated pedes-
trian crossings, safety improvements for at-grade crossings, and station
improvements. Improvements to the COASTER service (2020 and 2030)
are also proposed and would increase service and reduce headways.
• Route 653 (2035) is a proposed bus rapid transit (BRT) route which would
operate in the peak period between Kearny Mesa and Palomar Airport
Road.
General Plan
3-23
Cit of Carlsbad
3-24
The future transit improvements described above will continue to advance
transit service in the city. Other potential improvements to the rail corridor
that the city is currently pursuing through discussions with NCTD include
the creation of quiet zones and construction of a grade separated corridor
that could include grade separated crossings at Carlsbad Village Drive, Grand
Avenue, Tamarack Avenue and Cannon Road, as well as new pedestrian and
bicycle crossings at Chestnut Avenue, Chinquapin Avenue and the Village and
Poinsettia COASTER stations, and other locations.
One key component to improving transit use is improving the "first mile/last
mile" experience for transit users. This typically includes end of trip facilities
(bike lockers and racks, showers, changing rooms, etc.) and better connectivity
from the transit stop to the ultimate destination via bicycle facilities, pedestrian
facilities, local transit circulators, shuttles, etc.
Carlsbad's future transit effectiveness will be dependent on major employers
assisting with providing some of these "first mile/last mile" facilities through
transportation demand management (TDM) measures. TDM is envisioned to
include shuttle circulators from transit stations to major employers and des-
tinations, showers and changing rooms at those locations, and a host of other
typical TDM techniques that would support transit usage and the connection
to the ultimate destination. This Mobility Element also supports TDM through
potential incentives (such as reduced parking standards for TDM implementa-
tion) to further support transit access to these destinations.
The final component to improving transit use in the city is working with
NCTD to improve the transit experience; particularly along the bus routes. This
includes improving bus stops in the city to ensure that they are well lit, have
seating, and are covered to protect users from weather.
Connectivity to Support Mobility
Connectivity in the city is critical to achieving the Carlsbad Community Vision.
As previously described, there are a number of street improvements that are
planned that will complete connections within the city. This Mobility Element
also recommends additional connectivity for bicycles and pedestrians, as noted
below:
• Cannon Road connection. Provide a bicycle/pedestrian facility that
would begin at the current eastern terminus of Cannon Road and con-
tinue eastward to the city's eastern boundary.
• Marron Road connection. Provide a bicycle/pedestrian facility that
would begin at the current eastern terminus of Marron Road and extend
eastward to the city's eastern boundary.
• Additional crossings of Interstate-5 and the railroad. Continue to look
for opportunities to add crossings of these two barriers and improve
east-west connectivity to and from the coast. Key connections will
include: improvements (bicycle, pedestrian, and vehicular) to the cross-
ings at Chestnut Avenue (under the freeway) and at Chinquapin Avenue
(over the freeway); and new connections (bicycle and pedestrian) across
the railroad at Chestnut Avenue and Chinquapin Avenue. Additionally,
Caltrans is designing a number of new pedestrian and bicyclist connec-
tions along and across Interstate-5 and near the lagoons as part of the
Interstate-5 North Coast Corridor Public Works Plan. The city will con-
tinue to coordinate with Caltrans on these improvements.
• Improved accessibility to the lagoons and to the coast are envisioned to
improve connectivity to those areas.
Parking
Parking is critical to ensuring the success of any area. Inadequate parking means
that businesses and residents suffer. Too much parking underutilizes valuable
land; promotes lower density development; discourages using other forms of
transportation (such as public transit); spreads out land uses; and creates gaps in
store fronts, thereby requiring the use of the automobile. Additionally, too much
parking also requires more driveways for accessibility, introducing conflicts
between pedestrians and vehicles. Restrictive parking requirements impact the
ability to rejuvenate/repurpose older buildings and revitalize activity centers
that can be better served and connected by enhancing facilities and amenities
for bicyclists and pedestrians. Therefore, it is important to manage parking such
that there is enough to support the needs generated by the use, but not so much
that it wastes land and impairs other ways of getting around:
The city's Zoning Ordinance and adopted master and specific plans provide
standards for parking facilities based on development types within the city. To
promote efficient parking supply, the city will develop flexible parking require-
ments that may include the following techniques:
• Shared parking. Continue to allow uses that have different parking
demands at 'different times of the day to share the same parking facili-
ties. This is an effective way to minimize pavement, allow denser land use,
provide for more landscaping, and provide improved walkability within
a mixed use area. The best example of shared parking is an office build-
ing and an apartment building as office's peak parking demand occurs
at 10:00 a.m. and apartment's peak parking demand occurs at 11:00 p.m.
• Collective parking. Allow uses in mixed use projects/areas to reduce the
standard parking rate to account for shared mixed use on-site parking.
• Unbundled parking. Rather than provide free guaranteed parking,
"unbundle" the parking from the development and require residents and/
or employees to pay for use of a parking space.
General Plan
3-25
City of Carlsbad
3-26
• Park once. A strategy in destination districts to enable visitors to "park
once" and visit a series of destinations. Park once strategies work well in
areas like the Village and areas that are well connecte~ by pedestrian and
bicycle facilities. The creation of centralized parking areas supports this
strategy.
• In-lieu parking fees. Continue strategies in appropriate areas that allow
developers to contribute fees toward the development of a common
parking facility in lieu of providing on-site parking. This works best in
concentrated commercial areas, and assists in paying for unified struc-
tured parking and provides developers an opportunity to increase density
on their parcels.
• Parking management strategies. A business district or businesses
manage high demand parking locations and destinations through a
number of different strategies including demand pricing, time restric-
tions, valet parking, and other techniques.
• Public-private partnerships. The city, business owners, and developers
collaborate to provide both private and public parking opportunities.
Instances where this works well include parcels owned by the city, where
a private entity develops, manages, and enforces parking in these public
lots.
• Parking locater signs. Electronic monitoring devices that identify the
available parking in a given facility and utilize changeable message signs
to assist travelers in identifying available parking locations. This may
require modifications to the city's Zoning Ordinance to be implemented
in some areas of the city.
• Parking way-finding signs. Signs identifying where public parking is
available, which supports the "park once" concept.
• Reduced parking standards. Reduce parking standards in areas that
are well served by transit, provide shuttle accessibility to the COASTER
station, provide parking cash out programs (employers pay employees to
not drive a single occupancy vehicle to work), or provide other programs
that will reduce parking demand.
• Biking equals business program. Businesses provide bicycle parking or
corrals and provide incentives to encourage their patrons and employees
to ride rather than drive.
• Transit equals business program. Businesses provide their customers
and employees incentives to encourage them to use transit rather than
drive.
• Bicycle corrals in-lieu of vehicle parking. For certain businesses, reduce
required onsite parking for vehicles if they provide a bicycle corral that
accommodates more people.
Although there are additional parking strategies that are available and may
become available in the future, most of the strategies work best in smart growth/
mixed use development areas and will be necessary to accomplish the goals and
visions identified in the General Plan and this Mobility Element.
Transportation Demand Management and Traffic
Signal Management
This Mobility Element also supports and promotes TDM and traffic signal
management (TSM) techniques.
TDM consists of programs and policies to reduce the demand for the single
occupant automobile. Common techniques include carpool programs,
car-sharing and bike-sharing programs, flexible work hours, telecommute pro-
visions, shuttle services to nearby transit stations, employee transit subsidies
(e.g. employers will subsidize bus or rail tickets), installation of bicycle facili-
ties (lockers, racks, lanes, showers at employment areas, etc.), or other measures
that would reduce the demand to drive, particularly during the peak commute
hours. TDM is critical for the city to build-out without expanding the trans-
portation infrastructure beyond what is envisioned in this Mobility Element.
Additionally, as previously described, TDM is a major component in improving
the effectiveness of transit as it can assist in serving the "first mile/last mile"
component of a transit trip.
The city has also implemented a state-of-the-practice TSM system. This system
integrates traffic signals in the city to a single access point, allowing city staff
to monitor and update signal timings to improve safety and mobility for all
users in the city. This Mobility Element supports further implementation of this
program and use of other technologies that become available, which have the
ability to improve mobility for all users of the city's transportation system.
General Plan
3-27
Cij)! of Carlsbad
3-28
3.4 Goals and Policies
Goals
3-G.1 Keep Carlsbad moving with livable streets that provide a safe,
balanced, cost-effective, multi-modal transportation system
(vehicles, pedestrians, bikes, transit), accommodating the mobility
needs of all community members, including children, the elderly and
the disabled.
3-G.2 Improve connectivity for residents, visitors and businesses.
3-G.3 Provide inviting streetscapes that encourage walking and promote
livable streets.
3-G.4 Manage parking to support all modes of transportation and ensure
efficient use of land.
3-G.5 Implement transportation demand and traffic signal management
techniques to improve m9bility.
3-G.6 Protect and enhance the visual, environmental and historical charac-
teristics of Carlsbad through sensitive planning and design of scenic
transportation corridors.
3-G.7 Provide for the safe and efficient movement of goods throughout
the city.
Implementing Policies
Street Typology and Multimodal Levels of Service
3-P.1 Implement a comprehensive livable streets network. This network,
as outlined in Table 3-1 and shown on Figure 3-1, identifies the trans-
portation modes that shall be accommodated, based on street
typology, to ensure accessibility of the city's street system to persons
of all ages and abilities.
3-P.2 Integrate livable streets in all capital improvement projects, where
applicable, as well as new development projects.
3-P.3 Apply and update the city's multi-modal level of service (MM LOS)
methodology and guidelines that reflect the core values of the
Carlsbad Community Vision related to transportation and con-
nectivity. Utilize the MM LOS methodology to evaluate impacts of
individual development projects and amendments to the General
Plan on the city's transportation system.
3-P.4 Implement the city's MM LOS methodology and maintain LOS Dor
better for each mode of travel for which the MM LOS standard is
applicable, as identified in Table 3-1 and Figure 3-1.
3-P.5 Require developers to construct or pay their fair share toward
improvements for·all travel modes consistent with this Mobility
Element, the Growth Management Plan, and specific impacts associ-
ated with their development.
3-P.6 Require future development projects, which are determined during
site-specific environmental review to have a significant impact on
freeway facilities (1-5 and SR-78), to implement a freeway traffic
mitigation program approved by the city that will avoid, reduce or
offset the increase in freeway traffic directly attributable to the
proposed project. The mitigation program may include, but is not
limited to, payment of a fair share fee to Caltrans for necessary
improvements to affected freeway facilities or to NCTD or such
other transit agency for improvement of public transit on affected
freeways, or such other activities as will avoid, reduce or offset the
project's significant impacts on freeway facilities.
3-P.7 Encourage Caltrans to identify and construct necessary improve-
ments to improve service levels on lnterstate-5 and State Route 78.
3-P.8 Utilize transportation demand management strategies, non-auto-
motive enhancements (bicycle, pedestrian, transit, train, trails,
and connectivity), and traffic signal management techniques as
long-term transportation solutions and traffic mitigation measures
to carry out the Carlsbad Community Vision.
3-P.9 Develop and maintain a list of street facilities where specified modes
of travel are exempt from the LOS standard (LOS exempt street
facilities}, as approved by the City Council. For LOS exempt street
facilities, the city will not implement improvements to maintain
the LOS standard outlined in Policy 3-P.4 if such improvements are
beyond what is identified as appropriate at build out of the General
Plan. In the case of street facilities where the vehicle mode of travel
is exempt from the LOS standard, other non-vehicle capacity-build-
ing improvements will be required to improve mobility through
implementation of transportation demand and transportation
system management measures as outlined in Policy 3-P.11, to the
extent feasible, and/or to implement the livable streets goals and
policies of this Mobility Element. Evaluate the list of exempt street
facilities, as part of the Growth Management monitoring program,
to determine if such exemptions are still warranted.
To exempt the vehicle mode of travel from the LOS standard at a
particular street intersection or segment, the intersection or street
segment must be identified as built-out by the City Council because:
a. acquiring the rights of way is not feasible; or
b. the proposed improvements would significantly impact the envi-
ronment in an unacceptable way and mitigation would not
contribute to the nine core values of the Carlsbad Community
Vision; or
General Plan
3-29
City of Carl sbad
3-30
c. the proposed improvements would result in unacceptable
impacts to other community values or General Plan policies; or
d. the proposed improvements would require more than three
through travel lanes in each direction.
3-P.10 Allow the following street facilities to be exempt from the vehicle
LOS standard identified in Policy 3-P.4, subject to the requirements
described in Policy 3-P.9.
• La Costa Avenue between lnterstate-5 and El Camino Real
• El Camino Real between Palomar Airport Road and La Costa Avenue
• Palomar Airport Road between lnterstate-5 and College Boulevard
• Palomar Airport Road between El Camino Real and Melrose Drive
3-P.11 Require new development that adds vehicle traffic to street facili-
ties that are exempt from the vehicle LOS standard (consistent with
3-P.9) to implement:
a. Transportation demand management strategies that reduce the
reliance on single-occupant automobile and assist in achieving
the city's livable streets vision.
b. Transportation system management strategies that improve
traffic signal coordination and improve transit service.
3-P.12 Update the Citywide Facilities and Improvements Plan to ensure
consistency with the General Plan. This includes updating the cir-
culation LOS standards methodologies to reflect a more balanced/
multi-modal approach.
3-P.13 Use public outreach to educate and encourage alternative modes of
travel and inform the community about the benefits of participation
in new programs, approaches and strategies that support Mobility
Element goals and policies.
3-P.14 Require performance measures tied to transportation facilities and
services to comply with the Climate Action Plan and other state reg-
ulations and policies.
Street Design and Connectivity
3-P.15 Evaluate methods and transportation facility improvements to
promote biking, walking, safer street crossings, and attractive
streetscapes. The City Council shall have the sole discretion to
approve any such road diet or vehicle traffic calming improvements
that would reduce vehicle capacity to or below a LOS D; this also
applies to streets where the vehicle is not subject to the MM LOS
standard as specified in Table 3-1.
3-P.16 Design new streets, and explore funding opportunities for existing
streets, to minimize traffic volumes and/or speed, as appropriate,
within residential neighborhoods without compromising connec-
tivity for emergency first responders, bicycles, and pedestrians
consistent with the city's Carlsbad Active Transportation Strat-
egies. This should be accomplished through management and
implementation of livable streets strategies and such programs like
the Carlsbad Residential Traffic Management Plan.
3-P.17 Consider innovative design and program solutions to improve the
mobility, efficiency, connectivity, and safety of the transportation
system. Innovative design solutions include, but are not limited to,
traffic calming devices, roundabouts, traffic circles, curb extensions,
separated bicycle infrastructure, pedestrian scramble intersections,
high visibility pedestrian treatments and infrastructure, and traffic
signal coordination. Innovative program solutions include, but are
not limited to, webpages with travel demand and traffic signal
management information, car and bike share programs, active
transportation campaigns, and intergenerational programs around
schools to enhance safe routes to schools. Other innovative solutions
include bicycle friendly business districts, electric and solar power
energy transportation systems, intelligent transportation systems,
semi-or full autonomous vehicles, trams, and shuttles.
3-P.18 Encourage and seek partnerships to foster innovations in emerging
technology for transportation mobility to support the city's
workforce, residents, and tourists. Integration between communi-
cation technology, energy, and transportation mobility should be
encouraged.
3-P.19 Encourage Caltrans, SAN DAG, NCTD, and adjacent cities to improve
regional connectivity and service consistent with regional planning
efforts. This includes expansion of lnterstate-5 with two HOV lanes
in each direction, auxiliary lanes, and associated enhancements, a
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route along Palomar Airport Road, shuttle
bus services from COASTER stations, and other enhancements to
improve services in the area.
3-P.20 Engage Caltrans, the Public Utilities Commission, transit agencies,
the Coastal Commission, ar\d railroad agency(s) regarding opportu-
nities for improved connections within the city, including:
• Improved connections across the railroad tracks at Chestnut Avenue
and other locations
• A grade separated rail corridor that includes grade separated street
crossings at Grand Avenue, Carlsbad Village Drive, Tamarack Avenue
and Cannon Road, as well as new pedestrian and bicycle crossings
• · Completion and enhancements to the Coastal Rail Trail and/or
equivalent trail along the coastline
• Improved connectivity along Carlsbad Boulevard for pedestrians
and bicyclists, such as a trail
• Improved access to the beach and coastal recreational opportunities
• Improved crossings for pedestrians across and along Carlsbad
Boulevard
General Plan
3-31
City of Carlsbad
3-32
3-P.21 Implement connections and improvements identified in this
Mobility Element, including those identified in policy 3-P.19, as well
as:
• Extension of College Boulevard from Cannon Road to El Camino
Real
• Completion of the Poinsettia Lane connection near El Camino Real
(Reach E)
• Extension of Camino Junipero to the eastern city boundary
• A bicycle/pedestrian trail/pathway connecting the eastern terminus
of Marron Road to the east
• A bicycle/pedestrian trail/pathway connecting the eastern terminus
of Cannon Road to the east, and coordination with adjacent
agencies to appropriately link to their facilities
3-P.22 Support pedestrian and bicycle facilities at all lnterstate-5 and State
Route 78 interchanges.
3-P.23 Maintain the city's scenic transportation corridors as identified in
the Carlsbad Scenic Corridor Guidelines.
Pedestrian and Bicycle Movement
3-P.24 Update the pedestrian, trails and bicycle master plans, as necessary,
to reflect changes in needs, opportunities and priorities.
3-P.25 Implement the projects recommended in the pedestrian, trails
and bicycle master plans through the city's capital improvement
program, private development conditions and other appropriate
mechanisms.
3-P.26 Identify and implement necessary pedestrian improvements on
streets where pedestrians are to b.e accommodated per Table 3-1,
with special emphasis on providing safer access to schools, parks,
community and recreation centers, shopping districts, and other
appropriate facilities.
3-P.27 Implement the Safe Routes to School and Safe Routes to Transit
programs that focus on pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements
near local schools and transit stations. Prioritize schools with access
from arterial streets for receiving Safe Routes to School projects.
3-P.28 Improve and enhance parking, connectivity, access, and utilization
for pedestrians and bicycles to COASTER stations, utility corridors,
and open spaces consistent with city planning documents.
3-P.29 Evaluate incorporating pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure within
the city as part of any planning or engineering study, private devel-
opment, or capital project.
3-P.30 Complete the Carlsbad Active Transportation Strategies to assist in
identifying livable street implementation parameters within the
city.
3-P.31 Engage the community in the policy setting and planning of street,
bicycle, pedestrian, transit, and connectivity studies, plans and
programs.
3-P.32 Require developers to improve pedestrian and bicycle connectiv-
ity consistent with the city's bicycle and pedestrian master plans and
trails master planning efforts. In addition, new residential develop-
ments should demonstrate that a safe route to school and transit
is provided to nearby schools and transit stations within a half mile
walking distance.
3-P.33 Work with existing neighborhoods and businesses to improve
pedestrian and bicycle connectivity and safety consistent with the
city's pedestrian and bicycle master plans and trails master planning
efforts.
3-P.34 Actively pursue grant programs such as SANDAG's Active Trans-
portation Grant Program and Smart Growth Incentive Program
to improve non-automotive connectivity throughout the city.
The emphasis of grant-funded projects shall be on implementa-
tion, which includes planning documents that guide and prioritize
implementation, programs that encourage the use of active trans-
portation modes, education for the use of active transportation
modes, or physical improvements themselves.
Transit
3-P.35 Partner with other agencies and/or developers to improve transit
connectivity within Carlsbad. As part of a comprehensive transpor-
tation demand management (TDM) strategy and/or with transit
oriented development (TOD), a shuttle system could be established
that connects destinations and employment centers like LEGOLAND,
hotels, the Village, McClellan-Palomar Airport, business parks, the
COASTER and Breeze transit stations, public activity centers (such
as senior centers, city hall, libraries, etc.) and key destinations along
the coast. The system could incorporate shuttle service in adjacent
cities to maximize connectivity.
3-P.36 Encourage NCTD, SAN DAG and other transit providers to provide
accessibility for all modes of travel to the McClellan-Palomar Airport
area.
3-P.37 Coordinate with NCTD to improve the quality of bus stop facilities in
the city.
Parking and Demand Management
3-P.38 Develop flexible on-site vehicle parking requirements. Such
requirements will include implementation of innovative parking
techniques, implementing effective TDM programs to reduce
parking demand, and consideration of other means to efficiently
manage parking supply and demand.
General Plan
3-33
Cit of Carlsbad
3-34
3-P.39 Require new employment development to provide secure bicycle
parking on-site. Major employers should provide shower and
changing rooms for employees as appropriate.
3-P.40 Assist Village businesses to manage parking in the Village area
to maximize parking efficiency. Any potential parking-related
revenues generated in this area should be reinvested into the Village
area for implementing livable streets and other parking, pedestrian,
and bicycle enhancements, including way-finding signage and main-
tenance of associated infrastructure.
3-P.41 Consider supporting new development and existing businesses with
various incentives (such as parking standards modifications) for
implementing TDM programs that minimize the reliance on single-
occupant automotive travel during peak commute hours.
Rail and Truck Movement
3-P.42 Identify and update truck routes within the city that provide suf-
ficient turning radii and other design attributes to support large
vehicles on those facilities.
3-P.43 Coordinate with other agencies and private entities to investi-
gate methods of improving service, implementing a quiet zone,
and enhancing connectivity and safety along the rail corridor; such
as through development of a grade separated rail corridor that
includes grade separated street crossings at Grand Avenue, Carlsbad
Village Drive, Tamarack Avenue and Cannon Road, as well as new
pedestrian and bicycle crossings at Chestnut Avenue, Chinquapin
Avenue and the Village and Poinsettia COASTER stations, and other
locations.
Air Movement
3-P.44 Work with the County of San Diego and other agencies to ensure
continued safe and efficient operation of the McClellan-Palomar
Airport, consistent with the Carlsbad Community Vision and existing
city policy.
Traffic Safety Commission
Work Plan Update
Marshall Plantz, P.E. -Transportation Director
Craig Williams –Senior Engineer
May 6, 2019
Past actions
•April 2018 –City Council affirmed a new goal.
•July 2018-City Council added Chapter 2.15 “Boards and
Commissions” which includes “work plan” provisions.
•October 2018-City Council amended Section 2.15.020
adding two members to the Commission.
•February 2019-City Council appointed two new members
to the Commission.
Meeting Summary
Number of Items
Year # of Meetings Action Administrative Info./Feedback Total
2014 6 4 2 6 12
2015 7 3 2 10 15
2016 9 9 4 17 30
2017 9 9 3 23 35
2018 8 7 1 15 23
2019 to date 5 1 1 12 14
Totals 44 33 13 83 129
3
Action Items Summary
4
Action Items
Year # of Meetings Speed Limits Stop Parking RRFB Restriping Road Mods CRTMP Total
2014 6 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 4
2015 7 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 3
2016 9 4 2 0 0 0 1 2 9
2017 9 1 0 2 0 3 1 2 9
2018 8 2 1 0 0 1 0 3 7
2019 to date 5 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
Totals 44 10 4 4 1 4 3 7 33
Information/Feedback Items
5
•General Plan –Mobility Element
•Village and Barrio Master Plan
•Village, Barrio and Beach Parking Study
•Coastal Mobility Readiness Plan
•Capital Improvement Program
•At Your Service Application
•Ocean Street Beach Access
•Terra Mar Improvement Project
•Carlsbad Blvd. and Tamarack Project
•Various Engineering Topics
•Police Reports
Functional
Classification
-prior to 2015 –
focused on “improving travel
by the automobile”
6
Mobility
Element
“changes focuses on
providing livable streets
that improve mobility
for all users or the
transportation system”
7
Functional Classification
vs Typology
8
Next Steps
•Prepare draft Work Plan in collaboration with other City Departments and the Traffic Safety Commission (TSC).
•Present draft Work Plan for review and input from the TSC.
•Present the proposed Work Plan for City Council consideration and approval.
•Present draft Code update consistent with approved Work Plan for review and input from the TSC.
•Present the proposed Code update for City Council consideration and approval.
11
TSC 5/6/2019
Work Plan Update
Commissioner Steve Linke
•Overview
–Multimodal level of service (MMLOS) background
–LOS is intended to guide decision-making
–Vehicle LOS has been mishandled in Carlsbad for 30+ years
•Violates the Mobility Element and the spirit of the Growth Management Program
•Goals
–Immediately stop using defective LOS methods
–Commission review of valid LOS methods next month concurrent with Work Plan development
–Reform and standardize methods, protocols, and processes
–Improve transparency, accountability, and integrity of process
Mobility Element Implementation Strategy
Immediate/current tasks Education, Enforcement
1.Revise/develop commission Rules and Regulations
2.Address emergent mobility-related safety issues and provide a public forum to review related citizen complaints and requests
3.Monitor educational initiatives related to mobility and transportation safety
Method/protocol/process development tasks (in order of priority/dependence) Engineering
4.Review and recommend adoption of multi-modal level-of-service (MMLOS) evaluation methods
5.Establish evaluation methods to assess safety
6.Develop and recommend adoption of protocols to assess the projected and actual effects of proposed projects on MMLOS and safety for all modes of travel, as well as vehicle miles traveled (VMT)
7.Apply the MMLOS and safety evaluation methods to create citywide maps/inventories (regardless of street typology or exemption status) to identify candidates for street improvements, prioritizing Safe Routes to School (SRTS)
Program/plan tasks Engineering
8.Prioritize improvement projects to enhance safety and LOS and compare with the current Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) project list for City Council recommendations
9.Maintain a list of completed improvement projects, along with analyses of what worked and did not work, to inform future projects
10.Based on the citywide MMLOS inventories, develop and recommend adoption of a plan for annual monitoring of MMLOS at pre-defined locations, regardless of street typology or exemption status
11.Propose enhancements to the Carlsbad Residential Traffic Management Program (RTMP)
12.Oversee implementation and monitoring of the Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program
13.Oversee development, implementation, and monitoring of the Sustainable Mobility Plan (SMP)
14.Oversee development, implementation, and monitoring of traffic signal effectiveness programs, such as the citywide Adaptive Traffic Signal (ATS) program
Code revision task
15.Consider recommendation of new rules on where alternative modes should travel
4. Review and recommend adoption of
MMLOS evaluation methods
•LOS reported as grade A through F
•Vehicle LOS: measure of congestion based on volume or delay
–Traffic counts used to calculate LOS
•Pedestrian, bicycle, and transit LOS also can be based on volume, but Carlsbad is adopting a point system based on availability, quality, and friendliness of facilities
–Counts can also provide important information
•TSC should be involved in review and implementation of the MMLOS evaluation methods
–City of Carlsbad Transportation Impact Analysis Guidelines (April 2018)
–City of Carlsbad Roadway Capacity Tables Report (February 2019)
–MMLOS criteria point system and tables (???)
Transit LOS point system
Source: Pacific Wind Apartments Traffic Impact Analysis (11/29/2016)
Existing transit route within ¼ mile No existing transit route within ¼ mile,
or approval of City Traffic Engineer
Pedestrian LOS point system
Source: Pacific Wind Apartments Traffic Impact Analysis (11/29/2016)
Bicycle LOS point system
Source: Pacific Wind Apartments Traffic Impact Analysis (11/29/2016)
Bikeway classes
Class II w/ buffer = 15 pts Class III = 5 pts
Class IV = 25 ptsClass I = 25 pts
Vehicle LOS
Source: Maryland Department of Transportation Policy Manual
Growth Management Program (GMP)
•City ordinance adopted by voters in 1986
•Development shall not occur unless adequate
public facilities and services exist, or will be
provided concurrent with new development, as determined by the performance standards
in the Citywide Facilities and Improvements Plan
–Mobility-related facilities = streets, sidewalks,
parking, etc.
Carlsbad Municipal Code Chapter 21.90.080
Citywide Facilities and
Improvements Plan (CFIP)
•Adopted by City Council with GMP in 1986
•1986-2015 (pre-Mobility Element)
–Vehicle LOS performance standard: No road segment or intersection shall be worse than LOS C during off-peak hours or LOS D during peak hours
•2015-present (post-Mobility Element)
–MMLOS performance standard: None of the four modes (vehicle, bicycle, pedestrian, or transit) can be worse than LOS D (any time)
–Standard only applies to prioritized modes (non-exempt)
•Annual monitoring required Report to City Council
Carlsbad Municipal Code Chapter 21.90.090
Carlsbad annual Traffic Monitoring
Program (TMP) vehicle LOS
•Annual traffic counts (1989-2015+)
•Several dozen mid-block locations and
intersections throughout the city
•LOS calculated using methods adopted by
Staff (the “Carlsbad methods”)
•LOS results reported to Council annually,
claiming to show compliance with the
GMP/CFIP performance standards
Guidelines and Instructions for the Preparation of Local Facilities Management and Plan Transportation Impact Studies
2015 mid-block roadway
Segment locations
Source: Carlsbad 2015 Traffic Monitoring Program Report
Source: Carlsbad 2015 Traffic Monitoring Program Report
Peak hour LOS
The defective Carlsbad mid-block
(street segment) LOS method
•Lane “capacity” (top end of LOS E) is 1,800 vplph
•Applied to every lane on every street, regardless of individual road characteristics that reduce capacity, such as:
–Lane numbers/widths/configurations (divided vs. undivided)
–Traffic signal spacing/timing
–Parking/driveways
–Speed limit
Vehicles per lane per hour
Capacity
Defective Carlsbad mid-block LOS method vs.
valid methods
A B C D E F
A B C D E F
A-C D E F
A-C D E F
LOS by volume (vehicles per lane per hour)
for two-lane minor arterial street
Validated methods
2015 TMP peak-
hour map of mid-
block LOS based
on HCM
The defective Carlsbad Intersection
Capacity Utilization (ICU) LOS method vs.
valid ICU method
Level of Service by volume (vplph) for through-lanes
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 2200
Valid ICU
Carlsbad ICU
A
B
C
D
E
F
Source: Carlsbad 2015 Traffic Monitoring Program Report
2015 TMP LOS map for
intersections using the
defective Carlsbad
ICU method
2015 intersection
LOS map with
a more realistic
view of predicted
failures using a
valid ICU method
Post-Mobility Element traffic impact
studies
•The Mobility Element requires usage of the
Highway Capacity Manual to determine LOS
•Following are examples of projects presented
to the TSC and City Council after its adoption
–Carlsbad methods are still in use
Carlsbad Blvd road diet
(Mountain View Dr to Beech Ave)
TSC 10/3/2016
•Used defective Carlsbad mid-block LOS method
•Minutes: “The LOS for the segment is currently A and will
remain [so] after the improvements.”
•LOS A’s likely would be C’s or D’s if an HCM method is used
Carlsbad Blvd road diet
(Manzano Dr to Encinas Bridge)
TSC 10/3/2016
•Also used defective Carlsbad mid-block LOS method
•Minutes: “…LOS A will be maintained on the segment.”
•LOS A’s likely would be failing E’s or F’s if the HCM was used,
which would have triggered review by the City Council
La Costa Ave road diet
(El Camino Real to Rancho Santa Fe Rd)
TSC and City Council 5/2018
•Also used defective Carlsbad mid-block LOS method, but
highlighted counts likely would be failing E’s or F’s if an HCM
method is used.
La Costa Ave road diet
(El Camino Real to Rancho Santa Fe Rd)
•This should have triggered a full review by the City Council
•Instead, the item was placed on their consent agenda and
generically titled Pavement Overlay Project No. 6001-180L
•I submitted an inquiry to Staff on this project about whether
the 1,800 vplph capacity used to generate the LOS A’s was
consistent with the HCM and best traffic engineering practices
–The answer I received last week was “Yes” to both inquiries.
GMP monitoring reports
•FY 2015-16 and earlier reports used defective
Carlsbad methods
•FY 2016-17 report did not include MMLOS
monitoring
•FY 2017-18 report still has not been released
Goals (re-visited)
•Immediately stop using defective LOS methods
•Commission review of valid LOS methods next month
concurrent with Work Plan development
•Reform and standardize methods, protocols, and processes
•Improve transparency, accountability, and integrity of process
END
Re-prioritized to other modes
Exempt
Before Mobility Element 2014 draft Mobility Element
Elimination of LOS standard on arterial and
collector streets
Minimum LOS C off-peak; LOS D peak Minimum LOS D any time of day
Concessions on public comment on
draft Mobility Element (2014)
•Concern: Policy with LOS exemptions for the
most congested streets
–Staff response: Added a phrase to the policy that delayed the exemption until city build-out
•Concern: Policy with Staff implementing road
diets on 25,000 ADT streets
–Staff response: Added a phrase to the policy making road diets contingent upon public input
and thorough evaluation of impacts on all modes
of travel
Source: Final Environmental Impact Report for Carlsbad General Plan Update; Chapter 3: Revisions to the Draft EIR and Recirculated Portions of the Draft EIR (page 3-14)
Planning Commission review of revised
Mobility Element (7/2015)
•Planning Commission (5 of 7 members) expressed similar concerns as public (see minutes and videos of 7/18, 7/22, and 7/24/2015 meetings)
–“half-baked”
–“not ready for prime time”
–“alarming”
–“one of the poorer written elements”
•Last-minute change to appease Planning Commission
–Returned Aviara Parkway/Alga Rd and portions of Carlsbad Village Drive and Poinsettia Lane to being subject to LOS standard
•Too costly and time-consuming to make major changes would require recirculation of the EIR
Quiet removal of concessions before
City Council adoption (9/2015)
•Concessions on timing of vehicle LOS exemptions and road diet reviews were included in:
–Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) (6/2015)
–Information provided to the public and the Planning Commission for public hearings (7/2015)
Mobility Element Implementation Strategy
Immediate/current tasks Administrative, Education, Enforcement
1.Revise/develop commission Rules and Regulations
2.Address emergent mobility-related safety issues and provide a public forum to review related citizen complaints and requests
3.Monitor educational initiatives related to mobility and transportation safety
Method/protocol/process development tasks (in order of priority/dependence) Engineering
4.Review and recommend adoption of multi-modal level-of-service (MMLOS) evaluation methods
5.Establish evaluation methods to assess safety
6.Develop and recommend adoption of protocols to assess the projected and actual effects of proposed projects on MMLOS and safety for all modes of travel, as well as vehicle miles traveled (VMT)
7.Apply the MMLOS and safety evaluation methods to create citywide maps/inventories (regardless of street typology or exemption status) to identify candidates for street improvements, prioritizing Safe Routes to School (SRTS)
Program/plan tasks Engineering
8.Prioritize improvement projects to enhance safety and LOS and compare with the current Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) project list for City Council recommendations
9.Maintain a list of completed improvement projects, along with analyses of what worked and did not work, to inform future projects
10.Based on the citywide MMLOS inventories, develop and recommend adoption of a plan for annual monitoring of MMLOS at pre-defined locations, regardless of street typology or exemption status
11.Propose enhancements to the Carlsbad Residential Traffic Management Program (RTMP)
12.Oversee implementation and monitoring of the Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program
13.Oversee development, implementation, and monitoring of the Sustainable Mobility Plan (SMP)
14.Oversee development, implementation, and monitoring of traffic signal effectiveness programs, such as the citywide Adaptive Traffic Signal (ATS) program
Code revision task Administrative
15.Consider recommendation of new rules on where alternative modes should travel