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Home My WebLink About2021-07-29; Green Bicycle Lane Enhancements on Carlsbad Boulevard (Districts - All); Gomez, PazTo the members of the: CITY COUNCIL Date , /,-q/4.J CA ~ CC ~ CM .i:_ACM "-. DCM{3).J:._ July 29, 2021 Council Memorandum To: Honorable Mayor Hall and Members of the City Council From: Via: Paz Gomez, Deputy City Manager, Public Geoff Patnoe, Assistant City Manager {city of Carlsbad Memo ID #2021145 Re: Green Bicycle Lane Enhancements on Carlsbad Boulevard (Districts -All) This memorandum provides a summary of the requests for green bicycle lane improvements on Carlsbad Boulevard submitted by residents Simon Freedman and Lynda Daniels. Background At the Oct. 5, 2020, Traffic and Mobility Commission Meeting, Mr. Simon Freedman submitted a public comment via email, which was read to the Commissioners. He requested the following items: 1. Provide signage and roadway painting at most intersections on Carlsbad Boulevard 2. Convert a Class II bike lane on Jefferson Street between Grand Avenue and Las Flores to a Class Ill bike route with sharrows and signage 3. Convert the number 2 lane on Carlsbad Village Drive west of 1-5 in both directions from a Class II bike lane to a Class Ill bike route with sharrows and signage 4. Change Grand Avenue west of 1-5 in both directions to a Class Ill bike route with sharrows and signage 5. Change the number 2 lane on Carlsbad Boulevard between Tamarack Avenue and Carlsbad Village Drive, northbound only, to a Class Ill bike route with sharrows and signage 6. Repaint/refresh the existing sh arrows throughout the city with high-visibility green- backed sharrows Discussion To discuss Mr. Freedman's concerns in detail, staff invited him to the Sustainable Mobility Plan Ad-Hoc Committee Meeting on Nov. 5, 2020. At this meeting, staff generally agreed with enhancing the city's bicycle network with strategic applications of green paint in the most prevalent auto/bicycle conflict areas. Staff did not support the removal of marked bicycle lanes in favor of sharrows and informed Mr. Freedman that staff would evaluate the request for sharrows to be placed on a green background. Mr. Freedman reiterated his requests during the public comment portion of the Traffic and Mobility Commission Meeting on Dec. 7, 2020. On Jan. 25, 2021, Mr. Freedman sent an email to staff further reiterating his previously made requests. In the emails exchanged between Mr. Freedman and the City Traffic Engineer, staff Public Works Branch Transportation Department 1635 Faraday Avenue I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 760-602-2757 t Council Memo -Green Bicycle Lane Enhancements on Carlsbad Boulevard (Districts -All) July 29, 2021 Page 2 informed Mr. Freedman that while there was no specific bike lane enhancement project, staff would be incorporating the discussed green bicycle lane treatments as part of other improvement projects. For example, green bicycle lane treatments are being proposed as part of the Carlsbad Boulevard Pedestrian Improvements Project, which would enhance the six uncontrolled marked crosswalks on Carlsbad Boulevard at Hemlock Avenue, Cherry Avenue, Maple Avenue, Sycamore Avenue, Oak Avenue and Army/Navy Academy. Mr. Freedman was invited to attend the Traffic and Mobility Commission Meeting of April 5, 2021, during which staff presented the Carlsbad Boulevard Pedestrian Improvements Project to the Traffic and Mobility Commission for their input. Mr. Freedman submitted an email to be read as public comment for this agenda item. He requested that green bicycle lane enhancements on Carlsbad Boulevard be prioritized. On June 4, 2021, the Transportation Director/City Engineer responded to Mr. Freedman informing him of the following information: 1. The upcoming fiscal year (FY) 2021-22 budget (which began July 1) will include two Capital Improvement Program, or CIP, projects and additional operating budget to further prioritize the Sustainable Mobility Plan (SM P). These projects will allow staff to address many of Mr. Freedman's concerns. a. Included is a proposed project in the FY 2021-22 budget for the Carlsbad Boulevard Lane Reduction and Edge Striping. This project mainly consists of slurry sealing and restriping of the south bound road segment from approximately Sola mar Drive to Island Way. Considering several of Mr. Freedman's areas of concern along Carlsbad Boulevard are near this project, striping revisions to the intersections from Palomar Airport Road to Avenida Encinas are being considered for this project due to the similar scope of work and proximity. i. The intersections north of Palomar Airport Road to the north will be included in the prioritization of the SMP within the next year or as a part of other CIP projects. b. Regarding Jefferson Street, there is a CIP project to add bike lanes on the bridge section over 1-5. This will include climbing lanes in the uphill direction with sh arrows in the downhill direction on each side of the bridge. i. As part of this project, staff can also consider improving the bike lanes on Jefferson Street and providing new bike lanes on Las Flores Drive. ii. As a part of this project, staff will study how to most effectively balance the needs of the roadway including potentially narrowing vehicle lanes and parking lanes and installing door-zone buffers or widening the bike lanes. c. Staff will keep Mr. Freedman informed when the projects are scheduled to be presented to the Traffic and Mobility Commission for review. Council Memo -Green Bicycle Lane Enhancements on Carlsbad Boulevard (Districts -All) July 29, 2021 Page 3 2. Regarding the faded sharrows, the streets maintenance division will repaint them. At this time, the city is not installing green backed sharrows considering it is not standard practice and staff are not aware of any studies addressing its effectiveness. Mr. Freedman was asked to provide any published studies addressing its effectiveness since staff are always looking for ways to improve city roadways. Next Steps The scope for the Carlsbad Boulevard Lane Reduction and Edge Striping project will be modified to include green bicycle lane enhancements at the following intersections: • Carlsbad Boulevard/Solamar Drive • Carlsbad Boulevard/Island Way • Carlsbad Boulevard/Lanikai Lane • Carlsbad Boulevard/Breakwater Road • Carlsbad Boulevard/ Poinsettia Lane • Carlsbad Boulevard/Ponto Drive • Carlsbad Boulevard/ Avenida Encinas Future implementation of green bicycle lane enhancements will be considered using the city's Pavement Management Program and other projects. The City Manager and staff are scheduled to meet with Mr. Freedman and Ms. Daniels on July 30, 2021. cc: Scott Chadwick, City Manager Celia Brewer, City Attorney Robby Contreras, Assistant City Attorney Gary Barberio, Deputy City Manager, Community Services Laura Rocha, Deputy City Manager, Administrative Services Mickey Williams, Acting Police Chief Tom Frank, Transportation Director/City Engineer Ryan Green, Finance Director Kristina Ray, Communication & Engagement Director Hossein Ajideh, Engineering Manager John Kim, City Traffic Engineer Nathan Schmidt, Transportation Planning and Mobility Manager Steve Thomas, Lieutenant, Police Department