HomeMy WebLinkAbout103-2. October 23, 2009 Fehr & Peers Memorandum .pdf
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MEMORANDUM
Date: October 23, 2009
To: John Cherbone, Public W orks Director, City of Saratoga
From: Franziska Church/Sohrab Rashid
Subject: Summary of Herriman Avenue Cross-Section Options, Saratoga, California
1025-446-1
Over the past year, Fehr & Peers has worked with the City staff and the Herriman Task Force to
address bicycle and pedestrian safety, as well as parking concerns on Herriman Avenue. Based
on a recommendation from the Traffic Safety Commission in 2007, the City of Saratoga changed
the roadway configuration on Herriman Avenue to include a pedestrian path on the south side of
the roadway and bic ycle lanes in each direction. The reconfiguration required removal of on-
street parking for the section of Herriman Avenue between Beaumont Avenue and Saratoga
Avenue, which affected seven homes that directly front onto Herriman Avenue. The residents
raised concerns over the loss of parking and loss of a physical buffer (i.e., the painted shoulder
area) between their driveways and the vehicle travel lanes. Based on subsequent direction from
the City Council, the Herriman Task Force was formed to try and develop alternate cross-sections
for Herriman Avenue that would safely accommodate pedestrian and bic ycle travel in the corridor
in addition to addressing the concerns raised by residents. This memorandum summarizes the
four cross-section alternatives that the Task Force has decided to present to City Council for
consideration at their November 4, 2009 meeting.
CROSS-SECTION SUMMARY
Figures of the four alternative cross-sections (referred to as Options 1 through 4) are attached to
this memorandum and are summarized below. Per the direction of the task force and based on
neighborhood input, all of these alternatives are designed to fit within the existing curb-to-curb
width of the street and do not encroach into the existing properties.
Option 1 – Existing Conditions
Under Option 1, no changes would be made to the existing cross-section of Herriman Avenue
and the pedestrian path and bicycle lanes would be maintained. On-street parking would continue
to be prohibited between Beaumont Avenue and Saratoga Avenue. Under this option, the Task
Force recommends that the pedestrian path that is currently separated from the vehicle travel
lanes by an asphalt berm be permanently filled in to provide a standard raised sidewalk
configuration.
Option 2 – Modified Previous (No Pedestrian Path)
This option would generally return the configuration on Herriman Avenue back to the way it was
before the restriping project and the new pedestrian path except for minor modifications. The
raised berm and pedestrian path would be eliminated, but the Task Force recommends that the
cross-section include a standard bike lane on the south side of the roadway (approximately 5 feet
in width and a shared 10-foot parking/bike lane on the north side of the roadway. In the shared
John Cherbone
October 23, 2009
Page 2 of 3
parking/bicycle lane, parking would be prohibited from 7 AM to 7 PM seven days a week. This
would allow bicyclists to use the bike lane during daytime hours, when most bicyclists are on the
road. Pedestrians would have no dedicated right-of-way under this option and would be required
to walk in the bike lanes or on the existing informal off-street paths where they exist.
Option 3 – Partial Parking
Under Option 3, the Herriman Avenue cross-section would be modified from Option 1 (Existing) to
include a shared parking/bike lane on the north side of the roadway from Lannoy Court to
approximately 250 feet to the east (i.e., towards Jerries Drive). This would provide approximately
seven parking spaces, though the parking spaces would not be located adjacent to those homes
that front onto the north side of Herriman Avenue. As under Option 2, parking in the shared
parking/bike lane would be prohibited between 7AM and 7PM seven days a week. Option 3
maintains continuous pedestrian and bicycle facilities, and the Task Force recommends that the
pedestrian path be permanently configured to a raised sidewalk.
Option 4 – Discontinuous Bike Lanes
Option 4 is similar to Option 3 only that the bike lanes (both directions) east of Jerries Drive would
be removed to allow for shared parking/bicycle lane on the north side of the roadway. Again,
parking in the shared parking/bicycle lane would be prohibited between 7AM and 7PM to allow
bicyclist to use the bike lanes in the daytime. Under Option 4, the eastbound bike lane on
Herriman Avenue would terminate near Jerries Drive and would be discontinuous between
Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road and Saratoga Avenue. A three foot shoulder stripe would be provided
in lieu of standard five foot bike lanes east of Jerries Drive. The pedestrian path would be
maintained under this option with the recommendation that the path be filled in and converted to a
sidewalk.
CROSS-SECTION COMPARISON
Table1 on the following page summarizes the advantages and disadvantages for each of the four
options discussed above.
SUMMARY
Because Herriman Avenue is one of the few direct connections between Saratoga-Sunnyvale
Road and Saratoga Avenue and it provides direct access to Saratoga High School, Fehr & Peers
continues to support Options 1 and 3. Both of these options maintain continuous and standard
pedestrian and bicycle facilities and provide the safest non-automobile facilities of the four options
under consideration.
John Cherbone
October 23, 2009
Page 3 of 3
EVALUATION OF HERRIMAN AVE CROSS-SECTION ALTERNATIVES
(BEAUMONT AVENUE TO SARATOGA AVENUE)
Alternative Advantage Disadvantage
Option 1
(Existing
Conditions)
• Pedestrian pathway/ sidewalk on south
side roadway
• Dedicated bike lanes on north and south
side of roadway
• Narrower travel lanes to slow traffic
(compared to old design)
• No parking on north side of Herriman
Reduced visibility out of driveways on
north side of Herriman (5 feet between
curb and travel lane)
• No protected pedestrian area on north
side for residents
Option 2
(Modified
Previous)
• Dedicated bike lane on south side of
Herriman Ave
• Shared bicycle/parking lane on north
side of Herriman Ave
• Parking permitted along north side of
Herriman Ave from 7PM to 7AM
• Added visibility at driveways on north
side due to width between travel lane
and curb (10 feet)
• Narrower travel lanes to slow traffic
(compared to old design)
• No protected pedestrian area on either
side of Herriman Ave
• No dedicated westbound bike lane at
night time
• Parking prohibited along north side of
Herriman Ave from 7AM to 7PM
Option 3
(Partial
Parking)
• Pedestrian pathway/ sidewalk on south
side roadway
• Dedicated bike lanes on south side of
roadway
• Shared bicycle/parking lane north side of
Herriman Ave from Lannoy Ct to 250 feet
east
• Parking permitted along north side of
Herriman Ave from Lannoy ct to 250 feet
east (7PM to 7AM)
• Added visibility between properties and
travel lanes (10 feet) on north side of
roadway where parking is permitted
• Narrower travel lanes to slow traffic
(compared to old design)
• No parking on north side of Herriman
except for 250 feet east of Lannoy Court
(not adjacent to front-on housing)
• No dedicated westbound bike lane at
night time
• Reduced visibility out of driveways on
north side of Herriman from Saratoga
Avenue to west of Jerries Dr (5 feet
between curb and travel lane)
• No protected pedestrian area on north
side for residents
Option 4
(Discontinuous
Bike Lanes)
• Pedestrian pathway/ sidewalk on south
side roadway
• Dedicated bike lanes on south side of
roadway
• Shared bicycle/parking lane north side of
Herriman Ave west of Jerries Dr
• Parking permitted along north side of
Herriman Ave (7PM to 7AM)
• Added visibility between properties and
travel lanes (7.5 to 10 feet) on north side
of roadway
• Narrower travel lanes to slow traffic
(compared to old design)
• No dedicated bike lanes east of Jerries
Dr (not in conformance with the City’s
General Plan)
• No dedicated westbound bike lane at
night time
• Parking prohibited in daytime (7AM to
7PM)
• No protected pedestrian area on north
side for residents
Source: Fehr & Peers, October 2009.
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