REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Approve a Temporary Eastbound Tasman Drive Lane Closure During COVID-19 to Create a Temporary Pathway, and Approve Budget Modification No. 30 in the amount of $30,000 and Finding of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Categorical Exemption
Report
BACKGROUND
Tasman Drive between Fair Oaks Avenue and Lawrence Expressway is a four-lane commercial/industrial collector, with a light rail line dividing the eastbound and westbound traffic. Sidewalk is present on the south side of the roadway; however, a gap in sidewalks approximately 1600 feet in length exists between about 800 feet east of Tasman Court (opposite the West Entrance to Casa De Amigos) and Vienna Drive. There is currently no existing bicycle facility on Tasman Drive. The Santa Clara County Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) operates a light rail line along the Tasman Drive corridor that connects Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, and San Jose.
When the Tasman Light Rail Line was extended into Sunnyvale to its current terminus in Mountain View in the late 1990’s, there was insufficient width along the Tasman corridor to install complete sidewalks and bicycle lanes without purchasing and demolishing existing mobile homes that back onto Tasman Drive and removal of all mature trees for long segments. Today’s roadway configuration reflects the compromise, with large gaps in the sidewalk along both sides of Tasman Drive and lack of bicycle facilities.
EXISTING POLICY
General Plan, Chapter 4, Community Character:
Policy CC-1.6 Maintain City neighborhoods as safe, healthy places to live
Policy CC-1.7 Encourage Neighborhood Patterns that Encourage Social Interaction and Avoid Isolation
Goal CC-12 Maximum access to recreation services, facilities and amenities
Pursuant to Sunnyvale Charter Section 1305, at any meeting after the adoption of the budget, the City Council may amend or supplement the budget by motion adopted by affirmative votes of at least four members so as to authorize the transfer of unused balances appropriated for one purpose to another, or to appropriate available revenue not included in the budget.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The temporary removal of one eastbound travel lane and the creation of a temporary pathway is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to the CEQA Guidelines Section 15301(c), for minor alterations of existing highways and streets that do not create additional automobile lanes and involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use.
DISCUSSION
During the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the County of Santa Clara Health Department has issued a Public Health Order to direct all individuals in the county to temporarily shelter in place as of March 16, 2020. However, the County encourages residents to engage in outdoor recreation activities as necessary, including, by way of example and without limitation, walking, hiking, bicycling, and running, in compliance with six-foot social distancing requirements. In addition, traffic on Tasman Drive has dramatically reduced while residents are sheltering in place and only out for essential business.
Mayor Klein requested that staff investigate how to temporarily close a travel lane on Tasman Drive to provide more outdoor space for residents to walk, bike and run along the Tasman Drive corridor, and to provide social distancing while being outdoors. The City has also received similar requests from residents to close travel lanes on Tasman Drive and to provide bicyclists and pedestrians additional space to travel along the Tasman Drive corridor during the COVID-19 pandemic.
After evaluating the existing pedestrian facility on Tasman Drive, as well as the current traffic volumes on Tasman Drive, staff concluded that a temporarily closure of the curb lane on eastbound Tasman Drive between Tasman Court and Vienna Drive was feasible and should increase pedestrian safety. Vienna Drive has a traffic signal, allowing residents to cross Tasman from north to south. There is an existing sidewalk on the south side of Tasman Drive between Fair Oaks Avenue to 800 feet east of Tasman Court; and between Vienna Drive and Lawrence Expressway. By closing a lane in the eastbound direction between Tasman Court and Vienna Drive, a temporary pathway, primarily for pedestrians, would be provided connecting the gap in the existing sidewalk on Tasman Drive. The temporary pathway would consist of installation of delineators to provide a physical separation from the vehicles traveling eastbound on Tasman Drive.
As part of the implementation, additional temporary traffic control devices and signage would be installed to provide guidance for drivers and other road users to safely travel along the Tasman Drive corridor.
This temporary closure of one travel lane in the eastbound direction has not been analyzed against non-COVID-19 Pandemic transportation conditions for transportation impacts and will need to be removed once the County’s Public Health Order is further relaxed and transportation travel patterns start to readjust and establish themselves again.
FISCAL IMPACT
The cost to implement the Tasman Drive Temporary Lane Closure project, which includes the installation of delineators, other temporary traffic control devices and the required signages to temporarily close a travel lane, and the maintenance of the temporary pathway for up to a 10-month period is estimated to be $30,000. Mayor Klein suggested the Tasman Drive Temporary Lane Closure project be funded with Council Service Level Set Aside, which has a current balance of $70,000. The Council Service Level Set Aside is an annual $100,000 appropriation for Council’s use at its discretion for unplanned projects, services, or other initiatives that come up over the course of the fiscal year.
Budget Modification No. 30 has been prepared to appropriate Council Set Aside funds in the amount of $30,000 to fund the project.
Budget Modification No. 30
FY 2019/20
|
|
Current |
Increase/ (Decrease) |
Revised |
|
General Fund |
|
|
|
|
Expenditures |
|
|
|
|
New Project: Tasman Drive Temporary Lane Closure |
$0 |
$30,000 |
$30,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Project |
|
|
|
|
Council Set Aside |
$70,000 |
($30,000) |
$40,000 |
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall, Sunnyvale Public Library and Department of Public Safety; and by making the agenda and report available at the Office of the City Clerk and on the City's website.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve a Temporary Eastbound Tasman Drive Lane Closure During COVID-19, to Create a Temporary Pathway, and Approve Budget Modification No. 30 in the amount of $30,000 and make a finding of CEQA Categorical Exemption pursuant to Guidelines section 15301(c).
2. Do not approve a Temporary Eastbound Tasman Drive Lane Closure During COVID-19.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
During the COVID-19 pandemic, with the reduction in traffic on Tasman Drive, this pathway would provide additional space for the public to perform outdoor activities without impacting traffic congestion. As the funding source is the Council set aside, staff is not providing a specific recommendation related to temporarily close one eastbound travel lane on Tasman Drive and to install delineators to create a temporary pathway, primarily for pedestrians.
Staff
Prepared by: Dennis Ng, Transportation and Traffic Manager
Reviewed by: Tim Kirby, Director of Finance
Reviewed by: Chip Taylor, Director, Public Works
Reviewed by: Teri Silva, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Kent Steffens, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Map of Project Limits