TRAFFIC ANALYSIS EXPERIENCE

 

Staff has reviewed work of traffic engineers and traffic studies for 25 years as both public agency transportation planners and also as prime consultants.   As project managers we focus the review of the traffic study on the big picture to ensure that the conclusions make sense.  For example, many times the traffic engineer makes assumptions that are inappropriate for the project. To avoid needless expense, the inputs to the analysis are reviewed before the traffic impact analysis is performed. Typically we obtain the city’s concurrence with the inputs before the analysis is done. We are familiar with traffic modeling, inputs, outputs, Level of Service analysis and methodologies, VISSIM analysis, noise and vibration analysis for major pipeline and linear transportation construction. We have also served on technical review teams as well as provided individual peer review. We are also skilled at the temporary traffic handling/stage construction and traffic management plan preparation. Specific previous traffic study review work is shown below.

 

Port of Oakland's Airport Terminal Expansion--Managed and reviewed the bus study analyzing traffic impacts of the new bus routes.  The analysis included access to the new LNG fueling station for the buses and the public.

 

Port of Oakland Middle Harbor Road—As the Landside/Infrastructure Manager for

Project, oversaw and reviewed traffic studies for the new roadway that provided

access to the Port's maritime terminals and joint intermodal facilities.  Traffic studies

included provisions for heavy trucks accessing the terminals, the traveling public getting access to recreation facilities, and railroad crossings and access. The project also included the traffic studies for railroad and traffic signals.  Some of the signals were a combination rail/traffic signal, some were just traffic, some were just rail, and one was a railroad/pedestrian/bicycle signal.

 

Alameda County Public Works Agency Pipeline Construction near Lake Merritt in downtown Oakland—Managed the preparation of environmental review documents including construction traffic impacts, noise and vibration impacts and parking impacts.

 

Monterey County Biennial LOS Monitoring for highways and principal arterials, 1991-1998—Managed and reviewed the LOS inputs and outputs for the state highways and principal arterials in Monterey County. The methodologies included intersection level LOS as well as “floating car” time-based LOS calculations. The project also included collection and reporting of vehicle occupancy and transit usage at key locations in the County.

 

City of Brentwood Balfour Shopping Center—Managed and reviewed traffic impact analysis of delivery trucks and their noise and vibration impacts on adjacent homes as part of a proposed shopping center environmental review. The work also involved traditional traffic studies of the impact on adjacent arterial streets and highway interchanges of the proposed shopping center.

Air and Traffic Impacts of Monterey Transit Plaza--Performed air quality assessment for the impact of bus emissions on the historic Cooper-Molera Adobe complex across the street from the main transit center on the Monterey Peninsula. This project involved close coordination with citizens, historic societies, and the State Parks and Recreation Department. The project was the expansion of the transit center located in a difficult traffic environment in downtown Monterey. Traffic issues involved bus access and a five-sided uncontrolled intersection of curved, two lane streets as well as bus and taxi parking.

 

Amtrak Oakland Maintenance Facility Traffic and Access Impacts—Worked with the City of Oakland, West Oakland neighborhood, and Amtrak to obtain land use permits for the construction of a new maintenance facility for Amtrak in West Oaland. Areas of study included noise, vibration, traffic impacts, Superfund site clean up, hazardous materials, pedestrian safety and visual impacts. Issues with respect to traffic included train and auto conflicts and train/auto/pedestrian conflicts and involved calculating signaling impacts on each mode. In addition, the impacts to the 5^th Street on-ramp and the UPRR mainline access were studied. Finally, since the maintenance facility would have large trucks delivering equipment and supplies, the impacts of these trucks in terms of traffic, noise and vibration on the surrounding residential and commercial neighborhood were analyzed. Mitigation measures were developed, tested, and included in the project description and design of the new facility.

 

Sacramento 7^TH Street Light Rail Station and Alignment Alternatives Analysis and Environmental Document—Worked closely with Sacramento Regional Transit planning, engineering, and legal staff, City of Sacramento staff, and local merchants to obtain clearance of an amended alignment and station location for the 7^th Street Light Rail Extension as part of the Folsom Light Rail Line. Issues involved traffic, loss of on-street parking, noise and vibration impacts to historic buildings, connection to bus service and visual impacts. The project was successfully cleared environmentally in the short amount of time needed by Sacramento RT. Traffic analysis involved review of a traffic consultants VISSIM analysis to ensure that there would be no worsening of traffic LOS with the modified alignment and station location. Presented alternatives to staff for the traffic analysis, and incorporated mitigations into the project design.

 

Monterey County and City of Seaside—Served as the primary staff person to review proposed new developments, their traffic studies, impacts and proposed mitigations. Work was performed between 1979 and 1998 in Monterey County. Reviews included impacts on highway, arterial and transit networks, non-motorized systems, rail lines, transit vehicle access, transit centers, and individual parcels of property.

 

Corridor Studies—Using traffic counts, traffic forecasts and expected development, prepared corridor studies for transportation planning purposes to determine needed highway and arterial improvements. These included the following studies:

 

Regional Transportation Plan, Monterey County

Transportation System Management Element, Monterey County

Traffic Congestion Management Program, Monterey County

City of Seaside General Plan

Highway101 Through Salinas

Laurel Street Corridor in Santa Cruz

Fort Ord Multi-modal Corridor Study

Highway 1 Deficiency Plan, Carmel

Highway 68 Improvements

Intersection and Corridor Analysis for Fremont Blvd, Lighthouse Avenue, Munras Avenue, Reservation Road, Blanco Road, Del Monte Blvd. and North and South Main Streets in Monterey, Seaside, Marina, Monterey County and Salinas.

Review of Caltrans District 5 System Plan

Review of 14 Local General Plans Circulation Elements