REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Adopt a Resolution to: 1) Modify Parking Regulations on Bassett Street for purposes of installing a Class II Bikeway; and 2) Delegate authority to the City Manager or designee to revise parking regulations on Bassett Street between Chestnut Street and George Street as necessary to accommodate Class II Bicycle Lanes
Report
COUNCIL PILLAR
Deliver and Enhance High Quality Efficient Services and Infrastructure
BACKGROUND
Included with the City’s FY 2020/21 & FY 2021/22 Biennial Capital Improvement Program Budget is the Lafayette Bassett Bike Lane Project (Project). A portion of the project includes the installation of bicycle facilities on Bassett Street (Agnew Road to Laurelwood Road). The City’s Bicycle Plan Update 2018 recommends a Class IIIB bikeway (i.e. shared travel lanes and traffic calming measures) on Bassett Street (Agnew Road to Chestnut Street) and Class II bicycle lanes (dedicated striped bicycle lanes) on Bassett Street from Chestnut Street to Laurelwood Road.
Bassett Street currently has two travel lanes (one in each direction) and on-street parking on both sides of the street. During preliminary engineering review, staff decided to study the potential for Class II bicycle lanes from Agnew Road to Laurelwood Road and determined that due to constrained roadway widths, parking removal is necessary to add Class II bicycle lanes on Bassett Street. Additionally, staff determined that the parking lane on the east side of Bassett Street, which is adjacent to the Union Pacific Railroad line, is typically not heavily parked along a majority of the corridor and that the east side should be studied for potential parking removals.
The potential parking removal along Bassett Street is estimated to be 3,600 feet of the total 6,400 feet in length currently available for parking (Attachment 1). This distance exceeds the authority of the City Manager or designee specified in the City Code related to parking removals (which is only 350 feet), and therefore requires Council approval.
DISCUSSION
Staff completed a parking analysis which consisted of inventorying the number of parking spaces, collecting parking count data, and evaluating the collected data. The constrained portion of Bassett Street, which would require parking removal to accommodate a dedicated bike lane, is from Agnew Road to George Street. Parking counts were collected for this area in July 2021 during the daytime (9 a.m. - 6 p.m.) and late-night period (11 p.m. - 1 a.m.) on a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Currently, there are approximately 402 on-street parking spaces within the public right-of-way in the parking study area. The parking analysis results shown below in Table 1 found that nearly 70 percent of parking spaces were available (i.e. open) during both observation periods for the length of Bassett Street being studied. A map showing the study area and parking availability during the peak demand period (11 p.m. - 1 a.m.) is shown in Attachment 2.
Table 1: Bassett Street Parking Analysis Results
(Agnew Road to George Street)
|
Bassett Street Segment |
Parking Spaces |
Percent of Parking Available |
|
|
|
9AM-6PM |
11PM-1AM |
|
Agnew Rd to Ash St (west side) |
14 |
36% |
14% |
|
Agnew Rd to Ash St (east side) |
16 |
44% |
19% |
|
Ash St to Beech St (west side) |
12 |
50% |
17% |
|
Ash St to Beech St (east side) |
21 |
62% |
52% |
|
Beech St to Chestnut St (west side) |
9 |
44% |
11% |
|
Beech St to Chestnut St (east side) |
21 |
76% |
71% |
|
Chestnut St to Wyatt Dr (west side) |
14 |
64% |
64% |
|
Chestnut St to Wyatt Dr (east side) |
21 |
95% |
95% |
|
Wyatt Dr to Norman Ave (west side) |
60 |
90% |
83% |
|
Wyatt Dr to Norman Ave (east side) |
74 |
91% |
91% |
|
Norman Ave to 300-ft south of Norman Ave (west side) |
7 |
14% |
14% |
|
Norman Ave to 300-ft south of Norman Ave (east side) |
12 |
0% |
0% |
|
300-ft south of Norman Ave to George St (west side) |
52 |
79% |
79% |
|
300-ft south of Norman Ave to George St (east side) |
69 |
74% |
71% |
|
Total |
402 |
73% |
67% |
Generally, parking availability of 20 percent or greater is considered acceptable and minimizes drivers searching for parking. The parking analysis did find parking availability below 20 percent during the late-night periods on the following street segments:
• Agnew Road to Ash Street (west side and east side)
• Ash Street to Beech Street (west side)
• Beech Street to Chestnut Street (west side)
• Norman Avenue to 300 feet south of Norman Avenue (east side and west side)
The parking analysis results indicated parking demand on the west side of Bassett Street was generally higher than the east side, which supported staff’s initial determination that parking may be able to be removed on the east side of Bassett Street. Therefore, staff further analyzed the impacts of removing on-street parking and determined that if parking is removed on the east side of Bassett Street between Agnew Road and Chestnut Street, the west side of Bassett Street is expected to have 0 percent availability (fully parked) and up to 25 vehicles would be forced to park on neighboring streets, which may impact the neighborhood north of Chestnut Street.
Staff also further analyzed the impacts of removing parking on the east side of Bassett Street between Norman Avenue to 300 feet south of Norman Avenue (i.e. dirt area). In this area, staff observed vehicles parking perpendicular to the street and estimate that if parking is removed in this area, the west side of Bassett Street is expected to have 0 to 20 percent availability throughout the day and impact the area between Norman Avenue to 300 feet south of Norman Avenue.
Staff prepared this information regarding the potential for parking removal and presented it at public meetings to obtain input from residents as described below.
Community Outreach and Feedback: The Project was communicated to the public by mailing over 900 notification letters and postcards, hosting two community meetings on December 15, 2021 and March 16, 2022, and posting information on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Nextdoor, and the City website.
Throughout this process, staff presented the results of the parking analysis and preliminary staff recommendations to the community. Below is a summary of community feedback:
• Do not remove parking between Agnew Road and Chestnut Street due to impacts to resident parking availability.
• Vehicle speeding is observed on Bassett Street between Agnew Road and Chestnut Street.
• Install bike lanes on Bassett Street between Agnew Road and Chestnut Street to provide a continuous facility.
• Consider removing parking during the evening and late-night hours on Bassett Street between Agnew Road and Chestnut Street (similar to parking along a section of Homestead Road in the City of Sunnyvale).
• Consider the installation of parking-protected bicycle facilities along Bassett Street.
• Support for the project from the property owner (Hines) of 3508-3510, 3520-3530, 3540-3538 and 3550-3580 Bassett Street based on the project’s multimodal benefits and the anticipated return of employees for the site’s 10 tenants (Attachment 3)
• No member of the public objected to removing parking on the east side of Bassett Street between Chestnut Street and George Street.
Staff considered several comments regarding parking removal and installing dedicated striped bicycle lanes between Agnew Road and Chestnut Street. Based on the parking analysis, the removal of on-street parking on Bassett Street from Agnew Road to Chestnut Street may impact parking in the neighborhood.
Staff Recommendation: Based on the parking analysis findings and community input, staff is not recommending parking removals along Bassett Street from Agnew Road to Chestnut Street and is proposing a Class IIIB bikeway (i.e. shared travel lanes and traffic calming measures).
Staff is, however, recommending parking removal on the east side of Bassett Street between Chestnut Street and Norman Avenue and the segment between 300 feet south of Norman Avenue and George Street so a Class II bikeway (dedicated striped bicycle lanes) can be installed from Chestnut Street to Laurelwood Road. This action will remove 176 parking spaces along 3,600 feet of the east side of Bassett Street, will minimize parking impacts to the residents and businesses along Bassett Street, and implement the recommendations within the City’s Bicycle Plan Update 2018 for Bassett Street. Staff recommends that Council adopt a resolution (Attachment 4) to remove parking in this area.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15301 “Existing Facilities” as the activity consists of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities mechanical equipment or topographical features involving negligible or no expansion of use beyond that existing at the time of the lead agencies determination.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact with the adoption of this resolution.
COORDINATION
The parking study was presented to the community at two community meetings on December 15, 2021 and March 16, 2022. Additionally, staff presented the Project and parking study to the Santa Clara Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee (BPAC) at the March 28, 2022 meeting.
This report has been coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office, the Fire Department, and the Police Department.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov <mailto:clerk@santaclaraca.gov> or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Adopt a resolution to: 1) Modify certain parking regulations on Bassett Street; and 2) Delegate authority to the City Manager or designee to revise parking regulations on Bassett Street between Chestnut Street and George Street as necessary to accommodate Class II Bicycle Lanes.
Staff
Reviewed by: Craig Mobeck, Director of Public Works
Approved by: Rajeev Batra, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Location Map with Staff Recommendations
2. Parking Availability Map, existing peak demand
3. Letter of support from property owner of 3508-3510, 3520-3530, 3540-3538 and 3550-3580 Bassett Street
4. Resolution