Morgan Hill Complete Streets Project

MONTEREY ROAD COMPLETE STREET PROJECT

PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR | CITY OF MORGAN HILL | 17575 PEAK AVENUE | MORGAN HILL, CA | (408) 779-7236 | OCTOBER 31, 2014

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of the Monterey Road Complete Street Project is to improve the livability and economic vitality of the Monterey Road corridor between Main Avenue and Dunne Avenue by enhancing the pedestrian environment, safely accommodating bicyclists, and reducing noise and air pollution, while allowing for the safe passage of vehicles. The project seeks to create an attractive, thriving, and vibrant community gathering place by fostering a safe and inviting experience for all, while also preserving mobility for those accessing businesses, schools, services, transit, and other popular destinations.

Through an extensive public engagement process that included regular Complete Streets Committee meetings, City Council checkins, meetings with public safety and local business owners, a Creative Placemaking Symposium, a Weekend Demonstration of multiple alternatives, and online and hard copy surveys, the project team developed a list of recommendations and action steps.

The project team recommends striping seven-foot-wide bicycle lanes with three- to four-foot-wide striped buffers along Monterey Road between Main Avenue and Dunne Avenue. The width of the buffer will vary depending on the width of the roadway and the location of existing striping, which will be re-used whenever possible. In addition, the project team recommends removing existing speed cushions, implementing concurrent pedestrian signal phasing, and coordinating wayfinding signage to direct through motor vehicle traffic to parallel facilities. The project team recommends evaluating the impacts of the re-configuration over a six-month Pilot period and reporting back to City Council.

CONTENTS

01 02 07 16 17 19 28 33 39 36 19 28 33 36 39 01

INTRODUCTION

ALTERNATIVES

02

07

EXISTING CONDITIONS

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

RECOMMENDATIONS

MONITORING

16

17

NEXT STEPS

APPENDIX

ISSUES & OPPORTUNITIES EVALUATION CRITERIA

INTRODUCTION The purpose of the Monterey Road Complete Street Project is to improve the livability and economic vitality of the Monterey Road corridor between Main Avenue and Dunne Avenue by enhancing the pedestrian environment, safely accommodating bicyclists, and reducing noise and air pollution, while allowing for a safe passage of vehicles. The project seeks to create an attractive, thriving, and vibrant community gathering place by fostering a safe and inviting experience for all, while also preserving mobility for those accessing businesses, schools, services, transit, and other popular destinations.

The Downtown district runs along Monterey Road between Main Avenue and Dunne Avenue. The road is currently configured as a four-lane divided roadway that once served as a state highway. The roadway has parallel on-street parking, sidewalks on both sides, and left-turn pockets at intersections where left turns are allowed. The corridor serves pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists of all ages, which has produced conflicts surrounding motor vehicle speeds, noise levels, and pedestrian and bicyclist safety.

This document explores alternatives designed to make Monterey Road a safe and accessible corridor for all users and includes the following sections:         

Existing conditions; Public engagement (August 2014 through November 2014); Issues and Opportunities; Evaluation criteria; Potential alternatives; Alternative ratings; Preferred alternative; Performance monitoring and assessment procedures; and Next steps.

Monterey Road’s wide travelways and long north-south signal cycles favor through vehicle traffic and hinder pedestrian and bicyclist access. No bikeways exist in Downtown Morgan Hill and, in many places, the sidewalks are too narrow for two or more pedestrians to walk side-by-side. The corridor lacks distinct destinations for families to gather and places for activities that capture people’s attention and extend their experience and time in Downtown Morgan Hill.

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EXISTING CONDITIONS STUDY AREA The City of Morgan Hill has embarked on a major effort to enhance its historic Downtown district as a prime social, entertainment, food, and specialty shop center in southern Santa Clara County. The district offers over 25 eateries, provides direct access to Caltrain facilities and attracts over 250,000 visitors every year. The City recently adopted the Downtown Placemaking Investment Strategy, a framework for selecting, programming, and funding public infrastructure and placemaking projects. With the potential for the former Redevelopment Agency (RDA) opportunity sites developing in the Downtown, the Placemaking Investment Strategy will have to accommodate expected increases in workforce housing, condominiums, senior apartments, and structured parking.

Caltrain

The Monterey Road Complete Street Project focuses on the six blocks along Monterey Road between Main Avenue and Dunne Avenue. The corridor is currently configured as a four-lane divided roadway with parallel on-street parking and left-turn pockets at intersections. A tree-lined median runs the length of the corridor and serves as the district’s most dominant feature, along with the Third Street Promenade and Veterans Memorial Square located at Monterey Road and First Street. The corridor also features large curb extensions designed to accommodate outdoor dining and a pedestrian promenade along Third Street. Figure 1 shows the boundaries of the complete street project study area.

FIGURE 1: PROJECT STUDY AREA

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HISTORY Morgan Hill is home to a deep and rich cultural history that helps shape the identity of its residents. Costanoan, also known as the Ohlone Native Americans, lived in the Morgan Hill area until 1776 when Spanish soldiers arrived. From 1779 to 1845, Morgan Hill and the surrounding areas were included in one of the largest Spanish colonial land grants ever authorized. In 1845, Martin Murphy, Sr., an Irish-born American pioneer crossed the Sierra Nevada and purchased 9,000 acres of land known as Rancho Ojo de Agua de la Coche. In 1882, Murphy’s daughter wed Hiram Morgan Hill, the future namesake of the City of Morgan Hill.

By the 1920s, Morgan Hill was well known for its agricultural products, and to this day, wineries flourish in the area. The roadway that connected the Catholic missions, which included Monterey Road, was officially renamed US 101 in 1926 and was widened 12 years later by 17 feet through Downtown Morgan Hill to accommodate increased commercial development.1 In order to accommodate the wider street, many of the buildings that fronted Monterey Road had to be moved by horse. Skeels Hotel, the lone exception due to its concrete foundation, had to have its front façade demolished and rebuilt.2 By the 1970s, Morgan Hill shifted from an agricultural society to a bedroom community for Silicon Valley. Workers in growing technology companies were attracted to the small-town atmosphere, sense of community, and reasonable housing prices. In 1970, a bypass of US 101 was constructed to divert motor vehicle traffic away from Downtown. However, traffic continued to use Monterey Road as a thoroughfare, and from 1970 to 2010, the City grew from a population of 6,485 to its current population of almost 40,000 people. Due to its continued growth, the City of Morgan Hill is beginning to implement its plan for creating a welcoming, attractive, and accessible town center that celebrates its unique history.

FIGURE 2: MONTEREY ROAD, 1931

FIGURE 3: MONTEREY ROAD, 2014

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RELATED PROJECTS Over the next two years, the City of Morgan Hill will be leveraging new development opportunities and implementing large portions of its Downtown Placemaking Investment Strategy, which utilized extensive public outreach to create a long-term vision for Downtown.

Projects already underway or anticipated as vital components of the strategy include:         

Downtown Parking Structure between Third Street and Fourth Street, scheduled to open in the winter of 2015; Hill Top Trail up to the “Nob Hill Water Tank” from West Third Street; West Third Street Park, mid-block of Third Street between Monterey Road and Del Monte Avenue; Potential Depot Street Park, location not yet determined; New and upgraded street lighting in Downtown; Undergrounding of overhead utilities in Downtown; and Streetscape and public art installations along Monterey Road.

Monterey Road alterations to enhance safety and visual appeal.

Four development sites and one retail shell for mixed uses including retail, offices, and residential.

Figure 4 shows the location of proposed and potential development opportunities in Downtown Morgan Hill.

FIGURE 4: DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

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TRAFFIC CONDITIONS Monterey Road was originally the main north-south corridor for regional traffic prior to the construction of US 101. Recently, the community has discussed the role Monterey Road plays through the Downtown area. This discussion is common among local jurisdictions in similar situations, and the newly built Butterfield Boulevard, a parallel north-south facility to the east of Downtown with excess capacity, presents an interesting opportunity to reconfigure Monterey Road to serve all modes of transportation. A review of recent transportation assessments and relevant plans shed light on the anticipated impacts a lane reconfiguration will have. The reviewed documents include:      

Morgan Hill General Plan (Update through February 2010) Final Monterey Road Streetscape: Transportation Analysis, Fehr & Peers (October 2011) Hale Avenue Extension Neighborhood Impact Analysis Downtown Morgan Hill Park-and-ride Parking Structure: Transportation Impact Analysis, Fehr & Peers (April 2014) City of Morgan Hill Bicycle Master Plan Update, Bellinger Foster Steinmetz (May 2008) Santa Clara Countywide Bicycle Plan, VTA (June 2008)

The Morgan Hill General Plan identifies a circulation system based on smart growth and sustainable community strategies; reflecting a balanced, safe, multi-modal transportation system in which pedestrian, bicycle, and transit facilities receive equal footing with motor vehicle facilities. The plan recognizes Downtown as the transit hub of the City and as a center for shopping, business, entertainment, and civic and cultural events. To accommodate these activities, the General Plan exempts Downtown intersections from meeting motor vehicle level-of-service (LOS) standards and traffic mitigation requirements.

The General Plan set goals for Downtown and Monterey Road that include the continuation of streetscape and pedestrian-oriented design themes and the provision of access to Downtown at a LOS not intended to accommodate regional through traffic. The General Plan allows for motor vehicle LOS F operations along Monterey Road; however, three out of the seven intersections operate at LOS D, one operates at LOS D+, and two operate at LOS B during the evening peak hour.3 Morgan Hill’s LOS policies are designed to ensure that regional and sub-regional traffic does not spill over onto residential streets and compromise the livability and safety of local residents.

The General Plan also states that bikeways shall be coordinated with the Santa Clara Countywide Trails Master Plan and Santa Clara Countywide Bicycle Plan, in addition to recognizing and reflecting the needs and abilities of bicyclists with a diverse range of age and experience; from children learning to bicycle to experienced adult commute bicyclists. It encourages special consideration be given to the design of Monterey Road and encourages City Council to consider both four-lane and two-lane configurations.

Butterfield Boulevard south of Cochrane Road is a four-lane arterial with no on-street parking and Class I and Class II bicycle lanes.

There is room to expand the roadway to six lanes in the future, but it is operating under capacity. Monterey Road currently serves 17,600 average daily trips and has a posted speed limit of 25 mph in the Downtown zone, while Butterfield Boulevard serves 10,300 average daily trips and has a posted speed limit of 45 mph. Many cities have a threshold of 18,000 to 25,000 average daily trips in order to make the move from a four-lane roadway to a two-lane roadway. Because Monterey Road is operating at the low end of this threshold and because Butterfield Boulevard can accommodate between 25,000 to 30,000 more vehicles with its current configuration, a two-lane reconfiguration of Monterey Road is feasible.

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NOISE LEVELS Downtown Morgan Hill has several restaurants with outdoor dining amenities that provide residents and visitors an opportunity to take advantage of the City’s moderate climate. However, the noise from cars, trucks and motorcycles passing the diners can often be disruptive. Figure 5 shows a typical sound intensity range. Sound readings from Monterey Road collected on Friday, September 19, 2014 during the evening rush hour fell between 53.7 dB and 92.6 dB. Regular exposure to sound intensities over 90 dB can cause permanent ear damage. On Monterey Road, this threshold was exceeded by some pick-up trucks and motorcycles. Appendix B contains all the recorded decibel readings.

ON-STREET MOTOR VEHICLE PARKING An analysis of the number of occupied on-street motor vehicle parking spaces on Monday, September 8, 2014 between 6:007:00pm was conducted to study peak weekday parking occupancy in Downtown. It showed that 58.9 percent of on-street parking spaces (201 spaces occupied out of a total of 341 spaces) were utilized on Monterey Road and within one block of Monterey Road between Main Avenue and Dunne Avenue. Additional off-street parking spaces were available at local businesses. A structured parking garage containing 275 new parking spaces is planned for 2015. Full results from the parking study can be found in Appendix A.

FIGURE 5: SOUND INTENSITY EQUIVALENTS

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PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT Morgan Hill residents shaped the design and process of the complete street project through their participation in Complete Streets Committee meetings, City Council check-ins, meetings with public safety officers, residents, and business owners, a Creative Placemaking Symposium, and a Weekend Demonstration of two alternatives.

COMPLETE STREETS COMMITTEE MEETINGS The Complete Streets Committee was comprised of local residents, business owners, and school bus and public safety officials committed to creating a more family-friendly Downtown while also preserving mobility options for those accessing businesses, schools, services, and transit. The group met a total of eight times throughout the project and provided insights into the history of Morgan Hill, typical travel patterns of residents, potential conflicts with proposed alternatives, and desired future outcomes. Residents from diverse backgrounds and with diverse opinions were encourage to join the group, including those skeptical of the project and those with specific concerns. Meeting minutes from the Committee meetings can be found in Appendix D. The first Complete Streets Committee meeting laid the groundwork for the project by asking residents to identify issues along Monterey Road, set goals that aim to address those identified issues, and develop evaluation criteria by which the project would be measured to determine if it is meeting its goals. The identified issues can be found on page 16, the identified goals are listed on page 17, and the proposed evaluation criteria are discussed in detail on page 18.

The second Complete Streets Committee meeting provided a second opportunity to identify issues along Monterey Road and set goals for the project. Based on the combined feedback, the Committee drafted purpose and need statements to serve as a starting point for communicating the vision of the group. In addition, Committee members identified candidates for targeted outreach and additional residents to invite to the consensus group meetings who would provide a differing or unrepresented perspective.

The third Complete Streets Committee meeting included a presentation on ways in which other communities addressed similar issues in their downtown, plus a walking audit of Downtown Morgan Hill. The walking audit reinforced the issues identified the in first two meetings, such as motor vehicle noise levels and long crossing distances, and initiated discussion on potential solutions.

The fourth Complete Streets Committee meeting presented an opportunity to refine the language of the project outreach materials and to provide detailed block-by-block comments. By breaking the corridor down into blocks, group members were able to list out potential sites for mid-block crossings, bicycle corrals, curb extensions, roundabouts, parklets, and other design strategies.

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Using the list of potential design strategies, the project team developed concept renderings of four initial alternatives and presented them at the fifth Complete Streets Committee meeting.

The initial alternatives included the following four concepts: Alternative 1: A wider sidewalk; Alternative 2A: A right-side bicycle lane; Alternative 2B: A left-side bicycle lane; and Alternative 3: Shared bicycle lane markings.

The Committee preferred design strategies that included the following characteristics:      

Easily reversible, if the project fails to meet its goals; Require little initial infrastructure investment; Reduce motor vehicle speeds; Retain motor vehicle capacity; Increase outdoor dining space; and Reduce potential conflicts between pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists.

The Committee decided to re-name Alternative 1 to “Expanded Pedestrian Space” in order to emphasize that no major infrastructural changes, such as the widening of the sidewalk, would take place and to replace Alternative 2B with a Buffered Bicycle Lane option.

The sixth Complete Streets Committee meeting gave the Committee an opportunity to begin to prepare for the Weekend Demonstration, a temporary demonstration of a complete street designed to engage residents in the project. Alternative 1 and new Alternative 2B were chosen for the demonstration by the Committee members, and potential issues and opportunities for the demonstration were identified. It was also decided that the Weekend Demonstration would be implemented on Monterey Road between First Street and Third Street.

At the seventh Complete Streets Committee meeting, Julie Flynn from Street Plans presented on temporary complete street demonstrations, and the Committee identified materials needed for the Weekend Demonstration, assigned responsibilities for acquiring the materials, and created a volunteer recruitment strategy.

The eighth Complete Streets Committee meeting served as an opportunity to finalize preparations for the Weekend Demonstration.

The discussion included signage needs, bicycle parking, traffic control, parklet décor, public outreach strategy, a community survey, and volunteer engagement.

The ninth and final Complete Streets Committee meeting allowed the group to review the primary findings from the Weekend Demonstration, Weekend Demonstration survey, and business survey. The group determined that due to a lack of space for U-turns and emergency vehicles, Alternative 1 – Expanded Pedestrian Space would present major challenges for motor vehicle commuters and Morgan Hill Fire Department (MHFD) (See Figure 24). The group selected Alternative 2B – Buffered Bicycle Lane as the Preferred Alternative. Following the identification of a Preferred Alternative, the group discussed what economic and traffic calming benefits were most important to share at their final City Council check-in.

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CITY COUNCIL CHECK-INS

BUSINESS OWNER MEETINGS

Throughout the project, the project team provided Morgan Hill’s City Council with regular updates. At the May 21, 2014 City Council meeting, the Council approved the Downtown Placemaking Investment Strategy designed to create a quieter, more bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly place to live, shop, and dine. During the August 6, 2014 City Council meeting, City Council approved the temporary re-configuration of Monterey Road for a two-day trial period. On October 1, 2014, the public voiced their opinions about the project to City Council, and the project team described the upcoming Weekend Demonstration of the complete street project. The Council approved moving forward with the Weekend Demonstration in late October. The final City Council check-in will take place on November 19, 2014

The project team met with the owners of a local auto parts store and a wine and cigar company to discuss the potential impact of a Monterey Road re-configuration on access to their respective businesses. Both business owners expressed that they were open to the project, with the condition that the project track specific performance measures to evaluate the effects of the re-configuration and include recommendations to make parallel streets more accessible. The auto parts store owner was extremely concerned about his staff’s ability to make timely deliveries to auto repair shops throughout the city with only one travel lane in each direction on Monterey Road.

RESIDENTS MEETING PUBLIC SAFETY MEETING The project team met with a representative of the MHFD on September 15, 2014 to discuss potential conflicts that the proposed alternatives might create for emergency vehicles. The representative for the MHFD stated that all the proposed alternatives were feasible; however, the preferred alternative would be Alternative 2B - Buffered Bicycle Lane because of the space available to maneuver around yielding vehicles. In addition, MHFD recommended a signal design that could accommodate the future installation of preemptive signal timing for emergency vehicles.

On September 15, 2014, the project team met with residents at a local bookstore to solicit feedback on the initial alternatives for the Monterey Road Complete Street Project. Those in attendance preferred options that included dedicated bicycle facilities and, like the Complete Streets Committee, noted that shared lanes, marked only with sharrows, were not desirable for bicyclists. Residents also expressed an interest in tracking changes in air quality resulting from the project’s implementation and suggested closing Monterey Road to motor vehicle motor traffic on select days of the year.

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CREATIVE PLACEMAKING SYMPOSIUM The City of Morgan Hill hosted a Creative Placemaking Symposium on September 19, 2014 for residents to share their ideas and thoughts regarding the design of Downtown. The project team solicited additional feedback on proposed Complete Streets alternatives and the evaluation criteria matrix (See Figure 23).

WEEKEND DEMONSTRATION Based on the feedback received on the proposed alternatives and the evaluation criteria matrix, two alternative lane configurations along Monterey Road between First Street and Third Street were tested over a two-day period on Friday, October 24 and Saturday, October 25, 2014. A temporary Buffered Bicycle Lane was installed on the west side of Monterey Road (southbound), and an Expanded Pedestrian Space – with parklets, bike corrals, and street furniture – was installed on the east side of Monterey Road (northbound). Much of the street furniture and other materials used during the test were donated or lent by members of the Complete Streets Committee and local business owners. The purpose of the test was to give the community a brief preview of what their downtown would be like with one lane in each direction, to test the physical logistics of reallocating a travel lane, and ensuring emergency vehicle maneuverability through the space.

Preliminary performance measure data were also collected at the afternoon peak during the Weekend Demonstration. Sound intensity readings showed moderate decreases in the peak noise levels from 92.6 dB before the re-configuration to 88.6 dB during the Weekend Demonstration. Full results are shown in Appendix B. Motor vehicle travel times between Third Street and Main Avenue ranged from 76 seconds to 160 seconds during the Weekend Demonstration.

Average motor vehicle speeds ranged from 14-17 mph southbound and 20-27 mph northbound during the Weekend Demonstration. Full travel times and average speed information can be found in Appendix F.

FIGURE 6: CREATIVE PLACEMAKING SYMPOSIUM

FIGURE 7: RESIDENTS EXAMINING POTENTIAL ALTERNATIVES

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FIGURE 9: PARKLET IN FRONT OF THE MORGAN HILL WINE SHOP AND CIGAR COMPANY

FIGURE 8: WEEKEND DEMONSTRATION SET-UP

FIGURE 10: BIKE CORRAL IN FRONT OF THE GOOD FORK

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FIGURE 11: BICYCLISTS RIDING IN THE TEMPORARY BUFFERED BICYLE LANES

FIGURE 13: EXPANDED PEDESTRIAN SPACE NEAR THE GRANADA THEATHER

FIGURE 12: BICYCLISTS RIDING IN THE TEMPORARY BUFFERED BICYCLE LANES

FIGURE 14: PARKLET IN FRONT OF THE GOOD FORK

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FIGURE 15: EMERGENCY VEHICLE MANUEVERABILITY

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WEEKEND DEMONSTRATION SURVEY The project team and the Complete Streets Committee administered a survey to residents during the Weekend Demonstration and posted an online version for those unable to attend the demonstration. The survey gauged public opinion on how the complete street project might influence their interactions with Downtown. A combined 777 online and hard copy survey responses were collected over the twoday period. Highlights from the survey are shown in Figure 16 and included: 

51 percent of online respondents and 59 percent of hard copy respondents indicated that the temporary reconfiguration made bicycling through Downtown feel safer;



41 percent of online respondents and 53 percent of hard copy respondents indicated that the re-configuration would make them more likely to bicycle through Downtown in the future;





59 percent of hard copy respondents indicated that the temporary re-configuration made the pedestrian experience more enjoyable and 32 percent of online respondents indicated that the pedestrian experience would encourage them to come Downtown more often; and 70 percent of respondents said that they would favor extending the Weekend Demonstration into a Complete Streets Pilot Project while only 43 percent of online respondents favor the Pilot Project.

Potential limitations of the survey include the ability of individuals to take the online survey multiple times and the potential selection bias of those aware of the survey and those willing to take the time to fill out the survey. See Appendix D for a complete breakdown of the survey responses.

43%

Support Complete Streets Pilot Project

70% 57%

Don't Support Complete Streets Pilot Project

30%

32%

Made Walking More Enjoyable

59% 47%

Made Walking Comparably Enjoyable

18% 22% 22%

Made Walking Less Enjoyable

41%

More Likely to Bicycle Downtown

53% 31% 24%

Comparably Likely to Bicycle Downtown

28% 22%

Less Likely to Bicycle Downtown

51% 59%

Made Bicycling Safer 25% 28%

Made Bicycling Comparably Safe

24%

Made Bicycling Less Safe

13% 0%

Online

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Hard Copy

FIGURE 16: WEEKEND DEMONSTRATION SURVEY RESULTS (431 ONLINE AND 346 HARD COPY RESPONES)

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BUSINESS SURVEY The Weekend Demonstration also provided residents an opportunity to share their opinions publically by writing a statement and placing it on a “soundboard”. The comments represented a diversity of opinions and provided an outlet for a population segment previously underrepresented in the outreach efforts to voice their opinions: individuals under the age of 18. Comments from this group are listed below: 



“I like this idea because you can commute to places without using much gas… People can hang out more by merely walking across the street.” – Tegan, Grade 4 “I think this idea is good. Biking reduces the risk of obesity and heart attack. Besides, if you wanted to drive, you can. It’s just reducing lane size.” – Tyler, Grade 6

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“It would be good so we can ride or bike downtown.” – Gabriel, Age 5

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“Bike. Stop killing the Earth.” – Joaquin, Age 12

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“Bikes can go through without interrupting diners. And really a lot of space to walk your dog too.” – Leah, Age 9

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“I have many friends who go to Britton and are scared of getting hit on their way to school. This makes the road safer.”

In addition to the survey administered to residents, a separate survey was administered to local business owners. Results from the survey are presented in Appendix E. The majority of business owners reported comparable customer volumes and foot traffic (58 percent and 64 percent, respectively). Support for a six-month Complete Streets Pilot was divided evenly, with 50 percent of business owners supporting the Pilot and 50 percent against conducting a pilot. Concerns of business owners include: 

“If the plan ultimately goes into effect, traffic will divert outside the downtown area and the end result could well be that businesses could suffer from the reduced visibility.” – Portraits by Rebecca



“Due to the heavy traffic that is generated from Britton and heavy traffic on Friday afternoons or for that matter Monday through Friday work traffic and attempting to make a lefthand turn from 1st Street onto Monterey Road, I am not in favor. Also until there is a western traffic route to relieve Monterey Road, I don’t think it is a good idea. Thank you for giving the business owners an opportunity to voice their opinions.” – Reality World People to People

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“I feel this project will minimize Downtown restaurants exposure. In case of an emergency, fire trucks or police cars traffic will be difficult to work.” – Ladera Grill

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“We believe this will cause more traffic downtown and with so much traffic people are going to avoid driving on main streets like Monterey Road and take back roads instead. If this were to happen, we would have less customers walking in.” – The Flower Cottage

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ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES At the beginning of the project, the Complete Streets Committee identified potential issues and opportunities along the Monterey Road corridor for creating a more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly Downtown.

ISSUES Members of the Committee identified issues with the current configuration of Monterey Road. Out of the issues identified by the group, five common themes emerged: 1. Downtown Morgan Hill lacks a centralized public space There is no identifiable town center where residents can people-watch and relax with their families.

2. The two-sides of Monterey Road feel disconnected – The tree-lined median and large travelway width creates a visual barrier between the east and west sides of Monterey Road.

3. Monterey Road is difficult for pedestrians to cross – High motor vehicle speeds, unpredictable motorist behavior, and wide travelways makes crossing Monterey Road a challenge, particularly for seniors and children.

OPPORTUNITIES The current configuration of the corridor, along with planned and proposed development projects, allow for multiple opportunities to address the concerns of residents. The wide travelways, seen by the Complete Streets Committee group as promoting high motor vehicle speeds and creating long crossing distances, also provide the space needed to install bicycle lanes or to expand the existing sidewalk space without cutting into business setbacks or the front yards of Downtown residents. With changes to the roadway also come construction noise and travel delays. Fortunately, the coordination of the complete street project with other Downtown development and the newly completed Butterfield Boulevard will help alleviate the burden of excess travel delays and multiple prolonged construction periods. Changes to a city’s main thoroughfare without public buy-in can also lead to outcomes that overlook the needs of some segments of the population and can open up opportunities for misinformation. Engagement of Morgan Hill residents throughout the process helped tailor the project to the needs of the City and helped disseminate information about the project to a broader group of people.

4. Noise and exhaust from trucks and other large vehicles creates a poor outdoor dining experience.

5. Riding a bicycle through Downtown Morgan Hill is uncomfortable – The lack of dedicated bicycle facilities combined with high motor vehicle speeds and unpredictable motorist behavior creates conflicts between motorists and bicyclists. Also, current ordinances do not allow bicyclists to ride along the sidewalk in order to prevent conflicts with pedestrians.

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EVALUATION CRITERIA A list of goals and evaluation criteria were developed to address the issues identified by the Complete Streets Committee and to select a preferred alternative.

GOALS The Committee defined the goals of a Complete Streets Project for Downtown Morgan Hill that address the previously identified issues and to provide parameters for evaluating the effectiveness of the project. Common themes from the discussion included:       

Improve the feeling of safety for bicyclists and pedestrians in Downtown; Reduce motor vehicle speeds along Monterey Road between Main Avenue and Dunne Avenue; Reduce outdoor noise levels in order to improve the outdoor dining and pedestrian experience; Improve the predictability of motor vehicle traffic throughout Downtown; Create greater visual connectivity between the east and west sides of Monterey Road; Make crossing Monterey Road safer and more comfortable; and Make Downtown Morgan Hill a destination.

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EVALUATION CRITERIA DEVELOPMENT Based on the list of goals, the Complete Streets Committee developed a list of evaluation measures. Grouped into seven categories, these measures provide a general framework for assessing the appropriateness of potential re-configurations of Monterey Road. These are displayed in Figure 17.

The pedestrian criteria evaluate the total amount of space dedicated to pedestrians, the separation of pedestrians from the nearest travel lane, and the ease of travel along the sidewalk and crosswalks.

The bicycle criteria evaluate the separation and protection of bicycles from motor vehicles on a gradient from shared bicycle lanes to protected cycle track. Additionally, total square footage of available bicycle parking is considered.

Transit criteria involved the amount of time required for a bus to travel through Downtown Morgan Hill, the total square footage of space dedicated for bus stops and related amenities, and the proximity and quality of pedestrian crossings relative to bus stop locations.

The motor vehicle criteria evaluate the 85th percentile speed of motor vehicles along Monterey Road, the time required for a motor vehicle to travel through Downtown Morgan Hill, the number of onstreet parking spaces available, and the ability of the lane reconfiguration to encourage large truck traffic to take alternative routes.

Additional criteria include the potential reduction in pedestrian, bicycle, and motor vehicle collisions, the opinion of local business owners, and the effect of the project on emergency vehicle response time and maneuverability.

FIGURE 17: EVALUATION CRITERIA

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ALTERNATIVES ALTERNATIVES DEVELOPMENT Four initial alternatives were developed and refined by the Complete Streets Committee based on the goals and evaluation criteria of the project. The initial alternatives included: 1. Wider Sidewalk 2A. Balanced (Right-Side Bicycle Lane) 2B. Balanced (Left-Side Bicycle Lane) 3. Simple All four alternatives shifted the existing parking aisle into the current outside travel lane. Alternative 1 extended the existing pedestrian space and provided additional room for outdoor dining, street furniture, and clear walking space. It also included a shared bicycle lane. Similarly, Alternative 2B included a bicycle lane on the inside of the travel lane near the median. The fourth option presented, Alternative 3, comprised of a simple shared bicycle lane, in which lane markings indicate that bicyclists and motorists share the same travel lane. All four alternatives included potential space for parklets and bike corrals in the existing parking aisle.

Feedback from the Committee indicated that larger barriers between the pedestrian zone and the travelways would be preferred, and that a buffer between the motor vehicle travel lane and the bicycle lane would be preferred over a left-side bicycle lane.

Based on the feedback regarding the initial alternatives, the four initial configurations were modified and presented to the public at the Creative Placemaking Symposium. The presented alternatives included: 1. Expanded Pedestrian Space 2A. Dedicated Bicycle Lane 2B. Buffered Bicycle Lane 3. Simple Each of the four modified alternatives re-configures Monterey Road from its existing two-lane form using low-cost and reversible strategies (See Figure 18).

Alternative 1 expands the existing space dedicated to pedestrians through the use of paint and movable street furniture. It provides a full 10 feet for pedestrians and turns the travelway into a shared bicycle lane (See Figure 19).

Alternative 2A expands the pedestrian space by 5 feet and includes a dedicated, on-street bicycle lane (See Figure 20).

Alternative 2B provides a 7 foot bicycle lane separated from the motor vehicle travelway by a 4 foot stripped buffer (See Figure 21).

Alternative 3 retained its configuration as a single shared travelway for motor vehicles and bicycles but also included angled parking (See Figure 22).

All four options included room for parklets, bike corrals, and flashing beacons to make pedestrians at crosswalks more visible.

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FIGURE 18: EXISTING CONDITIONS

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FIGURE 19: ALTERNATIVE 1 – EXPANDED PEDESTRIAN SPACE

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0

FIGURE 20: ALTERNATIVE 2A – DEDICATED BICYCLE LANE

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FIGURE 21: ALTERNATIVE 2B – BUFFERED BICYCLE LANE

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FIGURE 22: ALTERNATIVE 3 - SIMPLE

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APPLICATION OF EVALUATION CRITERIA The four alternatives were assessed using the evaluation criteria developed by the Complete Streets Committee, as shown on page 18. Figure 23 shows the results of the evaluation.

Alternatives 1, 2A, and 2B all ranked highly for their ability to decrease average motor vehicle speeds and to divert truck traffic to alternative routes. All three alternatives ranked poorly for their negative effect on transit travel time, motor vehicle travel time, and emergency response time.

Alternative 1 ranked the highest for pedestrian accessibility, total pedestrian space, width of sidewalk clear zone, length of crosswalks, space for bus stop amenities, ease of pedestrian access to bus stops, potential to reduce pedestrian crashes, and potential to reduce motor vehicle crashes. Alternative 1 ranked the lowest on emergency vehicle maneuverability due to the lack of space for motor vehicles to yield to oncoming emergency vehicles compared to the other three options. This lack of maneuverability was confirmed during a trial emergency run during the Weekend Demonstration.

Additional criteria include the potential reduction in pedestrian, bicycle, and motor vehicle collisions, the opinion of local business owners, and the effect of the project on emergency vehicle response time and maneuverability.

Alternative 2A ranked the highest in clear zone separation of pedestrians from motor vehicle travel lanes and tied with Alternative 2B for the potential to reduce bicycle crashes.

Alternative 3 ranked poorly for width of sidewalk clear zone, length of crosswalks, bicycle level of service, effect on transit travel time, space for bus stop amenities, and the effect on motor vehicle travel time.

25

FIGURE 23: EVALUATED ALTERNATIVES

26

PUBLIC OPINION & PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE The results of the evaluation criteria were presented to the public at meetings with public safety officials, business owners, and residents, and with the public-at-large during the Creative Placemaking Symposium. Feedback from the public helped refine the evaluation criteria and the rankings of each alternative. Following the Weekend Demonstration in which Alternative 1 and 2B were temporarily installed along two blocks of Monterey Road, the public provided additional general feedback on what components of each installed alternative were most and least desirable. Broad themes that were distilled from the feedback included a preference for buffered bicycle lanes by families with young children, concern about emergency vehicle response times, concerns about the removal of on-street motor vehicle parking and the room to maneuver into the parking spaces, preference for alternatives that provide amenities for downtown businesses such as outdoor dining, and concerns about the impact on peak hour travel times and U-turn capabilities.

Additional information on public opinion on the proposed alternatives can be found in Appendix D and lessons learned from the Weekend Demonstration are shown in Figure 24.

Based on the public feedback, the preferred alternative to be studied over a longer period of time is Alternative 2B – Buffered Bicycle Lanes. The Preferred Alternative provides a buffer between the motor vehicle travelway and the bicycle lane, which encourages bicyclists who are just learning to ride or uncomfortable with riding near motor vehicles to bicycle to Downtown. A striped buffer also allows emergency vehicles and parade floats extra room to navigate Monterey Road. The bicycle lane visually narrows the roadway, making motorists more cautious and aware of non-motorized users.

This aids in reducing motor vehicle speeds, minimizing noise from accelerating motor vehicles, creating more predictable motor vehicle travel behavior, and encouraging large trucks and through traffic to reroute to parallel arterial facilities.

FIGURE 24: LESSONS LEARNED FROM WEEKEND DEMONSTRATION

FIGURE 25: RESIDENTS LEAVING FEEDBACK AT WEEKEND DEMONSTRATION

27

RECOMMENDATIONS The project team recommends the City conduct a six-month Complete Streets Pilot of Alternative 2B - Buffered Bicycle Lane from February 2015 until July 2015 and evaluate the impacts of the re-configuration using the performance measures listed on page 33. Figure 27 shows a cross-section of the recommended configuration mid-block along Monterey Road between Main Avenue and Dunne Avenue. Figure 28 shows a cross-section of the recommended configuration along Monterey Road at the railroad underpass south of Jarvis Drive. Figure 29 shows a cross-section of the recommended configuration mid-block along Monterey Road between West Central Avenue and Keystone Avenue. See Appendix G for concept plans of Monterey Road between Main Avenue and Dunne Avenue.

Additional recommendations for Downtown Morgan Hill and for the surrounding area are listed on Page 29. These recommendations are reversible and do not require major infrastructural changes. If, following the Complete Streets Pilot Project, the analysis of the performance measures finds that the complete street project was successful in meeting its goals and the City and residents of Morgan Hill wish to make the new lane configuration permanent, additional modifications to Downtown and the surrounding areas could be necessary.

FIGURE 26: CONCEPT PLAN FOR MONTEREY ROAD BETWEEN SECOND STREET AND THIRD STREET

28

DOWNTOWN MORGAN HILL 

   

  







Conduct a six-month Complete Streets Pilot Project from February 2015 to July 2015 of Alternative 2B - Buffered Bicycle Lane, and check-in mid-pilot with City Council in May. Adopt a set of performance measures, as defined on pages 33 – 35, to evaluate the impacts of the Pilot Project.

Develop a data collection plan that includes pre-pilot, midpilot, and end-pilot collection periods.

Drop the existing northbound outside lane on Monterey Road at Dunne Avenue into the right-turn-only lane.

Re-stripe the existing outside travel lanes along Monterey Road between Main Avenue and Dunne Avenue with sevenfoot-wide bicycle lanes and three- to four-foot-wide buffers.

Use existing striped lines when possible in order to reduce pavement marking removal work during implementation.

Remove existing speed cushions within Downtown.

Ban commercial vehicles exceeding a max gross weight limit of five and one-half tons along Monterey Road between Main Avenue and Dunne Avenue, as per Ordinance 10.60.040.

Prohibit parking in specified zones along Monterey Road between Main Avenue and Dunne Avenue during select morning hours to provide a designated loading zone for delivery vehicles and to keep bicycle lanes clear.

Implement concurrent pedestrian phasing along Monterey Road at the Main Avenue and Second Street traffic signals so that pedestrians travelling along Monterey Road automatically receive the WALK signal without having to press the push buttons.

Consider shared bicycle/right-turn lanes on Monterey Road at the northbound and southbound approaches to Main Avenue in order to preserve intersection capacity.

SURROUNDING AREAS   

Add MUTCD-compliant wayfinding signage to direct through motor vehicle traffic to Butterfield Boulevard.

Update signal timing along Butterfield Boulevard to prioritize north-south motor vehicle traffic during peak hours.

Support plans for emergency vehicle signal pre-emption.

IF THE PILOT IS SUCCESSFUL 







Convert the existing southbound #1 travel lane on Monterey Road at Cochrane Road into a trap lane that serves the dual left-turn lanes and promotes the use of the Butterfield Boulevard as a bypass for through traffic.

Re-stripe the existing outside #2 travel lane along Monterey Road between Old Monterey Road and Main Avenue as seven-foot-wide bicycle lanes and three- to four-foot-wide buffers.

Consider extending the buffered bicycle lane along Monterey Road between Cochrane Road and Old Monterey Road.

Under the railroad bridge, consider converting the two northbound travel lanes and one southbound travel lane into one travel lane in each direction with a painted median in the middle and buffered bicycle lanes on the outside.

Consider stenciling “No Parking” along the south side of Cochrane Road between Monterey Road and Butterfield Boulevard.

29

FIGURE 27: RECOMMENDED CROSS-SECTION - MONTEREY ROAD BETWEEN MAIN AVENUE AND DUNNE AVENUE

30

FIGURE 28: RECOMMENDED CROSS-SECTION MONTEREY ROAD AT THE RAILROAD UNDERPASS SOUTH OF JARVIS DRIVE

31

FIGURE 29: RECOMMENDED CROSS-SECTION - MONTEREY ROAD BETWEEN WEST CENTRAL AVENUE AND KEYSTONE AVENUE

32

MONITORING Performance measures were developed to analyze the impacts of the Preferred Alternative over a six-month Complete Streets Pilot.

The performance measures require intensive data collection efforts to be divided among multiple parties.

PERFORMANCE MEASURES Pedestrian o

Counts: Peak weekday and weekend pedestrian counts at mid-block locations along sidewalks along Monterey Road between Cochrane Road and Dunne Avenue. To be conducted pre-pilot, mid-pilot, and end-pilot during similar weather conditions and not during any special events.

o

Delay: The wait time experienced by pedestrians at specific crossing locations during peak weekday and weekend periods, as determined by the difference in time between when the first pedestrian in a group approaches an intersection to the time the pedestrian enters the crosswalk. To be conducted pre-pilot, mid-pilot, and endpilot during similar weather conditions and not during any special events.

o

Noise: The sound intensity of outdoor noise measured in decibels (dB) at specific locations along Monterey Road between Cochrane Road and Dunne Avenue during freeflow traffic conditions. To be conducted pre-pilot, midpilot, and end-pilot during similar weather conditions and not during any special events.

PERFORMANCE MEASURE DEVELOPMENT The performance measures were created by the project team based on the evaluation criteria and project goals created by the Complete Streets Committee. The selected performance measures are designed to provide quantitative information regarding the impacts of the proposed Complete Streets Pilot on pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, motorists, business owners, and emergency responders.

MONITORING RESPONSIBILITIES Collecting data throughout the Complete Streets Pilot will be divided among several City departments and other organizations. Monitoring responsibilities are listed in Appendix C.

33

Bicycle o

Counts: Peak weekday and weekend bicycle counts at specific locations along Monterey Road between Cochrane Road and Dunne Avenue; Butterfield Boulevard between Cochrane Road and Dunne Avenue; Depot Street between Main Avenue and Dunne Avenue; Church Street between Dunne Avenue and San Pedro Avenue; Main Avenue between Hale Avenue and Butterfield Boulevard; and Dunne Avenue between Del Monte Avenue and Butterfield. To be conducted pre-pilot, mid-pilot, and end-pilot during similar weather conditions and not during any special events.

o

Demographic: Observation- or return mail survey-based collection of age and gender information of bicyclists at specific locations along Monterey Road between Cochrane Road and Dunne Avenue. To be conducted pre-pilot, midpilot, and end-pilot during similar weather conditions and not during any special events.

o

Parking: Observe the number of bicycle spaces occupied as a percent of all bicycle parking spaces available during peak weekday and weekend periods between the northern boundary of Cochrane Avenue , the eastern boundary of Caltrain right-of-way, the southern boundary of Dunne Avenue, and the western boundary of the projection of Del Monte Avenue. To be conducted pre-pilot, mid-pilot, and endpilot during similar weather conditions and not during any special events.

Transit o

Travel Time: Total travel time for a VTA bus to travel along Monterey Road between Cochrane Road and Dunne Avenue during peak weekday time periods. To be conducted pre-pilot, mid-pilot, and end-pilot during similar weather conditions and not during any special events.

o

Ridership: Total year-over-year monthly boardings and alightings within a ¼-mile of Monterey Road between Cochrane Road and Dunne Avenue.

o

Pedestrian Collisions: Observe the number of pedestrianrelated collisions reported within ¼ mile of Monterey Road between Cochrane Road and Dunne Avenue and aggregate by month starting one year before the start of the pilot and ending six months after the end of the pilot.

o

Bicycle Collisions: Observe the number of bicycle-related collisions reported within ¼ mile of Monterey Road between Cochrane Road and Dunne Avenue and aggregate by month starting one year before the start of the pilot and ending six months after the end of the pilot.

o

Motor Vehicle Collisions: Observe the number of motor vehicle-related collisions (not involving pedestrians or bicyclists) reported within ¼ mile of Monterey Road between Cochrane Road and Dunne Avenue and aggregate by month starting one year before the start of the pilot and ending six months after the end of the pilot.

o

Reported Safety Problems: Monitor and record calls or written communications reporting safety concerns.

Safety

34

Motor Vehicles o

o

o

o

Speed: The 85th percentile speed of motor vehicles measured during free-flow conditions along Monterey Road between Cochrane Road and Dunne Avenue; Butterfield Boulevard between Cochrane Road and Dunne Avenue; Dewitt Avenue between Macia Drive and Dunne Avenue; Church Street between Dunne Avenue and San Pedro Avenue; Grand Prix Way between Main Avenue and Diana Avenue; and Peak Avenue between Main Avenue and Dunne Avenue. To be conducted prepilot, mid-pilot, and end-pilot during similar weather conditions and not during any special events.

Travel Time: Total travel time for a motor vehicle to travel along Monterey Road between Cochrane Road and Dunne Avenue during peak weekday periods. To be conducted pre-pilot, mid-pilot, and end-pilot during similar weather conditions and not during any special events.

Diverted Traffic Volumes: Screen line analysis of motor vehicle volumes along residential north-south facilities parallel to Monterey Road. To be conducted using pneumatic tube counters pre-pilot and mid-pilot.

Parking: Observe the number of motor vehicle spaces occupied as a percent of all motor vehicle parking spaces available during peak weekday and weekend periods between the northern boundary of Cochrane Road, the eastern boundary of Caltrain right-of-way, the southern boundary of Dunne Avenue, and the western boundary of the projection of Del Monte Avenue. To be conducted pre-pilot, mid-pilot, and end-pilot during similar weather conditions and not during any special events.

Economic 

Sales: Sales and business health information obtained from the Morgan Hill Downtown Association at the pre-pilot, midpilot, and post-pilot data collection periods. To be aggregated by month, weighted by season, and compared with other shopping districts with similar characteristics.

Emergency Response 

Response Time: Emergency vehicle response times for routes along Monterey Road between Main Avenue and Dunne Avenue. To be collected on a rolling basis and summarized pre-pilot, mid-pilot, and end-pilot.

Subjective/Community Opinion 

Business Owner Opinion: Surveys of the owners of business located within ¼ mile of Monterey Road between Cochrane Road and Dunne Avenue. To be conducted pre-pilot, midpilot, and end-pilot.



Public Opinion: Surveys of general public. To be conducted pre-pilot, mid-pilot, and end-pilot.

35

NEXT STEPS If a six-month Complete Streets Pilot period is approved by City Council, the City of Morgan Hill and its residents will have the opportunity to see if a complete street in Downtown meets their needs. Six months is the typical amount of time it takes individuals to adjust to changes in the street network and to modify their behavior.

Recommended dates for the Pilot are February to July. These dates will allow residents to experience the changes to Monterey Road through three seasons and provide a long enough time period for residents, commuters, and visitors to adjust their travel behavior and patterns to the new configuration.

TIMELINE If the six-month Complete Streets Pilot is approved by City Council, two months will be allocated for coordinating the implementation of the complete streets project and for collecting pre-pilot data. The Pilot would then start in February and run through July in order to capture multi-seasonal data. A mid-pilot data collection period will take place in late-April, and an end-pilot data collection period will take place in late-July. After the conclusion of the six-month pilot period, the collected data will be aggregated, adjusted for seasonal differences, analyzed, and presented to the City Council. See Figure 30 for the proposed pilot and data collection timeline.

THREE-MONTH REASSESSMENT It should be anticipated that for the month following the installation of the Preferred Alternative, there will be a number of complaints filed with the City and on social media as people begin to adjust to the new configuration. Identified issues should be collected by the City and evaluated during the proposed mid-pilot data collection period.

This period serves as an opportunity to identify and correct any unanticipated red flags during the Pilot. If any of the following items are identified midway through the complete street project and cannot be easily corrected through minor infrastructural changes or increased educational programming, the project should be terminated and the changes to the roadway reversed:   

High number of bicycle, pedestrian, or motor vehicle collisions; Significant delays in emergency response time as reported

by MHFD; or Significant negative impact to sales tax receipts.

DATA ANALYSIS At the conclusion of the end-pilot data collection period, all three datasets should be aggregated and adjusted for seasonal differences. The percent change between the end-pilot and pre-pilot data should evaluated to see if the change is statistically significant, and a subjective rating of “Negative”, “Neutral”, or “Positive” should be assigned to the performance measure based on the review of the data (see Figure 31). Once completed, the Performance Measure Matrix should be submitted to City Council to help decide if permanent implementation of the complete street project should take place.

36

STEPS NOV

2014 DEC

JAN

FEB

MAR

2015 APR

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUG

CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL DESIGN INSTALLATION BID AND AWARD INSTALLATION PRE-PILOT DATA COLLECTION PILOT PERIOD MID-PILOT DATA COLLECTION END-PILOT DATA COLLECTION AGGREGATE COLLECTED DATA

FIGURE 30: PROPOSED PILOT AND DATA COLLECTION TIMELINE

37

FIGURE 31: EXAMPLE OF PERFORMANCE MEASURE ANALYSIS MATRIX

38

APPENDIX APPENDIX A: PARKING STUDY An analysis of the number of occupied on-street motor vehicle parking spaces as a percent of all parking spaces conducted on September 8, 2014.

APPENDIX B: NOISE STUDY Sound intensity readings conducted on September 19, 2014 (before the Weekend Demonstration) and October 24, 2014 (during the Weekend Demonstration).

APPENDIX C: MONITORING RESPONSIBILITIES A list of data collection needs and the agency or group best suited to collect the information.

APPENDIX D: PUBLIC COMMENTS Meeting minutes from all Complete Streets Committee meetings.

APPENDIX E: BUSINESS OWNER SURVEY RESULTS Results from a survey administered to local business owners following the Weekend Demonstration.

APPENDIX F: PRELIMINARY MOTOR VEHICLE TRAVEL TIMES AND SPEEDS Preliminary motor vehicle travel times and motor vehicle speeds were collected during the Weekend Demonstration to assess motor vehicle delay and motor vehicle speeds through Downtown Morgan Hill.

APPENDIX G: CONCEPT PLANS Concept plans for Monterey Road between Main Avenue and Dunne Avenue.

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ENDNOTES 1

“History.” City of Morgan Hill. http://www.morgan-hill.ca.gov/index.aspx?NID=315

2

“Early settlers lived simple lives in new community.” March 2004. Morgan Hill Times. http://www.morganhilltimes.com/archives/early-settlers-lived-simple-lives-in-newcommunity/article_49dc3b0f-ff18-5c99-ab50-ad1fed09da73.html?mode=jqm 3

“Downtown Morgan Hill Park-and-Ride Parking Structure: Transportation Impact Analysis.” April 2014. Fehr & Peers.

40

On-Street Motor Vehicle Parking (September 8, 2014) Street Main Ave. 1st St. 2nd St. 3rd St. 4th St. 5th St. Monterey Rd. Monterey Rd. Monterey Rd. Monterey Rd. Monterey Rd. Monterey Rd. Total % Occupied

West/North Boundary Del Monte Ave. Del Monte Ave. Del Monte Ave. Del Monte Ave. Parking Lot Del Monte Ave. Main Ave. 1st St. 2nd St. 3rd St. 4th St. 5th St.

East/South Boundary Depot St. Depot St. Depot St. Depot St. Depot St. Depot St. 1st St. 2nd St. 3rd St. 4th St. 5th St. Dunne Ave.

Time 6:10-6:12 pm 6:15-6:18 pm 6:20-6:30 pm 6:35-6:41 pm 6:45-6:52 pm 6:55-7:00 pm 6:12-6:15 pm 6:18-6:20 pm 6:30-6:35 pm 6:41-6:45 pm 6:52-6:55 pm 7:00-7:02 pm

Occupied Spaces 1 40 32 30 22 37 2 8 12 5 5 7 201

Total Spaces 2 77 63 40 48 44 9 13 14 7 12 12 341 58.9%

During Two-Day Test (October 24, 2014)

Pre Two-Day Test (September 19, 2014)

Date

Time Period

Location (on west side)

Range (dB)

5:15-5:20 pm

Between Main Ave. and 1st St.

55.1-81.2

5:22-5:27 pm

Between 1st St. and 2nd St.

59.0-92.6

5:28-5:33 pm

Between 2nd St. and 3rd St.

58.2-91.4

5:34-5:39 pm

Between 3rd St. and 4th St.

53.7-82.7

5:40-5:45 pm

Between 4th St. and 5th St.

54.4-88.6

5:46-5:51 pm

Between 5th St. and Dunne Ave.

56.9-87.0

5:19-5:24 pm

Between 1st St. and 2nd St.

58.4-81.3

5:13-5:18 pm

Between 1st St. and 2nd St.

57.5-79.0

5;05-5:10 pm

Between 2nd St. and 3rd St.

59.3-88.6

5:26-5:31 pm

Between 2nd St. and 3rd St.

57.4-78.8

APPENDIX C: MONITORING RESPONSIBILITIES

Data Type Consultant Responsibility

Pedestrian Counts

Pedestrian Delay

Noise

Bicycle Counts

Motor Vehicle Speed

Motor Vehicle Travel Time

Frequency

Conducted pre-trial, mid-trial, and end-trial during similar weather conditions and not during any special events Conducted pre-trial, mid-trial, and end-trial during similar weather conditions and not during any special events Conducted pre-trial, mid-trial, and end-trial during similar weather conditions and not during any special events Conducted pre-trial, mid-trial, and end-trial during similar weather conditions and not during any special events Conducted pre-trial, mid-trial, and end-trial during similar weather conditions and not during any special events Conducted pre-trial, mid-trial, and end-trial during similar weather conditions and not during any special events Conducted pre-trial and mid-trial

Motor Vehicle Diversion

Pedestrian Collisions

Bicycle Collisions

Motor Vehicle Collisions

Aggregated by month starting one year before the start of the trial and ending six months after the end of the trial Aggregated by month starting one year before the start of the trial and ending six months after the end of the trial Aggregated by month starting one year before the start of the trial and ending six months after the end of the trial

Instrument

Manual, camera, or automatic counter. Must remain consistent over three count periods.

Manual or camera. Must remain consistent over three count periods.

Decibel reader. Must use same device over three count periods.

Manual, camera, or tube.

Must remain consistent over three count periods.

Manual. Must use same device over three count periods.

Manual.

Manual, camera, or tube counters. Must be consistent over three count periods.

Police reports and SWITRS collision data.

Police reports and SWITRS collision data.

Police reports and SWITRS collision data.

Data Type City of Morgan Hill

Economic Sales

Commercial Occupancy

Frequency

Aggregated by month, weighted by season, and compared with other shopping districts with similar characteristics Observed pre-trial, mid-trial, and end-trial and weighted to available seasonal data

Instrument

Visual survey.

Local Bicycle Advocacy Group or Stakeholder Consensus Group

Bicycle Demographic Information

Bicycle Parking

Motor Vehicle Parking Business Owner Opinion Public Opinion VTA

Transit Travel Time

Transit Ridership

Conducted pre-trial, mid-trial, and end-trial during similar weather conditions and not during any special events Conducted pre-trial, mid-trial, and end-trial during similar weather conditions and not during any special events Observed pre-trial, mid-trial, and end-trial during similar weather conditions and not during any special events.

Pre-trial, mid-trial, and end-trial Pre-trial, mid-trial, and end-trial

Conducted pre-trial, mid-trial, and end-trial during similar weather conditions and not during any special events Year-over-year monthly boardings and alightings

Fire Department Emergency Vehicle Response Time

Rolling basis and summarized pretrial, mid-trial, and end-trial

Visual survey or paper survey administered to passing bicyclists.

Visual survey.

Visual survey.

Paper or online survey.

Paper or online survey.

Monterey Road Complete Street Project Stakeholder Meeting #1 on 8/14/2014 Meeting Notes Biggest Issues on Monterrey Road: Lack of Livability Uncomfortable feeling Not pedestrian scale Unsafe feeling No bicycle access Uncomfortable riding downtown Not controlling excess speeds Big and loud vehicles off street Traffic volumes & speeds high Lane jockeying Unpredictable behavior Visual obstructions w/ trees & median Visual barrier Two sides not connected Not unified Does not serve as Main Street Bifurcated Lack of lighting Crosswalks difficult to use Not people-friendly Not family-friendly Not dog-friendly Needs doggie fountain Needs public bathrooms Should be relaxing experience Lack of gathering spaces No ambience Lots of noise pollution Air pollution Lacks places “to be�

Not hear & beat (?)

Poor outdoor dining experience Uncomfortable Needs diversity of food choices Lack of entertainment options after dinner Needs healthier business district Not pillar of community Goals for Monterey Road: Musical speed bumps Support economic development Pedestrian scale Slow down traffic

Enhance cyclist safety Increase comfort/security Be pet-friendly Increase livability Improve air quality Healthy environment Make it a destination, not a drive-thru Interesting/educational environment Shop local (staple goods) Activities Keep me entertained to walk for the day Potential Performance Measures: Increase Activity: -Destination -Test business -Pedestrian counts -Sales tax Police Dept: -Collision -Safety -Citations -Actual traffic speeds Air Quality Noise (decibel) Pedestrian safety Travel times Interceptor Surveys: -Drive-by & stop -Destinations -Net new people Transit time/service Perception survey (before/after/during) Bike riders Bus riders Dewitt vs. Butterfield Del Monte Residential Street Traffic Calming

Proposed Purpose and Need Statement: Purpose: The purpose of the Monterey Road Complete Street Project is to improve the livability and economic viability of Monterey Road between Main Avenue and Dunne Avenue by enhancing the pedestrian environment, safely accommodating bicyclists and reducing the noise, air pollution and other negative impacts associated with heavy, high-speed motor vehicle traffic.

Need: Monterey Road between Main Avenue and Dunne Avenue is currently configured as a four-lane divided roadway with on-street parking on both sides and left-turn pockets at intersections. This cross-section, coupled with the low volumes, encourages motorists to travel above the posted speed limit, weave between lanes, jockey for position at traffic signals and negatively impact the pedestrian environment along the corridor. The roadway also carries a significant number of regional motor vehicle trips that may be better served by the US 101 freeway and/or Butterfield Boulevard. The width of the Monterey Road travelway, coupled with poor sight lines blocked by trees and other fixed objects, makes crossing the street uncomfortable, especially for children and seniors. The lack of bicycle accommodations leads to unpredictable and unsafe behavior by both motorists and cyclists when they encounter each other. Outdoor dining and other social activities are frequently interrupted by accelerating motor vehicles and other heavy vehicles travelling along the roadway.

Proposed Evaluation Measures for Project Alternatives: Pedestrian Total pedestrian space: square footage of available pedestrian space for sidewalks, street furniture, cafes, artwork, etc.

Sidewalk separation from nearest travel lane: distance in feet between outside of nearest travel lane and inside edge of sidewalk clear zone.

Ease of mid-block pedestrian crossing: number of lanes required to cross at one time and total crossing distance, as measured from outside edge of travelway to outside edge of travelway.

Bicycle Bicycle level of service (level of separation): type of bicycle accommodation on a progressive scale from shared lane to protected cycle track.

Bicycle parking availability: ability to accommodate bicycle parking, as measured by the total square footage available for bicycle parking adjacent to the travelway.

Transit Transit travel time: amount of time required for a VTA bus to travel along Monterey Road between Main Avenue and Dunne Avenue during the peak hour.

Space for bus stop amenities: ability to accommodate bus stop amenities, as measured by the total square footage available for amenities adjacent to the travelway.

Ease of access to bus stops: proximity of pedestrian crossings to bus stop locations and level of pedestrian delay at crossings.

Motor Vehicle Motor vehicle 85th percentile speed: the 85th percentile speed of motor vehicles at specific points along the Monterey Road corridor.

Motor vehicle travel time: amount of time required for a motor vehicle to travel along Monterey Road between Main Avenue and Dunne Avenue during the peak hour.

Motor vehicle parking availability: ability to accommodate motor vehicle parking, as measured by the total number of on-street spaces on Monterey Road between Main Avenue and Dunne Avenue available for motor vehicle parking.

Safety Potential to reduce pedestrian crashes: potential to reduce pedestrian collisions based on Federal Highway Crash Reduction Factors (CRFs) Potential to reduce bicycle crashes: potential to reduce bicycle collisions based on Federal Highway Crash Reduction Factors (CRFs)

Potential to reduce motor vehicle crashes: potential to reduce motor vehicle collisions based on Federal Highway Crash Reduction Factors (CRFs) Economic Business owner surveys: opinion survey of business owners with a Monterey Road address between Main Avenue and Dunne Avenue.

Emergency/Public Safety Impact to emergency response time: ability of emergency vehicles to avoid congested areas by using another route.

Emergency vehicle maneuverability: ability of emergency vehicles to avoid congested areas by using bicycle lanes, opposing travel lanes, parking lanes and/or turn lanes.

Proposed Performance Measures for Six-month Pilot Project: Pedestrian Pedestrian counts: number of pedestrians walking along sidewalk during specific days of the week and times of day.

Pedestrian delay: level of pedestrian delay experienced at specific crossing locations during specific days of the week and times of day.

Noise levels at sidewalk: noise levels in decibels measured during specific days of the week and times of day before.

Bicycle Bicyclist counts: number of bicyclists travelling along the sidewalk and in the travelway during specific days of the week and times of day.

Bicyclist demographics: age and gender of bicyclists travelling along the sidewalk and in the travelway during specific days of the week and times of day.

Bicycle parking occupancy: percentage of bicycle parking spaces used at specific times of day and days of the week.

Transit Transit travel time: amount of time required for a VTA bus to travel along Monterey Road between Main Avenue and Dunne Avenue during the peak hour.

Transit ridership: total year-over-year monthly boardings and alightings along Monterey Road between Main Avenue and Dunne Avenue.

Motor Vehicle Motor vehicle 85th percentile speed: the 85th percentile speed of motor vehicles at specific points along Monterey Road between Main Avenue and Dunne Avenue.

Motor vehicle travel time: amount of time required for a motor vehicle to travel along Monterey Road between Main Avenue and Dunne Avenue during the peak hour.

Motor vehicle diversion through abutting neighborhoods: number of motor vehicles using parallel neighborhood streets to bypass Monterey Road during the peak hour.

Motor vehicle parking occupancy: percentage of on-street parking spaces used at specific times of day and days of the week.

Safety Reduction in pedestrian crashes: monthly average of reported pedestrian collisions for one year before and six months after the introduction of six-month pilot project Reduction in bicycle crashes: monthly average of reported bicycle collisions for one year before and six months after the introduction of six-month pilot project

Reduction in motor vehicle crashes: monthly average of reported motor vehicle collisions (not involving pedestrian or bicycle) for one year before and six months after the introduction of sixmonth pilot project Economic Sales tax receipts: total year-over-year monthly sales receipts for businesses with a Monterey Road address between Main Avenue and Dunne Avenue.

Commercial occupancies: number of vacant commercial units with a Monterey Road address between Main Avenue and Dunne Avenue.

Business owner before/mid/after surveys: opinion survey of business owners.

Emergency/Public Safety Emergency vehicle travel time: amount of time required for an emergency vehicle to travel along Monterey Road between Main Avenue and Dunne Avenue during the peak hour.

Monterey Road Complete Street

Stakeholder Consensus Meeting – August 28, 2014 Machado Room, Community & Cultural Center, 17000 Monterey Road, Morgan Hill, CA 95037 Prior to Stakeholder Consensus Meeting - Project Background The Alta Team met with City staff prior to the start of the Stakeholder Consensus Meeting to discuss the background of the downtown area and a messaging strategy. Over the next two years, the City will be implementing large portions of its downtown reinvestment strategy. Projects underway or anticipated as part of the downtown reinvestment strategy include:  A large structured parking garage  Two parks  A 1/2-mile-long trail up to the water tower  “Fixing” 3rd Street - the City recently altered 3rd Street, but in light of other changes, is considering additional alterations  4th Street alterations  Lighting, utility undergrounding, streetscape, and public art (e.g., bridge painting) projects downtown In addition to the “big ticket” items listed above, Morgan Hill has identified that persistent drainage issues should be addressed during these development projects, and that this will affect the alignment of existing sidewalks. New buildings will be required to be 2.5 feet off the ground, resulting in ADA-compliant ramps from the sidewalk to business entrances. Currently the City is looking into several options, but no direction has been decided yet.

The preferred strategy for future changes to Monterey Road’s central tree-lined median also remains undecided. Public opinion appears to be split between those in favor who feel the median adds character, contributes to the identity of Morgan Hill, and maintain an emotional attachment with the trees and those against the median who feel it is too big, difficult to cross, unsafe, and not functional. City staff noted that roughly half the trees along the median are unhealthy, but which of those trees needs removal is yet to be identified.

Coordination between these various projects and the Monterey Road Complete Street Project is needed, with a particular emphasis on minimizing the impact of construction on local businesses. Extended construction along Monterey Road also presents the opportunity for a “trial run” road diet. Some vehicular traffic will need to be diverted along parallel routes such as Butterfield Boulevard and early notice to residents about the upcoming construction, in particular why the construction is taking place, is needed to help facilitate the transition. Humorous signage and videos as part of a larger social media campaign that hone in on the why of the various projects and that allow residents to express their concerns surfaced as a preferred strategy.

Important talking points from an educational standpoint include safety, how the projects affect quality of life in Morgan Hill, and the economic impact of converting vehicular traffic to bicycle and pedestrian traffic (how the projects affect residents’ bottom line).

Action Item: Identify what group or individual will take the lead on the branding campaign.

Stakeholder Consensus Meeting

City staff and the Alta Team briefly met with the Stakeholder Consensus Meeting attendees before a walking audit to discuss the current mood of the project among other local residents and what options might be available. Some attendees of the Stakeholder Consensus Meeting expressed concern that residents might soon worry that decisions have already been made on the Monterey Road Complete Street Project and that it would be best to include those with concerns early in the process. City staff requested that each stakeholder who knows of a specific concern, such as parking meters or the relocation of loading zones, submit that concern through the project website. Additional concerns expressed following the Alta Team’s presentation of past project work included kids having to run across Monterey Road to reach school buildings and the potential impact of a road diet on bus schedules (currently four school buses in the morning and four in the afternoon use Monterey Road).

Following the presentation and a walking audit, the stakeholder group summarized the thoughts. Highlights from the discussion are included below:  Monterey Road is loud, hard to cross, and there are not enough dinners outside during the lunch peak.  Monterey Road feels sterile up to Rosy’s At the Beach, at which point you start to hear conversations and smell food.  It is difficult to walk side-by-side without stepping into the tree wells.  The downtown area is equipped with an outdoor speaker system, but it is rarely used.  Discussion of the quantifiable economic benefits resulting from bicycle and pedestrian alterations in other municipalities resonated with the stakeholder group.  Some discussion of starting the downtown district a few blocks further south past 4th Street took place.  The 4th Street intersection remains difficult to cross due to fast vehicular approach speeds and a long crossing distance. This intersection might be a good location for a roundabout.  Many trees exist in the central median, but there is room for more along the sidewalks.  Currently no gateway signage announces the entrance into Morgan Hill’s downtown district.

Action Item: Collect examples/images of lost cost or temporary traffic calming strategies across a large central median.

Action Item: Collect data on the economic impact of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure in a suburban setting.

Monterey Road Complete Street Meeting Agenda Stakeholder Consensus Meeting – September 4, 2014 Community & Cultural Center, 17000 Monterey Road, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

1. Introduction/Sign-In Sheet See attached sign-in sheet for list of attendees 2. Review Agenda/Elevator Speech See page 2 of Minutes for Draft Elevator Speech and comments Action Item: Revise Elevator Speech.

3. Finalize Development of Alternatives Components which may be used in alternatives: protected bike lanes, cycle tracks, protected bike lanes in median, “Hawk” signals for mid block intersections, back-in angled parking, parklets in median (see Portland’s Street Seats and San Francisco for examples). a. Discuss Individual Blocks (Special Concerns) See page 3 of Minutes for input recorded during mapmaking exercise b. Discuss Options for Alternatives See page 4 of Minutes for record of discussion and comments c. Develop Three Alternatives for Further Analysis/Study **All alternatives include parklets and bike corrals Alternative #1 Parklet/wider sidewalk Parking – shift, or go away?

Shared lane bikeway (Class III) Alternative #2 Travel lane, bike lane, parallel parking A: and 5’ added to sidewalk B: and bike lane next to median Alternative #3 Keep it simple Shoulder/bike lanes Space doubles as right turn lane 4. Next Meeting

September 15, 2014 10:30 am to 12:00 pm Community & Cultural Center, Machado Room Monterey Road Complete Street Project: Minutes 2014-09-04

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Draft Elevator Speech Developed on August 29, 2014 by Alta Planning + Design

Below is draft text presented at the Stakeholder Consensus Meeting on September 4. Comments from the meeting are indicated by italicized text in brackets.

The Monterey Road Complete Street Project will improve the livability and economic vitality of the Monterey Road corridor between Main Avenue and Dunne Avenue by enhancing the pedestrian environment, safely accommodating bicyclists and reducing the noise, air pollution and other negative impacts associated with motor vehicle traffic. The project will create an attractive, thriving and vibrant community gathering place by fostering a safe and inviting experience for all, while preserving mobility for those accessing businesses, schools, services, transit and other key destinations. 

The most prudent drivers moderate speeds when the ability to pass and weave is removed. A lane reduction on Arastradero Road in Palo Alto resulted in a speed decrease of two to five mile per hour.

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Better pedestrian and bicycle accommodations will encourage more people of all ages to walk and bike. The complete street project on Arastradero Road also resulted in a 66% increase in the number of students bicycling to a nearby middle school.

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Slower speeds and less lanes to cross means less crashes. A complete street project that included a lane reduction on York Boulevard in Los Angeles reduced collisions by 23% and injuries by 27% per mile.

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Reducing the number of lanes does not necessarily mean less drive-by customers for businesses. Sections of East Boulevard in Charlotte and Northeast 125th Street in Seattle both saw motor vehicle volumes increase slightly after lane reductions. [May be valid concern!][Simplify]

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If designed properly, a lane reduction does not have to delay drivers. A report by the Kentucky Transportation Center found “practically no significant operational gains or losses between a [two-lane roadway with left-turn lanes and a four-lane roadway].”

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Complete street projects bring more people and customers to the corridor. Edgewater Drive in Orlando carries the same amount of cars after a road diet, but has seen a 23% increase in pedestrians and 30% more bicyclists.

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Complete street project can improve the local business climate. NYCDOT’s Measuring the Street report found a 71% increase in retail sales along Fordham Road in the Bronx and 49% fewer commercial vacancies in the Union Square area of Manhattan after complete street project were implemented.

Monterey Road Complete Street Project: Minutes 2014-09-04

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Block-by-Block Comments 

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1st

2nd

Street to Street o Opportunity/Development Sites – SE corner of 1st and Monterey o Parklet – west side, in front of Falafel store o Bike parking? – both sides, just north of 2nd Street o Median/diverter to close 2nd Street to through traffic? nd 2 Street to 3rd Street o Curb extension – east side, just south of 2nd Street o Midblock crossing? o Bike corral? – in front of Rosy’s o Some medians have high berms o Parklets, Deck? – intersection median at 3rd and Monterey 3rd Street to 4th Street o Sidewalks may need to be higher (within 100 year flood) o Parklet – in front of Trail Dust o Access to deck – intersection of 4th and Monterey 4th Street to 5th Street o Parklet – in front of Bubbles o Possible roundabout – intersection of 5th and Monterey th 5 Street to Dunne o This area doesn’t have big draw for parklets – west side o Parking used during events – east side o Pass lane drops here – just north of Dunne Dunne to south end of study area o Convert curb lane to right turn lane – northbound Monterey

Monterey Road Complete Street Project: Minutes 2014-09-04

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Questions and Comments  

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Where will bikes and pedestrians come from? Nearby, or further away?

Studies seemed cherry picked, include ones that didn’t work – why, and how were they different? o Gilroy’s didn’t work – why? How was it different? o Show examples of unsuccessful complete streets and why it failed. o What are we testing for?  Success measures  How to capture data  Post-occupancy evaluation Bike access to Downtown will be important o Where is the City Trail Plan – in process?  Trails Plan is being revised with the General Plan Update – budgeted this year o Need to coordinate with County o Need to connect trials to downtown Long term plan to close VTA lot and have transit users use downtown lot o Will this be included in LOS analysis? o Other developments will bring additional traffic One lane works fine farther north Elevator pitch feels like info is rammed (down peoples throats), needs to show things aren’t decided, be relevant to the Morgan Hill community, acknowledge concerns o Here’s how we are mitigating and measuring the pilot City did study Burns report o Some marginal businesses will change o No offices on ground floors Be careful about elitist language Is ongoing events on Monterey Road still important? Yes! Phase I paint and planters, easily undone Need 20’ width for fire access (even with booths during festivals) We have a parking garage, why do we need angled parking?

Is 20’ clear (fire requirement) necessary for roundabouts?

Bike lane = increased visibility Start considering making Monterey Road a ped/bike only street downtown o What are the advantages? o Consider it for the future Charter is for road diet for now o Can be next steps / discussion Did demonstration project a few years ago, need to review what went wrong there Strive to keep rural feel/look o No curbs o Like oaks o Makes Morgan Hill different Have articulated fire truck (check turn radius) esp. for roundabouts Study area for economic impacts, 2 blocks north and south of study area, get all downtown businesses Message should be that this project is to improve business district.

Monterey Road Complete Street Project: Minutes 2014-09-04

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Monterey Road Complete Street Meeting Minutes Strategic Outreach Meeting – Napa Auto Parts – September 15, 2014 Napa Auto Parts, 17650 Monterey Road Morgan Hill, CA 95037 Attendees: Marc Minton (Napa Auto Parts), Josh Mello (Alta Planning + Design), Maureen Tobin (City of Morgan Hill) and Julie Chiu (Harris and Associates) This meeting was to discuss the Completes Streets project and introduce the 3.5 alternative developed by the stakeholders group and the impacts it may have to the Napa Auto Parts business.

The Complete Streets project has been point of discussion for the past 14 years. With a portion of bond proceeds for the Downtown Development coming back, this is the City’s opportunity to perform a 6 month trial and to see how the community will react to Monterey Road being reduced to one lane in each direction.

Minton is concerned that the complete streets project will impact his business by making his shop less accessible to his costumers. His business frequently delivers to the south side of town using Monterey Road.

The complete streets project will only compound the existing issue access issue on to Monterey Road and delay delivery times. Currently when there’s an event downtown he sees dramatic decrease in revenue on those days. He feels that the complete streets project will have the same effect to his business and is not in favor of the project. He did however indicated that he would be open to the project if Butterfield was more accessible via Main Street, which might include the widening or addition of a lane along Main Street.

One of the metrics to measure the how effective the project is will be through the economic vitality of the business from Cochrane Road to Tennant Avenue. The city will pull the sale tax receipts from the same months the previous year for comparison. At any point the City Council has the authority to pull the plug on the entire project.

Monterey Road Complete Street Project: Minutes 2014-09-15

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Stakeholder Meeting Morgan Hill Downtown Traffic Calming September 25, 2014

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Is there a way to remove/reduce the size of the median for this project?

Alta will need to connect with the landscape team regarding the mid-block crosswalk Address the raised pedestrian curb for stability and accessibility It is better for the diners to be closer to the buildings, especially with the current crown in the road Wood plank walkways/sidewalks would tie in well with the design for the parking structure

For the pilot/tactical urbanism, the preferred Alternatives are: 1 and 2b.

Monterey Road Complete Street Meeting Minutes Stakeholder Consensus Meeting – October 2, 2014 Machado Room, Community & Cultural Center, 17000 Monterey Road, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

 Sign-In Sheet: See attached Review Meeting Minutes: Minute from 9/25/14 can be view http://www.morganhill.ca.gov/index.aspx?NID=1214

The status of the project was presented to City Council on October 1, 2014. Many members of the community attended the Council Meeting to show their support. 12 member of the community addressed City Council expressing their views on this project. At this meeting the City Council approved moving forward with the project. The next milestone of the project will be the weekend demonstration. Member of council requested for a longer weekend demonstration, 3-4 days in lieu of the 2-days originally planned.

The intent of the weekend demonstration is not to measure metric of success, but the following 3 goals: 1. Give the community a sneak preview of what their downtown will be like with one lane in each direction and to experience the new pedestrian/bike space.

2. To test the physical logistics of reallocating a travel lane.

3. Ensure emergency vehicle maneuverability through the space so there is no surprise when the 6-month pilot is implemented.

The intent of the weekend demonstration may not be to gather the success metric; the demonstration needs to be executed well and to receive continual support from the community.

During the Stakeholders meeting on September 2, 2014 it was determined alternatives 1 and 2b will be tested during the weekend demonstration. The weekend trial will span the 2 blocks from 1st Street to 3rd Street.

Julie Flynn from Street Plans presented a power point presentation on pop up streets. See attached for power point presentation.

Neighborland stickers can be used to gather the public’s opinions while witnessing and experiencing the project in person. An online survey can be used to gather the opinions of the public who were unable to stop or utilize the Neighborland stickers while downtown.

The requirements from VTA bus maneuverability will be retained during trial and 6-month pilot. Lane drop/approaches will be designed to traffic code.

Materials for Alternative 1: Heavy Materials  Wine barrels-John McKay  240 feet of AstroTurf- John McKay/Downtown Association  Metal 1 inch gas piping - Bruce Hollibaugh  Rustic-looking rope – Bruce Hollibaugh  Silk flower baskets (75-80 qty) – Brad Jones/Downtown Association  Business to extend into additional pedestrian area-business owners Alternative 2b: Heavy Tape  Straw Fiber Rolls - Julie Chiu/ Karl Bjarke  Live Plants- Bruce Hollibaugh  2”x4” wood studs to be used for pavement delineation. This alternative may pose a hazardous condition and will not be perused by the group.  Cones and delineators- Julie Chiu/ Karl Bjarke  Traffic tape works-Purchase/Julie Flynn Décor:  Color scheme should be earth tones and/or wine/burgundy  A-frame bike parking racks - Bruce Hollibaugh  This will need to be broken down and stored on Friday night Noted Areas  3rd Street and Monterey Road intersection backs up due to the speed bumps.  The old bike store on Third and Monterey will provide the glass front for the Neighborland stickers Alta Planning + Design will coordinate with the City’s Communications and Engagement Manager, Maureen Tobin, to publicize the weekend demonstration.

Volunteer recruitment:  Chamber of Commerce  Rotary Club  City employees, especially Public Works  Enthusiastic residents  Especially the ones who came to the various meetings  Local students  SJSU Planning Department students

Monterey Road Complete Street Meeting Minutes Stakeholder Consensus Meeting – October 9, 2014 Machado Room, Community & Cultural Center, 17000 Monterey Road, Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Sign-In Sheet: See attached Phone In: Julie Flynn (Street Plans) Review Meeting Minutes: Minute from 10/2/14 can be view http://www.morganhill.ca.gov/index.aspx?NID=1214

Interviews for the opportunity sites where held on October 8, 2014. During these interviews the developers emphasized the need to slower vehicle speeds through downtown. The intent of the weekend demonstration is not to gather the metrics of success; i.e. traffic volumes, traffic speeds, economic success, pedestrian counts, cyclist counts. But is still critical that the weekend demonstration be implemented well and attracts the community to downtown. The weekend demonstration will show the community that the benefit of the 6 month pilot program may out weight the disadvantage to the road diet. The weekend demonstration is fast approaching and the team only has 2 weeks left to plan of the event.

Julie Flynn and Julie Chiu presented a power point presentation on the weekend demonstration.

See attached for presentation. The presentation included the weekend layout, materials supply list, volunteer requirements and programing ideas.

Mapping Parklet/Bike Corrals shown on the map may be revised/expanded or removed. In the northbound direction a right turn pocket will be added to show the benefits of having 3 active lanes at intersections. A bike sharrow lanes and signage to for drivers to share the road needs to be added to the north bound side of the road.

The location of bike parking was questioned and recommended using smaller pocket parks and dirt areas at the ends of streets/sidewalks for bike parking/ bike parking overflow.

Material The city will be responsible for traffic control related items, VMS signs, lane drops, no parking signs and traffic tape. Wine Barrels (qty 50) have been secured by John McKay. For transport of supplies, the Downtown Association has a dolly, wheel barrow, and a truck we can use.

Programing/Activation The business owners will be responsible to activate the parklets/pocket parks for both days.

Parklets will be fenced off and decorated by the business owners. BookSmart has generously offered to provide an arts and crafts table on Saturday. Rosy’s patto will be enclosed for the

weekend. The patio has a 4 ft. of sidewalk beyond the fence patio making the sidewalk ADA accessible.

One idea brought up was a dog sitting or dog adoption station.

Public Outreach/Coordination Letter will be distributed to the downtown business owners to educate them of the project and requesting for their participation. Business owners will need to inform their delivery truck drivers of the lane closure and direct them to the side streets or rear parking.

Community Survey 2 location have been identified for community survey. Surveys will be developed by Liam Downey and Maureen Tobin. Everyone should write a survey question and send it to Maureen, though that does not guarantee that the question will be used.

Separate surveys will be developed for business owners.

Follow up with community after 2-day trial period by offering the survey through Facebook and City website.

Volunteer Engagement Julie Flynn will set up a Google Form for volunteers to sign up by Thursday night.

MHdowntown.com will be updated this evening and will include information about the 2-day trial.

Set up begins at 9:00am on Friday October 24 and breakdown to be Sunday Morning October 25

Stakeholder Meeting November 6, 2014 Josh began the meeting by going over timeline for presentation and the rest of this phase.

Recap from 2-day trial:  

Buffered bike lanes provided better flow due to when drivers are trying to park, they are able to use the bike lane to wait and maneuver while traffic flows freely next to them People thought this trial was all for the bicyclists o We need to better convey that this is for economic benefits and traffic calming

Josh reiterated that this project only brought in bike lanes as the best alternative because it makes the most sense for the space and the goal for the City. **John will provide videos from his driving experience to Josh for potential Street Films-style film** Brad asked a question about U-turns for the buffered bike lanes. Josh said the space allows for U-turns as well as shared right turn lanes in some blocks.

For the City Council meeting, we will try to use “moderating vehicle speed” instead of “slowing traffic down.”

Josh went over the decibel readings which has slightly lower numbers during the trial than before. **John will give Josh a quote from a conversation he had during the trial that may be used for the report about noise levels** Josh then went over the other data collected including vehicle speed, vehicle cut-through (using side streets to go around), and vehicle travel time.

Sue brought up the question about the surveys some restaurants passed out. We did get a fair number of surveys back from restaurant patrons.

Sue also mentioned that the mayor and Planning Commission want to create/connect trail throughout the city for bicycles and pedestrians to use. Some of the comments and recommendations from Alta will help with that goal. **Josh will pick top 3 negative comments from the public for the City Council meeting and address them in his presentation.** Josh and Maureen gave information out about the business surveys (separate from the public surveys).

We had 26 responses from business owners. They are evenly split on their support of the project.

A discussion began about the caliber of outreach to the business owners. It was agreed that the 2-day trial for the attention of the business owners that did not know about the trial before it was set up.

Maureen mentioned that the parking structure is set to begin construction in January.

The CalFire team reported back that the truck can fit into one lane (which is the goal of the project) and the buffered bike lane is the stronger of the options as there is more space for the ladder truck once

disassembled during an emergency. The expanded pedestrian space would not accommodate the truck during an emergency.

Liam brought up that we should do a comprehensive traffic study before the 6-month pilot. Josh mentioned that in terms of Level of Service, the intersection of Monterey and Main is failing so that intersection will be watched closely during the pilot.

The discussion began on the safe routes to schools and how children currently get to school and how they could when 6-month trial is implemented. **Josh will add history of this project (timeline from beginning up to this City Council meeting) into the presentation** Liam recommends we/Josh create a well-constructed argument showing the City’s goal for this project when presenting to City Council. **Josh will reorganize the recommendations from this stakeholder meeting’s slide to be sure to show all the benefits for this project** Maureen warned that this pilot is coming at an awkward time due to the amount of construction in Morgan Hill beginning next year.

We will be sure to do another public survey at the end of the pilot, but since it is not “scientific,” it is not included as a “performance measure.”

Josh reiterated that at least 3 months is necessary to collect all the data needed for this pilot. He will be sure to include that reasoning in his presentation to City Council.

A discussion began on when to actually start the 6-month pilot due to weather and construction impacts. This may help decide when to recommend the beginning of the pilot.

Maureen ended the meeting by asking everyone to direct members of the public to the MHDowntown.com website where all the information about this project is stored. That will ensure that the public can form their own opinions and get all the information about the project without making assumptions.

A survey was administered to local business owners following the Two-Day Test. Twelve businesses responded, and the results from the survey are presented below.

Impact of Customer Volume 100% 90% 80% 70% 58%

60% 50% 40% 30%

25% 17%

20% 10%

0%

0%

Slightly more customers

Many more customers

0% Many less customers

Slightly less customers

Comparable amount

Impact on Customer Foot Traffic 100% 90% 80% 70%

64%

60% 50% 40% 30%

27%

20% 9%

10%

0%

0%

0% Much less foot traffic

Slightly less foot traffic

Comparable foot traffic

Slightly more foot traffic

Much more foot traffic

Negative Impact on Business Deliveries 100%

92%

90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10%

8%

0% Yes

No

Support 6-Month Trial 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50%

50%

Yes

No

50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

The majority of businesses experienced comparable customer volumes and foot traffic (58 percent and 64 percent respectively). One business owner indicated that the trial was too short to glean any results on customer behavior, and two business owners indicated that the change to parking may have decreased customer volumes. The Happy Spatula reported a large reduction in traffic and sales revenue as a result of the inclement weather and/or Two-Day Test.

Only one out of twelve respondents reporting difficulty in receiving deliveries.

Business owners expressed mixed feelings on whether or not to proceed with a six-month trial (six businesses supported the Trial and six businesses were against the Trial). Those in favor of the Trial saw the project as an opportunity to make Downtown more of a destination and appreciated the cautious approach to implementing any changes. Those against the Trial remained concerned about customer access to their businesses and the timing of the project with the planned parking structure.

Full results from the survey are listed below:

Collection Period

Pre-Trial

Question 1 Which Morgan Hill business do you represent?

Question 2 How did the Comment October 24th and 25th demonstrati on of the Monterey Road Complete Street Project affect your volume of customers?

Question 3 How did the Comment demonstrati on affect foot traffic outside your business?

Question 4 Did the If yes, new please street explain. layout inhibit the executi on of any deliveri es to your busines s?

Rosy's At the Beach

Comparable amount

Comparable foot traffic

No

Question 5 After Please experienci Explain ng th test of the Monterey Road Complete Street Project, would you be in favor of extending it to a 6month trial Yes Absolutely!

This is perfect opportunity to measure the effects of a lane reduction.

The City of Morgan Hill is acting in a very responsible manner by trying the pilot program

before making a permanent change.

Pre-Trial

The Candy Parlour

Comparable amount

Very hard to know for sure as this is traditionally a slow month, and I believe the rain kept people from coming.

Slightly more foot traffic

Again, it's hard to tell due to rain.

No

I did not have any schedul ed deliveri es.

Yes

I believe it will take more than just 2 days in one of the slowest months to learn anything. I am concerned that a 6 month trial could hurt of even kill many businesses.

I believe clear signage could be posted all around town, and mailers should be sent to every resident.

Pre-Trial

Portraits by Rebecca

Comparable amount

My business is primarily appointmen t based, so the impact of fewer people driving by is hard to estimate.

No

No

From the social posts I saw during the test, most people are not informed on what this is about, and reacted negatively due to this.

FAQs about things like parking and alternative routes, etc. should be included.

It would be hard to gaugae the impact of lessened auto traffic on local businesses.

If the plan ultimately goes into effect, traffic will

divert outside the downtown area and the end result could well be that businesses could suffer from the reduced visiblity. My business is south of the project and customers traveling north from Dunne would not be able to make a Uturn at 3rd to return south to access the business.

Bicyclists won't buy much, unless they have a basket on

their bike.

Pre-Trial

Reality World People to People

Slightly less customers

It was not made clear that our clients could still park next to the curb in front of our business.

The experiment was very professional y implemente d.

Comparable foot traffic

Yes

The FedX truck comes every day and he was confuse d.

No

Due to the heavy traffic that is generated from Britton and heavy traffic on Friday afternoons or for that matter Monday through Friday work traffic and attempting to make a left-hand turn from 1st Street

Pre-Trial

Ladera Grill

Slightly less customers

Parking seemed to be an issue.

Comparable foot traffic

No

No

onto Monterey Road, I am not in favor. Also until there is a western traffic route to relieve Monterey Road, I don't think it is a good idea. Thank you for giving the business owners an opportunity to voice their opinions.

I feel this project will minimize Downtown restuarants exposure.

In case of an emergency fire trucks or police cars traffic

will be difficult to work.

Pre-Trial

Just G's Boutique

Comparable amount

I think it would have been a better turnout if the weather was better.

Comparable foot traffic

Pre-Trial

Happy Spatula

Many less customers

We saw a significant reduction in customer traffic and sales revenue on Friday - in fact it was one of the, if not the, worst Fridays since we opened the store.

Saturday was also reduced but it was hard to tell if this

Much less foot traffic

We definitely noticed the quiet streets and reduced pedestrian traffic.

We saw a significant reduction in sales revenue as a result of the demonstration/red uced foot traffic downtown which is obviously of great concern.

No

Yes

No

No

I think it's a great idea and will really make the downtown a destination spot.

While fully understandi ng the reasons behind the project, I think it is too early right now to implement this in Downtown Morgan Hill. The attraction/p ull of downtown is not yet strong enough to

was only due to the road demonstrati on or a combinatio n of that and the inclement weather.

The noticeable reduction in sales revenue was very concerning to me as a small business owner in Downtown.

Pre-Trial Pre-Trial

SleepPlayL ove CDC Insurance

Many less customers Comparable amount

override the effects of the reduction. I believe the local businesses will suffer greatly. The 6-month trial should be delayed until the new parking structure is completed then we will have ample parking and, as a result, increase foot traffic to support a pedestrianfriendly experience.

Much less foot traffic Comparable foot traffic

No

No

No

Yes

Pre-Trial

Pre-Trial Pre-Trial

Service Weston Miles Architects and The Granary BookSmart The Flower Cottage

Comparable amount

Comparable foot traffic

No

Yes

Comparable amount Many less customers

Comparable foot traffic Much less foot traffic

No

Yes

No

No

We believe this will cause more traffic downtown and with so much traffic people are going to avoid driving on main streets like Monterey Road and take back roads instead. If this were to happen, we would have less customers walking in.

Motor Vehicle Travel Times during Two-Day Test (October 24, 2014) Primary Street* Direction** Start End Time (seconds)*** rd Monterey Rd. Northbound 3 St. Main Ave. 92 Monterey Rd. Southbound Main Ave. 3rd St. 80 Monterey Rd. Northbound 3rd St. Main Ave. 89 rd Monterey Rd. Southbound Main Ave. 3 St. 122 Monterey Rd. Northbound 3rd St. Main Ave. 160 Monterey Rd. Southbound Main Ave. 3rd St. 140 rd Monterey Rd. Northbound 3 St. Main Ave. 76 Monterey Rd. Southbound Main Ave. 3rd St. 91 *Travel Times Collected during peak hour traffic. **Travel Times Collected during Two-Day Test with one motor vehicle travel lane in each direction. ***Measured from center of intersection to center of intersection.

Average Motor Vehicle Speeds during Two-Day Test (October 24, 2014) Primary Street* Direction** Start End Average Speed*** Monterey Rd. Northbound 3rd St. 2nd St. 20 mph rd nd Monterey Rd. Southbound 3 St. 2 St. 14 mph Monterey Rd. Northbound 3rd St. 2nd St. 27 mph Monterey Rd. Southbound 3rd St. 2nd St. 17 mph *Travel Times Collected during peak hour traffic. **Travel Times Collected during Two-Day Test with one motor vehicle travel lane in each direction. ***Average speed represents one platoon of motor vehicles

APPENDIX G: CONCEPT PLANS

E Main Ave W Main Ave

9' 7' 9' 7 3' 3'10.5' 1 10.5''

W 1st St

22' 10.5' 3 3'' 7' 9'

E 1st St

0

10'

20'

30'

50'

E 1st 1s St

W 1st St

9' 7' 3' 3'10.5 10.5' 5'

22 22' 2 10 10.5' 0.5' 0 3 3'' 7'' 9'

Sample Parklet

Sample Bike Corral

W 2nd St

E 2nd St

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W 2nd St

E 2nd St

Sample Parklet

9' 7' 3'10.5 3' 10.5' 3' .5' 5'' 5

Remove Existing Speed Cushions

W 3rd St

22' 1 10 10.5' 0 0.5' 3 3' 7 7'' 9' 9

Sample Bike Corral

E 3rd St S

Remove Existing Speed Cushions

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Sample Bike Corral

E 3rd St

W 3rd 3 dS St

9' 7' 3' 3'10 10.5' 0.5' 5''

W 4th St

22 22' 1 10.5' 3 3' 7'' 9'

E 4th St

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W 4th St

4t St E 4th

9' 7' 7'3' 3 3'' 10.5 10 10.5' 0.5' .5' 5 5''

W 5th St

22 1 22' 10.5' 3 3' 7'' 9'

E 5th St S

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W 5th St

E 5th St S

Sample Bike Corral

9' 7' 3' 3 10.5 10.5' .5' 5

22' 22 2

1 ' 3' 10.5 10.5' 3 7'' 9'

W Dunne Ave

E Dunne Ave

Design to be Refined in Later Phase

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