Transportation Planning in Western SoMa

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Transportation Planning in Western SoMa

• Michelle Reyes
• Natasha Casanares
• Ryan Dodge
• Matthew West

San Francisco State University Urban Studies
Program Senior Seminar Spring 2007
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Outline

• Background Project Description
• Deliverables
• Transportation Policies Review
• Introduction to Traffic Calming
• Traffic Calming Toolbox
• Urban Goods Movement (Freight)
• Conclusion

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Western SoMa (South of Market)
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Background Project Description

• San Francisco Planning Department
• Western SoMa Citizens Planning Task Force
• Transportation Focus Group
• Transportation Element of the Western SoMa Area
  Plan
• Work Program to include
• May Transit/Para-transit
• June Pedestrian/Disabled
• July Cycling
• Aug Auto Traffic/Goods Movement
• Sept Folsom Boulevard, other specific projects
• Oct Present draft transportation plan for
  review, comment and discussion
• Nov Finalize transportation plan for
  presentation to full task force
• Note scheduling of parking TBA

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Deliverables

• Traffic Calming Toolbox
• Resource to the Transportation Focus Group
• Preliminary analysis of existing transportation
  objectives and policies.
• Preliminary analysis of existing freight route
  through Western SoMa.

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Methodology

• Field Research in Western SoMa
• Literature Review
• Case Studies for Best Practices
• Data Analysis

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Transportation Policies

• Existing Policies
• San Francisco General Plan
• Proposed Policies
• Not yet adopted into the General Plan
• Other Plans
• Other agencies and areas

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Findings

• 67 Transportation Policy Objectives
• Over 300 Transportation Policies
• Policies relating to
• Bicycle
• Pedestrian
• Transit
• Congestion Management
• Parking
• Urban Goods Movement

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Common Themes

• Street and sidewalk safety
• Improve transit service
• Protect neighborhood character
• Parking strategy
• Prioritize local needs
• Environmental quality and health

Source Natasha Casanares, Spring 2007
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Intro to Traffic Calming

• Speed Control
• Volume Control

Source MTA Traffic Calming Presentation
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History of Traffic Calming

• Dutch "Woonerven
• Australia, Britain,
• Germany, and U.S.
• Traffic Calming
• Berkeley, CA
• First city in US to
• implement traffic calming

• Source www.cityofberkeley.info

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Traffic Calming in SF

• Livable Streets Plan
• Traffic Calming Program
• Multiple Agencies
• Better Streets Plan
• Streetscape Master Plan (MSP)
• Pedestrian Transportation Master Plan (PMP)
• DPW - SoMa West Improvement Projects
• Central Freeway Replacement Ancillary Projects

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Western SoMa Street Classifications

• Arterial Streets
• Transit Preferential
• Streets (TPS)
• Streets
• Alleys

• Source www.sfgov.org/westernsoma

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Case Study Potrero Avenue, 17th to 25th Streets

• MTA 2006
• Potrero Avenue Livable Streets Corridor Project
• 2 Year Project
• Treatments

Source MTA Traffic Calming Website
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Case StudyWaverly Place, Chinatown

• DPW 2005
• Chinatown Alleyways Improvement Project
• 18 Month Project
• Cost 530,000
• Treatments

Source MTA Traffic Calming Website
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Comprehensive Transportation Planning

• Additional Factors
• Multi-Modal Planning
• Emergency Vehicles
• ADA
• Level of Service (LOS)

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San Franciscos Current Traffic Calming Toolbox

• Bicycle Enhancements
• Chicanes
• Choker Island Circles
• Crosswalk Enhancements
• Gateway Bulbs

• Landscaping
• Neck Downs
• Median Island
• Sidewalk Bulb-Outs
• Speed Cushions
• Speed Humps

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Chicanes

• Advantages
• Reduces speeding
• Emergency vehicles
• Removes parking
• Disadvantages
• Drainage Issues
• Reduces parking
• Cost 67,000 and up
• Alternative
• Parking as a Chicane

Source MTA Traffic Calming Website
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Medians and Chokers

• Advantages
• Pedestrian refuge
• Reduces Speeds
• Removes parking
• Can Be Landscaped
• Disadvantages
• Drainage Issues
• Removes parking
• Bike unfriendly?
• Cost 16,000 and up

Source MTA Traffic Calming Presentation
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Sidewalk Bulb-Outs

• Advantages
• Increases ped visibility
• Slows turning vehicles
• Shorter ped crossing
• Removes parking
• Disadvantages
• Drainage issues
• Truck turning issues
• Removes parking
• Cost 67,000 each

Source MTA Traffic Calming Presentation
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Speed Cushions Humps

• Advantages
• Reduces speeding
• Reduces volume
• Retains parking
• Disadvantages
• Emergency response
• Increases noise
• Retains parking
• Cost 6,000 each

Source MTA Traffic Calming Presentation
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Urban Goods Movement

• Three Places
• SFO Airport
• Oakland Airport
• Port of Oakland
• Truck Main Delivery Mode
• 80 of all trade

SFO Airport Oakland Airport Port of Oakland
Source www.its.dot.gov
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Impact on Western SoMa

• Western SoMa main entry into city
• More than 12,500 Trucks Daily
• Truck traffic
• Through traffic
• Internal traffic

MTC Regional Goods Study For San Francisco Bay
Area, Final Summary Report
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Balancing the Network

• Trucks
• Traffic flow
• Wide streets
• Wide turns
• Industry
• Loading facilities
• Ease of use
• Residents
• Neighborhood fabric
• Effects on community

Source Annie Dods, Spring 2007
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Study Design

• Data collection
• Observation
• Traffic flow
• Facilities
• Existing and potential spillover
• Data review
• Analysis using Excel
• Plot on map
• Through movements
• Existing facilities
• Spillover (potential and existing)
• Recommendations

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Findings

• Preliminary
• Through traffic
• Most through traffic found on main arterials
• Significant truck traffic on 9th Street
• Facilities
• Primarily on street loading zones
• Insufficient double parking common
• Spillover
• Potential does exist along some corridors
• Folsom Street
• 9th Street

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Recommendations

• Policy directions
• Better use of existing infrastructure
• Delivery windows by address/time/cluster
• Explore truck only lanes/delivery lanes
• Development of Truck route
• Identify and mitigate for spillover
• Identify industry clusters
• Map peak demand

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References

• Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)
  Regional Goods Movement
• www.mtc.ca.gov/planning/rgm/
• Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) Traffic
  Calming Website
• www.sfmta.com/cms/ocalm/13576.html
• MTA PowerPoint on Traffic Calming
• San Francisco Better Streets
• www.sfbetterstreets.org
• San Francisco General Plan
• www.sfgov.org/site/planning_index.asp?id41423
• Traffic Calming State of the Practice
• www.ite.org/traffic/tcstate.htm
• Western SoMa Citizens Planning Task Force
• www.sfgov.org/westernsoma

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• Thank You!