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Home My WebLink About8.1 Dougherty Rd ModificationCITY OF DUBLIN AGENDA STATEMENT City Council Meeting Date: February 11, 1991 SUBJECT: EXHIBITS ATTACHED: Dougherty Road Median Modification at Pak N Save Driveway (Report by Public Works Director Lee Thompson) 1) Report from TJKM, including diagram of proposed improvement s 2) Diagram of parking lot showing locations of additional driveways RECOMMENDATION: ~ .z~ b~f~)) Receive Staff presentation and public comment Authorize Staff to proceed with the median modification FINANCIAL STATEMENT: The cost of constructing an asphalt berm, as well as the recommended signing and pavement markings, is approximately $2,000. Sufficient funds have been budgeted in the Street Maintenance Operating Budget to cover the cost. DESCRIPTION: Vehicles exiting the northernmost driveway at the east side of the Pak N Save parking lot may presently turn either left or right onto Dougherty Road. During peak commute periods, traffic waiting for the signal at the Dougherty Road/Dublin Boulevard intersection backs up beyond this driveway, creating an obstacle for drivers wishing to make a left turn. Over the past two years, a significant number of accidents have occurred due to this left turn movement. The typical accident results when a driver in the curb lane on Dougherty Road stops to let a car out of the driveway, and the driver in the second lane, who cannot see the car turning left, does not stop. A similar situation occurs when drivers turning left from Dougherty Road into the driveway cannot see traffic in the curb lane. Ten reported accidents have occurred here over the past one-year period, and six accidents occurred in 1989. The Dougherty Road median between Dublin Boulevard and Sierra Lane is proposed to be closed off as part of the Dougherty Road Improvements Capital Improvement Project, which is tentatively scheduled to be constructed in the 1992-93 fiscal year. In order to prevent additional accidents, Staff proposes to utilize an asphalt berm and appropriate signing and pavement markings to close the median and prevent left turn access in and out of the driveway at this time. The Pak N Save parking lot has five other driveways, two of which allow both left- and right turns. Drivers wishing to proceed north on Dougherty Road may use either the driveway exit on Sierra Lane and then turn left onto Dougherty Road or may use the signalized driveway opposite Dub]in Court, turn left onto Dub]in Boulevard, and then turn left onto Dougherty Road. There are two additional driveways on Dublin Boulevard and one additional driveway on Dougherty Road which allow only right turns in and out. While none of the proposed improvements legally require City Council approval, Staff recognizes that some impact to Pak N Save and the other adjacent businesses may occur. Therefore, Staff recommends that the City Council allow any interested parties to comment on this issue and then formally approve the proposai. Copies of TJKM's report and the diagram of proposed improvements were mailed to both property owners and tenants prior to the meeting. ITEM NO COPIES TO: Carl Springer, TJKM Adjacent Property Owners & Businesses (9) MEMORANDUM January 23, 1991 TO: Lee Thompson FROM: Carl Springer Kirin Parmar Ty Tekawa SUBJECT: Analysis of Pak 'n Save Left-Turn Access on Dougherty Road This memo documents recommended vehicle traffic control improvements on Dougherty Road between Dublin Boulevard and Sierra Lane, in the vicinity of the north Pak 'n Save driveway. Accident records show that ten accidents occurred along this section of Dougherty Road just over the past year. Of these, seven were attributable to the traffic movements at the northernmost access to the Pak 'n Save store. These seven accidents in turn represent one quarter of all reported accidents anywhere along Dougherty Road. This memo addresses how the turning movements can be improved at this intersection. The recommended improvements are based on a field inspection conducted during the evening peak hour on Wednesday, November 28, 1990. Background The Pak 'n Save shopping center is bounded by Dougherty Road to the East, Dublin Boulevard to the South, Sierra Lane to the North and other commercial developments to the West. This can be seen in the attached Figure I which also highlights the present road configurations. In total, the Pak 'n Save site has five customer access ways, three of which permit full turning movements. The front entrance to Pak 'n Save (and the length of the building) faces Dublin Boulevard. On Dublin Boulevard, the site is served by one full access, signalized entrance aligning with Dublin Court, and two accesses allowing only right turns in and out. Dublin Boulevard has two lanes westbound and three lanes eastbound with a landscaped median in-between. Dublin Boulevard is a 35 mile per hour (mph) arterial street. The back of the store faces Sierra Lane where one full turning movement access is provided for customers. Sierra Lane is a two-lane collector street allowing parking on both sides. 4637 Chabot Drive, Suite 214, Pleasanton, California 94588 · (415) 463-0611 PLEASANTON · SACRAMENTO. FRESNO. CONCORD Lee Thompson -2- January 23, 1991 On Dougherty Road there are two accesses to the site. The north access is a full movement, three-way intersection and the other is restricted to right turns in and out only. Dougherty Road near the Pak 'n Save is a major arterial with a speed limit of 35 mph. Dougherty Road north of the intersection at Dublin Boulevard generally has two lanes in each direction, but, it narrows to only one through lane northbound near the study driveway. The decrease in northbound lanes from two to one lane and the introduction of the unsignalized left-turn lane for the Pak 'n Save occurs within 200 to 300 feet of the Dublin Boulevard intersection. The seven reported accidents are attributed to the turning movements at this north driveway location. The majority of accidents occurred during peak hours. Four were created during a left-turn movement out of the driveway while the other three were by vehicles turning left into the driveway as shown in the attached collision summary. Two accident causes were cited in these seven collisions: Left-turning vehicles claimed that stopped southbound traffic blocked their view of traffic in the far lane. This was the primary cause in six of the seven collisions. Dougherty Road is striped for two lanes southbound, but has enough width for three lanes. In one case, a vehicle passing on the right was struck by a vehicle turning left into the driveway. Observations Southbound traffic does stack from the intersection at Dublin Boulevard north to Sierra Lane reaching past the north Pak 'n Save entrance. This is particularly true in the number one southbound lane. These stacking conditions do make it difficult for left-turning vehicles because of the line of sight obstructions. An observation also noted is that the access at the north Pak 'n Save is mainly used by vehicles using the right-turn movements in and out. Substantially fewer vehicles use the left-turn movements. Without the permitted left turns, vehicles could use Sierra Lane, or they could travel to an entrance on Dublin Boulevard. Recommendations There is only one effective solution to improving traffic safety at this access. It is our recommendation that this access be restricted to right turns in and out. This can be accomplished by: Constructing a raised median barrier on Dougherty Road by use of an asphalt concrete berm. This "temporary" median can be removed later to accommodate the planned widening of Dougherty Road. The portion opposite the driveway should be painted yellow with glass beads to highlight the new median. Installing "Right Turn Only" (graphic) and "One-Way" signs facing vehicles exiting the driveway. Lee Thompson -3- January 23, 1991 3. Relocate existing R1 (STOP) sign to location in public right-of-way for ease of maintenance. 4. Restriping southbound lane lines to extend through the existing intersection. 5. Painting yellow median stripe along the northbound side of the new raised curb to highlight the curb in non-daylight hours. A complimentary improvement should also be made for the existing northbound left turn storage pocket at Sierra Lane which regularly overflows in the a.m. peak hour. The left turn pocket, which is only 50 feet long, can be lengthened to 100 feet by repainting the pocket and transition taper once the existing driveway access is restricted. Restricting the turning movements at this driveway is not expected to adversely affect the operations of the Pak 'n Save store. The demand for left turns to northbound Dougherty Road appears to be light, and, in any case, there is a nearby alternative at Sierra Lane. The recommended improvements are shown in Figure 1. ca Attachment 157-001 (Pac'n Save) PAK 'N SAVE Z SCALE 1" = 80' ~ ~ ~- ADD R59 SIGN ~ ~ ~, ~:~ ~ BELOW EXISTING R1 SIGN ~ '-.~ '.~ .... ,Y .~ AND RELOCATE ~ F'-.... ................................ DETAIL 10 (80') ~ ."~ ,, ~ / / ........... :~ .......... ~ .................. ~ ....... ,-~'/ PAINT 12 ~ ~ ; ........................................ .~:. · ............... ~ . ' .......... ~ bc~ / WHITE LINE ~ i ....... ~ .......................... ' ................. ' ....... ~.....~""./ [. INSTALL ~ ~,.....2~;~.~.~ ............. ~[~' ............... .. ~ ..... ~'[./R10(R)SIGN ~ ~' .................... ' .................... :'~ (:2:::Z:::::::T::Z:::2:2:: <:: ........... ' .... --~ ~::'~'"'"-,. ~ APPLY REFLECTORIZED Y~LLOW ~ ' ~~ ......... ~::: ...... ~ ~/ ........ ~ ......PA~NTONaERM(80) ~ ~ /~~~~~~-. '""--.;>.~ PAINT OETA~L 22 (200'~) / ~ .., / ~~-,. "..., ',.., ~, // ~.. --..&-.. ..~/ .,, , .......... ~.: % ...... PAINT LEFT ARROW CITY OF DUBLIN DOUGHERTY'ROAD REMOVAL OF LEFT TURN ACCESS TO PAK 'N SAVE FIGURE 1 157-001 - 1/91 - CS - ~C/~e ~ TRAFFIC SIGNAL CITY OF DUBLIN cc ss 157-001 - 2/91 - CS