Transportation
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3.8 Transportation 3.8 Transportation This section presents a description of base transportation and circulation conditions for key intersections, roadways, pedestrian, bicycle, and transit facilities in the area of the Proposed Action and alternatives. This evaluation was prepared by Whitlock & Weinberger Transportation, Inc. (W-Trans) and reviewed by an ESA traffic engineer. 3.8.1 Circulation Network Major Roadways The local circulation system serving the project site is shown in Figure 3.8-1. Primary access to the project site would be provided via Asti Road, which connects with U.S. Highway 101 (U.S. 101) via the Citrus Fair Drive interchange to the north and the South Cloverdale interchange to the south. Below is a summery of the major roadways that serve the project site: • U.S. 101 is the primary route connecting Sonoma County to the San Francisco Bay Area to the south and Mendocino and Humboldt Counties to the north. Within Cloverdale, U.S 101 is a four-lane freeway with interchanges at South Cloverdale, Citrus Fair Drive, and State Route (SR) 128 to the north. • Cloverdale Boulevard is a north-south primary arterial running through Cloverdale that connects to SR 128 at the northern limits of Cloverdale. The corridor is primarily a three-lane road through the City. • Asti Road runs parallel to U.S. 101 and connects to Cloverdale Boulevard via both Citrus Fair Drive and the South Cloverdale Interchanges. Between the Citrus Fair Drive and Cloverdale Boulevard Interchanges, this roadway has two lanes and would be the main access road to the project site. Intersections In order to evaluate potential impacts to the circulation network, 13 study intersections were selected, which are listed below and shown in Figure 3.8-1. Each of the intersections are side street stop- controlled, except as indicated below. Figure 3.8-2 displays the existing lane configurations at each of the study intersections. 1. Cloverdale Boulevard / First Street (signalized) 2. Cloverdale Boulevard / Lake Street 3. Cloverdale Boulevard / Citrus Fair Drive (signalized) 4. U.S. 101 Southbound Ramps / Citrus Fair Drive 5. U.S. 101 Northbound Ramps / Citrus Fair Drive 6. Asti Road / Citrus Fair Drive 7. Asti Drive / Project Driveway (proposed access) 8. Asti Road / Santana Drive 9. Cloverdale Boulevard / Treadway Drive 10. Cloverdale Boulevard / South Interchange Connection 11. U.S. 101 Southbound Ramps / South Interchange Connection 12. U.S. 101 Northbound Ramps / South Interchange Connection 13. Asti Road / South Interchange Connection Cloverdale Rancheria Fee-to-Trust and Resort Casino Project 3.8-1 ESA / 207737 Draft EIS August 2010 1 et N tre et S re ke St LLakea Street NOT TO SCALE st FFirstir Street 2 rus Fa CCitrusit 3 i r D r iv e 4 5 6 101 CCloverdale Boulevard l o 7 v e r d a e l AAsti Road iv e s r B t D i a o R n u ta l o e n v a a a d SSantana Drive r d 8 9 SSouthouth IInterchangenterchange CConnectiononnection 13 12 11 10 1 Study Intersections Project Site Cloverdale Rancheria Resort Casino Project EIS . 207737 SOURCE: w-trans, 2009; and ESA, 2009 Figure 3.8-1 Study Intersections Cloverdale Blvd US 101 SB Ramps 1 et 3 4 N tre et S re ke St LLakea Street NOT TO SCALE st FFirstir Street 2 Citrus Fair Dr Citrus Fair Dr Cloverdale Blvd 1 rus Fa CCitrusit 3 i r D r iv e 4 First St 5 5 US 101 NB Ramps 6 Asti Rd 6 Citrus Fair Dr Citrus Fair Dr 2 Cloverdale Blvd 101 7 Asti Rd Lake St Driveway 8 Asti Rd Cloverdale Blvd CCloverdale Boulevard 9 l o 7 v e r d a e l AAsti Road iv e s r B t D i a Treadway Dr o R n u ta l o e n Santana Dr v a a a d SSantana Drive r d 8 9 Asti Rd SSouthouth IInterchangenterchange CConnectiononnection 13 13 12 11 10 S. Interchange Connection 10 Cloverdale Blvd 11 US 101 SB Ramps 12 US 101 NB Ramps S. Interchange Connection S. Interchange S. Interchange 1 Study Intersections Connection Connection Project Site Cloverdale Rancheria Resort Casino Project EIS . 207737 SOURCE: w-trans, 2009; and ESA, 2009 Figure 3.8-2 Lane Configurations 3.8 Transportation Study Periods Major activity periods for the Proposed Action and Alternatives B through D would be the evening and weekends; traffic capacity and intersection levels of service were evaluated for the critical p.m. peak period and weekend midday peak hour. Major activity periods for Alternative E would be the morning and evening, but could vary depending on the types of business that would be developed. The p.m. peak hour occurs between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., and typically reflects the worst congestion conditions during the homebound commute. Pedestrian, Bicycle, and Public Transit Facilities Pedestrian Facilities There are areas around the City of Cloverdale with sidewalks and marked crosswalks that serve pedestrian travel. The primary areas of pedestrian activity that have facilities to accommodate pedestrians are typically within the downtown area. Another area where pedestrian facilities are found is the Citrus Fair Drive underpass and U.S. 101 ramps. Roadways such as Asti Road and the South Interchange Connection between Cloverdale Boulevard and Asti Road do not have pedestrian facilities. The general vicinity of the project site currently does not have sidewalks; pedestrians generally walk on the shoulder along Asti Road. Bicycle Routes The adopted Cloverdale Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan details existing and proposed Class I Bike Paths, Class II Bike Lanes, and Class III Bike Routes in Cloverdale (Sonoma County Transportation Authority, 2008). Currently, the only Class I Bike Paths in Cloverdale are located in Cloverdale River Park, to the north of the project site. There is a proposed Class I facility in the rail right-of-way as part of the SMART rail project. The 2008 Cloverdale Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan shows two proposed north-south Class I pathway projects in the vicinity of the project, including the SMART path (described below), which would bisect the project property, and an extension of the Cloverdale River Trail, which would follow the eastern edge of the project site along the Russian River. Class II Bike Lanes are provided on Asti Road (from First Street / Crocker Road to about one mile south of the project site), primarily serving recreational riders, consisting of wide shoulders marked with edge lines and bike lane signs and markings. Class II lanes also are provided along the Citrus Fair Drive undercrossing of U.S. 101 to the north of the project site, and along the Cloverdale Boulevard / South Redwood Highway overcrossing of U.S. 101 to the south of the project site. These east-west connections combined with north-south bike lanes on Asti Road provide access between the project site and destinations in Cloverdale on the west side of the highway. Additional bicycle lanes have been suggested for the full length of Cloverdale Boulevard (except downtown). There are no existing (or proposed) Class III Bike Routes in the project area. Cloverdale Rancheria Fee-to-Trust and Resort Casino Project 3.8-4 ESA / 207737 Draft EIS August 2010 3.8 Transportation Public Transit Sonoma County Transit Sonoma County Transit (SCT) is the principal transit service within the City of Cloverdale, providing daily local and intercity service (sctransit.com, 2009). SCT Route 60 (Cloverdale-Healdsburg- Santa Rosa) provides intercity service seven days per week between Cloverdale City Hall and the Santa Rosa Transit Mall with stops in Asti, Geyserville, Healdsburg, Windsor Larkfield and Santa Rosa. Route 60 stops at the Cloverdale Transit Depot on Asti Road (just north of the project site) twice daily during the morning and evening commute periods, and includes stops in downtown Cloverdale, along Cloverdale Boulevard, and south of the project on Asti Road with varying headways (between 30 and 120 minutes) throughout the day. SCT Route 68 (Cloverdale Local) provides local weekday service to destinations throughout Cloverdale with transfer points to regional SCT service and inter-regional Greyhound bus service. Route 68 operates with approximately one-hour headways with afternoon stops at the Cloverdale Transit Depot near the project site. All Sonoma County Transit buses are wheelchair lift-equipped and can transport two wheelchair passengers at a time. Sonoma County Transit allows bikes on all of its buses, with a front-loading bike rack that can accommodate up to three bicycles. When the front-loading rack is full, bus drivers may allow up to two bikes inside the bus. Transit shelters are provided at various bus stops throughout Cloverdale. Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) The SMART Rail Train Depot is located approximately 1.5 miles north of the project site along Asti Road. There is currently no train service. The SMART District was established in 2003 by the California Legislature to oversee the development and implementation of passenger rail service in Sonoma and Marin counties along the Northwestern Pacific Railway. The SMART passenger train would serve passengers at 14 existing or planned multi-modal train stations between Cloverdale in Sonoma County and Larkspur in Marin County, where a connection can be made to San Francisco via existing ferry service. The passage of Measure Q in November 2008, which will provide funding to connect Marin and Sonoma County via train, will eventually make this an active station with connections to the south. SMART also proposes to provide a north-south transportation route for bicyclists and pedestrians, with approximately 70 miles of multi-use pathway located along or adjacent to the right-of-way between Cloverdale and Larkspur.