C ORRIDOR M ANAGEMENT P LAN TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..............................................................................................VI CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................1 1.1 NEED & PURPOSE ..............................................................................................................................2 1.2 DEFINING THE CORRIDOR....................................................................................................................3 1.3 CORRIDOR VISION ..............................................................................................................................5 1.4 GOAL AND OBJECTIVES ......................................................................................................................6 1.5 THE PLANNING PROCESS....................................................................................................................7 1.6 FULFILLING THE VISION.....................................................................................................................11 CHAPTER 2 ELEMENTS OF THE CHMP...........................................................13 2.1 CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLAN ........................................................................................................13 2.2 MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES ...............................................................................................................14 2.3 SUPPORTING PRODUCTS...................................................................................................................15 2.4 AUTHORITY AND APPLICABILITY ........................................................................................................16 2.5 ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE ........................................................................................................18 2.6 ENVIRONMENTAL STREAMLINING.......................................................................................................19 2.7 FUNDING ..........................................................................................................................................20 2.8 RELATIONSHIPS TO OTHER PLANS .....................................................................................................21 CHAPTER 3SETTING & INTRINSIC QUALITIES...........................................................23 3.1 ELEMENTS OF THE SETTING ..............................................................................................................23 3.1.1 GEOLOGY.........................................................................................................................................24 3.1.2 CLIMATE ..........................................................................................................................................26 3.1.3 HYDROLOGY.....................................................................................................................................28 3.1.4 TRANSPORTATION ............................................................................................................................29 3.1.5 LAND USE & SOCIO-ECONOMICS ......................................................................................................33 3.2 NTRINSICI QUALITIES ........................................................................................................................35 3.2.1 SCENIC QUALITIES............................................................................................................................36 3.2.2 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT...................................................................................................................38 3.2.3 RECREATIONAL FEATURES & QUALITIES ...........................................................................................43 3.2.4 HISTORIC RESOURCES & QUALITIES .................................................................................................45 3.2.5 ARCHEOLOGICAL QUALITIES .............................................................................................................51 3.2.6 CULTURAL QUALITIES (CONTEMPORARY) ..........................................................................................52 CHAPTER 4ISSUES AND CHALLENGES ....................................................................53 4.1 DEFINING EVENTS.............................................................................................................................53 4.2 EXPLORING THE ISSUES ....................................................................................................................54 4.2.1 STORM DAMAGE RESPONSE & REPAIR .............................................................................................55 4.2.2 MAINTENANCE ..................................................................................................................................59 4.2.3 SCENIC & HABITAT CONSERVATION ..................................................................................................62 4.2.4 PUBLIC ACCESS & RECREATION .......................................................................................................64 CHAPTER 5ACTION PLAN ......................................................................................66 5.1 ANTICIPATED BENEFITS OF THE ACTION PLAN ...................................................................................66 5.2 MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES ..............................................................................................................67 5.2.1 MANAGING FOR LANDSLIDES ............................................................................................................69 5.2.2 HIGHWAY FEATURES & FUNCTION.....................................................................................................74 5.2.3 TRAVELER EXPERIENCE....................................................................................................................76 5.2.4 ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP .......................................................................................................79 CHAPTER 6IMPLEMENTATION .................................................................................82 6.1 GETTING STARTED ...........................................................................................................................82 6.2 ONGOING CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION PROGRAM ..................................................83 March 2004 Big Sur Coast Highway Management Plan i C ORRIDOR M ANAGEMENT P LAN 6.3 FUNDING ..........................................................................................................................................84 6.4 NEXT STEPS.....................................................................................................................................85 6.5 UPDATING THE CHMP ......................................................................................................................85 REFERENCES ATTACHMENT 1: AREA OF INTEREST MAP ATTACHMENT 2: FHWA ORRESPONDENCEC TO RON DECARLI (SLOCOG), JAN 16, 2002 APPENDIX A SUMMARY OF ACTION ITEMS APPENDIX B STAKEHOLDER LIST FOR THE BIG SUR CHMP APPENDIX C FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION REQUIREMENTS FOR CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PLANS APPENDIX D TRAFFIC ANALYSIS FOR HIGHWAY 1 ALONG THE BIG SUR COAST APPENDIX E CORRIDOR INVENTORY REPORTS BIBLIOGRAPHY APPENDIX F EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS APPENDIX G BYWAY ORGANIZATION BACKGROUND APPENDIX H POTENTIAL FUNDING SOURCES FOR FUTURE ACTIONS APPENDIX I BIG SUR TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT STUDY (EXECUTIVE SUMMARY) Cover graphics and design by David Meyers, Whitney Fisher and George Sistek. ii Big Sur Coast Highway Management Plan March 2004 C ORRIDOR M ANAGEMENT P LAN BIG SUR COAST HIGHWAY MANAGEMENT PLAN STEERING COMMITTEE R. Gregg Albright, District 5 Director, California Department of Transportation John Bradford, District Ranger, Monterey District, USDA Forest Service Mike Caplin, President, Coast Property Owners Association William Douros, Superintendent, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Sam Farr, US Congress House of Representatives—17th District David Nicol, Division Administrator (Acting), Federal Highway Administration John Harlan, Member, South Coast Land Use Advisory Committee Scott Hennessy, Director, Monterey County Planning & Building Department John Laird, Member, State Assembly—27th District Charles Lester, District Manager, California Coastal Commission Bruce McPherson, Member, State Senate—15th District Laura Moran, President, Big Sur Chamber of Commerce Jeff Norman, Resident representative, Big Sur Multi-Agency Advisory Council Nick Papadakis, Executive Director, Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments Dave Potter, 5th District Supervisor, Monterey County Board of Supervisors, Phil Jenkins, Monterey District Superintendent, California Department of Parks & Recreation Mary Trotter, Chairperson, Big Sur Land Use Advisory Committee Ken Wright, Member, Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau Past Representation Coast Watch CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION R. Gregg Albright, District 5 Director Richard Krumholz, Deputy District Director, Transportation Planning & Local Programs Steve Price, Deputy District Director, Maintenance & Operations Aileen K. Loe, Project Manager, Senior Environmental Planner Gina Kirk, Associate Transportation Planner Zeke Dellamas, Maintenance Design Engineer John D. Duffy, Senior Engineering Geologist Morgan Gaudioso,