IV. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ANALYSIS L. TRAFFIC, TRANSPORTATION, AND PARKING INTRODUCTION The following summarizes the information provided in the traffic report prepared by Hirsch/Green Transportation Consulting, Inc. entitled, Traffic Impact Analysis Report, Proposed Brentwood Town Green Project, Retail, Restaurant and Office Development, 11973 San Vicente Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, revised March 2010. This traffic report is included in Appendix K to this Draft EIR. The Department of Transportation (DOT) completed its review of the traffic study on October 4, 2010, and determined that the traffic study adequately describes the project-related impacts of the proposed project. The DOT letter is also included in Appendix K to this Draft EIR. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING The project site is located in the Brentwood community of the City of Los Angeles, and is bounded generally by San Vicente Boulevard on the south, Saltair Avenue and existing commercial development on the west, and by existing residential and commercial development on the north and east. The area surrounding the site to the north, west, and south are developed primarily as single and multi-family residential uses, while a variety of uses are located along the south side of San Vicente Boulevard, including the Brentwood County Club, and Brentwood Science Magnet School to the west of Bundy Drive, and Brentwood Presbyterian Church and Schools to the east of Bundy Drive. Area Transportation Facilities The study area is served by two regional transportation facilities, the San Diego Freeway (I-405) and the Santa Monica Freeway (I-10), both of which provide ramp connections to the surface street network in the immediate project vicinity. Additionally, several major and secondary arterials serve the study area, as do a number of collector roadways and residential-access local streets. A number of public transit lines also serve the project site and/or general study vicinity, providing some alternatives to personal vehicular travel. The key transportation facilities in the project vicinity are identified on the following pages. Freeways The San Diego Freeway (I-405) – The key north-south transportation facility on the west side of Los Angeles, this freeway, located approximately one mile east of the project site, serves the entire western portion of the Los Angeles basin, including the Los Angeles International Airport, from its departure from the Golden State Freeway (I-5) in the Sylmar community to the north to its merge back into the Golden State Freeway in the City of Irvine in Orange County. Through the study area, the San Diego Freeway generally provides five travel lanes per direction, plus additional lanes at ramps or interchanges. Surface street access ramps to and/or from the local street network are provided at Sunset Boulevard and Church Lane to the northeast of the project site, and at Wilshire Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard to the southeast; an additional northbound off-ramp is also available on Sepulveda Boulevard near Montana Green Hollow Square IV.L. Traffic, Transportation, and Parking Draft Environmental Impact Report Page IV.L-1 City of Los Angeles February 2011 Avenue. A full interchange with the Santa Monica Freeway (I-10) is provided approximately two and three-quarter miles southeast of the project site. Santa Monica Freeway (I-10) – The primary east-west transportation facility in the project vicinity, the Santa Monica Freeway (I-10) is located approximately two miles south of the project site. This freeway connects to the Pacific Coast Highway (SR-1) along the western edge of the City of Santa Monica and continues eastward into San Bernardino County and beyond. In the project vicinity, the Santa Monica Freeway is generally an eight-lane facility, providing four through travel lanes in each direction, plus additional auxiliary lanes near ramp or interchange locations. The closest surface street ramp connections providing access to and from the project site are located at 20th Street /Cloverfield Boulevard, Centinela Avenue, and Bundy Drive. Streets and Highways San Vicente Boulevard – This generally east-west oriented roadway runs along the southern boundary of the project site, and serves as the access point for both project driveways. Within the immediate project vicinity, San Vicente Boulevard is classified as a Secondary Highway and provides a connection between Ocean Avenue in the City of Santa Monica and Wilshire Boulevard in West Los Angeles. Approximately two-thirds of a mile east of project site, the roadway curves toward the south to terminate at Wilshire Boulevard, although the roadway itself continues south of the intersection as Federal Avenue. San Vicente Boulevard is discontinuous between Wilshire Boulevard/Federal Avenue in West Los Angeles and Sunset Boulevard in the City of West Hollywood, where it is designated as a Major Highway, and travels in a generally northwest-southeast direction to its ultimate terminus at Venice Boulevard in the Mid-Cities area of the City of Los Angeles. San Vicente Boulevard is generally developed with a landscaped raised median island throughout its entire length, and within the immediate project vicinity, provides two westbound and two to three eastbound travel lanes, plus left-turn channelization at key intersections. On-street metered parking is generally permitted along both sides of the roadway throughout the study area, although parking is prohibited on the south side of the street from Bundy Drive to just east of Barrington Avenue during the AM peak period (7:00 to 9:00 AM) in order to provide the third eastbound travel lane. Bundy Drive – This north-south oriented facility is located approximately one-tenth mile west of the project site, and provides a connection between the residential neighborhoods north of Sunset Boulevard and Stanwood Drive (south of National Boulevard) in the Mar Vista community of the City of Los Angeles, where the roadway changes names to become Centinela Avenue, continuing southward through the Del Rey and Westchester communities of the City of Los Angeles to its ultimate terminus at Florence Avenue in the City of Inglewood. Bundy Drive is generally designated as a Collector Street through the immediate project study area between its intersection with Kenter Avenue (south of Sunset Boulevard) and Wilshire Boulevard, although the segments north of Kenter Avenue are downgraded to Local Street status. South of Wilshire Boulevard, Bundy Drive becomes a Secondary Highway to Pico Boulevard, where it is upgraded to Major Highway status throughout the remainder of its length. Within the study area between Sunset Boulevard and Wilshire Boulevard, Bundy Drive is generally striped to provide one travel lane per direction. On-street parking is typically permitted on both sides of the street throughout Green Hollow Square IV.L. Traffic, Transportation, and Parking Draft Environmental Impact Report Page IV.L-2 City of Los Angeles February 2011 the day, although parking is prohibited on the approaches to key intersections such as San Vicente Boulevard and Wilshire Boulevard. Montana Avenue – This east-west roadway is located to the south of the project site. Montana Avenue is generally designated as a Secondary Highway between Barrington Avenue and Ocean Avenue in the City of Santa Monica, although the portion east of Barrington Avenue is downgraded to Local Street status. The roadway is discontinuous through the Veterans Administration/VA Hospital site, although it reappears for a short length as a Local Street between the eastern boundary of the VA Hospital grounds and Sepulveda Boulevard, upgrading to Collector Street designation between Sepulveda Boulevard and Veteran Avenue, where it changes names to become Gayley Avenue, continuing southward along the western edge of the UCLA Campus to terminate at Wilshire Boulevard, opposite Midvale Avenue. In the immediate project vicinity, Montana Avenue provides various configurations, but typically is striped for one to two travel lanes, plus a median two-way left-turn lane transitioning to dedicated left-turn pockets at key intersections. On-street parking is also typically permitted on both sides of the street throughout the study area. Sunset Boulevard – An east-west oriented Major Highway facility, Sunset Boulevard is located approximately one-half mile north of the project site. This roadway provides access between the Pacific Coast Highway (SR-1) in the Pacific Palisades community of the City of Los Angeles, through the West Los Angeles, Brentwood, Westwood communities of the City, and into and through the cities of Beverly Hills and West Hollywood, to continue through the Hollywood, Silver Lake, and Echo Park communities into the northern portions of downtown Los Angeles. Sunset Boulevard changes names to become Cesar E. Chavez Avenue at approximately Figueroa Street in downtown, and continues eastward, changing names again to Riggin Street at Atlantic Boulevard before ultimately terminating at Garfield Avenue in the City of Monterey Park. Through the vicinity of the project site, Sunset Boulevard is generally striped to provide two through lanes in both directions, plus left-turn channelization at key intersections. On- street parking is typically prohibited on Sunset Boulevard throughout the study area. Barrington Avenue – Another generally north-south oriented roadway, Barrington Avenue is located approximately one-quarter mile to the east of the project site. This facility provides service between the residential