~ Traffic and Circulation ~

3.1.2-1 INTRODUCTION
Brooktrails is a unique community from a transportation perspective for several reasons. First, as a subdivided community virtually all of its collector and residential streets are already constructed. Second, although planned as a vacation community, Brooktrails has evolved into a year-round Township with consequences on the anticipated number of people (and cars) present at any one time. Third, the community is located in rugged terrain with only one connection to the outside world: Sherwood Road. Unlike the more recent streets in Brooktrails, Sherwood Road evolved out of an old wagon road as a typical rural facility. Consequently, Sherwood Road is the major existing constraint to future growth and already operates at over capacity for a rural facility.

A second connection to Brooktrails was studied by the County in 1991, with four alternative alignments subject to consideration. The traffic analysis conducted as part of the study of the five land use alternatives (see Section 6, Alternatives) concluded much the same as that study: the Southern Access Route (from Brooktrails to State Route 20) was the preferred alternative unless the U.S. 101 Bypass was constructed. With the U.S. 101 Bypass project, a direct connection to U.S. 101 north of Willits (assuming there was an interchange) was the preferred alternative. Given that the Bypass project is not currently programmed for funding, it is assumed that Brooktrails must proceed as if it will not be constructed within the next 15 to 20 years. Therefore, the Southern Access Route represents the best opportunity to accommodate future growth.

Other specific improvements to Brooktrails include improvements to Sherwood Road (shoulders, left turn lanes, pedestrian pathway), new signalized intersections, streetscape improvements, expansion of transit service including new fixed route service, and continuation of parking policies.

One of the biggest challenges facing Brooktrails is the management of traffic on its local streets, which are projected to increase up to four times current volumes, without changing the essential rural character of the community. The other challenges include providing emergency evacuation options for residents, maintaining (and expanding) the network of trails, and coordinating growth and required improvements with Willits and Mendocino County.

Fehr & Peers Associates, Inc., Transportation Consultants, completed a Traffic Study in March, 1996 for the Specific Plan area. The following is a summary of the analysis and findings of the study.

3.1.2-2 SETTING
Brooktrails Township is located one mile northwest of the city of Willits in Mendocino County (see Figure 2.2 Site Location Map). Developed in the 1960s as a "vacation village", Brooktrails consists of a subdivision of 6,000 residential lots of which approximately 1,150 are currently developed. The original developers assumed that only 25 percent of the residents would be in Brooktrails at any one time; currently the majority of residents live full-time in Brooktrails, which has long term implications on traffic and other transportation issues.

Roadway Network
The township street network was constructed at the time the initial subdivision was created, with the result that some streets do not meet current code requirements. The internal street system conforms to the rugged topography of the area, and consists of nine (9) local streets that connect to Sherwood Road and miles of winding, sometimes steep residential streets that feed from various low density neighborhoods.

Sherwood Road provides the only connection from Brooktrails to U.S. 101 and the town of Willits. A two-lane county maintained facility, Sherwood Road meets U.S. 101 (Main Street) at a signalized intersection on the northern edge of Willits. Aside from being the only access route to Brooktrails, Sherwood Road is characterized by its winding alignment, relatively steep gradients and tight geometries, lack of shoulders, passing lanes, and left turn pockets, and poor sight distances at several intersections.

The lack of a second access route also brings up concerns about evacuation in the event of an emergency. While there is a "back door" on Sherwood Road to the north, in the event of a large fire this route would most likely be quickly be overloaded with vehicles. Therefore, the need for a second access route is both a capacity issue as well as an evacuation issue.

U.S. 101 (Main Street) is a four-lane arterial through the town of Willits, reducing to a two-lane facility before it reaches the Sherwood Road intersection. The intersection with Sherwood Road contains a northbound left turn lane and a three phase signal.

The physical condition of roadways and streets in Brooktrails is good, except for some minor slides that are encroaching on the uphill portions of residential streets. A network of trails provides pedestrians good internal access.

Existing Traffic Conditions
Traffic counts were performed in Brooktrails on Wednesday and Thursday, August 4th and 5th, 1993, from 3PM to 7PM at the following locations (see Figure 3.1.2-1 and Table 3.1.2-1):

1. U.S. 101 and Sherwood Road
2. Sherwood Road and Birch Street
3. Sherwood Road and Brooktrails Drive
4. Sherwood Road and Primrose Drive
5. Sherwood Road and Daphne Way
6. Sherwood Road and Poppy Drive
7. Clover Road and Primrose Drive

Existing Conditions Level of service (LOS) calculations were performed using Highway Capacity Software (HCS) Operations Method for signalized and unsignalized intersections, and for rural highway facilities (Figure 3.1.2-2). Historic trends and previous data collection efforts indicate that peak traffic volumes occur in the study area during the month of August, hence no adjustments to traffic volumes were used. As seen in Figure 3.1.2-3, all existing signalized and unsignalized intersections in Brooktrails and at the Highway 101/Sherwood Road intersection operate at LOS B or better, using the Highway Capacity Software (HCS) Operations Method.

In contrast, Sherwood Road between U.S. 101 and Birch Street operates currently at LOS D. According to the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), Sherwood Road would be classified as a rural 2-lane highway. The Level of Service designation (LOS D) is predicated on the rural road designation and may overstate the condition due to the fact that Brooktrails is a blend of rural and small town environments and the segment in question is hardly long enough (3 miles) to truly resemble an isolated rural roadway.

Existing local streets in Brooktrails generally carry low levels of daily traffic (under 500 vehicles), with a few exceptions. Birch Street from Clover Road to Sherwood currently carries about 1,600 vehicles daily, while Daphne Way carries approximately 1,500 vehicles per day.

The directional flow of traffic on Sherwood Road during the PM peak hour was 66% northbound and 34% southbound, or quite similar to the directional split of residential land uses as described in the ITE Trip Generation Manual.

Parking
Local streets in Brooktrails have paved widths of 24 to 30 feet (see Figure 3.1.2-4), with no on-street parking allowed per County regulation. When vehicles do park on the street, there is insufficient clearance for a vehicle to pass without passing over the centerline. Traffic signage in Brooktrails is adequate with minor exceptions, including warnings on Sherwood Road of entering traffic and internal directional signing.

Geometry
Sherwood Road is classified as a Major Collector (see Figure 3.1.2-1) according to the County's criteria: it "provides service to the larger towns not directly served by the higher systems and to other traffic generators of equivalent intraregional importance (County General Plan, p.III-8). In the near future, Sherwood Road may be upgraded to a Minor Arterial, as it will "link cities and towns above 5,000 population (...) and form an integrated network providing interstate and intercounty service (General Plan, p. III-7). Sherwood Road does not meet current County standards in terms of shoulders or, in some locations, lane width.

Intersection geometries vary widely in Brooktrails due to the rugged topography, i.e., there are few true 90 degree approaches. Due to low traffic volumes and speeds this is generally not a problem, except at a few locations. The intersection of Sherwood Road/Birch Street/Birch Terrace is problematic because of the poor visibility and merge of two residential streets into one street at the intersection. The intersection of Sherwood Road and Poppy Dr. is sub-standard due to an extreme drop on the westbound approach of Poppy Dr. just prior to Sherwood Road, resulting in poor visibility and warning for motorists. The lack of a left turn lane or shoulders on Sherwood Road makes this more of a problem.

All intersections in Brooktrails are either controlled by one or two way STOP signs, or completely uncontrolled. Field observation did not reveal any intersections which should be controlled that are currently uncontrolled.

Accident History
According to the California Highway Patrol Statewide Integrated Traffic Records Systems (SWITRS), there have been a total of 41 reported accidents on Sherwood Road between January 1991 and October 1993. Of these 41 accidents, almost 20% have been located at the intersection of Sherwood Road and Birch Street/Birch Terrace. The accidents resulted in one fatality and injuries to 41 other people. The most
common collision factor reported was "ran off road" (66%), which is either due to operator error, winding roadway conditions, lack of left turn lanes, or a variety of other conditions.

The high level of accidents and injuries on Sherwood Road is significant, as it translates into an accident rate of 1.6 acc/mvm (accidents per million-vehicle-mile) since the typical rate is about 1.2 acc/mvm for a rural 2 to 3-lane road.

On U.S. 101 from its junction with S.R. 20 in Willits to Casteel Lane past Brooktrails, there were 165 reported auto accidents in five years from June 1988 to June 1993. Fifty-nine out of the reported 165 were injury related (36%), and there were no fatalities. The accident rate at this section of U.S. 101 is 6.53 acc/mvm, which is higher than Caltrans had expected. However since late November of 1992, when a northbound left-turn phase was added at the intersection of U.S. 101/Sherwood, the accident rate decreased significantly for the next six months, dropping to 3.34 acc/mvm, much closer to the expected rate of 3.70 acc/mvm.

Transit Service
Currently, the Mendocino Transit Authority (MTA) provides service ranging from Ukiah to Willits, with the northernmost stop at City Park on Commercial Street. There is also a dial-a-ride service that extends access into Brooktrails, but it is limited only to certain areas inside the Township. Residents of Brooktrails who wish to utilize MTA service would most likely use the City Park stop on Commercial Street, which is within several blocks of the Sherwood Road/Main Street (U.S. 101) intersection.

On weekdays, the Ukiah-bound bus makes six trips each day from the City Park stop to Ukiah: essentially all of them run during the commute rush hours, three in the morning between 7AM and 9AM and returning to Willits with four in the afternoon between 3PM and 4PM. MTA calculates that approximately 47,000 people rode the bus between Willits and Ukiah from July 1992 to June 1993. Ridership tends to be at a minimum during the summer season, when students are on vacation.

Non-Motorized Transportation
The original developers of Brooktrails designed the subdivision with an extensive network of greenbelts, open spaces, and trails ( see Figure 3.1.2-5). This network permits relatively good internal circulation by pedestrians off of the street network, along with opportunities for recreation and exercise. The lack of shoulders or sidewalks for pedestrians and bicycles is an issue on Sherwood Road, where any non-motorized movement must take place within the travel lanes.

3.1.2-3 IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES

Brooktrails Township Specific Plan Policies
Plan goals specifically related to traffic and circulation in the Plan area appear in the Community Facilities and Services Chapter of the Plan as TRANSPORTATION AND CIRCULATION GOAL FS-7.1-1, and FS-7.1-2. The Policies for implementing the Goals are central to the issue of transportation and circulation and are reiterated here to allow the reader easy reference to the actual language in the Plan.

TRANSPORTATION AND CIRCULATION GOAL FS-7.1-1: Improve vehicular access/egress to/from the Township and ensure adequate circulation within the Township.

POLICY FS-7.1-1A: Construct a new second Brooktrails Township access road extending from State Highway 20 to the Township.

POLICY FS-7.1-1B: Construct improvements at the Sherwood Road/Birch Street intersection.

POLICY FS-7.1-1C: Construct improvements along Sherwood Road to enhance safety and vehicular movement.

POLICY FS-7.1-1D: Construct a trail from the Township to the City of Willits for walking and bicycling.

POLICY FS-7.1-1E: Develop improved vehicular access to the Ells Field airport.

TRANSPORTATION AND CIRCULATION GOAL FS-7.2: Recognize the need for a U.S. Highway 101 Willits bypass.

POLICY FS-7.1-2A: Coordinate Township growth and development with the California Department of Transportation to ensure the adequacy of U.S. Highway 101 improvements.

Standards of Significance
A project would have significant traffic impacts if it causes a substantial increase in traffic relative to the existing and projected traffic relative to the existing and projected traffic volumes and capacity of the street system. The capacity of a particular roadway is dependent on the roadway's designed capacity and functional classification.

According to the Willits Creek Reservoir Project EIR, 1991, the functional classification of the internal Brooktrails street system is as follows:

"Collector Street Sherwood Road
"Arterial Streets Brooktrails Drive
Primrose Drive
Ridge Road
Goose Road
Poppy Drive
Daphne Way

It is assumed that the "arterial" streets described in the Willits Creek Reservoir Project EIR meet the general classification of residential collector streets, with a planning capacity of 3,500 ADT. Other residential streets would have a planning threshold of 2,000 ADT. Traffic levels over 2,000 ADT are typically considered not suitable for streets with residences, and should be minimized to the extent possible. Figure 3.1.2-6 illustrates the existing arterial collector system in Brooktrails based on commonly accepted definitions.

Impacts
Traffic counts performed in Brooktrails (see Figure 3.1.2-1) on a weekday in July 1993 resulted in a total of 569 vehicles being counted during the peak PM period, of which 334 were inbound from U.S. 101, 172 outbound towards U.S. 101, and 63 internal. When divided by the total number of dwelling units (1,200), the result is a PM peak hour trip generation rate of .47 trips per household.
The rate of .47 trips per dwelling unit is substantially lower than the ITE residential rate of 1.01 trips, and higher than the retirement rate of .28 trips. There are several probably explanations for this discrepancy.

1. ITE rates are often more than 20 years old, and typically consist of data from suburban and urban (rather than rural) data sources;

2. Brooktrails may have a higher than average mixture of retirement and/or vacation residences;

3. Due to longer driving distances, Brooktrails residents may combine more trips than average and may have a more extended peak hour than average.

Based on these observations, the existing trip generation rate is rounded to 0.5 PM peak hour trips per household. Applying this factor to the additional residential development allowed under the Specific Plan results in an additional 2000 additional PM peak hour trips. The factor assumed for internal trip generation to and from the proposed commercial area is .2 per dwelling unit. Applying this factor to the number of additional dwelling units allowed under the Specific Plan results in an additional 763 internal trips. Assumed distribution of these trips is presented below.

The existing Brooktrails roadway network has the following deficiencies:

• Sherwood Road between Birch Street and U.S. 101 is over capacity based on standards for a rural two-lane highway operating at LOS C.
  
• The Birch Street/Sherwood Road intersection is substandard from a traffic safety perspective
  
• There is a lack of adequate evacuation routes from many neighborhoods of Brooktrails
  
• Main Street (U.S. 101) through Willits currently operates at or over capacity during the PM peak period, with summer peak periods resulting in a breakdown of traffic flow
  

Future planned improvements to roadway geometrics would result in the following roadway capacities.

Using ITE methodology on the existing transportation network, the system currently operates over capacity during the PM peak hour on Sherwood Road between U.S. 101 and Birch Street (LOS D), despite the fact that the preceding intersection, the Sherwood/U.S. 101 intersection, operates at LOS B (little delay).

The intersection of Sherwood Road and Birch Street, an unsignalized intersection currently operates at LOS A. Currently the capacity of local streets in Brooktrails, specifically Birch Street, Daphne Street, and Clover Road are constrained. The theoretical maximum daily volume on a residential street is 2,000 vehicles, and 3,500 on a local collector street. Based on these figures, Birch Street only has an excess peak hour capacity of 39 vehicles before it exceeds the volumes for a residential street and 189 vehicles before it exceeds the volumes for a collector street.

By making improvements to the existing network the capacity of the system rises appreciably. Signal phasing adjustments to the Sherwood Road/U.S. 101 intersection raises the capacity to over 2,000 peak hour vehicles, compared to the 1,300 it currently carries.

The addition of passing lanes and shoulders to Sherwood Road raises the capacity to about 650 peak hour vehicles, 150 over the current volume of 506 vehicles. It is also recommended that this segment LOS method be examined for appropriateness in Brooktrails: many communities only use intersection LOS as an evaluation tool. A breakdown of various capacity scenarios for Sherwood Road is presented below. If LOS D is acceptable as a threshold on Sherwood Road, a reserve capacity of 190 vehicles is available (696-506=190).

The signalization and addition of a northbound left turn lane at the intersection of Sherwood Road and Birch Street increases capacity to over 2,000 vehicles per hour, far beyond current needs of 503 peak hour vehicles.

The limits imposed by residential and collector streets within Brooktrails continue to serve as the leading capacity constraint on the system, because there are few means of expanding capacity. It may be necessary to make Birch Street, Daphne Way, and other local streets less inviting to motorists who could use alternative routes (such as Brooktrails Drive, Primrose Drive, and Lupine Way).

Assuming that equal distribution of traffic off of Sherwood Road can be achieved onto the nine through local streets (total peak hour capacity: 1,800 vehicles), it becomes apparent that the second greatest limitation is Sherwood Road itself (maximum peak hour volume with improvements within LOS C: 650 vph) rather than any single intersection.

Impact 3.1.2-1
The additional development allowed under the Specific Plan would result in approximately 2,000 additional peak hour external vehicle trips and 763 additional internal vehicle trips. This represents an increase of 380 percent from 1993 levels for external trips, while internal trips are projected to increase 635 percent. This translates into roughly a six fold increase in traffic levels on most internal streets in Brooktrails. These trips would result in increased congestion and safety impacts due to the increased demand on the roadway capacity. (S)

Mitigation Measures 3.1.2-1
The following roadway improvements will be required by build-out (4,000 equivalent dwelling units) to accommodate future traffic in and around Brooktrails.

• Sherwood Road - Shoulders and left turn lanes from U.S. 101 to Poppy Drive (see Figure 3.1.2-7A). Pedestrian pathway to be included along entire length. Re-design Birch Street intersection to enhance safety (see Figure 3.1.2-8).
  
• Southern Access Road - Construct new 2-lane arterial between Primrose Dr. and S.R. 20 to relieve Sherwood Road Signalize intersection with S.R. 20. The alignment will require the purchase of private property, and an environmental impact report.
  
• Clover Road/Primrose Dr. - New signal required.
  
  
• Primrose Dr./Sherwood Road - New signal required
  
  
• Primrose Drive - Traffic volumes on Primrose Drive between the Southern Access Road and Sherwood Road are expected to increase to as a high as 900 vehicles during the peak hour, a 25 fold increase. In order to help manage this traffic, Primrose Dr. should be upgraded to enhance safety for residents and vehicles alike. This includes shoulders, pedestrian pathways, left turn bays, and horizontal and vertical geometric improvements especially near Lake Ada Rose.
  
  
• State Route 20 - While entirely outside Brooktrails, S.R. 20 between the Southern Access Road and Main Street (U.S. 101) will need to be expanded to a 4-lane arterial by buildout.
  

Implementation of these mitigation measures would reduce the impacts to insignificant.(I)

Impact 3.1.2-2

Development pursuant to the Specific Plan would increase the number of vehicles and people that would use the existing emergency exit route which could result in a potential safety hazard to human life and property.(PS)

Mitigation Measure 3.1.2-2
Construct new 2-lane arterial between Primrose Dr. and S.R. 20 to relieve Sherwood Road Signalize intersection with S.R. 20. The alignment will require the purchase of private property, and an environmental impact report.

• Implement all of the recommendations in the Brooktrails Evacuation Plan. This includes one new all-weather route along the Meadowlark Trail in northeast Brooktrails, and a new southern access route. These corridors should be maintained to accommodate all vehicles in Brooktrails, and all residents should be notified of the evacuation route to use in the event of an emergency.
  
  

Implementation of these mitigation measures would reduce the impacts to an insignificant level.(I)

Impact 3.1.2-3

Additional residential development at Brooktrails could result in additional on-street parking which would result in potential significant impacts to the circulation system. (PS)

On-street parking is not currently permitted in Brooktrails, although it is not uncommon to see vehicles parked on-street and enforcement is minimal. Due to street widths between 24 and 30 feet, vehicles parked on-street infringe on the travel-way required for two-way circulation. As Brooktrails grows, there will be increased pressure for on-street parking. This will be due partially to demographics (more drivers per household) and the areas of steep topography, which limits the amount of off-street parking that can be provided.

Mitigation Measure 3.1.2-3
It is recommended that current off-street parking requirements and on-street regulations be enforced by the Mendocino County Sheriff's Department. In addition, on-street parking bays should be provided throughout the Township where feasible (See Figure 3.1.2-7B). The off-street requirements identified in the Specific Plan (Chapter 10, Community Design) should be implemented.(I)
Cumulative Impacts and Mitigation Measures

Impact 3.1.2-4

Build-out pursuant to the Specific Plan would generate additional vehicle trips that would contribute to cumulative traffic impacts (Figure 3.1.2-10) which would result in congestion at U.S. 101 and Sherwood Road, U.S. 101 and Commercial Street, U.S. 101 and S.R. 20 and S.R. 20 and planned Southern Access Route (Figure 3.1.2-11) (S).

Mitigation Measure 3.1.2-4
It is infeasible for the County of Mendocino or the Township to implement possible mitigation measures. The design and implementation of such measures would be under the jurisdiction of Caltrans.(PS)

Long-term Mitigation

A second access route will be needed by 1998 to avoid Sherwood Road exceeding LOS C. An evaluation of potential second access route alignments showed that both routes #1 (Brooktrails Drive Extension) and #3 (S.R. 20 Connection) provide the greatest (and roughly equal) functional benefits to Brooktrails (see Figure 3.1.2-9). The City of Willits General Plan Revision (1992) states a preference for route #3 in combination with an Eastside Bypass connected to Willits via Commercial Street Notably, this alternative would not provide Brooktrails with a direct connection to the future Bypass. The decision on which access route to select is inextricably linked to traffic conditions in Willits and to the status of the future U.S. 101 Bypass.

Route #1 has the advantage of serving the greatest number of Brooktrails residents, carrying roughly 50% of all traffic, and of providing the best linkage to a future eastside U.S. 101 Bypass if it were ever built--assuming that an interchange would be constructed at this location. While the route roughly parallels Sherwood Road, its main attraction to residents would be as a safer route to U.S. 101 with greater capacity (flow) than Sherwood Road. Its primary disadvantages are (a) it forces traffic through the most congested part of Willits and (b) it does not provide a good evacuation alternative to Sherwood Road

Route #2 (Willits Creek) was rejected because it (a) essentially duplicates Route #3 but would have a greater impact on the riparian corridor, (b) would feed traffic directly onto local Willits Streets, and ( c) would force traffic through downtown Willits.

Route #3 (Southern Access) would serve approximately 40% of all Brooktrails residents, would bypass part of downtown Willits, and is the shortest route to construct. One of the chief disadvantages is that it would result in substantially increased traffic on Primrose Drive and some other local roads.

Route #4 (North Airport) was rejected because it would serve only 30% of all Brooktrails traffic and would continue to force traffic through downtown Willits. If the Eastside Bypass were built, Route #4 would be one of the top options for a second access route. Conversely, Route #4 would offer the least functional benefit to Brooktrails if the Bypass were not built.

Based on this evaluation, Route #3 is selected as the preferred second access route largely because it provides immediate relief to Sherwood Road, bypasses the most congested part of Willits, and would provide a good second evacuation route for residents. A new signalized intersection would be required at the junction with S.R. 20, and the S.R. 20/Main Street intersection would require phasing adjustments. The new southern access route would be approximately 1.4 miles long and be designed as a two-lane divided arterial with shoulders, left turn lanes, and possibly passing lanes all within a 100 foot wide right of way. Peak hour capacity would be 1,360 vehicles per hour at LOS C, or roughly twice the capacity of Sherwood Road.

Route #1 would be an acceptable second access route in the event Route #3 could not be built. Much of the value of Route #1 is related to a possible direct linkage to the Eastside Bypass: funding for both the Bypass and an interchange are not being programmed for the long term at this juncture.

The Southern Access Road has been identified as a required improvement to accommodate increases in traffic within the short to mid term. Given the long term nature of implementing a roadway of this magnitude, it is recommended that the Township begin proceeding with implementation immediately. Some of the first steps are to (a) come to an agreement with the City of Willits and Mendocino County on the need for, location of, and timing of the access route, (b) have the route adopted as part of each jurisdiction's general plan process, © work with Caltrans in the implementation, funding, and coordination with the U.S. 101 Bypass project, and (d) beginning the environmental impact report process for the new southern Access route.