san luis obispo memorandum - berkeley, california · 2017. 10. 3. · berkeley carlsbad fresno...

BERKELEY

CARLSBAD

FRESNO

IRVINE

PALM SPRINGS

POINT RICHMOND

RIVERSIDE

ROCKLIN

SAN LUIS OBISPO

20 Executive Park, Suite 200, Irvine, California 92614 949.553.0666 www.lsa.net

MEMORA NDUM

DATE: October 3, 2017

TO: Michael Vecchio, City of Berkeley Department of Public Works

FROM: Steven Ross, Associate, LSA

Arthur Black, Associate, LSA

SUBJECT: 1717 University Avenue Traffic and Parking Analysis

LSA is pleased to present this trip-generation estimate and parking analysis for the construction of a

28-unit mixed-use apartment building at 1717 University Avenue in the City of Berkeley (City),

County of Alameda, California. LSA prepared this analysis in accordance with the City’s Traffic Impact

Report (TIR) guidelines and Parking Survey Instructions (2010).

According to the project application, the three existing buildings on the site (a one-story commercial

building, a single-family dwelling unit, and a detached garage) will be demolished and replaced with

a five-story mixed-use apartment building with 14,081 square feet (sf) of residential use (28 units)

and 1,837 sf of retail/restaurant use on the ground floor. Existing and proposed project access

would continue to be from the existing driveway on McGee Avenue. The project would include

podium-level parking for 18 vehicles (17 in parking lifts, 1 surface parking space), 36 bicycle

storage/parking spaces, 4 public bicycle racks, 3 shared scooter parking spaces, and storage lockers.

A site plan is provided as Figure 1 (all figures provided in Attachment A).

PROJECT ASSUMPTIONS

Trip Generation

The trip generation for the proposed mixed-use project is calculated from land use-based trip rates

of the Institute of Transportation Engineers’ (ITE) Trip Generation Manual, 9th Edition (2012).

As stated in the City’s TIR guidelines, Berkeley is a “transit first” city focused on achieving a high

level of non-automobile travel. Table A provides a summary of commute behaviors in the United

States and in the City. Compared to the national average, residents of Berkeley use alternative

modes of transportation (i.e., public transit, bicycling, and walking) or telecommuting at a higher

rate than driving alone. Although the trip-generation rates tend to exclude non-automobile trips,

the ITE rate is based on data gathered nationally. Because the percentage of vehicle trips in the City

is 60 percent of the national average, LSA assumed a trip reduction of 40 percent.

10/3/17 «P:\CBE1605\Traffic Memo6.docx» 2

Table A: Commute Behaviors

United States City of Berkeley

Drove Alone 76%

88%

36%

53% Carpooled 10% 7%

Other Means1 2% 10%

Public Transportation 5%

12%

21%

47% Walked 3% 16%

Worked from Home 4% 10%

Automobile-to-Non-Automobile Ratio 7.14 1.11

Source: 2010–2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 1 Includes motorcycle, bicycle, and taxi. Because automobile travel is possible in this

category, the category is grouped with automobile travel.

As seen in Table B below, rental units in Berkeley have a substantially lower parking demand than

rental units statewide. In particular, the percentage of rental units with no car is more than double

in Berkeley compared to the statewide average and the percentage of rental units with two or more

cars is less than half the statewide average. The lower availability of cars helps to explain the lower

vehicle trip generation in the City of Berkeley.

Table B: Automobile Ownership per Rental

Unit

Number of Vehicles Available California City of Berkeley

0 14% 33%

1 43% 48%

2 32% 14%

3 8% 4%

4 2% 0%

5 or more 1% 0%

Source: 2010–2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.

The proposed project would support the ability of residents to use alternative modes of

transportation, as the site plan shows parking and storage for 3 scooters, 20 wall-mounted bicycle

spaces, 16 storage/bicycle lockers, 4 bicycle racks on the sidewalk in front of the property, a bike

repair area, and potential for a dedicated car-share space in lieu of a regular parking space. The

proposed project is located on University Avenue and two blocks from both Sacramento Street and

Martin Luther King Jr Way, each of which has frequent AC Transit service. In addition, the project is

within 0.6 mile a 10-minute walk as the crow flies of the Downtown Berkeley Bay Area Rapid Transit

(BART) station and within 0.3 mile of the North Berkeley BART station. Therefore, the project’s

physical features and location support the use of non-automobile travel.

Table C shows the project trip generation using the ITE trip rates and a 40 percent trip travel mode

reduction for the proposed mixed-use project.


Table C: Trip Generation

Land Use Size Unit ADT

AM Peak Hour PM Peak Hour

In Out Total In Out Total

Trip Ratesˡ (Land Use Code)

Apartments (220)

Units 6.65 0.10 0.41 0.51 0.40 0.22 0.62

High Turnover (Sit Down) Restaurant (932)

TSF 127.15 5.95 4.86 10.81 5.91 3.94 9.85

Trip Generation, Proposed Uses

Apartments (220) 28 Units 187 3 11 14 11 6 17

Restaurant (932) 1.837 TSF 234 11 9 20 11 7 18

Subtotal

421 14 20 34 22 13 35

Trip Reduction

Modal Split (40 percent)

(168) (6) (8) (14) (9) (5) (14)

Total Project Automobile Trip Generation

253 8 12 20 13 8 21 1 Trip rates based on the Institute of Transportation Engineers’ Trip Generation Manual, 9

th Edition (2012).

ADT = average daily trips

TSF = thousand square feet

As Table C indicates, the proposed 28 apartment units and 1,837 sf of retail/restaurant use are

forecast to generate 421 average daily trips (ADT), 34 a.m. peak-hour trips (14 inbound and 20

outbound), and 35 p.m. peak-hour trips (22 inbound and 13 outbound). Of those, 253 ADT, 20 a.m.

peak-hour trips (8 inbound and 12 outbound), and 21 p.m. peak-hour trips (13 inbound and 8

outbound) are estimated to occur by automobile. The project will not generate more than 50 peak-

hour trips, with or without the 40 percent modal split.

Trip Distribution and Assignment

In accordance with the City’s TIR guidelines, project trip distribution is based on the distribution of

existing traffic flows on major streets (i.e., University Avenue). The City provided existing turning

movement volumes for McGee Avenue/University Avenue taken on Wednesday, March 19, 2014

(Attachment B). Based on these volumes, project trips have been distributed 2 percent to the north

and south, 52 percent to the east, and 44 percent to the west. Project trip distribution is illustrated

on Figure 2. Even if 100 percent of project trips are distributed to a single intersection, with or

without the 40 percent modal split reduction, the addition of project trips will not add more than 50

peak-hour trips to any study area intersection. Therefore, the proposed project will not require a

TIR.

PARKING ANALYSIS

As outlined in the approved Scope of Work, the following parking analysis determines the parking

demand for the proposed project and the on-street capacity of the surrounding neighborhood. As

described previously, the existing site provides six parking spaces accessed by a driveway on McGee

Avenue. The proposed project would provide a total of 18 on-site spaces (17 parking lift spaces and

1 surface handicap space). The project would also add bicycle/scooter parking and storage.

According to the City’s Municipal Code (Section 23E.36.080), residential uses within C-1 General

Commercial Districts require 1 space per 1,000 sf, while quick or full-service restaurants require

1 space per 300 sf. As a result, the proposed 14,081 sf of residential use would require 14 spaces


and the proposed 1,837 sf of commercial use would require 6 spaces. Therefore, the project

requires a total of 20 parking spaces.

The City’s Municipal Code (Section 23E.28.070) requires one bicycle parking space per 2,000 sf of

commercial space. The proposed 1,837 sf of commercial use would therefore need one bicycle

space, which will be fulfilled with the proposed installation of 4 bike racks on the sidewalk in front of

the property, similar to the one pictured below. No bicycle parking is required for the residential

units, but the project proposes 36 on-site bicycle parking spaces for the residents.

A bicycle rack at the northwest corner of University Avenue and Grant Street in Berkeley, California.

(Source: Google Street View, March 2016.)

The City’s Municipal Code (Section 23E.28.140) specifies required findings where a project seeks a

reduction in the parking requirement of Section 23E.36.080. Because the project proposes to

provide only 18 vehicle parking spaces, a reduction of 2 spaces is requested. The Zoning

Adjustments Board may grant a parking reduction if the following required findings can be made

pursuant to Municipal Code Section 23E.28.140.B:

B. To approve any reduction of the off-street parking spaces under Section

23E.28.130, or under other sections that refer to this section, the Zoning Officer

or Zoning Adjustments Board must find that the reduction will not substantially

reduce the availability of on-street parking in the vicinity of the use. The Zoning

Officer or Board must also find that at least one of each of the two groups of

conditions below apply:

1. a. The use is located one-third of a mile or less from a Bay Area Rapid

Transit (BART) station, intercity rail station or rapid bus transit stops; or

b. The use is located one-quarter of a mile or less from a publicly

accessible parking facility, the use of which is not limited to a specific

business or activity during the use’s peak parking demand; or


c. A parking survey conducted under procedures set forth by the Planning

Department finds that within 500 feet or less of the use, on non-

residential streets, at least two times the number of spaces requested

for reduction are available through on-street parking spaces for at least

two of the four hours of the use’s peak parking demand; or

d. The use includes one of the following neighborhood-serving uses: Retail

Products Store(s), Food Service Establishments, and/or

Personal/Household Service(s). These uses include, but are not limited

to: Dry Cleaning and Laundry Agents, Drug Stores, Food Products Stores,

Household Items Repair Shops, and/or Laundromats; and

2. a. The parking requirement modification will meet the purposes of the

district related to improvement and support for alternative

transportation, pedestrian improvements and activity, or similar

policies; or

b. There are other factors, such as alternative transportation demand

management strategies or policies in place, that will reduce the parking

demand generated by the use.

Pursuant to the required findings:

• The project is within 0.33 mile of the North Berkeley BART Station (Finding 1.a).

• More than twice the number of spaces requested for reduction are available during the project’s

peak hours of parking demand (Finding 1.c, as described in the parking study section below).

• The project would provide a neighborhood-serving use (Finding 1.d, a restaurant).

• The project would be required to provide one Clipper Card per residential unit and no

Residential Permit Parking (RPP) permits would be issued to project residents. The project’s

transportation demand management strategies such as providing transit passes, 36 bicycle

parking spaces, and a car share parking space along with RPP permits not being issued to project

residents would reduce the parking demand generated by the residents (Finding 2.b).

Therefore, the project would meet the conditions required to make the findings for a parking

reduction.

In order to assess the availability of on-street parking for the proposed project, LSA conducted

parking surveys of the residential streets (i.e., Berkeley Way, Addison Street, McGee Avenue, and

Grant Street) and commercial streets (i.e., University Avenue) surrounding the project site. Parking

surveys were conducted by an independent traffic data company, National Data and Surveying

Services, from 4:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Wednesday, September 28, 2016, on the residential streets

and from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. the same day on University Avenue. The survey times were chosen

based on times of peak demand for residential and restaurant uses.


The parking survey provided measurements for areas where spaces were not delineated. These

measurements were converted to spaces using the City’s standard parallel parking space length of

22 feet per vehicle. It is apparent that vehicles in this area are parking more efficiently than the

standard 22 feet per vehicle. This condition may be attributed to shorter vehicle lengths or the aid

of backup cameras. No vehicles were observed to be parked illegally. The results of these surveys

are provided in Attachment C and summarized in Table D. Figure 3 illustrates the parking restrictions

and utilization within the study area.

Table D: Parking Capacity Summary

ID

#

Side of

Street Street Segment

Parking

Supply1

Peak Parking

Demand2

Parking

Surplus

1 N

Berkeley Way California Street to McGee Avenue 17 16 1

S 20 19 1

2 N

Berkeley Way McGee Avenue to Grant Street 17 17 0

S 17 18 0

3 N

Addison Street California Street to Jefferson Avenue 4 7 0

S 9 10 0

4 N

Addison Street Jefferson Avenue to McGee Avenue 6 7 0

S 8 6 2

5 N

Addison Street McGee Avenue to Roosevelt Avenue 7 4 3

S 7 6 1

6 N

Addison Street Roosevelt Avenue to Grant Street 8 9 0

S 8 8 0

7 E

McGee Avenue Hearst Avenue to Berkeley Way 10 6 4

W 8 7 1

8 E

McGee Avenue Berkeley Way to University Avenue 5 4 1

W 4 5 0

9 E

McGee Avenue University Avenue to Addison Street 7 5 2

W 7 3 4

10 E

Grant Street Berkeley Way to University Avenue 8 9 0

W 9 8 1

11 E

Grant Street University Avenue to Addison Street 8 4 4

W 7 5 2

Residential Totals 201 1833 27

1 N

University Avenue California Street to Jefferson Avenue 7 5 2

S 8 7 1

2 N

University Avenue Jefferson Avenue to McGee Avenue 5 2 3

S 5 2 3

3 N

University Avenue McGee Avenue to Grant Avenue 18 17 1

S 18 9 9

4 N

University Avenue Grant Avenue to Martin Luther King Jr. Way 13 10 3

S 9 9 0

Commercial Totals 83 61 22 1 Based on 22 feet per vehicle.

2 The residential peak occurred at 4:00 a.m., and the commercial peak occurred at 7:00 p.m.

3 Includes increased parking efficiency in seven segments.

E = east

N = north

S = south

W = west


As seen in Table D, a total of 27 spaces are available in the surrounding neighborhoods overnight,

which is the time of peak residential demand. The proposed project requires 14 spaces for the

28 apartment units, all of which will be provided on site with the addition of parking lifts. Because

the project would not provide the total required number of parking spaces, and is requesting a

parking reduction, residents would not qualify for the Residential Permit Program. However, the

surveys show that additional on-street spaces are available during peak residential parking demand.

University Avenue experienced peak parking demand at 7:00 p.m. At this time, 22 spaces were

available. The six spaces required by the proposed restaurant use can be accommodated within the

22 available spaces. Additional on-street parking spaces where permits are not required (e.g., 2 hour

parking areas) are located on McGee Avenue, Berkeley Way, and Addison Street, and may also

accommodate the restaurant parking demand.

Access to Parking Lot

The City’s Residential Driveway guidelines (2013) require a minimum driveway width for residential

units dependent on the length of the driveway and the number of spaces that can be accessed.

According to that guidance, the approximately 100 foot long driveway leading to 18 parking spaces

should be 12 feet in width. The existing driveway is 10 feet in width, with property lines directly to

the north and south of the driveway. As discussed with Michael Vecchio, P.E., in the City’s

Transportation Division, because the driveway width is an existing, fixed condition, it would be

permitted to serve the proposed project due to the low volumes observed on McGee Avenue and

the low number of parking spaces (18) to be served by the driveway. However, the driveway would

not be wide enough for vehicles traveling in opposite directions to pass, and would require one

vehicle to back up if vehicles were simultaneously arriving and departing. A vehicle backing into a

public street could increase conflicts compared to a vehicle driving out nose-first.

In order to ensure the orderly use of the driveway by both entering and exiting vehicles, signage

should be placed in a location visible to exiting drivers informing them that entering vehicles have

the right-of-way and that exiting vehicles may need to back up. The Manual on Uniform Traffic

Control Devices includes signage for yielding on one-lane roads using a standard YIELD (R1-2) sign

with a TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC (R1-2aP) plaque posted below. For this driveway, the message on the

plaque could be modified to read “TO INCOMING TRAFFIC.” The final design for signage presenting

this message will need to be approved by the City’s Public Works Traffic Engineering staff.

CONCLUSIONS

The proposed mixed-use project at 1717 University Avenue is not expected to significantly impact

the circulation network or parking in the surrounding area. The 28 residential units and

retail/restaurant use will not add more than 50 peak-hour trips to any intersection. Further, a

sufficient number of parking spaces are provided on site and are available within the surrounding

neighborhood during peak hours to accommodate the project parking demand. According to City

guidelines, no further traffic analysis is necessary.

Attachments: A: Figures 1–3

B: Existing Traffic Volumes

C: Parking Survey Data

T R A F F I C A N D P A R K I N G A N A L Y S I S

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

1 7 1 7 U N I V E R S I T Y A V E N U E

C I T Y O F B E R K E L E Y , C O U N T Y O F A L A M E D A , C A L I F O R N I A

P:\CBE1605\Traffic Memo6.docx «10/03/17»

ATTACHMENT A

FIGURES 1–3

FEET

30150

N

I:\CBE1605\G\Site Plan.cdr (9/29/2017)

FIGURE 1

Site Plan

1717 University Avenue

SOURCE Assembly Design:

UN

IVE

RS

ITY

AV

E

McGEE AVE

FEET

100500

N

I:\CBE1605\G\Trip Distribution.cdr (10/17/2016)

FIGURE 2

Project Trip Distribution and Assignment


SOURCE: Google Earth

University Ave.University Ave.

McG

ee

Av

e.

McG

ee

Av

e.

Project Site

- Trip Distribution Percentage

- AM/PM Project Trip Volumes

XX

XX

2

LEGEND

2

46

52

4/64/6

0/1

0/1

7/4

6/4

7/4

6/4

4/74/7

Project Site

Berkeley WayBerkeley Way

University Ave.University Ave.

Addison St.Addison St.

Hearst Ave.Hearst Ave.

Ca

liforn

iaS

t.C

alifo

rnia

St.

Jeffe

rson

Av

e.

Jeffe

rson

Av

e.

McG

ee

Av

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McG

ee

Av

e.

Ro

ose

ve

lt Av

e.

Ro

ose

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lt Av

e.

Gra

nt S

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t St.

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15075

I:\CBE1605\G\Parking-Restrictions&Utilization.cdr (10/17/2016)

FIGURE 3

Parking Restrictions and Utilization


SOURCE Google Earth, 2016:

FEET

0

N

LEGEND

- Project Area

- No Restriction

- Handicap

- Loading

- Passenger Loading

- 24 Minute Parking

- 30 Minute Meter

- 1 Hour Meter

- 2 Hour Meter

- 2 Hour Parking

- 2 Hour Parking Except with Permit

- Permit Parking Only

- Percent of Parking Utilized (in Red)


O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7




ATTACHMENT B

EXISTING TRAFFIC VOLUMES


O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7




ATTACHMENT C

PARKING SURVEY DATA

City: Berkeley Date:

ID

#

Side of

StreetStreet Segment Spaces Enforced Hours

4:00A

M

4:30A

MSpaces

Enforced

Hours

4:00A

M

4:30A

MSpaces

Enforced

Hours

4:00A

M

4:30A

MSpaces

Enforced

Hours

4:00A

M

4:30A

MSpaces Enforced Hours

4:00A

M

4:30A

MSpaces

Enforced

Hours

4:00A

M

4:30A

MSpaces

Enforced

Hours

4:00A

M

4:30A

MSpaces

Enforced

Hours

4:00A

M

4:30A

M

N Berkeley Way California St to McGee Ave 393' 8AM - 7PM 16 15

S Berkeley Way California St to McGee Ave 449' 8AM - 7PM 19 17

N Berkeley Way McGee Ave to Grant St 377' 8AM-7PM 17 16

S Berkeley Way McGee Ave to Grant St 373' 8AM-7PM 17 18 1 1 1

N Addison St California St to Jefferson Ave 105' 8AM-7PM 7 7

S Addison St California St to Jefferson Ave 154' 8AM-7PM 9 9 2 1 1

N Addison St Jefferson Ave to McGee Ave 138' 8AM-7PM 7 7

S Addison St Jefferson Ave to McGee Ave 147' 8AM-7PM 6 6 67' 0 0

N Addison St McGee Ave to Roosevelt Ave 128' 8AM-7PM 4 4

S Addison St McGee Ave to Roosevelt Ave 158' 8AM-7PM 6 6

N Addison St Roosevelt Ave to Grant St 181' 8AM-7PM 9 9

S Addison St Roosevelt Ave to Grant St 177' 8AM-7PM 8 8

E McGee Ave Hearst Ave to Berkeley Way 200' 8AM-7PM 6 6

W McGee Ave Hearst Ave to Berkeley Way 196' 8AM-7PM 7 7

E McGee Ave Berkeley Way to University Ave 116' 8AM-7PM 4 4

W McGee Ave Berkeley Way to University Ave 102' 8AM-7PM 5 5

E McGee Ave University Ave to Addison St 155' 8AM-7PM 5 5

W McGee Ave University Ave to Addison St 53' 8AM-7PM 3 3 88' 7:30AM-5:30PM

E Grant St Berkeley Way to University Ave 117' 8AM-7PM 6 6 1 1 1 2 9AM-6PM 2 2

W Grant St Berkeley Way to University Ave 110' 8AM-7PM 6 6 3 9AM-6PM 2 2

E Grant St University Ave to Addison St 76' 8AM-7PM 2 2 5 9AM-6PM 2 2

W Grant St University Ave to Addison St 85' 8AM-7PM 5 5 4 9AM-6PM 0 0

Prepared by National Data & Surveying Services

PARKING STUDY

SPACE TYPE

Permit Parking Only Handicap Passenger Loading2 Hour Parking (no permit rules)AREA

2 Hour Parking except with Permit

9/28/2016

24 Minute Parking 1 Hour Meters 2 Hour Meters

10

11

4

5

6

7

8

9

1

2

3

City: Berkeley Date:

ID

#

Side of

StreetStreet Segment Spaces

Enforced

Hours

7:00P

M

7:15P

M

7:30P

M

7:45P

M

8:00P

M

8:15P

M

8:30P

M

8:45P

MSpaces

Enforced

Hours

7:00P

M

7:15P

M

7:30P

M

7:45P

M

8:00P

M

8:15P

M

8:30P

M

8:45P

MSpaces

Enforced

Hours

7:00P

M

7:15P

M

7:30P

M

7:45P

M

8:00P

M

8:15P

M

8:30P

M

8:45P

MSpaces

Enforced

Hours

7:00P

M

7:15P

M

7:30P

M

7:45P

M

8:00P

M

8:15P

M

8:30P

M

8:45P

MSpaces

Enforced

Hours

7:00P

M

7:15P

M

7:30P

M

7:45P

M

8:00P

M

8:15P

M

8:30P

M

8:45P

M

N University Ave California St to Jefferson Ave 7 9AM-6PM 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 0

S University Ave California St to Jefferson Ave 8 9AM-6PM 7 6 8 8 7 5 5 4 21' 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0

N University Ave Jefferson Ave to McGee Ave 5 9AM-6PM 2 2 1 1 1 2 1 1

S University Ave Jefferson Ave to McGee Ave 5 9AM-6PM 2 4 5 5 5 2 2 2 29' 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

N University Ave McGee Ave to Grant Ave 16 9AM-6PM 16 13 10 16 15 15 15 12 21' 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 0 1 2 2 2 2

S University Ave McGee Ave to Grant Ave 4 9AM-6PM 2 1 2 2 2 3 3 2 14 9AM-6PM 7 6 7 7 7 7 7 7 39' 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 59' 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0

N University Ave Grant Ave Martin Luther King Jr Way 2 9AM-6PM 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 11 9AM-6PM 9 9 9 7 7 11 11 11 23' 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0

S University Ave Grant Ave Martin Luther King Jr Way 2 9AM-6PM 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 7 9AM-6PM 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 39' 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Loading30 Minute Meters Passenger Loading

Prepared by National Data & Surveying Services

PARKING STUDY

AREASPACE TYPE

9/28/2016

No Meter or Restriction

4

2

3

1 Hour Meters

1

san luis obispo memorandum - berkeley, california · 2017. 10. 3. · berkeley carlsbad fresno...

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