CHAPTER 1 PROPOSED PROJECT

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1 CHAPTER 1 PROPOSED PROJECT 1.1 INTRODUCTION The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), in cooperation with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), propose to widen and improve approximately 36.8 miles of State Route 138 (SR-138) between the Interstate 5 (I-5) interchange and the State Route 14 (SR- 14) interchange. Caltrans is the lead agency for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Figure 1 depicts the project location and project vicinity map and Figure 2 shows the project location on a larger regional scale in relation to the entire State of California. The existing facility is a 2-lane highway that contributes to the local circulation network and provides an alternate route for east-west traffic in northwest (NW) Los Angeles County. The NW SR-138 Corridor Improvement Project (project) would widen SR-138 and provide operational and safety improvements. The project corridor spans west to east approximately 36.8 miles (Post Mile [PM] 0.0 to PM 36.8) in the NW portion of Los Angeles County, just south of the Kern County border. Proposed No Build and Build Alternatives are presented in this Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (DEIR/EIS), which has been prepared pursuant to CEQA and NEPA and complies with state and federal laws and regulations. Caltrans is the lead agency for both NEPA and CEQA and Metro is a partner agency for document administration and as the funding agency and project sponsor. The Metro Measure R Expenditure Plan includes $200 million for State Route 138 Capacity Enhancements (Metro, 2008). Of that total, $25 million was allocated for the segment of SR-138 between I-5 and SR-14 for project approval and environmental documentation (PA&ED), to be used between 2012 and This portion of the funding was approved by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and has been included in the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Final Adopted 2013 Federal Transportation Improvement Program (FTIP) project listing as Project ID #LA0G949 (SCAG, 2013). 1 P a g e

2 Figure 1 Project Location -Vicinity Map Source: Caltrans, Draft Project Report, October P a g e

3 Figure 2 Project Location- Regional Map 1.2 PURPOSE AND NEED PROJECT PURPOSE Generally, a project purpose aids decision-making by providing clear objectives and a basis for comparing alternatives. Aiming to meet the needs identified within the SR-138 Corridor, the purpose of this project is to: Improve mobility and operations on SR-138 and in NW Los Angeles County; Enhance safety within the SR-138 Corridor based on current and future projected traffic conditions; Accommodate foreseeable increases in travel and goods movement within northern Los Angeles County. 3 P a g e

4 The project alternatives represent a reasonable expenditure of public funds because both Build Alternatives are projected to achieve the bullet points listed above and meet the purpose of the project. As discussed in section 3.1.6, with the implementation of either Build Alternative, mobility and safety would be improved compared to the No-Build conditions for Proposed improvements such as a standard clear recovery zone (which is an area clear of fixed objects adjacent to the traveled way), curve corrections, grade- separated interchanges, enhanced channelization at intersections, and standard shoulder widths are anticipated to enhance safety in the corridor. Based on the forecast growth of population and employment in northern Los Angeles County, (Tables 4 and 5), the existing facility will see a large increase and would require additional capacity to maintain an acceptable Level of Service for the corridor. The Build Alternatives would address the purpose of the project. PROJECT NEED The existing SR-138 Corridor is located in Antelope Valley in the Northwest corner of Los Angeles County, just south of the Kern County border; the highway is the main east-west route connecting the I-5 to Antelope Valley, Lancaster, Palmdale and other High Desert communities. SR-138 provides one of the primary routes for west-east traffic in NW Los Angeles County, and is an important strategic route during emergency closures of I-5 or SR-14 in this area. In the coming decades, NW Los Angeles County is anticipated to experience large-scale growth and increased economic activity, which is projected to generate traffic demands beyond the capacity of the existing facility. To address these needs, the NW SR- 138 Corridor Improvement Project has been proposed. The need for the proposed project is derived from foreseeable increases in travel and goods movement and higher than average state-wide fatal accident rates. CAPACITY AND LEVEL OF SERVICE - The need for the project is based on an assessment of the existing and future transportation demand in the project area compared to the existing capacity of the facility. The existing SR-138 through the project area is a 2-lane facility (one lane in each direction) that has at-grade intersections with both paved and unpaved roads and driveways. According to the Existing Conditions Report prepared for the project, segments of SR-138 in the project area were measured to have average daily traffic (ADT) volumes of between 3,500 to 4,500 vehicles with the highest peak volume of vehicles traveling along SR-138 occurring at approximately 6:00 A.M. and approximately 3:30 P.M. According to existing travel conditions and projected future traffic (2035) based upon the SCAG 2012 V6.1 Model, SR-138 experiences and is anticipated to experience traffic volumes in excess of its existing capacity. The North County Sub-Area model was used to develop travel demand forecasts under each Build Alternative based on the increase in capacity along the corridor. Both daily and peak hour traffic forecasts were obtained from the model to reflect Year 2035 traffic conditions based on planned improvements and growth in the study area. Since the subarea model reflects Year 2035 conditions, the Design Year 2040 forecasts were developed using a calculated annual growth rate between existing volumes and the 2035 traffic forecasts, and extending the growth projections to Year Table 1 displays the ADT forecasts for each segment of the project alternatives under current and 2040 conditions. 4 P a g e

5 Table 1: Current and 2040 ADT Forecasts and Volumes ID Location 2012 Subarea Model 2040 Subarea No Build 2040 Subarea Alternative Subarea Alternative 2 1 I-5 North of SR138 70, , , ,600 2 I-5 South of SR138 67, , , ,800 3 I-5 NB Off-Ramp to SR ,250 22,080 21,640 4 I-5 NB On-Ramp to SR-138 1,335 9,400 16,200 15,900 5 I-5 SB Off-ramp to SR-138 1,195 8,350 14,400 14,100 6 I-5 SB On-Ramp to SR ,990 24,120 23,640 7 SR-138 East of I-5 4,500 40,700 73,600 71,500 8 SR-138 West of 300th Street 4,500 30,500 68,400 66,200 9 SR-138 West of 245th Street 4,000 23,500 54,700 52, SR-138 West of 190th Street 3,500 17,500 48,300 46, SR-138 West of 110th Street 3,700 18,200 45,800 43, SR-138 West of 60th Street 3,800 17,500 42,000 38, SR-138 West of SR14 3,800 17,100 39,100 35, SR-14 North of SR138 44,300 64,200 56,700 58, SR-14 South of SR138 46,400 66,300 68,100 68,000 Fehr & Peers, Northwest 138 Corridor Traffic Analysis, June 2015 SAFETY- A summary of accident rates for the project corridor, along with a comparison to the statewide average, is provided in Table 2. The data was compiled by Caltrans Traffic Accident Surveillance and Analysis System (TASAS) for SR-138 throughout the project corridor (Fehr and Peers, 2014). This data, which is for the period of April 1, 2009 through March 31, 2012, indicates that the segment of the project area between the I-5 off-ramps and eastbound SR-138 has a total collision rate over the three year period which is almost two time higher than the total statewide average rate for facilities with similar characteristics. The actual rate of fatal accidents is lower than statewide average. The data also indicates that the segment between PM 1.39 and PM has a total actual accident rate over the three year period which is slightly lower than the average statewide rate of a facility with similar characteristics. However the actual rate of fatal accidents is twice that of the statewide average. 5 P a g e

6 Table 2: NW SR-138 Accident Rates (2009 to 2012) Location (PM) Description Actual Collision Rate I-5 Southbound (SB) off-ramp to Eastbound (EB) SR- 138, I-5 PM I-5 SB off-ramp to EB SR-138 State Average Collision Rate F F&I Total F F&I Total PM SR-138 Mainline Notes: The accident rate is accidents per million vehicle-miles. F refers to the fatality rates I refers to the injury rates. Total number of accidents includes non-injury accidents, which are not included in the table. Source: Caltrans District 7 TASAS Table B, April 1, 2009 to March 31, There are five locations with multiple accidents within the project corridor: Table 3: NW SR-138 Accident Locations Location Number of Most Common Type of Accidents Accidents PM 1.34 to PM 51 Hit object, sideswipe, 9.76 (I-5 to 300 th head-on St. West) PM to PM (near 245 th St. West) PM (90 th St. West intersection) PM (60 th St. West intersection) PM to PM (near SR- 138 and SR-14) 3 Head-on, hit object, rear end 7 Broadside, rear end, sideswipe Most Common Cause of Accidents Improper turning, speeding, Driving under the influence Speeding Failure to yield, speeding 7 Broadside Failure to yield, other vehicle code violations Description Various Two fatalities, No pedestrians injured No fatalities, no pedestrians injured One fatality, no pedestrians injured 4 Broadside, sideswipe Improper turn No pedestrians injured Source: Fehr & Peers, Northwest 138 Corridor Traffic Analysis, June 2015 Within the project corridor, the most common accident type was hit object (42.9%) followed by broadside (17.6%), overturn (13.4%), sideswipe (12.6%) and rear end (9.2%). The primary cause of the accidents on the corridor was improper turning (45.4%) followed by speeding (21.8%) and other violations (14.3%). There were no pedestrians hurt. Proposed improvements such as standard clear recovery zone, 4:1 side slopes, curve corrections, grade-separated interchanges, enhanced channelization at intersections, signalized at-grade intersections, and standard shoulders are expected to lower the rate of the accidents along the project corridor. Non-Standard Roadway Features- The existing roadway is a two-lane conventional highway with nonstandard paved shoulders widths, non-standard stopping sight distance around horizontal and vertical curves and near the I-5 connectors, and four structures within the project limits do not meet the 6 P a g e

7 minimum vertical clearance standard and many Southern California Edison (SCE) poles adjacent to the existing highway are located within the Clear Recovery Zone (CRZ). There are a number of bridges and culvert crossings along the existing highway. Many of those structures were constructed prior to These facilities should be upgraded to current seismic design criteria and standard horizontal and vertical clearances. The area around the roadway has a drainage area in excess of 500 square miles. The western end of the project has several larger drainage crossings that convey the runoff from the southern mountain slopes northerly and westerly to the dry lake east of SR-14 and north of SR-138. The floodplain in this area is over 2 miles wide and flows to the north of SR- 138 west of the SR-14. This large drainage area would require upgrades to existing drainage facilities to meet the current roadway standards for the facility type. The horizontal and vertical curve on the western end of the project can be corrected to improve sight distance needed for safe stopping distance based on the posted speed limits. The intersection channelization would also help to allow vehicles turning off and onto the roadway to have a refuge area while waiting to cross oncoming traffic. Removal or reducing these types of conflicting movements would be important in all the build alternatives. Adding standard shoulders to the facility by widening the paved roadway would provide additional width for errant vehicles to recover and would also provide areas for stranded motorists to pull out of moving traffic. Social Demands/ Economic Development- The study area is situated in Antelope Valley in the northwestern region of Los Angeles County. The completion of the Southern Pacific Railroad line in 1876 from San Francisco to Los Angeles spurred the development of many communities, including Lancaster and Palmdale. During World War II, the development of Edwards Air Force Base stimulated the regional economy to transition from an agricultural base to a manufacturing and industrial base while doubling Antelope Valley s population. The aerospace and defense industries expanded substantially in the 1950s, and Palmdale Airport emerged as the national epicenter for jet testing. Toward the end of the 1950s, the economic downturn throughout the entire country slowed military and aerospace investments in Antelope Valley. During the last several decades, new housing opportunities became available as vast acreages were subdivided in order to build affordable tract homes. Lancaster and Palmdale were incorporated as Cities in 1977 and 1962, respectively, and rural communities continued to expand. The remaining areas of Antelope Valley experienced a period of unbalanced growth in regards to housing, employment, and infrastructure investment, while farming recovered as a viable means of employment. Today, a large percentage of Antelope Valley residents commute to their jobs in the Los Angeles basin. According to the 2008 Multi-County Goods Movement Action Plan, prepared jointly by Metro, Caltrans, SCAG, and other regional agencies, there is anticipated population and employment growth in the region surrounding the SR-138 Corridor (Wilbur Smith Associates, 2008). The cities and communities of Los Angeles County were geographically categorized into nine subregions. The SR-138 Corridor is located in the North Los Angeles County subregion, which is projected to experience a 101 percent population growth and 51 percent employment growth by 2030, greater than the eight other subregions (Wilbur Smith Associates, 2008). Tables 4 and 5 summarize forecasted population and employment for the nine subregions of Los Angeles County. 7 P a g e

8 Table 4: Forecast Growth in Population Subregion Percent Change Arroyo Verdugo 339, , Gateway Cities 1,887,355 2,220, Las Virgenes/Malibu 87, , North Los Angeles County 593,665 1,191, Central Los Angeles County 1,697,898 2,007, San Fernando Valley 1,406,147 1,582, San Gabriel Valley 1,803,814 2,331, South Bay Cities 1,434,224 1,674, West Side Cities 585, , Source: (Wilbur Smith Associates, 2008). Table 5: Forecast Growth in Employment Subregion Percent Change Arroyo Verdugo 208, , Gateway Cities 786, , Las Virgenes/Malibu 46,402 58, North Los Angeles County 193, , Central Los Angeles County 896,025 1,061, San Fernando Valley 583, , San Gabriel Valley 749, , South Bay Cities 633, , West Side Cities 465, , Source: (Wilbur Smith Associates, 2008). Antelope Valley Areawide General Plan The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors adopted the existing land use plan, the Antelope Valley Areawide General Plan (Plan) on December 4, At the time the Plan was developed, the Antelope Valley was experiencing a housing boom in anticipation of the future Palmdale International Airport; it was ranked as one of the fastest-growing areas of Los Angeles County because of the high desert climate and rapid expansion of the industrial areas. The primary land uses at the time were agriculture, residential, and military. The Plan anticipated a pattern of steady growth to continue through the Plan s horizon year of In 1980, the population was reported to be 107,000 people and the Department of Regional Planning projected the Antelope Valley to grow in population by as much as 111,000 to a total of 218,000 residents between 1980 and The Plan allowed for 279,923 housing units and 52,082 jobs. The Antelope Valley Area Plan was updated and approved in June Future growth is projected to focus on job creation to provide a better job and housing relationship and increasing the quality of life for existing and future residents. Future growth is directed to one of three Economic Opportunity Areas (EOAs): West EOA: Intersection of I-5 and SR-138 Central EOA: Intersection of SR-138 and SR-14, north of William J Fox Airfield East EOA: Intersection of SR-14 and the High Desert Corridor 1 Antelope Valley Areawide General Plan, Adopted by the Board of Supervisors on December 4, P a g e

9 The Antelope Valley offers employment opportunities that exist only in some other select areas in the County such as space technology and alternative energy. North County Combined Highway Corridors Study The North County Combined Highway Corridors Study (NCCHCS), completed in 2004, identified SR-138 as a bypass corridor. The NCCHCS recommended expansion of this section of SR-138 to a 6-lane freeway or expressway to accommodate anticipated traffic demands. The NCCHCS projected that traffic demand would at least double by SCAG 2012 RTP/SCS Growth Forecast Antelope Valley as a whole has experienced population, housing and employment growth and decline in the last century and is anticipated to grow at a slower pace through The growth projections adopted by SCAG (SCAG 2012 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy [RTP/SCS] Growth Forecast, April 2012) indicate increases in both housing and employment within the westernmost portion of the study area Integrated Regional Water Management Plan Growth in the study area would be restricted by several factors. The primary restriction is a diminishing aquifer and water limitations. Currently, a negotiation of the Antelope Valley Groundwater Basin is ongoing and the process seeks to create and abide by a plan to stabilize groundwater supply and to prevent additional loss that results from declining groundwater levels. The Antelope Valley Regional Water Management Group (RWMG) recently released their 2013 Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWMP). The IRWMP states that water supply in Antelope Valley is variable and uncertain and a fundamental challenge is that demand exceeds supply in dry years, which constrains future growth. Modal Interrelationships and System Linkages- The corridor is unique and very rural in character. As the area grows and experiences more traffic, the diversity in travel demand would change as well. Currently no transit serves this area of the County, but school buses and stops have been identified and are an important part of the community. (Antelope Valley Schools Transportation Agency) Pedestrians and bicycles use this corridor to varying degrees. In the areas around Antelope Acres, Neenach and at the Pacific Crest Trail, there are locations where bikes and/or pedestrians traverse the roadway. The regional growth that is anticipated within the corridor is planned on both the western and eastern ends, near I-5 and near SR-14. The potential connection through the widened and improved SR-138 would help link these communities. The NCCHCS was initiated to develop a multi-modal transportation plan for the northern portion of Los Angeles County that would address both short-term (2010) and long-term (2025) requirements to accommodate a variety of trip purposes and goods movements within the study area. Metro, in collaboration with the County of Los Angeles and the Cities of Lancaster, Los Angeles, Palmdale, and Santa Clarita, completed the study in The NCCHCS study evaluated three major North County Corridors (I-5, SR-14 and SR-138) to create an integrated major highway and transit investment strategy along the approximately 250 miles of transportation facilities in Northern Los Angeles County. 9 P a g e

10 The NCCHCS recommended improving the portion of SR-138 between the I-5 and SR-14 into a six-lane freeway/expressway. This recommendation was based trends at the time the study was conducted. The region was experiencing high growth rates and the improvement to SR-138 was a response to accommodate the projected population growth and expected substantial increases in goods movement truck traffic. Metro and Caltrans are also currently studying a new 63-mile High Desert Corridor to the south and east of this portion of SR-138. The High Desert Corridor project would connect SR-14 in the vicinity of Palmdale to SR-138 in San Bernardino County. The NCCHCS identified the importance of this route for northern Los Angeles County. The route is one of just a few west to east corridors connecting I-5 on the west to SR-14 on the east. This connection links the Central Valley and the Antelope Valley and beyond. When I-5 or SR-14 experience congestion and delays, this alternate route provides a means for regional traffic to bypass the affected congested areas. This is a critical backup route for emergency access when other critical routes are blocked or closed. Independent Utility and Logical Termini. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) regulations (23 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR (f)] require that this evaluation of the proposed undertaking connects logical termini, and be of sufficient length to address environmental matters on a broad scope. Further, it stipulates that the proposed project have independent utility or independent significance, in that it be usable and require a reasonable expenditure even if no additional transportation improvements in the area are made. Lastly, it stipulates that the proposed project does not restrict consideration of alternatives for other reasonably foreseeable transportation improvements. The proposed project is a stand-alone project intended to improve the operation, safety, capacity, and flow of traffic along the SR-138 corridor. The proposed project begins on the west end at I-5 and end at SR-14 to the east, crossing several established communities in between. The project would address the transportation deficiencies between the two endpoints and future projected congestion affecting the movement of traffic and goods between these routes. The project is a regional-scale transportation corridor that would facilitate multimodal movement, as well as improve traffic continuity. Tables 4 and 5 above show the forecasted growth in population and employment. Those increases, coupled with the declining LOS for the No-Build Alternative in 2040 (LOS E or worse conditions between Gorman Post Road and 300th Street during peak hours and for all other study segment locations, LOS D or better for SR-138 under the No Build Alternative), signify that changes are needed on the route. The project features have been developed to fully address the purpose and the need of the project and address circulation and multi-modal transportation within the corridor. Based on the above discussion, the project meets the criteria for logical termini. The proposed project is independent of other Caltrans projects and is in no way dependent on the implementation of other Caltrans projects on SR-138 or I-5, prior or subsequent to this proposed undertaking. This environmental document studies the entire project area. If either Build Alternative are selected, the improvements would create a useable facility even if no other transportation improvements are made. Based on the aforementioned, and pursuant to 23 CFR (f), this project has independent utility and logical termini. 10 P a g e