In December 2017, the TAMC Board approved a contract with consulting firm Kimley-Horn to conduct the study. The goal of the study is to create a more "complete" corridor that improves safety and serves the needs of pedestrians, bicyclists, drivers and people of all ages and abilities. The study area includes the entire State Route 218 corridor, also known as Canyon Del Rey Boulevard, from State Route 68 to State Route 1.
The outreach phase of the study included presentations to the Transportation Agency Board, TAMC Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee, Seaside City Council and Del Rey Oaks City Council. Two corridor field survey trips with local residents, partner agencies and consultants were conducted in April 2018. An online survey was conducted from March to June 2018 to take inventory of existing conditions along the corridor. A variety of needs were identified during the initial outreach phase including:
- Safety concerns at major intersections
- Lack of continuous sidewalks and bike lanes
- Speeding along the corridor
A series of conceptual design alternatives for the corridor were developed based on current and future travel patterns and with input from the community. A community workshop was held in June 2018 at the City of Seaside to discuss the draft conceptual designs. Overall, congestion and safety were the main concerns of the meeting attendees, and the balancing of pedestrian and bicycle access with vehicle operations was of higher concern. Feedback on the improvement concepts was generally favorable; valid concerns were communicated as well as supportive comments.
Using the combination of public input, project stakeholder meetings, and traffic operations analysis the following list of improvements were selected to enhance connections for pedestrians, bicycles and transit users, while balancing the operations for motorists:
- Installation of a "protected intersection" at Del Monte Boulevard
- Installation of roundabouts at Harcourt Avenue, Rosita Road, Carlton Drive, Via Verde and State Route 218
- Installation of Class IV protected bike lanes from Sonoma Avenue to Fremont Boulevard
- Installation of pedestrian and bicycle medians
- Installation of Class II bike lanes from State Route 1 to Del Monte Boulevard and from Pheasant Ridge Road to Highway 68
The executive summary of the report is attached to this agenda item, and the full report with Appendix A is a web attachment. Traffic counts and other technical information in Appendices B - K are posted on the TAMC website on the Programs page in the Highways section, SR 218 Study tab.
The study report includes the study area existing conditions along with chapters on public input, recommendations and implementation strategies. The recommendations chapter includes short-term and mid-term conceptual designs for addressing needs and concerns along the corridor.
The chapter on implementation includes cost estimates for recommended improvements; a list and discussion of the most promising ways to fund the improvements; and a list of recommended next steps to advance implementation of the study. The draft study report was presented to the Monterey City Council on April 16, 2019, the Del Rey Oaks City Council on April 23, 2019, and the Seaside City Council on May 2, 2019.
If approved by the Board, the Canyon Del Rey Blvd (SR 218) Corridor Study will allow TAMC and cities to apply for state and/or federal funding for individual projects.