Staff Report.Shannon Road Project Outreach Update
PREPARED BY: Gary Heap
Town Engineer
Reviewed by: Town Manager, Assistant Town Manager, Town Attorney, Finance Director, and Parks and
Public Works Director
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● (408) 354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: 6/20/2023 ITEM NO: 23
DATE: June 9, 2023
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Laurel Prevetti, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Receive the Report on Potential Revisions and Community Input to the
Shannon Road Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements Project (CIP No. 813-
0218) and Provide Design Direction
RECOMMENDATION:
Receive the report on potential revisions and community input to the Shannon Road Pedestrian
and Bicycle Improvements Project (CIP No. 813-0218) and provide design direction.
BACKGROUND:
The Shannon Road Pedestrian and Bikeway Improvements Project would provide pedestrian
and bicycle safety improvements on Shannon Road between Los Gatos Boulevard and Cherry
Blossom Lane. This segment of Shannon Road is a two-lane neighborhood collector street with
high volumes of bicycle and pedestrian traffic when schools are in session. The street is a
popular route for students attending Blossom Hill Elementary, Louise Van Meter Elementary,
and Raymond J. Fisher Middle schools. There are intermittent sections of sidewalk on both
sides of the roadway. Currently, on-street parking is not allowed on Shannon Road between 7
a.m. and 6 p.m., except on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.
At the April 18, 2023 Town Council meeting, staff presented the final design of the pedestrian
and bicycle improvement project and received feedback from the Council and the community.
As a result of the discussion, staff was asked to do the following:
• Revise the design to minimize large asphalt buffers, remove parking spaces, and add
trees wherever possible;
PAGE 2 OF 6 SUBJECT: Shannon Road Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements Project (CIP No. 813-0218)
Public Outreach Overview and Design Direction DATE: June 9, 2023
BACKGROUND (continued):
• Organize a community meeting with the opportunity to visit the site with the revised
plans; and
• Prioritize returning this item to Council in a timely manner to maintain the grant
funding.
DISCUSSION:
On June 1, staff conducted a community meeting at the Congregation Shir Hadash at 20 Cherry
Blossom Lane (Attachment 1 contains the meeting minutes). At the community meeting, staff
provided a brief presentation and introduced two new project design options (Attachment 2
contains the slide deck from the meeting). The first option (2023-A) did not include on-street
parking and the second option (2023-B) provided limited parking. Other than that, the two
options were similar in their design and included:
• Two 10-foot wide travel lanes
• Two six-foot wide on-street Class II Bicycle Lanes
• Two three-foot wide buffers between the travel lane and the bicycle lane
• A six-foot wide sidewalk on each side of the street
• A four-and-a-half-foot wide planter strip with trees on each side (west of Magneson
Loop only)
The detailed plans for each option can be found on the Town’s Connect Los Gatos – Shannon
Pedestrian and Bikeway Improvement Project web page under the section titled Project
Updates: https://www.losgatosca.gov/2687/Shannon-Pedestrian-and-Bikeway-Improveme
Following the staff presentation, community members were separated into breakout groups
facilitated by staff. At the end of the break-out sessions, each group reported out their
thoughts and preferences between the two design options. As participants entered the
community meeting, they were provided a survey to gauge their preferences on the design
options and to provide comments (Attachment 3 – Survey and Results).
Following the meeting, staff received numerous emails from residents providing additional
comments. These are presented in Attachment 5.
The community feedback did not yield any single consensus on design concepts. Input focused
on:
1. Asphalt buffers of three feet are inconsistent with the current aesthetic of Shannon
Road.
PAGE 3 OF 6 SUBJECT: Shannon Road Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements Project (CIP No. 813-0218)
Public Outreach Overview and Design Direction DATE: June 9, 2023
DISCUSSION (continued):
2. Residents bordering the project want parking, whereas users of the road who do not live
adjacent to the project feel parking is a more urban aesthetic.
3. Trees are important to the rural feel of the road.
4. Option 1 (as presented at the community meeting on September 29, 2021) is strongly
preferred.
With that input, staff reevaluated the project and developed a modified design that attempts to
meet the needs of residents and community members while exercising sound engineering
judgement. A new plan, Modified Option 1, provides parking on the south side of Shannon
Road along the entire corridor. Given the short time between the community meeting and the
Council meeting, staff prepared typical proposed cross sections of the Modified Option 1 in
Attachment 4 and did not develop a detailed plan.
Modified Option 1 includes planter strips on the north side of the street west of Magneson
Loop, and on both sides of the street east of Magneson Loop. Table 1 compares the original
Option 1, the two options from the community meeting, and the new Modified Option 1.
Table 1. Comparison of Design Alternatives for Shannon Road Bike/Pedestrian Project
Design Element Original
Option 1
2023-A 2023-B Modified
Option 1
Vehicle Lane Width 10 feet 10 feet 10 feet 10 feet
Sidewalk Width 5 feet 5 feet 5 feet 5 feet
Bike Lane Width 6 feet 6 feet 6 feet 5 feet
Painted Bike Buffer Width None 3 feet 3 feet 1.5 feet
Planter Strip Width 4.5 feet1 3.5 – 5 feet 3.5 feet 3 – 4 feet2,3
Parking Yes4 No Yes5 Yes4
Buffer Between Back of
Walk and Property Line None None None 6 inches
1. Along South Side Only
2. West of Magneson Loop – 3-foot Planter Strip on North Side Only
3. East of Magneson Loop – 4-foot Planter Strip on Both Sides
4. South Side Only
5. Intermittent 2-Stall Parking Bays on North and South Side
Modified Option 1 reduces the bike buffer from three feet on each side to 18-inches. Bike
buffers are considered fundamental to cyclist safety as they provide extra distance between a
vehicle and cyclists. With 10-foot wide vehicle lanes proposed, staff felt that eliminating the
buffers entirely would be inconsistent with good design practice.
PAGE 4 OF 6 SUBJECT: Shannon Road Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements Project (CIP No. 813-0218)
Public Outreach Overview and Design Direction DATE: June 9, 2023
CONCLUSION AND NEXT STEPS:
Staff has designed a Modified Option 1 in an effort to meet the requests of the Shannon Road
residents and other community members while still meeting the Town Council direction
provided at the April 18, 2023 meeting. Modified Option 1 provides bike lanes and sidewalks,
maximizes the placement of trees, and reduces the bicycle lane buffer to minimum standards.
Staff recommends completing design of the Shannon Road Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvement
Project using Modified Option 1.
Staff recognizes that this recommendation proposes more change than was expected based on
the Council direction of April 18, 2023. Based on the community input received both at the
community meeting and in follow up emails, staff believes that a change in direction is needed
if the project is to move forward. With $940,100 in grant funding from the Valley
Transportation Authority’s Vehicle Emission Reductions Based at Schools (VERBS) program set
to expire in January 2024 with no expectation that it can be extended, time is of the essence. If
Modified Option 1 is approved by the Town Council, staff have the consultant revise the
construction documents and complete this work by October 2023. Staff will then submit the
plans to CalTrans for review in accordance with the grant requirements. CalTrans approval of
the plans is required by January 31, 2024 to maintain the grant funding.
ALTERNATIVES:
Alternative 1 Proceed with Staff Recommendation. Staff is recommending Modified Option 1 to
balance good engineering design with the community interests. Proceeding with this
recommendation allows the project to move forward by developing construction documents in
a timeframe that may meet the existing grant deadlines.
Alternative 2 Select a Different Design. The Town Council and community have been provided
multiple design options since project inception in 2018, including the three new ideas
presented in this report. Staff has presented a design that balances the community interests
with good engineering design. Selecting a different design may result in a project that a) meets
sound engineering design but is not supported by the community; or b) is supported by the
community but presents a potential safety risk by ignoring certain design principles. Staff does
not recommend this alternative.
Alternative 3 Cancel or Defer the Project. The Town Council has the choice to cancel or defer
the project. The project was funded because it is a priority project under the Town’s Bicycle
and Pedestrian Master Plan and serves children that attend multiple schools in the project area.
Cancelling the project would mean that safety of cyclists and pedestrians would not be
improved and the goals of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan would not be met. Deferring
the project would allow time for more public engagement, but given the amount of
PAGE 5 OF 6 SUBJECT: Shannon Road Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements Project (CIP No. 813-0218)
Public Outreach Overview and Design Direction DATE: June 9, 2023
ALTERNATIVES (continued):
engagement to date, it is not clear that consensus on a single design can be achieved.
Cancelling or deferring the project would require relinquishing $1,114,350 in grant funding
from two sources. Cancelling funding awards is rarely looked upon favorably by granting
agencies and could impact future grant opportunities for the Town. If the project were to move
forward in the future, then additional Town capital funding will need to be identified.
COORDINATION:
This report has been coordinated with the Attorney’s Office, the Finance Department, and the
Town Manager’s Office.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The current project funding and projected costs are shown below. If Council would like to
proceed with Modified Option 1, Option 2023-A, or Option 2023-B, staff would need to develop
updated construction costs. Depending on Council’s action, staff will present the updated cost
information when it is available.
Budget
GFAR 741,296$
Grants 1,114,350$
Utility Undergrounding 119,204$
Storm Basin 200,000$
Traffic Mitigation Funds 133,380$
Total Budget 2,308,230$
Costs
Misc. Expenses 500$
Temporary Staff Charges 35,000$
Engineering Services 196,709$
Construction Management Services (7.5%)132,512$
Construction 1,766,826$
Construction Contingency (10%)176,683$
Total Costs 2,308,230$
Available Balance -$
Shannon Road Pedestrian and Bikeway Improvements
CIP No. 813-0218
PAGE 6 OF 6 SUBJECT: Shannon Road Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements Project (CIP No. 813-0218)
Public Outreach Overview and Design Direction DATE: June 9, 2023
FISCAL IMPACT (continued):
Staff costs are tracked for all projects. Tracking of staff costs allows for accountability in the
costs of projects, recovery of costs from grant funded projects, and identification of future
staffing needs. This project utilizes a combination of full-time budgeted staff and temporary
staff that support fluctuating workloads. The costs for temporary staff will be directly
associated with this project while full-time staff are accounted for in the Department’s
operating budget.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:
This is a project defined under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as being
Categorically Exempt per Section 15301(c) Existing streets, sidewalks, trails and similar
facilities and 15304(h) Creation of bicycle lanes on existing rights-of-way. A Notice of
Exemption will be filed. Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the project is
determined to be categorically excluded from a detailed environmental analysis.
Attachments:
1. Public Outreach Meeting Minutes June 1, 2023
2. Slide Deck from Community Meeting
3. Community Survey and Results
4. Cross-Section of New Modified Option 1
5. Public Comments Received between June 2, 2023, and 11:00 a.m. on June 15, 2023