Staff Report
Prepared by: Town Manager, Town Attorney, PPW Director, Interim Police Chief, and Economic
Vitality Manager
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: 09/05/2017
ITEM NO: 12
DATE: SEPTEMBER 5, 2017
TO: MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL
FROM: LAUREL PREVETTI, TOWN MANAGER
SUBJECT: SUMMER WEEKEND TRAFFIC
A. ACCEPT THE STATUS REPORT ON THE TOWN’S EFFORTS TO ADDRESS
SUMMER WEEKEND TRAFFIC:
B. CONTINUE THE DATA COLLECTION AND TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF
SOUTH SANTA CRUZ AVENUE AT WOOD ROAD NEXT SUMMER WITH
MODIFICATIONS; AND
C. BEGIN TO TEST THE RECLASSIFICATION OF CERTAIN TOWN
ROADWAYS FROM NEIGHBORHOOD COLLECTOR TO NEIGHBORHOOD
STREETS AND USE THE RESULTS IN THE NEXT GENERAL PLAN UPDATE.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Accept the status report on the Town’s efforts to address summer weekend traffic;
2. Continue the data collection and temporary closure of South Santa Cruz Avenue at Wood
Road next summer with modifications; and
3. Begin to test the reclassification of certain Town roadways from Neighborhood Collector to
Neighborhood Streets and use the results in the next General Plan update.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Traffic congestion on Highway 17 and other roadways has historically been an issue for the
Town of Los Gatos during peak commuter periods and during the summer months (summer
weekend traffic). However, with consistent population increases and the strong economy in
the South Bay and surrounding areas, a corresponding increase in vehicular use has
exacerbated these historic traffic patterns to the frustrating levels experienced today. Traffic
congestion problems are occurring throughout the greater Bay Area in an unprecedented
fashion and as such Los Gatos has not been immune from experiencing traffic congestion.
In addition to the increases in vehicular use, the creation and mass ad option of mapping
applications directs vehicles to local streets never intended for highway overflow traffic. To
avoid the congestion on the freeway, the mapping applications suggest drivers use local
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (Cont’d):
roadways which creates the temporary local congestion. The congestion compounds as the
major local streets get congested and the mapping applications then further direct drivers to
smaller neighborhood streets. The congestion impacts the quality of life for many Town
residents and has affected the operations of some Los Gatos businesses.
Under Council direction, Town staff has been actively working to implement Town policies and
implement multi-faceted measures to help alleviate traffic congestion. This has included
engaging, and in some instances, partnering with our regional agencies such as Caltrans. Some
of the Town’s traffic measures have included a temporary installation of a traffic closure on
South Santa Cruz Avenue at Wood Road during summer weekends and holidays (hereafter
referred to as the pilot). At the conclusion of the pilot, the Town intends to study the feasibility
of a permanent summer weekend closure at this location. In addition, the Town has been
reaching out directly to the mapping application companies and is in an ongoing dialog on
possible methods to minimize the cut-through traffic impacts within the Town of Los Gatos.
Furthermore, the Town’s Police Department and other public safety officials have continually
used their deep knowledge of the Town to adjust their response deployment models
continually to adapt to any temporary changes in their operational environment.
This status report discusses the demographic context of the current congestion; a review of
how our public safety officials employ adaptive measures for their response deployment
models; the traffic alleviation measures taken to date; a review of potential traffic strategies
the Town and our partners are not pursuing and the reasons why; and recommendations for
next steps. While the Town’s traffic alleviation efforts cannot completely solve Los Gatos’
summer congestion, staff will continue to identify and pursue alleviation measures to help
lessen the impact to our community.
BACKGROUND:
The Town has been working for several years on the summer traffic congestion. Among other
measures, the Town has piloted a temporary road closure at South Santa Cruz Avenue and
Wood Road. This temporary closure has facilitated the collection of traffic d ata to determine
longer term strategies. This work is discussed in more detail in this report. Over the course of
the last couple of years, the Town Council has received reports, data, and public testimony
when deciding to continue the temporary closure.
One of the Town Council’s Strategic Priorities for 2017-2019 is reducing summer cut-through
traffic. This report not only discusses the 2017 temporary closure, but also addresses the
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BACKGROUND (Cont’d):
context for the congestion, public safety, other traffic alleviation ideas, and recommendations
for next steps.
CONTEXT:
Population Growth and Household Formation in the Bay Area
Between 2010 and 2016, the Town of Los Gatos experienced relatively mild population growth
of approximately 3.8%; however, during that same time frame, Santa Clara County experienced
population growth of approximately 7.7% for a total County population of 1.9 million residents.
26,000
28,000
30,000
32,000
34,000
36,000
38,000
40,000
1980 1990 2000 2010 2016
Town of Los Gatos
750,000
1,000,000
1,250,000
1,500,000
1,750,000
2,000,000
1980 1990 2000 2010 2016
Santa Clara County Population
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CONTEXT (Cont’d):
In addition, the populations of surrounding Counties also had strong growth since 2010. The
Counties of Alameda, San Mateo, and Santa Cruz increas ed 9.0%, 6.5%, and 5.6%, respectively.
Total population for these three surrounding Counties is approaching 3.0 million residents. To
further illustrate the population intensification happening around Los Gatos, a recent
publication by the Joint Venture Silicon Valley Institute for Regional Studies stated that the
Silicon Valley regional area is 1.19% of California’s land mass (defined as all of Santa Clara and
San Mateo Counties and the cities of Fremont, Newark, Union City, and Scotts Valley); however,
it accounts for 7.8% of the State’s population.
The increases in population are coupled with corresponding increases in vehicles in the region.
Statistics gathered by the Bay Area Decennial Census indicate a pattern of more vehicles per
household. As the graphs below illustrate, there has been a marked increase in the creation of
two and three vehicle households. It is important to note, these statistics only covered
households with up to three vehicles per household and excluded households with more.
Data compiled for the 2017 Silicon Valley Index states that nearly three -quarters of the
workforce in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties drive to work alone. In addition, the Index
states that between 2005 and 2015 approximately 140,000 additional drive alone commuters
have entered the roadways.
0
500,000
1,000,000
1,500,000
2,000,000
2,500,000
3,000,000
1980 1990 2000 2010 2016
Santa Cruz County San Mateo County
Alameda County
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CONTEXT (Cont’d):
Creation and Mass Adoption of Mapping Applications
In addition to the increases in population and vehicular use , many of those cars and residents
are now being guided by the invisible hand of traffic and mapping applications (e.g., Google
Maps, Apple Maps, Waze, Tom Tom, and Inrix). The creation and mass adoption of mapping
applications has resulted in vehicles being directed to local streets never intended for highway
overflow traffic. To avoid congestion on the freeway, the mapping applications suggest using
local roadways which contributes to local congestion. The local congestion compounds as the
major local streets also become congested at which point the mapping applications then direct
drivers onto smaller neighborhood streets.
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
0ne car two cars three cars
Santa Clara County
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
0ne car two cars three cars
Alameda County
0
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
100,000
120,000
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
0ne car two cars three cars
San Mateo County
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CONTEXT (Cont’d):
The mapping applications receive individual data transmitted from drivers’ cell phones and then
aggregate that data (or crowdsource it) into a single snapshot of a given area. An August 25,
2009, an official Google Blog post describes the crowdsourcing model as follows:
“Crowdsourcing traffic gives us a way to harness bits of location data from our users and
give it back to them in a form they can use to make impactful decisions that affect their
free time, their pocketbooks and the environment.”
As crowdsourced data is transmitted back to the mapping applications, they utilize nationally
adopted Street Functional Classifications to guide roadway overflow allocation decisions. As
freeways become congested, the applications direct motorists onto Arterial roadways. Once
Arterial roadways become congested, the applications further redirect motorists onto Collector
and ultimately Neighborhood Collector streets. These street classifications are widely used in
community General Plans. Attachment 1 contains the Town’s street classifications. Many of
the Town’s streets impacted with summer traffic are those designated as Arterial, Collector,
and Neighborhood Collector.
DISCUSSION:
Public Safety Concerns
As traffic intensified over the course of the last several years concerns have been raised that
safety has been compromised as result. Based on information observed and analyzed to date,
public safety officials are able to effectively serve the community. Following is a detailed
discussion of the operational environment our public safety officials operate in and the
measures they adopt to adapt to any changes in that environment.
Los Gatos Monte Sereno Police Department Service Overview
The Police Department has a total of thirty-nine sworn Officers, twenty-seven of whom are
assigned to the Patrol Operations Division to provide police services throughout the 11.2 square
miles of Los Gatos and 1.6 square miles of the City of Monte Sereno. Traditionally, the
Department has focused on staffing additional traffic enforcement and traffic mitigation during
weekday commute times, but the weekend traffic issues have changed the deployment of the
patrol resources. Each weekend (Friday through Sunday), patrol shifts maintain a minimum
staffing level of four officers and a supervisor. Due to current staffing, some shifts may be
reduced to three officers and a supervisor during non-peak times for calls for service. One of
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DISCUSSION (Cont’d):
the ways the Police Department diversifies its resources is by implementing a three beat patrol
model within its deployment. The Town is divided into three beats (see Attachment 2) and
Officers working twelve-hour shifts are typically assigned a designated beat each week to
establish consistency and trends in their assigned designated areas.
Police Department Strategic Deployment Methods
Beat Discipline:
In collaborative efforts with other Town Departments, the Police Department has
implemented various operational deployment methods over the years to maintain high
service levels. The increased traffic impact in Los Gatos has resulted in strategic “Beat Area”
deployments by Officers and increased “Beat Discipline” during peak traffic times. The beat
assignment does not typically limit an Officer to any particular location, yet it provides a
focused responsibility and familiarity of a neighborhood for extended times. For example,
during non-peak traffic times, Officers have the ability to assist other Officers in other
designated areas. Yet, during impacted peak traffic times, strategic Officer positioning
within designated areas of the Town is necessary f or a timely and needed emergency
response, while other Officers are tending to other calls for service.
Bicycle Patrol and Motorcycle Officers:
The Department has cross-trained many Patrol Officers in the collateral assignment of
bicycle patrol or motorcycle patrol, providing them the ability to deploy on a bicycle or
police motorcycle during traffic congestion. Officers assigned to bicycles and motorcycles
have the enhanced ability to access and travel through high traffic areas by riding along th e
sidewalks, trails, and split-traffic lanes if necessary. In addition, the Department recently
adjusted a dedicated motorcycle patrol Officer to the weekend patrol team to fulfill
minimum staffing levels and assist with maneuverability through impacted t raffic areas for
emergency responses. The deployment of a motorcycle Officer during weekend traffic
provides additional resources and motorcycle officer presence and enforcement seven days
a week.
Traffic Enforcement:
The Officers which are on patrol duty have specific operational duties and assignments,
some of which include the enforcement of traffic violations. At times, an increased volume
of priority calls for service impact the ability for Officers to provide dedicated traffic
enforcement. Given the traffic issues raised by the community, much of the Officers’ time
not spent on or related to specific calls for service is committed to traffic mitigation and
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DISCUSSION (Cont’d):
enforcement during summer weekends with heavy traffic congestion. Officers have also
deployed “Directed Traffic Enforcement” at major intersections where “gridlock” and right
of way violations have been reported in an attempt to provide education and enforcement
and maintain the ability for emergency vehicle access. While these enforcement efforts
appear to have short-term effectiveness, it often causes additional traffic congestion in
other areas and consumes the deployment of available resources.
Global Positioning System (GPS) Dispatching:
The Police Communications Center is equipped with GPS dispatching capabilities, which
allows for dispatchers to identify the closest available patrol Officer to a particular location
during an emergency and assign calls based on call priority and the factoring of other
potential impacts. This technology allows the Department to utilize available resources
effectively, maintain emergency response times, and address traffic safety as needed.
Police Call Prioritization and Emergency Response
The Police Department prioritizes all calls for service and triages the need for the use of
emergency lights and sirens (known as “emergency response”) in accordance with Department
Policies and the California Vehicle Code. These types of calls or incidents are defined as
“Priority One” calls for service, which present a potential likelihood for serious bodily injury or
death. The definition of an emergency response by other first responder agencies may differ
than those of the Police Department based on purpose and objectives, and response ability and
resources deployed may include variables. For example, Fire and emergency medical services
(EMS) may respond to a medical aid call which does not require a police response. It should
also be noted that a police emergency response can increase or decrease in priority based on
evolving situations and factual information received by the dispatcher.
While responding to emergency calls for service, Section 21055CVC exempts emergency
vehicles from adhering to the rules of the roadway given a proper warning with applicable
emergency lighting and siren as required. This provides emergency vehicles the ability to
traverse and/or split lane lines when necessary, ride or drive on unpaved roadways or
sidewalks, and drive in oncoming lanes of traffic to effectively respond to an emergency call for
service. The Town’s public safety Officers have a deep knowledge of the Town and are
constantly adjusting their response efforts and deployment models to adapt to any changes in
their operational environment.
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DISCUSSION (Cont’d):
Below is a table summarizing some traffic alleviation measures taken by the Police Department,
and the corresponding positive and negative impacts which were observed in the last two
years.
POLICE MEASURES POSITIVE NEGATIVE
Dedicated increased
enforcement at certain
intersections and within
neighborhoods)
Increased police visibility;
promotion of corrective
behaviors when present
May cause additional traffic
delays; isolation and
limitation of resources;
temporary relief
Temporary road detours or
closures
Deters some cut-through;
clears residential streets
temporarily
Relocates traffic; affects
staffing and resource
allocation; impacts local
traffic and residents from
access
Directed traffic control of
intersections
Manually control traffic
based on need; temporary
relief
Impacts traffic in other
areas; requires a minimum
of 2 to 4 officers
Additional resources Supplement patrol staff for
calls for service response;
increased police visibility
Staffing; overtime costs
Special events downtown Limits cut-thru traffic on
closed streets
Limits service routes (Police,
Fire, EMS, VTA); increases
impact to other areas
Santa Clara County Fire Department Service Overview
The Santa Clara County Fire Department (SCCFD) currently provides fire protection and life
safety services to seven individual communities, in addition to adjacent unincorporated areas
of the County of Santa Clara. Communities served include the City of Campbell, the City of
Cupertino, the City of Los Altos, the Town of Los Altos Hills, the Town of Los Gatos, the City of
Monte Sereno, and the City of Saratoga. The population of over 223,429 is served by fifteen
fire stations and covers an area of approximately 128.3 square miles.
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DISCUSSION (Cont’d):
County Fire Resource Deployment
Distribution and deployment of resources is based upon a comprehensive community analysis
of risk factors specific to the communities served by the SCCFD, including the physical attributes
of the structures and facilities, topography, transportation systems, water supply , and
geographical service area. Each of the seven cities is unique and range from heavily populated
metropolitan cities to rural communities located in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Currently, the
Department operates out of 15 stations located in three geographically defined battalions. The
Department has designated seven stations as core coverage stations. These stations are
designated as part of a move-up and cover system that ensures effective distribution of
resources during large or simultaneous events. See Attachment 3 for the battalion
descriptions.
Staffing minimums are represented as the number of employees per shift and total number
assigned. The Department’s minimum staffing levels are established for various levels of
operation. These levels are defined as Mode 0 Normal staffing (non-wildfire season) through
Mode 5 Staffing for a Major Disaster (see Attachment 4).
SCCFD Dispatching
Fire Station Alerting System:
In June 2016, the Department completed installation and implementation of a new fire
station alerting system. The new alerting system aids in the reduction of dispatch call-
processing times through near instantaneous alerting of all required fire apparatus. The
system allows for communications personnel to continue gathering critical information
from the reporting party while simultaneously dispatching critical resources without
unnecessary delay. Stations are equipped with alerting systems utilizing special tones
differentiating the type of emergency response and apparatus being dispatched.
Illuminated LED signs provide essential incident information to responding personnel as
they prepare to board apparatus. This further reduces workload on the dispatcher and
frees up radio channels for other, more critical communications.
MARVLIS:
MARVLIS for iOS is an incident routing and two-way status communications application used
by County Fire. The application routes fire apparatus using the fastest route available based
on road speed limits. SCCFD GIS data is displayed over a base map to easily see addresses,
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DISCUSSION (Cont’d):
fire hydrants, and other important features. We are working with the developer to add
additional features including using live traffic data and real-time road closures which would
enable us to route around problem areas.
County Fire Response Time Analysis
Response/drive time analysis using GIS is conducted to determine if any areas lack adequate
fire coverage. The GIS analysis includes speed limits, stop signs, and roads which may be driven
within the designated benchmark time associated with the population based urbanization code
(metro/urban, suburban, and rural).
To ensure the agency is meeting current service level objectives, continuous monitoring of
service level baselines is conducted. The Department’s Accreditation Manager reviews service
level baselines on a quarterly basis. Included in the review is a comparison of current results
against historical data. The Accreditation Manager provides continuous feedback to the Fire
Chief. Based on the analysis to date, SCCFD effectively serves the seven cities and
unincorporated areas.
Current Traffic Alleviation Measures and Results
Temporary Traffic Circle and Downtown
For the past three summers, the Town of Los Gatos has installed a temporary traffic circle at the
intersection of South Santa Cruz and Wood Road/Hwy 17 on-ramp. Through this project, the
Town has gathered data and public input in an effort to understand impacts and ways to
implement the Town’s Transportation Element of the Town's comprehensive General Plan. The
temporary closures may have caused inconveniences to residents, businesses, and visitors of
Los Gatos, but the Town Council determined the need to analyze these issues in order to try
and balancing the local quality of life with facilitating travel from the South Bay Area to Santa
Cruz.
The temporary installation of a traffic circle and traffic control devices falls within Vehicle Code
Section 21101(f). Vehicle Code Section 21101(f) allows for temporarily closing a p ortion of any
street to implement the Transportation Element of the Town’s comprehensive General Plan.
The specific Transportation Element goals and policies that the Town is analyzing through this
temporary pilot program are as follows:
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DISCUSSION (Cont’d):
Make effective use of the traffic-carrying ability of Los Gatos’s arterials and collectors
while considering the needs of pedestrians, bicyclists, and adjacent residents.
• Monitor traffic flow and roadway conditions. Identify deficiencies and develop
improvement measures for roadways and intersections on a continuous basis.
• Consider using roundabouts as an alternative to signalized or traditionally controlled
intersections to calm traffic and increase the capacity of intersections.
• Develop and adopt standards for arterial and collector streets pursuant to the functional
classification of the local circulation system. The characteristics of these streets shall
protect the integrity of the circulation system and protect neighborhood streets from
the intrusion of through traffic.
• Minimize opportunities for regionally-generated traffic to cut through Los Gatos.
• Work with other local jurisdictions and the State to develop effective ways to reduce
regionally generated Highway 17 congestion and cross-town traffic that do not involve
adding freeway lanes or interchanges.
• Inhibit the flow of through traffic in established neighborhoods to the extent feasible,
without impacting the freedom of movement of residents or diverting traffic to other
neighborhood streets.
• Consider traffic calming devices such as lane narrowing, widening medians, or heavy
landscaping to discourage cross-town commute and short-cut traffic.
In addition, Vehicle Code Section 21101(e) allows for temporarily closing a portion of any street
for the safety and protection of persons who are to use that portion of the street during the
temporary closing. This is similar to construction activity that may have temporary effects on
roadway access or freeway ramps.
Closure Feedback Varies:
As previously stated, the Town implemented a temporary pilot closure of South Santa Cruz
Avenue at Wood Road which effectively eliminated access to the South Santa Cruz Avenue
onramp to Highway 17. The temporary closure was programmed between the hours of 9
a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday, and holidays from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
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DISCUSSION (Cont’d):
The Town coordinated the closure with most of the popular mapping applications to ensure
its display to motorist devices. The pilot closure has provided significant relief within
business and residential areas south of Highway 9 and achieved the goal of keeping the
streets in the area passable.
Staff has received concerns on this closure on two topics. First, mountain residents who live
off of Highway 17 outside Town limits are able to enter Town on South Santa Cruz Avenue
but must leave by way of Highway 9. A number of these residents have expressed that this
is an inconvenience.
Additionally, residents north of Highway 9 have expressed that they are unable to reach the
downtown due to congestion on Highway 9. The assumption is that opening the South
Santa Cruz Avenue onramp will relieve congestion on Highway 9 and in other areas in Town.
This has not been shown to be the case on the busiest of traffic days, including those that
occur pre- or post-closure, where downtown, Highway 9, and local streets are all congested.
For the 2017 summer, the closure did not include closing Massol and Tait Avenues at
Highway 9. This did not appear to cause any significant impact to the Almond Grove area,
largely because the closure was in place, eliminating the outlet that made the use of these
streets attractive.
Businesses Weigh In:
In late July of 2016, staff conducted a survey of local businesses to gather information and
try to better understand how the cut through traffic affects various businesses in Town.
Staff visited businesses in person and provided an online link for the survey. Fifty-three
businesses provided feedback on how the following affects their business: vehicular cut
through traffic; the pilot closure at Wood Rd.; and ideas of other mitigation ideas that they
believe could help drive business and alleviate cut through traffic congestion.
The responses varied greatly depending on the businesses’ location and type. Many smaller
local businesses reported the traffic was detrimental with a limited amount of new
shoppers visiting on the weekend, and that their regular shoppers’ habits have shifted by
these customers visiting during the weekdays only. Service businesses have also reported a
similar shift in customer behavior. In contrast, large stores that offer items such as bottled
drinks, snacks, and summer novelty items, and quick serve restaurants with a large take out
component found themselves with higher sales and more customer traffic on the weekends
when the vehicular traffic was heaviest.
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DISCUSSION (Cont’d):
A summary of the results of the survey are available in Attachment 5. This report also
highlights the Town’s efforts to implement some of th e traffic alleviation ideas suggested by
the businesses through this survey.
The Town receives sales tax data on a quarterly basis and it is not fine-grained to evaluate
daily sales during heavy beach traffic weekends.
Downtown Events Create a Sense of Place without Changing Traffic Congestion:
Related to the temporary closure, several events occurred on Santa Cruz Avenue this
summer. These events were successful and traffic was managed with the closure in place.
Staff examined the possible use of events in place of a temporary closure and determined
that the closure remained a necessity. For example, a closure of North Santa Cruz Avenue
(from Main Street to Bachman Avenue) without the closure would result in traffic traversing
along University Avenue and through the Almond Grove to reach southbound Highway 17,
resulting in a significant impact to residential neighborhoods. Similarly, any c losure that
involved South Santa Cruz Avenue would result in traffic exiting southbound Highway 17
being directed into the Almond Grove area, likely at Broadway Avenue and would result in
eliminating access to businesses such as the Toll House and Ace Hard ware and residents on
Wood Road.
Similarly, staff has considered one way streets as a potential option in the downtown. For
example, North Santa Cruz Avenue could be one way northbound and University could be
one way southbound. Staff has determined that, although this may be something the Town
explores as a future improvement for the downtown, this would have no impact on cut
through traffic without a closure at Wood Road because cut through traffic would retain
some southbound access (for example along University Avenue or through the Almond
Grove).
Data Reflect the Observed Conditions:
Data collected over the course of several summers reflect the efforts the Town has made
and the observations in the community as traffic dynamics have changed. In the next table,
column A represents the 2017 closure compared to the weekend prior to the 2017 closure
(May 20-21). The weekend prior to the closure this year was very warm and the Town
experienced heavy traffic. Column B represents closure data from 2017 compared to
closure data from 2016.
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DISCUSSION (Cont’d):
Location/Flow of Traffic A B
2017 pre/ post
closure
2017/ 2016
closure
Entering the Downtown on North Santa Cruz
Avenue and University Avenue
-20% -12%
Headed east on Highway 9 (past University Avenue)
toward Highway 17
-30% -11%
Approaching Highway 9 on North Santa Cruz
Avenue and University Avenue
-17% -7%%
Southbound traffic on Los Gatos Boulevard
approaching Highway 9
-11% +17%
The data above paint a picture similar to observed experiences. Notably, traffic in and
around the downtown has been somewhat better this year, acknowledging, however, that
the heaviest of traffic days bring complete gridlock to Town streets. This is largely
attributable to the closure. Of particular interest is the increase in traffic on Los Gatos
Boulevard this year compared to last year. This change has been reflected in the increased
impact on residential streets in the area of Kennedy and Shannon Roads.
Ongoing Permanent Roundabout Efforts Continue:
The Town’s design consultant, W-Trans, continues to move forward with the work
necessary to submit a permit request to Caltrans for a permanent roundabout at Wood
Road. A roundabout is considered an intersection traffic control device and must be
measured per Caltrans standards similar to the installation of a traffic signal. As a result ,
significant analysis is required and is in progress. Over the next three months, W-Trans will
create a draft roundabout layout for Caltrans consideration and will work with the Town to
submit the permit application to Caltrans. If Caltrans accepts the roundabout as an
acceptable design, staff will provide a report to Council on the status and next step s,
including the need and options for funding of a project, timing, and other considerations.
Although Caltrans has not provided a timeline for review of the permit application, Town
staff is targeting a spring 2018 timeframe to return to Council.
The Temporary Closure Requires a Financial Commitment:
Conducting the temporary closure and data collection on an annual basis is a significant
financial commitment for the Town. Costs for the closure in 2017 totaled approximately
$200,000, including $50,000 for data collection. Staff recommends a modified approach for
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DISCUSSION (Cont’d):
the summer of 2018, including modified data collection and a change to the closure timing
from a 9 a.m. start to a 10 a.m. start.
The data collection completed to date should suffice for the needs of the roundabout
project and the information provides a good perspective of the impacts and changing
dynamic of traffic. Additional data is proposed to be collected using in-house resources and
equipment.
Modification to the start time of the closure would allow some flexibility for mountain
residents to conduct business in the downtown, including use of the post office which
opens at 9 a.m., while still retaining the ability to leave Town through the South Santa Cruz
Avenue onramp. The delayed start time should not impact the flow of tr affic in the
downtown. This may result in some modest savings in the traffic control costs.
With these modifications, staff is recommending the temporary closure for the 2018
summer. If Council agrees, staff will bring forward a 2018/2019 budget proposal for
$175,000 for cut through traffic as part of the Manager’s Proposed Budget. This cost
estimate includes the hard costs for the closure, an expected cost escalation factor, and
modest unanticipated costs. As with all capital project type investments, funds not utilized
return to the capital improvement program for future allocation by the Council.
Regional Coordination Will Enhance Successes:
Mayor Sayoc organized and led a meeting of the West Valley Cities to explore the
similarities in challenges and opportunities for cooperative efforts to address cut through
traffic. Through the meeting, it became evident that although each jurisdiction is impacted
in slightly different ways, the alleviation measures may lie largely in the ability to engage
with mapping companies (see the Los Gatos efforts below) and in infrastructure
improvements to reduce the worst of traffic. The shared needs and ability to coordinate on
support of improvement projects within the West Valley may serve all jurisdictions by
increasing the influence of the communities through a unified voice.
Caltrans Support is Essential:
Caltrans has been consulted during each year of the temporary closure. For the current
temporary closure measure, Caltrans has accepted the Town’s decision to manage local
streets. For a permanent roundabout, the Town will need to apply for and receive a Caltrans
permit to encroach in their right-of-way and to document approval of any ongoing closure.
Town staff has inquired with Caltrans about the possibility of further closures at Highway 9
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DISCUSSION (Cont’d):
and Caltrans made it clear that they would not consider this as an option. Caltrans
explained that the highway and freeway systems are in place to carry regional traffic. This
means Highway 9 will continue to carry heavy loads and challenge access to downtown.
Neighborhoods Outside of Downtown
Focus on Protecting Neighborhood Streets:
Parks and Public Works staff has focused efforts during the 2017 summer on exploring
opportunities to reduce traffic on residential streets. The focus this summer has been to
carry the successes in the Almond Grove area to residential streets in other parts of Town
where residents have complained of being unable to leave their driveways due to
traffic. Residential streets are not intended to carry large amounts of through traffic being
redirected by the mapping applications. In contrast, arterial streets, such as Los Gatos
Boulevard and Highway 9, have greater capacity and provide access for local and regional
traffic. As such, the Town has less ability to impact the use of these major streets through
local infrastructure modifications and the mapping applications.
Mapping Applications Require Strategic Outreach:
There are five major mapping applications that provide direction to drivers: Waze, Google
Maps, TomTom, Inrix, and Apple Maps, with additional startups trying to enter the market
frequently. Of the five, the Town has had modest success connecting with Waze and most
recently with Apple Maps. The ability to affect change through these communications is
still playing out. Because there are five companies, changes made throug h one company
may not affect changes in traffic as the companies do not necessarily share data and
mapping techniques. This was most evident in the first day of the temporary closure this
summer when all but Google maps showed the closure on their systems. The result was a
steady stream of drivers following their Google Maps application to the roundabout,
regardless of the visual warnings placed on the roadside.
Waze is the most known and most discussed application. Although Waze is owned by
Google, Waze and Google Maps operate as separate teams, sharing some background data,
but running separate algorithms and different business models. Contact with Waze has led
to some trial efforts at managing traffic. As a pilot, Waze has allowed some programming
changes that, within their mapping software, create turn limitations on local streets to
attempt to keep cut through traffic on other routes. These limitations are similar to those
in place in Los Altos Hills (which have had limited success).
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DISCUSSION (Cont’d):
The Los Gatos implementation has been software only, with no signage changes by the
Town. The initial Los Gatos turn limitations were in place for several weekends, highlighted
by a no right turn at Los Gatos Boulevard onto Highway 9. This resulted in no noticeable
improvements, perhaps due to the large number of vehicles using the same route under
guidance from one or more of the other mapping applications. As of August 13, similar turn
limitations are in place on Blossom Hill Road, Shannon Road, and Kennedy Road to try to
protect residential streets in that area. Because of the low beach traffic during August 19-
20 (due to cool temperatures and back to school influences), the impacts of the changes
were not measurable. Staff will continue to monitor and evaluate these changes on future
weekends.
It is important to note that work with Waze involves pilot changes. Waze may require
action by the Town to make them permanent. Turn prohibitions are enforceable if signed ;
however, the enforcement cannot be selective, meaning locals and regional travelers would
both be impacted. Signage for “No Thru Traffic” such as that installed in Los Altos Hills is
advisory in nature and not enforceable. Waze has asked Los Altos Hills to swi tch to turn
prohibitions in order to continue the effort there. Staff will continue to explore options
with Waze for the long term.
Town staff has recently met with a representative from Apple Maps to discuss the Town’s
challenges. Apple was very guarded in what they would reveal and made no commitments
to modifications, but did commit to exploring potential options internal to the company.
Staff will follow up with Apple Maps to continue the dialog but anticipates no impactful
changes for this summer.
Google Maps has been the most difficult to communicate with. An email from the Town
provided to Google’s Vice President for Google Maps (and passed along from another
Google VP) has not received a response. Outreach to the local resident who spoke at a
recent Council meeting has not resulted in progress. Similarly, Inrix and TomTom have not
been responsive to inquiries for additional conversation.
Roadway Classification Modifications to Reduce Traffic:
As mentioned earlier in this report, roadways are classified into categories, each with their
own State and Federal definition. The Town utilizes the following classifications throug h the
street designations in the General Plan:
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DISCUSSION (Cont’d):
Freeway or Highway – Provides for regional transportation.
Arterial –Carries heavy local traffic, including Los Gatos Boulevard.
Collector – Pulls traffic from Residential Collector or Residential streets and moves that
traffic to Arterials or Highways.
Residential Collector –Collects traffic from other residential streets and moves that
traffic to Arterials.
Residential – Serves the residents living on that street.
Some of the streets in the neighborhoods that experienced heavy impacts this summer are
classified as Residential Collectors, such as Cherry Blossom Lane and Englewood Avenue.
This is an appropriate classification for these streets, however the mapping applications
categorize Collector and Residential Collector as having capacity for through traffic, thus
pushing more traffic in that direction. Not all jurisdictions utilize the Residential Collector
classification, opting instead for treating all of these streets as Residential streets. There
may be some advantage to the classification, including assisting with programming
pavement maintenance schedules and potentially in the allocation of tax dollars where
allocations are based on roadway type.
Modifications to roadway classifications are most appropriately conducted through General
Plan updates. For this reason, staff is recommending that the Town Council direct staff to
begin to test the reclassification of certain Town roadways from Neighborhood Collector to
Neighborhood Streets and use the results in the next General Plan update. With this action,
staff can begin the analysis and identify advantages and disadvantages for consideration in
the General Plan update process. In addition, this direction is expected to be helpful to
influence changes in mapping software that use roadway classifications and will allow staff
an opportunity to measure the effect of these changes.
Other Options Pose Challenges
Road Closures Need to Follow State Law
Many residents have suggested that the Town “cone off” or selectively close streets. The State
has pre-empted the entire field of traffic control. Any right of a local authority to interfere with
the free flow of traffic (such as a street closure) must be derived from an express delegation of
authority from the Legislature. For example, California Vehicle Code (CVC) Section 21101.6
expressly prohibits local jurisdictions from placing gates or “other devices” to restrict access to
a street to “certain members of the public…while permitting others unrestricted access to the
street.” This Vehicle Code Section was enacted specifically due to a court case from 1979 (City
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DISCUSSION (Cont’d):
of Lafayette v. Contra Costa County - 91 Cal. App 3d 749). In Rumford v. City of Berkeley (1982)
31 Cal.3d 545, 550, the Court held that local jurisdictions do not have the authority to partially
close a street to some traffic while leaving other traffic free to use it, and more particularly,
that it does not provide authority for a local jurisdiction to place a physical barrier across a
street in order to close it to through traffic while allowing its use for neighborhood purposes.
On the other hand, the State has granted local authorities the requisite power to regulate
various aspects of traffic on their streets and highways. For example, the Police Chief does
have the ability to implement local temporary road closures for “public safety,”, only in the
most extreme circumstances, and in accordance with the requirements set forth under Section
21100 of the CA Vehicle Code (CVC). Examples of this would include maintaining a crime scene,
providing access for emergency personnel in relation to an in-progress call for service, a special
event or parade, etc.
In addition, as set forth above, Vehicle Code Section 21101(f) allows for closing a portion of any
street to implement the Transportation Element of the Town’s comprehensive General Plan.
Other Options Considered
Many options have been identified and considered beyond efforts undertaken to date. These
are captured in the table below with comments on the viability of the idea. In general, projects
identified as cost prohibitive means that the likelihood of funding for the project is extremely
low compared with other projects.
Option Comments
Install Metering Lights to
Highway 17 Onramps
Caltrans is interested in doing this project and it would align
nicely with the Measure B project to improve the Highway 9 at
the Highway 17 interchange. In its work with VTA and
Caltrans, Town staff will continue to emphasize the regional
importance of this project; however, competing Measure B
projects with partial design and environmental work will
continue to receive priority designation. This project may be 10
to 20 years out.
Widen Highway 17 The Town General Plan identifies widening Highway 17 as
something the Town will not support. Caltrans has identified
that the potential widening would need to extend from Lark
Avenue to the summit to be effective. The cost of this widening
would be prohibitive.
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Option Comments
Train to Santa Cruz The right of way and cost of constructing a train route over
Highway 17 is prohibitive. Even if accomplished, once in place,
local connections would be necessary.
Tunnel to Santa Cruz Tunneling to Santa Cruz is cost prohibitive. Previous tunnels
used by trains have been abandoned and have collapsed.
Buses to Santa Cruz Buses are costly and limited in capacity, making the benefit
minimal. Buses must also sit in traffic, making them non-
competitive in terms of transit time.
Toll Roads on Los Gatos
Streets
Toll roads are managed by the State and not allowed on local
streets and roads. Given the number of roads that enter the
Town management would be cost prohibitive on a local level.
Close Highway 9
Onramps to Highway 17
Caltrans, which owns Highway 9, administers Highways as
regional transportation routes and will not allow for these
closures.
Mode Shifts Through implementation of projects identified in the Town’s
Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, the Town is providing
additional options for residents to move around the community.
For some people, using modes other than an automobile is a
change that may take some adjustment time.
CONCLUSION AND NEXT STEPS:
While traffic alleviation efforts individually or collectively will not be able to solve the Town’s
acute summer weekend congestion completely, staff is recommending:
1. Accept the status report on the Town’s efforts to address summer weekend traffic;
2. Continue the data collection and temporary closure of South Santa Cruz Avenue at
Wood Road next summer with modifications discussed in this report; and
3. Begin to test the reclassification of certain Town roadways from Neighborhood Collector
to Neighborhood Streets and use the results in the next General Plan update.
ALTERNATIVES:
Alternatively, the Council may:
1. Modify the staff recommendations;
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ALTERNATIVES (Cont’d):
2. Not approve the staff recommendations; and/or
3. Provide other direction to Town staff.
COORDINATION:
The preparation of this report was completed by the Town Manager, Town Attorney, Interim
Police Chief, Parks and Public Works Director, Economic Vitality Manager, and the Santa Clara
County Fire Department.
FISCAL IMPACT:
If the Town Council would like to continue the temporary closure for the 2018 summer, a
budget proposal for $175,000 for cut through traffic using an “one-time” funding source will be
included in the Proposed Budget for fiscal year2018/2019.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:
This is not a project defined under CEQA, and no further action is required.
Attachments:
1. Street Classifications Map
2. LGMSPD Beats
3. SCCFD Battalions
4. SCCFD Staffing Modes
5. Los Gatos Business Survey Results
6. Public Comments through 11:00 a.m. August 31, 2017