San Luis Obispo County Airport Ground Access Plan. San Luis Obispo County Airport Ground Access Plan. Presented by SLOCOG

Transcription

1 San Luis Obispo County Airport Ground Access Plan Presented by SLOCOG September 2016

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3 SLOCOG 2016 Airport Ground Access Plan San Luis Obispo Council of Governments 1114 Marsh Street San Luis Obispo, CA, Tel: (805) Fax: (805) Web: Executive Director: Ronald L. De Carli Deputy Director: Peter Rodgers Document Prepared by: Benjamin Rady i

4 Contents Figures...iv Executive Summary... 1 San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport... 1 Paso Robles Municipal Airport... 2 Oceano County Airport... 3 Chapter 1 - Introduction Considerations... 5 Chapter 2 San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport Projects Completed or In-Progress Proposed Projects Prado Road Interchange/ Overcrossing and Extension Other East-West Connector Improvements North-South Connector Improvements Airport Wayfinding Signage Transit Access Regional Fixed Route Local Fixed Route Shuttles Transportation Network Companies Other Modes Private Vehicle Operations Parking Lots Rental Car Services Recommendations Recommendation Explanations Chapter 3 Paso Robles Municipal Airport Proposed Projects Airport Wayfinding Signage ii

5 3.3 Recommendations Recommendation Explanations Chapter 4 Oceano County Airport Proposed Projects Airport Wayfinding Signage Pedestrian Facilities Recommendations Referenced Documents Appendix A Wayfinding Signage Descriptions...A-1 San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport...A-1 Paso Robles Municipal Airport...A-2 Oceano County Airport...A-3 Appendix B Project Reference...B-1 San Luis Obispo...B-1 iii

6 Figures Figure 1 San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport... 4 Figure 2 Paso Robles Municipal Airport... 5 Figure 3 Oceano County Airport... 6 Figure 4 San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport Terminal Entrance Figure 5 McChesney Field Vicinity Map: San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport Master Plan Update Figure 6 SBP Daily Arrivals as of August 4, Figure 7 SBP Daily Departures as of August 4, Figure 8 Annual Passengers at San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport Figure 9 Graphical Rendering of New SBP Terminal Figure 10 Summary Airport Activity Forecast Figure 11 Key Proposed Projects from the Airport Area Specific Plan Figure 12 Existing Road Classifications Prior to Prado Road Projects from the City of San Luis Obispo General Plan Circulation Element Figure 13 Current LOS Prior to Prado Road Projects from the City of San Luis Obispo General Plan Circulation Element Figure 14 SLO RTA Route 10 and 10X Figure 15 SLOSRTP Proposed Routes Map Figure 16 Bicycle Transportation Network in San Luis Obispo Figure 17 Parking Lots at San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport Figure 18 SBP Parking Lot Diagram Figure 19 Paso Robles Municipal Airport Terminal Figure 20 Paso Robles Municipal Airport Vicinity Map Figure 21 SR 46/Union Road Improvement Alternative 4: Overcrossing iv

7 Figure 22 SR 46/Union Road Improvement Alternative 5: Half Clover-Leave Interchange Figure 23 Turning Movement Counts at Airport Road and SR 46 East (January 2016) Figure 24 Existing LOS at Airport Road and SR 46 East Figure 25 Future LOS at Airport Road and SR 46 East Figure 26 Entrance to the Oceano County Airport Figure 27 Oceano County Airport Vicinity Map Figure 28 Pedestrian Facility Recommendations Figure 29 Airport Wayfinding Signs Found in San Luis Obispo County...A-3 v

8 Executive Summary There are three publically-owned and operated airports within the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) region: San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport, Paso Robles Municipal Airport, and Oceano County Airport. Each of these airports has its own set of unique circumstances which determine its ease of access. The purpose of this Airport Ground Access Plan is to explore recent and planned ground access projects associated with the area s three airports and make recommendations to improve future access. The report also discusses additional transit access and private vehicle operation options associated with the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport. San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport The San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport is a Commercial Service airport serving the region. While there is not a specific project to improve access to the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport, there are a number of projects that are planned and are in various stages of development that improve airport ground access; these include: - The Prado Road extension between South Higuera Street and Broad Street and the development of an interchange or overcrossing at US State Route 227 improvements to reduce congestion from Los Ranchos Road to Airport Road - Additional proposed east-west projects include the extension of Buckley Road from Vachell Lane to South Higuera Street and improvements to Tank Farm Road - North-south connector projects include the improvement of Broad Street, realignment and extension of Santa Fe Road, and the construction of a new collector between Tank Farm Road and Buckley Road - Existing San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport wayfinding signage is adequate, though may benefit from additional signage in a few areas The regional fixed transit RTA Route 10X accesses the Airport business park while SLO Transit Route 3 provides local transit service with a stop near Tank Farm Road and Broad Street. Several services, including taxi and limo, operate out of the airport while some local hotels advertise a shuttle to and from the Airport. The airport offers shortand long-term parking at several locations. Furthermore, four rental car companies operate at the airport. For those whom prefer to drive a private automobile, there are a variety of parking lots available and an array of rental car services to choose from. In addition to these planned improvements, the airport could benefit from some additional 1

9 wayfinding signage and an infrequent alternative local fixed route transit circuit with a stop at the airport. Recommendations to improve ground access to San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport include: 1. Roadway improvements as indicated by the planned projects 2. Additional wayfinding signage 3. Wayfinding signage consolidation 4. An infrequent alternative local fixed route transit circuit 5. Expansion of hotel shuttle services Paso Robles Municipal Airport The Paso Robles Municipal Airport, a General Aviation airport, is owned and operated by the City of Paso Robles and provides an important service to commercial and recreational flight as the only commercial airport serving the North County planning area. Proposed projects associated with this airport include: - Improvements to State Route 46 East near and including Airport Road, the reconfiguring of Union Road in relation to SR 46 East - Roadway connections parallel to SR 46 East Wayfinding signage leading to the Paso Robles Municipal Airport is found mostly directing traffic coming from south of Paso Robles utilizing US 101. Considering the existing and projected level of service (LOS) at the Airport Road and SR 46 East intersection, recommendations revolve around interim alleviation of congestion and delay through channelization and other means. Additional recommendations include supplementary wayfinding signage and improvements to the shoulders of Airport Road. Recommendations to improve ground access to Paso Robles Municipal Airport include: 1. New Interchange and/or alternatives that improve operations at SR 46 East/Union Road. 2. Northerly road extension and bridge over Huer Huero Creek connecting with Airport Road as discussed in proposed projects 3. Interim alleviation of congestion and delay at Airport Road and SR 46 East through channelization and other means 4. Improvements to Airport Road shoulders approaching the Paso Robles Municipal Airport 5. Additional airport wayfinding signage 2

10 Oceano County Airport The Oceano County Airport is a Basic Utility airport which is most frequently used for private services. There are currently no significant surface access modifications anticipated. As such a small airport, very few wayfinding signs are required to direct traffic. It is recommended to replace one wayfinding sign that appears to have once existed, but is no longer present. In addition, it may be beneficial to consider pedestrian facilities between Pier Avenue and the Oceano County Airport. 3

11 Chapter 1 - Introduction Aviation improves mobility; generates tax revenues; saves lives through emergency response, medical and firefighting services; transports air cargo for goods movement; and supports major tourism, hospitality, food services and other local industries. In addition, the Caltrans 2011 California Aviation System Plan states that in 2003 nearly 9% of the State s Gross Domestic Product and jobs could be tied, directly or indirectly, to aviation. This makes aviation a critical function of promoting quality access into and out of airports. There are three publically-owned and operated airports within the San Luis Obispo region: San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport, Paso Robles Municipal Airport, and Oceano County Airport. The SLO County Regional Airport is a Commercial Service (CS) facility operated by the county of San Luis Obispo. Paso Robles Municipal Airport is a General Aviation (GA) facility that is operated by the City of Paso Robles. Oceano County Airport is a Basic Utility (BU) facility owned by the County. Figure 1 San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport 4

12 The purpose of this Airport Ground Access Study is to explore ease with which the three San Luis Obispo County airports are accessed by roadways. For each airport, recent and proposed projects surrounding the area that may impact the airport s ground access are discussed. In addition, each existing airport wayfinding sign was collected in an inventory to ensure that all patrons have a clear route to the airport. Transit access was discussed only as it pertains to the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport. Last, a series Figure 2 Paso Robles Municipal Airport of recommendations are proposed to improve ground access to each respective airport. 1.1 Considerations There are a variety of plans and documents that address and direct the content to be covered in an Airport Ground Access Plan. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) requests consideration of three documents that concern how ground access should be addressed in a plan: the California Airport Land Use Planning Handbook, the Caltrans Ground Access to Airport Study, and the California Airports Best Practice Guide. In addition, the SLOCOG s 2014 Regional Transportation Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategy (2014 RTP/SCS) includes policies to address enhanced airport ground access for the future. The California Airport Land Use Handbook offers guidance to road development near airports. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) suggests that no new roads are built within or run through runway protection zones (RPZs). The Handbook recommends that the RPZs should remain completely clear of all objects, including roads. Consideration should be made to give these zones a wide berth when acquiring land for and preparing expanded right-of-way projects to avoid any future confrontation. Automobile parking is considered acceptable only on the outer edges of RPZs (outside the extended object free area). Roads running through RPZs and in safety zones, especially major 5

13 thoroughfares, may require special considerations when generating usage intensity calculations. The Caltrans Ground Access to Airport Study guides the creation of future airport ground access studies. The Caltrans study notes that the primary goal of the ground access needs inventory should Figure 3 Oceano County Airport be to identify and define high-priority ground access projects that are intended to lower congestion surrounding the airport in near to long term time frames. The Caltrans study also encourages that airport ground access planning and capital improvement efforts coordinate with all applicable degrees of to improve alternative modes of transportation such as public transit. This document considers the guidance of the Caltrans Ground Access to Airport Study to better inform discussions and recommendations. Airport ground access was not a topic addressed in the California Airports Best Practice Guide. This document is used primarily to ensure jurisdictional cooperation for internal airport projects and land use plans rather than ground access. The 2014 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP)/Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS) indicates several policies that apply to all airport ground access situations within the region: - Aviation Policy 1: Support initiation of new passenger service designations and markets (i.e., Denver, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Sacramento). - Aviation Policy 2: Maintain and expand efficient and easily accessible air transportation complementing economic development within the region. - Aviation Policy 3: Support airport development that is compatible with nearby communiities surrounding land uses, considering the safety of residents and minimizing impacts to the environment, and support compatible land uses in the airport area consistent with state and federal law. - Aviation Policy 4: Improve multimodal ground access to all airports in the region where appropriate. 6

14 - Aviation Policy 5: Assist the County in maintaining the SLO County Regional Airport as the primary airport for the region, while recognizing the potential of the Paso Robles Municipal Airport as an alternative regional airport for the North County. - Aviation Policy 6: Provide adequate facilities to serve existing and projected needs for general aviation air passenger service, airfreight, and emergency service aircraft (including helicopters). - Aviation Policy 7: Provide the highest funding priority to projects that mitigate existing safety deficiencies, provide for other safety upgrades, and maintain aviation facilities as needed. The 2014 RTP/SCS indicates several strategies that apply to all airport ground access situations within the region: - Aviation Strategy 1: Provide airport facility improvements to meet current needs, safety concerns and forecasted growth within a balanced regional approach based on population distribution and within resource limits. - Aviation Strategy 2: Ensure that existing and projected airport needs, both local and regional, are considered in the California Aviation System Plan (CASP), Airport Master Plans and Airport Land Use Compatibility Plans. - Aviation Strategy 3: Support plans and projects that reduce and/or mitigate existing and potential impacts associated with airport use and facilities. - Aviation Strategy 4: Provide for regional coordination between local jurisdictions in the development of airport facilities. - Aviation Strategy 5: Support overall land use compatibility between city/county general plans, specific plans and zoning ordinances, the Airport Land Use Plan and the Airport Master Plan consistent with state and federal law. - Aviation Strategy 6: Ensure establishment of appropriate, safe, intermodal surface access to county airports from highways, streets and roads. - Aviation Strategy 7: Encourage affected jurisdictions, airport operators, and air carriers to provide alternatives for increased airport accessibility including: public transit, bikeways, private sector vanpools (i.e., hotel shuttles), car-sharing, and general public airport shuttles. - Aviation Strategy 8: Encourage airport ground access improvement projects including: improved access to San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport from US 101; improved access to Paso Robles Municipal Airport on Airport Road including paved shoulders. - Aviation Strategy 9: Support scheduled and/or demand responsive shuttle services at San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport; coordinated with and not competing against local fixed-route transit services, to provide connections to 7

15 and from the local and regional transit system, railroad station, and other locations. - Aviation Strategy 10: Encourage comprehensive ground transportation integration with current scheduled airline services and easy access for seamless intermodal connections at San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport. - Aviation Strategy 11: Provide matching regional funds to help leverage federal aviation grants for new passenger air services. The City of San Luis Obispo General Plan Circulation Element includes two policies that directly correlate to ground access at McChesney Field: - Policy : Interstate Air Service o The City shall support and encourage expansion of air transportation service. - Policy : Public Transit Service o The City shall encourage improved public transit service to the County airport as soon as practical. The Caltrans 2011 California Aviation System Plan includes mobility policies and objectives associated with airport ground access. These also coincide with SLOCOG RTP/SCS policies. - Policy: o MB-2: Improve access to aviation resources through appropriate multimodal transportation initiatives. o MB-3: Improve ground access to airports that support passenger, air cargo, and GA opportunities. o MB-4: Improve multimodal access to public use airports for all users including passengers, tenants, and employees. - Objectives o MBo-1: Support access improvements to the national aviation system from small and rural communities. o MBo-2: Improve ground access to airports for passengers and freight through better inclusion of airports in planning documents. o MBo-4: Improve transit connectivity to airports by closing gaps to and from population centers. The San Luis Obispo Airport Area Specific Plan specifies a few connectivity design guidelines associated with ground access. Where feasible: - Extend new roadways 8

16 As a means of improving the east-west and north-south connections with the rest of the community, these roadway extensions will connect with existing roadways. This should include local streets as well as collectors such as Prado Road and Santa Fe Road. Internal street systems should be designed to provide through connections with adjoining properties, and avoid overly circuitous and dead-end routes. Details from all above Caltrans and SLOCOG sources as well as all accessible and applicable documents were utilized to analyze, inform and complete this Airport Ground Access Plan. 9

17 Chapter 2 San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport The San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport, also known by the Federal Aviation Administration location identifier (FAA LID) as SBP or McChesney Field, is owned and operated by the County of San Luis Obispo. The airport is located east of US 101 and west of SR 227 at Aero Drive, just three miles southeast of downtown San Luis Obispo. The airport is located just outside of city limits. It is classified by the state as Type IC, accommodating short haul and scheduled air taxi or commuter service. As described in the San Luis Obispo Area Plan (of the County s Land Use and Circulation Element) it represents a public facility of countywide importance because it is the only airport in the county with commercial airline service. The San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport Master Plan Update describes the airport as encompassing approximately 340 acres of unincorporated land in San Luis Obispo County. The existing passenger terminal building was built in 1983, remodeled in 2000 and is approximately 14,400 square feet in area. As of 2014, SBP has 305 based Figure 4 San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport Terminal Entrance 10

18 Figure 5 McChesney Field Vicinity Map: San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport Master Plan Update 11

19 aircrafts; a based aircraft is one which is operational and able to fly that is located at a SBP for a majority of the year. There are currently two airline services that operate out of SBP; American Airlines services to Phoenix and United Airlines services to Los Angeles and San Francisco. SBP has recently announced a new daily nonstop service to Seattle with Alaska Airlines, to begin Figure 6 SBP Daily Arrivals as of August 4, 2016 service tentatively starting April This expansion is one of many markets that the airport has been actively seeking; others include Denver, Salt Lake City and Dallas. The goal is to capture more of the local travelers that currently choose to travel to Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Jose, or San Francisco for flights. United has announced its conclusion of service between Santa Maria and San Francisco to be October Kevin Bumen, the Director of San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport and Oceano County Airport, reports a load factor in the low- to mid- 80 percent range as an Figure 7 SBP Daily Departures as of August 4,

20 average for SBP. The load factor is a description of the amount of seats filled on an aircraft. The conclusion of service in Santa Maria may generate additional passengers and increased load factor at SBP, potentially increasing traffic along SR 227 and US 101. The San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport is a major transportation hub integrating multimodal regional travel while improving the quality of life, economic opportunity and the environment. Out of the 250 airports in the state, SBP is one of 30 commercial service airports. The San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport is a critical component to the aviation transportation system within the state and the western United States. Caltrans 2016 California Transportation Plan 2040 notes that airports provide local, regional, national and worldwide linkages in transporting people and goods. With changing technologies, SBP will become more efficient and provide additional multimodal connectivity to other modes of transportation in the system. San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport has experienced roughly a 3.4% increase in passengers, which includes both enplanements and deplanements, per year since Since the large decline in passengers ending in 2008 and 2009, annual passengers have increased from 241,061 in 2009 to as high as 302,652 in Figure 8 Annual Passengers at San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport 13

21 Figure 10 Summary Airport Activity Forecast Growth in annual passengers creates an increasing need for parking, though SBP has deferred plans for a future parking structure in light of the costs associate with funding the new terminal to be open tentatively summer The 2014 working draft of the Proposed Amendment to the Airport Land Use Plan for the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport provides a forecasted operational projection through 2054 in Figure 8. One of the unique challenges with the location of, and thus ground access to, the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport facility and the surrounding area is the fixed layout of arterial streets and their divergence from the center of the city as they head towards South County. This deviation requires improvements of increasing lengths the farther that the site is located from downtown San Luis Obispo and US 101. Connectivity, mobility and access improvements become increasingly difficult and expensive as compared to similar arterials located closer to the center of town and US 101. This results in higher costs for infrastructure development per development unit than in other areas and is further complicated by the large amount of open space located in the midst of the airport area. Figure 9 Graphical Rendering of New SBP Terminal 14

22 2.1 Projects Completed or In-Progress Several projects associated with ground access to the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport have occurred recently. The US 101/Los Osos Valley Road interchange, completed in early 2016, has eased travel between the western portion of San Luis Obispo to the eastern. Also in early 2016, Broad Street (SR 227) has been widened between High Street to the north and Orcutt Road to the south. Prado Road to the east of US 101 has been extended, though dead ends prior to Broad Street. Much closer to McChesney Field, Aero Drive has undergone a realignment which resulted in a signalized intersection with Broad Street (SR 227). In addition, projects and plans have recently been completed to improve access to the airport area in the future include the US 101-Los Osos Valley Road Interchange, and Los Osos Valley Road extension from US 101 to South Higuera Street. 2.2 Proposed Projects The city of San Luis Obispo extensively analyzed circulation improvements around the airport and throughout the city during the development of their Land Use and Circulation Plan update. These comprehensive city proposed improvements were subsequently integrated into the 2014 RTP/SCS. These plans and surrounding area Specific Plans include projects and improvements that would improve the circulation and growth of the airport area and ground access to SBP: The planned completion and opening for operation of the new terminal scheduled for summer 2017, requires a realignment of roadways within the McChesney Field property. San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport officials have assured that there will be no change to access for fire services operating out of McChesney Field. Many of the ground access projects and improvements that are suggested can be broken into one of two categories. The first represents projects that improve east-west connection in San Luis Obispo. The other represents projects that improve north-south connections in the city Prado Road Interchange/ Overcrossing and Extension The development of an interchange or overcrossing at US 101 and Prado Road is indicated as the highest priority project in the city s General Plan. This project will provide direct access from west San Luis Obispo and US 101 to Broad Street and the airport. The extension of Prado Road is a high priority project in San Luis Obispo. A challenge associated with establishing an east-west connection is the acquisition of multiple properties owned by different interests. In addition, development of phasing individual properties may delay this objective; as such the phased implementation of Prado Road is necessary. 15

23 Figure 11 Key Proposed Projects from the Airport Area Specific Plan 16

24 The city s General Plan Circulation Element lists projects numerically in order of importance, many projects associated with Prado Road rank highly on this list. - Project 1: Extend and widen Prado Rd. as an Arterial street with 2 lanes in each direction, a center turn lane/landscaped median, Class II bike lanes, sidewalks and Class I bike lanes (where feasible) from US 101 to Madonna. - Project 2: Widen and extend Prado Rd. as an Highway/Regional Route Arterial with 2 lanes in each direction, a center turn lane/landscaped median, Class II bike lanes, sidewalks and Class I bike lanes (where feasible) from US 101 to Broad Street. Right-of-way limitations east of Higuera outside of the MASP area may limit the City s ability to install Class I facilities. - Project 19: Build full interchange at US 101. Development of San Luis Ranch Area shall include a circulation analysis of alternatives to a full access interchange, an analysis of compact interchange designs that minimize open space / agriculture land impacts, and an analysis of potential incremental phasing of the interchange elements. A full interchange has several challenges, including Caltrans standards for interchange spacing and potential flooding. Due to the close proximity of closely-spaced ramps in the area, an operational analysis of US 101 and the Prado Road interchange/overcrossing is underway. In addition to allowing access from west San Luis Obispo, the creation of an overpass and extension of Prado Road will relieve traffic congestion at Los Osos Valley Road and Madonna interchanges. A recent Prado Road Project Study Report (PSR) Kick-Off Meeting (Aug 2016) was held to lay the foundation of several US 101/Prado Road alternatives. At this time, six alternatives are being considered by the Project Development Team (PDT). 1. Diamond interchange 2. Diamond/partial clover leaf 3. Partial clover leaf 4. Two partial clover leafs 5. Single point diamond 6. Overcrossing only Figure 12 Existing Road Classifications Prior to Prado Road Projects from the City of San Luis Obispo General Plan Circulation Element 17

25 Figure 13 Current LOS Prior to Prado Road Projects from the City of San Luis Obispo General Plan Circulation Element The next step in the development process is to evaluate and select a preferred alternative Other East-West Connector Improvements In addition to the previously discussed projects associated with Prado Road, the city s General Plan Circulation Element calls out other projects that will improve the connection between the east and west portion so the city. Buckley Road, with its proposed extension, may be preferable for carrying airport traffic as it is separate from other crosstown traffic and provides access to the airport from the south. - Project 3: Extend Buckley Road as an arterial street from Vachell Lane to South Higuera Street. Project three is also reflected as a goal listed in the San Luis Obispo Airport Area Specific Plan: - Goal 6.4.3: Improve Buckley Road to arterial standards while maintaining a street character consistent with the area s rural setting. Plans are moving forward to extend Buckley Road to South Higuera Street in connection with the proposed Avila Ranch development project. No timeframe is yet determined for the roadway extension. This area has been analyzed extensively by the city of San Luis Obispo during the development of their Land Use and Circulation Plan update. Comprehensive improvements made in the update have also been integrated into the 2014 RTP/SCS. Another project in the city s General Plan Circulation Element describes improvements to Tank Farm Road. - Project 11: Tank Farm Road widening and channelization, and bike facilities. Widen Tank Farm Road as a Parkway Arterial with 2 lanes in each direction, a center turn lane/landscaped median, Class II bike lanes, sidewalks and Class I bike lanes (where feasible) from South Higuera Street to Broad Street. 18

26 2.2.3 North-South Connector Improvements There are a variety of projects that, in connecting the north and south ends of San Luis Obispo, could improve vehicular access to the airport. The first of such projects, as described in goal format within the Airport Area Specific Plan, includes the improvement of Broad Street and State Route 227 (SR 227). - Goal: 6.4.1: Improve Broad Street as an urban arterial Guidelines - Standard : Broad Street shall be widened to four lanes from Buckely Road to the current four lane segment. Broad Street, from Buckley Road to Orcutt Road, shall have a minimum right-of-way [of 82 feet]. Additional right-of-way may be necessary at intersections that need additional turn lanes. The length of Broad Street from Buckley Road to Orcutt Road shall have a landscaped median, and Class II bike lanes. Improving Broad Street to an urban arterial will allow for increased ease of access from downtown San Luis Obispo to McChesney Field. A more heavily utilized road and the location of the business park neighboring the Airport to the north may have implications towards running a local transit line. This new line could then run along the improved Broad Street to the airport. The Caltrans System Planning Transportation Concept Report (TCR) for SR 227 indicates that the Level of Service (LOS) concept for this segment of SR 227 is LOS C. The SR 227 TCR includes the following proposed improvements within the study corridor: - Widen to four-lanes with right- and left-turn channelization at major intersections - Provision of a Class II bike facility - Provision of auxiliary merge lanes as needed Similarly, the 2014 RTP/SCS currently lists the widening of SR 227 from two to fourlanes from Aero Drive to Los Ranchos Road in its financially-constrained Tier I list of capital improvements. Furthermore, the Caltrans 2002 Transportation Concept Report recommends extending the four lanes from the San Luis Obispo city limits to Price Canyon Road with right and left-turn channelization at major intersections. Caltrans also supports the addition of Class II bicycle lanes and auxiliary lanes as needed. Caltrans is currently updating the SR 227 Transportation Concept Report (TCR) which is scheduled for completion in December The Caltrans 2002 Transportation Concept Report also recommends extending the four lanes from the San Luis Obispo city limits to Price Canyon Road with right- and left-turn channelization at major intersections. Caltrans is also in support of the addition of Class II bicycle lanes and auxiliary lanes as needed. 19

27 A portion of the corridor is included as part of the Airport Area Specific Plan. The Airport Area Specific Plan suggests the following improvements to the study corridor: - Installation of gateway features at the intersection of SR 227 and Buckley Road to mark the transition between the county and city jurisdictions - Signalize the intersection of SR 227 and Aero Drive - Widen to four lanes and add medians to SR 227 between Buckley Road and Tank Farm Road - Extend Sand Luis Obispo Transit Route 3 to provide transit service along SR 227 to serve the airport - Provision of Class II bicycle lanes north of Buckley Road; - Right-of-way preservation for SR 227 to accommodate an eventual six-lane section in the future - Development of an access management strategy for SR Prohibition of on-street parking - SLOCOG has completed a more recent Study to address improving congestion on SR 227. The State Route 227 Operational Analysis from Tank Farm Road to Los Ranchos has proposed several improvements to the corridor. It is expected to be considered for approval at the SLOCOG Board s December 2016 meeting. The draft study recommends operational improvements, as well as multimodal and other improvements along the corridor. This study considers two alternatives for the future development of the corridor which: - Maximize efficiency and safety - Achieve acceptable operating conditions relative to the projected future demand - Improve multi-modal connectivity - Maintain SR 227 s rural and scenic highway character - Minimize potential impacts to the natural environment The first alternative is to widen SR 227 and introduce coordinated adaptive signal controls to Farmhouse Lane/Airport Drive/Kendall Road, Buckley Road, Crestmont Drive and Los Ranchos Road. The second alternative is the provision of roundabouts improvement of the four intersections along SR 227 discussed in the first option. This option requires less land acquisition, offers a lower total cost, and increased safety and as such is the recommended alternative in the State Route 227 Operational Analysis. The City of San Luis Obispo General Plan addresses the realignment and extension of Santa Fe Road as a project of importance which subsequently will have an effect on ground access to the airport. 20

28 - Project 5: Realign and extend Santa Fe Road as a Commercial Collector from Hoover Avenue to Prado Road including construction of a new bridge at Acacia Creek and roundabout at Tank Farm Road. Similarly, the Airport Area Specific Plan recommends several collectors that would improve local circulation and thus remove that traffic from larger roadways which are used to access the airport. - Goal 6.4.4: Establish a system of collector streets that connect arterials and local streets. As part of that system, extend Santa Fe Road north to the Prado Road extension and introduce a new collector through the property west of the Chevron property from Tank Farm Road linking with Sueldo Street. A final proposed project that is related to ground access to McChesney Field is the creation of a connector between Tank Farm Road and Buckley Road. The Land Use and Circulation Element update of the City of San Luis Obispo identified the need to add a north-south extension of Earthwood Lane south of Suburban Road to the Avila Ranch project, the extension of Jesperson Road north of Buckley Road to the northern project limits will contribute to this connectivity. This project is also being considered as a part of the Avila Ranch Development Plan Application and associated EIR. - Project 14: Construct a new north-south collector between Tank Farm Road and Buckley Road in the vicinity of Horizon Lane Additionally, the SLOCOG 2014 RTP/SCS recommends improvements to 40 foot wide rural arterials. Price Canyon Road. The County and SLOCOG have been constructing improvement phases over the past 8 years. The intention of these improvements is to bring the route to full standard including minimum 8-foot, Class II bike lanes. 2.3 Airport Wayfinding Signage The ability for travelers to find their way to the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport is important. As the county s only commercial service airport, air travelers typically access the airport from throughout the county. For the most part, existing wayfinding signage adequately directs people to the airport. Below is a list of all locations by directional approach; additional details regarding precise locations and wayfinding sign makeup can be found in Appendix A Wayfinding Signage Descriptions. Approach from southbound US Southbound US 101 prior to Marsh Street exit ramp (exit 202A) - Broad Street and Marsh Street intersection 21

29 Approach from northbound US Northbound US 101 just south of Los Osos Valley Road - Northbound US 101 ramp and Los Osos Valley Road intersection - Eastbound Los Osos Valley Road just west of South Higuera Street intersection - Northbound South Higuera Street at Tank Farm Road intersection - Southbound Broad Street/ SR 227 just north of Aero Drive intersection Approach from northbound SR Northbound Broad Street/ SR 227 just south of Aero Drive intersection Approach from US 101 in eastern San Luis Obispo - Two signs on westbound Monterey Street just east of Santa Rosa Street intersection - Westbound Monterey Street just east of Osos Street intersection - Two signs on southbound Santa Rosa Street just north of Higuera Street - Westbound on Higuera Street at Garden Street intersection - Two signs on westbound Higuera Street just east of Broad Street - Westbound Santa Rosa Street just east of Broad Street 2.4 Transit Access Transit access to McChesney Field in San Luis Obispo include: regional fixed-route, local fixed-route, demand response, shuttles, taxis, vans, transportation network companies and other modes such as bicycle facilities. In compliance with Policy : Public Transit Service, as described in the City of San Luis Obispo General Plan Circulation Element, and the 2014 RTP/SCS Aviation Policies, as mentioned previously, the various public transit services require special attention when considering ground access to the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport. Specifically, the policy states that the City shall encourage improved public transit service to the airport as soon as practical Regional Fixed Route The regional fixed route bus system is operated by San Luis Obispo Regional Transit Authority (SLORTA). Route 10 (South County) offers weekday local and express service which runs via US 101, between San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly, Shell Beach, Pismo Beach, Grover Beach, Arroyo Grande, Nipomo and Santa Maria. This route operates seven days a week with less frequency on Saturdays and Sundays. 22

30 In addition, Route 10X, (Orcutt Express), is a Monday through Friday express route with stops that include Morro Bay, SLO County Government Center, the airport business park and the Pismo Outlets. The Orcutt Express route offers only two runs in each direction per day. SLOCOG staff has advocated several runs along Broad Street/SR 227 and Price Canyon Road with a new Route 10 stop at or near the airport terminal Local Fixed Route Figure 14 SLO RTA Route 10 and 10X In San Luis Obispo, SLO Transit operates a series of routes that services the community. Route 1 (recently changed from Route 3 as mentioned in the City of San Luis Obispo Short Range Transit Plan [SLO SRTP]) serves the southeastern portion of town, though does not currently service the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport. The SLO SRTP suggests future modifications to existing Route 3, to be named Route 1, which will greatly simplify the SLO Transit service patterns in the southeastern part of the service area. Public outreach has shown that people like the idea of service to the airport. The emerging employment corridor along Broad Street between Tank Farm Road and Aero Drive in the airport area is to be served in addition to the airport. With a capacity for over 10,000 employees in this airport area business park in addition to the services and manufacturing land uses, the Airport Area has the potential for substantial transit ridership. A full roundtrip on Route 1 will take approximately one hour, and will travel 10.9 revenue miles. It is anticipated that one bus will provide hourly service along Route 1. Longer term plans dictate an additional bus will be needed to provide 30 minute service. The SRTP addresses that in terms of unserved areas, a majority of stakeholders indicated that service further out along the Broad Street corridor was necessary, serving the rapidly developing area in this corridor and terminating at the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport. 23

31 Figure 15 SLOSRTP Proposed Routes Map 24

32 2.4.4 Shuttles A variety of shuttles advertise service the airport ranging from hotel shuttles to shuttle busses. Three hotels from the surrounding area list and advertise a shuttle service to and from McChesney Field. - Apple Farm Inn - Quality Suites Central Coast - Madonna Inn Other hotels in relatively close proximity to the airport that do not advertise a shuttle service to and from the airport include: - Best Western Plus Royal Oak Hotel - Hampton Inn and Suites San Luis Obispo - Embassy Suits by Hilton San Luis Obispo - Holiday Inn Express San Luis Obispo - Courtyard San Luis Obispo - La Cuesta Inn - Peach Tree Inn Shuttle bus companies also service the airport through reservation throughout the region. - Ride-On Transportation - SLO Safe Ride - Smart Shuttle Ride-On is a non-profit organization serving San Luis Obispo County and is comprised of the Consolidated Transportation Service Agency (CTSA) and the Transportation Management Association (TMA). CTSA provides door-to-door services for seniors, veterans, people with disabilities and social service agencies while TMA provides services to the general public with vanpools, airport and Amtrak shuttles, Emergency Ride Home and more. SLO Safe Ride is a ground transportation operator servicing the Central Coast. SLO Safe Ride specializes in serving groups of people with the same destination. Smart shuttle is a division of Ventura Transit established to support an airport shuttle service to Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. 25

33 2.4.5 Transportation Network Companies San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport allows transportation network companies, such as Uber and Lyft, to serve airline customers and have become a visible and measurable part of the airport s ground transportation operations. At a $2.50 charge per drop-off and per pick up trip, these Transportation network Companies have been allowed to service the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport. These companies are not allowed to operate out of the airport: queueing outside of the passenger terminal waiting for unscheduled clients. In other words, it is unacceptable for companies to wait outside of the terminal (similar to a taxi or shuttle bus) as a means of capturing clients as they exit the terminal. However, these services do have an impact alleviating some of overcapacity parking issues associated with McChesney Field. Taxi services are subject to a different agreement in that they pay a monthly fee dependent on the number of vehicles in their fleet that will service the airport Other Modes San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport is served by north- and southbound Class II bicycle facilities along either side of Broad Street/SR 227. In addition, a portion of Aero Drive serves bicyclists with Class II bicycle lanes in either direction. The 2014 RTP/SCS stipulates that all roadway projects along major regional and rural corridors are planned to accommodate Class II bike lanes as depicted in Figure 15. Class I bicycle paths and Class II bicycle lanes within the Avila Ranch area will be constructed, signed and marked to meet or exceed the minimum standards established by the California Department of Transportation Highway Design Manual and the City of San Luis Obispo design standards. The ultimate alignment of some of the Class I bike paths south of Tank Farm Road will need to be determined as part of the plans to develop the Chevron property. However, the Airport Area Specific Plan illustrates the following conceptual alignments: - Off-street Class I multi-use paths that parallel creeks and riparian corridors - On-street Class II bicycle lanes on arterial and collector streets - A combination of off-street paths adjacent to streets and on-street bicycle lanes The Edna-Price Canyon Trail Feasibility Study analyzed alternative alignments for a nine-mile Class I multipurpose trail that would provide a vital link between the Coastal Trail in Pismo Beach and the City of San Luis Obispo. The preferred alignment traverses the study corridor from Los Ranchos Road and runs along the west side of SR 227 to San Luis Obispo. Currently, there is sufficient clearance on the west side of SR 227 to accommodate the trail without encroaching the San Luis Obispo airport 26

34 Figure 16 Bicycle Transportation Network in San Luis Obispo 27

35 right-of-way. Once built, northern segments of the Edna-Price Canyon Trail could provide convenient bicycle access between McChesney Field and the neighborhoods to the south on SR 227. There are discontinuous sidewalks and no existing bicycle facilities along Airport Road. The speed limit along Airport Road is not posted. There is a proposal to realign Airport Drive to intersect with SR 227 at Farmhouse Lane, eliminating the current offset intersection. 2.5 Private Vehicle Operations The San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport offers opportunities for travelers to drive themselves to the airport and park in one of the four types of parking lots available. Revenue collected from parking lot fees generates one of the largest single sources of income for the airport. In addition, if a visitor to San Luis Obispo wishes to experience the region with the freedom of driving themselves, SBP offers an array of rental car services Parking Lots Four types of long-term parking lots are offered to owners of private vehicles that choose to drive and park at McChesney Field. As of June 2016, rates for each lot are as follows: - Lot 1 o $13.00 per calendar day, or $1.00 per hour o $8.00 per calendar day for disabled or ADA accessible space parking - Lot 2 o $13.00 per calendar day, or $1.00 per hour o $8.00 per calendar day for disabled or ADA accessible space parking Lot Number Price: Daily Price: Hourly Price: Special Circumstances Figure 17 Parking Lots at San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport Number of Spaces 1 $13.00 $1.00 $8.00 for disabled or ADA accessible 70 2 $13.00 $1.00 $8.00 for disabled or ADA accessible 97 3 $ $ $15.00 Daily: Oversized vehicle; $30.00 Daily: vehicles >30 feet >200 Notes Number of spaces is not definitive 28

36 - Lot 3 o $9.00 per calendar day - Lot 4 o $9.00 per calendar day o $15.00 for an oversized vehicle per calendar day o $30.00 for a vehicle greater than 30 feet long per calendar day Hourly parking is available in Lots 1 and 2 at a rate of $1.00 per hour for a minimum of one hour and a 12-hour maximum. There are 70 parking spaces in lot 1. Lot 2 is the only lot to accommodate short term parking at a rate of $13.00 per calendar day for a maximum of 3 days. There are 97 parking spaces in Lot 2. Long term parking is available in Lots 1,3 and 4. The rate for long-term parking in Lot 1 is $13.00 per calendar day and $9.00 per day in Lots 3 and 4. There are 45 parking spaces in Lot 3 and over 200 parking spaces in Lot 4. The number of parking spaces in Lot 4 is not definitive as the road base portion of the lot is not marked and the number of available space in the lot may be reduced during times of construction. Figure 18 SBP Parking Lot Diagram 29

37 Accessible parking is available in Lot 2. The long-term rate is $9.00 per calendar day; the hourly rate is $1.00 per hour. Parking for oversized vehicles is available only in Lot 4 for a rate of $15.00 per calendar day. For vehicles over 30 feet in length, the per day calendar rate is $30. As reported by San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport officials, the utilization rate of parking space availability is greater than 75% on a monthly basis averaged throughout the year Rental Car Services Four rental car companies operate at the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport located in the adjacent room to the baggage claim: - Avis - Hertz - Budget - Enterprise An additional Enterprise office is located 1.7 driving miles north of the SBP terminal (along Broad Street) which offers additional selection to that of the service run out of the airport and the option to be picked up or dropped off at the airport if utilizing their service. A benefit to the services at the airport is extended hours of operation while the separate Enterprise office has lower rental fares. The new terminal under construction once completed, will offer existing rental car services larger desk and counter space. In addition, larger than existing offices will be located directly behind the counter space rather than in a separate location as is the case in the existing facility. Finally, the rental car pick-up and drip-off location will be directly adjacent to the new terminal rather than separated from the terminal by a parking lot. 2.6 Recommendations Recommendations are a planning level assessment; costs are currently not associated with the suggestions. Recommendations to improve ground access to San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport include: 1. Roadway improvements as indicated by the planned projects 2. Additional wayfinding signage 3. Wayfinding signage consolidation 4. An infrequent alternative local fixed-route transit circuit 5. Expansion of hotel shuttle services 30

38 6. Formation of an employer s association with subsidized airport business park circulation Recommendation Explanations There are currently no airport wayfinding signs directing travelers to the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport along South Higuera Street beyond what exists downtown. Considering the number of hotels located off of Madonna Road, the amount of residential housing and the large commercial draw to Madonna Road west of US 101, signage should be placed to allow ease in direction to the airport. The route that these signs will lead travelers is from eastbound Madonna Road to southbound South Higuera Street to eastbound Tank Farm Road toward SR 227. A large airport sign with directional arrow is suggested to be placed on eastbound Madonna Road just west of South Higuera Street. An alternative is to place a large airport directional sign on South Higuera Street at an adequate distance to the south of Madonna Road. An additional large airport sign with a directional arrow is suggested to be located on southbound South Higuera Street just north of (approximately 200 feet) Tank Farm Road. A large airport sign with a directional arrow is recommended to be located on eastbound Tank Farm Road just west of (approximately 200 feet) Broad Street in order to direct travelers from northbound US 101 and coming from downtown via South Higuera Street. An existing city wayfinding sign, directing to Parking, City Hall, and Downtown, is located approximately 200 feet north of Palm Street on Santa Rosa Street. It is recommended that the sign be altered to include Airport with a directional arrow towards downtown. Currently, there are a variety of design types being utilized as airport directional signs. To avoid confusion for the driving public using the airport wayfinding signs, it is suggested that one type of sign become standardized. The only exception to the standardized sign should be the San Luis Obispo city directory signs. Directional arrows shall remain consistent with existing city and state standards. Route 1A currently operates on a 45-minute loop, the introduction of an alternating route would suffice in serving SBP. This route would take up one of every two Route 1A trips meaning that both Route 1A and hypothetical 1AA would run on a 90 minute headway. It is suggested that this route modification be brought to stakeholders and SLO Transit come the next route adjustment opportunity. Another improvement is the building and completion of the Edna-Price Canyon Trail from Los Ranchos Road to Tank Farm Road as identified by the Edna-Price Canyon 31

39 Trail Feasibility Study. This will ensure better pedestrian and bicycle access to and from the airport. It is recommended that a study be initiated to determine the potential for grouped service hotel shuttle. The idea is that a group of hotels within close proximity to one another run a single shuttle to the airport. Areas to potentially initiate a hotel shuttle service could include: Cambria, Paso Robles, Pismo Beach and San Luis Obispo. An employer s association could be created with the purpose of subsidizing a shuttle service for businesses within the airport business park. The shuttle may begin with a single, large employer to incorporate additional businesses over time. This shuttle could serve employees to the airport, downtown for lunch or shopping, to medical services, or to nearby transit stops. Upon the introduction of businesses beyond the starter, cooperation is required to coordinate and finance drivers and to ensure proper scheduling practices. There are a few methods that companies may subsidize the employer s shuttle; a small payroll deduction for each employee of each participating business or begin charging parking fees for all private vehicle parking. There are also methods that employers could use to incentivize the use of the employer shuttle. One way is to create a rewards program for using the shuttle over driving a private vehicle. If employees are required to pay to park, another incentive could be the refunding of parking fees for employees who utilize the service. 32

40 Chapter 3 Paso Robles Municipal Airport The Paso Robles Municipal Airport (FAA LID: PRB) is owned by the City of Paso Robles and provides an important service to commercial and recreational flight as the only commercial airport serving North County. As described in the 2014 RTP/SCS, the Paso Robles Municipal Airport will continue to have the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) as an air attack base. In addition, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) houses a fixed-wing aircraft, used for speed enforcement, and a helicopter, used for accident search and rescue. Aviation activity in Paso Robles has remained stable in recent years. The 2014 RTP/SCS explains that the current economy has contributed to a slight decrease in general aviation traffic comparable to trends being experienced elsewhere in the industry; though there remains a notable level of corporate jet activity in the area. The County s North County Area Plan has indicated that public transit currently serves the airport through the Paso Robles Dial-A-Ride system. Caltrans has an active traffic camera located on US 101 overlooking 24 th Street and SR 46 East. No other traffic cameras are located closer to or overlooking the Airport Road and SR 46 East intersection. Figure 19 Paso Robles Municipal Airport Terminal 33

41 Figure 20 Paso Robles Municipal Airport Vicinity Map One of the goals related to the Paso Robles Municipal Airport indicated in the North County Area Plan specifies to capitalize on the significant transportation facilities already in place, including US 101, SR 46 East and SR 41, the Union Pacific Railroad and the Paso Robles Municipal Airport. 3.1 Proposed Projects The 2014 RTP/SCS describes changes to highway SR 46 East in an area that encompasses Airport Road. The 2014 RTP/SCS specifies the preparation of a project design and to complete necessary right-of-way acquisition for the widening of SR 46 East into separated four lane expressway from the Shandon Roadside Rest Stop to the San Luis Obispo-Kern County line. SLOCOG s 2014 RTP/SCS discusses interim improvements at Airport Road as well as projects which have been completed. One such improvement is addition of a westbound acceleration lane on SR 46 East. A recently constructed project was the right turn lane on Airport Road into westbound traffic on SR 46 East. Caltrans, SLOCOG and the City of Paso Robles are currently undertaking preliminary engineering and environmental studies to assess new controlled-access immediately 34

42 west of Airport Road at Union Road and SR 46 East. City of Paso Robles staff has met with Caltrans to discuss the potential alternatives to be analyzed in the draft Project Study Report (PSR). Six alternatives were presented by Hatch MacDonald and include: 1. Alternative 1: No Build Alternative 1 maintains the existing geometry of two-way stop controlled intersection at Union and Airport roads. 2. Alternative 2: Signalized Intersection Alternative 2 realigns the north and south legs approximately 250 feet east of the existing configuration and provides a signal. This realignment provides an intersection with approaches that are approximately at right angles (90 degrees) to each adjacent leg. This alternative was determined non-viable in the approved Project Study Report (April 2014). 3. Alternative 3: Roundabout Alternative 3 modifies the existing intersection from a side-street stop to a roundabout controlled intersection in approximately the same location as the existing intersection. This alternative was also determined non-viable in the approved Project Study Report. 4. Alternative 4: Overcrossing Alternative 4 suggests an overcrossing structure that will be built over the existing SR 46 East / Union Road intersection. The alternative will not preclude future construction of a full interchange. This alternative would extend Union Road north to Wisteria Lane and, potentially, to Airport Road. Figure 21 SR 46/Union Road Improvement Alternative 4: Overcrossing 35

43 Figure 22 SR 46/Union Road Improvement Alternative 5: Half Clover-Leave Interchange 5. Alternative 5: Half Clover-Leaf Interchange Alternative 5 provides a half clover leaf interchange proposed over the existing SR 46 / Union Road intersection. This alternative would extend Union Road north to Wisteria Lane and, potentially, to Airport Road. The objective of the alternatives is to restrict or remove Union Road access from SR 46 East in generating new north-south access by extending Union Road to Wisteria Lane. Wisteria Lane could then be extended across the creek connecting with Airport Road. Upon the completion of alternate routing, the SR 46 East / Airport Road intersection will be modified to right-in/right-out ingress and egress or closure. The five alternatives were narrowed down to three and were discussed at a recent project development meeting (June 2016); a proposed overcrossing, a proposed half clover-leaf interchange, and an undercrossing with hook ramps. Alternative 1 suggests an overcrossing of Union Road and limited access to Union Road and Airport road to SR 46 East to right-in, right-out only. Alternative 2 would include construction of a half clover-leaf interchange at Union Road and SR 46 East; this improvement would result in the closure of Airport Road. Alternative 3 would include construction of an undercrossing to direct Union Road traffic under the existing SR 46 East and the Huer Huero Creek Bridge. Union Road would be limited to only an on-ramp for eastbound SR 46 East traffic and right-in, right-out ingress and egress movements for westbound traffic. The results of this meeting were to return to drafting new design layouts for each alternative. From the Paso Robles General Plan, the alignment of parallel route(s) shall be studied by the City, and constructed with development of the land uses north and south of SR 36

44 46 East. Specific recommendations of the State Route (SR 46 E) Parallel Routes Study include: - A connection between Airport Road and Golden Hill Road via the Wisteria Lane corridor, including a bridge over Huer Huero Creek. - A connection between the northern terminus of Golden Hill Road and the western terminus of Dry Creek Road, including a bridge over Huer Huero Creek. - Improvements to the intersection of eastbound SR 46 East and Union Road. The City shall monitor traffic levels and plan for a grade-separated interchange and interim improvements as needed. The improvement of this intersection will require that Union Road be extended north to connect to Airport Road, so that access to uses in the Airport Area would be provided via the new intersection at SR 46 East and Union Road. On August 2, 2016 City of Paso Robles City Council approved the rezoning and subdivision of 212 acres of land with the purpose of expanding the Golden Hills Business Park. The land rezoned to allow commercial and industrial uses and was subdivided with plans for a new road connecting Wisteria Lane to Airport Road. The connection of this SR 46 East parallel route will provide an alternate route to the Paso Robles Municipal Airport and will help to alleviate traffic at the Airport Road and SR 46 East intersection. 3.2 Airport Wayfinding Signage Wayfinding signage leading to the Paso Robles Municipal Airport is found mostly directing traffic coming from the south (from Paso Robles) utilizing US 101. These northbound US 101 signs lead people onto eastbound SR 46 East and then north onto Airport Road. Locations of wayfinding signage are listed below; more information is available in Appendix A Wayfinding Signage Descriptions: Approach from northbound US Northbound US 101 prior to the 24 th Street/SR 46 East exit ramp (exit 231) - Northbound US 101 and 24 th Street/SR 46 East exit ramp (exit 231) - Eastbound SR 46 East beyond the Union Road /Paso Robles Boulevard and SR 46 East intersection - Eastbound SR 46 East just west of Airport Boulevard Approach from southbound US Southbound US 101 and 24 th Street/SR 46 East exit ramp (exit 231B) 37

45 Approach from westbound SR 46 East - Westbound SR 46 East prior to Airport Road 3.3 Recommendations Recommendations to improve upon ground access for the Paso Robles Municipal Airport include: 1. New Interchange and/or alternatives at Union Road and SR 46 East as discussed in proposed projects 2. Northerly road extension and bridge over Huer Huero Creek connecting with Airport Road as discussed in proposed projects 3. Interim alleviation of congestion and delay at Airport Road and SR 46 East through channelization and other means 4. Improvements to Airport Road shoulders approaching the Paso Robles Municipal Airport 5. Additional airport wayfinding signage These recommendations are a planning-level assessment; costs are currently not associated with the suggestions Recommendation Explanations Figure 23 Turning Movement Counts at Airport Road and SR 46 East (January 2016) There are a variety of access concerns with the Airport Road and SR 46 East intersection. Figure 23 shows existing turning volumes at this intersection. The large number of vehicles attempting to make a left turn from eastbound SR 46 East onto Airport Road is constrained by the large volume of westbound SR 46 East vehicles, potentially causing issues with delay. Similarly, although the left-turning volume coming from southbound Airport Road onto eastbound SR 46 East is low, there is no right- or left-turn dedicated turn-lane; there is a very minor flare, on Airport Road. Considering the volume of traffic on SR 46 East in both directions, it is 38

46 Figure 25 Existing LOS at Airport Road and SR 46 East conceivable that one left-turning vehicle can cause a large delay. Another issue is the difficulty for vehicles making a right turn from Airport Road onto SR 46 East. It is plausible that the large volume of westbound SR 46 East traffic make it difficult for a sufficient gap for right-turning vehicles to merge. This issue is further complicated due to the lack of an acceleration lane for merging vehicles. Figure 24 shows an overall acceptable level of service for the intersection as a whole while vehicles making a left turn at Airport Road experience a much longer delay, both in the morning and evening, resulting in a worse level of service. Figure 25 shows that in the future while again the overall movement of the intersection is acceptable, the level of service for southbound left-turning vehicles from Airport Road onto eastbound SR 46 East is unacceptable. There are a few key difficulties in regards to access concerns to Airport Road from eastbound SR 46 East traffic. Although a left-turn pocket that extends 950 feet, often steady eastbound traffic on SR 46 East limit the number of acceptable gaps in vehicle traffic to allow for a safe crossing of westbound SR 46 East. Additionally, there is potentially limited sight distance at the left-turn lane to Airport Road due to the crest of a hill just to the east. There may be little that can be done to solve this problem short of some variation of the intersection. The ultimate plan is improved access at Union Road as previously discussed Figure 24 Future LOS at Airport Road and SR 46 East 39

47 There are numerous difficulties with entering SR 46 East in either direction from Airport Road, mainly due to vehicle congestion and delay. Especially during late afternoon hours, beginning in the middle of the afternoon, visitors to the Ravine Water Park create a spike in roadway demand that bottlenecks at the Airport Road and SR 46 East intersection. The entrance to the water park is on Airport Road, approximately 600 feet north of SR 46 East. The congestion is a product of a few limiting factors. The first is that Airport Road at SR 46 East is a single lane at a side-street, stop-controlled intersection, only allowing a single vehicle to pass through at a time when SR 46 East traffic experiences a gap in traffic. Another limiting factor is that the eastern portion of Airport Road at SR 46 East is bordered by the bridge that eventually crosses Huer Huero Creek. A third cause for congestion on Airport Road at SR 46 East is the lack of an acceleration lane for Airport Road traffic merging onto SR 46 East. This lack of an acceleration lane is due to the limited amount of space on SR 46 East between Airport Road and the bridge over Huer Huero Creek. It is recommended that an engineer determine the feasibility of a low-cost restriping improvement. Potential interim solutions for merging Airport Road traffic onto SR 46 East include: - Channelize Airport Road by restriping the intersection to allow left and right turning lanes onto SR 46 East - Create, or repaint SR 46 East to include a merge lane - In planning for special events, condense SR 46 East westbound traffic into one lane in order to allow vehicles from Airport Road direct access to a lane on SR 46 East The existing striping at the Airport Road and SR 46 East intersection may include enough room to consider channelization options. In this case, there is a significant amount of right-of-way behind the painted shoulder line that, if channelized, would create a much wider intersection on Airport Road. It is feasible that there will be enough space once the shoulder has been reduced to generate an additional lane at this intersection. It is suggested that this space be utilized to separate the southbound movement on Airport Road into a right-turn lane and a left-turn lane. Considering the relatively low volume of left-turning vehicles, a lane long enough to queue one or two left-turning vehicles should suffice. Caltrans has proposed the consultation of AASHTO s Highway Design Manual to determine minimum shoulder and turning-lane widths as it is the standard document for highway design guidelines. It is the likely the responsibility of the City of Paso Robles to secure funding for this channelization project as Airport Road is located within the city limits. 40

48 While it is a potential interim improvement, to be further assessed by a traffic engineer, the addition of an acceleration lane on westbound SR 46 East from Airport Road was determined infeasible. This is this is due to an inadequate distance between the intersection where the acceleration lane would begin and the beginning of the Huer Huero Bridge. The result is that merging traffic from Airport Road will begin to queue on the acceleration lane rather than at the intersection itself. A final interim suggestion to improve the functionality of the SR 46 East/Airport Road intersection after large events is to file for a permit to close a single westbound lane on SR 46 East. This lane closure would be intended to allow for easier access from Airport Road. The purpose of this suggestion is only to alleviate congestion after the conclusion of large events, such as an air show, and would only account for a temporary westbound SR 46 East lane closure. On the approach to the Paso Robles Municipal Airport on northbound Airport Road, there is an issue with a lack of roadway shoulders beginning at Dry Creek Road. A roadway resurfacing project caused the surface level of the roadway to rise a few inches. The pave-out of this project only included the width of the lane; this has created a drop-off to the roadway shoulder. In several locations, ruts have formed from vehicles leaving the elevated roadway down into the non-paved shoulder before correcting course back into the narrow lane. This is especially evident at the intersection of Airport Road and Dry Creek Road; the radius of the right-turn of the roadway is too narrow for vehicles to follow, which has generated a deep rut. It is suggested that shoulders be constructed along this roadway prior to the depths of the ruts become a greater hazard. In terms of signage, it is recommended that an airport sign be located on southbound US 101 prior to the 24 th Street/ SR 46 East exit at the appropriate distance. The addition of an airport sign is recommended to be added to the overhead directional sign for SR 46 East (for Fresno and Bakersfield), which is located on the US 101 overpass at 24 th Street and SR 46 East. This sign is visible to eastbound traffic on 24 th Street and offers direction to the airport for travelers coming from downtown Paso Robles. No airport signs exist along Airport Road, it is suggested that a directional airport sign (or a wayfinding monument) be located at either the threshold of the airport or prior to the airport terminal driveway to direct visitors to the terminal. On eastbound Estrella Road (north of Paso Robles), a directional sign to Airport Road and Paso Robles is located approximately 375 feet west of the Airport Road/Estrella Road intersection; it is recommended that a small airport sign be attached to the existing sign. 41

49 At the northwest corner of the intersection at Jardine Road and Dry Creek Road there exists a pictorial directional sign for the Estrella Warbird Museum, an additional small airport sign should be attached to the existing sign. With the addition of this directional sign, a new airport directional airport sign will need to be located at the northeastern corner of the Airport Road and Dry Creek Road intersection prior to the existing stop sign. 42

50 Chapter 4 Oceano County Airport The Oceano County Airport is a basic utility airport which is most frequently used for private aviation. The operation of the airport and its environs are subject to FAA regulations, while long-range planning of the airport and its surrounding land uses is outlined in the Oceano County Airport Land Use Plan (1976). As described in the County s South County Area Plan, the FAA Part 77 regulation, in part, addresses hazardous interference with air traffic by the height of buildings and structures, and electronic emissions which could impede aircraft communications and navigation. The Oceano County Airport Land Use Plan defines compatible land uses and performance standards for six specific "zones" around the airport. The County s San Luis Bay Area Coastal Plan notes that the Oceano County Airport is expected to remain an airport primarily used for recreational purposes. Expansion of the Oceano County Airport is limited due to the buildout of surrounding land and its proximity to the ocean. Expansion would require discussions with surrounding land owners in addition to Figure cooperation 26 Entrance with to the Oceano California County Coastal Airport Commission. Though not a currently 43

51 operating route, South County Transit (SCT) Route 23 services the airport on a 30- minute headway. 4.1 Proposed Projects The Oceano County Airport (FAA LID: L52), as a small general aviation airport, does not often experience high volume ground access events. As such, the 2014 RTP/SCS specifies that no significant surface access modifications are anticipated. In addition, there are no circulation programs addressed to improve airport ground access as noted in the Oceano Community Plan. The Oceano County Airport does, however, have a list of internal projects such as the installation of an automated weather system, beacon tower replacement, the initiation of a Capital Improvements Plan and the widening of the runway to meet minimum requirements by code. No changes to overall operations are considered at this time. Figure 27 Oceano County Airport Vicinity Map 44

52 4.2 Airport Wayfinding Signage As the Oceano County Airport does not support commercial air service there are a limited number airport wayfinding signs. Locations of wayfinding signage are listed below; more information is available in Appendix A Wayfinding Signage Descriptions: Northbound from SR 1 - Northbound SR 1 just south of the Pershing Drive intersection - Southwest corner of Pershing Drive and Railroad Street intersection - Although currently absent, it appeared as if a sign existed at the northwest corner of Railroad Street and Air Park Drive Southbound from SR 1 - Southbound SR 1 just north of the Pershing Drive intersection 4.3 Pedestrian Facilities The extension of pedestrian facilities from Pier Avenue to Oceano County Airport is a project that would improve ground access to the airport. There are a few things to consider when discussing the addition of pedestrian facilities along Air Park Drive: 1. Oceano County Airport: There are no existing pedestrian facilities on Air Park Drive along Oceano County Airport. 2. Oceano Park: From Pier Avenue, will more people utilize pedestrian facilities to access Oceano Park or the Oceano County Airport? 3. Oceano Memorial Campground: There are no pedestrian facilities on Air Park Drive along the Oceano Memorial Campground. 4. Air Park Drive Bridge crossing the Oceano Lagoon: The existing bridge on Air Park Drive crossing the Oceano Lagoon has built in space for pedestrian facilities on the north side of the roadway. A County Highway Bridge program intended to replace this bridge is still early in preliminary engineering. A new sidewalk should be a part of this improvement project. 5. Existing pedestrian facilities: Pedestrian facilities currently exist between Pier Avenue and approximately 50 feet prior to the Oceano Lagoon bridge on the north side of the roadway. The Oceano Lagoon bridge is built to accommodate pedestrian facilities. It is recommended that if pedestrian facilities are to be constructed along Air Park Drive, it should be done so on the north side of the street because all existing pedestrian facilities are already in place on that side of the street. It is recommended to: 1. Complete sidewalk access from the terminus of the existing sidewalk to the Oceano Lagoon Bridge. 45

53 2. Construct a sidewalk along Air Park Drive from the Oceano Lagoon Bridge and along Mendel Drive to connect to existing sidewalk facilities at Oceano Park. This configuration would only require a single cross-walk (across Norswing Drive) to access Oceano Park. 3. Install a crosswalk across Air Park Drive just west of Mendel Drive to allow pedestrians from the campground safe access to Oceano Park. 4. Construct a sidewalk to meet minimum (city/county/ca) design standards and ADA requirements between the southern terminus of the Air Park Drive crosswalk to the driveway of the Oceano County Airport. 5. ADA accessible pedestrian facilities are recommended to connect airport facilities to Air Park Drive through or around the existing airport parking lot. Figure 28 Pedestrian Facility Recommendations 4.4 Recommendations With the exception of installing pedestrian facilities between Pier Avenue and Oceano County Airport, there are a limited number of recommendations for ground access improvements at Oceano County Airport. It appears as if one of the airport directional signs had been removed from its intended location. It is recommended that an airport directional sign be replaced at the northwest corner of Railroad Street and Air Park Drive. This recommendation is a planning-level assessment; costs are currently not associated with the suggestions. 46

54 Referenced Documents Associated Transportation Engineers, Cannon, Lisa Wise Consulting, Inc., RRM Design Group, Wallace Group. (2015). San Luis Ranch Specific Plan: Preliminary Draft. City of San Luis Obispo California Department of Transportation District 5. (2002). State Route 227 Caltrans Transportation Concept Report: Transportation Planning Fact Sheet State Route (SR) 227 in San Luis Obispo County. State of California Department of Transportation. Caltrans Division of Aeronautics. (2011). California Airport Land Use Planning Handbook. State of California Department of Transportation. Caltrans Division of Aeronautics. (2011). California Aviation System Plan. State of California Department of Transportation. Cannon, RRM Design Group. (2015). Avila Ranch Development Plan. City of San Luis Obispo. City of Paso Robles. (2014). Project Study Report Project Development Support (PSR-PDS) to Request Programming for Capital Support On Route 46 in San Luis Obispo County. City of Paso Robles. City of Paso Robles Community Development Department and Fehr and Peers. (2012). Paso Robles General Plan: Circulation Element. City of Paso Robles City of San Luis Obispo. (2014). City of San Luis Obispo General Plan: Circulation Element. City of San Luis Obispo. City of San Luis Obispo Community Development Department. (2014). City of San Luis Obispo: Airport Area Specific Plan. City of San Luis Obispo. City of San Luis Obispo Community Development Department. (2004). Margarita Area Specific Plan: A Transit-Oriented Development. City of San Luis Obispo. Coffman Associates, Inc. (2004). Airport Master Plan Update for San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport. San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport. Coffman Associates, Inc. (2008). Airport Master Plan for Oceano Airport. Count of San Luis Obispo. 47

55 County of San Luis Obispo Planning and Building Department. (2013). North County Area Plan. Land Use and Circulation Element for the San Luis Obispo County General Plan. County of San Luis Obispo Planning and Building Department. (2009). San Luis Bay Area Plan: Coastal. Land Use and Circulation Element for the San Luis Obispo County General Plan. County of San Luis Obispo Planning and Building Department. (2013). San Luis Obispo Area Plan. Land Use and Circulation Element for the San Luis Obispo County General Plan. County of San Luis Obispo Planning and Building Department. (2013). South County Area Plan. Land Use and Circulation Element for the San Luis Obispo County General Plan. Digi West, Kimley Horn, Kittleson and Associates, Inc., Quality Counts, Regional Government Services, Rincon, Wallace Group. (2016). SR 227 Operations Study: Administrative Draft. San Luis Obispo County of Governments. Fehr and Peers. (2008). State Route (SR 46 E) Parallel Routes Study. City of Paso Robles. Landrum and Brown Team. (2001). Ground Access to Airport Study. State of California Department of Transportation. Omni Means. (2016). Prado Road I/C PSR Meeting Record. City of San Luis Obispo. Pierre Rademaker Design and Rick Engineering. (2014). South Broad Street Corridor Area Plan. City of San Luis Obispo. Rick Engineering: Traffic Division. (2016). Paso Vistas Report Traffic Impact Analysis. Mundee, Ken. San Luis Obispo County of Governments. (2015) Regional Transportation Plan/ Sustainable Communities Strategies: Connecting Communities. San Luis Obispo Council of Governments. State of California Department of Transportation. (2016) California Transportation Plan 2040: Integrating California s Transportation Future Final Review Draft. State of California Department of Transportation. 48

56 The Airport Land Use Commission of San Luis Obispo County. (2014). Proposed Amendment to the Airport Land Use Plan for the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport Working Draft. County of San Luis Obispo. Urbitran Associates, Inc. (2009). San Luis Obispo Short Range Transit Plan. City of San Luis Obispo. 49

57 Appendix A Wayfinding Signage Descriptions San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport Southbound on US 101 a small airport sign is attached to a larger Tourist Info sign which is located approximately 1,500 feet north of the Marsh Street exit ramp (exit 202A). Eastbound on Marsh Street, a large sign with a directional arrow is located on the southwest corner of the Broad Street and Marsh Street intersection. Northbound on US 101 a small airport sign is attached to a larger Los Osos Baywood Park next exit sign which is located approximately 2,000 feet south of the Los Osos Valley Road off-ramp (exit 200A). A large, stand-alone airport sign with a directional arrow is located north of the right-turn lane of the Los Osos on-ramp at Los Osos Valley Road. A large, stand-alone airport sign with a directional arrow is located on Los Osos Valley Road in the south bound direction approximately 200 feet from the intersection at South Higuera Street and Los Osos Valley Road. A large, stand-alone airport sign with a directional arrow is located at the southeast corner of South Higuera Street and Tank Farm Road, adjacent to the right turning lane of the South Higuera Street. Along southbound SR 227/ Broad Street, a large airport sign is located approximately 220 feet north of the Aero Drive intersection. In addition, a small airport sign is conjoined with the Aero Drive street sign. Northbound on SR 227/ Broad St. to the south of the airport, a large airport sign is located approximately 520 feet south of the Aero Drive intersection. In addition, a small airport sign is conjoined with the Aero Drive street sign. Westbound on Monterey Street, there is a San Luis Obispo city directory sign which, amongst other destinations, indicates the direction to the airport with a directional arrow approximately 190 feet from the Santa Rosa Street and Monterey Street intersection. Approximately 80 feet closer to the Santa Rosa Street and Monterey Street intersection (approximately 110 feet away from the intersection) stands a large, stand-alone airport sign with a directional arrow. A-1

58 Westbound on Monterey Street, there is a San Luis Obispo city directory sign with the airport called out and a directional arrow located approximately 200 feet prior to the Osos Street and Monterey Street intersection. Traveling southbound on Santa Rosa Street from US 101, a San Luis Obispo city directory sign indicates the path to the airport with a directional arrow approximately 160 feet from the Santa Rosa Street and Higuera Street intersection. A more standardized airport sign with directional arrow is located approximately 60 feet after the city sign, approximately 100 feet from the Santa Rosa Street and Higuera Street intersection. A large airport sign with a directional arrow is located at the southwest corner of Garden Street and Higuera Street. Two large airport signs with directional arrows, one on either side of the street, are located along Higuera Street approximately 200 feet from the Broad Street and Higuera Street intersection in downtown San Luis Obispo. Approaching Broad Street on Santa Rosa Street, a large San Luis Obispo city directory sign indicates the path to the airport with a directional arrow. Paso Robles Municipal Airport On the southbound exist at 24 th Street/SR 46 East from US 101, there exists a small airport sign attached to a larger Fresno/ Bakersfield directional sign. Northbound on US 101, a sign located approximately 3100 feet prior to the 24 th Street/ SR 46 East exit (exit 231) indicates 24 th Street followed by Airport below; directing travelers to take the next right. Northbound on the US 101 exit ramp to 24 th St/ SR 46 East, accompanying a Fresno/ Bakersfield directional sign is a large airport sign located approximately 300 feet prior to the off ramp and 24 th Street/ SR 46 East intersection. Eastbound on SR 46 East, a small airport sign accompanies a directional sign for Paso Robles Youth Corr. Facility next left, this sign is located approximately 150 feet past the Union Road/ Paso Robles Boulevard and SR 46 East intersection. Eastbound on SR 46 East, a small airport sign accompanies a sign for Airport Road and Paso Robles Youth Correctional Facility, each adjacent to a directional arrow. This sign is located approximately 80 feet from the SR 46 East and Airport Road intersection. A-2

59 Westbound on SR 46 East, a small airport sign accompanies a sign notifying Airport Road and Paso Robles Youth Correctional Facility, each adjacent to a directional arrow. This sign is located approximately 350 feet from the Airport Road and SR 46 East intersection. Oceano County Airport Northbound on SR 1, an airport sign with a directional arrow is located approximately 200 feet from Pershing Drive intersection. An airport sign with a directional arrow exists at the southwest corner of Railroad Street and Pershing Drive. Absent was a wayfinding sign at the northwest corner of Railroad Street and Air Park Drive directing traffic to travel down Air Park Dive to access the Oceano County Airport. It appears as if a directional sign existed at this location at one point in time. Southbound on SR 1, an airport sign with a directional arrow is located approximately 200 feet north of Pershing Drive intersection. Figure 29 Airport Wayfinding Signs Found in San Luis Obispo County A-3

60 Appendix B Project Reference San Luis Obispo SLO City General Plan Chapter 2 - Circulation Project # Project Description Prado Road Extention West Prado Road Extention East Buckley Road Extesion Santa Fe Road Extension Tank Farm Road Tank Farm to Buckley Collector Prado Road & US 101 Interchange Extend and widen Prado Rd. as an Arterial street with 2 lanes in each direction, a center turn lane/landscaped median, Class II bike lanes, sidewalks and Class I bike lanes (where feasible) from US 101 to Madonna. Widen and extend Prado Rd. as an Highway/Regional Route Arterial with 2 lanes in each direction, a center turn lane/landscaped median, Class II bike lanes, sidewalks and Class I bike lanes (where feasible) from US 101 to Broad Street. ROW Limitations east of Higuera outside of the MASP area may limit the City s ability to install Class I facilities. (See MASP) Extend Buckley Road as an Arterial street from Vachell Lane to Higuera Street. (See AASP) Realign and Extend Santa Fe Road as a Commercial Collector from Hoover Avenue to Prado Road including construction of a new bridge at Acacia Creek and round-a-bout at Tank Farm Road. (See AASP) Widen Tank Farm Road as a Parkway Arterial with 2 lanes in each direction, a center turn lane/landscaped median, Class II bike lanes, sidewalks and Class I bike lanes (where feasible) from Higuera to Broad. (See AASP) Construct a new North / South collector between Tank Farm Road & Buckley Road in the vicinity of Horizon Lane. Build full interchange at 101. Development of San Luis Ranch (Dalidio) Area shall include a circulation analysis of alternatives to a full access interchange, an analysis of compact interchange designs that minimize open space / ag. land impacts, and an analysis of potential incremental phasing of the interchange elements. B-1

61 B-2