APPENDIX C. TRANSPORTATION TECHNICAL REPORT

Transcription

1 APPENDIX C. TRANSPORTATION TECHNICAL REPORT Environmental Assessment November 2016 South Central Light Rail Extension

2 This page is intentionally left blank. Environmental Assessment November 2016 South Central Light Rail Extension

3 Environmental Assessment Transportation Technical Report SOUTH CENTRAL LIGHT RAIL EXTENSION March 2016

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5 CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTRODUCTION NO-BUILD ALTERNATIVE BUILD ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION CONDITIONS ROADWAYS AND STREET CLASSIFICATION CURBSIDE USES: ON-STREET PARKING, LOADING ZONES AND BUS ZONES TRAFFIC VOLUME Average Daily Traffic PM Peak Hour Traffic Counts TRANSIT Bus Light Rail EXISTING PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS TRAFFIC OPERATIONAL ANALYSIS METHODOLOGY TRAFFIC DIVERSION CONSIDERATIONS SPECIAL EVENTS TRAFFIC ANALYSIS ASSUMPTIONS AND APPROACH Traffic Volumes Roadway Geometry Design Speed Signal Timing and Phasing Transit Input Parking Input TRAFFIC OPERATIONS ANALYSIS RESULTS Conditions No-Build Build Mitigation McKinley Loop IMPACTS TO ON-STREET AND OTHER OFF-STREET PARKING ON-STREET PARKING IMPACTS No-Build Alternative Build Alternative Transportation Technical Report i March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

6 4.2 OFF-STREET PARKING IMPACTS Park-and-Rides IMPACTS TO ON-STREET LOADING ZONES NO-BUILD ALTERNATIVE BUILD ALTERNATIVE REPLACEMENT OPPORTUNITIES IMPACTS ON PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE FACILITIES NO-BUILD ALTERNATIVE BUILD ALTERNATIVE Pedestrian Facilities Bicycle Facilities IMPACTS ON TRANSIT NO-BUILD ALTERNATIVE BUILD ALTERNATIVE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE CENTER EXPANSION IMPACTS ON TRUCK ROUTES NO-BUILD ALTERNATIVE BUILD ALTERNATIVE IMPACTS ANTICIPATED DURING CONSTRUCTION MAINTENANCE OF TRAFFIC NO-BUILD ALTERNATIVE BUILD ALTERNATIVE APPENDICES APPENDIX A: TRAFFIC ANALYSIS SYNCHRO REPORTS TABLES TABLE 1: SUMMARY OF INTERSECTION ANALYSIS... 2 TABLE 2: STUDY INTERSECTIONS AFFECTED BY SOUTH CENTRAL LIGHT RAIL EXTENSION PROPOSED MITIGATION... 5 TABLE 3: TRANSPORTATION ELEMENTS AFFECTED BY SOUTH CENTRAL LIGHT RAIL EXTENSION... 5 TABLE 4: 2015 ROADWAY CHARACTERISTICS ALONG SOUTH CENTRAL... 5 TABLE 5A: 2015 CURBSIDE USES ALONG SOUTH CENTRAL LIGHT RAIL EXTENSION ROUTE PARKING AND LOADING ZONES... 8 Transportation Technical Report ii March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

7 TABLE 5B: 2015 CURBSIDE USES ALONG SOUTH CENTRAL LIGHT RAIL EXTENSION ROUTE BUS ZONES... 9 TABLE 6: SOUTH CENTRAL CORRIDOR BUS TRANSIT ROUTES TABLE 7: 2015 PM PEAK HOUR PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE COUNTS TABLE 8: SIGNALIZED INTERSECTION LEVEL OF SERVICE DEFINITIONS TABLE 9: UNSIGNALIZED INTERSECTION LEVEL OF SERVICE DEFINITIONS TABLE 10: NO-BUILD AND BUILD PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE VOLUMES TABLE 11: INTERSECTION LEVEL OF SERVICE AND DELAY (PM PEAK) TABLE 13: STUDY INTERSECTIONS MITIGATION FOR BUILD ALTERNATIVE TABLE 14A: ON-STREET PARKING INVENTORY AND IMPACTS FOR NORTH/SOUTH STREETS A TABLE 14B: ON-STREET PARKING INVENTORY AND IMPACTS FOR EAST/WEST STREETS A TABLE 15: NO-BUILD AND BUILD TRANSIT OPERATIONS FIGURES FIGURE 1: BUILD ALTERNATIVE... 3 FIGURE 2: AVERAGE 24-HOUR TRAFFIC VOLUMES FIGURE 3A: SOUTH CENTRAL STUDY INTERSECTIONS (NORTHERN SECTION) FIGURE 3B: SOUTH CENTRAL STUDY INTERSECTIONS (SOUTHERN SECTION) FIGURE 4A: 2015 LANE CONFIGURATION AND TRAFFIC CONTROL FIGURE 4B: 2015 LANE CONFIGURATION AND TRAFFIC CONTROL FIGURE 4C: 2015 LANE CONFIGURATION AND TRAFFIC CONTROL FIGURE 4E: 2015 LANE CONFIGURATION AND TRAFFIC CONTROL FIGURE 4D: 2015 LANE CONFIGURATION AND TRAFFIC CONTROL FIGURE 5A: 2015 TURNING MOVEMENT VOLUMES PM PEAK HOUR FIGURE 5C: 2015 TURNING MOVEMENT VOLUMES PM PEAK HOUR FIGURE 5B: 2015 TURNING MOVEMENT VOLUMES PM PEAK HOUR FIGURE 5E: 2015 URNING MOVEMENT VOLUMES PM PEAK HOUR FIGURE 5D: 2015 TURNING MOVEMENT VOLUMES PM PEAK HOUR FIGURE 6A: TRANSIT NETWORK (2015 CONDITIONS) LOCAL SERVICE FIGURE 6B: TRANSIT NETWORK (2015 CONDITIONS) REGIONAL SERVICE FIGURE 7A: NO-BUILD TURNING MOVEMENT VOLUMES PM PEAK HOUR FIGURE 7B: NO-BUILD TURNING MOVEMENT VOLUMES PM PEAK HOUR FIGURE 7C: NO-BUILD TURNING MOVEMENT VOLUMES PM PEAK HOUR Transportation Technical Report iii March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

8 FIGURE 7D: NO-BUILD TURNING MOVEMENT VOLUMES PM PEAK HOUR FIGURE 7E: NO-BUILD TURNING MOVEMENT VOLUMES PM PEAK HOUR FIGURE 8A: BUILD LANE CONFIGURATION AND TRAFFIC CONTROL FIGURE 8C: BUILD LANE CONFIGURATION AND TRAFFIC CONTROL FIGURE 8B: BUILD LANE CONFIGURATION AND TRAFFIC CONTROL FIGURE 8E: BUILD LANE CONFIGURATION AND TRAFFIC CONTROL FIGURE 8D: BUILD LANE CONFIGURATION AND TRAFFIC CONTROL FIGURE 9A: BUILD TURNING MOVEMENT VOLUMES PM PEAK HOUR FIGURE 9B: BUILD TURNING MOVEMENT VOLUMES PM PEAK HOUR FIGURE 9C: BUILD TURNING MOVEMENT VOLUMES PM PEAK HOUR FIGURE 9E: BUILD TURNING MOVEMENT VOLUMES PM PEAK HOUR FIGURE 9D: BUILD TURNING MOVEMENT VOLUMES PM PEAK HOUR FIGURE 10: INTERSECTIONS NEEDING MITIGATION FIGURE 11: BUILD MITIGATION INTERSECTIONS FIGURE 12: TYPICAL BIKE BOX FIGURE 13A: BUILD ALTERNATIVE TRANSIT NETWORK LOCAL SERVICE FIGURE 13B: BUILD ALTERNATIVE TRANSIT NETWORK REGIONAL SERVICE Transportation Technical Report iv March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

9 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In 2011, Valley Metro and the City of Phoenix initiated a transit study analyzing the opportunity to connect Downtown Phoenix and South Central with high-capacity transit. After a couple of years of technical analysis and working with the local community, the South Central Light Rail Extension was recommended. The South Central Light Rail Extension is an approximately 5-mile-long southern extension of the existing light rail line on Central and 1st Avenues and would extend to the end of line at Baseline Road. This report summarizes the 2015 conditions and discusses the impacts of the proposed South Central Light Rail Extension (Build Alternative) on transportation elements in comparison with the No-Build Alternative. These transportation elements include traffic operations, parking, transit, pedestrian and bicycle facilities. The following three study scenarios were analyzed for each of the transportation elements: 2015 Conditions No-Build Build The traffic analysis was conducted to study the PM peak period (3:00pm to 6:00pm) using traffic counts obtained in August of 2015 and 2035 Travel Demand Model (TDM) projections. The PM peak hour was selected for analysis because it is typically when the highest potential for congestion occurs, thus representing a worst-case scenario. Synchro software was used for the intersection analysis and RODEL software for roundabout analysis. The City of Phoenix provided the following criteria to determine what constitutes an impact at an intersection and would require mitigation: For LOS A through D, if the Build Alternative maintains the same or improved LOS compared with the No-Build Alternative, it is not an adverse impact. However, if the Build Alternative LOS degrades below that of the No-Build Alternative, delays of greater than 5 percent would be considered an adverse impact and would require mitigation. For LOS E, the delay for the Build Alternative must be greater than 5 percent compared with the No-Build Alternative to be considered an adverse impact. Mitigation would be required for the adverse impact. LOS F would be considered an adverse impact and would require mitigation. Table 1 summarizes the results from the study analysis and the intersections LOS in the 2015 conditions, No-Build and Build conditions. Table 2 summarizes the study intersections that would be affected by the proposed South Central light rail project and would require mitigation according to the City of Phoenix criteria. It lists the intersection name, describes the mitigation and provides the ROW requirements. Transportation Technical Report ES-1 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

10 Int. ID a Intersection Name TABLE 1: SUMMARY OF INTERSECTION ANALYSIS 2015 Conditions No-Build Build Intersection Delay (seconds) LOS Intersection Delay (seconds) LOS Intersection Delay (seconds) 1 1st Ave and Washington St 29 C 29 C 32 C 2 Central Ave and Washington St 15 B 16 B 15 B 3 1st Ave and Jefferson St 21 C 34 C 20 B 4 Central Ave and Jefferson St 12 B 13 B 15 B 5 1st Ave and Madison St 2 A 2 A 4 A 6 Central Ave and Madison St 16 B 16 B 12 B 7 1st Ave and Buchanan St e 4 A 8 1st Ave and Lincoln St 28 D 28 C 10 B 9 Central Ave and Lincoln St 18 B 18 B 19 B 10 1st Ave and Grant St 15 b C b 17 b C b 11 B 11 Central Ave and Grant St 11 b B b 12 b B b 12 B 12 Central Ave and Hadley St 13 b B b 14 b B b 3 A 13 Central Ave and Buckeye Rd 55 E 41 D 35 C 14 Central Ave and Yuma St e 6 A 15 Central Ave and Mohave St 8 A 8 A 6 A 16a Central Ave and I-17 TI WB ramps 20 C 27 C 25 C 16b Central Ave and I-17 TI EB ramps 14 B 15 B 12 B 17 Central Ave and Watkins St 78 b F b >80 b F b 11 B 18 Central Ave and Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area Parking Entrance 17 b C b 23 b C b 2 A 19 Central Ave and Future Development North of Audubon c 20 Central Ave and Audubon Entrance 21 b C b 29 b D b 14 B 21 Central Ave and Pioneer St 18 b C b 25 b C b 12 B 22 Central Ave and Victory St 35 b E b 59 b F b 30 d D d LOS Transportation Technical Report ES-2 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

11 Int. ID a Intersection Name TABLE 1: SUMMARY OF INTERSECTION ANALYSIS 2015 Conditions No-Build Build Intersection Delay (seconds) LOS Intersection Delay (seconds) LOS Intersection Delay (seconds) 23 Central Ave and Elwood St 29 b D b 63 b F b 12 B 24 Central Ave and Jones Ave 27 b D b 44 b E b 4 A 25 Central Ave and Riverside St 38 b E b >80 b F b 8 A 26 Central Ave and Broadway 38 D 38 D 46 D 27 Central Ave and Tamarisk Ave 21 b C b 50 b F b 7 A 28 Central Ave and Private Dr e 12.3 b B b 29 Central Ave and Roeser Rd 15 B 15 B 19 B 30 Central Ave and Chambers St 15 b C b 19 b C b 10 B 31 Central Ave and Sunland Ave 48 b E b >80 b F b 9 A 32 Central Ave and Southern Ave 40 D 62 E 47 D 33 Central Ave and Lynne Ave 11 b B b 12 b B b 6 A 34 Central Ave and Alta Vista Rd 15 B 20 B 11 B 35 Central Ave and Vineyard Rd 14 b B b 17 b C b 6 A 36 Central Ave and Fremont Rd/Jesse Owens Pkwy 21 b C b 32 b D b 14 B 37 Central Ave and Western Canal e 8 A 38 Central Ave and Baseline Rd 36 D 56 E 54 D 39 7th St and Washington St f 56 E 28 C 37 D 40 7th St and Jefferson St 33 C 34 D 29 C 41 7th St and Lincoln St 15 B 18 B 18 B 42 7th St and Buckeye Rd 49 D 50 D 53 D 43a 7th St and I-17 TI WB Ramps 33 C 44 D 75 E 43b 7th St and I-17 TI EB Ramps 31 C 49 D 80 E 44 7th St and Broadway Rd 35 D 53 D 54 D 45 7th St and Southern Ave 39 D 57 E 59 E LOS Transportation Technical Report ES-3 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

12 Int. ID a Intersection Name TABLE 1: SUMMARY OF INTERSECTION ANALYSIS 2015 Conditions No-Build Build Intersection Delay (seconds) LOS Intersection Delay (seconds) LOS Intersection Delay (seconds) 46 7th St and Baseline Rd 50 D 76 E 79 E 47 7th Ave and Washington St 31 C 25 C 25 C 48 7th Ave and Jefferson St 30 C 30 C 29 C 49 7th Ave and Grant St/Lincoln St 16 B 17 B 20 B 50 7th Ave and Buckeye Rd 30 C 35 C 34 C 51a 7th Ave and I-17 TI WB Ramps 31 C 56 E 70 E 51b 7th Ave and I-17 TI EB Ramps 33 C 49 D 65 E 52 7th Ave and Broadway Rd 44 D 63 E 64 E 53 7th Ave and Southern Ave 30 C 53 D 68 E 54 7th Ave and Baseline Rd f 21 C 27 C 37 D Notes: Level of service from HCM2000 Synchro reports. Bolded italics indicate intersections with adverse impacts. Intersection 19 was not evaluated at this time because no specific development plans have been proposed and, thus, sufficient information about proposed traffic generated by the development does not exist. EB = eastbound, I-17 = Interstate 17, LOS = level of service, TI = traffic interchange, WB = westbound a Corresponds to numbered intersections in Figures 3A and 3B. b Unsignalized intersection approach with highest delay and corresponding approach LOS. c Intersection was not evaluated at this time since no specific development plans have been proposed and thus sufficient information about proposed traffic generated by the development does not exist. d Roundabout 15-second delay added to HCM2010 intersection delay to account for gate operation. The 15 seconds is for train (light rail transit) clearance, as discussed and agreed with City of Phoenix. e Intersection locations where no 2015 conditions or No-Build data exists. In these cases, Build Alternative traffic volumes were predicted based on traffic volumes at adjacent intersections. f The City of Phoenix provides signal optimization as a part of their ongoing traffic signal maintenance program. Signal optimization at these locations will enhance the LOS so that there is no adverse impact. LOS Transportation Technical Report ES-4 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

13 TABLE 2: STUDY INTERSECTIONS AFFECTED BY SOUTH CENTRAL LIGHT RAIL EXTENSION PROPOSED MITIGATION Study Intersection 7th St and I-17 7th Ave and I-17 7th Ave and Southern Ave Proposed Mitigation a Add a northbound right-turn lane in addition to existing through shared right lane, restripe eastbound through right as exclusive right and optimize signal timing. Add a northbound right-turn lane, southbound rightturn lane and optimize signal timing. Add a westbound right-turn lane, southbound rightturn lane and optimize signal timing. Right-of-Way Requirements None Additional ROW would be required for the southbound right-turn lane (at least 100 feet). a None Notes: I-17 = Interstate 17, ROW = right-of-way a The proposed mitigation is based on the information known at this conceptual level of engineering. Table ES-3 summarizes the impacts of the South Central Light Rail Extension on other transportation elements: parking, transit and pedestrian and bicycle facilities. TABLE 3: TRANSPORTATION ELEMENTS AFFECTED BY SOUTH CENTRAL LIGHT RAIL EXTENSION Element Impact Comments On-street parking Off-street parking Pedestrian facilities Bicycle facilities 5 on-street parking spaces and 1 loading zone removed on 1st Ave and Central Ave. Partial ROW acquisitions occur along Central Ave that could affect off-street parking at 7 locations. No impact No impact Ample parking is available in off-street structures. 16 additional spaces created on Jackson St. Approximately 109 parking spaces would be removed at these locations. The lots are generally underutilized. In the event that sufficient parking may not exist in a lot, ample off-street parking or unmarked curb parking on adjacent side streets is available close to any of these affected parking lots. Maintained or upgraded for Americans with Disabilities Act compliance. Addition of pedestrian signals at all proposed signalized intersections. Additional bicycle lane-feet added where necessary to create continuity of bicycle lanes along corridor from Madison Street to Baseline Road. Transportation Technical Report ES-5 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

14 Element Impact Comments Addition of the South Central Light Rail Extension. Removal of regional bus routes and reduction of local bus routes on Central Ave. to minimize duplicative service. Travel times through the South Central Corridor are Transit No impact likely to be faster than the No-Build Alternative because of implementation of priority signaling for light rail. The Build Alternative would provide a new, convenient and reliable transit option for passengers living and working in the South Central Light Rail Extension study area and would enhance regional transit connectivity and access. Transportation Technical Report ES-6 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

15 1.0 INTRODUCTION In 2011, Valley Metro and the City of Phoenix initiated a transit study analyzing the opportunity to connect Downtown Phoenix and South Central with high-capacity transit. After a couple of years of technical analysis and working with the local community, the South Central Light Rail Extension was recommended. The South Central Light Rail Extension is an approximately 5-mile-long southern extension of the existing light rail line on Central and 1st Avenues and would extend to the end of line at Baseline Road. The proposed light rail alignment would serve the South Central Avenue neighborhoods and activity centers and provide a direct link to the existing regional Valley Metro Light Rail System and the major transit center at Central Station in Downtown Phoenix. This report provides an assessment of, and potential mitigation for, the impacts of the No-Build and Build Alternatives, on the following transportation elements: traffic operations, on-street and off-street parking, transit, pedestrian and bicycle facilities and truck routes within the project study area. The No-Build and Build Alternatives are evaluated for the year 2035 which corresponds with the out year of the Maricopa Association of Governments Regional Transportation Plan. The report discusses the 2015 traffic conditions, which serve as a base to compare the No-Build and Build Alternatives transportation changes. The PM peak hour was selected for analysis because it is typically when the highest potential for congestion occurs, thus representing a worst-case scenario. The PM peak period is from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. This information will assist Valley Metro and the City of Phoenix in understanding the potential transportation impacts of the proposed project and in developing appropriate design strategies, where needed, to avoid or minimize adverse impacts. Definitions of the No-Build and Build Alternatives are described below and are explained in detail in Chapter 2.0 of the Environmental Assessment (EA). 1.1 NO-BUILD ALTERNATIVE The No-Build Alternative represents conditions in 2035 if the South Central Light Rail Extension Project were not built. It provides a point of comparison with the Build Alternative and is defined as the existing transit and roadway/highway system plus programmed (committed) transportation improvement projects. Valley Metro took a conservative approach and assumed committed projects to be only those projects contained in the current, fiscally constrained MAG 2035 Regional Transportation Plan and the City of Phoenix Capital Improvement Plan. 1.2 BUILD ALTERNATIVE The Build Alternative discussed in this EA would consist of an approximately five-milelong southern extension of the existing Valley Metro light rail line along Central and 1st Avenues in central Phoenix. The extension tracks would connect to the existing light rail system at Central Avenue and Washington Street in the northbound direction and at 1st Avenue and Jefferson Street in the southbound direction. The track would continue Transportation Technical Report 1 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

16 south along 1st and Central Avenues to Hadley Street, where the southbound track would follow the 1st Avenue one-way couplet curve to the east to rejoin Central Avenue. From Hadley Street to the extension s southern terminus at Baseline Road, both tracks would be located along Central Avenue. The South Central Light Rail Extension Project is scheduled to begin operations in 2023 (Figure 1). The southbound track would be side-running from its connection with the existing light rail system on 1st Avenue south of Jefferson Street to Lincoln Street, where it would transition to median-running and continue along the curved 1st Avenue segment of the one-way couplet before rejoining Central Avenue at Hadley Street. On Central Avenue, it would continue running in the median southbound to its terminus at Baseline Road. The northbound track would be median-running along Central Avenue from Baseline Road north to Buchanan Street, where it would transition to side-running and continue north to Madison Street. North of Madison Street, the track again would become median-running to its connection with the existing light rail system on Central Avenue at Washington Street. The alignment is primarily at grade, with the exception of where Central and 1st Avenues go under the UPRR and Jackson Street overpasses between Buchanan and Madison Streets. The track guideway would be exclusively reserved for light rail vehicles, physically separated from automobile traffic by a barrier such as a trackway curb. Typical cross sections are included in Chapter 2.0 of the EA. The Build Alternative includes expansion to the existing Valley Metro Operations and Maintenance Center (OMC) and two new park-and-ride (PNR) facilities near the proposed LRT alignment. Transportation Technical Report 2 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

17 FIGURE 1: BUILD ALTERNATIVE Transportation Technical Report 3 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

18 TRANSPORTATION CONDITIONS The existing transportation features within the South Central Light Rail Extension study area are documented in this section of the report. Table 4 summarizes the characteristics inventoried for the roadways along the proposed light rail alignment, which include: roadways, transit operations, on-street parking availability and pedestrian/bicycle facilities. For purposes of all elements of the transportation analysis with the exception of transit operations, the study area slightly differs from the project study area presented in Chapter 2.0 of the EA. For this report, the study area maintains the same eastern and western boundaries on 7th Street and 7th Avenue, respectively, but extends north and south only where new continuous trackwork would be installed between Washington Street and Baseline Road where there is potential for traffic to be affected by the proposed project. Although a new crossover would be located north of Washington Street at McKinley Street, the crossover would have no adverse impact on traffic for reasons discussed later in Section of this report. Therefore, the crossover area was not included in the study area. Because 7th Street and 7th Avenue are the primary arterial streets to where traffic might divert as a result of the light rail extension, they were evaluated to determine whether the project could affect them. 2.1 ROADWAYS AND STREET CLASSIFICATION The roadways that the planned light rail extension would traverse 1st and Central Avenues are classified as arterial streets. 1st Avenue is one-way southbound and Central Avenue is one-way northbound, between Washington Street and Hadley Street. The other major crossing and adjacent parallel streets within the study area are also arterial streets and include: 7th Street, 7th Avenue, Buckeye Road, Broadway Road, Southern Avenue and Baseline Road. Arterial streets are designed to carry large volumes of traffic and also accommodate transit, bicyclists and pedestrians. I-17 also exists in the study area as a major Interstate, connecting the Phoenix metropolitan area with Flagstaff, Arizona. I-17 interchanges at 7 th Street and 7 th Avenue provide direct access on and off I-17. Although Central Avenue does not have an interchange with direct access to I-17, traffic can use I-17 frontage roads between Central Avenue and the 7 th Avenue or 7 th Street interchanges depending on which direction the driver is traveling. The proposed light rail alignment starts on 1st and Central Avenues south of Washington Street, interlining with the existing Valley Metro light rail track. The alignment runs south following both 1st and Central Avenues, joins the track at Hadley Street and then continues south on Central Avenue. The proposed alignment terminates north of the Central Avenue and Baseline Road intersection. Table 4 summarizes the current travel lane configurations, locations of signalized and unsignalized intersections and posted speed limits for Central and 1st Avenues. Figures 3A and 3B present locations of the studied intersections, and Figures 4A to 4E illustrate the existing lane configuration and type of traffic control (for example, signals or no signals) provided at each intersection. Transportation Technical Report 4 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

19 Travel Lanes Washington St to Buchanan St: Three lanes southbound (one-way) Buchanan St to Hadley St: Two lanes southbound (one-way) Three lanes northbound (one-way) Two lanes in each direction with two-way left-turn lanes TABLE 4: 2015 ROADWAY CHARACTERISTICS ALONG SOUTH CENTRAL Speed Limit Washington St to Grant St: 30 mph Grant St to Hadley St: 35 mph Washington St to Lincoln St: 30 mph Lincoln St to Hadley St: 35 mph Hadley St to I-17: 35 mph Signalized Washington St Jefferson St Madison St Lincoln St Intersections Unsignalized Transit Routes 1st Ave Washington St to Hadley St Buchanan St Grant St Sherman St Hadley St Route 0 Central South Mountain (CSM) East Rapid CSM West Rapid Central Ave Washington St to Hadley St Washington St Jefferson St Madison St Lincoln St Buckeye Rd Mohave St I-17 interchange Buchanan St Grant St Hadley St Central Ave Hadley St to I-17 Tonto St Yavapai St Yuma St Papago St Pima St Apache St Durango St Route 0 CSM East Rapid CSM West Rapid Route 0 CSM East Rapid CSM West Rapid On-Street Parking East side between Jefferson St and Madison St West side between Jefferson St and Madison St Both sides from Grant St to Hadley St None Bicycle Striped bicycle lane between Lincoln St and Hadley St (west side) Striped bicycle lane between Madison St and Hadley St (east side) Striped bicycle lane each direction Pedestrian Sidewalks both sides Sidewalks both sides Sidewalks both sides Transportation Technical Report 5 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

20 Travel Lanes Two lanes in each direction with left-turn lanes and islands Two lanes in each direction with left-turn lanes and islands TABLE 4: 2015 ROADWAY CHARACTERISTICS ALONG SOUTH CENTRAL Speed Limit I-17 to Watkins St: 35 mph Watkins St to Pioneer St: 40 mph Pioneer St to Broadway Rd: 35 mph Broadway Rd to Southern Ave: 35 mph Signalized Broadway Rd Intersections Unsignalized Central Ave I-17 to Broadway Rd Watkins St Pioneer St Victory St Forest Grove Ave Elwood St Raymond St Fulton St West Rd Illini St Jones Ave Southgate Ave Riverside St Transit Routes Route 0 CSM East Rapid CSM West Rapid Central Ave Broadway Rd to Southern Ave Roeser Rd Southern Ave Corona Ave Marguerite Ave Tamarisk Ave Cody Dr Chambers St Sunland Ave Hidalgo Ave Route 0 Route 52 CSM East Rapid CSM West Rapid On-Street Parking None None Bicycle Striped bicycle lane each direction except SB striping between Riverside St and Broadway Rd Striped bicycle lane each direction Pedestrian Sidewalks both sides Sidewalks both sides Transportation Technical Report 6 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

21 Travel Lanes Two lanes in each direction with two-way left-turn lanes TABLE 4: 2015 ROADWAY CHARACTERISTICS ALONG SOUTH CENTRAL Speed Limit Southern Ave to St. Charles St: 35 mph St. Charles St to Baseline Rd: 40 mph Signalized Intersections Unsignalized Transit Routes Central Ave Southern Ave to Baseline Rd Alta Vista Rd Baseline Rd Source: Google Maps satellite images and street view, field check Notes: I-17 = Interstate 17, mph = miles per hour Lynne Ln St. Catherine Ave St. Anne Ave St. Charles Ave Vineyard Rd Greenway Rd Maldonado Pl Carson Rd Carter Rd Freemont Rd/ Jesse Owens Pkwy Route 0 CSM East Rapid CSM West Rapid On-Street Parking None Bicycle No continuous striped bicycle lane; occasional striping between minor intersections Pedestrian Sidewalks both sides Transportation Technical Report 7 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

22 2.2 CURBSIDE USES: ON-STREET PARKING, LOADING ZONES AND BUS ZONES Curbside uses of the public right-of-way contribute to the vitality and function of urban commercial streets. On-street parking in Downtown Phoenix is metered and time-limited to encourage turnover and to discourage long-term parking. According to the City of Phoenix website, 1 approximately 2,000 parking meters are found in the Downtown, Uptown Capitol and Phoenix College areas. Curbside load zones accommodate deliveries and pick-up/drop-off activities out of the travel lanes. City of Phoenix Municipal Code Chapter 36-1 defines a curb loading zone as a space adjacent to a curb reserved for the exclusive use of vehicles during the loading or unloading of passengers or materials. These are valuable assets where offstreet loading is not an option. Transit service, more specifically bus service, also requires curbside space for passenger boardings and alightings. Table 5A identifies the existing curbside parking and loading zones along the alignment on 1st and Central Avenues. The only on-street parking along the route occurs between Jefferson and Madison Streets, where three metered spaces are found along 1st Avenue. Currently, parking spaces exist on the western side of Central Avenue between Madison and Jefferson Streets. Nearby are 13 additional spaces on Madison Avenue (10 on the northern side and 3 on the southern side) between 1st and Central Avenues and eight spaces on the northern side of Jefferson between 1st and Central Avenues. One loading zone space is along the route on 1st Avenue just south of Jefferson Street. The loading zone is located in front of a building that is currently vacant. The loading zone cannot accommodate most commercial delivery vehicles because its short 25-foot length could only fit a pickup-sized truck. Table 5B summarizes the number of bus zones, or bus stops, on 1st and Central Avenues. TABLE 5A: 2015 CURBSIDE USES ALONG SOUTH CENTRAL LIGHT RAIL EXTENSION ROUTE PARKING AND LOADING ZONES Road Segment Jefferson St to Madison St Road Segment 1st Ave to Central Ave 1st Ave East Side Parking spaces: 3 Curb loading zone: 1 Madison Ave North Side Parking spaces: 10 Curb loading zone: 0 1st Ave West Side Parking spaces: 0 Curb loading zone: 0 Madison Ave South Side Parking spaces: 3 Curb loading zone: 0 Source: Google Maps satellite images and street view, field check Central Ave East Side Parking spaces: 0 Curb loading zone: 0 Jackson St North Side Parking spaces: 8 Curb loading zone: 0 Central Ave West Side Parking spaces: 5 Curb loading zone: 0 Jackson St South Side Parking spaces: 0 Curb loading zone: Transportation Technical Report 8 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

23 TABLE 5B: 2015 CURBSIDE USES ALONG SOUTH CENTRAL LIGHT RAIL EXTENSION ROUTE BUS ZONES Road Segment 1st Ave Southbound Central Ave Southbound Central Ave Northbound Washington St to Hadley St Bus stops: 2 N/A Bus stops: 5 a Hadley St to I-17 N/A Bus stops: 4 Bus stops: 5 I-17 to Broadway Rd N/A Bus stops: 5 Bus stops: 5 Broadway Rd to Southern Ave N/A Bus stops: 4 Bus stops: 5 Southern Ave to Baseline Rd N/A Bus stops: 6 b Bus stops: 4 Source: Valley Metro Bus Stop Database (2015) Note: I-17 = Interstate 17 a Includes stop just north of Washington St b Includes stop just south of Baseline Rd 2.3 TRAFFIC VOLUME Average Daily Traffic Average daily traffic (ADT) is the total volume of vehicle traffic of a highway or road for a year divided by 365 days. This helps assess the level of exposure on the study roadway. Figure 2 provides the ADT along the planned South Central Light Rail Extension alignment on 1st and Central Avenues. Historical traffic data were obtained from the City of Phoenix Traffic Counts, available on the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) Transportation Data Management System 2 and the City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department Traffic Volume Map. Volumes are higher on Central Avenue between Broadway Road and Southern Avenue, when compared with the other segments of Central Avenue between Washington Street and Baseline Road PM Peak Hour Traffic Counts The study intersections for which turning movement counts were either collected or calculated are shown in Figures 3A and 3B. The current lane configuration of the study intersections are shown in Figures 4A to 4E. TRA, a traffic data collection firm, obtained 3-hour PM peak hour turning movement counts in August Figures 5A to 5E provide the 2015 PM peak turning movement counts. Intersection numbers in Figures 5A to 5E correspond to the study intersections in Figures 3A and 3B. The 7th Street and 7th Avenue major arterial intersections have relatively higher volumes compared with the Central Avenue major arterial intersections, along which the light rail alignment is proposed. 2 Transportation Technical Report 9 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

24 FIGURE 2: AVERAGE 24-HOUR TRAFFIC VOLUMES Transportation Technical Report 10 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

25 FIGURE 3A: SOUTH CENTRAL STUDY INTERSECTIONS (NORTHERN SECTION) Transportation Technical Report 11 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

26 FIGURE 3B: SOUTH CENTRAL STUDY INTERSECTIONS (SOUTHERN SECTION) Transportation Technical Report 12 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

27 FIGURE 4A: 2015 LANE CONFIGURATION AND TRAFFIC CONTROL Transportation Technical Report 13 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

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29 FIGURE 4B: 2015 LANE CONFIGURATION AND TRAFFIC CONTROL FIGURE 4C: 2015 LANE CONFIGURATION AND TRAFFIC CONTROL Transportation Technical Report 15 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

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31 FIGURE 4D: 2015 LANE CONFIGURATION AND TRAFFIC CONTROL FIGURE 4E: 2015 LANE CONFIGURATION AND TRAFFIC CONTROL Transportation Technical Report 17 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

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33 FIGURE 5A: 2015 TURNING MOVEMENT VOLUMES PM PEAK HOUR Transportation Technical Report 19 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

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35 FIGURE 5B: 2015 TURNING MOVEMENT VOLUMES PM PEAK HOUR FIGURE 5C: 2015 TURNING MOVEMENT VOLUMES PM PEAK HOUR Transportation Technical Report 21 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

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37 FIGURE 5D: 2015 TURNING MOVEMENT VOLUMES PM PEAK HOUR FIGURE 5E: 2015 URNING MOVEMENT VOLUMES PM PEAK HOUR Transportation Technical Report 23 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

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39 2.4 TRANSIT The regional transit system in the vicinity of the South Central corridor, shown in Figures 6A and 6B, consists of commuter and local buses, local circulators, a local connector and the 23-mile existing light rail line that serves areas in Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa. Existing light rail stations in the traffic analysis study area pertinent to the transportation study are: Washington/Central Ave Jefferson/1st Ave Bus Two separate commuter services provide morning (AM) peak hour connections to Downtown Phoenix: Valley Metro operates peak period express bus service between suburban communities and Downtown Phoenix. The City of Phoenix operates RAPID bus service, which originates at dedicated park-and-ride facilities within city boundaries and provides peak period service to Downtown Phoenix. Local bus service typically operates on arterial streets in a grid pattern and serves a range of local and regional travel needs. Additionally, circulator buses provide access to neighborhood destinations and the core transit system. Downtown Phoenix is principally served by light rail, a local circulator bus, express and RAPID bus commuter services and multiple local bus routes. In addition, the Central Station Transit Center, in Downtown Phoenix, is one of the metropolitan area s most active transit centers and a major transfer hub. Arizona State University (ASU) offers a private shuttle service for its students that serves its Downtown campus. The shuttle service connects ASU Downtown to ASU West and ASU Tempe (Main). Table 6 shows the details of the agency and private bus transit routes within the transportation study area. Transportation Technical Report 25 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

40 FIGURE 6A: TRANSIT NETWORK (2015 CONDITIONS) LOCAL SERVICE Transportation Technical Report 26 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

41 FIGURE 6B: TRANSIT NETWORK (2015 CONDITIONS) REGIONAL SERVICE Transportation Technical Report 27 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

42 TABLE 6: SOUTH CENTRAL CORRIDOR BUS TRANSIT ROUTES Route Corridor/Description Local Bus Weekday Service Frequency (minutes) Peak Off-Peak Route 0 Central Ave Route 1 Washington St/Jefferson Ave Route 3 Van Buren St Route 7 7th St Route 8 7th Ave Route 13 Buckeye Rd Route 45 Broadway Rd Route 52 Roeser Rd Route 61 Southern Ave Route 77 Baseline Rd DASH Phoenix Business Circulator Central South Mountain East Central South Mountain West Circulator Bus Washington St/Jefferson Ave RAPID Bus Connects East Baseline Rd to Downtown Phoenix via Central Ave Connects West Baseline Rd to Downtown Phoenix via Central Ave None None I-10 East Connects I-10 East to Downtown Phoenix None I-10 West Connects I-10 West to Downtown Phoenix None I-17 Connects I-17 to Downtown Phoenix None SR 51 Connects SR 51 to Downtown Phoenix None Arizona State University (ASU) Shuttle Mercado Shuttle Connects ASU Tempe and ASU Downtown Maroon Shuttle Connects ASU Tempe, ASU Downtown and ASU West Express Bus Route 514 Scottsdale Express 90 None Route 520 Tempe Express 90 None Route 521 Tempe Express 45 None Route 522 Tempe Express 45 None Route 531 Mesa/Gilbert Express 30 None Route 533 Mesa Express 30 None Route 535 Northeast Mesa Express 36 None Route 541 Chandler Express 45 None Route 542 Chandler Express 45 None Transportation Technical Report 28 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

43 TABLE 6: SOUTH CENTRAL CORRIDOR BUS TRANSIT ROUTES Route Corridor/Description Weekday Service Frequency (minutes) Peak Off-Peak Route 562 Goodyear Express 45 None Route 563 Avondale/Buckeye Express 45 None Route 571 Surprise Express 45 None Route 573 Northwest Valley Express 45 None Route 575 Northwest Valley Express 60 None Grand Avenue Limited Connects Grand Avenue to Downtown Phoenix 90 None Notes: I-10 = Interstate 10, I-17 = Interstate 17, SR = State Route Light Rail Valley Metro Rail currently provides light rail service between Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa. Figure 1 shows the light rail alignment in the project study area of the South Central corridor. On weekdays, the current span of service is from about 4 a.m. to midnight, with a frequency of service ranging from 12 to 20 minutes, depending on the time of day and day of the week. 2.5 EXISTING PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS Non-motorized transportation is a significant component of existing and planned mobility in Downtown Phoenix and the South Central corridor. The City of Phoenix and the local bike community have placed importance on maintaining existing bike lanes and adding new ones. The Phoenix Sonoran bikeway 3 is a key bike route in City of Phoenix. This route runs along the study alignment on Central Avenue. The Sonoran Bikeway is a specially designated route that connects South Mountain Park and the Phoenix Sonoran Preserve (about 40 miles total). It is predominantly a Class II facility (operates in a bike lane), though some portions are Class III (bike route). It currently functions for both transportation and recreation as discussed in the City of Phoenix 2014 Comprehensive Bicycle Master Plan. Central Avenue, between Jefferson Avenue (North) and South Mountain Park (south of highline canal) serve as a critical component of the Sonoran Bikeway. This bikeway is not the only bike facility in the study area. Several other facilities cross perpendicular to Central Avenue at Southern Avenue, Roeser Road, and Durango St. In addition, other bike facilities are located along 7 th Street and 7 th Avenue. The existing pedestrian and bicycle facilities along the proposed alignment are presented in Table 4. Pedestrian and bicycle counts for 2015 (PM peak), obtained by TRA in August 2015, are presented in Table 7. Intersection numbers in Table 7 correspond to Figure 3A and 3B, which shows the study intersections. The Downtown study intersections have relatively higher pedestrian and bicycle activity when compared with the other study intersections along the proposed light rail alignment. 3 Transportation Technical Report 29 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

44 Int. ID a 16b TABLE 7: 2015 PM PEAK HOUR PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE COUNTS Intersection 1st Ave and Washington St Central Ave and Washington St 1st Ave and Jefferson St Central Ave and Jefferson St 1st Ave and Madison St Central Ave and Madison St 1st Ave and Buchanan St 1st Ave and Lincoln St Central Ave and Lincoln St 1st Ave and Grant St Central Ave and Grant St Central Ave and Hadley St Central Ave and Buckeye Rd Central Ave and Yuma St Central Ave and Mohave St Central Ave and I-17 TI WB Ramps Central Ave and I-17 TI EB Ramps Central Ave and Watkins St Central Ave and Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area Parking Entrance East Leg Pedestrian Volumes West Leg North Leg South Leg Bicycle Volumes EB WB NB SB Transportation Technical Report 30 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

45 Int. ID TABLE 7: 2015 PM PEAK HOUR PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE COUNTS Intersection Central Ave and future connection to development north of Audubon Central Ave and Audubon Entrance Central Ave and Pioneer St Central Ave and Victory St Central Ave and Elwood St Central Ave and Jones Ave Central Ave and Riverside St Central Ave and Broadway Central Ave and Tamarisk Ave Central Ave and Private Dr Central Ave and Roeser Rd Central Ave and Chambers St Central Ave and Sunland Ave Central Ave and Southern Ave Central Ave and Lynne Ave Central Ave and Alta Vista Rd Central Ave and Vineyard Rd Central Ave and Fremont Rd/Jesse Owens Pkwy Central Ave and Western Canal East Leg Pedestrian Volumes West Leg North Leg South Leg Bicycle Volumes EB WB NB SB N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Transportation Technical Report 31 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

46 Int. ID a 43b a 51b TABLE 7: 2015 PM PEAK HOUR PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE COUNTS Intersection Central Ave and Baseline Rd 7th St and Washington St 7th St and Jefferson St 7th St and Lincoln St 7th St and Buckeye Rd 7th St and I-17 TI WB Ramps 7th St and I-17 TI EB Ramps 7th St and Broadway Rd 7th St and Southern Ave 7th St and Baseline Rd 7th Ave and Washington St 7th Ave and Jefferson St 7th Ave and Grant St/Lincoln St 7th Ave and Buckeye Rd 7th Ave and I-17 TI WB Ramps 7th Ave and I-17 TI EB Ramps 7th Ave and Broadway Rd 7th Ave and Southern Ave 7th Ave and Baseline Rd East Leg Pedestrian Volumes West Leg North Leg South Leg Bicycle Volumes EB WB NB SB Source: Traffic counts obtained by TRA in August 2015 Notes: EB = eastbound, I-17 = Interstate 17, N/A = not applicable, NB = northbound, SB = southbound, TI = traffic interchange, WB = westbound Transportation Technical Report 32 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

47 3.0 TRAFFIC OPERATIONAL ANALYSIS This section of the report summarizes the traffic operations analysis conducted for the South Central Light Rail Extension. The traffic analysis was conducted for the PM peak hour traffic conditions at the study intersections shown in Figure 3A and 3B in Section 2.3 for the following scenarios: 2015 Conditions No-Build Alternative Build Alternative The PM peak hour was selected for analysis because it is typically when the highest potential for congestion occurs, thus representing a worst-case scenario. The PM peak period is from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. This analysis documents and compares the impacts of each of the above scenarios based on the conceptual design available at this phase of the study. 3.1 METHODOLOGY Traffic analysis of roadway and intersection operational performance for the study scenarios was performed using the Synchro/SimTraffic simulation analysis package (version 8, Build 803, revision 743) developed by Trafficware, Ltd, which evaluates intersection delay and congestion based on procedures similar to those given in the 2010 Highway Capacity Manual (HCM, Chapters 18,19 and 20). Basic inputs used for Synchro relate primarily to traffic data including traffic volumes, lane geometry (that is, number of lanes, lane widths, turn-lane storage lengths and speed limits), signal timing data, heavy vehicle traffic levels, on-street parking, bus blockage and a variety of other data items (see Appendix A for the Synchro results). It should be noted that Synchro software capabilities are limited when assessing light rail operations. The Synchro model considered light rail travels during the 1st Avenue (southbound) and Central Avenue (northbound/southbound) through traffic phase. This assumption was agreed to be sufficient by City of Phoenix and Valley Metro staff to be used for the No-Build Alternative and Build Alternative for this conceptual design phase so that the results could be compared with regard to overall intersection level of service (LOS) and delays. Analysis using more advanced traffic analysis software will be conducted during final design for the Build Alternative when the detailed traffic configuration designs are finalized. The methodology used in this study was based on the 2010 HCM for determining the LOS for existing and future traffic conditions. The analysis results are expressed using LOS and intersection delay. In the Build Alternative, roundabouts would be located along the alignment north of the Audubon entrance and at Victory Street. For the roundabout intersection analysis, in addition to Synchro, RODEL V1 for Windows 1.72 was used to analyze and provide roundabout intersection delay and LOS anticipated at the intersection. Basic inputs used for RODEL include traffic volumes and effective roundabout geometry including roundabout lane widths, entry and exit widths and flare lengths. The analysis results for Transportation Technical Report 33 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

48 the roundabout intersections are expressed using average delays calculated and associated LOS for unsignalized intersections (see Table 9). In accordance with discussions with the City of Phoenix Traffic group, it was agreed to add a 15-second additional delay to the intersection delay to account for the delay attributable to the light rail extension gate operations, averaged over the peak hour. The LOS and delay are based on HCM unsignalized LOS thresholds. LOS is a quantitative measure based on intersection delay and capacity. LOS is frequently expressed in qualitative terms as LOS A (free-flow) to LOS F (congested). Tables 8 and 9 provide LOS definitions for signalized and unsignalized intersections, respectively. The Description column of each table qualitatively describes the perception of traffic conditions by motorists and passengers, while the Average Delay column quantitatively describes the number of seconds of delay per vehicle associated with each LOS. TABLE 8: SIGNALIZED INTERSECTION LEVEL OF SERVICE DEFINITIONS Level of Description Service Very low delay occurring with favorable progression and/or short A cycle length. Low delay occurring with good progression and/or short cycle B lengths. Average delays resulting from fair progression and/or longer cycle C lengths. Individual cycle failures begin to appear. Longer delay attributable to a combination of unfavorable progression, long cycle lengths or high volume-to-capacity (V/C) D ratios. Many vehicles stop and individual cycle failures are noticeable. High delay values indicating poor progression, long cycle lengths and E high V/C ratios. Individual cycle failures are frequent occurrences. This is considered to be the limit of acceptable delay. Delay unacceptable to most drivers occurring because of F oversaturation, poor progression or very long cycle lengths. Source: Highway Capacity Manual, Transportation Research Board, 2010 Average Delay (seconds/vehicle) 10 >10 20 >20 35 >35 55 >55 80 >80 TABLE 9: UNSIGNALIZED INTERSECTION LEVEL OF SERVICE DEFINITIONS Level of Service Description Average Delay (seconds/vehicle) A Little or no delay 0 10 B Minor delay >10 15 C Average delay >15 25 D Moderate delay >25 35 E Lengthy delay >35 50 F Excessive delay/gridlock >50 Source: Highway Capacity Manual, Transportation Research Board, 2010 Transportation Technical Report 34 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

49 3.2 TRAFFIC DIVERSION CONSIDERATIONS The TDM 2035 Build Alternative volumes include traffic diversions attributable to the proposed Central Avenue lane reduction (roadway changes are summarized in Section 3.4.2) and travel mode shifts to light rail on Central Avenue. Based on the No-Build Alternative and Build Alternative MAG Regional TDM comparison, the impact of the Build Alternative is a small increase in traffic volumes on the adjacent roadway corridors, especially 7th Street and 7th Avenue. Additionally, commuters might use local minor streets for shorter commutes. 3.3 SPECIAL EVENTS Many special events occur in Downtown Phoenix during the course of the year. These special events often involve complete closure of Central Avenue between Washington and Jefferson Streets. This traffic analysis did not include assessments of any special events as part of this study phase because this is an infrequent occurrence and usually occurs either during an off-peak hour or a weekend. 3.4 TRAFFIC ANALYSIS ASSUMPTIONS AND APPROACH This traffic analysis employed a conventional approach that included basic data collection efforts, investigation of existing roadway and traffic conditions and analysis of the above-mentioned study scenario operational impacts. New traffic counts (automobile, pedestrian and bicycle) were performed at all signalized intersections, as well as proposed signalized intersections, along the proposed light rail extension alignment. These are summarized in Figures 5A to 5E and Table 7. These counts were performed in August 2015 when schools were in session. Traffic signal timings were provided by the City of Phoenix. As mentioned earlier, the study analyzed PM peak hour traffic conditions because the PM peak period would generate the most congested traffic conditions on a weekday Traffic Volumes Volumes: Automobile, Pedestrian and Bicycle Existing 2015 and historical ADT 24-hour traffic volumes and 2015 PM peak hour turning movement counts are summarized in Section 2.5 in Table 7 and Figures 5A to 5E. As mentioned previously, for this study, new traffic counts (automobile, pedestrian and bicycle) were performed at all study intersections. The study intersections include currently signalized intersections and intersections proposed to have signal or roundabout control added with the South Central Light Rail Extension project No-Build Traffic Volumes: Automobile, Pedestrian and Bicycle Development of the No-Build Alternative traffic volumes considered past and planned economic growth for Phoenix and a review of the TDM, which includes planned future development in the region, and various meetings with City of Phoenix Traffic Engineering and Valley Metro staff. Based on these elements, it was agreed that an Transportation Technical Report 35 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

50 assumed 1 percent annual growth rate would be used to develop all automobile, pedestrian and bicycle No-Build Alternative volumes. The traffic volumes are anticipated to increase along the major arterial streets in the study area with no planned roadway improvements under the No-Build Alternative. Figures 7A to 7E summarize the No-Build Alternative traffic volumes. The No-Build Alternative pedestrian and bicycle counts are summarized in Table Build Traffic Volumes: Automobile, Pedestrian and Bicycle The TDM 2035 Build Alternative volumes include traffic diversion with the proposed Central Avenue lane reduction and the travel mode shift to light rail along Central Avenue. Development of the Build Alternative traffic volumes used the TDM 2035 No- Build Alternative volumes, TDM 2035 Build Alternative volumes and engineering judgment. The TDM 2035 No-Build and Build Alternative models were built using the TDM 2011 model, which used 2011 traffic counts. The No-Build Alternative traffic volumes were developed by applying a 1 percent annual growth rate to the 2015 turning movement counts (TMCs). To be consistent with this approach of using the 2015 TMCs as a base, the Build Alternative traffic volume was developed using the following process: The TDM 2035 No-Build Alternative and 2035 Build Alternative volumes were compared to capture the traffic diversion with the proposed Central Avenue lane reduction and travel mode switch to light rail along Central Avenue. Adding the difference between the TDM 2035 Build Alternative and the TDM 2035 No-Build Alternative volumes proportionally to the 2035 No-Build Alternative traffic volumes (described previously in Section ) to obtain the 2035 Build Alternative traffic volumes. At some locations, if the above difference was less than or equal to zero, it was agreed to use the No-Build Alternative traffic volume in its place, as a conservative approach. For the Build Alternative, new signalized intersections were included along the study corridor (Figures 3A and 3B). Traffic volumes at these locations were adjusted and rebalanced to account for the lane reduction on Central Avenue. Figures 8A to 8E illustrate the lane configuration and type of traffic control (for example, signals or no signals) proposed at each study intersection under the Build Alternative. The Build Alternative traffic volumes/tmcs are shown in Figures 9A to 9E. The Build Alternative bicycle traffic is assumed to be the same as the No-Build Alternative bicycle traffic since bicycle lanes would be provided regardless of whether the project is built. For the Build Alternative pedestrian volumes, light rail passenger boarding and alighting projections at the proposed South Central light rail stations were obtained from the Federal Transit Administration STOPS program. Based on crosswalk locations near each proposed light rail station, the light rail passenger traffic was estimated and then added to the background No-Build Alternative pedestrian volumes as shown in Table 10. The Build Alternative pedestrian and bicycle counts are also shown in Table 10. Transportation Technical Report 36 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

51 FIGURE 7A: NO-BUILD TURNING MOVEMENT VOLUMES PM PEAK HOUR Transportation Technical Report 37 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

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53 FIGURE 7B: NO-BUILD TURNING MOVEMENT VOLUMES PM PEAK HOUR FIGURE 7C: NO-BUILD TURNING MOVEMENT VOLUMES PM PEAK HOUR Transportation Technical Report 39 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

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55 FIGURE 7D: NO-BUILD TURNING MOVEMENT VOLUMES PM PEAK HOUR FIGURE 7E: NO-BUILD TURNING MOVEMENT VOLUMES PM PEAK HOUR Transportation Technical Report 41 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

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57 FIGURE 8A: BUILD LANE CONFIGURATION AND TRAFFIC CONTROL Transportation Technical Report 43 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

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59 FIGURE 8B: BUILD LANE CONFIGURATION AND TRAFFIC CONTROL FIGURE 8C: BUILD LANE CONFIGURATION AND TRAFFIC CONTROL Transportation Technical Report 45 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

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61 FIGURE 8D: BUILD LANE CONFIGURATION AND TRAFFIC CONTROL FIGURE 8E: BUILD LANE CONFIGURATION AND TRAFFIC CONTROL Transportation Technical Report 47 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

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63 FIGURE 9A: BUILD TURNING MOVEMENT VOLUMES PM PEAK HOUR Transportation Technical Report 49 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

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65 FIGURE 9B: BUILD TURNING MOVEMENT VOLUMES PM PEAK HOUR FIGURE 9C: BUILD TURNING MOVEMENT VOLUMES PM PEAK HOUR Transportation Technical Report 51 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

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67 FIGURE 9D: BUILD TURNING MOVEMENT VOLUMES PM PEAK HOUR FIGURE 9E: BUILD TURNING MOVEMENT VOLUMES PM PEAK HOUR Transportation Technical Report 53 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

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69 Int. ID Intersection TABLE 10: NO-BUILD AND BUILD PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE VOLUMES Pedestrian Volume Bicycle Volume East Leg West Leg North Leg South Leg EB WB NB SB No-Build Build No-Build Build No-Build Build No-Build Build 1 1st Ave and Washington St Central Ave and Washington St st Ave and Jefferson St Central Ave and Jefferson St st Ave and Madison St Central Ave and Madison St st Ave and Buchanan St st Ave and Lincoln St Central Ave and Lincoln St st Ave and Grant St Central Ave and Grant St Central Ave and Hadley St Central Ave and Buckeye Rd Central Ave and Yuma St Central Ave and Mohave St a Central Ave and I-17 TI WB Ramps b Central Ave and I-17 TI EB Ramps Central Ave and Watkins St Central Ave and Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area Parking Entrance Central Ave and future connection to development north of Audubon No-Build/ Build No-Build/ Build No-Build/ Build N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 20 Central Ave and Audubon Entrance Central Ave and Pioneer St Central Ave and Victory St Central Ave and Elwood St Central Ave and Jones Ave Central Ave and Riverside St Central Ave and Broadway Central Ave and Tamarisk Ave Central Ave and Private Dr N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 29 Central Ave and Roeser Rd Central Ave and Chambers St Central Ave and Sunland Ave Central Ave and Southern Ave No-Build/ Build Transportation Technical Report 55 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

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71 Int. ID Intersection TABLE 10: NO-BUILD AND BUILD PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE VOLUMES Pedestrian Volume Bicycle Volume East Leg West Leg North Leg South Leg EB WB NB SB No-Build Build No-Build Build No-Build Build No-Build Build 33 Central Ave and Lynne Ave Central Ave and Alta Vista Rd Central Ave and Vineyard Rd Central Ave and Fremont Rd/Jesse Owens Pkwy Central Ave and Western Canal Central Ave and Baseline Rd th St and Washington St th St and Jefferson St th St and Lincoln St th St and Buckeye Rd a 7th St and I-17 TI WB Ramps b 7th St and I-17 TI EB Ramps th St and Broadway Rd th St and Southern Ave th St and Baseline Rd th Ave and Washington St th Ave and Jefferson St th Ave and Grant St/Lincoln St th Ave and Buckeye Rd a 7th Ave and I-17 TI WB Ramps b 7th Ave and I-17 TI EB Ramps th Ave and Broadway Rd th Ave and Southern Ave th Ave and Baseline Rd Note: EB = eastbound, I-17 = Interstate 17, N/A = not applicable, NB = northbound, SB = southbound, TI = traffic interchange, WB = westbound No-Build/ Build No-Build/ Build No-Build/ Build No-Build/ Build Transportation Technical Report 57 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

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73 3.4.2 Roadway Geometry Figures 4A to 4E and Figures 8A to 8E show the roadway geometry, lane configurations and traffic controls that are found in the 2015 conditions and 2035 Build Alternative scenarios, respectively. The No-Build Alternative scenario has the same configuration as the 2015 scenario. The existing roadway geometry, including lane configurations and turn lane storage lengths, has been obtained from available base mapping, aerial surveys and field reviews. These data were used for the 2015 conditions and No-Build Alternative Synchro modeling. For the Build Alternative, the roadway geometry, lane configurations and light rail stations used in Synchro were based on conceptual engineering plans provided/developed by HDR, dated October Based on these plans, the major roadway lane configuration changes that would occur to accommodate the South Central extension are as follows: Central Avenue south of Hadley Street traffic lanes would be reduced from two in each direction to one in each direction with left-turn pockets at minor signalized intersections. Central Avenue north of Hadley Street reduced from three through lanes to two through lanes. 1st Avenue south of Jefferson Street reduced from three through lanes to two through lanes to Lincoln. South of Lincoln, 1st Avenue would have one through lane. At Central Avenue and Buckeye Road, Central Avenue and Broadway Road, Central Avenue and Southern Avenue and Central Avenue and Baseline Road, the intersections would flare to include a right-turn lane shared with bikes, a through lane and a dedicated left-turn lane. Roundabouts would be added on Central Avenue just south of the Salt River (north of the Audubon entrance) and at the intersection of Central Avenue and Victory Street. Grant Street would be closed for through traffic between 1st and Central Avenues. Central Avenue would be closed between Jefferson Avenue and Washington Street. A frontage loop is proposed between Sherman and Buchanan Streets to provide the neighborhood and commercial access traffic flow (ingress and egress), northbound through lane west of the train track on Central Avenue and southbound through lane east of the train track on 1st Avenue. For the Build Alternative, the light rail would operate in semi-exclusive right-of-way (ROW), separate from vehicular traffic with the exception at signal-protected intersections. In this alignment, motor vehicles, pedestrians and bicycles would cross the light rail tracks at signalized intersections. It is assumed the light rail would have traffic signal priority, similar to what exists on the current light rail line in the City of Phoenix. Transportation Technical Report 59 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

74 3.4.3 Design Speed Vehicular speed limits used for Synchro 2015 conditions, No-Build Alternative and Build Alternative scenarios are those that are currently posted along the planned South Central corridor as follows: 30 mph 1st Avenue between Washington Street and Grant; Central Avenue between Washington and Lincoln Streets 35 mph 1st Avenue between Grant and Hadley Streets; Central Avenue between Lincoln and Watkins Streets; Central Avenue between Pioneer and St. Charles Streets 40 mph Central Avenue between Watkins and Pioneer Streets; Central Avenue between St. Charles Street and Baseline Road Signal Timing and Phasing The existing signal timing and phasing information along the study corridor was provided by the City of Phoenix and was used for the 2015 scenario in Synchro. For the No-Build Alternative scenario, signal timings were adjusted to optimize performance using the existing signal phasing. For the Build Alternative scenario, light rail operations, in general, would occur in the semi-exclusive ROW lanes along 1st and Central Avenues and would operate with the through traffic phase of the existing signal system. At a few locations light rail operations would require: new signals and new pedestrian signals, transit detection to allow signal phasing changes that enable the light rail priority at signalized locations and/or transit detection for gate operation at roundabout intersections to allow the light rail to move through the intersection. The City of Phoenix pedestrian clearance times are maintained at the existing traffic signals. The pedestrian walking speed of 3.5 feet per second was used for pedestrian clearance time at the proposed pedestrian signals in accordance with the 2009 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. The roundabout intersection was analyzed with both RODEL and Synchro software. A 15-second delay for gate operations was added to the intersection delay. The LOS and delay are based on the HCM unsignalized LOS thresholds and account for additional delay (15 seconds) attributable to the light rail gated operations, averaged over the peak hour. The existing light rail projects use a predictive priority signal detection system, which gives light rail priority over automobile/general purpose traffic. For the purposes of this traffic operations analysis, based on the limitations of Synchro to model light rail operations, light rail is considered to operate in coordination with general purpose traffic therefore no light rail input into Synchro was considered. As discussed earlier, more sophisticated software will be used to model traffic and light rail operations in the final design/next phase for the proposed project. New traffic controls, which include traffic signals, pedestrian signals and roundabouts, are proposed at the existing unsignalized study area intersections on Central Avenue in the Build Alternative to help the neighborhood and commercial access traffic flow Transportation Technical Report 60 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

75 (ingress and egress). These intersections, with numbers that correspond to the study intersections in Figures 3A and 3B, are: 7 1st Avenue and Buchanan Street 10 1st Avenue and Grant Street 11 Central Avenue and Grant Street 12 Central Avenue and Hadley Street 14 Central Avenue and Yuma Street 17 Central Avenue and Watkins Street 18 Central Avenue and Riverside Park entrance 19 Central Avenue north of Audubon (proposed roundabout) 20 Central Avenue and Audubon entrance 21 Central Avenue and Pioneer Street 22 Central Avenue and Victory Street (proposed roundabout) 23 Central Avenue and Elwood Street 24 Central Avenue and Jones Avenue 25 Central Avenue and Riverside Street 27 Central Avenue and Tamarisk Avenue 30 Central Avenue and Chambers Street 31 Central Avenue and Sunland Avenue 33 Central Avenue and Lynne Avenue 35 Central Avenue and Vineyard Road 36 Central Avenue and Fremont Road/Jesse Owens Parkway 37 Central Avenue and Western Canal New pedestrian signals for pedestrian access to light rail stations, in accordance with the Valley Metro design criteria, have been proposed for the Build Alternative at the following intersections: 25 Central Avenue and Riverside Street 30 Central Avenue and Chambers Street 37 Central Avenue and Western Canal Although intersection 19 (Central Avenue north of Audubon) is a proposed roundabout, it was not analyzed in the traffic model given the absence of connections to existing developments. Future developers will be responsible for reviewing the sight distance to locate their access driveways and to identify possible impacts to this proposed roundabout. Transportation Technical Report 61 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

76 3.4.5 Transit Input Transit operations will have impacts on traffic flow and are coded into Synchro. Bus operations, headways and bus stops are coded into Synchro based on existing and proposed transit plans Parking Input The maneuvers into and out of on-street parking spaces are expected to affect the traffic flow on 1st and Central Avenues and inputs used in Synchro. The number of such maneuvers during the PM peak hour considers the number of existing on-street parking spaces for 2015 and the No-Build Alternative and proposed on-street parking spaces for the Build Alternative. For existing on-street parking space counts, and in the No-Build and Build Alternative, refer to Tables 13A and 13B in Section TRAFFIC OPERATIONS ANALYSIS RESULTS The LOS was calculated at all the study intersections using the data inputs discussed in Sections through Table 11 provides the overall PM peak hour average intersection LOS and delay for the 2015 conditions, No-Build Alternative, Build Alternative scenarios and Build Alternative Conditions Based on these results, in 2015 conditions, all the study intersections are operating at a LOS E or better with existing signal timing. Some of the unsignalized intersections are experiencing longer delays as motorists stop at the side street approaches and wait for traffic gaps along Central Avenue so they can turn right, left, or go through from the unsignalized side street during peak hours. Table 11 summarizes the study intersection operations under 2015 conditions. The City of Phoenix considers an intersection operating at LOS F during the peak period to be unacceptable. No signalized intersection would operate at LOS F in 2015 conditions No-Build Based on these results, the No-Build Alternative would operate at LOS E or better at all the study intersections with optimized signal timing. The signal optimization involves adjusting signal timing parameters cycle lengths, offsets and/or splits to serve the intersection traffic. As part of the City of Phoenix ongoing signal maintenance program, the City optimizes their signals to maximize traffic movements and minimize stops and delays at the intersections. Some of the unsignalized intersections would experience more delays as motorists stop at the side street approaches and wait for traffic gaps along Central Avenue so they can turn right, left, or go through from the unsignalized side street; under the No-Build Alternative compared with 2015 conditions. Table 11 summarizes the side street highest approach delay at these unsignalized intersections. Transportation Technical Report 62 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

77 The City of Phoenix considers an intersection operating at LOS F during the peak period to be unacceptable. With signals optimization in the project study area, no signalized intersection would operate at LOS F in the No-Build Alternative. Therefore, the No-Build Alternative would have no adverse impact on signalized intersections Build Similar to the No-Build Alternative, the Build Alternative would operate at LOS E or better at all the study intersections with optimized signal timing. All the intersections along the light rail alignment on Central and 1st Avenues would operate at LOS D or better under the Build Alternative (Table 11). No study intersection on Central and 1st Avenues would have a degraded LOS. The minor street intersections that were experiencing longer delays on side streets would be signalized in the Build Alternative. These intersections would operate at LOS D or better. The intersection of Central Avenue and Victory Street is proposed for a roundabout in the Build Alternative. Victory Street is a minor street with low traffic volumes. The intersection of Central Avenue and Victory Street would operate at LOS A with a 4.9 seconds/vehicle intersection delay, as shown by the RODEL analysis. Based on the Synchro HCM 2010 roundabout reports, the intersection of Central Avenue and Victory Street would operate at LOS C with a 15.2 seconds/vehicle intersection delay. To be conservative, the Synchro HCM 2010 roundabout LOS was used to calculate LOS and delay. This intersection is expected to operate at an acceptable LOS D with the added gate control delay. The roundabout intersection south of the Salt River would serve as a traffic calming device allowing the U-turn option for truck traffic. No side street approaches or driveways would be at this location. The City of Phoenix provided the following criteria for the Build Alternative to determine what constitutes an impact at an intersection and would require mitigation: For LOS A through D, if the Build Alternative maintains the same or improved LOS compared with the No-Build Alternative, it is not an adverse impact. However, if the Build Alternative LOS degrades below that of the No-Build Alternative, delays of greater than 5 percent would be considered an adverse impact and would require mitigation. For LOS E, the delay for the Build Alternative must be greater than 5 percent compared with the No-Build Alternative to be considered an adverse impact. Mitigation would be required for the adverse impact. LOS F would be considered an adverse impact and would require mitigation. Transportation Technical Report 63 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

78 Int. ID a TABLE 11: INTERSECTION LEVEL OF SERVICE AND DELAY (PM PEAK) Intersection Name 2015 Conditions No-Build Build Intersection Delay (seconds) LOS Intersection Delay (seconds) LOS Intersection Delay (seconds) 1 1st Ave and Washington St 29 C 29 C 32 C 2 Central Ave and Washington St 15 B 16 B 15 B 3 1st Ave and Jefferson St 21 C 34 C 20 B 4 Central Ave and Jefferson St 12 B 13 B 15 B 5 1st Ave and Madison St 2 A 2 A 4 A 6 Central Ave and Madison St 16 B 16 B 12 B 7 1st Ave and Buchanan St e 4 A 8 1st Ave and Lincoln St 28 D 28 C 10 B 9 Central Ave and Lincoln St 18 B 18 B 19 B 10 1st Ave and Grant St 15 b C b 17 b C b 11 B 11 Central Ave and Grant St 11 b B b 12 b B b 12 B 12 Central Ave and Hadley St 13 b B b 14 b B b 3 A 13 Central Ave and Buckeye Rd 55 E 41 D 35 C 14 Central Ave and Yuma St e 6 A 15 Central Ave and Mohave St 8 A 8 A 6 A 16a Central Ave and I-17 TI WB ramps 20 C 27 C 25 C 16b Central Ave and I-17 TI EB ramps 14 B 15 B 12 B 17 Central Ave and Watkins St 78 b F b >80 b F b 11 B 18 Central Ave and Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area Parking Entrance 17 b C b 23 b C b 2 A 19 Central Ave and Future Development North of Audubon c 20 Central Ave and Audubon Entrance 21 b C b 29 b D b 14 B 21 Central Ave and Pioneer St 18 b C b 25 b C b 12 B 22 Central Ave and Victory St 35 b E b 59 b F b 30 d D d LOS Transportation Technical Report 64 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

79 Int. ID a TABLE 11: INTERSECTION LEVEL OF SERVICE AND DELAY (PM PEAK) Intersection Name 2015 Conditions No-Build Build Intersection Delay (seconds) LOS Intersection Delay (seconds) LOS Intersection Delay (seconds) 23 Central Ave and Elwood St 29 b D b 63 b F b 12 B 24 Central Ave and Jones Ave 27 b D b 44 b E b 4 A 25 Central Ave and Riverside St 38 b E b >80 b F b 8 A 26 Central Ave and Broadway 38 D 38 D 46 D 27 Central Ave and Tamarisk Ave 21 b C b 50 b F b 7 A 28 Central Ave and Private Dr e 12.3 b B b 29 Central Ave and Roeser Rd 15 B 15 B 19 B 30 Central Ave and Chambers St 15 b C b 19 b C b 10 B 31 Central Ave and Sunland Ave 48 b E b >80 b F b 9 A 32 Central Ave and Southern Ave 40 D 62 E 47 D 33 Central Ave and Lynne Ave 11 b B b 12 b B b 6 A 34 Central Ave and Alta Vista Rd 15 B 20 B 11 B 35 Central Ave and Vineyard Rd 14 b B b 17 b C b 6 A 36 Central Ave and Fremont Rd/ Jesse Owens Pkwy 21 b C b 32 b D b 14 B 37 Central Ave and Western Canal e 8 A 38 Central Ave and Baseline Rd 36 D 56 E 54 D 39 7th St and Washington St f 56 E 28 C 37 D 40 7th St and Jefferson St 33 C 34 D 29 C 41 7th St and Lincoln St 15 B 18 B 18 B 42 7th St and Buckeye Rd 49 D 50 D 53 D 43a 7th St and I-17 TI WB Ramps 33 C 44 D 75 E 43b 7th St and I-17 TI EB Ramps 31 C 49 D 80 E 44 7th St and Broadway Rd 35 D 53 D 54 D 45 7th St and Southern Ave 39 D 57 E 59 E LOS Transportation Technical Report 65 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

80 Int. ID a TABLE 11: INTERSECTION LEVEL OF SERVICE AND DELAY (PM PEAK) Intersection Name 2015 Conditions No-Build Build Intersection Delay (seconds) LOS Intersection Delay (seconds) LOS Intersection Delay (seconds) 46 7th St and Baseline Rd 50 D 76 E 79 E 47 7th Ave and Washington St 31 C 25 C 25 C 48 7th Ave and Jefferson St 30 C 30 C 29 C 49 7th Ave and Grant St/Lincoln St 16 B 17 B 20 B 50 7th Ave and Buckeye Rd 30 C 35 C 34 C 51a 7th Ave and I-17 TI WB Ramps 31 C 56 E 70 E 51b 7th Ave and I-17 TI EB Ramps 33 C 49 D 65 E 52 7th Ave and Broadway Rd 44 D 63 E 64 E 53 7th Ave and Southern Ave 30 C 53 D 68 E 54 7th Ave and Baseline Rd f 21 C 27 C 37 D Notes: Level of service from HCM2000 Synchro reports. Bolded italics entries in table indicate intersections with adverse impacts. Intersection 19 was not evaluated at this time since no specific development plans have been proposed and, thus, sufficient information about proposed traffic generated by the development does not exist. EB = eastbound, I-17 = Interstate 17, LOS = level of service, TI = traffic interchange, WB = westbound a Corresponds to numbered intersections in Figures 3A and 3B. b Unsignalized intersection approach with highest delay and corresponding approach LOS. c Intersection was not evaluated at this time since no specific development plans have been proposed and thus sufficient information about proposed traffic generated by the development does not exist. d Roundabout 15 second delay added to HCM2010 intersection delay to account for gate operation. The 15 seconds is for train (light rail transit) clearance, as discussed and agreed with City of Phoenix. e Intersection locations where no 2015 conditions or No-Build data exists. In these cases, Build Alternative traffic volumes were predicted based on traffic volumes at adjacent intersections. f The City of Phoenix provides signal optimization as a part of their ongoing traffic signal maintenance program. Signal optimization at these locations will enhance the LOS so that there is no adverse impact. LOS Transportation Technical Report 66 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

81 Build Alternative Analysis Results and Comparison with No-Build Alternative and 2015 Conditions Table 11 compares the LOS and delay (in seconds) for the PM peak at the intersections presented in Figures 3A and 3B for several scenarios: 2015 conditions, No-Build Alternative and Build Alternative. Intersections Operating at Same LOS for Build Alternative, No-Build Alternative, and 2015 Conditions Nineteen intersections would operate at the same LOS in all 3 scenarios considered: 2015 conditions, No-Build and Build Alternatives. These are presented in Table 12. The table also shows the corresponding increase or decrease in delay of the Build Alternative compared to 2015 Conditions and the No-Build Alternative. TABLE 12: INTERSECTIONS OPERATING AT SAME LOS IN 2015 CONDITIONS, NO-BUILD ALTERNATIVE AND BUILD ALTERNATIVE Int. ID a Intersection Name LOS Build Delay compared to 2015 Conditions Build Delay compared to No- Build 1 1st Ave and Washington St C 3 second increase 3 second increase 2 Central Ave and Washington St B same as 2015 conditions 1 second decrease 4 Central Ave and Jefferson St B 3 second increase 2 second increase 5 1st Ave and Madison St A 2 second increase 2 second increase 6 Central Ave and Madison St B 4 second decrease 4 second decrease 9 Central Ave and Lincoln St B 1 second increase 1 second increase 15 Central Ave and Mohave St A 2 second decrease 2 second decrease 16a Central Ave and I-17 TI WB ramps C 5 second increase 2 second decrease 16b Central Ave and I-17 TI EB ramps B 2 second decrease 3 second decrease 26 Central Ave and Broadway Rd D 8 second increase 8 second increase 29 Central Ave and Roeser Rd B 4 second increase 4 second increase 34 Central Ave and Alta Vista Rd B 4 second decrease 9 second decrease 41 7th St and Lincoln St B 3 second increase same as No-Build 42 7th St and Buckeye Rd D 4 second increase 3 second increase 44 7th St and Broadway Rd D 19 second increase 1 second increase 47 7th Ave and Washington St C 6 second decrease same as No-Build 48 7th Ave and Jefferson St C 1 second decrease 1 second decrease 49 7th Ave and Grant St/Lincoln St B 4 second increase 3 second increase 50 7th Ave and Buckeye Rd C 5 second increase 1 second decrease a Corresponds to numbered intersections in Figures 3A and 3B. Transportation Technical Report 67 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

82 Differences Between Build Alternative and 2015 Conditions Compared to 2015 conditions, the Build Alternative has a better or same LOS and less delay at the following intersections: 1st Ave and Jefferson Ave, operates at LOS B in Build vs LOS C in 2015 Conditions 1st Ave and Lincoln St, operates at LOS B in Build vs LOS D in 2015 Conditions Central Ave and Buckeye Rd, operates at LOS C in Build vs LOS E in 2015 Conditions 7th St and Jefferson St, operates at LOS C in Build and 2015 Conditions 7th St and Washington St, operates at LOS D in Build vs LOS E in 2015 Conditions The Build Alternative has a same LOS and more delay at the following intersections than with 2015 conditions: Central Ave and Southern Ave, operates at LOS D in Build and 2015 Conditions Central Ave and Baseline Rd, operates at LOS D in Build and 2015 Conditions The Build Alternative has a lower LOS and more delay at the following intersections than with 2015 conditions: 7th St and I-17 WB Ramps, operate at LOS E in Build vs LOS C in 2015 Conditions 7th St and I-17 EB Ramps, operate at LOS E in Build vs LOS C in 2015 Conditions 7th St and Southern Ave, operate at LOS E in Build vs LOS D in 2015 Conditions 7th St and Baseline Rd, operate at LOS E in Build vs LOS D in 2015 Conditions 7 th Ave and I-17 WB Ramps, operate at LOS E in Build vs LOS C in 2015 Conditions 7 th Ave and I-17 EB Ramps, operate at LOS E in Build vs LOS C in 2015 Conditions 7th Ave and Broadway Rd, operate at LOS E in Build vs LOS D in 2015 Conditions 7th Ave and Southern Ave, operate at LOS E in Build vs LOS D in 2015 Conditions 7th Ave and Baseline Rd, operate at LOS D in Build vs LOS C in 2015 Conditions Differences Between Build Alternative and No-Build Alternative Compared to the No-Build Alternative, the Build Alternative has a better LOS and less delay at the following intersections: 1st Ave and Jefferson Ave, operates at LOS B in Build vs LOS C in No-Build Transportation Technical Report 68 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

83 1st Ave and Lincoln St, operates at LOS B in Build vs LOS C in No-Build Central Ave and Buckeye Rd, operates at LOS C in Build vs LOS D in No-Build Central Ave and Southern Ave, operates at LOS D in Build vs LOS E in No-Build Central Ave and Baseline Rd, operates at LOS D in Build vs LOS E in No-Build 7th St and Jefferson St, operates LOS C in Build vs LOS D in No-Build The Build Alternative has a same LOS and more delay at the following intersections than with the No-Build Alternative: 7 th St and Southern Ave, operates at LOS E in Build and No-Build 7 th St and Baseline Rd, operates at LOS E in Build and No-Build 7 th Ave and I-17 WB Ramps, operates at LOS E in Build and No-Build 7 th Ave and Broadway Rd, operates at LOS E in Build and No-Build The Build Alternative has a lower LOS and more delay at the following intersections than with the No-Build Alternative: 7th St and Washington St, operates at LOS D in Build vs LOS C in No-Build 7 th St and I-17 WB Ramps, operate at LOS E in Build vs LOS D in No-Build 7 th St and I-17 EB Ramps, operate at LOS E in Build vs LOS D in No-Build 7 th Ave and I-17 EB Ramps, operate at LOS E in Build vs LOS D in No-Build 7 th Ave and Southern Ave, operate at LOS E in Build vs LOS D in Existing 7th Ave and Baseline Rd, operate at LOS D in Build vs LOS C in No-Build Unsignalized Intersections The minor unsignalized street intersections that would experience longer delays on side streets with the No-Build Alternative would be signalized in the Build Alternative. A total of 19 intersections would be signalized as part of the Build Alternative and their locations are shown as green and red dots in Figures 3-3 and 3-4. These intersections would operate at LOS D or better. Most of the unsignalized intersections in the 2015 Conditions and the No-Build Alternative are either proposed for signalization or roundabout with implementation of the Build Alternative. With the new traffic control associated with the Build Alternative, the following intersections operate at a better LOS and have less intersection delay than under 2015 conditions or the No-Build Alternative: 1 st Ave and Grant St Central Ave and Grant St Central Ave and Hadley St Central Ave and Watkins St Central Ave and Rio Salado Habitat Transportation Technical Report 69 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

84 Central Ave and Audubon Entrance Central Ave and Pioneer St Central Ave and Victory St Central Ave and Elwood St Central Ave and Jones Ave Central Ave and Riverside St Central Ave and Tamarisk Ave Central Ave and Chamber St Central Ave and Sunland Ave Central Ave and Lynne Ln Central Ave and Vineyard Rd Central Ave and Fremont Rd/ Jesse Owens Parkway Traffic Diversion The reduction of travel lanes on Central Avenue will cause some traffic to divert to 7th Avenue and 7th Street resulting in a degraded LOS at 5 intersections on those roadways when compared to the No-Build Alternative. These intersections are as follows: 7th Street and Washington Street 7th Street and I-17 interchange 7th Avenue and I-17 interchange 7th Avenue and Southern Avenue 7th Avenue and Baseline Road The intersections of 7th Street and Washington and 7th Avenue and Baseline Road would operate at LOS D in the 2035 Build Alternative (LOS C in the 2035 No-Build Alternative). The intersections of 7th Street and I-17 interchange, 7th Avenue and I-17 interchange and 7th Avenue and Southern Avenue would all operate at LOS E in the Build Alternative (LOS D in the 2035 No-Build Alternative). The overall PM peak hour average intersection LOS and delay are summarized in Table 11. Based on the City of Phoenix acceptable intersection performance criteria for the Build Alternative scenario, the five intersections listed above on 7th Street and 7th Avenue (including the eastbound and westbound ramps at the intersections with I-17) do not perform at an acceptable LOS under the Build Alternative. Two of the intersections (7th St and Washington St and 7th Ave and Baseline Rd) would require signal optimization. The City of Phoenix will be optimizing the signals as part of their ongoing traffic signal maintenance program. The signal optimization would enhance the LOS at these 2 intersections such that there would be no adverse impact at either location. Transportation Technical Report 70 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

85 Even with the signal optimization, the other three intersections would be adversely affected and would require additional improvements to bring the intersection to an acceptable LOS Mitigation Table 13 lists the study intersections that would require mitigation according to the City of Phoenix criteria. Figure 10 shows their locations. Figure 11 illustrates the proposed mitigation. Int. ID a 43a, 43b 51a, 51b 53 Study Intersection 7th St and Interstate 17 7th Ave and Interstate 17 c 7th Ave and Southern Ave TABLE 13: STUDY INTERSECTIONS MITIGATION FOR BUILD ALTERNATIVE Proposed Mitigation b Add a northbound right-turn lane in addition to existing through shared right lane, restripe eastbound through right as exclusive right and optimize signal timing. Add a northbound right-turn lane, southbound rightturn lane and optimize signal timing. Add a westbound right-turn lane, southbound rightturn lane and optimize signal timing. Build Without Mitigation Intersection Delay LOS (seconds) Westbound E ramps: 75 Eastbound ramps: 80 Westbound ramps:70 Eastbound ramps:65 E E E Build with Mitigation Intersection Delay (seconds) Westbound ramps: 52 Eastbound ramps: 46 Westbound ramps: 54 Eastbound ramps: 53 LOS 68 E 54 D Notes a Corresponds to the numbered intersections in Figures 3A and 3B. b The proposed mitigation is based on the information known at this conceptual level of engineering. c Additional ROW would be needed at this intersection to accommodate the southbound right-turn lane. D D D D Transportation Technical Report 71 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

86 FIGURE 10: INTERSECTIONS NEEDING MITIGATION Transportation Technical Report 72 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

87 FIGURE 11: BUILD MITIGATION INTERSECTIONS Transportation Technical Report 73 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

88 3.5.5 McKinley Loop Currently, light rail trackwork exists on McKinley Street that allows for a loop from the northbound direction on Central Avenue to the southbound direction on 1st Avenue. With the South Central Light Rail Extension, additional trackwork would be added to the McKinley loop to allow the following train movements: Southbound on 1st Avenue to Northbound on Central Avenue Southbound on 1st Avenue to Southbound on Central Avenue Northbound on Central Avenue to Northbound on 1st Avenue McKinley Street/1st Avenue and McKinley Street/Central Avenue additional trackwork proposed with the South Central Light Rail Extension would provide operational flexibility during special events and in case of track closures by allowing the train to switch tracks. At McKinley Street/1st Avenue, the southbound train movement to McKinley Street would operate with southbound 1st Avenue traffic through movement phase. No change is needed at this signal. At McKinley Street/Central Avenue, the northbound train movement from McKinley Street would operate with the northbound Central Avenue traffic through movement phase. This train movement is an infrequent movement and would not affect the traffic operations at McKinley Street/1st Avenue and McKinley Street/Central Avenue. The additional trackwork is not anticipated to affect any current lane configurations. Transportation Technical Report 74 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

89 4.0 IMPACTS TO ON-STREET AND OTHER OFF-STREET PARKING 4.1 ON-STREET PARKING IMPACTS No-Build Alternative The No-Build Alternative would have no adverse impacts to on-street or off-street parking because it would not involve roadway geometry changes or construction of new or demolition of existing parking facilities Build Alternative Tables 14A and 13B summarize the number of existing and No-Build Alternative parking spaces along and near the proposed light rail route and indicate the number of spaces that would be eliminated as a result of the proposed project for north/south streets and east/west streets respectively. The proposed extension would remove three parking spaces from the eastern side of 1st Avenue and two spaces from the western side of Central Avenue between Jefferson and Madison Streets. Existing parking spaces on Madison Street between 1st and Central Avenues would not be affected. Sixteen parking spaces would be added to the northern side of Jackson Street between Central and 1st Avenues with the proposed South Central light rail extension. No other designated on-street parking spaces occur along the South Central corridor. Street Segment TABLE 14A: ON-STREET PARKING INVENTORY AND IMPACTS FOR NORTH/SOUTH STREETS a 1st Ave East Side 2015 Build Conditions 1st Ave West Side 2015 Build Conditions Central Ave East Side 2015 Build Conditions Central Ave West Side 2015 Build Conditions Jefferson St to Madison St a The No-Build Alternative would have the same number of parking spaces as the 2015 conditions. Source: Google Maps satellite images and street view, field check and South Central conceptual engineering plans dated October 2015 Transportation Technical Report 75 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

90 Street Segment 1st Ave to Central Ave TABLE 14B: ON-STREET PARKING INVENTORY AND IMPACTS FOR EAST/WEST STREETS a Madison Ave North Side 2015 Conditions Build Madison Ave South Side 2015 Conditions Build Jackson St North Side 2015 Conditions Build Jackson St South Side 2015 Conditions a The No-Build Alternative would have the same number of parking spaces as the 2015 conditions. Source: Google Maps satellite images and street view, field check and South Central conceptual engineering plans dated October 2015 Build Although the Build Alternative would remove three parking spaces on the eastern side of 1st Avenue and two spaces from the western side of Central Avenue between Jefferson and Madison Streets, ample on-street and off-street parking is on neighboring side streets and parking garages. For example, the building on the northeastern corner of 1st and Madison Avenues is a parking garage that could accommodate these lost spaces. Furthermore, the Build Alternative would create 16 additional on-street parking spaces that would not occur under 2015 conditions or the No-Build Alternative. No adverse impacts to on-street parking would occur; hence, no mitigation is required. 4.2 OFF-STREET PARKING IMPACTS Off-street parking for commercial businesses is prevalent along the South Central Light Rail Extension alignment. The following lists the locations and estimated parking losses where small partial ROW acquisitions for the project would affect off-street parking: Eastern side of Central Avenue between Buckeye Road and Yuma Street (20 spaces) TPSS site located Northwest of Central Avenue and Cocopah Street (18 spaces) Northwest corner of I-17 and Central Avenue (21 spaces) East and west of Central Avenue and Victory Street (16 spaces) East of Central Avenue between Riverside Street and Broadway Road (13 spaces) TPSS site located Southeast of Central Avenue and Fremont Road (10 spaces) Northwest side of Central Avenue and Baseline Road (11 spaces) Based on visual observations, ample parking is available in these off-street parking lots because of their general underutilization. Parking is also available in nearby parking lots or along unmarked curbside spaces on neighboring side streets. With this corridor having a higher level of transit dependent residents and zero car and single car households, the Build Alternative provides a viable transportation alternative and would reduce the demand for parking. In summary, the proposed Build Alternative would have no adverse impacts on off-street parking. Transportation Technical Report 76 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

91 4.2.1 Park-and-Rides In the South Central corridor, the Build Alternative calls out two new locations for potential off-street park-and-rides (PNRs): Central Avenue and Broadway Road Central Avenue and Baseline Road The Central Avenue and Broadway Road PNR would be on the northwestern corner, directly west of the Ed Pastor Transit Center on City of Phoenix-owned property. This PNR would be added because of the availability of land and the location of the transit center. The PNR would have 70 to 80 spaces. The Central Avenue and Baseline Road PNR would be located west of Central Avenue and south of Fremont Road. Although currently vacant, this land is not owned by the City of Phoenix and would need to be acquired. It is estimated that the Baseline PNR would have approximately 365 spaces. The Build Alternative TDM projections used for the traffic analysis included the vehicular trips from the two above-described PNR locations. No separate traffic assessment was conducted for the PNR locations. Transportation Technical Report 77 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

92 5.0 IMPACTS TO ON-STREET LOADING ZONES 5.1 NO-BUILD ALTERNATIVE There are no anticipated loading zone impacts for the No-Build Alternative because no planned developments, roadway geometry changes or construction activity would affect the loading zones. 5.2 BUILD ALTERNATIVE The inventory of existing loading zones is included in Table 5A. The only loading zone that exists in the study area is located on the eastern side of 1st Avenue in between Jefferson and Madison Streets. The loading zone would be removed in conjunction with the proposed project. The building that the loading zone serves is currently vacant. The loading zone is approximately 25 feet in length which can accommodate a small pickupsized truck but not most commercial delivery-sized trucks. 5.3 REPLACEMENT OPPORTUNITIES The short loading zone on 1st Avenue that would be removed as a result of the proposed project would not need to be replaced since sufficient capacity exists in the alley adjacent to the building affected by the lost loading zone to accommodate daily loading/unloading abilities. In summary, the proposed Build Alternative would have no adverse impacts on loading zones. Transportation Technical Report 78 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

93 6.0 IMPACTS ON PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE FACILITIES Continuous pedestrian facilities (sidewalks and crosswalks) exist along each side of 1st and Central Avenues within the study area. These facilities appear to be of adequate design and code compliance, although this study has not inventoried sidewalk width, curb ramp compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards or sidewalk capacity. In general, continuous, striped bicycle lanes exist along the South Central alignment on 1st and Central Avenues from Lincoln Street to Southern Avenue. The northbound bike lanes begin at Southern Avenue and extend to Madison Street on Central Avenue; the southbound bike lanes begin at Lincoln Street on 1st Avenue and extend just past Southern Avenue on Central Avenue, with some bike lane discontinuity apparent just north of Broadway Road. Additionally, a small segment of northbound and southbound bike lanes exists from the Western Canal to Baseline Road. 6.1 NO-BUILD ALTERNATIVE All of the existing pedestrian and bicycle facilities would be preserved and maintained in the No-Build Alternative. No planned developments, roadway geometry changes or construction activity would affect the pedestrian and bicycle facilities. 6.2 BUILD ALTERNATIVE Pedestrian Facilities For the 2035 Build Alternative, the existing pedestrian facilities would be upgraded or maintained. Upgrades may include pedestrian ramps, sidewalks, pedestrian push buttons, crosswalks, and other ADA-compliant provisions along 1st Avenue, Central Avenue and study intersections that would be affected with South Central light rail project. Additionally, pedestrian signals would be added at all proposed signalized intersections near light rail stations as shown in Figure 3A and 3B. The actuated pedestrian signals and pedestrian push buttons at signalized intersections would benefit the pedestrian traffic operations and safety along the South Central alignment. Therefore, the Build Alternative would have no adverse impact on pedestrian facilities and would be beneficial to pedestrians using the improved facilities Bicycle Facilities The City of Phoenix has stressed the importance of creating a multimodal city, which includes accommodations for the bicycle community. Therefore, the City attempts to incorporate bike lanes in all new and upcoming projects. For the Build Alternative, the continuous striped bicycle facilities would be increased compared to what currently exists, with some reconfiguration. At intersections with the modified flares of a dedicated left-turn lane, through lane and right-turn lane, the bike lane would share ROW with the right-turn lane. This configuration would occur in the northbound and southbound directions at the following intersections: Central Avenue and Buckeye Road Transportation Technical Report 79 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

94 Central Avenue and Broadway Road Central Avenue and Southern Road The same dedicated right-turn lane shared with bikes would also occur in the southbound direction at: Central Avenue and Lynne Lane Central Avenue and Baseline Road In the southbound direction on 1st Avenue, the bike lane begins south of Madison Street on the western side of 1st Avenue in its own ROW and continues on to the 1st Avenue/Central Avenue merge at Hadley Street. On Central Avenue south of Hadley Street, the bike lane remains to the right of the traffic lanes, occasionally sharing ROW with right-turn lanes at intersections previously listed. In the northbound direction, bike lanes on Central Avenue start before the Baseline Road intersection, similar to the No-Build Alternative. Continuing northbound, the bike lanes are present on the eastern side of Central Avenue and occasionally share ROW with right-turn lanes at intersections previously listed. At Grant Street, a bike box is present to move bicycles across the tracks to the bike lane west of and adjacent to the Lincoln Street and Central Avenue station. Between Lincoln and Buchanan Streets, the bike lane is between the curb of the west traffic lane and the tracks. North of Buchanan Street, the bike lane is bounded by the curb (no west traffic lane is present) and the tracks and continues under the Union Pacific Railroad. At Madison Street, an additional bike box is present to allow bikes to cross the tracks back to the east side of Central Avenue FIGURE 12: TYPICAL BIKE BOX for right-turn or through movements in the traffic lanes. The northbound bike lanes end at Madison Street in the Build Alternative. Safe bicycle turns across the trackway at intersections should be performed at angles greater than 60 degrees. Figure 12 shows a typical left-turn bike box that gives a bicyclist greater visibility and allows a bicyclist to safely make a left turn or to get through an intersection ahead of cars. These turns are typically referred to Copenhagen left turns and are becoming the standard design across the country. These proposed designs will be further studied and evaluated during final design when the detailed roadway configurations along the route are finalized. Source: Seattle Department of Transportation Transportation Technical Report 80 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

95 In both the southbound and northbound bike lanes under the Build Alternative, locations exist where there is not enough ROW to have both the 1.5-foot gutter pan and 5-foot bike lane. In some locations, the existing curb and a 1.5-foot gutter pan is removed and replaced with a 5-foot gutter pan for bike lane use. These locations on Central Avenue are: Northbound (east side of Central Avenue) Between Hadley Street and Tonto Street Between Elwood Street and Raymond Street Between Jones Avenue and Southgate Avenue South of Tamarisk Avenue South of Sunland Avenue North of Southern Avenue North of Greenway Road Southbound (west side of Central Avenue) North of and at Yuma Street Between Illini Street and Jones Avenue North of Tamarisk Avenue North of Sunland Avenue North of Fremont Road Compared with the No-Build Alternative, the Build Alternative would retain the existing miles of bike lanes in addition to new bike lanes. In the No-Build Alternative, the northbound bike lanes would begin at Southern Avenue and extend to Madison Street on Central Avenue; the southbound bike lanes would begin at Lincoln Street on 1st Avenue and would extend to Southern Avenue on Central Avenue. In the Build Alternative, the northbound bike lanes would begin at Baseline Road and extend to Madison St; the southbound bike lanes begin at Madison Street and extend to Baseline Road. The addition of bike lanes between Southern Avenue and Baseline Road on Central Avenue and between Madison and Lincoln Streets on 1st Avenue is a beneficial impact to the City of Phoenix given the City s desire to create a multimodal municipality. Transportation Technical Report 81 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

96 7.0 IMPACTS ON TRANSIT 7.1 NO-BUILD ALTERNATIVE There are no changes to LRT operations for the No-Build Alternative compared with the 2015 conditions because there are no planned route changes or construction activity that would affect transit operations. In the transportation study area, there are no other changes to Valley Metro bus routes in the No-Build Alternative compared with the 2015 conditions. Local bus Route 3, which operates along Van Buren Street, would have an improved headway of 10 minutes between 51st Avenue and 48th Street under the No-Build Alternative compared with 15-minute headways in 2015 conditions. No other changes to Valley Metro bus routes in the No-Build Alternative would occur compared with 2015 conditions. The No-Build transit network remains same as 2015 conditions as shown in Figure 6A for local bus service and Figure 6B for regional transit service. 7.2 BUILD ALTERNATIVE The main differences in transit service between the Build and No-Build Alternatives include: Addition of the South Central Light Rail Extension Project. Elimination of the Central South Mountain East and West RAPID routes because of duplicative service with the new light rail extension. Addition of Route 77B to supplement the existing Route 77 service. Both Routes 77 and 77B would operate to and from the South Central Extension end-of-line station at Baseline Road/Central Avenue to existing PNR facilities at 27th Avenue/Baseline Road and 24th Street/Western Canal. Like Route 77, Route 77B would have 30-minute peak/off-peak headways, which would improve total headways between the PNRs and the light rail end-of-line station to 15-minute peak/off-peak headways. Decrease in headways for Route 0 (Central Avenue) from 10 minutes/20 minutes (peak/off-peak) for the No-Build Alternative to 20 minutes/30 minutes (peak/off-peak) for the Build Alternative. Table 15 summarizes the weekday transit operations in Figure 13A depicts the Build Alternative transit network for local fixed-route services, and Figure 13B displays the network for regional transit services. In summary, the proposed Build Alternative would have no adverse impact on transit. Travel times through the South Central Corridor are likely to be faster than the No-Build Alternative because of implementation of priority signaling for light rail. The Build Alternative would provide a new, convenient and reliable transit option for passengers living and working in the South Central Light Rail Extension study area and would enhance regional transit connectivity and access. Transportation Technical Report 82 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

97 FIGURE 13A: BUILD ALTERNATIVE TRANSIT NETWORK LOCAL SERVICE Transportation Technical Report 83 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension

98 FIGURE 13B: BUILD ALTERNATIVE TRANSIT NETWORK REGIONAL SERVICE Transportation Technical Report 84 March 2016 Environmental Assessment South Central Light Rail Extension