Bascom Ave Circulation Study 89
Vehicle/Pedestrian Safety and Circulation Study
Bascom Avenue
Campisi to Campbell
Prepared for
City of Campbell
Prepared by
DKS Associates
November 1989
DKS Associates
1956 Webster Street, Suite 300
Oakland, CA 94612
(415) 763-2061
Fax (415) 268-1729
November 6, 1989
Mr. Gary E. Kruger
City of Campbell
70 North First Street
Campbell, California 95008
Subject:
Bascom Avenue VehicleJPedestrian Safety
and Circulation Study
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Dear Mr Kruger:
DKS Associates is pleased to present the attached report focussing on vehicular and pedestrian
safety and circulation on Bascom Avenue between Campisi Way and Campbell Avenue.
The study addresses existing traffic conditions on the corridor, induding an in-depth assessment
of circulation and safety deficiencies as observed by DKS traffic engineers. Applying proven
means to alleviate the inadequacies of similar facilities, along with detailed signal operation
analysis, we developed three alternative improvement plans to mitigate short-term congestion
and safety problems for vehicles and pedestrians utilizing the study segment of Bascom Avenue.
The plans consist of a low capital alternative based upon system management aspects, and two
higher capital, or "build" alternatives based on fIXed works improvements.
DKS looks forward to presenting this important study to the City Council. We trust the City
will find the recommendations valuable in the final selection of a plan to implement.
Again, we appreciate the opportunity to provide our professional engineering services to the
City of Campbell.
Sincerely,
DKS ASSOCIATES
A California Corporation
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David J. P¡risi, P.E.
Transportation Engineer
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DKS Associates
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction """"""""""""""""""""""""'"
2. ExistingConditions ..............................................
Traffic Volumes ...............................................
IntersectionAnalysis............................................
Accident History ..............................................
Identification of Circulation Deficiencies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3. Proposed Recommendations .......................................
Low Capital Alternative ........................................
"Build"Alternatives ...........................................
4. Signalized Intersection Operations ...................................
TrafficSignalWarrantEvaluation .................................
Level of Service Analysis .......................................
Traffic Signal Coordination Analysis ................................
5. Future Development Considerations .................................
Appendix A: Level of Service Calculations
Appendix B: Signal Warrant Worksheets
Appendix C: Time-Space Diagrams
Appendix D: Accident Details
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1
Existing Intersection Operations ........................................
Table 2
FuturelntersectionOperations .......................................
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1
Average Daily Traffic Volume Profile ....................................
Figure 2
Peak Hour Traffic Volumes ............................ ...... ...... ...
Figure 3
Accident Diagram: JanI987toDecI987.................................
Figure 4
Accident Diagram: Jan1988toMar1989 ................................
Figure 5
Observed Circulation Deficiences .......................................
Figure 6
Low Capital Alternative """"""""""""""""""""""
Figure 7
"Build"Alternativel...............................................
Figure 8
"Build"Alternative2...............................................
LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS
Photo 1
Queuing Across Southbound Bascom Avenue at Ridgeley ............... . . . . . .
Photo 2
QueuingonNorthernPruneyardDriveway ...............................
Photo 3
Vehicle Turing Right onto Bascom Avenue from Tower Records. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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1.
Introduction
Due to offsetting intersection alignments, numerous driveways, lack of protected left turn vehicle
movements, heavy traffic volumes, and high pedestrian presence, vehicles and pedestrians
utilizing Bascom Avenue between Campisi Way and Campbell Avenue are constantly exposed
to circulation and safety deficiencies. It is not uncommon to observe vehicles accelerating
quickly from a side street onto Bascom with little regard to opposing autos or pedestrians.
Pedestrians have been observed crossing the major arterial at undesignated locations, and taking
temporary refuge in the center raised median before jogging across to the other side of Bascom.
This report presents the above and other circulation and safety problems existing on Campbell
Avenue. The Existing Conditions section details existing traffic volumes, intersection operations,
accident profiles, and presents observed deficiencies on the corridor. Utilizing the information
obtained, three plans to improve vehicle and pedestrian circulation and safety are recommended
in the Proposed Recommendations. The plans consist of a low capital alternative based upon
system management aspects, and two higher capital, or "build" alternatives based on fixed works
improvements. Signalized Intersection Operations focuses on the system intersection performance
for the corridor. The analysis in the last chapter concentrates on evaluating traffic signal
warrants levels of service and signal coordination for the new signal (or "build") alternatives.
Finally, the last section, entitled Future Development Considerations, briefly discusses the impacts
a future alternative route from Bascom Avenue to the Pruneyard would have on the
recommended improvements.
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2.
Existing Conditions
This section of the report summarizes the vehicle and pedestrian conditions existing along
Bascom Avenue from Campbell Avenue to Campisi Way. Utilizing information supplied by the
City of Campbell and our analyses and field observations, this section presents a discussion of
vehicle and pedestrian traffic, an operational analysis of the signalized intersections, a look at
accident history along the corridor, and an identification of circulation deficiencies.
Traffic Volumes
This study analyzes traffic conditions for the highest peak hours of traffic flow on the corridor.
Figure 1 depicts the average daily traffic volume profile for Bascom Avenue on a typical
weekday and on a Saturday. The figure shows two distinct peaks of similar magnitude for
traffic flow occurring on a weekday; during the noon hour (some time between 11:30 AM. and
1:30 P.M.) and during the evening (some time between 4:30 P.M. and 6:30 P.M.). These peak
periods are analyzed throughout this analysis.
The weekday morning peak hour traffic conditions are not analyzed in this study due to the
lower traffic volumes on Bascom Avenue and the fact that only small amounts of traffic are
generated by the adjacent commercial developments between 7:00 AM. and 9:00 AM.
Ao; depicted in Figure 1, Saturday traffic volumes peak on Bascom Avenue between 1:30 P.M.
and 2:30 P.M., when the traffic volumes are slightly lower than the weekday peak periods.
Although vehicular turning movements and/or pedestrian activity from the adjacent commercial
development could possibly be higher during the Saturday peak as opposed to the weekday
peaks, this data was not available.
Twenty-four hour traffic counts conducted from March 2, 1989 to March 10, 1989, indicate that
the average daily traffic volume on Bascom is about 53,200 vehicles per day (vpd) during a
typical weekday (Tuesday through Thursday), approximately 46.400 vpd on a Saturday, and
about 35,000 vpd on a Sunday.
Figure 2 depicts the midday and evening peak hour turning movements at Bascom Avenue's
intersections with roadways and major driveways. Also shown in the figure is the number of
pedestrians crossing the arterial at the pedestrian crossing signal recently installed.
Intersection Analysis
Each signalized intersection's existing operations was evaluated utilizing methods from the 1985
Highway Capacity Manual to determine the amount of delay experienced by motorists and the
volume-to-capacity ratio at each location. Table 1 summarizes the existing levels of service
(LOS).
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