Capital Hill PUD Traffic Safety Analysis (14-020) <br />March 3, 2017 <br />2.0 INTRODUCTION <br />The purpose of this document is to provide a traffic safety evaluation regarding the potential for <br />an increase in traffic volume on Capital Drive resulting from approval and construction of the <br />proposed Capital Hill Planned Unit Development (PUD) in Eugene, Oregon near Hendricks Park <br />and the Ribbon Trail. The site is divided between two City of Eugene neighborhood precincts, <br />with a portion of the site on the west side of Hendricks Hill in the Fairmount Neighborhood and <br />a portion on the east side in the Laurel Hill Valley Neighborhood. Based on the proposed layout, <br />in accordance with Eugene Street Connectivity standards, there is no potential for traffic impacts <br />to the Laurel Hill Valley Neighborhood. The results of this document are intended to provide <br />formal traffic safety documentation and analysis and to demonstrate compatibility with City of <br />Eugene standards for development approval. <br />2.1 Existing Conditions <br />2.1.1 Background <br />The site is within the urban growth boundary (UGB) of Eugene and is generally located between <br />Capital Drive to the west and the City of Eugene's Ribbon Trail park property to the east, with <br />Hendricks Park located to the north. The development site consists of existing tax lots 100, 200, <br />201, 300, and tax lot 400 of tax map 18-03-04-31. The site currently has driveway access at four <br />locations on Capital Drive, that accommodate three single family residences and three multi- <br />family dwelling units (apartments) constructed on the site. In total, the land use application <br />involves development on approximately 13.10 acres of land, with some of the property located <br />outside of city limits that will be annexed into the city concurrent with the subject development <br />applications. <br />2.1.2 Capital Drive <br />Capital Drive is an existing two-way local street constructed on cut/fill slopes with variable <br />vertical street grades up to 16 percent. Capital Drive meanders uphill, starting at Spring <br />Boulevard and ending at an undeveloped multi-use path trailhead north of Cresta De Ruta Street. <br />Capital Drive has an unposted statutory speed of 25 MPH and features intermittent on street <br />parking between Spring Blvd and Cresta De Ruta Street. Capital Drive serves as the site's and <br />local neighborhood's main accessway to the City of Eugene's more significant transportation <br />system facilities. Cresta De Ruta Street provides relief circulation via an additional local street <br />connection that connects the top of the hill to the intersection of Spring Blvd and Capital Drive. <br />With approximately 18.0 to 20.0 feet of nominal paving width, Capital Drive functions largely as <br />what the City of Eugene refers to as a "queuing street" on page 36 of the Design Standards and <br />Guidelines For Eugene Streets, Sidewalks, Bikeways and Accessways (November 1999), which is <br />also included in Appendix E of the current (February 2016) Public Improvements Design <br />Standards Manual. Per said City of Eugene publications regarding vehicle lanes: <br />"On local residential streets with traffic volumes less than 750 vehicles per day, a single <br />14' traffic lane may be permitted for both directions of vehicular travel. The single traffic <br />lane is intended to create a "queuing street", such that when opposing vehicles meet, one <br />of the vehicles must yield by pulling into a vacant portion of the adjacent parking lane. <br />This queuing effect has been found to be an effective and safe method to reduce speeds <br />and non-local traffic." <br />© Branch Engineering, Inc. <br />Page 12 <br />