Search
Polls
Latest Forum Posts
| Taking a Knee unclebuck 15-11-08 13:51 |
| Re:Football unclebuck 07-10-08 15:24 |
| Re:Football unclebuck 02-10-08 12:59 |
Login Form
| Study predicts thousands more cars on West Side |
|
|
| Written by John Saiz / Patterson Irrigator | |
| Wednesday, 14 November 2007 | |
|
Getting ready for gridlock A transportation consultant’s study recommends new projects to accommodate traffic in the West Side, both with and without the proposed West Park project.
A 7.5-square-mile industrial center proposed for southeast of Patterson will generate more than 141,000 daily vehicle trips, according to a traffic study completed on behalf of developer PCCP West Park. However, the report also says most of the 141,167 daily vehicle trips will not go through Patterson. “There’s no advantage for trucks to travel through Patterson,” said transportation consultant Chris Kinzel of TJKM, which conducted the study. The Preliminary Traffic Circulation Master Plan predicts the industrial center’s impacts on local and regional roadways and the roadwork that will be needed even if the project does not happen. Along with estimating vehicle trips and truck paths, TJKM’s report for West Park establishes what roadwork is needed to keep traffic flowing at acceptable levels for cities and counties. West Park’s 4,800-acre project, which would stand on and around the 1,527-acre former Crows Landing naval airfield now owed by Stanislaus County, would include a rail link to the Port of Oakland. The Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors in February chose to give West Park exclusive negotiating rights to develop the property. The group has until April to produce more solid plans. The TJKM report states that parts of Sycamore and Ward avenues and Marshall and Rogers roads will need to be expanded from two to four lanes specifically to accommodate the project. Other improvements, such as expanding Interstate 5 from four to six lanes and expanding East Las Palmas Avenue from two to four lanes, would be necessary even without the industrial park, Kinzel said. In addition to Patterson, the traffic study covers parts of Stanislaus, San Joaquin and Merced counties. Some of the report’s other recommendations include expanding parts of Highway 99 to eight lanes and expanding to four lanes parts of Highway 140 between Gustine and Merced and Highway 132 between Highway 99 and Interstate 5. The detail in the report is unique for a project so early in the planning process, Kinzel said. The traffic report is part of a series of studies that supervisors have required West Park to produce during the next few months. Though such a detailed study is rare for a fledgling project, there is still plenty to consider before the project’s final environmental documents are complete. For example, the report states East Las Palmas Avenue would need to be expanded, but the palm trees lining the roadway just east of Patterson would prevent such work. “We’re not removing any palm trees,” said Kinzel, who became familiar with Patterson’s distinctive landmarks while working as the city’s traffic consultant for nearly 15 years. Since that makes expanding East Las Palmas Avenue all but impossible, an an alternative route may need to be developed to accommodate traffic. The Patterson City Council also plans for more growth. The city is in the midst of revising the general plan, and the council has suggested Patterson reach a population of 100,000 by 2048. TJKM’s study did not take into account that projected growth. The council has also discussed an additional I-5 interchange close to Zacharias Road. That, too, would have a significant impact on the report’s findings should it become a reality. Kinzel described his company’s report as a tool for county supervisors and the developer to see if they are really willing to do the work this project would entail. “I don’t know if we’ve ever done a report like this before,” Kinzel said. “It’s an unusual project. To reach John Saiz at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Set as favorite
Bookmark
Email This
Hits: 143 Comments
(0)
|
Subscribe to this comment's feed