6.0_Chapter 6.0 - AlternativesChapter 6.0
Alternatives
Chapter 6.0 – Alternatives
Espola Road Improvement Project Final EIR 6-1
May 2013
6.0 ALTERNATIVES
6.1 INTRODUCTION
During consideration of a project for approval or denial, CEQA requires that alternatives that can
lower significant impacts identified for a proposed project be considered. In accordance with
State CEQA Guidelines section 15126.6(d), “the EIR shall include sufficient information about
each alternative to allow meaningful evaluation, analysis, and comparison with the proposed
project.”
The State CEQA Guidelines also require EIRs to identify the Environmentally Superior
Alternative from among the alternatives (including the proposed Project) evaluated. The
Environmentally Superior Alternative is identified in Section 6.4 of this chapter.
In developing the alternatives to be addressed in this section, consideration was given to their
ability to meet the basic objectives of the Project. These objectives were identified in Chapter
1.0 of this EIR and include provision of “a safe, realistic, efficient, and integrated transportation
system to serve the present and future mobility needs of all the residents of Poway” (City
1991a:2). The proposed Project is designed to relieve congestion and improve safety (vehicle,
pedestrian, bicycle and equestrian) and roadway operations on Espola Road to operate within
design capacity thresholds. In terms of ADT and LOS, the Project is intended to:
Improve failing segments of Espola Road between Titan Way and Twin Peaks Road to
meet design capacity (equivalent of LOS D or C) specified for three-lane facilities in the
2010-amended TME
Improve intersection operations at Espola Road and Twin Peaks in the a.m. peak hour to
LOS D
Improve all other intersection operations to levels of service A, B or C (including Espola
Road and Durhullen Drive/Golden Sunset Lane, which would be signalized as part of the
Project)
Improve roadway safety through incorporation of consistent (and widened) bike lanes
and pathways
Based on analyses in Chapter 2.0, the Project would have significant effects with regard to the
following issues: land use, visual/aesthetics, noise, biological resources, cultural resources and
geology/soils. All significant project-specific environmental effects would be mitigated to below
a level of significance.
The alternatives addressed for this Project include the No Project, the Alternative Location, a
series of build alternatives developed for a potential four-lane roadway, and two design
alternatives attempting to retain a two-lane configuration. Each of these is discussed in greater
detail below.
Chapter 6.0 – Alternatives
Espola Road Improvement Project Final EIR 6-2
May 2013
6.2 NO PROJECT ALTERNATIVE
6.2.1 Description of the No Project Alternative
A “No Project” alternative discussion is an EIR requirement (State CEQA Guidelines Section
15126.6[e]). The No Project Alternative is included to provide a basis against which the impacts
from the build alternatives are compared. The No Project Alternative assumes that no major
improvements would be made and no major construction would occur on Espola Road and the
associated intersections within the Project area. Ongoing maintenance activities would continue.
Existing failures of roadway segments and intersections to meet City design capacity thresholds
for roadway operations would continue, and the lack of standardized sidewalks/pathways along
certain portions of the road would be retained. The upgrades specified in the Transportation
Master Element of the City’s General Plan would not be implemented, and existing adverse
conditions would be exacerbated as a result of growth planned for the region in general.
As part of the No Project review, Traffic Management Systems (TMS) revisions were evaluated
to see if traffic flow could be improved without widening. Types of revisions/measures
evaluated for Espola Road include traffic signal coordination along the corridor, re-striping and
any other measures that would improve operations without necessarily widening or physically
improving the roadway. Along the Project corridor, there are two traffic signals that could be
re-timed to provide better progression of vehicular traffic. The two signals are spaced
approximately 1.5 miles apart. Although re-timing them to be coordinated could gain some
additional vehicle progression efficiency, the additional efficiency gained would not provide
enough additional capacity to provide better LOS under the future timeframes. Re-striping
Espola Road also is not considered effective due to the limited roadway width available to
provide for additional lanes. Transit also is already serving the Espola Road corridor.
Therefore, of the limited number of options to revise the existing TMS, none is seen as a
practical alternative to the proposed Project. The future traffic volumes are such that non-
construction system modifications would not provide for the additional capacity necessary to
have acceptable operations and LOS. Roadway capacity and operational and safety deficiencies
would not be corrected with the implementation of the No Project Alternative. As a result, this
alternative does not meet the objectives of the proposed Project.
6.2.2 Comparison of Effects of the No Project Alternative to the Proposed Project
In addition to the failure to attain Project objectives, environmental effects also were evaluated
for this alternative. Environmental effects associated with hazardous materials, paleontological
resources, population and housing, recreation and agricultural resources would be the same for
this alternative as for the proposed Project as analyzed in Chapter 3.0, Effects Found Not to be
Significant. All other environmental effects are summarized below.
Land Use
The proposed Project was analyzed for its potential to divide an existing community and for its
consistency with local land use plans and policies and habitat conservation plan. Similar to the
Chapter 6.0 – Alternatives
Espola Road Improvement Project Final EIR 6-3
May 2013
proposed Project, the retention of the existing roadway conditions associated with the No Project
Alternative would not introduce a new division to the community. All existing Espola Road
crossings would be maintained; however, no upgrades would occur. Proposed street lighting
improvements and pedestrian/equestrian/bikeway improvements would not be installed and the
potential benefits of improving accessibility in the area would not proceed.
As discussed above, the No Project Alternative assumes that existing conditions would be
retained and ongoing maintenance activities would continue. The upgrades specified in the TME
of the City’s General Plan would not be implemented, and existing adverse conditions would be
exacerbated through planned regional population growth. There would not be any improved
infrastructure support of the existing land uses (residential and public facilities) in this area of the
City. Further, there would be no encouragement to walk or use bicycles, and no new access to
existing trails. Consequently, impacts to planned use consistency under the No Project
Alternative would be greater than assessed to the proposed Project.
The No Project Alternative would be consistent with the City’s applicable Resources Master
Element and Poway Subarea HCP. To the extent that open space is currently retained and
wildlife/native plants are preserved and protected, these conditions would continue.
Visual/Aesthetics
This alternative would result in retention of existing aesthetic conditions. No additional roadway
improvements would be implemented over what is already in place. The somewhat varied
residential conditions would continue to be visible, retaining the overall impression of an area
recently in transition from a rural to suburban setting and still somewhat in flux, given
continuing residential development (now slowing as tract areas have built out and most new
development is limited to individual building or residential improvements). No additional
Project-related sound walls would be installed, and loss of existing mature vegetation would not
occur in conjunction with the proposed Project. Based on levels of change alone, including the
addition of solid surface sound walls and removal of mature vegetation, the No Project
Alternative would be preferred for the issue of visual resources. It should be noted, however,
that plans for upgrades to roadway utilities and City-signature visual elements (related to walls
and landscaping) for this major north-south arterial through the east side of the City would not be
realized.
Noise
With the No Project Alternative, the future year 2030 traffic volume along Espola Road would
increase by the same amount as anticipated for the proposed Project. This is due to the
expectation that the proposed Project would be traffic accommodating rather than traffic
generating. From Twin Peaks Road north to the end of the Project, the future additional traffic
volume would result in a less than one dBA CNEL increase as compared to the existing
conditions. Noise abatement walls would not be provided with the No Project Alternative.
Thus, areas that currently exceed City noise thresholds would continue to do so in the future.
Chapter 6.0 – Alternatives
Espola Road Improvement Project Final EIR 6-4
May 2013
Biological Resources
The No Project Alternative would not require the acquisition of additional right-of-way. As a
result, no temporary or permanent impacts to vegetation communities or jurisdictional wetlands
would occur. In addition, no temporary or permanent impacts to sensitive species would result
beyond those occurring under existing conditions.
Cultural Resources
This alternative would result in no new surface disruption along the roadway. The alluvial and
colluvial soils identified within the Project area between Del Poniente Road and a small distance
northerly would not be disturbed and potential impacts to unknown subsurface archaeological
resources and/or human remains would not occur. As with the build alternatives, no impacts
would occur to historic structures.
Geology/Soils
The No Project Alternative would generally not result in any permanent impacts, due to the fact
that no new facilities would be constructed. The existing roadway facilities and operations,
however, would still be subject to a number of similar seismic and non-seismic hazards as
described for the proposed Project, including ground rupture, ground acceleration, liquefaction,
and seismic settlement, landsliding and corrosive soils.
Traffic/Transportation
Under the No Project Alternative in both near-term and 2030 conditions, Espola Road would
operate at LOS E or F from Titan Way to Ezra Lane. The intersection of Espola Road and
Durhullen Drive/Golden Sunset Lane also would operate at LOS F during peak hours in the near
term and future. LOS improvements that would occur along Espola Road associated with the
proposed Project would not occur.
Additional transportation facilities are proposed in Project design that would not occur with the
No Project Alternative. Wider bike lanes along the entire length of the Project alignment would
not be provided and the projected connection to existing bike lanes along Twin Peaks Road
would not be made. Similarly, upgrades to pedestrian and equestrian facilities, including non-
contiguous sidewalks with landscaped parkways, additional ADA-compliant and maintained
pathways and signal crossing buttons to accommodate equestrians would not occur.
In summary, the beneficial operational impacts associated with traffic/transportation under the
proposed Project would not occur.
The driveway approaches located along Espola Road would not require reconstruction and
access would therefore not be interrupted. Temporary impacts to vehicle, pedestrian, equestrian
and bicycle circulation would not occur because construction activities would not occur under
this alternative because no construction activities would occur.
Chapter 6.0 – Alternatives
Espola Road Improvement Project Final EIR 6-5
May 2013
Air Quality
If an intersection or roadway operates at LOS E or F, there is a potential for CO “hot spots” to
form. As discussed above under Traffic/Transportation, Espola Road from Titan Way to Ezra
Lane, as well as the intersection of Espola Road and Durhullen Drive/Golden Sunset Lane during
peak hours, would operate below LOS D during both near-term and future traffic conditions.
Accordingly, there is a potential for a CO “hot spot” to form under the No Project Alternative.
The short-term emissions of NOx, CO, SOx and PM10 associated with Project construction
would not occur with the No Project Alternative. Similarly, the projected operational increase in
VMT and associated increase in MSAT emissions along Espola Road would not occur. It should
be noted, however, that even with uncertainties in projecting the degree to which higher speeds
may offset MSAT emission, vehicle fuel and engine regulations already in place are expected to
reduce MSAT emissions with or without Project improvements.
Hydrology and Water Quality
Under the No Project Alternative, neither the potential construction- or operation-related effects
of Project activities, nor any of the associated measures to improve hydrologic conditions would
occur. Drainage alteration, new impervious surfaces, hazardous materials/potential pollutants,
erosion/sedimentation, and use of groundwater associated with the proposed Project would not
occur under the No Project Alternative. Storm drain improvements that would be included as
part of the proposed Project include a number of new and modified facilities to convey on- and
off-site generated flows through the study area to the existing outlet point; these would not occur
under the No Project Alternative.
The existing roadway facilities and operations under the No Project Alternative would be subject
to a number of similar hydrologic hazards as described for the proposed Project, including
hazards from flooding and tsunamis/seishes and earthquake-induced flooding.
Public Services
Similar to the proposed Project, the No Project Alternative would not involve the addition of new
structures that would necessitate new school or park facilities. Police and fire protection services
would not experience the short-term effects caused by roadway construction. Conversely,
potential improved response times associated with widening Espola Road from a two-lane
facility to a three-lane facility would not be realized under the No Project Alternative.
6.2.3 Conclusion
The No Project Alternative would avoid direct impacts to the existing sensitive resources in the
study area. It would not, however, meet the basic project objectives or comply with the
applicable planning documents, and would result in some increased impacts over the proposed
Project (e.g., traffic, air quality).
Chapter 6.0 – Alternatives
Espola Road Improvement Project Final EIR 6-6
May 2013
6.3 ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED BUT REJECTED
As described below, alternatives considered but rejected included locational (Section 6.3.1) and
system design (Sections 6.3.2 and 6.3.3) options. These rejected alternatives include all of the
potential build alternatives developed for the Project.
As noted above, the principles guiding alternative development have to do with reason and
public disclosure. Section 15126.6(a) of the State CEQA Guidelines states that an EIR shall
describe “a range of reasonable alternatives to the project, or to the location of the project, which
would feasibly attain most of the basic objectives of the project but would avoid or substantially
lessen any of the significant effects of the project,” as well as provide an evaluation of “the
comparative merits of the alternatives.” Under that section, an EIR does not need to consider
every conceivable alternative to the project. The range of alternatives “is governed by the ‘rule
of reason’ that requires the EIR to set forth only those alternatives necessary to permit a reasoned
choice.” The focus is on informed decision-making and public participation rather than
providing a set of alternatives simply to satisfy format.
The absence of potential viable build alternatives at this stage of the Espola Road Improvement
Project is the direct result of the Project’s design history. The Project is severely constrained by
the surrounding land uses and (limited but valuable) natural resources. The road also is
immediately abutted by many private residences. Espola Road is not only an ever-present factor
in these residents’ daily lives, but improvements requiring widening of the facility result in
encroachment into private property. As a result, Project design also was guided by a desire on
the part of the City to implement simultaneously the most effective and least impactive design.
The current Project reflects years of careful engineering and environmental evaluation of
alternative project elements. In an effort to identify the most effective and least impactive
project, several design configurations were developed, including options widening more or less
to the east or the west, and design of a split-grade roadway. Those alternatives were all
consistent with the then-current Circulation Element, which proposed that Espola Road be
expanded to a four-lane facility in order to adequately accommodate current and projected traffic
loading.
The progression of design alternatives started with review of alternative location, followed by the
build alternatives originally proposed to match the prior TME.
6.3.1 Alternative Location
Under CEQA, off-site alternatives should be considered if development of another site is feasible
and would reduce or avoid the significant impacts of a proposed project. Factors that need to be
considered when identifying an off-site alternative include the size of the site, its location, the
General Plan (or other applicable planning document) land use designation and availability of
infrastructure.
For Espola Road, the overall purpose is to alleviate congestion on an existing roadway in a
developed setting. If another road sited in an alternative location were to be improved, it could
Chapter 6.0 – Alternatives
Espola Road Improvement Project Final EIR 6-7
May 2013
not guarantee meeting the objective of satisfying reduction in congestion on Espola Road.
Travelers might choose to still use the existing congested roadway option due to familiarity, or
because it is in a more direct line of travel.
In addition, a baseline requirement of the CEQA alternative location is that the new location
reduce significant impacts associated with the location of the proposed Project. Because there
are so few relatively direct north-south routes through the City, and because the surrounding
areas also are heavily developed or in dedicated open space, it is not anticipated that an
alternative location would lessen potential impacts. Any effort to find a route crossing open
space would result in biological impacts, which are minimal in amount with the proposed
Project. Similarly, although significant noise impacts are identified for the Project, there is no
location just west or east of Espola Road that would not affect existing adjacent residences. A
new road route would increase noise impacts by moving the road closer to other homes, and
potentially require removal of homes as well. A potential for greater, rather than reduced,
impacts overall would occur if the crossing location were to be changed.
Taking all of these factors into account, the identification of an alternative location was rejected
due to infeasibility.
6.3.2 Design Alternatives Reviewed in Detail
Three build alternatives were given detailed analysis during earlier phases of this Project. These
include the Conventional Roadway (Alternative 1), the Split Grade Roadway (Alternative 2) and
the Westerly Roadway Alignment (Alternative 3).
Each of these build alternatives would have provided roadway and associated improvements to
Espola Road from approximately 1,000 feet south of the intersection of Espola Road and Titan
Way to the intersection of Twin Peaks Road and Espola Road (the same distance assumed for the
proposed Project). For all three alternatives, improvements would have consisted of widening
the two-lane road to a four-lane secondary arterial, as well as necessary traffic safety, drainage,
pedestrian, equestrian, and landscaping improvements. Figure 6-1, Typical Cross Sections –
Alternatives 1, 2 and 3, illustrates typical cross-sections for the build alternatives evaluated in
detail. Drainage improvements would have continued approximately another 450 feet south of
the Espola Road/Twin Peaks Road intersection.
Many of the elements proposed for these earlier four-lane alternatives have been carried forward
into the proposed Project. These include assumptions regarding overall construction time-frame
and equipment, provision of wider bike lanes and pedestrian pathways for the full extent of the
roadway improvements, upgraded signalization, undergrounding of existing aboveground
utilities, stormwater drainage upgrades, etc.
Areas in which the four-lane alternatives varied from the proposed Project (or one another) are
discussed below.
Chapter 6.0 – Alternatives
Espola Road Improvement Project Final EIR 6-8
May 2013
Alternative 1 - Conventional Roadway
Alternative 1 was generally superimposed on the existing road right-of-way, and would have
followed both the horizontal and vertical alignment of the current road (Figures 6-2a through e,
Conventional Roadway – Alternative 1). Alternative 1 also would have included the following:
Re-routing of driveways for three properties south of High Valley Road on the east side
of the roadway. The re-routing would have required alternative access areas and
additional private access easements for these three properties
Substantial excavation cuts (50 to 60 feet) into the slope on the east side of the roadway
in the area of Northcrest Lane and south of High Valley Road
Right-of-way and slope easement acquisition totaling 4.46 acres
One full parcel acquisition (APN 321-011-24) of property adjacent to Espola Road
immediately north of Jerome Drive
Roadway Upgrades
As noted above, Alternative 1 would have widened the two-lane road to a four-lane secondary
arterial facility with two vehicle lanes in each direction between the northern Project terminus
south of Titan Way to the intersection of Espola Road and Twin Peaks Road. An approximately
14-foot wide striped or raised median would have been included for the entire length of the
roadway widening.
Similar to the proposed Project, one new signal would have been constructed at the intersection
of Espola Road and Golden Sunset Lane. At the intersection, the Project would have added one
through lane in each direction and retained turn pockets for north- and southbound traffic.
Pedestrian/Equestrian Improvements
A non-contiguous sidewalk would have been installed where possible with a landscaped parkway
to separate vehicular traffic from pedestrian traffic, providing additional ADA-compliant and
maintained pathway where none exists today, as well as additional separation of pedestrian and
vehicular uses over current conditions. The sidewalk would have been approximately five feet
wide and generally straight (non-meandering), although not necessarily contiguous with the curb.
A 15-foot wide decomposed granite sidewalk also was proposed on the east side of Espola Road
and would have connected to east-west trails located at Twin Peaks Road (Twin Peaks Trail) and
Del Poniente Road (Tierra Bonita Trail). (See Figure 6-1 for a typical cross section.)
Landscaping
Landscaping would have been provided along the length of the improved roadway. Figure 6-3,
Typical Conceptual Landscape Plan for Alternatives 1 and 3, depicts proposed typical planting.
The proposed plant palette would have complied with the City Landscape and Irrigation Design
Manual (City 2010), as well as Executive Order 13112 for federally funded projects, which
prohibits use of invasive plant species. The plant palette would have unified primary City
I:\Gis\B\BAH-01Espola Rd\Map\EIR\Fig6-3_ConeptualLandscape_Alt1_3.indd -RB Typical Conceptual Landscape Plan
for Alternatives 1 and 3
ESPOLA ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
Figure 6-3
Source: Garbini and Garbini 2003
Chapter 6.0 – Alternatives
Espola Road Improvement Project Final EIR 6-9
May 2013
roadways and contributed to City identification, as well as meeting City concerns regarding
maintenance and low levels of flammability during unexpected wildfire events.
Construction Activities
Total soil excavation or fill would have required approximately 31,065 cubic yards of cut and
7,495 cubic yards of fill; therefore, soil export was anticipated. Maximum cut and fill slopes
generally would have been approximately 25 feet in height, with maximum grades of
100 percent (1:1) for manufactured slopes.
Alternative 2 – Split Grade Roadway
Alternative 2, a split grade alternative, incorporated many of the elements of Alternative 1. From
the vicinity of Golden Sunset Lane southerly, Project elements would have been identical, as
would all drainage facilities and staging areas. Variations would have occurred on the east side
of Espola Road just south of High Valley Road, and in the area approximately 250 feet south of
the water tank. The reader is referred to Figures 6-2a, b and c for elements common to
Alternative 1. Figures 6-4a and b, Split Grade Roadway – Alternative 2, highlight those areas in
which the alternatives differ. In these areas, the western (southbound) lanes would have retained
the existing grade and the eastern (northbound) lanes would have been constructed at a higher
grade supported by retaining walls, thereby minimizing cuts into slopes on the east side of the
roadway. The retaining walls would have ranged up to 10 feet in height. Grading requirements
also generally would have been minimized over those noted for Alternative 1, consisting of
20,395 cubic yards of cut and 13,915 cubic yards of fill; soil export was anticipated.
Landscaping for Alternative 2 would have been similar to the proposed Project and Alternative 1
(refer to Figures 6-5a and b, Conceptual Landscape Cross-sections – Alternative 2).
Alternative 2 also would have included the following:
Reconstruction of the driveways for three properties south of High Valley Road on the
east side of the roadway
Reduction in the size of excavation cuts into slope required for Alternative 1 on the east
side of the roadway in the area of Northcrest Lane and south of High Valley Road
Reconstruction of several hundred feet of existing waterline in the area of Northcrest
Lane
Right-of-way and slope easement acquisition totaling 4.24 acres
Alternative 2 would vary from Alternative 1 in that:
No re-routing of driveways would be required
The full parcel acquisition of property (APN 321-011-24) adjacent to Espola Road
immediately north of Jerome Drive would have been eliminated
Alternative 2 would have been similar to Alternative 1 in the following areas: roadway upgrades
and pedestrian/equestrian improvements; and similar to both Alternative 1 and the proposed
Project for: drainage improvements, bikeway improvements, transit service, construction
Chapter 6.0 – Alternatives
Espola Road Improvement Project Final EIR 6-10
May 2013
activities and construction control measures. Alternative 2 landscape cross-sections are provided
in Figures 6-5a and 6-5b.
Alternative 3 - Westerly Roadway Alignment
Alternative 3, the residential property impact minimization alternative, also shared many
elements with Alternative 1, and was identical from High Valley Road northerly, and from the
vicinity of Golden Sunset Lane southerly. The reader is referred to Figures 6-2a through 6-2e for
depiction of identical areas. Just south of High Valley Road, and on the east side of the roadway,
right-of-way acquisition from residential properties would have been minimized, with increased
right-of-way acquisition occurring on the western side of the road (Figure 6-6, Westerly
Roadway Alignment – Alternative 3; see Figure 6-1 for a typical cross section). Grading
requirements would have been generally similar, with somewhat less cut, consisting of
27,055 cubic yards of cut and 8,465 cubic yards of fill. Right-of-way and slope easement would
have totaled 4.82 acres. Alternative 3 would have varied from Alternative 1 in:
Elimination of the full parcel acquisition of property (APN 321-011-24) adjacent to
Espola Road immediately north of Jerome Drive
Demolition and reconstruction of detached garage on property (APN 321-011-41) on
west side of roadway (across from APN 321-011-24)
No re-routing of the driveways for three properties south of High Valley Road on the east
side of the roadway
Reduction in size of cuts into slope on the east side of the roadway in the area of
Northcrest Lane and south of High Valley Road and increases in fill on the west side of
Espola Road
Rationale for Rejecting Design Alternatives Reviewed in Detail
Because an objective of the Project is to improve conditions on an existing roadway, the
potential footprint within which to consider alternatives is relatively constrained. Any roadway
improvements would, therefore, necessarily alter a portion of the City that has already
experienced some development from the existing roadway. Project design was guided by a
desire on the part of the City to limit the adverse affects associated with roadway widening, and
retain the community’s rural character to the extent possible while still achieving the improved
LOS as outlined in the General Plan (City 1991a). Accordingly, project alternatives that would
sufficiently improve traffic conditions, while not requiring unnecessary expansion of the road
with greater need to acquire private property, were considered to be superior. As the Traffic
Analysis discusses, the use of a two-way left-turn lane is appropriate for roadways with less than
24,000 projected ADT and would still accomplish the LOS objectives on such a road
(Appendix F). Because an alternative (the proposed Project) exists that would meet the Project
objectives while requiring less acquisition of private property and minimizing visual changes that
might alter the rural character of the community, the three build alternatives that involved
construction of additional lanes were rejected.
Chapter 6.0 – Alternatives
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May 2013
6.3.3 Additional Design Alternatives
During the Project alternatives development process, additional build alternatives were
considered but eliminated from more detailed review in this EIR. The purpose of the following
alternatives was to reduce the amount of new right-of-way needed by reducing the Project
footprint. These include the Two-lane Collector with Safety Improvements (Alternative 4),
Four-lane Intersection Alternative (Alternative 4A) and the Single-lane Roundabout Alternative
(Alternative 5).
Alternative 4 – Two-lane Collector with Safety Improvements
Alternative 4 generally would have maintained Espola Road as a two-lane collector beginning
approximately 1,000 feet south of the intersection of Espola Road and Titan Way and ending
200 feet south of the crossing of Rattlesnake Creek. Improvements would have included the
necessary traffic safety, drainage, sidewalk and pathway upgrades, and landscaping
improvements described for Alternative 1. Figure 6-7, Two-lane Collector With Safety
Improvements – Alternative 4, depicts the alternative. A 12-foot wide striped or raised median
would be included for the entire length of the roadway widening. A cross-section of this
alternative is shown on Figure 6-8, Typical Cross-sections – Alternative 4 and 4A.
Although the roadway would be maintained as a two-lane collector, the Espola Road and High
Valley Road traffic signal would be upgraded and one new signal would be constructed at the
intersection of Espola Road and Golden Sunset Lane. At each of these intersections,
Alternative 4 would add one through lane in each direction, and retain turn pockets for north-
and south-bound traffic.
The traffic capacity of roadways, and subsequent LOS, is based on a number of factors. These
factors include the roadway geometrics including lane widths and roadway alignment, traffic
signal spacing, number of driveways, speed of traffic and other factors. Determining the
roadway LOS includes a comparison of the daily traffic to anticipated roadway capacity. The
traffic capacity numbers for local roadway classifications has been approved by the City and are
published in the General Plan (City1991a, as amended). The main difference with the raised
median is the prohibition of left-turn movements along the roadway segments. Since the left-
turn movements would be concentrated at the intersections, extra left-turn storage would be
necessary as well as geometrics to accommodate U-turns. Additionally, the removal of
“friction” caused by vehicles weaving to access the center left-turn lane may result in an increase
in roadway capacity. Although there have been recent studies showing that roadway capacity
may be increased with the addition of a raised median, there is no current method to quantify the
increased capacity and subsequent LOS.
This alternative was eliminated from further evaluation because it was unable to meet the Project
objectives in their entirety. Improvements provided by the alternative would not adequately
meet the Project objectives for increased roadway capacity along the street segments. Each
roadway segment would continue to fail to meet design capacity thresholds (and would be
equivalent LOS F) with this alternative under both the near-term and future scenarios.
Chapter 6.0 – Alternatives
Espola Road Improvement Project Final EIR 6-12
May 2013
Alternative 4A – Four-lane Intersection
Alternative 4A generally would have maintained Espola Road as a two-lane collector beginning
approximately 1,000 feet south of the intersection of Espola Road and Titan Way and ending
200 feet south of the crossing of Rattlesnake Creek. Improvements would have consisted of the
necessary traffic safety, drainage, sidewalk and pathway upgrades, and landscaping
improvements described for Alternative 1. Figure 6-9, Four-lane Intersection – Alternative 4A,
shows Alternative 4A. A striped or raised median (12 feet) would have been included for the
entire length of the roadway widening. A cross-section of the alternative is shown on Figure 6-8.
Although the roadway would have been maintained as a two-lane collector, intersections would
have been improved by adding one additional through lane (for a total of two) in each direction
to Espola Road at its intersection with Durhullen Drive/Golden Sunset Lane and High Valley
Road/Del Poniente Road. Similar to the proposed Project, one traffic signal would have been
upgraded (at the intersection of Espola Road with High Valley Road), and one new signal would
have been constructed at the intersection of Espola Road and Golden Sunset Lane. At each of
these intersections, the alternative would retain turn pockets for north- and southbound traffic.
This alternative was eliminated from further evaluation because it was unable to meet the Project
objectives in their entirety. Improvements provided by the alternative would not adequately
meet the Project objectives for safety or increased roadway capacity along the street segments.
With capacity enhancements (two through lanes in each direction) only at two intersections,
vehicles traveling through the improved intersections would have to immediately merge back
into a single travel lane (single lane in each direction) between the signalized four-lane
intersections and the two-lane roadway segments. These conflict points would result in adverse
effects on safety as vehicles merge back onto the narrower roadway segments. A slight increase
in roadway capacity would have been realized from the additional lanes at the two intersections
and the addition of a raised median as discussed above but each roadway segment would
continue to fail with this alternative under both the near-term and future scenarios.
Alternative 5 – Single-lane Roundabout
Alternative 5 also would have maintained Espola Road as a two-lane collector beginning at
approximately 1,000 feet south of the intersection of Espola Road and Titan Way and ending
200 feet south of the crossing of Rattlesnake Creek. Improvements would have consisted of the
traffic safety, drainage, sidewalks and pathways, and landscaping improvements described for
Alternative 1. Figure 6-10, Single-lane Roundabout – Alternative 5, shows the Single-lane
Roundabout Alternative. A striped or raised median approximately 14 feet in width would have
been included for the entire length of the roadway widening. A cross-section of the alternative is
shown on Figure 6-11, Typical Cross-section – Alternative 5.
Although the roadway would have been maintained as a two-lane collector, intersections would
have been improved by adding a two-lane roundabout at the intersection of Espola Road and
Twin Peaks Road, and single-lane roundabouts at the intersections of Espola Road with
Durhullen Drive/Golden Sunset and Del Poniente Road/High Valley Road.
Chapter 6.0 – Alternatives
Espola Road Improvement Project Final EIR 6-13
May 2013
This alternative was rejected due to its inability to meet Project objectives with regard to traffic
flow as well as increased private property acquisition for necessary road right-of-way at the
Espola Road and Twin Peaks Road two-lane roundabout locale.
6.4 ENVIRONMENTALLY SUPERIOR ALTERNATIVE
Although the No Project Alternative would result in minimal or substantially reduced
environmental impacts, Section 15126.6(e)(2) of the State CEQA Guidelines requires
identification of an alternative other than the No Project Alternative as the environmentally
superior alternative. Accordingly, the proposed Project is considered to be the environmentally
superior alternative for the widening of Espola Road. As opposed to the other build alternatives
analyzed in detail, which would widen Espola Road to a four-lane secondary arterial, the
proposed Project would only widen the road to three lanes, thereby resulting in reduced impacts
to visual/aesthetics, biological and cultural resources, and geology/soils. In addition, the
proposed Project would not result in any additional impacts not assessed for the four-lane build
alternatives. Also, as discussed in Section 6.3.3, the additional design alternatives that involved
reduced roadway improvements were rejected because they would not have met the basic Project
objectives of improving traffic to operate within design capacity thresholds.
Chapter 6.0 – Alternatives
Espola Road Improvement Project Final EIR 6-14
May 2013
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