Updated studies reflecting future traffic circulation
projections in Morgan Hill downgrade the need for new four-lane
streets and improvements to existing roadways and intersections
throughout the city.
Updated studies reflecting future traffic circulation projections in Morgan Hill downgrade the need for new four-lane streets and improvements to existing roadways and intersections throughout the city.
The new circulation element will be considered as an update to the city’s general plan at tonight’s city council meeting.
The first update of the circulation element since 2001 is based on newer traffic models and growth projections that consider large-scale changes in the past 10 years, including the widening of U.S. 101 and the removal of plans to develop Coyote Valley, according to Morgan Hill Community Development Director Kathy Molloy-Previsich.
As a result, the new circulation element identifies the need for smaller roads and lower levels of service at key intersections throughout Morgan Hill than previously thought. The new circulation element upholds the city’s stated goal of maintaining a sustainable community.
“The results of this effort support smart growth and sustainable communities,” Molloy-Previsich said.
For example, the latest traffic models show that Hale Avenue and Santa Teresa Boulevard connection in northwest Morgan Hill will only need to be a two-lane road, rather than the four-lane artery identified in previous projections. When the time comes for construction, that corridor should also have wide shoulders to make it more bicycle and pedestrian-friendly, Molloy-Previsich said.
Likewise, an eventually needed Murphy Avenue extension through east Morgan Hill to Mission View Drive will only require two lanes rather than four as the 2001 element suggested. And within downtown Morgan Hill, the new circulation element suggests that congestion around existing intersections will be tolerable without improvements for the foreseeable future.
Some areas where traffic service will require enhancements include widening Tennant Avenue between Butterfield Boulevard and U.S. 101 to six lanes. Also, Monterey Road between Old Monterey and Cochrane roads will eventually have to be widened from three to four lanes.
The circulation element serves as part of the guide for the future development and service needs in Morgan Hill known as the general plan. The council’s approval of the element Wednesday would not equate to approval of individual construction projects, Molloy-Previsich said. Planning for individual projects will occur as those projects are needed, and would be more fine-tuned with more environmental studies and details laid out in the city’s future five-year capital improvement plans.
The circulation element also reflects possible future increases or decreases in development costs, according to City Manager Ed Tewes.
“If we want a higher level of service, then new development has to pay more,” Tewes said.
The circulation element that will be presented to the council Wednesday was started in 2007, and was compiled by city staff and a team of consultants. It indicates potential adverse environmental impacts for each traffic-related construction project suggested therein, and lists possible solutions to mitigate those impacts.
The Morgan Hill Planning Commission gave the circulation element a favorable recommendation earlier this month.
The council is scheduled to discuss the circulation element and its accompanying staff report, and take a vote on its approval at Wednesday night’s meeting beginning at 7 p.m. at City Hall’s council chambers, 17555 Peak Ave.
