75B - PH - EIR - BRISTOL FROM CIVIC CENTER TO WASHINGTON

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Due to the limiting nature of a road system, there is an upper limit to the volume of traffic which any roadway can carry. When traffic volume demand exceeds these limits the remaining traffic will be forced onto adjoining roads in the circulation system and affect their corresponding road capacities. The traffic projections on Bristol Street north of McFadden Avenue are expected to exceed the theoretical maximum roadway capacity for a four lane undivided —' highway and the remaining traffic is expected to seek alternative routes. _ However, because there are many variables that can affect the roadway capacity, no attempt was made to quantify the theoretical maximum. The traffic voiumes projected for the future year 2006 may, therefore, be higher than the roadway can actually accommodate. In the future year 2006 without widening, the intersections along Bristol Street that are expected to experience undesirable Levels of Service during both the AM and PM peak hours include Memory Lane, Santa Clara Avenue, 17th Street, Washington Avenue, 1st Street, and Warner Avenue. In addition, the Civic Center Drive intersection would also be experiencing an undesirable - LOS of "F' during the PM peak hour. Future With Widening Bristol Street is designated as a major arterial highway in the Orange County General Plan - Master Plan_ of Arterial_HighN= __ =onenL County of Orange, Environmental Management Agency, 1982. In the General Plan, a ` major arterial highway is designated as a six-lane divided roadway, with a typical right -of -way width of 120 feet and a roadway width from curb -to -curb of 100 feet. This project therefore proposes widening Bristol Street, from Memory Lane to Warner Avenue, to its full right -of -way width as designated ., on the Orange County General Plan. The added capacity which this fully improved six lane divided roadway will provide will greatly aid traffic circulation by reducing congestion and delay and accommodating projected future traffic increases. The Level of Service on each link of Bristol Street would greatly improve with widening. Projected link volumes and their corresponding LOS values are shown in Table 3. Projected traffic volumes on Bristol Street north of Washington Avenue result in undesirable levels of service on several links; with a LOS of "F" anticipated on the Memory Lane to Santa Clara Avenue link, a LOS of "E" on the Santa Clara Avenue to 17th Street link, and a LOS of "D" between First Street and Bishop /Willits Street. While these values are above the desired LOS of "C" the anticipated volumes can be accommodated on the proposed six lane divided roadway due to the conservative nature of the capacity values. Motorist may continue to experience delay, however, the length of delay would greatly diminish with roadway widening. All other links on Bristol Street would experience a Level of Service of "C" or better. I -16 75B -39 W W