| 7. Traffic / Circulation System Impacts |
The proposed project, when complete will probably add a minimum of 2 cars per house to the traffic of the MidCoast, possibly 3, considering the general upscale lean of the design (private neighborhood, new houses, ocean views, etc.) That means adding 70-105 cars in one of the worst traffic areas in the MidCoast, the stretch of Highway 1 from El Granada south to Half Moon Bay.
Main access to the Highway would be by the intersection of Coronado and Highway 1, an intersection with a very high accident rate. Reaching the intersection would require driving past an elementary school, with its associated problems of school traffic and pedestrians. Alternate Highway access would require residents to travel .8 miles north through the residential part of El Granada to the Capistrano intersection.
The latest C/CAG Congestion Management study* has Highway 1 in this area at LOS (Level of Service) F at peak periods, which is essentially not moving, with projections that it will get even worse under currently planned buildout (see Appendix C). Popular beach area and visitor-serving facilities in immediate area add to gridlocked congestion during weekends and vacation periods.
Along the section of Highway 1 through the MidCoast and south through Half Moon Bay, there are currently planned 5 new hotel projects and over 500 new residential houses, not including this project.
Public transportation to site is limited - current bus service by 1L and 1C lines is being cut off - only service would be local 90H, requiring transfer in HMB or Pacifica. Nearest bus stop is four blocks away through town. Not at all conducive to use.
The EIR should project impact on current and projected LOS for Highway 1, including traffic loads on roads most likely to be used for commutes (current counts show about 70% use Highway 1 south to Half Moon Bay and 92 to the bayside, remainder north on Highway 1 to Pacifica and San Francisco - shift towards more bayside is expected over next 20 years.) and roads used for shopping and schools.
* "San Mateo County Countywide Transportation Plan, June 1997- Alternatives Report: Land Use and Transportation Scenarios" - City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County (C/CAG), in association with The Cities of San Mateo County and the San Mateo Transit District (SamTrans) See Appendix C.
The traffic assessment should take into account the accumulative load presented by the other large-scale developments proposed for the MidCoast, as well as assess the cumulative impact of project's potential precedent setting use of low density lands for higher density development: The cumulative impact of this project and projected future development of all other residentially zoned lots in the urban midcoast on the carrying capacity of Highway One must be analyzed. The analysis should include impact of residential development on lands other than those zoned R-17. Refer to Section 6.2. Roads
| 7.1. Precedents and Consequences |
| 7.2. Mitigation |