Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCIRCULATION ELEMENTC �a LA cii�cuLnTiion em L C m F...- n T nn errcill Pll@ nn MAY 1984. C I R C U L A T I O N E L' E M E'N T- BUTTE COUNTY GENERAL PLAN August, 1983 CIRCULATION ELEMENT BUTTE COUNTY GENERAL PLAN BUTTE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Al Saraceni, Chairman, First District Jane Dolan,*Second District Hilda•Wheeler, Third District Bertha Moseley, Fourth District Len Fulton, Fifth District BUTTE COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION Michael Schrader, Chairman, First -District Nina Lambert, Second District Karen Vercruse, Third' District Otto,Behunin,,Fourth.District Alan Avis, Fifth District 1 BUTTE COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENT B. A. Kircher, Director. Steve Streeter, Senior Planner David Hironimus, Associate Planner Bill Turpin, Senior Planner Laura M. Tuttle, Assistant Planner Mark Radabaugh, Senior.Planner Rick Rodriguez, Planning Technician Craig Sanders, Planning Technician March 1984 ii s 0 Table of Contents • Section Page PART ONE - BASIS FOR POLICY 1.0 Introduction ' 1 1.1 Organization of the Circulation -Element 2 1.2 Basic Planning Requirements". 2 1.21 General Plans 2 1.22 State and Regional Transportation Plans 3 1.23 Environmental Requirements 3 1.24 Citizen Participation 4 2,0 Existing.Transportation System - 5 2•.1 Roads, Streets and highways S ' 2.11 Basic Road and Highway 'Network 5 2.12 Traffic Conditions _ 7 2.13 Existing Highway Construction and Maintenance 8 Programs t 2.2 Public Transportation 9 2:3 Transportation,Systems Management 10 2.4 Bicycle Ridership 12 2:5 Pedestrian Access 12 26 Aviation 13. 2:7 Commercial Goods Transportation 14 2.71 Trucking 14 2.72 Railroads.' 14 2.73 Gas and Electrical Utility Corridors f 15 3.0 Transportation .and Energy 17 3.1 Energy Use 'in Transportation 1.7 3.11.Energy and Mobility 18 3.2 Efficiency and Conservation Aspects 19' 3.21 Automobile Efficiency. and Fuel Demand 19' 3.22 Extending Highway Capacity Through Transportation, 20 Efficiency r 3:3 Tran.sport.ation and Energy Related Assumptions 21. 4.0 Financing Issues Related to Butte County's Transportation. 23 ' System 4.1 Past -and Present .rinancing` 23 4.2 Cost Factors in Maintaining the County Road System 15 4.3 Future ' Road and highway Financing 27 4.4 Imnlications of.Future Road. and Hi-ghway Financing± 30 5.0 Road Classifications and Standards 32 5.1 Functional Highway Classification' 32 5.2 Road Standards Ti 35•: 5.21 Access and. Road Standard Issues 35 5,22 Erosion and Roads 37 5.23 Development Agreements 38)' f I F Section Page 6.0 Transportation Forecast '39 6.1 Transportation Plans of Affected Jurisdictions 39 6.11 Butte County General Plan 39 6.12 Cities of Butte County', _ 42 6.13 Butte County Regional Transportation Plan 4S 6.14 Caltrans 46 6.2 Population Growth and Land ,Use Concerns 46 6.21 Urban Area Growth ' 49 6.22 Rural Area Growth 49 6.23 General Planning Implications of•Forecasted Growth to the Butte County Circulation System 49' 63 Road and tfighway Forecast 51 6.31 Current Traffic Conditions 51 6.32 Assessment of Projected Traffic Growth by Planning :Area 54 6.33 Road and Ifigfiway Requirements in the Year 2000 57-- 6..4 Other Transportation "Modes Forecast 64 6.41 Public Transportation 64 6.42 Transportation :Systems Management 65 6.43 Bicycle Ridership 65 6'.44 Pedestrian Access 66 .6.45 Aviation Forecast 66 6.46 Commercial Goods.Transportation Forecast 67 Appendices -,°Including Environmental Impact Report. 87 PART Tl'rO - ISSUES AND POLICIES 68, 7.0 Transportation Issues and Policies 68 7.1 Transportation Issues 68 7.2'Countywide Policies 70 7.21 Transportation and. Land Use 70' 7.22 Fiscal 71 7.23 Environmental 74 7.24 Road and Street Standards - 75 7.25 Safety 77. ." 7.26 Special Studies and Specific Plans 78 7.3 Urban Area Policies 79 7.31 Interjurisdictional Coordination 79 7.32 Urban Streets and Highways 80. 7.33 Public Transportation 81 7.34 Bicycle Transportation 82 7.35 Pedestrian Circulation 84 ,7.36 Air Transportation 84 7.37 -Multi-modal Transportation 85 ; 7.38 Additional Urban Area Policies 86 PART THREE - APPENDICES A. Environmental Impact Report 87 B. Nighway'System .Level of Development Planning 100 C. Average Trip Generation Rates for Common Land Uses - Urban Areas .' 102 D. Levels of Service 103 E. I.Comments of the Citizens Advisory.Committee.and Staff Responses i . PART THREE - APPENDICES' -(continued) E. II. Public Comments III. Staff Report and Recommendations IV. Additional Staff Recommendations, January 19, 1984 V. Planning Commission Addendum,'February.16, 1984 F. Persons Speaking"at Planning Commission Meetings.(other than staff) i a t _ Y r e List of Figures Figure Number and' Name Page Basis for Policy Sections 1. State and County Highways and Roads Sa 2. Federal Aid to Secondary Road System 8a *3. Railroads and Utility Corridors 14a 4A. Street Standards - Arterials r 34a 4B. Street Standards - Collector; Local Streets and Roads, 34b .. S. Existing and Future Traffic Volumes .- Chico Urban Area 42a 6. Existing and Future Traffic Volumes - Oroville Urban Area 44a 7. Existing and Future Traffic Volumes - Town of Paradise 44b. 8. Planning Areas in Butte County 48 •*9. 1981 Traffic Volumes on Major Highways 52a *10. 1981; Highway Capacity(n Major Highways '52b *11. Forecasted Traffic Volume in -Year 2000,.on Major -Highways .62a Issues and Policies Section .*A. Countywide•Circulation: Major Road and Highway Classi-; fi•cation . 71a B. Designated Hazardous and Toxic' Materials Routes" .74a *C. Chico Urban Area - Major Street and Highway Network to Year 2000 79a *D. Oroville Urban Area - Major Street and Highway Network to Year 2000 79b *E. Paradise Urban Area - Major Street and Highway Network. to '.Year 2000 79c. *F. Gridley -Biggs Urban Area - Major Street and Highway Network to Year 2000.. 79d Note: k Figures which are marked by an asteriik (*) are found in jackets attached to cover pages. i List of. Tables Table Number and Name Pane 1. Road Miles in Butte County by Jurisdiction ' 6 2, Informal Park -and -Ride Lots on State Highway in Butte County 11 3. Estimated Butte County Road A•faintenance and Construction Revenue - FY 1982/83 24 4. Functional System Characteristics - Urban Areas 33 5. Functional System Characteristics - Rural Areas 34 6• Population Distribution and Density by Planning Area, 1980 and 2000 • 47 . 7. Traffic Volumes - Rural County "cads, 1973 and 1981 52 8. Roadway Capacity - Levels of Service 58 9. ExistinR and Forecasted Traffic Volumes .for StateIfig111 a Routes in Butte County y: 60 14 List of Circulation Element Acronyms AADT Annual Average Daily Traffic ALUC Airport Land Use Commission (Butte County Planning Commission) BCAG Butte County Association of Governments BCT Butte County Transit CAFE Corporate Average Fuel. Economy CATS Chico Urban .Area Transportation'study, also, Chico Area Transit System CEQA California Environmental Quality Act CTC California Transportation Commission DOF California Department of Finance DWR California Department of ltiater 'Resources EIR Environmental Impact Report FAP Federal Aid Primary FAS Federal Aid Secondary FAU Federal Aid Urban FTIP Federal Transportation Improvement Program MPO ,Metropolitan Planning Organization OTS Oroville Transit :System OWID Oroville Wyandotte Irrigation District PG&E Pacific Gas and Electric Company. PUC California Public Utilities Commission RTIP R ' 1 T egiona ransportation Improvement Program RTP Regional Transportation Plan SALSA Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area STA State Transit Assistance Act (SB 620 - 1979) t STIP State Transportation Improvement Program' : TDA Transit Development Act (SB 325 - 1971) TSS=i Transportation Systems 14anagement UMTA Urban Mass Transit Administration s. VAfT Vehicle Aviles of Travel WAPA U. S. Western Area Power Administration r Butte County Circulation Element Part One Sections 1.0.to 6.0 Basis for Policy SECTION: 1.0 Ir INTRODUCTION: f , _ IS The Circulation Element of the: Butte County •General -•;Plan is a . guide to managing and developing the future transportation and circulation system in the County..- Our transportation system -is a basic support network for -providing the mobility needed to- sustain,,our social, economic, .and recreational -life. Continued,,;i-- maintenance of this .transportation system is ,vital for insuring. that we continue our present level of mobility,, while, given --the chance . to develop and improve upon it .in ,the ,future. . The intended timeframe of. the. Element, carries, to .the year' _2000,,•,with Analysis, evaluation.; and planning focused on, poli'c1es, and programs within five and�'ien year timeframes. rt , Y. Transportation is a huge capital investment An important aspect to appreciate about the Butte County transporta- tion system is the huge capital investment that it represents. All levels of government; federal, state,, and 'loca-1, hold in trust a' . r huge public investment in managing, maintaining and planning -our - transportation system. In Butte County, the state highways form the backbone and lifeline of the County's highway network, -.while, , the County and its five incorporated cities-�serve ,to provide the:, j ,transportation, network's local, requirements.., For -all of. this.; - there must be coordination and planning -,both between and within.�,,, public road and transportation -agencies "and their departments. ^;y The risk of improperly developing, a transportation •system, cans create problems , that negatively affect: present and future mob-ili-ty,; creating potential for safety hazards, wasted•and unnecessary public and private expenses,-and,waste or poor:uti-lization of other-. wise useful land and open space., With adequate,information and•., prudent forethought, we have the opportunity to-,avoid.many problems,, that could cost us more in, the future, meanwhile seizing on ,oppor,, tunities'that can help insure. a more, pleasant .ina, stable transporta- tion future. _ Need for revision These fundamental concerns bring to us the reasons:,why to revise i and update the -General Plan's ' Circulation Element. As road financing, land use, and public transportation issues have changed over time., the original Circulation , Element can -no longer.,.ade- quately serve to help guide- the County's transportation goal's, 'objec- tives, and policies for the long term.(') A formidable -challenge',' to the County's. Circulation -Element is•to'cleaily indicate. how we intend to maintain and develop -a transportation system which will help to improve our quality of life here',in Butte County. Butte County's Circulation Element was drafted in 1971. -I a - ' Lai, 1-�11_. -1- -J•iW t�YM"..y _1.• - L i t This Circulation Element was prepared for Butte County by staff of the Butte County Association of Governments (BCAG), who worked in conjunction with the Butte County Planning Department staff. The five cities of Butte County and the California Department of Transportation were consulted throughout this plan's development regarding their input and concerns. 1.1 Organization of the Circulation Element The Element is organized into three basic components and should be read accordingly. The first component, Part One -Basis for Policy, is intended to be an analytical and descriptive basis for devel- oping a transportation policy, and includes Sections 1.0 through 6.0. The second component, Transportation Issues and Policies, is found in Section 7.0 and sets. forth Butte County's countywide and urban area transportation goals, objectives, policies, and programs to the year 2000. The Appendices contains additional information and data supplements referred to by the previous text, including the Element's environmental impact report. 1.2 Basic Planning Requirements A number of state planning laws and regulations relate directly and indirectly to the development of the Butte County Circulation Element. Among these are state requirements involving the develop- ment of general plans, local regional transportation plans, state transportation plans and environmental impact review and reporting. It is also important to coordinate transportation plans as they relate to each city's general plan and its spheres of influence. Also, consistency should be found between the Circulation Element and the Butte County Regional Transportation Plan and County Air Quality Plan. Although state planning requirements leave local government's substantial discretion regarding the level of citizen participation during preparation of their plans, an active citizen participation program regarding planning issues is always a benefit to the local planning process. 1.21 General Plans Each incorporated city and county in California is required to prepare and maintain a comprehensive general plan which sets forth objectives, principles, standards, and plan proposals regarding its future development.(1) The general plan must contain nine mandatory elements and must meet minimum standards in the law. One of these required elements is a circulation element, which shall consist of the general location and extent of existing and proposed major thoroughfares, transportation routes, terminals, and other local public utilities and facilities, all correlated with the land use State statutes covering local planning laws are found in the California Government Code commencing with Title 7 - Planning and Land Use. -2- t element of the general plan. (_li The Cir'.culationLElement must be consistent with other portions of the General Plan�`and its. elements. comprising of an integrated, internally consistent,' and compatible -statement of policies.(2) It is the option of Butte County -to combine elements to its General Plan as -long as'they still comply with the minimum requirements set forth for `each' of the mandated elements. Planning law 'requires that the County's'.zoning 'be con"sistent— with the General Plan. (3) Zoning; which -is not - consistent" with' _ _ the General Plan shall _be changed-so,that it is consistent with the plan.. r r• , 1.22 State and Regi'onal'-Transportation Plans �- ► Transportation planning-eagencies involved -in 'developing and, main- ' taining Butte County.'s•regional and countywide circulation system'.. include the California •Transportation Commission,(CTC) and the Butte County Association of -Governments. (BCAG). Caltrans is responsible for implementing -statewide policy of the CTC.' ""Both • the CTC and BCAG are required to develop and maintain..respe'ctive state and regional transportation plans -which rely on input from local city and county government general plans, including their respective circulation elements. The major -emphasis of the Butte County. Regional.Tran'sportatiori Plan' (RTP) regards transportation improvements which are,.needed during the next five years., .New transportation projects` that plan to utilize state.or federal monies must beincluded'in-the RTP. Projects for maintenance, rehabilitation and reconstruction are not,included in. -the RTP..('4) ' The: Butte County RTP 'is prepared and updated by BCAG. and used as a guide.' for! preparing BCAG's annual Regional Transportation -Improvement Program (RTIP) and,, Federal Transportation` Improvement Program (FTIP) : , The -'Butte" County RTIP annually describes and sets;priority for -new transportation, projects proposed and needed in Butte County: during the next' five ' year period, and the FTIP sets priorities for federally funded transportation projects in the Chico urban area. The planning relationship.between the RTP -and the County's Circu- lation Element is parallel' The. Circulation Element's countywide guidance and programs, however; should_precede-and.nfluence;those programs stated in the RTP. The principle differences between the . Circulation Element.and_the RTP is that, -the -former is intended to provide more long-term transportation planning guidance'as partsof the County's General Plan while the,later•focuses.on..shorter:term trans- portation development programs; that,,incl'ude both city ,and- county plans . `1 overnment Code section (2) Government Code Section 65300.5 (3) Government Code Section 65860(a) (4) Government Code. Section 65082 State law has been interpreted to allow county circulation elements and regional transportation plans to be -written as one document_, as long as the mandated requirements of each plan is adequately covered in' the combined document.. e circulation Element shoul.d act as a major source of 'inIformatiTh :on for future.;RTP updates 1.23 Environmental Requirements The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the federal Clean Air Act are the most significant pieces of environmental legislation affecting local transportation planning in Butte County. CEQA requires that an environmental- impact report (E.I.R.) be written when a proposed action could have a significant effect upon the environment. An E.I.R. is a public disclosure document and compliance should lead to*an attempt for complete and substan- tiated information which describes the range of potential environ- mental impacts that could be caused by a proposed action or project; and the methods and extent of commitments to implement mitigation of any significant environmental impacts. Some of the significant ? environmental impacts typical of transportation projects include ► cumulative impacts caused by growth accommodation, direct and indirect t impacts on air quality, noise, wildlife habitat, open space, scenic quality, and water quality. The Clean Air Act requires that non -attainment air quality areas such as Butte County develop and implement a non-attainment.air quality plan which -shows how to meet federal air quality standards by no later than 1987. The Act affects transportation plans by requiring that -certain air quality enhancing transportation planning measures be implemented if the air quality standards* cannot be met by controls on stationary and area sources and motor vehicle emissions.' Butte County is a marginal non -attainment area for ozone, carbon.monoxide, and total suspended particulate, but is presently not required to implement any transportation programs to improve its air quality to meet federal clean air standards. 1.24 Citizen Participation Public participation and involvement in the planning process is the keystone to an open and democratic process of government.. The public's involvement through informative meetings, publicity, and public hearings is an essential'component to developing a comprehensive general plan, including any -of its mandatory elements. To this end, the development of this Circulation Element included a number of informative workshop meetings and publicity releases throughout the'County at the beginning of the formal public review process. -4- ...i ell i.� .Ss• a F.�p -`i- '1 Section 2.0 EXISTING TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM IV This section describes,the existing. Butte County,transportation system. The general'physical.situation and capacity of the County's toad,, 'street and -highway network is described,..as well ,as current programs involving public transportation, transportation systems management, bicycle ridership, pedestrian access, aviation and.commercial goods transportation, including utility corridors. 2.1 Roads, Street's and Highways Roads, streets and -highway's provide{the,backbone to circulation in and through Butte County.. The following describes basic characteristics of the County's'roid%system, its traffic.levels, and maintenance programs i , �� ,` .N 2.11 Basic Road and Highway Network Butte County's road and highwaysnetwork\provides land-access,at a regional;' countywide, 'urban area- and local 'level: This network is classified functionally in Section, 5.0.--Improvementfstan- dards•and programs are'related according to the kind_of,:traffic service'and accessability`tiiey are toprovide. %The functional classifications described in Section 5.0 briefly-include,:Y r Principal Arterials (urban and rural)• - Including' major state ig way rou es connecting t ue,County to -the rest of the region and 1 argest intra -city streets.- --� Minor Arterials -(urban and rural) - Including major urban area streets anig ways anmayor rural'roads` and highways that connect • the, County's, -,'cities, communities and mariy rural o ulation centers. Collectors (urban major -and minor.+rural) - Including roads and s ree s which provide accessfrom local streets and roads to arterials. �i4L; Local Streets and Roads (urban and- rural) - Including roads an streets that provide direct access to properties and are not intended to service large amounts -.of. -traffic. Streets serving commercialkand'industrial traffic often function like local streets, 'but L are 'built'to. different standards to' 'serve commercial and industrial access _needs.... Figure 1 on the following page illustrates the network of State and County highways and roads. .tip. 1i' 3 ! , c_ 'i . I STATE AND COUNTY HIGHWAYS AND ROADS FIGURE STATE HIGHWAY COUNTY ROAD • AIRPORT In' rural valley areas, arter'ia'ls=.serve ito connect -communities and= 'rural' service centers ;to:,regional--arterials` ,and 'larger communities and cities: The. main -purpose .ofd -rural ,valley icolle-ctors is to provide efficient farm.to_market access -for agricultural goods, services and commodities. In the rural foothill and mountain areas, arterials provide. -the.", direct surface transportation link between foothill and mountain communities and major arterials and population centers located in the Sacramento Valley. The only paved highways which cross'' the mountains east.of Butte County from the Sacramento Valley are .,State, Routes- -32.• and There are eight governmental jurisdictions inButte County who ; are responsible for piibli-C road- maintenance and construction: All total, .there are approximate'1y 2',230 public road miles 'in Butte County, of which the 'County is responsible for 1,377.4 -miles', •Road miles-, by' jurisdiction are listed',in the following _table: Table 1 ' Road Miles ­ in Butte'County'by Jurisdiction Jurisdiction Road'Miles State of California' 181.3 Butte County _ 1,377.4 City of Biggs - 8.7 City of Chico r.r 100.1 City of. Gridley - `21..7' City 'of Oroville. `' 71.0 Town of Paradise 88.1 U. S. Forest Service. 402.0 `x"50 Source:- Butte County Regional Transportation Plan; ' Butte County association of. Governments, 1982'*` The 1982 Butte County'RTP estimates that'there were "slightly more than ,two million. avera'ge' 'daily vehicle miles of travel-' (VMT). in 1978. (1) Butte,County, RegionaI Transportation,-Plan,-BCAG, 1982, -pg. II -7. -6- Travel in the County's rural areas accounted for 49.9 percent.of the total WIT, while urban area travel accounted for the remain- ing 50.1 percent, including; Chico, 26.8 percent; Oroville, 13.9 percent; Paradise, 7.2 percent; and*Gridley, 2.2 percent. Also, 1978 vehicle registration.data for Butte County shows over 63,000 automobiles, about 26,500 commercial trucks, and about 5,300 motorcycles. (1) 2.12 Traffic Conditions As expected, Butte County's busiest highways are those that serve as urban area arterials in Chico, Oroville and Paradise. In'the Chico area, a number of city maintained streets and a few county maintained streets exceed annual average daily traffic (AADT) counts of 20,000. Generally, segments;of most 4 -lane surface streets will approach or exceed the 20,000 AADT level in Chico. In Oroville, peak traffic counts over 20,000 AADT occur on Oroville Dam Boulevard (SR 162) east of SR 70.',Traffic volumes in the remainder of the Oroville area are significantly lower than along State Route 162. Peak traffic volumes in the Paradise area occur on the Skyway between Pearson and Billie Roads. Traffic counts on the Skyway in County jurisdiction at the southern and northern town limits are both in the range of 10,000 AADT. In Gridley, peak traffic volumes occur on State Route 99. Traffic growth in Butte County has roughly paralleled population_ growth since the early 19701s. The County's largest traffic volume growth occurred in and between the Chico, Oroville and Paradise urban areas during that period. Butte County traffic growth is discussed further in'Section 6.0 - Transportation 'Fore- cast. Presently, Butte County's arterial roads and highways generally have- adequate capacity to accommodate existing traffic volumes. However, several major highways are presently nearing capacity, including State Route 99, south of Chico to Pentz Road; and the Skyway, north of the Paradise town limits to approximately Coutolenc Road. In Oroville, roadway constrict -ions caused byltwo railroad overcrossings on Oro Dam Boulevard (west of Lincoln) present a safety and capacity problem which is in need of immediate correc- tion: Another existing safety problem occurs at the historical, but narrow, Gianella Bridge on State Route 32 at the Butte -Glenn County line on the Sacramento River. Other existing highway improve- ment needs are"related to road maintenance and safety projects in the County.. Future road and highway needs and forecasts are further developed in Section 6.0. Butte County Regional Transportation Plan, BCAG, 1982. -7- 2.13 Existing Highway Construction and Maintenance Pro grams Highway construction and maintenance programs respond to existing highway needs in two general ways. First, there are on-going, unscheduled road programs that respond to maintenance needs caused by unpredictable road wear or failure ,'damage from accidents or vandalism, or damage from -natural events such as floods, wind, slides, and.freezing temperatures. Second, there are scheduled road main-tenance and construction progiams which respond to.planned roadway maintenance and safety improvements, as well as to demands for new roads and capacity increases. ':In recent years, the. availability'of local, state and federal road funds has often been a•major constraint to implementing an adequate and timely road maintenance and construction program. Respective city, county, - regional and state governments in Butte County each develop annual or semi-annual road maintenance and construction program schedules for roadways under their jurisdiction. At the state level, Caltrans- annually-"uPdates and s.uhmii•ts: to. th.e California Transportation Commission (CTC);•a proposed State 'Trans- portation Improvement Program,(PSTI-P)`, the CTC adopts a final STIP annually, as described in subsection.1.22. The Butte County Association of Governments (BCAG) is responsible for a number of countywide planning concerns, including air quality planning and regional transportation planning. Part.of BCAG's responsibility is to.prepare and update the County's Regional Transportation Plan (RTP)*, and Regional Transportation Improvement Program -(RTIP), as mentioned in subsection 1.22. Also, at the County level, the Public Works Department is responsible for proposing a list of priority rural road projects which are anti- cipated to be funded by federal secondary road funds (Federal Aid to Secondary - FAS). Butte County's FAS priority list currently presents one project per -year.. The -FAS priority list is included in the.RTP. The County's FAS designated roads are indicated by Figure 2: In urban areas, streets and highways.which.serve-as major'aiterials or collectors are usually designated as Federal Aid to Urban (FAU) routes. Projects on these urban streets and'highways may be proposed for federal FAU funding. 2.2 Public Transportation The level of public transportation service in Butte County increased dramatically in 1981 and 1982 with the start=.up of three fixed route and scheduled bus systems. The intercity Butte County Transit System (BCT) began service in June, 1981,'by providing weekday service between the communities.of Chico and Oroville, Chico and Paradise., and Oroville and Palermo -Gridley -Biggs. The Oroville Transit System (OTS) began serving the Oroville urban area in July, 1981, with a weekday, 2 -bus, fixed route system. The Chico Area Transit System began serving the Chico urban area in February, 1982, with a five route, full week bus service.. 0 Figure 2 Federal Aid to Secondary Road System (see jacket) ;77 The first year of operation was highly•successful for the BCT' -+F system as'ridership increased steadily -:into the:. -second year, exceeding minimum fare box re.quixements .set by the -state. . (1) By the second half of 1982, SCT commuter ridership had.increased beyond',the capacity of -the system and temporary relief was sought ,,.by a,bus sharing agreement with the City of Chico which made larger '30.=passenger Chico buses available while the County applied -for funding of larger buses. It is estimated that BCT carried about 1.5 percent of all personal trips between Chico and Paradise and near 2.0 percent of the personal trips"between Chico and 'Oroville in 1982. The bus systems- serving the Chico and 'Oroville urban areas have experienced increasing ridership rates.since-their start-ups.�.The Chico system should continue to expand its ridership.as a result�of improved routing and scheduling. TheYOrovill'e system'has had ` steadily improving fare box revenue ysince its start -up -.-- .Other public transportation programs currently in Butte County incl•ude'the following:' - Chico Clipper,- This is a- taxi dill -a -ride- service .to the elderly and handicapped and. operates,,dailyl in the Chico area: Oroville Express This- is a' dial -a -ride service''to the. elderly and handicapped and operates daily .in=the"Orovi`lle area, y i(C� Paradise - Express.- This,is also a •dial -a -ride service. -to the elderly and handicapped and operates daily except -Sunday, inl the Paradise area. " Gridley Golden Feather Flyer - This daily dial -a -ride service operates in the Gridley area. The only private bus carrier operating in Butte County is Greyhound Bus Company, which serves Chico, Gridley, Oroville and Paradise on a regional and state-wide basis. Traditionally, the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) ,has set routes for private inter- state bus companies operating within the state o.n the basis of , providing much needed regional and state-wide -bus connection to the state's small, rural communities. However, the fede'ral `Bus Regulatory Reform Act of 1982 allows these --bus companies' to cut or reduce service on unprofitable routes such as''those serving, lightly populated.rural areas. -The immedate affect has been for companies. like Greyhound to begin dropping'smaller; remote commun- ities from their service and reduce service to other cities. The full implications of the Bus Regulatory, Reform Act on Butte County is still unclear, r i Operating Data for Fiscal rs 19$1-82, 1982-83 to 12/31. -9- Regional and state-wide passenger rail connections are provided by Amtrak, with its twice -a -day stop at Chico. Butte County began receiving Amtrak services after spring, 1982, when the re-routing of the Coast Starlight (Seattle to Los Angeles) included more heavily populated east side Sacramento Valley communities including Chico, Marysville, Roseville and Sacramento. The effect of the re-routing was to increase mid Sacramento Valley patronage by about a third during the first six months. 2.3 Transportation Systems Management Transportation Systems Management (TSM) is a composite term used to define a variety of transportation programs which help to make better use of existing services and facilities. The benefits of. TSM are realized through increasing system efficiency while decreasing capital costs. TSM includes such transportation concepts as ridesharing and carpooling, park-and-ride lots, traffic flow improvements and signal -synchronization, and bimodal integration and route scheduling between public transit, ridesharing and urban bicycle programs. Caltrans has also constructed a limited number of bus turnouts and shelters on state highways in Butte County urban areas. The cities of Butte County have been active, as the need arises with traffic flow improvements and signal synchronization.. Formal park-and-ride lots have been constructed on State Route 70 at Grand Avenue in Oroville (30 parking places and 4 bike lockers) and on State Route 32 at Fir Street in Chico (44 parking places and 8 bike lockers). Also, Caltrans has identified eleven informal park-and-ride lots along or near state highways in the County, as indicated in the following table: Table Informal Park -and -Ride Lots on State Highways in Butte County 1. SR 70 at 2. SR 70 at 3. SR 70 at Station. 4. SR 70 at S. SR 70 at 6. SR 99 at 7. SR 99 at 8. SR 99. at 9. SR 99 at 10. SR 32 at Station. 11. SR 99 at Robinson's Center (southwest side). . Palermo Road (gravelled. lot on southeast corner) . Oroville Dam Blvd. (in front of Caltrans Maintenance Montgomery Street (on gravelled shoulder). SR 149 (on gravelled shoulder). Edgars Slough and Skyway (on gravelled shoulder). Pentz-Durham Road (on soft shoulder). SR 149 (parking on gravel). SR 162 (parking on gravel). Bartlett (along street and in adjacent lot at Shell East Park Ave. (parking along street). Source: Park and Ride Locations within District 03, Caltrans, January 22, 1981. Caltrans' ridesharing program has consisted of ridesharing. matching efforts at Chico State and',at Butte.Coll'e& for students and faculty. Butte 'County has not been formally.involved with ridesharing matching, to date. Two bills were.passed by the state legislature in 1981 -'8'2 -'which are important to ridesharing: mp SB 321 - The, bill creates financial incentives for employees to rideshare while reducing the cost to employers. 'The bill include's'141 employer tax ctedits,.acc4elerated'-depreciation:*and other tax bene-, fits to employers providing ri'deiharing'induceme'nts to their employees. SB 320 This bill will allocate funds to the Butte County Associa- 'tion of Governments for the purpose of implementing ridesharing'- programs. The first allocation was . expected.to occur in March, 19'830 and annual allocations will be made each July lst through'1987. The estimated 1983 allocation to Butte County was $22,194, 22,194, but,has been cut in the Governor's -1983-84 state-budiet �' -1, 2.4 *Bicycle Ridership Bicycle ridership offers citizens one of the cheapest and most efficient forms of transpoitation' particularly within.urban.areas. Bicycle ridership for work and sc4OO1 commuting, general utility, and recreation has increased significantly throughout the County during the last decade. Bicycle ridership rates in the Chico'urban�qi'r'ea are by far the. greatest in the County due to the role Of Chico State and the'urban- area's-more compacted and young population. The City of Chic'o has designated specific streets as bicycle routes and recently estab- lished improved on -street bicycle parking facilities -in its down- . town area. It is estimated that average daily bicyc'le ridership constitutes 4 to 8 percent of the total trips in the thico,-urban area during the six month (May through October) warm season. The Town of -Paradi.se and the Cities , of 'Or.ovil.le and Chico have 'recently completed bicycle plans. 'A-t.present ,te. h' re are.no rural bicycleprograms in Butte,County. For planning -purposes, bicycle` routes are 'categorized into three classifications. Class I'bike routes involve lanes where the,, ., right-of-way is physically se-pa'rated-Ir-6m.competing motor vehicle and pedestrian conflicts. Class II bike',ro'utes involve the marking - and striping of separate bike lanes along existing streets. Class III routes involve the signing and o assignin''g f local and collector streets as bike routes; 2.5 Pedestrian Access Separation of pedestrian and vehicle traffic is required by safety considerations, but often the result is to reduce pedestrian access and mobility•in lieu of vehicle traffic. Issues related to pedestrian access are almost exclusively found in urban situa- tions and pedestrian planning usually occurs on a case-by-case basis while conforming to general development standards set by the public agency of jurisdiction. Most often, pedestrian access is relegated to the issue of provid- ing sidewalk construction along city streets. Pedestrian consider- ations are also important site planning concerns when developing large.commercial and employment centers. The issue of pedestrian corridors for intracity recreational opportunities is one that has emerged recently in the Town of Paradise, in that a system of foot trails are called for in the community's general plan (1) Similar long-term opportunities exist along water courses in the Chico urban area such as Little Lhico L reek and Lindo Channel and the Feather River around Oroville. i.6' Aviation Aviation serves three purposes in a region like Butte County. First, commercial service provides fast and easy access to other regions by providing connection to major air carriers at metro- politan airports. Second, general aviation facilities meet the needs of private aircraft users for commercial and recreational uses. Third, aircraft are an indispensable tool for the County's agricultural sector. The major airports in Butte County are owned and operated by city government, including the Chico Municipal Airport and the Oroville Airport. Development and maintenance of these two airports are the responsibility of their respective city governments and airport land use plans are required for each facility. The Chico airport is classified as a basic transport airport (including capacity for scheduled commercial service) and has alighted and paved parallel runway with a precision electronic approach system. (2) The Oroville airport is classified as a general utility airport and has a lighted and paved single and cross- wind runway. Two privately owned general aviation airports are loc- ated in Butte County and include Ranchero airport west of Chico, and Paradise Sky airport southwest of the Town of Paradise. Both of these private airports are classified as public use airports and consist of a single paved runway without electronic approach systems. In -1980, 149 aircraft were based at the Chico airport, 55 at Oroville, 28 at Ranchero, and 23 at Paradise Sky.(3) The Chico airport recorded approximately 80,000 takeoffs and landings in 1981. As Butte County's only scheduled commercial passenger airport, the Chico airport has been subject to a number of recent service changes because of national deregulation of the commercial airline industry and the 1981 air traffic controllers strike. Airline deregulation left Chico without a major commuter air carrier, as (1) Town of Paradise General Plan. 1982 (2) The California Aviation System Plan, Volume II, May, 1981, App. C (3)_ Ibid, Appendix -C' -12 J tiles ._ .: .h larger airlines concentrated the focus of their -service in larger metropolitan areas. Chico is now served by ,two smaller commuter. airlines; West Air and Pacific Express. The.rair traffic controllers -strike forced closing of the Chico control'tower in 1981 and it has not been reopened to date. State law requires airport -plans, including for airport land use and clear zones, to be developed for general purpose -airports , such as Chico and Oroville. These plans are to be adopted by the County's. Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC), which is the County Planning Commission. The City of Chico developed an airport environs plan for Chico Municipal Airport.in 1978,and a similar plan for the Orovi,lle airport is now being developed. Butte County presently.does not exercise controls on,the location, development, and use of private airstrips and -landing fields, althouth a use permit is required.' Controls should be. developed to ensure that private air- strips do not permanently preclude use of prime farmlands, that they are outside of the flight paths of existing airports, and that they do not provide a hazard or annoyance for neighboring areas. 2.7 Commercial Goods Transportation Trucking,.rail, and gas and electrical utility transmission corridors constitute the bulk of the transportation of commercial goods transported in and through the Butte County area., 2.71 Trucking It is estimated that trucking accounts for approximately 10 percent of the average daily traffic on Butte County's major state highway network. 2.72 Railroads There are presently three railroads serving the Butte County area, including Southern Pacific Railroad, Western Pacific Railroad, and Sacramento Northern. Railroad. (1) Both .the Southern Pacific 'and Western Pacific traverse through Butte County near State Routes 99* and 70 respectively, and the Sacramento Northern terminatesine ar the Chico Municipal Airport after serving Durham and points south in Sutter and Yuba Counties (see Figure 3). Southern Pacific's rail system in Butte County consists of 45.6 miles of main line and 8A miles of branch line servicing both through freight and local service to Chico, Gridley, and Oroville.. Typical.daily operations consist of -approximately 10 through freight trains, 3 local freights, and 2 Amtrak passenger trains. The Southern aci is ransportation Company is parent company to the Southern Pacific Railroad. The Union Pacific Railroad Company .-is parent to both Western Pacific and Sacramento Northern Railroads. -13- t 0 Figure 3 Railroads and Utility Corridors (see jacket) . P Western Pacific's railway mileage consists of 54.8 mile's of main track with spurs which service Oroville. Recent typical daily operations consist of eight to ten through freight.trains which vary,considerably7int:size: ',,Both Southern -+Pacific and,,Western.{.. - Pacific freight � shipments -have.,declined-�recentl_y�;dueoto economic, N� conditions.-',,, The Sacrainento� Northern spur originates ; in,,Sutter County to t provide local zshipping .to, Durham ;and Chico...; Freights traffic.,on ry; this lineihas.declined}significantly'�durin'k the.•last year,, primarily-: due to a�,shift.,to, localtr.ucking,�brought�aboutJby� recentr deregulation of�Iihat� industry. ; 2.7.31 leas, and' Electiical' Uti-Yitty fCorridors'►r i ;4.411 The ilarge.,scale transportation;;off. naturalt,gas: and =gasoline zby •pipe: line 'and electricity rby, transmission!ilinesrcmust.ibe consi'deredrin e -a J: circulation element. .rPaci,fic Gas and,Electric Comp any, iRG$E),) provi'des,rpipe'd. natural•,' %r-"!' ,gas to gall ..of-Butte_County_,'.s.,larger;, urban areas,, and -also r,to•athe :communities ;of rDurham, �Richva-le,:.Palermo°', -tBiggs;.and Ifo ,Butte, -,.r j,;F- Community;;College; _as,ishown :in. Figure j3'., .Areas of hi•gher,,popula'_.�, tion density no•t;,,served by .PGUrlinclude ;P,aradise. Pines ,and Orovi'1'le Is eastern foothill planning area'. Natural gas lines also service several natural gas production fields in western Butte County. The main natural gas line through the Sacramento Valley; which connects the PG&E service area to Canadian gas fields, is located in the western portions of the Valley, west of Interstate S. Gasoline :is piped into Butte County from the south (from Bay area refineries) to the Chico tank farm near Hagen Lane and the Midway and is distributed from this point by truck. Southern Pacific Transportation Company is owner of both the gasoline pipeline and tank farm facility. PG&E, the California Department of Water Resources (DtiVR) , the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), a branch of the U.S. Department of Energy, and the Oroville Wyandotte Irrigation District (OWID), are each responsible for portions of the major electrical transmission lines that cross through or originate in Butte'County. PG&E operates and maintains the bulk of the transmission line system in Butte County. Nearly all of the electricity passing through or generated in Butte County is routed through PG&E's Table Mountain substation or the smaller Palermo substation (see Figure 3). Major PG&E transmission line corridors in Butte County include two parallel 500 KV lines running from the Tehama =�15•- County line in the lower foothills to Table Mountain (servicing the Pit River Project and Pacific Inter Tie), five lines totaling 920 KV running from the Feather River Canyon (Feather River Project) to both Table Mountain and Palermo, and two 115 KV lines which connect the Chico area and Table Mountain. PG&E transmission lines which generally transmit electricity to population centers south of Butte County include three lines totaling 1230 KV from Table Mountain, two 115.KV lines from Palermo and a single 230 KV line from the Rock Creek Substation in the Feather River Canyon.. The DWR operates and maintains three lines from its Lake Oroville Hyatt Powerhouse totaling 690 KV, which lead directly to the nearby Table Mountain substation. The'DWR also operates lines from its Thermalito forebay powerhouse to'Table Mountain. The federal WAPA operates and maintains a single 230 KV transmission line system which runs the entire north -south length of Butte County and traverses an area near the break in slope between the Sacramento Valley floor and the foothills. The OWID operates and maintains a 115 KV line from its South Fork Project to Palermo. -16- SECTION 3.0 TRANSPORTATION AND ENERGY No energy use is more important to Butte County citizens than that for transportation. Nearly all of our business and trade activity somehow depends on the movement of people and goods, and this requires substantial amount of petroleum dependent transportation fuels. In the last decade, with its oil embargos and dramatic energy price increases, there has been a growing public awareness and -some adjustment to the role played by energy availability and price. However, we still do not have a clear view of the size or timing of future energy problems, or of future energy costs. The importance of adequate transportation energy supplies cannot be dismissed in transportation planning and, therefore, this section serves to provide. information and input which could assist in developing transportation objectives and policies. In addition to the tremendous importance of easily accessible and relatively low cost transportation fuels to our local economy, the availability of transportation energy is also important in maintaining our sense of mobility. Also, certain land use patterns become more or less attractive as transportation energy cost and supply scenarios change. A past era of low cost petroleum with its nearly unres- trictive supply has dramatically influenced how our present-day land use and transportation patterns developed. It is, therefore, imperative that discussions considering land use and transportation planning consider, as best they can, the implications of energy to our transportation future. The goal of having a future of'safe, efficient, and well maintained streets and highways and an adequate public transportation system cannot be separated from transportation energy concerns. 3.1 Energy. Use in Transportation The significance of petroleum to our transportation sector can be appreciated by the following facts: Petroleum accounts .for 97 percent of the. energy used in California transportation and even more in semi -rural Butte County. The private automobile uses about 60 percent of our total trans- portation energy budget statewide.(1) Passenger travel consumes about 70 percent of the nation's transportation energy and goods movement accounts for about 25 percent.(2) In California, the transportation sector uses 62 percent, of all petroleum used in the state. Petroleum accounts'for 61 percent of all energy used in the state.(3) California transportation, alone, consumed 47 percent of the state's net energy supplies in 1981.(4) =17- Annual gasoline consumption in Butte County is estimated to be approximately 60 million gallons.(5) The relative value of this investment is slightly more than that of recent Butte County government budgets., Given the fact that there is no immediate large scale alternative to automobiles for many personal transportation needs and that approximately 80 percent of all statewide person -miles traveled are by auto (even more in Butte County), petroleum will remain the'key to fueling the transportation sector throughout the remainder of the century. The potential ramifications -of a serious shortfall of petroleum supplies would have severe adverse affects ppon personal transportation and upon the economy, as a whole, if prolonged. (6) 3.11 Energy and Mobility Fundamental to the transportation planning process is the need to keep.our society's mobility and reduce congestion. Moreover, our current transportation system has deeply affected the physical struc- ture of our society as well as social convention in everything from mores to funerals. The automobile has shaped modern cities, creat- ing suburban environments where personal vehicles are essential for the most basic functions. (7) Citizens prize. the sense of personal freedom and mobility offered by the automobile. Large amounts of personal travel are indispensable and citizens have shown a continued willingness to invest significant amounts of their income in travel. The fraction of each person's disposable income invested in travel, -has actually increased in recent years and is now estimated to be.more than 14 percent, despite significant reduc- tions in gasoline demand since 1978.(8) One particularly interesting feature of statewide travel demand is the increasing use of light duty pick-ups for personal travel. ' ' California nergy LOMMlSsion, 1981 Biennial Report, p. 61. (2) U.S. Congress Committee on Energy and Commerce, Report on Building a Sustainable Future, Vol. 1, April, 1981, p. 130. (3) California Energy Commission, 1981 Biennial Report, Figure 1-1 California Energy Consumption 1979. (4) California Energy Commission, Forecast of California Car and Truck Fuel Demand, January, 1983. (5) Letter from California Board'of Equalization to Butte County Planning Department, September, 1982. - , (6) See Impacts of a 6, 12, 25 and 40 Percent Shortfall in, Petroleum Supplies on the U.S. and California Economies, prepared for the California Energy Commission, Larry J. Kimbell, Ph.D, UCLA Business Forecasting Project, January, 1981. (7) U.S. Congress Committee on Energy and Commerce, Report -on Building a Sustainable Future, Vol. 1, April, 1981, p. 122. (8) Ibids, p. 132. i -18- A study of national driving habits indicates, as expected, that people in upper income groups use relatively less of their discre- tionary income on automobiles than people with low incomes.(1) Higher fuel prices will place a disproportionate burden on low income people. This group uses a much higher percentage of its income for transportation energy than any other income level. Unless properly mitigated, this inequity could compound a multi -decade trend of decreased mobility for the poor, elderly, and physically handicapped driving in and between urban areas. As with most social welfare issues, there are no easy or clear solutions to these transportation hardships. Butte County's response to these problems currently involves low income transportat,'ion assistant grants, dial -a -ride services for the elderly and physically handicapped, and subsidized bus services. 3.2 Efficiency and Conservation Aspects As mentioned in previous sections, Butte County's street and highway system represents an enormous long-term public investment. However, putting this investment to good use in the future by ensuring the freedom of mobility which low-cost transportation has provided for many years will require skillful use of many efficiency and conserva- tion technologies that are already in hand. Conservation is a necessary component to the efficient utilization of the enormous investment contained in our current transportation system, both publicly and privately. The immediate and cheapest opportunities to maintain mobility while reducing energy use is through conservation. In contrast, it is clear that rising fuel prices are always most harmful where efficiency is lowest. This plan makes the basic assumption that citizens will respond favorably to market demands and incentives that promote increased automobile efficiency and transportation fuel conservation, if given the opportunity, during the planning period. This assumption is very important to many Butte County residents because of the higher rate of automobile dependency required in semi -rural regions. 3.21 Automobile Efficiency and Fuel Demand Increasing automobile efficiency has had a substantial effect on reducing the total amountof gasoline consumed since 1978. The public has been both driving less and buying more efficient vehicles that use less gasoline. To further illustrate; a typical 1981 model car was 61 percent more fuel efficient and produced one-tenth the pollution of the typical 1974 model auto.(2) Federal law currently requires vehicle manufacturers to produce automobiles and light trucks in compliance with an industry -wide (1) U.S. Congress Committee on Energy and Commerce, Report on Building a Sustainable Future, Vol. 1, April, 1981, p. 130-132. (2) California Energy Commission, 1981 Biennial Report, p. 207. -19- schedule of gradually increasing annual Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards established by the U. S. Department of Transporta- tion. The CAFE standards for automobiles are to culminate in a corporate average fuel economy of at least 27.5 miles per gallon (mpg) in 1985. It is entirely possible to extend fuel and consumer savings by developing further programs for vehicle efficiency to at least 40 mpg by 1995. Butte County and the area's federal and state representatives should support such programs, as to the long-term local benefit gained from vehicle efficiency programs. Many vehicles exceeding 40 mpg efficiency are already on the market and certain low cost light weight automobiles yet to be marketed in the United States exceed rates of 60 mpg.(1) The potential consumer savings due to increased fuel efficiency standards is further underscored by the fact that gasoline savings of about 20 percent are typical when autos are driven at 55 miles per hour (mph) instead of 70 mph. (2) At present, it appears that a shift to most types of mass transit systems (with the exception of van and car pools) will not result in major energy savings.(3) The objectives of public transit programs should be to assure the continued mobility of transportation disad- vantaged persons and to serve the need for basic urban and intercity commuter needs. 3.22 Extending Highway Capacity Through Transportation Efficiency There are a number of techniques for potentially increasing a trans- portation system's localized street and highway capacity without resorting to extensive roadway expansion. Together, these tech- niques apply transportation system management (TSM), and generally require little or no increase in local government expenditures while providing an increase in traffic capacity, locally. In addition to the potential to increase local traffic capacity. TSM techniques usually provide small increases in transportation fuel efficiency. The following are a few of the TSH techniques available for use by Butte County and other local governments: (1) An example of such light weight automobiles would be Honda Motor Company's 4 -passenger "Ronda City" model which is presently blocked for sale in the U.S. by voluntary auto import restrictions. (2) It should be noted that gasoline costs account for about 25 percent of the cost of running an automobile. As expected, this percentage generally increases with increasing weight of similar model year's autos. (3) U.S. Congress Committee on Energy and Commerce, Report on Building a Sustainable Future, Vol. 1, April, 1982, p. 128. -20- Integritiofi.o-V routes 'And, s'chedules.,.of ~different transportation =modes; includifig for' " " 6lic transit, ri.desharing., park - and ride lots',"and4urban area bicycle ',programs'.' _ �r,`;,IyA Improve roadway design and 'the'wiys it is used. Examples include better roadway grading, separation of competing traffic modes where required for safety purposes, -_reducing ,.traffic fric.tionin areas';of 'heavy strip commercial development, and providing a'vextended center turning;,laiies.-'.in, commercial strips. ' Expand .public transportation' to, meet ; growth, demands., Transit "grow'th `could represent a' capacity expansion which, ,could absorb Part of. the -expecte-d 'additional, travel, demand.. Also, reducing need for`travel through land use planning' tools could represent a similar increase in capacity.(1) Improvement in traffic control systems•and synchronization. An ` average car achieves optimum energy.efficiency by maintaining a constant speed between 35 and 45 mph. Typical city street traffic,_however_, is.•eharacterized by:fre,quent stopping and 4,;7starting,-which reduces energy,effi-ci_enc_y..and,-,increases vehicle emission rates. (2) ,: , -, Individuals can also help �to _increase- city _street capacity by,, planning their auto, trips asp efficiently as _possible. ; 3.3 Transportation and Energy Related Assumptions Transportation, energy, and economic•issues,are all•linked.•• Funding for the Butte County's transportation system must give greater consideration to energy efficiency than in the past. The following are some of the. energy related assumptions that are considered and incorporated into this plan's strategy section. 1. Major increases in travel are predicted in .Butte County during the next 15 to 20 years.(3) (1) For an example of how coordinated transit and land use planning can help -reduce projected traffic capacity; --,see the Rancho Arroyo Specific Plan, iChico, 'May, .1982. ,k;, t�. (2) California Energy •Commission, 1981 ,Biennia.l Report, R. .65.• . (3) Vehicle miles ,traveled (VNIT) are '.forecasted,:to -increase between 50 and 60 percent in Butte - County,.by ,year 2000., TruckVMT,., will increase - slightly -faster than r;for;,automobii'es.' , r - I` ■' xon _.e 1:. 'r h:`I!! •'i, i.� . -21- 2. The price of gasoline will rise by an average annual rate of 3 percent greater than the inflation rate.(1) Federal, state, and local taxes on gasoline to pay for maintaining and constructing our transportation system will increase'substan- tially during the planning period. 3. Gasoline demand will continue to decline slowly during the planning period, despite more vehicles and increased vehicle miles traveled (WIT) in Butte County.(2) Increases in . vehicle fuel efficiency and the efficiency of personal trans- portation choices and modes will be chiefly responsible for declining gasoline demand: It is assumed that the automobile fleet will average at least 40 mpg by the late 1990's. 4. The average weight of passenger vehicles will continue to decline during .the planning period. 5. It is assumed that it takes about ten years for a rise in the price of.oil to have its full effect on .improving energy efficiency -in business and for personal use. 6. Periods of energy price plateaus will not be a disincentive to further energy conservation, although the rate of conserva- tion will slow during these periods. 7. The transportation sector will continue to be highly dependent on petroleum throughout the planning period. Oil will be increasingly used for only those purposes to which it is best suited. (1) California Energy Commission „Forecast of California Car and Truck Fuel Demand; Chapter I: Summary, January, 1933, p. 1. (2) Statewide gasoline demand is forecasted to decline approximately one percent per year during most of the 1980's. Additional declines in gasoline demand to year 2000.will depend .on the extent to which existing fuel economy improvement techno- logies are implemented. -22- SECTION 4 0`' FINANCING ISSUES RELATED` TO' BUTTE'S C05U'NTY' S TRANSPORTATION 'SYSTENl' The following section deals with financial issues affecting;Butte County! s,transportation. planning efforts over the short and long-,, term' course. This sections ' did be used in conjunction with`f - background discussionsfoundrin sections -on existing and future. transportation needs anroad' `classifications and stan'daTds .='A 4.1 Past and Present Financing; �fYji' �.t�irt Historically, Butte County s transportation system financing has come from a mix of federal, state, and local government revenue.. sources, however, beginiiing"►'Vith 1) .the 1978 passage of'Proposition 13, which significantly reduced property tax. revenues for California's local governments, and followed by 2) a trend of reduced' federal`'c" and state road designatedfundscaused by a slowed economy and significant declines in gasoline usage since 1978, coupled wiih 3)t rapidly,inflated costs of(roadrmaintenance and construction. -Butte. County' and its cities have been faced with increasing revenue constraints which have negatively impacted traditional rates of road maintenance and construction.(1) In Butte County's case, budget constraints have lead to.the complete elimination of the use of non -restricted road monies+for road maintenance and improvementa?c^ projects. In 'fiscal year FY 1982/83'motor vehicle in -lieu -funds were eliminated from.funding Butte'County road operations for the 'first time, as this revenue source was needed elsewhere to'fund County operations. Also, federal road maintenance and construction apportionments for both Butte County's urban and rural areas have declined slowly during the last several years. This overall decline, in revenue for local transportation projects has led to a sharp slowdown of needed Butte County road maintenance Projects and a near halt to any traditionally funded new road construction in the near future by the County. As a result of declining revenues, Butte County's FY 1982/83 road maintenance and construction was .funded,.exclusively-f-ro'm-road, specified sources, this for'the:first time'in recent years. Two - , i ) revenue sources, the• l igfiiMy'users (gasoT'ine) tax grid Local s ' Transportation rund from sales tax,. accounted for approximately. • 77 percent of the County's road maintenance and construction revenuer The following table shows the FY 1982/83 revenue.break down for the County Public 1Vo*rks ?)epartment's road maintenance, . and construction operations. Tritiation in highway construction and maintenance costs has risen approximately 250 percent in 10 years. Gas tax revenue had increased a mere 24 percent in the same period., prior to � 1983. ` ..2 3 - Table 3 Estimated Butte County Road Maintenance and Construction Revenue FY 1982/83 Source _'Amount %. of total Highway Users $290710693(1) 44.7 Forest Reserve 2159000 4.6 MUD Funds 899600 - 1.9 TDA Funds 1,490,861(2) 32.2 Misc. Sales 189000 -- Road Permits 230 - Interest 30,000 0.7 Fines and Forfeitures 2701000 5.8 FAS 450,000 9.7' Total 4,6359384 100.0 Includes $300,000 oF=215 funds. (2) Includes carryover from Previous fiscal year. -24- J' f ) The only -revenue category, expecting any significant increase in -the near future is the 'highway users tax; this due to new state (S1; 215) and federal -taxes on l;asoline durin 1953. Future increases in TDA funding and �fines and forfeitures are ex.)ected - to parallel population s rotrt.i' and iLnf.l'ation rates, so the net Rain to the Coirity's road program revenue will be minimal. Future federal FAS revenues -,are extremely 'dif.ficuit' t6 --forecast." • in that allocations will (lej'�er.d lamely on future federal budgets, nationtivide road and transit .priorities,, and the future state of the economy -and revenues frog-gaso°line sales. Forest 're serve revenue,, which result from timber and. recreation revenues from Lassen and Plumas national 'Forests in Butte: County.' -'.'are, expected to' continue declining' sl ightly a's l gging activity ,in- the 'area, slowly declines. HUD (U.S.-Housing'and'-Urban Development) grants, for road reconstruction in blighted areas, are expected to play a minor,role in the overall future of Butte Cotinty's road maintenance -program, -as are federal•bridge*reiiabi-litation funds.' The above discussion'aiid•projeciioii" o£ poor' prospects• for substantially,increase'd road revenues to balance Butte County's"current road'maintenance needs'leads to a forecast, of future- years' of increasing. ro•ad''maint6nance deficit's in'th6 '. County, as discussed -later in, this-section.'1 Public and sj?ecialized'transportation'system -'funding for Butte County and its cities had historically come from the Transpor- tation Development Act (TDA, SB -325) which has been in existence since 1972. Beginning in 1979, funds become available under the State Transit' -Assistance Program (STA)•. ,_ -•_ .. .fit • - The public transit systems iii Butte County usea mix tof 'TDA •and STA funds for their operations: Chico`Arei Transit System buses- and- their uses-and-their ancillary,equipment were •purchased utilizing•an UMTA, (Section 18) (Trant in conjunction wi'tli ,local ,transit 'funds. During -FY 1982/83 -approximately- $548;600`of transit funding was utilized -to operate public trarisportatio-pror.am.s -by •Butte- . .. r 4 'A r .1 County. r Under the 1982= Federal- Highway' Improvement 'Act , `TTMTA. r Section 9� . -funds'are available for -public transportation'systems"that serve an- urbanized.'area of 50,000 or -more: 'Section -'9 funds are,to be used for capital improvements and operating costs for urban, public transit ''development. Recent annual appropriations for the .Chico urban area have been inrythe range of•$400-,00+. UMTA Section 18 monies are -now utilized for public transportation systems and•services outside of urban areas.' Section 1-8 'has' --helped 'to .finance capital.' improvements and operating costs •of BCT and OATS. "Section 18 is also used for other demand oriented transit services such as dial - a -ride programs. , The 1983 'increase' in the 'fe'derai'gasoline i'ax will benefit urban public transportation' •systems •such as' the Chico Area Transit System, by ensuring a stable source of federal transit funds in future years. -25- Funding of bicycle facilities and planning can come from a variety of local, state or federal sources. Local street and road revenues and general revenues can be utilized. The state Bike Lane Account is reserved by Caltrans for grants to local governments for development of bike lanes and bike ways. It should be noted that TDA and FAU monies can also be used for bike lanes and bicycle planning. 4.2 Cost Factors in Maintaining the County Road System The understanding of iow different road maintenance and construc- tion operations vary with respect to costs is important when considering; and evaluating different objectives, policies and programs contained in the Transportation Eleriont. Road„ay costs discussed below are generalized and based on 1982 dollar estimates.(1) Butte County maintains approximately 1377 miles of roads which average approximately $50,000 in value per mile. This would place the 1982 value of Butte County's roadways at approximately $69 million. The estimated value of state highways, streets in city jurisdictions, and private roadways are not included in this figure. The per mile value of t:ie state `iighi•rays is considerably higher titan for Butte County roadways because of mucil higher aver- age design standards and maintenance requirements. Slightly over 800 miles of Butte County maintained roadways are paved, while the remainder are dirt or gravel. New roadway construction costs, including for substantial recon- struction of existing roads, average approximately $350,000 per mile for a standard width 2 -lane road. This average cost varies greatly with terrain. It is estimated that a new 2 -lane road on the valley floor will cost an average of $100,000 per mile; while the same roadway will cost approximately $250,000 per mile in the foothill areas and approximately $500,000 per mile in mountainous areas. This suggests a tremendous cost is involved in foothill and particularly, mountainous area roadway construc- tion; as much as five times more than valley floor roadway construction costs. higher foothill and mountain. road construction costs. result largely from increased surveying and cut and fill costs. Oroville-Quincy Highway, Forbestown Road, and Cohasset.Road are examples of higher cost -per -mile roads in Butte County's road system. The cost of asphalting for new roads averages close to one dollar per square foot, however, these actual costs are extremely vari- able due to variable terrain and other engineering factors. Adequate road maintenance is important in keeping the value of Butte County's roadway investment over the long-term. however, in FY 1982/83, an average of approximately $1ti00 per mile was All.cited roadway costs are rough estimates obtained from various discriss .o;1s with the Btitte County public t;orhs Department and are furnished for general planning purposes, only. budgeted for roadwav maintenance on County roads. pproxirately double tliis amount, or nearly $ 000.,)er average Wile is needed to keep pace with annual road maintenance needs. Inflation of road maintenance costs and reduced roadwayl.budgets hive led to. - increasing road maintenance deficits ,since 'a -bout 197810 for Butte County., - . .. . r 1 Anewly constructed paved road s1hou16 be seal coated -,no later - than. 10 to 13 years after' its construction, a:id;sooner, if •' jaossible: Seal coats, i, tic1- cost a;)l.roxi.r^ately ?8000 ger average mile, are no;,r typically applieu only about every 20 years, clue to financing. con strairits. Tne above shortfall in seal coat mainten- ance cycles parallels the road maintenance deficit just suggested. r,jr1 .Assuming: that tiie FY 11932/33 T'level of:. -road revenue remains J constant with futiire inflation ,rates v;ai1e road maintenance needs remain the sane, the accumulated road. maintenance deficit for 1 Butte 'County rwould be 'app'roximately. $1.9., S million ,(in 1982 dollars) in ten years .'(1) The- implication of the ;present )and. future road maintenance -deficit, is that the County's road maintenance, program is going' to' ',be-, i�ncreas1n-'ly.r,force(l to se -t .priorit.ies regarding whic;i) roads are to be adequately maintained ;,� and •iic;1 ,roads• are ; Ping tolie aIlow& to' deteriorate and' "on to -gravel. occasion, be.,converted ` ` ' ti . 1r - t r.i' ' T[, lea �.• 1 t, Other' road' maintenance costs incurred by rthe County -includef for road striping and signing;, roadway reflective markers, road vandalism, snow plowing, traffic signals, road drainage, anal torts. Yearly road striping maintenance costs.•about,Ps0,00'0._.The County" -'maintains about 10,000, roadway signs.,, whichl have, an.'average Value of about $100.' 111 1981,.about $20,000 in. vandalism occurred to road 'signs;' Reflective, pavement markers 'involve. an f approximate $200,000 -long -term - 200,000 -long-term investment below the snowline whileiin FY 1982/83, $143,000 rias spent for snowplo-wing jon',County• roads," New traffic signals cost about $809000:eacli. Road -drainage problems ' in certainr,urban `areas such as Palermo, Thermalito; . the Avenues -in Cliico,' and Cliapmantown "add to. the - County'.s• rain tenance costs. 4.3 Future Road 'and lii hwav 'Financing. s :dew • state and' federal' taxe's :.ori 1_0a.soline rare expected to increase Butte County's road revenues,: Ino�••;ever,' riot nearly to � the extent' for which County residents pay �asoline�taxes. -Tie County1is expected to continue as a donor county,,,with,reg;ard to balancing, gasoline takes, and revenue.. Phis .will.'be, part icul arl.y.true in the noon return of federal gasoline taxes back to Butte County, as the bulk of this tax will be allocated to other areas, parti- cularly large 'metropolitan ,areas -where -the ,national need is ner.- ceiwed••to be greatest. :�• The amount of million should be used general.ly, and only as a method to illustrate; the significance of Butte County's potential for an accumulated road maintenance budget deficit. -27- Based on the assumption that hresent.taxable (asoline sales in Butte Count,, amount to near 60 million gallons icer ,year. , the nese two cent state gasoline tax will increrse Butte County and its five cities' road revenue by a countywide total of $600,000 per year, per the formula in SF 215 of 1981. The remaining; "600,000 collected by SL' 215 will be used by the state rriere it perceives the greatest acbd. llowever,.prospects for a fair return of new five cent federal gasoline tax revenues to Butte Count;, seems :)oor. Based on current rates of gasoline consur,.ption, all of butte County ,could pay about `'3.0 million in new federal'gasoline taxes yearly. liowever, , the 1982 federal Ras tax legislation "did not authorize increased fundinl; levels for FAU or FAS Oesigaated roads, _thus no increase in federal funding; .for these two important road categories in Butte County.(1) Nost of the riew federal gas tax .road alloca- tion has'been earmarked for interstate and state primary highways (FAP), which will benefit only the state highways in Butte County. It would appear that the new federal bas' tax will increase the rate at which Butte County is a donor bas tax county, as new federal gas taxes collected in Butte County are spent elsewhere. The likelihood of equalizing or reducing Butte County's donor status appears poor, as it would take additional federal legislation to remedy this problem. From the above discussion it is concluded.that the prospects for continued long-term and increasing road maintenance deficits appears likely for Butte County unless nei•r revenue sources are developed by the County over the short and lona run. Several road revenue generating techniques -are currently available, including a local Butte County gasoline tax, fees on ne%o developments to pay for in- creased road maintenance and construction tliat they'will generate, and assessment districts to pay for new road construction related to newly developing areas., - Butte County is authorized by SB 215 of 1981 to charge a ner gallon tax on gasoline sold within the County in order to increase'road maintenance revenue. Butte County and its five cities would have to agree on how to apportion (usually by population) such a local gas tax and two-thirds countywide voter approval would be needed. I.f Butte County were to set a two 'cen.t' per gallon tax on gasoline, the County and its cities could annually divide approximately $1.2 million for local road purposes. To date, no California county has adopted a local gasoline tax, and voters have over- whelmingly rejected it when placed on the ballot. The federal Highway Improvement Act of 1982 retained current levels of FAU and FAS funding. -28- Fees on new developments ;to' ;gay for increased road maintenance and construction that they will nenerate•and assessment districts to ;gay for new road construction related to fei"ly developing areas are two revenue generating mechanisms"that appear most equitable , and easy ° to ados�t. Bot% 't'he off-site' development fee and road,_ assessment district concept encompass a' pay-as-you-go st' rateay,for new develoPnent and. i.f applied uniformly,• could allow existing' County road revenues to be focused exclusively on maintenance existing roadways: The combined implementation of tl cse two financin0.mechanisms could hell' to reduce the County's road'main= tena!nce deficit.in the future. Otlier,nearby. counties. which utilize road .development fees include; N'evada"County, which has implemented a countywide program that charges fees according to tlhe road .needs found iri e.'ight planning sectors in the county• Cou and.; I1�'],orado nty, which iias implemented a program t1iat assesses and char -es road devel- opment fees for development projects which will have large'off-site traffic impacts. Two other potential revenue sources for road maintenance could - possibly`be,implemented over the long -;term, one•at the local level and another at the state `level. Locally, establishment of 'roadway drainage assessment districts in previously mentioned urban. problem .areas could help extend road maintenance monies" iihi-le providing a solution to these local urban drainage problems. Also, truck weight -distance fee schedules should be. reformed to -pay a fair cost of roadway and highway damage.(1) Meavy duty trucks are cause for most of the road damage and,.in fact, if fees were proportioned to use -related road wear'and vehicle type,.truck fees .would pay nearly all of the road maintenance cost.(2) The apposing. Present., highway user taxes,. including the -truck-related= taxes added in; the federal Highway Improvement Act of 1982 ;(new federal gas tax), favor -heavy trucks. Truck user charges do not recover the costs heavy truck traffic imposes oil the highway system. ' 'Numerous highway cost allocation studies -'have- confirmed that heavy trucks underpay. Even 'with the' new federal` gas tax, ' heavy trucks..will still be paying' about 70 percent= of their full highway cost responsibility -.k t,iso, the heavier trucks. allowed by tlhe 1982 federal gas tax bill will, on the average, increase pavement damage by 1.5 percent. (2) Pavement deterioration is the cost important cost heavy trucks impose on the hight.,rays. Tracks over 50,000 pounds cause rou h-ly 85 percent of .the use- related,.* e to the nation's highways. Pavement stress increases s'larnly t-rith increased axle loads:' a five -axle,- 80,000 potind trtick causes about b0W percent more stress than the sar«o trucl, loaded to '50,000 pounds. One .$0,000 noun(' truck does the same da.ma(e as about 0,600 automo- biles. , -29- argument suggests that such truck weight fees,would be passed on to the consumer who would end up paying•for truck caused road damage, anyway. Any change in truck weightifee schedules would have to occur at the state and federal level. - The possibility of utilizing community facilities -districts for, generating road -construction revenues for newly developed areas is not yet clear. Legislation enabling community facilities districts, which was signed by the•Governor in 1982, does not clearly specify road construction as a fundable service. Also, large questions remain as to how much money the County can afford to spend on "advanced" financing of community facilities districts and what affect such'financing would have on' the County's future. bond and'credit ratings. 4.4 Implications 'of Future 'Road and Highway Financing Shortfalls While public transit systems in Butte County appear to have adequate funding.through the,planning period, road and highway financing for maintenance and construction will.be facing continued revenue shortfalls. These anticipated shortfalls imply the need .to develop road maintenance and construction strategies which help to extend road designated revenues while maintaining basic road service levels. Some strategies that should be considered during the planning period include the following: 3 If reduced levels.of road maintenance continue, there will be increasing need to formally allocate reduced road maintenance cycles throughout the County, particularly in rural areas. Some rural roads will have to be converted -to gravel or dirt, over time, if the road maintenance deficit continues to increase, over time., t Other road maintenance and construction -cost reductions will require increased engineering economy. Such techniques could include keeping rural roads informal and urban street widths as narrow as practically possible. The issue of "implied subsidies" with regard to road main- tenance and construction will become increasingly important, over time. The issue of how to equitably allocate road revenue resources between more expensive foothill and mountain roads and valley floor roads, snowplowing programs, and between - large development projects, particularly for large rural subdivisions,.and their off-site traffic impacts will require increasing attention as road maintenance demands increase, over time. -30- A system of off-site development fees and assessment district financing to pay for the traffic impacts caused -by .new development'in the county will need -to be increasingly con- sidered, particularly if road maintenance programs continue to fall behind their needs. In certain urban s-ituations,Jwell'•planned public transporta-' tion -may help to marginally reduce street congestion, thus, creating a slight increase in'•street capacity. This oppor- tunity will have to be examined case-by-case for each transit system, as the possibilities arise. Also, subdivision design criteria which increases opportunities for transit patronage should be -incorporated into urban area transit planning programs. s Withthe reduced ability to''adequately maintain roads that are currently part of the County's road system, addition of any new roads to the system will only further tax the County,!s road ' maintenance abilities. _ ry s b A1� j i ' -31- SECTION 5.0 ROAD CLASSIFICATIONS AND STANDARDS The functional classification of roads and the application of road design standards are key tools to 1) ensuring adequate access and road design for present and future development and 2) setting effective priorities for use of road monies. Since finances prevent every highway in a functional classification from being developed to optimum design standards, it is necessary to identify the relative importance of each highway segment from a system perspective in order to establish a plan that will maxi- mize the effectiveness of future improvements. 5.1 Functional Highway Classification Urban and rural streets and highways in Butte County are grouped functionally according to the character of service they are intended to provide. The classification of streets and highways helps to 1) determine the importance of a particular highway segment in rela- tion to the overall network and 2) maintain a balance between the issues of access to land and traffic mobility for various trans- portation facilities when developing programs for highway improvements. A functional highway classification is also valuable in helping to determine priorities for road and highway maintenance policy. It is necessary to distinguish the functional classification between urban and rural areas, since.the services they provide can differ greatly. Urban and rural functional classification charac- teristics are described by the two tables on the following pages. Cross-section illustrations of functionally classified roads as they relate to Butte County's road improvement standards are shown in Figures 4A and 4B. Level of Develo ment Priorities - The need to concentrate on essential ratKer than desirable improvements has lead some public agencies to devise a method of allocating highway improvements and maintenance according to the importance of the highway. The goal has been to define road and highway programs so that the greatest benefits are obtained with a minimum of limited financial resources. The basic premise of a "level of development" highway maintenance program is that the most important highways should be designed and maintained to the highest possible level to provide the highest level of traffic service, operational safety and efficiency. The least important highways should receive only the improvements necessary to maintain their structural integrity and operational safety. An example of a levels of development program is summarized in Appendix B. -32- T.ab.l e 4 f Functional`System Characteristic`s =r Urban Areas Urban Principal' Arterial_ The principal arterial system should carry the major. portion of trips entering and leaving the urban area, as well asithe majority of through movements 'desiring to bypass .,the -central .city - In . addition, 'signi'ficant—in travel',' such -as .between :central business districts and .outlying' residential -areas, between major inner city communities or between major s.uburban centers should be served by this class of facilities. Urban Minor Arterial` 'Street' T r `` tY The minor arterial street system should interconnect with and-•.._ augment the urban principal arterial"system and provide service to trips of moderate length at a'somewhat;lowei level of:travel mobility.than major arterials.' Urban Collector Street'Y ` The collector street system differs from the arterial systems"in that facilities on.the collector system may penetrate neighborhoods, distributing trips fromthe arterials through.:the area'to the— ultimate destination which may be on a local or collector street. Urban Local Street Local .streets are limited to, serving lots 'fronting! such,I streets and Should have a curvilinear and/or discontinuous alignment, such as loops and cul-de-sacs-,- 's'o 'as, to discourage through traffic, .but carry traffic"conveniently and as direc streets.tly as, possible to collector - - Comme"rcial'and-Industrial'Streets These streets are designed- to, serve employment,:business',-; and trucking traffic in. urban,;commercial and- industrial: -areas.' , ' ' + L: -33-. � r f •y. Table 5 Functional System Characteristics - Rural Areas Rural Principal Arterial The rural principal arterial system will serve corridor movements having trip length and travel density characteristics indicative of substantial statewide or interstate travel. They generally serve urban areas of 50,000 and over population and a large major- ity of those with population of 25,000 and over. Rural Minor Arterial The rural minor arterial road system links cities and larger towns, and will be spaced at such intervals, consistent with population density, so that all developed areas -of the County are within a reasonable distance of an arterial highway. Minor arterials provide service to corridors with trip lengths and,travel density greater than those predominantly served by rural collector or local systems. Minor arterials constitute routes whose design should be expected to provide for relatively high overall travel speeds, with minimum interference to through movement. Rural.Collector Road The rural collector routes generally serve -travel which is pri- marily intracounty ratherthan of regional or statewide importance and constitutes those routes on which predominant travel distances are shorter than on arterial routes. Major Collector Road -(1) Provide service to any county seat not on an arterial route, to the larger towns not directly served by the higher systems, and to other traffic generators of equivalent intracounty importance, such as consolidated schools, shipping points, county parks, important mining and agricultural areas, etc.; (2) link these places with nearby larger towns or cities., or with routes of higherclassification; and (3) serve the more important intracounty travel corridors. Minor Collector Road `- (1) Be spaced at intervals, consistent with population aensity, to collect traffic from local roads and bring all developed areas within a reasonable distance of a collector road; (2)• provide service to the 'remaining smaller communities; and (3) link the locally important traffic generators with their rural hinterland. Rural Local Road - Rural local roads serve primarily to provide access to adjacent land and.provide service to travel over relatively short distances -.as compared to collectors or other higher systems. -34- �iREET STANDARDS FIGURE , 4,A ARTERIALS -,a TYPICAL SECTION e URBAN ARTERIALS (IDEALIZED CAPACITY 38,400 AADT _ s' 90 s' itis i 6 LANES WITH PARKING OR BIKE LANES 108' 1 i 38,.400• ,AADT r i l or 114 of 6 LANES WITH. CENTER DIVIDE -,'"NO PARKING 108' a �• 1 _ j 1♦ i t 259600. AADT s 1Wr ss s _v 4 LANES ITH.PARKING OR BIKE! LANES 84' RURAL ARTERIAL (ALSO 4 LANES WITH 48' OF PAVING) 6.8 26 6—R' 6-8 14,00® AADT 2 LANES WITH GRAVEL SHOULDER 60-84 *IDEAL CONDITIONS r LEVEL OF SERVICE "C" City standards may vary from what is' shown .— W J r COLLECTORS STREET STANDARDS FIGURE 413 TYPICAL SECTION URBAN COLLECTORS (IDEALIZED CAPACITY*) 12,800 AADT RURAL.COLLECTORS LESS THAN 14,000 AADT LOCAL LOCAL URBAN STREETS (PAVING WIDTH RANGES FROM. 26'-36' R/W WIDTH RANGES FROM 46'- 60') LESS THAN 12,000 AADT 10 40 10 2 LANES WITH PARKING AND/OR BIKE LANES 1 I 60'- 84 I LOCAL RURAL ROADS ( PAVING WIDTH RANGES FROM 20�- 26' R/W WIDTH RANGES FROM 50'-60`) *IDEAL CONDITIONS- LEVEL OF SERVICE "C" 2 LANES 60 • 10 36 10 2 LANES WITH PARKING AND/OR BIKE LANES ' 56' p3l' 2, 20, 2 2 LANES 50' 5, 2 Road Standards - ' !' ,i', _ . ,, _ ' • _ , �, Existing_ Standards Butte - County's roads improvement. standards t ae 'ine roa way requirements for land divisions, including for subdivisions and parcel splits. A. -separate.y"set -of 'road. standards have been developed' for the County's urban,xural valley, and foothill and mountainous areas. Y The -Butte County Improvement Standards Ordinance indicates by map, the boundaries where each urban area and the foothill -mountainous standard is applied. For urban -area subdivisions, Butte County standards are to conform to the incorporated city of each area. Butte County will mainftain: only roads which.meet • County .standards, unless otherwise stated in a maintenance or development agreement.rz Private subdivision roads which are •"developed. -to less than County.. - standards are to be maintained as to the conditions,of:a maintenance - agreement between' the County and .subdivider. T- The County .no.'longer assumes the maintenance of new roads which consist of gravel or dirt road surfaces. Private roads which are developed without:.a,land- division' are not subject -to Butte County's improvement.'standards. Road permits 'are' required when a new private -road -in some, way. •affects the status -or characteristics of ,an existing County maintained road,. - � r r F_ �tf1. � °ala: .' fi`_ �, • � h i 5.21 Access and Road Standard Issues There is a need to sort out, sensibly and publicly, which roads should be part of the County road system, and which should be'the respon- sibility of private owners. But this.can't be done until the County can afford -to adequately maintain .the -roads already existing in its `system. Beyond the main County road 'network', County residents ultimately must be responsible for buildingitheir own access roads, and for maintaining them: New access roads-will.,probably have to be paid for by landowners and those 'buil'ding rnew -homes. Many resi- dents have -moved in during the last number. 'of years,' ,and have _paid-, for their access and will -not 'want to 'pay.again' `for someone else's. Historically, many old.,access. roads constructed, prior to present subdivision map requirements were narrow, 'pooly. _graded -.and substandard, and some of these roads, have been taken into the_ County's road ; system. The problem now facing the County and local' res'ident's, ' alike, is that the County does not have,.enough money; to either properly.maintain or to improve 'these substandard access roads. New roads-, both .private access•,roads, as'well, as -County :roads, W need -to be built and maintained to last. While�1a�'road is new, ' routine maintenance costs will be moderate'and`problems few. The problems may come later, if those who are managing the road main- tenance don't set aside enough money to cover the full (inflated) -35- cost of major maintenance, such as resurfacing, which will come due. County or private roads which are built to lower standards are trading present lower costs and easier development for a future road in poorer shape with higher maintenance costs later. In some cases, County road standards have been flexible for roads already in place, working instead toward improving roads to meet traffic needs rather than to meet a standard. There should be a continuous effort to plan a road system that creates both adequate access and road standards for present and future development. Access To ensure adequate access, the County should require that useable road easements of adequate width be located as to most beneficially serve .the circulation needs of all parcels. Also, any right-of-way needed for new roads or expansion of.existing roads should be planned and.ensured prior'to the development that causes the need for additional circulation. Land uses that would preclude the timely development of such right-of-way should be prohibited. The control of access on important to maintaining .and traffic speeds which mid -block access points, lead to deterioration of and driving convenience, whenever possible. Road Standards the County's main arterial highways is these facilities For. -the high volumes they are intended. Additional driveways, intersections, and on -street parkin'g all a highway's potential traffic capacity and should be limited along major roads To ensure adequate road standards,•the County should require that adopted County standards be -applied to all subdivision and parcel land divisions, including for private roads. Roads of adequate design and standard will help to ensure that present and future access needs are met, help to reduce overall road maintenance cycles and costs, and help to reduce environmental damage*from poorly graded and surfaced roads. A lower road standard may be reasonable for roads which will always serve as individual lot access, only, and will never serve more than a few lots. Also, as a matter of equity, newland divisions should be held responsible for their share of off-site road improvements needed to handle their contribution of increased'traffic on existing access roads., Certain issues involving Butte County's new road standards are related to overall general planning concerns. For example, the County's urban area road improvement standards boundary should ultimately conform closely to each urban area sphere of influence, FAU boundary, and County and respective city urban land use -36- perimeters and circulation elements. All land division road standards 'in.,urban- areas should -correspond- to= -those of -.each city, This practice will help to ensure�coordination'between city and county urban land divisions which could eventually be -under the city's jurisdiction. '- • rs� t i tr ,_ , The County has designated a separate set4,of,land.division4road, standards in an area called mountain -recreational.' These'standairds generally allow reduced roadway widths due to increased,costs associated with -foothill and mountain road'development.' However, the present area designated mountain recreational in,the County's,. improvement standards does not include 'all areas- topog'raphi'cally - classified as foothill land. The.mountain,recreational design- ation should be updated to include all foothill and mountain areas that are noti of •urban designation. T;, Safety , + >.. .- -- .,r: %r•, -rj r. :,: - In Butte County's foothill areas, adequate emergency fire access, is .a very important aspect of circulation planning. Adeaua.te access for emergency -escape and•attack.of.wild land fires requires adequate evacuation routes, :road• -width, -and bridge -strength. , The_ µ Butte,County-Fire Department and -California Department of,.Forestry.. are responsive for- fire suppression and' -management programs ,in the County's fire hazard areas. Another road and highway safety issue involves the transportation of hazardous and toxic materials in .and through the. County. , Accidental spills of certain toxic materials present -local resi- dents , dents with both immediate .hazards and! the. possibility of longer, termed health risks. The County should encourage state and federal government to continue the development and implementation of comprehensive programs which regulate the transportation of toxic and hazardous materials on the-County's,highways -and railroads. Butte County's present improvement standards provide -technical and engineering standards for subdivision and parcel,land divisions, however, they do not set guidelines for developing a land capa- bility report or grading and drainage requirements for a land division proposal. It is suggested, after review of other compari- son counties, that Butte County prepare'a land division design manual which provides detailed guidance regarding. improvement standards, including for roads.(1) An adequately detailed and clearly worded land division design manual would assist both project applicants,.developers, the Public, and -the County in facilitating the development review process. 5.22 !Erosion and Roads, As mentioned, the Butte County Conservation Lle.ment lists roads as the leading cause of soil erosion in the County and suggests -37 implementation of measures to control road -related soil erosion, particularly in foothill and mountainous areas. This soil erosion problem exists from both public and private road develop- ment. The County's adoption of an erosion control program, includ- ing the requirement for erosion control plans to be included as part of its road improvement standards, would begin to mitigate the road -cause erosion problems discussed in the Conservation Element. 5.23 Development Agreements Development agreements are a planning tool that allow for con- tractual agreement between a project applicant and a public agency, such as Butte County.(2) Generally, development agree- ments are set in accordance with existing policies, rules, and regulations, and subject to conditions, of approval. If used wisely, they will strengthen the public pla ning process, encourage private participation in comprehensive planning and reduce the economic costs of development. Development agreements are normally used to ensure the nature, quality, and timing of project improvements, both on and off the project site, including for road standards, future road mainten- ance, and for site relatedcirculation planning. To date, the County's use of development agreements for road and circulation considerations has been limited. The wider use of the development agreement concept could present case-by-case opportunities for both 1) the County, in terms of planning, maintenance, and standards guarantees, and 2) a project developer, in terms of better planning coordination as well as some potential for reduction of costs. See the ora o ounty Land Division Design Manual. (2) The authority and purpose of development agreements are found in Government Code Sections 65864 through 65869.5. -38- SECTION 6, 0 , , Is FORECAST This section presents a forecast of Butte County's transportation requirements to the year 2000 by considering,the interrelationship, between existing land use and transportation`plang-and;projected population growth. A reasonably ;accu"ate pYrojection.,of ,future .' County transportation needsis the `single'most important'analysis,in,, this Element. :If future traffic is .projecied,;too glow; the public ` convenience and safety coufd_be'jeopardized. Traffic projections,- which overstate future capacity requirements.can lead -to needless and- potentially ',costly overdesigning o_f streets and .highways at the expense of taxpayers, developers, new home buyers, not to mention" the financing capability of local government. Also, overstated traffic forecasts which lead to excessive,highway•capacities can also become a factor - in 'creating -undesirable ` development pressures - which conflict with other `elements -of `the ;County General Plan. ; r , 6.1' Transportation Plans of Affected"�Jur'is'diction's The following'subsecti'on "summarizes ;pertinent, transportation rela-, , ted policies or programs oc f governmental agenie's affected by the Transportation Element. 6.11- Butte County General Plan The Butte'County General Plan consists•; o'f nine ''separately writtenr' elements which must ,be internally' consistent,, throughout. ,.,Seven of the County's General Plan elements contain statements or.refer,- ences that refer directly to' concerns oT 'the" Transportation Element and these are summarized in the following discussion. r L• - '7 rs Jap '! As• mentioned in Section 1.0,�. a 'circulation element' must be. corre lated to land use patterns suggested by the Land Use Element. The County's Land Use Element discusses this interrelationship in the following statements: ., ' "The circulation element 'controls the -accessibility to land which affects development patterns, which, in turn, affect traffic volumes and movement patterns.11(1) The Land Use Element`also states: "Taken together, streets, roads,; airports, -railroads, sidewalks, and other transportation facilities constitute a.,majorsland use. The location and growth of communities and the.'local' patterns of development are largely: dependent -on_; transporta-' , tion systems."r' Butte County Land use ElemeFt. pg. 41 , -39- "The interrelationship between transportation and land use is exemplified in the California Government Code which requires the correlation of the Circulation Element with the Land Use Element 'of the General Plan.11(1) Land Use Element policies call for the provision of transportation facilities of all types that will accommodate existing and proposed land use patterns and densities and provide for the "rapid, efficient, comfortable, and safe passage of people and commodities." Land use policy calls for the balancing of residential densities with traffic - carrying capacities of existing and proposed circulation plans.(2) It is also policy to encourage development in and around existing communities with public facilities.(3) Housing Element - The Mousing Element acknowledges the problem of a shortage of funding sources to finance needed street and traffic circulation expansions and improvements.(4) The Element contains as policy that "new housing construction shall be encouraged in locations with reasonable proximity to centers of employment and shopping facil- ities, and which respect the conservation of energy."(5) Residential density increases are encouraged when there are practical opportun- ities and development cost savings involved. Conservation Element - The Conservation Element lists roads as the leading cause of soil erosion in the County. "It would appear, therefore, that roads are a dominant contributing factor to the soil erosion problems, and the full impact of roads on the .soil and vegetation in Butte County should be defined and control measures established for road -related soil and vegetative problems so that these problems will be minimized, if not eliminated.(6) Open Space Element - This element includes the following recommenda- tions that relate to circulation: The County should set large minimum parcel sizes for open space land outside the urban areas indicated on the Land Use Plan Map.(7) Studies should be conducted to determine the urban development capabilities of the foothill and mountain areas.(8) Butte ountyan se ement, p. 37 (2) Ibid, p. 34 (3) Ibid, p. 30 (4) Butte County Housing Element, p. I-20 (5) Ibid, p. III -4 (6) Butte County Conservation Element, p. 8.15. (7) Butte County.Open Space Element, p. 14.2 (8) Ibid, p. 14.2 -40- The County should riot allow in timber -mountain areas -,;the construc- tion of any roads.o.r buildings which are not necessary to,open space uses. (1) Safety Element - This.element is related to circulation planning. because of policies related to fire and emergency access and evacuation routes and standards for minimum road widths: Noise Element - The Noise Element provides noise exposure informa- tion intended -to guide development of the Land Use and Transportation Elements and noise ordinances. -The-Element is considered a "source" document to be used when formulating policies for other elements of the General Plan.(2) Transportation related noise sources considered by the element include noise from highways; railroads and,airports.- Transportation related.policie's in6lude':(3) , Where possible, control the sources of transportation noise to maintain acceptable levels,..,„ 1 Special consideration should be given to residential development: and other noise -sensitive -activities near, `rai1roads .and highways. Discourage noise sensitive activities near airports. In addition, the Noise_ Element calls, for adoption of a County, noise ordinance.— Scenic Highways Element -f This Element outlines the program .-and procedure for scenic highway corridor evaluation and selection, as.well as for scenic highway corridor development controls and. protection. Butte County, des'ignated' scenic highways .include; State Route 32 east of Forest- Ranch, and- State Route 70 east' of Pentz Road.' Although these sections of highway are eligible for State scenic highway designation, the'County•has not proceeded towards gaining such State designation.'. ' In addition to the above -elements of the County7General Plan, the Chico Area Land Use Plan (and Environmental Impact'Report) also contains references regarding the County's circulation plans%and policies for the Chico urban area. It is concluded'that significant r y.. + Butte county open pace ement,,p. j4.6 (2) Butte County Noise Element, p.' 2 (3) Ibid, p. 25 -41- r r r traffic impacts will occur from forecasted Chico urban area growth and that a multiple agency and multiple mode Chico area transportation program be combined with a re-examination of land use policy. (1) Furthermore, the Chico area circulation system is "not balanced" or adequate for the full development of land anticipated in the Plan.(2) Specific mitigation measures are incorporated into the Chico area's plan, including:(3) Continued support of inter and intra=city public transit. . Revision of the Butte County Transportation Element. Cooperative County of Butte and City of Chico development of a circulation capital improvements program for the Chico area, including for streets and highways financing and revenue mechanisms. The utilization of holding zones or urban reserves to allow timely development of Chico's future circulation facilities. An overall assessment of the Oroville area circulation systems is described in the draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (dEIR) for the Oroville Land Use Plan of the Butte County General Plan. The supplemental dEIR concluded that street and highway,capacity improve- ments in the proposed Oroville Area Land Use Plan may not be fully mitigated and additional mitigation measures were needed, including: The County and the City of Oroville should cooperatively undertake a land use based traffic study to examine and plan for future circulation needs. The study would identify future thoroughfares and develop a system for financing improvements. Focus urban growth toward the south Oroville area while applying large parcel zoning in the vicinity of Wyman Ravine and south, until circulation and other needs.are addressed. Plan for east -west arterial/collectors in the area between Oroville and Palermo which are designed to provide an alternative to Olive Highway (Rt. 162). Limit the number of access points and driveways connecting to major east -west routes in the southern portion of the planning area. 6 _12 _Cities of Butte County Cil_of Chico- Chico's General Plan was adopted in 1976 with trans- portation discussion and policies that focused on coordinating a multi -modal transportation system, the scenic enhancement of the highway system, and street and highway noise and safety concerns. 1 EIR_For t_in Chico Area Land Use Plan - An Amendment to the Butte County General Plan, April, 1982, p. 142. (2) Ibid, ,p. 143 (3) Ibid, P. 122 -42- I . ( - .• t, 1 EXISTING AND FUTURE, TRAFFIC, VOLUMES CITY 'OF CHICO 4) +r.'i�/'w`\• ,. _(10.1)' IT �� C �N • 1. pis uil (9.9) (4.0)' ' ,; K�. ,i - Oi 3.1 EATON 1.4 RD ,- •F Qp/ .� a� as//��(4.T)i- `h%r f q '•3 e 201 I �� 0 ♦/ r s/ � ..p5 • cn, � of •til. �� y, of .. lo> � • _ . I (18.6) M ' (22.0) ' x106.6 I :(7.3) 1 ��, 11.3 11.5 18.5,IEA T AVEI 29. (5.0) 21 4 CJ(n y - �oiCij \ro h\ �P a \o � 1 `Jc' � r✓ T ;���ti• C `3$ ��'�P�� r, \2600 e�\'ti' °0� '•' a 1• :.io •. I AN / e`�' pJ� s , • `Jr' l��'1��. \6hy , h� �� I 116? • ee13.0) ICA ''' SpG • F R\ � I 1� + Sf I (8.8)� j � -I y2 � �u► N 1 1p Q>F ,Odj ro (30.)(374) (20.8) 1v -. (/p 3J13.511.2 �n v0) e° (o (16.3) / FIGURE 5 ' 10.8- 1981 TRAFFIC VOLUME ooro (26.5)-2000 FORCASTED` TRAFFIC , VOLUME N (VOLUME IN THOUSANDS OF AADT) SOURCES: CHICO URBAN AREA TRANSPORTATION STUDY 1982, COUNTY AND CITY TRAFFIC DATA 1981 . The Chico Urban Area Transportation Study.(CATS) was completed in late 1982. The purpose of the CATS was to predict future Chico area traffic levels based on anticipated land use patterns, and identify transportation improvements that would likely be necessary to accommodate Chico's growth. The CATS forecast for future travel demand was modeled for anticipated growth to the year 2000 and for ultimate build -out. The traffic model forecast for the year 2000 used the city's planning area as the study boundary and estimated a population of 102,000. This Chico area population forecast is slightly greater than the County forecast for the same geographic area and date. Figure 5 shows existing and year 2000 (CATS) forecasted traffic volumes on Chico urban area streets. CATS also proposed a financing plan for Chico street and highway improvements forecasted to year 2000 and for ultimate build -out. The premise of the plan was "that new development should bear the cost of the improvements required to accommodate the additional traffic generated by such development."(1) Two basic financing mechanisms were proposed. "First, assessment districts would be established to finance improvements where the local properties would be the primary beneficiaries of such improvements. This would include situations in which almost all of the traffic using a roadway would be going or coming from adjacent properties." It was calculated that the assessment district financing mechanism could be used to fund almost half of the new street andhighway improvements which would occur in Chico's designated growth areas. The second funding mechanism proposed by the CATS would provide revenue through developer fees on all new development in the Chico urban area so to finance area wide street and highway improvements required because of the new development. In both funding proposals, either the assessment or fee mechanism, the rate was proposed to be based on estimated trip generation for each particular new development. No funding mechanism was proposed for Chico area street maintenance or safety improvements on existing facilities. It should be noted that the above funding mechanism for Chico area streets and highways would require County cooperation, in order to be successful and equitable. In addition to the transportation forecast and financing plan contained in CATS', there has Veen' concern for how. 'future Chico transportation facilities might adversely affect Bidwell Park. Extreme care should be taken in refining the street and highway system suggested in CATS so as to not adversely affect the amenities of Bidwell Park by future transportation system developments. City of Oroville - Oroville recently revised its general plan Land Use ,ircu a ion and Noise Elements in early 1983. The Oroville Circulation Element provides a description of present street condi- tions and then develops a traffic forecast to the year 2005 for the city's planning area (see Figure 6). The boundary of the city's planning area is approximately the same as the County's. Chico Urban Area ransportation Study, prepared by JY1K and Associates, San Francisco, ;lovember, 1982, p. I;-3 -43- (4.8) 6.0) (10.0)o EXISTING AND FUTURE TRAFFIC VOLUMES ��? CITY OF OROVILLE ►` FIGURE 9 ` LAKE OROVILLE �, (14. 0) 20.0 (34.0) 8.0 40.8. (1.2) - � NELSON N AVE f e^ H 5.5 f ORO DAM 9L (2.9) r10,-" (3.9 (3.9) 2A w o 1.8 12.5) c . 12. RAND AVE x �'^� , 0) 441 1�65i - . (23) �: 0.5) a Q8 N v - (2.1) , � N %moo of o Ol 1.5 rs / \ 90Q o (4.8) 6.0) (10.0)o - (19 - _ ��? (2.4) 3.61 P 1.3 Nwr 162 2.6 4.3 5.54. �.. (14. 0) 20.0 (34.0) 8.0 r10,-" (3.9 i t r LAS PWMAS _ w t fA'ZS MONTE VISTA �r' W (A O i (3.7) t i eo �+ r. s r0 - 6.8- 1981 TRAFFIC VOLUME l (9.5)- 2005 FORCASTEO TRAFFIC VOLUME (VOLUME IN THOUSANDS OF AADT) SOURCE: OROVILLE AREA LAND USE PLAN- CIRCULATION ELEMENT 1983 EXISTING AND FUTURE TRAFFIC VOLUMES TOWN OF PARADISE FIGURE 7 N dwi SP1 y� z (2.4) 2.5) (7.9) WAGSTAFF 1.4 8.2 RD. 4.5 1 0 � � Go (4.0) (10.0) (7.8) rz BILLIE 3.4 5.5 RD. 4.2 0 y1 too 3.6 m v ai via (5.5) `cy`0 (9.3) (5.5) 6.8 ELLIOTT .2 � O i (0.9) N (2.8) M / 0.6 4UNNELEY 2.4 D 1 %\ /A (21.2) m N IPFARSI `0'QJ 10.8 \ lq for: C)LO3V+ Kj� BUSCHMANN O� P 4R (23.2) 10.8 2.0 g (2.3) z PO 3 � O m pj\Lo N a it W 06 R N N y Io a0 DD N �\ Lo O> p Q W Y 3 7.2 — 1981 TRAFFIC VOLUME (10.0) —1990 FORCASTED TRAFFIC VOLUME (VOLUME IN THOUSANDS OF AADT)' SOURCE: PARADISE TRAFFIC STUDY 1982 X Many circulation,improve ments, recommended in -the Oroville Circula tion Element are' located., in, areas currently under County jurisdic- tion ." The'bulk"of-these-County-located improvements are situated in the wesi'T}iermalito and south Oroville areas and involve construction of.new collector streets and arterials. The Oroville Circulation Element 'provides -implement'atio`n language for an-Oroville area: traffic study and an airport environs plan. The area traffic study is recommended to be prepared in conjunction with the County, in that much of the are'a's.traffic originates in County jurisdiction. The Circulation clement also suggests the potential use of assessment district and developer fee street., improvement financing mechanisias '-s.imil-a'r to`'those `which 'are discussed above regarding the 'Chico Urban' Area Tr'anspo'rtation.. study „ An assessment of• -the City of Oroville Circulation Element reveals several concerns that will need to be addressed in future planning discussions, including: The methodology utilized "in developing , the City's Circulation ^ . Element projected growth,'of-traffic volumes based on historical traffic growth at selected counting locations and was;not directly based -on land use under buildout'conditions. Trendline -projections are,not reliable in forecasting future traffic conditions. A more appropriate traffic -forecasting method would utilize planned. land use patterns as 'its basis for' projecting and,plkin ing circu- lation system. There is'an over -reliance on State-Route162'as an arterial for the planning area east of the City`"of'Oroville: -The radial }; pattern -of colle'ctors'in the eastern'planning area converge on State Route 162 in generally.the=same area of,'central Oroville and many work and commercial trip ends are concentrated in this area. The rolling terrain in' the urban area's eastern planning area, makes road construction and expansion more expensive and difficult (e.g, rock removal, cut and fill operations cause increased development' costs) . Town of Paradise -,The Town of Paradise completed its ,first general plan in 198Z,anTit covers' a" planning period to 1992. The 'commun- ities of Paradise Pines,- and Dfagalia, which, are in County 'jurisdiction, were not included. The plan found that-,the'Town's present arterial road system is;adequate to handle future traffic flows, but recommend the development of better cross-town acces•s,to Feather River Hospi- tal. (1) The plan also set as policy the preservation of` the rural character of the Town's neighborhood and collector road system and calls for study of the feasibility of establishing a local fixed route bus system.(2) , ara ise enera - an,i - 2, .p. VII - 35, 37! (2) Ibid; p. VII, 37, f41 ' 1 1. - '_! . , a A comprehensive traffic circulation study for the Town was completed in late 1982, as called for in the general plan.(l; This study included areas only within the Town's municipal limits and shows the need for several.collector road extensions to 1990. Figure 7 shows existing and year 1992 forecasted traffic volumes on the Town's major streets. The Paradise General Plan recommends that a master plan be developed for bicycle, pedestrian, and equestrian paths and trails in and adjacent to Paradise.(2) The Town has completed a bicycle master plan which stresses use of the abandoned Southern Pacific railway corridor through western Paradise.(3) State funding for the first phase of the bicycle plan has been approved. City of Gridley - The City drafted a revised circulation element uring 1983 which identified several potential street capacity pro- blems within the City in the long term future. The draft also proposed several roadway extensions throughout the -City that would serve anticipated growth. The draft did not establish any timetables for its proposals. The RTP utilizes the transportation plans of Butte County and its cities and assumes that locally adopted circulation elements adequately describe each respective local street and highway system, as well as other modes including public transportation. The RTP states its long-term goal towards transportation development in Butte County and then describes critical transportation issues while relating them to objectives and policies for streets and highways and other local transportation issues which are addressed in this Transportation Element. The RTP lists current and future deficiencies in the County transportation system and provides a list of five-year transportation projects necessary to achieve the regional transportation objectives. Gridley's draft circulation plan also indicates retention of the existing State Route 99 relocation (east of existing alignment) from the Sutter County line to' Hamilton Road. 6.13 Butte County Regional Transportation Plan As mentioned in Section 1.222 the major emphasis of the Butte County RTP involves specific transportation projects that plan to utilize state or federal monies during the next five years. The RTP utilizes the transportation plans of Butte County and its cities and assumes that locally adopted circulation elements adequately describe each respective local street and highway system, as well as other modes, including public transportation. -(IT-Town o Para ise, Traffic Circulation, Safety and Speed Zone Studies, and Traffic Control Device Inventory, prepared by TJKM Transportation Consultants, Walnut Creek, September, 1982. (2) Paradise General Plan, p. IV - 15. (3) Town of Paradise, Paradise Bikeways Master Plan, Adptd. Nov. 1982 (4) City of Gridley, draft Circulation Element of the General Plan, p.3 -45- r 1 6.14 Caltrans A ka The State highway system is the transportation lifeline :for. -Butte . t . _: + County.' Adequate 'statehighways- must. be insured 'or 'th'e -County's economy and its development willibe hindered. The easiest, way to manage growth is to build good roads to ,those areas where -development is wanted and to, -Caltrans priorities emphasize that land ,u'se decisions should lead, not 'follow; and the State should not provide opportunities forfspreading land develop Iment by building or improving highways into undeveloped areas. Caltrans' priorities for highway' work+' are-;' `in order: 1. Maintenance 'and' rehabilitation. 2. Improvements that help safety and or traffic movement. ' • r , 3. New highways that close 'sh'ort gaps or improve -main state ' wide travel routes. 6.2 Population Growth andland Use Concerns .The Butte County Planning Department -has developed.population growth projections for sixteen planning areas to the year 2000.(1) Overall, the countywide growth rate is assumed to -occur at a sustained rate' near 3.0 percent per year to,the end of the century.(2) This would mean a year 2000 Butte County population of 266,010 or a -82'.8 i ,percent increase since the 1980 census. .Table 6 'and Figure 8 -on ' the following pages shows the forecasted distribution of population .by ,planning area for they ear 2000. It should,b:.e noted that :resent 'California .Department, -of Finance: prol' Jecaions (September, 19. 83) forecasted Kut.te County -'s year 2000 popu lation at 225,800. ,This• plan's- analysis has utilized the higher •�: ; Planning Department"forecast;. with 'the understanding.that future ' County forecasts will assess the effective difference between -the;. .r two projections over the short term future.., ^ - Butte..Uounty : Population, Employment, Land Use: An Assessment of Future Conditions. A Report by the Butte County Planning Department, 1982. TABLE 6 Population Distribution -and Density by Planning Area 1980. and 2000 Planning Area Population % Pop/Sq. Mi. Population % Pop/Sq. Mi. 1. ;Nord 39347 2.3 25.4 9,310 3.5 70.6 2. Forest Ranch Cohasset 2,332 1.6. 10.7 6,650 2.5 30.6 3. Stirling City 572 0.4 4.6 600 --- 4.8 -4. Chico 540974 38.2 19577.7 959760 36.0 29748.3 5. Upper Ridge 5,168 3.6 238.0 13,300 5.0 621.4 6. Paradise 229648 15.7 986.0 34,580 13.0 19505.5 7. Concow 1,021 0.7 9.5 3,000 1.0 27.8 8. Durham 3,858 2.7 27.2 5,320 2.0 37.5 9.- Central Butte 927 0.6 12.2 61650 2.5 87.8 10. Feather Falls. - Brush Creek 663 0.5 2.9 700 --- 3.1 11. Table Mountain 885 '0.6 10.2 2,360 1.0 27.2 12. Berry Creek- Hurleton 1,793 1.3 15.4 69650 2.5 ' ', 57.0 13. Gridley -Biggs 11,850 8.2 58.5 239940 9.0 118.1 14. Oroville 279565 19.2 455.9 45,220 17.0 747.8 15. Palermo 39294 2.3 200.8 69650 2.5 405.3 16. Hon.cut- Bangor 29956 2.1 24.3 59320 2;0 43.7 143,853 100.0 266,010 100.0 Source: Butte County 1985-2000: Population, Employment, Land Use: An Assessment of Future Conditions. A Report by the Butte County Planning Department, 1982. d -47- Urban and Urbanizing Areas - Year 2000 Fi gure 8 PLANNING- AREAS BUTTE; COUNTY 1 -Nord 27Cohasset-Forest Ranch 3 -Stirling -City ,.�,. 4 --Chico -Upper Ridge T .• 6 -Paradise 7 - Conc:ow f'•✓� 8- Durham. rP1� 9,.Central' .Butte • '' ., 10-Feather;Falls-Brush 11-T. ble Mountain • , , ; �, .12 -Berry Creek-,, Hurleto i ;,13 -Gridley -Biggs,,---' 14-Oroville 3• 15-P 1 . 71 -.� 9.1 •. is r , ,11 • . t S _ -. 1 1. Urlian- .13 MI {..' '�a ,ti r,i •�„ i 16 3.. Urbanizing • -48e� �• / a e rmo ,1:6 -Honcut -Bangor 4. 6. • ,. • _ 7 • 71 -.� 9.1 •. is r , ,11 • . t S _ -. 1 1. Urlian- .13 MI {..' '�a ,ti r,i •�„ i 16 3.. Urbanizing • -48e� 6.21 Urban Area Growth Chico and Oroville, the County's two largest urban areas, respec- tively, are forecasted to contain the County's greatest nominal growth to 2000. The growth rate in the Paradise area is expected to slow in the Town of Paradise and increase above the County average in the Paradise Pines area. Growth rates in the Gridley -Biggs and Palermo areas are expected to be slightly above the County average for the period. The combined urban area population for Butte County is projected to be approximately 226,450 or 85.1 percent of the countywide 2000 population, compared to 87.2 percent of the 1980 countywide population. 6.22 Rural Area Growth Butte County's rural area growth rates are expected to be generally higher than urban area growth rates to year 2000. The bulk of the rural area population growth will occur in the County's foothill areas. The foothill share of the County's total population is expected to increase from 7.8 percent in 1980 to 11.5 percent in 2000, a population increase of 186.7 percent representing approxi- mately 20,800 people or 7.8 percent of the forecasted countywide population in year 2000. The largest increases of foothill growth occur in the Forest Ranch-Cohasset, Central Butte, Berry Creek- Hurleton, and 11oncut-Bangor planning areas (see Table 6). Population growth on the County's agricultural Sacramento Valley floor is expected to occur mostly within and near urban areas which are designated for urban development by the land use element. Rural area growth on agricultural lands will be suburban in character and confined chiefly to small agricultural parcels that are designated around the community of Durham and City of Gridley. 6.23 General Planning Implications of Forecasted Growth to the Butte County Circulation System Since Butte County's principal growth areas are forecasted to be located in the County's urban and foothill areas, the focus of future circulation system expansion, planning policy and specific programs must attend on these areas. In County areas where little or no growth is expected and where the current road and highway system is forecasted to have adequate capacity in the year 2000, _ a goal of maintenance planning and programming is in order. For the County's growing urban areas, comprehensive urban area circulation planning should occur within each municipal sphere of influence. This suggests the need for circulation planning and financing programs that insure coordinated city -county transpor- tation developments, as appropriate, for each Butte County urban area. -49- In the rural foothill areas, the implications of population growth to the County's circulation system is extremely varied and ,.discussing .the range of implications iri detail will require considerably more information .than -can` be provided by :the ' Transpor- tation Element., alone: This problem begins with' the'area's"iopo- graphic divers.ity.;.-.remoteness and geographically spread development patterns. _Much of .the .development in' :the foothills has been'by individuals_buildin g on single lots. The pattern is' essentially .random, and, it follows -no plan. The Butte County land -use design-. ation of• Agricultural -Residential: '(allowing 1-40, acres _per dwelling unit) , *which is 'found throughout the- foothill areas, leaves an ' extremely wide range of land use densitiesrwhich can'impact long,.. range future traffic forecasts for an area with a proportionally equal and uncertain range. This problem is compounded when there is the presence' of general (A-2) zonings in 74"foothi•11 area design- ated as Agricultural -Residential in the General Plan. rJ The above-described' problems' in' planning for long range circulation' developments in..the •foothills are again 'compoundbd by the degree of ` uncertainty where or when growth wi•11 actually occur in-'fo'othill ' planning areas. 'In many foothill areas,the accuracy`of middle and long, range traffic projections 'based' on'possible ranges of land uses are often largely forfeited, .thus leaving in question what would be an adequate level of local circulation system development. This suggests . the,- need- for more precise'; foothill- land use design-" ations and zoning in the Land Use Eleinent so that i future foothill' circulation developmenteprogram can be=accurately-projected,`within reason.. .4.. v-: 1 A-1982 inventory of existing rural residential,parcels indicated the extent to which rural land parcelization has occurred in upland Butte County. (1) Tile inventory •indicated, that the County's eight • foothill -mountain -planning areas contained enough existing rural parcels of 40 acres or .Less in size 'to.raccomodate a population increase,of 224 �erceni over its 1980;population.• Specifically, the inventory, found-that.existing.rural,tresidenti.al parcels in ` foothill-mountairi•areas could potentially. accomodate 24;960•• people, In 1980, the same area had a rural population of 11",149. Based on the Planning Department's population .forecasts,' -existing foothill -mountain parcels could accomodate 78.2 percent of the` year 2000 Population forecasted in .the eight upland• planning areas. riz.•z, In foothill .areas, where _reasonably. confident}_planning'area traffic forecasts can ibe,'i6ad.e available -,,the focus. should -be towards:'• develh opment patterns which minimize the burden,of expanding -the existing circulation network.beyond existing foothill -mountain communities "and foothill ,transportation corridors. Butte County Planning Department, Inventory of Rural Residential - Parcels in Butte County by Planning Area, Fall, 1982. -50- 6.3 Road and Highway Forecast An analysis of future traffic volumes on Butte County's road and highway network must first inventory past and current traffic conditions. This information is then analyzed in relation to traffic volume changes that are projected from population growth and land use changes within and outside the County to the year 2000; resulting in a traffic volume forecast for State and County roads and highways. Finally, the year 2000 traffic forecast is compared with present road and highway capacity levels to illustrate where the State and County circulation systems will need increases in capacity or new road segments. 6.31 Current Traffic Conditions Traffic volumes information is collected by the Butte County Public Works Department, Caltrans, and the cities in Butte County on a regular basis every two to three years at selected locations through- out the County. This traffic data is then reported as annual average daily traffic, and represents the total number of motor vehicles using the road during a 24 hour period on a typical weekday. Generally, County traffic growth since the early 1970's has increased most rapidly in and near the County's three largest urban areas; Chico, Oroville and Paradise. Increases in AADT major arterials connecting these three urban areas also increased significantly, although not as rapidly as within the urban areas themselves. Traffic growth on State and County arterial highways that serve the rural Sacramento Valley floor were characterized by generally smaller volumes and much slower growth rates than adjacent urban areas during the 19701s. In the County's rural foothill areas, AADT increases were quite rapid during the 19701s, although total traffic volumes remained relatively low. Traffic volumes in the County's mountainous areas remained light through the 19701s. Table 7 on the following page shows AADT changes at selected rural locations on major County roadways. The only existing rural roadway capacity problem on the County's.highway network was solved by completion of the Skyway expansion project between Chico and Paradise in 1982. Present urban area traffic counts should be referred to respective city circulation studies and plans. Table 9, on page 60, shows changes on State highway routes in Butte County. Figure 9 shows relative1981 traffic volumes on major Butte County rural highways and Figure°.10 indicates their approximate existing capacity. -51- Table 7 Traffic Volumes - Rural County Roads _ t 1973 and 1981 -Ave r A 1 D' 1 T f f County Road" and Location Hamilton -Nord Rd. north of SR 32 Cohasset Rd'. north of Keefer Rd. Keefer Rd. east of SR 99 Sacramento Ave'. at Sandy -Gulch Chico -River Rd. west of Lone Pine Rd. Humbug Rd, east of Skyway Skyway south of Humbug Rd.' Humboldt Rd. east of SR 32 Dayton Rd. north of Durham -Dayton Hwy. DaytonRd. east of Dayton Durham -Dayton Hwy. east of Dayton Rd. Midway south of Oro -Chico Hwy. Midway north of Durham Durham -Dayton Hwy. at Butte Creek Midway south of Durham Skyway north of De Sabla Skyway north of Coutolenc Skyway west of Town, limits Pentz-Magalia Rd. south of Town limits Nea1:Rd. east"of SR 99 Pentz Rd. east of SR 99 Concow Rd. north of SR 70 Ord -Ferry Rd. at Sacramento River Frias Rd. north of Nelson Rd., Afton Rd. at Glenn Co. line 'Colusa Hwy. at Colusa Co. line Richvale Hwy. east of Richvale Afton -Rd. west of Biggs Biggs -Gridley Hwy. south of Farris Rd. Biggs�Gridley Hwy. north of'Gridley East Gridley Rd. east of Larkin Rd. Larkin Rd. south of Evans Rd. Larkin Rd. north of Hamilton Rd. East Biggs Hwy. east of SR 99 .Palermo Rd. west of Lone Tree -.Rd. Lincoln Blvd. north of' Palermo• Rd. Oro -Quincy Hwy. at Brush.Creek Oro -Quincy Hwy. north of Foreman Rd. Forbestown Rd. west of Lumpkin Rd. e Lumpkin Rd; north of Forbestown.Rd. Bangor Hwy. north, of Bangor La Porte Rd. west of Bangor -52- age nnua 1973 91 y ra is 1981 640 1190 540 r 920 210 680 1620 960 1130 1360 1110 1960 8190^ 9150 150 480 1950 2910 1490 2550 980 -1200 4530 4630 r 4070 2510 3020 .2320 18201330 n. d. 880 2890 9410 8010 12520 1430 1270 820 _ 710' 950 .2080 n. d. 610 850 1440 410 510 110 160 :270 550 890 1010 1090 .1340 239.0 X2280 2360 2900 ' 3870 4560 1,540 1770 1240 1560 1190 2020 1060 1220 2390 3170 450 480 1040 1160 840 1270 510 640 660 1080 420, 600 n. d. - no data Figure 9 1981 Traffic Volume .on Major ,I•iighways (see jacket). Figure 10 1981 Highway Capacity on Major .Highways (see jacket) t i It is important' to note• -that inot`all the - AADT•=-cournts4'shown in - Table 7 represent.continuous.traffic increases through ,the period. Iij some cases,. traffic decreases -are' re''orted,,,as, in the Durham`, ,Biggs -Gridley, Palermo .and Forbes'. areas ',(i) 'As no"ted in,.the discussion on,energy, which related traffic volume.., ; declines to gasoline price increases and.the-petroleum_'shortages.,,, of 1973-74 and 1979, many rural area traffic counts have shown temporary declines in AADT during periods of unstable gasoline markets. Traffic in Butte County's largest urban areas -were affected less-; , howeverdeclining AADT_ growth rates are- found., in all .urban areas, during periods of gasoline price, and supply instability. Varied Trip Generation Rates f rr t r t A review of current traffic demand 'in Buttej County in. sub- stantial variation,in daily trip -generation rates., -.particularly in,' the County's rural areas.(2) For road planning purposes, the Public Works Department has traditionally assigned'an average of seven daily trips per average residential dwelling unit while slightly higher rates are normally applied to urban areas.(3) However, in the County'.s-rural areas,..and particularly -in the more j remote foothill and -mountain areas,, trip;generation-rates .(based -.on'- population and•dwelling.unit data)•decline sharply:wit}i,increased distance from urban and employment centers;_ Also;- it appears.,that foothill and mountain,communities with stronger community centers. , have -,even ,lower trip generation rates. Extensive;,retirement populations in these rural areas : would • also ,be , cause',,for - reduced rural trip generation., An analysis,of remote,rural foothills, community , trip generation,'reveals trip . generation .rates ranging from near 4.0 to 6.0 average daily•trips per, .dwelling -unit,, except in the Concow planning area, -,where. it appears_ the- trip rates are even lower. (1) Traffic decreases in the Durham area were primarily due to changing the location of Butte Community•College-from.Durh,am to its present site: - - - •.P It r., '. ^ -• r (2) Motor vehicle•trip'generation rates-are',.ass'igned to different land uses for transportation planning purposes. Rates are, expressed as the number of daily trip:,ends each category of land use.will generate, on the average. Forr_example, an urban singleifamily residential home.could)be,;assigned a -trip genera tion,rate of 10_trips'per day: T1iis,,would, mean• that -five round trips were generated by that land use pei,,day; (i.e. leaving and returning to the home). Other land uses, such as commercial uses, ate assessed trip generation rates based on trip ends in -z similar. fashion, but, they, are,,e'stab 1ishedton. -floor:space ' criteria such, as commercial ,square -footage. , (-3) See Appendix -.0,Average Trip .Generation_,Rates for -Common Land Uses. -53- 6.32 Assessment of Projected Traffic Growth by Planning Area Year 2000 population forecasts have been assigned to sixteen planning areas which correspond to U. S. Census information bound- aries (see Figure 8 ). The following review of each planning area is an important part of making future traffic estimates on Butte County arterial and major roads. Nord - A nearly tripled population is forecasted to be located mostly in the extreme north Chico.area around the Keefer Road area. Little population growth is expected west of State Route 99. Road capacity is not seen as a problem, but increased AADT may negatively impact Chico urban area circulation plans since growth in the Nord planning area will be highly dependent on the Chico economy. Traffic growth on State Route 32 to Glenn County and State Route 99 to Tehama County is expected to increase at rates similar to the last ten years, due largely to slow growth in those adjacent counties and increased intercounty commerce resulting from Chico urban area growth. Forest Ranch - Cohasset - A nearly tripled population could be accomodated by current arterial and collector road capacity if growth was distributed near existing rural communities in the planning area. Primary access roads that generate from the Chico urban area and serve the Cohasset, Forest Ranch, Butte Meadows, Stilson Canyon, and Butte Creek Canyon areas would be affected by reduced levels of service and much increased rural congestion, but still within the levels of service capacity thresholds contained in the Transportation Element. It should be noted that State Route 32 is designated as a controlled access highway by Caltrans in order to provide safe and efficient high speed travel through this planning area to interior northeast California. It is assumed that appropriate steps will be taken to ensure that this designation will remain for State Route 32 throughout the planning period to year 2000. Special circulation problems created by significant development and population increases away from the planning area's existing communities and circulation network will require further study and comprehensive specific plans should be developed. For example, extensive development on Doe Mill Ridge would present such a pro- blem and a comprehensive areawide specific plan for circulation (as well as other planning concerns) and circulation financing is - needed before any significant development proposals are allowed in such areas.(1) Butte County Planning Department, Analysis of Implications Between the Chico Urban Area Transportation Study (CATS) and State Route 32 Corridor Development, Memorandum from M. Radabaugh to S. Streeter, January 28, 1983. -54- Stirling City - No significant population growth or land use changes att'ecting circulation are forecasted in this. mountain planning area to the year 2000. A Chico - Chico will be the dominant city.in Butte County�in year MOwithapproximately 36 percent of the countywide population located within the. influence--'of,,the turban -area. ;The*Chico^Urban Area Transportation Study (CATS) -should be fine, ,tuned and developed l into the 'basis for an urban area circuat-ion element"•to" be used -for planning -and financing the urban'area's:, future circulation needs' and _requirements.. Circulation .plans should.,al'so encourage and provide plans to take advantage of•,this city's=tremendous potential for public transportation and bicycle commuting. C _ Upper Ridge - Significant population;' growth.—!in, thi-s'. mountain-plan- ning ountain-plan-ning area will cause need for a ;capacity—expansion of -the' Skyway - from Paradise Pines to the Town of Paradise sometime�.during:the 19901s:. Also, it will be important to ensure adequate access.for rapid evaluation in case of a wildland fire emergency in.this planning area. The upper ridge will continuerto have -a_very '-high'percentage_of senior citizens; and public transpor•tation'development for this area'jshould, he encouraged as part.'of.a Paradise areatitransit system' Paradise - The Paradise planning area is almost entirely under the jurisdiction of -the Town of.,Paradise, rThe Town has developed a circulation forecast" to. 1990. which show' or .the' need ..for° several - street collector,extensi.on's to better.serve�east'west,travel demand in the community, ; , t, 1 ..� T Concow - The population ,of the Concow'area "i,s forecasted to triple yF� Tt ie year 2000.., -However, because;,of extremely low trip generation rates expected by the area's rural poi ulatiori, traffic growth*' rates will increase slowly, resulting in -no needed capacity expansion of primary roads to the area., Durham -,Durham planning area, population growth_ will, occur ' at a muTlower rate than countywide growth,and no'road"and highway, capacity increases will be_ required. .Hoiaever,'.State 'Route 99which borders the. Central Butte planning area, will require.; increased' capacity before the early 1990's to``;i' four; lane' expressway due to r+ increasing regional and local traffic. Central Butte This foothill•iplanning are s`, p'op`ulation growth - rate orecast,is the highest n.Butte County to the year 2000; r more than a 6-00..-ercent increase over 1980.- This'. `is due to`la'very large inventory of land with a designation of Agricultural-'Residential in the Land Use Element: Thisl area; is` located-. mos -t1 south of�the Town of Paradise and totals approximately 12",500 acres The development potential from the A -R designation is extremely variable due tar its-,wide,:density range, (1-,40�dwelling-units per acre) -allowed. _SS_ This kind of density range does not allow the development of a con- fident traffic forecast for the planning area. The planning area presents special problems for circulation plan- ning and forecasting, in that the area is largely undeveloped, contains difficult terrain, and could potentially impact circulation plans and programs in the Town. of Paradise and Chico: .Before significant developments occur in this area, a comprehensive plan should be developed for this planning area. Feather Falls - Brush Creek - No significant population growth or land use changes a ec in g circulation are forecasted in this mountain planning area to the year 2000. Table Mountain - Most of the growth in this foothill planning area will occur ajacent to the Oroville planning area and new traffic growth should be absorbed by the circulation network serving the Oroville urban area. Berry Creek - Hu_rleton - This foothill planning area is expected to experience a rapid growth rate to the year 2000. A significant portion of the parcels and land divisions that would accommodate the projected growth in this area have already been created but are presently vacant. Primary access routes in this planning area are State Route 162/Oroville-Quincy Highway which services the Berry Creek area and Forbestown Road which services the Hurleton area and points east in the Feather Falls - Brush Creek area. Due to lower trip generation rates found in this rural foothill area, overall traffic growth rates are expected to be lower than urban area growth rates. However, trip generation rates in areas nearest Oroville should be higher, due to increased economic activity related to the Oroville urban area. No arterial road or highway capacity increases will be required to serve this area, however, a number of rural roads may be in need of improvement as new residents enter the area. Gridle -Bi gss - Rural traffic growth in this agricultural planning area wi.ll increase slowly to the year 2000 and no arterial capacity increases are projected. Traffic growth in the City of Gridley will cause the potential for reduced levels of service during peak traffic hours on several downtown streets and State Route 99 immediately east of downtown Gridley. Oroville - This planning area conforms closely to the area covered in tie ity of Oroville's General Plan. Although the Oroville -56- area o ulation growth rate -is expecte-d tb, .be- slightly 'slower than P P the countywide rate to year, 2000, it will 'result in 'significant traffic increases throughout the p,lanning.area. The long-range need for roadway expansion to a four -lane surface street is forecasted for Oroville Dam Boulevard (State Route 162) from 12th Street to Canyon Drive. Also, extension of Ophir Road and a north -south collector will be.needed to service the south Oroville area, which is expected to be,the urban area's main growth area. The `expansion of State Route 162 will probably occur in segments in, the 1990's althoug}i more immediate sight, distance improvements at the west interchange o`f State Routes -'70 _and- 162 would help to.reduce the current accident rate and slightly improve State Route,162 capacity at this point. It should be noted that Caltrans has no current.plans to widen the highway in ih s area.. + �a} Palermo - Traffic demand in this planning area is expected to' double y ie year 2000 on the area's. -collector _roads, but" no ;capacity problems are foreseen. Traffic demand in.'this planning area:,will be closely•.related to the h atuie of employment generation in;the south Oroville industrial area. Honcut-Bangor - The present system of major roads servicing,. this planning area will have ample capacity to accommodate the area's forecasted population. Most of the traffic.growth mill occur in the foothill portions around Bangor. .Agricultural iresiern portions of the .planning area will have slow traffic.irowth.,1" r` 6.33 Road and Highway Requirements in the Year 2000 +' Level of Service - The need for the expansion of a road's.capacity is determine73 by relative roadway congestion and expressed in "level of service". Level of service,is defined bylthe'relationship between traffic volume and maximum design capacity of a roadway. The ratio between existing volume and. -:capacity of..a roadway is then assigned one of six service -level ratings, -Table-8, on the follow- ing page,• illustrates maximum roadway•'capaci'ties. at •.various'. levels of service.. A further descrip tion-of.,level,'o£ service as it relates to :traffic capacity is found in Appendix D . For planning purposes, itis desirable to maintain high-speed rural highway traffic at a'level of service "B"-. However, service should be considered acceptable at level',of service "C",;particularly when fiscal, environmental, or site constraints are prohibitive. Urban arterials and collectors should be planned to -provide a level of service "C", and be considered .to .be providing acceptable. service at level of -service "D" when fiscal, environmental, or site constraints are prohibitive. -57- -n r - 57.- -nrw Roadway Description 2 -lane surface street 3 -lane one-way surface street 4 -lane surface street 6 -lane surface street 2 -lane rural expressway 4 -lane freeway. 6 -lane freeway Table 8 Roadway Capacity - Levels of Service. Note: The AADT levels presented represent roadway conditions on level terrain and with adequate sight distance and shoulder width. Level of. Service as Percent of Capacity Level A (600) Level B (700) Level C (80%) Level D (900) Level E (1000) 9,600 11,200 12,800 149400 16,000 14,400 161,800 19,200 210600 240000 199200 229,400 25,600 28,800 32,000 28,800 339600 38,400 439200 48,000 10,500 12,250 149000 15,750 179500 439200 50,400 571600 64,800 729000 641800 759600 360400 97,200 1082,00.0 Note: The AADT levels presented represent roadway conditions on level terrain and with adequate sight distance and shoulder width. Rural Areas'- Table 9, indicates traffic volume changes. Uetween 1971 and 1981 and provides a year 2000 forecastifor the State highway system in Butte County. Figure 11. on page 62a, shows relative traffic volumes on major Butte County rural highways forecasted for the year 2000. Figure 11 should be compared with figures 9 and 10, in order to compare traffic volume changes between 1981 and 2000 and existing capacity for the State highway system. The following state ,highway segmentsr have current or projected capacity -safety problems that will- need --correction during., the 1981 to 2000 planning period. i State Route 99 - 008�miles north'- of Peutz` Road to 0.4 miles south ,of t e yway overcrossing. This segment of highway 4s'presently .near capacity and should be widened to, ^a, four -lane ;expressway in the near ,future. This Iiighway,'provides the vital, transportation link between the Chico urban area and points to -the south. -,This project. -should receive a number two priority ranking in future Butte County -RTIP's. ; • riaa- State Route�99 - Live Oak in Sutter County -to Bast Biggs Highway needs continuous .slioulders and channeli+zations= tto , improve safety, as well as capacity. .,,,This project should receive a number' three priority -'Th- future RTIP's: State Route' 32 - Gianella Bridge. The present -.bridge presents a safety an occasional capacity problem due,,to its narrow lanes. A new bridge with shoulders is needed. This project should receive a number four 'priority in future RTIP's. Other capacity -related State highway projects in the.1983 RTIP and which are' located'.in rural areas` -of the -,County include; Addition of passing r lanes on State• R'olute- 70,;from the''Yuba County -line -to Oroville. ©;+ Channelizations on State Route 99 from 0.5 miles. -south -of Wilson Landing ,to 0.5 miles, north •of Broyles Road. Widening and strengthening of various State Route 70 bridges at Honcut Creek. Also, the County should continue to support retention of right-of-way for the future realignment of State Route 99 from the Sutter County line to Hamilton Road, although the construction of this realign- ment is not forecasted during the planning period. -59 ` Table 9 6300 9400 Existing and Forecasted Traffic Volumes Palermo Rd. (north) Jct. SR 162 (north) State highway Routes in Butte County (Annual�veraee Daily Trafficl 9400 14300 Caltrans Butte County 7000 10300 14900 2000 2000 Location 1971 1981 Forecast Forecast State Route 32 Pentz-Magalia Hwy. (south) 1450 1950 4100 Glenn -Butte line 5600 8200 13000 13000 East Ave. (east) n.d. 9800 Butte-Plumas line 15500 W. 8th Ave. (east) 7500 10200 1900 16100 15200 Sacramento Ave. (east) 9200 10800 21200x Chico - lst St. (east) 8000 14700 19900x, Main St. (eastbound) 9100 21700x 14400 Main St. (westbound) 7500 21400x Jct. SR 99 (eastbound) 8200 11300 • Jct. SR 99 (westbound) 6100 ' 18700' ' Chico -Forest Ave. (west) 2100 30004000 16700 Forest Ranch (west) 3S0 2200 4100 4500 ' Lomo (west) 800 1500 2900 3000 Butte -Tehama line 550 820 X1600 1600 State Route 70 Yuba -Butte line 5000 6300 9400 9400 Palermo Rd. (north) Jct. SR 162 (north) 5100 7200 6700 10200' 11200 12200 160bOxx Oroville-Montgomery (north) 9400 14300 22800 xx Jct. SR 149 south �southi 7000 10300 14900 (south) 15900xx 6500 Jct. SR 191 3250 4850 Pentz-Magalia Hwy. (south) 1450 1950 4100 (north) 4000 Concow-Big Bend Rd. (south) 1400 n.d. 3200 (north) 2800 Butte-Plumas line 1250 1200 1900 1900 State Route 99 Sutter -Butte line 6100 7700 10200 10200 Gridley -Wilson Ave. (north) 11900 12800 15000 15000 Jct. SR 162 (north) 4200 4700 7000 6000 = 1 + 1 Table 9 (continued) a Caltrans Buite County Location , 1971 ,. 1981 2000 . Forecast. 2000 .Forecast Jct. SR 149 (north) 8600-- 10600-- 16800 17500 Neal Rd. (north) 8800 14000 23000 ' 240004 Skyway'(northi 14000 "• .' 27200: 50900x Jct. SR 32 (north) 17000 27500 f' 66700 38700 i Chico-Cohasset Rd., (south)- . 13500. .23100 48600x Chico-Eaton.Rd. , L (south) 5900 9900 20400X 12500. Kee fer,Rd. '(south) 5100 7600 ;b, 12500 Butte-Tehima.line t 4900 6000 ,+ 9900 9900 State Route,149 Shippee Rd. 4300 6400 �• 9800 11500 State Route 162 7 " Glenn -Butte line 830 880 1500 1200 Jct. SR 99 (Biggs . north) 630 700 1500 - t 900 Jct. SR 99 (Richvale east) '' 1750 2100 3900 2300 Oroville-Larkin Rd. (east) 3050 4300 4500 7400xx Oroville-12th St. " least) 5100 8000". '" 114007 12900xx Jct. SR 70 (east) 7050 20000 .31500xx • 33000 Lincoln Blvd, (west) n.d. 24000 37900xx Olive Hwy. (east) n.d. 17900 27900xx 17500 . �_ - �• Foothill`Blvd. (east) 'Oakvale n.d. 11200 ` 20100xx Ave. (east) - n.d. 8500 ' 16000xx . 13700 Kelly Ridge Rd.' (east) n.d. 3550 6200xx 6260 r Forbestown Rd. (east) n.d. 1'250 3000 Forman Rd. (end SR) 770 1050 1700 2500 State Route'191 •I ' Jct. SR 70 1850 3100- s 4500 _ Pentz Rd. (east) 1900 n.d. '5100 . Paradise -Pearson Rd. (end) 3850 6700 - 14700xxx- n. . - no data x`- Chico Area Transportation Study, 1982 ' xx - Oroville Circulation Element (prorated) xxx -.Town of Paradise Traffic Study, 1J:.1 i Discussion of Year 2000 Traffic Forecasts State Highway Routes in Butte County The following discussion describes generally how year 2000 traffic forecasts for various locations on the state highway system were derived by Butte County. As the year 2000 traffic forecast indicates, Butte County utilized the county -line and/or road segment ending forecasts of Caltrans for State Route's 32, 70,99 and 162. In the Chico area, the forecasts for State Route's 32 and 99 are from the 1982 Chico Urban Area Trans- portation Study (CATS), which has begn cited previously. In the Oroville area, the forecasts for State Route's 70 and -162 have been prorated from the year 2005 forecast contained in the City of Oroville's Circulation Element (adopted in 1983). All other fore- casted segments were based on a combination of estimated pass- through traffic plus local trip generation expected by the year 2000 land use pattern affecting a particular forecasted segment. Critical segments where forecasts could significantly vary from actual year 2000 traffic conditions include: State Route 32: Glenn -Butte line - Caltrans forecast may be high, and will depend on the rate of growth in northeastern Glenn County and transportation salience between Interstate 5 and the Chico urban area economy. The forecast on State Route 32 in northwest Chico is greater than that indicated by the CATS in order to reflect the Caltrans county line forecast. State Route 99• Gridley - Wilson Ave. - This segment has shown significant peak day and hour variations that are related to the level of canning and food processing in Gridley. The future level of canning activity in Gridley will be the most influencial factor. in determining the year 2000 traffic levels at this segment. Veal Road (north) - This segment will be most influenced by the future traffic generation ability of Butte Community College. The segment forecast assumes that Butte Community College enrollment will increase at a rate nearly parallel to Butte County urban area population growth rates, as a whole. State Route 191• Paradise -Pearson Rd. - The Paradise -Traffic Study forecast indi- cates a significant build -out of the area within the'Town limits near this intersection. -62- � - � �� - � , � 1 - � � �' � ' � � ' • '� '- � i r �� I i,. a is 1 •fit � . � 1 �' 'I: County maintained rural` roads` which are 'to be unproved `iaiith ,FAS - 'funds have been prioritized in tH& RTP. 'These FAS system'°roads are. presently prioritized in the' following order"and wilf be: cori-:.'r strutted as federal funds and Vie 10 'percent local matching funds are made available : i- - 'l. Keefer 'Road (3,2 miles- from State Route 99 to lucks Lane) 2. Ord. Ferry' Road (River Road to one 'mi-l•e east) '^ 3. Pentz.'Road (1.3 miles south of Paradise Toun .limits to Town limits) 4. Ophir load Extension (1.5 miles from Lincoln Blvd. -to Lower yalT' Otte Rd.) S. Cohasset'• Road (21.5 miles from 211 miles ito' 5 miles northeast of Keefer Road).. � ; 6. Keefer Road (2.2 miles from llicks -Lanes•to Cohasset Road) Urban Areas - Forecasted traffic demand for the urban areas of Chico, Oroville, and-Paradise.have been based ,largely,.on local forecasts generated by- each, municipality . t The.- extent of urb-anize' area, around each Butte County .commarilty -is shown graphically in' Figure A, which is found in the Transportation Element.'s"policy section. r 6.12. For transportation planning purposes, thisElementhas defined each urban area by a composite of urban FAU boundaries and urban land use plans for -each city. Projected year 2000 arterial` and -major collector .street and •highway. networks for the Chi'co,,'Oroville and Paradise 4and Gridley -Biggs. urban areas pare iridicat'ed by Figures: C, D,;.E and, F, respectively,•, in Section 7.0. It is'assumed'that present urban area street mainten- ance and construction programs, along with new future programs, and ad.herance to. the policies and -programs of Section •7.0 wil l' work, •f together to determine future priorities for specific urban area-'. street and highway projects:,, T _ Two urban area arterial highway projects have been given a high priority due to present capacity -safety problems include: State Route. 162 4R(Oror Dam Blvd. /Or'0vil,le),tj- Removal and replacement• j o two rai roa underpasses tisrhich presently constrict the 4 -lane' surface, stree't,'to'.2 lanes. :This project should continue io receive a number one 'priority ranking- in' the Butte County RTIP', until it is . completed �1 -63- r Skyway (Paradise area) - Realignment of the Skyway between Coutelenc oa and 0.2 miles inside of the northern Town of Paradise limits. This portion of the Skyway between the Town of Paradise and Paradise Pines is at or near capacity. The realignment would follow the improved grade of the abandoned Southern Pacific rail line to Stirling City, making construction of a 2 -lane expressway along this segment possible. This project is committed for summer, 1983. A number or urban area street and highway improvements, both to increase capacity on existing arterials and collectors, and for new roads, will be required during the planning period, particularly in the Chico area and south Oroville area. The actual timing of these future highway improvements should be a result of the refinement of land use based traffic models for both the Chico and Oroville areas. 6.4 Other Transportation ?lodes Forecast 6.41 Public Transportation Public Transportation services, and particularly,fixed routes and scheduled bus systems, will need to continue expanding to meet the demands of the County's increasing population and ridership demand. The following forecast assessment is provided for each area of Butte County with an existing public transportation system or potential for a system: Intercity Transit - Butte County Transit (BCT) routing is not expected to c aiFpe significantly in the near future. However, BCT will continue to receive sustained ridership increases and addi- tional buses and scheduling are likely in the future as: 1) BCT, itself, matures and increases its popularity; 2) urban area transit systems mature and transit system interfacing improves with BCT; and 3) as Butte County's urban area populations increase. Chico Area Transit System - Chico's bus system will slowly increase its ri ers ip rate as the system's routing is refined. In the long- term, substantially increased Chico bus ridership rates will depend on how the system is integrated into transportation plans for Chico's new residential growth areas and employment centers. Oroville Transit System - Oroville's bus system will gain slowly in ridership as coordination between it and BCT improves. Like Chico, the Oroville system has long-term opportunities to expand if properly integrated into the transportation plans for new residential growth and employment centers. Paradise Area - The Paradise -Paradise Pines area is forecasted to be serve y a ocal fixed route bus system at least by the late 19801s. The Paradise General Plan calls for a.feasibility study of a fixed route bus system serving the Town.(1) Because of substan- tial population increases that are forecasted in the Paradise Pines area it is assumed that a Paradise area transit system would eventually include Paradise Pines in its service area. araeise General Plan, ng. VT1 - 41 -64- Other Areas in Butte County - Although future population densities in the remainder of Butte ounty will not likely justify additional urban area or intercity fixed route systems, the long-term potential for jitney and local service vans and buses operating on a private basis offer`'Othe best solution to providing transit services to rural areas .of the County, particularly if gasoline pries should increase sharply in the future. Passenger Rail Service - Recent federal and state budget problems have led to consiJeration of reduced service', levels for Amtrak. However, because the Coast Starlight route is a basic component of Amtrak's.national service system, no service cutbacks are expected. 6.42 Transportation Systems Management TSM programs involving ridesharing, traffic flow and signal synchron- ization, and bimodal traffic integration are expected to be expanded at a moderate pace throuc?h the year 2000 planning period. The passage of SB 320, which allocates to BCAG funds forrideshare programming, will be critical component to expanding the ridesharing program in Butte County during the 19801s. Bimodal integration and route scheduling between public transit systems, ridesharing, formal and informal park and ride lot locations, and urban bicycle programs will gradually increase as planning and management decisions are made to better accommodate and coordinate opportunities for bimodal transportation programs. The actual rate of expansion of TSM programs involving bimodal transportation and ridesharing will largely depend on the following three factors; 1) the level of governmental encouragement and support; 2) the effect of economic conditions and gasoline prices on future auto travel demand, and 3) the rate of population growth in the County's urban areas. Traffic flow and signal synchronization improvements are assumed to occur in each urban area roughly proportional to population growth. 6.43 Bicycle Ridership Bicycle .ridership is expected to take a slowly increasing portion of the total number of daily personal trips in urban areas through the year 2000. However, the actual rate of increase will, like many TSM programs, depend on 1) government encouragement and support, 2) the effects of economic conditions and gasoline prices of future auto travel demand, and 3) the rate of population growth. An important part of any program to increase the rate of bicycle use will be the. adoption and implementation of bike plans for each urban area, particularly for the Chico and Oroville areas. Cooper- ative bike plannin g,,includin g for the use of TDA allocations, between -65- Butte County and the cities will be necessary in many cases. Also, Caltrans should be encouraged to develop improved bicycle access when reconstructing or expanding state highways .during the planning period. Butte County should develop a rural bicycle plan to serve urban recreational demands. In most cases, bicycle commuting in rural Butte County will have little demand. The only exception would.be on routes between the Chico urban area and Butte Community College. The following is a list and description of possible bicycle routes that should be considered in a rural bicycle plan: State Route 99 - Pentz Road to Butte Community College - This could e a.Class 11 bicycle commuter route. Caltrans s ou cT insure ade- quate bicycle access from Chico to Pentz Road during the widening of State Route 99. Chico to Durham to Butte Community College - This route would take advantage of any a an onment of theor`T Northern Sacramento Railway line which parallels the Midway between Chico and Durham. A Class'II route would be developed between Durham and Butte College. State Route 32 - Chico to Forest Ranch - This has become a popular recreational route and Caltrans s oti consider construction of a Class IT facility. Sacramento Ave. to River Road to Chico -River Road to W. 5th Ave. - is is a popular recreation loop and the County should consider development of Class II and III facilities. Larkin Road - State Route 162 to Oroville ' Gridley Highway - This route has potential as a Class 11 or TI—facility. Oro Dam Blvd. - east of State Route 162 to Dam - This could be a popular route it adequately eve ope . 6.44 Pedestrian Access Most future pedestrian access development will be parallel with urban street development in urban growth areas. The development of pedestrian recreational corridors will require that Butte County and associate city governments take an active role in developing such corridors. It should be noted that the Butte County RTP's policies for pedestrian issues are similar to those for bicycle ridership, including for the use of TDA funds. 6.45 Aviation Forecast Butte County air travel is expected to increase at a faster rate than countywide population growth to the mid 19901s, due largely -66- to new economies that are_ presented by increasing urban area populations. Annual per capita Butte County air travel is expected to increase from 0.57 trips/person-year in 1970 to over two trips/ person -year 1995.(1) It i.s forecasted that four-fifths of 1995 Butte County scheduled passenger air travel will be to and from locations -in California. Over 75 percent of this California travel is forecasted to occur between Butte County and Southern California.(2) Also the number of aircraft based at County airports is expected to increase at rates near population growth rates. No major changes in airport classification or physical layout is forecasted during the planning period. 6.46 Commercial Goods Transportation Forecast" Freight growth in trucking is expected parallel"gross national product growth during the long-term. For Butte County, trucking will increase at a slightly greater rate than automobile VMT growth, resulting in a slightly increased ratio of trucks in Butte County's highway mode mixthrough the planning period. Rail - Rail freight traffic rates will be closely tied to future economic conditions. For Southern Pacific,.a projected drop in lumber shipments and increased, competition from long haul trucking will result in somewhat reduced rail movement through Butte County. Western Pacific's.,biggest shipping season is during the late summer and fall when processed agricultural products are freighted east. The effects of the Union Pacific - Western Pacific merger are not yet clear as to their impact.on future llestern.Pacific freight volumes. The Sacramento Northern's recent drop in freight traffic is cause for concern because it implies that the railway may be abandoned by its owner. Any application for abandonment would be determined by the federal Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) after any public protests were reviewed. The City of Chico has indicated its willingness to protest abandonment of Sacramento Northern rail service to -Butte County. Utility Gas and Electrical Corridors - No new natural gas or gasoline pipelines or major e eectrical transmission lines are forecasted to be constructed in Butte County during the planning period. Ilowever, because of forecasted growth in the Paradise - Paradise Pines area, PG&E may construct a second parallel 60 KV line next to its existing spur line between Chico and Paradise. e California Tviation Sys em 1981, Table V-2. (2) Ibid, Table V-7. =67- Plan, Volume II, Caltrans, May, BUi'TL COUNTY CIRCULATION ELIi?-•1ENT 'I BUi'TL COUNTY CIRCULATION ELIi?-•1ENT r • !..0 , BUTTE{ COUNTY h r :.,�r� I, •; , CIRCULATION., ELEMENT Part Two,.,,., Section 7.0 rt r = ' 1+.{ vih- v ♦ _ t'f '' I -I. i_yT 'i -.h ' ,-i'1 i • ♦: 'j Transportation Issues andaPolicies,_ rf, .^� .Y, ., JL This section identifies basic issues facing.Butte County's transport- ation future and describes goals, objectives, policies and specific programs that will help guide the County in resolving transportation issues. This section is topically organized and is based on data' and discussions found in Sections 1:0 through 6.0 - Basis for Policy. Policies and circulation maps are presented for both county- wide and urban area transportation issues. 7.1 Transportation Issues Many concerns and issues are described by .the Circulation Ele- ment's Basis for Policy section. These are summarized by the follow- ing list of transportation related questions: 1. How will Butte County accommodate major increases in traffic during the next 15 to 20 years, particularly in and between its urban areas? 2. How will Butte County keep pace with road -maintenance needs in face of the prospects of continuing,shortages of road maintenance revenues? 3. Ilow are new road developments to be financed? 4. How active will the future state highway construction program be in Butte County? S. How can intergovernmental coordination of land use and trans- portation plans be improved? 6. Will the utilization of urban "holding zones" or. development • reserves which allow contiguous and timely urban expansion, including for streets, be`implemented? 7. What role will the availability and price of transportation fuels play in our transportation future? 8.., How will future foothill developments affect circulation along present transportation corridors and around foothill commun- ities and settlements? -68- 9. Will Butte County's road standards for land divisions insure that future developments are served by adequately designed local and collector street and road patterns? 10. Will Butte County have adequate commuter air service in the future? 11. How can transit use, carpooling, and bicycle commuting be increased, and what other measures will be taken to reduce energy consumption, roadway congestion, and air pollution in Butte County? ' al.:�� A. ..tea. �h'. �. •i. i4l.-.•� 1t 7.2 Countywide Policies Countywide transportation policies have been organized in a topical format. They apply to urban, suburban, and rural land use and circulation situations throughout therCounty, and should be cross=referenced, as appropriate, particularly when cumulative effects and impacts can be created by: an action or series of actions over time. Figure A, on the following -page, illustrates the functional classification of major roads,•excludin g major urban areas, in Butte County to'the year 2000, , 7.21 Transportation and Land Use The California Government Code requires the County to correlate its circulation plans to its land use' -planning programa This requirement 'reflects the close interrelationship between trans- portation and land use planning. ; Goal _ 1.0 Develop a transportation -system in a manner that -encourages efficient land utilization. Objective 1.1 Accommodation of growth in areas presently serviceable should occur in a manner which is cost effective, safe and consistent with environmental constraints. Policies 1.1.1 Existing road capacity available within•ihe.County. road system shall be used to serve future-develop- ment, uture develop-ment, unless construction of a new road will direct development into areas better suited for development than areas presently served by exist ing roads. • 1.1.2 The transportation system ?shall be developed in' a manner consistent with specified land use Aensi- ties and estimated trip generation capabilities and which is consistent with the policy to encourage development in and around existing cities and community centers.' - 1.1.3 Circulation plans for t'ne County's foothill .areas should be designed around patterns which encourage development near existing highway corri- dors and-emphasize_development near existing rural community centers. -70- ` i Figure A Countywide Circulation Major' Road and Highway Classification (see jacket) .Fiscal•..pol'icies are mainly concerned-.w`ithk 1) ,how to adequately finance future maintenance ``programs' for: existing- roads,, and 2) how to equitably finance new''roads' and°necessary-_,road: capacity increases caused by new development' throughout tfie­ County: Poor prospects for substantially increased road revenues to balance Butte County's current road - maintenance needs_ leads to.` a`.' forecast of future years of •increasing' road'` main ten ance: d,ef,ic`it's' ih' the County -71- p New road construction in agricul.tural',areas will occur only'to support the area's agricultural economy or to improve capacity of high'way's which' p4 serve a Countywide and.regional interest. 11.1.5 Construction of additional natur'al•'gas! andl:petroleum products pipelines and electrical transmission lines shall occur along existing utility corridors. zi 1.2 Provide an integrated system ;of roads and highways that serve all land use needs. ' 4 Policies #4 y 1.2.1 Road - system p'lanning1wi'.14.' emphasize preservation of the existing roadway network while working, to increase the efficiency and.capacity of the -. c •f existing network.i'' r 1.2.2 The most important roads and highways should be 7 designed and maintained- to• the hi'ghest-•gossible level o'f 'service and convenience. The least important roads and -highway's should receive only the: -improvements - necessary to' maintain their structural 'integrity- and operational safety. The relative importance -of the County's road highway network is graphically illustrated in Figure' A. - f 1.P' program:, "Prio'rity Programming` System -• The '. Publi'c Works Department, should develop a road and` highway maintenance program' which allocates funds according•to functional classification categories, as defined in Section_ 5.0 based on relative .needs in each ' category:__' ' Impleine'ntati'on : I`nterdepa'rtmental agreement to implementd'''a proposeill'ocation 1program. f�y '7.22` Fiscal-- '� ' r r 3 i 't N '. �,., 4 :%:.; 13,1 *.- .Fiscal•..pol'icies are mainly concerned-.w`ithk 1) ,how to adequately finance future maintenance ``programs' for: existing- roads,, and 2) how to equitably finance new''roads' and°necessary-_,road: capacity increases caused by new development' throughout tfie­ County: Poor prospects for substantially increased road revenues to balance Butte County's current road - maintenance needs_ leads to.` a`.' forecast of future years of •increasing' road'` main ten ance: d,ef,ic`it's' ih' the County -71- Goal 2.0 Road and highway programs should be defined so that the great- est benefits are obtained with a minimum use of limited financial resources. Objective 2.1 Provide an adequate road system that is within the County's ability to finance and maintain. Policies 2.1.1 All available public and private sources shall be used for the funding of road and highway develop- ment, improvement and maintenance. 2.1.2 Butte County will encourage and support sincere efforts by County residents to form assessment districts for road maintenance and'road drainage. 2.1.3 It is suggested that the utilization of County road funds should focus on completing projects with a higher priority before completing a lower priority project. Proposed bridge and road projects will be classified in relation to the following priorities: Priority One: Urgent_ Projects Projects of an urgent nature that are c early .needed to protec the health and safety of the traveling public such as imminent bridge or road bed failure. Sample project: reconstruction of a storm damaged road- bed where such damage has severely restricted traffic and access. Priority Two: Safety Projects - Projects which are inten a to reduce tie number and severity of accidents along a particular road segment. Sample project: a change in road alignment where an alternative is needed .to reduce high accident rates. Also includes traffic signals, stop signs, cross -walks, -and other traffic engineering decisions. Priority Three: Reconstruction/?Maintenance Projects Project which involves ongoing maintenance, rehabilitation, and reconstruction requirements needed to preserve the existing bridge and road network. Sample project: routine maintenance to prevent structural damage (as opposed to improvements in surface rideability. -72- -73- -VI 73--r , - Priority Four: CapacityTprovements -.-Projects !thatinvo ve operatioria improvements to' the exist- _ ^.• _ _ ', ,• ing road network that increase' service' efficiency and capacity.- .. �.• . �. _ _ i. Sample project: widening of an arterial road to increase capacity, Also includes Transportation System Management projects: 1„ � 'Prio-rity, Five:' - New Con's*fruition Pro ' ects - + k<<roj ects which • involve construction o a new bridge or • ��- road. {,New County construction projects shall 4-, 'receive higher .priority when'they accommodate J development in, locations ,withfin reasonable proximity to.centers'of,employmentLand�shopping facilities ;-and�whichidncourage the'conservation of energy - ins the° tr.'ansportation sector.' s " Sample.project: construction"of an urban area _ -. collector. street. { rs .. ..:2,1.4: The -County will.support,,-State'.legislative efforts which increase road maintenance funds and benefit the County -'as a. whole.o;_.• „ cl L+ . ! ti Objective 2.2' Encourage development in areas, that can t be � serveal__ by .public roads in a manner that does not become an economic burden to the County,yover,.time. Policies 2.2.1 The short term and long term costs of improving I , and maintaining the circulation -infrastructure ' will be a major factor -in determining land use and development decisions. 2.2.2 The County•.will,- continue to .seek soiutions io •an equitable allocation`lof road revenue resources. • t ,. - 2:2. 3 sThe cost of new roads shahl be jborne Tas `.equitably as'possible among benefiting property owners and/or users, 2..2:4 '!The�.Cotinty will pursue'•'the-,ZevelopmeritJof a .- ?. comprehensive • fiscal -.impact model ,or program, { including .for• traffic'andrroad .impacts, to assist,.in the analysis of•.cost-and revenue balances from proposed development projects. ) r3.�•. . T� I'Y �:lr � r.i �..:1 I14 r .t ! -73- -VI 73--r , - 2.P Program: The County will study, develop and imple- ment,.as feasible, the following road related fiscal programs, over time: 1) Road assessment districts for maintenance of new development. 2) Development .fees for off-site traffic impacts caused by new development. This program should first develop plans and schedules for specific developments that will contribute to the impact of circulation in surrounding locations. A long-term goal of a Countywide developer fee program for traffic impacts should be studied and implemented at a later date. Comprehensive road development fee programs should be jointly developed between the County and the cities of Butte County. 3) Drainage assessment districts in problem areas. 4) Enforceable road development agreements. Implementation: ;dear and Middle Term. 7.23 Environmental The following policies are intended to help mitigate the environmental impacts of transportation. Goal 3.0 Minimize the negative impacts of transportation in the County. Objective 3.1 Plan for transportation modes and strategies that ensure good air quality, reduce noise, reduce petroleum consump- tion, reduce the need to devote additional lands to transportation uses, and lessen the dangers presented by transportation of hazardous materials in the County. Policies 3.1.1 The' County will support continued implementation of the State motor vehicle emission control program as part of the effort to meet and maintain federal air quality standards. 3.1.2 The effects of noise from County roads, highways, and airports shall be mitigated to comply with -74- t A ; DESIGNATED ' HA°Z•ARDOUS!":AND'YTOXIC. MATERIALS` ROUTES _ FIGURE 8♦ t ,3 r,!.. r T, . I1 r 3yrs r.,���. �` .l j •` r _1� !1► ISE ` / r t %. r � '. _ r„/• , . S 7 � ' is r• 1 OR II.LE r ` • r� . ' '++�!!� -PROPOSED ROUTE all noise control policies in the General Plan. 3.1.3 Butte County will encourage transportation modes and programs that are capable of reducing total and per capita transportation energy consumption, including; public transit, bicycle commuting, ridesharing and carpooling, and increased federal vehicle fuel efficiency standards. 3.1.4 The County shall encourage the continued develop- ment andimplementation of comprehensive state and federal programs for the regulation and monitoring of the transportation of hazardous and toxic mater- ials on highways and railways in'and through the County. Figure B indicates designated highway and rail. routes for the transportation of hazardous and toxic materials in the County. Appropriate fire and emergency services agencies shall partic- ipate in plans for the transportation of hazardous and toxic materials in and through the County. 7.24 Road and Street Standards Policies for road and street standards should be appropriately related to various amounts and types of traffic that result from servicing different land use densities and planning areas. While design standards s'siould ensure that a project he designed to solve a problem at a specific location, they should also ensure that circulation patterns be able to meet future traffic requirements. Goal 4.0 Provide for a road and highway network that meets the needs of existing and anticipated movements of people and goods. Objective 4.1 Provide for adequately designed road and street patterns to serve present and future traffic volumes. Policies 4.1.1 For general and circulation planning purposes, the County will follow the system of classification of street, roads, and highways as described in Section 5.0 and illustrated by Figure A. 4.1.2 Rural arterial road and highway traffic capacity -75- levels should be planned to provide a'level of r , . ;serviceL .'l3".;sand :be considered'"to be providing accept abler service at!.level� of service "C" when c fiscal, environmental,, brasitef constraints are prohibitive. C1.1.4 -► 4x.1.3 The County will-iinsurei that, arterial routes continue ,Ti .,,�', �. •� I to serve as major traffic' carriers and, remain 1 free.•of.unnecessar'Lfuture:intersections, driveways, on -street parking, and traffic overloads. r 4.1.4, Right -of_ ay' -needed Ifor'new' roads or expansion of .,•; } '+,existing roads shall -,bei'plannedrfor; land uses that would preclude the<<timelyr'development of such right-of-way shall be prohibited. 14F 4;1.5, The ,Coun.ty' I.wil l r ensure that -jall woad , systems, +; s ,.. I including private roads;trconnect various properties -slated for potential ,development, both,. to each other .and to a pub liclyrmairita ned road system. 4.1.6 Usable road easements of adequate width shall be located.ras to most =benefici`ally serve ithe needs ti o.f all,..parcels.. 4.1.7 The County will assume.maintenance responsibility only for, roads -,which ,meet • full•-County.-s'tindards. i!. (1 '1 .i{'w'-�. r-` %.+JT ITIS I J f,rtz, s� 2,4.1.8, Private,-subdi.visionr,roads wi1'l;iKe built to full .County .standards, ;and they will -1i -be privately maintained as such throughouti:flibir maintenance cycle. rad'• r ."F1 -" � v`Ji:�? 'atr..rJ. ..r :.".i'C'••,�', +��i.+� ' J.4. 1.9. `iew, roads rresultinR ifrom land 'divisions will be constructed to). -County 'standards,' -whenever an area has potential for significant►.traffic from future development.,- -A, lower �standardIrm'ay be considered reasonable for roads which 'will always serve as only lot access and wlll never be' suitable to become County roads. r,J :.4.1. 10 New ►land divi'sionst should: ber,heldr;responsibl-e,"fors• fair share%of-rthe. off-si'te road improvements needed to handle the traff coincreasesr,thatsthey cause. , . -76- 4.1.11 The County should encourage the utilization of development'agreements as one way of ensuring that road development standards and plans are met. 4.1.12 The County will require erosion mitigation and control plans for new developments and for road encroachment permits to prevent soil loss during and after road development activities. 4.1.13 The County will, on an on-going basis, evaluate which roads are needed in the County road system and which roads should perhaps revert to private ownership. 4.1.14 Proposals to abandon or close County roads and right-of-ways shall address the impacts of abandonment on local land uses identified in the General Plan, and s;ia1J. also address the impacts of alternative public uses of the right-of-way, such as bikeways, riding trails and hiking trails. 4.1.15 For the purpose of Section 66484 of the Subdivi- sion Map Act, both urban and rural arterials and collectors shall be considered major thoroughfares. 4.P-1 Program: The County should adopt an erosion control plan requirement for t1he constrtiction of"public and private roads. Implementation: Adopt ordinance.. subsequent to adoption of revised Natural Resources and Recreation Element. 4.P-2 Program: The County should prepare a land division design manual which provides detailed guidance regarding improvement standards, including for roads. Implementation: Prepare and adopt within four years. 7.25 Safety The following policies relate to safety issues involving police and fire protective services. Other road and highway safety issues, such as roadway quality or hazardous materials transport- ation are covered elsewhere. -77- F , F t ` i t Objective t x.,5.1 Support- safety, standards; es'tablis?ied:by;Zeme'rgency and protective . service •agencies!. - �_;_�, •,' .Policies, t i.. s ; o + ' p-1-.1 5.1.1J All road systems, both, pubhi-c.,and private, shall provide for the safe evacuation of residents and adequate access for fire and other emergency „ 'services by,provding fat least - two 'means of emergency. access oto •an ,interconnected collector system. . z r The County County 7. ,Fire;Depar-tment and•the California Department z r of, Forestry ,towards-adeveloping,,•-emergency evacu- H u+ j •,ation routing -.plans ifor ,developing foothill ,q ;and, mountain are._ s,with; ,extreme.- fire hazard t -,:potentia -1 :potential i 7,26 Special Studies and Specific Plans Special studies and specific plans can serve'to.augment:portions 1of' the General 'Plan,= including circulation 'pl"a' pe "Ci Ic' plans -can be a convenient' way. to sys'temati'cally' miplei 6fiv,ea'ch_'' element' of,=the •Generale Plan for designated �pl`anning'areas in the County , 5. r�, r _ r. Special circulation problems can' be, -created ignificantl'y'large:. development projects and cumulative population increases away from the. main circulation, network 'serv_in-g existing 'cdmmunities and urban centers and special s'tudies and' spetcifi�c plans'- `s Ji uld"� be developed before 'advancing wi�-th' such developments .'= �o>, s: ' Objective k Oh� 6.1 Planning areas should be encouraged to develop,ri•;ith:lO integrated, efficient,.and well designed road-sys-teris. -73- Policies 6.1.1 Specific plans shall be encouraged for land use', circulation, and cumulative transportation impacts for planning areas where land use design- ations and zoning lacks significant prevision to adequately p roject.future traffic conditions and/or where common circulation needs are appropriate. 6.1.2 Specific Plans developed for each planning area shall address circulation. 6.P Program: The County's rural foothill planning areas will, in many cases, require more precise land use designations and' zoning in the Land Use Element before a reasonably accurate foothill circulation program can be projected. Implementation: Within three years after adoption of revised Natural Resources and Recreation Element. 7.3 Urban Area Policies Additional transportation policies for the County's urban areas are intended to supplement countywide policies in the Chico, Oroville, Paradise, and Gridley -Biggs areas. Figures C through F designate the relative importance of the major street and highway network for each urban area to year 2000. 7.31 Interjurisdictional Coordination Early contact and continuing coordination helps to ensure that the responsibilities and interests of all agencies are reflected and that objectives and policies are met in the development process. Goal 7.0 Promote coordinated transportation programs. Objective 7.1 Coordinate County transportation activities,with all affected agencies. -79- Policies .7.1.1 Urban area transportation planning boundaries shall be established on the basis of urban area land use plans, except in cases where -unusual circumstances are warranted. 7.1.2 The County will conduct land use and circulation planning with the understanding that the Butte County Association of Governments will integrate its transportation planning process with local land.use plans. 7.1.3 The County will consider city -initiated circula- tion element amendments to the County Transporta- tion Element. .7.1.4 The County and its cities should develop mutual and complimentary policies regarding the timing and phasing of new urban area developments, as necessary for the logical and timely development of each urban area circulation network. 7.1.5 The County will jointly coordinate circulation capital improvement programs with the, respective cities. 7.32 Urban Streets and Highways Urban area arterial and major collector street and highway patterns are defined by Figures C through F, and should be used as a .basis for planning future circulation patterns and improvements. Goals and objectives for urban streets and highways are similar to countywide goals and objectives. Policies 8.1.1 Urban street and highway traffic capacity 'levels should be plannedto provide a level of service • "C", and ,e considered to be providing acceptable service at level of service "D"�when fiscal, environmental or -.site constraints are prohibi- tive. 8.1.2 Urban area street improvement standards should conform to city street standards and circulation plans for each respective city. :M p r 1 1 1 \ ' ' i ' z Figure E Paradise Urban Area Major Street and Highway Network to Year 2000 (see jacket) Figure F Gridley-Biggs Urban Area •Major Street and Highway Network to Year 2000 (see, jacket) r 8.1.3 _ " `Reduced` street lw dti s �wil'l, be 'encouraged when ' there` are practical; site' planning opportunities and development cost savings involved, while not. jeopardizing public safety and future,capacity.. n requirements. 'i 8.1.4 Arterial and collector streets shall be developed so, as not to diminish the=,inte rit and, cohesive- ness' of urban neighborhoods. 8.1.5 Major residential developments should, ensure adequate circulation by providing interconnecting sloops and collector•street•patterns. [Cul-de-sac and. dead-end streets should. be.:avoid'ed' on streets with more than twenty,*-(20)`x.units. _ L 8.1.6. Trees located along urban streets should be preserved or replaced in the event maintenance.,or. _upgrading requires tree removal. Similar landscaping -'should be considered in ,conjunction with -the .develop- ment of: new' urban';stree.ts and, parking;facilities. The County 'hould'.continue,.working towards R fins fi g new ways to' finance' street 'tree programs, including for public and private sector contribu- tions. 7.33 Public' Transportation Public "transportation serves two, basic fun ctonsr`for the County's urban residents,' including'"the p'rovision',o'f 'mobil"ity for the transportation disadvantaged and the provision'.of'a transportation alternative, to commuters, shoppers, and others. Goal- 9.0 Provide public transportation services'.ihat-`are viable transportation alternatives. Objective -- _ , 9.1 : Public transportation programs will assure the continue'ii'' mobility of transportation disadvantaged persons. V.10 Policies C.� r 1 ►'"t1 :� - "c ' ,t. f t z 9.1.1 The'County shall support local -'public transportation services in the three largest urban areas and adequate intercity service to the Chico, Oroville, Paradise, Gridley - Biggs, and Palermo areas. 9.1.2 The County shall provide for coordination between social service transportation providers. .9.1.3 The County shall provide a level of social service transportation according to guidelines approved by the Butte County Association of Governments. 9.1.4 The County shall continue to support door-to-door transportation programs for low -mobility -groups according to guidelines approved -by -the Butte County Association of Governments. Objective 9.2 Public transportation programs will promote opportunities :for shopping, employment, education, health care, and :recreation, as funding and planning opportunities allow. Policies .9.2.1 Public transportation use shall be encouraged through land use designations and zoning which cluster areas of employment, areas of parking, areas of commercial uses, and recreation areas, as appropriate. 9.2.2 Developers of major traffic generating land uses shall provide fixed transit facilities such as bus shelters and pullouts, according to expected demand. 7.34 Bicycle Transportation Primary emphasis for establishing bicycle routes should be in and near urban areas. Goal 10.0 Provide for a safe and convenient bicycle.transportation system which is integrated with other transportation modes. -82- I ,L Objective - 10.1'. Provide ''for. adequateJicycle ,circulation, and;, facilities' as a functional alternative to,.the,,automobiler, and for recreation , as funding' and planning opportunities allow. t Policies - nsY� x10 "1'.T' The"`Cd6nty will' �encouragef�theRcities-to prepare and propose comprehensive urban area bicycle plans to the County for review,and,adoption. 10 .1.2 Construction.�or expansion:of;all major arterials • =`• `�'"� `� sh'all"conside'rr bicycle paths sof Class II or better. ; -10.1.1-Residentiale i�developmnrts,5hou_ld incorporate internal' circulation networks that encourage. bicycle use and which connect to the external bi`cytcle.circulation system_. r ) � fi � tr '•t (r ri'3. fT t• Ids 71 l(.'. ! . Program: The: County will, map an integrated system of suggested rural'bicycle routes which focus on serving asrecreational-,.routes around. , i urban areas and use the map --as an' initial` step;��- in,conjunction with city, 'bicyclenpl,ans%,-,for, - +`establishing a, comprehensive ,bicycle plan. 1 , (•r•n.. { Implementation: Near and middle term. I Objective 10.2 Provide a bicycle system whichrcan be integrated with other transportation modes. Policies • :_}. � r -i �,�Jt ....:[ •filri.,r..:,�� 't,_ _'j�.rr.t t. .,4 o f f•� a_ [• ♦ t r' _ 1 y S r. 10.2.1 Bicycleiparking faciliti:es.sho_uld{be,encomraged in apartment complexe's`, -major commercial, .pro- fessional office, industrial, and educational sites, along with -good routes, -which foster tt bicycle use. --- - &i l ".0 '" ' :1 f :.ire ! i ' 't r.[ B i, � - (• �� T - f bac t 10 X2"2 0 Multi -modaltransp�ortatiori-facilities such as park -and r`i-de -ants. and"~bus Stops, should provide adequate and secure bicycle parking facilities. 46- -83- 7.35' Pedestrian Circulation Most facilities for pedestrians are incorporated into street design standards. The issue of pedestrian circulation also involves recreational hiking and jogging trails. Objective 11.1 Pedestrian access should be ensured throughout urban areas. Policies 11.1.1 Sidewalks, or their reasonable alternatives, should be provided in -all urban subdivisions. 11.1.2 handicapped access shall be incorporated into all sidewalks and other pedestrian facilities as required by State law. 11.1.3 IIiking and jogging corridors should be encouraged in urban areas, as funding and planning opportunities allow. 7.36 Air Transportation Air transportation is a vital form -of transportation that is important to the economic well being of the County's communities. Coal 12.0 Promote safe, effective; and efficient use of existing and future air facilities. Objective 12.1 Provide for compatible land uses in areas that may be impacted by airport operations, so to, mitigate safety and noise problems. Policies 12.1.1 The County shall implement measures in unin- .corporated areas that provide for the continued safe operation of airports. -84- yF r r 12.1.2 The County will ensure that land uses in the vicinityrof.public,airports are compatible with resp6citiveairp6rt,land use plans. 7 -12.1.3 Private airstrips and landing fieldslshall be ..,controlled to ensure that they are,oultside of flight,paths ' to -and-- from.existing airports, and that they do not provide a hazard or annoy- ance to neighboring areas. P.12 Program: The Airport Land Use -Commission (Butte County Planning Commission) sh7alladopt-an'd" if._) !)j ,jipint,ain airport , Ian'd use, plans "for the Chico and O.ro.ville 7.37 -..Multi-modal Transportation Multi-modai transportation r'efersttolthe., coordination .of two or more,transportation j�o`des._' 'Coordination is_encourag6d, by develop-. ing multi' -modal transfe'r facilities.-'such',as,park-and-tide lots combining bus stops with bicycle parking, bicycle parking with pedestrian -oriented developments, and adequate passenger waiting facilities for intercity bus and rail. itransport. Goal L. C. 1YO 0 Pr-oVi'de fora i,.,balanced and-int-egrated-,community,transportation format. Objective 7 'r T 13.1 Plan for transportation modes and strategies that ensure coordinated -and!lj:otmpl,imentary,,facilities, and sch,.4dules. 13.1.1 The County. will support the _citIes,'Iif the, encour- agement of ridesharing'and carpooling programs by large employers -and -public agen6ie-s,-, 2 The Count" encourage the 'pro) " y,'s�all' h Asion where f6asible,''of bi6ycle, afi`d a'uto'mobife' storage facilities­%'e'-" to 1n-'co'ju'n with public n 'ncti o transportation. -85-' 13.1.3 The design and location of new development shall consider and incorporate provisions .for appro- priate transportation modes. 13.1.4 Public facilities shall be located and designed to allow for convenient access and efficient transportation of all intended users. 13.1.5 The County will continue to support local Amtrak passenger services. 7.38 Additional Urban Area Policies Chico Urban Area 14.1.1 The County will maintain the integrity of the Chico area "greenline" adopted in 1982. 14.1.2 The County will cooperate.with the City of Chico and the Air Pollution Control District in efforts to reduce traffic related carbon monoxide below levels which violate national ambient air duality standards in the Chico urban area. 14.1.3. The County will cooperate with the City of Chico in continued refinement of the Chico Urban Area Transpor- tation Study (CATS) and its traffic projections and forecasts. The County will encourage Caltrans to study future traffic impacts on 'State -Routes' 32 and 99 as they relate to refinement of the CATS. 14.1.4 The County will support the City of Chico in efforts to retain Sacramento Northern rail service for the community. 14.1.5 The County should work with the City of Chico for a comprehensive solution to the role of Warner Street in northwest Chico. Oroville Urban Area 14.1.5 The County will encourage Caltrans to reconstruct railroad crossings on State Route 162 at an early date. 14.1.6 The.County will cooperate with the City of Oroville in the preparation of a comprehensive transportation study based on projected urban area land uses.