SU0013451 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

4.2 TRAFFIC AND CIRCULATION An important element of the impact of the truck trips on traffic circulation is the time frame for the soil removal. The application proposes a five-year operation. It is assumed there would be 250 haul days per year, 16 working hours per haul day, and each truckload would contain 18 cubic yards of soil. This results in 60 truckloads per operating day or three to four truckloads per hour. (This figure represents accepted standard loads for large-truck hauling. Should larger loads be used, the number of trucks would be lower than calculated. However, truck-load sizes would have to remain within legal limits for traversing public roads.) Doubling the number of truckloads per hour to account for one trip each way results in approximately eight truck trips per hour. The truck volumes were added to the existing volumes at Peltier/Davis and Peltier/Ray and the levels of service recalculated. To account for differences between large trucks and passenger cars in acceleration, wider turning paths, etc., the truck trip volumes were converted to "passenger car equivalents" (Highway Capacity Manual, 1985). This adjustment equates one truck trip at an intersection with approximately two passenger cars. The level of service calculations analyzed for this scenario reflect these adjustments. Based upon the quarry application information,the generated truck trips would not significantly impact the operating conditions at the affected intersections. As shown in Table 4.2-4 both intersections would continue to operate at LOS A during the peak hours. Although not included as part of the scope of work for this study, a brief analysis of the anticipated operating conditions at the other studied intersections that could occur if the haul route was not to the New Hope Levee site is presented. A diversion of the haul route would reroute the truck trips to other County roads. If rerouted east along Peltier Road, the truck trips would use the Lower Sacramento/Peltier Road intersection, comprising approximately one percent of that intersection's volumes. Probable impacts and mitigation measures would be similar to the proposed haul route, mainly damage and repair of the roadbed. If a haul route is established south of the project along Davis Road, the tucks would most likely use the Davis/Turner and the Davis/SR 12 intersections. At Davis/Turner, the truck trips would comprise approximately three percent of the intersection volumes and at Davis/SR 12 they would comprise less than one percent of the total volumes. The impacts and mitigation measures required for this haul route would also be similar to the proposed project. However, the Davis/SR 12 intersection could require further mitigation measures to accommodate the truck trips. Although the construction trips would not be permanent,existing traffic conditions and volumes at this location during the peak hours nearly qualify it for signalization. The added truck trips could affect the intersection operating conditions significantly enough to require a traffic signal to mitigate the problem if the trucks operate during the peak hours. To avoid this, the truck trips could be prohibited during the peak hours,thereby limiting truck traffic through the intersection to the lower-volume periods of the day. 4.2-16