Laguna approves funds for canyon traffic study

The Laguna Beach City Council unanimously agreed Tuesday night to pay for a study of summer traffic patterns on Laguna Canyon Road as part of a plan to improve circulation on the state-owned highway.

The city will pay RBF Consulting $34,540 to estimate traffic patterns along the road — from Coast Highway to El Toro Road — during summer weekdays and weekends under different scenarios. For instance, an additional outbound or inbound lane could be created by manipulating the current two lanes and left-hand turn pockets.

The council also authorized City Manager John Pietig to spend no more than $25,000 for any additional technical expertise needed to assist RBF.

RBF’s analysis will show vehicle movement and traffic jams within the study area and summarize the forecast travel time and speed in both directions, according to a city staff report.

RBF presented an initial report to the council in August that included possible alternatives like adding one or two lanes in either direction and roundabouts at certain intersections, such as El Toro Road and Canyon Acres Drive.

The City Council unanimously approved paying RBF $50,000 in April 2013 for the initial study.

On Tuesday, Mayor Pro Tem Steve Dicterow was reluctant to award the second round of money without RBF considering traffic generated during non-summer months, particularly from Anneliese School and the Laguna College of Art + Design.

“I think there are issues with the non-summer period that are critical to analyze,” Dicterow said. “We have Anneliese and LCAD that are both active, but aren’t [as] active in the summer, and that affects [traffic] patterns.”

Both schools are open during the summer, though with reduced activity, Bob Matson, RBF’s vice president of transportation and planning, told the council.

“Generally, summer conditions would assume to be higher,” Matson said. “With additional traffic associated with people going to the beach and festival activity, summer conditions represent a worst-case scenario.”

Dicterow said that looking just at the numbers is not enough.

“You may be right in terms of total volume, but the pattern of volume is different,” Dicterow said. “Now there are backups in both directions in certain times of the day that did not occur in the past.”

Councilwoman Toni Iseman said traffic is at its worst at 4 p.m.

“When people are leaving Laguna, that is the time of the worst congestion, from 3:30 p.m. to about 7 p.m.,” Iseman said. “That is when you crawl out of town. A top priority is making the canyon road safe and doing something to relieve citizens of Laguna who can’t get through town.”

Caltrans recently installed a traffic signal in front of LCAD that requires cars to stop for pedestrians. Matson said the signal’s effect on traffic will be taken into account.

A task force headed by Iseman and Mayor Bob Whalen will look at the studies and make recommendations to ease congestion and boost pedestrian and bike safety in the canyon.

City staff expects a presentation by RBF at the task force’s Jan. 21 meeting.