Background and Scope
In the 1980s, Monterey Peninsula cities formed the Holman
Highway Task Force to address access problems to CHOMP and levels of service
along Route 68. This Task Force oversaw the transportation improvements
along Route 68 from its terminus at Pacific Grove and SR 1. Its goal, in
part, was to enhance the quality of transportation services on Route 68.
Many objectives were established, a few of which included installation of a
new Spanish Bay Gate, construction of a westbound lane through the CHOMP
intersection, and addition of an eastbound lane from the CHOMP entrance to
the Route 1 interchange. While some work has been completed such as the
Spanish Bay Gate and a westbound lane through the CHOMP intersection, other
phases of work are incomplete and remain dormant.
The 1993 Regional Transportation Plan,
adopted in 1994, recommended the widening of Route 68 to four lanes from 0.2
km (0.1 miles) west of the CHOMP intersection to south of the Route 68
overpass at SR 1. This project is now listed in the State Transportation
Improvement Program (STIP).
The CHOMP and Beverly Manor are situated within
the project limits. On the south side of Route 68 there are single family
homes that overlook the highway and whose backyards set adjacent to the
roadway. There are two driveway entrances (CHOMP and Beverly Manor) with
left-turn channelization. CHOMP entrance is signalized. The Beverly Manor
entrance is unsignalized.
The Route 68/SR 1 interchange is characterized as a
diamond off- and on-ramp with a signal system. Traffic congestion on Route
68 is high (over 2,300 vehicles per hour [vph] peak) during the weekday
afternoon period beginning at about 3:00 p.m. and continuing to about 6:00
p.m. Rear-end accidents are common, suggesting excessive vehicle queuing at
all approaches of Route 68 signalized intersection/SR 1 southbound ramps.
Traffic forecasts representing the year 2020 show the PM peak hour traffic
demand on Route 68 reaching 2,860 vehicles. Traffic is projected to increase
by 24 percent.
Existing intersections at the Route 68/SR 1 southbound
off-ramp, CHOMP, and Beverly Manor are currently at Level of Service (LOS)
"D" throughout much of the afternoon period. With the increased traffic,
these intersections will become LOS "F" in about five to seven years. With
the Army closure of the gates into the Presidio of Monterey, residents of
the Skyline Forest Neighborhood in Monterey have experienced an increase in
traffic cutting through the neighborhood from Route 68 in order to bypass
congestion in the project area. For this reason, a new traffic signal at
Beverly Manor has been included as a variation to the alternatives that will
require further analysis to evaluate if the new signal will induce bypass
traffic through the neighborhood.
A multi-agency team has been
formed to address scoping issues. The team includes members from City of
Monterey, Department of Public Works and Planning, and the California
Department of Transportation. The team will meet as necessary to address
issues throughout the project development process. This team facilitated a
Scoping Meeting/Public Information Open House on February 6, 2003. The
purpose of the meeting was to provide background on the transportation
improvement being proposed and to seek input from agencies, businesses and
interested residences. Written and oral comments were solicited at the
meeting and will be incorporated into the EIR/EA being prepared for the
project.
Due to the time limits
mandated by state law, your response must be sent at the earliest possible
date, but not later than 30 days after receipt of this notice. Please send
your response and direct any comments or questions regarding this project to
Richard Deal, City of Monterey,
City Hall, CA. 93940 (phone: 831.646.3470). With your response, please
include the name of a contact person in your agency.
