Placement: New Business
Action Requested: Motion / Vote
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Discussion to determine City Council consensus on elements of the Florida Department of Transportation Multimodal Master Plan for Interstate 95
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Submitted By: Roxanne M. Chesser, P.E. - Assistant Public Works Director
Strategic Plan Link: The City's Goal of high-quality infrastructure and facilities.
Executive Summary (General Business): Mayor Oravec has requested that this item be brought forward for discussion and consideration by the City Council. The two items for consideration are: 1) Does the City Council desire to submit a letter to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) expressing the City’s concern with the proposed Braided Ramp concept for the Crosstown Parkway and St Lucie West Boulevard Interchanges? And 2) Is there value in expediting the proposed conceptual improvements to the Peacock Boulevard/St. Lucie West Boulevard intersection to coincide with the FDOT improvements to the St. Lucie West Boulevard/I-95 Interchange in FY 2021/22?
Presentation Information: N/A
Staff Recommendation: Move that the Council direct staff to prepare and send a letter to FDOT that expresses the City’s concern about the proposed Crosstown Parkway and St. Lucie West Boulevard Braided Ramp Interchanges and direct staff to re-allocate funding and commence with property acquisition and design of additional southbound right turn lane on Peacock Boulevard for completion in FY 2021/22.
Alternate Recommendations:
1. Move that the Council amend the recommendation and provide Staff with direction.
Background: The FDOT Multimodal Master Plan for I-95 identifies conceptual plans for widening the Interstate from six to eight lanes, as well as improvements to interchanges and intersections within the City.
The purpose of the Master Plan is to identify needed improvements and recommendations that will carry through to the Project Development and Engineering (PD&E) Study/Design. The PD&E will thoroughly investigate, identify, and define the impacts of the recommended improvements as well as make recommendations for mitigating impacts to existing facilities. The conceptual projects identified in the Master Plan are not currently funded in the FDOT Work Program.
As part of the Master Plan, braided ramps are being considered between Crosstown Parkway and St Lucie West Boulevard Interchanges. The braided ramps will prohibit vehicles from making local trips between Crosstown Parkway and St Lucie West Boulevard. The estimated time for implementation of the northbound braided ramp is the year 2030 and the southbound braided ramp is the year 2045. FDOT’s basis for the need of the ramps is based upon “weaving” that occurs as vehicles from Crosstown Parkway are attempting to enter I-95northbound or stay on the ramp and exit at St. Lucie West Boulevard while northbound traffic on I-95 is also attempting to exit to St. Lucie West Boulevard. The short distance between the Crosstown Parkway entrance ramp and the St. Lucie West Boulevard exit ramp makes merging more difficult. It is believed this situation will be exacerbated as traffic on I-95 increases. The braided ramps will remove the weaving by separating vehicles that are attempting to enter and exit I-95 onto different ramps. However, it will no longer allow access between Crosstown Parkway and St. Lucie West Boulevard via I-95.
The Master Plan also includes the concept of improving the Peacock Boulevard/St Lucie West Boulevard Intersection in the year 2045 to include the following which are also shown on Exhibit A:
• Northern Side: new southbound left turn lane, new southbound through lane, new southbound right turn lane, new northbound through lane.
• Eastern Side: new westbound right turn lane, new westbound bike lane, new westbound through lane, new westbound left turn lane, new eastbound through lane, new eastbound bike lane.
• Southern Side: new northbound through lane, new southbound through lane.
• Western Side: new westbound through lane, new westbound bike lane, new eastbound left turn lane, new eastbound through lane, new eastbound bike lane.
All of the aforementioned improvements will require right-of-way acquisition. The Planning, Design, and Environmental (PD&E) study, right-of-way acquisition, design, and construction of the improvements have not been budgeted by FDOT and fall outside the current Work Plan.
Improvements to the St Lucie West Boulevard/I-95 Interchange, including a new eastbound bridge, are fully funded in the FDOT Work Program. The design is underway and is scheduled for completion in April 2020 with construction in FY 2021/22.
Issues/Analysis: The proposed braided ramps will not allow local trips on I-95 between Crosstown Parkway and St. Lucie West Boulevard and will thus increase trips on the adjacent roadways (i.e., California Boulevard and Commerce Center Drive) and inconvenience drivers. Due to these impacts, the City has significant concerns about the recommendation to use braided ramps at the Crosstown Parkway and St Lucie West Boulevard Interchanges. However, a recently published memorandum by FDOT’s consultant RS&H that summarizes traffic models with and without the braided ramps states that levels of service (LOS) on parallel roadways (Commerce Centre Drive and California Boulevard) will be at acceptable LOS’s through 2045 with braided ramps (memo attached as Exhibit D).
To provide a complete intersection at a major gateway into the City, it is desirable to construct the proposed improvements at the Peacock Boulevard/St Lucie West Boulevard Intersection as part of the improvements to the St Lucie West Boulevard/I-95 Interchange in FY 2021/22 rather than 2045.
A potential path to complete the intersection improvements with the interchange improvements would be for the City to fund and complete the property acquisition, design, and construction. Design and construction costs are anticipated to be at least $3M.The improvements identified by FDOT will require new mast arms and considerable widening east, west, north, and south of the intersection, which contribute to the above-average cost. Due to the limited time frame and the absence of funding in the Work Program, FDOT would not be able to complete the PD&E, property acquisition and design in time for construction in FY 2021/22.
It appears a more immediate need is the addition of a southbound right-turn lane from Peacock Boulevard to St. Lucie West Boulevard, which could be accomplished without extensive widening. This improvement could theoretically be completed by the City in line with the FY 2021/22 FDOT improvements.
Financial Information: Improvements to Interstate I-95, St Lucie West/I-95 Interchange and the St Lucie West Boulevard/Peacock Boulevard Intersection completed by FDOT are or will be funded through the FDOT Work Program. If the City completes the improvements to the St Lucie West Boulevard/Peacock Boulevard Intersection, a reallocation of funds or new funding source will need to be programed into the City’s Road and Bridge Budget for FYs 2019/2020, 2020/21 and 2021/22. Additionally, since this project is not in FDOT’s Work Program, the cost would be fully borne by the City and would not be reimbursable. Construction of a single southbound right-turn lane would cost between $250,000 and $500,000, depending upon the required property’s value.
Special Consideration: N/A
Location of Project: Interstate 95 between Crosstown Parkway and St Lucie West Boulevard and Peacock Boulevard/St Lucie West Boulevard Intersection.
Attachments: Exhibit A - Peacock Boulevard 2045 Master Plan Improvements
Exhibit B - Braided Ramps Conceptual Plan
Exhibit C - Braided Ramps with Text
Exhibit D - FDOT Memo on LOS
NOTE: All of the listed items in the “Attachment” section above are in the custody of the City Clerk. Any item(s) not provided in City Council packets are available upon request from the City Clerk.
Legal Sufficiency Review:
N/A (Reference Legistar database for authorizing City Attorney representative.)