South Coast 101 HOV Lanes Project

Santa Barbara County, California 05-SB-101-PM 1.4 to 12.3 05-0N7000 Project ID# 0500000225 SCH# 2009051018

Draft Environmental Impact Report/ Environmental Assessment

Prepared by the State of California Department of Transportation

The environmental review, consultation, and any other action required in accordance with applicable federal laws for this project is being, or has been, carried out by the California Department of Transportation under its assumption of responsibility pursuant to 23 U.S. Code 327.

March 2012

General Information about This Document

Whats in this document?
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), as assigned by the Federal Highway Administration, has prepared this Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Assessment, which examines the potential environmental impacts of alternatives being considered for this project in Santa Barbara County, California. Caltrans is the lead agency under the National Environmental Policy Act. Caltrans is the lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act. The document describes the project proposal, alternatives for the project, the existing environment that could be affected by the project, potential impacts from each of the alternatives, and the proposed avoidance, minimization, and/or mitigation measures.

What should you do?

Please read this Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Assessment. Additional copies of this document and related technical studies are available for review at the Caltrans district office at 50 Higuera Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 as well as at the Santa Barbara City Central Library (40 East Anapamu Street in Santa Barbara), the Santa Barbara Eastside Library (1102 East Montecito Street in Santa Barbara), the East Montecito Branch Library (1469 East Valley Road in Montecito), and the Carpinteria City Library (5141 Carpinteria Avenue in Carpinteria). Attend one of the following public hearings on April 24, 2012 at the Montecito Country Club in Montecito or April 25, 2012 at the Carpinteria High School in Carpinteria. We welcome your comments. If you have any concerns about the proposed project, please attend the public information meeting or public hearing, or send your written comments to Caltrans by the deadline. Submit comments via U.S. mail to Caltrans at the following address:
Matt Fowler, Senior Environmental Planner Environmental Analysis California Department of Transportation 50 Higuera Street San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

Submit comments via email to: South.Coast.101.HOV@dot.ca.gov Submit comments by the deadline: May 25, 2012.

What happens next?

After comments are received from the public and reviewing agencies, Caltrans, as assigned by the Federal Highway Administration, may 1) give environmental approval to the proposed project, 2) do additional environmental studies, or 3) abandon the project. If the project is given environmental approval and funding is appropriated, Caltrans could design and build all or part of the project.
For individuals with sensory disabilities, this document is available in Braille, in large print, on audiocassette, or on computer disk. To obtain a copy in one of these alternate formats, please call or write to Caltrans, Attn: Matt C. Fowler, Environmental Analysis, 50 Higuera Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401; (805) 542-4603 Voice, or use the California Relay Service TTY number, (800) 735-2922 or 711.

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Summary
Effective July 1, 2007, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has been assigned environmental review and consultation responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act pursuant to 23 U.S. Code 327. Overview of Project Area U.S. 101 is a regional freeway that extends from the Los Angeles basin through Northern California and plays a large role in the state economy by serving as a secondary route to Interstate 5. The proposed project covers more than 10 miles of U.S. 101 from the City of Carpinteria (post mile 1.4) to the southern portion of the City of Santa Barbara (post mile 12.3). In addition to these two cities, the project runs through the unincorporated area of Toro Canyon and the communities of Summerland and Montecito in Santa Barbara County. In the project limits, U.S. 101 is two lanes of traffic in each direction with an intermittently landscaped median. Each travel lane is 12 feet wide, the outside shoulder is 8 feet wide, and the inside shoulder is 5 feet wide. The existing median varies in width from 26 feet in Montecito to 150 feet in the City of Santa Barbara at the Cabrillo Boulevard interchange. The existing side slopes vary from 1.5:1 to 4:1. Right-of-way width varies from 96 feet to 380 feet. Just north of the project limits, U.S. 101 has three lanes of traffic in each direction. Three lanes exist in the northbound direction beginning at the Cabrillo Boulevard onramp in the City of Santa Barbara, and three lanes exist in the southbound direction ending just south of the Cabrillo Boulevard undercrossing. Once the Ventura/Santa Barbara 101 High Occupancy Vehicle Project is completed (construction is expected to begin in spring 2012), three lanes in each direction would exist from the City of Ventura to the Carpinteria Creek Bridge. Purpose The purpose of the project is the following: Reduce congestion and delay. Provide capacity for future travel demand. Improve travel time on U.S. 101 within the project limits. Provide for high-occupancy-vehicle-lane (HOV) continuity on U.S. 101 in southern Santa Barbara County, as planned for in the 2008 Regional Transportation Plan. Encourage a modal shift to transit and carpooling.
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To achieve the project goals in 2040, on typical weekdays1 this project should do the following: Reduce corridor delay by at least 7,000 person-hours daily.2 Reduce peak hour peak direction travel time on U.S. 101 in the project area for carpoolers and express bus riders by 25 percent or more on average.

Need U.S. 101 is the principal highway through the South Coast region of Santa Barbara County and serves as the primary connection for vehicle travel between the communities of Goleta, Santa Barbara, Montecito, Summerland, and Carpinteria. The highway, as part of the national highway system, is a major interregional road connecting Northern and Southern California. U.S. 101 also plays a large role in the state economy by serving as a secondary route to Interstate 5. Local highway travelers rely on U.S. 101 for travel related to school, personal use, business, and leisure. Employment is concentrated at the northern end of the corridor in and near the cities of Santa Barbara and Goleta. The University of California Santa Barbara campus, near Goleta, also attracts a large number of vehicles during the peak commute periods. While the majority of the U.S. 101 corridor through Santa Barbara and Ventura counties is a six-lane freeway, about 16 miles between Mussel Shoals and Milpas Street is a four-lane freeway. U.S. 101 is the main route for commuters, interregional traffic, and cargo throughout the South Coast area. The project limits consist of a highdemand stretch of U.S. 101 that is a four-lane section bounded by a six-lane highway to the north and the Ventura/Santa Barbara 101 HOV project that will add an HOV lane from near Mussel Shoals to the southern boundary of the project limits. The Ventura/Santa Barbara 101 HOV project is scheduled to begin in spring 2012. Motorists on U.S. 101 through the project limits experience traffic congestion during the morning and afternoon peak travel periods. Currently, peak travel periods occur for two to four hours daily in each direction. By 2040, peak travel periods are expected to increase to 11 hours each day. For through-travelers from Ventura to Northern Santa Barbara and beyond, this area would become a bottleneck without the project. Proposed Action Caltrans proposes to modify U.S. 101 in order to provide a part-time, continuous access HOV lane in each direction on U.S. 101 extending from Carpinteria Creek in
1 2

Performance measures were derived from 101 In Motion. Delay is a measure of time lost per person due to travel in congested conditions. Delay occurs on U.S. 101 when vehicles travel at speeds below 55 miles per hour. Total person hours of delay are calculated by multiplying the amount of time lost per person per day during peak hours by the number of vehicles traveling during the congested peak periods.
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the City of Carpinteria to Cabrillo Boulevard in the City of Santa Barbara. The project begins 0.22 mile south of the Bailard Avenue overcrossing (post mile 1.4) in the City of Carpinteria and extends to the southern portion of the City of Santa Barbara (post mile 12.3) near Sycamore Creek. Three build alternatives and the No-Build Alternative are being considered for this project. Each build alternative would add a part-time single high-occupancy-vehicle lane in both the northbound and southbound directions and rebuild interchanges at Sheffield Drive and Cabrillo Boulevard/Hot Springs Road where existing ramps are currently located in the median. Five configurationsF, F Modified, J, M, and M Modifiedare being considered for the Cabrillo Boulevard Interchange. Refer to section 1.3 for a detailed description of each configuration. Each build alternative would also do the following: Add pavement width in each direction on U.S. 101 to provide for a six-lane facility within the project limits. Improve the southbound shoulder ditches near the Bailard Avenue interchange to provide graded, flat-bottom swales to be used for stormwater treatment. Replace bridge structures at Arroyo Paredon (Parida), Toro Canyon, Romero (Picay), Oak, and San Ysidro creeks. Widen bridge structures at Franklin and Santa Monica creeks. Widen traffic undercrossing structures at South Padaro Lane and Evans Avenue. Build a southbound auxiliary lane between the Sheffield Drive on-ramp and the Evans Avenue off-ramp. Provide median landscaping from 0.4 of a mile south of Carpinteria Creek to 0.3 of a mile south of Carpinteria Creek (this is the only spot where median planting is common to all build alternatives). Install replacement planting. Build new retaining walls (the total number varies by alternative and Cabrillo Boulevard interchange configuration). Build soundwalls for noise abatement where appropriate. Provide noise attenuating pavement surface on all mainline travel lanes on U.S. 101 within the project limits where HOV lanes are added. Relocate utilities as needed.
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Lengthen cross culverts to accommodate additional pavement width. Build maintenance vehicle pullout areas (Alternative 111 pullouts; Alternative 221 pullouts; Alternative 31 pullout). Incorporate permanent stormwater treatment Best Management Practices, with an emphasis on vegetated bio-filtration type Temporary Best Management Practices. Incorporate measures that will preserve the pre-construction runoff rates.

Alternative 1 proposes selective inside and outside widening within available right-ofway. This alternative was developed to maximize opportunities to retain and refine high-value resources including scenic views, wetlands and median/outside landscaping. Alternative 2 proposes to add a lane to the outside in order to maximize landscaping in the median where right-of-way is available. Alternative 3 proposes to build all new paved lanes within the existing available median, which would maximize the retention of outside planting. The No-Build Alternative would not add HOV lanes to the highway and would not reduce congestion or encourage carpooling and transit. The interchanges and structures that are part of the proposed project would not be changed. No planting from the shoulders or median would be removed, and there would be no noiseattenuating pavement installed or noise barriers added. The No-Build Alternative would not provide HOV continuity in the Southern Santa Barbara region as planned for in the 2008 Regional Transportation Plan. Joint California Environmental Quality Act/National Environmental Policy Act Document The proposed project is a joint project by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the Federal Highway Administration. Thus, the project is subject to state and federal environmental review requirements. Project documentation, therefore, has been prepared in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. Caltrans is the lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act. In addition, the Federal Highway Administrations responsibility for environmental review, consultation, and any other action required in accordance with applicable federal laws for this project is being, or has been, carried out by Caltrans under its assumption of responsibility pursuant to 23 U.S. Code 327.
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Some impacts determined to be significant under the California Environmental Quality Act may not lead to a determination of significance under the National Environmental Policy Act. Because the National Environmental Policy Act is concerned with the significance of the project as a whole, it is quite often the case that a lower level document is prepared for the National Environmental Policy Act. One of the most commonly seen joint document types is an Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Assessment. Following receipt of public comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Assessment and circulation of the Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Assessment, Caltrans will be required to take actions regarding the environmental document and will determine whether to certify the Environmental Impact Report and issue Findings and a Statement of Overriding Considerations under the California Environmental Quality Act. Caltrans will also decide whether to issue a Finding of No Significant Impact or require an Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act. Project Impacts Table S.1 lists potential impacts resulting from this project.

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Table S.1 Summary of Major Potential Impacts from Alternatives

Potential Impact Consistency with the City of Carpinteria General Plan Land Use Consistency with the Santa Barbara County General Plan

Alternative 1

Alternative 2

Alternative 3

No-Build Alternative Potentially inconsistent with portions of Circulation Elements. Potentially inconsistent with portion of Circulation Element. Coastal access would decrease due to increased congestion on U.S. 101.

The Local Coastal Program does not contain an exception to the required 100-foot setback/buffer for wetlands. The project cannot meet this requirement and would require an amendment to the Local Coastal Plan. The Local Coastal Program does not contain an exception to the required 100-foot setback/buffer for wetlands. The project cannot meet this requirement and would require an amendment to the Local Coastal Plan. A Coastal Development Permit is required from three agenciesCities of Santa Barbara and Carpinteria and County of Santa Barbara. Additional measures to minimize impacts to visual character, wetlands, and landscaping may be required as part of permit conditions.

Coastal Zone

Parks and Recreation Growth Community Character and Cohesion Environmental Justice

Access to park and recreation The project does not use any park or recreation areas, and it does not block access to these areas. facilities would not be The project could improve access to recreation areas and facilities. improved. None of the alternatives would substantially induce population or commercial development beyond No impacts to growth planned levels. inducement. None of the build alternatives would impact existing housing or community character. Project would not displace any residents and would not have disproportionate impacts to minority or low-income populations. Further degradation of local street operations due to diversion of through trips onto local street system. No impacts

Utilities/Emergency Services

Coordination between Caltrans and service providers would strive to ensure utility services are not disrupted. Preconstruction utility location would be required, in conjunction with service providers, to avoid disruption of any utility service. Before and during construction, all utilities in conflict with The increased traffic the proposed project would be relocated, avoided, or protected in place. A Traffic Management congestion on U.S. 101 would Plan would be developed prior to construction to avoid impacts to emergency service providers. result in longer response times for emergency services. Three of the five Cabrillo Boulevard interchange configurations J, M and M Modified require work within the railroad right-of-way. The three configurations propose a full reconstruction of the interchange and the need for raising the rail line profile (approximately 4 feet) for half a mile and

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Summary

Potential Impact

Alternative 1

Alternative 2

Alternative 3

No-Build Alternative

replace existing structures to provide hook ramps under the tracks with standard vertical clearances. Approvals and easements required from the Union Pacific would require an additional 12 months of lead time for interchange configurations J, M or M Modified. Costs associated with railroad improvements have been estimated at approximately $50 million for Cabrillo interchange configurations J, M, and M Modified. Further degradation of local street operations due to The project would reduce congestion through the corridor and encourage carpooling and public diversion of through-trips onto transportation with the introduction of HOV lanes. Certain intersections within the City of Santa Traffic and Transportation/ the local street system could Barbara may see increased traffic due to changes to traffic patterns that would occur as a result of Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities also affect pedestrian and the reconstructed Cabrillo Boulevard/Hot Springs interchange. Bicycle and pedestrian facilities bicycle facilities. Freeway would be maintained in areas where construction occurs. congestion would continue to worsen. Implementation of the project would result in substantial visual changes throughout much of the highway corridor due to loss of vegetation, increased paving and potential soundwalls. Mitigation measures, combined with proposed project features such as replacement landscaping and aesthetic treatments to walls, would lessen the adverse visual change to the corridor. However, because of the inherent alteration of scale, increase of hard surface, and loss of vegetative character, substantial adverse visual impacts would remain. There is potential for the project to cause an adverse effect to one archaeological site within the area of potential effects, which is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. The project includes widening two bridges (Franklin and Santa Monica creeks) and replacing five bridges (Arroyo Paredon, Romero (Picay), San Ysidro, Oak, and Toro creeks) that would all be designed to accommodate a 100-year storm.. The project avoids encroaching into a floodway by eliminating portions of two soundwalls being considered. No longitudinal encroachment would occur as a result of the project.

Visual/Aesthetics

No impacts

Cultural Resources

No impacts Existing hydraulic structures that impede flood flow would remain.

Hydrology and Floodplain

Water Quality and Stormwater Runoff

The project would add approximately 52 acres of impervious surface to the project area, increasing stormwater runoff rates and volume and increasing stormwater pollutant loads. During construction, Existing stormwater runoff there is the potential for discharging pollutants into surface waters. The project would include would remain untreated. permanent stormwater treatment facilities within the project limits to treat existing runoff and anticipated increases in runoff with the project. Minimization measures would also be incorporated into the project to avoid temporary and long-term impacts. Newly built cut and fill slopes are prone to erosion until vegetation has established on the disturbed soil. New slopes would be addressed by excavating slopes of 2:1 or flatter. Slopes would be No impacts replanted to avoid impacts. Paleontological resources exist within the local geological formations. Some of these resources No Impacts

Geology/Soils/Seismic/ Topography Paleontology

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Summary

Potential Impact

Alternative 1

Alternative 2

Alternative 3

No-Build Alternative

could be affected during construction of the project. Provisions have been made to mitigate sensitive areas through monitoring, collection, cataloging and possible curation if any significant fossils are encountered. Hazardous Waste/Materials The Preliminary Site Investigation concluded that 11 of the 12 sites investigated are a low risk to the project. The remaining site has an underground storage tank that would be removed before the No impacts start of construction. No long-term air quality impacts are anticipated from the proposed project. Air quality may deteriorate as traffic congestion continues to worsen.

Air Quality

Noise

Noise levels would continue to increase. Many receptors Noise levels with the project are projected to increase between 0 and 3 decibels. Initially 27 soundwalls were considered at locations throughout the project area, depending on the alternative. would continue to experience elevated noise levels Soundwalls and noise-attenuating pavement, to be installed through the project limits, would because soundwalls would reduce noise impacts. not be built and noise attenuating pavement would not be installed. Approximately 22 native hardwood trees and 19 arroyo willows would be removed from riparian areas. Up to 220 coast live oak trees would be removed from along the right-of-way. Impacts to native oak trees would be offset by replacement planting within the project limits. Temporary and permanent Impacts to riparian vegetation would occur at four locations where creek bridges would be replaced with wider structures and two locations where bridges would be widened. Revegetation and removal of invasive plant species would offset these impacts. Temporary impacts : 0.078 acre Permanent impacts: 0.005 acre Temporary impacts : 0.487 acre Permanent impacts: 0.146 acre Temporary impacts: 0.073 acre Permanent impacts: 0.016 acre Temporary impacts: 0.430 acre Permanent impacts: 0.506 acre Temporary impacts: 0.845 acre Permanent impacts: 0.969 acres Temporary impacts: 0.078 acre Permanent impacts: 0.005 acre Temporary impacts: 0.487 acre Permanent impacts: 0.146 acre Temporary impacts: 0.777 acre Permanent impacts: 0.732 acre Riparian vegetation would continue to be routinely cleared for flood control maintenance. No oaks would be removed. No impacts

Natural Communities

Wetlands Federal Jurisdiction (Army Corps of Engineers)

Wetlands - Coastal

No impacts

Temporary impacts: 0.781 acre Other Waters of the United States Permanent impacts: 0.752 acre

No impacts

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Summary

Potential Impact Threatened and Endangered Species

Alternative 1

Alternative 2

Alternative 3

No-Build Alternative No impacts

The project could affect tidewater goby, steelhead trout and critical habitat for steelhead trout. Bridge replacement would occur at two creeks that are designated critical habitat for steelhead trout. Incidental take of steelhead trout and tidewater goby could occur during construction.

Invasive Species

Less emphasis on Removal of arrundo (giant reed grass) and other invasive plant species would occur when possible coordinated efforts to remove with the project. arrundo (giant reed grass) There would be temporary increases in fugitive particulate matter as a result of soil disturbance and demolition activity. Air quality impacts associated with project construction would be minimized by incorporating Caltrans Standard Specifications that reduce and control dust. The Standard specifications also reduce oxides of nitrogen emissions from construction equipment (refer to Section 2. 4.). Construction impacts to water quality would be minimized by incorporating temporary best management practices (Section 2.4).

Construction Impacts Temporary impacts to wetlands, other waters and riparian areas would be minimized by the use of environmentally sensitive fencing installed 12 feet from the work limits around wetlands and other waters. Any temporary impacts to plants/trees in the riparian areas would be mitigated by replanting and restoration efforts from a minimum 1:1 ratio, up to a 3:1 ratio. There is potential for noise and vibration impacts to occur during construction. With the addition of avoidance, minimization and mitigation measures, there would be no adverse impacts.

No impacts

Cumulative Impacts

The project would contribute substantial direct and/or indirect cumulative impacts to visual/aesthetics in the U.S. 101 corridor.

The U.S. 101 corridor would be changed as a result of two proposed projects Ventura/SB HOV and the Linden/ Casitas Interchangesas well as Milpas Street to Hot Springs, currently under construction.

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Coordination with Other Agencies The following permits are required for this project to move forward: Coastal Development Permits are needed from the cities of Carpinteria and Santa Barbara and the County of Santa Barbara. All three permits are under authority of the California Coastal Commission. In addition, a Coastal Land Use Plan Amendment will be required for the City of Carpinteria and the County of Santa Barbara. Formal Section 7 Consultation is needed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the tidewater goby and proposed critical habitat. Formal Section 7 Consultation is needed with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service for steelhead trout and associated critical habitat. Section 404 permit is needed from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 1602 Streambed Alteration permit is needed from the California Department of Fish and Game for work in Franklin, Santa Monica, Arroyo Paredon, Toro Canyon, Greenwell, Romero, San Ysidro and Oak creeks. Section 401 Certification is needed from the Regional Water Quality Control Board. A Railroad Agreement is required if the selected interchange configuration for the Cabrillo Boulevard/Hot Springs interchange affects the railroad right-of-way.

Caltrans has initiated informal consultation under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the presence of the tidewater goby, and with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries for the presence of steelhead trout. Both endangered species are protected under the Endangered Species Act. A Biological Assessment would be submitted to each of these agencies; it is anticipated that each agency would issue a Biological Opinion.

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