Hansen Road Permanent Closure

Hansen Road Permanent Closure

HANSEN ROAD PERMANENT CLOSURE Project Description Project Location: Hansen Road at Interstate 205, north of the City of Tracy. See attached Vicinity Map. Project Justification: For several years, residents of the Santos Ranch/Lammersville community (Lammersville) have expressed concerns related to increased traffic generated by Cordes Ranch, an industrial and warehousing development immediately south of their community. The Cordes Ranch Specific Plan Area comprises 1,780 acres of proposed industrial and warehousing development with small portions of general commercial, office, and park uses. Initially, the community's concerns were primarily related to trucks illegally using Hansen Road to access the commercial businesses in Cordes Ranch. These concerns expanded to include an increase in passenger vehicle traffic and associated driving behaviors, including speeding. In 2021, Public Works commissioned a consultant to prepare a traffic study which included an evaluation of existing traffic patterns and anticipated traffic impacts associated with closure of Hansen Road. The traffic study also considered and provided recommendations for additional traffic calming measures given the anticipated increases in traffic due to continued development in the area. In November 2022, the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors (Board) approved a temporary 18-month closure of Hansen Road to reduce traffic on Hansen Road, evaluate the actual impacts to nearby roadways and intersections related to a full closure, and allow for the development of long-term traffic management recommendations. The Board also approved the implementation of a first phase of traffic calming measures along Von Sosten Road due to anticipated shifts in traffic that would increase traffic volumes along their roadway. The temporary closure of Hansen Road was implemented on September 1, 2023 following construction of required improvements. During the closure, Public Works monitored traffic volumes in and around Lammersville from September 2023 through December 2024 to evaluate the accuracy of the GHD traffic study. The findings by Public Works were in line with GHD’s traffic study and no significant adverse impacts were found on Lammersville roads or adjacent intersections after 18 months of closure. Furthermore, Public Works’ Study supported the GHD conclusion that no additional mitigations would be required to implement a permanent full closure of Hansen Road. The Study also monitored heavy vehicle traffic along Von Sosten Road to better evaluate the feasibility of installing additional traffic calming measures. It was found that while traffic between Hansen Road and Mountain House Parkway increased 64 percent after the closure, heavy vehicle traffic decreased from 3.8 percent of the total January 2022 volume to 0.6 percent of December 2024 volumes, representing a reduction of 84 percent. This reduction supports the recommendation presented to your Board in November 2022 regarding implementation of a second phase of traffic calming measures. Public Works also reached out to stakeholders, including the City of Tracy, Lammersville Unified School District, and South San Joaquin Fire Authority (SJ Fire) to receive feedback regarding the temporary closure. Neither the City of Tracy or Lammersville Unified provided any feedback indicating concerns with the closure. During the temporary closure, SJ Fire reported a malfunction and vandalism of the solar-powered gate making it inoperable. California Vehicle Code (CVC) §21101 provides the Board with the authority to close a through highway if a finding that the roadway is no longer needed for vehicular traffic exists. In November 2022, County Counsel advised that the Board could pursue a temporary closure of the roadway in accordance with CVC §21101.4, given the noted concerns related to the increase in through traffic and the delayed delivery of infrastructure improvements to handle said traffic. County Counsel also advised that evaluation of the temporary closure could provide the basis for determining that the roadway was no longer needed for vehicular traffic. Altering Hansen Road’s operations by closing the overcrossing can be considered a minor alteration. No new vehicle lanes would be added and keeping the overcrossing open to non-motorized means of travel (bicycle, pedestrian, etc.) is consistent with County and State policies that support alternative modes of travel to individual passenger vehicle transportation. Any further traffic calming measures implemented within the Lammersville Community will undergo its separate CEQA process. Scope of Work: The proposed work consists of: 1. Converting the existing temporary closure of Hansen Road into a permanent road closure. 2. Maintaining any traffic calming improvements that were installed as a part of the temporary road closure. Environmental Setting: In these portions of the San Joaquin County, land usage is rural with single-family homes. A preconstruction survey is not required, as placement of the gate and K-Rails will not result in substantial noise or vibration. Beneficiaries: The public will see an improved quality of life resulting from the reduction of traffic, including trucks, back to levels that existing prior to the construction of Cordes Ranch. This will lead to increased safety within the Lammersville community, specifically along Hansen Road and Von Sosten Road.

San Joaquin

Unincorporated

San Joaquin