4.6 TRANSPORTATION AND CIRCULATION

Consideration of potential transportation and circulation impacts that may result from the project primarily involves determining whether a net change would occur in traffic generated by personnel commuting to or from the affected facilities or by vehicle trips related to plant operations. The project, the divestiture of properties by PG&E, could lead to increased operations and increased on-site employment levels. These factors could incrementally increase transportation and circulation.

Access to the Potrero Power Plant is provided by Illinois Street, a local serving roadway that connects directly to Third Street (a six-lane, north-south arterial) via 22nd or 23rd Streets, and indirectly to U.S. 101 via Cesar Chavez Street (six-lane, east-west arterial).

Access to the Contra Costa Power Plant is provided via Wilbur Avenue (two- to four-lane, east-west arterial) that connects directly to State Route (SR) 160 and indirectly to SR 4.

Access to the Pittsburg Power Plant is provided via Willow Pass Road / West 10th Street (two- to four-lane, east-west arterials) that connect indirectly to SR 4 via Railroad Avenue (four-lane, north-south arterial).

The Geysers Power Plant is located in a remote section of Sonoma and Lake Counties, accessible only by two-lane roadways. From the west, the Geysers Power Plant is accessed via Geysers Road, which extends west to U.S. 101 at Healdsburg (via SR 128, Alexander Valley Road, Healdsburg Avenue, and Dry Creek Road), and near Cloverdale. From the east, the Geysers Power Plant is accessed via Sawmill Flat Road (private road), which extends east to SR 175 near Pine Grove, and Socrates Mine Road, which extends east to SR 175 near Anderson Springs.

Internal circulation providing access to the PG&E units within the Geysers area is available via a number of two-lane private roadways, including Big Geysers Road, Big Sulphur Creek Road, J.D. Kincade Road, Burned Mountain Road, Big Geysers Road, Squaw Creek Road, Ottoboni Ridge Road, Lakeview Road, DX Drive, and Airstrip Road. In the Geysers area, truck travel on the access roads is restricted during commute hours.

Existing traffic volumes on public roadways serving the power plant sites are presented in Table 4.6-1.

According to Appendix G of the CEQA Guidelines (Governor’s Office, 1997), a project may be deemed to have a significant effect on the environment if it would cause an increase in traffic that is substantial in relation to the existing traffic load and capacity of the street system. In addition, Appendix I of the CEQA Guidelines indicates that a project may result in a significant impact on the environment if it would result in hazards to safety from design features or incompatible uses; inadequate emergency access or access to nearby uses; or insufficient parking capacity on site or off site.

The project would not directly generate additional traffic to or from the affected sites, and therefore no direct project impacts would occur.

The project could generate some additional traffic to or from the affected sites if new owners were to increase electrical output from the power plants. With increased electrical generation, an increase in employment could occur. Such an increase in employment, however, would not be in direct proportion to the increase in power, and because the number of employees at each plant is relatively low compared to other possible land uses, traffic increases would not be substantial. In the Geysers area, truck travel on the Geysers access roads would continue to be restricted during commute hours.

Since possible traffic increases would be negligible in comparison to existing traffic volumes and the capacity on the roadways providing access for the sites, traffic impacts would be less than significant.

Impacts of the project on road wear also would be insignificant. Within the Geysers area, the private roadways are maintained by Unocal. Since the funding of internal roadway maintenance costs would be included in the sale of the Geysers plant, the subsequent Geysers Power Plant owner would pay a fee towards any maintenance of these roadways. Therefore, potential impacts to maintenance of these roadways would be mitigated.

None.

None required.

No change in roadway design or safety hazards would result from the divestiture of PG&E power plants. Continued operation of the power plants at the affected sites would ensure that there is no change in compatibility with neighboring uses. No new facilities are proposed that would increase traffic hazards or create barriers for pedestrians or bicyclists.

Because the project would not alter traffic design features, would not create incompatible traffic patterns, would not affect pedestrian or bicycle facilities or the potential hazards of using such facilities, the impact associated with traffic hazards, including pedestrian and bicycle hazards, would be less than significant.

None.

None required.

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Continued operation of the power plants at the affected sites would not change access for emergency vehicles or access to nearby uses. No facilities are specifically proposed as part of the project that would change emergency access at any plant or that would affect access to nearby uses. PG&E would ensure that it maintains access to portions of the power plant sites not to be divested, through conditions in the sale agreements with new owners or through other means.

Because neither a change in emergency access nor access to nearby uses would occur as a result of the project, the impact associated with vehicle access would be less than significant.

None.

None required.

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As discussed in this section, the project could indirectly result in incremental increases in employment levels at some of the plants to be divested if the electrical generation at any of the plants were to increase. There is sufficient parking on-site capacity at the plants to accommodate potential increases in parking demand.

Because on-site parking capacity at the plant sites would accommodate the potential increases in employment at the affected project sites, the impact associated would be less than significant.

None.

None required.

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References – Transportation and Circulation