The I-280 Northbound Ramp/Geneva Avenue Safety Study examined ways to improve multimodal safety and address backups at the I-280 northbound off-ramp at Geneva Avenue. This street is one of the neighborhood’s primary east-west corridors as it supports Balboa Park Station, one of the busiest transit hubs in San Francisco. Vehicle queues spilling back onto the freeway had caused a higher rate of collisions and impacted pedestrian safety.
The project required close coordination with the California Department of Transportation, Bay Area Rapid Transit, and San Francisco Municipal Railway as they all operate within the study area.
The plan included near-term, mid-term, and long-term solutions to address safety issues:
- Near-term: Signal phasing and timing adjustments
- Mid-term: Signal system upgrades
- Long-term: Studies to construct an auxiliary freeway lane, widen the freeway off-ramp, and manage traffic demand at nearby destinations.
Parametrix served as the lead engineering consultant for the study. The team operated with a high level of collaboration and synergy that allowed the study to be completed with significant budget savings. That savings was then used to implement the short-term recommendation developed by Parametrix.
“At a recent public outreach event, residents praised the signal improvements at the I-280 freeway and Geneva Avenue intersection. It is rare for a limited planning study to include any form of implementation. Parametrix’s traffic engineering prowess, collaborative team spirit, and unwavering can-do attitude made all the difference,” said Carl Holmes, Deputy Director for Capital Projects.
