SFPUC 2001 Alameda Watershed Management Plan

III. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING AND IMPACTSJ. TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESSthose areas open to the general public. The overall number of equestrians on the Watershedwould be expected to increase in proportion to increases in both local population and demand forrecreational opportunities. The effect of changes associated with implementation of managementactions pertaining to traffic flow on roadways serving the Watershed, and the subsequent effecton parking and safety conditions, would be less than significant.Currently, group access to existing internal roads and fire roads is restricted on the AlamedaWatershed. Under the Management Plan, group access to the internal portions of the Watershedwould be permitted through a reservation program allowing individuals to make reservations andbe part of a group tour of the Watershed. This type of tour could marginally increase the level ofvehicular traffic generated and could result in a marginal increase in SFPUC docents and/or staff.However, these negligible increases would be within the daily fluctuation of traffic on roadwaysserving the Watershed. The overall effect on traffic flow conditions associated with increasedaccess would be less than significant, as would the subsequent effect on parking and safetyconditions.Development of new trails and golf course expansion in zones of lesser vulnerability and riskwould be expected to increase vehicular traffic in proportion to increases in both local populationand demand for recreational opportunities. Development of new recreational opportunities couldresult in a marginal increase in SFPUC staff for patrol and maintenance of new trails andoversight of golf course operations. The effect on traffic flow associated with changes in trafficvolumes on roadways serving the Watershed, and the subsequent effect on parking and safetyconditions, would be less than significant. As described above, operation of the Sunol Valleyrecreation facilities would increase vehicle use (but effects on traffic flow and safety conditionswould be less than significant) and would have potentially significant effects on parkingconditions (but mitigation measures would reduce parking impacts to a less than significantlevel).• As described earlier in this document, actions proposed in the Alameda Watershed ManagementPlan for mining north of I-680 would take place substantially in accordance with limits andmitigations set forth in the conditions of approval for Alameda County’s SMP-32. TheManagement Plan incorporates SMP-32 conditions of approval and proposes modification in thetiming and sequencing of mining (shortening the completion date for water storage pits) andmining reclamation. These modifications may require amendment of the existing permit butwould not bring about any new transportation and access impacts beyond those disclosed in theEIR prepared for SMP-32.Under the Management Plan the duration of mining would be extended with lease entitlement ofSMP-32, but the amount of traffic generated by the mining would not be increased because thecapacity of the processing plant would not change. Mining north of I-680 would replace aportion of the current mining area south of I-680; however, increasing the area by mining north ofI-680 would not increase or relocate truck traffic, because the gravel would be transported to theexisting processing plant south of I-680 by conveyor belt, not haul trucks. The same number oftrucks would continue to use the same access route on Andrade Road to pick up and deliver theNOP 96.223E: Alameda Watershed Management Plan III.J-5 ESA / 930385January 2001