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Deputy Director Tassano said the model could route traffic down Stoneridge from Hopyard to I-680 if that was a faster route with the least number of delays. Mayor Hosterman commented there is a new eastbound lane planned for I-580 and that construction should break ground within a year. Commissioner Blank noted that he has been reviewing Planning Commission reports and the traffic model material. He stated that it was interesting that there have been improvements in the modeling process since 1996 and indicated that in the presentation there is a statement that of the four major intersections, three can be improved with fairly minor improvements. He stated that there are many traffic models that come before the Commission with mitigations that will fix certain problems and questioned what happens if it doesn't fix the problem. He questioned value of the models and the fact that no one is willing to say we can have confidence in the model. If the Stoneridge Drive extension went through based on the model and it doesn't work, then what? He believes there is no accountability. He asked how the city can build accountability into the traffic models. The decisions are long lasting for the community and he was uncomfortable making decisions based on models for which there is no apparent accountability. He asked how the Commissioners and the City Council could be accountable in the event these models are wrong and the improvements fail to fix the problems. Mayor Hosterman believed that part of the solution was to have a public process, which raises the credibility. She noted the Council and Commissioners are doing the best they can given the information currently available on the city and surrounding regions and believes the process is not perfect and a solution to all issues may not be possible. Councilmember Sullivan understood the points raised by Commissioner Blank. He believes the Council and Commissioners have a role to question the models and assumptions used. He noted if there was doubt staff could be directed to go back and change the model as overtime the models evolve. Commissioner Olson agreed assumptions should be questioned along the way, but one must keep in mind we are trying to predict the outcome of a system that is dynamic and changes over time. He noted regarding traffic, if a family with specific travel patterns leaves town and another family with different travel patterns moves in, that would change the dynamics of traffic. The model will not always be 100% right because it is a dynamic, ever changing system. Commissioner Pearce questioned the constrained gateway philosophy. She believes the theory seemed to be that if a gateway is constrained, there would be less traffic within the city. Deputy Director Tassano said the model assumes a fixed number of cars come into the city and if capacity is built for four times what is necessary then the extra lanes would not be used. The model assumes mitigations have already been made and the downstream impacts have been determined. He noted if the level of service results in E or F, then constraints would be imposed in the model to see where the circulation changes would occur. City Council Minutes 2 January 30, 2007 Joint Workshop