TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
John Jalili, Interim City Manager
FROM:
Richard Thompson, Community Development Director
Nhung Madrid, Senior Management Analyst
SUBJECT:Title
Presentation and Status Report on the Mobility Plan and Proposed Project List (Community Development Director Thompson).
RECEIVE REPORT
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council receive the Mobility Plan Update presentation.
Body
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None as a result of this action. The original scope of work under the contract with Iteris, Inc., for the preparation of the Mobility Plan update totals $124,080 and is budgeted. Additional meetings and outreach requested by the City Council are not included in the scope of work and will require a contract amendment.
BACKGROUND:
In January 2013, the City began working with Iteris, Inc. and Fehr & Peers to prepare an update to its General Plan Circulation Element, known as the Mobility Plan. The Mobility Plan will identify goals and policies for a balanced, multi-modal transportation system serving all users, including motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, persons with disabilities and transit users.
The City held its first public workshop on February 4, 2013 which was well attended with over 60 participants representing all road users and active transportation groups. City Council Members, Commissioners and other City representatives were invited to participate at this workshop. The purpose of the workshop was to present an introduction to the public on the purpose of the Mobility Plan update, but more importantly, to solicit feedback on transportation throughout the City. The interactive workshop allowed attendees to provide feedback via written questionnaires, written feedback on maps specific to each mode of transportation as well as discussing ideas and improvements with City staff and Consultant Team members.
In June and July 2013, City staff and the Consultant Team conducted outreach meetings with representatives from key stakeholder groups from the community. These small group meetings allowed for more interaction and discussion between staff and representatives on various transportation opportunities. The meetings included representatives from the following stakeholders:
· Blue Zones Project/Vitality City
· Beach Cities Health District
· South Bay Bicycle Coalition
· Downtown Business and Professional Association
· Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce
· Manhattan Village Shopping Center
· Manhattan Beach Historical Society
· Senior Advisory Committee
· Manhattan Village Home Owners Association
· School Representatives from American Martyrs and Pennekamp Schools
· Representatives from the Planning, Parking and Public Improvements, Cultural Arts, Library, Parks and Recreation Commissions and the Board of Building Appeals.
In August and September 2013, the City held two Town Hall Meetings to discuss Shared Roadway Bicycle Markings (Sharrows) specifically for Pacific Avenue. The City Traffic Engineer and Police Chief presented information regarding the use of Sharrows, enforcement concerns and bicycle traffic collision data. Between the two meetings, approximately 100 people were in attendance with 45 speakers sharing comments and questions during the open discussions.
In November 2013, the City Council held a joint meeting with the Parking and Public Improvements Commission and discussed preliminary scoping of the Mobility Plan. The Consultants presented information about the Plan's background, outreach efforts, updates to the Goals and Policies, previous public meetings, an overview of pedestrian and bicycle related improvements, and next steps. Following the presentation and discussion, the City Council requested that staff provide the City Council with an opportunity to preview the pedestrian and bicycle project list prior to when the draft Mobility Plan Update will be made available for public review and comment as part of the formal approval process.
DISCUSSION:
In January 2014, Community Development staff and the Consultant Team participated in a half-day working session to further discuss potential bicycle and pedestrian routes to be considered and prioritized through the Mobility Plan Update. The team discussed strategies on how to define and prioritize the routes, potential bikeways for the Valley Drive/Ardmore Avenue north-south connection, other routes to cover north-south and east-west connections, citywide destination points, and the coordination of the potential projects with existing plans such as the Bicycle Master Plan, Walking School Bus routes, existing afterschool programs through our Parks and Recreation Department, and pending Safe Routes to School grant improvements.
A list of projects (Attachment 1) has been provided which would be incorporated into the draft Mobility Plan Update. The lists are organized by modes of transportation and include bicycle projects, pedestrian projects and vehicle circulation projects from the Capital Improvement Program and other sources. Projects listed in the Mobility Plan Update are meant to be a comprehensive list of known needs at the time of the update. The prioritization of projects and the allocation of funding occurs with the annual update and adoption of the Five Year Capital Improvement Program.
Next Steps
A joint Parking and Public Improvements Commission /Planning Commission Meeting has been tentatively scheduled for April, 2014. In addition to this joint meeting, the public will have another opportunity to provide feedback and comments at the second Mobility Plan workshop scheduled for early Summer, and final adoption of the Plan is expected to take place in the Fall.
The current scope of work for the Consultant Team, as proposed above, exceeds the original scope of work as approved by City Council in December 2012. Due to several additional meetings requested of the Consultant Team as well as two additional public workshops, which were not included in the original scope, a budget adjustment will be needed. Staff will return to City Council with a budget adjustment request in the near future to cover the remaining work necessary to complete the Mobility Plan Update.
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends that the City Council receive the Mobility Plan Update presentation including the project list.
Attachment:
1. Draft Projects