TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Bruce Moe, Acting City Manager
FROM:
Richard Thompson, Community Development Director
Nhung Madrid, Senior Management Analyst
SUBJECT:Title
Presentation on the Draft Mobility Plan (Community Development Director Thompson).
DISCUSS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council receive the Draft Mobility Plan and Complete Streets presentation and provide staff with direction on next steps.
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FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
The original scope of work 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 original scope of work, and requires a contact amendment which is a separate item on tonight's agenda for City Council consideration.
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.
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.
At the March 18, City Council meeting, the Consultant Team presented a detailed draft list of pedestrian and bicycle projects to be considered and prioritized through the Mobility Plan update process. At that meeting, the City Council directed staff to present an overview on Complete Streets as well as provide the Draft Mobility Plan document for review and discussion, and next steps at a future meeting.
DISCUSSION:
The Draft Mobility Plan and Appendices have been provided in Attachments 1 and 2. Mr. Gary Hamrick, Project Manager with Iteris, Inc. and Mr. Michael Kennedy, with Fehr & Peers will be presenting the draft Mobility Plan. Staff is not expecting approval of the document, but rather for City Council to accept the presentation, discuss and provide comments and feedback on the draft Plan, as well as provide direction on next steps.
Throughout the Mobility Plan update process, staff has maintained a webpage on the City's website dedicated to the update. All agendas, presentations, minutes, and handouts have been posted online for easy viewing and access of these documents. The draft Mobility Plan was also posted on the website the first week of June and has been emailed to interested parties for review and comments.
The public will also have other opportunities to provide comments and feedback on the draft Mobility Plan through the following additional outreach meetings. A joint Parking and Public Improvements Commission / Planning Commission Workshop has been tentatively scheduled for Summer 2014, as well as final adoption of the Plan at a City Council meeting which staff anticipates for this Fall.
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends that the City Council receive the Draft Mobility Plan and Complete Streets presentation and provide staff with direction on next steps.
Attachments:
1. Draft Mobility Plan
2. Draft Mobility Plan Appendices