Title
Adoption of Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Submit a Request to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission for the Allocation of $81,800 in Fiscal Year 2019-20 for the Active Transportation Plan per Transportation Development Act Article 3 for Pedestrian/Bicycle Project Funding and to Execute All Necessary Documents. (Planning, Building & Transportation 4226287)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Each year, the City of Alameda (City) is eligible to receive Transportation Development Act (TDA) Article 3 funds from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) for eligible bicycle or pedestrian projects or programs. This coming fiscal year, the City will begin updating its ten-year old Bicycle and Pedestrian Plans and will combine them into an “Active Transportation Plan” (ATP). The City Council has already allocated funds for this update and a consultant contract award will be brought to the June 18 meeting. Staff is recommending that the City allocate its $81,800 in Fiscal Year (FY) 2019-20 TDA Article 3 funds to supplement and expand the ATP project budget. This will allow staff and the consultant team to accelerate the preparation of immediate policy recommendations and implementation strategies for City Council consideration during the preparation of the ATP, in response to recent City Council direction on the need to expedite bicycle and pedestrian safety improvements. This will also support the City’s greenhouse gas reduction goals established by the City Council’s recently adopted Climate Emergency Resolution.
BACKGROUND
The TDA, Public Utilities Code Sections 99233.3 and 99234, makes funds available in the nine-county MTC region for pedestrian/bicycle projects, programs and plans. MTC makes annual allocations of TDA Article 3 funds to eligible claimants after review of applications submitted by counties or congestion management agencies. All cities and counties in the Bay Area are eligible to claim funds under TDA Article 3. Funds are allocated and apportioned by population, and are submitted as part of a countywide coordinated TDA Article 3 claim. MTC has estimated the total funds for TDA Article 3 pedestrian/bicycle projects for FY 2019-20 and the City’s total is $81,800. The City already requested and allocated most of these anticipated funds last year but is allowed to borrow up to one year of future expected funds ($81,800).
The City’s current Bicycle Master Plan was adopted in 2010 and the Pedestrian Plan was adopted in 2009. After ten years, the plans are in need of updating to reflect the current best practices and community desires, to respond to the latest adopted City plans and policies, and to meet grant funding requirements. Two years ago, the City Council approved $300,000 for an update to the Pedestrian and Bicycle Plans. Due to the many capital projects underway and other recent project priorities, such as the Cross Alameda Trail, dockless bike share program, Tilden Way railroad land acquisition, and others, staff was not able to release the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the ATP update until this spring.
At the March 27, 2019 Transportation Commission meeting, staff brought a draft ATP Scope of Work for input and released the RFP in early April. The RFP is available on the City’s website at the following link: https://www.alamedaca.gov/BUSINESS/Bid-on-City-Contracts. Staff will bring a recommendation for City Council to award the consultant contract for the work in June. The consultant will begin work immediately to prepare a draft plan by July 2020, and a final plan for City Council consideration and adoption by December 2020.
DISCUSSION
At the City Council’s April 16, 2019 meeting during the Transportation Choices Plan Annual Report presentation, the City Council asked staff to look for strategies to expedite needed improvements to the transportation system that could be approved and implemented quickly, without years of planning and discussion. Staff sees an opportunity to use the TDA funds to supplement the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan updates effort and generate immediate policy and program implementation strategies and other improvements that could be reviewed and approved by the City Council in late 2019 or early 2020, before adoption of the larger citywide ATP in late 2020.
Staff is requesting that the City Council authorize the City Manager to submit the TDA Article 3 resolution for $81,800 in funding for the ATP, to be used to accelerate and expand the development of implementation tools for expedited City Council review and approval. This additional ATP funding would cover additional part-time City staff and the consultant team to help with quickly moving these efforts forward for review by the Transportation Commission and City Council, at the same time that the ATP consultant team is working on the larger planning effort. Staff, with consultant input, will select the highest priority and most impactful policies or efforts to quickly move forward. The work could include the preparation of:
• An intersection “daylighting” policy for priority intersections, as described by the City Council in April.
• A bicycle parking policy to allow for strategic removal of single automobile parking spaces for multiple bicycle parking spaces in high demand locations.
• Site specific improvement plans for challenging areas or areas with safety concerns.
• High priority and impactful program road maps for implementation, such as wayfinding signage and expanded safety education programs.
ALTERNATIVES
Instead of using the TDA Article 3 funds this coming fiscal year for the ATP, the City could opt to not borrow these funds, and then use the funds accrued over the coming year (likely about $85,000) in FY 2020-21 for a different bicycle/pedestrian project or program.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Staff is requesting that the $81,800 in TDA Article 3 local discretionary grant funds be used for the ATP development. The City Council has already allocated $300,000 in Measures B/BB Bicycle/Pedestrian local discretionary sales tax funding in the Transportation Planning Division budget for FY 2017-19 for this update process. The total effort would, therefore, be $381,800.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
The Transportation Choices Plan (2018) includes two high priority projects that directly call for updating the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plans: Project 2: “Bicycle Master Plan and Design Guidelines Update and Vision Zero Safety Policy/Plan” and Project 9: “Pedestrian Master Plan and Design Guidelines Update and Vision Zero Safety Policy/Plan.”
Having Pedestrian and Bicycle Plans is called for in the Transportation Element of the City's General Plan, as referenced in the following policies:
4.3.2.d Develop and implement a Pedestrian Master Plan with regard to physical system improvements, as well as programs and policies relating to encouragement, education and enforcement.
4.3.3.a Maintain and implement the Bicycle Master Plan with regard to physical system improvements (especially the identified priority projects), as well as programs and policies relating to encouragement, education and enforcement.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Approval of funding for the ATP is statutorily exempt from further review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), the general rule that CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Any future physical changes to the environment or roadway network that requires discretionary action by the City Council or Transportation Commission will be subject to future environmental review.
CLIMATE IMPACTS
Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Alameda. Accelerating implementation of the ATP via new policies, programs and concept plans will more quickly increase the number of people walking and bicycling, and decrease the number of people driving alone.
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to submit a request to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission for the allocation of $81,800 in Fiscal Year 2019-20 for the Active Transportation Plan per Transportation Development Act Article 3 for Pedestrian/Bicycle project funding and to execute all necessary documents.
CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION
The City Manager concurs with the recommendation to submit a request for an $81,800 allocation to be used for the Active Transportation Plan. This action continues to move the City forward in meeting the City Council established goals.
Respectfully submitted,
Andrew Thomas, Acting Planning, Building and Transportation Director
By,
Rochelle Wheeler, Senior Transportation Coordinator
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Elena Adair, Finance Director
cc: Eric Levitt, City Manager