Title
Alameda Active Transportation Plan Update: Community Survey Results
Body
Executive Summary
Last year, the City embarked on updating its decades-old Bicycle and Pedestrian Plans as one combined Active Transportation Plan (ATP). The goal of the project, launched in August 2019, is to bring the City’s plans into alignment with current best practices and the City’s existing infrastructure and development, and to create a roadmap for a safer, more walkable and bikeable city.
To help inform the ATP recommendations, the City’s consultant team conducted a statistically-significant survey among City residents age 16 and older at the end of 2019. The main goal of this research was to learn about residents’ walking and bicycling attitudes and behaviors. The results of the survey were used in the development of the draft recommendations for the plan goals, the bicycle and pedestrian networks, and programs and policies. The survey results are being presented to the Transportation Commission now as an informational item.
In mid-August, the City concluded an intensive community outreach process to gather input on the Plan draft recommendations for the vision and goals, pedestrian and bicycle networks, programs and policies, draft concept plans for three major streets, and prioritization. These draft recommendations were presented at the Transportation Commission’s last meeting, in July. Community input is now being reviewed, and the team is working on revising the recommendations, and developing the prioritization criteria and implementation plan. The full draft Plan will be presented to the community for input in early 2021, with Council adoption expected in Spring 2021.
Background
The project team used many inputs to develop the draft recommendations: community input; collision, level of stress and demand analyses; and the community survey. The team developed and conducted the statistically-significant community survey in November and December 2019 of 500 community members who are over 16 years old, on their walking and biking attitudes.
A statistically-significant community survey was included as an integral piece of the Active Transportation Plan development for the insight it can provide in transportation priorities for the community, what types of walking and bicycling facilities the community is most interested in, what that level of interest is, and, importantly, which types of facilities are most likely to change behavior. Furthermore, most transportation data that is collected regularly, such as via the Census, is focused on commute behavior, while this survey is more comprehensive, since it includes walking and bicycling for all trip purposes, not just work.
From July 15 to August 16, 2020, the City solicited community input on the ATP draft recommendations via surveys, email, a bikeway network map and public meetings. Staff presented to four City Commissions and Boards, conducted one virtual open house, held two general and three specific listening sessions, had one open house for seniors, presented to the Alameda Point Collaborative community, and made presentations to three business groups. With an interactive, web-based bicycle network map, the City collected over 550 comments. Via the 8 unique surveys on the recommendations, over 680 responses were received.
Discussion
Exhibit 1 outlines the community survey methodology and key findings from this research effort, along with tips on how to interpret the survey results. Exhibit 2 is the Summary Report of the survey results.
As noted, the survey results were used in the development of the draft ATP recommendations. Some of the key areas where the results were used include:
• A focus on safety and comfort in the Plan goals, given the high community interest in safety and comfortable walking and biking facilities.
• The Rider Type Classification, which categorizes people biking into four categories, including “Interested but Concerned” is a methodology that is increasingly used to assess the types of bicycle infrastructure improvements needed to encourage the most people to bicycle for transportation purposes. In Alameda, the “Interested but Concerned” group is almost half of all residents. These are people who are interested in biking more, but would need more comfortable facilities to do so. This information supported the ATP draft recommendations for more separated bike lanes and bicycle boulevards.
• The pedestrian recommendations focus on walking safety, and the high number of adults and especially children walking supported the recommendations for traffic calming and other pedestrian safety infrastructure, particularly at crossings of large, busy streets.
The survey also asked about transit use, and the community interest in proposed infrastructure, including a water shuttle and a bicycle/pedestrian bridge in the west end of the island. Both were supported, with people likely to use a bridge, over a water shuttle.
Financial Impact
The City’s approved FY 2019-2021 Transportation Planning Division Budget includes $330,000 to be used towards the consultant contract for the development of the Active Transportation Plan and the Vision Zero Action Plan, and included the community survey. These funds come from a mix of Measures B/BB Bicycle and Pedestrian funds, Local Streets and Roads funds and TDA Article 3 local discretionary grant funds.
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.”
Environmental Review
Approval to develop planning documents 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.
Recommendation
Provide input on the Active Transportation Plan draft recommendations.
Respectfully submitted,
Andrew Thomas, Director, Planning, Building, and Transportation Department
By,
Rochelle Wheeler, Senior Transportation Coordinator
Exhibits:
1. Executive Summary of Alameda Active Transportation Plan Survey Results
2. Alameda ATP Community Survey Summary Report