Title
Recommendation to Approve Joining and Participating in the United States Department of Transportation's (DOT) Mayors Challenge for Safer People, Safer Streets. (City Manager)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: John A. Russo, City Manager
Re: Approve Joining and Participating in the US Department of Transportation's Mayors Challenge for Safer People, Safer Streets
BACKGROUND
Staff became aware of this opportunity from the federal government after the City's publication deadline. The US Department of Transportation's (DOT) "Mayors Challenge for Safer Streets, Safer People" will have its kick-off in Washington D.C. on March 12, 2015. Therefore, staff is requesting City Council approval in time to prepare for this event.
DISCUSSION
The DOT states that Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx is challenging mayors and local elected officials to take significant action to improve safety for bicycle riders and pedestrians of all ages and abilities over the next year. Mayors' Challenge participants will be invited to attend the Mayors' Summit for Safer People, Safer Streets in March, and their cities will spend a year helping their communities undertake seven activities to improve safety. The challenge is based on the 2010 DOT Policy Statement on Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodation, which can be found here:
Mayors and other elected city officials can participate by leading a call to action and helping their cities take on the Challenge activities outlined below and excerpted from the DOT's website.
The Mayors' Challenge has a call to action to:
1. Issue a public statement about the importance of bicycle and pedestrian safety
2. Form a local action team to advance safety and accessibility goals
3. Take local action through the Challenge activities
The activities are:
1. Take a Complete Streets approach: Complete streets make it safe and convenient for people of all ages and abilities to reach their destination whether by car, train, bike, or foot. A Complete Streets approach starts with a policy commitment to prioritize and integrate all road users into every transportation project.
2. Identify and address barriers to make streets safe and convenient for all road users, including people of all ages and abilities and those using assistive mobility devices: The ability for older adults, young children, and people with disabilities to travel safely is critical to freedom of mobility and quality of life. People may have challenges with eyesight, reaction times, cognitive ability and muscle dexterity which makes travel difficult.
3. Gather and track biking and walking data: The lack of systematic data collection related to walking and bicycling transportation, such as count data, travel survey data, and injury data, creates challenges for improving non-motorized transportation networks and safety. Communities that routinely collect walking and biking data are better positioned to track trends and prioritize investments.
4. Use designs that are appropriate to the context of the street and its uses: Transportation agencies are encouraged, when possible, to go beyond designing walking and bicycling facilities to the minimum standards. It is more effective to plan for increased usage than to retrofit an older facility. Planning projects for the long-term should anticipate likely future demand for bicycling and walking facilities and not preclude the provision of future improvements.
5. Take advantage of opportunities to create and complete ped-bike networks through maintenance: Expanding and improving existing roads and facilities to build biking and walking networks as part of regular and routine resurfacing and other maintenance programs can be a low cost alternative to building new roads or widening existing roads.
6. Improve walking and biking safety laws and regulations: Traffic laws such as reduced speed, failure to yield, passing, and helmet laws can be effective in improving safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and others.
7. Educate and enforce proper road use behavior by all: Highly-visible and well publicized targeted enforcement tied with educational campaign has shown to be effective in reducing crashes.
Mayors' Challenge Q's & A's
Is the Challenge limited to only cities?
The Challenge is open to all cities, towns, townships, villages, counties, regions, territories, tribal land, States, or other jurisdictions.
Who can sign up on behalf of a city?
The city's (or other jurisdiction's) top leadership must approve joining the Challenge and only their designated representative may enlist their community to participate. The point of contact identified should be the leader of the action team as discussed here.
What are the steps to signing up and getting started with the Challenge?
1. Mayor or top elected official representative has or gets approval and support from their city or jurisdiction to join the Challenge.
2. City or jurisdiction signs up by submitting the name and contact of the designated team leader via the Mayors' Challenge web page or sending email to pedbikesafety@dot.gov.
3. Mayor or other designated elected official makes public statement about their city's commitment to making roads safe, convenient, and accessible for all users including pedestrians, bicyclists, and those using personal mobility devices.
4. Mayor-designated team leader coordinates and leads a local team with the ability to take action on one or more Challenge activities.
5. Local team assesses their community for gaps, barriers, and challenges and develops a work plan with relevant and appropriate Challenge activities that addresses their assessment results.
Who should be on the Challenge team?
Challenge team members should have the authority and ability to address and make changes in their community to carry out their select Challenge activities. Challenge team members may include but not be limited to: mayors and other elected officials, city managers, transportation planners and traffic engineers, community and workforce development staff, transit and rail representatives, law enforcement leaders, educators, researchers, injury prevention specialists, pedestrian and bicycle advocates, healthcare and Americans with Disabilities Act professionals. Existing pedestrian and bicycle advisory committees, task forces, or other bodies may be designated to serve as the Mayors' Challenge Team.
How can citizens participate?
Citizens can participate through engagement with a jurisdiction's Mayors' Challenge team by coordinating ideas that are notable for any of the seven challenge areas.
How do I find out more information about the Challenge and the seven activities?
We have created fact sheets on each of the seven challenge areas here. Sign up to participate in the Mayors' Challenge webinar scheduled for Tuesday, February 10, from 3 to 4 PM EST. If you still have questions, email us at pedbikesafety@dot.gov.
What if our city is already practicing some of the Challenge steps?
Jurisdictions are welcome to focus on the Challenge areas which need the most attention to improve safety in their community.
What resources are available for participating in the Challenge?
DOT's modal administrations have a number of resources including publications, guidance documents, and tools for cities and other jurisdictions that may help successfully implement Challenge activities. Key resources are listed at the bottom of each Challenge activity page. While no monetary resources or funding are available specifically for participating in the Challenge, the Federal Transit Administration and Federal Highways Administration lists funding opportunities that may support the pedestrian and bicycle safety efforts of cities and other jurisdictions.
What is the Mayors' Challenge Summit and who can participate?
DOT will invite mayors of participating cities and members of their Mayor's Challenge Team to the Mayors' Challenge for Safer People and Safer Streets Summit on March 12th. The Summit will bring together participating cities to network and learn more about the Challenge activities. It will include a mayors' roundtable discussion with the US Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx in the morning, followed by work sessions for Team members. Staff members with the Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, Federal Railroad Administration, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will share the resources and tools available to help cities with Challenge activities.
How long is the Challenge?
The Challenge is a year-long effort that officially kicks-off on March 12, 2015 at the Mayors' Challenge Summit in Washington, DC. However, cities are encouraged to continue their efforts long after the Challenge ends.
The Challenge's goals do not deviate from City policies. The activities will require additional staff time and resources to complete.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
There is no financial impact to the general fund by joining in the US Department of Transportation's "Mayors Challenge for Safer Streets, Safer People: Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Initiative.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3) ("General Rule Exemption").
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council approve joining and participating in the US Department of Transportation's "Mayors Challenge for Safer Streets, Safer People: Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Initiative."
Respectfully submitted,
Alexander Nguyen, Assistant City Manager
Financial Impact section reviewed,
JuelleAnn Boyer, Interim Finance Director
Exhibit:
1. DOT Policy Statement on Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodation Regulations and Recommendations