SUBJECT
Title
Action to Recommend to City Council to Consider Adoption of the Pedestrian Master Plan (Shariat)
Report
BACKGROUND
In December 2017, the City of Santa Clara was notified by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) that the City’s Pedestrian Master Plan (Plan) grant application was selected for award of grant funding through the Sustainable Communities Grant. At the August 21, 2018 Council meeting, the consulting firm Alta Planning & Design was awarded the contract to assist the City with preparing the Plan. Alta Planning & Design’s scope of services included project management, public outreach, reviewing existing conditions, conducting a needs analysis, developing project recommendations and associated cost estimates, and developing the overall master plan. The City held a kick-off meeting with Alta Planning & Design in September 2018.
DISCUSSION
After a yearlong effort, the City is pleased to announce the Plan is now complete. The Plan is designed as a long-rang planning document focused on encouraging walking as a safe and healthy alternative to the motor vehicle and provides a comprehensive network of safe, convenient, and comfortable pedestrian routes for people of all ages and abilities.
In mid-2018, the City and Alta Planning & Design began developing the City’s first version of the Plan and developed a workplan that focused on the following five project phases: 1) Goals, Policies, and Existing Conditions; 2) Needs Assessment; 3) Recommendations; 4) Draft Plan Preparation; and 5) Final Plan Preparation and Completion.
Community engagement was a major component of developing the Plan and a variety of outreach strategies were used to seek input from stakeholders. The following outreach methods were implemented over the course of Plan development:
• Social media posts (i.e., Twitter, Facebook, Nextdoor, Channel 15)
• City Manager Bi-Weekly Blogs
• City walking tours
• School safety walk audits (2)
• Community workshops (3)
• Pop-up events (4)
• Online interactive survey and mapping tool
• City website
In addition, the Plan became a regular agenda item on the Santa Clara Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) Agenda. The BPAC provided input on the Plan at their October 2018, March 2019, and June 2019 meetings. Aspects of the Plan that were reviewed and commented on by the BPAC include existing conditions, vision, goals, and policies, project recommendations, and the draft plan. The City also sought input on the Plan from other City Commissions and Committees such as the Senior Advisory Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, Youth Commission, and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Committee.
The Plan is divided into six chapters which include (1) Santa Clara Today, (2) Vision, Goals, Objectives, and Policies, (3) Outreach, (4) Needs Analysis, (5) Recommendations, and (6) Implementation. The Plan identifies over 100 spot improvement projects at street intersections and locations where there are sidewalk gaps and missing curb ramps within the Plan’s nine priority pedestrian zones. The Plan’s priority pedestrian zones were selected based on a needs analysis that looked at four components of walkability, which included pedestrian safety, pedestrian comfort, convenience, and walkable land uses. The types of improvements proposed at these intersections consist of crossing improvements, signal improvements, and/or transit stop improvements. The projects within the Plan were then prioritized based on a ranking system and several funding strategies were identified for the City to consider in order to be able to implement the projects in the Plan.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov <mailto:clerk@santaclaraca.gov> or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Recommend to City Council to consider adoption of the Pedestrian Master Plan.
2. Do not recommend to City Council to consider adoption of the Pedestrian Master Plan.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Alternative 1: Recommend to City Council to consider adoption of the Pedestrian Master Plan.
Staff
Prepared by: Carol Shariat, Principal Transportation Planner
Approved by: Michael Liw, Assistant Public Works Director
ATTACHMENTS
1. City of Santa Clara Pedestrian Master Plan 2019