PREPARED BY: AMANDA BOOTH DATE OF MEETING: 10/16/17
SUBJECT:
TITLE
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN PABLO AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO APPLY FOR A SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES GRANT THROUGH THE CALTRANS TRANSPORTATION PLANNING GRANT PROGRAM FOR $400,000 TO ANALYZE THE SECTIONS IDENTIFIED FOR FUTURE STUDY IN THE CITY OF SAN PABLO BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN MASTER PLAN
Label
CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Adopt Resolution
Body
Compliance statements
“Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan Implementation” (3.3) is an adopted policy item under the Development Projects section of the FY 2015-17 City Council Priority Workplan, effective October 1, 2016.
CEQA Compliance Statement
Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061 (b)(3), the adoption of the minute order authorizing Public Works to submit a grant application is exempt from CEQA requirements. Under Guidelines section 15378, “project” does not include the creation of government funding mechanisms or other government fiscal activities, which do not involve any commitment to any specific project that may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment. The City will consider the appropriate environmental review with the implementation of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan.
BACKGROUND
On August 7, 2017, City Council adopted (Resolution No. 2017-170) the City of San Pablo Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan.
The Plan identified fourteen areas, comprising a total of 7.49 miles, which are in need of future study to assess the feasibility and tradeoffs of developing new bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure along constrained roadways and stream corridors. Eight of these identified “contentious” sections propose development of on-street bicycle corridors, for which the optimal bikeway facility class has yet to be determined, and six of these sections propose development of shared use path studies.
The new Senate Bill 1 planning grant funds include Sustainable Communities Grants to encourage local development of regional multimodal transportation in support of the region’s Regional Transportation Plan (RTP)/Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS). The Sustainable Community Grant will fund a consultant that will evaluate ten of the fourteen sections identified in the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (BPMP). The ten sections comprise 6.03 miles. They were selected for further review beyond the limited analysis conducted as part of the BPMP due to the traffic engineering expertise required to analyze (1) the impacts of eliminating on-street parking and/or center turning lanes and/or (2) modifying the entry and exit points to the circulation routes for cyclists and pedestrians.
The consultant would provide a preferred concept design, with multiple alternatives and cost estimates, as well as identify important limiting factors for each project area.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact at this time as this item is to request approval for a letter of support for $400,000 from the Caltrans Transportation Planning Grant Program for the study of the contentious corridors identified in the City of San Pablo’s Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan.
If grant funding is approved, staff will return to City Council for acceptance of the grant(s) and to allocate the required match funding, which is expected to be approximately $46,000.