REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
November 19, 2020
FROM: SCOTT L. MOZIER, PE, Director
Public Works Department
THROUGH: ANDREW J. BENELLI, PE, City Engineer/Assistant Director
Public Works Department, Traffic Operations and Planning Division
BY: JILL GORMLEY, TE, City Traffic Engineer / Traffic Operations and Planning Manager
Public Works Department, Traffic Operations and Planning Division
SUBJECT
Title
Complete Streets Policy Annual Report - first annual report (Citywide)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council review and accept the first annual report describing Complete Streets performance measures. This year’s report will establish the baseline for future annual reports describing an increase or decrease for each performance measure compared to the previous year(s) by the Public Works Department, Traffic Operations and Planning Division.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On October 10, 2019, the City Council (Council) adopted the Complete Streets Policy (Resolution 2019-205). With the adoption of the Complete Streets Policy, staff was directed to design all transportation projects to be safe, convenient and accessible for all users. The policy lists performance measures to evaluate the progress of the Complete Streets Policy to ensure a successful implementation. For each complete streets project, the Public Works Department is required to annually measure and publicly report the increase or decrease for each performance measure compared to the previous year, this report serves as the baseline for future reports.
BACKGROUND
On October 10, 2019, the Council adopted the Complete Streets Policy (Resolution 2019-205) codifying the City’s commitment to designing safe and convenient transportation projects that are accessible by all users. A “complete street” is a transportation facility that is planned, designed, operated, and maintained to provide safe mobility for bicyclists, pedestrians, transit vehicles, trucks, and motorists. All designs are context sensitive to meet the needs of the community while emphasizing safe and accessible travel. Various elements can be included in a complete street such as sidewalks, shared use paths, bike lanes, fewer travel lanes, streetlights, improved street crossings, pedestrian signals, etc. All projects, public and private, construction and maintenance projects, since the policy’s adoption in October 2019, are approached as an opportunity to create a complete street per the Implementation section of the policy.
The policy allows for exceptions is certain project situations. The Public Works Director and/or the Council may authorize exceptions to the policy as long as one or more of the listed conditions in the policy, are met. In Fiscal Year 2019 - 2020 a total of 14 Director level exceptions were authorized. The exceptions are included as attachments.
The Complete Streets Policy outlines performance measures to evaluate the progress of the policy and to ensure a successful implementation. The data is to be collected and presented as an annual report showing annual increases and decreases. This year, the report shall serve as the baseline to which the City will evaluate future years.
The City of Fresno was awarded the designation of a Bicycle Friendly Community - Bronze level during the fall of 2019. The City originally received this League of American Bicyclists designation in 2010 and strives to achieve the next level, Silver, in 2023. The City’s efforts with bicycle education in schools, bicycle friendly laws and ordinances, the number of high speed roads with bicycle facilities, share of transportation budget spent on bicycling, and the meeting frequency of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) were highlighted by the League as “Very Good” or “Excellent” when compared to communities with Silver level designations. To obtain the Silver level designation in 2023, the League has suggested expanding the bicycle network to increase connectivity through the use of different types of bicycle facilities, increasing the amount of quality bicycle parking throughout the community, launching a bike share program, expansion of bicycle education opportunities, and creating a Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator.
For Fiscal Year 2019-2020, approximately $5,167,790 was spent on the active transportation projects. The table below shows zero miles of buffered Class II bicycle facilities and zero miles of Class IV bicycle facilities were added in Fiscal Year 2019 -2020. There are currently 1.74 lane miles of buffered Class II bicycle facilities and 10.43 lane miles of Class IV bicycle facilities in design with expected construction dates during Fiscal Years 2020-2021 and 2021-2022.
In addition to the installation of bicycle facilities, approximately 3,900 linear feet of new sidewalks were constructed and repairs were made to 40,030 linear feet of existing sidewalks.
The Police Department hosted 54 community safety events during Fiscal Year 2019 - 2020, which included Walk to School Day events, traffic safety education, child safety seats distributions. The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) also sponsored a public service announcement for bicycle and pedestrian safety that ran at the Fresno Stadium 22 and Manchester 16 movie theaters between June and September 2019.
The table below list the performance measurements and data collected for the last fiscal year.
|
|
Fiscal Year 2019 - 2020 |
|
Number of collisions involving a pedestrian |
198 |
|
Number of fatal collisions involving a pedestrian |
23 |
|
Number of collisions involving a bicyclist |
82 |
|
Number of fatal collisions involving a bicyclist |
2 |
|
Number of approved exceptions |
14 |
|
Number of denied exceptions |
0 |
|
Number of transit stops added |
-4 |
|
Number of routes with improved frequencies |
0 |
|
Number of improved transit stops (i.e. shelters or amenities added) |
98 |
|
Total lane miles of Class II bicycle facilities constructed |
5.95 miles |
|
Total lane miles of Class IV bicycle facilities constructed |
0 miles |
|
Total lane miles of buffered Class II bicycle facilities constructed |
0 miles |
|
Total miles of Class I Trails constructed |
0.83 miles |
|
Linear feet of new sidewalks |
3,900 Linear feet |
|
Linear feet of repaired sidewalks |
40,030 linear feet |
|
Number of crosswalk and intersection improvements installed |
10 crosswalks |
|
Number of ADA compliant new curb ramps installed along city streets |
138 ramps |
|
Number of new street trees added |
300 trees planted by the City (grant) |
|
Number of new streetlights added |
331 streetlights |
|
Share of transportation budget spent on active transportation |
$5,167,790 |
|
Number of community safety events |
55 |
|
Bicycle Friendly Community Designation |
Bronze |
The City will continue to implement the Complete Streets Policy to all projects within the public right-of-way to ensure that every community and all modes of transportation for served citywide. Projects with Complete Streets components, by Council district, implemented during Fiscal Year 2019 - 2020 are shown the attached maps.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
By the definition in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378, the annual report does not qualify as a “project” as defined CEQA.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was not implemented because the annual report does not include a bid or award of a construction or services contract.
FISCAL IMPACT
The annual report has been accomplished within the operating budget of the Public Works Department. There will be no additional impact on the General Fund.
Attachments:
Exception Forms