Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution 2015-67 - Southern California Association of Governments - Transportation Sfty - Encouragement CampaignResolution No. 2015-67 CITY OF PALM DESERT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT STAFF REPORT REQUEST: ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 2015- 67 AUTHORIZING THAT, SHOULD THE CITY BE SELECTED TO RECEIVE GRANT FUNDING, THE CITY MANAGER OR DESIGNEE MAY EXECUTE AGREEMENTS WITH THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS RELATIVE TO AN ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION SAFETY AND ENCOURAGEMENT CAMPAIGN SUBMITTED BY: Eric Ceja, Associate Planner DATE: July 9, 2015 CONTENTS: Resolution No. 2015- 67 City of Palm Desert's SCAG Application San Pablo Avenue Graphics Recommendation By Minute Motion: That the City Council adopt Resolution No. 2015- 67 authorizing that, should the City be selected to receive grant funding by the Southern California Association of Governments to host a complete streets and open street demonstration, the City Manager or designee may execute agreements with the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) relative to said events along San Pablo Avenue during May 2016. Background "Complete streets" are streets designed to enable safe access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders of all ages and abilities. The makeup of a complete street may include: sidewalks, bike lanes, bus lanes, comfortable and accessible public transportation stops, frequent and safe crossing opportunities, median islands, accessible pedestrian signals, curb extensions, narrower travel lanes, roundabouts, and more. "Open streets" are streets that restrict vehicular access and open the street to pedestrian users only for physical activities such as biking, walking and jogging, and are used as a means to spur civic engagement and achieve public health, safety, and economic goals. Active transportation is a term used for non -vehicular transportation that focuses on human powered transportation, such as bicycling and walking, and includes concepts of complete streets and open streets. SCAG will support community efforts to raise awareness for active transportation projects and has issued a call for projects for communities interested in showcasing their active transportation efforts. The City of Palm Desert, as part of its General Plan update, has identified the San Pablo Avenue corridor as a prime location for street improvements to develop a city center by deemphasizing vehicle travel and refocusing on pedestrians and cyclists. These improvements include a "road diet," so named because it Staff Report SCAG Safety and Encouragement Campaign Page 2 of 3 July 9, 2015 Resolution No. 2015-67 narrows overly wide streets, and complete street concepts such as: reducing the total vehicle lanes from four (4) to two (2), widening sidewalks and bicycle lanes, and adding new landscape within the center median and along the street perimeter. Staff has identified the San Pablo Avenue corridor as an ideal candidate for the SCAG campaign. Staff envisions utilizing SCAG resources and funding to install a temporary demonstration project to showcase the proposed changes to the corridor. This demonstration will last two (2) weeks to thirty (30) days during May 2016, and will include temporary re -striping of the street and temporary landscape improvements to help residents become familiar with the planned changes to the corridor. In addition, staff is proposing to close a portion of San Pablo Avenue, between Highway 111 and San Gorgonio Way, to host a weekend long civic event to coincide with the City's First Weekend activities. The Southern California Associations of Governments (SCAG) has released a Call for Projects under their Active Transportation Safety and Encouragement Campaign. Applications were due to SCAG on June 30, 2015, to establish a pool of interested communities. SCAG will review the pool of applications and conduct follow-up visits of the most promising candidates with final selection of awards in September 2015. In order to show SCAG the City's interest in the program, and to be eligible for funding, staff submitted an application prior to the expiration of the deadline. Grants funding from SCAG is unknown at this time, but will depend on the total number of projects selected in the SCAG region. Any funds made available are to be used for the promotion of active street concepts, including complete street demonstrations and open street events. Project Application Request SCAG has requested that interested communities submit an application that includes the following: • City description and what type of project the City will host. • Describe the general status of active transportation efforts in the City. • Identify partners that will help ensure the events are a success. • Provide a City contact and identify three individuals to serve on a community advisory committee for this project. • Provide letters of support from departments and local organizations. City staff has prepared this application material and submitted it to SCAG by their requested deadline of June 30, 2015. Staff has reached out to the Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce, College of the Desert, SunLine Transit Agency, and City Departments to function as partners for this event. Individuals from the Chamber of Commerce, McCallum Theatre, and College of the Desert have been identified to serve on the advisory committee. In addition, the Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce and the City Manager's Office have provided letters of support to the City for the proposed event demonstration. Fiscal Impact There were no hard costs associated with submitting the grant application to SCAG. However, should the City be selected by SCAG to participate in the Active Transportation Safety & Encouragement Campaign, some expense to the City may occur relative to staff time, event set Staff Report SCAG Safety and Encouragement Campaign Page 3 of 3 July 9, 2015 Resolution No. 2015-67 up and breakdown, and event promotion involved in the project, including attending meetings and other related project tasks as determined by the project manager. If selected, City staff will bring back final approval of expenses for the demonstration and event for the City Council's consideration. Submitted By: Eric Ceja, Ass ci to Planner Department Head: Lauri Aylaian, Director of Community eL evefopment Appr6yal: M. Wohlmuth, City Manager RESOLUTION NO. 2015- 67 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZING THAT SHOULD THE CITY BE SELECTED TO RECEIVE GRANT FUNDING THE CITY MANAGER OR DESIGNEE MAY EXECUTE AGREEMENTS WITH THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS RELATIVE TO AN ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION SAFETY AND ENCOURAGEMENT CAMPAIGN The City Council for the City of Palm Desert, California, does hereby DETERMINE, ORDER and RESOLVE as follows: WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Palm Desert, California, is eligible to receive grant funding from the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) and/or State funding for certain transportation planning related projects; and WHEREAS, the Southern California Association of Governments has issued a Call for Projects for communities interested in demonstrating Active Transportation efforts within their community, and the City of Palm Desert is interested in showcasing the complete street concepts anticipated for the San Pablo Avenue corridor and to engage the community in civic events; and WHEREAS, the City of Palm Desert wishes to delegate authority to execute any agreements with SCAG should the City be selected for grant funding under this Call for Projects. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA, AS FOLLOWS: 1. That the above recitations are true and correct and constitute the findings of the City Council in this case. PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Palm Desert, California, at its regular meeting held on the 9th day of July, 2015, by the following vote, to wit: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: Susan Marie Weber, Mayor ATTEST: RACHELLE D. KLASSEN, CITY CLERK CITY OF PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA I I I Y Uf P 0 [ M VEfERi 7 3 - 5 1 o FRED WARING DRIVE PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA 92260-2578 TEL: 760 346—o6 i i info@cityofpalmdesert.org City of Palm Desert, CA Southern California Association of Governments Active Transportation Safety & Encouragement Campaign Open Streets & Temporary Events Call for Projects Palm Desert Community Description The City of Palm Desert is located in the geographic center of Riverside County and the Coachella Valley. Incorporated in 1973 the City has grown to over 50,000 year round residents and has become the retail and educational center of the Coachella Valley. The College of the Desert, Brandman University, California State University San Bernardino, and University of California Riverside have campuses within the City, and many cultural institutions such as the Living Desert, the McCallum Theater, and various non-profit organizations call the city home. The City has a grid network of arterial streets that connect to two neighboring cities, Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells, as well as to the surrounding unincorporated areas of Bermuda Dunes and Thousand Palms. Several bus routes are provided in the City by SunLine Transit Agency including lines 32, 53, 54, 70, and 111. Major arterials, with the exception of Highway 111, have a mix of Class III and III facilities that connect residence to commercial job opportunities and city parks. In addition, the City has Class I bike paths along the Whitewater channel and future Class I paths are planned for the Mid -Valley Bike Path and CVLink. The City is currently updating its General Plan and has identified specific areas, such as the San Pablo Avenue corridor, for the development of a city center. This corridor is approximately 1.5 miles in length, consists of four vehicle lanes, allows for on -street parking and has Class II and III bicycle lanes. As part of the General Plan update the City has identified this corridor for a "road diet" and to commit the corridor to a complete street design with an emphasis on active transportation rather than vehicular traffic. Complete Street Demonstration and Open Street Event The City of Palm Desert is interested in hosting a complete street demonstration along the San Pablo Avenue corridor to mimic the complete street design envisioned in the City's General Plan update. The complete street demonstration will run approximately one (1) mile in length along San Pablo Avenue from Highway 111 to Magnesia Falls (See Map). This portion of San Pablo Avenue connects residents in the immediate vicinity to commercial and �� IIIIIl0041((l(110IAlll retail services near Highway 111 and El Paseo, and the College of the Desert, City Hall, the Library, YMCA, and Aquatic Center, all near Fred Waring Drive. San Pablo Avenue also provides pedestrian links to three (3) community parks, and connects to the future CVLink non -motorized vehicular transportation network that will run along Magnesia Falls. The City is completing an update to its General Plan and plans for the San Pablo Avenue corridor include a complete street design inclusive of a road diet; reducing the street from four (4) lanes down to two (2) lanes; and increasing the width of bicycle lanes and pedestrian sidewalks. Elements of the San Pablo Avenue vision also include a flex space for potential open street events, new street trees and landscape, and a focus on active transportation. SunLine Transit Agency also operates a bus line along San Pablo Avenue, and the event will showcase that the proposed San Pablo improvements can accommodate several modes of transportation, including pedestrians, bicyclists, golf carts, motorists, and public transportation users. As envisioned, the demonstration project will last two weeks to thirty (30) days during the month of May 2016. The demonstration project will include temporary stripping and improvements to highlight the road diet and other street enhancements, including placement of trees and landscape, and installation of a temporary round -a -bout at Magnesia Falls and San Pablo Avenue. The City will engage the existing businesses along the corridor and encourage them to expand outdoor dining patios, and outdoor displays of merchandise to engage pedestrians. The City also hosts a monthly civic celebration called "First Weekend". The event series runs on the 1st weekend of each month between November and May and includes several community wide events to engage the public and celebrate the City. As part of our proposal for the demonstration project the City will also host a weekend -long open street event to coincide with the City's "First Weekend" event series. The weekend event will close a portion of the San Pablo Avenue corridor between Highway 111 and San Gorgonio Way and allow for pedestrian traffic only. The event will consist of commercial vendors, outdoor music, and exhibits from public agencies, including SunLine Transit Agency and CVLink. Letters of support for this event and the demonstration project are provided by the Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce, SunLine Transit Agency, and The City Manager's Office. Active Transportation in the Community The City of Palm Desert has championed active transportation in the City for the past four decades, and has pioneered statewide legislation to permit golf carts as alternative modes of transportation. Currently, the City has more than 55 miles of bicycle lanes that connect residents to business and educational facilities, and more than 13 miles of nature trails that connect residents and visitors to the surrounding mountains. In 2010, the City adopted the Coachella Valley Association of Government's (CVAG) Non - Motorized Transportation Plan to recommit our focus on active transportation in the City. Also in 2010, the City adopted the "Mid -Valley Bike Path" plan for a 7-mile long Class I I I I y 01 P 0 [ M 0 [ S [ R I 2 10 room ON RE MEET) ruu bicycle path along the Union Pacific Railroad. The path will connect residences to commercial ventures in the City and connect to the CSU San Bernardino and UC Riverside campus. Three miles of this path are expected to be completed in the next three (3) years. Lastly, in 2010, the City adopted an Environmental Sustainability Plan that emphasized decreasing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and increasing alternative means of transportation including walking, biking, and transit use. Because of the leadership provided by the City's elected officials the City is focused on active transportation and is actively developing new routes to promote both the health and environmental benefits of active transportation. The City is in the process of updating its General Plan, and is focusing on a complete streets element that will accommodate alternatives to single -occupant vehicular traffic. As part of the General Plan update process, the San Pablo Avenue corridor has been identified as a potential candidate for a permanent road diet. The requested grant would allow the community to essentially "try on" this plan for up to thirty days to see if they like it. A successful outcome could increase receptivity to other active transportation concepts that are being studied as part of the General Plan update. Partners The City has identified several partners that will help make the demonstration and weekend long event a success. These partners include: • SunLine Transit Agency • Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce • Palm Desert Historical Society • College of the Desert • Desert Recreation District • Palm Desert Senior Center • Riverside County Sheriffs Department • Riverside County Fire Department • Palm Springs Bike Coalition • Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVLink) Community outreach and engagement will be essential to ensuring the success of the demonstration and the City will contribute substantial staff time to ensure the event is a success. The City has several resources available including a marketing team, special event personnel, and advisory committees. The City's Public Works Department will also play an integral role during the setup and breakdown of the event. The Department will facilitate the installation of temporary improvements to showcase the complete street concept, including stripping, and temporary round -a -bout installation. The City will also engage the local business community to encourage their use of the new public spaces created by the demonstration. During the weekend long open street event, the City plans to display exhibits that highlight the benefits of complete streets, active transportation and the new General Plan updates. In addition, other governmental agencies, including SunLine Transit Agency and CVAG will provide exhibits and displays to showcase public transit and the future CVLink system. Because the weekend long open street event will coincide with CITY 01 PHIM 0 [ S [ 9 1 3 CI IIIFI(0 0M 11(Y((1011�! 1 the City's First Weekend event series, synergies and efficiencies in event promotion and engagement will be realized. City Lead and Community Advisory Members Eric Ceja, Associate Planner, with the City's Community Development Department will lead and coordinate this project on the City's behalf. Community Advisory Members have been identified for the purposes of the complete street demonstration and open street event and include: 1. Katie Stice, Vice President Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce 2. Pam Hunter, College of the Desert 3. Jeffery Norman, The McCallum Theatre Letters of support Letters of support are provided as part of the City's application from the Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce, SunLine Transit Agency, and the City Manager's Office. Cl1Y 0f P 0 [ M 0 1 S I P T 4 `* M .T10 OA nQnm Pull '111iM ft.m monsA."Mtafr g. A a* M2yTfm L '" in, 2 dL 'Aw NUN jr ;;44 1% gig y is all' ,i ;L 1, 41W AL lZ 'a, IV IL ZJlW �vftj�m T, -1 A. -1k f� Lot 1 4' V 3 V�-'K 21 i7vwl i k- Alooko a _T.V_ --'V 7r VT 11, w )4m.4 Ur W4, 697 y� -'K— At POOR AMs,Vp QL i—f 4A ff� V, - r 9­ 11 1-44 Fri fol — fAl Tqf 1-maKIL....1244L 6M 1-79-7 (D Q r-F � W t � � rDD S _= O 0-o D a� =3 �G c F-, (D 1� a) � m cn N. (D OQ o n N G) c (D W (D rT (D (D I i (D r 0 0 0 07 0 67 'I > r+ < rD 0 =5 +1 c Lf) rD Ln G) m 0 orq 0 V) — =3 0 fD Q. M. W, (D (D m x :3 =5 0 0 0 :3 ., 0- Ln != aj 0 :3 C) 0 Ln 0 0 0 > < rD