HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 3.D 09/21/2015DATE: September 21, 2015
Agenda Item #3.D
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council through City Manager
FROM: Dan St. John, F.ASCE — Director, Public Works & Utilities
Larry Zimmer, P.E. — Deputy Director, Public Works & Utilities
SUBJECT: Resolution Accepting Completion of the Safe Routes to School Non -
Infrastructure Project
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt the attached Resolution Accepting Completion of
the Safe Routes to School Non -Infrastructure Project.
BACKGROUND
On December 5, 2011, City Council accepted the Cycle 3 Federal Safe Routes to School (SRTS)
Program Grant for the Safe Routes to School Plan. Staff applied for this grant to update and
expand on the existing Safe Routes to School Plan created in 2005 since many of the
recommended projects had been implemented. The goal of the Safe Routes to School Program is
to maintain and improve safety for students traveling to and from school by bicycle and on foot,
and to promote these modes for traveling to school for grades K-8.
Following Council approval and Caltrans authorization to proceed with the project, staff
requested proposals from consultants to prepare the plan and selected W -Trans of Santa Rosa.
The new plan includes eleven elementary schools, one alternative school campus of Valley Oaks,
and two junior high school campuses within Petaluma's city limits. This updated plan will help
the City be more competitive when applying for future State or Federal SRTS funding. The Safe
Routes to School Plan was adopted by Council on June 16, 2014. Although Council has
previously adopted the plan, Caltrans requires a resolution of project acceptance for the Safe
Routes to School grant.
The proposed action meets Council Goal: "Maintain a safe Petaluma."
DISCUSSION
Tasks to complete the new plan included field visits, school walkability studies, walking audits,
and student/parent surveys. Existing infrastructure was reviewed and included: sidewalk
continuity and condition along existing routes to school, including striping, signage, pavement
markings, presence of bike lanes and bike racks, pedestrian curb ramp locations, crosswalks,
crossing guards, and signalized intersections. In addition, infrastructure maps were created for
each school campus.
The Safe Routes to School planning process involved the public in several ways. Surveys were
circulated on every school campus for input on how many students currently biked, walked or
drove to school prior to plan preparation. The survey was geared towards finding out what
changes needed to be made to infrastructure or otherwise to encourage more walking or
bicycling. Staff presented the draft Safe Routes to School Plan to the Pedestrian and Bicycle
Advisory Committee (PBAC) at three regular meetings and provided progress updates
throughout. The PBAC unanimously recommended approval of the updated Safe Routes to
School Plan prior to Council adoption at the June 2014 meeting.
To assist in updating the Safe Routes to School Plan, the City of Petaluma met with stakeholders
comprised of City staff from Public Works and Utilities and the Police Department, and
representatives from the Youth Commission, PBAC, and each school.
The work plan included a second survey of students and parents after the plan was written, but
the adoption timeframe came at the beginning of summer break. Additionally Public Works and
Utilities wanted to complete some minor improvements, such as installing new school crosswalk
signs, paint crosswalks and red curbs to increase safety around the city schools before the second
survey was completed. The street crew workload is particularly high in summer and fall, so the
survey was delayed until after this work could be completed in the slower winter months.
Therefore the "after" surveys of the students, parents and teachers was distributed in the spring
of 2015 and have been compiled and reported in a final version of the Safe Routes to School
Plan. Unfortunately, due to the minor nature of the work completed the after surveys did not
show a significant change in the commuting habits of the students. The updated plan will greatly
assist the City in obtaining future grant funding to complete larger projects expected to have a
greater impact on students' future methods of commuting.
The plan is available to review on the City's website or by request to the City Engineer or City
Clerk's office.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS
The Plan does not commit new funding to infrastructure projects. All consultant and staff costs
have been 100% reimbursed by the Federal Safe Routes to School Grant. The maximum Federal
SRTS grant amount is $129,600, with $114,385 budgeted for W -Trans Professional Services
Agreement and remaining funds in the amount of $15,215 allocated for City staff time. At the
close of the grant, the consultant fees were slightly less than expected and the staff time was
slightly more, as summarized below.
Uses Budget
Estimated Grant
Reimbursement
Consultant Contract $114,385
$111,036
Salaries & Benefits $15,215
$18,564
TOTAL $129,600
$129,600
ATTACHMENTS
1. Resolution
Attachment 1
RESOLUTION ACCEPTING COMPLETION OF THE
CITY OF PETALUMA SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL NON -INFRASTRUCTURE
PROJECT
WHEREAS, staff successfully applied for the Cycle 3 Federal Safe Routes to School
Program (SRTS) funding and was awarded $129,600 toward the Safe Routes to School Plan
2011 Project; and
WHEREAS, the Plan is an infrastructure safe routes to school plan for fourteen Petaluma
school campuses; and
WHEREAS, the Plan represents an ongoing effort by the City to improve pedestrian and
bicycle safety; and
WHEREAS, the Plan will help prioritize safety improvements projects for school routes
to and from the fourteen school campuses and provide data for applying for future grant funding;
and
WHEREAS, the Plan was presented to the Petaluma Police Department, Pedestrian and
Bicycle Advisory Committee, the Youth Commission, and all school campuses for input and
comments; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Petaluma adopted the City of Petaluma Safe
Routes to School Plan on June 16, 2014; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Transportation requires a resolution of acceptance to
close-out this grant; and
WHEREAS, the estimated total cost of the Project is $129,600 and is within the
approved Project budget.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED based on the foregoing, the City Council of
the City of Petaluma accepts the Project on behalf of the City.
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