Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 5.A 02/06/20065.A CITY OF PETALUMA, CALI FORNIA February 6, 2006 AGENDA BILL Aeenda Title: Meetine Date: February 6, 2006 Approving City of Petaluma's Fulfillment of Components of Section 891.2 of the California Streets and Highways Code to be Eligible Meetine Time: ® 3:00 PM for Bike Transportation Plan (BTA) Grant Funds ❑ 7:00 PM Cateeory (check one): ® Consent Calendar ❑ Public Hearing ❑ New Business ❑ Unfinished Business ❑ Presentation Department: Director: Contact Person: Phone Number: Public Works Vince Marengo Frank Pemyy 778-4495 Cost of Pronosal: N/A Account Number: N/A Amount Budeeted: N/A Attachments to Agenda Packet Item: Name of Fund: N/A 1. Resolution 2. Petaluma Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan 891.2 Requirements Summary Summary Statement: The Petaluma Boulevard North Bicycle Lane Project application, as approved by resolution November 21, 2005, has the requirement of submitting an approved Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan. The Plan, as prepared by the Petaluma Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Group will be submitted as an appendix with the General Plan for Council outside the timeframe requested by the California Department of Transportation. Through discussions with Department of Transportation Staff it has been determined that documentation in support of the requirements of Section 891.2 of the California Streets and Highway Code will suffice for application approval. Items A -K of Section 891.2 are used to depict existing and proposed conditions of bike lanes, routes, parking, showers, and lockers within the City of Petaluma. As indicated in the prior agenda bill, this is a joint City and County of Sonoma project which consists of a drainage and shoulder widening to provide for Class 11 Bicycle Lanes on both sides of Petaluma Boulevard North, from Shasta Lane -Sycamore Avenue to the Petaluma River bridges near Bailey Avenue. Recommended Citv Council Action/Sueeested Motion: Council to approve the Petaluma Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan 891.2 Requirements Summary in response to the Application for grant funds for the Petaluma Boulevard North Bicycle Lane Project from the Bicycle Transportation Account. by Finance Director- Date: irectorDate: Todav's Date: Reviewed by City Attornev: ^ ^Date: Revision # and Date Revised: Approved by City Manager: �y Date: File Code: S:\Tmffic Division Folder\CC Agenda Reports\BTA Grant\BTA891.2 agenda bill.doc CITY OF PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA PETALUMA CITY COUNCIL FEBRUARY 6, 2006 AGENDA REPORT FOR APPROVING CITY OF PETALUMA's FULFILLMENT OF COMPONENTS OF SECTION 891.2 OF THE CALIFORNIA STREETS AND HIGHWAYS CODE TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR BIKE TRANSPORTATION PLAN (BTA) GRANT FUNDS 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The Petaluma Boulevard North Bicycle Lane Project application, as approved by resolution November 21, 2005, has the requirement of submitting an approved Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan. The Plan, as prepared by the Petaluma Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Group will be submitted as an appendix with the General Plan for Council outside the timeframe requested by the California Department of Transportation. Through discussions with Department of Transportation Staff it has been determined that documentation in support of the requirements of Section 891.2 of the California Streets and Highway Code will suffice for application approval. Items A -K of Section 891.2 are used to depict existing and proposed conditions of bike lanes, routes, parking, showers, and lockers within the City of Petaluma. As indicated in the prior agenda bill, this is a joint City and County of Sonoma project which consists of a drainage and shoulder widening to provide for Class II Bicycle Lanes on both sides of Petaluma Boulevard North, from Shasta Lane -Sycamore Avenue to the Petaluma River bridges near Bailey Avenue. ALTERNATIVES: a. Do not approve the summary and approve the entire Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan with the General plan at a later date, resulting in the application for BTA grant funds to be incomplete and delayed until later funding cycle. FINANCIAL IMPACTS: None associated with this resolution. 4. CONCLUSION: Staff will provide a copy of the summary and resolution for Department of Transportation and Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) review. 6. OUTCOMES OR PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENTS THAT WILL IDENTIFY SUCCESS OR COMPLETION: The Department of Transportation and Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) will approve the summary documentation in support of our application for Bicycle Transportation Account Funding. RECOMMENDATION: Council to approve the Petaluma Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan 891.2 Requirements Summary in response to the Application for grant funds for the Petaluma Boulevard North Bicycle Lane Project from the Bicycle Transportation Account. APPROVING CITY OF PETALUMA'S FULFILLMENT OF COMPONENTS OF SECTION 891.2 OF THE CALIFORNIA STREETS AND HIGHWAYS CODE TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR BIKE TRANSPORTATION PLAN (BTA) GRANT FUNDS WHEREAS, the Petaluma Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee has submitted a draft Petaluma Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan; and WHEREAS, the Petaluma Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee has summarized the requirement of Section 891.2 of the California Streets and Highway Code from said plan; and WHEREAS, the requirements of Section 891.2 of the California Streets and Highway Code shall be approved for authorization of funds for the Bicycle Transportation Account; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Petaluma approves the Petaluma Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan 891.2 Requirements Summary in response to the Application for grant funds for the Petaluma Boulevard North Bicycle Lane Project from the Bicycle Transportation Account. PETALUMA BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN PLAN 891.2 REQUIREMENTS SUMMARY The Petaluma Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee submitted a draft Petaluma Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan (BPP) to the City in November 2005. The BPP will be an appendix of the new General Plan. Public review and comment of the General Plan will take place in spring 2006 with adoption anticipated in fall 2006. The table below includes text from the draft BPP that supports the requirements of Section 891.2 of the California Streets and Highway Code. Section 891.2 Petaluma Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan Requirements (a) The estimated num- Compared to the state (0.8%) and county (0.8%), Petaluma has ber of existing bicycle a slightly higher percentage of people who bicycle to work commuters in the plan (0.9%). These figures can be expected to increase as more area and the estimated bicycle improvements are made and proposed development in increase in the number of Central Petaluma allows residents to live closer to jobs and bicycle commuters other destinations. resulting from imple- The California Blueprint for Bicycling and Walking mentation of the plan. recommends increasing bicycling and walking by 50% by 2010 and Petaluma should work to achieve this goal at the minimum. Using this guideline, 1.5% of commuters should bicycle to work by 2010. (b) A map and Land uses in Petaluma reflect historical trends and significance description of existing of transportation. Commercial, office, and industrial uses are and proposed land use located along the Petaluma River and major arterials in the city: and settlement patterns Petaluma Boulevard, McDowell Boulevard, Lakeville Street/ which shall include, but Highway, and Washington Street. Large business parks housing not be limited to, light industrial uses and many of the offices that contribute to locations of residential Telecom Valley are located on the far eastern side of Petaluma neighborhoods, schools, off Lakeville Highway and far western side along North shopping centers, public McDowell Boulevard. Large shopping centers are centrally buildings, and major located on McDowell Boulevard at Washington Street in employment centers. addition to the outlet mall on Petaluma Boulevard North. The large Redwood Gateway Center on North McDowell Boulevard near Redwood Way is under construction with some stores already in operation, and a large retail and hous-ing development is slated for the former Kenilworth Junior High School site on Washington Street near Highway 101. Large residential subdivisions, especially on the east side, illus- trate the development trends at the time of construction. Long blocks that assumed dependence upon the automobile characterize much of the northeast quadrant while curvilinear streets and cul-de-sacs designed to reduce cut -through traffic comprise much of the northwest section of Petaluma. Older residential areas closer to downtown are generally built on a grid system creating smaller blocks. CITY OF PETALUMA BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN PLAN SUMMARY Section 891.2 Petaluma Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan Requirements The Land Use Map is located at the end of this document. (c) A map and descrip- tion of existing and pro- Existing Bikeways posed bikeways. There are currently 14.4 miles of Class I, 17.6 miles of Class H, and 0.9 mile of Class III bikeways in Petaluma. Existing bikeways in Petaluma vary between the east side of the city and the west. Because the east side has been built over the past few decades, bikeways have been included in development or streets were wide enough to accommodate bike lanes at a later time. .Streets with bike lanes include Ely Road, Sonoma Mountain Parkway, Rainier, Casa Grande Road, McDowell Boulevard, Caulfield Road, and Maria. Trails are also more prevalent in the east side including the pathways along the urban separator, Lynch Creels, Capri Creek, Corona Creek, and Washington Creek. These trails and bike lanes provide a reasonable bikeway system. Retrofitting the west side of the city has been more difficult. Narrower streets and minimal right-of-way to increase street widths restrict which streets qualify for bike lanes. There are limited opportunities to add trails because of established development. Western Avenue, Bodega Avenue, B Street, and Industrial Avenue are the longest stretches of bike lanes in the west side. Existing trails are present along parts of the Petaluma River, in Putnam Regional Park, and in the Westridge neighborhood. Conditions of Approval for projects constructed over the past several years often included bike lanes. As a result, there are short segments of bike lanes that do not connect to other bikeways. Petaluma has 14.4 miles of Class I trails and 2.1 miles of recreational trails. Some attract users from all over the city while others appear to be neighborhood secrets. The most popular trail in Petaluma is at Shollenberger Park with connections to the Alman Marsh Trail and emerging Adobe Creek Trail, and will offer a future link to the trails proposed at the new wastewater treatment facility. The Urban Separator trail system provides a nearly continuous off-street trail along most of the eastern edge of the city from Kenilworth Junior High School to Casa Grande Road. Trails along Capri Creek, Corona CITY OF PETALUMA BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN PLAN SUMMARY Section 891.2 Petaluma Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan Requirements Creek, and Washington Creek have been constructed as development occurred. The Lynch Creek Trail offers an alternative to Washington Street for travel between the eastside and westside. The River Trail system has become a high-profile priority for the City to complement downtown redevelopment. Proposed Bikeways There are 18.6 miles of Class I, 30.0 miles of Class 11, and 22.3 miles of Class III bikeways proposed. One may notice proposed bike lanes on streets such as Petaluma Boulevard, Washington Street, Lakeville Street, and Bodega Avenue — all major arterial roadways that are currently not wide enough for bike lanes. These are vital routes for automobiles because they reach major destinations and provide good through -travel — the very same reasons bicyclists would like to have safe bikeways along these streets. Our hope is that any future street reconstruction involves the addition of bike lanes. If this is not feasible, then high-quality Class III bike routes should be installed. A list of bikeway projects can be found in Section 0). The bikeway map is located at the end of this document. (d) A map and Bicycle parking is located throughout the city, primarily in description of existing major shopping centers, downtown, schools, newer office parks, and proposed end -of -trip and the new Theatre District parking garage. Parking is bicycle parking facilities. prevalent in newer developments because the City's Zoning These shall in-clude, but Ordinance requires short- and long-term bicycle parking. A not be limited to, parking large number of existing bike racks are the "wave" racks or a at schools, shopping variety of "wheel bender" racks (the front wheel is locked to the centers, public buildings, rack) and situated in inconvenient locations. and major employment A unique partnership has been forged between the City and centers. Petaluma High School. The school's Manufacturing Technology department has a contract to manufacture post -and - loop bike racks as part of the downtown streetscape improvements. These racks will be a welcome addition to downtown as existing bike racks are scarce. One of the priority projects is a bike rack program, listed in Section 6). (e) A map and All Petaluma transit buses are equipped with front -loading bike description of existing racks that hold two bicycles. Exterior racks are also provided on and proposed bicycle all Golden Gate Transit buses that are 40 feet long or less. hr CITY OF PETALUMA BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN PLAN SUMMARY Section 891.2 Petaluma Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan Requirements transport and parking summer 2002, Sonoma County Transit became one of the first facilities for connections transit operators to install the new three bicycle front loading with and use of other bicycle racks on the fleet of full-sized buses. transportation modes. During busy commute hours, bike -bus riders are often faced These shall include, but with full front -loading bike racks when their bus arrives. It is not be limited to, parking important that bike racks be installed at bus stops so riders can facilities at transit stops, leave their bicycles in a secure location. Major bus stops in rail and transit terminals, Petaluma are equipped with bicycle racks. The Park and Ride ferry docks and landings, on Lakeville Highway at US 101 also has bicycle lockers, park and ride lots, and although they appear to be in a state of disrepair. provisions for trans- One proposed project in the Plan is a Bicycle Station which is porting bicyclists and planned for the Petaluma depot when the SMART commuter bicycles on transit or rail rail is operational. vehicles or ferry vessels. (f) A map and The Zoning Ordinance requires shower facilities in certain description of existing build-ings over 10,000 square feet. The showers and locker and proposed facilities facilities that have been installed in these buildings are only for changing and storing available to people who work there. There are no public shower clothes and equipment. facilities in Petaluma, nor are any planned. These shall include, but not be limited to, locker, restroom, and shower facilities near bicycle parking facilities. (g) A description of The Police Department is always concerned about bicycle and bicycle safety and edu- pedestrian safety and has programs to support this cause. PBAC cation programs con- has increased its involvement in education and promotional ducted in the area programs over the past several years, and some community included within the plan, organizations are also adding new and innovative programs. efforts by the law enforcement agency a Bicycle Rodeos having primary traffic law enforcement re- • Free Helmets sponsibility in the area to enforce provisions of the • Bike to Work Week/Day Vehicle Code per-taining to bicycle oper-ation, . Walk and Roll to School Week/Day and the resulting effect on accidents in -volving • Bicycle Safety Classes CITY OF PETALUMA BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN PLAN SUMMARY Section 891.2 Petaluma Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan Requirements bicyclists. • User Maps (h) A description of the The Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee has written extent of citizen and and reviewed this Plan, which is an appendix to the General community involvement Plan 2025. Input from other members of the public will be in development of the received during Draft General Plan and Draft Environmental plan, including, but not Impact Report workshops in the spring of 2006. Adjustments as limited to, letters of a result of additional public input will follow before the final support. Plan is adopted. (i) A description of how This plan is shaped and influenced by a number of existing the bicycle transport- planning documents and policies listed below. ation plan has been • Bay Area 2005 Ozone Strategy (Draft), September 2005 coordinated and is con- • Bay Area Ridge Trail sistent with other local or regional transport-ation, • Bay Trail Plan, July 1989 air quality, or energy • California Blueprint for Bicycling and Walking, May 2002 conservation plans, including, but not limited • Central Petaluma Specific Plan, June 2003 to, programs that provide • Petaluma River Access and Enhancement Plan, May 1996 incentives for bicycle commuting. • Regional Bicycle Plan, December 2001 3 • SCTA Countywide Bicycle Plan - 2003 Update • Accommodating Bicycle and Pedestrian Travel: A Recom- mended Approach • Deputy Directive 64 (DD -64) • Assembly Concurrent Resolution 211 (ACR 211) 0) A description of the Below are the top five bicycle facility projects and brief projects proposed in the descrip-tions of recommended improvements. plan and a listing of their • Petaluma Boulevard North & South: Class II wherever priorities for possible, improved Class III in gaps implementation. • Waslungton Street: Class II wherever possible, improved Class III in gaps • Lakeville Street and Highway: Class II wherever possible, Class Ill in gaps, Adobe Creek Trail crossing • Bike Rack Program: provide and install free bicycle racks 3 CITY OF PETALUMA BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN PLAN SUMMARY Section 891.2 Requirements Petaluma Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan within the public right-of-way • Loop Detector Improvements: adjust sensitivity and add pavement marking Other Priority Projects The bikeway projects listed below were singled out as additional priority projects. • Bike Boulevard Pilot Project • Bodega Avenue: Class H • Corona Road: Class II • D Street Bridge: improve sidewalk for bicycles • Keokuk Street: Class II • Magnolia Avenue: Class III • Redwood Highway: Class II • Western Avenue: Class H Top Priority Trail Projects The five projects listed below are the top priority multi -use trail projects. • River Trail • SMART Rail -with -Trail • Trail/ Roadway Intersection Improvements • Eastside Urban Separator Trail Gap Closure • Lynch Creek Trail Gap Closure Other Trail Projects Listed below are other trail projects that are also considered priorities. • Adobe Creek Trail 7 CITY OF PETALUMA BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN PLAN SUMMARY Section 891.2 Requirements Petaluma Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan • Lynch Creek Trail Upgrade • River Trail between Washington Creek and Lakeville Street ($1,600,000) • Water Street Phase I & II ($4,000,000) • Safe Routes to School Study ($43,000) Cost Estimates Approximately $16.5 million will be required to install the 70.9 miles of proposed bikeways. An additional $725,000 would fund other facilities (bike racks, lighting, trail signage, maintenance) and educational programs over the next 10 years. 10 • McDowell Boulevard North path • Rail -with -Trail along proposed trolley line • Urban Separator Trail Upgrade • Urban Separator Trail on Westside • Trail Signage Program • Lighting • Maintenance • Adopt -a -Trail Program (k) A description of past expenditures for bicycle Past Expenditures facilities and future A variety of bicycle facilities are installed with new financial needs for pro- development as required in Conditions of Approval. But over jects that improve safety the past five years since the adoption of the previous Bicycle and convenience for Plan, the City has contributed millions of dollars towards bicycle commuters in the maintenance and expansion of the bikeway network. Some of plan area. the projects include: • Washington Creek Trail ($225,000) • East Washington Creek Trail ($275,000) • Denman Reach ($500,000) • Steamer Landing ($250,000) • River Trail between Washington Creek and Lakeville Street ($1,600,000) • Water Street Phase I & II ($4,000,000) • Safe Routes to School Study ($43,000) Cost Estimates Approximately $16.5 million will be required to install the 70.9 miles of proposed bikeways. An additional $725,000 would fund other facilities (bike racks, lighting, trail signage, maintenance) and educational programs over the next 10 years. 10 D LN I REVISION DATE DECEMBER 1B, 2005 +' 0 CITY OF PETALUMA CALIFORNIA PROPOSED AND EXISTING BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES BICYCLE FACILITIES — CLASS I - OFF STREET - EXISTING --- CLASS I - OFF STREET -PROPOSED — CLASS II - ON STREET, STRIPED - EXISTING --- CLASS II- ON STREET, STRIPED - PROPOSED CLASS III - ON STREET, SIGNED - EXISTING --- CLASS III - ON STREET, SIGNED - PROPOSED — RECREATIONAL TRAIL, EXISTING -- RECREATIONAL TRAIL - PROPOSED - PETALUMA RIVER TRAIL t EXISTING BIKE RACK LOCATION O PROPOSED BIKE RACK LOCATION LEGEND ( CITY LIMIT URBAN GROWTH BOUNDARY RIVER AND CREEKS EDUCATION COMMON DESTINATIONS (RETAILIEMPLOYMENT) 6'-`j Park Open Space Np W Y�A�E 2,000 1,080 B 2,000 Feel SP( __—__ __-... S