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Home My WebLink AboutResolution 2022-075 N.C.S. 05/16/2022 Resolution No. 2022-075 N.C.S. Page 1 Resolution No. 2022-075 N.C.S. of the City of Petaluma, California RESOLUTION APPROVING A REQUEST TO ADOPT THE SONOMA COUNTY VISION ZERO ACTION PLAN AND COMMIT TO CITY-LEVEL ACTIONS TO REDUCE TRAFFIC FATALITIES TO ZERO BY THE YEAR 2030 WHEREAS, one death on our streets is one death too many; and WHEREAS, between 2016 and 2020, there were 18 traffic fatalities and 69 crashes that resulted in severe injury in the city of Petaluma; and WHEREAS, 8% of all Sonoma County trips are made on foot or bicycle, but these modes account for 19% of traffic deaths; and WHEREAS, impaired driving, unsafe turns, speeding, or failure to follow right-of-way rules are the primary causes of 52% of traffic deaths and severe injuries in the city of Petaluma; and WHEREAS, the Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee voted to recommend the Council approve this Resolution at their regular public meeting on May 4, 2022, after hearing public comments on this item; and WHEREAS, the city of Petaluma includes 14 of Sonoma County’s High Injury Intersections (HII) and 35 miles of the High Injury Network; and WHEREAS, Equity Priority Communities, especially those who have reduced access to transportation or who travel without using private vehicles, are most impacted by traffic fatalities and severe injuries; and WHEREAS, racial profiling and income inequality are reflected in disparities in traffic enforcement; and WHEREAS, between May 2019 and March 2021, the Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority, the County of Sonoma, and each of the incorporated jurisdictions adopted Climate Emergency Resolutions and committed to working on activities to address this state of climate emergency; and WHEREAS, on March 8, 2021, the Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority adopted a Sonoma Climate Mobilization Strategy which sets a goal of reaching countywide carbon neutrality by 2030; and WHEREAS, transportation accounts for 60% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Sonoma County with the burning of gasoline and diesel fuel for transportation as the leading cause of GHG emissions in this sector; and WHEREAS, the Sonoma Climate Mobilization Strategy 3: Drive Less Sonoma County Campaign is designed to reduce GHG emissions from the transportation sector by shifting trips from driving to biking, walking, and transit; and WHEREAS, one of the objectives of the Sonoma Climate Mobilization Strategy 3: Drive Less Sonoma County Campaign is to make biking and walking safer by implementing recommendations from the Sonoma County Vision Zero Action Plan; and DocuSign Envelope ID: 02658340-F5F2-4010-82AC-7B879285512F Resolution No. 2022-075 N.C.S. Page 2 WHEREAS, community input gathered through listening sessions and surveys in 2021 and 2022 found that many community members feel unsafe while walking, bicycling, or using mobility devices; and WHEREAS, choosing active transportation options like walking and biking also decreases mortality and morbidity from obesity-related diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, and creating safer streets is likely to encourage more active transportation, thereby increasing population health; and WHEREAS, 67% of community members across Sonoma County responding to the survey indicated enhanced safety features like protected bike lanes, and streets designed to slow traffic are the most favorable measures to addressing these challenges; and WHEREAS, other ongoing initiatives in the City of Petaluma, including Safe Routes to School programs, Local Road Safety Plan, etc., are supportive of the Vision Zero goal; and WHEREAS, the City of Petaluma has adopted “Complete Streets” policies, which require that they design transportation projects for the safety and convenience of people walking, bicycling, and taking transit as well as driving, and has made significant investments in improving bicycle and pedestrian facilities as part of the regular capital improvement planning process; and WHEREAS, the proposed action is exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15378, in that approving a Vision Zero Action Plan does not meet CEQA's definition of a “project,” because the action does not have the potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, and because the action constitutes organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment; and any specific action taken to implement the Vision Zero Action Plan will have its own analysis for compliance with CEQA; and WHEREAS, a commitment to Vision Zero is a commitment to life and equitable opportunity for people in the City of Petaluma. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of Petaluma hereby: 1. Declares that the above recitals are true and correct are incorporated herein as findings of the City Council. 2. Finds that the proposed action is exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15378, in that approving a Vision Zero Action Plan does not meet CEQA's definition of a “project,” because the action does not have the potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, and because the action constitutes organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. Moreover, any specific action taken to implement the Vision Zero Action Plan will have its own analysis for compliance with CEQA. 3. Adopts Vision Zero as a comprehensive and holistic approach to eliminating traffic fatalities and severe injuries. 4. Will put equity at its forefront when setting goals and implementing recommendations from the Sonoma County Vision Zero Action Plan, aiming to reduce harm to the most vulnerable users of the City of Petaluma’s roadway system. 5. Acknowledges and accepts that the Vision Zero Action Plan may involve changes to the City’s approach to the planning and design of streets, education and communication techniques, enforcement policies and procedures, and legal and legislative frameworks. DocuSign Envelope ID: 02658340-F5F2-4010-82AC-7B879285512F Resolution No. 2022-075 N.C.S. Page 3 6. Will work with partners that own, manage, design, and regulate streets within its jurisdiction to implement Vision Zero Action Plan strategies. 7. Is committed to using the standardized Vision Zero tracking tool to monitor their progress toward key actions outlined in the Sonoma County Vision Zero Action Plan or as defined by the City of Petaluma. 8. Will also consider tracking investments by neighborhood to ensure an equitable distribution that accounts for historical patterns of disinvestment. Under the power and authority conferred upon this Council by the Charter of said City. REFERENCE: I hereby certify the foregoing Resolution was introduced and adopted by the Council of the City of Petaluma at a Regular meeting on the 16th day of May 2022, by the following vote: Approved as to form: __________________________ City Attorney AYES: Mayor Barrett, Vice Mayor Pocekay, Barnacle, Fischer, Healy, King, McDonnell NOES: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None ATTEST: ______________________________________________ City Clerk ______________________________________________ Mayor DocuSign Envelope ID: 02658340-F5F2-4010-82AC-7B879285512F