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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 2 - Attachment 2 - Complete Streets PolicyCOUNCIL POLICY CITY OF CHULA VISTA SUBJECT: City of Chula Vista Complete Streets Policy POLICY EFFECTIVE NUM13ER DATE PAGE 576 -19 08/18/2015 1 OF G ADOPTED BY: Resolution No. 2015 -198 DATED: 08/18/15 AMENDED BY: BACKGROUND The General Plan sets forth the goals of creating a safe, healthy, and vibrant community as well as a sustainable transportation circulation system that provides- transportation choices. The City's Strategic Plan also has goals and strategies to support a healthy and connected community. The proper planning of public streets - and their associated right of ways - drives the performance of these goals. The California Complete Streets Act of 2008 further requires municipalities to. plan for a .balanced; multimodal transportation network that meets the needs of all users. Since the transportation sector is the largest contributor of greenhouse gases in the State of California and the San Diego region, there is also legislation requiring better coordination between transportation and land uses as well as requirements for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. As such, many communities have developed "Complete Streets" policies to help ensure that their roadways are safe and accessible for all transportation users. REFERENCES • California Complete Streets Act of 2008 (AB 1358) • California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32) • California Sustainable Communities & Climate Protection Act of 2008 (SB 375) • City of Chula Vista Bikeway & Pedestrian Master Plans • City of Chula Vista Climate Action Plan • City of Chula Vista General Plan (Goals 6.1 and 6.3) • City of Chula Vista Strategic Plan • Healthy Chula Vista Initiative Action Plan • Institute of Traffic Engineers -"Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares: A Context Sensitive Approach" • National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) - "Urban Street Design Guide— • San Diego Association of Governments' Regional Transportation Plan PURPOSE Complete Streets can be defined as. roadways that are planned, designed, operated, and maintained to enable safe; convenient, and comfortable travel and access for users of all ages and abilities regardless of their mode of transportation. Transportation modes can include walking, bicycling, driving automobiles, riding public transportation, or delivering goods. This Complete Streets Policy outlines how the City will integrate "Complete Streets" design considerations and best practices into its community planning and municipal operations. Per the guidance and /or recommendations that may be provided, but not limited to the references listed above, examples of typical design components include street and sidewalk lighting; sidewalks and pedestrian safety improvements such as median refuges or crosswalk improvements; improvements that provide Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant accessibility, transit accommodations including improved pedestrian access to transit stops and bus shelters-, bicycle accommodations, shared -use lanes, Aftachment 2 COUNCIL POLICY CITY OF CHULA VISTA SUBJECT: City of Chula Vista Complete Streets Policy POLICY EFFECTIVE NUMBER DATE PAGE 576 -19 08/18/2015 2 OF 4 ADOPTED BY: Resolution No. 2015 -198 DATED: 08/18/15 AMENDED BY: wide travel lanes or bike lanes as appropriate; shade trees, and street furniture. By adopting a formal Complete Streets Policy, the City will be better positioned to improve mobility and connectivity, promote community health and well- being, improve air and water quality, increase safety, enhance neighborhoods and businesses, and advance the overall quality of life for all of Chula Vista's. citizens and visitors. The City will_ also be more aligned with new state and regional transportation agency guidance and anticipated grant funding requirements. POLICY All municipal and private development in the right of way shall be subject to the following policy. The City will also advocate for Complete Streets principles in joint projects with the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), California Department of Transportation (Caltraris), and the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS). 1. All Users & Modes The City of Chula Vista will ensure that all future roadway projects accommodate the safety, access, and convenience of all users of the transportation systems such as motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, children, persons with disabilities, seniors, movers of commercial goods, and users of public transportation. 2. All Projects & Phases Complete Streets design principles will be considered in the earliest stages of project development and may be achieved through single, comprehensive projects or incrementally through a series of smaller improvements over time. In addition, meetings with the Fire & Police Departments should be consulted to ensure that einergency response time goals are. maintained. 3. The Importance of a Nehvork The City of Chula Vista recognizes the necessity of promoting pedestrian, bicycle, and "public transportation network connectivity and -transportation mode - sharing as a viable alternative to the - automobile. As such, the City aims for a comprehensive network of streets that emphasize different modes, while still providing quality, safe access for each mode. The City acknowledges that, whenever. feasible, the integration of all travel modes-in the design of streets and highways should be pursued. The integration of a variety of travel modes is expected to increase the capacity and efficiency of the City's broader roadway network helping to reduce traffic congestion, while also improving local air quality and overall quality of life. 4. Design Criteria New.or reconstructed facilities should be designed to integrate a variety of travel modes and promote current Complete Streets best practices. Facility design should anticipate likely future demand for bicycling, walking, and transit facilities and not preclude the provision of related future improvements. Design criteria should be aligned with the City's General Plan and Bikeway and Pedestrian Master Plans COUNCIL POLICY CITY OF CHULA VISTA SUBJECT: City of Chula Vista Complete Streets Policy POLICY EFFECTIVE NU1'IBER DATE PAGE 576 -19 08119!2015 3 OF 4 ADOPTED BY: Resolution No. 2015 -198 DATED: 08/18/15 AMENDED BY: and be sensitive to impacts on emergency response time. Finally, the Cite will consider. innovative or nontraditional design options and integrate broader sustainability features such as electric vehicle charging infrastructure, bike- sharing/car- sharing, parklets, street decks, and smart street technologies when appropriate and feasible. 5. Context Sensitivity It will be important to the success of this Complete Streets Policy to ensure that the project development process includes early consideration of'the land use; transportation; and historical context of the project. In addition, gaps or deficiencies in the network for various user groups that could be addressed by the project should be identified and an assessment of any tradeoffs should be conducted to help balance the needs of all users. 6. Performance Measures Several factors may be used by City staff to evaluate the effectiveness of this Policy, such as: a. Community health data b. Customer satisfaction surveys c. Level of Service (LOS) d. Miles of bicycle routes and trails e. Miles of pedestrian sidewalks f. Number of bicycle, pedestrian, and motor vehicle crashes g. Number (or amount) of grants awarded h. Number of new or reconstructed curb ramps is Number of new or repainted crosswalks j. Number of new shade trees planted along streets k. Number of stakeholders engaged 1. Number of staff trained m. Percentage of transit stops with shelters n.. Vehicle , bicycle, and pedestrian counts o. Transit system ridership p. School transportation survey information (transportation to- and -from school) y. Emergency response time impacts Performance measures, both at the project and network level, will be selected based on the availability of applicable data. Evaluation of the Complete Streets Policy's effectiveness will be included as part of Bikeway and Pedestrian Master Plan updates, which typically occur every 5 years. 7, Exceptions Exceptions to the this Policy include: 1) when accommodation is not necessary on corridors where non - motorized use is prohibited, such as interstate freeways; 2) when cost of accommodation is excessively disproportionate to the need or probable use; 3) when there is a documented absence of current or future COUNCIL POLICY CITY OF CHULA VISTA SUBJECT: City of Chula Vista Complete Streets Policy POLICY NUMBER EFFECTIVE DATE PAGE 576 -19 08/18/2015 4 OF 4 ADOPTED BY: Resolution No. 2015 -198 DATED: 08/18/15 AMENDED BY: need; and 4) when implementation of certain complete street elements are detrimental to emergency service response times. Any exceptions must be approved by the City Engineer, 8. Implementation Initial implementation actions may include updating the City's .Capital Improvement Project (CIP) standard work and Tentative Map (TM) plan check standard work to incorporate early considerations for Complete Streets design principles, development of a complete streets checklist, transitioning the Growth Management Oversight Ordinance's traffic threshold to more broadly account for "transportation;'' and combining the Bikeway and Pedestrian Master Plans into a single, - comprehensive Active Transportation Master Plan. The Complete Streets - Policy's future implementation, progress reports, and revisions will be guided by ongoing consultations with the Safety Commission and through ongoing updates to the Bikeway /Pedestrian Master Plans,