Resolution 14763CITY OF ALAMEDA RESOLUTION NO. 14763
APPROVE A COMPLETE STREETS POLICY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH
REQUIREMENTS FROM THE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION
COMMISSION AND THE ALAMEDA COUNTY TRANSPORTATION
COMMISSION
WHEREAS, the term "Complete Streets" describes a comprehensive,
integrated transportation network with infrastructure and design that allows safe
and convenient travel along and across streets for all users, including
pedestrians, bicyclists, persons with disabilities, motorists, movers of commercial
goods, users and operators of public transportation, seniors, children, youth, and
families; and
WHEREAS, the City of Alameda recognizes that the planning and coordinated
development of Complete Streets infrastructure provides benefits for local
governments in the areas of infrastructure cost savings; public health; and
environmental sustainability; and
WHEREAS, the City of Alameda acknowledges the benefits and value for the
public health and welfare of reducing vehicle miles traveled and increasing
transportation by walking, bicycling and public transportation; and
WHEREAS, the State of California has emphasized the importance of Complete
Streets by enacting the California Complete Streets Act of 2008 (also known as
AB 1358), which requires that when cities or counties revise general plans, they
identify how they will provide for the mobility needs of all street users, as well as
through Deputy Directive 64, in which the California Department of
Transportation explained that it "views all transportation improvements as
opportunities to improve safety, access and mobility for all travelers in California,
and recognizes bicycle, pedestrian and transit modes as integral elements of the
transportation system "; and
WHEREAS, the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (known as AB
32) sets a mandate for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in California,
and the Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act of 2008 (known as
SB 375) requires emissions reductions through coordinated regional planning
that integrates transportation, housing, and land -use policy, and achieving the
goals of these laws will require significant increases in travel by public transit,
bicycling, and walking; and
WHEREAS, numerous California counties, cities, and agencies have adopted
Complete Streets policies and legislation to further the health, safety, welfare,
economic vitality, and environmental well -being of their communities; and
WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, through its One Bay
Area Grant (OBAG) program, described in Resolution 4035, requires that all
jurisdictions, to be eligible for OBAG funds, need to address complete streets
policies at the local level through the adoption of a complete streets policy
resolution or through a general plan that complies with the California Complete
Streets Act of 2008; and
WHEREAS, the City of Alameda's Local Action Plan for Climate Protection,
adopted in 2008, recommends revising street design standards and re-
engineering existing streets if economically feasible to promote pedestrian and
bicycle use, and to encourage alternative transportation modes; and
WHEREAS, the Alameda County Transportation Commission, through its Master
Program Funding Agreements with local jurisdictions, requires that all
jurisdictions must have an adopted complete streets policy to receive Measure B
pass- through and Vehicle Registration Fund funding; and
WHEREAS, the City of Alameda, therefore, in light of the foregoing benefits and
considerations, wishes to improve its commitment to Complete Streets, and
desires that its streets form a comprehensive and integrated transportation
network promoting safe and convenient travel for all users while preserving
flexibility, recognizing community context, and using design guidelines and
standards that support best practices; and
WHEREAS, the City of Alameda's 2009 Transportation Element update of the
General Plan is based on the same multimodal principles and elements required
in the Complete Streets Act of 2008, contains a Multimodal Goal to encourage
the use of transportation modes to be mutually supportive and to function
together as one transportation system as well as numerous policies and
objectives that prioritize alternative transportation modes over single occupancy
vehicles, and specifically identifies Transit Priority and Bicycle Priority streets
within the city; and
WHEREAS the City of Alameda has actively pursued enhancements to new
infrastructure to encourage alternative transportation modes, and is one of the
first cities in the county of Alameda to install and operate a bus priority signal,
which is at Willie Stargell Avenue and Webster Street.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of
Alameda adopts the Complete Streets Policy, in accordance with requirements
from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Alameda County
Transportation Commission, attached hereto as Exhibit A, and made part of this
Resolution, and that said exhibit is hereby approved and adopted; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Alameda will review its existing
General Plan to determine if it currently meets the Complete Streets policies and
principles of the California Complete Streets Act of 2008 (AB1358) and the
Complete Streets Policy adopted by this resolution and if not, the City of Alameda
will incorporate the necessary changes with the next substantial revision of the
City of Alameda General Plan Transportation Element.
Exhibit A: Complete Streets Policy of City of Alameda
This Complete Streets Policy was adopted by Resolution No. by the City
Council of the City of Alameda on , 2013.
Recognizing the many benefits to the community of Complete Streets, the
City of Alameda will, to the maximum extent feasible and practicable, plan,
fund, design, construct, operate and maintain its transportation system
and facilities so that they are safe and convenient for all users and modes,
as appropriate to the function and context of each facility, and in ways that
reflect local conditions and community values.
A. Complete Streets Principles
1. Complete Streets Serving All Users and Modes. The City of Alameda, through its
2009 Transportation Element update of the General Plan, has committed to creating
and maintaining Complete Streets that provide safe, comfortable and convenient travel
along and across streets (including streets, highways, bridges and other portions of the
transportation system) through a comprehensive, integrated transportation network that
serves all categories of users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, persons with disabilities,
motorists, movers of commercial goods, users and operators of public transportation,
emergency responders, seniors, children, youth and families. More specifically, the
Transportation Element update encourages the use of transportation modes to be
mutually supportive and to function together as one transportation system.
2. Context Sensitivity. In planning and implementing street projects, departments and
agencies of the City of Alameda will maintain sensitivity to local conditions in both
residential and business districts as well as urban and suburban areas, and will work
with residents, merchants and other stakeholders to ensure that a strong sense of place
ensues. Improvements that will be considered include sidewalks, shared use paths,
bicycle lanes, bicycle routes, paved shoulders, street trees and landscaping, planting
strips, accessible curb ramps, crosswalks, refuge islands, pedestrian signals, signs,
street furniture, bicycle parking facilities, public transportation stops and facilities, transit
priority signalization, and other features assisting in the provision of safe travel for all
users as identified in adopted plans.
3. Complete Streets Routinely Addressed by All Departments. All relevant
departments of the City of Alameda will work towards making Complete Streets
practices a routine part of everyday operations, approach every relevant project,
program and practice as an opportunity to improve streets and the transportation
network for all categories of users, and work in coordination with other agencies and
jurisdictions to maximize opportunities for Complete Streets, connectivity and
cooperation.
4. All Projects and Phases. Complete Streets infrastructure sufficient to enable
reasonably safe travel along and across the right of way for each category of users,
consistent with the City's Transportation Element update, will be incorporated into all
planning, funding, design, approval and implementation processes for any construction,
reconstruction, retrofit, maintenance, operations, alteration or repair of streets (including
streets, highways, bridges and other portions of the transportation system), except that
specific infrastructure for a given category of users may be excluded if an exception is
approved via the process set forth in section C.1 of this policy.
B. Implementation
1. Design. The City of Alameda will follow its own accepted or adopted design
standards, and will also evaluate using the latest design standards and innovative
design options, with a goal of balancing user needs. For example, the City of Alameda
will use its Pedestrian Design Guidelines (2011), the City's Transportation Element
update, and, when adopted, the Bicycle Facility Design Standards (expected to be
approved in early 2013).
2. Network /Connectivity. Consistent with the City's Transportation Element update,
the City of Alameda will incorporate Complete Streets infrastructure into existing streets
to improve the safety and convenience of all users, with the particular goal of creating a
connected network of facilities accommodating each category of users, and increasing
connectivity across jurisdictional boundaries and for anticipated future transportation
investments.
3. Implementation Next Steps. The City of Alameda will take the following specific
next steps to implement this Complete Streets Policy:
A. Plan Consultation and Consistency: Maintenance, planning and design of
projects affecting the transportation system will be consistent with the City's
Transportation Element update, local bicycle, pedestrian, transit, multimodal
and other relevant plans.
B. Stakeholder Consultation: Allow for stakeholder involvement, as early in the
development process as possible, on projects and plans as necessary to
support implementation of this Complete Streets policy by the City of
Alameda. At this time, the key stakeholders for bicycle - related issues is
BikeAlameda, for pedestrian - related issues is Pedestrian Friendly Alameda
and for transit - related issues is AC Transit. In addition, the Planning Board
will be consulted on land development projects; the Transportation
Commission will be consulted on capital improvement projects.
4. Performance Measures. All relevant departments will perform evaluations of how
well the transportation network of the City of Alameda is serving each category of users
by collecting baseline data and collecting follow -up data on a regular basis such as
transit ridership and turning movement counts at select intersections. In 2006, the City
collected turning movements at select intersections for motor vehicles, bicyclists and
pedestrians. AC Transit staff provides Public Works staff with ridership data on a
regular basis. The City will use the Transportation Element policy 4.3.1.g as the
established performance measure.
4.3.1.g Establish targets for increasing mode share of non -SOV
transportation modes.
1. Increase daily non -SOV mode share (transit, walking, bicycling) by 10
percentage points by 2015 as compared to 2000.
2. Increase the share of children who walk or bicycle to school by 10
percentage points by 2015 as compared to 2000.
Public Works staff will collect follow -up intersection turning movement data on a regular
basis to determine how well the City's transportation network is serving different
categories of users.
C. Exceptions
1. Exception Approvals. Exceptions to this Complete Streets policy may be allowed on
a case -by -case basis. In general, the Planning Board will have the authority to approve
an exception in the case of a land development project, while the Transportation
Commission will have this authority in the case of a capital improvement project. Prior
to granting the exception, the Community Development Director, in the case of the
Planning Board, and the Public Works Director, in the case of the Transportation
Commission, will provide as part of the staff report written findings for the exception
explaining the need for the exception and why accommodations for all users and modes
could not be included in the development plan or project.
I, the undersigned, hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly and
regularly adopted and passed by the Council of the City of Alameda in a regular
meeting assembled on the 14th day of January, 2013, by the following vote to wit:
AYES: Councilmembers Chen, Daysog, Ezzy Ashcraft, Tam and
Mayor Gilmore — 5.
NOES: None.
ABSENT: None.
ABSTENTIONS: None.
IN WITNESS, WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official
seal of said City this 15th day of January 2013.
�--
Lara Weisiger, City erk
City of Alameda