HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 7691City of Palo Alto (ID # 7691)
City Council Staff Report
Report Type: Consent Calendar Meeting Date: 1/30/2017
City of Palo Alto Page 1
Summary Title: Resolution on Sub-regional Planning on Bike Routes
Title: Adoption of a Resolution of the Council of the City of Palo Alto in
Collaboration With the Cities of Redwood City, Menlo Park, and Mountain
View Directing Staff to Participate in Sub-Regional Planning on Bike Routes
From: City Manager
Lead Department: City Manager
Recommendation and Staff Motion
I move the Council adopt the attached resolution to allow our staff under the direction
of the City Manager to participate in a collaborative planning process between Palo Alto,
Mountain View, Menlo Park, and Redwood City to identify and plan for a safe and
accessible bicycle route for travel across and between our jurisdictions.
Background
Attached is a draft resolution for your proposed adoption, which will authorize our
participation a multi-city visioning process to identify a North-South bicycle route.
You will recall that the city managers of Menlo Park, Redwood City, Palo Alto, and
Mountain View (and the senior land officials at Stanford) have entered into a
partnership (the “Managers Mobility Partnership”) to address our shared transportation
challenges.
This group has made bicycle infrastructure a priority. Given the ease of implementation,
the low cost relative to other transportation projects, and the potential to make
significant improvements in a short time, upgrading the bike infrastructure in our
communities makes practical sense. For this reason, the group is in ongoing discussions
about the need for a North-South corridor traversing our four cities.
All four cities are bringing this resolution to our respective Councils in late January-early
February. The Managers Mobility Partnership is requesting a resolution from each of our
cities to do two things:
1.Carry out a shorter-term project to delineate existing North-South routes more
City of Palo Alto Page 2
effectively, with common signage across the four cities, and improvements
made where there are gaps and difficulties for the cyclist.
2. Initiate a longer-term creative process to identify new, more linear and more
continuous north-south route(s). The resolution supports a planning process for
a high-quality, protected, potential Class IV bike route, one that is safe for use
by cyclists from age 8 to age 80.
The resolution anticipates thorough, systematic, and broad-based community
engagement processes to identify the route(s). This project will require regular progress
reports to City Council and return for adoption of designation/creation of any new route
within Palo Alto.
Resource Impact
Staff impact could be significant, but worthwhile and within the goals of our
Bike/Pedestrian Plan and goals.
Budget Impact
Moderate related to our participation in the planning process but available funding is in
our budget is enough to support our participation.
Actual creation of a bike corridor as envisioned may have significant costs (and
benefits). We will need to identify funding in the future, when an approved project
exists. Those costs would be borne by each jurisdiction for its section. The passage of
Measure B by the voters of Santa Clara County makes $250 million available for bicycle
infrastructure projects. Other regional and state funds are also available on a
competitive basis.
Environmental Review
The proposed resolution would commit the City to participate in regional planning.
Non-binding planning and feasibility studies are exempt from review under the
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) per Section 15262 of the State CEQA
Guidelines. Any specific projects that are identified for funding and implementation as a
result of these planning studies will be subject to review.
Attachments:
Attachment A: Reso re Bike Routes
NOT YET APPROVED
1
170119 th 0140174
RESOLUTION No. ____
Resolution of the Council of the City of Palo Alto, in collaboration
with the Cities of Redwood City, Menlo Park, and Mountain View
Direction to Participate in Sub-Regional Planning on Bike Routes
A. The cities of Menlo Park, Mountain View, Palo Alto and Redwood City face
transportation and mobility challenges in our communities in the wake of regional population
growth and economic expansion; and
B. The managers of these four cities have agreed to work jointly to address these
challenges, through the Managers’ Mobility Partnership; and
C. Enhancing the bicycle network and associated infrastructure is a crucial
component of comprehensive transportation planning; and
D. Data shows biking collisions disproportionately affect disadvantaged people in
our region, and
E. Increasing the number of bicycle commuters is a shared goal of the four cities in
the Managers Mobility Partnership; and
F. An interconnected regional network of bicycle routes is necessary to increase the
number of people who choose to bicycle as a form of transportation;
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council does hereby RESOLVE as follows:
SECTION 1. The City of Palo Alto will participate in a collaborative process of identifying
a high-quality, safe, north-south Mid-Peninsula bicycle corridor which traverses the four
partner cities of the Managers’ Mobility Partnership.
SECTION 2. Each city will engage in its own public outreach process and coordinate
closely with the other Partnership cities to identify the potential route[s] for that north-south
bicycle corridor.
SECTION 3. The bicycle corridor will be one that is:
a. suitable for riders of all ages and abilities;
b. direct, and serves as an artery linking the partner cities;
c. identified by suitable signage;
NOT YET APPROVED
2
170119 th 0140174
d. provides access to downtown areas, job centers, and other intense land
uses as much as possible.
SECTION 4. In the short term, the cities will collaborate to address gaps, enhance
signage, and explore other improvements to the existing bicycle network between
communities.
INTRODUCED AND PASSED:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTENTIONS:
ABSENT:
ATTEST: APPROVED:
______________________________ _______________________________
City Clerk Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_____________________________ ________________________________
City Attorney Director of Planning & Community
Environment