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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 12323 City of Palo Alto (ID # 12323) City Council Staff Report Report Type: Action Items Meeting Date: 8/9/2021 City of Palo Alto Page 1 Summary Title: South Palo Alto Bikeways Title: Review South Palo Alto Bikeways Phase 1 Community Feedback and Concept Plan Alternatives, and Approve Preferred Concept Plan From: City Manager Lead Department: Transportation Department Recommendation Staff recommends that the City Council: 1. Receive a presentation on the South Palo Alto Bikeways project phase 1 community engagement summary and initial concept plan alternatives; 2. Approve the preferred concept plan for the following project segments: a. Waverely Multi-Use Path Alternative 2 Widen Towards Either Side b. Fabian Way – Protected bicycle lanes on both sides c. E. Meadow Drive Segment 1 between E. Meadow Circle and Fabian Way – Standard bicycle lanes on both sides d. E. Meadow Drive Segment 2 between Alma Street and Waverley Street – Protected bicycle lanes on both sides e. E. Meadow Drive Segment 3 between Waverley Street and Middlefield Road – Protected bicycle lane on one side with buffered bicycle lane on the other side f. E. Meadow Drive Segment 4 between Middlefield Road and E. Meadow Circle – Traffic calming and bicycle lane visibility treatments, including travel lane width reduction from 11 to 10 feet Executive Summary The purpose of the report and discussion is to summarize the initial community engagement phase of the South Palo Alto Bikeways Project and receive direction on whether the project should be continued. If Council recommends further pursuit of this project, staff recommend Council support the preferred concept identified by the community engagement process. The South Palo Alto Bikeways project proposes bicycle facility improvements for the Waverley Multi-Use Path on Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) land, Fabian Way, and East Meadow Drive. This project invests in the city’s bicycle network to provide safer infrastructure City of Palo Alto Page 2 for students commuting to school via bicycle and encourages mode shift to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The project was awarded federal funds for construction and must receive all Caltrans approval to initiate the construction phase by January 2023. Staff re-engaged Council and Planning and Transportation Commission (PTC) on this project in January 2021 about the community engagement approach. Subsequently, staff brought on-board the City’s on-call consultant to begin the first phase of engagement. The original grant scope committed the City to delivery of protected bikeways along Fabian Way and E. Meadow Drive. After conversations with the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), the City was asked to deliver at a minimum a protected bikeway along Fabian Way or E. Meadow Drive and a scope as close as possible to protected bikeways along any corridor without a continuous protected bikeway. A main goal of the first phase of community engagement was to assess community support for protected bikeways. Overall, the community wishes to see the Waverley Multi-Use Path widened towards either side of the existing path. There is general support for protected bikeways along Fabian Way, E. Meadow Drive between Alma Street and Waverley Street, and E. Meadow Drive between Waverley Street and Middlefield Road. Based on community feedback, staff identified challenges and additional considerations for E. Meadow Drive. Specifically, concerns were raised about reduced parking for residents along E. Meadow Drive east of Middlefield Road. A few community suggestions implied that the existing conditions be retained here, with parking on both sides of the street. However, existing right- of-way does not allow for buffered/protected bikeways and retention of parking on both sides of the street. Preserving the existing conditions along E. Meadow Drive east of Middlefield Road will exclude any protection or separation from vehicle lanes. PTC action on July 14, 2021 recommended all preferred concept segments to the City Council with two requests regarding E. Meadow Drive Segment 4. PTC recommended 1) a revised solution which omits or mitigates the proposed loss of estimated 80 parking spaces necessary for public parking for parks, ADU, and other residents and 2) that staff continue to negotiate with VTA to maintain the grant funding with these changes in the .58-mile segment. VTA staff welcomes discussion and collaboration to work out the complexities for this segment but emphasize that retaining the existing conditions along E. Meadow Drive beyond Middlefield Road considerably diverges from the original grant scope. Conversations with VTA staff after the July 14th PTC direction resulted in some flexibility to the grant scope allowable by VTA for Segment 4. To provide safety benefits on this segment, VTA may accept traffic calming and bicycle lane visibility treatments in lieu of protected or buffered bicycle lanes and the parking lane reduction. Based on the PTC recommendation and community feedback, City staff propose the following potential treatments for E. Meadow Drive Segment 4 to be considered for community City of Palo Alto Page 3 engagement and feasibility, including but not limited to: travel lane width reduction from 11 to 10 feet wide, green paint at the start of the bike lanes on each block, mid-block bike lane stencils, and additional traffic calming treatments, if feasible. If there is community support for these alternative treatments, staff are confident that VTA will allow the City to retain the grant funds for the project. Background The South Palo Alto Bikeways project proposes bicycle facility improvements for the Waverley Multi-Use Path on Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) land between East Meadow Drive and East Charleston Road, Fabian Way from E. Meadow Drive to E. Charleston Road, and East Meadow Drive from Alma Street to Fabian Way. The project was awarded federal funds from the Vehicle Emissions Reductions Based at Schools (VERBS) program, a subprogram of the One Bay Area Grant 2 (OBAG 2) program for construction, and the project must receive all Caltrans approval to initiate the construction phase by January 2023. Image 1: Project Map Since the grant award, planning for this project was on hold because of challenges with staffing resources. Earlier this year in January, staff reengaged Council and PTC on this project. Staff shared details about the community engagement approach and requested funding to move forward with the first phase of community engagement. The staff report for Council Action on January 25, 2021 can be found here: CMR 11757, <https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/agendas-minutes-reports/reports/city- manager-reports-cmrs/2021/id-11757.pdf>. In March 2021, staff brought on-board the City’s on-call consultant, Fehr & Peers, to begin work for this project. A summary of tasks included: City of Palo Alto Page 4 • Collecting new peak hour turning movement counts and new 48-hour automated tube counts at selected roadway segments. • Developing initial concept plan alternatives for all three corridors to aid in soliciting feedback. • Creating marketing and social media materials including translation into Spanish and Chinese. • Leading and presenting at 7 events including, 4 webinars with simultaneous translation into Spanish, 2 meetings with standing advisory committees, and 1 meeting with school communities. • Revising initial concept plan alternatives into a preferred concept plan based on public comments. Reflecting on lessons learned from the Neighborhood Transportation Safety and Bicycle Boulevards (NTSBB) project, the goals of the first phase of community engagement included: • Informing the community about grant-required project components • Educating the community on different types of bicycle facilities and especially how buffered and protected bikeways could operate along Fabian Way and E. Meadow Drive • Consulting on design ideas along the Waverley Multi-Use Path • Developing initial concept plan alternatives to depict potential improvements and solicit feedback • Returning to Council with a preferred concept plan The pandemic has highlighted digital methods for engaging large numbers of people. It has also underscored the need to reach out to and support those who are on the other side of the digital divide, who may not speak or read English, or whose jobs make it difficult for them to participate in meetings or events. As such, based on pandemic restrictions and budget realities, a variety of methods were used to expand the project’s reach. More details on the first phase of community engagement can be found in the Stakeholder Engagement section below. Discussion The South Palo Alto Bikeways project reduces risk to growing numbers of student bicyclists and aligns with City policies regarding climate change and sustainability. The project proposes improvements to three corridors: the Waverley Multi-Use Path, Fabian Way, and E. Meadow Drive. This project will improve the bicycle facilities adjacent to the new Highway 101 Pedestrian and Bike Bridge and Adobe Creek Reach Trail, parks, housing, public schools, private pre-schools, the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center (JCC), and Kehillah High School. The project will reduce risks to the users of these facilities by increasing the distance between bicycle riders and moving or parked vehicles via protected or buffered bicycle lanes. By adding protected or buffered bicycle lanes adjacent to the South Palo Alto destinations mentioned above, this project furthers Council-approved plans and sustainability goals. It builds City of Palo Alto Page 5 out part of the 2012 Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan and aligns with the Comprehensive Plan and adopted sustainability and climate action goals by encouraging mode shift via improved infrastructure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Separated Bicycle Facility Considerations It must be noted that buffered or protected bicycle lanes require more room than standard bicycle lanes. Given Palo Alto’s street widths, reapportionment of street space is required if staff are to carry out the City’s adopted transportation plans and meet Council environmental goals. Parking removal and lane reductions will be at the core of project decision-making if Council desires future installations of buffered or protected facilities in pursuit of Council’s climate action targets. The original grant scope committed the City to delivery of protected bikeways along both Fabian Way and E. Meadow Drive. After conversations with the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), the City must deliver at a minimum a protected bikeway along Fabian Way or E. Meadow Drive but must deliver a scope as close as possible to protected bikeways along any corridor without a continuous protected bikeway. A goal of the first phase of community engagement was to share initial concept plan alternatives that reflect how buffered and protected bikeways could operate along Fabian Way and E. Meadow Drive. Recent School Bicycling Trends The City’s transportation plan implementation efforts are bearing fruit, showing that transportation programs and infrastructure changes are supporting increased bicycling. With consistent investments in the bicycle network and collaboration of the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Partnership, the City has seen recent student biking numbers grow at around 1% per year across the district, with 2019 counts showing that over half of all PAUSD middle and high school students commuted to school via bicycle. The student catchment areas for Fairmeadow and Hoover Elementary Schools, JLS Middle School, and Gunn High School are served by this project. Table 1 shows Fall 2019 bicycle parking counts for these and all PAUSD middle and high schools. Images 2 and 3 below display historic bicycle counts at PAUSD middle schools and high schools. These data do not include students who arrive at school on foot. Most schools in the U.S. see single-digit rates for walking and biking combined.1 1 Everett Jones S, Sliwa S. School Factors Associated With the Percentage of Students Who Walk or Bike to School, School Health Policies and Practices Study, 2014. Prev Chronic Dis 2016;13:150573. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd13.150573 . City of Palo Alto Page 6 Table 1: Selected 2019 Bicycle Parking Counts School Name Parked Bikes School Enrollment % Biking Project-Adjacent Elementary Schools Fairmeadow 102 437 23% Hoover 28 391 7% All Middle Schools JLS 760 1,084 70% Greene 637 952 67% Fletcher 277 638 43% Total 1,674 2,674 63% All High Schools Gunn 982 1,981 50% Paly 1,120 2,163 52% Total 2,102 4,144 51% All PAUSD Schools All Schools 4,535 11,586 39% Source: Data gathered by PTA volunteers in Fall 2019 and compiled by City of Palo Alto SRTS staff. Image 2: PAUSD Middle School Historic Bike Counts (%), 1985 - 2019 Source: Data gathered by PTA volunteers and compiled by City of Palo Alto SRTS staff. City of Palo Alto Page 7 Image 3: PAUSD High School Historic Bike Counts (%), 1985 - 2019 Source: Data gathered by PTA volunteers and compiled by City of Palo Alto SRTS staff. Even higher biking and walking rates among students may occur this fall and beyond as late-start bell times for middle school (8:30 am) and high school (9:00 am) may no longer align with the schedules of parents driving to work. Investing in appropriately sized infrastructure that provides more separation between those on bicycles and moving or parked vehicles will be key to accommodating and safeguarding larger peak bicycle flows and helping more families and residents choose bicycling for school and other trips in Palo Alto. Sustainability and Climate Action Considerations In addition to the City’s high student bicycle mode share, City data and studies by others point to the need for the kinds of separated bicycle facilities that this project proposes. The City is currently updating its Sustainability & Climate Action Plan (S/CAP). The analysis from this effort reveals that the transportation sector represents the City of Palo Alto’s largest source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Image 4 is a graphical representation of the City’s GHG emission profile. In order to shrink the transportation sector’s contributions to climate change, the City will need to find ways to decrease resident and visitor reliance on internal combustion engines. City of Palo Alto Page 8 Image 4: Palo Alto 2019 GHG Emissions by Sector Source: Palo Alto 2019 GHG Inventory, AECOM. Worldwide, cities seeking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions via mode shift are planning for separated facilities such as buffered or protected bike lanes (and protected intersections) as these facilities attract more riders who would otherwise view biking as too dangerous. Significantly, strategies to convert vehicle trips to active forms of travel, such as bicycling or walking (also known as mode shift), are relatively low-cost, efficient, and equitable compared to strategies aimed at electrification of vehicle trips.2 The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has highlighted the provision of separate cycling facilities along heavily traveled roads and intersections, including traffic calming of residential neighborhoods as key approaches to increase bicycle mode share.3 2 Litman, Todd, Win-Win Transportation Emission Reduction Strategies: Smart Transportation Strategies Can Reduce Pollution and Provide Other Important Economic, Social and Environmental Benefits, Victoria Transport Policy Institute, 22 April 2021 3 Sims R., R. Schaeffer, F. Creutzig, X. Cruz-Núñez, M. D’Agosto, D. Dimitriu, M.J. Figueroa Meza, L. Fulton, S. Kobayashi, O. Lah, A. McKinnon, P. Newman, M. Ouyang, J.J. Schauer, D. Sperling, and G. Tiwari, 2014: Transport. In: Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Edenhofer, O., R. Pichs-Madruga, Y. Sokona, E. Farahani, S. Kadner, K. Seyboth, A. Adler, I. Baum, S. Brunner, P. Eickemeier, B. Kriemann, J. Savolainen, S. Schlömer, C. von Stechow, T. Zwickel and J.C. Minx (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA. City of Palo Alto Page 9 Adding more support for separate facilities, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide states: Separated bike lanes can appeal to a broad range of people and in doing so contribute to increases in bicycling volumes and rates. A June 2014 National Institute for Transportation and Communities report entitled "Lessons from the Green Lanes: Evaluating Protected Bike Lanes in the U.S.." observed that ridership on all facilities increased after the installation of separated facilities. Survey data showed that 10% of current riders switched from other modes and that over a quarter of riders are bicycling more in general because of the separated bike lanes. This report is available at: http://trec.pdx.edu/research/project/583 <https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/exit.cfm?link=http://trec.pdx.edu/research/project/583>. As part of a connected bicycle network, separated bike lanes can: • Provide a more comfortable experience for less-skilled riders; • Improve access to destinations such as schools, jobs, health care facilities, and essential services; • Enhance access to public transportation, for example by helping to solve the first/last mile challenge; • Improve access to employment opportunities, especially for those without [or with limited] access to a private automobile; and • Provide a linkage between regional trail systems. Finally, separated facilities support the safety of pedestrians by reducing crossing distances and reducing the number of sidewalk riders. Project Segment Considerations Improvements to the Waverley Multi-Use Path will include widening the path where feasible to accommodate high flows and varying speeds of bicyclists and pedestrians. Repaving and regrading will also be considered to help mitigate uneven surfaces. Improvements to the Waverley Multi-Use Path are limited by available right-of-way as well as by existing elements surrounding the path such as fire hydrants and protected trees. Another goal of the first phase of community engagement was to present potential design ideas for this path that proposed little to no physical impacts to surrounding elements. Staff is conducting continuous conversations on construction feasibility with PAUSD, the Fire Department, and arborists to determine if path bottlenecks at fire hydrants and selected tree locations can be addressed. To enhance bicyclist visibility and safety and respond to the grant requirements and community feedback, potential changes along Fabian Way may require reconfiguration of travel lanes while standardizing bicycle and parking lane widths. This project proposes travel lane reduction to provide protected bike lanes on Fabian, which has the highest observed speeds of the on-road segments of this project. City of Palo Alto Page 10 Community feedback documented that the existing condition on E. Meadow Drive is sub-optimal for the peak flows of cyclists and pedestrians using the street. The parking lanes on E. Meadow Drive are of non-standard width, so parked vehicles either extend onto the sidewalks via rolled curbs or into the bike lanes, where opening car doors pose further risk to those on bikes. This project proposes removing a parking lane on E. Meadow Drive in order to right-size the remaining parking lane and bicycle facilities, prioritizing the safety of everyone who uses the street. School Circulation Considerations on E. Meadow Near JLS Middle School, Fairmeadow Elementary School, and Mitchell Park, the concept plan alternative would install a buffered bike lane on E. Meadow Dr. on the residential side of the street (preserving curb parking adjacent to housing) and create a protected bikeway along the school/park side by removing approximately 34 parking spaces between Waverley St. and Mitchell Park driveway. The 19 angled parking spaces along the Fairmeadow school frontage would remain accessible to both Fairmeadow and JLS users as the 15-minute offset between the schools’ bell times will be preserved, with Fairmeadow commencing at 8:15am and JLS starting at 8:30am. Both schools have loading zones for students arriving by car, with Mitchell Park serving as the sanctioned historical overflow loading zone for all three schools adjacent to the park. Bike parking on the JLS campus accommodates over 800 students, and the City's Safe Routes to School staff partner with PAUSD staff to increase campus bike parking as the number of students who bike continues to grow. 1. Preferred Concept Plan and Next Steps To provide transparency into how the bikeway concepts evolved into the proposed preferred concept plan, initial concept plan alternative drawings are available in Attachment C. Based on community feedback, staff developed a Preferred Concept Plan that minimizes parking removal and responds to the grant scope requirement of protect bikeways. The full Preferred Concept Plan drawing is available in Attachment E. Below are brief descriptions of key elements proposed for each corridor and next action steps. Note that the staff recommendation for Segment 4 has changed based on PTC direction and follow-up with VTA. See the Planning and Transportation Commission Action section for details. 1.1. Waverley Multi-Use Path Preferred Alternative – Alternative 2 Widen Towards Either Side: • Widen the path towards the tree-lined grassy strip and/or school buildings where feasible and replace the existing fence with other types of separations (e.g. concrete curbs, bollards, lower fences, or artistic fences aligned with the school setting) • Next steps: o Perform focused community engagement around the desired types of separation City of Palo Alto Page 11 o Coordinate with PAUSD and the Fire Department to closely examine locations for widening that would address bottlenecks due to existing trees and fire hydrants Image: View of Waverley Multi-Use Path Alternative 2 with concrete curbs looking towards E. Charleston Road 1.2. Fabian Way Preferred Alternative – Alternative 2 Protected Bicycle Lanes on Both Sides: • 6’ protected bicycle lane in both directions with 3’ separation (e.g. concrete curbs or bollards) from parked and moving vehicles • Existing parking on the east side (JCC side) will be preserved and will serve as a barrier between the vehicle lane and bicycle lane • 1 existing vehicle lane in each direction will be removed with a new two-way left- turn lane will be added • Next steps: o Conduct detailed traffic and parking studies o Perform focused community engagement around on-street parking provision and the need to accommodate safe passage for young/novice bicyclists. o Consider removal of the substandard midblock crossing on Fabian Way between E. Charleston Road and Federation Way o Explore design options to provide safer left-turns for bicyclists on Fabian Way into the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center and onto E. Meadow Drive o Implement temporary treatments as appropriate Image: Section view of Fabian Way Alternative 2 looking towards W. Bayshore Road City of Palo Alto Page 12 1.3. E. Meadow Drive Preferred Alternative: Given the different widths and purposes in different blocks along E. Meadow Drive, E. Meadow Drive has been separated into segments. Image 5: E. Meadow Drive Segments 1.3.1. Segment 1 between E. Meadow Circle and Fabian Way – Alternative 2 Standard Bicycle Lanes on Both Sides: • 6’ standard bicycle lane in both directions with no separation • Existing parking lane on the north side (W. Bayshore Road side) will be preserved • Next steps: o Explore design options to provide safer left-turns for bicyclists on E. Meadow Drive onto the Adobe Creek Reach Trail o Implement temporary treatments as appropriate Image: Section view of E. Meadow Drive Segment 1 looking towards E. Meadow Circle 1.3.2. Segment 2 between Alma Street and Waverley Street – Protected Bicycle Lanes on Both Sides: • 6’ protected bicycle lane in both directions with 3’ physical separation (e.g. concrete curbs or bollards) from parked and moving vehicles • Existing parking on the north side (residential side) will be removed • Existing parking on the south side (school side) will be preserved and will serve as a barrier between the vehicle lane and bicycle lane • 1 new left-turn lane in each direction onto Waverley Street will be added City of Palo Alto Page 13 Image: Section view of E. Meadow Drive Segment 2 looking towards W. Bayshore Road 1.3.3. Segment 3 between Waverley Street and Middlefield Road – Protected Bicycle Lane on One Side with Buffered Bicycle Lane on the Other Side: • 6’ buffered bicycle lane on the north side (residential side) with 3’ painted buffer between vehicle lane and bicycle lane • 6’ protected bicycle lane on the south side (school side) with 3’ physical separation (e.g. concrete curbs or bollards) from moving vehicles • Existing parking on the north side will be preserved • Existing parking (approximately 39 spaces) on the south side will be removed • 1 new left-turn lane in each direction onto Waverley Street will be added Image: Section view of E. Meadow Drive Segment 3 looking towards W. Bayshore Road 1.4. Segment 4 between Middlefield Road and E. Meadow Circle – Buffered Bicycle Lane on Both Sides*: • 6’ buffered bicycle lane in both directions with 3’ painted buffer between vehicle and bicycle lanes • Existing parking on the north side (residential side) will be preserved • Existing parking (approximately 80 spaces) on the south side (park side) will be removed City of Palo Alto Page 14 Image: Section view of E. Meadow Drive Segment 4 looking towards W. Bayshore. Road *Note that the staff recommendation for Segment 4 has changed based on PTC direction and follow-up with VTA. See the Planning and Transportation Commission Action section below. 2. Fabian Way Gap Closure The Fabian Way project corridor will close an infrastructure gap for bicyclists connecting between E. Charleston Road and Fabian Way. The addition of these bicycle facilities will complement the development of the Charleston Arastradero project. If Council decides to terminate the South Palo Alto Bikeways project, staff plans on returning with a recommendation to provide safer bicycle facilities around the intersection of E. Charleston Road and Fabian Way. 3. E. Meadow Drive Challenges and Considerations Community feedback gathered so far indicates that some stakeholders oppose the parking lane removal on E. Meadow Drive, particularly east of Middlefield Road. The staff recommendation has been changed per PTC direction and follow-up with VTA to retain parking on Segment 4 and provide traffic calming and visibility improvements. If the City cannot provide buffered or protected bike lanes including the new traffic calming treatments to fulfill the terms of the grant, the City may need to consider discontinuing the project. Based on community feedback through the online survey, 53% of the participants indicated a preference for protected bikeways, 24% for buffered bicycle lanes, and 23% either didn’t express a preference or a preference for an option not presented. Protected bikeways were more desired between Alma Street and Middlefield Road compared to Middlefield Road and E. Meadow Circle. While survey results reflect general support for protected bikeways, there are concerns for the loss of parking, particularly between Middlefield Road and E. Meadow Circle. Some community suggestions implied that the existing conditions be retained here, which excludes any protection or separation from vehicle lanes. The original grant scope committed the City to deliver protected bikeways along Fabian Way and E. Meadow Drive. Prior to the June 14th PTC meeting, staff presented to VTA the community’s desire to maintain existing conditions between Middlefield Road and E. Meadow Circle. VTA staff understood that a continuous protected bikeway along E. Meadow Drive is City of Palo Alto Page 15 challenging. VTA requested the City deliver a scope as close as possible to protected bikeways on E. Meadow Drive but maintained that retaining the existing conditions between Middlefield Road and E. Meadow Circle considerably diverges from the original grant scope and could put the grant funding in jeopardy. After the June 14th PTC meeting, the staff recommendation for Segment 4 changed based on PTC direction and follow-up with VTA. See the Planning and Transportation Commission Action section below. 4. Qualitative Traffic Evaluation A Qualitative Traffic Evaluation was performed to understand existing traffic conditions and land use context. If the project moves forward, more detailed traffic analysis will be performed on the preferred concept plan. A robust Traffic Impact Analysis is not neceesary during this preliminary phase because the Waverley Multi-Use Path is an off-street facility and vehicle lane removals are not proposed along E. Meadow Drive. One of the initial concept alternatives for Fabian Way does propose removal of one existing vehicle lane in each direction with addition of a new two-way left-turn vehicle lane. However, as part of the Charleston-Arastradero Road Corridor project, the planned elimination of the dual right turns from E. Charleston Road traveling west onto Fabian Way suggests that there is likely little need for two northbound lanes on Fabian Way. The capacity needed southbound on Fabian Way is mainly at the intersection turning onto E. Charleston Road, which will be maintained. Since there were limited historic data on the three project segments, daily weekday vehicle speed and volume counts, as well as weekday AM and PM peak-period intersection turning movement counts were collected in April 2021. Note that this data was collected during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Qualitative Traffic Evaluation Memorandum is available in Attachment A. Daily weekday vehicle speed and volume from 48-hour counts were collected at the following locations: 1. Meadow Drive between Alma Street and Waverley Street 2. Meadow Drive between Waverley Street and Middlefield Road 3. Meadow Drive between Middlefield Road and Ross Road 4. Meadow Drive between Ross Road and East Meadow Circle 5. Fabian Way between East Meadow Drive and Federation Way 6. Fabian Way between Federation Way and East Charleston Road Weekday AM and PM peak-period intersection turning movement counts were collected at the following locations: 1. Waverley Street / East Meadow Drive 2. Middlefield Road / East Meadow Drive 3. East Meadow Circle / East Meadow Drive 4. Fabian Way / East Meadow Drive City of Palo Alto Page 16 4.1. Waverley Multi-Use Path: • Existing Conditions: The Waverley Multi-Use Path on PAUSD property is currently situated between a tree-lined grassy strip and vehicle access lanes and parking lots beside Hoover Elementary School and Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School. The path paved section is approximately 8’ wide as measured from edge of the pavement to the chain-link fence. Class 1 pathway standards recommend a 12’ minimum path width free of vertical obstructions. Additionally, there are three fire hydrants along the path which create pinchpoints on the path. The existing chain-link fence is at handlebar height which causes safety concerns if bicyclists are riding too close to the fence. Replacing the existing chain- link fence with something shorter will greatly improve bicyclists’ experience. • Existing Trees: According to the Preliminary Arborist Report completed by PAUSD’s arborists, there are 28 trees along the path, and rouly 15 would potentially be significantly impacted due to construction disturbances associated with replacing the pavement. The Prelimnary Arborist Report is available in Attachment B. The existing path is bumpy with uneven surfaces due to cracking and tree root intrusion. Along with obstacles such as overgrown vegetation and chain-link fence interfering with bicycle handle bars, falls and collisions for students bicycling here are common. Photo: View of existing Waverley Multi-Use Path and broken chain-link fence Photo: View of existing Waverley Multi-Use Path and outgrown vegetation 4.2. Fabian Way: • Existing Conditions: Fabian Way currently has two vehicle lanes in each direction with a bicycle lane heading southbound toward E. Charleston Road, and a shared bicycle/parking lane northbound toward W. Bayshore Road. The shared northbound facility causes dooring exposure for bicyclists, and large vehicles parked along Fabian Way also result in relatively little space available for bicyclists. • April 2021 Roadway Volumes: Average weekday daily traffic volumes are approximately 5,500 vehicles per day (vpd) between E. Charleston Road and City of Palo Alto Page 17 Federation Way, and 4,000 vpd between Federation Way and E. Meadow Drive. • April 2021 Intersection Volumes: Observations indicate that peak period demand for vehicles turning from Fabian onto E. Charleston Road is high, resulting in queuing and delays. Vehicles turning left from Fabian Way into driveways also cause backups due to blockages of the left lane. • April 2021 Vehicle Speeds: The 85th percentile vehicle speed along the study corridor is between 38 mph and 42 mph, exceeding the 35 mph posted speed limit. Image 6 shows the relationship between vehicle travel speeds and pedestrian injuries. Image 6: Vehicle Travel Speeds and Pedestrian Injuries Source: SFMTA Vision Zero Action Plan. • May 2021 Bicycle and Pedestiran Activities: Staff conducted peak hour bicycle and pedestrian counts on Fabian Way at the end of May. An average of 31 bicyclists and pedestrians were counted during the AM peak and an average of 20 bicyclists and pedestrians were counted during the PM peak at Fabian Way adjacent to the mid- block crossing nearest to Charleston Road. The number of bicyclists was generally half the number of pedestrians counted. Anecdotal reports indicate that parents generally discourage students’ use of Fabian Way for walking or biking trips due to roadway widths, traffic volumes, and vehicle speeds. • Bicycle and Pedestrian Collisions: According to data extracted between 2015 to 2020 from the Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS), there were 5 collisions involving bicycles and 1 collision involving pedestrians along Fabian Way. Of these 6 collisions, there were 4 with visible injuries and 2 with complaint of pain. City of Palo Alto Page 18 • On-Street Parking: On-street parking is used by a mix of residential, office, and school users at different times of the day. Large vehicles also park along Fabian Way at times and package/freight delivery services have been observed using the parking lane as loading/unloading space. Photo: View of Fabian Way southbound bicycle lane Photo: View of Fabian Way northbound shared bicycle/parking lane 4.3. E. Meadow Drive: • Existing Conditions: E. Meadow Drive currently has one vehicular travel lane and one bicycle lane in each direction with parking on each side. The parking lane abuts on the bicycle lane and causes dooring exposure for bicyclists, and large vehicles parked along E. Meadow Drive also result in relatively little space available for bicyclists. o Rolled curb parking along a non-standard-width parking lane on E. Meadow Drive presents a significant challenge for pedestirans and bicyclists. It often causes crowding which forces bicyclists to steer into the vehicle lane or onto the sidewalk. Additionally, vehicles maneuvering around left turning vehicles swerve into the bicycle lanes during peak student bicycling traffic hours. This driving behavior causes major concerns for student safety. • April 2021 Roadway Volumes: Average weekday daily traffic volumes vary along the corridor with approximately 5,000 vehicles per day (vpd) between Alma Street and Middlefield Road and 700 vpd between Ross Road and E. Meadow Circle. Historic 2016 daily traffic volumes were approximately 7,100 vpd between Alma Street and Middlefield Road, and 3,100 vpd between Louis Road and Fabian Way. • April 2021 Intersection Volumes: Observations indicate that major intersections along the corridor operate without lengthy delays or queuing outside of the busiest portions of weekday peak periods. Historic 2018 intersection volumes were notably higher, with overall peak period entering volumes as much as double those in April 2021. City of Palo Alto Page 19 • April 2021 Vehicle Speeds: The 85th percentile vehicle speed along the study corridor is between 30 mph and 35 mph, exceeding the 25 mph posted speed limit. • April 2021 Bicycle and Pedestiran Activities: Approximately 20 bicycles and pedestrians were counted during the AM peak and 32 during the PM peak at E. Meadow Drive and Waverley Street, 7 during the AM peak and 22 during the PM peak at E. Meadow Drive and Middlefield Road, and 1 during the AM peak and 3 during the PM peak at E. Meadow Drive and E. Meadow Circle. Historic 2018 intersection counts at E. Meadow Drive and Middlefield Road indicate that active transportation volumes were notably higher, with hundreds of bicyclists traveling along E. Meadow Drive during school peaks. • Bicycle and Pedestrian Collisions: According to data extracted between 2015 to 2020 from TIMS, there were 13 collisions involving bicycles and 3 collisions involving pedestrians along E. Meadow Drive. Of these 16 collisions, there was 1 serverely injuried, 10 with visible injuries, and 5 with complaint of pain. • On-Street Parking: On-street parking is freqently occupied adjacent to residences, schools, and parks that directly front E. Meadow Drive. On-street parking is less frequently occupied between Alma Street and Waverley Street where most properties front cross streets. Non-standard parking lane widths cause parked vehicles to encroach upon the sidewalks or the bicycle lanes. Photo: View of E. Meadow Drive parking, bicycle, and vehicle lanes Photo: View of a large vehicle parked at a rolled curb along E. Meadow Drive 5. Community Feedback on Initial Concept Plan Alternatives 5.1. Outreach Methods The various outreach methods used had different participation rates. Together, the efforts reached a variety of stakeholders who provided input to the project and helped refine the concepts. City of Palo Alto Page 20 A main goal of the first phase of community engagement was to assess community support for protected bikeways. Community engagement methods used for this project, detailed in the Stakeholder Engagement section of this report, included a project website, online survey, email blasts, doorhangers, mailers, posters, flyers, webinars held in English and Spanish, and online meetings with school stakeholders, the City/School Transportation Safety Committee (CSTSC), and the Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee (PABAC). Printed materials were presented in English, Spanish, and Chinese. The City’s social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, NextDoor) as well as the Coronavirus report conveyed multiple messages about the project. To reach a broad audience, as well as to provide a more convenient way for the community to participate, an online survey available in three different languages was launched on the project webpage from May 13, 2021 to May 31, 2021. The survey provided a brief education about different types of bikeways and clickable links to initial concept plan alternatives. Given that the grant requires the project at a minimum to deliver one protected bikeway along Fabian Way or E. Meadow Drive, and a scope as close as possible to protected bikeways along any corridor without a continuous protected bikeway, the bottom line question was to define where along Fabian Way and E. Meadow Drive the community would support protected bikeways. As such, the survey was crafted to determine community support for protected bikeways with clickable links to initial concept plan alternatives. While some respondents were excited to dive into the details of the online survey and mapping exercise, others suggested alternative ways to help illustrate the dense material (e.g. via the creation of short videos). 5.2. Survey Findings A total of 258 responses were received. In general, there is support for protected bikeways along Fabian Way, E. Meadow Drive between Alma Street and Waverley Street, and E. Meadow Drive between Waverley Street and Middlefield Road. Below are highlights of the survey results. A detailed summary of the survey results is available in Attachment D. • 94% of survey respondents live in Palo Alto • 68% of households have students under 18 years of age that bike to and from school • 58% of survey respondents supported Fabian Way Alternative 2 Protected Bicycle Lanes, which includes removal of one existing vehicle lane in each direction with addition of a new two-way left-turn lane • 53% of survey respondents supported E. Meadow Drive Alternative 2 Protected Bicycle Lanes, which includes removal of parking on the north side (residential side) with addition of one new left-turn lane in each direction onto Waverley Street • 66% of survey respondents supported Waverley Multi-Use Path Alternative 2, which includes widening of the path towards the tree-lined grassy strip and/or school buildings where feasbile, and relocating the chain-link fence to accommodate the new path alignment • Survey feedback reflects the following themes: City of Palo Alto Page 21 o Concerns about visilibity with parking protected bike lanes along Fabian Way and E. Meadow Drive o Bicycling is particularly difficult at school arrival and dismissal times o Concerns about reduced parking along E. Meadow Drive o Requests for a lower fence along the Waverley Multi-Use Path o Concerns about potential tree removal along the Waverley Multi-Use Path Image 7: Survey Results for Q5, “On which corridor would you prefer to see protected bikeways?” 5.3. Ad Hoc Resident-Organized Meeting On July 9, a resident-organized meeting was held at Ramos Park, attended by over 30 neighborhood residents and City staff. A variety of concerns was raised about the project including concerns about the outreach process, the project rationale, and the reduction in parking supply and convenience. There was also location-specific feedback about the change in parking availability along the Ramos Park frontage and the potential for increased vehicle and bicycle interaction during the tightly clustered morning commute should parking be retained only on the north side of the street. Attachment F lists the themes raised at this meeting and staff responses where applicable. 5.4. Future Outreach Considerations: As resources and public health orders allow, future community engagement for this and other OOT projects should include additional funding and flexibility to change engagement activities in response to community requests and needs. For example, while staff time and resources were invested in simultaneous Spanish translations of webinars, it was not City of Palo Alto Page 22 apparent that Spanish-speakers availed themselves of this feature. Future community engagement could offer live Chinese translation to test effectiveness in increasing participation by members of the Chinese community. Overall, webinar attendance, particularly by parents at local schools, was lower than expected. However, parent participation in the online survey was more robust. The timeframe of this first phase of engagement also restricted school-based engagement opportunities as end-of-year school activities conflicted with project events. If this project is approved to move forward, more creative and in-person outreach methods should be used in the next phase to gather more feedback from the school communities affected by this project. Planning and Transportation Commission Action and Subsequent VTA Grant Scope Changes PTC action on July 14, 2021 recommended all preferred concept segments to the City Council with two requests regarding E. Meadow Drive Segment 4. PTC recommended 1) a revised solution which omits or mitigates the proposed loss of estimated 80 parking spaces necessary for public parking for parks, ADU, and other residents and 2) that staff continue to negotiate with VTA to maintain the grant funding with these changes in the .58-mile segment. Throughout this initial phase of the planning process, VTA staff have welcomed discussion and collaboration to work out the complexities for this segment but emphasized that retaining the existing conditions along E. Meadow Drive beyond Middlefield Road considerably diverges from the original grant scope. Discussions with VTA staff after the July 14th PTC meeting resulted in some flexibility in the grant scope allowable by VTA for Segment 4 and a request by VTA that the City consider improvements to the connection between this project and the Highway 101 Pedestrian/Bike Bridge. To provide safety and emissions benefits on Segment 4, VTA may accept traffic calming and bicycle lane visibility treatments in lieu of protected or buffered bicycle lanes and the parking lane reduction. Based on the PTC recommendation and community feedback, City staff propose the following potential treatments for E. Meadow Drive Segment 4 to be considered for community engagement and feasibility, including but not limited to: travel lane width reduction (reduce from 11 to 10 feet wide), green paint at the start of the bike lanes on each block, mid- block bike lane stencils, and additional traffic calming treatments, if feasible. If there is community support for these alternative treatments, staff are confident that VTA will allow the City to retain the grant funds for the project. Regarding access to the new bridge, City staff informed VTA that future phases of this project are expected to explore treatments to be added to E. Meadow at the entrance of the Adobe Creek Reach Trail in order to enhance safety and visibility of trail and bridge users. Policy Implications City of Palo Alto Page 23 The South Palo Alto Bikeways Project is consistent with the following goals, policies, and programs in the Comprehensive Plan 2030 Transportation Element: Goal T-1: Create a sustainable transportation system, complimented by a mix of land uses, that emphasizes walking, bicycling, use of public transportation and other methods to reduce GHG emissions and the use of single occupancy motor vehicles. Policy T-1.1: Take a comprehensive approach to reducing single-occupant vehicle trips by involving those who live, work and shop in Palo Alto in developing strategies that make it easier and more convenient not to drive. Policy T-1.3: Reduce GHG and pollutant emissions associated with transportation by reducing VMT and per-mile emissions through increasing transit options, supporting biking and walking, and through the use of zero-emission vehicle technologies to meet City and State goals for GHG reductions by 2030. Goal T-2: Decrease delay, congestion, and VMT with a priority on our worst intersections and our peak commute times, including school traffic. Goal T-3: Maintain an efficient roadway network for all users. Policy T-3.5: When constructing or modifying roadways, plan for use of the roadway by all users. Program T3.5.1: Continue to use best practices in roadway design that are consistent with complete streets principles and the Urban Forest Master Plan, focusing on bicycle and pedestrian safety and multi-modal uses. Consider opportunities to incorporate best practices from the National Association of City Transportation Officials guidelines for urban streets and bikeways tailored to the Palo Alto context. Policy T-3.14: Continue to prioritize the safety of school children in street modification projects that affect school travel routes, including during construction. Goal T-6: Provide a safe environment for motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists on Palo Alto streets. Policy T-6.1: Continue to make safety the first priority of citywide transportation planning. Prioritize pedestrian, bicycle, and automobile safety over motor vehicle level of service at intersections and motor vehicle parking. Policy T-6.4: Continue the Safe Routes to School partnership with PAUSD and the Palo Alto Council of PTAs. City of Palo Alto Page 24 Policy T-6.6: Use engineering, enforcement and educational tools to improve safety for all users on City roadways. Additionally, the South Palo Alto Bikeways Project is consistent with the following top recommended projects in the Bicycle & Pedestrian Transportation Plan 2012: BB-3 Bryant Street Bicycle Boulevard: Wayfinding signs and pavement markings south of Bryant Street. Spot improvements for additional safety and comfort, including Churchill/Coleridge Avenue spot improvement and arterial crossing enhancements at University Avenue, Meadow Drive (consider beacon or signal), Charleston Road, and San Antonio Road at Nita Drive into Mountain View. BK-7 Meadow St / El Camino Way / Los Robles Enhanced Bikeway: Potential cycletrack redesign or enhanced striping and signage of existing bike lanes between La Donna and Meadow Street along Los Robles/El Camino Way; Enhanced striping and signage, including intersection through-markings, for existing Meadow Street bike lanes from El Camino Way to Fabian Way. BK-9 Fabian Way Enhanced Bikeway: Potential cycle track or enhanced striping and signage of existing substandard (time restricted) bike lanes to improve safety and access to Adobe Creek Highway 101 crossing, Charleston bike lanes to San Antonio Road TR-2 Adobe Creek Reach Trail: Upgrade the existing Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD) maintenance road to a Class I trail facility from W. Bayshore Road at Adobe Creek to E. Meadow Drive. This trail would help connect the existing Benjamin Lefkowitz underpass and future potential overcrossing. Resource Impact Staff is still evaluating total project costs. If additional funding is necessary, a request will be brought forward for Council approval. There were no costs developed along with the Preferred Concept Plan. Once Council directs staff to move forward with the project, staff will return with estimated design costs in the Plans, Specifications, and Estimates (PS&E) contract award for Council’s consideration. Estimated construction costs will be provided as a part of the Plans, Specifications, and Estimates (PS&E) at 100% design final deliverable package. Funding is found in the FY2022 Adopted Capital Improvement Budget for Safe Routes to School (PL-00026). This includes the VERBS construction-only grant of $919,000 and a local match of $781,000. Council approved by a two-third vote on January 25, 2021, to increase the Safe Routes to School project (PL-00026) expense appropriation by $110,000 through action item Status Report on the City of Palo Alto Page 25 South Palo Alto Bikeways Project Funded by the VERBS Grant; Approval of the Community Engagement Plan; and Approval of Budget Amendments in the Capital Improvement Fund Projects Safe Routes to School PL-00026 and El Camino Real Pedestrian Safety and Streetscape Project PL-18000 (CMR# 11757). This funding was used in Spring 2021 on the project’s first phase of community engagement, development of initial concept plan alternatives, and revision into a preferred concept plan by Transportation’s on call-consultant Fehr & Peers. As a part of the same staff report to Council, staff noted that the Project was awarded a grant of $919,000 with a local match of $480,000 by the VERBS program to cover a total project cost of $1.4M. The grant is for construction only, while the match would cover design, environmental clearance, or community engagement costs. It must be noted that the total project cost of $1.4M was calculated in 2016, and accounting for inflation, the project budget has increased to approximately $1.7M, which increased the City’s local match to $781,000 in 2020 according to the Public Works Department estimate. The grant construction funding remains the same at $919,000. While a partial appropriation of the City’s local match in the amount of $110,000 was approved at the Council meeting on January 25, 2021, the remaining local match of $671,000 was approved as part of the recommendations in CMR# 11872. Mid-Year Review the FY 2021 Mid- Year Budget Review and Approve Budget Amendments in Various Funds; Provide Direction on (a) Potential Rent Forgiveness Programs for City Tenants and (b) Waiver of the Business Registry Certificate and Downtown Business Improvement District Fees on March 1, 2021. This budget amendment in the Capital Improvement Fund for the Safe Routes to School project (PL-00026) was offset by closing the El Camino Real Pedestrian Safety and Streetscape project (PL-18000). Timeline With direction from Council to move forward with the project, staff anticipates soliciting a preferred consultant to perform the required environmental assessments. A separate request for proposals (RFP) process is anticipated to bring on-board a contractor team to complete Plans, Specifications, and Estimates (PS&E) at 100% design. As a federally funded project, the City is required to submit a Preliminary Environmental Study form twelve months prior to the project’s obligation deadline on January 31, 2023. In order to meet this deadline in January of 2022, the appropriate environmental assessments would need to begin before award of the PS&E contract. Therefore, a clear project description is needed by September of 2021. Below are major milestones for the South Palo Alto Bikeways project: • August 2021 - Request for proposals for PS&E • September 2021 - CEQA and NEPA preparation • November 2021 - Council award of the PS&E contract • Winter 2021/2022 - Community engagement City of Palo Alto Page 26 • Late-Spring 2022 - Council approval of project, CEQA, and NEPA determination • Summer 2022 - Community engagement • Fall 2022 - Obtain E-76 and community engagement • Early 2023 - Project obligation and community engagement Stakeholder Engagement The South Palo Alto Bikeways project phase 1 community engagement strives to identify, inform, and provide opportunities to interact with the community about the project background, existing conditions, and potential improvements. Key stakeholders include: • City departments • City Advisory Committees • City community facilities including Cubberley Center users, Mitchell Park Library and Community Center users, and Mitchell Park field users • Palo Alto Unified School District staff and school board • Palo Alto Neighborhood Associations • Nearby residents • Nearby businesses • Nearby schools including school staff, parents, students, and Parents Teachers Associations • Advocacy groups including Canopy, Carbon Free Palo Alto, Palo Alto Forward, and Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition • Non-profit organizations including Ability Path, Avenidas, Magical Bridge Foundation, Palo Alto Community Child Care, and Youth Community Service • Stanford University • Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority A variety of materials and methods were deployed in May and June 2021. A detailed list of engagement efforts can be found in Table 2 below. Table 2: Phase 1 Community Engagement Materials and Methods Material/Event Distribution Date/Event Date Brief Description Project Webpage (English) April 28, 2021 - Present • To provide the most up to date information including project requirements, event recordings, and next steps • Approx. 743 viewed Email Blasts (English) Throughout • To inform the community about different options to provide feedback and encourage participation in Facebook Posts (English) April 28, 2021, May 12, 2021, and May 24, 2021 City of Palo Alto Page 27 Material/Event Distribution Date/Event Date Brief Description Instagram Posts (English) April 28, 2021, May 12, 2021, and May 24, 2021 upcoming events • Mailers: Approx. 3500 were sent to properties within 1000 ft of the project corridors • Doorhangers: Approx. 150 were hung at properties that fronted the project corridors • Flyers: Approx. 300 were dropped at Mitchell Park Library and Community Center, JCC, and businesses • Posters: Approx. 15 were posted on store fronts Twitter Posts (English) April 28, 2021, May 12, 2021, and May 24, 2021 NextDoor Posts (English) April 28, 2021 and May 20, 2021 Mailers (English, Spanish, Chinese) May 3, 2021 Doorhangers (English, Spanish, Chinese) May 3, 2021 Flyers (English, Spanish, Chinese) May 3, 2021 Posters (English, Spanish, Chinese) May 3, 2021 Online Survey (English, Spanish, Chinese) May 13, 2021 – May 31, 2021 • To provide a convenient and accessible platform for participants to learn about the project and provide feedback • 258 responded Introductory Webinar (English, Spanish) May 13, 2021, 6:30pm – 7:30pm • To introduce the project as well as all project engagement activities • 31 attended • Approx. 57 viewed on YouTube in English School Communities Meeting (English) May 19, 2021, 5:00pm – 6:00pm • A focused meeting with school communities’ representatives to understand how to better design for their needs • 7 attended City of Palo Alto Page 28 Material/Event Distribution Date/Event Date Brief Description City School Transportation Safety Committee Meeting (English) May 20, 2021, 10:00am – 11:00am • A focused meeting with school communities’ representatives to understand how to better design for their needs • 4 attended Virtual Route Tour #1 Webinar (English, Spanish) May 22, 2021, 11:00am – 12:30pm • To guide participants through the project corridors and provide explanation of potential improvements • 10 attended • Approx. 45 viewed on YouTube in English • Approx. 11 viewed on YouTube in Spanish Virtual Route Tour #2 Webinar (English, Spanish) May 27, 2021, 6:30pm – 8:00pm • To guide participants through the project corridors and provide explanation of potential improvements • 13 attended • Approx. 23 viewed on YouTube in English • Approx. 6 viewed on YouTube in Spanish Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee Meeting (English) June 1, 2021, 6:30pm – 8:00pm • A focused meeting with our pedestrian and bicycle citizen experts to discuss potential improvements • Approx. 16 attended Engagement Summary Webinar (English, Spanish) June 22, 2021, 6:30pm – 8:00pm • To share community feedback received through previous events and the online survey • 15 attended • Approx. 6 viewed on YouTube in English • Approx. 5 viewed on YouTube in Spanish * Note: Total number of attendees exclude staff and consultant attendance. City of Palo Alto Page 29 Image: Snapshot of project doorhanger Image: Snapshot of project poster Image: Snapshot of project Twitter post Image: Snapshot of project Facebook post Environmental Review No environmental review is necessary at this time for discussion of the preferred concept plan and recommendation of the preferred concept plan to Council. If Council directs staff to move forward with the project, the project is subject to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).