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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 14098 City of Palo Alto (ID # 14098) City Council Staff Report Meeting Date: 3/21/2022 Report Type: Consent Calendar City of Palo Alto Page 1 Title: Direct Staff to Relinquish S. Palo Alto Bikeways Project Grant Under OBAG2 and Reapply Under OBAG3 in May, 2022 to Allow For Additional Time to Meet Project Outreach, Design, and CEQA Requirements From: City Manager Lead Department: Transportation Department Recommendation Staff recommends that Council direct Office of Transportation (OOT) staff to relinquish the One Bay Area Grant Cycle 2 (OBAG2) construction grant and apply for One Bay Area Grant Cycle 3 (OBAG3) construction funds and other funds as necessary for the South Palo Alto Bikeways Project. This will better align with the anticipated project timeline and allow staff to prioritize other projects. This includes advancing the California Avenue/Ramona Street Closure study and launch the Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan update in the short-term while the South Palo Alto Bikeways Projects moves to the next grant cycle, with applications due in May. 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 (Figure 1). In 2017, 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 costs. The project must receive all Caltrans approvals to initiate construction by January 2023. City of Palo Alto Page 2 Figure 1: South Palo Alto Bikeways Project Segments Council approved a robust outreach process in January 2021, with the grant on a tight timeline for delivery. Phase 1 community engagement was completed in mid-2021, and the initial project conceptual plans were shared with Planning and Transportation Commission (PTC) in July 2021 and approved by Council on August 9, 2021.1 The project website that contains public outreach presentations, recorded webinars, virtual route tours, and prior Council and PTC staff reports can be viewed here. Discussion Lack of staff resources in several departments has delayed the Bikeways project such that City and VTA staff are not confident the project will meet the obligation deadline imposed by the grant. At project kickoff, VTA staff advised the City to complete outreach, design, and environmental review by October 1, 2022 when the complete project design package is due to Caltrans in order to meet a January 31, 2023 grant obligation deadline. The Senior Transportation Planner who led this project left the Office of Transportation in July 2021. Staff sought interim project management help from contractors but were unable to find resources. New staff recruitment had significant delays, with a final candidate coming on board in late February 2022. Despite the vacancy, the Office of Transportation continued to push the project forward, releasing a Request for Proposals in November and selecting a vendor in December to conduct outreach and design. Procurement staff experienced vacancies and COVID delays and were not able to award the contract until February 8, 2022. Work has not yet started on the subsequent outreach phases for the Bikeways project. Given recent Council assignment of a 1 August 9, 2021 Staff Report: https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/agendas-minutes- reports/reports/city-manager-reports-cmrs/2021/id-12323.pdf City of Palo Alto Page 3 new study on California Avenue and Ramona Street2, this is an appropriate time to re-prioritize staff resources for OOT projects. The following paragraphs discuss options with respect to the S. Palo Alto Bikeways project. Grant Retention: Limited Public Engagement and Project Risk Retaining the OBAG2 grant will require limiting public engagement on this project which is counter to Council direction to improve public engagement practices. In order to meet the October deadline, public outreach to the school communities would have to occur in the summer when schools are not in session and families are difficult to reach. In addition, several phases of public engagement promised to the community would need to be eliminated. Even if staff could complete limited public outreach and all phases of design on this timeline, VTA staff have recommended that the City return the grant based on project processing times by Caltrans. Despite Caltrans’ aspirational goals for the environmental review that would need to occur before the October deadline above, VTA believes that due to recent experience with other projects, Caltrans will take longer and may jeopardize the City’s ability to meet the grant deadline. Not meeting the deadline will be marked as a project delivery failure by regional and state funders and will count against the City in future funding applications, whereas returning the funds does not jeopardize the City’s future grant prospects. Grant Relinquishment and Re-application: Increased Funding Potential, Public Engagement, & Coordination with PAUSD Grant relinquishment allows the City to complete promised community engagement when staff resources allow, resulting in a better project and, potentially, an increase in grant funds. VTA staff indicate that the OBAG3 funding program will open in May this year and that the Bikeways project would be competitive for funds due to its proximity to employment centers and installation of road safety and traffic calming features. Re-applying for funds will likely result in more grant funds for construction because the current construction grant amount is based on the 2016 project cost estimate. Through the re-application process, staff will be able to generate a more accurate construction project cost in 2022 dollars. OOT staff would likely engage consultant support to apply for OBAG3 funds. Staff would continue to pursue other funding sources if an OBAG3 application is unsuccessful. When staff resources allow, OOT could continue the outreach and design phases of the Bikeways project as before and deliver on the public outreach the community demands, such as school-based outreach during the school year. In addition, the Hoover Elementary School re- construction project and its effects on the Waverley path were not contemplated when the original Bikeways grant was written. PAUSD staff have indicated that the school reconstruction in the next three years could allow for additional space to be allotted to the Waverley path. 2 February 28, 2022 Staff Report: https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/agendas-minutes- reports/agendas-minutes/city-council-agendas-minutes/2022/20220228/20220228pccsm-amended-qa-and-item- 12-presentation.pdf City of Palo Alto Page 4 Pausing the Bikeways project gives staff additional time to coordinate on the Waverley path with PAUSD as the Hoover plans develop. Alternatives and Council Priority Alternatives to the staff recommendation include continuing the S. Palo Alto Bikeways project outreach and design phases planned for 2022, beginning work on the California Avenue/Ramona Street Closure feasibility study, and pausing the launch of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan update until staff resources allow. Another alternative is for staff to continue the S. Palo Alto Bikeways project outreach and design phases planned for 2022, launch the Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan update, and delay work on the California Avenue/Ramona Street Closure feasibility study until staff resources allow. The staff recommendation on this item is based on Council direction on February 28th regarding the California Avenue and Ramona Street Closure study which is an element of Council’s Workplan for its 2022 Economic Recovery and Transition Priority.3 Timeline If approved, staff will immediately relinquish the OBAG2 grant to VTA, pause the public engagement and design phases of the Bikeways project, and begin work on the Council directives regarding the feasibility study for California Ave and Ramona Street. Finally, staff will prepare an OBAG3 grant application in May and June of 2022. The South Palo Alto Bikeways project will be paused and resume when resources allow. Resource Impact Relinquishing the $919,000 of One Bay Area Grant Cycle 2 for Vehicle Emission Reductions Based at Schools (VERBS) construction grant to VTA will remove the budgeted Revenue from Other Agencies amounts of $459,677 in FY 2022 and in FY 2023 from the Safe Routes to School Capital Improvement Fund (PL-00026) CIP. In FY 2021, a total of $781,000 was budgeted in PL-00026 to fund the planned engagement, environmental, and design work needed to prepare the project for construction through staff reports 11757 and 11872. Policy Implications South Palo Alto Bikeways 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. 3 See packet page 90 of the Economic Recovery Workplan: https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/city- manager/fourth-progress-report-on-palo-altos-community-and-economic-recovery-workplan-cmr-13871.pdf City of Palo Alto Page 5 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. Policy T-1.25 Pursue transportation funding opportunities for ongoing transportation improvements that will help mitigate the impacts of future development and protect residents’ quality of life. When other sources are unavailable, continue to fund improvements, operations and maintenance through the general fund. Goal T-2: Decrease delay, congestion, and VMT with a priority on our worst intersections and our peak commute times, including school traffic. Policy T-2.7: Work with the PAUSD to resolve traffic congestion issues associated with student drop-off and pick-up. Address pedestrian and bicycle access, circulation and related issues such as coordinating bell schedules on City rightsof-way adjacent to schools and on PAUSD property. 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-4: Protect streets and adopted school commute corridors that contribute to neighborhood character and provide a range of local transportation options. Policy T-4.2: Continue to construct traffic calming measures to slow traffic on local and collector residential streets, and prioritize traffic calming measures for safety over congestion management. City of Palo Alto Page 6 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. 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. California Avenue and Ramona Street Closure Study The California Avenue and Ramona Street Closure feasibility study is consistent with the following goals, policies, and programs in the Comprehensive Plan 2030 Transportation Element: City of Palo Alto Page 7 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. Program T1.16.2: Consider marketing strategies, such as a recurring Palo Alto Open Streets program of events potentially in coordination with local business groups, which would include street closures and programming. Policy T-1.19: Provide facilities that encourage and support bicycling and walking. Program T1.19.2: Prioritize investments for enhanced pedestrian access and bicycle use within Palo Alto and to/from surrounding communities, including by incorporating improvements from related City plans, for example the 2012 Palo Alto Bicycle + Pedestrian Transportation Plan and the Parks, Trails & Open Space Master Plan, as amended, into the Capital Improvements Program. Program T1.19.5 Improve amenities such as seating, lighting, bicycle parking, street trees, public art and interpretive stations along bicycle and pedestrian paths and in City parks to encourage walking and cycling and enhance the feeling of safety. Goal T-6: Provide a safe environment for motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists on Palo Alto streets. Program T6.4.2 Establish standards and procedures for maintaining safe bicycling routes, including signage for warnings and detours during construction projects. Additionally, the California Avenue and Ramona Street Closure feasibility study is consistent with the following goals, policies, and programs in the Comprehensive Plan 2030 Land Use and Community Design Element: Goal L-1: A compact and resilient city providing residents and visitors with attractive neighborhoods, work places, shopping districts, public facilities and open spaces. Policy L-1.1: Maintain and prioritize Palo Alto’s varied residential neighborhoods while sustaining the vitality of its commercial areas and public facilities. Goal L-4: Inviting pedestrian scale centers that offer a variety of retail and commercial services and provide focal points and community gathering places for the city’s residential neighborhoods and employment districts. Policy L-4.1: Encourage the upgrading and revitalization of selected Centers in a manner that is compatible with the character of surrounding neighborhoods, without loss of retail and existing small, local businesses. City of Palo Alto Page 8 Policy L-4.2: Preserve ground-floor retail, limit the displacement of existing retail from neighborhood centers and explore opportunities to expand retail. Program L4.2.1: Study the overall viability of ground-floor retail requirements in preserving retail space and creating an active street environment, including the types of locations where such requirements are most effective. Program L4.2.2: Evaluate the effectiveness of formula retail limits adopted for California Avenue. Develop incentives for local small businesses where warranted. Program L4.2.3: Explore and potentially support new, creative and innovative retail in Palo Alto. Policy L-4.3: Encourage street frontages that contribute to retail vitality in all Centers. Reinforce street corners in a way that enhances the pedestrian realm or that form corner plazas. Include trees and landscaping. Policy L-4.4: Ensure all Regional Centers and Multi-Neighborhood Centers provide centrally located gathering spaces that create a sense of identity and encourage economic revitalization. Encourage public amenities such as benches, street trees, kiosks, restrooms and public art. Program L4.4.1: Study the feasibility of using public and private funds to provide and maintain landscaping and public spaces such as parks, plazas, sidewalks and public art within commercial areas. Program L4.4.3: Collaborate with merchants to enhance the appearance of streets and sidewalks within all Centers. Encourage the formation of business improvement districts and undertake a proactive program of maintenance, repair, landscaping and enhancement. Policy L-4.5: Support local-serving retail, recognizing that it provides opportunities for local employment, reduced commute times, stronger community connections and neighborhood orientation. Program L4.5.1: Revise zoning and other regulations as needed to encourage the preservation of space to accommodate small businesses, start-ups and other services. Policy L-4.10: Maintain the existing scale, character and function of the California Avenue business district as a shopping, service and office center intermediate in function and scale between Downtown and the smaller neighborhood business areas. City of Palo Alto Page 9 Goal L-8: Attractive and safe parks, civic and cultural facilities provided in all neighborhoods and maintained and used in ways that foster and enrich public life Policy L-8.6: Seek potential new sites for art and cultural facilities, public spaces, open space and community gardens. Goal L-9: Attractive, inviting public spaces and streets that enhance the image and character of the city. Policy L-9.4: Maintain and enhance existing public gathering places and open spaces and integrate new public spaces at a variety of scales. Policy L-9.5: Encourage use of data-driven, innovative design methods and tactics and use data to understand to evaluate how different community members use public space. Policy L-9.6: Create, preserve and enhance parks and publicly accessible, shared outdoor gathering spaces within walking and biking distance of residential neighborhoods. Policy L-9.7 Strengthen the identity of important community-wide gateways, including the entrances to the City at Highway 101, El Camino Real and Middlefield Road; the Caltrain stations; entries to commercial districts; Embarcadero Road at El Camino Real and between Palo Alto and Stanford. Stakeholder Engagement South Palo Alto Bikeways The South Palo Alto Bikeways project Phase 1 community engagement aimed 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 City of Palo Alto Page 10 • 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. City of Palo Alto Page 11 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 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 Facebook Posts (English) April 28, 2021, May 12, 2021, and May 24, 2021 Instagram Posts (English) April 28, 2021, May 12, 2021, and May 24, 2021 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 City of Palo Alto Page 12 Material/Event Distribution Date/Event Date Brief Description 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 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 City of Palo Alto Page 13 Material/Event Distribution Date/Event Date Brief Description 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. Image: Snapshot of project doorhanger Image: Snapshot of project poster Image: Snapshot of project Twitter post Image: Snapshot of project Facebook post City of Palo Alto Page 14 California Avenue and Ramona Street Closure Study With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, the City Council authorized the creation of a Temporary Outdoor Dining program, including the approval of the temporary closure of portions of California Avenue, University Avenue, and Ramona Street. Uplift Local, a Council-supported effort enabling outdoor dining, retail, personal services, and outdoor gyms and fitness options in business districts such as California Avenue and the downtown core and other business areas throughout Palo Alto was created. A dedicated Uplift Local website provided information to the community. This program continues to evolve based on business and community input. Staff has been meeting with the community regularly to seek feedback from the business owners and residents to address concerns associated with outdoor dining program and street closures. While there are fewer retailers in the Cal Ave closure, retailers within and around the closure report challenges they attribute to the closure. Palo Alto residents continue to support continuation of the street closures. As noted in the staff report on February 28, during the study of the feasibility of permanent closure, additional stakeholder outreach will be necessary. Environmental Review South Palo Alto Bikeways No environmental review is necessary for discussion of the Bikeways grant disposition. The project is subject to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and these assessments will be done as the project moves forward. California Avenue and Ramona Street Closure Study The proposed action is part of a planning study for a possible future action, which has not been approved, adopted, or funded and is therefore exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15262. The future decision to approve the construction would be subject to CEQA and require the preparation of an environmental analysis. Environmental review and project design will be performed in the subsequent steps of the project development.