The VTA’s primary policy document, the Valley Transportation Plan (VTP) 2020, contains a Land Use Element that seeks to "Provide transportation investments and services that support the maintenance and creation of vibrant urban communities and protect the County’s natural resources." A number of objectives focus on supporting concentrated core area development, creating connectivity, and supporting alternative transportation development. The VTA’s land use policy is intended to recognize that while the VTA does not have land use authority, the viability of the transportation network it oversees is integrally linked to land use. VTP 2020 envisions VTA’s regional transportation planning, advocacy, regulations, and programs are to be linked with land use.

The Community Design and Transportation Program is the key implementation mechanism of the VTP 2020 Land Use Element. As proposed, the Program defines strategies for land use and development that support transportation modes alternate to the single occupant automobile. The VTA is advocating endorsement of these strategies by local land use authorities, and creating financial incentives (funding opportunities and incentives) for implementation of the strategies by local agencies.

VTA has adopted a program and produced a Community Design and Transportation Manual, and is establishing discretionary funding pots and project funding criteria to promote compliance with the intent of the Manual. The City Council considered the program at its October 22, 2002 Council meeting and at the December 10, 2002 Study Session. The VTA is now requesting that cities consider endorsement of the program. City Staff have participated in a Best Practices Task Force and a Level of Service Working Group that provided input to the program and Manual.

There are a number of goals, policies, and action statements in the Land Use and Transportation Element that address various elements of the Community Design and Transportation proposal, both consistent and conflicting. For the purposes of this report, staff is identifying those goals and policies that relate to consideration of the Program as a whole, rather than the specific strategies advocated by the Program. Such goals include:

Land Use and Transportation Element R1, (Protect and sustain a high quality of life in Sunnyvale by participating in coordinated land use and transportation planning in the region.);

Land Use and Transportation Element R1.1, (Advocate the City’s interests to regional agencies that make land use and transportation system decisions that affect Sunnyvale.);

Land Use and Transportation Element R1.3.1, (Participate in intergovernmental activities related to regional and sub-regional land use and transportation planning in order to advance the City’s interests.)

The VTA has developed a Program, centering on a comprehensive guidance manual, to influence local land use and local-level transportation authority and bolster regional policy and investments. Without land use authority, many measures that clearly influence the effectiveness of transportation and transit system effectiveness are beyond the control of the VTA. This Program seeks to encourage, inform and guide local land use authorities to implement land use and transportation integration measures with broad benefits. The VTA is encouraging local agencies to participate.

Because of the comprehensive and far reaching nature of the Community Design and Transportation Program and the implications for City policy, programs, and projects, this issue has been elevated to Study Issue status. The VTA has released a set of criteria that local agencies must meet in order for Program endorsement to be considered valid and assure eligibility for future funding. The criteria's include:

These criteria are intended to measure the City’s commitment to the principles of land use and transportation integration that are promoted by the VTA Community Design and Transportation Program.

Staff has conducted a comprehensive review of the criteria and applicable City policies and programs. Staff believes that Sunnyvale can already demonstrate compliance of its land use and transportation policies and programs with the Community Design and Transportation Program criteria without any further Council action to adopt policy or implement new programs. Therefore, staff is recommending that the City Council endorse the VTA Community Design and Transportation Program in order to recognize Sunnyvale’s commitment to the Program principles and to sanction the City’s participation in the VTA’s implementation of the Program. Current City policy is relatively progressive in its treatment of land use and transportation linkages. Staff believes that the City’s thorough response to the endorsement criteria reflect Sunnyvale’s historic and continuing commitment to reasoned and deliberate land use and transportation integration. The endorsement statement is included as Attachment B. Valley Transportation Authority staff have reviewed the statement and concur with the proposed language.

The principles and measures advocated by the Program are broad and far-reaching. For example, the Community Design and Transportation Manual recommends programs ranging from providing bicycle parking to achieving a better jobs/housing balance. The VTA is not prescribing measures or policy for cities to implement, however. The intent of the Program is as a guide and a resource for cities; however the Program is proposed to be used as a measure, in concert with other measures, for ranking projects for certain discretionary funding, particularly when choosing between similar projects with the potential to incorporate features consistent with the Program. The Program will also provide direct evaluation criteria for one funding pot earmarked for Community Design and Transportation planning. Endorsement of the Program is required for local agencies to be eligible for four VTA funding categories.

Creating strong linkages between implementation of measures to the receipt of transportation funding was explicitly addressed during the VTA’s adoption of the Program. This linkage was rejected as being inequitable and usurping local agency policy authority, except in those cases where similar projects were competing for funding. Only in that case will the presence or absence of specific project facets having to do with promoting the goals of the Community Design and Transportation Program be considered as factors in determining funding. The degree of "compliance" with the overall Program should not be a factor in determining project-specific funding. The criteria for endorsement are flexible enough to not present any kind of a mandate on Sunnyvale or other local agencies for funding eligibility.

As indicated previously to the City Council at a December 2002 study session and Council hearing, the Community Design and Transportation Program is far reaching in its presentation and advocacy for transportation and land use integration. Among the numerous practices, standards, policies and strategies contained in the handbook for the Program (the Community Design and Transportation Manual) are some that Sunnyvale has not implemented fully or in part. Further integration of the Community Design and Transportation Program with existing City policy can be considered an opportunity to selectively build on an already solid foundation, without pressure to respond to a mandate.

The character of the Program is one of comprehensive, long term guidance. The scope and breadth of the principles and measures crosses over the abilities of any one agency to achieve as a whole at any one time. It is geared towards steady, incremental implementation over the long term. Therefore, staff is also recommending that the Council direct staff to review the Community Design and Transportation Manual annually so that new policies, programs, or standards that might enhance the City’s transportation and land use integration activities can be brought before the City Council for consideration as part of the annual Study Issue process.

Approval of the staff recommendation would make the City eligible for certain transportation funding programs through the Valley Transportation Authority, including the Community Design and Transportation (CDT) Planning Grant Program, Livable Communities and Pedestrian Program, Local Streets and County Roads Program, and Bicycle Program. These programs constitute the bulk of VTA administered, locally accessible State and Federal transportation funding opportunities. Historically, these have been prime sources of outside funding for transportation projects for Sunnyvale.

Should the Council elect not to endorse the Program, these potential sources of revenue would not be available to the City. This would constitute a significant restriction of outside transportation funding opportunities for major City transportation projects. These Programs are anticipated to fund at least one currently programmed City project, as well as a significant portion of the proposed Transportation Strategic Program. No specific monetary impacts are available at this time.

This item was posted with the Council Agenda. Reports to Council are also available at the City Library and the City’s Web Site.

1. Approve the endorsement statement (Attachment B) of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority Community Design and Transportation Program.

2. Direct staff to review the Community Design and Transportation Manual annually so that new policies, programs, or standards that might enhance the City’s transportation and land use integration activities can be brought before the City Council for consideration as part of the annual Study Issue process.

3. Approve an alternative endorsement statement.

4. Elect not to pursue endorsement of the Community Design and Transportation Program and forgo certain outside funding opportunities through the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.