December 21, 2004
SUBJECT: Pedestrian Safety and Opportunities Study - Work Plan (Study Issue)
REPORT IN BRIEF
Staff has prepared the Pedestrian Safety and Opportunities Study work plan in response to a Study Issue Paper approved by Council in December of 2003. This work plan describes proposed activities and products of the program for the next two years. The schedule for project completion is December 2006.
Goals for the Pedestrian Safety and Opportunities Study include the following:
1. Identification of high pedestrian generating/attracting areas.
2. Inventory of sidewalk, path and crossing conditions.
3. Development of design improvement guidelines and criteria.
4. Development of an implementation plan and project ranking.
Staff recommends approval of the work plan. The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) considered a draft work plan at its October 21, 2004 meeting. The BPAC recommends approval of the Work Plan with an addition to the scope of the study issue to survey all arterial and collector streets to identify any barriers to wheelchair travel and other travel by the disabled. Based on this recommendation, staff has included in the Work Plan the identification of significant barriers to travel on all arterial and collector streets. The BPAC is recommending that the study go further to comprehensively review the accessibility of collector and arterial streets for all ADA requirements. Staff believes that this is beyond the originally approved scope of the study issue and will be a costly addition to the project. A significant work effort is involved to achieve a level of analysis to comprehensively identify ADA compliance. This level of analysis diverges from the scope of the original study issue, and therefore would require an increased budget. A civil engineering firm has estimated that the cost of this work could range from $90,000 to $125,000. An increase in project cost would be required to include this recommendation.
BACKGROUND
During the 2004 Study Issue process, the Sunnyvale City Council identified the creation of a Pedestrian Safety and Opportunities Study as a high priority for 2004. The concept was initiated by the BPAC in order to identify safety and transportation needs for pedestrians and to determine project priorities to most effectively improve the pedestrian environment within the City of Sunnyvale. A Pedestrian Safety and Opportunities Study will help Sunnyvale promote walking as a safe, healthy, and attractive alternative to driving by creating pedestrian facilities that are safe, comfortable and convenient. To date, no comprehensive planning study has been conducted for pedestrian travel in Sunnyvale.
EXISTING POLICY
C3.5.4 Maximize the provision of bicycle and pedestrian facilities.
C3.5.1 Promote alternate modes of travel to the automobile.
C3.5 Support a variety of transportation modes.
DISCUSSION
The Pedestrian Safety and Opportunities Study was initiated by the BPAC in order to identify safety and transportation needs for pedestrians and to determine project priorities to most effectively improve the pedestrian environment within the City of Sunnyvale. A Pedestrian Safety and Opportunities Study will help Sunnyvale promote walking as a safe, healthy, and attractive alternative to driving by creating pedestrian facilities that are safe, comfortable and convenient.
Goals for the Pedestrian Safety and Opportunities Study include the following:
- Identification of high pedestrian generating/attracting areas.
- Inventory of sidewalk, path and crossing conditions.
- Development of design improvement guidelines and criteria.
- Development of an implementation plan and project ranking.
An emphasis will be placed on improving walking routes to schools, transit stops and other high pedestrian generators. Collision analysis, Caltrans Safe Routes to School guidance, and an existing conditions inventory will be used to identify corridors and/or locations in need of improvement. Recommendations will be made to improve safety and convenience of these pedestrian facilities. These improvements will then be prioritized based on safety, need, availability of funding, and ability to compete for grant funding.
A public outreach process will be included as part of the study. Feedback will be solicited at a minimum of two Sunnyvale BPAC meetings. Additional community involvement will also be included.
The study will provide the City with a proactive implementation plan for the creation of a safe and convenient pedestrian environment. The completed product will also be a document that will be integral in securing outside funding for pedestrian improvement projects and will allow the City to budget its pedestrian funding resources productively. The following is a table of tasks/activities and completed products for the Pedestrian Safety and Opportunities Study.
|
Activity |
Product |
Schedule |
|
Community outreach process |
Presentations and input gathering at BPAC meetings, and Council Study Session |
Ongoing |
|
Collection and mapping of walking potential indicators: census statistics, land use data, collision data, transit stops, identification of pedestrian generators, identification of pedestrian issues |
Identification of zones and corridors for detailed study (this will include all arterials and collector streets) |
April 2005 |
|
-Prepare sidewalk and pedestrian crossing inventory methodology,
-conduct field work,
-record data,
-map results |
Sidewalk and pedestrian crossing inventory (this will include identification of significant barriers on all arterial and collector streets), |
January 2006 |
|
-Prepare methodology for walking routes to school identification and inventory methodology,
-field work near 20 schools and high ridership transit locations,
-record data
-map results |
Walking Routes to School and Transit |
January 2006 |
|
-Identify a range of possible pedestrian facility improvements
-Determine implementation criteria for these improvements
|
Design Elements and Implementation Criteria |
April 2006 |
|
-Recommend specific improvements for locations identified and ranked for improvements. This will include conceptual designs, preliminary cost estimates and a feasibility assessment. |
Pedestrian Improvement Plans |
August 2006 |
|
Preparation of Final report including all of the above listed elements |
Final Report |
December 2006 |
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
This study as currently scoped is not meant to inventory sidewalks and crossings as they relate to ADA. This would be a significant increase in the project scope and would require increased funding and time. However, staff feels that it is within the scope of the project to identify significant barriers within the public right-of-way that exist for pedestrian travel within the study areas. This includes pedestrians with disabilities. In addition, as part of the study, Sunnyvale Design Standards and Specifications will be reviewed for compliance with current ADA regulations and all recommended improvements developed as part of the study will comply with all aspects of ADA.
The City currently has an ADA Transition Plan that includes the annual installation of curb ramps. Approximately 50 curb ramps per year are installed by the cities Trees and Landscaping Division. In addition, the City installs and repairs curb ramps in response to requests and complaints. These activities are currently funded through a $100,000 Community Development Block Grant. The City also improves sidewalks, pedestrian push-buttons, pedestrian crossing time, and audible pedestrian warnings for persons with disabilities on a request basis when possible.
The BPAC has recommended approval of the Work Plan with the additional requirement that all arterial and collector streets be surveyed to identify any barriers to wheelchair travel or other travel by the disabled. Based on this recommendation, staff has included in the Work Plan the identification of significant barriers to travel on all arterial and collector streets. The BPAC is recommending that the study go further to review the accessibility of collector and arterial streets for all ADA requirements.
In order to implement the BPAC recommendation to identify ADA compliance issues for disabled people on arterial and collector streets a significant additional work effort would be required. The following is a list of additional data that would need to be collected in order to satisfy the goals of this alternative. Most of the items are technical in nature and therefore a skilled civil engineer will be required to complete the collection effort.
- Curb ramp details - including type, dimensions, cross slope, slope of flared sides, gutter counter slope, landing depth and slope, location on sidewalk, and type of surface.
- Pedestrian signal details - including type, size height and location of actuator buttons.
- Tactile guide strip details – including height, width, and color.
- Crosswalk details – including width, type, alignment with curb ramps, and presence of tactile strips.
- Sidewalk and walkway details - including analysis of cross slope, and changes in sidewalk level greater than one half inch.
To achieve this level of analysis a schedule revision and increased budget will be required. A civil engineering firm has estimated that the cost of this work could range from $90,000 to $125,000.
A more general collection of data regarding curb ramps, crosswalks, sidewalks and walkways will be collected as part of the proposed work plan. This collection effort will require fewer skilled measurements, but will still result in an accurate analysis of existing pedestrian facilities in Sunnyvale and identification of any significant barriers to pedestrian travel. The data collected will allow staff to effectively identify and prioritize areas that need pedestrian safety improvements while capturing significant barriers to the disabled, but not specifically emphasizing and inventorying ADA upgrades.
The ADA analysis described will be a costly addition to the project, and was not included in the original intent of the Pedestrian Safety and Opportunities Study. The City already has an ADA Transition Plan. An effort to determine whether the plan should be updated or revised could be undertaken by the new Accessibility Board as a separate study issue.
FISCAL IMPACT
Approval of the work plan will initiate the work detailed in the discussion above. The projected total cost of the project, as specified in the proposed study issue, would be $40,000. Council has appropriated Gas Tax monies to fund the Pedestrian Safety/Opportunities Plan project as part of the adopted FY 2004/2005 Budget.
The study will result in the identification and prioritization of improvement projects for pedestrian facilities. There is no funding identified for the completion of these projects and it is anticipated that their construction will be dependant on outside revenue sources. Possible funding sources will be identified as part of the Study. The City can reasonably expect to pay up to 20% of the project costs if outside funding is awarded.
If the BPAC recommendation to require that all arterial and collector streets be surveyed to comprehensively identify ADA compliance for wheelchair or other travel by the disabled is included in the Work Plan, a budget modification to appropriate an additional $90,000 to $125,000 to the Pedestrian Safety and Opportunities Plan project will be required. Potential funding sources for this increase could possibly be supported by Gas Tax monies, or Community Development Block Grant administration monies (CDBG). The caveat with CDBG monies is that it would need to be proposed and approved as part of the FY 2005/2006 Action Plan to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Conclusion
Staff has prepared a work plan that is consistent with the goals of the Pedestrian Safety and Opportunities Study Study Issue (Attachment 1) approved by City Council in December 2003. The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee has reviewed the Work Plan and took action to recommend approval by City Council with the additional requirement that all arterial and collector streets be surveyed to identify any barriers to wheelchair travel. Staff has incorporated the identification of significant barriers to travel on all arterial and collector streets. The BPAC is recommending that the study go further to review the accessibility of collector and arterial streets for all ADA requirements.
Analysis of Alternatives:
1. Alternative 1 – Approve Work Plan
If Council chooses to approve the work plan, staff will immediately begin working on completing the work plan as approved. The work plan will result in the identification of high pedestrian generating/attracting areas, inventory of sidewalk, path and crossing conditions, development of design improvement guidelines and criteria and development of an implementation plan and project ranking.
2. Alternative 2- Approve the work plan with BPAC amendment
If Council chooses to approve the work plan with the amendment recommended by the BPAC, Additional funding will be required. A civil engineering firm has estimated that the cost of the additional work could range from $90,000 to $125,000. Potential funding sources for this increase could possibly be supported by Gas Tax monies, or Community Development Block Grant monies. The caveat with CDBG monies is that it would need to be proposed and approved as part of the FY 2005/2006 Action Plan to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. This alternative will be an unreasonable addition to the project, and was not included in the original scope of the Pedestrian Safety and Opportunities Study issue. This is demonstrated by the large increase in cost and scope. The City already has an ADA Transition Plan. An effort to determine whether the plan should be updated or revised could be undertaken by the new Accessibility Board as a separate study issue. The BPAC believes that pedestrian safety and access and ADA standards are linked and that the analysis should be completed as part of the study.
3. Alternative 3 – Approve Work Plan with Amendments.
If Council chooses to modify the Work Plan, depending on the scope of the modifications, additional funding or time may be required to complete the study. If this were the case, staff would have to return to council with a budget modification request, or a schedule modification request. However, if the amendments are minor in scope staff could immediately begin working on completing the work plan as approved.
4. Alternative 4 – Do Not Approve Work Plan
If Council chooses not to approve the work plan, staff will produce a new work plan based on Council direction, and return to council for approval of the new work plan.
PUBLIC CONTACT
This item was included on the agenda for the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee’s October 21, 2004 meeting. The Committee took action to recommend approval of the Pedestrian Safety and Opportunities Study Work Plan with the additional work scope that all arterial and collector streets be surveyed for ADA compliance to identify any barriers to wheelchair travel.
Public Contact was also made through posting of the Council agenda on the City’s official notice bulletin board, posting of the agenda and report on the City’s web page, and the availability of the report in the Library and City Clerk’s Office
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve the work plan for the Pedestrian Safety and Opportunities Study.
2. Approve the work plan with an amendment to include the requirement that all arterial and collector streets be surveyed for ADA compliance to identify barriers to wheelchair travel or other travel by the disabled, and approve a budget modification to appropriate an additional funding to the Pedestrian Safety and Opportunities Plan project. A civil engineering firm has estimated that the cost of the additional work could range from $90,000 to $125,000. Potential funding sources for this increase could possibly be supported by Gas Tax monies or Community Development Block Grant monies. The caveat with CDBG monies is that it would need to be proposed and approved as part of the FY 2005/2006 Action Plan to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
3. Approve the work plan with amendments.
4. Do not approve the work plan.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends Alternative 1: Approve the work plan for the Pedestrian Safety and Opportunities Study. The proposed work plan is consistent with goals detailed in the Study Issue Paper. In addition, the work plan is partially responsive to the BPAC recommendation by including the identification of significant barriers to wheelchair travel and other travel by the disabled to the extent possible within the time and funding budgeted for the project. Sunnyvale Design Standards and Specifications will also be reviewed for compliance with current ADA regulations. The ADA analysis recommended by BPAC will be a costly addition to the project, and diverges from the original intent of the Pedestrian Safety and Opportunities Study issue. The City already has an ADA Transition Plan. An effort to determine whether the plan should be updated or revised could be undertaken by the new Accessibility Board as a separate study issue.