Fremont City Council Meeting: 04/12/22 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Public Works
Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Plans, Policies and Studies
SCHEDULED
Sponsors:
STAFF REPORT (ID # 4590) DOC ID: 4590
Updated: 4/7/2022 1:39 PM by Susan Gauthier Page 1
COMMUNITY FEEDBACK SURVEYS - Informational Report on the Use of Community Feedback Surveys to Support Staff Recommendations and Council Actions
Contact Persons:
Name: Hans Larsen
Title: Public Works Director
Div/Dept: Public Works
Phone: 510-494-4722
E-Mail: [email protected]
Executive Summary: The purpose of this report is to share with the City Council, staff’s perspectives on how community feedback surveys are used to support the development of Public Works transportation projects and programs. Such surveys are intended to gather input and ideas from a diverse set of community interests and are not intended to serve as a “popular vote”. Surveys are only one form of community input used by staff. Community input can also be obtained through community meetings, focus group interviews, and direct communications. Ultimately, staff recommendations are shaped based on a balance of considerations including community input, alignment with City policies, technical data, and professional judgement. This report includes several examples of community outreach efforts recently conducted by the Public Works Department.
BACKGROUND: Recently, questions have arisen regarding how the Public Works Department uses community feedback surveys, with a focus on the fact that the surveys are not a statistically valid representation of the community. This has been an issue of particular interest as a result of community engagement related to recent projects, including the Centerville Complete Streets and the Paseo Padre Parkway Street Design. Comments have also been expressed about the role of the Mobility Commission with regard to individual projects.
ANALYSIS: City staff encourages hearing from the community about their ideas and issues of concern, as new projects and programs are developed. As examples of how City staff conducts community outreach and feedback surveys, provided below are a few examples of projects being implemented by Public Works. With respect to community surveys, this is considered one tool in a much broader collection of activities that staff uses to obtain community input. They are typically developed in response to specific questions or concerns that have already emerged in earlier community engagement. Staff makes every attempt to share community surveys broadly and to make them accessible to anyone who wishes to participate in the process.
For major projects of significant scope and/or community interest, staff also provides information through a project webpage and maintains a list of community members interested in the project. Email notifications are sent out when a meeting or input opportunity is available, and/or when new information is posted to the project webpage.
Staff also uses social media, mailed postcards, and The Fremont Connection to alert the community about project feedback opportunities. The webpage typically includes Staff Report (ID # 4590) Meeting of April 12, 2022
Updated: 4/7/2022 1:39 PM by Susan Gauthier Page 2
information about past meetings, survey results, project planning updates, and future input opportunities.
Project Webpage
Niles Blvd & Rancho Arroyo Safe
and Complete Streets
https://fremont.gov/3576/Niles-Blvd-Rancho-Arroyo
Centerville Complete Streets https://fremont.gov/3462/Centerville-Complete-Streets Irvington BART Station https://fremont.gov/2977/Irvington-BART-Station Sabercat Trail Extension https://fremont.gov/3633/Sabercat-Trail-Extension-Project Paseo Padre Parkway Street
Design
https://fremont.gov/3347/Paseo-Padre-Parkway-Street-
Design
Mobility Commission Role Related to Individual Projects
In 2019, the City Council approved the formation of a 9-member Fremont Mobility Commission as a community input opportunity to help guide implementation of the City’s Mobility Action Plan. The Commission members selected have experience in a wide range of travel modes and represent the varying interests of people who walk (2), bicycle (2), use public transit (2), drive (2), and have mobility impairments (1).
The Mobility Commission meets quarterly for two hours each meeting and is guided by a workplan that prioritizes how their volunteer time is spent as Commissioners. Current priorities are focused on encouraging the community to travel more by walking, bicycling, and using public transit (referred to as “mode shift”), and also to support the “walk and roll to school” program. The Commission has also provided significant input into recent citywide mobility planning reports such as the updated Vision Zero Action Plan and the Trails Strategy Plan.
Staff also keeps the Commission informed about current project development activities and input opportunities. The Commissioners are encouraged to directly participate in project development opportunities that are open to the general public. It has not been the practice nor the Commission’s interest to provide recommendations or vote on individual projects that have a separate public outreach process.
FISCAL IMPACT: N/A
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: N/A
ATTACHMENTS: None.
RECOMMENDATION: Receive the staff report.