Fremont City Council Meeting: 07/11/23 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Public Works
Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Plans, Policies and Studies
SCHEDULED
Sponsors:
COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 4931) DOC ID: 4931
Updated: 6/15/2023 8:01 PM by Susan Gauthier Page 1
ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN - Approve a Professional Services Agreement with Fehr & Peers in an Amount Not to Exceed $437,159 (Including 10% Contingency) to Develop the City’s Active Transportation Plan; Appropriate Funds; and Make Findings of CEQA Exemption
Contact Persons:
Name: Lilian Ayala Hans Larsen
Title: Senior Transportation Engineer Public Works Director Div/Dept: Public Works Public Works
Phone: (510) 494-4766 510-494-4722
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]
Executive Summary: The purpose of this report is to facilitate the development of the Fremont Active Transportation Plan (ATP), a new 5-year master plan focused on transportation infrastructure related to walking and bicycling. The ATP will combine and update the City’s past planning efforts that have included a separate Pedestrian Master Plan, Bicycle Master Plan, and Safe Routes to Schools Plan. Having a current master plan for active transportation, and developed with community engagement, is required to be eligible for receiving funds from various regional, State and federal funding sources. The primary funding source to prepare the ATP is from the Alameda County Measure BB program.
BACKGROUND: The policies of the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC) require cities within the County to update plans approximately every five years addressing priorities for improving infrastructure for walking and bicycling. The 2014 Measure BB program administered by ACTC provides direct annual funding to cities for pedestrian a nd bicycle improvements as well as other funding through competitive grants. Additionally, other grant programs administered by regional, State, and federal agencies require that project applications be based on the identification of community priorities s elected though a public outreach process and with a particular focus on engagement with communities that are more dependent on active transportation modes, such as youth, seniors, and lower income populations.
The City’s past planning efforts related to walking and bicycling have included various “targeted” plans such Vision Zero traffic safety plans (2016 and 2021), Pedestrian Master Plan (2016), Safe Routes to School Plans (2017), Bicycle Master Plan (2018), Mobility Action Plan (2019), and Trails Strategy Plan (2021), collectively referred to as “Master Plans”. The new ATP will be a combined update of the previously adopted Master Plans, including consolidating the various elements of the previous Master Plans into a singular cohesive document and updating these elements to reflect changes in policies and design that further encourage and promote walking, biking, and rolling, for those that live, visit and work in Fremont.
The existing Master Plans established a vision centered on ensuring safe, continuo us, convenient, and comfortable pedestrian and bicyclist access for users of all ages and abilities, and it identified an All Ages & Abilities Network, recommendations for pedestrian crosswalk enhancements, traffic safety assessments around schools, and a five-year priority Council Staff Report (ID # 4931) Meeting of July 11, 2023 Updated: 6/15/2023 8:01 PM by Susan Gauthier Page 2
list of infrastructure projects. The five-year priority project list included trail projects, installation of separated bikeways and protected intersections along major “backbone” All Ages & Abilities corridors, and addressing barriers imposed by freeways.
Since the adoption of the Master Plans, the City has made significant progress in the enhancement of its pedestrian and bicycle network on high-speed, multi-lane arterial streets by installing 32 new pedestrian flashing beacons, 40 miles of separated bikeways, and 13 protected intersections. The City is also actively developing various priority trail projects (Sabercat Trail, East Bay Greenway Trail, Dumbarton to Quarry Lakes Trail, Grimmer Greenway Trail, and Niles Canyon Trail), has completed School Access Safety plans for all Fremont public schools (including implementation of over 400 “quick build” projects around schools), and has undertaken the development of various projects addressing freeway system barriers such as building new pedestrian/bike bridges at I-680/Sabercat Trail and I-880/Innovation District Trail; and upgrading freeway interchanges at I-680/Mission Boulevard North and I-880/Decoto Road.
The ATP will support the City’s on-going effort to implement its planned All Ages and Abilities network, as well as support the adopted mode shift goal of decreasing drive -alone commuting from 73% in 2019 to 50% in 2040 as identified in the Mobility Action Plan. The ATP will also support the City’s Vision Zero Action Plan by including goals and implementation priorities to enhance pedestrian and bicycle safety.
Robust community engagement and outreach are key components in the development of the ATP to ensure that the updated goals, networks, and priorities will adequately serve the needs and desires of the Fremont community and stakeholders. Extensive outreach will be conducted through the City’s “My Fremont” on-line engagement platform, on-going neighborhood engagement and relationship building, numerous pop-up events, City- sponsored special events, engagement with traditionally underrepresented groups, collaboration with the Fremont Unified School District, and internal collaboration with other City departments, Commissions, and the City Council. Throughout the process, the community engagement and outreach strategy and overall schedule will be evaluated and adjusted based on feedback on the strategy, achieving broader participation and relationship building.
A MyFremont website is already in place (see weblink below). Staff has initiated community outreach efforts starting with a booth at the Fremont Earth Day event (on April 22, 2023).
Input into the scope and outreach plan for the ATP has been provided by the Mobility Commission. Other participation opportunities will be provided to City commissions including the Senior Citizens Commission, Youth Advisory Commission, Recreation Commission, Planning Commission, and Environmental Sustainability Commission. Outreach efforts will be conducted in all areas of Fremont (including the development of “area plans” in the City’s north, central, and south areas) and with an extra focus on the Fremont neighborhoods federally designated as “disadvantaged communities” (Cabrillo, Sundale, and Grimmer).
The new ATP will ultimately provide the primary guidance in how the City plans and develops infrastructure enhancements for people walking and bicycling over the next five years, and it will also help to set up the City for future funding opportunities for project implementation. Community outreach related to the ATP is planned to occur during the upcoming summer and fall, a draft plan is proposed for release by early 2024, and with Council action on the new ATP in Spring 2024.
Council Staff Report (ID # 4931) Meeting of July 11, 2023 Updated: 6/15/2023 8:01 PM by Susan Gauthier Page 3
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: On February 14, 2023, the City issued a request for proposal (RFP) for the preparation of the Active Transportation Plan, and the proposal submittal deadline was on March 28, 2023. The City received proposals from the following four firms:
Fehr & Peers, Kittelson & Associates, Inc., The Street Plans Collaborative, Inc., and TJKM Transportation Consultants.
The four proposals were evaluated by a selection panel comprised of City staff based on the following criteria: the firm’s overall understanding of the ATP project scope, the firm’s proposed methodology/scope of services, the firm’s qualifications/relevant experience, proposal feasibility, and the firm’s ability to meet City agreement and insurance requirements. Interviews were conducted with the top three firms on the week of May 1, 2023. Based on the written proposal rating and interview, the consultant team consisting of Fehr & Peers (team leader) and Alta Planning & Design was selected as the top ranked firm for the development of the ATP. The two firms have extensive experience working with the City’s active transportation program, with Fehr & Peers having developed the City’s current Bicycle Master Plan, and with Alta Planning & Design having developed the City’s current Pedestrian Master Plan and Safe Routes to School plans. Both firms have also worked with the City on a number of active transportation project implementations. Fehr & Peers and Alta Planning & Design are both nationally recognized transportation consultant firms with extensive expertise in active transportation planning. Staff believes that the two firms have the necessary experience and knowledge to complete the development of the ATP in a satisfactory manner.
FISCAL IMPACT: Preparation of the ATP has a proposed total cost of $487,159, which includes: the base cost for consultant services ($397,159); consultant service contingencies ($40,000); and staff support costs ($50,000). Preparing a consolidated ATP is more time and cost efficient than past planning efforts that have focused singularly on walking, bicycling, and schools. Funding sources for the project cost are available in the City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and include: an existing appropriation of $199,000 through PWC9049 (Bike and Pedestrian Planning Studies); a reallocation of funds to PWC9049 from PWC9041-515 (Regional Projects Funding Match) in the amount of $200,000; and a reallocation of funds to PWC9049 from PWC8933-531 (Measure BB Project Staff Support) in the amount of $100,000. With the recommended additional reallocation of funds to the project, there will be sufficient funds available for the consultant contract execution and staff time to support the project.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: The action is not a project as defined by Pub. Res. Code Section 21065, and is exempt from CEQA review per: (1) CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(2), as exempt continuing administrative, policy and procedure making, or maintenance activities; (2) CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(4), as the creation of a government funding mechanism or other government fiscal activity that does not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment; (3) CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), which exempts projects when it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment. Each of the foregoing provides a separate and independent basis for CEQA compliance with respect to the subject action.
Prior to the implementation of various projects identified in the ATP, separate project level environmental analysis and clearance will be conducted.
Council Staff Report (ID # 4931) Meeting of July 11, 2023 Updated: 6/15/2023 8:01 PM by Susan Gauthier Page 4
WEBLINK: https://www.my.fremont.gov/active-transportation-plan
ATTACHMENTS: None.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Find the proposed action is not a project as defined by Pub. Res. Code Section 21065, and is exempt from CEQA review per CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(2) (administrative activity); CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(4) (fiscal activity); and CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) (no significant effect on the environment).
2. Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute a Professional Service Agreement with Fehr & Peers for the development of the Active Transportation Plan in an amount not to exceed $437,159.
3. Reallocate $200,000 from PWC9041-515 to PWC9049-515.
4. Reallocate $100,000 from PWC8933-531 to PWC9049-531.