July 5, 2022
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Edward D. Reiskin FROM: Ryan Russo
City Administrator Director, Oakland
Department of
Transportation
SUBJECT: West Oakland Sustainable
Transportation Equity Project
Grant Acceptance and
Professional Services
Agreement
DATE: May 27, 2022
City Administrator Approval Date: Jun 20, 2022
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Authorizing The City Administrator To:
1) Accept and Appropriate Sustainable Transportation Equity Project (STEP) Grant Funds In The Amount Of Seven Million Six Hundred Sixty-Five Thousand Three Hundred Seventy-One Dollars and Ninety-Nine Cents ($7,665,371.99) To Implement The West Oakland STEP Program, Administered By The California Air Resources Board;
2) Enter Into A Professional Services Agreement With Oakland Parks And Recreation Foundation As A Fiscal Agent For The West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project, Urban Biofilter, And West Oakland Green Initiative In An Amount Not to Exceed Two Million Eight Hundred Eighty-Four Thousand Two-Hundred Dollars and Zero Cents ($2,884,200.00);
3) Enter Into A Professional Services Agreement With The Crucible In An Amount Not To Exceed Three Hundred Sixty-Four Thousand Three Hundred Twenty-Nine Dollars and Ninety-Five Cents ($364,329.95);
4) Waive the City’s Competitive Request For Proposals/Qualifications Selection Process;
5) Allocate Two Million Eight Hundred Ninety-Three Thousand Nine Hundred Fifty-Six Dollars ($2,893,956) In Local Match; And
6) Adopt Appropriate California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Findings.
City Council
Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: West Oakland STEP Grant Project Acceptance
Date: May 27, 2022 Page 2
City Council
July 5, 2022
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The goals of the West Oakland Sustainable Transportation Equity Project (STEP) program are to address residents’ transportation needs, improve access to safe and multimodal transportation, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to create a healthier environment for residents and workers in West Oakland. The grant will fund four projects to address transportation needs in West Oakland: Truck Management Plan Implementation, Pedestrian Improvements and Urban Greening, West Oakland Bicycle Resource Hub, and West Oakland Transit Improvements. These projects align with strategies identified in the West Oakland Community Action Plan (WOCAP), which was a community-driven effort funded by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District that identified recommendations for reducing air pollution emissions and exposures in West Oakland. Additionally, the project partnership structure with various community-based organizations will involve residents, businesses, and workers as local experts in the planning process.
Approval of the proposed resolution will allow the City of Oakland (City) to accept and appropriate $7,665,371.99 to improve access to safe and sustainable transportation and reduce emissions exposure in West Oakland; enter into a professional services agreement with the Oakland Parks and Recreation Foundation for $2,884,200.00 and with The Crucible for $364,329.95 to implement the projects as part of the STEPS program; waive the City’s competitive request for proposals/qualifications selection; allocate $2,893,956 in local match; and adopt appropriate California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) findings.
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
In August 2020, the City applied to the California Air Resources Board’s STEP grant fund, a new transportation equity pilot that aims to address community residents’ transportation needs, increase access to key destinations, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by funding planning, clean transportation, and supporting projects. The Oakland Department of Transportation (OakDOT) submitted two projects for funding: the East Oakland Sustainable Transportation to Martin Luther King Jr. Shoreline plan, a study of clean air mobility options to improve shoreline access; and the West Oakland STEP program, a series of capital investments aimed at improving access to safe and sustainable transportation and creating a healthier environment for West Oakland’s existing residents. The East Oakland project was successfully awarded $184,753.69 in 2021. In early 2022, the City was notified that the West Oakland project would also receive STEP grant funding and would be awarded $7,665,371.99.
The overarching purpose of the STEP grant program is to increase transportation equity in disadvantaged and low-income communities throughout California, and the grant solicitation heavily favored strong collaboration with community-based organizations. For this grant program, OakDOT and the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project proposed a co- leadership structure where leadership responsibilities would be shared among the two organizations for the project’s steering committee. West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project was chosen as the co-lead due to their longstanding history of environmental justice advocacy in West Oakland and deep connections with community members. As part of the West Oakland STEP program, OakDOT will also work with other community-based organizations with demonstrated experience in delivering projects and programs in West Oakland.
OakDOT contracts with consulting firms to support the development of plans and projects and Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: West Oakland STEP Grant Project Acceptance
Date: May 27, 2022 Page 3
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seeks to fund Community Based Organizations (CBOs)/non-profits to support and enhance planning, engagement, and policy work. For these reasons, OakDOT jointly developed the West Oakland STEP program with the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project, Oakland Parks and Recreation Foundation, West Oakland Green Initiative, Urban Biofilter, and The Crucible based on their experience and strong roots in West Oakland.
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
As an outcome of Assembly Bill 617, which focused on reducing air pollution in the state’s most highly impacted communities, West Oakland was selected to be the first community within the Bay Area to complete an emissions reduction planning process. Co-led by the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (Air District), this process resulted in Owning Our Air: The West Oakland Community Action Plan, or WOCAP, adopted in 2019. The development of the plan, facilitated by its co-leads, was driven and led by a Steering Committee made up of representatives from all sectors of the West Oakland community. The Steering Committee developed a list of 84 strategies based on local knowledge of their community, the health issues confronting residents, air pollution monitoring data, and the Air District’s modeling of pollution concentrations and cancer risks. These strategies include lowering emissions from the most important sources in West Oakland, reducing exposure by filtering pollutants, moving pollution sources away from residents, and improving transportation options.
The West Oakland STEP grant will fund four projects identified by community residents and stakeholders. These four projects collectively comprise the West Oakland STEP program.
1. West Oakland Truck Management Plan Implementation, which includes improving truck route signage, truck and trailer parking enforcement, and truck traffic calming recommendations
2. West Oakland Pedestrian Improvements and Urban Greening, which includes building up to 2.3-miles of sidewalks, planting up to 2,000 trees and shrubs, and developing a community-based urban greening stewardship model
3. West Oakland Bike Resource Hub, which includes hosting free monthly workshops, free Earn-A-Bike programming, and free bike repair services, and installing fix-it bike stations throughout West Oakland
4. West Oakland Transit Access Improvements, which includes upgrading 14 bus stops in West Oakland and piloting a West Oakland Universal Basic Mobility program to distribute 1,000 prepaid transit and shared mobility passes to West Oaklanders
The West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project is a resident led, community-based environmental justice organization dedicated to achieving healthy homes, healthy jobs, and healthy neighborhoods for all who live, work, learn and play in West Oakland. Along with the City, West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project will serve as a co-lead of the project’s steering committee.
With this grant, the Oakland Parks and Recreation Foundation will fund and partner with West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project, Urban Biofilter, and West Oakland Green Initiative.
These organizations will work together to develop, plan, and implement the sub-components of the pedestrian improvements urban greening project.
The grant will also provide funding to The Crucible, a community-focused industrial arts school that serves West Oakland and the Greater Bay Area. Widely recognized for their classes and hands-on education for people of diverse ages and background, The Crucible will be Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: West Oakland STEP Grant Project Acceptance
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responsible for the development and implementation of the bicycle resource hub.
Specific roles of each partner agency are in Table 1. Additional information on roles and responsibilities can be found in Attachment A: West Oakland STEP Grant Agreement.
Table 1: Agency Roles and Responsibilities
Name of Partner Expected Duties
Oakland Department of
Transportation
Lead the development and implementation of West Oakland STEP program
Assume responsibility and accountability for the use,
expenditure, and disbursement of received STEP funds as the Grantee
Contract and work with all sub-applicants and community partners to implement the STEP-funded projects
Co-lead the project’s Steering Committee
Oakland Planning and
Building Department
Lead the implementation of the Truck Management Plan
Implementation Project specifically around engagement with both Port and non-Port businesses; and contribute staff time and resources needed for implementation
Participate in the steering committee; provide background materials, engagement materials, and data, as needed
West Oakland
Environmental Indicators
Project
Co-lead the Steering Committee for the duration of the grant
Assist in implementation and co-lead engagement of
proposed pedestrian improvements and truck management
plan implementation
Oakland Parks and
Recreation Foundation
Co-lead implementation of Pedestrian Improvements & Urban Greening Project
Manage contracts and payment to community partners,
including West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project, West Oakland Green Initiative, and Urban Biofilter
West Oakland Green
Initiative
Coordinate outreach and education for the Pedestrian
Improvements & Urban Greening project
Urban Biofilter Collaborative partner for urban greening proposal - Lead showcase greening interventions along a heavy
commerce-pedestrian route
- Develop and launch an urban greening stewardship
program with additional community-based partners
The Crucible Implement and manage the Bike Resource Hub
Participate in Steering Committee
Port of Oakland Identify and provide educational outreach to Port-related businesses regarding proposed changes to local regulations Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: West Oakland STEP Grant Project Acceptance
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regarding truck routes, truck prohibited streets, and truck and trailer parking
AC Transit Participate in the steering committee
Help implement bus stop improvements
Alameda County
Transportation
Commission
Participate in the steering committee
Bay Area Air Quality
Management District
Participate in the steering committee
Bay Area Regional
Collaborative
Participate in the Steering Committee; report out on the progress of STEP-funded projects to the collaborative's Governing Board to elevate progress being made in West
Oakland and amplify the voices of community residents
Waive Request For Proposals/Qualifications (RFP/Q) Competitive Selection Requirements
Oakland Municipal Code (OMC) section 2.04.051.A requires the City Administrator to conduct a request for proposals/qualifications (RFP/Q) process for professional services contracts in excess of $50,000. OMC section 2.04.051.B allows the City Council to waive the RFP/Q requirements upon a finding by the City Council that it is in the best interest of the City to do so. Staff recommends that the City Council find and determine that it is in the best interest of the City to waive the competitive RFP/Q selection requirements based on the following:
• Unique Service: As community-based organizations with longstanding history of working with West Oakland residents, the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project, West Oakland Green Initiative, Oakland Parks and Recreation Foundation, Urban Biofilter, and The Crucible are uniquely positioned to engage West Oakland residents and stakeholders on important planning issues, and their trust and credibility enhance the community outreach that the City could do on its own.
• Efficiencies: The West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project has assisted with past and ongoing City projects, including the West Oakland Community Action Plan and the Grand Avenue Mobility Plan, and these existing relationships would lead to efficiencies as the organization is well versed with the City and its processes. The Oakland Parks and Recreation Foundation is working with the City on implementation of the Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) grant in East Oakland and the learnings from that grant project can be applied to West Oakland.
Not waiving competitive selection requirements would compromise the City’s ability to deliver the scope in the grant agreement; jeopardize our relationship with existing community partners; undermine our ability to win additional grant funding from the California Air Resources Board and bring additional investment to Oakland; and delay the project timeline.
The West Oakland STEP program addresses community needs regarding multimodal infrastructure and truck relief and advances the following Citywide priorities: vibrant, sustainable infrastructure and responsive, trustworthy government. The West Oakland Pedestrian Improvements and Urban Greening project will build up to 2.3 miles of sidewalks in West Oakland, which will fill in critical sidewalk gaps, improve pedestrian safety, and provide Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
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accessible infrastructure for people with disabilities. Community-based organizations participating in the West Oakland STEP program will engage in urban greening to reduce the impacts of greenhouse gas emissions from large vehicles and freight at the Port of Oakland.
Community organizations and community members will also develop a stewardship model for the maintenance of the trees and shrubs that are planted as part of this project. The West Oakland STEP program proposes a shared leadership structure between the City and West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project for the steering committee, which will serve as the decision-making body for the program. As co-leads, the City and West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project will provide project updates to the steering committee. Finally, the City will collaborate with community-based organizations mentioned in this report to implement the West Oakland STEP program to help build trust in government and deliver sustainable infrastructure projects.
FISCAL IMPACT
Adoption of this resolution will allow $7,665,371.99 of California Air Resources Board grant funds to be deposited and appropriated in the State of California Other Fund (2159), Complete Streets Design Organization (35212) & Construction Organization (92270). Task, Award, and Project Number(s) will be determined upon grant acceptance.
The West Oakland STEP program would not be feasible without this grant funding. Delivering the West Oakland STEP program would provide benefits to West Oakland residents and workers by resulting in improved pedestrian, bicycle, and transit access. Urban greening will result in improved living conditions and a healthier environment.
Both OakDOT and community partners will receive funds as part of this grant award. Grant funding is being allocated as shown in Table 2.
Table 2: Grant Funding Allocation
Organization Grant Amount Notes
Oakland Department of
Transportation
$4,416,842.04 The City is committed to a local match of $2,893,955.48. This match is contributed in
the form of staff labor charges and a grant
received from the Alameda County
Transportation Commission.
Oakland Parks and
Recreation Foundation
$2,884,200.00 $1,865,000 of this funding will be used to fund other community-based organizations,
including West Oakland Environmental
Indicators Project, West Oakland Green
Initiative, and Urban Biofilter
The Crucible $364,329.95 This funding covers both programming and equipment costs
A local match, or resource contribution, is required as a condition of the grant. The West Oakland STEP program has a local match of $2,893,955.48. Local match funds will be allocated from a combination of secured grants, Measure KK Infrastructure Bond Fund, and Measure BB Local Matching Funds. A breakdown of the project’s known match sources is Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
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included in Table 3.
Table 3: Matching Funds
Match Funding Sources Amount
West Oakland Transit Improvement (WOTI) Project (No. 1006302), Complete Street Design Organization (35212), Alameda County Transportation Commission Fund (2214), Task (8.0), Award (24142) $1,924,000
West Oakland Transit Improvement (WOTI) (Project No. 1006302), Complete Street Design Organization (35212) & Engineer Design: Streets Organization (92242), Measure KK Fund (5335), Task (8.0), Award (23941)
$772,606
Complete Streets Capital (Project No. 1003348), Complete Street Design Organization (35212) & Engineer Design: Streets Organization (92242), Measure KK Fund (5335), Task (8.0), Award (23941)
$197,350
Total Matching Funds $2,893,956
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
The West Oakland STEP program will incorporate significant community outreach, including a steering committee for the overall program and multiple phases of engagement for the individual projects. The Steering Committee will act as the formal engagement, advisory and decision-making body of the STEP program; center the voices of community partners and other community residents; and include public meetings and a process to report back on how community input is being incorporated into project development and implementation. The Steering Committee will reflect the diversity of the community and support the goals and objectives of the STEP program. The steering committee's role will be to provide guidance on STEP-funded projects and key decisions and to weigh in on community engagement plans and activities. This work will be done with the full support of the co-leads, who will serve as co- chairs of the committee. The co-leads will ensure all Steering Committee members are heard, that community input outside of the Steering Committee is also considered, and that all relevant subject matters are thoroughly discussed. It may also decide to bring in facilitators to facilitate Steering Committee meetings to ensure all committee objectives are met.
COORDINATION
OakDOT staff has worked with the Office of the City Attorney, Budget Bureau, and the Department of Planning and Building in the preparation of this report. This West Oakland STEP grant directly responds to the recommendations of the West Oakland Community Action Plan, West Oakland Truck Management Plan, Bike Plan Update, Pedestrian Plan, Transit Action Strategy, and Urban Forest Master Plan (pending).
SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES
Economic: The West Oakland community already exhibits a strong desire for workforce development opportunities for residents. As part of the urban greening project, Oakland Parks and Recreation Foundation will hire additional community partners and organizations to facilitate tree planting. Additionally, Urban Biofilter will work with community organizations and Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
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job training organizations to develop and pilot an urban greening stewardship model.
Environmental: West Oakland faces significant transportation gaps. Quality food and health services are limited, and 28% of households do not own motor vehicles1. Sidewalks in West Oakland are in the poorest shape compared to the rest of the City, with 5% of sidewalks missing entirely. The area has one of the highest average pedestrian injury rates, second only to Downtown Oakland2. While a survey of West Oakland residents showed that 72% would like to bike more than they do today, people face several barriers to biking, including difficulty obtaining a bike and performing maintenance, lack of safe biking infrastructure and disproportionate traffic stops by the police3. The West Oakland community has also identified the need for transit improvements. Almost all bus stops in West Oakland are currently too short or are located on the nearside of intersections, which creates visibility issues and unsafe situations. Substandard sidewalk conditions and insufficient bus stop access creates serious challenges for those with mobility impairments or traveling with small children and strollers.
Newer mobility options such as ride-hailing, car share, and e-bikes and scooters are often prohibitively expensive and require credit cards and smartphones. As part of West Oakland STEPS, bus stop improvements, the bike resource hub, and the universal basic mobility pilot program will address these existing challenges to safe and sustainable transportation.
Race & Equity: Approximately 90% or more of residents in West Oakland live in census tracts that are designated as disadvantaged communities, per Senate Bill 535. West Oakland residents have endured poor air quality and poor health outcomes for decades due to land use and transportation decisions that placed highways and industrial development adjacent to residential neighborhoods, mainly low-income communities of color. Effective community organizing combined with government regulations and other interventions have improved conditions in recent years, but disparities persist. While emissions and air pollution due to transportation account for about 40% of emissions citywide, these emissions are disproportionate in West Oakland, where both air pollution and poor health outcomes are unacceptably high.
Trucks are a major mobile source of diesel particulate matter and toxic air contaminants. Both the proximity to and frequency of exposure to truck exhaust are important factors that can lead to poor health outcomes, which are disproportionately shouldered by Oakland’s communities of color and low-income communities. The West Oakland Truck Management Plan Implementation Project addresses this inequity by keeping trucks off residential streets, thus reducing exposure to particulate matter and contaminants. Another benefit of managing truck routes is that it improves traffic safety, particularly for pedestrians and bicyclists who benefit from greater visibility on streets and intersections. This is important since West Oakland residents are more likely to walk and bike, and often do not have access to vehicles.
The Bike Resource Hub project incorporates many different facets of transportation equity as articulated by the West Oakland community. Providing free access to bikes and supportive programs can advance equity by supporting low-income residents’ access to sustainable transportation options in their neighborhoods. This project also approaches safety from a variety of angles, including as it pertains to traffic collisions and law enforcement. Based on surveys that were conducted for the development of the 2019 Oakland Bike Plan, people of color in West Oakland are more concerned with traffic collisions and being stopped by police when riding a bicycle than residents of other neighborhoods.
1 American Community Survey, Table DP04 (2015-19) via California Healthy Places Index 2 City of Oakland, Department of Transportation. Oakland Walks! 2017 Pedestrian Plan Update 3 City of Oakland, Department of Transportation. Let’s Bike Oakland (2019) Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
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To address these concerns, this project will provide helmets, bike education and training, as well as conduct further engagement and outreach on how best to eliminate the disparate policing of people of color on bikes.
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA)
As mentioned in this agenda report, the truck management project (Project #1) will directly implement strategies identified in the West Oakland Truck Management Plan (TMP). The TMP is a mitigation measure from redevelopment of the Oakland Army Base (OAB).
Redevelopment of the former Oakland Army Base was analyzed under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in 2002 by the Oakland Army Base Area Redevelopment Plan Environmental Impact Report, followed by an Addendum in 2012 (Resolution No. 83930 C.M.S.) which included the Standard Conditions of Approval/Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program as amended by the City Council on July 16, 2013 (Ordinance No.13182 C.M.S.). Preparation of the TMP was undertaken to comply with and to implement the Oakland Army Base EIR, as addended, mitigation measures 4.3-7, which are intended to reduce the nuisance of trucks driving and parking in areas where they should not be; improve safety for people walking, biking, and driving in West Oakland; and improve the quality of life for people living and working in West Oakland. Thus, the tasks carried out as part of Project 1 of the West Oakland STEPS program will implement the actions under the OAB EIR, and therefore, the CEQA determination has been made previously.
The West Oakland Pedestrian Improvements and Urban Greening Project (Project #2), the West Oakland Bike Resource Hub (Project #3) and West Oakland Transit Improvements (Project #4) are exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to the following CEQA Guidelines Sections:
• Section 15183 (projects consistent with a community plan, general plan, or zoning) • Section 15301(c) (existing facilities)
• Section 15302 (replacement or reconstruction)
• Section 1506(c)(2) (no direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment)
• Section 15061(b)(3) (no significant effect on the environment) Each of the above exemptions provides a separate and independent basis for CEQA clearance and when viewed collectively provide an overall basis for CEQA clearance.
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Authorizing The City Administrator to Accept and Appropriate Sustainable Transportation Equity Project (STEP) Grant Funds In The Amount Of Seven Million Six Hundred Sixty-Five Thousand Three Hundred Seventy-One Dollars and Ninety-Nine Cents ($7,665,371.99)To Implement The West Oakland STEP Program, Administered By The California Air Resources Board; 2) Enter Into A Professional Services Agreement With Oakland Parks And Recreation Foundation As A Fiscal Agent For The West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project, Urban Biofilter, And West Oakland Green Initiative In An Amount Not to Exceed Two Million Eight Hundred Eighty-Four Thousand Two-Hundred Dollars and Zero Cents ($2,884,200.00); 3) Enter Into A Professional Services Agreement With The Crucible In An Amount Not To Exceed Three Hundred Sixty- Four Thousand Three Hundred Twenty-Nine Dollars and Ninety-Five Cents ($364,329.95); 4) Waive the City’s Competitive Request For Proposals/Qualifications Selection Process for
Ryan Russo (Jun 16, 2022 15:15 PDT)
Request for Proposals; and 5) Allocate Two Million Eight Hundred Ninety-Three Thousand Nine Hundred Fifty-Six Dollars ($2,893,956) In Local Match; And 6) Adopt Appropriate California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Findings.
For questions regarding this report, please contact Celina Chan, Transportation Planner, Great Streets Division at 510-238-7321.
Respectfully submitted,
RYAN RUSSO
Director, Department of Transportation
Reviewed by:
Fred Kelley, Assistant Director
Department of Transportation
Amit Salwan, Great Streets Division Manager
Department of Transportation
Emily Ehlers, Senior Transportation Planner
Department of Transportation
Julieth Ortiz, Transportation Planner III
Department of Transportation
Prepared by:
Celina Chan, Transportation Planner
Department of Transportation
Attachments (1):
Attachment A: West Oakland STEP Grant Agreement