These Guidelines reflect and activate the City Council’s priorities; they do not supplant them. They work to guide staff and the City’s legislative advocates on issues that are important to the City Council, and likely to become a legislative issue. These Guidelines are not rank- ordered and are meant to allow for a flexible and quick response by staff and advocates, without the need to return to the City Council to seek guidance. The Guidelines work in conjunction with the City Council-approved Advocacy Process Manual and the City Council action to do “Strategic Weighing in on Issues of Interest” (June 22, 2021 CMR 12344; Minutes). The City Council’s annual priorities are also guidance for the City’s legislative platform.
The below Foundational Principles represent the ideals that form the core of the City’s policy agenda. The Legislative Guidelines all rise from and strengthen four foundational principles:
1. Promote Local Fiscal Sustainability:
Support measures that promote fiscal stability, predictability, financial independence, and preserve the City’s revenue base and maximum control over local government budgeting.
Also Pprotect local revenue sources and prevent unfunded mandates.
2. Support Funding Opportunities:
Protect, seek, and increase funding for programs, projects, and services; pursue grants. Seek opportunities that allow the City to compete for regional, state and federal funding. Support funding for programs including, but not limited to, economic development, infrastructure investment, housing, transportation projects (such as road improvements, rail grade separations, bicycle and pedestrian safety, multi-modal transportation systems and transit- oriented development), air quality, water quality and local water reliability, parks and recreation, historic preservation, natural resources, hazard mitigation, public safety and public health.
3. Preserve Local Control:
Preserve and protect the City’s powers, duties, and discretion to enact and engage in local processes and policy making concerning local affairs and oppose efforts and legislation from state and regional bodies that preempt local authority. Advocate for longer lead times for implementation of new legislation that impacts Palo Alto. Protect and increase local government discretion. Oppose items that preempt or reduce the authority or ability of local government to determine how to effectively operate local programs, services, activities, and governance.
4. Protect the health and safety of the community:
Support policies and funding that enrich the quality of life for the Palo Alto community with services that provide for a safe, fulfilling, and vibrant life. Support policies that promote equity.
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The City of Palo Alto’s 20243 Federal and State Legislative Guidelines
The Legislative Guidelines create the framework for organizing the City’s policy interests, while guiding staff and contracted lobbyists in their advocacy efforts on behalf of the City.
The items below provide direction for the City’s efforts when addressing reasonable government actions.
Transportation
The City supports government action that:
• Deters single occupancy drivers and alleviates local traffic congestion • Supports local and regional public transportation
• Regulates technology that diverts traffic into residential neighborhoods • Provides funding for rail grade separations, rail efficiency improvements, and other means of reducing the local impacts of regional transportation systems • Streamlines funding between the state, federal, and local governments that help reduce the amount of time and resources it takes to fund and complete transportation projects. • Sustains local, regional, and state funding sources for the development and maintenance of transportation and does not condition receipt of funds on non-transportation related factors
• Supports expansion and/or maintaining of public transit options throughout Palo Alto, especially funding for transit
• Supports state legislation that maximizes local control related to land use requirements near transit (especially if it impacts the City’s approach to planning for complete communities)
Climate and Environment
The City supports government action that:
• Reduces GHG emissions and supports progress toward GHG reduction and carbon neutrality goals
• Reduces airplane noise, health impacts, and/or airplane emissions • Promotes residential, commercial, and vehicle electrification programs • Promotes workforce development to provide increased workforce needed for electrification and grid modernization
• Promotes the use of renewable resources, water conservation, and the flexible use of existing resources
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• Continues sSupports for a statewide ban on polystyrene containers and packaging materials
• Provides opportunities for staff, in partnership to work with the San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority and other regional stakeholders, to advance in efforts to improve the creek’s watershed and floodplain (especially related to local bridges) • Supports efforts to protect local communities from sea level rise and other impacts of climate change
• Supports proper disposal responsible processing of recyclables once removed from Palo Alto and other communities, including promoting processing facilities and recyclables markets within the United States
• Strengthen and modernize the State and Local electric grids • Supports the protection of our natural environment, including open space, trees/tree canopy, and biodiversity
Financial
The City supports government action that:
• Supports the long-term stability of CalPERS and the ability of local governments to mitigate and manage with flexibility its pension obligations • Protects the funding sources and levels of City services for the sustainable delivery of City services
• Provides for COVID-19 related expenses and revenue losses • Supports the continued deductibility of tax-exempt municipal bonds and the restoration of Advance Refunding of Tax-Exempt Municipal Bonds
• Supports the lowering or maintaining of voter thresholds for local revenue measures • Supports maximum flexibility for local government in contracting and contract negotiations
• Supports efforts to attract and retain resources for current and future smaller businesses in Palo Alto
• Preserves local discretion in the assessment, collection, and usage of development fees Governance, Transparency, and Human ResourcesPublic Employment The City supports government action that:
• Preserves local government’s ability to manage its own employment issues, including, but not limited to hiring, evaluating, disciplining, and/or terminating and negotiating collective bargaining agreements with employees’ representatives
• Supports reasonable regulatory efforts surrounding policies regarding cybersecurity, drones, shared mobility services, returning to Obama-era net neutrality regulations, and smart city initiatives
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• Protects individual privacy and allows the City to safeguard customer information • Maintain existing records collection and retention requirements • Promote teleconferencing flexibilities under the Ralph M. Brown Act • Allows the City to support the collaborative work of regional partners, trade associations, other local governments and organizations, and Joint Powers Authorities • Provides for the equal treatment of all individuals
Technology
The City supports government action that:
• Supports reasonable regulatory efforts surrounding policies regarding cybersecurity, drones, shared mobility services, returning to Obama-era net neutrality regulations, and smart city initiatives
Housing
The City supports government action that:
• Supports reasonable housing policies that recognize local autonomy to maintain the local public process and preserve local government’s ability to determine land use policies and development standards
• Provides funding for (a) affordable housing, (b) homelessness, and (c) infrastructure (such as parks, utilities, roads, and transit) required to support the increased housing production and keep pace with local development goals
• Promotes the development and enhancement of safe and affordable housing and accessible housing within the City for all economic segments of the population • Promotes funding and tax incentives for the identification, acquisition, maintenance, adaptive reuse, and restoration of historic sites and vacant structures • Fosters reasonable ratios between jobs and housing
• Supports the development and implementation of efficient and environmentally sustainable land use and building practices
• Supports the provision of greater lead times (extended effective dates of state legislation) for local jurisdictions to implement state legislation which offers Palo Alto the opportunity to apply new land use and housing requirements within the local context PolicePublic Safety
The City supports government action that:
•Supports efforts which seek to modify policing services, including but not limited to alternative public safety models and funding to address community mental health issues, expansion of requirements regarding police data and rules regarding prior Item 13
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employment information transparency, and expansion of data and communications including radio encryption.
•Provides for greater public safety support resources especially related to organized retail theft operations
•Reduces weapons-related violence via the enactment of common-sense firearm reforms
•Enhances fire and emergency training and response capabilities. Mitigate fire safety risks. Advocate for funding and policy to mitigate wildfire risks and funding for fire services in general as well as funding for emergency services. •Updates, implements, and refines processes, services, and programs affecting the City.
This includes, but is not limited to, public safety reform efforts and streamlining reporting mandates
•Support legislation that would address ongoing safety concerns and help prevent acts of violence motivated by hate, including improving data collection and reporting Other
The City supports government action that:
• Updates, implements, and refines processes, services, and programs affecting the City.
This includes, but is not limited to, public safety reform efforts and streamlining reporting mandates
• Protects individual privacy and allows the City to safeguard customer information • Provides for the equal treatment of all individuals
• Allows the City to support the collaborative work of regional partners, trade associations, other local governments and organizations, and Joint Powers Authorities Item 13
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City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: INFORMATION REPORTS
Lead Department: Transportation
Meeting Date: January 22, 2024
Report #:2312-2331
TITLE
Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan (BPTP) Update: an active transportation plan-- Introduction & Overview, Community Engagement, Context & Baseline Conditions, and Next Steps
RECOMMENDATION
Receive this Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan (BPTP) Update—Introduction & Overview.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Staff is providing this Information Report as an overview to the City Council on the recently launched effort to update the City’s existing 2012 Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan (BPTP). The City’s existing BPTP is a critical planning, policy, and implementation document that supports efforts to improve the safety and attractiveness of walking, biking, and rolling as a means of transportation and recreation. The objectives of the BPTP Update are to seek robust community feedback; reevaluate implementation progress from previous plans to adjust recommendations for new policies, facilities, and programs; and to determine appropriate criteria and metrics to prioritize recommendations and network routes. The BPTP Update effort will also further investigate safety data to propose impactful recommendations, explore the role of emerging transportation technologies such as electric-bicycles and micro-mobility devices, and establish big-picture planning to expand bicycling and walking for all user types in support of the City’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan, the Sustainability/Climate Action Plan, a Safe System approach, and other planning documents and policies. The Plan Update effort will be an 18–24-month process, with the Plan Update adoption anticipated for Summer 2025.
BACKGROUND
At its May 17, 2021 meeting, the City Council adopted a resolution supporting the City’s grant application for the State Transportation Development Act (TDA) Article 3 Funds for the BPTP Update project, and in September 2021, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) approved of the allocation of Transportation Development Act Article 3 (TDA3) funds to the City Item 14
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of Palo Alto in the amount of $334,852 for the purposes of updating the 2012 Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan. At the June 19, 2023 meeting, the City Council approved a professional services contract with Kittelson & Associates, Inc. with subconsultants Mobycon, to prepare this BPTP Update.
ANALYSIS
The existing conditions and needs analysis is underway. The following section presents a brief discussion of each of the topics covered in this task.
Network Mapping and Facilities Inventory. Available data has been compiled and the GIS-based infrastructure inventory has been updated to reflect the existing pedestrian and bicycle network.
Demographic Analysis. The City of Palo Alto has a population of 68,680 according to the American Community Survey (ACS) 2021 5-year estimates. The working age population cohort (ages 20 to 64) represents the largest population segment in the City at 57% of the total population. Palo Alto residents are highly educated, with the majority (98%) of people aged 25 years or older having at least a high school graduate degree. 53% of the population is White, 7% of the population identify as Hispanic or Latino, and 35% Asian.; Chinese, Asian Indian, and Korean constitute the major Asian ethnic groups in the City. Approximately 61% of the population exclusively speaks English at home. Asian and Pacific Island languages make up about 22% of the population, with around 32% of this group not speaking English proficiently. Other Indo- European languages account for 11%, of which roughly 14% do not speak English very well. There are no Equity Priority Communities or Disadvantaged Communities within the City of Palo Alto but there are Equity Priority Communities in Stanford University and East Palo Alto.
Program and Policy Inventory. Over twenty relevant planning documents and programs were reviewed to develop an enhanced understanding of the policy and planning environment for walking and biking in Palo Alto. This work also supports the creation of an updated inventory of existing programs and policies relevant to biking and walking and identifies gaps or needs that could be addressed by the Plan.
Bicycle Friendly Community Assessment. Since 2003, the League of American Bicyclists’ (LAB) Bike-Friendly America program has been evaluating states, communities, businesses, and universities with the aim of rewarding excellence and raising standards and expectations for what constitutes a bicycle-friendly environment. As of 2023, Palo Alto was designated as a Gold-level cycling community. It has been listed as a Bicycle-Friendly Community since 2003 and has been a Gold-level community since 2010.
The 2023 application increases the emphasis on addressing gaps in the low-stress network with Item 14
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the most recent report card indicating that neighborhood streets are underutilized in Palo Alto, which could easily become low-stress linkages in the cycling network for a relatively low cost.
If the City decides to pursue progressing to a “Platinum” level to assist reaching S/CAP goals, specific opportunities identified for the City of Palo Alto are as follows (based on the 2021 Report Card and the 2023 application criteria):
•Increasing the overall mileage of bicycle network with a specific focus on addressing gaps in the low stress cycling network.
•Increase high-quality cycle parking, especially near major activity centers and transit. •Expand cycling education efforts to reach adults, especially women, seniors, underrepresented groups, and English learning communities (noting the large Chinese and Hispanic groups present). Further, the LAB suggests that Palo Alto could offer bicycle friendly training to motorists, particularly commercial drivers and fleet operators (such as delivery drivers).
•Creating a bicycle-friendly environment through laws & ordinances.
It is considered that working towards the above suggestions could increase cycling mode share from a modest 9% closer to the Platinum-level average of nearly 14% in the City. This would have the added benefit of reducing crash and fatality rates by increasing overall road safety which would also work towards a Platinum-level community designation. The Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan can also help to identify opportunities to achieve the items that were identified as opportunities to improve.
Bicycle Level of Traffic Stress (LTS). Bicycle level of traffic stress (LTS) is a rating given to a road segment or crossing indicating the traffic stress it imposes on bicyclists. Levels of traffic stress range from 1 to 4 with LTS 1 indicating low stress facility and LTS 4 indicating a high stress facility.
The segment analysis considers roadway functional classification, vehicle volume, posted or prevailing vehicle speeds, number of vehicle lanes, the presence of on-street parking, and vehicle parking and bicycle lane widths. The crossing analysis considers the right-turn lane configuration and length, bike lane approach, vehicle turning speeds, and the presence of a median refuge. The results of the LTS analysis will inform the locations and types of treatments and facilities needed to create a low-stress all ages and abilities bicycle network.
Pedestrian Barriers. The analysis of pedestrian barriers will examine linear barriers (such as freeways, water bodies, and rail lines) and barriers near transit (including gaps in sidewalks, curb ramps, signals, or disconnected cul-de-sacs) that force people to take detours and increase the and types of treatments and facilities needed to create direct connections and reduce the length of walking trips.
Safety and Collisions. A detailed spatial analysis of the five most recent years of reported collision data involving bicyclists and pedestrians will be conducted to identify pedestrian and bicycle high Item 14
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injury networks (HINs). Additionally, available variables in the collision data will be analyzed to identify patterns or trends based on temporal characteristics, lighting conditions, location characteristics (intersection versus segment), primary collision factors, age, and gender. These collision profiles will provide a better understanding of the common risks, and where and how efforts should be focused to most effectively make streets safer for people walking and biking.
The safety analysis also includes a high-level review of the ten most recent years of reported collision data involving bicyclists and pedestrians has been conducted to understand how the number and severity of pedestrian and bicycle involved collisions are changing over time. The following charts illustrate a general decrease in the total number of pedestrian and bicycle involved collisions.
94 98
92 104
69 78
92 73
40 41
16 7 4 2 2 4 5 2 4 7
2 1
0 20
40 60
80 100
120
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Total Fatal and Severe Injury
Bicycle Collisions
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Activity and Benefits. The analysis will utilize various data sources, including counts and location based data, to estimate existing and future walking, biking, and rolling activity in the City and forecast benefits of investments in the active transportation network.
Next Steps
The City’s Office of Transportation will host a Visioning Workshop with stakeholders on January 31, 2024 to craft the Vision and Goals for the Plan Update effort.
Additionally, the existing conditions and needs analysis will be completed over the next few months and presented to working groups and committees for review and input as part of Phase 2 engagement, anticipated for Spring 2024. Following committee review and input, the City Council will review the existing conditions and needs analysis in Spring/Summer 2024. Further along in the project, Council will provide input to shape the process during the later phases, when we get to the criteria development, prioritizing projects, and ultimately the draft and final plan.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
The BPTP Update project cost is $333,945, including a 10% contingency. The City is eligible to cover project expenditures under MTC’s TDA Article 3 program and can request an allocation of up to $334,852 for the effort. City staff anticipates that all eligible costs incurred will be reimbursed through the TDA Article 3 payment reimbursement process. These funds are included in the FY 2024 Adopted Budget in the Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan Implementation Project (PL-04010).
33 33
37 22
31 25
40 30
10 19
6 1
4 3
1 4 3 3
5 2 2 2
0 5
10 15
20 25
30 35
40 45
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Total Fatal and Severe Injury
Pedestrian Collisions
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STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
The goals of the community engagement for the BPTP Update include:
•Communicate timely information to the public and agency partners throughout the Plan Update •Actively seek feedback prior to key milestones during the development of Plan Update •Provide meaningful opportunities for involvement
•Demonstrate how community input has influenced the Plan Update’s development •Seek participation of potentially underserved and disadvantaged communities •Ensure consistency with applicable state and federal laws and regulations, as well as local policies, goals, and objectives
•Coordinate with ongoing community engagement efforts carried out through other plans and programs such as the Safe Streets for All Plan and Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS) Community engagement is divided into three phases: 1) Visioning; 2) Needs & Concerns; and 3) Recommended Projects and Programs. The community engagement effort includes a combination of digital outreach and in-person events.
•Project website and interactive map. The project website can be accessed at:
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/bikepedplan. The website recently included an interactive map that allowed respondents to provide geographic input on key issues and opportunity locations for walking, biking, and rolling in Palo Alto. The interactive map was open from early October through December 31, 2024 and received a total of 956 individual comments. The comments used will inform the BPTP Update vision, goals, and priorities, as well as identify areas of concern and opportunities for upgrading the pedestrian and bicycle network and improving safety and comfort for those walking and rolling in the city.
•Committee and Working Group Meetings. The project team will engage the following committees and working groups at three key points over the course of the plan:
oPedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee
oCity School Transportation Safety Committee
oPlanning and Transportation Commission
oParks and Recreation Commission
oRail Committee
oCity Council
oInteragency Staff Working Group
•Neighborhood and Focus Group Meetings. Four neighborhood meetings will be held during the second phase of engagement. These meetings will be jointly organized by the consultant team and community partners and will be distributed geographically throughout the city. Community partners will provide a range of roles, including distributing materials, promoting events, hosting events, providing translation and notetaking, facilitating focus groups, and reviewing material for the inclusion in the Plan.
•Street Level Engagement: Four street level engagement events will be held at various locations, to be selected with recommendations from City staff, working groups and committees. These events will include tabling to introduce the project and seek input on community needs and recommendations at key locations such as farmer’s markets, City fairs, community events, and Item 14
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pop-ups during peak lunch, dinner, and drop-off/pick-up hours on site (e.g., downtown, California Ave., middle and high schools).
oThe project team tabled at the Bike Palo Alto event on Sunday, October 1, 2023 to introduce the project and to receive input from the community on specific locations that need improvement.
•Community Meetings. Two community meetings will be hosted and are planned to be hybrid, offering both in person and virtual options for participation. oMeeting #1: Visioning Workshop (January 31, 2024). The goal of the visioning workshop will be to identify the direction of the Plan and set forth objectives and goals. The outcomes from the visioning workshop will be revisited at the STAR Analysis workshop as part of the multi-day in-person collaborative work sessions. Stakeholders will be invited to this meeting.
oMeeting #2: System Development & Network Priorities (June 2024). The goal of the second meeting is to refine project recommendations and gather feedback on prioritization. Stakeholders will be invited to this meeting.
Multi-Day Collaborative Work Sessions. Mobycon staff will be curating and executing a multiday collaborative work session at two points along the project. The first will occur in Spring 2024.
Activities conducted during this time will set the stage for the network evaluation and project identification process to follow. The second session will occur in Fall 2024. Activities will focus on solidifying network recommendations and developing a process to prioritize projects, programs, and policies for implementation.
Phase 1 Community Engagement Themes
Phase 1 community engagement themes included an interactive map, public survey (developed and distributed in partnership with the Safe Streets For All Action Plan team), a series of seven committee and working group meetings, and an in person pop-up event at Bike Palo Alto. A community meeting visioning workshop is scheduled for January 31, 2024. A high-level overview of what we heard through these Phase 1 engagement activities is presented in this section. •Interactive Map. A total of 956 unique comments were received between September 28 and December 31, 2023. Commenters had the option to select four different comment categories, including safety concern, infrastructure needed, destination you want to access, and other. Over half of the comments (54%, or 516 comments) were categorized as a "Safety Concern", followed by 29% (276) of comments categorized as "Infrastructure Needed", 14% (136) of comments were categorized as “Other”, and the remaining 3% (28) of comments were categorized as “Destination You Want to Access”. Participants were given the option to view and like comments from other users. Notably, comments advocating for improved infrastructure to address connectivity gaps in existing bicycle facilities, safety enhancements, wider bike lanes for increased rider comfort, and the provision of bike infrastructure near schools garnered the highest number of likes. The project team will be further reviewing the comments in the upcoming months. •Committee and Working Group Meetings. The BPTP Update team engaged with several standing committees and commissions and created a working group to guide the development of the work.
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safety, transportation infrastructure, across barrier connections, transformative technologies, and future development. Key themes that emerged from these meetings include:
1. Safety is a top priority. People expressed concerns about pedestrian and bicyclist safety at various locations, especially for students walking to and from school.
2. There is demand for high quality transportation infrastructure. Suggestions to support more walking and biking included implementation of more bicycle boulevards with traffic calming treatments on neighborhood streets, as well as additional secure and long-term bicycle parking, and separated bike lanes on higher speed higher volume roadways. There was general agreement that quality was more important than quantity when it comes to transportation infrastructure for walking and biking.
3. Across barrier connections are needed. Committee and working group members recognized the presence of major barriers, such as U.S. 101 and the Caltrain tracks, and acknowledged the need for low-stress connections to overcome these barriers.
There was a sense of urgency around selecting a preferred location for grade- separated crossing(s) of the Caltrain tracks.
4. Power and potential of transformative technologies. The presence of new travel modes, including e-bikes and e-scooters, as well as the availability of new technologies such as LiDar and vehicle to infrastructure sensors, has rapidly changed the landscape of transportation planning and facility design. Committee and working group members expressed an interest in considering and incorporating these transformative technologies in the BPTP Update analysis and recommendations.
5. Plan for the future. There is substantial growth planned in Palo Alto, particularly within select priority development areas. The BPTP Update must consider land use changes and development patterns.
Bike Palo Alto event. The BPTP Update team participated in the Bike Palo Alto event, which was held on October 1, 2023 from 1-3 p.m. at Fair Meadow Elementary School. The team received comments from about 40 participants who expressed concerns related to walking and biking safety, supported implementation of protected bike lanes, and identified El Camino Real as a barrier to connectivity within the city.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
California Senate Bill 922 (2022) exempts active transportation plans, such as bicycle transportation plans like the BPTP Update from environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Existing Bicycle Facilities Map (Dated 01/05/2024) Attachment B: Basemap
Attachment C: Bicycle Friendly Community Benchmarking Memo Attachment D: Literature Review Summary
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101
280
82 Middlefield Rd
Alma St
Bryant St
Hamilton Ave
University Ave
Lytton Ave
Addison Ave
Newell Rd
Channing Ave
Sand Hill Rd
Cowper St
Embarcadero Rd
Louis Rd
Oregon Expy
California Ave
California Ave
Page Mill Rd
Colorado Ave
Loma Verde Ave
Meadow Dr
Melville Ave Seale Ave
El Dorado Ave
Charleston Rd
Fabian Wy
San Antonio Rd
Bayshore Rd
Greer Rd
El Camino Real
Los Robles Ave
Wilkie Wy
Arastradero RdFoothill Expy
Hanover St
Hillview Ave
Junipero Serra Blvd
Stanford Ave
Ross Rd
Matadero Ave
Maybell Ave
Homer Ave
Colorado Ave
El Camino Real
Miller Ave
EAST
PALO ALTOMENLO
PARK
STANFORD
UNIVERSITY
LOS
ALTOS
MOUNTAIN
VIEW
LOS ALTOS
HILLS
PALO ALTO
Byxbee Park
Mitchell
Park
Hoover
Park
Pearson-Arastradero
Preserve
Greer
Park
Eleanor
Pardee
Park
Ramos
Park
Robles
Park
Bol
Park
Alta Mesa
Memorial
Park
Palo Alto
High
School
Gunn
High
School
JLS
Middle
School
Greene
Middle
School
Fletcher
Middle
School
Palo Alto
Caltrain
California Ave
Caltrain
San Antonio
Caltrain
Menlo Park
Caltrain Palo Alto
Airport
Matadero Creek
Barron Creek
Adobe Creek
101
280
82 EAST
PALO ALTO
MENLO
PARK
STANFORD
UNIVERSITY
LOS
ALTOS
MOUNTAIN
VIEW
LA HONDA
PALO ALTO
PORTOLA
VALLEY
Class I - Shared Use Path
Class IIa - Bike Lane
Class IIb - Buffered Bike Lane
Class IIIa - Bike Route
Class IIIb - Bike Boulevard
Class IV - Separated Bikeway
Trail
Ped/Bike Bridge
Ped/Bike Underpass
City of Palo Alto
Park/Open Space
School/University
Commercial Center
Community Center
Library
Caltrain Stop
Railroad
Data Sources: City of Palo Alto, MTC
0 1 2
Miles
Existing Bicycle Facilities Map | 01/05/2024
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101
280
82 Middlefield Rd
Alma St
Bryant St
Hamilton Ave
University Ave
Lytton Ave
Addison Ave
Newell Rd
Channing Ave
Sand Hill Rd
Cowper St
Embarcadero Rd
Louis RdOregon Expy
California Ave
California Ave
Page Mill Rd
Colorado Ave
Loma Verde Ave
Meadow Dr
Melville Ave Seale Ave
El Dorado Ave
Charleston Rd
Fabian Wy
Sa
n Anto
nio R
d
Bayshore Rd
Greer Rd
El Camino Real
Los Robles Ave
Wilkie Wy
Arastradero Rd
Foothills Expy
Hanover St
Hillview Ave
Junipero
Serra Blvd
Stanford Ave
Ross Rd
Matadero Ave
Maybell Ave
Homer Ave
Colorado Ave
EAST
PALO ALTOMENLO
PARK
STANFORD
UNIVERSITY
LOS
ALTOS
MOUNTAIN
VIEW
LOS ALTOS
HILLS
PALO ALTO
Byxbee Park
Mitchell
Park
Hoover
Park
Pearson-Arastradero
Preserve
Greer
Park
Eleanor
Pardee
Park
Ramos
Park
Robles
Park
Bol
Park
Palo Alto
High
School
Gunn
High
School
JLS
Middle
School
Greene
Middle
School
Fletcher
Middle
School
Palo Alto
Caltrain
California Ave
Caltrain
San Antonio
Caltrain
Menlo Park
Caltrain Palo Alto
Airport
Matadero Creek
Barron Creek
Adobe Creek
101
280
82 EAST
PALO ALTO
MENLO
PARK
STANFORD
UNIVERSITY
LOS
ALTOS
MOUNTAIN
VIEW
LA HONDA
PALO ALTO
PORTOLA
VALLEY
City of Palo Alto
Park/Open Space
School/University
Commercial Center
Community Center
Library
Caltrain Stop
Railroad
Data Sources: City of Palo Alto, MTC
0 1 2
Miles
Basemap | 2023
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Kittelson & Associates, Inc.
Technical Memorandum
BICYCLE FRIENDLY COMMUNITY
This memo provides a review of the criteria for a “Bicycle Friendly Community” as outlined by the League of American Bicyclists and a comparison of the City of Palo Alto (the City) to Gold- and Platinum-rated peer communities. We will also examine the detailed evaluation metrics to identify areas for improvement in Palo Alto and provide suggestions to help Palo Alto improve from a Gold to Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Community.
The Importance of Walking & Wheeling
Walking (or moving by wheelchair or mobility device) is the most fundamental form of transportation available. Regardless of what mode one chooses, there is a point at the beginning and end of their trip in which they are a pedestrian. Additionally, walking or moving by wheelchair is the one form of transportation available to everyone, regardless of age or ability to drive or ride a bike. Similar to walking, wheeling (by any one of the various means from cycling or scootering to using a wheelchair or mobility device) is, in theory, a widely accessible means of transportation and recreation. In comparison to owning a vehicle or even purchasing a transit pass, using any of the various wheeling devices is a low-cost (and sometimes no-cost) way to travel throughout one’s community.
Active modes of travel have a wide variety of benefits for individuals and society as a whole. Walking and wheeling (when requiring human effort), provide users with exercise opportunities that can be incorporated into their daily routine. Exercise has been found to improve both physical and mental health, improving overall public health and wellbeing. This can have significant benefits to the health system and result in economic benefits as well.
This can have significant benefits to public health with one study finding that a moderate increase in active transport (40.5 to 53.4 minutes per person week) – in line with preferred transportation scenarios from the five largest California transportation planning regions – could result in an annual reduction of 909 deaths and 16,084 disability adjusted life years (DALYs) which is the sum of years of life lost due to premature 155 Grand Avenue, Suite 505
Oakland, CA 94612
P 510.839.1742
August 22, 2023 Project# 28476
To: Ozzy Arce
City of Palo Alto, Office of Transportation
From: Kittelson & Associates, Inc. and Mobycon
CC: Sylvia Star-Lack, City of Palo Alto, Office of Transportation RE: Palo Alto Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan Update – Bicycle Friendly Community Item 14
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mortality and years of living with disability. A significantly more ambitious scenario, increasing cycling to 283 mins per person per week could result in 8,543 fewer annual deaths and 194,003 fewer DALYs.1 In addition to public health improvements, active transportation provides economic benefits in a variety of ways, from reductions in healthcare costs associated with a healthier population, to increased property values, business revenue, and tourism. Such benefits have been observed across the country with Northwest Arkansas seeing $137 million in economic benefits from investments in cycling2, Indianapolis generating a $1.01 billion increase in property values adjacent to the Indianapolis Cultural Trail3, and the Miami Valley in Ohio attracting $13 million worth of goods and services income annually associated with the trails in the region4.
It is well-known that walking and wheeling by human-powered modes is also much more environmentally friendly than travelling by motor vehicles, whether powered by fossil fuels or electric motors. Achieving higher mode share of zero carbon emission (walking) and low carbon emission (cycling) modes can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, linking back to public health outcomes due to reduced pollution. Motor vehicles also produce a significant amount of environmental microplastic pollution from tire wear, an issue that is of growing concern with larger, heavier vehicles that wear down tires more quickly. This is especially pertinent with the growing number of large vehicles on streets and roads (such as SUVs and pick-up trucks) as well as electric cars (which weigh more than internal combustion vehicles). It is noted that bicycles (both pedal-powered and electric) produce emissions through the logistics and assembly chain, as well as brake and tire particulate during use, however at almost insignificant levels compared to motor vehicles.
Walking and wheeling are also economically more sustainable for communities as walking and wheeling infrastructure tends to be cheaper to provide and maintain, as well as being more space efficient in moving similar numbers of people as car infrastructure. In almost all cases, walking and wheeling are the cheapest forms of transportation even when compared to transit.
Finally, providing well-planned and designed walking and cycling networks ensure residents and visitors have mobility options to safely and comfortably travel within their community. Traditional auto-centric planning and street design has created auto-dependent cities where using sustainable forms of transportation can be uncomfortable and even dangerous. Without access to a car, people can be excluded from opportunities to participate in society. This has manifested within Palo Alto through historical zoning practices relegating non-residential uses to a concentrated location resulting in significant travel distances for day-to-day errands. Providing diverse transportation networks allows people of all ages, abilities, incomes, and ethnic backgrounds to choose what form of transportation is best suited to their needs and desires, contributing to the creation of a more equitable community.
1 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214140516302419 2 https://www.waltonfamilyfoundation.org/about-us/newsroom/bicycling-provides-137-million-in-economic-benefits-to-northwest-arkansas 3 https://uli.org/wp-content/uploads/ULI-Documents/Active-Transportation-and-Real-Estate-The-Next-Frontier.pdf 4 https://uli.org/wp-content/uploads/ULI-Documents/Active-Transportation-and-Real-Estate-The-Next-Frontier.pdf https://www.mvrpc.org/sites/default/files/2013trailsurveyreport.pdf Item 14
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Principles of Good Network Design
To create a truly sustainable transportation network, high quality facilities for all road users must be provided. Five key principles are considered for network planning and design. By ensuring all five principles are met within the network, a system of streets and spaces are created that improve access and connectivity while encouraging people to walk and cycle for all kinds of trips, from the work commute to daily errands and beyond, thus serving a wide variety of users. ◼ Cohesion – A cohesive active transportation network is one that allows users to get from A to B using active modes, with key origins and destinations linked as a cohesive whole that can be easily navigated by bike or on foot. Gaps in sidewalks or cycling facilities undermine cohesion as they present barriers for users to overcome, forcing users into environments that are not suited to them, such as a busy roadway.
◼ Directness – A direct trip by active means, or any mode for that matter, is one that can be completed quickly and with minimal effort. Since walking and cycling are human-powered modes, it is important that unnecessary detours are avoided. Such detours may require excessive time or energy for the user, presenting a barrier to active modes. Routes that are short and quick for pedestrians and cyclists result in walking and cycling trips that are competitive to other forms of transportation, increasing the likelihood of their use. ◼ Safety – Safety is a key aspect in an active transportation network. Unsafe conditions, such as mixing active users with vehicles on high speed and volume roadways is a major deterrent to a large proportion of the population. A key aspect of creating a safe environment is minimizing differences in speed and mass. In practice, this means providing dedicated spaces for pedestrians and cyclists in the form of sidewalks and cycle tracks where traffic speeds and volumes are high. In some cases, such as local streets where volumes are low, mixing users can be safe as long as the street is designed to slow vehicles to 20 mph or less, a speed that is safe for vulnerable road users. When creating a safe environment, perceived safety must also be taken into consideration. If an environment feels threatening to active users, even if there is no real danger, that environment will be avoided when possible.
◼ Comfort – Comfort is an often-overlooked aspect of designing an active transportation network.
Frequent stops at stop signs and red lights can negatively impact user comfort as this increases the physical exertion required of cyclists when starting from a stop and can be irritating for pedestrians.
Other aspects that can negatively influence comfort include bumpy or uneven surfaces and excessive noise from vehicles or other sources. Perceived safety, as mentioned above, can also be linked to comfort as a feeling of being unsafe undermines feelings of comfort. ◼ Attractiveness – While attractiveness is a personal opinion, there are certain elements that have been found to be widely considered as attractive along an active transportation route. Open spaces with greenery, a well-maintained route, quiet streets, and an aesthetic built environment are generally seen positively while traffic congestion, certain land uses (such as industry), and poorly lit routes are considered unattractive and deter from the use of a route or network.
What Makes a Great Cycling Community?
Since 2003, the League of American Bicyclists’ (LAB) Bike-Friendly America program has been evaluating states, communities, businesses, and universities with the aim of rewarding excellence and raising standards and expectations for what constitutes a bicycle-friendly environment. As of May 2023, there were 506 Bicycle Friendly Communities, though nearly 900 have applied.
Communities hoping to be recognized as a Bicycle Friendly Community must complete an extensive application process covering bicycling facilities, maintenance, last-mile connections, education, media presence, data-collection, promotion, regulations, planning, staffing and other conditions. The LAB report Item 14
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card uses information from the application as well as federally available data to make decisions regarding awards.
The League of American Bicyclists has identified five elements5 essential to great cycling communities:
Equity & Accessibility, Engineering, Education, Encouragement and Evaluation & Planning. • Equity refers to fostering a fair and inclusive planning process and cycling environment that seeks to include all potential users, regardless of background, and re-balance historical inequities by proactively reaching out to and providing extra support for marginalized groups. Accessibility means expanding the traditional “cycling” umbrella to include a wider range of mobility options which can open mobility opportunities to those with a range of disabilities.
• Engineering means designing, building, and maintaining safe and convenient places to cycle and park.
High-quality cycling environments are connected networks of trails, quiet streets, and protected cycle- tracks. They also include a variety of convenient, secure cycle parking options. • Education means providing a wide variety of opportunities for community members to acquire the skills and confidence to ride – from bike classes in elementary schools to accessible courses for beginner adult riders.
• Encouragement includes providing a range of incentives and opportunities to get and keep people cycling – from Bike to Work programs to National Bike Month Activities and Open Streets events. • Evaluation & Planning means planning for and evaluating the cycling system to measure current gaps and challenges and plan for future improvements.
League of American Bicyclists – Bicycle Friendly Communities The most recent publicly available report card for Palo Alto is from spring 2021. The Bicycle Friendly Communities application has been offline for a significant update (discussed in more detail below) but still focuses on the core Five E aspects.
As of 2023, Palo Alto was designated as a Gold-level cycling community. It has been listed as a Bicycle- Friendly Community since 2003 and has been a Gold-level community since 2010. The following table shows awards made to comparable peer communities6. Platinum-level communities include Davis, CA; Fort Collins, CO; Boulder, CO and Madison, WI. Peer gold-level communities include Oakland, CA and Santa Cruz, CA.
5 https://bikeleague.org/bfa/5-es/
6 https://bikeleague.org/bfa/award-database/#community
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Community Award (2023 spring) Population Land Use
Davis, CA Platinum 69,289 Suburban
Palo Alto, CA Gold 67,082 Suburban
Santa Cruz Gold 59,946 Suburban
Boulder, CO Platinum 108,090 Small town
Santa Monica, CA Gold 90,401 Urban
Fort Collins, CO Platinum 174,871 Urban core surrounded by low density suburban areas
Madison, WI Platinum 258,054 Urbanized area
Benchmarks for Palo Alto
Applicants for the Bicycle Friendly Communities complete an extensive application7 in order to be evaluated on a series of metrics. Palo Alto submitted an application and was evaluated in spring 2021 by the League of American Bicyclists on these measures relative to the average platinum-level community, as shown in the following table.
Average Platinum Palo Alto Comparison
High Speed Roads
with Bike Facilities
36% 80% Exceeds average for
Platinum communities
Bicycle Education
in Schools
GOOD VERY GOOD Exceeds average for
Platinum communities
Share of
Transportation
Budget Spent on
Bicycling
14% 76% Exceeds average for
Platinum communities
Bike Month and
Bike to Work Events
VERY GOOD VERY GOOD Meets average for Platinum
communities
7 https://bikeleague.org/sites/default/files/Guide_to_the_Bicycle_Friendly_Community_Report_Card.pdf Item 14
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Presence of Active
Bicycle Advocacy
Group;
YES YES Meets average for Platinum
communities
Active Bicycle
Advisory
Committee
MEETS AT LEAST
MONTHLY
MEETS AT LEAST
MONTHLY
Meets average for Platinum
communities
Bike Plan is Current
and is Being
Implemented
YES YES Average
Total Bicycle
Network Mileage to
Total Road Network
Mileage
80% 33% Below average for Platinum
communities
Bicycle–Friendly
Laws & Ordinances
VERY GOOD ACCEPTABLE Below average for Platinum
communities
Bike Program Staff
to Population
1 per 21k 1 per 26.8k Below average for Platinum
communities
Cycling Ridership 13.6% 9.19% Below average for Platinum communities
Crashes per 10k
bicycle commuters
100 281.05 Below average for Platinum
communities
Fatalities per 10k
bicycle commuters
0.4 0.69 Below average for Platinum
communities
Palo Alto scores well on the percentage of high-speed roads with bike facilities, bicycle education in schools, and share of transportation budget spent on cycling. However, Palo Alto has a much higher rate of crashes and a lower cycling mode-share than the average Platinum community.
The League of American Bicyclists provides numerous resources8 to communities aspiring to become Bicycle Friendly Communities or improve their awards. The site includes resources to improve on the Five E’s but also guidance on conducting a bicycle parking inventory, organizing bicycle events, and forming a bicycle advisory committee.
8 https://bikeleague.org/bfa/community/resources/
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Opportunities for Improvement and 2023 Application Year Last year, the League of American Bicyclists announced a change in their awards process9. The biggest change is the addition of the Equity and Accessibility section as part of the Five E’s but the new process also puts emphasis on other criteria. A review of the 2023 application for Bicycle Friendly Communities includes the following additions:
◼ Understanding community socioeconomic and demographic information including:
o median age of the community
o languages other than English spoken at home
o foreign born population
o median household income
o poverty rate
o bicycle commute by sex
o percent of household without vehicles
o disability characteristics
o racial and ethnicity distribution
◼ Defining the bicycle network for on-road and off-road cycling facilities and adoption of a Safe System approach to the delivery of the bicycle network. ◼ Updating bicycle infrastructure to make it more accessible for all ages and abilities, including people with physical and/or cognitive disabilities.
◼ Network maintenance and use of mechanisms (e.g., 311) for cyclists to identify issues, problems and hazards on the network as well as funding mechanisms for ongoing maintenance. ◼ Providing bicycle access to transit
◼ Regional coordination of bicycle facilities to ensure network connectivity and cohesion across municipal boundaries.
The 2023 application increases the emphasis on addressing gaps in the low-stress network with the most recent report card indicating that quiet streets are underutilized in Palo Alto, which could easily become low-stress linkages in the cycling network for a relatively low cost.
Specific opportunities identified for the City of Palo Alto to progress up to “Platinum” level community are as follows (based on the 2021 Report Card and the 2023 application criteria):
◼ Increasing the overall mileage of bicycle network with a specific focus on addressing gaps in the low stress cycling network, especially on quiet neighborhood streets where traffic calming can create safe cycling spaces for a relatively low cost. The 2023 application has been adjusted to place a heavier emphasis on building a cohesive low-stress network rather than disjointed pieces of infrastructure, reflecting the Safe Systems Approach10. ◼ Increase high-quality cycle parking, especially near major activity centers and transit. ◼ Expand cycling education efforts to reach adults, especially women, seniors, under-represented groups, and non-English-speaking communities (noting the large Chinese and Hispanic groups present). Further, the LAB suggests that Palo Alto could offer bicycle-friendly training to motorists, particularly commercial drivers and fleet operators (such as delivery drivers). ◼ Creating a bicycle-friendly environment through laws & ordinances:
o The BFC application asks about the following Bike-Friendly policies:
▪ Banning parking in bike lanes and harassing cyclists
9 https://bikeleague.org/change-coming-bicycle-friendly-community-awards/ 10 https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/zerodeaths/docs/FHWA_SafeSystem_Brochure_V9_508_200717.pdf Item 14
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▪ Banning cell phone use while driving and harassing cyclists (now enacted statewide)
▪ Penalties for failing to yield to a cyclist when turning, 'dooring' cyclists ▪ Vulnerable road user and safe passing distance laws
▪ A law that allows cyclists to treat a stop sign as a yield sign (i.e. whether the “Idaho Stop” is legal in your state), a law that allows cyclists to treat an unresponsive red light as a stop sign (i.e. “Dead Red” law) and a law that allows bicyclists to follow pedestrian signals instead of motor vehicle traffic lights at signalized intersections ◼ The BFC application also asks communities about bike-unfriendly policies and ordinances. The City seems to require cyclists to use bike lanes, where available. The City also prohibits riding on sidewalks in the central business district and bans “trick riding”. The following are other bike-unfriendly policies the BFC application asks about:
o Where Cyclists Can/Must Ride: Local law requires bicyclists to use side paths and/or bike lanes regardless of their usability, laws requiring cyclists to ride as far to the right of the road as practicable without exceptions, restrictions on sidewalk riding inside and/or outside of the Central Business District, dismount zones/regulations on shared-use paths and the banning of cycles from non-highway roads that are open to vehicles. o What/How Cyclists Can Ride: Local law restricts usage of electric-assist bicycles, mandatory bike registration and/or helmet use for all ages and bans on exhibition or “trick riding” (e.g. wheelies).
o Who Can Ride: Local or school policies restrict youths from riding to school, “Bicycle safety checks” or other legal or de facto enforcement stops occur.
It is considered that working towards the above suggestions by building a more extensive/robust cycling network, increasing the amount of high-quality cycle parking and access to transit, expanding education efforts across different demographic groups and improving cycle-friendly ordinances through policies could increase cycling mode share from a modest 9 per cent closer to the Platinum-level average of nearly 14 per cent. This would have the added benefit of reducing crash and fatality rates by increasing overall road safety which would also work towards a Platinum-level community designation.
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Technical Memorandum
LITERATURE REVIEW
The Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan (BPTP) Update will examine the existing bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, guide investments in active transportation and recommend policies and practices to build a safer and better pedestrian and bicycle network in the City of Palo Alto. The purpose of this memorandum is to provide a synthesis and summary of existing plans, programs, and polices from recent documents. This will help develop an understanding of the policy and planning environment for walking and biking in Palo Alto.
Documents List
The following table lists the relevant documents and programs that were reviewed, summarized, and synthesized for this task.
Table 1. List of Documents Reviewed
No. Document Name
Year of
Adoption
1. City of Palo Alto Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan 2012
2. City of Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan 2017
3. City of Palo Alto Sustainability and Climate Action Plan 2023
4. City of Palo Alto Parks, Trails, Natural Open Space and Recreation Master Plan
2017
5. City of Palo Alto Green Stormwater Infrastructure Plan 2019
6. City of Palo Alto Public Art Master Plan 2016
155 Grand Avenue, Suite 505
Oakland, CA 94612
P 510.839.1742
October 24, 2023 Project# 28476
To: Ozzy Arce
City of Palo Alto, Office of Transportation
From: Kittelson & Associates, Inc.
RE: The Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan (BPTP) Update – Literature Review (Task 2.2) Item 14
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7. City of Palo Alto Safe Routes to School (SRTS) 2021
8. Palo Alto SRTS Five -Year Work Plan, Safe Routes to School Partnership Consensus Statement
2021
9. Adopted Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) Safe Routes to School Policies
2021
10. Santa Clara Countywide Bicycle Plan 2018
11. The County of Santa Clara Stanford University Community Plan 20221
12. 2050 Plan Bay Area 2021
13. VTA Bicycle Technical Guidelines 2022
14. VTA Valley Transportation Plan (VTP) 2040 2014
15. Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s (MTC) Regional Bicycle Plan for the San Francisco Bay Area Update
2009
16. Central Bikeway Feasibility Study Alternatives Analysis 2022 (Peninsula Bikeway Study)
2022
17. VTA Bicycle Technical Guidelines 2012
18. Caltrans District 4 Bike Plan 2018
19. Caltrans District 4 Pedestrian Plan 2021
20. Caltrans Bay Area Bike Highway Study 2022
21. Palo Alto’s Local Road Safety Plan by VTA 2022
1 Track changes version available -
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ef397ab7a79e315cd9066ae/t/648a1d95f21c5553baf74820/1686773154192/SCP +Draft+Board+of+Supervisors+12.13.22+Tracked+Changes.pdf Item 14
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Topics and Key Themes
The following relevant topics were reviewed and summarized for each document and overall themes within each topic and across all reviewed documents are synthesized in this section. ◼ Vision and goal statements
◼ Existing policies and programs related to active transportation ◼ Established needs, issues, and concerns raised in the study ◼ Current/planned projects coming from the study
◼ Community feedback captured in the document
◼ Community partners/contact information if available
◼ Data documentation to incorporate
The complete summary for each document is provided as an attachment to this document. Key themes from this review are presented in this section.
Vision and Goals
There is strong alignment among the vision and goals established in the documents reviewed, particularly surrounding su stainability and climate action. For example, the 2012 Palo Alto Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan support the goals identified in the City of Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan and reflect specific targets mentioned in the 2007 Palo Alto Climate Protection Plan.
Common themes around vision and goals from the review of these plans include:
◼ Increasing biking and walking trips for all purposes
◼ Constructing and maintaining safe and accessible streets for walking and biking to all modes and people of all ages and abilities
◼ Developing a network of bikeways, pathways, and traffic -calmed streets that connects various business districts, residentials areas, open spaces and parks ◼ Improving the aesthetics of walkways and bike paths to attract more walking and biking trips ◼ Reducing overall vehicle miles traveled
◼ Seeking to improve the quality of life, as well as environmental quality, economic health and social equity
Policies and Programs
Most of the policies and programs mentioned in each plan aim to promote the g oals and vision of th at specific plan. They are also in line with the vision of similar plans that promote non-motorized transportation.
For example, the 2030 City of Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan introduced programs and policies that focus on collecting bicycle counts and conducting surveys to understand bicycle use (Program T1.16.1); encouraging participation in local walking and biking events (Program T1.16.4); providing facilities that encourage walking and biking (policy T -1.19); prioritizing investments for enhanced pedestrian access and bicycle use within Palo Alto (Program T1.19.2) etc. These policies and programs are in line with the goals and visions of the Comprehensive Plan and are consistent with the 2021 City of Palo Alto Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Plan as well.
Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s (MTC) Regional Bicycle Plan for the San Francisco Bay Area 2009 Update mentions programs and policies such as Bike-to-Work day, pedestrian and bicycle training, resolution Item 14
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8752, resolution 3765 3 etc. developed by MTC that aim to make bicycling safer and more accessible throughout the region.
These existing programs and policies mentioned in the relevant plans are consistent with the purpose of the BPTP Update and will be reflected in the Plan.
Needs and Challenges
Common themes surrounding needs and challenges per review of the plans include:
◼ Improving access to neighboring commercial centers
◼ Improving bicycle parking facilities
◼ Defining a core network of crosstown and recreational routes ◼ Introducing traffic calming strategies
◼ Drastic changes in future environmental conditions due to climate change ◼ Enhancing comfort and making parks more welcoming
◼ Safety concerns such as unsafe crossings due to high vehicular speeds and volumes and unfriendly freeway interchanges
◼ Traffic congestion in educational districts during peak hours ◼ Issues related to optimizing bicycle saf ety such as angle of crossing, smoothness of crossing, gap between the flangeway and roadway, and closing bike paths at night ◼ Uncertainty of funding opportunities
◼ Improving level of traffic stress of bicycle facilities on major and minor bike corridors ◼ Failure to yield to pedestrians on the roadway
◼ Bicycle theft
Plans and Projects
Some plans and projects recommendations that have been initiated through adoption of these plans include:
◼ Across barrier connections across the City ( Adobe Creek Highway 101 Over crossing, Caltrain/Alma Barrier Crossing at Matadero Creek etc.)
◼ Trails and Shared Use Pathway projects (Embarcadero Road / Rinconada Park Sidepath, Adobe Creek Reach Trail etc.)
◼ Bicycle boulevard projects ( Castilleja-Park-Wilkie Bicycle Boulevard , Bryant Street Bicycle Boulevard etc.)
◼ Intersection spot improvements ( El Camino Real Intersection Through -Markings, Charleston Road at Middlefield Road Bicycle Through-Lanes etc.)
◼ Infrastructure Programs (Bicycle Parking Corral / Rack Installation Program , Pedestrian Countdown Signals & Crossings Program etc.)
◼ System rehabilitation and Maintenance (Castilleja Street-Park Boulevard, Lytton Avenue etc.) ◼ Design, Feasibility, and Planning (Middlefield Road "Complete Street" Plan Line Study , Embarcadero Road Plan Line Study etc.)
◼ Non-Infrastructure - Education Encouragement (Citywide Traffic Counts and Data Collection, Bike Palo Alto! / Palo Alto Sunday Streets etc.)
2 First adopted in 1980 and most recently amended in 2005, this resolution guides the allocation of the “Transportation Development Act, Article 3,” which funds $2.9 million worth of Bay Area bicycle projects annually 3 This resolution, adopted in 2006, requires agencies applying for regional transportation funds to document how the needs of bicyclists and pedestrians were considered in the process of planning and/or designing the project for which funds are requested
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◼ Plan, design and construct 10.5 -acre site in Baylands for park uses ; p lan, design and redevelop Cubberley Community Center
◼ Incorporate 7.7-acre site into Foothills Park
◼ Demonstration projects: Hale Avenue Extension , SkyLANE, 101/Blossom Hill Road , Lundy Place Connector, Diridon Bicycle Connections
◼ Freeway interchange improvements (I-280/Page Mill Interim Improvements) ◼ Planned Bicycle Bridge/Undercrossing (Stanford Avenue /Seale Avenue , San Francisquito Creek , Adobe Creek Bridge)
Public Input
Community feedback and public input is a crucial factor throughout long -term planning processes. It helps inform and shape the final recommendations of plans. Most plans significantly invested in conducting public workshops, public surveys, open houses and community engagement events to hear from the publi c throughout the development of the plan . Common themes and takeaways per the review of the relevant plans include:
◼ Providing accessible and safe active transportation (walking, biking, etc.) routes to natural open space, community centers and parks is a high priority
◼ Enhancing physical and mental well-being is a critical function of parks for people who live, work and play in Palo Alto. Loop trails, bicycle and pedestrian paths to parks and places to relax are top priorities, along with exercise equipment or additional classes
◼ Low-stress bicycle facilities are desired
◼ Frequently requested bicycle infrastructure improvements include more trail lighting, better accommodation at signalized intersections, better access and signage to bicycle paths, more frequent maintenance, more space to store bicycles on transit vehicles, secure bicycle parking ◼ Access to Berryessa BART, connections to east San Jose, completion of the Coyote Creek Trail and Guadalupe River Trail, north-south connections in east and central Santa Clara County are desired ◼ Design safer and more intuitive highway crossings and interchanges ◼ Streamline and communicate the process for local agencies to engage with Caltrans and for Caltrans to engage with local communities
◼ Increase investment in bicycle facilities on state highways ◼ Preference for fully dedica ted bike facilit ies that is separate from traffic and has space for multiple modes
◼ Bike highways should prioritize access and connection for low -income and disadvantaged communities and people without personal access to vehicles Community Partners and Champions
Community partners and champions involved in the formulation of some of these plans include:
◼ The Junior Museum and Zoo
◼ The Children’s Theatre
◼ Cubberley Artist Studio Program (CASP)
◼ Palo Alto Art Center (PAAC)
◼ Police Department staff
◼ PTA Transportation Safety Representatives at each PAUSD school ◼ Student representatives
◼ School principals
◼ PAUSD staff in Sustainability
◼ County Department of Public Health
◼ Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition
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◼ Almaden Valley Cycling Club
◼ County Parks and Recreation Department
◼ Santa Clara Valley Water District
◼ Bicycling advocacy organizations
◼ Bay Area Air Quality Management District (Air District) ◼ Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC)
◼ Business Community
◼ Community-Based Organizations, Advocates and Non-Profits ◼ County Transportation Agencies (CTAs)
Data and Other Resources
Data that would be relevant to this Plan based on the review of the relevant plans include:
◼ Percentage of workers who bike to work, by place of residence, in Santa Clara County (2015) – (Santa Clara Countywide Bicycle Network, 2018)
◼ Financially constrained projects in Santa Clara County - (VTA Valley Transportation Plan (VTP) 2040, 2014)
◼ Regional bikeway network mapping - (MTC’s Regional Bicycle Plan for the San Francisco Bay Area Update, 2009)
◼ Average Bay Area weekday bicycle trips (2000) - (MTC’s Regional Bicycle Plan for the San Francisco Bay Area Update, 2009)
◼ Motor vehicle/bicycle collision analysis - (MTC’s Regional Bicycle Plan for the San Francisco Bay Area Update, 2009)
◼ Unbuilt regional bikeway network mapping - (MTC’s Regional Bicycle Plan for the San Francisco Bay Area Update, 2009)
◼ Santa Clara County top tier projects – (Caltrans District 4 Bike Plan, 2018) ◼ Collision data – (Palo Alto’s Local Road Safety Plan by VTA, 2022) ◼ Collision classification – (Palo Alto’s Local Road Safety Plan by VTA, 2022) ◼ Bicycle/pedestrian collisions – (Palo Alto’s Local Road Safety Plan by VTA, 2022) ◼ Top collision trends – (Palo Alto’s Local Road Safety Plan by VTA, 2022) ◼ High injury network – (Palo Alto’s Local Road Safety Plan by VTA, 2022) Item 14
Attachment D - Literature
Review Summary
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City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: INFORMATIONAL REPORT
Lead Department: Administrative Services
Meeting Date: January 22, 2024
Report #:2307-1774
TITLE
First Quarter Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Status Report
RECOMMENDATION
This report is informational and does not require an action by the City Council.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of this report is to provide the City Council with information on the financial status of the City’s General Fund and Enterprise Funds as of the end of the First (1st) Quarter of Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 (July 1, 2023 through September 30, 2023). The figures presented here are unaudited.
For the 1st quarter, General Fund revenues totaled $28.4 million, 8.2% lower than the same period of the prior year. Expenditures totaled $54.5 million, 14.9% higher that than prior year and are tracking at 19.4% of Adjusted Budget, comparable to prior year trend.
All Enterprise Funds, except Gas Fund, resulted to a positive change in net position. The total change in position increased by $4.6 million, or 26.1%, higher than the same period of the prior year.
BACKGROUND
This report summarizes the financial information of the General and Enterprise Funds for First(1st) quarter ending September 30, 2023 of Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 and compares those amounts to the same period of the prior year and to the FY 2024 Adjusted Budget.
Attachment A provides a breakdown of revenues by source and expenses by function, with separate columns for Adopted Budget and Adjusted Budget. The Adjusted Budget column includes prior year commitments that were carried forward into this fiscal year and amendments to the FY 2024 Adopted Budget through September 30. Encumbrances and actual expenses for the three-month period are also reported.
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ANALYSIS
GENERAL FUND
As of September 30, 2023, General Fund expenditures ($54.5 million) exceeds the revenue receipts ($28.4 million). First quarter General Fund receipts are not indicative of the annual expected receipts in FY 2024 due to timing of major revenues received over the fiscal year.
Revenues and expenditures are tracking within the FY2024 adjusted budget.
General Fund revenues (excluding operating transfers) for the 1st quarter are $28.4 million, or
11.7% of the current year Adjusted Budget. Actual revenues totaled $28.4 million, 8.2% or $2.5 million lower than the same period of the prior year. Major taxes increased slightly compared to the same period of prior fiscal year driven primarily by Utility Users Tax revenue. As discussed in the Long-Range Financial Forecast1, while the economy is currently not trending into recessionary period that was predicted for the past several quarters, first quarterly results indicate a stagnant economy or modest growth.
For the 1st quarter, General Fund expenses totaled $54.5 million, $7.1million or 14.9% higher than the prior year and tracking at 19.4% of Adjusted Budget, comparable to the prior year trend.
The following is a detailed discussion of the most significant revenue and expense items.
Revenue Highlights for 1st Quarter FY 2024
The following highlights the City’s major revenue sources for the 1 st Quarter, compared to 1 st Quarter YTD, compared to the same period of the prior year. Revenue for each period is expressed as a percentage of the Adjusted Budget.
1 Finance Committee, December 5, 2023, Item #1:
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Table 1
Property tax revenue in the 1st quarter of the fiscal year is only a nominal amount as property tax receipts are paid by the County over three months beginning in the month of November and then again beginning in March. FY 2023 actual property tax revenue was $63.1 million, $2.9 million or 4.7% higher than the FY 2023 adjusted budget and $3.8 million or 6.4% over the prior fiscal year. The increase is primarily driven by change in assessed values due to ownership change in FY 2022 and FY 2023 plus the 2% Proposition 13 overall annual increase.
Excess Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund (ERAF) distributions from the County of Santa Clara in fiscal years 2021, 2022, and 2023 receipts were $5.6 million, $6.6 million, and $6.4 million, respectively. In FY 2023, the reserve for Excess ERAF, representing the at-risk amount related to the State Controller’s Office auditing finding on Marin County, totaled $4.1 million.
The state’s assertion is former Redevelopment Agency funds which are now part of the regular property taxes should be excluded from the excess ERAF calculation. Marin County is challenging this finding and it is not known if this will be elevated to a court case. The estimate is, if this audit finding is sustained, 22% of excess ERAF is at risk for fiscal years 2021, 2022, and 2023. If the finding holds, the County of Santa Clara, as well as other Excess ERAF counties, could face similar audit findings likely starting in FY 2025. This reserve is consistent with prior year methodology of assumptions for this challenge.
The FY 2024 updated forecast is $64.7 million, $1.6 million or 2.5% higher than the prior year’s actual revenue. This is $0.9 million higher than the budgeted amount of $63.8 million and has been reduced by $1.5 million for the on-going FY 2024 Excess ERAF audit at-risk .9amount.
Revenues Inc / (Dec)% change FY 2024 % FY 2023 %
Property Tax ($89) -51.1% $63,785 0.1%$59,770 0.3%Sales Tax (3) -0.1% 36,272 7.0% 32,580 7.8%Charges for Services 35 0.5% 35,131 18.4% 30,78620.9%Transient Occupancy Tax 60 2.3% 26,834 10.1% 18,19914.6%Utility User Tax 381 10.9% 18,457 21.0% 15,57922.4%Permits and Licenses 816 45.8% 10,256 25.3% 9,49918.7%Documentary Transfer Tax 161 13.3% 5,920 23.1% 7,21716.7%All Other Revenue Sources (3,903) -30.9% 46,462 18.8% 41,85130.2% Total Revenue (2,542) -8.2% $243,11711.7%$215,48114.4%
General Fund RevenueFY 2024 1st Quarter YTD(000's)
1st Quarter Actuals Adjusted BudgetFY 2024 FY 2023
$85 $1742,548 2,5516,462 6,4272,723 2,6633,876 3,495
$28,400$30,942
2,597 1,7811,368 1,2078,741 12,644
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Without this reduction the forecasted amount would have been a $3.1 million, or 4.9%, increase compared to prior year’s actual revenue.
Sales tax revenue cash receipts totaled $2.5 million for the 1st quarter. This represents one month’s sales tax activity due to the two-month delay between sales tax collection by the State and remittance to the City. The FY 2023 actual sales tax revenue was $36.9 million, $4.2 million or 12.9% higher than FY 2022, due to a combination of continued pandemic recovery, robust consumer spending and inflation.
The FY2024 budget amount is $36.3 million, 1.8% lower than the prior year’s actual revenue, and is based on conservative estimate that considered a combination of recovery and higher price of goods and services resulting from inflation. Since then, the inflation is still elevated but declining and consumer spending has remained resilient. As of December 2023, the cash receipts for three months in FY2024 is $9.6 million, or 10.4% higher from the same period of last year. However, this recovery growth has slowed compared to 12.3% and 12.9% in FY2022 and FY2023, respectively. Staff and the City’s sales tax consultant are forecasting a modest increase over the prior year’s actual receipts.
Transient occupancy tax (TOT) revenue of $2.7 million represents about one and half month of collections which about equal the same period for last fiscal year. As of writing of this report, 1st quarter revenue is $6.8 million, similar to the prior year trend. Data for October 2023 (as of the writing of this report) indicates an upward trend of approximately 15% compared to the same period of last fiscal year. The FY 2024 adopted budget of $26.8 million is a higher than the FY 2019 pre-pandemic actuals of $25.6 million. With TOT revenue remaining stagnant in the 1st quarter, then experiencing 15% growth in October 2023, staff is continuing to monitor 2nd quarter results to determine whether or not this growth trend will continue or flatten.
During the 1st quarter of FY2024, hotels average daily room and occupancy rates are $234.50 per day and 68.9%, respectively. A 11.2% increase in average daily room and 9% increase in occupancy rates over the same period of the prior fiscal year. As of October 2023, the average daily room and occupancy rates percentage of individual hotels are averaging approximately $244.59 and 70.3%, respectively.
Documentary transfer tax cash receipts for two and half months total $1.4 million, or 23.1% of the FY 2024 adjusted budget and is $0.2 million, or 13.3%, increase than prior year receipts for the same period due to the higher total property sales value. The number of transactions is
11.6% lower compared to prior first quarter. This revenue source is volatile, it is highly dependent on sales volume and the mix of commercial and residential sales. Staff continues to monitor these receipts closely due to significant fluctuations that can occur anytime depending on the real estate sales activity. The budgeted amount of $5.9 million, which is 2.9% higher than the actual receipts of the prior year, is still expected to be realized.
Permits and Licenses revenue increased by $0.8 million, or 45.8%, from the same quarter last year primarily due to an in increase in new construction permit revenue.
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All other revenue sources cash receipts for the 1st quarter have decreased $3.9 million or
30.9%, from the same period of last year primarily due to the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocation which was received in full in FY2023.
Beginning in FY2024, all other revenue sources, includes a new business tax (Measure K) to fund public safety, affordable housing and homeless services, and transportation and grade separation. The tax is expected to be phased-in over several years, generating initial receipts of $2.4 million in FY 2024. There are no actual receipts for the 1st quarter.
Expense Highlights for 1st Quarter FY 2024
The following highlights the City’s expenses by function for the 1st quarter, compared to the same quarter in prior year. Each quarter’s expense is expressed as a percentage of the Adjusted Budget for each year.
Table 2
For the 1st quarter of the fiscal year, total expenses increased $7.1 million, or 14.9%, compared to the same quarter prior year and are trending in line with total budget at 19.4%. The increase is driven by salaries and benefits increases that include pension and medical expenses; the 4.0% cost of living adjustment wage increase for all labor groups (effective July 1, 2023); management market adjustments aligned with benchmark studies (effective December 31, 2022), flexible compensation to allow employee choice in health and other benefit options, and addition of new positions. Staff continues to work on filling vacant positions while the City maintains a high vacancy level which is expected to generate savings in FY 2024.
Attachment A shows total expenses, including encumbrances for the 1st quarter are 25.8% of the adjusted budget. Some of the departments are higher than 25% due to some purchase orders that cover the entire year (i.e., landscape maintenance, contract services, consultant fees and Expenditures FY 2024 FY 2023Inc/(Dec)% change FY 2024 % FY 2023 % Police 13,309$ 12,333$ 976$ 7.9% 52,241$ 25.5% 47,723$ 25.8%Fire 12,513 10,502 2,011 19.1% 47,464 26.4% 41,379 25.4%Community Services 8,145 6,713 1,432 21.3% 40,356 20.2% 34,429 19.5%Public Works 4,834 4,504 330 7.3% 25,763 18.8% 22,667 19.9%Planning and Development Services 5,054 4,223 831 19.7% 30,049 16.8% 26,131 16.2%Library 2,602 2,133 469 22.0% 12,599 20.7% 10,524 20.3%Administrative Services 2,423 2,301 122 5.3% 11,250 21.5% 10,107 22.8%All Other Departments 5,658 4,743 915 19.3% 61,530 9.2% 39,827 11.9% Total Expenditures 54,538$ 47,452$ 7,086$ 14.9% 281,252$ 19.4%232,787$ 20.4% General Fund ExpendituresFY 2024 1st Quarter YTD(000's) 1st Quarter Actuals Adjusted Budget
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others). It is the City’s practice in many instances to encumber budget funds for the fiscal year so that invoices are drawdown, or paid against, the encumbrances.
Police and Fire comprise 47.3% of the total General Fund expenditures for the 1st quarter, which is 13.1% higher compared to the prior year. The following highlights Police and Fire salaries and overtime for the 1st quarter.
Table 3
Police overtime is 1.9% higher than the prior year and 73.3% of adjusted budget due to the following:
•Backfilling 13% vacancies: 12 police officers, 1 community service officer, 4 dispatchers and 1 administrative associate.
•6% of staff are unavailable to work due to benefited leaves or industrial injuries. •13% of filled recruits are in training, in-house or at the police academy.
Although salaries and overtime are tracking higher, overall, the Department is trending 23.5% within the budget for the total salary and benefits and anticipates doing so through the remainder of the FY2024. The Department’s net overtime cost is $0.4 million after deducting the reimbursements and salary savings due to vacancies. Analysis is included in Attachment B.
Fire salaries is 18.5% higher than the same period in prior year due to management market rate adjustment, 4.0% cost of living adjustment wage increase effective July 1, 2023, and training a significant number of entry level firefighters to fill vacancies on shift.
Police and FireSalaries and Overtime ExpenseFY 2024 1st Quarter YTD (000's) Department FY 2024 FY 2023Inc (Dec)% change FY 2024 % FY 2023 % Police - Salaries 4,787$ 4,476$ 311$ 6.9% 22,512$ 21.3% 20,026$ 22.4%Police - Overtime 754 740 14 1.9% 1,029 73.3% 973 76.1% Total Police 5,541 5,216 325 6.2% 23,541 23.5% 20,999 24.8% Fire - Salaries 4,210 3,553 657 18.5% 18,417 22.9% 15,997 22.2%Fire - Overtime 1,276 1,070 206 19.3% 2,146 59.5% 2,124 50.4% Total Fire 5,486 4,623 863 18.7% 20,563 26.7% 18,121 25.5% Total Police and Fire Salaries and Overtime 11,027$ 9,839$ 1,188$ 12.1% 44,104$ 25.0% 39,120$ 25.2% 1st Quarter Actuals Adjusted Budget
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Fire overtime is 19.3% higher than the same period in prior year and 59.5% of adjusted budget due to backfilling entry level firefighters while completing Joint Fire Academy and vacancies. In the spring of 2023, the Department hired total of 13 entry level firefighters which accounts for 16% of all on-shift personnel positions. Although the positions are filled, those 13 recruits must complete a 6-month academy before being able to work on shift. In August 2023, the 13-entry level firefighters graduated from the academy and are now working on shift.
The Department continuous to struggle to fill vacancies, as of writing of this report, the Department is still carrying 12 vacancies among the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF)ranks. The overtime hours will remain high as backfill is required to maintain daily operations with a high vacancy rate.
On a combined basis, salaries and overtime are 26.7 % of the budget through the 1st quarter of the fiscal year. The Department’s net overtime cost is $1.0 million after deducting the reimbursements and salary savings due to vacancies. Analysis is included in Attachment B.
General Fund Budget Stabilization Reserve (BSR) Balance Based on information reported in the FY 2023 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR)2, the City’s current General Fund Budget BSR ended FY 2023 at $61.5 million; after adjusting the BSR for FY 2024 uses approved by Council through September 2023, the net BSR balance was $57.9 million. When accounting for uses through December 2023, the net BSR balance is $57.3 million, $3.4 million above Council’s 20% BSR target level. By policy, the City maintains a BSR balance of 15-20% of the annual operating expense, with a target level of 18.5%. However, in development of the FY 2024 budget, the Council adopted the BSR at the 20% level ($53.9 million) to mitigate risk due to economic uncertainty. In alignment with Council policy, staff recommends that the $3.4 million excess is split between the Capital Fund Infrastructure Reserve (IR) and the Section 114 Pension Trust fund ($1.7 million each). Staff anticipates returning to Council in February 2024 with the FY 2024 Mid-Year Review and recommendations in alignment with the allocation below for the appropriation of BSR funds above the 20.0% level.
Enterprise Funds
Following is a summary of changes in net position for each of the Enterprise Funds for the three months ending September 30, 2023, including a comparison of results from the same period last year.
2 11/28/2023 CMR# 2308-1857 Finance Committee Staff Report, Approval of the FY 2023 ACFR YE Budget Amendments, and Resolution to Extend and Amend the Development and Services Reserve Fund Policy https://portal.laserfiche.com/Portal/DocView.aspx?id=69140&repo=r-704298fc&searchid=222c8b61-ff08-4b38- ba4c-22c2a2d87b96
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Table 4
Electric Fund increased $5.9 million, or 261.0%, from prior year, due to overall increase in operating revenues mainly from customer sales and surplus energy sales partially offset by increase in operating expenses. The 20% increase in base rate effective July 1, 2023 and surplus energy sales from favorable hydroelectric generation , resulted in a $7.0 million increase in revenues despite the deactivation of the Electric Hydro Adjuster (E-HRA).The deactivation of E- HRA is made possible due to receipt of a $23.9 million refund from the Bureau of Reclamation of overcharges associated with the Central Valley Project, where the City gets most of its hydroelectric power. The refund is a result of a successful litigation the City participated in against the Bureau. The increase in operating expenses is driven by higher transmission costs as well as salaries and benefits.
Fiber Optics Fund increased by $0.5 million, or 238.6% from prior year due to the timing of Stanford University’s projects billing.
Gas Fund decreased by $0.8 million, or 218.4% from the same period due to decrease in revenue from customer sales and loss on disposal of fixed assets partially offset by lower commodity purchases. The customer sales decreased by $0.7 million primarily due to decrease of natural gas price. The gas distribution rate increased 8% effective July 1, 2023 but the system average rate decreased by 10.4% due to decrease in natural gas market prices which are pass- through in nature. Gas commodity prices decreased due to milder temperatures that diminished demand for heating and an above-average level of gas storage. During the current fiscal year there are disposals or early retirement of gas meters resulting in a $0.4 million IncreaseFunds FY 2024 FY 2023 (Decrease) % Change
Water 3,572 3,701 (129) -3.5%Electric 8,105 2,245 5,860 261.0%Fiber Optic 684 202 482 238.6%Gas (431) 364 (795) -218.4%Wastewater Collection 55 116 (61) -52.6%Wastewater Treatment 5,458 7,054 (1,596) -22.6%Refuse 3,496 3,419 77 2.3%Storm Drainage 472 502 (30) -6.0%Airport 766 (11) 777 -7063.6% Total Change in Net Position 22,177 17,592 4,585 26.1%
Enterprise Funds Change in Net PositionFY 2024 1st Quarter YTD 1st Quarter Actuals
(000's)
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loss. Majority of the retired gas meters were due to incompatibility with the new advanced metering infrastructure or smart meter endpoints.
Wastewater Treatment Fund decreased by $1.6 million, or 22.6 % from the same period mainly due to the timing of the CA State Water Resources Control Board reimbursements for the Primary Sedimentation Tanks (PST) and Secondary Treatment Upgrades (STU) projects. These reimbursements will be subsequently adjusted to a liability as the City is expected to repay the loans following the completion of each project.
Airport Fund increased by $0.8 million mainly due to a $0.7 million increase in federal grants for Federal Aviation Administration for projects Apron Reconstruction (AP-16000) and Airport Layout Plan (AP-21000).
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
At this time, this report does not recommend an action amending the City’s financials, however, depending on trends and further input from Council, actions may be necessary later in the year to better align revenues with expected collections. Staff continues to monitor activities closely.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
This effort to manage and monitor the financial status of City funds continues to be a citywide effort coordinated among all departments. Outside consultants for expertise on major revenues categories including Sales Tax and Property Tax are consulted regularly to provide updates to the forecasted revenue collections.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Finance Committee action on this item is not a project as defined by CEQA because financial reports does not involve any commitments to any specific project which may result in a potentially impact on the environment, CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(4).
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: FY2024 First Quarter Financial Report
Attachment B: Public Safety Overtime Analysis Q1 2024
APPROVED BY:
Kiely Nose, Assistant City Manager
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1/8/20249:20 AM
CITY OF PALO ALTO
GENERAL FUND FIRST QUARTER FINANCIAL REPORT
FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2024
(in thousands)
BUDGET ACTUALS (as of 9/30/2023)
Adopted Adjusted Pre % of Adj
Categories Budget Budget Encumbr Encumbr Actual Budget* Revenues & Other Sources
Sales Tax 36,272 36,272 - - 2,548 7.0% Property Tax 63,785 63,785 - - 85 0.1% Transient Occupancy Tax 26,834 26,834 - - 2,723 10.1% Documentary Transfer Tax 5,920 5,920 - - 1,368 23.1% Utility Users Tax 18,457 18,457 - - 3,876 21.0% Other Taxes and Fines 3,417 3,417 - - 240 7.0% Charges for Services 35,131 35,131 - - 6,462 18.4% Permits & Licenses 10,151 10,256 - - 2,597 25.3% Return on Investment 1,846 1,846 - - 204 11.1% Rental Income 15,858 15,858 - - 3,910 24.7% From Other Agencies 3,333 8,133 - - 312 3.8% Charges To Other Funds 15,496 15,496 - - 3,901 25.2% Other Revenues 636 1,713 - - 174 10.1% Total Revenues 237,136 243,117 - - 28,400 11.7% Operating Transfers-In 23,932 23,932 - - 5,983 25.0% Encumbrances and Reappropriation 15,000 43,471 - - - 0.0% Contribution from Development Services Reserves 1,084 1,084 - - - 0.0% Total Sources of Funds 277,152 311,604 - - 34,383 12.9% Expenditures & Other Uses
City Attorney 4,668 5,287 20 763 1,031 34.3% City Auditor 986 1,692 0 843 19 51.0% City Clerk 1,491 1,641 50 170 276 30.2% City Council 439 541 3 81 126 38.8% City Manager 4,715 4,823 254 144 1,088 30.8% Administrative Services 11,099 11,250 44 371 2,423 25.2% Community Services 38,224 39,853 1,006 3,737 8,145 32.3% Fire 46,761 47,464 96 589 12,513 27.8% Human Resources 4,747 5,280 25 275 1,036 25.3% Library 12,138 12,599 105 598 2,602 26.2% Office of Emergency Services 1,576 1,981 55 247 275 29.1% Office of Transporation 2,704 5,207 - 1,787 638 46.6% Planning and Development Services 26,055 30,049 13 2,263 5,054 24.4% Police 51,764 52,241 403 727 13,309 27.6% Public Works 23,668 25,563 118 1,793 4,834 26.4% Non-Departmental 14,893 35,079 45 1,166 1,170 6.8% Total Expenditures 245,928 280,549 2,238 15,555 54,538 25.8% Operating Transfers-Out 5,042 5,042 - - 1,261 25.0% Transfer to Infrastructure 28,538 28,538 - - 7,134 25.0% Total Use of Funds 279,508 314,129 2,238 15,555 62,933 25.7% Net Change to BSR (2,356) (2,525) (28,550)
Budget Amendments in the General Fund Authorized by Council thru 9/30/2023 (28,996) zfir 43 net inc Crossing Guard Services Contract (8/7/2023) CMR#2307-1797 (169) 446 diff breakdown
Total Budget Amendments Authorized by Council - (169) BSR Balance 57,649 57,480
BSR % of Adopted Total Use of Funds 20.6% 20.6%
Attachment A
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Attachment B
2022 2023 2024 Q1
POLICE DEPARTMENT
Overtime Expense
Adopted Budget (A) $944,186 $972,512 $1,028,988
Modified Budget (B) 1,244,186 972,512 1,028,988 Net Overtime Cost - see below 781,344 1,108,396 420,253 Variance to Budget 462,842 (135,884) 608,735 Overtime Net Cost
Actual Expense $2,319,043 $2,940,019 $754,265
Less Reimbursements
Other Program Reimbursements - 878 - California OES/FEMA (Strike Teams) - - - Stanford Communications 107,684 124,868 26,426 Utilities Communications Reimbursement 56,004 64,599 14,162 Local Agencies (C) 5,456 4,949 2,104 Police Service Fees 120,411 100,413 19,223 Total Reimbursements 289,556 294,829 61,915 Less Department Vacancies (A) 1,248,143 1,536,794 272,096 Net Overtime Cost $781,344 $1,108,396 $420,253
Department Vacancies (number of days) 3,903 4,876 828
Workers' Compensation Cases (F) 11
Department Disabilities (number of days) 1,221 750 267
FIRE DEPARTMENT
Overtime Expense
Adopted Budget (D) $1,931,121 $2,124,054 $2,146,234
Modified Budget (E) 2,703,621 3,801,054 2,146,234 Net Overtime Cost - see below 4,073,011 1,740,750 953,074 Variance to Budget (1,369,390) 2,060,304 1,193,160 Overtime Net Cost
Actual Expense $4,684,796 $3,589,198 $1,276,385
Less Reimbursements
California OES/FEMA (Strike Teams) - 341,629 - Total Reimbursements - 341,629 - Less Department Vacancies (D) 611,784 1,506,819 323,311 Net Overtime Cost $4,073,011 $1,740,750 $953,074
Department Vacancies (number of days) 1,717 4,105 617
Workers' Compensation Cases (F) 35
Department Disabilities (number of days) 947 536 126 NOTES:
(A) The FY 2024 Police Department budget was increased by 1.0 Court Liaison Officer, 1.0 Administrative Associate, 2.0 Public Safety Dispatchers, and 2.0 Police Officers.
(B) Police Department adopted budget has not been adjusted in FY 2024. (C) Includes Animal Control Services contract with Los Altos and Los Altos Hills. (D) The FY 2024 Fire Department budget was increased by 2.0 Fire Inspectors. (E) The Fire Department adopted budget has not been adjusted in FY 2024. (F) Not available and will be provided in next quarterly report Public Safety Departments
Overtime Analysis for Fiscal Years 2022 through 2024
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City Council
Supplemental Report
From: Ed Shikada, City Manager
Meeting Date: January 22, 2024
Item Number: 13
Report #:2401-2525
TITLE
Item 13 Supplemental Report: Update, Discussion, and Potential Direction regarding State and Federal Legislation
RECOMMENDATION
Townsend Public Affairs compiled the Attachment A memo including an overview of the new Legislative Session to date as well as what is to come. This memo is included as a supplemental memo in order to include an overview of the Governor’s Budget which was released January 10th.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Townsend Public Affairs (TPA) State and Federal Updates January Memo APPROVED BY:
Ed Shikada, City Manager
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1 M E M O R A N D U M
To: The Honorable Greer Stone and Members of the Palo Alto City Council CC: Ed Shikada, City Manager
C hantal Cotton Gaines, Deputy City Manager
From: Townsend Public Affairs
Christopher Townsend, President
Niccolo De Luca, Vice President
Ben Goldeen, Federal Advocacy Manager
Alex Gibbs, Grants Manager
Carlin Shelby, Associate
Date: January 18, 2024
Subject: January State and Federal Legislative Updates
Townsend Public Affairs, Inc. (TPA) has prepared this report for the City of Palo Alto to provide a summary of State and Federal efforts, highlight the current status of the legislative process, and identify various pieces of legislation that may be of interest to the City.
State Legislative Update
As of January 3, the State Legislature has reconvened for the second year of the 2023- 24 legislative session following the interim recess. This period is particularly crucial for bills marked as "2-Year Bills" from the previous session, as authors have until the end of the month to push for their progression.
Top-of-mind issues for members encompass housing affordability, climate change initiatives, disaster preparedness, and education reforms. During the initial weeks, over 100 new measures have been introduced, showcasing comprehensive policy proposals through press releases, spot bills, and intent bills acting as placeholders for future amendments.
Prominent legislative trends include the governance of artificial intelligence deployment, Proposition 47 reform and theft prevention, and firearm safety. The influx of new bills will persist until the February 18 deadline for bill introduction, marking the final opportunity for new bill vehicles. Throughout the session, members retain the flexibility to amend or perform a "gut and amend" strategy, transforming existing bills into entirely new policies, provided they adhere to the 72-hour in-print rule.
Anticipations suggest that the Legislature will align with recent trends, introducing close to 2,000 new proposals in the ongoing session.
Priority Legislation for the City of Palo Alto
The following measures provide a snapshot of newly introduced bills that align with City priorities.
Please note this list is not comprehensive nor does it provide an overview of the universe of new bills for the 2024 legislative session, because the majority of new bill introductions will happen Item 13
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2 closer to the February 18 deadline. Additionally, some of the measures included are in “spot” or “intent” form, meaning they lack substantive language indicating specific provisions for their implementation. TPA will continue to update the Council on new and amended measures as they are introduced.
BILL SUMMARY/STATUS CITY IMPACT POSITION/
RECOMMENDATION
AB 1779
(Irwin)
This bill would no longer limit the
jurisdictional rules for theft crimes to
criminal actions brought by the Attorney
General, which would allow for the cross-
jurisdictional prosecution of theft crimes
that occur in more than one location.
Status: Pending Policy Committee Referral
The City’s legislative guidelines
support additional tools for law
enforcement to prevent and
prosecute theft crimes. This bill
would allow for additional
enforcement tools to hold people
accountable for prolonged,
multi-jurisdictional theft crimes.
Recommendation:
Monitor
AB 1820
(Schiavo)
Authorizes a developer that submits a
preliminary application for a housing
development project to request a
preliminary fee and exaction estimate, to
which a local government has up to 10
business days to comply.
Status: Pending Policy Committee Referral
The City’s legislative guidelines
advocate for the preservation of
local discretion in the
assessment, collection, and
usage of development fees. This
measure could lead to onerous
reporting requirements that
could burden staff and interfere
with local planning activities.
Recommendation:
Monitor SB 925
(Wiener)
States the intent of the Legislature to enact
subsequent legislation to authorize the
Metropolitan Transportation Commission
(MTC) to propose a revenue measure to
the voters in its jurisdiction to fund the
operation, expansion, and transformation of
the San Francisco Bay area’s public
transportation system, as well as other
transportation improvements.
Status: Pending Substantive Language and
Policy Committee Referral
The City and residents are
serviced by the MTC public
transit network. Anew revenue
measure to fund this
transportation network could
impact City residents and the
quality of public transit options; it
could also have financial
implications for all Bay Area
residents. .
Recommendation:
Monitor
SB 926
(Wahab)
Requires the State Transportation Agency
to develop a plan to consolidate all transit
agencies that are located within the
geographic jurisdiction of the Metropolitan
Transportation Commission.
Status: Pending Substantive Language and
Policy Committee Referral
The City and residents are
serviced by the MTC public
transit network; the
consolidation of all transit
agencies would impact City
residents and could potentially
change the quality of public
transit options.
Recommendation:
Monitor
State Budget Update
On Wednesday, January 10, Governor Newsom adhered to constitutional deadlines by unveiling his preliminary 2024 -25 State Budget proposal, revealing a projected budget shortfall of approximately $37.9 billion. Governor Newsom attributed this deficit to two primary factors: a substantial stock market decline in 2022 impacting revenues and an unprecedented delay in critical income tax collections.
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3 Notably, the Governor's shortfall estimate contrasts significantly with the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) projection of a $68 billion deficit in December. The LAO, responsible for an independent assessment of California's budget, often diverges from the Department of Finance in projections, with the $30 billion difference hinging on assumptions about revenues and expenditures.
To address the anticipated deficit, Governor Newsom's budget proposal employs several strategies. These include drawing $13.1 billion from state reserve accounts and employing deferrals, borrowing, clawbacks, and fund shifts to cover the remaining $24.8 billion gap. Across various accounts, the proposed budget maintains stability in funding allocations or im plements incremental reductions without introducing new funding. At this time, there have been no proposed reductions to programs Palo Alto is participating in.
While the budget proposal outlines spending reductions and deferrals, it is crucial to recognize that the budget situation will evolve over the next few months before enactment. The Governor's proposal will undergo updates in May, reflecting changes in tax returns, inflationary pressures, and federal monetary policy, potentially leading to additional spending cuts or the restoration of spending programs.
Looking ahead, late January sees the initiation of the Legislature’s budget subcommittees hearings, tasked with reviewing and recommending changes to the proposed budget. Following these hearings and negotiations between the Governor and the Legislature, a revised budget must be presented by May 14, aligned with updated revenue estimates. The Legislature's deadline to pass a balanced budget is June 15, and the Governor must approve the final 2024- 25 spending plan before the new budget year commences on July 1.
Despite the predicted deficit, TPA advocates are working with City staff to identify priority projects to present the City’s legislative delegation, should district request funding opportunities arise.
FEDERAL UPDATES
Congressionally Directed Spending Submittal
The City/TPA team worked in partnership to draft, fine tune, and submit a congressionally directed spending request for infrastructure funding to help redevelop the Buena Vista Mobile Home Park.
The Park, a locally significant affordable housing resource, is in desperate need of sustainable redevelopment, including 100% electrification. An award would assist the predominantly Latinx and very low-income residents who call it home. This application was in partnership with the Santa Clara County Housing Authority.
Congresswoman Eshoo put forward the project in the amount of $850,000. The request was included in the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bill, which is pending approval via the passage of the comprehensive federal appropriations package.
TPA advocates are in the process of meeting with City staff to identify funding priorities for the upcoming FY 2025 congressional spending requests process.
Federal Appropriations Updates
During the week of January 8, congressional leaders announced they reached an agreement on top-line funding levels for Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations, which projected optimism that Item 13
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4 Congress could fully fund the government for an entire fiscal year. However, Capitol Hill sources have indicated that Congress is likely to consider and vote on another continuing resolution (CR), which will extend current funding levels until March 1 and March 8. This will allow negotiators more time to finish and vote on appropriations bills, which in turn will impact the final date for the passage of fiscal year 2024 congressional spending requests into law.
The agreement set overall spending at $1.6 trillion, with $886 billion for defense, and the remaining $776 billion for all other discretionary government agencies and programs. To achieve the agreement, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer compromised by amending previous agreements made through the Fiscal Responsibility Act negotiations to raise the debt ceiling in May 2023. Speaker Johnson published a letter on January 7 applauding that he secured “hard- fought concessions” to secure votes for passage. The concessions cut $16 billion in IRS and COVID relief funds. These cuts were scheduled to be made in next year’s spending package but were expedited into FY24 under the agreement. This still is not enough for House Freedom Caucus members to release pressure on Speaker Johnson.
The focus of Congress has now shifted to passing a short-term clean resolution into early March to ensure the government does not shutdown. Majority Leader Schumer filed for a cloture vote on Thursday to begin the process of extension. Four of the bills are set to expire on January 19, with the remaining eight expiring on February 2. If the Schumer-Johnson agreement holds, leadership will need to finalize the twelve annual appropriations bills utilizing the top line spending amount.
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