Attachment B
Summary of Standing Committee Feedback
on the Draft SS4A Safety Action Plan
Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee (January 7)
- Comments around goal year
o 2040 goal is unrealistic.
o 2035 goal is hard but feasible.
o Plan goal should align with Caltrans’ 2050 target year with a 20% reduction every 5 years.
o Zero is impossible, goal should be a reduction of a certain percentage. - The safety focus areas are appropriate.
- Include a reference to San Antonio Road’s forthcoming Area Plan - The Plan needs to be a joint plan of OOT, PW, and PD. - How will PD enforce speed laws?
- The systemic analysis, construction management plan, and other proactive programs are appreciated.
- Support was expressed for speed reduction and countermeasures toolbox. - Zoning changes are not consistent with place-making in City. Housing will be added to San Antonio Rd and El Camino Real (ECR) which are on the High Injury Network.
How can we make it easier to live without a car for those future residents, some of whom will be low-income?
- Request for more bicycle safety education for adults and children.
Human Relations Commission (January 9)
- Support for 2035 target year
- School safety
o Identify key intersections near schools.
o Concerns were expressed around students biking to school. o Prioritize traffic calming near schools.
o Concerns were expressed about biking near ECR as parking is confusing near an intersection, and it’s unclear who has the right of way
City/School Transportation Safety Committee (January 23) - Daylighting and pedestrian safety: How is City responding to AB 413? - Storytelling is needed around SRTS education program
o Note: An update to Safe System Pyramid was made prior to this meeting (but after Draft Plan publishing) to remove education and change it to Awareness Measures. This update will be reflected in the Final Draft.
Planning and Transportation Commission (January 29)
- Comments around goal year
o 2040: Allows City to collaborate – It will take a lot of resources (time and funds) to be consistent with SSA and implement infrastructure. o 2035 or sooner: Death and fatalities are unacceptable. Urgency is needed.
Most commissioners requested 2035.
o Assume that all the City’s projects are working towards zero deaths and fatalities – What does the different in goal years actually mean? Biggest change is focus on creating resources for safety-related projects, plans, and policies
City’s projects are currently more reactive, policies are conflicting and need to be rectified. Policies need to be cleaned up regularly - There was understanding that VMT reduction is a safety strategy: Look at both local and regional VMT. City land use choices reduce VMT.
- High Injury Network (HIN): Alma and Middlefield look to have a similar number of collisions, why was the entirety of Alma not included?
o Note: Designation was based on scoring of collision types and where the collisions occurred. Portions of Alma near the downtown are included as part of the HIN.
- Include reference to San Antonio Road’s forthcoming Area Plan. - Identify how the City will implement the plan and allocate funding for monitoring - Data collection: The plan uses historical data, but police reports are received weekly. How can the community receive timely data?
- There are too many references to FHWA that will not resonate with public. - Education and encouragement need to be detailed further in the Safety Action Plan - PTC requests OOT to engage more regularly to champion changes requested in the Safety Action Plan
- Safe System Pyramid and funding figures are difficult to understand. - Appreciates emphasis on speed management. City will need to consider how this affects parallel routes.
- Concern that other priorities besides safety are not ignored, like education. - Support was expressed for Impact Review Updates, Rapid Response Team, and Quick-Build Program.
- The tone of the plan is not action-oriented. Add more action-oriented content to the front/main part of the document.
- Plan should include more about Palo Alto’s track record in getting people out of cars.
- Guidelines are needed for other departments.
- Need more police to enforce traffic laws.
- Fix the equity map. The shades of blue are not distinguishable. Page 46.