July 19, 2022
Public Works
DATE: July 19, 2022
TO: Mayor Butt and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Joe Leach, PE, Director of Public Works
Patrick Phelan, Infrastructure Administrator
Subject:
Final Approval of the Local Roadway Safety Plan
FINANCIAL IMPACT: Development of the plan was funded through a Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP) grant of $72,000 by the
California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and a local match of $8,000. An approved LRSP will make the
City eligible for Highway Safety Improvement Program
funds.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
On June 7, 2022, City staff and consultants presented
the draft Local Roadway Safety Plan and received
comments from the City Council and public.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The City of Richmond and Contra Costa County have
completed multiple safety-related plans with more in
progress, and this Local Roadway Safety Plan is an
exciting opportunity to bring together multiple streams of work for a comprehensive picture of safety in Richmond.
Input was sought from an advisory group consisting of
staff from the City of Richmond and partner public
agencies. Fehr & Peers assisted the City of Richmond in preparing the plan.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
ADOPT a resolution approving the Local Roadway Safety
Plan – Public Works (Joe Leach/Patrick Phelan 307-
8111).
AGENDA
REPORT
July 19, 2022
DISCUSSION:
The City of Richmond is committed to prioritizing safety and decreasing/eliminating the amount of traffic related deaths and serious injuries on City streets. This Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP) proactively evaluates “hot spots” (i.e., areas with higher rates of documented traffic incidents) throughout the City to identify the proven countermeasures that can be implemented through the current and future Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).
This will be the first comprehensive safety plan for the City of Richmond which provides the City and its major stakeholders a blueprint for a safe and more accessible community. This LRSP will assist the City when it applies for safety infrastructure funding sources. For example, the Cycle 11 Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funding cycle anticipated in 2022 will require an LRSP for an agency to be eligible to apply for funds.
The City contracted with Fehr & Peers to assist in preparing the plan. Staff from the Public Works Engineering Division provided background information and developed Geographic Information System (GIS) layers of traffic data such as posted speed limit, speed surveys, traffic counts, and traffic signal details. City staff met regularly with Fehr & Peers consultants to develop the plan. Fehr & Peers conducted a safety analysis, investigating collision records from 2015-2019 to describe historic collision trends and identify high-risk locations. This information is the primary resource for the plan and was used to develop collision trends, a high injury network, collision profiles, a countermeasure toolbox, and four priority project locations.
Stakeholders were identified to ensure the LRSP included the perspective of various departments and organizations. The stakeholder group included representatives from City Council as well as staff from Community Development, Fire, Police, and Public Works Departments. The group met three times: June 2021, August 2021, and April 2022.
Fehr & Peers and City staff conducted targeted outreach with the RYSE center, the Richmond Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee, and other groups. A wider public engagement program was also developed entitled Travel Safe Richmond. A website was set up with an interactive map for the public to submit safety concerns and improvement ideas. Various public engagement opportunities were implemented including an online community workshop in December 2021, an in-person event on May 18, 2022, and presentations to the Richmond Neighborhood Coordinating Council as well as neighborhood councils. Travel Safe Richmond also includes a Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan, and outreach and development of that plan continues.
The draft LRSP includes twelve emphasis areas, a combination of four priority corridors and eight collision profiles that were identified based on the number of total collisions, number of fatal and severe injuries, and stakeholder input. Each priority corridor is
July 19, 2022
presented on a cutsheet with strategies to help the City achieve the identified safety goals and seek relevant grant opportunities.
City staff and consultants presented the draft LRSP to City Council on June 7, 2022.
Councilmembers had questions about grant funding and interim solutions; the plan includes a section on Funding Opportunities in Chapter 8 Evaluation and Implementation. Councilmembers and two public speakers brought up the topic of sideshows; sideshows do not show up in severe collision data and thus were not highlighted in the plan. However, many items listed in the Countermeasure Toolbox can be used to mitigate sideshows.
Implementation of the LRSP is a vital next step. Successful implementation requires sustained and coordinated support from key stakeholders, elected officials, and City staff. Strategies outlined in the plan include oversight & accountability; coordination & partnership; funding; and communication & transparency. The plan will be regularly updated, and stakeholder engagement should continue.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Resolution
Attachment 2 – Final Local Roadway Safety Plan dated July 1, 2022 Attachment 3 – June 7, 2022 council presentation slides