November 22, 2022
Public Works
DATE: November 22, 2022
TO: Mayor Butt and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Daniel Chavarria, Director of Public Works
Yader Bermudez, Retired Annuitant
Patrick Phelan, Infrastructure Administrator
Ryan McClain, PE, Fehr & Peers
Molly Riddle, Fehr & Peers
Subject:
Present Traffic Safety Implementation Strategy Based
Upon a Number of Stakeholder Requests
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The amount of $750,000 is included in the adopted FY 2022-2023 budget. (01234531-400645)
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
June 21, 2022
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
City staff will present the current list of traffic safety requests along with a recommended
implementation/funding strategy and a path forward for
development of a policy to systematically address such
requests.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
RECEIVE a presentation on traffic safety requests; and
PROVIDE direction to staff – Public Works (Daniel
Chavarria/Yader Bermudez/Patrick Phelan 307-8111).
AGENDA
REPORT
November 22, 2022
DISCUSSION:
Fehr & Peers (F&P) is providing the City of Richmond with transportation and traffic engineering support to assist with a variety of tasks, one of which includes responding to resident requests for traffic control and safety interventions throughout the city. F&P drafted a memorandum to describe how such projects are identified, tracked, evaluated, and prioritized for funding and implementation.
Projects are first identified by City of Richmond Engineering Division staff who receive project requests directly from members of the public and other City representatives (e.g., Councilmembers). Requests are acknowledged by City staff and then, if appropriate, forwarded to Fehr & Peers for intake, evaluation, and potential implementation through various funding sources.
Project intake involves logging key project attributes in a tracker accessible to the City and Fehr & Peers. Attributes include the following:
Project Identifiers – Project Status, Category, Location, City Council District, Request Received Date, Issue & Preliminary Recommendation, Type, Crosswalk Evaluation Results
Equity – MTC’s Equity Priority Communities debuted as part of Plan Bay Area 2050. Formerly called “Communities of Concern,” Equity Priority Communities are census tracts that have a significant concentration of underserved populations, such as households with low incomes and people of color. More information can be found on MTC’s website:
https://mtc.ca.gov/planning/transportation/access-equity-mobility/equity-priority- communities.
Sorting Criteria – Identification of the project location and/or transportation concern relative to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s Equity Priority Communities, Local Road Safety Plan (LRSP) High Injury Networks (HINs), LRSP Collision Profiles, City of Richmond Pedestrian Master Plan Key Corridors, City of Richmond Bicycle Master Plan Key Corridors, other relevant citywide or subarea studies and plans
Cost Estimate – Identified assumptions for low- and high-cost estimates, Cost Estimate (provided as conceptual low- and high-cost estimates). Cost estimates may be refined as projects are further developed.
In consultation with City staff, Fehr & Peers reviews project requests and identifies a recommended course of action. When the review and evaluation process is complete, a project approach is recommended to the City and honed through further discussion with planning and engineering staff. Depending on the extent to which concept or engineering plans are required, Fehr & Peers will draft these plans, or else coordinate their development by City staff. Such plans are then revised based on iterative review by appropriate City departments, stakeholders, and the public.
November 22, 2022
Since the City of Richmond has limited funding with which to implement all requested projects, a prioritization scheme is used to highlight those that should be considered first for funding. Projects are sorted according to their alignment with areas of need identified in adopted plans and policies using the attributes listed below, prioritized in the order presented. Each attribute is given a binary Yes/No score.
1. Project is categorized as Sideshow Deterrence, Operations Task, or Medium- Sized Project; Large Projects (grant-funded) would be funded and implemented by means other than the $750,000 City Council allocation
2. Project is located in an Equity Priority Community
3. Project is located on an LRSP High Injury Network
4. Project is located on a Bicycle Master Plan or Pedestrian Plan Key Corridor
Once sorted, the top-ranking projects able to be constructed for approximately $750,000, and the allocation of additional ARPA funding as deemed appropriate by the City Council, will be selected for implementation, with discretion given to the City for choosing between similarly ranked projects and striving for parity amongst Districts and subareas of the City. Funding for Large Projects will likely come from local, state, and/or Federal grant programs with required matching funds coming from sources other than the $750,000 City Council allocation.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
None