DATE: OCTOBER 10, 2023
DEPARTMENT: PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
FROM: DAVID JACOBS P.E., L.S., PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
BY: ADRIANA ROBLES, P.E., CFM, CITY ENGINEER
JONATHAN HERNANDEZ, JUNIOR ENGINEER
TITLE: EAST MARKET STREET CYCLE TRACK QUICK BUILD
RECOMMENDED MOTION:
A motion to:
Authorize the acceptance of 2023 Regional Surface Transportation Program Grant funds in the amount of $326,000.00; Authorize the establishment of a new CIP account named, “East Market Street Cycle Track Quick Build Project”; and Authorize the Public Works Director to execute all agreements and any required paperwork with the Transportation Agency of Monterey County for the 2023 Regional Surface Transportation Program Grant fund.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
On September 14, 2021, the City Council adopted the City of Salinas Vision Zero Action Plan. The Vision Zero Action Plan identified East Market Street as the corridor with the most bicycle involved collisions in the City over a recent of 10-year period. The City submitted an application for grant funding to build median cycle tracks along East Market Street between Williams Road and Eucalyptus Drive to improve the safety and comfort of the existing bike lane facilities, and the project was selected to receive $326,000.00.
BACKGROUND:
“Vision Zero” is a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all. It is a movement that began in Europe and spread to American Cities, rooted in the philosophy that no loss of life due to road crashes is acceptable or inevitable and therefore sets the goal of reducing fatalities and severe injuries to zero. Nearby cities such as Monterey, Watsonville and San Jose have all adopted a Vision Zero Policy. Vision Zero is a multidisciplinary approach, bringing together diverse and necessary stakeholders to address this complex problem. Vision Zero acknowledges that many factors contribute to safe mobility not just roadway design, but also speeds, behaviors, technology, and policies, and sets clear goals to achieve the shared goal of zero fatalities and severe injuries. On February 11, 2020, City Council passed Resolution No 21790 (Attachment 1) adopting a Vision Zero Policy and directing staff to develop a Vision Zero Action Plan.
On September 14, 2021, the City Council adopted the City of Salinas Vision Zero Action Plan (Attachment 2) through Resolution No 22184 (Attachment 3). The Action Plan was developed through a data-driven process. City staff compiled 10 years of collision data from 2009 to 2018 and created maps using geographic information systems (GIS) technology to display and filter collision data to help illustrate spatial patterns and trends. This data-driven analysis help reveal collision trends and patterns in collision type, driver factors, roadway features, vehicle factors or environmental conditions. Trends in the data help reveal emphasis areas where a higher frequency of collisions can be evaluated to achieve the goal of zero fatalities and serious injuries most effectively.
One of the emphasis areas the plan focused on were corridors with high rates of bicycle involved collisions. The plan identified East Market Street as the corridor with the most bicycle involved collisions in the City over the 10-year period. In 2016, the City proposed floating parking protected bike lanes and was awarded Active Transportation Program and Regional Surface Transportation Program grant funds to implement the proposed concept. The project was accepted by Council on February 6, 20218. Once constructed the City found that the concept did not work as expected. The problem with the parking protected bike lanes which only have painted buffers is that many drivers encroach into or outright block the bike lane. Despite the effort of the Safe Routes to School Project, East Market Street still lacks safe bicycle facilities to enable students to ride to school. Considering this, City staff considered East Market Street as a good candidate for improvement in the 2023 Regional Surface Transportation Program, and staff applied for grant funding to mitigate this problem.
Grant funds would be awarded to improve the bicycle facilities along East Market Street by constructing of a quick-build median cycle track between Eucalyptus Drive and Willliams Road. This countermeasure would install a physical barrier between the parking aisle and the bicycle facility which aims to eliminate the ability of vehicles to encroach into the bike lanes. The raised medians would serve as a buffer between on-street parking and the bike lanes. The project’s desired outcome is to improve the safety, and comfort of the existing bike lane facilities on East Market Street by upgrading the painted buffer to a physical concrete median.
Following the acceptance of grant funding, City staff would initiate the request for proposal process amongst the contractors under the Master Services Agreement for On-Call Class A Contractor Services.
CEQA CONSIDERATION:
Not a Project. The City of Salinas has determined that the proposed action is not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (CEQA Guidelines Section 15378).
STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVE:
This item supports the City Council’s goals of “Public Safety” and “Infrastructure and Environmental Sustainability”.
DEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION:
The Public Works Department and Finance Department manage the project accounting. The Public Works Department manages construction contract, inspection, and final acceptance of construction projects.
FISCAL AND SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT:
There is no impact to the General Fund. If accepted, the grant amount would be $326,000.00 and the City is not responsible for any matching funds.
Staff recommends the establishment of a new CIP account “East Market Street Cycle Track Quick Build Project” with an appropriation totaling in $326,000.00 and corresponding revenue budget for the East Market Street Cycle Track Quick Build Project with no matching funds required.
ATTACHMENTS:
Resolution
Attachment 1: Resolution 21790
Attachment 2: Vision Zero Action Plan
Attachment 3: Resolution 22184
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