Agenda Item #14.3
For City Council Meeting of: July 26. 2022
CITY OF SANTA ROSA
CITY COUNCIL
TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: NANCY ADAMS, TRANSPORTATION PLANNER
TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: SONOMA COUNTY VISION ZERO ACTION PLAN
AGENDA ACTION: RESOLUTION
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended by the Transportation and Public Works Department that the Council, by resolution, adopt the Sonoma County Vision Zero Action Plan.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This resolution will support existing language related to Vision Zero in the approved Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan Update 2018.
The Vision Zero project was tasked with creating a regional plan that recommends actions for reducing traffic fatality rates in Sonoma County. It supports the Sonoma County Transportation Authority’s (SCTA’s) Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve safety and health. The Action Plan also supports Regional Climate Protection Agency’s (RCPA’s) Sonoma Climate Mobilization Strategy “Drive Less Sonoma County Campaign” which includes the implementation of the Action Plan.
The purpose of the project was to build the foundation necessary to launch Vision Zero initiatives in the nine cities and the unincorporated areas of Sonoma County. The project has three foundational principles: 1) the development of systems that will drive data informed planning; 2) collective/coordinated Vision Zero planning across municipalities; and 3) community-driven planning and engagement.
SCTA, the Department of Health Services (DHS), representatives from local jurisdictions (including Santa Rosa), non-profit organizations, community members, and public health and safety agencies formed the Vision Zero Advisory Committee to facilitate progress toward a countywide Vision Zero Action Plan.
The Vision Zero Action Plan is one of the products, along with the Safety and Crash Data Dashboard and communication plan, of a multi-year project in partnership with the Sonoma County Department of Health Services.
BACKGROUND
Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate traffic fatalities and severe injuries among all road users to ensure safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all. First implemented in Sweden in the 1990s, Vision Zero has proven successful across Europe, and is now gaining momentum in major American cities (including Austin, TX; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; Portland, OR; and, San Francisco, CA.
Vision Zero’s proactive approach prioritizes transportation and mobility safety as a public health issue. Speed management, safe and equitable mobility for all modes of transportation, and the prioritization of community engagement are key elements of a Vision Zero strategy and plan.
PRIOR CITY COUNCIL REVIEW
On March 12, 2019, the Council, by Resolution No. 2019-027 adopted the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan Update 2018 (BPMPU2018) and approved the General Plan which included language that the City consider a policy related to Vision Zero.
ANALYSIS
SCTA/DHS Process
After months of data-gathering, community surveys and workshops, agency participation, and plan development, the Vision Zero Committee has produced a final version of the Vision Zero Action Plan and Presentation (see links in Attachments). It represents a commitment to specific Vision Zero actions that are organized into six high-level goals:
Create Safer Speeds
Eliminate Impaired Driving
Create a Culture of Safety
Build Safe Streets for All
Make Vehicles Safer and Reduce Private Vehicle Use
Improve Data for Effective Decision Making
The Vision Zero Action Plan contains specific actions and measures to achieve a target goal of zero traffic deaths and severe injuries on roadways in the county by 2030.
The SCTA Board of Directors adopted the Vision Zero Action Plan at their March 14, 2022, meeting. Participating agencies are also asked to consider adopting the Vision Zero Action Plan. A sample resolution has been provided by SCTA and the DHS to take back to their respective agencies governing bodies.
City Participation and Related Policy Documents
City staff have been engaged in the Vision Zero Advisory Committee since its inception and have provided meaningful input toward the Plan’s development. The implementation measures in the Vision Zero Action Plan will build on the City’s current work toward a safer transportation system, which includes:
Development of a Local Road Safety Plan (LRSP) focused on addressing safety issues on our local roadways (which is required as part of the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) application).
Participation in programs such as Safe Routes to School and DUI presentations which emphasize education, enforcement, and engagement with the community.
Targeted traffic enforcement
Traffic signal upgrades and related safety improvements in areas connecting key destinations throughout the city.
Ongoing bicycle and pedestrian capital improvements including enhanced crosswalks, wider sidewalks, bulb-outs, and improved bike infrastructure provide equitable access through safer transportation options.
The Vision Zero Action Plan also supports policies in the City's recent specific plan documents that include improvements for walking, biking and transit as well as the Climate Action Plan and the City's General Plan update currently underway which will all address transportation and land use strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).
The BPMPU2018 recommends that the City consider whether adoption of a Vision Zero Policy is an appropriate step to increase the City’s existing commitment for all users of its diverse transportation system.
The BPMPU2018 identifies a number of bicycle and pedestrian corridors including some that are part of the High Injury Network which require greater community engagement and analysis. The City has developed a citywide LRSP with a more focused evaluation of the following corridors that is scheduled for City Council consideration on July 26, 2022:
Fourth (4th) Street from E Street to Farmers Lane
Montgomery Drive from Alderbrook Drive to Hahman Drive
College Avenue from Kowell Lane to Morgan Street
College Avenue from Morgan Street to 4th Street
Stony Point Road from W Third (3rd) Street to Sebastopol Road Roseland Creek Trail from Stony Point Road to Burbank Avenue N Dutton Avenue from W College Avenue to W 3rd Street
Cleveland Avenue from Industrial Drive to Guerneville Road The adoption of the Vision Zero Action Plan will increase the City’s eligibility and competitiveness for future Federal and State grant opportunities through programs like Active Transportation Program (ATP), HSIP, and Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). Adopting a Vision Zero Plan supports the City's past and current efforts to provide safe and equitable modes of transportation for all and ensures that these strategies and priorities continue to be implemented moving forward.
The city will be submitting a HSIP grant application in September 2022 for the Stony Point Road Corridor Study for active transportation modes. Stony Point Road is a major north-south travel route connecting numerous neighborhoods and commercial areas within Santa Rosa. Carrying high volumes of traffic, conditions on Stony Point Road can be intimidating for many pedestrians and bicyclists. Due to the high number of collisions involving these vulnerable users, the BPMPU2018 identified the Stony Point Road corridor for further study which the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board (BPAB) identified as the highest priority.
FISCAL IMPACT
Adoption of the Resolution would not have a fiscal impact on the General Fund.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
This project is exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301, Existing Facilities, and CEQA Guidelines Section 15183, Projects Consistent with a Community Plan, General Plan or Zoning. Specifically, the project consists of the continued operation of the existing street network with a negligible expansion of use. In addition, the project implements the City’s General Plan by providing alternative modes of transportation, furthering connectivity and greenhouse gas reduction goals and policies.
BOARD/COMMISSION/COMMITTEE REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS
On January 17, 2019, the BPAB by motion recommended that the City Council adopt the Plan Update 2018 and approve amending the General Plan.
On February 14, 2019, the Planning Commission recommended adoption of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan Update 2018 and approval of a General Plan Amendment, consistent with the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan.
On September 19, 2019, BPAB received an update on the Sonoma County Vision Zero project from DHS.
On November 21, 2019, BPAB received an update on the Sonoma County Vision Zero project from DHS.
On July 21, 2022, the BPAB is scheduled to review the Vision Zero Action Plan and staff is asking that the Board by motion recommend that the City Council by resolution adopt a resolution the Sonoma County Vision Zero Action Plan.
NOTIFICATION
Not applicable
ATTACHMENTS
Link to the Sonoma County Vision Zero Action Plan:
https://scta.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Sonoma-Vision-Zero-Action-Plan_Final-1.pdf SCTA Presentation:
https://scta.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/22-01-25-Community-Workshop.pdf Resolution / Exhibit A – Sonoma County Vision Zero Action Plan
CONTACT
Nancy Adams, Transportation Planner
Transportation and Public Works Department
(707) 543-3910
[email protected]
SONOMA COUNTY VISION ZERO ACTION PLAN
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