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HomeMy WebLinkAboutReso 199-12 Complete Streets Policy RESOLUTION NO. 199 -12 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN * * * * * * * * * * * ADOPTING A COMPLETE STREETS POLICY WHEREAS, the term "Complete Streets" describes a comprehensive, integrated transportation network with infrastructure and design that allows safe and convenient travel along and across streets for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, persons with disabilities, motorists, movers of commercial goods, users and operators of public transportation, emergency responders, seniors, children, youth, and families; and WHEREAS, the City of Dublin recognizes that the planning and coordinated development of Complete Streets infrastructure within and across the city boundaries provides benefits for local governments in the areas of infrastructure cost savings; public health; and environmental sustainability; and WHEREAS, the City of Dublin acknowledges the benefits and value for the public health and welfare of reducing vehicle miles traveled and increasing transportation by walking, bicycling, and public transportation; and WHEREAS, the State of California has emphasized the importance of Complete Streets by enacting the California Complete Streets Act of 2008 (also known as AB 1358), which requires that when cities or counties revise general plans, they identify how they will provide for the mobility needs of all users of the roadways, as well as through Deputy Directive 64, in which the California Department of Transportation explained that it "views all transportation improvements as opportunities to improve safety, access, and mobility for all travelers in California and recognizes bicycle, pedestrian, and transit modes as integral elements of the transportation system"; and • WHEREAS, the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (known as AB 32) sets a mandate for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in California, and the Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act of 2008 (known as SB 375) requires emissions reductions through coordinated regional planning that integrates transportation, housing, and land-use policy, and achieving the goals of these laws will require significant increases in travel by public transit, bicycling, and walking; and WHEREAS, numerous California counties, cities, and agencies have adopted Complete Streets policies and legislation in order to further the health, safety, welfare, economic vitality, and environmental wellbeing of their communities; and WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, through its One Bay Area Grant (OBAG) program, described in Resolution 4035, requires that all jurisdictions, to be eligible for OBAG funds, need to address complete streets policies at the local level through the adoption of a complete streets policy resolution or through a general plan that complies with the California Complete Streets Act of 2008; and Page 1 of 2 WHEREAS, the Alameda County Transportation Commission, through its Master Program Funding Agreements with local jurisdictions, requires that all jurisdictions must have an adopted complete streets policy, which should include the "Elements of an Ideal Complete Streets Policy" developed by the National Complete Streets Coalition, in order to receive Measure B pass-through and Vehicle Registration Fund funding; and WHEREAS, the City of Dublin therefore, in light of the foregoing benefits and considerations, wishes to improve its commitment to Complete Streets and desires that its streets form a comprehensive and integrated transportation network promoting safe and convenient travel for all users while preserving flexibility, recognizing community context, and using design guidelines and standards that support best practices. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the City Council of the City of Dublin State of California, as follows: 1. That the City of Dublin adopts the Complete Streets Policy attached hereto as Exhibit A, and made part of this Resolution, and that said exhibit is hereby approved and adopted. 2. That the next substantial revision of the City of Dublin General Plan's Circulation and Scenic Highways Element will incorporate Complete Streets policies and principles consistent with the California Complete Streets Act of 2008 (AB 1358) and with the Complete Streets Policy adopted by this resolution. PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 4th day of December, 2012, by the following vote: AYES: Councilmembers Biddle, Hart, Hildenbrand, Swalwell, and Mayor Sbranti NOES: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None N Mayor ATTEST: CitA/0 ec94,_ City Clerk • Reso No. 199-12, Adopted 12-4-12, Item 4.4 Page 2 of 2 Exhibit A This Complete Streets Policy was adopted by Resolution No. -12 by the City Council of the City of Dublin on December 4, 2013. COMPLETE STREETS POLICY OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN Vision: To create and maintain a safe and efficient transportation system that promotes the health and mobility of the City of Dublin citizens and visitors, support better access to businesses and neighborhoods and foster new opportunities. A. Complete Streets Principles 1. Complete Streets Serving All Users and Modes. The City of Dublin expresses its commitment to creating and maintaining Complete Streets that provide safe, comfortable, and convenient travel along and across streets (including streets, roads, highways, bridges, and other portions of the transportation system) through a comprehensive, integrated transportation network that meets the requirements of adopted current transportation plans and General Plan; and serves all categories of users; including pedestrians, bicyclists, persons with disabilities, motorists, movers of commercial goods, users and operators of public transportation, emergency responders, seniors, children, youth, and families. 2. Context Sensitivity. In planning and implementing street projects, departments of the City of Dublin will maintain sensitivity to local conditions and needs in both residential and business districts as well as urban, suburban, and rural areas; and will work with residents, merchants, and other stakeholders to ensure that a strong sense of place ensues. Depending upon local conditions and needs, improvements that will be considered include travel lanes that accommodates commercial and transit vehicles, sidewalks, shared use paths, bicycle lanes, bicycle routes, paved shoulders, traffic signals, trails, street trees and landscaping, planting strips, accessible curb ramps, crosswalks, refuge islands, pedestrian signals, signs, street furniture, bicycle parking facilities and lockers, public transportation stops and facilities, transit priority signalization, and other features assisting in the provision of safe travel for all users, such, and those features identified in the adopted transportation plans. 3. Complete Streets Routinely Addressed by All Departments. All relevant departments of the City of Dublin will work towards making Complete Streets practices a routine part of everyday operations, approach every relevant project, program, and practice as an opportunity to improve streets and the transportation network for all categories of users, and work in coordination with other departments, agencies, and jurisdictions to maximize opportunities for Complete Streets and network connectivity within and across the City boundary. 4. All Projects and Phases. Complete Streets infrastructure sufficient to enable reasonably safe travel along and across the right of way for each category of users adhering to local conditions and needs will be incorporated into all planning, funding, design, approval, and implementation processes for any construction, reconstruction, retrofit, maintenance, operations, alteration, or repair of streets (including streets, bicycle paths, trails, roads, highways, bridges, and other portions of the transportation system), except that specific infrastructure for a given category of users may be excluded if an exception is approved via the process set forth in section C.1 of this policy. B. Implementation • 1. Design. The City of Dublin will generally follow its own accepted or adopted design standards, including General Plan and specific plans, Standard Plans and Specifications, and Bikeways Master Plan, and will also evaluate using the latest design standards and innovative design options, with a goal of balancing user needs. 2. Network/Connectivity. The City of Dublin will incorporate Complete Streets infrastructure into existing streets to improve the safety and convenience of all users, with the particular goal of creating a connected network of facilities accommodating each category of users, and increasing connectivity across jurisdictional boundaries and for anticipated future transportation investments. 3. Implementation Next Steps. The City of Dublin will take the following specific next steps to implement this Complete Streets Policy: A. Plan Consultation and Consistency: Maintenance, planning, and design of projects affecting the transportation system will be consistent with the City of Dublin General Plan and bicycle, pedestrian, transit, multimodal, and other relevant plans. B. Stakeholder Consultation: Develop and/or clearly define a process to allow for stakeholder involvement on projects and plans including, but not limited to, commercial and transit service providers, emergency responders, bicycle and pedestrian advisory groups and/or other advisory organizations, as defined necessary to support implementation of this Complete Streets policy by the City of Dublin. C. Encourage developers and private land owners to implement complete streets in private developments through the consistent application of the complete streets elements as defined in this resolution. 4. Performance Measures. All relevant departments will perform evaluations of how well the streets and transportation network of City of Dublin are serving each category of users by collecting baseline data and collecting follow-up data on a regular basis. C. Exceptions • 1. Exception Approvals. A process will be developed for approving exceptions that require deviation(s) from the adopted General Plan and transportation plans and exceeds or does not qualify under the following listed exceptions in C-1. Written findings for exceptions must be included in a memorandum, signed off by the Public Works Director, and made publicly available. Exceptions must explain why accommodations for all users and modes were not included in the plan or project. C-1 Specific Exceptions: Accommodations under the Complete Streets Policy for the City of Dublin may not be necessary on transportation corridors where: A. Specific users are prohibited, such as interstate freeways or pedestrian malls. B. The cost of establishing bikeways or walkways would be excessively disproportionate to the need or probable use. Excessively disproportionate is defined as exceeding twenty percent of the cost of the larger transportation project. The twenty percent figure should be considered as a guide and not an absolute number. C. Documented absence of current and future need as determined by the local and/or regional approved planning documents. D. There is no existing or planned transit service, and therefore no need to provide transit and transit supporting facilities. E. Routine maintenance of the transportation network that does not change the roadway geometry or operations, such as mowing, sweeping, and spot repair. F. Reasonable and equivalent project along the same corridor is already programmed to provide facilities exempted from the project at hand. G. Accommodations are physically impossible to construct/implement.