HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-04-07; Traffic Safety and Mobility Commission; 01; Fiscal Year 2025-26 – Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission Work PlanMeeting Date: April 7, 2025
To: Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission
Staff Contact: Nathan Schmidt, Transportation Planning and Mobility Manager
nathan.schmidt@carlsbadca.gov, 442-339-2734
Subject: Fiscal Year 2025-26 – Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission Work Plan
District Citywide
Recommended Action
Provide staff input on the fiscal year, or FY, 2025-26 Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission Work
Plan for future submittal to the City Council.
Executive Summary
Carlsbad Municipal Code Section 2.15.020(C) requires the Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission,
or TS&MC, to prepare a draft work plan that identifies activities that the TS&MC anticipates
undertaking in the coming year and a subsequent report of the TS&MC’s accomplishments. The
purpose of this work plan is to encourage increased dialogue between the TS&MC and the City
Council. City staff will facilitate this work and develop a draft work plan that will include a list of
goals and related tasks that will guide the TS&MC agenda for the coming year.
Next Steps
The FY 2025-26 TS&MC work plan will be submitted to the City Council for review and approval.
Exhibits
1.Draft City Council Resolution
2.Memo from City Attorney, Dec. 18, 2018
3.Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission Current Work Plan for FY 2024-25
4.Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission Communications Plan
TRAFFIC SAFETY & MOBILITY COMMISSION
April 7, 2025 Item #1 Page 1 of 12
Staff Report
Exhibit 1
RESOLUTION NO. .
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARLSBAD,
CALIFORNIA, APPROVING THE TRAFFIC SAFETY & MOBILITY COMMISSION
WORK PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025-26.
WHEREAS, Chapter 2.15 of the Carlsbad Municipal Code requires that each board or
commission provide to the City Council for its approval an annual Work Plan of activities to be
undertaken by the board or commission; and
WHEREAS, consistent with the duties of the Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission under Chapter
2.28 of the Carlsbad Municipal Code, staff prepared a draft annual Work Plan for the Traffic Safety &
Mobility Commission that is designed to promote mobility and traffic safety within the city and to
implement the General Plan Mobility Element; and
WHEREAS, the draft annual Work Plan includes development of a communications plan,
consistent with City Council direction to staff at its ____, 2025, meeting to include a communications
plan under which the Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission Chair will provide semi-annual reports to
the City Council on the Commission’s activities and recommendations on specific matters; and
WHEREAS, on ___, 2025, the Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission considered and unanimously
recommended City Council approval of the draft annual Work Plan for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-26.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Carlsbad, California, as
follows:
1.That the above recitations are true and correct.
2.That the City Council of the City of Carlsbad approves the Traffic Safety & Mobility
Commission Work Plan for FY 2025-26, attached hereto as Attachment A.
April 7, 2025 Item #1 Page 2 of 12
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED at a regular Meeting of the City Council of the City of
Carlsbad, California, California on the __ day of ________, 2025, by the following vote, to wit:
AYES:
NAYS:
ABSENT:
_________________________
KEITH BLACKBURN, Mayor
_________________________
SHERRY FREISINGER, City Clerk
(SEAL)
April 7, 2025 Item #1 Page 3 of 12
Memorandurn
December 18, 2018
To: All Boards and Commissions
From: Celia A. Brewer, City Attorney
Via: Boards and Commissions Staff Liasions
Re: Work Plans
{cityof Carlsbad
The City Councll recently revised the Municipal Code to create uniform policies and• procedures
related to boards and commissions. Included in those revisions is a requirement for each board
and commission to submit an annual work plan and a subsequent report of the activities it has
undertaken to the City Council. The workplan should include the activities that the board or
commission anticipates undertaking in the coming year. The City Cou11cil will review, amend if
necessary and apprnve the work plan. The purpose of the work plan is to encourage increased
dialogue between the boards and commissions and the City Council. It will also help ensure
that the boards and commissions are working in line with the priorities of the City Council. Your
staff liaison will present you with an initial draft work plan. Please spend some time at your
next available meeting to review, modify if necessary and approve the draft work plan. In
addition, please also consider any modifications to your authorizing ordinance or resolution
which you may be necessary. The City Council will be reviewing the authorizing ordinances and
resolutions at a future meeting.
City Attorney
1200 Carlsbad Village Drive I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 760-434-2891 t
Exhibit 2
April 7, 2025 Item #1 Page 4 of 12
Exhibit 3
Sept. 10, 2024 Item #7 Page 3 of 14April 7, 2025 Item #1 Page 5 of 12
RESOLUTION NO. 2024-213
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARLSBAD,
CALIFORNIA, APPROVING THE TRAFFIC SAFETY AND MOBILITY
COMMISSION WORK PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024-25
WHEREAS, Section 2.15.020{C} of the Carlsbad Municipal Code requires that each board or
commission provide to the City Council for its approval an annual" work plan of activities to be
undertaken by the board or commission; and
WHEREAS, consistent with the duties of the Traffic Safety and Mobility Commission under
Section 2.28.050 of the Carlsbad Municipal Code, staff prepared a draft annual work plan for the Traffic
and Mobility Commission that is designed to promote mobility and traffic safety within the city and to
implement the General Plan Mobility Element; and
WHEREAS, on Aug. 5, 2024, the Traffic Safety and Mobility Commission considered and
recommended City Council approval of the draft work plan for fiscal year 2024-25.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Carlsbad, California, as
follows:
1. That the above recitations are true and correct.
2. That the City Council approves the Traffic Safety and Mobility Commission Work Plan
for fiscal year 2024-25, provided as Attachment A.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED at a Regular Meeting of the City Council of the City of
Carlsbad on the 10th day of September, 2024, by the following vote, to wit:
AYES:
NAYS:
ABSTAIN :
ABSENT:
BLACKBURN, BHAT-PATEL, ACOSTA, BURKHOLDER, LUNA.
NONE.
NONE.
NONE.
KEITH BLACKBURN, Mayor
OL
SHERRY FREISINGER, City Clerk
{SEAL)
City of
Carlsbad
Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission
Work Plan Fiscal Year 2024‐25
I.Mission Statement
The Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission is committed to enhancing safe mobility for
the city and its residents by using data‐driven decision‐making and a forward‐looking
approach to transportation. We are transparent and do the right thing the right way.
II.Duties
The City Council has established a goal to have the City of Carlsbad become a leader
in multimodal transportation systems and creative approaches to moving people and
goods through and within the City of Carlsbad. Consistent with Carlsbad Municipal
Code Chapter 2.28, the City of Carlsbad Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission was
established. Duties of the Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission are defined as follows
by the Carlsbad Municipal Code Section 2.28.050:
It shall be the duty of the Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission to study matters
concerning mobility and traffic safety, including implementation of the General
Plan Mobility Element, and to make written recommendations to the City Council
and Planning Commission regarding measures that should be taken to promote
mobility and traffic safety within the city as follows:
A.Review staff studies and reports, and make recommendations to the
City Council and Planning Commission on mobility and traffic safety
matters, including but not limited to those related to pedestrian,
bicycle, vehicular and transit modes of travel, and parking and school
safety;
B.Provide a public forum to review community input regarding mobility
and traffic safety matters, including but not limited to those related
to pedestrian, bicycle, vehicular and transit modes of travel, and
parking and school safety;
C.Review and provide recommendations for revision to the city codes and
plans on mobility and traffic safety matters, including but not limited to
pedestrian, bicycle, vehicular and transit modes of travel, and parking and
school safety.
Sept. 10, 2024 Page 4 of 14Sept. 10, 2024 Item #7
Attachment A
Sept. 10, 2024 Item #7 April 7, 2025 Item #1 Page 6 of 12
III.FY 2024‐25 Goals & Objectives
Consistent with Carlsbad Municipal Code Chapter 2.15, the Traffic Safety & Mobility
Commission will provide advisory recommendations within the scope of this work plan.
The Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission will focus on the following FY 2024-25
Goals/Objectives:
1.Goal: Review staff recommendations on the multimodal transportation system, and
provide input based on data, best practices and public input.
a)Objective: Review and provide input on mobility policies, programs,
processes, and informational reports including the Growth Management
Program (GMP) Annual Monitoring Reports, Parking Master Plans,
status related to signal and traffic management center operations from
the Signal Coordination (CIP) project, Traffic Impact Fee program and
other reports within the purview of the commission. In addition, the
Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission will review the list of CIP projects
as part of the Transportation Director’s bi‐annual transportation update
report.
Schedule:
•Spring
•Presentation of the annual GMP Monitoring
Report
• Update on the city’s traffic signal program
•Summer and Winter
•Presentation of the bi‐annual Transportation
Update Report
b)Objective: Review and provide input on current mobility plans, including the
annual progress reports on the Sustainable Mobility Plan, and Citywide
Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Program.
•Schedule:
•February 2025: Annual update on the Sustainable
Mobility Plan and Multimodal Transportation Impact
Fee Program
•Winter 2024: Performance report of the TDM program
and Active Transportation Monitoring Report, including
metrics on active participants in the TDM program,
changes in active transportation use, and other
performance indicators.
c)Objective: Review and provide input on Carlsbad Residential Traffic
Management Program projects and proposed traffic calming features such as
speed cushions, traffic circles, raised crosswalks and curb extensions.
Sept. 10, 2024 Item #7 Page 5 of 14April 7, 2025 Item #1 Page 7 of 12
•Schedule:
•Staff will present Residential Traffic Management
projects and traffic calming recommendations on an on‐
going basis.
d)Objective: Review and provide input to the city’s transportation planning
documents and related policies such as the update of the Transportation Impact
Analysis (TIA) Guidelines.
•Schedule:
•Staff will present the proposed revisions to the TIA
guidelines and vehicle level of service (LOS) evaluation
methods in the Winter of 2024 with City Council
adoption anticipated in 2025.
•Staff will present the MMLOS results of the GMP
Monitoring Report to the City Council and Traffic
Safety & Mobility Commission in 2024.
e)Objective: Provide opportunities for public input on scheduled city projects
that have the potential to improve mobility options.
•Schedule:
•Staff will present mobility related projects and
receive community input on an on‐going basis.
2.Goal: Focus on mobility, including safety improvements, around school locations
a)Objective: Review and provide input on significant mobility and safety
projects near schools. Proactively engage the school district in Safe
Routes to School (SRTS) planning and work with the schools to develop
SRTS and access plans.
b)Objective: Receive informational reports from the Carlsbad Police
Department regarding school traffic education and enforcement.
•Schedule:
•Staff will present mobility and safety projects near
school sites on an on‐going basis.
•The Carlsbad Police Department will provide
quarterly updates.
Annual Schedule of Items: The following list provides a tentative schedule of re‐
occurring agenda items that the Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission will review
each year.
First Quarter (January – March)
•Semi‐Annual Transportation Report
•Growth Management Plan Circulation Section
Sept. 10, 2024 Item #7 Page 6 of 14April 7, 2025 Item #1 Page 8 of 12
Second Quarter (April – June)
•Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission Work Plan
•Semi‐Annual Transportation Report
Fourth Quarter (October – December)
•TDM and Active Transportation Monitoring Report
•Traffic Safety &Mobility Commission Annual Calendar
Other re-occurring programs to be presented as available:
•Pavement Management Program, annual resurfacing projects
•ADA Improvement Program, bi‐annual projects
•ADA Transition Plan
•Sidewalk Improvement Program, bi‐annual projects
Sept. 10, 2024 Item #7 Page 7 of 14April 7, 2025 Item #1 Page 9 of 12
Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission
Proposed Communications Plan
Goals
•Facilitate communication between the commission and the City Council regarding the Traffic
Safety & Mobility Commission work plan, including implementation status and City Council
actions related to work plan items.
•Promote opportunities for the public to engage with the commission and obtain information
about the commission’s activities.
Strategies & tactics
Staff Reports
•When city staff plans to bring forward an item related to the work plan for action to the Planning
Commission or City Council, staff will seek an advisory recommendation from the commission
beforehand.
•When preparing staff reports for items coming before the commission for action, city staff will
include the following:
1.Requests for advisory recommendations from the commission.
2.Opportunities for public input.
3.A clear overview of whether the item will require further consideration by the Planning
Commission and/or City Council and whether the item will be considered on the consent
calendar or as a presentation.
•When preparing staff reports for commission items coming before the Planning Commission or City
Council, city staff will include as an exhibit the approved commission meeting minutes related to the
item. If the Commission minutes have not yet been approved, draft minutes will be submitted on
that item.
City Traffic Engineer Comment
•During City Traffic Engineer comment at each commission meeting, city staff will provide an updated
status report on:
1.any City Council actions taken on items related to the commission work plan since the last
commission meeting;
2.other pending mobility-related items to be addressed by the City Council with or without
prior commission review; and
3.unresolved requests from the commission
Annual Work Plan
•City staff will collaborate with the commission to prepare an annual work plan to the City Council
and a subsequent report of its accomplishments per Carlsbad Municipal Code section 2.15.020(C).
Exhibit 4
April 7, 2025 Item #1 Page 10 of 12
Participation at City Council meetings
•Per Carlsbad Municipal Code section 2.15.020(D), the commission (chair or another commissioner
designated by the commission) will provide periodic written reports to the City Council, which
should include:
1.Recent activities of the commission.
2.Attendance at the commission’s meetings.
3.Any ad hoc subcommittees which the commission has formed.
4.Any proposed amendments to the commission’s work plan; and
5.Any matters which the commission wishes to bring to the attention of the City Council or to
have placed on a future City Council agenda.
•In addition to providing the above-described written reports to City Council, the commission (chair
or another commissioner designated by the commission) will also:
1.Participate in the semi-annual update to City Council by city staff on traffic and mobility
initiatives.
2.Participate in the presentation to City Council on the commission’s annual work plan.
3.Affirm the commission’s recommendations and provide input on traffic and mobility items
being presented to City Council.
•The commission will also undertake other tasks from time to time as requested or approved by the
City Council per Carlsbad Municipal Code section 2.15.020(F). Commissioners will coordinate
participation at City Council meetings with the staff liaison to ensure proper protocols are followed.
Meeting Agendas and Public Records
•Items requested by a majority commission vote shall be agendized within a reasonable time if they
are related to the work plan and staff resources are available.
•The commission may place a time-certain item on their next agenda related to the items listed in
CMC section 2.15.020 (D).
•Best efforts will be made to distribute the commission agenda packet, staff reports, and meeting
minutes available to the public and commissioners at least five (5) days in advance of a scheduled
commission meeting. When not feasible, city staff will attempt to publicly circulate the full agenda
package a minimum of 72 hours prior to the commission meeting in accordance with applicable law,
including posting on the city’s website.
•Commissioners may submit pre-meeting questions to staff, and staff shall make reasonable efforts
to answer the questions prior to the meeting, consistent with City Council practice.
•Additional materials received by the Friday before the scheduled meeting shall be distributed by
staff to the commission and the public consistent with City Council practice.
April 7, 2025 Item #1 Page 11 of 12
•Commission meeting minutes will focus on noticed agenda items and accurately record
recommendations, actions and public comments, so the commission’s activities are transparent to
the public.
•Commission records will be retained in accordance with the records retention schedule adopted by
the City Council and applicable law.
April 7, 2025 Item #1 Page 12 of 12
From:Steve Linke
To:Traffic
Subject:Timing of release of agenda packets and public comments
Date:Tuesday, April 8, 2025 1:22:58 AM
Traffic Commission:
I just watched your Monday meeting and saw the discussion during Item #1 about the timing
of the release of your agenda packets and your wishing for more timely submission of publiccomments--including the references to the comment I submitted on the TDM Program (Item
#2), which you did not receive until very shortly before your meeting.
The short version of this shameful situation is that, since my 2019 authoring of thecommission's "Communications Plan," staff has supposed to have been releasing the packets
by Wednesday (not Thursday late afternoon). That Communications Plan, which wasincluded in your agenda packet right after the Work Plan, was adopted by both the
commission and the City Council back in 2019, yet the Wednesday release date has neverbeen followed by staff, and they chose not to volunteer that information when questions arose
at your meeting.
I suggest that you all carefully read and understand the full Duties, Work Plan, andCommunications Plan so that you understand your roles and powers as commissioners. They
should be provided to all new commissioners as soon as they come on board, and all existingcommissioners should read them at least annually.
Regarding the timing of my public comment on the TDM Program, the late Thursday
afternoon packets are usually hundreds of pages long with quite a bit of very technicalinformation. Comments received after end-of-business Fridays are not typically forwarded to
commissioners until Monday--probably mid-morning (within hours of your meetings). Onsome simpler topics, I am able to send my comment letters by Friday end-of-business.
However, on many topics, particularly complex ones like the TDM Program, it is notreasonable to expect me (a former commissioner), let alone general members of the public, to
digest, research, and prepare cogent comments within ~24 hours of being informed an agendapacket has become available on the city website.
In contrast, while City Council agenda packets are also typically released on Thursday, their
meetings are on Tuesday (meaning they still have a chance to read public comments theyreceive on Mondays). In addition, each councilmember has their own city email address to
allow communication directly to them over the weekend, and their meetings start at 5 PM.Similarly, Planning Commission meetings are on Wednesdays and start at 5 PM. As long as
the traffic commission continues the policies of allowing staff to release the packets onThursday afternoons for Monday meetings, not providing separate city email addresses to
contact the commissioner, and holding your meetings at 4 PM (before most people are offwork), please do not expect to get meaningful public participation in a timely fashion.
Let me ask you this, commissioners: Had you all read and understood all 128 pages of the
packet and would have had time to prepare your own comments and questions on just the twoitems on this month's agenda by Friday end-of-business?
Additional history
When I first joined the commission back in 2019, my first orders of administrative business
were to: (1) significantly expand the duties of the commission to match what the City Councilhad recently enacted in the municipal code; (2) create a work plan that reflected those
expanded duties; and (3) adopt a communications policy that empowered the commission byrequiring staff to present work plan items to the commission (rather than bypassing us directly
to the City Council on the most prominent items, which routinely used to happen), to allowcommissioners to agendize topics (rather than staff controlling all agendas), to facilitate more
direct communications with the City Council without staff acting as a middle man, to publishagenda packets earlier in the week to allow more time for review and public comment, etc.
Staff fought against me hard in many of these areas, but, after many months of back-and-forth
and compromises, we worked out the Duties, Work Plan, and Communications Plan thatyou reviewed as Item #1 (they have remained largely unchanged since 2019). I actually
wanted the packets to come out on Tuesdays, but there ended up being a compromise that theywould come out by Wednesday. Look at the Communications Plan on page 18 of the PDF of
Monday's packet where it says:
Best efforts will be made to distribute the commission agenda packet, staff
reports, and meeting minutes available to the public and commissioners at leastfive (5) days in advance of a scheduled commission meeting. When not feasible,
city staff will attempt to publicly circulate the full agenda package a minimum of72 hours prior to the commission meeting in accordance with applicable law,
including posting on the city’s website.
Despite the Communications Plan being adopted by both the commission and the City
Council, and in spite of my repeated complaints about the lack of compliance over my yearson the commission, staff never really honored this provision. Sarcastically, I guess almost
every month for the last 5+ years, despite exerting their "best efforts," staff has just found itinfeasible to meet that darn Wednesday deadline.
Best regards,
Steve Linke
CAUTION: Do not open attachments or click on links unless you recognize the sender and
know the content is safe.
Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission
Work Plan for Fiscal Year 2025-26
Nathan Schmidt, Transportation Planning and Mobility Manager
April 7, 2025
1
{ City of
Carlsbad
RECOMMENDED ACTION
•Provide input on the fiscal year (FY) 2025-26 Traffic Safety &
Mobility Commission Work Plan for future submittal to the
City Council
ITEM 1: FY 2025-26 TS&MC WORK PLAN
2
{ City of
Carlsbad
BACKGROUND
•Carlsbad Municipal Code requires commissions to have annual work plans (CMC 2.15.020 (C))
•Encourage increased dialogue between the Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission and the City Council
•Ensure that the commission is working in line with the council’s priorities
ITEM 1: FY 2025-26 TS&MC WORK PLAN
3
{ City of
Carlsbad
MISSION STATEMENT
•The Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission is
committed to enhancing safe mobility for the
city and its residents by using data-driven
decision-making and a forward-looking
approach to transportation. We are transparent
and do the right thing the right way.
ITEM 1: FY 2025-26 TS&MC WORK PLAN
4
{ City of
Carlsbad
DUTIES
•Review staff studies and reports, and make
recommendations to the City Council and
Planning Commission on mobility and traffic
safety matters, but not limited to those related
to pedestrians, bicycle, vehicular, and transit
modes of travel, and parking and school safety
ITEM 1: FY 2025-26 TS&MC WORK PLAN
5
{ City of
Carlsbad
DUTIES CONTINUED
•Provide a public forum to review community
input regarding mobility and traffic safety
matters, including but not limited to those
related to all modes of travel, parking, and
school safety
•Review and provide recommendations for
revisions to city codes and plans on mobility
and traffic safety matters, including but not
limited to all modes of travel and parking and
school safety.
ITEM 1: FY 2025-26 TS&MC WORK PLAN
6
FY 25-26 WORK PLAN:
FIRST GOAL
Review staff recommendations on the
multimodal transportation system, and provide
input on data, best practices, and public input.
•Examples: Capital Improvement Projects,
Growth Management Program (GMP)
Annual Monitoring Reports, Traffic Signal
Program, Sustainable Mobility Plan projects,
Traffic Calming Plans
ITEM 1: FY 2025-26 TS&MC WORK PLAN
7
{ City of
Carlsbad
FY 25-26 WORK PLAN:
SECOND GOAL
Focus on mobility around school locations
including safety.
•Review of mobility and safety projects near
schools
•Proactively engage the school districts in Safe
Routes to School planning
•Receive quarterly reports from the Carlsbad
Police Department
ITEM 1: FY 2025-26 TS&MC WORK PLAN
8
{ City of
Carlsbad
OPEN DISCUSSION &
RECEIVE DIRECTION FROM THE COMMISSION
ON WORK PLAN UPDATES
ITEM 1: FY 2025-26 TS&MC WORK PLAN
9
{ City of
Carlsbad
NEXT STEPS
•Staff will revise the current work plan based
on direction received from the Traffic Safety
& Mobility Commission
•Return to the TS&MC for a final review
•Submit the FY 2025-26 Work Plan to City
Council for adoption
ITEM 1: FY 2025-26 TS&MC WORK PLAN
10
{ City of
Carlsbad