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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-06-01; Traffic and Mobility Commission; ; FISCAL YEAR 20-2021- TRAFFIC AND MOBILITY COMMISSION WORKPLANItem 8 Meeting Date: June 1, 2020 To: Traffic and Mobility Commission Staff Contact: Nathan Schmidt, Transportation Planning and Mobility Manager nathan.schmidt@carlsbadca.gov or 760-602-2734 David Graham, Chief Innovation Officer david.graham@carlsbadca.gov or 760-434-5992 Subject: Fiscal Year 2020-21 – Traffic and Mobility Commission Workplan Recommended Action The Traffic and Mobility Commissioners will discuss the Fiscal Year 2020-2021 work plan for future submittal to City Council. Executive Summary The Traffic and Mobility Commission (TMC) is requested to prepare a draft work plan that identifies activities that the TMC anticipates undertaking in the coming year. The purpose of this work plan is to encourage increased dialogue between the TMC and 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 TMC agenda for the coming year. Next Steps The FY20-21 Traffic and Mobility Commission work plan will be submitted to City Council for review and approval. Exhibits 1. Draft City Council Resolution 2. Memo from City Attorney, Dec. 18, 2018 3. Traffic and Mobility Commission Work Plan FY 2019-20 4. Traffic and Mobility Commission Communications Plan 5. Correspondence from Commissioner Linke TRAFFIC AND MOBILITY COMMISSION EXHIBIT 1 RESOLUTION NO. . A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING THE TRAFFIC AND MOBILITY COMMISSION WORK PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR (FY) 2020-21. 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 and Mobility Commission under Chapter 2.28 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, the draft annual Work Plan includes development of a communications plan, consistent with City Council direction to staff at its Jun. 1, 2020, meeting to include a communications plan under which the Traffic and 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 Jun 1, 2020, the Traffic and Mobility Commission considered and unanimously recommended City Council approval of the draft annual Work Plan for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020-21. 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 and Mobility Commission Work Plan for FY 2020-21, attached hereto as Attachment A. PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED at a regular Meeting of the City Council of the City of Carlsbad, California, California on the __ day of ________, 2020, by the following vote, to wit: AYES: NAYS: ABSENT: _________________________ MATT HALL, Mayor _________________________ BARBARA ENGLESON, City Clerk (SEAL) 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 .. City of Carlsbad Traffic and Mobility Commission Work Plan Fiscal Year 2019-2020 I.Mission Statement The Traffic and 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 and Mobility Commission was established. The duties of the Transportation and Mobility Commission are defined as follows by the Carlsbad Municipal Code section 2.28.050: It shall be the duty of the Traffic and 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. III.FY 2019-2020 Goals & Objectives Consistent with Carlsbad Municipal Code Chapter 2.15, the Traffic and Mobility Commission will provide advisory recommendations within the scope of this work plan. The Traffic and Mobility Commission will focus on the following FY 2019-20 Goals/Tasks: 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 Report and other reports within the purview of the Commission. Exhibit 3 b)Objective: Review and provide input on mobility plans currently in process including the Sustainable Mobility Plan and Traffic Signal Master Plan. c)Objective: Review and provide input on Carlsbad Residential Traffic Management Program projects and proposed traffic control devices such as parking restrictions, speed limits, stop signs, roundabouts and traffic signal evaluations. d)Objective: Review and provide input to the new Mobility Systems Evaluation and Monitoring (MSEM) manual which may include: Transportation Impact Analysis (TIA), Growth Management Program Annual Traffic Monitoring, vehicle level of service (LOS) evaluation methods, and multimodal (pedestrian, bicycle, and transit) LOS evaluation methods. e)Objective: Provide opportunities for public input on scheduled city projects that have the potential to improve mobility options. 2.Goal: Focus on mobility around school locations including safety. a)Objective: Review and provide input on significant mobility and safety projects near schools. b)Objective: Receive informational reports from the Carlsbad Police Department regarding school traffic education and enforcement. 3.Goal: Develop a Commission communications plan a)Objective: Review and consider recommendations to improve the existing communication practice between the Commission and City Council. b)Objective: Discuss and determine the roles of the Chair and Commission members in providing in-person input to the City Council at City Council Meetings. c)Objective: Revise the Commission’s Rules and Regulations to be consistent with the communications plan. d)Objective: Propose upgrades of the city website to enhance public input related to mobility issues. Page 1 of 3 Traffic & Mobility Commission Proposed Communications Plan Goals •Facilitate communication between the commission and the City Council regarding the Traffic and 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 Page 2 of 3 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. Exhibit 3 Page 3 of 3 • 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. Exhibit 3 1 Traffic and Mobility Commission, Commissioner Correspondence From: Commissioner Steve Linke Meeting Date: June 1, 2020 Subject: Traffic and Mobility Commission FY 2020-21 Work Plan Below is the rationale for my proposed changes to our work plan, which are attached at the end of this correspondence in the form of tracked changes to our current work plan. Goal 1A Growth Management Plan (GMP). For the most part, Goal 1A includes review of annual reports, including the GMP Annual Monitoring Reports. I am proposing specifying both the FY 2018-19 and FY 2019-20 reports for our new work plan. The FY 2018-19 report should have been reviewed under our current work plan, but it presumably is being held back because it includes several more street facilities that have failed the vehicle level of service (LOS) standard, as well as some multi-modal LOS (MMLOS) results that will be difficult to reconcile with previous assessments and real-world observations. Capital Improvements Program (CIP). As part of the annual city budgeting process, staff proposes lists of capital projects with “Project Scores” and funding sources for the CIP. The “Circulation System” portion of the CIP largely determines if and when mobility related projects will get done. As such, it is one of the most important documents in the implementation of the General Plan Mobility Element and for the promotion of mobility and traffic safety (our commission’s duties). Therefore, I feel it is extremely important for us to review the proposed CIPs and provide our recommendations to the City Council. The proposed FY 2020-21 CIP will be presented to the City Council in June, so this should be presented to the T&MC at our June 1st meeting. The commission last received a report related to the CIP in February 2019. Traffic signal performance. I am also proposing replacing the review of the Traffic Signal Master Plan in Goal 1B, which is likely a very technical document, with a traffic signal performance report in Goal 1A, which could show quantitatively how the traffic signal program is affecting trips on major streets under various conditions. Goal 1B Sustainable Mobility Plan (SMP). The SMP is currently under review and should be completed soon. Traffic Signal Master Plan. As described above, I am proposing removing this if we add a traffic signal performance report to Goal 1A. Goal 1C No changes are proposed to this ongoing goal. We should continue to review these projects as they arise, which the commission has done for many years. Exhibit 5 2 Goal 1D The following guidelines and programs have closely related trip generation/distribution methods, screening criteria, thresholds of significance, mitigation approaches, monitoring methods, etc. that are applied to proposed land use developments, street projects, and periodic monitoring: • Transportation Impact Analysis (TIA) Guidelines, including: o Vehicle LOS evaluation methods (service volume tables) o MMLOS (pedestrian, bicycle, and transit) evaluation methods (point systems) o GMP Annual Traffic Monitoring Manual • Vehicle miles traveled (VMT) Analysis Guidelines • Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Program TIA guidelines (GMP/LOS). The TIA guidelines, including the LOS methods and GMP monitoring manual, are in our current work plan. We have not seen these yet, but I think this should be a top priority. I believe the MMLOS methods, in particular, require scrutiny. They appear to be treated as “living documents,” with frequent changes to the point systems that substantially change LOS grades (e.g., the pedestrian and bicycle LOS grades went from D/E/F to A/B for the Poinsettia Lane area due solely to point system changes between two analyses done by the same consultant on the same data). Further, transit LOS is effectively given an automatic passing grade citywide due solely to the existence of a TDM ordinance (regardless of how limited that is) and engineering discretion. That is contrary to the findings of the Carlsbad Active Transportation Strategy, which gives transit failing grades citywide. VMT guidelines (CEQA/VMT). We recently reviewed the screening and threshold criteria in these guidelines. However, the mitigation and evaluation methods were not presented, and staff also characterized these as “living documents,” which is a red flag to me, so I am proposing reviewing them. TDM Program. As we continue to transition from vehicle capacity-increasing street improvement projects to approaches that rely on reducing peak period vehicle demand, the TDM program becomes critical. The current program is extremely narrow and, in my opinion, does very little to meaningfully change demand. A consultant was hired in March 2019 to review and expand the TDM program. I am proposing that we review and provide input on the TDM program expansion, including the way it will be tracked and evaluated for success. Mobility Systems Evaluation and Monitoring (MSEM) Manual. It was my understanding that there was going to be an overarching document called the MSEM Manual that would harmonize all of the above individual components, which should make the whole project review process much simpler to understand. This is already in our work plan. Exhibit 4 3 Goal 1E This is a catch-all goal for us to review mobility related projects. Carlsbad Boulevard corridor projects. I am proposing that we add this specific set of projects to our work plan. There are a number of individual projects that have been presented to us (e.g., the Tamarack intersection project and the three beach access projects). There is another ongoing project to make infrastructure repairs in these same areas, but an improvement project that includes changes to the street was recently added without our review, mixing repair and improvement funding. In addition, there is a long-standing proposed “realignment” project south of Palomar Airport Road for which multiple studies apparently have been done and more studies are planned. Millions of dollars already have been spent on planning, and the total cost for all of these projects is in the tens of millions. Therefore, I am proposing that we review the overall corridor strategy to put all of the individual components we are seeing into a broader context. Goal 2 Safety. We should leave the school-based safety items here, and, similar to a proposal I made for our current work plan, I am proposing encouraging creation of an annual safety-based monitoring program to be done in parallel with the GMP monitoring, which staff previously said they were considering. Goal 3 Policies/Administrative Tasks 3A and 3B have been completed. However, adoption of our Rules and Regulations (currently 3C) should be a high priority, and we already have had significant discussions about that. In conjunction, we should also propose upgrades to the city website (currently 3D). Exhibit 4 The Traffic and Mobility Commission will focus on the following FY 2019-20-21 Goals/Tasks: 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 FY 2018-19 and FY 2019-20 Growth Management Program (GMP) Annual Monitoring Reports, the mobility project portions of the FY 2020-21 and FY 2021-22 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) proposals, a traffic signal performance report and other reports within the purview of the Commission. b) Objective: Review and provide input on mobility plans currently in process including the Sustainable Mobility Plan and Traffic Signal Master Plan. c) Objective: Review and provide input on Carlsbad Residential Traffic Management Program projects and proposed traffic control devices such as parking restrictions, speed limits, stop signs, roundabouts and traffic signal evaluations. d) Objective: Review and provide input to on the new Mobility Systems Evaluation and Monitoring (MSEM) manual, which may includeincluding: Transportation Impact Analysis (TIA) Guidelines, Growth Management Program Annual Traffic Monitoring Manual, vehicle level of service (LOS) evaluation methods, and multimodal (pedestrian, bicycle, and transit) LOS evaluation methods, revisions to the Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Program, and mitigation methods in the Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Analysis Guidelines. e) Objective: Provide opportunities for public input on scheduled city projects that have the potential to improve mobility options, including a global look at projects in the Carlsbad Boulevard corridor. 2. Goal: Focus on mobility around school locations including safety. a) Objective: Review and provide input on significant mobility and safety projects near schools. b) Objective: Receive informational reports from the Carlsbad Police Department regarding school traffic education and enforcement. c) Objective: Encourage the creation of an annual safety based monitoring program. 3. Goal: Develop a Commission communications planEnhance procedures and transparency a) Objective: Review and consider recommendations to improve the existing communication practice between the Commission and City Council. b) Objective: Discuss and determine the roles of the Chair and Commission members in providing in-person input to the City Council at Council Meetings. c)a) Objective: Revise the Commission’s Rules and Regulations to be consistent with the communications plan. d)b) Objective: Propose upgrades of the city website to enhance public input related to mobility issues. Exhibit 4 I -_