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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-10-05; City of Carlsbad Award Recognition (Districts - All); Gomez, PazTo the members of the: CITY COUNCIL Date \0 {S/23CA ✓ CC ✓ CM ✓ ACM VDCM (3) / October 5, 2023 Council Memorandum To: From: Via: Honorable Mayor Blackburn and Members of the City Council Paz Gomez, Deputy City Manager, Pub~orks Re: Geoff Patnoe, Assistant City Manager ~y City of Carlsbad Award Recognition (Districts -All) {city of Carlsbad Memo ID# 2023105 This memorandum provides an overview of recent regional recognition received by the City of Carlsbad for its "Safer Streets Together" initiative. Background Circulate San Diego, a local nonprofit organization, recognizes outstanding individuals and public agencies at its annual Momentum Awards. This year, the event took place on September 21, 2023, at the San Diego National History Museum in Balboa Park and brought together over 350 attendees, including regional elected officials, representatives from the San Diego Association of Governments (SAN DAG), San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), and professionals from the transportation and land use sectors. The Momentum Awards spotlight and celebrate the accomplishments of leaders who have made significant contributions to enhancing public transit, improving street safety and fostering sustainable growth throughout San Diego County. It celebrates projects in the San Diego region that are advancing excellent mobility choices and vibrant, healthy neighborhoods. This year, the City of Carlsbad won the Momentum Award for Safer Streets and Vision Zero. Discussion Circulate San Diego is one of San Diego County's leading organizations dedicated to advancing mobility and making the region a better place to live, work, learn and play. This year, Circulate San Diego awarded the City of Carlsbad with the Momentum Award for their "Safer Streets and Vision Zero" category. The following is the press release for Carlsbad's award: Safer Streets Together "The City of Carlsbad's "Safer Streets Together" initiative is a model of proactive, community- driven road safety efforts. Faced with a 233% increase in bike and e-bike collisions from 2019 to 2022. Tragedy struck with two fatalities in a 10-day span, prompting the city to declare a traffic safety emergency in August 2022, allocating $2 million for a comprehensive plan focusing on education, engineering, and enforcement. Carlsbad's approach is distinguished by its data-driven strategy, identifying collision hotspots, and initiating projects to improve bike lanes, Public Works Branch Transportation Department 1635 Faraday Avenue I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 442-339-2730 t Council Memo -City of Carlsbad Award Recognition (Districts -All) October 5, 2023 Page 2 intersections, and lane restriping. Through a partnership with the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition and Circulate San Diego a robust community engagement campaign was developed, with thousands taking the Safer Streets Together pledge. Within six months, the initiative achieved a remarkable 19% reduction in injury collisions across all modes." City staff appreciate the City Council's dedication to enhancing street safety and their support for Carlsbad's Safer Street's initiative. We are proud to share this regional recognition as another example of Carlsbad's leadership role in setting the standard for excellence among public agencies. Attachments: A. Circulate San Diego Award submission B. Press Release: Circulate San Diego Announces 2023 Momentum Award Winners cc: Scott Chadwick, City Manager Cindie McMahon, City Attorney Gary Barberio, Deputy City Manager, Community Services Laura Rocha, Deputy City Manager, Administrative Services Michael Calderwood, Fire Chief Mickey Williams, Police Chief David Graham, Chief Innovation Officer Tom Frank, Transportation Director/City Engineer Kristina Ray, Communication & Engagement Director Nathan Schmidt, Transportation and Mobility Manager 2023 Circulate San Diego – Momentum Award Application Data Category: Safe Streets and Vision Zero Award CRITERIA - A person, project, agency, or private developer that is working to significantly improve bicycle and pedestrian safety, by: Embodying Vision Zero and/or Complete Street principles to enhance and accommodate the use of alternative travel modes in addition to autos •Collecting, analyzing, or using data to understand trends and potential disproportionate impacts of traffic deaths on certain populations •Prioritizing equity and community engagement •Managing speed to safe levels through engineering countermeasures •Incorporating education and enforcement campaign for safer streets •Improving the business and residential environment by prioritizing alternative transportation modes •Demonstrating the nexus between land use and transportation planning •Positively impacting a significant number of people in the community OR Innovation Award CRITERIA - A private company, nonprofit organization, or government agency with an approved plan, project, or program that: •Exhibits an innovative approach, design, or solution addressing transit, safe streets, sustainable growth, or community-based land uses •Creates a demonstrative positive impact for the surrounding communities •Showcases innovation that can be applied to other areas of the region, the state, or nationally •Encourages community and stakeholder collaboration Name of person making nomination: TBD E-mail of person making nomination: Nathan.Schmidt@carlsbadca.gov Phone # of person making nomination: 760-637-7183 Name of person, organization, or project being nominated: City of Carlsbad, Safer Streets Together Campaign If project nomination, name of primary agency/group: City of Carlsbad Attachment A If project nomination, list any other involved agencies/groups: San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, Circulate San Diego Nominee E-mail: Nathan.Schmidt@carlsbadca.gov Nominee Phone: 760-637-7183 Provide description of the person, organization, or project being nominated (400 words or less): Between 2019 and 2022, the City of Carlsbad experienced a 233% increase in bike and e-bike collisions. In early 2022, Carlsbad became the first city in the region to pass its own e-bike safety laws, which allow first-time offenders to take a safety course instead of paying a fine. Later in 2022, Carlsbad had already mobilized public education efforts, approved changes in street design and stepped-up traffic enforcement when tragedy struck. Twice. During a 10-day period, two fatalities brought bike and e-bike safety into an even sharper focus. As thousands of students were preparing to return to school, many on e-bikes, Carlsbad faced a critical decision. After determining conditions of extreme peril imminently threatened public safety, the City Manager proclaimed a local traffic safety emergency on Aug. 23, 2022. The City Council allocated $2 million to immediately launch the “Safer Streets Together” traffic safety effort, following the “three Es” - education, engineering, and enforcement. Staff developed the Safer Streets Together Plan to guide short-, medium- and long-term actions, while simultaneously launching immediate efforts. The local emergency drew regionwide and national attention, with the initial announcement and education campaign generating nearly 100 news stories reaching more than 1 million people. The campaign engaged residents, schools, community organizations and businesses. Guided by data on high collision areas and causes, staff immediately began work to improve 106 miles of bike lanes and 36 intersections using green paint to indicate conflict areas. Projects advanced quickly to restripe vehicle lanes, bike lanes and 32 crosswalks at Carlsbad schools. A project to reconfigure 16- miles of east-west corridors also advanced through design phases, with construction beginning this summer to reduce or narrow lanes, managing speeds and improving safety. The Carlsbad Police Department increased traffic enforcement of all modes. Several officers became League of American Bicyclists certified instructors, positioning them to lead future bike safety classes. In March 2023, the City Council approved a Vision Zero resolution, endorsing the goal of eliminating all traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2050. Projects and programs in the Safer Streets Together Plan, General Plan Mobility Element, Sustainable Mobility Plan and Local Roadway Safety Plan provide the backbone for the effort. In the first six months, injury collisions dropped 19% across all travel modes compared to the previous year. By taking bold, creative action, Carlsbad demonstrated that an interdisciplinary, collaborative, communitywide approach, informed by data, can save lives. Describe how the nominee/organization/project has met the award criteria (see criteria above) (400 words or less): A traffic collision heat map that visualized “hot spots” directed enforcement, engineering and education efforts across all modes of travel – driving, biking and walking, to ensure one mode or population was not disproportionally affected. Increased enforcement at high collision areas began immediately, resulting in more than 3,400 vehicle citations and nearly 150 e-bike citations as of June 2023. Thanks to the city’s e-bike safety laws, e-bike riders receiving their first citation can now take a safety course instead of paying fines. This has been an important equity consideration and an effective education strategy. Engineering countermeasures were advanced to manage vehicle speeds and balance the needs of all road users, including those who walk and bike. The city improved 106 bike lane miles and advanced projects to reconfigure or reduce lanes through resurfacing and restriping plans on major streets, including near the downtown Village and beach areas, which the heat map showed as high collision areas. For proposed lane reduction areas, the city conducted level of service analysis, which incorporated land use and transportation planning. This ensured traffic flow would not be affected, while creating more space for bikers and walkers. A community engagement campaign was launched to educate residents and create a strong social norm around traffic safety. Residents from a variety of backgrounds shared personal stories in videos, including teens who talked to other teens about why traffic safety matters. Thousands of community members took the Safer Streets Together pledge, displaying yard signs and car window clings to demonstrate their commitment and encourage others to slow down and be safe. Today, evidence of this commitment can be seen throughout the city. Through partnerships with local businesses where collisions were the highest, stores displayed window clings, hosted media events and provided safety tip cards at their counters. The city partnered with the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition and Circulate San Diego to host hands-on traffic safety classes at schools and community centers. Through strategic messaging and placement of banners, outreach during school drop-off and pick-up, school assemblies and community events, the city and its partners reached thousands of students and families. With data from the first six months of the emergency showing a 19% decrease in collisions, the city’s approach, guided by the three Es, can now be replicated by other cities regionwide. Upload 3 - 5 high resolution photos: Link: https://carlsbadca1gov.sharepoint.com/:f:/s/Communication- all/EtdnBUfRFEJBpLavycBGDqgBiLuDVTnacQKDMiJAuC-QKw?e=NR6OJi Attachment B search for ... ~ ~ QRCULATE ®_..0 SAN DIEGO PRESS ROOM PRESS RELEASE:CI RCULATE SAN DIEGO ANNOUNCES 2023 MOMENTUM AWARD WINNERS C\ MOM'ENTUM I . AVv RDS 0 Published September 22, 2023 ,. posted by Jeremy Bloom September 22, 2023 Like this? Share it! 0 • FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-September 22, 2023 Contact: Colin Parent 619-567-6856 I cparent@circulatesd.org PRESS RELEASE:CIRCULATE SAN DIEGO ANNOUNCES 2023 MOMENTUM AWARD WINNERS San Diego, September 22, 2023-Circulate San Diego, a local nonprofit organization, recognized outstanding individuals and public agencies at its annual Momentum Awards event held last night. The event, which took place at the San Diego National History Museum in Balboa Park, brought together over 350 attendees, including regional elected officials, representatives from SAN DAG, MTS, and professionals from the transportation and land use sectors. The Momentum Awards spot lighted and celebrated the accomplishments of leaders who have made significant contributions to enhancing public transit, improving street safety, and fostering sustainable growth throughout San Diego County. Colin Parent, CEO and General Counsel of Circulate San Diego, ex pressed pride in acknowledging the exceptional awardees. He said, "Circulate San Diego was proud to recognize so many great projects and individuals in San Diego. We are grateful that so many people came out to celebrate our region's progress." The awards ceremony featured the presentation of six community-nominated awards and the Walk-The-Walk Award. The Walk-The-Walk Award is given to local and statewide leaders who are actively advancing mobility choices and sustainable growth. This year's honorees included Attorney General Rob Bonta, Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins, and environmental justice advocate Diane Takvorian. During his acceptance speech, Attorney General Rob Bonta emphasized his commitment to addressing California's housing crisis. "I share this award with my t eam at California DOJ, particularly our housing justice team. They're the folks who ensure we don't just talk the talk. They make it possible for us to put words into action, for us to move forward on the path of progress. With an estimated 172,000 people struggling with homelessness in California, more than in any state in the country, the work we're doing to address the housing crisis and to ensure every • Californian has a place to call home is critical." In presenting this year's Walk the Walk Award, City of San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, expressed gratitude for the partnership and advocacy of community leaders and o rganizations like Circulate San Diego, acknowledging their pivotal role in advocating for affordable housing, improving the public transit system, and enhancing street safety. The event featured pre-recorded remarks from Attorney General Rob Bonta, which are now accessible online. All award winners are listed below. Photos from the event are attached to this release. 2023 MOMENTUM AWARD WINNERS Safe Streets and Vision Zero Award W inner #1: Brian Pepin, Poway City Council member -Councilmember Brian Pepin, elected to the Poway City Council in November 2022, has been the Council's chief advocate for increased walkability and bikeability in the face of a vehicle- centric mindset prevalent in this suburban community. During his short time on the Council, the Councilmember has championed a forward-thinking approach to transportation and road safety that is changing the conversation at Poway's City Hall. Despite experiencing push back from some of his council colleagues, he has organized neighborhood leaders and garnered additional community support to encourage Vision Zero efforts, raise awareness of unsafe activities, and change behaviors. His commitment to this cause is helping to shift the narrative from a car-centric mindset to one that prioritizes the safety and well-being of all road users. W inner #2: Safer Streets Together (City of Ca rlsbad) -The City of Carlsbad's "Safer Streets Together" initiative is a model of proactive, community-driven road safety efforts. Faced with a 233% increase in bike and e-bike collisions from 2079 to 2022. Tragedy struck with two fatalities in a 70-day span, prompting the city to declare a traffic safety emergency in August 2022, allocating $2 million for a comprehensive plan focusing on education, engineering, and enforcement. Carlsbad's approach is distinguished by its data-driven strategy, identifying collision hotspots and initiating projects to improve bike lanes, intersections, and lane restriping. Through a partnership with the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition and Circulate San Diego a robust community engagement campaign was developed, with thousands taking the Safer Streets Together pledge. Within six months, the initiative achieved a remarkable 19% reduction in injury collisions across all modes. Public Transit Connectivity Award Winner #1: RideFACTNow -RideFACTNow significantly improves mobility and accessibility for individuals with disabilities in San Diego County. As a Nonprofit FACT addresses the critical gap in accessible transportation, allowing those who are often underserved due to the lack of wheelchair-accessible vehicles access reliable and sustainable transportation options. This initiative stands out for its commitment to breaking down transportation barriers and fostering equity by providing on...:demand accessible services. With funding from SANDAG and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), RideFACTNow is creating essential connections to community resources, medical services, and various opportunities. W inner #2: Marisa Mangan (SAN DAG) -Marisa Mangan, as a Senior Regional Planner at SAN DAG, embodies a passion for innovative solutions and a commitment to transforming San Diego County's transportation landscape. With over 72 years of experience at SAN DAG, her work on many pivotal projects demonstrates her exceptional creativity and thoughtfulness. Marisa's ability to work within the system while pushing for positive change sets her apart. Marisa's impactful contributions to progressive transportation planning at SAN DAG, coupled with her collaborative spirit and commitment to sustainable commuting practices, make her a standout in the region. Her work sets a high standard for the industry, reflecting the transformative potential of innovative transportation planning. Sustainable Growth Award Winner: UC Pro Housing Campaign (OTTA United) -Our Time to Act United's is a youth-driven organization dedicated to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and sustainable future. They believe in the power of youth engagement in decision- making processes and emphasize its positive impact on both young people and the wider community. OTTA United focuses on addressing issues disproportionately affecting youth, amplifying their voices, and tackling their unique challenges. Their UC Pro Housing Campaign centers on empowering youth in areas traditionally dominated by adults, creating innovative pathways to elevate the next generation of leaders. Their efforts to collect student testimonials and comments, presented to the City Council, helps showcase an often-missing voice in land use policy making. By actively campaigning for housing in the University Community Plan Update, addressing the housing and climate crises. Their advocacy for high-density, mixed-use housing and transit benefits the communities around the UCSD Blue Line Trolley extension. Innovation Award Winner: La Semilla (Casa Familiar) -La Semilla, "The Seed," is an environmental justice initiative that embodies sustainability and community empowerment. Nestled in San Ysidro, it serves as a groundbreaking climate resiliency research center and pilot project. San Ysidro faces air quality challenges, with residents experiencing a 30% higher incidence of asthma due to border traffic. La Semi Ila's design, shaped in collaboration with the community, showcases climate-resilient, affordable, and low-maintenance construction techniques and urban farming methods. Placing this initiative in an underserved neighborhood sets an example for sustainable development and empowers residents to advocate for similar projects. La Semi Ila is privately funded and fully accessible to the San Ysidro community. As a project of the nonprofit Casa Familiar, La Semilla brings together an excellent team, including: from landscape architects at McCullough, civil engineers at Latitude 33, structural engineers at KPFF San Diego, lighting engineers at lntroba Lighting and Noctiluca Lighting, and architects at Workshop B Architects, Inc. Public Voice Award W inner: MacKenzie Elmer (Voice of San Diego) -MacKenzie Elmer, an environment and energy reporter at Voice of San Diego, excels in investigative journalism with expertise in climate science and policy. Her work delves into the intricate connections between environmental issues, energy policies, transportation and their impact on San Diego. In 2022, Elmer's reporting drew attention to transportation affordability and accessibility issues in San Diego. Her articles, such as "San Diegans Say, If the Bus Were Faster, I'd Ride It" and "MTS Is Losing Money Because of its Pronto Pay System," illuminated the challenges faced by San Diegans in using public transit and the factors influencing their choices. Through her reporting, she emphasizes the need for improved bus transit speed and service quality to encourage greater public transportation usage. Elmer's work amplifies the voices of transit riders and advocates, holding decision-makers accountable and shaping public policy discussions. Her reporting also underscores the economic, environmental, and social implications of transportation choices, fostering a broader understanding of the societal benefits of investing in efficient . public transportation systems. Advocate Awa rd W inner: Terrence Morrissey -In February 2022, Terrence acted to address the issue of high-speed traffic in Altadena. He collaborated with city council staff, inviting them to witness the problem firsthand. Terrence's vision for San Diego centers on creating vibrant, pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods where everyone can navigate streets without fear. Over a year of relentless effort, Terrence remained steadfast, ensuring the successful installation of traffic calming measures. Though his community engagement efforts he motivated city authorities to act. Earlier this year, his hard work paid off -speed humps were installed, a monumental achievement for a community that had waited for over 25 years. Terrence's exceptional leadership was instrumental in this success. Without his dedication, this accomplishment would have remained elusive, underscoring his invaluable contribution to the neighborhood and its residents. His passion and determination continue to serve as a beacon for creating safer, more pedestrian- friendly communities. Walk the Walk Awards Winner #1: Diane Takvorian -Through her leadership as Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Environmental Health Coalition Diane Takvorian has long centered her core values of environmental and social justice to make our bi- national region a better place to live, work, and move around. Working with diverse community stakeholders she has led efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, advocate for affordable public transit, and empower communities to make our built environment more equitable. Through your dedication and service on numerous international, national, state, and regional advisory boards you have ensured the voices all Californians are heard. Winner #2: Senator Toni Atkins -From City Hall, to her leadership in both the Assembly and Senate, Senator Toni Atkins has been a crucial leader in ensuring we meet our statewide housing crisis head on. As you have often stated, "Housing is the most critical issue facing California." Senator Atkins has attacked this issue through authoring and championing our state's most significant pro-housing bills. Like, Senate Bill 2 -the Building Homes and Jobs Act -creating a permanent source of funding for affordable housing, and Senate Bill 9, the California Housing Opportunity and More Efficiency (HOME) Act, which widens access to housing for California's working families and provides homeowners with more options to create intergenerational wealth. We commend you for making housing one of your top priorities. Th rough your dedication to protecting pro-housing legislation you have ensured t he rights and interests of all Californians. Winner #3: Attorney General Banta -As California's Attorney General, Rob Bonta, deserve our praise and thanks for his unwavering commitment to enforcing state housing law and your significant investment in holding cities accountable for their actions. With his guidance, the Housing Strike Force within the Department of Justice, has played a pivotal role in advancing housing access across our state. AG Bonta's unprecedented passion for enforcing state housing law has led to the implementation of transformational policies that promote equity and inclusivity, ultimately fostering a healthier and stronger California. Like me, he has made housing one of his top priorities and fo r empowering the Housing Accountability Unit to effectively address housing issues. Through your dedication to protecting pro-housing legislation you have ensured the rights and interests of all Californians. About Circulate San Diego Circulate San Diego is a regional nonprofit think tank dedicated to advancing mobility andmaking the region a better place to move, work, learn and play. Our work focuses oncreating great mobility choices, more walkable and bikeable neighborhoods, and land uses thatpromote sustainable growth. For more information, go towww.circulatesd.org. ### P:a IH 1◄ r 11, • • Copyright© 2023 Circulate San Diego. All rights reserved.