HomeMy WebLinkAbout7/21/2026 Item 6f, Kacsinta and Cruce - Staff Agenda CorrespondenceCity of San Luis Obispo, Council Memorandum
City of San Luis Obispo
Council Agenda Correspondence
DATE: July 21, 2026
TO: Mayor and Council
FROM: Madeline Kacsinta, Assistant Director of Public Works
Prepared By: Greg Cruce, Deputy Director of Public Works – Maintenance Operations
VIA: Whitney McDonald, City Manager
SUBJECT: ITEM #6.f - FREEWAY MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT AND PROJECT
SPECIFIC MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT WITH THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Staff received the following questions regarding the proposed Caltrans Freeway
Maintenance Agreement and Project Specific Maintenance Agreement. The questions
are below with staff’s response shown in italics:
1) On page 74 of the Agenda Packet, it states that “addressing impacts of
encampments within the identified areas has historically been the City’s
responsibility.” Can you explain how this responsibility came to be?
Especially if prior agreements did not designate this responsibility?
The original Freeway Maintenance Agreement did not specifically address
encampments. When the agreement was executed, encampment response and
cleanup activities were not a defined operational responsibility in the way they
are today.
What the agreement does require is that the City maintain, at City expense, the
identified portions of City streets, appurtenant structures, and bordering areas
shown on the maintenance map. Historically, this maintenance obligation has
been interpreted to include routine litter and debris removal within those identified
areas.
As encampment-related impacts have become a more significant operational
issue, City and Caltrans staff have worked collaboratively through the
Encampment Coordination Team, which meets quarterly and communicates
regularly regarding conditions, cleanup coordination, access, and safety. In
practice, the City has often taken the lead in addressing impacts occurring within
areas the City already maintains under the agreement, while coordinating with
Caltrans when conditions involve State facilities or require joint action.
Item #6.f Freeway Maintenance/Project Specific Maintenance Agreement w/ Caltrans Page 2
The proposed amendment is intended to clarify the City’s maintenance
responsibilities within the identified areas rather than create a new encampment
cleanup obligation. It also updates the agreement to include the Madonna
Trailhead parking lot area, which is a facility exclusively used by the City and
therefore is appropriately included within the City’s maintenance responsibilities.
2) On Page 76 of the Agenda Packet, in the table, crosswalks are not
addressed. However, it notes that Caltrans is responsible for sidewalks.
Since both types of facilities are for walkers, Caltrans is generally
responsible for travel lanes (which crosswalks cross). Who is responsible
for those?
This question relates to the Project Specific Maintenance Agreement for Highway
1. Under that agreement, Caltrans is responsible for maintaining the travel lanes
and sidewalks, including pavement striping associated with those facilities, such
as crosswalks. Crosswalks are not listed separately in the table because they are
considered part of the travel lane striping. The exception is bicycle facilities,
including bicycle lane striping and associated pavement markings, which were
installed at the City's request to benefit the community and are maintained by the
City.