HomeMy WebLinkAbout9/19/2019 Item 4, Englert
Wilbanks, Megan
From:Jesse Englert <jenglert@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday,
To:Advisory Bodies
Subject:ATC Agenda Item 4 - ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN PEDESTRIAN POLICIES
ATC,
See below for some ideas to consider regarding the “ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN PEDESTRIAN
POLICIES” agenda item to be discussed this Thursday.
Best Regards,
Jesse Englert
Chorro St
Design Guidelines
Current SLO Bike Master Plan Policy:
1.1 All bikeways shall meet or exceed minimum standards set forth in the current version of the California
Highway Design Manual.
Recommendation:
Update to include other design guidelines (e.g. NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide) that may include
better and emerging design standards.
Example Policy from Santa Cruz ATP:
2.1 Utilize the California Highway Design Manual, the California Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, the
American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities
and Guide for the Planning, Design, and Operation of Pedestrian Facilities, the National Association of City
Transportation Officials Urban Bikeway Design Guide and Urban Street Design Guide, and the Caltrans Class
IV Guidelines for the development of bicycle and pedestrian facilities.
Climate Action
Recommendation:
Add policy tying the ATP to the Climate Action Plan (currently under development). I believe it’s important for
the ATP and Climate Action Plan to work together since active transportation is a large component of the
“Transportation Decarbonization” pillar in Climate Action plan. This recommendation came from Chris Read
(sustainability manager for SLO City).
Example Policy from Santa Cruz ATP:
1.7. Increase the city’s walking and bicycling trips, in accordance with Climate Action Plan goals.
Emerging Best Practices
Recommendation:
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Add policy acknowledging new best practices should be considered. When the plan was last updated Class IV
bike lanes were not available.
Example policy from Santa Cruz ATP:
2.5 Study, pilot, test, and implement best practices and designs that have been found successful in other
communities to respond to the rapidly changing state of bicycle and pedestrian practices. Implementation of
this plan should allow flexibility to include new projects and techniques that are highly consistent with the plan
goals.
Quick Build Policy
Recommendation:
Add policy for the city to create and utilize a “Quick Build” policy. Having such a policy could help avoid the
prolonged Anholm Neighborhood Bikeway planning saga.
Unlike projects that must be planned only on computer screens and paper posters, quick-build projects make
urban design more public, accessible and transparent by putting it on the street, responding to its uses and
adjusting it in real time. They free traffic engineers from guesswork.
Example:
See https://peopleforbikes.org/blog/new-report-a-nine-step-recipe-for-fast-flexible-changes-to-city-streets/
Other Policies i found interesting for other ATPs:
2.4 Provide safety features with proven counter measures at uncontrolled pedestrian crossings.
Consider curb extensions to shorten crossing distance and increase pedestrian visibility, daylighting
2.8 Accommodate all types, ages, and abilities of users in a comfortable manner throughout the
system, while recognizing that all modes of travel and/or level of user ability may not necessarily be
accommodated on every road or path.
4.2 Focus on improving bike and pedestrian safety at intersections using best practices and emerging
tools.
4.3 Give high priority to safety improvements in the vicinity of schools, public transit, commercial
corridors, and other high use pedestrian destinations.
4.7 Advocate minimizing the number of driveways for new developments to reduce automobile and
pedestrian/bike conflicts.
Vision Zero municipal vehicles. Fire engine access is frequently cited as a reason that streets cannot
accommodate certain pedestrian improvements as fire vehicles require street design with adequate
turning and other dimensions to allow unimpeded access and fast response times. To ameliorate this
issue, cities both domestic and international have invested in smaller vehicles with tighter turning radii
that allow for more nimble navigation of dense urban environments. These vehicles have been
successfully employed in countries such as France, Sweden, and Denmark for decades and recently
have been purchased by the City of San Francisco and branded as “Vision Zero vehicles.” They are ten
inches shorter, two inches more narrow than conventional fire trucks and have a U-turn turning radius
of 25 feet, down from the conventional 33 feet. They also include design elements such as roll up doors
to further reduce the required space to operate and are outfitted with perimeter cameras so the driver
has a 360-degree view around the truck. London, England has similarly invested in trash collection
vehicles that feature tighter turning radii and wrap-around windows to improve driver visibility. It is
recommended that the City of Jersey City explore the feasibility of these versatile vehicles to match the
City’s dense urban environment and narrow streets.
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