Title
Adopt a Resolution to Approve the 2024 Update to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan
Staffreport
COUNCIL PRIORITY
• Public Safety
• Infrastructure
SUMMARY
The City’s adopted Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan is required to be updated every five years. The City’s current Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan was last updated in 2018. Staff conducted a focused update to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan subject to City Council approval.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the resolution approving the 2024 update to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan.
BACKGROUND
In 1997, the City of San Leandro adopted a Bicycle Master Plan (BPMP) to set forth a blueprint for completing a system of bikeways, support facilities, and programs. This document was updated in 2004 and in 2010 with the added pedestrian component.
The last BPMP was completed in 2018, with a robust outreach process, analysis, project list development, and program recommendations. Since then, the City has implemented numerous bicycle and pedestrian projects throughout the community and completed major corridor planning processes on Bancroft Avenue and Williams Street. Since the last BPMP, the City also adopted a Vision Zero policy and accompanying Local Roadway Safety Plan in 2022.
The Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC) requires that local jurisdictions update their bicycle and pedestrian master plans every five years. For jurisdictions like San Leandro with robust existing bicycle and pedestrian plans in place, the Alameda CTC allows “focused updates” to be performed, which enable outreach, best practices updates, and re-prioritizations to occur on a more condensed timeline than a full plan update process. The Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan is a focused update to the 2018 Plan that creates a 5-year work plan of projects and programs to support bicycling and walking in San Leandro.
The 2024 BPMP update has three project phases. First, the project team assessed progress on bicycle and pedestrian projects, reviewed updated safety data, and solicited community feedback on the current state of walking and biking in San Leandro. At this stage, the BPMP proposed draft Vision and Goals.
Second, the team used these inputs and feedback to update the bicycle and pedestrian networks, project recommendations, and policies. These updates align with the latest industry best practices and recent policy updates from the Alameda CTC and Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) on safety and complete streets. The proposed updates were published on a web map for community feedback.
Finally, the team used goals- and policy-aligned metrics to prioritize projects and programs, resulting in a clear five-year work plan for advancing San Leandro’s bicycle and pedestrian networks for people of all ages and abilities. The full draft plan update was published for public comment from October to November 2024.
The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission advised staff and provided oversight during the three project phases of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan.
Analysis
The updated Plan includes the following chapters:
• Introduction
• Vision and Goals
• Existing Conditions
• Pedestrian and Bicycle Recommendations
• Support Programs
• Implementation
• Appendices
The Introduction chapter identifies the purpose of the BPMP update and the changes to policy regarding bicycle and pedestrian safety since the last update. The City’s Vision Zero Policy, Local Roadway Safety Plan, Safe System Approach and other relevant policies are consistent at the regional level with MTC policy and at the countywide level with policies from the Alameda CTC.
The Vision and Goals chapter establishes a vision statement for the plan, “San Leandro will be a connected community where walking and biking are fully integrated into daily life as safe, equitable, and enjoyable transportation options for people of all ages and abilities,” and four goals for promoting and enhancing bicycle and pedestrian activity and safety in San Leandro. The goals are bolstered with policy statements that define specific actions the City can take to accomplish each goal. The goals touch on broad themes:
• Goal 1: Safe Systems
• Goal 2: A Comprehensive, Comfortable, and Connected System
• Goal 3: Community Support Programs
• Goal 4: Fund and Implement Active Transportation Projects and Programs
The Existing Conditions chapter discusses the City’s demographics, bicycle and pedestrian projects completed since 2018, and existing pedestrian and bicycle conditions. The 2022 Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP) is referenced in the BPMP and provides a detailed assessment of multimodal safety needs based on recent collision data specific to people bike and walking. Barriers and opportunities to improve walking and biking in San Leandro were identified based on information from the LRSP and community feedback received during the BPMP update.
The Pedestrian and Bicycle Recommendations chapter presents pedestrian priority areas and a revised bikeway network that update the recommendations in the 2018 plan based on the latest federal, state, and regional best practices. The pedestrian priority areas represent parts of San Leandro where pedestrian infrastructure and safety improvements for pedestrians are most needed. The bicycle network is a long-term plan for bicycle connectivity in San Leandro, with comfortable and safe access to destinations for riders of all ages and abilities.
The Support Programs chapter discusses ongoing programs and opportunities to support active transportation through encouragement activities, educational programming, engineering projects, equity initiatives, and evaluation efforts that align with the Safe System Approach.
The Implementation chapter proposes a methodology to prioritize the various projects and initiatives described in previous chapters. The summary tables of progress on existing priority corridors and new priority corridors with recommended bikeway types and their potential tradeoffs will be considered with further study. The priority corridors for pedestrian intersection and bicycle facilities were scored and ranked according to collision history, community input, and proximity to community destinations, Equity Priority Communities (EPCs) as defined by MTC, and Priority Development Areas (PDAs) as defined by MTC. The chapter also includes implementation strategies such as improving bicycle and pedestrian facilities in conjunction with ongoing municipal projects and programs. Potential federal and state grant programs for active transportation projects are identified in this chapter for implementation of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan.
Current Agency Policies
• Policy T 2.1 - Complete Streets Serving All Users and Modes. Create and maintain “complete” streets that provide safe, comfortable, and convenient travel through a comprehensive, integrated transportation network that serves all users
• Policy T-2.2 - Context Sensitive Design. Be positive to local conditions when planning and implementing street improvement projects. The City will work with residents, businesses, and other stakeholders to improve streets in a way that creates a stronger sense of place
• Policy T-3.1 - Citywide Bikeway System. Develop and maintain a bikeway system that meets the needs of both utilitarian and recreational users, reduces vehicle trips and connects residential neighborhoods to employment and shopping areas, BART stations, schools, recreational facilities and other destinations through San Leandro and nearby communities
• Policy T-3.2 - Funding. Maximize the City’s eligibility for funding for bicycle and pedestrian improvements, and aggressively pursue such funding to complete desired projects
• Policy T-3.3 - Designing for Multiple User Group. Recognize the dual needs of experienced cyclists relying on bicycles for commute trips and daily travel and less experienced cyclists using bicycles principally for recreation. Where needed, develop facilities designed to serve each user group, with recreational routes primarily using low-volume streets and off-street bike paths
• Policy T3.4 - Future Trail Alignments. Encourage the use of existing natural and man-made corridors such as creeks, shorelines, railroad corridors, and other open space corridors for future multi-use trail alignments
• Policy T-3.6 - Pedestrian Environment. Improve the walkability of all streets in San Leandro through the planning, implementing, and maintaining of pedestrian supportive infrastructure
• Policy T-3.7 - Removing Barriers to Active Transportation. Reduce barriers to walking and other forms of active transportation such as incomplete or uneven sidewalks, lack of wheelchair ramps and curb cuts, sidewalk obstructions including cars parked on sidewalks, trail gaps, wide intersections, and poor sidewalk connections to transit stops
• Policy T-3.8 - Education on Walking and Biking Benefits. Raise awareness of the benefits of walking and biking, such as reduced noise, energy consumption, congestion and parking demand; improved air quality; and opportunities for exercise and healthy lifestyle
• Policy T-3.9 - Coordination with Bicycle Advocacy Groups. Coordinate local bicycle and pedestrian education efforts with interest groups and bicycle advocates such as Bike East Bay, the Cherry City Cyclists and other relevant advocacy associations
Environmental Review
This Project qualifies for a statutory exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) per California Public Resources Code Section 21080.20 and 21080.25
Committee Review and Actions
• On January 23, 2024, the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission provided input on the Vision statement and goals of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan Update
• On May 9, 2024, the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission provided input regarding the recommended pedestrian priority areas and bicycle network
• On September 23, 2024, the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission provided input regarding bicycle priority corridors, pedestrian priority areas, and comments related to the draft Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan
• On October 2, 2024, the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan Update was presented to the City Council Facilities and Transportation Commission
Summary of Public Outreach Efforts
• City Staff hosted a booth during the It’s a Wonderful Night Event on December 1, 2023 to receive feedback from the community on walking and biking in San Leandro. City Staff engaged with ~100 people during this outreach event
• City Staff hosted a booth during the Cherry Festival on June 1, 2024 to receive feedback from the community for pedestrian priority areas and the recommended bicycle network. City Staff engaged with ~70 people during this outreach event
• Project website received 1,796 website visitors, 91 survey responses and 355 web comments from the community during the different phases of the planning process
Financial Impacts
In FY 2023-2024, a $172,307 appropriation from Measure BB Bicycle and Pedestrian fund and Capital Improvement Fund was approved by Resolutions No. 2023-150 and 2023-115 for the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan Update. The appropriation of funded accounts for the project below:
Measure BB Bicycle and Pedestrian Account #: 153-36-351 $72,307
Capital Improvement Projects Account #: 210-36-351 $100,000
Total: $172,307
ATTACHMENT
A: Draft Resolution 2024-XXX
B: San Leandro Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan
C: Presentation
PREPARED BY: Robin Chee, Assistant Engineer, Public Works Department - Engineering Division