Office of the City Manager

2180 Milvia Street, Berkeley, CA 94704 ● Tel: (510) 981-7000 ● TDD: (510) 981-6903 ● Fax: (510) 981-7099 E-Mail: manager@ci.berkeley.ca.us Website: http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/manager

CONSENT CALENDAR March 23, 2010

To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council From: Phil Kamlarz, City Manager Submitted by: Claudette R. Ford, Director, Public Works Subject: Grant Application: Bicycle Plan Update – Caltrans Community-Based

Transportation Planning RECOMMENDATION Adopt a Resolution authorizing the City Manager to submit a grant application to the Caltrans Community-Based Transportation Planning program to update the Berkeley Bicycle Plan and Bicycle Boulevard Design Tools and Guidelines in the amount of $300,000; and accept the grants awarded, and execute any resultant agreements and amendments. FISCAL IMPACTS OF RECOMMENDATION If awarded, this Community-Based Transportation Planning (CBTP) application would bring in $300,000 of competitive grant funding. The total estimated cost of the planning and design work proposed in the application is $330,000. The $30,000 difference represents the City’s required 10% local match, which has been set aside for this purpose by the Transportation Division under budget code 610-4920-431-6560-09BP01. CURRENT SITUATION AND ITS EFFECTS The City of Berkeley Bicycle Plan was first adopted in 2000 (Resolution Number 60,503–N.S.) and an Administrative Update was completed by staff and adopted in 2005 (Resolution Number 62,825–N.S.). The Bicycle Boulevard Design Tools and Guidelines was also completed in 2000 (Resolution Number 60,503–N.S.). At the time of adoption of the Bicycle Boulevard Network, Council identified authorized a three-phase implementation plan for the network. However, at this time, the City has only completed Phase I. Currently the City lacks funding to develop a coherent and fundable strategy for completing the Phase II and III capital improvements as directed by City Council (see January 19, 2010 minutes, Item No. 18: Bicycle Boulevard Improvements). Since adoption of the Bicycle Plan and Bicycle Boulevard Guide, several other planning projects, such as the West Berkeley Circulation Master Plan Report and the Downtown Area Plan – Streets and Open Space Improvement Project have suggested changes to the Bikeway Network and Bicycle Boulevard system. Currently, the City lacks sufficient funding to update the plan consistent with these subsequent planning efforts. As a

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consequence, the current Bicycle Plan is inconsistent and out-of-date relative to more contemporary planning documents and does not reflect the current conditions or needs of cyclists in Berkeley. BACKGROUND Community-Based Transportation Planning (CBTP) is a grant program managed by Caltrans that funds transportation planning activities at the local level in California communities that “support livable/sustainable community concepts with a transportation or mobility objective”. The current CBTP funding cycle offers $3M statewide with a maximum grant award of $300,000. The City of Berkeley Bicycle Plan was first adopted in 2000 (Resolution Number 60,503–N.S.) and an Administrative Update was completed by staff and adopted in 2005 (Resolution Number 62,825–N.S.). The original Plan and subsequent update laid out the Berkeley Bicycle Network and Bicycle Boulevard system and describe a series of improvements to that network, including multi-use pathways, bicycle lanes, signed bike routes, bicycle boulevards and bicycle parking. The Plan also includes policies and strategies for bicycle education, encouragement and law enforcement. Caltrans requires adopted Bicycle Plans to be updated every five years. The City’s plan expires in June, 2011. As described above subsequent plans have proposed substantial changes to the Bicycle Network which must be addressed through the next Plan update, for example:

- West Berkeley Circulation Master Plan Report: this plan has proposed a new Bicycle Boulevard on Addison Street or Allston Way and has proposed new Bicycle Boulevards and signed Bike Routes in the West Berkeley area west of San Pablo Avenue. The Report also proposes several new Bicycle Boulevard crossing improvements where Virginia, Channing and Russell/Heinz cross San Pablo Avenue.

- Downtown Area Plan – Streets and Open Space Improvement Project: This project has proposed major modifications to the Bicycle Network in Downtown Berkeley, including the possible removal of bicycle lanes on Center Street, the improvement of Allston Way as a primary East-West access point to the UC Berkeley Campus and the improvement of Oxford Street and Allston Way as a bicycle crossing to access campus.

No funds have been identified for the required planning activities described above. The Bicycle Boulevard Design Tools and Guidelines was adopted in 2000 (Resolution Number 60,503–N.S.). This document further defined the Bicycle Boulevard network, a system of low-volume, low-speed bikeways, mostly on residential streets, intended to serve cyclists of all ages and ability levels. At the time of adoption of the Bicycle

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Boulevard Network, Council identified authorized a three-phase implementation plan for the network:

- Phase I: Install all pavement markings (“BLVD” stencils”) and signage (purple “Bicycle Boulevard” signs) to define the network.

- Phase II: Install devices to facilitate bicycle crossing of major streets. - Phase III: Remove unwarranted stop signs and replace as needed with traffic

calming devices.

In 2002-2003, the City completed Phase I implementation by installing signage and boulevard pavement legends throughout the City. As part of Phase II, the City has made improvements to several of arterial roadway crossings, including Virginia/6th, Russell/Telegraph and Channing/Martin Luther King Jr. The City has undertaken preliminary planning for several other Phase II crossing projects, including Ashby at both Hillegass and 9th Street and crossings of San Pablo Avenue at Heinz, Channing and Virginia. According to attendees of the Bicycle Subcommittee, potentially dangerous crossings of busy arterial streets are the most serious effect of the current situation. The following is a list of potential Boulevard/Arterial intersections that may need safety upgrades, as identified in the Bike Plan and Bike Boulevard Design Guidelines Phase II improvements:

1. Virginia/San Pablo 2. Virginia/Sacramento 3. Virginia/MLK Jr. Way 4. Virginia/Shattuck (to be improved with a new Safe Routes to School grant) 5. Channing/6th 6. Channing/San Pablo 7. Channing/Sacramento 8. Heinz (Russell Bike Boulevard)/San Pablo 9. Russell/Sacramento 10. Russell/Adeline 11. Russell/Shattuck 12. Ninth/Cedar 13. Ninth/Ashby 14. California/Dwight 15. King/Alcatraz 16. Milvia/University 17. Hillegass/Ashby

In order to complete planning for Phase II, the City must analyze existing conditions at each intersection crossing, prioritize the intersections, develop a crossing treatment “toolbox” and complete concept designs for each intersection. As part of Phase III implementation, from 2003-2006 the City installed numerous traffic circles, many on Bicycle Boulevards. In order to complete planning for Phase III, the

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City must analyze existing stops signs for removal and then design appropriate traffic calming devices along corridors where stop signs have been removed. The City currently lacks funds to complete the required planning and design activities for Phase II and Phase III of Bicycle Boulevard implementation. This Transportation Division grant application will address the need to update both the Berkeley Bicycle Plan and the Bicycle Boulevard Design Tools and Guidelines as well as create a fundable strategy for Phase II and III Bicycle Boulevard implementation. The approach described in the application builds on past successful City planning efforts and is informed by both City Council direction and input from stakeholders and the Bicycle Subcommittee of the Transportation Commission. Based on engineering and planning assessments, the Transportation Division’s application will be refined to the most feasible and competitive package within the grant funding limitation of $300,000 per jurisdiction. Staff recommends that Council authorize applying for these grant funds for the Berkeley Bicycle Plan Update as detailed in Attachments 1& 2. RATIONALE FOR RECOMMENDATION Community-Based Transportation Planning funds will allow the City to update the Berkeley Bicycle Plan and pursue the Council-approved implementation of Phase II and III of the Bicycle Boulevard Network (Resolution Number 60,503–N.S.). The application and Scope of Work for this project has been completed in partnership with the Bicycle Subcommittee of the Transportation Commission and local bicycle stakeholder groups. Not approving the application would mean foregoing $300,000 in potential planning grant funding. The current funding cycle is on an annual basis, so the City’s next opportunity for this funding source will not be until 2011, too late to meet the June 2011 Caltrans deadline for updating the Berkeley Bicycle Plan. ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS CONSIDERED The City could chose not to apply for these funds, and instead proceed with an Administrative Update as was done in 2005, in fulfillment of Caltrans’ Bicycle Transportation Account requirements. This would mean continuing with Bicycle Plan implementation without a defined strategy for completing the Council-directed implementation of Phase II and III of the Bicycle Boulevard network completion. Further, due to a lack of planning resources, an Administrative update would not incorporate changes to the Bike Network suggested by other planning processes such as the West Berkeley Circulation Master Plan Report and the Downtown Area Plan – Streets and Open Space Improvement Project. Finally, an Administrative Update would be an inferior and out-of-date document for leveraging competitive grant funds. CONTACT PERSON Farid Javandel, Transportation Division Manager, 981-7010 Eric Anderson, Associate Transportation Planner, 981-7062

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Attachments: 1: Draft Bicycle Plan Update Scope of Work 2: Draft Project Budget for Bicycle Plan Update

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RESOLUTION NO. -N.S. GRANT APPLICATION: BICYCLE PLAN UPDATE–CALTRANS COMMUNITY-BASED

TRANSPORTATION PLANNING WHEREAS, the City of Berkeley Bicycle Plan was first adopted in 2000 (Resolution Number 60,503–N.S.) and an Administrative Update was completed by staff and adopted in 2005 (Resolution Number 62,825–N.S.); and WHEREAS, the Bicycle Boulevard Design Tools and Guidelines was completed and adopted in 2000 (Resolution Number 60,503–N.S.); and WHEREAS, both documents have served as effective tools for promoting bicycling in Berkeley and have helped leverage grant funding to implement the Bikeway Network and Bicycle Boulevard system; and WHEREAS, the State of California requires local jurisdictions to adopt an updated Bicycle Plan every five years to remain eligible for the state Bicycle Transportation Account and an updated plan allows the City to compete more effectively for other funding sources; and WHEREAS, the City of Berkeley lacks sufficient funds to update the Berkeley Bicycle Plan and Bicycle Boulevard Design Tools and Guidelines, resulting in an implementation plan for Phase II and III of the Bicycle Boulevard network; and WHEREAS, the State of California Caltrans Community-Based Transportation Planning Grant program provides funding for transportation planning activities at the local level in California communities that “support livable/sustainable community concepts with a transportation or mobility objective”; and WHEREAS, if awarded, the City will receive grants funds in the amount of $300,000 and will provide matching funds in the amount of $30,000 as its required local 10%, which amount will come from budget code 610-4920-431-6560-09BP01. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Berkeley authorizes the City Manager to submit a grant application to the Caltrans Community-Based Transportation Planning program to update the Berkeley Bicycle Plan and Bicycle Boulevard Design Tools and Guidelines in the amount of $300,000; and accept the grants awarded, and execute any resultant agreements and amendments.