CITY COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM

Department:	Municipal Services & Operations Department		Commission Meeting Date: Dec 4, 2018
Staff Contact:	Amanda Sahin, Transportation Engineer
Recommendations/Options/Action Requested:
Adopt Resolution No. 7272, repealing Resolution No. 6602 pertaining to Traffic Calming and adopting a Neighborhood Traffic Management Program.
Executive Summary:		Background The current Traffic Calming Policy (adopted in 2005) guides the city’s response to concerns received about speeding and cut through traffic in neighborhoods. The current policy promotes a rigid engineering response to neighborhood traffic concerns and inhibits the use of alternative, possibly more effective traffic management measures. The policy encourages interventions with limited scope, focusing on individual streets and blocks. Application of the policy lacks methods to assess the effectiveness of traffic calming devices (e.g. speed humps and traffic circles) on driver behavior both on the treated street and in the broader neighborhood. Furthermore, the policy’s limited scope does not address expectations to track and address other neighborhood traffic concerns, such as motorists not yielding to pedestrians and failing to stop at stop signs. Effective neighborhood levels traffic management calls for more comprehensive solutions. Details Staff proposes replacing the existing Traffic Calming Policy with a new Neighborhood Traffic Management Program (see attached program description). The program is designed to maintain or improve existing neighborhood environments through application of the 5E’s (Engineering, Enforcement, Education, Encouragement, and Evaluation) to neighborhood level traffic management. The program will enable targeted efforts, taking into consideration effects on the broader neighborhoods, that identify and address root causes of problems, enable the use of a variety of interventions based on industry best practices and neighborhood engagement, and assess the effectiveness of those interventions in order to make adjustments. The following resource provides some additional detail about the application of the 5E’s to neighborhood traffic management, specifically related to Safe Routes to Schools programming: https://www.ite.org/pub/?id=e265ec79-2354-d714-5186-d66c1ab7891a Each year a work plan detailing the next year’s initiatives will be developed to support the program’s budget request. Some items that may be included in future work plans are: focused, strategic traffic enforcement in neighborhoods;  public education or encouragement campaigns; purchase of tools to assist in data collection and evaluation; purchase of temporary speed humps and other engineering solutions; and, opportunities for neighborhoods to apply for an evaluation of traffic management strategies. Some years may include multiple strategies and other years may focus on certain strategies that can have an community-wide impact. Currently, 16 unfunded projects sit on the Traffic Calming Project Ranking list totaling almost $500,000. Some of these projects have been unfunded for more than 10 years. In addition, staff has received at least ten additional requests since a moratorium on acceptance of new applications was enacted in January 2018.  These requestors have been informed the program is on hold while the policy is under review. Due to the concerns across the community, staff recommends the existing traffic calming list not be completed and the new program starts with the 2019 budget year.  The success of this program hinges on flexibility in the use of funds that are allocated for it. Currently, the Traffic Calming budget is funded by Infrastructure Sales Tax which does not enable funding for anything other than construction of infrastructure. Staff is requesting the budget line item be renamed to Neighborhood Traffic Management Program and funding come from the General Fund. This would be accomplished by reallocating $300,000 in infrastructure sales tax funds currently allocated to Traffic Calming project budget to the Contracted Street Maintenance Program (CIP# PW17SM1). A corresponding $300,000 from current General Fund budget of the Street Maintenance Program will be reallocated to the Neighborhood Traffic management Program. This is a budget neutral shift in both funds and projects and will enable funding of non-infrastructure items in the new program. Transportation Commission Recommendation This item was presented to the Transportation Commission on Nov 5, 2018, and they voted 9-0 to recommend approval of Resolution 7272, repealing the Traffic Calming Policy adopted by Resolution 6602 on August 23, 2005, and adopting a Neighborhood Traffic Management Program.
Strategic Plan Critical Success Factor		Effective Governance and Professional Administration Safe, Healthy, and Welcoming Neighborhoods Innovative Infrastructure and Asset Management Commitment to Core Services Sound Fiscal Stewardship Collaborative Solutions
Fiscal Impact (Amount/Source):		There is no immediate fiscal impact from the recommended action. The recommended program budget outlined annually through the budget process.
Attachments:		Resolution No. 7272 Neighborhood Traffic Management Program November 5, 2018 Transportation Commission Meeting Video

Reviewed By: (for CMO use only)

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