pages: CityCouncil/2020-04-22.pdf, 5
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CityCouncil | 2020-04-22 | 5 | The Planning, Building and Transportation Director responded the policy does not suggest the removal of on-street parking; stated the resolution is balancing unsafe situations for vulnerable users, such as pedestrians or children walking to school; the priority is going to be ensuring the locations are safe for the most vulnerable users; being able to provide for all needs would be ideal; discussed pedestrian safety issues on Webster Street; stated recent Council policy to implement daylighting sets the priority to allow more visibility; parking will not randomly be pulled off streets; parking will only be removed where needed to ensure other users are safe; staff will try to preserve as much on-street parking as possible; should the trade-off come down to parking spaces or saving a life, life will be chosen. Councilmember Daysog inquired whether the Transportation Element has not been updated since 2009; stated thought should be given to the changes being contemplated from within the context of the Transportation Element and General Plan and updating the General Plan as a whole. The Planning, Building and Transportation Director responded staff must ensure all documents are consistent, comprehensive and consider all issues; stated staff is working simultaneously on multiple fronts; a complete re-write of the General Plan is on the City's website; noted the Transportation Element is the final chapter being updated and will be updated within two weeks; stated an Active Transportation Plan and Vision Zero Plan and are also being worked on simultaneously; Council authorized the contract for the Active Transportation Plan; priority has been set; each opportunity to bring policies allows staff to check-in with Council and ensure the proper direction is being implemented; some policies will be implemented with the updated plans; staff is ready to take action with Council direction and authorization; the only delay in implementation is COVID-19. Councilmember Daysog stated there is a strong statement in the staff report correlating narrow streets to safety; inquired whether there has been academic research conducted to support the claim. The Planning, Building and Transportation Director responded that National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) set guidelines which are followed by cities around the country; NACTO has conducted a lot of research on the relationship between narrow roads and safety; stated the studies can be provided if desired. The Transportation Coordinator stated the standards that NACTO uses are based off Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) data and other academic resources; the studies are academically valid and are data driven. Public Comments Read Into Record: Stated that the business district prefers bicycling as the form of transportation; noted on- street parking is a critical element in preservation of local business; stated parking being identified as the lowest priority suggests local businesses are low priority; removing Continued April 21, 2020 Regular Meeting Alameda City Council 5 April 22, 2020 | CityCouncil/2020-04-22.pdf |