pages: CommissiononPersonswithDisabilities/2016-12-14.pdf, 12
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CommissiononPersonswithDisabilities | 2016-12-14 | 12 | Sharon Oliver: Thank you for having me and starting the conversation. It's actually perfect timing. 5. OLD BUSINESS Elizabeth Kenny: So next up on the agenda is old business and we're going to have Gail Payne talk to us about the citywide Transportation Demand Management Plan. Welcome, Gail. Gail Payne: Good evening, Chair Kenny and Commissioners. My name is Gail Payne. I'm the city's transportation coordinator and I'm here because the city is experiencing unprecedented congestion because with the regional growth that's been going on. We have a great economy, and so we see this is a real urgent need to resolve. And I thought this was really urgent, but then Sharon's presentation on disasters makes me feel like, "Oh, that's probably even more urgent," and makes me want to go home and get my water situation organized a little better. Gail Payne: I'll just go over the background of why we're doing this, existing conditions, and then we can get into some draft strategies and projects that I'd like to show you for the first time. Last time we were here, or I was here in earlier 2016 to go over the existing conditions. So, I'll just give you a little reminder and some reminder ideas on it. And then, now, it's the draft strategies, and we're about halfway through this 18-month process. We hired a consultant earlier this year and now they've come up with some draft strategies and projects, and so we'd like to get your input on those today. And then we'll come back in later about spring of next year to go over the draft plan with you. And then we're hoping City Council will adopt it in summer of next year. Gail Payne: So just stepping back, why are we doing this? Like I said, we're having unprecedented growth. And I've been living in the Bay Area now for many years, we used to be at five million people, now we're at seven million. We have a great economy and it's tough to get around. And this photo here is of my stepmom, and the reason why I have it here is, is it's not only about the transit operations or the infrastructure and how we can improve it as a city, but it's also changing our mindset and our thinking, just like Sharon was saying is how we live our lives a little bit, and really looking at trying to make the existing transportation system more efficient, and the least efficient way of traveling is driving alone. And so, how can we provide better options for people to make it more attractive to use these more efficient options like buses and ferries and walking and bicycling? And so we're looking at all modes and we're looking at it from near term to the long term. Gail Payne: We have two main goals, one is to reduce those least efficient ways of traveling, that's driving alone. Especially we're having problems at the estuary crossings, getting on and off the island, because we're a bedroom community so getting off the island in the morning, returning in the afternoon, evening, and then also getting around Alameda as well. Objectives that are important to us like equity and safety and greenhouse gas reductions, and we put together a draft project list which is Exhibit 1 in your packet. Gail Payne: So just real quick before we get into those draft strategies, some reminders about existing conditions. This one chart shows that the Bay Area congestion is at all time high since 1998, and that because of that, there's so much congestion people are actually getting out of their cars for their commutes. And so this other chart shows reduction in auto commuters in the Bay Area. Another chart here shows increasing transit use. Keep in mind that in the City of Alameda, we also are expected to grow. We really actually are finally back to the population and housing units that we were after the base closure. We're starting to have the growth. We have had a substantial growth in jobs, but a lot of the congestion we're seeing is actually due to the regional issues and backing up because of the freeways. | CommissiononPersonswithDisabilities/2016-12-14.pdf |