No impact to the County General Fund. Adopting this resolution will result in the County being eligible to pursue Active Transportation Program (ATP) and One Bay Area Grant (OBAG) 2 funds, which would fund transportation projects and studies.
The Transportation and Circulation, Land Use, and Open Space Elements of the Contra Costa County General Plan were amended in April 2008 to support the 'Complete Streets' philosophy. This amendment was intended to "...promote the development of bicycle and pedestrian facilities..." and included the following guidance, "...establish principles of the "Complete Streets" concept by recognizing that streets serve many users (motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians) and directs that every effort should be made to accommodate multiple modes of travel (e.g. transit, bicycling, and walking) in the development of the local roadway system for street design and a road network in the County that accommodates users of all ages and abilities and modes, including bicyclists, pedestrians, and transit.".
Subsequent to the County's Complete Streets amendment, in September of 2008, the Governor signed the California Complete Streets Act (CS Act). The CS Act required local jurisdictions to integrate specific transportation policies that accommodate the needs of all users into the Circulation Element of their General Plans.
Currently, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) is in the process of developing its One Bay Area Grant (OBAG) 2 Program for eventual release and call for projects and the State has an active grant cycle under their Active Transportation Program (ATP). One criterion for jurisdictions to be eligible for these grant funds is to adopt a Complete Streets Policy, which can be met in one of two ways:
1. Adopt a Complete Streets resolution that incorporates MTC’s nine required complete streets elements (Exhibit A), or
2. Adopt a significant revision to the circulation element of a General Plan after January 1, 2011 that complies with the California Complete Streets Act of 2008.
The County's Transportation and Circulation Element was revised to include the Complete Streets philosophy prior to the California Complete Streets Act (and has not been subsequently revised) and more importantly prior to the January 1, 2011 date above. As result, staff is recommending the Board adopt a Complete Streets resolution (Option 1 above) ensuring both the the incorporation of MTC's complete streets elements in their entirety and the County's eligibility for ATP and OBAG2 funds.
Option 2 is not being pursued as staff and Department of Conservation and Development are not currently in a position to process a significant revision to our Transportation and Circulation Element.
Additional Detail
Complete streets concepts are meant to ensure that the needs travelers of all ages and abilities, in a wide variety of modes, are considered in all planning, programming, design, construction, operations, and maintenance activities. Again, Contra Costa County preceded the 2008 Complete Streets Act by five months when a "General Plan amendment affecting Land Use, Transportation/Circulation, and Open Space Elements as to goals, policies, implementation measures, and maps to promote the development of bicycle/pedestrian facilities." was approved on April 8, 2008.
The staff report at the time provided the following background on the changes being proposed as a part of the amendment,
"The proposal updates the County's approach toward the planning, design, and construction of streets to recognize and reflect that streets do more than move vehicles. The proposal would establish principles of the "Complete Streets" concept by recognizing that streets serve many users (motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians) and directs that every effort should be made to accommodate multiple modes of travel (e.g. transit, bicycling, and walking) in the development of the local roadway system. The proposal also supports the Board of Supervisors recent directives to promote a "healthy" built environment in the unincorporated areas of the County by improving or expanding bikeways and pedestrian facilities, and to encourage their use as a means of transportation not only as an alternative to the automobile but also to promote healthy lifestyle choices for residents."
Under the original OBAG1 Program, the County's 2008 General Plan amendment (GPA) satisfied the grant criteria. Under OBAG2 and ATP, the requirement seen above (Adopt a significant revision to the circulation element of a General Plan after January 1, 2011...), was included which necessitates the subject resolution. While the County's 2008 Bike/Ped/Complete Streets GPA is consistent with the Complete Streets intent, the attached resolution and policy (Exhibits A and B) include additional specificity with detailed principles, implementation policies, and a mechanism for exceptions clearly defined.
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Findings
The subject activity is covered by the general rule that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential to cause a significant effect on the environment. The adoption of the Complete Streets policy will only result in the incorporation of Complete Streets practices in Contra Costa County departments and agencies. Therefore, this activity is not subject to CEQA, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3), as it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the subject activity will have a significant effect on the environment. When individual projects that incorporate Complete Streets practices are developed, a CEQA review will be initiated as appropriate.
If Resolution No. 2016/374 is not adopted, the County will not be eligible to pursue Active Transportation Program or One Bay Area Grant 2 funds that could fund transportation projects and studies.
Speakers: Bruce Ohlson, Bike East Bay (handout attached).