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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018 07 17 AIS Main Street Safety ProjectAGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: 7/17/2018 Meeting Type: Work Session Staff Contact/Dept.: Molly Markarian/DPW Staff Phone No: 541.726.4611 Estimated Time: 60 Minutes PLANNING COMMISSION (PC) Council Goals: Maintain and Improve Infrastructure and Facilities ITEM TITLE: MAIN STREET SAFETY PROJECT ACTION REQUESTED: Provide feedback on draft key messages and review draft Public Engagement Plan outline. ISSUE STATEMENT: The Main Street Governance Team formally kicked off the Planning Phase of the Main Street Safety Project at its June 5th meeting. The purpose of this Work Session is to ensure the Planning Commission has an understanding of the Main Street Facility Plan process and to inform development of the project’s Public Engagement Plan. ATTACHMENTS: ATT1: Planning Commission Memo ATT2: Draft Key Messages ATT3: Public Engagement Plan Outline DISCUSSION: In 2011, Council directed staff to improve the safety of Main Street, the City’s primary east-west transportation corridor. Since Main Street is a state highway (OR-126B), staff initiated discussions with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) about how to enhance traffic safety on the corridor. In 2011, ODOT completed a Main Street Safety Study that identified improvements to reduce pedestrian collisions. Since then, the City has worked with ODOT to build six crossing improvements (a seventh will be installed in 2018). The City also worked with ODOT to reduce the speed limit to 35mph west of 62nd and has been actively implementing traffic safety public education and enforcement activities. In 2016, ODOT programmed $3.9 million to construct raised center safety median treatments on nearly five miles of Main Street from 20th to 72nd. ODOT also offered financial support to the City to engage property owners, businesses, and the traveling public in a planning process to answer the questions of “what type of median concept achieves the Council’s safety goal?” and “how can it be done to minimize negative impacts to businesses and property owners?”. The Main Street Facility Plan will be the work product that pulls together analysis, public outreach and design concepts developed during this project’s Planning Phase. It is an expression of the community’s values that becomes the design framework for project development. Council adoption of the Facility Plan as an amendment to the Springfield Transportation System Plan (TSP) allows the City and ODOT to proceed with detailed design, engineering, and construction of the Council-selected solutions. As outlined in Attachment 1, City staff collaborated with ODOT and LTD to launch the Planning Phase of the Main Street Safety Project in coordination with the Main-McVay Transit Study. In Spring 2018, ODOT executed its consultant contract, intergovernmental agreement with the City, and formally issued a notice to proceed with the Facility Plan process. On May 21st, the project team facilitated Council review and discussion of the Facility Plan goals, process and outcomes in preparation for the June 5th Main Street Governance Team meeting that formally kicked off the Facility Plan process. This summer, the project team will develop a Public Engagement Plan for the Planning Phase and return to the Planning Commission, acting in its capacity as the Committee for Citizen Involvement, for review and adoption in the fall. M E M O R A N D U M City of Springfield Date: 7/17/2018 To: Springfield Planning Commission From: Molly Markarian, Senior Planner Subject: Main Street Safety Project – Planning Phase BACKGROUND: The City of Springfield has engaged the community for several years in identifying and discussing potential changes along the Main Street corridor that will leverage the local economy and the quality of the community for decades to come, including: determining the community’s vision for future development, constructing pedestrian crossing improvements, improving lighting in downtown; providing assistance to individuals who want to learn about and take advantage of a full range of transit options, investigating the feasibility of high capacity transit capital improvements, and now the Main Street Safety Project. In 2016, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) programmed $3.9 million to construct raised center safety median treatments on nearly five miles of Main Street from 20th to 72nd. Before ODOT can obligate funds for design and construction, the City Council and ODOT need to engage property owners, businesses, and the traveling public in a planning process to answer the questions of “what type of median concept achieves the Council’s safety goal?” and “how can it be done to minimize negative impacts to businesses and property owners?”. State law, sometimes referred to as the Senate Bill 408 process, also requires significant interaction with abutting property owners. With the support of an experienced consultant team, ODOT and the City, along with other local agencies including Lane Transit District (LTD), will spend the next two to three years working to answer these critical questions, relying on technical viability, economic impact, and public support for alternative solutions to improve safety on Main Street. The alternative solutions will also consider how to integrate transit investments along the corridor. The Main Street Facility Plan will be the work product that pulls together analysis, public outreach and design concepts developed during the project’s Planning Phase. It is an expression of the community’s values that becomes the design framework for project development. Council adoption of the Facility Plan as an amendment to the Springfield Transportation System Plan (TSP) allows the City and ODOT to proceed with detailed design, engineering, and construction of the Council-selected solutions, as depicted in the timeline below. The high level timeline below shows how the Facility Plan fits into the typical project planning, development, and construction cycle. In this case, due to the length of the Main Street corridor, the large number of adjacent stakeholder business and property owners, and significant ongoing safety issues, the process to forge solutions is complex and time consuming. 2018 2021 2023 SAFETY PROJECT PLANNING IMPLEMENTATION Facility Plan Project Dev't* Construction *Site Design, Compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Engineering In Spring 2018, ODOT executed its consultant contract and an intergovernmental agreement outlining City and State responsibilities for the project’s Planning Phase, and formally issued a notice to proceed with the process to develop a Main Street Facility Plan. At Council’s May 21st Work Session, the project team facilitated Council review and discussion of the Facility Plan goals, process and outcomes in preparation for the June 5th Main Street Governance Team meeting that formally kicked off the Facility Plan process. At that meeting, Governance Team members and agency staff reached a common understanding about the Facility Plan process. The Governance Team also agreed on the definition of the project purpose, agency roles, and Attachment 1, Page 1 of 4 6/5/2018 Page 2 project decision-making process. PLANNING PHASE: The essential policy question that the Facility Plan process and adoption will develop and document is how to address the safety problems on Main Street with a design concept that provides for the access needs of corridor businesses and accommodate current bus service and future transit improvements. The Planning Commission will provide guidance and direction at several key milestones as the project team, stakeholders and the public work through the values trade-offs that will ultimately lead to a preferred package of solutions and set the stage for documenting compliance with federal requirements and project design and construction. As presently scoped, these milestones are depicted in the graphic below: As noted earlier, Council’s consideration and adoption of the Facility Plan as an amendment to Springfield’s TSP is a necessary step prior to project design and construction. The TSP amendment process is a legislative land use process that conforms to state requirements for public notice, public hearing, facts and findings in the record of decision, and the opportunity for appeal. The Governance Team, which was originally convened to coordinate Main Street projects in 2013, will continue to provide consensus-based policy direction to the project team and serve as liaisons to partner decision-making bodies, as depicted graphically below. Mayor Lundberg (Councilor Stoehr serves as alternate) and Councilor Woodrow represent the City. LTD Board members Kate Reid and Steven Yett, as well as Frannie Brindle, ODOT Area 5 Manager, represent their respective agencies on the Governance Team. Main Street Safety Project – Timeline & Milestones 2020/2021 Attachment 1, Page 2 of 4 6/5/2018 Page 3 COORDINATION WITH TRANSIT STUDY: In 2016, the Springfield Council directed City staff to investigate a suitable application of a raised safety median on Main Street, evaluate impacts to fronting business and property owners, and coordinate public engagement with the Main-McVay Transit Study. Staff subsequently worked with ODOT to initiate the Planning Phase of the Main Street Safety Project and suspended action on the transit study pending direction from Council and guidance from the Main Street Governance Team on coordination with the safety project. In May 2017, staff presented four options for continued development of Main Street safety and transit projects for Governance Team and Council consideration, and Council directed staff to continue coordination efforts for the transit and safety projects while acknowledging that this would result in a more in-depth planning and implementation process. City staff then worked with ODOT to reach agreement on a scope of work for consultant services and an intergovernmental agreement for City and State responsibilities for the Planning Phase of the safety project. City and LTD staff also collaborated to figure out how to coordinate the transit study and safety project and to determine LTD’s role as transit provider on the safety project. In May 2018, Council directed staff to continue collaborating with LTD to ensure that one community planning conversation for Main Street occurs that incorporates transit. In coordination with the public engagement efforts for the Planning Phase of the Main Street Safety Project, the transit study will confirm that Enhanced Corridor is the preferred transit mode choice for the Main Street corridor based on community input to date from the transit study. Council adoption of the Main Street Facility Plan will then establish a framework from which LTD and the City can proceed to document the community’s Locally Preferred Solution for transit on the corridor. As confirmed at the June 5th Main Street Governance Team meeting, LTD staff will participate on the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) for the safety project to provide the technical support necessary to develop an adoption-ready Facility Plan that builds upon the analysis and outreach completed to date for the transit study. Additionally, LTD Board members will continue to participate on the Main Street Governance Team to provide consensus-based policy direction to the safety project team and serve as liaisons to the LTD Board. PURPOSE STATEMENT: Having a purpose statement for the Main Street Safety Project ensures that decision makers and staff from Main Street Safety Project Decision-Making Attachment 1, Page 3 of 4 6/5/2018 Page 4 partner agencies have agreed on the problem to be solved and the basis for selecting solutions. This purpose statement then becomes touchstone for the public outreach efforts. On June 5th, the Main Street Governance Team endorsed the following statement that had previously been revised with Council input. Springfield’s Main Street is consistently ranked as one of the most unsafe city streets in Oregon based on the severity and frequency of traffic crashes. ODOT and the City must address this problem to save lives, reduce injuries, and lessen property damage due to crashes. The purpose of the Main Street Safety Project is to select infrastructure solutions that will make Main Street safer for people walking, biking, driving, and taking transit. The selected safety improvements will provide for the movement of goods and people, support the economic viability of the corridor, accommodate current bus service and future transit solutions, and complement safety education and traffic enforcement. KEY MESSAGES: The use of Key Messages throughout project communications is helpful in maintaining consistent messaging about the project goals, scope and desired outcomes. These messages are to be used both on written communications and as talking points for project team staff and elected officials. The draft Key Messages outlined in Attachment 2 were informed by previous and on-going public engagement efforts on the corridor, including the Main Street Safety Study, Main Street Vision Plan, Main-McVay Transit Study, and Main Street Pedestrian Crossing Project. Input and direction on these key messages was provided by Springfield City Council and the Main Street Governance Team. Planning Commission input will be incorporated into a revised draft for inclusion in the draft Public Engagement Plan. PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PLAN: The annotated outline of the Public Engagement Plan that is included as Attachment 3 provides an overview of the different chapters and elements of the Public Engagement Plan. The Public Engagement Plan will serve as a guide for stakeholder outreach and public involvement activities for the creation of the Main Street Facility Plan for the Planning Phase of the City of Springfield’s Main Street Safety Project. The Public Engagement Plan describes activities that the consultant, City of Springfield, and ODOT will implement in order to assure that interested and affected parties have adequate opportunities to provide meaningful input to the Facility Plan. The project team will continue to develop the Public Engagement Plan this summer and return to the Planning Commission acting in its capacity as the Committee for Citizen Involvement for review and approval in Fall 2018. ACTION REQUESTED: Provide feedback on draft key messages and review draft Public Engagement Plan outline. Attachment 1, Page 4 of 4 1 | Page Key Messages DRAFT Springfield Main Street Safety Project Key Messages DRAFT City of Springfield Planning Commission Key Messages: Overview The use of Key Messages throughout project communications is helpful in maintaining consistent messaging about the project goals, scope and desired outcomes. These messages are to be used both on written communications and as talking points for the project team staff and elected officials. The draft Key Messages were informed by previous and on-going public engagement efforts on the corridor including the Main Street Safety Study, Main Street Corridor Vision Plan, Main-McVay Transit Study, and Main Street Pedestrian Crossing Project. Input and direction on these key messages was provided by Springfield City Council and the Main Street Governance Team. Project Purpose Statement: Springfield’s Main Street is consistently ranked as one of the most unsafe city streets in Oregon based on the severity and frequency of traffic crashes. ODOT and the City must address this problem to save lives, reduce injuries, and lessen property damage due to crashes. The purpose of the Main Street Safety Project is to select infrastructure solutions that will make Main Street safer for people walking, biking, driving, and taking transit. The selected safety improvements will provide for the movement of goods and people, support the economic viability of the corridor, accommodate current bus service and future transit solutions, and complement safety education and traffic enforcement. Primary Key Messages: Main Street Safety Project: Introduction In summer 2018, the City of Springfield launched the Planning Phase of the Main Street Safety Project. Over the next 2-3 years, this project will pull together detailed analysis and extensive public outreach to inform the design of safety improvements on Main Street from 20th to 72nd. Why is this Project Important? Safety This section of Main Street in Springfield is listed as one of Oregon’s most unsafe city highways for those who walk, bike and drive. We’re growing. Traffic on this corridor will likely double in 20 years, so problems today will be even worse in the future. Main Street is the heart of the Springfield community. It serves as an iconic gateway to the city, a primary east-west transportation corridor, and an economic engine for the area. A major transit corridor. This is one of the most heavily used transit routes in Lane County. LTD and the City have been working with the community over the last few years to explore transit improvement options in the corridor. This plan needs to support the community’s preferred transit improvements. What is the Desired Outcome of this Phase of the Project? Coordinated street planning and design that will promote safe travel and movement through the corridor. A long-term plan that identifies the types of safety improvements and a preferred transit mode choice for Main Street that supports the community’s vision. (Note: The plan will not be a proposed engineering design; so it will not identify specific property impacts, or the details of a specific transit solution.) A package of preferred solutions informed by community input that will be moved forward for construction. Attachment 2, Page 1 of 4 2 | Page Key Messages DRAFT With the final plan complete, the partner agencies can begin working with the adjacent business and property owners, as well as community members, on a more specific design that addresses how to apply the solutions in ways that minimize impacts to properties and maintains access to businesses. Community Centered Decisions: Building on previous visioning: We will continue and extend planning efforts and previously identified Secondary Key Messages. Safe, Accessible Transportation Systems for Everyone: We are committed to an efficient, sustainable, diverse, and environmentally sound transportation system that serves our community as a whole – providing safety improvements to support people walking, biking, using mobility devices, taking the bus, and driving. Thriving Economy & Great Neighborhoods: A transportation system that enhances Springfield’s community identity and supports thriving economies and neighborhoods Connecting our community: We will plan for transportation and safety improvements that will support great neighborhoods and help keep our Main Street economy thriving. Community Engagement: We are committed to transparent decision-making informed by public input. It is vital that all voices are heard while planning our community’s future, and we respect the public’s limited time to contribute input. Public input and engagement will be a foundation for all decisions and aspects of the project (from planning through design, and into construction). Outreach efforts will include a variety of ways to accommodate community input – including in person and online formats, valuing opportunities for face-to-face conversations between members of the project team and adjacent property and business owners. Public Input and engagement efforts will include property owners, businesses, and the traveling public in the process to help City Council answer two key questions: 1. What type of median concept achieves the community’s safety goal? 2. How can these improvements be done in a way that minimizes negative impacts to businesses and property owners? Secondary Key Messages: Project Background: In 2011, Council directed staff to improve the safety of Main Street. Since Main Street is a state highway (OR-126B), staff initiated discussions with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) about how to enhance traffic safety on the corridor. In 2016, ODOT programmed $3.9M to construct raised center median treatments on nearly five miles of Main Street from 20th – 72nd. Before ODOT can obligate the funds for design and construction, the City and ODOT need to engage property owners, businesses and the traveling public in a planning process to better understand preferences and priorities around what types of median concepts and other safety improvements will achieve the community’s safety goal and minimize negative impacts to business and property owners. Lane Transit District (LTD) works closely with the City of Springfield to coordinate transit service and transit improvements in Springfield and serves as a key partner on this project. Due to length of Main Street corridor, the large number of adjacent business and property owners, and the significant safety issues, the process to forge solutions is complex and will take time. Attachment 2, Page 2 of 4 3 | Page Key Messages DRAFT Decision Making Structure: The graphic below illustrates the overall stakeholder and decision-making structure. This structure is designed to ensure that community stakeholders are regularly engaged and consulted, and that the Springfield City Council and Advisory Groups have the benefit of that community input at each major milestone of the planning phase. Project Process: Overview The Planning Phase of the Main Street Safety Project will begin with two key tasks: Task 1: Look to previous community engagement efforts in the corridor to inform our work on this project. Task 2: Develop an inventory of the existing transportation conditions in the corridor – roadway features, street classifications and freight routes, transit service and ridership, bicycle and pedestrian facilities. This includes collecting new traffic and speed counts and presenting the analysis on recent traffic crash data. Goals & Objectives: Community and stakeholder input to help develop the goals and objectives of the project and the planning phase. Clear goals and objectives will help lay the foundation for the adoption of Key Principles and Methodology. Key Principles and Mythology will be used to guide the planning phase, answering key questions such as: “What do we need to achieve and how will we do it?” and “What will be used to inform and evaluate the series of solutions we develop?” Recommended Solutions: Pulling from community input, and led by the adopted methodology, the Project Management Team (PMT), Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and consultant team will develop options for safety improvements, engaging the community in evaluating those solutions, and then determine a final recommendation. This recommendation will be informed by and include technical evaluation from the project team and agency partners, along with community input. Attachment 2, Page 3 of 4 4 | Page Key Messages DRAFT Final Main Street Facility Plan Once there is a recommended solution, we will develop a draft Main Street Facility Plan to bring to the Springfield City Council for adoption. What will be Considered in the Final Main Street Facility Plan? The plan will consider a wide range of potential improvements, including, but not limited to: Median islands that allow left turns at strategic locations Roundabouts at major intersections to improve safety and traffic flow Consolidating or relocating driveways to reduce potential conflicts with people walking, biking, and driving Improvements to accommodate current bus service, as well as future high capacity transit improvements Coordination with Other Projects: The City coordinates planning and construction efforts in ways that take into account the direct impact on businesses and residents and looks to minimize disruption. The Main Street Safety Project will build from previous community conversations and engagement efforts along the corridor, and will work closely to coordinate planning and construction with other efforts, including: Main Street Pedestrian Crossings: In 2011, ODOT completed a Main Street Safety Study that identified improvements to reduce pedestrian collisions. Since then, the City has worked with ODOT to build six crossing improvements (a seventh will be installed in 2018). The City also worked with ODOT to reduce the speed limit to 35mph west of 62nd in 2016 and has been actively implementing traffic safety education and enforcement activities. Coordination with LTD & the Main-McVay Transit Study: In Phase 1 of the transit study, the City and LTD met with corridor stakeholders to understand community concerns about safety, congestion, and quality of life that could be improved through transportation enhancements. Based on this input and considering technical analysis, the transit study identified a range of promising transit improvement options for the corridor. In 2015, the Springfield City Council and LTD Board of Directors recommended that the most promising transit options move forward for additional study. In Phase 2 of the transit study, the City and LTD evaluated the most promising transit options for the corridor as potential solutions to address growing concerns about safety, congestion, and quality of life that could be improved through transportation enhancements. Based on community input to date, the City and LTD are now proposing that transit improvements explored through the Main-McVay Transit Study focus less on EmX and instead confirm that a series of smaller, incremental transit operational enhancements – such as improvements to stops and to enhance the reliability and efficiency of transit travel time – as well as improvements to make it easier for people walking and biking to get to the bus are the preferred transit solution for Main Street at this time. The City of Springfield will work closely with LTD to ensure planning and design of future high- capacity transit capital investments are coordinated, and that the community conversations and planning efforts on both the Main-McVay Transit Study and the Main Street Safety project are coordinated. Attachment 2, Page 4 of 4 1 | Page City of Springfield: Main Street Safety Project The Main Street Facility Plan Public Engagement Plan Outline This document provides an overview of the different chapters and elements of the Public Engagement Plan. The Public Engagement Plan will serve as a guide for stakeholder outreach and public involvement activities for the creation of the Main Street Facility Plan for the Planning Phase of the City of Springfield’s Main Street Safety Project. The Public Engagement Plan Includes: A. Introduction & Overview The Public Engagement Plan describes activities that the consultant, City of Springfield, and ODOT will implement to assure that interested and affected parties have adequate opportunities to provide meaningful input to the Facility Plan. The Public Engagement Plan Introduction highlights the project purpose and expected outcomes, and is designed with decision makers, advisory team members, and the project team in mind as the intended audience. B. Public Involvement Principles Public Involvement Goals Throughout this project, we are committed to sharing information and gathering input regarding the needs and issues of the broader public and key stakeholders related to this planning effort. Previous Efforts & Engagement This section will highlight previous engagement or outreach efforts along the Main Street corridor and will highlight relevant themes and key messages provided by area residents, business owners, property owners, and the traveling public. Concurrent Efforts and Coordination There are several existing City of Springfield, ODOT and partner agency initiatives that have similar objectives to this effort but are citywide or along a different corridor. It is important to be aware of these efforts to ensure that outreach and messaging are consistent. This section will provide an overview of concurrent efforts and outline how and where engagement opportunities and messaging may be coordinated. C. Corridor Research In order to execute a successful public engagement plan, it is important to have a clear understanding of the various stakeholder and interest groups that make up the community. This section provides demographic and other information about the Main Street corridor and surrounding neighborhoods, and includes: Project Area Overview Demographics o Age o Race o Economic Status o Disabilities o Transportation Choices & Access Attachment 3, Page 1 of 3 2 | Page Employment: A quick investigation into and overview of the major employment sectors within the neighborhood surrounding Main Street. Non-Resident Considerations: Demographic information provides a valuable illustration of the area’s residents, but when planning for public involvement, it is critical to consider that Main Street and Springfield is also a major destination for both city residents and visitors to the region. Understanding employment trends (see above) as well as tourist attractions and destinations helps the public involvement team better understand the composition of corridor stakeholders and the traveling public. This section will include the worksheets completed for this project to identify potentially affected interests and their likely concerns that informed the inclusion of a range of citizen engagement activities designed to meet responsible, responsive, and effective citizen participation objectives for this project. D. Key Messages The use of key messages throughout project communications is helpful in maintaining consistent messaging about the project goals, scope and desired outcomes. These messages are to be used both on written communications and as talking points for the project team staff. Key messages within the Public Engagement Plan can be updated to include feedback and themes from the various phases of the project. E. Public Involvement Process Advisory Bodies & Decision-Making Structure This section outlines the various advisory bodies and decision-making structure of the Planning Phase of the Main Street Safety Project. Communication Strategies and Schedule This section outlines the different phases of the project, and the specific communication strategies and schedule for implementation of those strategies. The sample below highlights PI activities you might see included in the final Public Engagement Plan – including a breakdown of key activities and engagement objectives. Sample: Planning Phase: Kick-Off and Existing Conditions (Fall 2018) Sample Public Engagement Goal: Introduce the project to the public; gather feedback about preferences and goals. PI Activities Purpose Level of Public Engagement Project website Provides all project information in one location. Inform Overview Video Introduce the project, featuring neighbors and community members. Video to be promoted using social media, website, and more. Inform Social Media Campaign Build overall awareness and promote project activities and findings. Inform Factsheet Introduce project, timeline, and the best ways to get involved. Inform Online Open House #1 Introduce project, present existing conditions and gather feedback from community members Consult Tabling Events Gather feedback on issues and opportunities at existing community events. Consult A detailed list and schedule for outreach activities is typically included in the Public Engagement Plan as an appendix. Attachment 3, Page 2 of 3 3 | Page F. Measures of Success Measures of success help outline both project specific and broad measures that will determine the effectiveness and public involvement efforts. Sample measures could include: Project Specific: Number of participants attending meetings or events. Project Specific: Number of responses received to a survey. Project Specific: Number of website views during a specific time period. Project Specific: Development and adoption of Key Principles and Methodology. Project Specific: How project decisions have been modified as a result of public input. Broad: Increase positive public perception of Main Street Broad: Provide valuable input to City of Springfield, ODOT, and LTD for use in other projects and facilities plans Attachment 3, Page 3 of 3