Sacramento Active Transportation Commission Special Meeting – November 19, 2020

The Active Transportation Commission held a virtual special meeting on Thursday, November 19, 2020, at 6:00 p.m. The meeting was live-streamed, and public comment was available by phone and e-comment with a three-minute speaker limit. Commission Chair Haim and Commissioner Verdugo were absent; Vice Chair Wardwaller presided, and Commissioner Carpenter joined later. The agenda included a consent calendar, a staff report, an action item on the 2040 General Plan, an informational overview of the Transit-Oriented Development Ordinance, informational reports on parking curb management and daylighting, an action item on Caltrans planning grant applications, and committee comments.

Consent Calendar

• The commission approved the October 15, 2020 meeting minutes and received and filed the Active Transportation Commission log. The motion passed by roll call; all present members voted aye, with Chair Haim and Commissioner Verdugo absent and Commissioner Carpenter not yet present.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were offered on the consent calendar or on matters not on the agenda.
• Dan Allison (District 4) commented after the 2040 General Plan vote: he supported the proposed lane changes, but urged that the General Plan include an ongoing mechanism, perhaps every five years, to identify and prioritize similar projects rather than treating the listed projects as all that will be done over the 20-year plan period.
• On the parking and curb management item, Dan Allison said by phone that the city should give transit users an equivalent benefit to free holiday parking to avoid an implicit bias toward drivers. Written comments from Jennifer Ruiz and Dan Allison were read into the record. Ruiz described residential parking shortages in Boulevard Park, impacts from new apartment construction, and expensive street-sweeping tickets, asking what the city will do to provide more parking. Allison recommended one low-cost residential permit per household, market-rate permits for additional vehicles, and converting more private parking to delivery or loading zones to reduce bike-lane blocking.
• On daylighting, Dan Allison supported daylighting and said any serious injury or fatality should trigger an investigation and a high-priority daylighting project. He added that local concerns should never prevent daylighting of an intersection because of its safety benefits.
• On the Caltrans grants, Dan Allison supported both applications and hoped the 15-minute neighborhood plan would focus on South Sacramento and North Sacramento.

Discussion Items

Commission Staff Report

• Jennifer Donlon Wyant reported on transportation items. There was no new update on the Del Rio Trail. The Envision Broadway Bicycle Master Plan Amendment was completed, adding a buffered bike lane to the bicycle master plan. The Vision Zero top-five corridor study and top-20 school safety study were delayed and are now expected to go to City Council in January. Shared rideable regulatory changes will be presented to the Disabilities Advisory Commission on December 2 and to the Active Transportation Commission on December 17. Slow Streets remains unfunded; staff will report to City Council on December 8 and likely bring the matter to the commission on December 17.

2040 General Plan Update – Proposed Roadway Changes and Key Transportation Strategies (Action Item)

• Ryan Dodge and Jennifer Donlon Wyant presented the action item. The 2040 General Plan update includes key strategies to facilitate compact, mixed-use development along commercial corridors; use an equity framework to prioritize infrastructure; right-size streets to prioritize walking, biking, and transit; and eliminate citywide parking minimums while introducing parking maximums.
• Staff reported on community feedback from virtual workshops in the 10 community plan areas. Notable feedback included: North Sacramento showed no concern; the central city was enthusiastic; South Sacramento was more auto-focused and ambiguous, leading staff to remove a proposed Bruceville Road lane reduction near Kaiser due to hospital access concerns; Land Park had some concerns based on perceived failure of the Freeport Boulevard road diet, though staff considered that road diet a success; East Sacramento generally supported the changes; and South Natomas requested continued emergency access.
• Commissioner Hoff noted that the Florin Road protected bike lane was installed from Gloria to Riverside, but the section from Gloria to Greenhaven only received standard bike lanes; Jennifer Donlon Wyant said she would check on future plans for that segment.
• Commissioner Smith asked about outreach differences among communities. Ryan Dodge said the city held online open-house workshops over about three weeks and used email, social media, radio, and council contacts. Jennifer Donlon Wyant acknowledged challenges in engaging disinvested communities and said community input would be sought again before implementation.
• Vice Chair Wardwaller observed that several Vision Zero top corridors were not proposed for reallocation and hoped the commission's new subcommittee could discuss additional changes.
• Commissioner Hoff moved to forward a recommendation to City Council to adopt a resolution directing staff to proceed with the proposed roadway changes and key transportation strategies for the draft 2040 General Plan, Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, and Master Environmental Impact Report. The motion was seconded and passed by roll call with all present members voting aye.

Transit-Oriented Development Ordinance Overview (Information Item)

• Ryan Dodge presented an overview of the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Ordinance, effective January 2019. It amended zoning text only, with no maps, and prohibits or requires conditional use permits for certain auto-centric, mini-storage, and warehouse uses near all existing and proposed light rail stations. It eliminated minimum off-street parking within one-quarter mile of light rail stations and reduced parking requirements by 50% within one-half mile.
• In discussion, Commissioner Cole asked why auto-centric uses are difficult to deny without clear policies; Dodge explained that denials can be appealed or sued, especially where precedent exists. Commissioner Jesse asked about broader restrictions in active-transportation areas; Dodge noted the city uses specific plans and that large gas stations are effectively restricted citywide. Commissioner Hoff asked about future light rail stations; Dodge identified the Green Line extension to Natomas/airport and a possible south area extension. Vice Chair Wardwaller asked whether the ordinance applies to high-frequency bus stops; Dodge said it applies only to light rail stations, though broader policies may be considered in the General Plan update. Dodge also confirmed that existing grandfathered auto-centric uses can continue indefinitely unless they lapse.

Parking Services Division Curb Management Plan (Information Item)

• Matt Eierman and Erika Galang presented. The city has managed curbs for 76 years, with a full curb inventory in 2008 and modernization beginning in 2014. Programs include tiered meter pricing, special event zones, on-street EV charging, educational and merchant permits, car-share and shared-rideable spaces, commercial and passenger loading zones, and parklets. Since March, free meters have been offered after 4:30 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends. Since November 2019, the city has issued almost 5,000 citations to shared rideables. The division is testing AI-powered cameras and trailers to collect real-time data on vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles, and parking occupancy.
• Commissioner Carpenter asked about flex zones and a curb-use hierarchy. Eierman said the city currently manages the curb reactively and wants the AI data to support better decisions, such as time-of-day delivery permits and adjusting loading zones. Jennifer Donlon Wyant noted that a de facto floating bike lane in front of McKinley Park functions during no-parking hours but was frequently blocked when she commuted.

Increasing Pedestrian Safety Through Daylighting (Information Item)

• Megan Carter explained daylighting, which removes visual obstructions at intersections. City standards follow California MUTCD guidance: no on-street parking for at least 20 feet at unsignalized intersections, at least 30 feet at signalized intersections, and at least 6 feet near alley and driveway openings. The city now typically uses signs rather than red curb because red curb fades. Carter said daylighting is implemented incrementally through development review, 311 traffic-safety requests, and corridor projects. She confirmed that fatal or serious-injury crashes trigger immediate investigations and that high-crash locations are addressed through safety projects.
• Commissioner Carpenter cautioned that messaging around parking removal should reflect research showing bike lanes and cycle tracks generally do not harm businesses. No action was taken.

2021/22 Caltrans Transportation Planning Grant Applications (Action Item)

• Vice Chair Wardwaller recused herself because of her work with Caltrans, and Commissioner Carpenter served as acting chair for this item.
• Drew Hart and Valerie Hermanson presented two proposed Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant applications. The first, “Reimagining Connections to and Through 12th Street,” would study 12th Street from L Street to C Street, a corridor on the high-injury network in one of Sacramento's most disadvantaged communities, with the goal of building on the North 12th Street Complete Streets project. The second, “15-Minute Neighborhood Plan Through Slow Active Streets,” would create a citywide plan for networks where daily destinations are reachable by a 15-minute walk or bike ride, using slow-streets concepts and community input.
• Grant applications are due in mid-to-late January 2021; awards are expected in June 2021; work would begin in fall 2021; and projects must conclude by 2024.
• Dan Allison's written support for both applications was read into the record. A phone caller did not connect.
• Commissioner Hoff moved to forward a recommendation to City Council to approve applying for the grants. Commissioner Pollins seconded. The motion passed by roll call with all present members voting aye; Vice Chair Wardwaller recused herself and did not vote.

Committee Comments, Ideas, Questions

• Commissioner Brazzle proposed researching Swiftmile, a universal docking station system for shared rideables, and asked whether the commission should form a subcommittee. Jennifer Donlon Wyant noted a subcommittee could not be formed at that meeting because it would require an action item; Commissioner Brazzle said he would share the website and could bring the topic back to a future meeting.
• Commissioner Smith asked whether the city had adopted an equity statement that should be compared with the commission's own equity statement. Staff said they were not aware of a recent city adoption and would confirm and report back.
• Vice Chair Wardwaller asked that a follow-up conversation with the police department be added to the Active Transportation Commission log.

Key Outcomes

• The consent calendar was approved.
• The commission recommended City Council adopt a resolution directing staff to proceed with the 2040 General Plan proposed roadway changes and key transportation strategies.
• The commission recommended City Council approve filing the two Caltrans Transportation Planning Grant applications.
• The Transit-Oriented Development Ordinance, Parking Services Curb Management Plan, and Daylighting reports were received as informational items; no formal action was taken.
• No subcommittee was formed regarding Swiftmile, but the topic may return at a future meeting.
• The next commission meeting is scheduled for December 17, 2020, and will include the shared rideable ordinance update, adoption of the 2021 calendar, and election of a new chair and vice chair.