Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Meeting - April 7, 2021
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Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Meeting - April 7, 2021
The Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee met virtually on April 7, 2021, from approximately 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM to discuss two main agenda items: an adjustment to the Regional Transportation Congestion Improvement Program (RTCIP) fee schedule and an update on the city's street resurfacing program. Items 2 and 3 were returned to staff for further work.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the committee actions of February 24, 2021, unanimously (4-0).
Public Comments & Testimony
Non-Agenda Public Comment:
- Jonathan Freeman (Safe Walkways) urged the committee to update the ordinance governing motorized scooter rentals, citing 9,500 permits issued in January 2021, over 2,000 Get It Done complaints that month, only 18 scooters impounded (costing $160-$300 each), and a class action lawsuit by Disability Rights California. He argued the current ordinance fails to protect public safety.
- Mike Bullock (Oceanside resident) spoke about traffic congestion and induced demand, stating that adding lanes or improving transit will not reduce congestion and that the city's climate action plan must include enforceable measures to reduce vehicle miles traveled.
- Janet Rogers (Safe Walkways) echoed support for scooter ordinance updates, including corral-only in-street parking, a curfew, geofencing, and enforcement of state laws. She noted Mayor Gloria's previous support and urged immediate executive action.
- Michael Schmidt (resident) complained about poor road conditions in the Rancho Peñasquitos/Carmel Mountain area near Charter 100 shopping center.
Public Comment on Item 1 (RTCIP Fee Increase):
- No speakers.
Public Comment on Item 4 (Street Resurfacing Update):
- Noah Harris (Climate Action Campaign) urged that all resurfacing projects include complete street improvements for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users, and prioritize historically underinvested communities.
- Nicole Burgess (District 2 resident) emphasized the need to prioritize overlay projects over slurry seal, integrate Vision Zero goals, and complete the half-built cycle track on West Point Loma (a class IV project that lost funding for the second segment).
Discussion Items
Item 1: Regional Transportation Congestion Improvement Program (RTCIP) Fiscal Year 2022 Fee Schedule Adjustment
- Staff presentation by Angela Beta (Supervising Management Analyst, Planning Department): The TransNet Extension Ordinance requires an annual adjustment of the minimum exaction fee by no less than 2% (based on the Construction Cost Index). SANDAG voted on February 26, 2021, to increase the fee by 2%. The proposed fees are collected at building permit issuance on new residential development (single-family and multi-family), with affordable housing units and ADUs exempt. The city has a two-tiered system. Staff noted there are about 30 active CIP projects using RTCIP funds.
- Questions/Comments:
- Vice Chair Lakaba asked about how RTCIP funds are acquired and retained (staff confirmed the fees collected in the city stay with the city), how projects are added to the Regional Arterial System list (through CIPRAC and Council Policy 800-14), and whether the Climate Action Plan influences project prioritization. Staff (Scott Mercer, Marco Kumacho) noted that Council Policy 800-14 is being updated to include climate and equity considerations.
- Committee Member Montgomery Steppe asked if the program includes landscape architecture (street trees, medians); staff replied eligibility is based on whether the project is part of the Regional Arterial System.
- Committee Member Elo Rivera asked about equity scoring; staff replied that eligibility is rules-based, but the upcoming update to Council Policy 800-14 will address equity. Director James Nagelbert confirmed the update will be presented at the next committee meeting.
- Chair von Wilpert asked for the Engineering Construction Index adjustment for this year (staff responded it was 0.3% for Los Angeles, less than 2%), total RTCIP revenue (approximately $5.6 million collected in FY21 to date, consistent with the five-year average), and examples of transit-oriented projects (staff cited the University Avenue Mobility Project and noted RTCIP funds can be used for bike and transit projects).
- Outcome: The committee unanimously recommended approval of the 2% fee increase (motion by Vice Chair Lakaba, second by Montgomery Steppe).
Item 4: Street Resurfacing Program Update (Informational Only)
- Staff presentation by Christy Reeser (Engineering and Capital Projects) and Mark Nissar: Overview of pavement types (90% asphalt, 10% concrete), the Overall Condition Index (OCI) scoring system (0-100), repair types (pothole patching, slurry seal, overlay/inlay, concrete panel replacement), costs ($130,000/mile for slurry seal, $780,000 for overlay, $1.5 million for concrete replacement, $6-7 million for reconstruction), and the city's pavement management strategy to maintain an average OCI of 70. They showed historical repair mileage (2011-2020) and OCI by council district (2015/2016). They discussed the bundling of street repairs with subsurface utility work using an enterprise asset management system and the upcoming update to Council Policy 800-14 for prioritization (inclusion of equity and climate).
- Questions/Comments:
- Vice Chair Lakaba asked about the need for a new citywide condition assessment (last done in 2015/2016; cost about $500,000); staff supported doing another assessment. He asked about useful life of slurry seal (3-7 years), effectiveness of the street preservation ordinance (moratorium on trenching after slurry/paving), and street damage fees (not yet cost-recoverable). He noted that streets already in good condition sometimes get resurfaced again due to preventive maintenance or contractor warranty failures. He advocated for complete streets and protected bike lanes.
- Committee Member Montgomery Steppe noted that District 4 has the lowest historical repair mileage and stressed the need for equitable funding, especially for overlay on older streets. She asked about unimproved roads and how they fit into the network (they are not assessed if unpaved but can be funded via new Council Policy 200-01). She requested data on specific OCI scores and better understanding of the scoring ranges.
- Committee Member Elo Rivera emphasized the need for more resources to address underfunded infrastructure and supported equity-focused prioritization.
- Chair von Wilpert asked about funding sources (RMRA, gas tax, TransNet), whether resurfacing contracts include restriping for bike lanes (yes, coordinated with Transportation Engineering), and why some planned street repairs were removed (staff noted coordination with SDG&E gas line work and transition to bundled projects). She urged support for a new OCI assessment in the budget and asked for tips on using the Get It Done app (accurate location and photos including surroundings).
- No vote taken (informational item).
Items Returned to Staff
- Item 2: (No details provided; required more time to work with MEA on consultant duration.)
- Item 3: (Contract extension and change order for road repair; ordinance terms did not match change order; staff will refine and return.)
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar: Approved unanimously.
- Item 1: Unanimous recommendation to the full City Council to approve the 2% increase to the RTCIP fee schedule for FY2022, effective July 1, 2021.
- Item 4: Informational only; no action taken. Staff will bring an update to Council Policy 800-14 (prioritization criteria including equity and climate) to the next committee meeting (May 19, 2021).
- Next Meeting: Scheduled for Wednesday, May 19, 2021, at 2:00 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Chair, please proceed. Thank you. Good afternoon, everyone. Per executive order 29-20, which suspends certain requirements of the Brown Act. The committee members will be participating via Zoom, and no members of the public will be in attendance at the meeting in the interest of public health and safety. In addition, this meeting is being televised and live streamed on the city's website, and the committee liaison has made arrangements for the public to comment using the Zoom webinar Zoom webinar platform. We appreciate the public's cooperation. I will go over the specifics of how to join the webinar and will give details on how the public can offer their public testimony today. I will now call the Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee meeting of April 7th, 2021 to order. I will now call the role. Vice Chair Lakaba. Present. Committee member Montgomery Step. Committee member Elo Rivera. Present. And I am also present. Each committee member is attending virtually. Also on the virtual meeting with today is IBA representative Gillian Cassie, City Attorney Representative, Tina Ray, Mayoral Representative, Brittany Bailey, and Committee Consultant Justin Garber. The public may view the meetings on public television on City Channel City TV 24 for Cox Communication and Time Warner Cable or Channel 99 for ATT. Or the public can view the meeting online by going to the City Council Committee's homepage at San Diego.gov and selecting the City TV Live Webcast blue button on the right hand side of the page. Committee meetings will be held virtually using the Zoom webinar platform. Members of the public can offer public comment on items by accessing the Zoom webinar online using a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone, or by calling into the meeting using a smartphone, cellular phone, or landline. Link to join the committee meeting webinar by computer, tablet, or smartphone is listed on the agenda. Join the Zoom webinar by telephone, please dial 1669 254 5252. When prompted, input webinar ID 16056 7518 pound sign. This information is also available on the agenda and will appear on the screen during the public comment period for each item. When I introduce the item you would like to comment on, please raise your hand by either tapping the raise your hand button on your computer, tablet, or smartphone, or by pressing star nine on your phone. You will be taken in the order in which you raise your hand. You may only speak once on a particular item. When our committee consultant Justin indicates that it is your turn to speak, he will call you by your name as it appears on the Zoom webinar attendee list, or he will read out the last four digits of your phone number if you have called into the meeting. That is how you will know it is your turn to speak. If you have joined the webinar by computer, tablet, or smartphone, you will receive a pop-up notice to select to unmute your device. If you have called into the meeting by cell phone or landline, please press star six on your phone to unmute yourself. We will we will review these instructions briefly again when the public comment period on an agenda item is open. Please wait until the item you wish to speak to has been called before raising your hand to speak. If you raise your hand during a non-comment period, your hand will be lowered. When you are announced as the next speaker, please unmute yourself and offer your comments. Also please mute the volume on your TV or computer before you begin to speak. A quorum is now present. For meeting management purposes, I want to let everyone know that we will be returning items one to two and three to staff. We will only be hearing items one and four today. So we will not be hearing those items today, but potentially at a future future committee meeting. And I wanted to check in with the city attorney or engineering and capital projects staff to see if they want to provide any quick comments or feedback. Thank you very much, uh Chair and fellow council member. My name is James Negelbert, Director of Capital Projects and City Engineering or Engineer. Um I'll start with item number two, the recent we're asking to pull it on back because we need a little bit more time to work with MEA. They've got concerns with the duration of the time book to hire the consultant that we're asking for. So we've agreed to meet with them and see if we can resolve our differences before bringing it forward to you. The item uh number uh three, I'm gonna I'm gonna play attorney, but I'm gonna ask uh city attorney Tina Ray or um Adam to correct me if I'm wrong. Um the item before you is is twofold.
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