Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Meeting - October 13, 2021

This meeting of the Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee was held virtually via Zoom on October 13, 2021, at 2 p.m. per California Government Code Section 54953(g). The committee discussed five agenda items, including a contract amendment for land surveying services, an administrative memorandum of understanding with San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), a fiscal year 2021 year-end report on the Capital Improvements Program, a park amenity condition assessment, and an update on the city's bike program. The meeting was televised and live-streamed. A quorum was present with Vice Chair Lacava, Councilmember Ilo Rivera, and Chair Von Wilpert (Councilmember Montgomery Steppe absent).

Consent Calendar

• The committee unanimously approved the actions of the September 15, 2021 meeting (motion by Vice Chair Lacava, second by Councilmember Ilo Rivera, vote 3-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Non-Agenda Public Comment: No speakers.
• Item 1 (Surveying Contracts): No public speakers.
• Item 2 (SDG&E MOU): Nicole Burgess, mobility board member, spoke in support of the MOU but urged that all utility work in the right-of-way be reviewed by the city's bike team to capture opportunities for bike and pedestrian space, and emphasized the importance of proper restoration after utility cuts.
• Item 3 (CIP Year-End Report): No public speakers.
• Item 4 (Park Condition Assessment): Three speakers:
  • Renee Smith, parks advocate, asked that the committee leverage the assessment by requesting an update, incorporating parks into the infrastructure asset management system, and using realistic funding needs. She provided five specific recommendations.
  • Stacey Lametico, avid park user, stressed the need for a comprehensive asset management plan and noted that the park system is not healthy.
  • Michelle Krug (District 4 resident) asked about equity in how parks in historically neglected communities are rated compared to newer parks.
• Item 5 (Bike Program Update): Eight speakers:
  • Laura Keenan, widow of a cyclist killed on Camino del Rio South, pleaded for safer bike infrastructure, noting her husband was the 14th cyclist killed in the county in 2021. She asked for physical protection like concrete barriers or reflective posts.
  • Steve Gelb (San Diego 350) described perilous unprotected bike lanes on high-speed arterials and urged traffic calming and separated bike lanes.
  • Paul (district not specified) welcomed the new DOT director, praised recent improvements (Pershing, Pacific Highway), and asked for a bikeway master plan update and quick-build projects on dangerous routes like North Torrey Pines Road.
  • Andy Henshaw (San Diego County Bike Coalition, Mobility Board chair) expressed condolences, supported a bike master plan update, and called for accelerated progress on Vision Zero and CAP goals.
  • Kyle Hastelow (Bike SD volunteer) thanked staff and requested future agenda items to continue the conversation on quick-build proposals.
  • Noah Harris (Climate Action Campaign) emphasized the climate emergency and urged full funding of the Mobility Action Plan 2.0 and prioritization of quick-build projects in underinvested communities.
  • Jesse O'Sullivan (Circulate San Diego) echoed the need for a complete protected network, noting that safe sections alone are insufficient.
  • Nicole (no last name given) spoke again, supporting quick-builds, mentioning that 410 of 450 miles of bikeways designed since 2013 are buffered bike lanes that could be protected, and calling for a PR safety campaign.

Discussion Items

• Item 1: Second Amendment to Six Land Surveying Agreements – Staff (Carrie Purcell, Daniel Watkins) requested authorization to amend six existing agreements for land surveying, aerial photography, mapping, and digitizing services for an additional two years and $2 million each (total $4 million and four years per agreement). The agreements are with TOEL Inc., Michael Baker International, Alta Land Surveying, ODA Consultants, TSAC Engineering, and NV5 Global. Background: original agreements were awarded in 2018-2019. To date, $7 million of $12 million committed has been used; workload is not expected to decrease due to growing CIP demand. The city's surveying section has a 28% vacancy rate (20 open positions). Recruitment efforts include a new Junior Survey Aid position to attract students from community colleges. Committee members expressed support for the workforce development approach. The motion to approve was made by Vice Chair Lacava, seconded by Councilmember Ilo Rivera, and passed 3-0.

• Item 2: Administrative MOU with SDG&E – Staff (Heather Werner, Deputy Director of Sustainability and Mobility) presented the MOU, required by the new gas and electric franchise agreements. The MOU establishes criteria for categorizing SDG&E work in public rights-of-way: Category 1 (maintenance/low-impact, no permit review), Category 2 (requires review), and emergency/compliance. It defines like-kind replacement, master plan approval for repetitive projects, construction standards (work hours, notifications, restoration), and enhanced data sharing via a shared portal and GIS site. The MOU has a two-year term and will be revisited upon submission of SDG&E's next two-year plan. The city's litigation with SDG&E over relocation cost responsibility (especially for water projects) is unaffected by this MOU. Committee members asked about oversight, annual tracking of relocation costs, district-level project plans, and the role of the joint utility coordinating committee. The MOU is expected to be fully executed by the end of October 2021.

• Item 3: Fiscal Year 2021 Year-End State of the CIP and State of Construction Report – Staff (Myrna Dayton, Luis Char, James Nagelboard) presented highlights including the West Mission Bay Drive Bridge project (largest bridge project ever, completion expected end of 2022), Pure Water Program (six of 11 construction contracts awarded, largest being $357 million plant), and 17 CIP projects opened to the public. FY21 actual expenditures were $417.4 million (final budget) – slightly lower than anticipated due to pandemic, but nearly half a billion dollars executed. TransNet fund expended $37 million. Commercial paper bond: $87.9 million authorized, $74.2 million expended. Five-year goal for water main pipeline replacement (175 miles by FY25) was on target. Average calendar days from bid opening to construction exceeded the 90-day goal by 19 days due to pandemic. SLBE/ELBE utilization continued. Staff highlighted challenges: COVID-19, labor shortages, raw material shortages, and internal vacancies. Awards received for several projects (California Tower Seismic Retrofit, Florida Drive Emergency Drain Pipe, UV Disinfection System Upgrade). The committee discussed the need for sustainable funding (e.g., dedicated sources for streets) and the condition of streets (OCI goal of 70). The street condition assessment will be updated; a specification is being prepared for later in 2021.

• Item 4: Park Amenity Condition Assessments Final Report – Staff (Andy Field, Michelle Abelishon) presented results of assessments conducted from 2014-2019 on 235 developed parks, covering 2,590 acres, 373 playgrounds, 265 hard courts, 220 acres of parking lots, and 97 acres of park roads. Each asset was rated Good, Fair, or Poor using a PCI (Park Condition Index) from 0 (perfect) to 100 (failed). The overall park system average PCI is 15 (Good), but some parks are Poor. Total reinvestment needed to bring all assessed park amenities to a PCI of 15 is $43.6 million; for buildings and structures within those parks, $620.2 million is needed (total $663.8 million in 2021 dollars). The report defines three reliability levels: Level 1 (core assets like playgrounds, fields, walkways, courts), Level 2 (parking lots, roads, stormwater), Level 3 (cosmetic like furniture, landscaping). Staff noted that the assessment is a baseline snapshot and does not include aspirations or underground utilities. A comprehensive asset management plan is underway. Community input was not part of the assessment process; the data is intended to guide future capital investments and maintenance priorities. Committee members stressed the need for a realistic funding strategy and equity considerations.

• Item 5: Transportation Department Bike Program Update – Brittany Bailey (Mayor's Office) introduced new DOT Director Jorge Riveros. Staff (Everett Houser) presented: Since 2013, the program has designed over 450 miles of bikeways (75% through coordination with street preservation). Examples: class two buffered bike lanes, class four separated bikeways via utility coordination (e.g., West Point Loma Boulevard), and quick-build projects (e.g., Pershing Drive, Montezuma Road gap closure). The FY22 budget includes resources for the Safe Transportation for All Ages and Abilities (STAT) team to accelerate quick-builds. The city's bike rack program, micromobility corrals, and mode counts were also covered. Regional coordination with SANDEG continues. Committee members and public speakers emphasized the urgency of completing a protected network to prevent fatalities, meet climate goals, and improve equity. The chair noted that a more detailed update will come to the committee in future months.

Key Outcomes

• Item 1 was approved: motion by Vice Chair Lacava, second by Councilmember Ilo Rivera, passed 3-0.
• Items 2, 3, 4, and 5 were informational only; no votes taken. Staff were directed to return with additional information:
  • For Item 2: annual accounting of city relocation costs disputed with SDG&E; council district breakdown of SDG&E's two-year plan; consideration of a point-of-contact for major projects.
  • For Item 3: follow-up on the tobacco fund recovery and the meaning of "sidewalks acquired."
  • For Item 4: consideration of updates to the assessment, integration into asset management, and funding requests for FY23.
  • For Item 5: a future agenda item on the bike master plan update and strategic mobility plan.
• The meeting adjourned at approximately 4:45 p.m. The next regularly scheduled meeting is November 10, 2021 at 2 p.m.

Note: The transcript contains a discrepancy regarding the date: the chair initially stated "October 16th" but the official meeting date per the provided metadata is October 13, 2021. The summary uses the official date.