Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Meeting – May 24, 2023
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Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Meeting – May 24, 2023
The Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee met on May 24, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. to consider several items including consent calendar approvals, a contract amendment for the Mission Bay Park Environmental Impact Report, community parking district budgets and a meter zone adjustment, a capital improvements program budget monitoring report, a franchise award for a downtown cooling system, and the Transnet local street and roads program update. All votes were unanimous (4-0).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Non-agenda public comment:
- Paul Kruger (Talmudge area) expressed strong opposition to the removal of parking and vehicle traffic on Park Boulevard, 30th Street, and Convoy, stating that many residents feel shut out of the process and that alternatives (e.g., bike lanes on parallel streets) were not considered. He urged better outreach.
- Kathleen Lippitt criticized the city's focus on the marijuana industry, arguing that taxpayer resources should instead fund parks, youth drop-in centers, law enforcement, and schools. She stated that voters did not intend to subsidize high-THC marijuana use.
- Blair Beekman commented on the need for clear, open steps regarding the smart streetlight program and ALPR cameras for SDPD, advocating for minimal new cameras and robust community oversight through a Privacy Advisory Board.
- An unidentified speaker (phone ending 7968) questioned the city's lack of matching funds for federal infrastructure grants and cited San Diego's complicated financial management.
- Judy Strang criticized spending $1 million a year on the cannabis business department, arguing that money should be redirected to making the city cleaner and supporting youth programs.
- Item 6 public comment (Community Parking Districts):
- Sunny Lee (Discover Pacific Beach) spoke in support, noting the community's eagerness to use parking meter funds for a new beach shuttle and mobility improvements.
- Michael Trimble (Gaslamp Quarter Association) supported the budgets, highlighting that the Fifth Avenue promenade and other projects were possible due to parking district funding.
- Ethan Olson (East Village Association) requested support for moving the FY24 budgets to City Council.
- Chris Gomez and Alex Ward also spoke in support, emphasizing bike infrastructure, valet programs, and pedestrian lighting.
- Item 7 public comment:
- (No speakers in chambers; one virtual speaker, Lori Saldania, noted that gas tax revenue will decline as more people switch to electric vehicles, urged the city to plan accordingly, and called for public restroom facilities in parks.)
- Item 8 public comment:
- (No speakers in chambers; one virtual speaker, Ms. Saldania, inquired about workforce diversity and oversight of the franchise.)
- Item 9 public comment:
- (No speakers in chambers; two virtual speakers: Ms. Saldania asked about non-capital bike facility costs and restrooms for cyclists; Blair Beekman emphasized the link between bicycle planning, Vision Zero, and open accountability.)
Consent Calendar
- Items 1–4 were approved unanimously 4-0 without discussion:
- Increase contract authorization for slurry seal groups 2324–2326.
- Agreement with Chen Ryan Associates for as-needed engineering support for Transportation.
- Agreement with Wood Rogers for as-needed engineering support for Transportation.
- Construction contract extension with New West Construction for the Solvadad Pump Station upgrades.
Discussion Items
- Item 5: Amendment to consultant agreement with DUDEC for Mission Bay Park Improvements Program Environmental Impact Report
- Staff (James Arnhart, Nick Farrakone) requested a 36-month extension and $597,000 additional funding (total $6.4 million) to complete technical analyses and a program EIR for five priority projects, including integration with the De Anza Natural Land Use Plan and Fiesta Island amendments. Preliminary engineering is substantially complete; additional work is needed due to updated land use plans.
- Vice Chair Lacava raised questions about sequencing with the De Anza plan and the need to ensure engineering studies are not rendered irrelevant. Staff confirmed they are coordinating with planning and will align with the approved land use plan.
- Item 6: Community Parking Districts FY24 annual plans and budgets and adjustment to Pacific Beach meter zone
- Staff (Christy Reeser, Crystal Ayala) presented the five parking districts (Downtown, Uptown, Mid-City, Pacific Beach, Old Town) and proposed an administrative adjustment to the Pacific Beach meter zone to allow meters to operate until 8 p.m. No new meters are being added. Projected FY24 net revenue from meters is about $9 million (18% below pre-COVID). The districts fund mobility improvements like the Gaslamp Fifth Avenue promenade, Little Italy bollards, and the PB beach bug circulator.
- Vice Chair Lacava requested that the resolution specify this action does not expand parking meters. The City Attorney’s office agreed to incorporate that clarification.
- Item 7: FY2023 Capital Improvements Program year-end budget monitoring report and CIP budget revisions
- Staff (Jyoti Panthlu, Michael Peleo) requested $28.7 million in appropriations, de-appropriations, and transfers. Highlights: capital outlay funds for emergency stormwater projects, $1.1 million returned to fund balance from closed projects, and use of delegated authorities for cash management. The transnet fund balance at SANDAG is projected at $39.6 million by end of FY23. Gas tax and RMRA funds face shortfalls due to volatile revenue.
- Committee members noted the importance of efficient fund management and questioned specific transfers (e.g., Lake Hodges Dam replacement, Fire Station 48). Staff confirmed that Fire Station 48 will be fully funded.
- Item 8: Award of temperature controlled water system franchise to Energy Center San Diego LLC
- Staff (Heather Werner) recommended a 20-year franchise (10+10 with automatic renewal) for the downtown chilled water system, which is more efficient than building-level chillers. The ITB received one qualified bid. The franchise includes a two-year administrative review and requires the grantee to bear costs of asset moves at city direction. The incumbent plans to replace natural gas chillers with electric solutions.
- Committee members asked about clean energy sourcing (Energy Center San Diego’s electricity provider) and workforce diversity. Staff agreed to follow up before the item goes to full Council.
- Item 9: Transnet Local Street and Roads Program 2023 RTIP amendment and FY2024–2028 program of projects
- Staff (Julio Canisal, Patrick A) outlined a proposed $46.9 million FY24 transnet budget (42% of SANDAG regional revenue). This includes $10.1 million for street resurfacing, $13.8 million for bicycle facilities (e.g., $9.7 million for coastal rail trail, $2.5 million for Normal Street promenade), $4.6 million for traffic signals, and $3.3 million for traffic engineering. The city expects to request 99% of FY23 revenue ($47.3 million) by June 30, 2023. The city earned a clean transnet audit for FY22.
- Committee member von Wilbert asked about the coastal rail trail timeline (design through 2024, construction through 2026) and traffic signal priority for transit. Staff noted they work with MTS on bus priority signals.
Key Outcomes
- All items passed unanimously 4-0.
- Item 5 (Mission Bay EIR amendment) approved with a 36-month extension and $597,000 in additional funds.
- Item 6 (Parking district budgets) approved, with a direction to staff to clarify in the resolution that no expansion of parking meters is authorized beyond the 2021 approval.
- Item 7 (CIP budget monitoring) approved, including $28.7 million in fund transfers and appropriations.
- Item 8 (Water system franchise) approved; staff will provide additional information on clean energy sourcing before full Council.
- Item 9 (Transnet RTIP) approved, programming $46.9 million for FY24 and the five-year project list.
Meeting Transcript
Okay, good afternoon. Welcome to the Active Transportation Infrastructure Committee. Of May 24th, 2023, our committee liaison, Sarah Jordan will provide information and instruction for the public to participate in today's meeting. Uh Sarah, please proceed. Thank you, Chairley. Well, members of the public are able to attend the meetings in person. This meeting is being televised and live streamed on the city's website, and the council administration will continue to make arrangements for the public to comment using the Zoom webinar platform. Members of the public who wish to provide testimony via a call-in or an internet-based service option must enter the virtual speaking queue within five minutes after the conclusion of in-person public testimony or before the virtual speaking queue is exhausted, whichever occurs first. This will allow for better meeting management between the two platforms and ensure the committee is able to manage and conduct city business. Councilmember Montgomery Step. Here. Without any other comments, we'll um Sarah, will you please go ahead and uh call the roll? Yes, if the committee members can please register their vote on the touch screen. And that passes unanimously 4-0. Great, thank you. We will now take up non-agenda public comment. The council members respect and appreciate the public's input and are fully committed to protecting every participant's free speech rights at council and committee meetings. Sarah, please proceed with the further instructions. Thank you. The public comment period is now open for non-agenda public comment per rule 2.7. Non-agenda public comment is an opportunity for members of the public to comment on items that are not on the agenda but are within the subject matter jurisdiction of the committee. Each speaker will have two minutes. If you're watching on City TV or the live stream online and would like to call into the meeting, please dial 1669-254-5252 and when prompted and put webinar ID 161-119-1457 pound. I will announce when it is your turn to speak. Unmute yourself by either selecting the unmute yourself button or by inputting star six. Uh Chair, we do have one speaker here in chambers, so we will begin with Paul Kruger. Mr. Kruger, you will have two minutes. I'm Paul Kruger. I live in the Talmudge area. And I'm here because of conversations I've had and things I've been reading lately about the decision to remove parking and limit vehicle traffic on Park Boulevard, convoy, and as for several years now, 30th Street. My sense from talking with people and reading on social media is that many people feel completely shut out of this process by which these very important decisions about how they use our streets are made. The sense is they wake up one day and the streets where they used to be able to go to work, take their children to school, run their errands, are really congested because Elena traffic is gone andor parking is gone. I'd urge you to please pay attention to what's being said about park boulevard. It really is a very significant issue that you may not be aware of. 400 posts on next door, just in the last four days on one post on that decision about Park Boulevard. Um frustration, I think, comes in part from what appears to people to be the lack of any consideration of alternatives that would have less impact on people who need to use their cars. In all these instances, there's room for bike lanes within one block on either side of these main thoroughfares. And um before I run out of time, I'll be back to expand on it. But I think it's really important to know that we cannot force people out of their cars. It's not a strategy that will work, and we have to have much better outreach to the public. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Kruger. Um, with in-person public testimony concluding, I will begin the five-minute timer for all callers in the virtual queue to indicate if they wish to speak. Our first speaker is Ms. Kathleen Lippitt. Um please unmute yourself and provide your comments. Ms. Lippett, you will have two minutes.
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