Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Meeting - November 13, 2024
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Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Meeting Summary - November 13, 2024
The Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee met on November 13, 2024. Chair Whitburn presided, with Vice Chair Lakaba and Councilmember Foster present; Councilmember Von Wilpert was absent. The committee considered a consent agenda, an informational update from MTS, a proposed response to the Grand Jury sidewalk report, and the CIP mid-year monitoring report.
Consent Calendar
- The consent agenda (items 1–14) included approval of October 9, 2024 minutes; authorization for city forces for pavement rehabilitation; time extensions for construction contracts; consulting contracts; reimbursement agreements with SANDAG for bikeway and pavement repairs; a grant award for the Coastal Rail Trail; and other routine approvals.
- Public comment was received from Blair Beekman (items 9–13) and a caller (items 2–13). Beekman expressed support for the bikeway/pavement projects but raised concerns about technology use and Vision Zero approaches.
- Motion by Vice Chair Lakaba, seconded by Councilmember Foster. The consent agenda passed unanimously, 3–0.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Terry Ann Skelly, parent and public health educator, expressed concern about drug-impaired driving, noting December is "National Drunk, Distracted, and Drug-Impaired Awareness Month."
- Becky Rapp, parent and public health educator, shared statistics on drug-impaired driving fatalities and a recent crash involving a child.
- Megan Stewart urged the committee to consider a marijuana billboard ban, citing impacts on youth and public safety.
- A public speaker (phone ending 7968) called for clearer sidewalk markings downtown and safer removal of trees from metal grates.
- Francine Maxwell, Southeastern San Diego resident, requested education about yielding to emergency vehicles.
- Madison (virtual speaker) suggested developing a roadside test for cannabis-impaired driving.
Discussion Item: MTS Informational Presentation (Item 18)
- Julia Tour, MTS Manager of Government Affairs, presented an update. Key points: ridership at ~90% of pre-pandemic levels; over 25% of riders are ages 13–24; over 50% of daily pedestrian crossers use MTS. MTS received SB 125 funding (~$284 million over four fiscal years). The new Copper Line opened, Green Line will move to 15-minute frequencies in January, security personnel increased 60%, overnight bus service planned, and zero-emission bus transition underway with the new Clean Transit Advancement Campus (CTAC) on Federal Boulevard. Contactless Pronto payments launched summer 2024.
- Public comments: Catherine Rhodes raised concerns about MTS’s SANDAG headquarters purchase and potential FAA airport revenue for transit; Francine Maxwell requested a study on bus shelters; a caller praised MTS and appreciated the presentation.
- Committee members asked about safety at stops, harassment survey results, CTAC community engagement, and job opportunities. No action required.
Discussion Item: Grand Jury Response on Sidewalks (Item 15)
- Bethany Bizak, Transportation Director, reported record sidewalk repairs in FY24: over 2,000 sidewalk locations have been ramped, over 20,000 sidewalk locations have been sliced, and over 450 locations were permanently repaired by the CIP program.
- Jordan Moore, IBA, presented the proposed joint response to the Grand Jury report "Maintaining San Diego’s Sidewalks, But It’s Not My Sidewalk." The response disagrees in part or wholly with several findings and will not implement recommendations 2, 5, and 6 as proposed, while noting programs like the Safe Sidewalks Program.
- Public comments included support for the response and a funding proposal from Catherine Rhodes.
- Motion by Vice Chair Lakaba, seconded by Councilmember Foster. The proposed response was approved 3–0.
Discussion Item: CIP Mid-Year Monitoring Report (Item 16)
- Department of Finance presented the FY2025 CIP mid-year monitoring report, requesting $29.9 million in appropriations, de-appropriations, and reallocations. No General Fund asset adjustments included. Transnet cash balance projected at $36.2 million by June 30, 2025 (approximately 84% of the city's annual revenue). The report also covered bond-financed CIP projects and administrative budget authorities.
- IBA liaison Donnie Wynne highlighted Attachment 4 and an annual bond financing report requested by Councilmember Von Wilpert.
- Public comments: Blair Beekman discussed gas tax and public involvement; a caller praised monitoring but asked for simplification; Catherine Rhodes asked for full fund balance transparency.
- Motion by Vice Chair Lakaba, seconded by Councilmember Foster. The report/request was approved 3–0.
Key Outcomes
- Consent calendar approved unanimously (3–0).
- Grand Jury response approved unanimously (3–0).
- CIP mid-year monitoring report and budget revisions approved unanimously (3–0).
- Item 17 (Development Impact Fees Annual Report FY2023) was returned to staff and not heard.
- The next regularly scheduled meeting is January 30, 2025, at 1:00 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Well, good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to the Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee meeting of November 13th, 2024. Our committee liaison, Sarah Jordan will provide information and instruction for the public to participate in today's meeting. Sarah, please proceed. Thank you, Chair Whitburn. While members of the public are able to attend the meeting 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. We appreciate the public's cooperation. Chair Whitburn. Councilmember Foster. Councilmember Von Wilbert. Chair Whitburn. Also attending the meeting today is City Attorney Representative Dana Fairchild, Mayoral Representative Randy Wilde, and IBA Representative Donnie Newen. If you are in person, please complete a speaker slip located at the entrance of the committee room and place it on the speaker slip box at the table at the front of the room. Please do so in a timely manner to ensure proper meeting management. Members of the public can join the webinar by computer, tablet, or smartphone by accessing the link, which is listed online in the preamble language of the agenda on the city's webpage. To join the Zoom webinar by telephone, please dial 1669-2545252 and when prompted, input webinar ID 160-976-1371 pound. Please note that if you're watching via City TV 24 or online, there may be a delay. Blair Bigman can approach the lector, you will have two minutes. Hi, uh Blair Beekman. Happy Wednesday. I wrote yourselves a letter about memorial park issues. I'm going to be trying to take a different tact on the item. It's been uh in front of yourselves for months now. I'm I think you've been having some community conversations. So I think I'm going to change my tact and just ask that in those conversations. I think real questions are being asked. How can those questions become part of a more regular community process now? And a process of accessibility and understanding. So it's learning how to share that with community to build just intelligent conversation because that's how you develop good public safety practices and community understanding. Uh, you don't get community going off in a hundred different directions, saying a hundred different angry things at you then. You work on a very specific goal to explain well, we want to do this and this. And then the public can reply, well, we don't have to have all that technology to do this and this. And you guys have to be open to that concept. And you guys don't want to have that conversation. And we're trying to. Um good luck that it's can be trusted and safe and acceptable. Um that's what I'm working on. There's dairy lane issues. We got to, if we do this memorial park things well, we'll be ready for dairy lane. Uh, the rec centers of San Diego, um, they're going through a whole new surveillance uh tech with biometric tech, also. We have to learn how those conversations can be trusted and safe. Good luck in our efforts. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. That concludes public comment here in the committee room. So I'll begin the five-minute timer for all those in the virtual queue to indicate if they wish to speak, beginning with Terry Ann Skelly. Please unmute yourself and provide your comment. You will have two minutes. Good afternoon, active transportation and infrastructure committee.
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