Staff Report
PREPARED BY: MATT MORLEY
Director of Parks and Public Works
Reviewed by: Town Manager, Town Attorney, and Finance Director
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: 03/07/2017
ITEM NO: 7
DATE: FEBRUARY 21, 2017
TO: MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL
FROM: LAUREL PREVETTI, TOWN MANAGER
SUBJECT: ADOPT THE TOWN OF LOS GATOS BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN MASTER
PLAN
RECOMMENDATION:
Adopt the Town of Los Gatos Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan.
BACKGROUND:
On April 5, 2016, the Town Council approved a consultant services agreement with Placeworks,
a planning and mobility consulting firm, to prepare the first Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan
(BPMP) for the Town of Los Gatos. At that time the Town Council also established a Capital
Improvement Project in the amount of $120,000 for the BPMP, with funding from a County
Health Department Grant ($40,000), the City of Monte Sereno ($7,500), and the Town’s Traffic
Impact Mitigation Fee Fund ($72,500) to fund consultant services and staff project
management costs for preparation of the BPMP.
The Town of Los Gatos does not currently have an adopted Bicycle or Pedestrian Master Plan,
although both the Town General Plan and Town Sustainability Plan have a number of policies
and action items that have provided a foundation for developing a BPMP. The Bicycle and
Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC) identified the development of a BPMP as a top
strategic goal shortly after it was established, and has been a major work item for the BPAC for
nearly a year.
Beyond providing a roadmap for investments that will enhance bicycle and pedestrian mobility
throughout the Town, adoption of a BPMP will allow the Town to participate more
PAGE 2 OF 6
SUBJECT: ADOPT THE TOWN OF LOS GATOS BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN MASTER PLAN
FEBRUARY 21, 2017
S:\COUNCIL REPORTS\2017\03-07-17\Adopton of Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan\Staff Report Final.docx 3/2/2017 3:53 PM SH
BACKGROUND (cont’d):
competitively in a range of local, regional, and State funds for bicycle and pedestrian related
improvement projects. This is particularly timely considering the recent approval of the Santa
Clara County Measure B Transportation Funding Measure, which will allocate $250 million over
the next 30 years for bicycle and pedestrian projects Countywide.
DISCUSSION:
The scope of work for the BPMP included the following key components:
Review of existing Town bicycle and pedestrian related documents and initiatives,
including General Plan, Complete Streets, Safe Routes to Schools, etc.
Review of other agency bicycle and pedestrian policies and plans for coordination
opportunities (VTA, Caltrans, Santa Clara County, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space
District, Vision Zero, and neighboring cities).
Inventory of key features of the bicycle and pedestrian network, including mapping of
bicycle and pedestrian facilities.
Identification of gaps in existing bicycle and pedestrian network.
Identification of opportunities to enhance the safety and accessibility of the bicycle and
pedestrian network.
Bicycle and pedestrian collision analysis.
Bicycle and pedestrian counts at key locations.
Coordination with Safe Routes to Schools.
Development of recommended policies and programs.
Identification of proposed capital projects.
Development of preliminary cost estimates.
Prioritization of projects and programs.
Identification of funding sources.
The BPAC was extensively involved in supporting and providing direction on the development
of the BPMP as the above items were refined for nearly a year. The BPAC held community
meetings in July and September to obtain input from the public on key issues, and staff and
Placeworks provided numerous presentations and reports to the BPAC at both regular and
special meetings. An online survey generated nearly 900 responses and provided additional
community input on bicycle and pedestrian issues. BPAC and community members also
participated in the Town’s first bicycle and pedestrian counts which were conducted in
September of last year, shortly after Los Gatos students returned to school following summer
recess.
PAGE 3 OF 6
SUBJECT: ADOPT THE TOWN OF LOS GATOS BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN MASTER PLAN
FEBRUARY 21, 2017
S:\COUNCIL REPORTS\2017\03-07-17\Adopton of Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan\Staff Report Final.docx 3/2/2017 3:53 PM SH
DISCUSSION (cont’d):
Most recently, the BPAC identified priority bicycle and pedestrian projects (including Safe
Routes to Schools Projects) through a facilitated exercise at a December, 2016 Special BPAC
Meeting. This was followed by a similar exercise to prioritize priority goals, policies and actions
at a Special Meeting in January 2017. The BPAC’s specific priority recommendations from these
exercises are included in the BPMP and identified in the highlights section below. Community
input on the project recommendations within the final plan has also been collected through an
online mapping tool that was advertised extensively using the BPMP interest group email list
and the Town’s various social media outlets. This input is summarized in Attachment 5.
The table below highlights the opportunities for public input at community meetings :
Public Meetings
Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan
Community Meeting—Existing Conditions July 7, 2016
Volunteer Bike/Ped Count Training September 7, 2016
Community Meeting—Network and Policies September 8, 2016
BPAC Special Meeting—Initial Project
Recommendations
November 3, 2016
Safe Routes To Schools Education Subcommittee
Presentation
December 7, 2016
BPAC Special Meeting—Project Prioritization December 15, 2016
BPAC Special Meeting—Goals, Actions and Policies January 17, 2017
BPAC Special Meeting—Final Plan Review February 2, 2017
Parks Commission Review February 6, 2017
Planning Commission Review February 8, 2017
Transportation & Parking Commission Review February 9, 2017
Town Council March 7, 2017
Comments from Town Commissions are contained in Attachment 3. Attachment 4 contains
other public comments received during the p rocess.
PAGE 4 OF 6
SUBJECT: ADOPT THE TOWN OF LOS GATOS BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN MASTER PLAN
FEBRUARY 21, 2017
S:\COUNCIL REPORTS\2017\03-07-17\Adopton of Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan\Staff Report Final.docx 3/2/2017 3:53 PM SH
DISCUSSION (cont’d):
Final Draft Plan
The Final Draft Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan is organized into six chapters (Attachment 1)
including comprehensive appendices (Attachment 2) as follows:
1. Introduction and Master Plan Summary
2. Existing Conditions and Needs Assessment
3. Goals, Policies and Actions
4. Network Recommendations and Project Prioritization
5. Implementation and Funding
6. Appendices
A summary of the major highlights and recommendations in the BPMP, which reflect significant
deliberation by the BPAC, include the following:
Key Goals, Policies and Actions
Improve safety for bikes and pedestrians.
Eliminate serious injuries and fatalities (concepts embodied in Vision Zero).
Encourage walking and biking to reduce vehicle trips and provide congestion relief.
Develop a cohesive, connected, low stress bicycle and pedestrian network.
Provide high quality bicycle facilities.
Position the Town to compete for bike and pedestrian grants.
Provide a roadmap for future investments in bike and pedestrian infrastructure and
programs.
Provide guidance for conditioning new development where bicycle and pedestrian
improvements are indicated.
Support Safe Routes to Schools study recommendations.
High Priority Bike Recommendations
Construct a direct connection to the Los Gatos Creek trail from Highway 9.
Install “sharrow” pavement markings (shared bike/vehicular lanes) on University
Avenue.
Develop a protected bicycle lane (cycle track) network encompassing portions of Los
Gatos Boulevard, Blossom Hill Road, Roberts Road, and Winchester Boulevard.
Construct a new Bike/Ped bridge across Highway 17 to connect East and West Los
Gatos.
PAGE 5 OF 6
SUBJECT: ADOPT THE TOWN OF LOS GATOS BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN MASTER PLAN
FEBRUARY 21, 2017
S:\COUNCIL REPORTS\2017\03-07-17\Adopton of Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan\Staff Report Final.docx 3/2/2017 3:53 PM SH
DISCUSSION (cont’d):
Improve existing east/west connections across Highway 17 at Highway 9, Blossom
Hill Road, and Lark Avenue, particularly where on/off ramps create conflicts
between pedestrians and cyclists.
High Priority Pedestrian Recommendations
Enhance existing Main Street crosswalks with high visibility striping and/or flashing
beacons, especially in the vicinity of Los Gatos High School.
Enhance mid-block and uncontrolled crosswalks on Santa Cruz and University
Avenues with high visibility striping, flashing beacons, improved lighting, and better
site distance visibility.
Improve pedestrian movements at the existing Highway 9 intersections of Santa
Cruz Avenue, University Avenue and Massol Avenue.
Install infill sidewalks along collectors and arterials, targeting designated school
walking routes.
The Final Draft Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan and Appendices are available for review or
download at the following links:
Final Draft Plan: http://www.losgatosca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/18818
Appendices: http://www.losgatosca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/18817
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends that the Town Council adopt the Town of Los Gatos Bicycle and Pedestrian
Master Plan.
ALTERNATIVES:
Alternatives to the recommendation provided above include:
1. Do not adopt the BPMP. This is not recommended as adoption of a BPMP by the Town
Council will provide a roadmap for future bike and pedestrian investments and will enhance
the Town’s competitiveness in pursuing grant funding for a range of bicycle and pedestrian
improvement projects and programs.
2. Adopt the Plan with changes. The Town Council may request changes to the Plan prior to
formal adoption.
PAGE 6 OF 6
SUBJECT: ADOPT THE TOWN OF LOS GATOS BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN MASTER PLAN
FEBRUARY 21, 2017
S:\COUNCIL REPORTS\2017\03-07-17\Adopton of Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan\Staff Report Final.docx 3/2/2017 3:53 PM SH
ALTERNATIVES (cont’d):
3. Return the BPMP to the BPAC for additional work. This is not recommended as the Plan
reflects substantial Commission and community input and was strongly endorsed by the
BPAC, Planning, Parks, and Transportation and Parking Commissions.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with adoption of the Town of Los Gatos Bicycle and
Pedestrian Master Plan.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:
This is not a project defined under CEQA, a notice of exemption will be filed . Any bicycle and
pedestrian projects implemented following the adoption of the BPMP would be subject to
project level environmental review and assessment consistent with CEQA requirements.
Attachments:
1. Final Draft Plan: http://www.losgatosca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/18924
2. Appendices: http://ca-losgatos.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/18925
3. Comments from Town Commissions
4. Public comments
5. Summary of Online Mapping Tool comments