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02 Staff Report.BPMP Update PREPARED BY: Ying Smith Transportation and Mobility Manager Reviewed by: Town Manager, Assistant Town Manager, Town Attorney, and Parks and Public Works Director 110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● (408) 354-6832 www.losgatosca.gov TOWN OF LOS GATOS COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT MEETING DATE: 09/01/2020 ITEM NO: 2 DATE: August 27, 2020 TO: Mayor and Town Council FROM: Laurel Prevetti, Town Manager SUBJECT: Adopt the Town of Los Gatos Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan Update RECOMMENDATION: Adopt the Town of Los Gatos Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan Update. BACKGROUND: At its February 21, 2017 meeting, the Town Council adopted the Town of Los Gatos Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (BPMP). The BPMP was developed after a substantial community outreach process and gained strong support from the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC). The BPMP provides a roadmap for investments that will enhance bicycle and pedestrian mobility throughout the Town and allows the Town to compete more successfully for a range of local, regional, and State funds for bicycle and pedestrian related improvement projects. DISCUSSION: Since the adoption of the BPMP, the Town has continuously made progress in implementing priority projects identified by the Council and the community. To date, several projects have been completed and more projects have entered the design phase. The initial success of the program has generated greater community support, as illustrated by feedback received in many community outreach events and in the Town’s budget priority survey in early 2020. In 2019, the Town launched Connect Los Gatos, a comprehensive program which visualizes the bicycle and pedestrian projects that promote connectivity and their relationship to improving the multimodal network throughout the Town. PAGE 2 OF 3 SUBJECT: Adopt the Town of Los Gatos Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan Update. DATE: August 27, 2020 DISCUSSION (continued): To continue broadening community engagement and better align the current bike and pedestrian priorities with the Town’s long-range goals, Town staff initiated an update to the BPMP. This effort focused on updating Chapter 4, Network Recommendations and Project Prioritization (see Attachment 1). The following project lists are included in the updated Chapter 4: Table 4.1 - Completed Projects: the accomplishments since the BPMP adoption in 2017 Table 4.2 - Connect Los Gatos Projects: prioritized bicycle and pedestrian improvements Table 4.3 - Bicycle Improvements Table 4.4 - Pedestrian Improvements Table 4.5 - Town Wide Improvements Table 4.6 - Town Wide Programs One exciting new feature of the Connect Los Gatos Program is an online interactive map that illustrates project information and location. This online platform allows staff to make timely updates about projects status, budget, and funding and facilitate community engagement. The map can be viewed here: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/25916db95cf949dda9f3c75c500d8dce As a way to engage the community and increase awareness for the Connect Los Gatos Program, staff conducted an Active Transportation Survey in July to better understand how residents are using the streets to meet their needs and invited suggestions on improvements which will make biking and walking safer for all. The survey was open to everyone in the community and was promoted via social media posts and the Connect Los Gatos website. The survey had a total of 117 participants. The respondents provided valuable feedback on their top priorities and specific locations of safety concerns. Making intersection crossings safer and building new biking and walking paths separate from traffic were consistently identified as top priorities by participants. Highway 9 crossing the Highway 17 ramps, Blossom Hill Road, and Kennedy Road were identified as additional key locations of concern for bicycle and pedestrian safety. The input has helped inform the project list update. CONCLUSION: The BPMP update is an important step in assuring the Town’s long-term success in implementing bicycle and pedestrian improvements. It also provides meaningful context to support future efforts in competing in funding opportunities. Staff recommends that the Town Council adopt the Town of Los Gatos Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan Update. PAGE 3 OF 3 SUBJECT: Adopt the Town of Los Gatos Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan Update. DATE: August 27, 2020 COORDINATION: This report was coordinated with the Complete Streets and Transportation Commission. At its June and July meetings, the Commission received progress reports from staff on the update, including a demonstration of the test version of the online Story Map. At its August 13, 2020 meeting, the Commission provided additional comments and voted unanimously to recommend approval of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan Update. FISCAL IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact associated with adoption of the Town of Los Gatos Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan Update. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT: This is not a project defined under CEQA, and no further action is required. 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. Attachment: 1. Draft Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan Update