12 Attachment 3 BPOC Community Engagement Plan
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Highway 17 Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing Community Engagement Plan
Revised Draft
November 18, 2020
Connect Los Gatos
Connect Los Gatos is a program of bicycle and pedestrian projects that promote connectivity and
improve the multimodal network throughout the Town. The program will expand access and improve
safety for key community destination points. Connect Los Gatos is aimed at making it easier and safer
for all to bike and walk in Los Gatos. The Highway 17 Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing projects is
one of the Connect Los Gatos projects.
In the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (BPMP) Update, adopted by the Town Council in September
2020, Prioritized Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvement Projects Table 4.2 are branded as Connect Los
Gatos Projects. These projects will improve the Town’s multimodal network by providing safe and
lower stress facilities, closing connectivity gaps, and providing safe crossings. As these prioritized
projects are advanced, they will be supported under the Connect Los Gatos Community Engagement
Program.
Community Engagement Goals
This document builds upon the original Connect Los Gatos Community Engagement Plan adopted by
Town Council on March 3rd, 2020. In comparison to the program-level plan, this project-level plan
establishes a framework, describes specific outreach approach and tools, while still allows flexibility in
applying the tools. The purpose of this Community Engagement Plan is to maximize the opportunities
for all stakeholders to provide meaningful feedback.
The plan provides a “toolbox” of options for outreach to the community. Outreach tools will be
tailored to the specific project phase. The Town of Los Gatos is committed to creating bike and
pedestrian connectivity projects that aligns with local needs and mobility priorities. Community input
will be integral to each phase of the Highway 17 Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing project process.
Key community engagement goals include:
1. Increasing community awareness of the mobility, safety and design challenges and
opportunities for the Highway 17 Bike and Ped Overcrossing (BPOC) Project;
2. Providing access to project information and opportunities for meaningful participation;
3. Offering a range of communication and engagement tools to match interest and preferences;
4. Ensuring the Project reflects community priorities; and
5. Obtaining community support for the Project design and funding
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Project Background, Purpose and Goals
Highway 17 is a barrier for bicyclists and pedestrians wanting to cross from one side of Los Gatos to the
other. Within the Town limits, there are five crossings from north to south, Lark Avenue, Blossom Hill
Road, Highway 9, an existing pedestrian bridge, and Main Street. The existing Blossom Hill Road bridge
is situated near the middle among the five crossings. It provides suboptimal access for a variety of
trips: school, work, shopping and recreation. This is a suggested route included in the Los Gatos-
Monte Sereno Safe Routes to School “Walk & Roll” program.
At the March 3, 2020 meeting, the Town Council approved the project purpose and need, and
authorized staff to proceed with design alternatives for a separate bicycle and pedestrian overcrossing.
Establishing the purpose and need at the onset of the project development phase helps to ensure the
project reflects the Council’s and community’s vision and priorities. The approved project purpose and
need are:
Purpose: The project would improve bicycle and pedestrian mobility across Highway 17 in the
vicinity of the Blossom Hill Road overcrossing. The project includes a focus on improving safety
for all modes of travel and creating a safe route to schools while promoting active
transportation. Additionally, the project would result in reduced traffic congestion and
greenhouse gas emissions by providing comfortable mobility alternatives.
Need: With two travel lanes in each direction, carrying upwards of 63,000 vehicles per day,
Highway 17 creates both a physical and psychological barrier for both pedestrians and bicyclists
as it divides the Town in two. Blossom Hill Road is one of only a few roadways that provide
east-west connectivity across the highway.
Stakeholders
This is a project that would benefit the immediate neighborhoods, the entire Los Gatos community,
and a sub-region near Los Gatos. Identifying the key stakeholders will help ensure the community
engagement efforts are comprehensive, focused, and effective. The community engagement efforts
include engaging with the following stakeholders for project awareness, initial feedback, and
alternatives and concept design input:
• Town Council
• Complete Street & Transportation Commission (CSTC)
• Schools and school community
o Los Gatos Union School District and schools
o Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District and Los Gatos High School
o Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Safe Routes to School (SR2S)
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o Students and parents
• Residents, visitors and workers in Los Gatos
• Specific and under-represented populations:
o Seniors
o Disabled people and people with mobility limitations
o Low-income households
o People with limited English proficiency
• Residents in Monte Sereno
• Immediately Adjacent Neighborhoods: Ohlone Court, Serra Court
• Caltrans
• Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
• Utility companies:
o San Jose Water
o PG&E Electrical
o Comcast
Complete Street & Transportation Commission
The Complete Streets & Transportation Commission (CSTC) is a key stakeholder in communicating with
the community, advising the Council, and providing feedback to staff. They are advisory to the Town
Council in matters pertaining to current trends and experiences in enhancing all modes of travel. They
review Town transportation infrastructure, including bike and pedestrian pathways, with neighboring
jurisdictions. They also review relevant grant applications, particularly transportation projects around
schools. This includes enhancing safe routes to schools efforts. The CSTC also reviews and updates
Town master plans, such as the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan.
The CSTC and the former Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission have been actively engaged
since the beginning of this project, including conducting a field meeting, leading a Silicon Valley Bicycle
Coalition - Town infrastructure bike ride, conducting bicycle and pedestrian counts, and providing input
at public and Commission meetings. In the next phase of the project design, the CSTC will play an even
more vital role in representing the community, providing input to the project team, and advising the
Town Council in key decisions. The project team will provide updates to the CSTC regularly at its
monthly meetings and hold special workshops and field visits if necessary. At the monthly meetings,
the CSTC will provide feedback to the project team on all aspects of project design, especially in the
topics of user experience, environmental analysis, and neighborhood impacts.
The CSTC meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month at 7:30am and they are open to
the public. The agenda center for the CSTC is available on the Town’s website. Community members
who are interested in project updates are encouraged to participate in the commission meetings.
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Project Milestones
In early 2021, the Town will start the engineering and design phases of this Project. A significant
amount of work needs to be done before reaching any final conclusions on the design of the Project.
There will be many opportunities for the community to continue to be involved in this project moving
forward. The Town is committed to open communication about this Project and its impact on the
community. Following are key milestones and tasks involving community input and Council Direction.
Project Phase Schedule
Begin Preliminary Design April 2021
Decision on bridge architecture type July - October 2021
Preliminary Engineering and Environmental Approval April 2021 – April 2023
Development of plans, specifications, and cost estimates February 2023 - Late 2023
Complete final design Early 2024
Construction (pending funding availability) 2024 – December 2025
Outreach Approach and Tools
The outreach tools are based on the experience with the Connect Los Gatos program engagement. The
tools that have shown to be most effective include the project webpage, social media, virtual
meetings, and notification tools such as doorhangers. Not all tools outlined in the plan will be used at
any given time. Outreach tools listed here will be tailored to the specific project phase and overall
project goals.
TOOLS DESCRIPTION EVENTS
Stakeholders
Engagement
Identifying the key stakeholders,
including Town Council,
community partners, and
commissioners, that have a
greater understanding of local
active transportation issues in
the community. Engagement
with key stakeholders for project
awareness, initial feedback, input
from community workshops,
alternatives and concept design.
Public meetings:
Town Council – key decisions
Complete Streets & Transportation
Commission – regular updates
Parks Commission – periodic updates
Monte Sereno Better Streets Commission –
periodic updates
Safe Routes to Schools – periodic updates
and discussions
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Community
Meetings and
Workshops
Meetings and workshops to
engage a broad segment of the
public with proposed project
awareness, input, feedback, and
opportunities for engaged
participation. Notifications by
mail via social media, and the
“Notify Me” email list, as well as
door hangers and postcards are
important tools to use to
advertise these meetings.
Public meetings and workshops at key
milestones.
Formats: online and in-person community
meetings, group meetings with target
audience, such as schools and neighborhoods.
Pop-Up Events
and Messages
Pop-ups are an informal
approach used to increase
community participation and
awareness by setting up booths
or posters at community wide
events. Informal outreach
provides an opportunity to
engage a diverse set of
community members otherwise
missed by traditional meetings.
Pop-Up Events:
Back-to-School events
Los Gatos Holiday Parade
Farmer’s market
Spring Into Green event
Traditional ways of messaging may include
posters at public locations, businesses, and
movable message signs.
Online
Engagement
and Social
Media
Online and social media
engagement will deliver project
information to the community at
large. The project webpage will
be the central place for
information. This allows for
consistent, accessible
information for all stakeholders.
Webpages will include
community meetings, photos,
graphics, maps, and reports.
Project Webpage:
https://www.losgatosca.gov/2556/Hwy-
17-Bicycle-Pedestrian-Overcrossing
NotifyMe Emails & Text Messages
Project Email Address
Social media:
Twitter
Facebook
What’s New
Town website front page
NextDoor
Town Instagram
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Targeted
Outreach
Focused outreach in areas where
under-represented residents will
be reached. Provide contact
information in multiple
languages, special outreach
efforts to seniors, disabled
people, low-income households,
and the youth.
Youth Commission
Community & Senior Services Commission
Emails and e-newsletter to schools
and Safe Routes to School (SR2S)
Contact information in Russian, Mandarin
Chinese, Spanish, and Vietnamese
Information included in LGS Recreation and
other community partner information
materials
Data Collection
Data collection provides baseline
data and an assessment of
existing conditions of bicycle and
pedestrian infrastructure for the
BPOC project.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Counts
User interviews and surveys
Information Sharing and Transparency
The project webpage will be the central place for information, including project updates, meetings
announcements, documents, and reports. Providing one central place for information allows for
consistent and accessible information for all stakeholders. This is a key component to achieving fair
and equal transparency for all community members. The webpage also provides contact information
for anyone who wants to communicate with the project team directly.
NotifyMe is a useful tool embedded in the project webpage. Interested individuals may sign up for this
noticing service to receive either a text message or e-mail each time there is new information posted
to the project webpage.
Information posted on social media shall be available on the project webpage, per the Town’s Social
Media Policy.
Engagement Plan Updates
The Plan will need to be updated periodically to ensure the proper tools are being utilized to maximize
public awareness and participation at the BPOC project specific level and to add tools as needed. Town
staff will periodically update the Plan and adjust engagement activities as needed to continue to
maximize authentic participation by residents and workers representing a diverse background.