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Staff Report.Local Roadway Safety Plan Progress Report PREPARED BY: Ying Smith Transportation and Mobility Manager Reviewed by: Assistant Town Manager, Town Attorney, and Parks and Public Works Director 110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 406-354-6832 www.losgatosca.gov TOWN OF LOS GATOS COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT MEETING DATE: 12/21/2021 ITEM NO: 12 DATE: December 16, 2021 TO: Mayor and Town Council FROM: Laurel Prevetti, Town Manager SUBJECT: Review the Local Roadway Safety Plan Progress Report RECOMMENDATION: Review the Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP) progress report. BACKGROUND: The Town received a Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) grant in an amount of $72,000 from Caltrans in 2019 to prepare a Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP). Preparing an LRSP provides an opportunity to address unique roadway safety needs in Los Gatos while contributing to the success of the State’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan. The LRSP is included in the Town’s adopted Fiscal Year (FY) 2020/21-2024/25 Capital Improvement Program (CIP). At the October 6, 2020 meeting, the Town Council approved a Request for Proposals and authorized the Town Manager to negotiate and execute a Consultant Agreement with highest scored proposer. Fehr & Peers was selected as the consultant to assist the Town in preparing the LRSP in an amount not to exceed $80,000. The LRSP will help establish a framework and process for identifying, analyzing, and prioritizing roadway safety improvements on local and rural streets. The LRSP will result in a toolbox of countermeasures to address the safety patterns as well as proposed projects to improve safety at key locations. Completing the LRSP will allow the Town to be eligible for applying and receiving additional HSIP funds in future years. DISCUSSION: The Town began the LRSP process in January 2021. To date, the project team, made up of Town staff and Fehr & Peers staff, has completed several major tasks, as summarized below. PAGE 2 OF 3 SUBJECT: Local Roadway Safety Plan Progress Report DATE: December 16, 2021 DISCUSSION (continued): 1. Vision Statement “The Town is fully committed to ending traffic-related deaths and injuries on Town streets. By taking a systemic safety approach, the Town will utilize targeted enforcement, improved street design, and public collaboration to achieve meaningful results in preventing traffic collisions.” 2. Existing Conditions and Safety Data Analysis: The latest available five-year collision data was analyzed and compared with contextual and roadway data. The project team also interviewed the Police Department and other stakeholders. 3. Collision Profiles: The project team identified the top ten profiles, which represent the collision characteristics and contextual factors associated with notable collision types occurring in Los Gatos based on the analysis of collision history. 4. Community Engagement: The project team provides updates and shares reports on the project webpage, regularly presents at the Complete Streets and Transportation Commission (CSTC) meetings, held a Safety Partners meeting, engaged the public at the Farmers’ Market pop up event, and conducted a community survey. 5. Priority Emphasis Areas: These emphasis areas were selected based on the safety data analysis, collision profile development, stakeholder input and evaluated with the Town’s CIP projects. • Blossom Hill Rd and Vasona Park Road • Tait Avenue: between Main Street and Los Gatos - Saratoga Road • S. Santa Cruz Avenue: between Main Street and Los Gatos - Saratoga Road • N. Santa Cruz Avenue: between Blossom Hill Road and Thurston Street • Los Gatos Boulevard: between Bennett Way to Garden Lane The Local Roadway Safety Plan Progress Report (Attachment 1) was prepared in a presentation format to provide a high-level summary of the above completed tasks. The following remaining tasks will be completed in early 2022: 6. Walk Audit: The project team plans to discuss the draft countermeasures in the Priority Emphasis Areas with the Safety Partners. 7. Countermeasures: The project team will identify a toolkit of the most useful countermeasures for identified emphasis areas and select the most effective candidates for specific priority locations. PAGE 3 OF 3 SUBJECT: Local Roadway Safety Plan Progress Report DATE: December 16, 2021 DISCUSSION (continued): 8. Final Report: The technical data, detailed analysis, and recommendations will be included in the Final Report. Staff plans to present the Final Report for the Town Council’s consideration in March 2022. Starting in 2022, a complete LRSP will be required for an agency to be eligible to apply for funding in the HSIP program. The Town’s LRSP will be completed in time for the Town to be eligible for the next cycle in spring 2022. CONCLUSION: Staff recommends the Town Council review the Local Roadway Safety Plan Progress Report and provide feedback. COORDINATION: The CSTC has received regular updates on the project progress and provided input. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT: This is not a project defined under CEQA, and no further action is required. Attachment: 1. Local Roadway Safety Plan Progress Report