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CC - Item 3C - Staff Report AB 1475 r fly �¢ �. �� ' st of ff,eport TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS ROSEMEAD CITY COUNCIL t CJ A FROM: FRANK G. TRIPEPI, CITY MANAGER DATE: JUNE 2, 1999 RE: RESOLUTION NO. 99-27- SUPPORTING AB 1475 (SOTO) CREATING A COMPETITIVE STATEWIDE GRANT PROGRAM FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS IN AN EFFORT TO INCREASE BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY AROUND SCHOOLS Attached for your consideration is a letter from Assemblymember Nell Soto requesting the Council's support for AB 1475. The bill will target as much as $20 million a year statewide to assist local efforts to increase bike and pedestrian safety around schools. The Bill would require that Caltrans establish and administer a "Safe Routes to School" Program and use Federal funds to do so. Also attached is a copy of the bill and the latest analysis. RECOMMENDATION If the City Council is in support of the Legislation, it would be appropriate to adopt Resolution No. 99-27 and direct the City Clerk to make the necessary notificaitons. FGT:js Attachment COUNCIL AGENDA JUN 081999 ITEM No. C J RESOLUTION NO. 99-27 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD TO SUPPORT AB 1475 (SOTO) CREATING A COMPETITIVE STATEWIDE GRANT PROGRAM FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS, IN AN EFFORT TO INCREASE BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY AROUND SCHOOLS WHEREAS, AB 1475 (Soto) would require Caltrans to establish and administer a "Safe Routes to School" Program using Federal Funds(Transportation Equity Act of the 2I st Century(TEA-21), for bicycle and pedestrian safety, and traffic calming measures (i.e., commuter shortcuts, speeding motorists, traffic spillover in residential communities, etc.); WHEREAS, the bill would require Caltrans to make grants available to entities based on the results of a statewide competition that requires the submission of proposals for funding. The proposals would then be rated on all of the following factors: 1. The demonstrated needs of the applicant; 2. The potential of the proposal to reduce child injuries and fatalities; 3. The potential of the proposal that encourages increased walking and bicycling of students; 4. Completion of a "Safe Routes to School" plan that requires the identification of safety hazards, current and potential walking and bicycling routes to school and the involvement of students, parents, teachers, local transportation agencies, law enforcement agencies, and school officials in the development of the Plan. WHEREAS, the bill would also require Federal transportation funds to be made available for use in approximately equal amounts on state highways, local roads, and approved projects; WHEREAS, AB 1475 provides an opportunity for the City to develop a comprehensive program that provides for the peace and safety of bicycle riders, school children, and pedestrians. The successful award of funds for such a program will reduce the use of General Fund monies to help enhance the quality of life for residents. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED the City Council of the City of Rosemead hereby supports AB 1475 (Soto) which would create a competitive grant program that helps to increase bike and pedestrian safety around schools, and traffic calming measures. PASSED,APPROVED AND ADOPTED THIS 8TH DAY OF JUNE, 1999. MAYOR ATTEST: CITY CLERK STATE CAPITOL MEMBER,COMMITTEES MITTEES ON: POBOX 9421349 llcAs22pmn y •AGING AND LONG TERM CARE ARE SACRAMENTO,CA 94249-0001 •EDUCATION (916) 021 GOVERNMENTAL• ORGANIZATION FAX pm)31FCalifornia `SQvtzIa±urP •LOCAL GOVERNMENT DISTRICT OFFICE TRANSPORTATION 304 - `, WEST F 62 ONTARIO,(9 )9 CA- 91762 i EI"1 (909)9)9-4-66 ]- , FAX(909)984£696 NELL SOTO ASSEMBLYMEMBER,SIXTY-FIRST DISTRICT May 11, 1999 TO: California Mayors FR: Assemblymember Nell Soto T_ am writing to request your city's support for AB 1475 - the Safe Routes to School Bill of 1999. This bill will be on the Assembly Floor in a few weeks. This critical legislation will target as much as $20 million a year statewide to assist local efforts to make it safer for kids to walk and bicycle to schools all across California. The bill raises no new taxes, gives local governments and the public more local control over federal transportation safety dollars, and will help prevent needless deaths and injuries to the thousands of California schoolchildren who walk and bicycle to school. This issue has been a matter of great concern to local elected officials due to increased traffic in communities throughout California. It is simply not safe to allow children to walk or bike to school anymore, a fact that is reflected in trends that show that fewer and fewer children do. It is critically important that we once again make our streets safe for school children. We must slow the speed of traffic in neighborhoods, improve sidewalks and crosswalks, add bicycle lanes on streets and create neighborhood bicycle and pedestrian trails and greenways. These objectives are critical to the safety, economic vitality and quality of life of communities across the state. Already, more than 50 organizations are supporters of AB 1475, including the California PTA, the cities of Los Angeles, Oakland, Santa Rosa, Auburn, and San Francisco, Association of California School Administrators, California Center for Child Injury Prevention, California Teachers Association, the American Planning Association, and regional transportationagencies in the Bay Area, Santa Cruz County, and Sonoma County. I ask for the support of your city by the adoption of a resolution similar to those enclosed. Nearly every city in this state has experienced the tragedy of having a child's life cut short due to unsafe streets and dangerous routes to school. I hope you will join me in working to prevent such tragedies in the future. If you adopt a resolution, would you please send a copy to my office in Sacramento. Thank you for your help. Mme, Rented on Recycled Paper AB1475 SUPPORTERS Bay Area Metropolitan Transportation Commission Association of Bay Area Governments Sonoma County Transportation Authority Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission Local Government Commission City of Los Angeles City and County of San Francisco City of Oakland City of Santa Rosa City of Auburn City of Poway County of Marin California Parent Teachers Association Association of California School Administrators California Center for Child Injury Prevention California Coalition for Children ' s Safety and Health California Teachers Association Latino issues Forum West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee Emergency Nurses Association - East Bay Chapter San Francisco PTA San Francisco Pedestrian Safety Task Force Oakland Pedestrian Safety Program Los Angeles Unified School District United Teachers of Les Angeles Local Initiatives Support Corporation (Los Angeles) Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative LEARN - Los Angeles Educational Alliance for Restructuring Now Lagunitas Unified School DistrioL (Marin County) American Lung Association Surface Transportation Policy Project California Bicycle Coalition Planning and Conservation League Urban Habitat Program (San Francisco Bay Area) California Rails to Trails Conservancy Sustainable El Cerrito (San Francisco Bay Area) Sierra Club Environmental Defense Fund L.A. Walks Walk Sacramento Bikeable Communities Inc. Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition LIN 32 '99 12:3t=N GONSALVES & SON 0.b 9 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 28, 1999 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE-t999-2000 REGULAR SESSION ASSEMBLY BILL No. 1475 Introduced by Assembly Member Soto (Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Villaraigosa) (Coauthors: Assembly Members Aroner, Davis, Dutra, Kuehl, Lampert, Longville, Scott, Strom-Martin, and Wiggins) (Coauthor: Senator Johnston) February 26, 1999 An act to amend Sections 2331 and 2333 of, and to add Section 2333.5 to, the Streets and Highways Code, relating to highways. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1475, as amended, Soto. Highways; Safe Routes tO School program. Existing law requires that certain federal transportation funds received by the state be spent on specified transportation programs authorized under federal law. The funds are required to be made available for use in approximately equal amounts on state highways and on local roads. This bill would require the Department of Transportation to establish and administer a "Safe Routes to School" program pursuant to authority granted under specified federal law and to use federal transportation funds for construction of bicycle and pedestrian safety and traffic calming tom:._ JUN 02 la:31PI9 GONSPLVES & SON r AB 1475 —2— The bill would require the deparunent to make grants available to etztities local governmental agencies under the program based on the results of a statewide competition that requires submission of proposals for funding and rates those proposals on specified factors. The bill world require the specified federal transportation funds to be made available for use in approximately equal amounts on state highways, local roads, and the program that the bill would create. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. The people of the State of California do enact as follows: 1 SECTION 1. Section 2331 , of the Streets and 2 Highways Code is amended to read: 3 2331. The Highway Safety Act of 1973 (Title II of P.L. 4 93-87, 87 Stat. 250) hasauthorized appropriations for a 5 number of programs relating to projects for the 6 improvement of highway safety , and the reduction of 7 traffic congestion. Such programs consist of the 8 rail-highway crossings program. (Section 203 of the 9 Highway Safety Act of 1973), the pavement marking 10 demonstration program (Sec. 151. Title 23, U.S.C.); 11 projects for high-hazard locations, including, but not 12 limited to, projects for bicycle and pedestrian safety and 13 traffic calming measures inthose locations (Sec. 152, Title 14 23, U.S.C.); program for the elimination of roadside 15 obstacles (Sec. 153, Title 23, U.S.C.); and the federal-aid 16 safer roads demonstration program (Sec. 405, Title 23, • 17 U.S.C.). The purposeof this chapter is to implement these 18 programs in this state. The commission, the department, 19 boards of supervisors, and city councils are authorized to 20 do all things necessary in their respective jurisdictions to 21 secure and expend suchfederal funds in accordance with 22 the intent of the federal act and of this chapter. 23 SEC. 2. Section 2333 of the Streets and Highways 24 Code is amended to read: 25 2333. In each annual proposed budget prepared 26 pursuant to Section 165, there shall be included an 9E JUN 92 '99 12:32P11 GONSPLVES & SON —3 — AB 1475 1 amount equal to the estimated apportionment available 2 from the federal government. for the programs described 3 in Sections 2331 and 2333.5. The commission may allocate 4 a portion of those funds each year for use on city streets 5 and county roads. It is the intent of the Legislature that 6 the commission allocate the total amount received from 7 the federal government for all of the programs described 8 in Sections 2331 and 2333.5 in a manner that, over a period 9 of five years, makes those funds available for use in 10 approximately equal amounts on state highways , local 11 roads, and the program established under Section 2333.5. 12 In addition, it is the intent of the Legislature that the 73 commission shall apportion for use, in financing the 14 railroad grade separation program described in Section 15 190, a substantial portionof the funds received pursuant 16 to the federal rail-highway crossings program. 17 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the share of 18 any railroad of the cost of maintaining railroad crossing 19 protection facilities funded, in whole or in part, by funds 20 described in Section 2331 shall be the same share it would 21 be if no federal funds were involved and the crossing 22 protection facilities were funded pursuant to an order of 23 the Public Utilities Commission pursuant to Section 1202 24 of the Public Utilities Code; and in case of dispute, the 25 Public Utilities Commission shall determine that share 26 pursuant to this section. 27 SEC. 3. Section 2333.5 is added to the Streets and 28 Highways Code, to read: 29 2333.5. (a) The department. .shall establish and 30 administer a "Safe Routes: to School" program pursuant 31 to the authority granted under Section 152 of Title 23 of 32 the United States Code te—and shall use federal 33 transportation funds for construction of bicycle and 34 pedestrian safety and traffic calming-measures-projects. 35 (b) The department shall make grants available to 36 entities—local governmental agencies under the program 37 based on the results ofa statewide competition that 38 requires submission of proposals for funding and rates 39 those proposals on all of the following factors: 40 (1) Demonstrated needs of the applicant. 98 P • • JUN 02 '59 i2:32PM GONSPLVES & SON P.5/3 / AB 1,475 —4- 1 (2) Potential of the proposal for reducing child injuries 2 and fatalities. 3 (3) Potential of the proposal for encouraging 4 increased walking and bicycling among students. 5 (9) Cemplct e.. of a "Safi. Re...er. to School" Fla.. that 6 7 (A} 8 (4) Identification of safety hazards. • 9 (I3) 10 (5) Identification of current and potential walking and 11 bicycling routes to school. 12 13 (6) Consultation and support for projects by students, 14 parents, teachers, local transportation agencies, law 15 enforcement agencies, and school officials. • • O 9A JUN 02 '99 12:22Pr1 GONSgLVES & SON ab 1475 aapp 19990428 Date of Hearing: April 28,1999 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Carole Migden. Chairwoman AB 1475 (Soto) - As Introduced: February 26,1999 Policy Committee: Transportation Vote: 12-5 Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: No Reimbursable: SUMMARY: This bill requires Caltrans to establish a "Safe Routes to School (SRS)" program whereby federal transportation funds are granted to local entities to improve student safety from traffic around schools, as follows: 1) Changes the 50/50 split between state and local entities for the $58 million annually apportioned from the federal Hazard Elimination/Safety (HES) program to a 1/3each split for state, locals. and the SRS Program. 2) Explicitly makes projects for bicycle and pedestrian safety and traffic calming around schools eligible for HES funding under the federal Transportation Equity Act for the 21St Century (TEA-21 ). FISCAL EFFECT. • 1) Annually earmarks $19.3 million of federal HES funds to the SRS program. (Federal Funds.) 2) Annually reduces HES funding to state and local entities for other HES purposes by $9.7 million each. (Federal Funds.) COMMENTS: 1) Rationale. The bits sponsors, the Surface Transportation Policy Project and the California Bicycle Ccalition, argue that a larger share of existing transportation funding needs to be earmarked to improve student safety on the streets and sidewalks around schools. They note that California ranks 12th among states in child pedestrian fatality rates and that the second leading cause of death for children 5-12 is being hit by a car while walking. JUN 02 '99 12:23PM CONSALVES s SON 2) Cost Effectiveness. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials has determined that improved pedestrian safety projects are relatively cost effective means of improving safety with a benefit to cost ratio about six times greater than that of traditional highway safety improvement projects. Analysis Prepared by: Steve Archibald 1 APPR. 1(916)319-2081 SUN OE '99 1E:33PM GONSRLVES Z SON STATUS CA AB 1475 AUTHOR: Soto Vil:araigosa TITLE: Highways: Safe Routes to School program FILE: 171 LOCATION: Assembly Third Reading File SUMMARY: Requires the Department of Transportation to establish and administer a Safe Routes to School program pursuant to authority granted under specified federal law and to use federal transportation funds for construction of bicycle and pedestrian • safety and traffic calming projects. STATUS: 02/26/1999 INTRODUCED. 03/18/1999 To ASSEMBLY Committee on TRANSPORTATION. 04/12/1999 From ASSEMBLY Committee on TRANSPORTATION: Do pass to Committee on APPROPRIATIONS. 04/28/1999 In ASSEMBLY Committee on APPROPRIATIONS: To Suspense File. 05/26/1999 From ASSEMBLY Committee on APPROPRIATIONS- Do pass as amended. 05/28/1999 In ASSEMBLY. Read second time and amended. To second reading. 06/01/1999 In ASSEMBLY. Read second time. To third reading.