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CC - ACTION ITEM: (1) Approval of the Conceptual Plans for the Better Overland & Safer Fox Hills Project (Project); (2) Authorization to Apply to the Active Transportation Program for the Project with a 20% Local Match Commitment; (3) Authorization to Apply to Other Grant Programs; (4) Adoption of a Resolution Certifying a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Exemption for the Project; and (5) Direction Regarding Community Outreach & Stakeholder Engagement As Appropriate.
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Meeting Date: May 28, 2024
Contact Person/Dept.: Thomas Check/Public Works
Phone Number: (310) 253-5627
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [ ] General Fund: Yes [X] No [ ]
Attachments: Yes [X] No [ ]
Public Notification: E-Mail: (05/22/2024) Meetings and Agendas - City Council
Department Approval: Yanni Demitri, Public Works Director/City Engineer (05/16/2024)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommend the City Council (1) approve the conceptual plans for the Better Overland & Safer Fox Hills Project; (2) authorize staff to apply to the Active Transportation Program (ATP) for the Project with a 20% local match commitment; (3) authorize staff to apply to other grant programs for the Project; (4) adopt a resolution certifying a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) exemption for the Project; and (5) provide direction regarding continuing community outreach & stakeholder engagement.
BACKGROUND
In March 2023, the City received a $842,496 Measure M Multi-Year Subregional Program (MSP) grant from Los Angeles Metro for the design of the Overland-Playa Bicycle & Pedestrian Improvements Project (Overland Project). Separately, as part of the Fiscal Year 2021-2022 budget, Council City authorized $780,000 for the design of the Fox Hills Neighborhood Traffic Management Plan and Bikeways Project (Fox Hills Project) using a combination of Measure M local return and general funds. The goal of both projects is to deliver safety, mobility, and traffic calming improvements on the Overland Ave corridor and throughout the Fox Hills neighborhood, particularly for vulnerable roadway users such as pedestrians and bicyclists.
Construction for both projects is unfunded. At its August 24, 2023, meeting, the City Council directed staff to pursue grant funding for permanent implementation of the Fox Hills Project. Staff reviewed grant programs at the state and federal level and identified the California Transportation Commission’s Active Transportation Program (ATP) as a potential funding source. ATP grants are very competitive, and as a standalone project, staff determined the Fox Hills Project was highly unlikely to be funded due to its limited geographic reach and lack of larger multimodal network connectivity. Staff determined, however, that when considered in combination with the Overland Project, the combined larger project would create a regionally transformative north-south active transportation corridor. Based upon ATP scoring criteria, staff believe the combined project would have a significantly higher likelihood of receiving funding. Consequently, the two projects have been combined and named the Better Overland & Safer Fox Hills Project.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
The Better Overland & Safer Fox Hills Project is working to improve travel for everyone, including those who use a wheelchair, walk, bike, take transit, or drive. As summarized in Table 1 below, the Project begins at the intersection of Overland Ave & Venice Blvd and extends south to the Culver City Transit Center and throughout the Fox Hills neighborhood. An overview map of the Project is provided in Attachment 1.
Conceptual plans for the Project are provided in Attachments 2 & 3. Proposed improvements include:
• 5.3 route-miles of concrete-protected bike lanes on Overland Ave, Playa St, and in the Fox Hills neighborhood on Hannum Ave, Bristol Pkwy, Buckingham Pkwy, and Green Valley Cir. A short segment is also proposed on Slauson Ave between Hannum Ave and the Culver City Transit Center to provide “bus to bike” intermodal connectivity.
• Upgrading all signalized intersections on the Project corridor to protected intersections where feasible. Protected intersections, also known as Dutch intersections, improve cyclist safety and comfort by keeping the bike lane physically separated from vehicular traffic up to an intersection, eliminating the need for vehicles and bicyclists to merge together. The design also provides several pedestrian benefits. For example, corner islands moderate the speed of right-turning traffic, increasing yielding compliance to pedestrians, and shorten the distance and time during which a person crossing the street is exposed to vehicular traffic. Additionally, directional curb (ADA) ramps align with the crosswalks they serve, improving accessibility for a wide range of users, including people using strollers or walkers, people in wheelchairs, and people with visual impairments.
• A new pedestrian signal at the Julian Dixon Library and new traffic signals (with pedestrian crosswalks) at Overland Ave & Kelmore/Ranch Rd, Overland Ave & Sawtelle Blvd, and Fox Hills Dr & Green Valley Cir.
• Retrofitting all streetlights on the Project corridor with sidewalk-facing streetlights.
• Installation of a new sidewalk, curb ramps, and crosswalks on the south side of Slauson Ave between the 90 on/off ramps and Hannum Ave, closing a gap in the City’s sidewalk network.
• Upgrading bus stops along the Project corridor to the City’s latest design, which includes a bench, trash receptacle, bus shelter, and real-time arrival information display.
• Curb extensions throughout the Fox Hills neighborhood to shorten crossing distances and moderate the speed of right-turning motorists.
• Various other pedestrian and bicyclist amenities, such as new shade trees, bike racks, and wayfinding signage.
If constructed, the Project would create a protected north-south active transportation corridor that would significantly enhance the connection between the City’s southernmost neighborhoods to the schools, jobs, and civic centers north of Ballona Creek, as well as to regional, east-west active transportation corridors such as the Ballona Creek Bike Path and Venice Blvd protected bike lanes.
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
To identify the improvements to include in the Project, City staff used a three-step process:
• Step 1: Perform preliminary research, including research on previously adopted City plans and policies, and evaluate existing conditions along the Project corridor.
• Step 2: Conduct community outreach & stakeholder engagement where the public can learn more about the Project, the proposed improvements, and provide their feedback.
• Step 3: Use feedback received during community outreach & stakeholder engagement to refine the proposed improvements to include in the Project.
Details regarding each step of this process are provided below.
Step 1: Preliminary Research & Existing Conditions Analysis
A. Previously Adopted Plans and Policies
City staff reviewed adopted plans and policies to inform what improvements to include in the Project. As detailed in Appendix A, the proposed improvements effectuate the goals and objectives of the City’s Complete Streets Policy, Bicycle & Pedestrian Action Plan (BPAP), and Local Road Safety Plan. Copies of these plans are available in the “Related Information” section on the Project’s webpage at www.culvercity.org/betteroverland <http://www.culvercity.org/betteroverland>.
B. Parking Study
To accommodate the Project’s mobility and safety improvements, parking reductions are necessary in areas where insufficient right-of-way exists.
City staff collected parking counts during four different times of the day/night on three different days in March and April (two weekdays and a Saturday) when Culver City School District was in session. The parking counts were analyzed to determine locations and times where parking is in highest demand to identify areas where parking retention should be prioritized. For the vast majority of the corridor, the Project’s proposed parking supply is anticipated to meet demand.
Alternative Roadway Configurations:
Overland Ave between Culver Blvd and Virginia Ave
o Alternative A: Parking on both sides of the street, no center two-way left-turn lane.
o Alternative B: No parking on west side of street, maintain center two-way left-turn lane
Parking count data identified Overland Ave between Braddock Dr and the Ballona Creek as an area of high nighttime parking demand due to adjacent residential development. To preserve parking supply, staff developed an alternative for this portion of the corridor-Alternative A, which runs from Culver Blvd to Virginia Ave-that maintains parking on both sides of the street to meet existing demand (i.e., approximately 70 parking spaces between Braddock Dr and the Ballona Creek). Alternative A, however, requires the removal of the existing center two-way left-turn due to right-of-way constraints. “No Left Turn” restrictions are also proposed at the unsignalized intersections included in Alternative to reduce conflicts and maintain vehicular progression. Left turn lanes would continue to be provided to permit left turns at signalized intersections.
Alternative B, by contrast, maintains the center two-way left-turn lane but requires parking be removed on the west side of Overland Ave. Alternative B maintains approximately 60 parking spaces between Braddock Dr and the Ballona Creek, slightly under the peak parking demand of 70 spaces in this area. However, Alternative B also provides approximately 25 parking spaces directly north of Braddock Dr, which has very low nighttime usage. If Alternative B were selected, sufficient parking supply would be provided in the immediately adjacent area to satisfy demand.
Reevaluation of Parking Regulations
During community outreach & stakeholder engagement, City staff received several comments about the need for loading zones or modified parking regulations at certain locations along the Project corridor. Based on this feedback, City staff will be revaluating all parking regulations along the Project corridor in conjunction with additional community outreach & stakeholder engagement to ensure regulations appropriately serve the needs of adjacent land uses.
C. Traffic Study
Better Overland
The Project maintains the two lanes of vehicular traffic in each direction on the Overland Ave corridor, including Playa St. Dedicated left and right turn lanes have been reduced or removed at locations where insufficient right-of-way exists to accommodate safety and mobility improvements.
City staff collected existing peak-hour vehicle volumes to provide a baseline condition of vehicular demand. Historical travel time data was also reviewed from an independent traffic data aggregator, Iteris ClearGuide, to ensure that data collected and modeled by the City was consistent with third-party findings. Baseline conditions were compared to proposed conditions (i.e., if the Project was constructed). Table 2 below provides average travel times for a set of sample routes under existing and proposed conditions.
Based upon the results of the traffic study, staff anticipate Project impacts to
vehicular circulation on Overland Ave to be negligible.
Safer Fox Hills
To address concerns raised by residents in the Fox Hills neighborhood regarding cut-through traffic as well as pedestrian and bicyclist safety, City staff evaluated reducing the number of lanes on Green Valley Cir between Sepulveda Blvd and Buckingham Pkwy from two to one in each direction-note that Green Valley Cir is already one lane in each direction elsewhere. Staff also evaluated reducing or reconfiguring the number of lanes on Bristol Pkwy between Centinela Ave and Hannum Ave. Table 3 below provides average travel times for a typical route from Green Valley Cir & Centinela Ave to Hannum Ave & Bristol Pkwy under existing and proposed conditions. Based upon the results of the traffic study, staff anticipate the lane reductions/reconfigurations on Green Valley Cir and Bristol Pkwy will discourage cut-through traffic while still providing vehicular access to residences in the Fox Hills neighborhood.
Signalization of Overland Ave & Kelmore Ave/Ranch Rd and
Overland Ave & Sawtelle Blvd
As part of the traffic study, staff also reviewed operations and traffic volumes at the intersections of Overland Ave & Kelmore Ave/Ranch Rd and Overland Ave & Sawtelle Blvd, which are currently all-way stop controlled intersections with flashing red beacons. Staff found that traffic signals are warranted at both locations due to the high level of pedestrian activity along the corridor, largely attributable to El Rincon Elementary School and Blanco Park. Signalization will drastically improve pedestrian safety at each intersection by reducing right-of-way confusion and providing pedestrians with a dedicated “Walk” signal to cross the street. The signals will also contain adaptive signal programming that will adjust throughout the day and night to discourage speeding. For example, a “rest in red” operation will be implemented during off-peak evening hours that will require the signal to remain red in all directions until a car approaches the intersection.
This Project does not propose any changes to the City’s crossing guard program at Overland Ave & Sawtelle Blvd.
Signalization of Fox Hills Dr & Green Valley Cir
Due to the heavy vehicular turn volumes and lack of pedestrian crossing locations on Green Valley Cir, a traffic signal is also proposed at Fox Hills Dr & Green Valley Cir. Staff anticipate the signal will greatly improve operations at the intersection by reducing confusion and conflict between drivers while also providing pedestrians safer means to cross the street.
D. ATP Grant Program Scoring Rubric
The California Transportation Commission (CTC) is the State agency that administers the Active Transportation Program. The CTC publishes a scoring rubric to guide evaluators when scoring grant applications. Factors used when scoring an application including a project’s potential to:
• Increase walking and bicycling, especially among students, and increase and improve connectivity and mobility of non-motorized users;
• Reduce the risk of pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities and injuries, including the identification of safety hazards for pedestrians and bicyclists; and
• Transform the non-motorized environment, including the potential for a project to support existing and planned housing.
Staff believe the Project’s proposed improvements closely align with CTC scoring criteria and, accordingly, will maximize the City’s likelihood of receiving funding.
Step 2: Community Outreach & Stakeholder Engagement
After completing preliminary research, staff prepared preliminary conceptual plans and conducted extensive community outreach & stakeholder engagement to ensure the Project’s proposed improvements are reflective of the community’s priorities and values.
As detailed in Table 4 below, staff hosted or presented at 12 community events to reach a diverse audience that included residents, businesses, and students. Events were advertised via GovDelivery (the City’s email notification system), on social media, and through flyers distributed to individual residences and businesses. At the request of the Fox Hills Neighborhood Association, approximately 1,500 postcards were also mailed to residents in the Fox Hills neighborhood to advertise the Fox Hills Community Open House on May 2.
Staff also consulted with representatives from the film industry, including Sony Studios and FilmLA, to ensure that the Project would be compatible with filming activity in the City.
Approximately 310 members of the public attended the various community engagement events. City staff logged feedback at each event based on discussions and conversations with attendees. Staff also launched a Project webpage with an online feedback portal and posted flyers at each of the 28 signalized intersections along the Project corridor inviting the public to fill out a one-minute survey on their experience walking, driving, using a wheelchair, or biking.
Step 3: Feedback Review & Conceptual Plan Refinement
In addition to feedback logged at each community event, City staff received approximately 550 intersection surveys in addition to over 100 feedback submissions via the Project’s webpage. City staff read and considered all community feedback submitted.
Feedback Highlights
• In general, there was strong overall support for the Project.
• Feedback revealed that many people have a strong interest in biking on Overland Ave given its north-south connectivity but don’t do so today because it feels unsafe, even in areas where there are currently conventional (unprotected) bike lanes.
• There was near universal support for the Project’s various pedestrian and accessibility improvements, such as the new signalized crosswalk at the Julian Dixon Library and the three new crosswalks proposed on Green Valley Cir.
• The Community Walk Audits helped staff identify specific sidewalk locations in need of repair, as well as locations that should be considered for widening, such as adjacent to Veterans Memorial Park.
• The intersection surveys provided valuable, location-specific insight into how safe people felt when traveling via a specific mode (i.e., driving, walking, using a wheelchair, or biking). Of the surveys received, only 10% of respondents said that they always felt safe using the intersection at which they took the survey. Conversely, 44% of respondents stated that they did not feel safe using an intersection most of the time, with 22% of total respondents saying they never felt safe.
• The intersection surveys also revealed potential safety issues that are difficult to identify via more traditional data sources, such as traffic collision reports. For example, despite a lack of documented crashes, several respondents at Overland Ave & Maytime Ln stated that northbound drivers frequently ran the red light at this intersection. Given the details provided in the feedback, City staff believe there may be a signal visibility issue at this intersection, which will be investigated and addressed (if necessary) as part of the Project.
Concerns
Project criticism was generally limited to a specific proposed improvement or design element at a specific location-virtually no comments objected to the goals and outcomes of the Project as a whole.
Overland Ave & Kelmore Ave/Ranch Rd Traffic Signal
Some members of the Culver Crest neighborhood expressed concern regarding the signalization of Overland Ave & Kelmore Ave/Ranch Rd, stating that the signal will decrease safety for children crossing the street and encourage speeding. As discussed previously in this report, the proposed traffic signal will increase-not decrease-pedestrian safety by providing a dedicated “Walk” signal for people to cross the street, and adaptive signal timing will be implemented that will adjust throughout the day and night to discourage motorists from speeding.
Alternative A
As described earlier in this report, Alternative A is a design treatment on Overland Ave between Culver Blvd and Virginia Ave that maintains parking on both sides of the street but requires the removal of the center two-way left-turn lane.
Residents at the Windsor Fountains Condominiums located at 4900 Overland Ave (across from the Julian Dixon Library) and surrounding area expressed concern regarding the proposed removal of the center two-way left-turn lane shown in Alternative A. Specifically, residents stated that it would become more difficult to make left turns into and out of their driveways due to the lack of a dedicated turning lane in the middle of the street.
Community members also expressed concern over the “No Left Turn” restrictions proposed at Overland Ave & Farragut Dr. Today, this left turn is frequently used as part of the pick-up/drop-off route for Culver City High School, Culver City Middle School, and Farragut Elementary School.
To address these concerns, Council may direct staff to proceed with Alternative B, which maintains the center two-way left-turn lane and does not propose left-turn restrictions.
Support
In general, there was strong overall support for the Project from various stakeholder groups. To date, staff has received letters of support from the Fox Hills Neighborhood Association, Walk n’ Rollers, Bike Culver City, and Streets for All. Further, at its May 16, 2024, meeting, the City’s Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee made a recommendation to the City Council to approve the Project, including approval for staff to submit grant application(s) with a 20% local match.
Project Refinements
Staff refined the conceptual plans to incorporate the public’s feedback wherever feasible. Additionally, in response to community feedback, staff performed additional data collection to further validate the initial findings of the traffic and parking studies.
• In response to accessibility concerns related to the concrete islands that will be used to protect the bikeways, staff has revised the island design to include gaps at regular intervals. Gaps would be 3’-5’ wide and will allow people parked adjacent to the bike lane to load/unload belongings without having to step over the island.
• In response to concerns from the Senior Center regarding pedestrian crossing times at Culver Blvd & Overland Ave, staff will be increasing the amount of “Walk” time provided to cross the street.
• Several members of the public expressed interest in no-right-turn-on red-restrictions to reduce motor vehicle/pedestrian conflicts. Accordingly, staff are proposing the installation of dynamic no-right-turn-on-red restrictions that will activate during times of high pedestrian and/or bicyclist activity (e.g. school pick up and drop off).
• Based on feedback received during one of the Project’s Walk Audits, staff are proposing to widen the sidewalk adjacent to Veterans Memorial Park (pending confirmation of sufficient right-of-way).
• In response to feedback received at the Blanco Park Community Open House, staff are proposing the installation of “cut outs” at the cul-de-sacs on Hannum Ave, Stevens Ave, Malat Way, Rudman Dr, and Grayridge Dr that will allow bicyclists to enter the two-way protected cycle track on Playa St while still prohibiting access by vehicular traffic.
• Based on concerns raised by bicyclists in the Fox Hills neighborhood on the proposed one-way protected bike lanes on Hannum Ave between Slauson Ave & Buckingham Pkwy, staff are investigating whether a two-way protected cycle track would be feasible and more appropriate for this segment of the Project.
The list above is only a sample of changes made in response to community feedback. Staff will continue to incorporate the community’s feedback into the Project’s design wherever feasible.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Staff recommend the City Council adopt a resolution (Attachment 4) certifying the Project will be completed by a skilled and trained workforce and granting the following exemptions from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA): (1) Class 1 - Existing Facilities Categorical Exemption, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines (14 CCR § 15301); and (2) statutory exemption, pursuant to Public Recourses Code (PRC) Section 21080.25.
The Project is consistent with a Class 1 Categorical Exemption, as it consists of improvements on existing highways and streets where there is negligible or no expansion of use and the addition of bicycle facilities, including and bicycle lanes, pedestrian crossings, street trees and other similar alterations that do not create additional automobile lanes.
The Project qualifies for a statutory exemption under PRC Section 21080.25, as it (1) includes pedestrian and bicycle facilities that improve safety, access, or mobility, including new facilities, within the public right of way; and (2) improves customer information and wayfinding for transit riders, bicyclists, or pedestrians within the public right-of-way.
The Project also meets the criteria required to assert the exemption under PRC Section 21080.25, as it (1) does not induce single-occupancy vehicle trips, add additional highway lanes, or widen highways; (2) does not require demolition of affordable housing units, does not induce single-occupancy vehicle trips or add any auxiliary lanes; and (3) will be carried out by a skilled and trained workforce.
There are other requirements for projects greater than $50,000,000 and $100,000,000 which do not apply in this case because the Project does not exceed that threshold.
Based on the foregoing, staff has prepared a Notice of Exemption for the Project. Upon City Council’s adoption of the resolution certifying the Project will be completed by a skilled and trained workforce and granting CEQA exemptions, staff will file the Notice of Exemption for the Project with the Office of Planning and Research and the Los Angeles County Clerk’s Office.
GRANT APPLICATION & NEXT STEPS
To assist with the significant staff time and resources necessary to prepare and submit an ATP grant application, Los Angeles Metro provides grant writing assistance to local agencies who have an adopted a Complete Streets Policy and whose projects align with Metro’s ATP Grant Assistance Priorities.
Metro selected the Better Overland & Safer Fox Hills Project for grant writing assistance due to the project’s alignment with several of Metro’s priorities, including:
• Projects from a Metro Board-adopted First/Last Mile plan;
• Projects that are within a first/last mile area, pedestrian district, or regional bikeway identified in Metro’s 2023 Active Transportation Strategic Plan; and
• Projects that improve a location identified in an adopted City safety plan, such as a Local Roadway Safety Plan.
If approved by the City Council, staff will finalize and submit the grant application for the Better Overland & Safer Fox Hills Project by the ATP application deadline of June 17, 2024. Selected projects will be announced in Winter 2024. If selected, staff will return to Council for acceptance of the grant and ratification of the approval of the final Project plans, after which the City would receive its first funding allocation in Summer 2025. Construction could begin in late 2025/early 2026 and is anticipated to take two to three years. Construction would be performed in phases to minimize impacts to residents and businesses.
Alternatives A and B
With respect to Alternatives A and B in the Better Overland conceptual plans, staff recommend Council select an alternative to facilitate streamlined preparation of the grant application and demonstrate a higher level of project readiness to the grant evaluation committee. However, Council may also defer selection of an alternative and direct staff to continue to engage with the community and return to Council for approval of an alternative at a later date.
Approval to Apply to Other Grant Programs
Staff continue to research other funding opportunities for the Project outside of the ATP grant program. Therefore, as part of this report, staff are also requesting approval to apply to additional grant programs for the Project should opportunities arise.
Future Community Outreach & Stakeholder Engagement
Staff will continue to perform community outreach & stakeholder engagement where the public will have the opportunity to submit additional feedback. All feedback will be considered and incorporated into the final design of the Project where feasible and consistent with the multimodal and safety improvements included in the City’s grant application.
If awarded the grant, City staff will launch a public awareness campaign to keep the community informed of the Project’s progress through construction; educate users on how to safely use the Project when it is opened; and encourage active transportation as a logical alternative to motorized travel. Staff will also collaborate with the Culver City Unified School District and provide resources for Walk ‘n Rollers to implement an expanded Safe Routes to School program. Additionally, staff will perform outreach to both City residents and surrounding Los Angeles communities to continue to raise awareness about the Project.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
Per the ATP application scoring rubric, a 20% local match is required to receive the maximum number of points in the “leveraging funds” section of the application. The estimated total funding required to construct the project is $24 million. As part of the motion included in this staff report, staff recommend the City Council authorize the Public Works Director to submit a signed letter of commitment for a 20% local match (i.e., $4 million) as part of the grant application.
If the Project is awarded grant funding, local match funding would be distributed over four consecutive fiscal years in alignment with the Project timeline. Matching funds can come from several places including the General Fund and local return for Measures R and M. The Proposed Budget for Fiscal Year 2024-2025 includes the first allotment of the matching funds from the General Fund. Matching funding in future years would be programmed as part of the annual budget process, subject to City Council review and approval:
• FY24-25
o PS029 (Overland Playa Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements): $250,000
o PZ923 (Fox Hills NTMP): $250,000
• FY25-26
o PS029 (Overland Playa Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements): $750,000
o PZ923 (Fox Hills NTMP): $750,000
• FY26-27
o PS029 (Overland Playa Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements): $500,000
o PZ923 (Fox Hills NTMP): $500,000
• FY27-28
o PS029 (Overland Playa Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements): $500,000
o PZ923 (Fox Hills NTMP): $500,000
ATTACHMENTS
• 2024-05-28-ATT1-CC-Better Overland & Safer Fox Hills Project Extents
• 2024-05-28-ATT2-CC-Better Overland Conceptual Plans
• 2024-05-28-ATT3-CC-Safer Fox Hills Conceptual Plans
• 2024-05-28-ATT4-CC-Resolution Granting CEQA Exemptions
MOTION
That the City Council:
1. Approve the Conceptual Plans for the Project;
2. Authorize the Public Works Director or designee to apply to the Active Transportation Program with a 20% local match commitment for the Project;
3. Authorize the Public Works Director or designee to apply for other grant programs to support the Project;
4. Adopt a resolution certifying California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) exemption for the Project; and
5. Provide direction regarding additional outreach and stakeholder engagement.
APPENDIX A
PROJECT COMPATIBILITY WITH
PREVIOUSLY ADOPTED CITY PLANS AND POLICIES
This Appendix A provides a summary of the policies, goals, and objectives the City’s Complete Streets Policy, Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan, and Local Road Safety Plan that City that staff used to develop improvements to include in the Better Overland & Safer Fox Hills Project.
The proposed improvements described herein are non-exhaustive. For a detailed description of all proposed improvements, refer to conceptual plans for the Project (Attachments 2 & 3).
Complete Streets Policy
Adopted in January 2020, the City’s Complete Streets Policy affirms the City’s commitment, “to promote healthy and sustainable mobility for Culver City residents and visitors by providing safe, convenient, and comfortable access to destinations throughout the City by walking, bicycling, transit, and autos.” The policy applies to all work within the public right-of-way and requires the City to routinely implement complete streets in its projects.
An analysis of the Complete Streets Policy in relation to the improvements proposed in the Better Overland & Safer Fox Hills Project is provided in Table A, below.
Bicycle & Pedestrian Action Plan
Adopted in June 2020, the Bicycle & Pedestrian Action Plan (BPAP) established a vision where, “Culver City will be a community where bicycle and walking provide affordable, safe, and healthy mobility options for all residents. New projects and programs will work to enhance multi-modal mobility.”
The project team that developed the BPAP reviewed various City policies and plans-including the City’s Complete Streets Policy, ADA Transition Plan, Urban Forest Master Plan, Parkway Design Guidelines-and performed extensive public outreach and stakeholder engagement to inform the recommendations, policies, and goals in the BPAP. Public feedback was collected through a variety of means, including:
• Outreach Meetings and Events: The BPAP project team hosted 14 meetings/events to reach a wide breadth of stakeholders. Events included a booth at Fiesta La Ballona; an “Issues & Eggs Breakfast” with the Culver City Chamber of Commerce, and presentation at several Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) meetings.
• Online Engagement: The BPAP project team leveraged the City’s existing social media channels and email distribution lists, developed a project website, and launched a public input map where members of the public could submit location-specific comments about bicycle and pedestrian improvements. Nearly 600 comments were collected via online engagement. The BPAP project team found that:
o “One comment frequently received included advocating for a protected bikeway on Overland Avenue.”
o “Pedestrian safety was also heavily emphasized in stakeholders’ comments. For example, comments identified the intersection of Green Valley Circle and Fox Hills Drive as dangerous due to heavy traffic and the curvature of the roadway.”
o “Multiple comments advocated for a safe crossing near Culver City’s library on Overland Avenue, just north of Ballona Creek.”
• Community Survey: In addition to the public input map, 235 people submitted project surveys regarding challenges and opportunities with respect to biking and walking in the City.
Chapter 4 of the BPAP provides a set of network recommendations for bicycle and pedestrian improvements throughout the City driven by the guiding principle of “a commitment to mobility for all.”
A summary of the BPAP in relation to the improvements proposed in the Better Overland & Safer Fox Hills Project is provided in Table B, below.
Local Road Safety Plan
The City’s Local Road Safety Plan (LRSP) was adopted in February 2021 with a vision to, “identify roadway safety issues within Culver City, and address them through a holistic approach using the E’s: Engineering, Encouragement, Enforcement, Emerging Technologies, and Evaluation.”
Table C shows how the improvements proposed in the Better Overland & Safer Fox Hills Project are consistent with the LRSP’s goals to improve traffic safety, with particular emphasis on the safety of vulnerable users.
