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CC - (1) Adoption of a Resolution Authorizing Submittal of an Application to The Big Jump (a Program of People for Bikes); and (2) Authorization for the Mayor to Host a “Leadership Reception” in Support of City’s Application and Related Expenditure Not-to-Exceed $500.
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Meeting Date: 09/26/2016
Contact Person/Dept: Eric Bruins, Public Works Department
Phone Number: (310) 253-5616
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [X] No []
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: [X]
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X]
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (09/20/16)
Department Approval: Charles D. Herbertson, Public Works Director/City Engineer (09/14/16)
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council (1) adopt a resolution authorizing submittal of an application to The Big Jump, a program of People for Bikes (Attachment No. 1). Staff further recommends the City Council authorize the Mayor to host a “leadership reception” for civic leaders in support of the City’s application and authorize the expenditure of up to $500 from the unallocated reserve for related expenses.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
People for Bikes, a national foundation that encourages cities to become more bikeable and walkable, recently announced a new program called The Big Jump, which will promote next-generation bike infrastructure in 10 communities across the United States. This program provides technical assistance to cities like Culver City that are looking to take a leap forward with their bike infrastructure by building a network of family-friendly and protected (European-style) bike lanes and neighborhood streets. The Public Works Department identified this program as a valuable opportunity to advance projects from the Culver City Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan. The Big Jump will require City staff to work across departments to demonstrate that the entire City family is pushing Culver City toward a more bicycle and pedestrian-friendly future.
What is The Big Jump
The Big Jump is a three-year effort by People for Bikes to support 10 communities across the country to build a network of safe and comfortable places to ride. People for Bikes says, “The goal is also to validate a core concept: that if a city does all the right things, more people will ride and the community will be a better place to live, work, and play.” More information about The Big Jump is available on the People for Bikes website: <http://www.peopleforbikes.org/pages/the-big-jump-project-application>. (See also Attachment No. 2)
How Culver City Will Benefit
Culver City is already on its way to creating a culture where people bike and walk. Our Safe Routes to School Program, one of the best in Los Angeles County, reaches every school in the Culver City Unified School District. Culver City has individual projects planned that will make the City’s streets safer and more inviting for biking and walking. A needed component for these projects is the connections to make the existing bikeways into a safe and comfortable network for the City’s residents, employees, and visitors. The Big Jump will help the City take the work its already doing to the next level in the areas of design expertise, community engagement, data collection, and communications.
Design Expertise
People for Bikes is best known for its national expertise on bikeway design. It sponsors study trips for elected officials and city staff to Europe so that U.S. officials can experience firsthand what bike lane innovation looks like and learn about how places that looked like Culver City just a few decades ago have totally transformed their streets into welcoming places to bike and walk. The Big Jump will bring international design experts to Culver City to look at the City’s projects and make recommendations for improvements. The design experts will help identify the gaps in the City’s bikeway network that currently may be deterrents to more people riding bikes. And they will train City staff to become more familiar with innovative design solutions to the safety challenges the City currently has on its streets.
Outreach & Engagement
People for Bikes has significant experience on how to introduce new and innovative ideas to a community from its work in other cities around the country. While Culver City and Southern California are unique in some ways, there are lessons to be learned from other places that have already dealt with the issues Culver City faces. People for Bikes can also help build capacity among local community-based organizations to learn how to effectively engage residents and other community stakeholders.
Data Collection
The Big Jump aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of building out a city’s bike network with high-quality infrastructure. This requires the collection of robust data measuring the benefits of each project. Culver City already collects bike and pedestrian data, although not in a systematic way. The Big Jump will help the City measure the benefits of its projects with more rigorous methodology.
Communication
The City has a number of projects and programs with the goal of making its streets safer and friendlier for biking and walking, but is looking for ways to connect these projects and programs and explain how all of them work together toward that goal. Culver City is celebrating its centennial, an opportunity to tell a powerful story about its past and present, as well as where the City is headed. The Big Jump will help tell a story of what Culver City could look like 10, 20, and 100 years from now if its takes significant steps to transform its streets to meet future needs. Not only will The Big Jump help the City tell its story locally, it will also raise Culver City’s profile nationally as one of only 10 cities in this program.
Given the work the City is already doing and the goals it is trying to reach, Culver City is well-positioned to benefit from the technical assistance and resources The Big Jump offers.
Steps to Apply
The Big Jump will be a competitive program, so it is important that Culver City stands out as an applicant. As would be expected, the application requires the City to share information about its community and its ongoing projects and programs. What will make the most impact is demonstrating the community’s broad support for the City’s application and the City’s commitment to implement new bike infrastructure quickly, if selected.
Leadership Team
The Big Jump requires the City to put together a “Leadership Team” of civic leaders that will support the City’s initiatives. Culver City has a new Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) that operates as its day-to-day citizen advisory body for its bicycle and pedestrian program. For The Big Jump, staff is putting together an honorary leadership committee of community, business, and government leaders who are supportive of the City’s work to become more bike-friendly and will lend their voices to the effort. Mayor Jim Clarke has volunteered to lead this honorary committee and will be inviting civic leaders to a reception on October 11th to share more information about our programs and solicit support for our application.
Attached a list of individuals and organizations to be invited to this reception. This list is intended to represent Culver City’s diverse stakeholders and geography (Attachment No. 3).
Support Letters
The City will solicit support letters from community organizations, elected officials, and other stakeholders to be submitted along with its application.
Local Resources & Funding
The Big Jump asks applicants to identify local resources and public and private funding that will be available to support potential projects and programs. Culver City already commits significant funding to its bicycle and pedestrian programs from both its general fund and dedicated transportation revenues. The City has been awarded state and federal grants for some of its projects and programs. In addition to highlighting the funding already committed to bicycle and pedestrian initiatives, the City will engage with local foundations about potential resources available to support the City and its community-based organization partners.
Timeline
October 11th - Leadership Reception hosted by Mayor Clarke
October 21st - Support letters due to City staff
October 28th - Complete application due to People for Bikes.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
While this program does not provide direct financial support for the City’s projects, it does provide significant technical assistance by outside experts valued at approximately $150,000 over three years. Participation will require continued commitment to bicycle and pedestrian projects and programs through the City’s normal budget process and capital improvement program.
Staff is requesting authorization not-to-exceed $500 from the appropriated reserve for expenses related to preparing a competitive application, including hosting a Leadership Reception, described above.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Proposed Resolution
2. Culver City Big Jump Info Sheet
3. Big Jump Leadership Reception Invitations
MOTION
That the City Council:
1. Adoption of a Resolution authorizing an application to The Big Jump (a People for Bikes program); and
2. Authorize the Mayor to host a “leadership reception” for civic leaders in support of the City’s application; and
3. Authorize an expenditure not-to-exceed $500 from the unallocated reserve for related expenses.