Item 12 - Select Locally Preferred Alternative for the First Street Multimodal Boulevard Study

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COMMUNITY OUTREACH SUMMARY w_ The campaign combined in-person and digital engagement activities in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese to reach as many community members as possible, including: • Hosting community workshops. • Attending and disseminating information at local events. • Visiting local businesses to inform them about the Study and inviting them to participate and share feedback at upcoming events. • Presenting at various neighborhood association meetings. • Conducting in-person surveys at a local school to collect feedback. • Partnering with community-based organizations (CBOs). • Engaging in open dialogue with local stakeholders such as the City Council, OCTA, and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). Digital activities included virtual community meetings, online surveys, and multilingual informational videos explaining design options. A dedicated Study website served as an ongoing resource for the community, providing background information, goals and objectives, public insights received at workshops that informed design development, an overview of multimodal benefits, options to share feedback, and an email registration opportunity to stay informed. Throughout the Study, feedback was continuously received and thoughtfully considered (Figure 2). As expected, responses varied, and while some participants expressed satisfaction with the direction and outcomes, others raised concerns. Some common themes were: • Traffic congestion: This includes concerns that reducing vehicle lanes would worsen traffic congestion, increase commute times, create safety hazards, and negatively impact daily life for drivers, families, seniors, and emergency vehicles. • Lane preservation: This includes the desire to preserve the existing number of lanes, as well as the need to expand current sidewalks and include more amenities such as dedicated bus lanes or shade trees. • Bike lane usage: This includes the belief that bike lanes are underutilized and do not reflect how residents primarily travel (by car) and that First Street should work for all types of travelers, as well as the idea that bike lanes should be protected with physical barriers separating vehicles and cyclists. • Safety: This includes the focus on safer, transit-oriented street design, as well as pedestrian safety and concerns that the current corridor feels unsafe due to high traffic speeds and wide crossings. • Distrust of prior citywide infrastructure changes: This includes concerns about long- term maintenance costs and ongoing construction impacts, as well as an appreciation for the opportunity to voice community concerns during the Study phase. 16. First Street Multimodal Boulevard Study—4