HomeMy WebLinkAboutCORRESPONDENCE_75B_Attn: Mayor Miguel Pulido
Santa Ana City Council
20 Civic Center Plaza
P.O. Box 1988
Santa Ana, CA 92701
RE. City of Santa Ana's Capital Improvement Program 20'12 - 20'13
Dear Mayor Miguel Pulido and City Council Members:
On behalf of the Southern California Safe Routes to School Regional Network, we are providing
comments on the City of Santa Ana's Capital Improvement Program ("CIP") for the years 2012 - 2013.
Recently, the City of Santa Ana ("City") has taken great strides to plan improvements for walking and
bicycling infrastructure- The City has also committed its policies to active transportation by amending the
circulation element during the general plan update, including complete streets and updating the city's
bicycle master plan. Our comments are intended to enhance Santa Ana's dedication to making walking
and bicycling safer and more accessible to its residents, families, and children.
The Safe Routes to School National Partnership (National Partnership) is a national advocacy group
representing more than 500 organizations and professional groups that works to improve conditions for
children to walk and bicycle to school. Through the National Partnership's work in California, tremendous
efforts and successes have emerged through the development of countywide Safe Routes to School
programs and community collaboration- The National Partnership staff is willing to work with the City of
Santa Ana to share best practices, contacts, technical assistance, and resources.
According to the 2009 National Household Travel Survey, approximately 16% of all trips in Orange
County are completed by walking and bicycling. Tragically, in Orange County 25% of all traffic fatalities
and 10% of all traffic injuries are bicyclists and pedestrians (SCAG RTP, Traffic Safety Addendum).
Children from lower-income families spend more time as pedestrians. School children walking and
bicycling to school in lower-income areas are four times more likely to be injured or killed by a car
(University of California Irvine, Traffic Injury Prevention, September 2010). This data shows that
improvements to both bicycle and pedestrian networks are needed in Orange County.
We would like to commend the City Council and City Staff for their dedication to improving these modes.
While funding for walking and biking comprise a small portion of the proposed Capital Improvement
Program, we are pleased to learn that the City has applied for additional funding through the Bicycle
Transportation Account, the Highway Safety Improvement Program, Cycle 1 O Safe Routes to School, and
other funding sources. We hope that as these grants are received, they are quickly incorporated into the
CIP and prioritized for implementation-
With regards to the proposed CIP we would like to make the following suggestions:
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Increase Funding for Sidewalk Repair and Ensure Best Practices in Sidewalk Design:
• Out of the total $27 million in this CIP, only $250,000 is dedicated to Sidewalk Repair. In order
for children to safely reach their schools and for parents to feel comfortable allowing children to
walk to school, the city must improve sidewalks, crosswalks and traffic control devices It is
unclear from the CIP whether the current funding will adequately address these concerns.
• During sidewalk repairs ensure crossing distances are minimized through the inclusion of
bulbouts and install signals that provide pedestrians adequate time to cross the street. Where
crossing distances may be too large for pedestrians to safely cross during a single signal phase,
median refuge islands should be included on streets.
Ensure that Existing Projects Incorporate Complete Street Elements:
• One of the most cost effective measures for improving bicycling and walking is to incorporate high
quality design into existing projects. Small changes in engineering can be incorporated into
existing projects to increase safety of walking and bicycling.
• Maintenance and road repair projects are excellent opportunities for incorporating bicycle facilities
at almost no cost- The City should ensure that these projects incorporate proposed routes from
the Bicycle Master Plan.
• Signal synchronization is a laudable effort to increase the efficiency of the roadway for
automobiles but should not come at the expense of bicyclists and pedestrians. California has
recently adopted new regulations to ensure that signal timing accommodates bicycles and
pedestrians. (MUTCD 2012)
Expand funding for Bicycle Facilities:
• We applaud the City for improving bicycle parking options in the CIP. As the City moves forward
with its plans for a fixed guideway project, additional bicycle parking will be needed by residents
and public transit riders. It is most effective to include the design for bicycle parking early in the
planning and design process. When bicycle parking is poorly located, it is often neglected and
underutilized.
• We recommend that the City continue to pursue grant opportunities for bicycle and pedestrian
projects. While funding for these projects is limited, many federal and state funds can be used to
include bicycle facilities as part of larger projects.
The City of Santa Ana staff's effort to apply for active transportation infrastructure and non-infrastructure
funding is impressive and commendable. Our organization is able to provide resources to the city through
the Safe Routes to School Southern California Network of partners, monthly calls, best practices, and
staff time to find new sources of funding and drive innovative techniques. We look forward to working
with the City of Santa Ana City Council members and staff to create a robust local and regional active
transportation network.
Respectfully submitted,
Pauline Chow, Esq.
Southern California Policy Manager
Safe Routes to School National Partnership
Pauline@saferoutespartership.org 312-685-1685
Rye Baerg,
Southern California Policy Manager
Safe Routes to School National Partnership
rye@saferoutespartnership.org 818-542-6478
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