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SR-06-25-2013-3ECity cil Report Cityo�`\ Santa Monica' City Council Meeting: June 25, 2013 Agenda Item: 3E To: Mayor and City Council From: David Martin, Director Planning and Community Development Subject: Amendment to Continue Safe Routes to School Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Program Recommended Action Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a first modification to Contract No. 9603 in the amount of $70,000 with Alta Planning + Design (Alta), an Oregon -based company, to continue implementation of the Safe Routes to School Program (SRTS). This will result in a two -year amended contract with a new total amount not to exceed $398,000. Executive Summary The City was awarded grant funds to create a Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Pilot Program in four schools during the 2012/2013 school year. Alta Planning + Design was selected to create and implement the pilot program which includes bicycle and pedestrian education, encouragement, training, and an evaluation process at the four schools: Will Rogers Learning Academy, Roosevelt Elementary School, John Adams Middle School, and Lincoln Middle School. This contract amendment would provide additional resources to sustain critical components of the program and promote the institutionalization of the program within the City and Santa Monica - Malibu Unified School District (District) at a cost of $70,000. Background This project seeks to facilitate a change in behavior among school children and parents to increase walking and biking to school, an objective of the City's Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE) and Bicycle Action Plan. Safe Routes to School projects facilitate the implementation of City policy by teaching rules of the road and encouraging safe travel behavior which decreases the likelihood of collision and injury. Increased walking and biking can reduce traffic in school zones which lowers the potential for collisions, and promotes a healthy lifestyle that can reduce the incidence of chronic diseases like diabetes and obesity among children. 1 The City was awarded a grant from Metro in the amount of $85,000 to. complete bicycle safety training, and another grant from the federal Safe Routes to School program for $197,000 for a bicycle and pedestrian pilot project. Both grants, together with $46,000 in local match were combined to implement the Pilot Program, which Council authorized the initial contract execution on June 12 2012. Since that time changes to Federal and State transportation funding through MAP -21, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21 st Century Act, have significant reduced grant funds available for SRTS programs. The SRTS Pilot Program for the 2012/2013 school year has resulted in an assortment of educational materials, bike and pedestrian training resources, encouragement activities, physical site solutions, and an evaluation process intended to further the SRTS program within Santa Monica. Specific accomplishments include: • Education — Piloted Santa Monica's first bicycle and pedestrian skills and safety curriculum for elementary and middle school students. Bicycle skills training so far reaching more than 200 children and families. • Encouragement — Hosted the first -ever Family Bike Fest with more than 200 families attending. Held "Kidical Mass" family bike ride for 150 children and families. Implemented the Car Free contest that gave awards to students who walked and biked to school the most. Arranged a number of special activities to reward students during the Walk It Bike It week celebration. Provided resources to families considering starting a Walking School Bus or Bicycle Train. • Infrastructure — Completed Walk Audits at each of the four pilot schools assessing site specific infrastructure issues and solutions to improve walking and biking. • Evaluation — Completed student and parent surveys to measure travel mode and impediments to walking and biking. • Outreach — Created monthly e- newsletter and website to raise awareness of the SRTS program and inform children and parents. Presentations to Parent - Teacher Associations and the District Advisory Committee on Health and Safety. Discussion The amended contract would build upon the existing grassroots efforts of volunteers, teachers, and faculty, and take steps to formalize a SRTS program. Additional resources are needed to sustain the momentum generated by the pilot program, to establish institutional responsibilities and to identify financing options to make the 2 program sustainable. The overall objective is to create a model bicycle and pedestrian program that encourages more students to bicycle and walk to school, teaches the rules of the road, and considers operations and enforcement strategies to assist children in arriving to school safely. Each of the four pilot school campuses has received a full school year of walk and bike to school programs that can be implemented, evaluated, and replicated from year to year. It is now important to invest in continuing the program within the pilot schools, and encourage the program to transfer to additional schools and locations. Critical to this effort is to ensure the sustainability of the program by institutionalizing its components within the partner agencies, rather than solely relying on volunteer efforts of interested parents or staff, which will continue to be important but can be inherently transitory in nature. The new scope of work would include the following tasks: 1) facilitate the development of formal roles and responsibilities for the implementation of SRTS, and 2) continuation of encouragement and education activities. This project is intended to enhance safety through education, training and encouragement and does not involve the construction of infrastructure. This contact amendment would be funded solely with general fund resources. Consultant Selection Alta Planning + Design was procured competitively through a Request for Proposals (RFP) process in 2012. Alta is a Portland, Oregon corporation, with an emphasis in transportation planning and design. Alta has extensive experience in the creation and implementation of various SRTS programs throughout the United States. They have provided excellent service in a compact schedule, showing they can continue to complete the work within the necessary timeframe. Furthermore, continuing with the same consultant provides the continuity and benefit of learned knowledge of the complex City and District institutional structures, saving considerable time and resources. 3 Financial Impacts & Budget Actions The contract amendment to be awarded to Alta Planning + Design is $70,000, for an amended contract total not to exceed $398,000. Funds are available in the FY 2012 -13 budget in division 01267; contract will be charged to account 01267.555060. Prepared by: Peter Dzewaltowski, AICP, Transportation Planning Associate Approved: David 'Martin, Director Planning and Community Development rd Forwarded to Council: Rod Gould City Manager Reference: Contract No. 9603 (CCS)