SR 09-27-2016 3H
Ci ty Council
Report
City Council Meeting : September 27, 2016
Agenda Item: 3.H
1 of 3
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Jacqueline Seabrooks, Police Chief , Police Department
Subject: Accept California Office of Traffic Safety Grant
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Authorize the City Manager to accept a grant award in the amount of $300,000 from
the California Office of Traffic Safety for the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program.
2. Authorize the City Manager to execute all necessary documents to accept the grant
and all grant renewals.
3. Authorize budget ch anges as outlined in the Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
section of this report.
Executive Summary
The Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) has been awarded a $300,000 Strategic
Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) grant from the California Office of T raffic Safety
(OTS) for a year -long program of special enforcement and education efforts to prevent
traffic -related deaths and injuries. SMPD would use the funding as part of the C ity’s
ongoing commitment to maintain safe roadways to improve quality of lif e . No local
match ing funds are required.
The STEP grant would provide funding for an array of best practice strategies to impact
traffic safety including training, community education, equipment to support the grant
activities, and strategic enforcement to promote bicycle, pedestrian, and motorist safety
for all ages. These efforts are consistent with the overarching goals of the Vision Zero
and 8 to 80 programs, both of which were identified as Council priorit ies during the FY
2015/17 budget adoption pro cess ; the activities associated with this grant are also
consistent with Santa Monica’s goal of enhanced mobility, identified in August 2015.
Discussion
OTS STEP grant funding is specifically directed toward law enforcement traffic safety
operations. T he Police Department has received such grants annually for more than ten
years. Safe movement throughout the city is a n ongoing high priority at both the state
and local levels , particularly as Santa Monica has experienced a substantial impact to
2 of 3
traffic flow in the Do wntown area as a result of the return of METRO’s Light Rail Service
in May 2016. Following the 2015 launch of the Breeze B ike Sh are program, there has
been a significant increase in the number of community members and visitors who , in
lieu o f driving, are opting to use bicycles as an alternative transportation modality. T his
grant award would support and enhance the Police Department ’s efforts to promote
safe movement throughout Santa Monica .
The STEP grant program would be implemented and administered by the Police
Department's Traffic Enforcement Unit in three phases. Phase one consist s of the
creation of operational plans, training , and a press release announcing the grant award .
In p hase two , the Police Department's Traffic Enforcement U nit would begin conducting
various traffic safety operations , including bicycle and pedestrian enforcement
operations, DUI saturation patrols, DUI check points, distracted driving operations,
traffic enforcement operations, and motorcycle safety operations . Phase three would
consist of data collection , analy sis, and comparison of the grant performance measures
against actual grant enforcement and educational goals.
Additionally, the STEP program would include 14 traffic safety educational
presentations re aching a target audience of a t least 500 community members ;
enhanced participation in the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) Task Force meetings ;
targeted enforcement along the PCH corridor within Santa Monica ; participation in the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Summer and Winter Mobilization to
effectively address DUI drivers ; participation in the annual National Distracted Driving
Awareness Month in April 2017 ; and participation in the annual Click It or Ticket
mobilization period in May 2017 .
With this grant, the goal is to utilize both education and enforcement strategies to
provide enhanced roadway safety for residents and visitors to the City of Santa Monica
while also ultimately reduc ing the number of persons killed or injured in all catego ries of
traffic collisions. Key performance measurements outlined in the grant would include the
following:
A set of 18 goals that aim to reduce the number of persons, including bicyclists
3 of 3
and pedestrians, killed and injured in all types of collisions.
A s et of 16 objectives focused on accomplishing the grant enforcement and
community education activities, as well as attending trainings.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Award of a $300,000 grant from California Office of Traffic Safety requires the f ollowing
FY 2016 -17 budget changes:
1. Establish revenue budget at account 20306.406858 in the amount of $300,000.
2. Appropriate the following expenditures to reflect receipt of the Selective Enforcement
Traffic Program grant:
$29,000 expenditure cos t at account 20306.576516 .
$271,000 personnel cost at account 20306.511490 89011W .
Prepared By: Candice Cobarrubias, Lieutenant
Approved
Forwarded to Council