Title
Active Transportation Plan
Description
Request City Council approval of the Street Transportation Department's Active Transportation Plan (ATP).
Report
Summary
The Street Transportation Department (Streets) is requesting City Council approval of the ATP (Attachment A). Active transportation is defined as walking, biking or rolling, including using wheelchairs, scooters, mobility devices or micromobility vehicles. The ATP updates the City's Comprehensive Bicycle Master Plan originally approved by City Council in 2014. The ATP is guided by four overarching principles based on community input to create an active transportation network that is:
1) Safe;
2) Connected;
3) Enjoyable; and
4) Equitable.
The ATP is a policy-level plan that includes recommendations in three areas: network development, policy updates and design guidance. The recommendations in the ATP will help further the implementation of existing plans and policies including Complete Streets, the Vision Zero Road Safety Action Plan and the Climate Action Plan.
ATP Background
In 2014, City Council approved the City's Comprehensive Bicycle Master Plan. The plan recommended infrastructure and policy changes to reach the vision of a well- connected infrastructure network that would make bicycling a preferred option for daily transportation within 20 years. The vision included receiving a Platinum Level Bicycle Friendly Community designation from the League of American Bicyclists.
The Bicycle Master Plan guided the development of several signature active transportation projects in Phoenix, including the 3rd and 5th Avenue Improvements, the 3rd Street Promenade, Oak Street and the Grand Canalscape. Subsequently, the Transportation 2050 (T2050) Plan, approved by voters in 2015, established a commitment to add 1,080 new bike lane miles in the City of Phoenix by 2050. This ambitious goal requires building bike lanes beyond the recommendations in the Comprehensive Bicycle Master Plan.
In 2018, Streets applied for, and received, funds from the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) to update its Comprehensive Bicycle Master Plan to help guide implementation of an expanded bike lane network. In June 2019, City Council approved an intergovernmental agreement to allow the City to work with MAG to collaborate on the development of an ATP that would include walking and the use of micromobility and mobility devices.
ATP Development and Community Engagement
The ATP planning process included engagement of an interdepartmental advisory team, extensive analysis of existing City plans and policies, and two rounds of community engagement. The interdepartmental advisory team (Active Transportation Advisory Team) brought together staff from seven City departments, with dedicated working groups for each of the plan elements. The planning team reviewed 11 existing City plans and policies to ensure alignment with the ATP and to identify opportunities for further implementation of active transportation goals.
Two rounds of community outreach were conducted for the ATP. The first round of community outreach took place in the winter of 2021 through an online survey, poster polls at two community events, and interviews with community leaders from historically marginalized neighborhoods and active transportation advocacy organizations. The feedback gathered during this round of outreach guided the creation of the planning principles and the recommendations within each assessment area. A second round of public outreach, focused on review of the draft plan, was conducted from December 2022 through January 2023 through a virtual public meeting and a community survey. The community feedback during the meeting and the survey answers informed updates to the final version of the ATP.
ATP Elements
The ATP has three elements that correspond to the three assessment areas: network development, policy updates and design guidance. Each element is designed to work as part of the overall plan, or as a standalone document.
Rather than providing a map of recommended bicycle or active transportation projects, the ATP recommends a community-focused program for developing the active transportation network in Phoenix. Streets will work in each of Phoenix’s urban villages to conduct in-depth community outreach and recommend a network of bike lanes that can be quickly implemented. Staff will work with two urban villages per year to create plans and then work to install the bike lanes within two years after finishing the plans, as funding is available. The process will also identify potential larger projects that will require longer planning timelines and additional funding. The urban villages will be prioritized based on equity and the individual village workload. The program is anticipated to take approximately ten years to complete.
The policy section recommends updates to City policies and procedures to ensure alignment and consistency and to support the four principles of the plan: Safe, Connected, Enjoyable and Equitable. It supports the further implementation of Complete Streets, the Climate Action Plan, and the Vision Zero Road Safety Action Plan. The recommendations are grouped into short-term, medium-term and long-term priorities based on public input and feasibility.
The design guidance section will be a reference manual for staff and consultants on how to design streets for active transportation. It reflects the current best practices for active transportation with a special focus on Phoenix’s unique challenges. The design guidance section will be shared internally and made available on Phoenix’s website as a standalone document for use by consultants and developers.
Accountability
The ATP continues previously established commitments to build bike lanes and multi- use paths along canals and to pursue a Platinum Level Bicycle Friendly Community designation. Tracking metrics for each of the three plan elements are identified and will be reported in annual Active Transportation Program updates to the Citizens Transportation Commission and the Transportation, Infrastructure and Planning Subcommittee.
Financial Impact
The $2 million per year Bicycle Master Plan funding from the Highway Users Revenue Fund will be used for implementation of the ATP.
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
The City Council approved:
- An intergovernmental agreement with MAG (Ordinance S-45828) on June 19, 2019; and
- An exception to Phoenix City Code to include indemnification and assumption of liability provisions for the intergovernmental agreement previously authorized (Ordinance S-46354) on Feb. 5, 2020.
The Transportation, Infrastructure and Planning Subcommittee recommended City Council approval of the ATP on May 17, 2023, by a vote of 4-0.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Alan Stephenson and the Street Transportation Department.