TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Steven Lederer, Public Works Director
REPORT BY: Steven Lederer, Public Works Director
SUBJECT: Adoption of a Resolution in support the Vision Zero Bike and Pedestrian Safety Plan
RECOMMENDATION
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Director of Public Works requests adoption of a Resolution in the support of the Napa Valley Transportation Authority’s (NVTA) “NVTA Vision Zero Plan.”
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On October 18, 2023 the NVTA Board adopted a “Vision Zero Plan.” National best practices and policies support adoption of comprehensive safety action plans, such as Vision Zero plans. The Napa Valley Vision was adopted by NVTA to meet requirements for several competitive transportation funding programs as well as the One Bay Area Grant, Cycle 3 (OBAG-3) program. This plan will assist NVTA and the County towards the goal of zero serious and fatal roadway injuries countywide by 2030.
The NVTA Vision Zero Plan identifies and evaluates hot spots and systemic, risk factors on Napa Valley’s roadway network using collision records between 2015 and 2021. There were 571 severe injuries or fatalities in this timeframe. The data was used to evaluate locations with frequent severe injury or fatality collisions and to identify where to implement safety enhancements based on injury risk factors. Community engagement efforts and equity-focused analysis supported the projects and strategies recommended in the plan. Projects reflect engineering and non-engineering countermeasures that are in line with the Safe System Approach that seeks to reduce speed, separate users in space and time, and provide redundancy using proven safety countermeasures. Complementary program, policy, and practice recommendations are also identified to infuse safety on all Napa Valley roadways.
While the Vision Zero plan does not itself come with funding, and this agenda item does not request any specific funding, the plan does help the County identify projects that could be accomplished, in the context of all the County’s funding priorities. Staff request the Board adopt a resolution in support of the plan.
FISCAL & STRATEGIC PLAN IMPACT
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Is there a Fiscal Impact? |
No |
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Is it currently budgeted? |
No |
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Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? |
Discretionary |
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Discretionary Justification: |
The Plan provides a good framework for evaluating possible future projects and makes the County eligible for additional grant funds. |
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Is the general fund affected? |
No |
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Future fiscal impact: |
None, depending on future Board actions to potentially fund specific projects. |
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Consequences if not approved: |
The resolution will not be adopted. |
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County Strategic Plan pillar addressed: |
Healthy, Safe, and Welcoming Place to Live, Work, and Visit |
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The proposed action is not subject to CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15060(c)(3) because the activity is not a project pursuant to section 15378, and because it will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment pursuant to section 15060(c)(2).
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
NVTA, with support from Fehr & Peers, prepared the NVTA Vision Zero Plan. The full plan can be found on the NVTA website.
The following describes the work completed as part of the Vision Zero effort.
Data Collection
The Fehr & Peers team completed a preliminary overview of collision records in both incorporated and unincorporated areas within the county. The collision data included injury reported collisions between 2015 and 2021, available through the Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) reports from the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) but excludes collisions that cause property damage only and no injuries. For the timeframe in Napa Valley, there were a total of 4,651 injury collisions, of which 571 were fatal or severe injury collisions. High-level trends include:
• Fatal and severe injury collisions for vehicle-only and pedestrian collisions have remained similar year-over-year, even during the pandemic. There was a slight decrease in bicycle-related collisions in 2021.
• Different modes have different times where collisions are most prevalent.
o Pedestrian collisions are more prevalent during weekdays.
o Bicycle collisions are more prevalent during weekends.
o Total injury vehicle collisions were more evenly spread across the week.
o Vehicle collisions involving fatalities and severe injuries are more prevalent during weekends.
• Community input indicated that roadway safety is a top priority, and behavioral as well as physical roadway changes can be improved.
• Seasonal Farmworkers and the Unhoused are community members that are often underserved in data reports. Multidisciplinary coordination and programs and policies should be updated to institutionalize outreach to understand their roadway and safety concerns.
Alongside the collision data, community input, stakeholder input, equity data sources, interactive map responses, intersection control types, roadway characteristics, lighting availability, and more were reviewed to provide a robust understanding of safety patterns and concerns throughout the Valley.
Focus Areas
Based on the systemic analysis, ten profiles were identified that emphasize trends in collision history when overlaid with roadway context. Combined, these ten profiles represent 76% of all collisions and 79% of collisions involving fatal and severe injuries in Napa Valley during the study period. The Plan seeks remedies to address these trends where they have occurred and mitigation opportunities to address risk factors to eliminate future collisions. These focus areas include:
1. Unsafe Speeds on Non-Urban Thoroughfares
2. Driving Under the Influence (DUI)
3. Broadside Collisions
4. Hit Object Collisions
5. Nighttime Collisions Along Major Roadways
6. Pedestrians Hit in Crosswalks at Intersections
7. Pedestrians Hit Crossing Outside Crosswalks or Walking in Road
8. Bicycle Collisions at Intersections
9. Highway Gateways
10. Collisions along Highways Serving as Main Streets
Countermeasures
The Plan pairs the data-driven collision analysis with proven countermeasures. Each focus area includes a toolbox of the five elements within the Safe Systems Approach: Safe Roads, Safe Road Users, Safe Speeds, Post-Crash Care, and Safe Vehicles. More information on the toolbox is included in Appendix A of the Plan.
Projects
From the focus areas, ten representative projects were selected for further project development. Each project summary includes a description of the project, collision trends, systemic profiles that the project reflects, what mode of travel the project targets, and an estimated cost range. The ten projects include:
1. American Canyon Road East from State Route 29 to Newell Drive
2. Lincoln Avenue from State Route 128 to Silverado Trail, Calistoga
3. State Route 128 from Cedar Street/Petrified Forest Road to Pine Street, Calistoga
4. Deer Park Road/Sanitarium Road, St. Heleena
5. Howell Mountain Road from White Cottage Road to Sunset Drive, Angwin
6. Main Street Downtown St. Helena from Pratt Avenue to Charter Oak Avenue
7. Trancas Street/Redwood Road from Dry Creek Road to the Napa River, City of Napa
8. Soscol Avenue from Trancas Street to Imola Avenue, City of Napa
9. Finnell Road from Yount Street to Vista Road, Town of Yountville
10. State Route 29/Madison Street, Town of Yountville
Action Plan
The Action Plan includes strategies that require partnerships and collaboration with local organizations. These safety practices may include periodically updating the plan to identify how funding decisions will be made to prioritize Safe System aligned projects.
The Action Plan identifies the party/parties responsible for leading and supporting each action. A timeline for implementation and performance metrics are included. Strategies identify how to provide technical assistance and capacity building for internal staff, elected officials, and the advocacy community to support the rollout of the Plan’s projects and strategies, and ensure that projects supported by NVTA are audited for consistency with the Safe System Approach.
Engagement
The project team assembled two working groups for participation in the development of the plan. Both met three times over the course of the plan period.
The engagement plan developed at the onset of the project identified goals, roles and responsibilities for both working groups. The Technical Advisory Working Group (TAWG) was made up of public works, planning, law enforcement/public safety. The Stakeholder Working Group (SWG) included elected officials, community-based organizations, health organizations, school districts, and advocacy groups such as Slow Down Napa and the Napa County Bicycle Coalition.
Community Engagement included a survey, both online and on paper, to gauge the attitude of Napa Valley residents on a variety of safety issues. The survey included 22 questions, and was available from April 20th, 2023 to June 30th, 2023 in both English and Spanish. In total, 585 responses were collected from residents of the member agencies and unincorporated areas within Napa County.
NVTA staff also provided regular Vision Zero Plan updates to the NVTA Board and Committees to provide opportunities for public participation in the planning process. The meetings attended included:
Jurisdiction Advisory Committees
• City of Napa Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC)
o 12/8/22 Overview of Napa Valley Vision Zero Plan
o 4/13/23 Vision Zero Plan Progress Update
o 8/23 Vision Zero Plan Progress Update
• City of Calistoga Active Transportation Advisory Committee (ATAC)
o 4/5/23 Vision Zero Plan Progress Update
• City of American Canyon Open Space Active Transportation and Sustainability Commission (OSATS)
o 8/2/23 Vision Zero Plan Presentation and Progress Update
NVTA Advisory Committees
• NVTA Active Transportation Advisory Committee (ATAC)
o 9/26/22 Plan Introduction/Kick off
o 11/28/22 Ad Hoc-Vision Zero Stakeholder Representative selection
o 1/23/23 Vision Zero Plan Progress Update
o 5/22/23 Vision Zero Plan Progress Update
o 9/25/23 Draft Vision Zero Plan
• NVTA Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC)
o 7/7/22 Vision Zero Plan introduction
o 1/11/23 Vision Zero Plan Progress Update
o 3/1/23 Vision Zero Plan Progress Update
o 5/3/23 Vision Zero Plan Progress Update
o 7/12/23 Vision Zero Plan Progress Update
• NVTA Technical Advisory Committee
o 9/1/22 Vision Zero Plan Introduction
o 1/5/23 Ad Hoc Stakeholder Group Representatives selection
o 3/2/23 Vision Zero Plan Progress Update
o 5/4/23 Vision Zero Plan Progress Update
o 7/13/23 Vision Zero Plan Progress Update
o 9/7/23 Draft Vision Zero Plan
• NVTA Board
o 10/11/22 Work Authorization-Initial presentation
o 1/11/23 Ad Hoc-Vision Zero Stakeholder Representative selection
o 3/8/23 Vision Zero Progress Update
o 7/19/23 Vision Zero Progress Update
Next Steps
With an adopted Vision Zero Plan, NVTA will begin to institutionalize the safety practices identified in the Plan for internal NVTA focus. NVTA staff will also begin coordination with member agencies to implement the safety strategies identified in the plan. These safety practices include, but are not limited to, integrating safety improvements into routine maintenance and capital projects, supporting member agencies in reviewing and updating policies and standards with a Safe System focus, and prioritizing projects that create redundancy in the roadway network to reduce fatal and severe injury crash risk. Once the Plan is adopted, NVTA staff will review the current funding, technical assistance needs, project plans, policies, and programs to identify where there is not a Vision Zero and Safe System alignment, and where adjustments are needed to meet the adopted Vision Zero resolution. County staff work regularly with NVTA staff on these efforts.
NVTA intends to create a traffic safety committee. While specific members have not yet been identified, this group is expected to include NVTA staff, member agency staff (including the County), emergency personnel, and key stakeholders.