Chapter 12.24 — COMPLETE STREETS PROGRAM

The purpose of this chapter is to implement the general plan's goals enabling the streets of the city to provide safe, convenient and comfortable routes for walking, bicycling and public transportation that encourage increased use of these modes of transportation, enable convenient travel as part of daily activities, improve the public welfare by addressing a wide array of health and environmental problems and meet the needs of all users of the streets, including bicyclists, children, persons with disabilities, pedestrians, users of public transportation, and seniors, while continuing to maintain a safe and effective transportation system for motorists and movers of commercial goods.

(Ord. No. 3065, § 1, 3-28-17)

The following words and phrases, whenever used in this chapter, shall have the meanings defined in this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise:

A.

"Complete streets infrastructure" means design features that contribute to a safe, convenient or comfortable travel experience for users, including, but not limited to, features such as: sidewalks; shared use paths; bicycle lanes; automobile lanes; paved shoulders; street trees, landscaping and planting strips, including native plants where possible; curbs; accessible curb ramps; crosswalks; pedestrian and traffic signals, including countdown and accessible signals; signage, including pedestrian-oriented signs; pedestrian-scale lighting; street furniture and benches; bicycle parking facilities; public transportation stops and facilities; transit priority signalization and traffic calming devices.

B.

"Street" means any right-of-way, public or private (in new construction areas), including arterials, connectors, alleys, ways, lanes and roadways by any other designation, as well as bridges, tunnels and any other portions of the transportation network.

C.

"Street project" means the construction, reconstruction, retrofit, maintenance of any street, and includes the planning, design, approval and construction.

D.

"Users" mean individuals that use streets, including bicyclists, children, persons with disabilities, motorists, movers of commercial goods, pedestrians, users of public transportation, seniors, youth and families.

(Ord. No. 3065, § 1, 3-28-17)

A.

The city will make complete streets practices a routine part of everyday operations, approach every transportation project and program as an opportunity to improve public and private streets and the transportation network for all users, and work in coordination with other departments, agencies, and jurisdictions to achieve complete streets.

B.

Consistent with the general plan, and/or approved specific plan, every street project on public or private streets will incorporate complete streets infrastructure sufficient to enable reasonably safe travel along and across the right-of-way for each category of users; provided, however, that such infrastructure may be excluded, upon written approval by city engineer or his/her designee where documentation and supporting data indicate one of the following bases for the exemption:

Use by a specific category of users is prohibited by law;

The cost would be excessively disproportionate to the need or probable future use over the long term;

There is an absence of current and future need; or

Significant adverse impacts outweigh the positive effects of the infrastructure.

C.

The city engineer and/or city traffic engineer will provide an annual report to the parking and transportation commission listing the public and private street projects undertaken in the past year and briefly summarizing the complete streets infrastructure used in those projects and, if applicable, the basis for excluding complete streets infrastructure from those projects.

D.

If the safety and convenience of users can be improved within the scope of pavement resurfacing, restriping, or signalization operations on public or private streets, such projects may include complete streets infrastructure to increase safety for users.

E.

The community development department, public works department, and parks, recreation and community services department shall review existing plans, zoning, and subdivision codes, laws, procedures, rules, regulations, guidelines, programs, templates and design manuals, including the greenway trail, development code, general plan, standard drawings for public improvements, and standard conditions to ensure consistency with the general plan.

F.

The public works department shall develop or revise street standards and design manuals, including cross-section templates and design treatment details, to ensure that standards support and do not impede complete streets. The public works department shall coordinate design guidelines with street classifications and revise them to include complete streets infrastructure, such as bicycle lanes, sidewalks, street crossings, and planting strips. Such revisions may be coordinated with revisions to the code, general plan, standard drawings for public improvements, and standard conditions.

G.

The building department and engineering division shall ensure that sidewalks, crosswalks, public transportation stops and facilities, and other aspects of the transportation right-of-way are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and shall ensure that the city ADA transition plan includes a prioritization method for enhancements, and shall revise if necessary.

H.

The community development department and public works department shall continue to require street infrastructure consistent with the general design guidelines of the code and consistent with the policies of the general plan and/or specific plans regarding complete streets that encourage and create pedestrian-oriented activities.

I.

The community development department and public works department shall continue to implement the general plan policies and goals to encourage complete street infrastructure, including connecting transit opportunities, pedestrian friendly commercial streets, and goals for future transportation opportunities like light rail transit or other modes of transit.

J.

The city will make training available to community development, public works, and parks, recreation and community services personnel regarding the implementation and integration of multimodal infrastructure and techniques.

(Ord. No. 3065, § 1, 3-28-17; Ord. No. 3112, § 2, 2-25-20)

A.

The city will evaluate the effectiveness of city streets serving each category of users through the following data collection and performance measures:

Total miles of on-street bikeways defined by streets with clearly marked or signed bicycle accommodation.

Total miles of streets with pedestrian accommodation.

Number of missing or noncompliant curb ramps along city streets.

Number of new trees planted along city streets.

Number and severity of pedestrian-vehicle and bicycle-vehicle crashes.

Number of pedestrian-vehicle and bicycle-vehicle fatalities.

Track data of students from school districts in the city and collaborate with the school districts on projects.

Comprehensive citywide sidewalk inventory.

Sales tax revenue for future funding opportunities.

Total miles of pedestrian trails throughout the city.

Number of truncated domes on sidewalks to support visually impaired residents.

Amount of air pollution (in tons) caused by automobiles.

B.

The city shall conduct targeted outreach and encourage public participation in its decisions concerning street design and use. Community input includes:

Parking and Transportation Commission.

Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission.

Social Services Commission.

Accessibility Committee.

C.

The city will institute the following implementation strategy with this complete streets policy:

Advisory group. The city will utilize the parking and transportation commission and appropriate staff within the engineering division of public works as an advisory committee to oversee the implementation of this policy. The committee may also include members of community development, parks, recreation and community services department, and the city manager's or his/her designee office from the city. The committee may include representatives from the bicycling, youth and elderly community, and other advocacy organizations, as relevant. This committee will evaluate the city's progress and provide advice on implementation.

Capital improvement project prioritization. The city will reevaluate capital improvement projects prioritization to encourage implementation of bicycle, pedestrian and transit improvements.

Safe routes to school plan. The city will maintain and update safe routes to school plan and continue to encourage local community member participation.

Other plans. The city will maintain and update its bicycle transportation plan, an Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plan, capital improvement program, and an approved street tree list and a tree preservation ordinance.

Pedestrian safety campaign. The city will maintain and support a comprehensive pedestrian safety campaign. This plan engages local community members, city leaders, and law enforcement to encourage safe walking and biking throughout the city. Campaign messages (i.e., graphic elements, road markings, signs) will support pedestrian safety efforts.

Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning. The city may, as a resource, follow the Community Climate Action Plan developed by Los Angeles County to identify amount and trends in automobile air pollution.

Storm water management. The city will implement the Green Streets Policy as part of the complete streets policy to continue with a sustainable storm water management plan along our streets.

Traffic sign inventory. The city will maintain an inventory of all signs located throughout the city.

Staff training. The city will train advisory group members and city staff on the content of the complete streets principles and best practices for implementing the policy.

Coordination. The city will utilize inter-departmental project coordination to promote the most responsible and efficient use of fiscal resources for activities that occur within the public right-of-way.

Funding. The city will actively seek sources of appropriate funding to implement complete streets.

Initial studies, assessments and reviews. All initial planning and design studies, health impact assessments, environmental reviews, and other project reviews for projects requiring funding or approval by the city shall:

a.

Evaluate the effect of the proposed project on safe, comfortable, and convenient travel by all users; and

b.

Identify measures to mitigate any adverse impacts on such travel that are identified.

(Ord. No. 3065, § 1, 3-28-17; Ord. No. 3112, § 2, 2-25-20)