To:   HONORABLE MAYOR                             From:   James R. Helmer

                        AND CITY COUNCIL                                              

 

   Subject:   VALLEY TRANSPORTATION                Date:   10-16-03

                         PLAN 2030

 

COUNCIL DISTRICT: Citywide

SNI AREA:  N/A

 

 

RECOMMENDATION

 

Accept staff report on the review of eligible Freeway, Expressway, and Intelligent Transportation Systems Projects for Valley Transportation Plan 2030.  [Building Better Transportation Committee referral 10/6/03, Item 6.1 (d)(2)]

 

 

BACKGROUND

 

The Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is preparing an update to the regional transportation master plan for Santa Clara County.  The master plan is updated on a 3-year cycle and the new plan is referred to as Valley Transportation Plan 2030 (VTP 2030).  The purpose of the plan is to identify and prioritize improvement projects for various regional transportation funding sources.  The City’s recommendation to the VTA on candidate projects and priorities is due in December.

 

The City’s position on the VTP 2030 program is being developed in coordination with the Building Better Transportation (BBT) Committee.  On October 6, 2003, the BBT Committee requested that the City Council review and provide input on the following elements of the program: 1) selection criteria for City priorities, and 2) candidate roadway improvement projects.  It is noted that BBT Committee will address transit and bicycle/pedestrian projects at their November meeting.

 

 

ANALYSIS

 

Selection Criteria for City Priorities

 

The development of a complete list of regionally competitive projects is based on the identification of meaningful criteria to direct the selection of candidate improvements.  In coordination with the BBT Committee, staff identified a list of selection criteria that takes into account both the regional perspective of VTA, as well as the local interests of the City of San Jose.  These criteria include the following:

 

Regional Priorities

Other Considerations
  • Connectivity/ Multimodal Systems Integration
  • Efficiency/ Congestion Relief
  • Safety
  • Regional Significance
  • Economic Development
  • Livability
  • Sustainability/ System Preservation
  • Community Support
  • Funding Partnerships
  • Geographic Equity

 

It is proposed that the City’s highest priority projects will be those that generally align with the regional priorities criteria and that have a significant local community benefit (particularly in the areas of economic development and livability).

 

Candidate Roadway Improvement Projects

 

Attachment A identifies a preliminary list of candidate roadway improvement projects for inclusion in the VTP 2030 plan.  The roadway projects are segregated into the following categories: Freeways, Expressways, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), and Local Streets and County Roads.  It is noted that list of Local Streets and County Roads projects was adopted by the City Council at its September 30, 2003 meeting. 

 

Council is asked to consider the preliminary list of roadway projects and consider their relative priority, as well as offer any additional projects for consideration.  DOT staff will present a discussion of bicycle and pedestrian improvements, along with proposed transit improvements at the November BBT meeting.  In addition, staff will present at the November BBT meeting a preliminary list of priority recommendations for each VTP 2030 program category for initial City Council consideration.

 

 

PUBLIC OUTREACH

 

The VTA will conduct public outreach as part of the VTP 2030 update process.

 

 

COORDINATION

 

This report is a supplement to a Building Better Transportation Committee report discussed on October 6, 2003.

 

 

COST IMPLICATIONS

 

There are no direct cost implications associated with this item.

 

 

CEQA

 

Not a project.

 

 

JAMES R. HELMER

Director of Transportation

 

Attachment