AGENDA ITEM I-4 Public Works STAFF REPORT City Council Meeting Date: 12/4/2018 Staff Report Number: 18-225-CC Informational Item: Update on the citywide Safe Routes to School program Recommendation This is an informational item and does not require City Council action. Policy Issues The development of a Citywide Safe Routes to School program (Program) is included as one of the top-six priority projects in the City Council’s adopted 2018 work plan. The program is also an implementation program included in the 2016 general plan circulation element. Background On February 6, 2018, the City Council adopted its 2018 work plan, including the Citywide Safe Routes to school program and further prioritized it as one of the city’s top-six priority projects. Accordingly, staff reprioritized work efforts and prepared a draft request for proposals for the program. The Safe Routes to School subcommittee of the Complete Streets Commission and advocates from Parents for Safe Routes reviewed the draft request for proposals. Staff incorporated this feedback and released the request for proposals May 2, 2018. Six proposals were received by the May 23, 2018, due date. A team of seven people comprised of City staff and Complete Streets Commission subcommittee members reviewed proposals and recommended Alta Planning + Design to initiate the program. Authorization for entering into an agreement with Alta Planning + Design was approved at the City Council meeting June 19, 2018. A notice to proceed was given in July 2018, and this report serves as an update to the work that has been performed over the last five months. Analysis There are approximately 20 public and private schools (Attachment A) located within the City of Menlo Park or neighboring communities that serve Menlo Park residents. These either are private schools or part of one of four public districts that primarily serve Menlo Park residents: Las Lomitas Elementary School District, Menlo Park City School District, Ravenswood City School District, and Sequoia Union High School District. A summary of these schools is listed in Table 1. Currently, each school has varying levels of Safe Routes to school programs, from basic services to robust transportation programs. In addition, another challenge is the cross-jurisdictional coordination between the City of Menlo Park, City of East Palo Alto, Town of Atherton and San Mateo County (unincorporated lands) for infrastructural improvements. Therefore, creating a citywide Safe Routes to school program – one working with all stakeholders – will ensure equity to all students in the area through accessibility to safe City of Menlo Park 701 Laurel St., Menlo Park, CA 94025 tel 650-330-6600 www.menlopark.org Staff Report #: 18-225-CC travel to school via bicycling or walking. This will increase independence and reduce the need for parents to drive children and congestion related to this traffic. However, the challenge will be communicating with each school stakeholder and other jurisdictional agencies in the area. Table 1: Schools in Menlo Park area Public / private Elementary / middle school grades Middle / high school grades schools Las Lomitas Elementary 1. Las Lomitas Elementary (K-3) n/a School District 2. La Entrada School (4-8) Menlo Park City 1. Encinal School (K-5) n/a School District 2. Hillview Middle (6-8) 3. Laurel School Lower Campus (K-2) 4. Laurel School Upper Campus (3-5) 5. Oak Knoll School (K-5) Ravenswood City 1. Belle Haven School (K-8) 1. Ravenswood Middle School (6-8) School District1 2. Willow Oaks School (K-8) Sequoia Union N/A 1. Menlo-Atherton High (9-12) High School District 2. TIDE Academy (9-12) Private schools N/A 1. Menlo School (6-12) (Atherton) 2. Sacred Heart Schools (P-12) Private schools 1. Alto International School (P-12) 1. Mid-Peninsula High (9-12) (Menlo Park) 2. Beechwood School (K-8) 2. Lydian Academy (6-12) 3. Nativity Catholic School (P-8) 4. Peninsula School (P-8) 5. Phillips Brooks School (P-5) 6. St. Raymond School (K-5) 7. Trinity School (P-5) 1Grades 6, 7, and 8 at Belle Haven School and Willow Oaks School are being phased out as Ravenswood Middle School enrolls its Grade 6, 7 and 8 classes. The kick-off meeting with the Safe Routes to school program consultant, Alta Planning + Design, was conducted in July 2018. Based on the request for proposal scope of work and discussions, the consensus for next steps was to establish communication with every stakeholder for garnering feedback and data. The intent of reaching out to each stakeholder was to establish expectations from both parties while fostering the relationship and partnership necessary for the common goal of safety for children. Over the course of Summer and Fall of 2018, Alta Planning + Design reached out to the four public school districts and a few private schools. The goal was to conduct a phased implementation, with public schools taking precedence and slowly integrating private schools. However, public schools are not prioritized over private schools; the end goal is that every school in and/or serving Menlo Park is equally important. Opening the lines of communication yielded valuable feedback along with the acquisition of data from schools. This data, along with data from the City of Menlo Park, was used to create draft Walk and Roll maps (Attachment B). These maps offer a tangible resource to parents and children with suggestions on how to safely travel to school via bicycle or walking. These individual meetings culminated in a quarterly check-in with community stakeholders in November 2018. Three meetings were held, one with the technical stakeholders and two with the community. The City of Menlo Park 701 Laurel St., Menlo Park, CA 94025 tel 650-330-6600 www.menlopark.org Staff Report #: 18-225-CC technical stakeholder meeting was imperative for the program’s success, in that many important stakeholders were able to discuss issues in the same room together. Attendees at this meeting included representatives from: • Atherton Police Department • California Highway Patrol • City of Menlo Park Transportation • Complete Streets Commission • Menlo Park Fire District • Menlo Park Police Department • Parents for Safe Routes • Private schools • Public school districts • SamTrans • San Mateo County Office of Education • San Mateo County Public Works • San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office • San Mateo Health System • Stanford Health Care In addition, two community meetings were held at Hillview Middle School and the Menlo Park Senior Center. These meetings allowed the public to understand the programs’ goals and objectives, along with offering them a chance to ask questions in person. Community input will be invaluable as the program begins its next steps (Table 2). As the walk and roll maps are developed for both public and private schools, feedback from the community will leverage their knowledge of the neighborhoods. Community review of the maps with local knowledge will complement prescribed best practices to enable a more powerful resource tool in the map. However, fundamental to this and the program in general is having a conduit between the City/Alta Planning + Design and residents/schools. By February 2019, Alta Planning + Design should hire a Safe Routes to School Coordinator to conduct Phase 2 of the contract. The Safe Routes to School Coordinator will work approximately 20 hours per week to sustain Safe Routes Program operations. Anticipated tasks include developing an advisory committee/task force which includes representatives from various schools, community groups, adjacent cities and other stakeholders; preparing community engagement materials to promote the program; assisting with grant writing; planning safety demonstration and biking/walking themed events; developing an educational curriculum and other educational materials. An option to extend the Phase 2 contract, depending on consultant performance and future funding availability, was included for up to two additional fiscal years, through June 2021. Having the Safe Routes to School Coordinator on board as the bridge between the community and City of Menlo Park will allow parallel goals to be accomplished in the coming months. Additional community events are planned, such as a bike party that includes a town hall meeting, a mobile repair station, and ride-along to foster encouragement and excitement for the Safe Routes to School program. This will lead up to the participation in National Biking Month in May 2019, along with Bike to Work Day/Bike to School days. Alta Planning + Design will also be developing bicycling and walking curriculum, in coordination with the San Mateo County of Office of Education, to offer to schools as a resource guide. The San Mateo County Office of Education curriculum is anticipated to be integrated into existing school topics, such as science and City of Menlo Park 701 Laurel St., Menlo Park, CA 94025 tel 650-330-6600 www.menlopark.org Staff Report #: 18-225-CC social studies. The City-developed curriculum will focus primarily on safety and streets smarts of bicycling and walking. By the end of the 2018-19 school year when the current contract with Alta Planning + Design ends, the City of Menlo Park will be able to offer resources to each school and district in the area. The Walk and Roll maps will be finalized, along with curriculum that teachers will have available as a resource to educate parents and students. These are anticipated to be distributed in Summer 2019 in preparation for the 2019-20 school year. While the long-term goal is that schools will be able to independently operate their individual Safe Routes to School programs, a coordinator is anticipated as necessary to offer resources to schools and act as liaison between the City and County Safe Routes to School programs. This coordinator will offer both resources and continuity to schools, especially schools whose Safe Routes to School specialists leave their positions.