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The PATH Guide Planning ideas, tools and examples to achieve transportation access and equity in rural California. May,May, 20062006 Prepared by Natural Resources Services A Division of Redwood Community Action Agency Eureka, California - www.nrsrcaa.org/path With assistance from Nelson/Nygaard Consulting Associates Prepared for Transportation & Land Use Coalition Alta Planning + Design The County of Humboldt Public Works Department Victoria Transport Policy Institute With funding from Planwest Partners The Caltrans Environmental Justice Program ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many thanks go to: Caltrans Environmental Justice Program and District 1 Planning staff – for seeing ways out of the box. County of Humboldt Public Works staff – for supporting and providing guidance to a visionary process. Team members • Natural Resources Services: Project Manager Jennifer Rice and staff Chris Lohoefener, Dana Dickman, Georgia Trehey and Michele Copas • Nelson/Nygaard Consulting Associates: Principal Linda Rhine, Project Manager Jeremy Nelson and GIS Planning Specialist Christine Celsor • Transportation & Land Use Coalition Policy Director Jeff Hobson • Victoria Transport Policy Institute Executive Director Todd Litman • Alta Planning + Design Principal Mia Birk • Planwest Partners Principal George Williamson, staff Tiffany Wilson and consulting partner Nancy Reichard Project Management Steering Committee • Caltrans District 1 Planning Division: Jan Bulinski, Michael Lucas and Jerome Washington • Humboldt County Public Works Department: Cheryl Dillingham and Chris Whitworth • Humboldt County Association of Governments: Spencer Clifton For more information about this project, contact: • Humboldt County Community Development Department: Tom Hofweber Natural Resources Services • Humboldt County Public Health Officer: Dr. Ann Lindsay Redwood Community Action Agency • Humboldt County Environmental Health Department: Brian Cox 904 G Street Eureka, CA 95501 • Arcata Economic Development Corporation: Jim Test www.nrsrcaa.org/path • City of Arcata Public Works Department: Doby Class 707 269 2060 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction: PLANNING TOOLS FOR A NEW ERA 1 4. MAKING IT HAPPEN: FUNDING, DELIVERY, EVALUATION 32 Healthy Transportation 2 4.1 Creative Resource Planning 32 Transportation Equity 2 Federal & State Funding Sources 32 Local Funding Streams: Taking Control of Your Transport Destiny 33 Even Small Governments Can Achieve Big Things 3 Evaluation Criteria for New Local Funding Streams 36 How Is The PATH Model Different? 3 4.2 Getting All of It on the Ground: Delivery Assurance 37 1. LONG-TERM STRATEGIC GOALS 7 4.3 Evaluating Effectiveness: Learning from Ourselves in A Rapidly Changing Field 39 2. UNDERSTANDING TRANSPORTATION & ACCESS NEEDS 8 4.4 Implementing the PATH Model Is An Ongoing Process 40 2.1 Shifting Focus From ‘Mobility’ to ‘Accessibility’ 8 5. PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE: MORE DETAIL 41 2.2 Transportation-Disadvantaged Populations 10 5.1 Public Participation & Outreach Techniques & Tracking Seeking Existing Information from New Sources 11 Systems Mapping Disadvantaged Populations 12 5.2 Mapping Transportation Disadvantage: GIS Possibilities 46 2.3 Engaged & Informed Partners: Public Participation 16 5.3 Funding Worksheet Examples 48 Different Communities, Needs & Resources 16 5.4 Development Impact Fees 50 Picking the Right Tools for the Job 17 2.4 Determining Community Access Needs & Priorities 19 6. USEFUL RESOURCES 53 Health & Safety 53 3. IDENTIFING STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS NEEDS 21 Land Use & Facility Design 53 3.1 Objectives: Linking Visionary Goals to Strategies for Action 21 Economic Development 54 3.2 Picking the Strategy -- Policy, Program or Project 21 Social Equity 55 3.3 Multi-Disciplinary Planning Considerations 25 Efficiency Demand Management & Sustainability 55 Health & Safety Planning Considerations 26 General References 56 Land Use & Facility Design Planning Considerations 27 Economic Development Planning Considerations 28 Social Equity Planning Considerations 29 Efficiency, Demand Management & Sustainability 30 Cumulative Considerations 31 PATH Guide Introduction: Planning Tools For A New Era INTRODUCTION: PLANNING TOOLS FOR A NEW ERA As community transportation needs evolve, decisionmakers require innovative tools to address them. The ‘Planning for Active Transportation and Health’ (PATH) model As one of a series of reports that are the presents a new process and set of tools to plan for safer, more functional and equitable product of a Caltrans Environmental Justice access to goods, services, and employment. Program-funded grant to the County of Humboldt and Redwood Community Action The PATH model can also help social service, health, and economic development Agency, this and the following documents professionals assist transportation and land use planners take a multi-disciplinary can be viewed at www.nrsrcaa.org/path: approach to transportation decisions that affect other vital community needs and goals. Summary of Research: literature review and consideration of Humboldt County PATH model recommendations in this Guide focus on: issues related to the need for a new • Ensuring diverse transportation choices as alternatives to automotive travel; planning paradigm to achieve transportation equity. • Considering social equity and public health impacts of transportation decisions; Event Summaries: results from • Integrating transportation and land use planning to promote more accessible, gatherings of transportation, land use, complete neighborhoods and development patterns that support community health, social service and economic vitality and sustainable economic growth. development professionals. Best Practices Report: case studies and This Guide is a summary of the PATH model (other documents related to the PATH project lists of example programs, projects and are listed at the right) that offers tools in the form of ideas, examples, and techniques for policies achieving these goals –- a ‘Web decisionmakers (transportation and land use planning staff and elected and appointed Resource Guide’ provides links to many officials) non-transportation professionals, funding agencies and organizations and resources. community stakeholders. These tools show how the PATH approach can: Humboldt County Transportation- Disadvantaged Populations Report: • Refocus analyses of community transportation needs from ‘mobility’ to ‘accessibility’ new information about who and where • Identify diverse, underserved populations and their transportation needs the greatest transport needs are in this county on California’s north coast, • Motivate sincere, interactive public participation in the planning process including maps. • Establish strategic goals that support the community’s vision Opportunities for Improving Transportation Equity in Humboldt • Involve multi-disciplinary expertise in transportation program and project design County: recommended planning, public • Identify funding sources as an integral part of the planning process participation, programmatic and project strategies for improving transportation • Deliver multimodal programs and projects fully intact as originally envisioned equity in Humboldt County. and planned • Evaluate the outcomes and cost-effectiveness of transportation investments in improving transportation equity and meeting the community’s other strategic goals May, 2006 1 of 58 Natural Resources Services Division, RCAA PATH Guide Introduction: Planning Tools For A New Era HEALTHY TRANSPORTATION Transportation is one of the most fundamental human needs and one of the most important aspects affecting the livability of any community, including its public, social, and economic health. Access to health care and healthy food is a significant issue for disadvantaged populations, leading public health staff across the nation to get involved with community design issues. Active, healthy transportation modes (walking, cycling, and other human-powered means) are the most equitable, cost efficient, affordable modes for which to plan because these modes: • Are accessible by people of any economic means and most physical abilities • Cost relatively less to build and much less to maintain TRANSPORTATION EQUITY At some point in life, everyone is likely to experience mobility limitations, whether from injury, health issue (e.g. back pain, pregnancy, aging-related illness), need to transport children or household goods, or a dysfunctional vehicle. When those with the greatest mobility challenges are planned for and accommodated, the entire community will be Efforts to improve the fairness of better served (see Section 2.2). transportation policies must recognize the complexities and wide impacts of Current laws and administrative rulings require that federally funded projects and those policies on civil rights, mobility, programs not be used in ways that result in discriminatory actions. Planning for land use, general health, economics and ‘transportation equity’ means an equitable distribution of transportation investments, the environment. These efforts must equal access to social needs, and the consideration of social health. Planning for also include setting easily enforceable transportation equity is an on-going, iterative process, and not simply an analysis standards to measure whether the conducted after all important decisions have been made. Equity considerations can be benefits and burdens of transportation incorporated into the transportation planning process via: policies are distributed equitably to minority and low-income