TITLE
Recommendation to approve the City’s Safe Streets Long Beach Plan, a policy document that lays out a framework of Keystone actions to guide the City in its efforts to eliminate traffic related fatalities and serious injuries by 2026. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
On May 24, 2016, the City Council adopted the goal of Vision Zero to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries among all roadway users, including those walking, bicycling, and driving. The City Council action included the following elements:
• Conduct an analysis of corridors and intersections with high bicycle, pedestrian, and vehicle injury accident rates to understand traffic safety issues and to help prioritize resources based on geographic areas and issues of the greatest need.
• Initiate a Vision Zero Task Force comprised of relevant City departments (Police, Public Works, Health and Human Services, Development Services), Long Beach Transit, Long Beach Unified School District, and community members with mobility or urban planning expertise to develop an action plan with clear strategies, "owners" of each strategy, interim targets, timelines, and measurable goals.
• Prepare a Vision Zero document sharing the analytical data and stating the City's goals.
• Provide an (biannual or annual) update to the City Council and community members on the progress made toward each interim target and/or goal.
Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all traffic-related fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all. First implemented in Sweden in the 1990s, Vision Zero has proven successful across Europe and is now gaining momentum in major American cities including New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
Each year, more than 40,000 people are killed on American roadways and thousands more are severely injured in life changing traffic collisions. In the first two months of this year, on Long Beach streets, nine individuals lost their lives, including five pedestrians. Traffic deaths and severe injuries have long been considered an inevitable side effect of modern roadway travel.
These traffic collisions can often be prevented by taking a proactive, preventative approach that prioritizes traffic safety as a public health issue to be corrected with appropriate design, education, and enforcement. Public health is also compromised by increasing rates of sedentary diseases linked to carbon emissions from vehicles, with these emissions continuing to be the number one contributor to Climate Change.
Funded by a California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Systemic Safety Analysis Report Program (SSARP) grant, Public Works hired a consultant to complete the vehicle collision history analysis and assist with the development of a Vision Zero Action Plan. While the consultant team conducted an analysis of the collision data, the City collected input from a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) comprised of representatives from the Departments of Development Services, Economic Development, Fire, Harbor, Police, Health, Public Works; community partners, Long Beach Walks, Walk Bike Long Beach, Long Beach Grey Panthers; and agency partners, Long Beach Unified School District, Long Beach Transit, Metro, and Caltrans.
Safe Streets Long Beach Plan
The analysis showed that Long Beach is experiencing an uptick in the number and types of roadway collisions many of which result in traffic fatalities and severe injuries, particularly to a disproportionate number of pedestrian and bicyclists. This statistic is consistent across the nation as more distracted drivers are now on the roadways.
To meet the goal of eliminating all traffic fatalities by 2026, the attached Safe Streets Long Beach Plan has identified a prioritized list of Keystone actions to guide the City in attaining its Vision Zero goals:
1. Dedicate Resources to Vision Zero
2. Lower Vehicle Speeds
3. Implement Best Practice Street Design
4. Expand Multimodal Safety Education Campaign
5. Collect Better Data to Make Better Decisions
6. Prioritize Road Safety Investments through Equity Lens
Successful implementation of these initiatives will require a collective effort by the City Council, City staff, and community members.
This matter was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Amy R. Webber on June 3, 2020 and by Budget Analysis Officer Julissa Jose-Murray on June 10, 2020.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action on this matter is not time critical.
FISCAL IMPACT
The Safe Streets Long Beach Plan, a Vision Zero Project, is a policy document that lays out a framework of Keystone Actions to guide the City in its efforts to eliminate traffic related fatalities and serious injuries by 2026. The initiatives will require the commitment of resources and funding needed to implement the strategies identified in the document. The Plan does not constitute City approval of projects, programs, or expenditures. Staff will work to develop funding in the fiscal year 2021 budget to begin to initiate identified actions from available transportation capital funding sources. This recommendation has no staffing impact beyond the normal budgeted scope of duties and is consistent with existing City Council priorities. There is no local job impact associated with this recommendation.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
CRAIG A. BECK
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS
APPROVED:
THOMAS B. MODICA
ACTING CITY MANAGER