AGENDA REPORT Meeting of the San Marcos City Council MEETING DATE: SUBJECT:

May 27, 2014 San Marcos Boulevard Complete Street Multi-Way Boulevard Project – Recommendation to Select “Alternative B” Concept Plan for Further Planning and Engineering (Project Code 88205)

Recommendation Staff recommends that the City Council approve the attached resolution selecting the Alternative B concept plan for further planning and engineering efforts for the San Marcos Boulevard Complete Street Multi-Way Boulevard Project (Project). Board or Commission Action On May 7, 2014 the Traffic Commission recommended Alternative B as the preferred alternative for further concept development (see below for additional discussion). Relevant Council Strategic Theme x Planning for the Future x Good Governance x Economic Development Relevant Department Goal N/A Introduction In the City’s General Plan update, a portion of San Marcos Boulevard, which is designated by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) as a regional arterial, was designated to create an active transportation corridor that would promote other transportation modes including pedestrians, bicyclists and public transit, while still maintaining vehicular through-traffic. The City of San Marcos (“City”) applied for and was awarded two project planning grants to further define this vision:

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1. Community-Based Transportation Planning (CBTP) Grant by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Division of Transportation Planning, in the amount of $150,000 with a local match amount of $15,000. 2. TransNet Active Transportation Grant Program (TransNet ATG) by San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), in the amount of $124,000 with a local matching amount of $31,000. In compliance with the above grants procurement requirements, City Council approved hiring of a consultant to prepare a set of complete street multi-way boulevard concepts that can be incorporated into future development plans along the affected segment of San Marcos Boulevard. The Project limits are from Bent Avenue to Discovery Street. Please reference the attached power point presentation document. Discussion The Mobility Element of the General Plan requires this portion of San Marcos Boulevard to be planned for the future implementation of a complete street multi-way boulevard. The General Plan complies with recent State legislation known as the “Complete Streets Act”, which requires that all modes of transportation in a city’s core areas be given equal priority. The Mobility Element also envisions various arterial street enhancements to address vehicular mobility, such as widening and extending Discovery Street to Barham Drive and widening Rancho Santa Fe Road from San Marcos Boulevard to SR-78. Working with citizen input, staff has developed three concept alternatives (A, B and C) for the Project. A preferred alternative is needed in order to prepare a set of Project concept plans that can be incorporated in future private re-development of properties along San Marcos Boulevard. In March 2014, following an initial public workshop and a walkabout public input field session, City staff and the consultant team presented the concept plans to the community at an open house-style workshop. Following the workshops, the City and consultant team presented the concept plans to the Traffic Commission at their April 2nd meeting. During that meeting the Commissioners raised several questions about the Project, the San Marcos Creek District and other related planned mobility improvements. The Traffic Commission tabled the discussion and City staff scheduled one-on-one meetings with the commissioners who wanted additional detailed information about the project, the alternatives presented, other City and nearby private development projects and planned mobility improvements in general. City staff returned to the Traffic Commission at their May 7th meeting and the Commission recommends that the City Council adopt Alternative B as the preferred alternative. On April 9th, the concept plans were also presented to the San Marcos Creek District Oversight Committee, who viewed Alternatives A and B favorably, but did not make a formal recommendation. Based on engineering analysis, public input, and the Traffic Commission’s recommendation, City staff is recommending Alternative B as the preferred alternative for further planning and engineering effort. Alternative B provides the best balance of all modes of traffic, meets the intent of the General Plan

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RESOLUTION NO. 2014 – A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN MARCOS APPROVING THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION TO SELECT ALTERNATIVE B CONCEPT PLAN FOR FURTHER PLANNING AND ENGINEERING EFFORTS FOR THE SAN MARCOS BOULEVARD COMPLETE STREET MULTI-WAY BOULEVARD PROJECT WHEREAS, the City of San Marcos (City) General Plan update, in compliance with recent State legislation known as the “Complete Streets Act”, which requires that all modes of transportation in a City’s core areas be given equal priority, designates a segment of San Marcos Boulevard, which is listed by SANDAG as a regional arterial, to be planned to create an active transportation corridor that would maintain traffic flow and reduce conflicts, promote other transportation modes including pedestrians, bicyclists and public transit (project); and WHEREAS, the project required preparation of a set of complete street multi-way boulevard concepts that can be incorporated into future development plans along the affected segment of San Marcos Boulevard (Bent Avenue to Discovery Street); and WHEREAS, the City applied for and was awarded two planning grants to prepare a set of complete street multi-way boulevard concepts for project; Community-Based Transportation Planning (CBTP) Grant by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Division of Transportation Planning, and TransNet Active Transportation Grant Program (TransNet ATG) by San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG); and WHEREAS, in compliance with the grants requirements City Council approved hiring of a consultant to prepare a set of complete street multi-way boulevard concepts that can be incorporated into future development plans along the affected segment of San Marcos Boulevard.; and WHEREAS, working with citizen input, staff and consultant have developed three concept alternatives (A, B and C) for the Project and a preferred alternative is needed in order to prepare a set of project concept plans that can be incorporated in future private re-development of properties along San Marcos Boulevard; and WHEREAS, On April 9th, the concept plans were also presented to the San Marcos Creek District Oversight Committee, who viewed Alternatives A and B favorably, but did not make a formal recommendation; and WHEREAS, Alternative C did not meet mobility goals of the General Plan and therefore was not considered for further evaluation. WHEREAS, on May 7, the Traffic Commission recommended City Council approval of Alternative B as the preferred alternative for further planning and engineering effort and whereas Alternative B provides the best balance of all modes of traffic, meets the intent of the General Plan Mobility Element and has fewer points of potential conflict between vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians and public transit. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by City Council of the City of San Marcos, California as follows:

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Adopt staff recommendation to select Alternative B concept plan for further planning and engineering efforts for the San Marcos Boulevard Complete Street Multi-Way Boulevard Project. PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of San Marcos on this 27th day of May 2014, by the following roll call votes: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ______________________________ James M. Desmond, Mayor City of San Marcos ATTEST:

________________________________ Phillip Scollick, City Clerk City of San Marcos

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