PURPOSE:

Staff requests that the City Council adopt the proposed resolution authorizing staff to enter into an amended Caltrans Local Agency-State Agreement for the Beachwood-Sparks Enhanced Class III Bikeway Project for the purposes of reallocating Caltrans grant funds in the amount of $265,000, with a local match requirement of $29,500, to an alternate project.  Staff is proposing a Bicycle Parking and Bikes-on-Bus Project as an alternative to the Beachwood-Sparks Bikeway project that would provide bicycle racks on BurbankBus, implement bicycle parking in City right of way along selected commercial arterial corridors, and provide bike station facilities at the Downtown Metrolink Station.

BACKGROUND:

On October 17, 2006, City Council directed staff to discontinue work on the implementation of the Beachwood-Sparks Enhanced Class III project and suggested finding an alternative use of the funds after hearing residents from the community speak in opposition to the project. With $265,000 in funds remaining in the grant, staff would like to expend these funds on needed bicycle facilities in the City. The funds, however, must be spent by April 2007, the 3 year limit for BTA funds to be spent before they lapse. Under this constrained time line, staff feels that implementing bicycle parking and retrofitting the BurbankBus fleet with bike racks is a project that can be completed in this time.   

ANALYSIS:

Staff is proposing to change the scope of the Caltrans Bicycle Transportation Account Project Agreement for an alternative project that would still provide needed bicycle infrastructure identified in the Bicycle Master Plan and would prevent previously-awarded state funds from lapsing.  To preserve these State bicycle funds, staff proposes a project consisting of three components: bike station facilities including bicycle lockers located at the Downtown Burbank Metrolink Station, short-term bicycle parking located along many of the City�s arterial commercial corridors, and installation of bicycle racks on the BurbankBus fleet.  Bicycle parking is a critical need for an effective bicycle transportation system, and is identified as Project #1 of the Bicycle Master Plan, a Top Priority Project. 

The retrofit of the BurbankBus fleet to accommodate bicycles is a critical component of encouraging good linkages between bicycles and transit.  These racks would ensure that cyclists are able to easily utilize the BurbankBus system for commuting and utilitarian trips. The BurbankBus fleet does not currently provide bicycle racks for patrons wishing to travel with their bikes and providing bicycle racks on the buses, as proposed in this project, will add to the service provided to patrons. BurbankBus serves many of the major employment centers in the city including the Media District, The Downtown, the Golden State/Empire Area, and the two Metrolink Stations. The project will also include bicycle racks on the Got Wheels fleet that serves school age children. By providing bicycle racks on buses, the service area for the buses is increased, as bicyclists are able to travel a greater distance to a transit stop than a person walking. Typically, a transit stop within a � mile is considered within walking distances, whereas, a � mile is considered within bicycling distance.

Another component to the project is the construction of bike station facilities at the Downtown Metrolink Station. The bike station facilities would be located on the south-east end of the station, under the Olive Avenue Bridge, adjacent to the Olive Avenue frontage road. The area is in front of the pick-up/drop-off areas used by BurbankBus, complementing the bicycle racks on buses component of the project. Bike station facilities would include 10 electronic lockers or �E-Lockers� that would provide 20 secured parking spaces for bicyclist. These lockers would utilize advanced bicycle locker technology to allow patrons to use an electronic device such as a magnetic card or key ring to access the lockers instead of using a key-entry or combination lock. The �E-lockers� also would allow the city to register users in a database and track usage. This capability would provide better locker security and would allow monitoring of locker usage to better determine demand for these types of bicycle facilities.  To complement the lockers, an air pump as well as �bicycle friendly� vending machines containing bike accessories and health conscious snacks would be located at the site.

In addition to this expanded central bicycle parking facility, bike parking along the City�s commercial corridors is another component of the proposed project. Bike parking is identified in the City�s Bicycle Master Plan as a priority project and is a bicycle facility that is an important component of completing a trip by bicycle. By providing bike parking, the City is accommodating the bicyclist and furthering the goal of promoting bicycle transportation. Without adequate bike parking, bicyclists are often left with the only option of securing their bicycle to other street furniture or private property. The bike rack locations would be located on the commercial areas of the following corridors: Glenoaks Boulevard, Hollywood Way, Empire Ave, Victory Boulevard, San Fernando Boulevard, Magnolia Boulevard, Olive Avenue, and Alameda Avenue. Guidelines are being established in concert with the Public Works Department for the placement of each rack and will be approved by Public Works staff before installation.

Staff would like to take advantage of the $229,500 remaining funds available from the Beachwood Enhanced Class III grant, as the funds have already been awarded to the City. Caltrans Bicycle Transportation Account staff has indicated their desire to see the City use the funds to implement other facilities needed in the City instead of letting the funds lapse. By using the funds remaining, the City will follow through with its obligation to utilize the funds awarded and remain in good standing with the Bicycle Transportation Account Grant Program. The project being proposed in this amendment will further the goals of the Bicycle Master Plan by providing bicycle facilities needed in the City.

Following is an estimated cost breakdown of each component:

Bike Station facilities                                                     $ 31,000

Citywide Bike Parking including installation               $ 15,000

Bike racks on BurbankBus                                           $ 18,000

Total Project Cost                                                          $ 64,000

The Bicycle Transportation Account grant has a deadline of three years to complete the project from time of grant award. The Beachwood Enhanced Class III Bikeway Project was awarded in the 2004/2005 Bicycle Transportation Account cycle and funds must be spent and final invoiced by April 2007 so the necessary documentation of the work can be processed by Caltrans in June 2007. Staff is confident that, upon approval of this amendment by City Council, all components of the project can be completed by April 2007 and the necessary documents submitted to Caltrans to be processed. City staff has taken the necessary preliminary steps to implement all components of this project including location of bicycle racks and preparation of Request for Proposal documents such that the project will be implemented by the April 2007 deadline.   

Staff presented the proposed project to the Transportation Commission on December 18, 2006, where they expressed support for the amendment to the grant for the project.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The current grant provides $265,500, with a local match of $29,500, for a total of $295,000. The proposed amendment is less than the grant total and would be covered by the grant funds available.

The total project cost will be fronted by Fund 127 Development Impact Fees and reimbursed by the grant. The local match will be paid for by State Transportation Development Act (TDA) funds already allocated by Council for this project. In a previous budget action when the grant was accepted, funds from account 127.CD33A.30004.0000.000000 (un-appropriated Fund 127 Transportation Impact Fee Account) were put into account number 127.CD33A.70005.15608. If the amendment is approved, a new project account will be created and the funds from the existing project account will be transferred to the new project account.

CONCLUSION:

The proposed project would provide bicycle facilities to residents and commuters not currently available and continue to implement the goals and objectives of the City�s Bicycle Master Plan. Specifically, the project would provide bike racks along select city commercial arterial corridors, bicycle station facilities at the Downtown Metrolink Station, and provide bike racks on the BurbankBus fleet. In total, these facilities would greatly add to the city�s bicycle network by providing end of trip bike parking as well as expanding the BurbankBus service to bicyclist. The project would utilize funds already awarded to the City in a previous grant and prevent the funds from lapsing. Staff is confident that the project can be implemented before the funds would lapse.

RECOMMENDATION:

Staff recommends that Council adopt the proposed resolution authorizing acceptance of the amended Caltrans Local Agency-State Agreement for the purposes of reallocating funds from the Beachwood-Sparks Enhanced Class III Bikeway to the proposed bicycle parking and bus bikes-on-bus project.

go to the top