Title
Resolution Directing Review of City Transportation Planning and Operations Management and Related Staffing
Memorandum
The City of Ann Arbor is responsible for the management of the public right of way to ensure the safe and efficient movement of all modes of transportation. As the City’s population has grown, the demands on the transportation network have caused stresses, delays, safety concerns, and wear-and-tear on the system. While the City has invested significantly in the system and many infrastructure improvements have been made over the past three years, Council is still concerned that these investments have not resulted in a proportionate decrease in pedestrian and bicycle crashes. Specifically, an FTE was added to Engineering Unit staffing in the FY2020 budget at the request of the City Administrator to provide expertise and resources to promote the City’s Vision Zero and Complete Streets goals.
Budget/Fiscal Impact: There is no direct budgetary impact to the City from this resolution.
Body
Whereas, The City of Ann Arbor is responsible for effective management of the public right of way to ensure the safe and efficient movement of all modes of transportation;
Whereas, Included within the City’s governing documents and Council policies are the commitments to Vision Zero, Complete Streets, and carbon emission reductions, which together create the momentum to promote increases in non-motorized movements of people;
Whereas, The City’s annual operating budget and Capital Improvement Program represent significant applications of public funds for the design, construction, operation, maintenance, and replacement of infrastructure in the public right of way, including the addition of full time staff positions in the Engineering Unit;
Whereas, While the City has made significant investments in pedestrian and bicycle facilities over the past three years, the Vision Zero goal of no pedestrian/bicyclist crashes has not been achieved; and
Whereas, City Council has adopted several resolutions in the past addressing transportation and right of way related matters;
RESOLVED, that the City Council directs the City Administrator to identify current standing requirements and consolidate the reporting requirements into a single quarterly report concerning design, construction, operation (including safety and crash data) and maintenance to Council;
RESOLVED, That the City Council further directs the City Administrator to provide Council with a description of how the City uses the resources provided to develop and operate the right of way to achieve safe and efficient movement of all modes of travel, including the status of hiring of the additional FTE added in the FY2020 budget. The City Administrator will present this description to the Transportation Commission in its November 2019 meeting, and to City Council not later than the first Council meeting in December 2019; and
RESOLVED, That the City Council directs the City Administrator to negotiate with Sam Schwartz Consulting to amend the existing contract to include an assessment of our pedestrian and cycling environment before December 31, 2019.
Sponsored by: Councilmembers Griswold and Bannister
As Amended and Approved by Ann Arbor City Council on October 7 2019