City Council — 2023-03-28

Active Transportation Program (ATP) Project

• Staff presented a two-phase design for Maricopa Highway and Ojai Avenue utilizing approximately $4.5 million in bundled grants.
• Modifying the project scope risks losing the entire grant package despite concerns about budget impact on road paving.
• The Council approved the motion to proceed with the project while directing staff to seek savings in other budget areas.
• Phase 1 work will begin immediately on Maricopa Highway while negotiations continue for remaining property acquisition.

• Here is a summary of the City Council meeting regarding the Active Transportation Program (ATP) project on Maricopa Highway and Ojai Avenue.

Project Overview and Design

• Staff presented details on a two-phase project aimed at improving pedestrian and bicycle safety.
• Maricopa Highway: The project will install a Class 1/2 two-way bike way on the southbound side (off-street sidewalk) adjacent to Nordoff High School and a Class 2 buffered on-street bike lane on the northbound side. The design includes a breakdown lane for emergency access while preventing parking in that zone to protect cyclists. Trees along the street will generally be preserved.
• Ojai Avenue: Improvements include Class 2 on-street bike lanes and decomposed granite (DG) walking paths. In the downtown core, the project utilizes "sharrows" (shared roadways) to accommodate high volumes of tourists and pedestrians.
• Safety Features: The design includes curb extensions to shorten crossing distances, ADA-compliant facilities, and a refuge island at the intersection of Canada and El Paseo.
• Phasing: Phase 1 focuses on Maricopa Highway and striping changes. Phase 2 involves property acquisition for sidewalks near Vallerio and improvements on Ojai Avenue. Phase 1 will end at Vallerio temporarily because Right-of-Way (ROW) for a laundry and adjacent properties has not yet been secured, though work continues on those negotiations.

Financial and Grant Concerns

• Council Member Whitman expressed significant concern regarding the project's cost and its impact on other budget priorities, specifically road paving, employee retention, and emergency reserves. He suggested potentially scaling back the project to just the Maricopa Highway portion to save money.
• Staff Response: City Manager James and Engineer Steve explained that the funding consists of multiple bundled grants (approximately $4.5 million total) with strict deadlines. Modifying the project scope risks losing the entire funding package or facing a requirement to repay the grants.
• Caltrans Leveraging: Staff suggested opportunities to coordinate with Caltrans on concurrent road paving and pothole repairs to maximize the city's budget leverage.

Public Comment

• Several members of the public spoke in strong support of the project, citing safety for school children, active transportation benefits, and the need to improve the highway for tourists.
• Safety Concerns: Citizens raised concerns about specific intersections (Montgomery/Ojai, the "Y," and Church Road), noting that current conditions are dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists.
• Connectivity: Questions were raised about connecting the new bike lanes to the existing regional bike trail, which currently requires navigating a shopping center parking lot. Staff noted this requires a separate agreement with the shopping center owner and Caltrans signal upgrades.

Council Decision

• Motion: Council Member Susan moved to move forward with the entire project.
• Amendment: Council Member Whitman offered a friendly amendment to proceed with the ATP project but directed staff to work with the budget committee to find savings and reduce costs in other areas to ensure road paving and reserves are adequately funded. The amendment was accepted.
• Vote: The motion passed unanimously. All five council members voted "Yes."
• Next Steps: Staff will proceed aggressively with contracts and agreements. Future agenda items include an Affordable Housing Committee report and a Building Code update.