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2991 Complete Streets UpdateORDINANCE 2991 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE 2644 AND UPDATING THE MOSES LAKE COMPLETE STREETS POLICY WHEREAS, the City of Moses Lake adopted Ordinance 2644 on March 13, 2012 establishing a Complete Streets Program; and WHEREAS, Ordinance 2644 established a purpose to ensure all users are planned for in the construction of all City transportation improvement projects and encouraging healthy, active living, reduction of traffic congestion and fossil fuels, and improvement in the safety and quality of life; and WHEREAS, Ordinance 2644 committed Moses Lake to plan for, design, and construct all new transportation projects to provide reasonable and appropriate accommodations for bicyclists, pedestrians, and transit users; except where identified; and WHEREAS, Ordinance 2644 placed Moses Lake among other early-adopters that committed to Complete Streets before its rapid growth around 2015; and WHEREAS, Since the Complete Streets movement has continued to evolve, so has the need to maintain a strong Complete Streets policy in order to be competitive for resources made available to support Complete Streets efforts; and WHEREAS, in 2015, the legislature provided funding for the Complete Streets Award as a new opportunity for local governments that have an adopted ordinance and are able to demonstrate an ethic of planning and constructing streets that use context sensitive solutions to accommodate all users (walk, bike, transit, boat, etc.) to be considered as an eligible jurisdiction for nomination to receive between $250,000 to $1,000,000 in Washington State Transportation Improvement Board funding; and WHEREAS, the City of Moses Lake recognizes the value or actively promoting safe, comfortable, convenient and intentionally connected streets through design, education and enforcement of all its transportation network for users of all ages and abilities including, but not limited to, pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, motorists, boaters, emergency responders, fright transfers and commercial vehicle operators; and WHEREAS, the City of Moses Lake seeks to plan, design, construct, operate and maintain public right-of-ways that safely and adequately provide access and mobility for users of all ages, abilities and modes; and WHEREAS, the City of Moses Lake acknowledges that comprehensive implementation if Complete Streets concepts extends beyond the physical right-of-way to include facilities and amenities such as pavement markings, signs, medians, curbs extensions, crosswalks, ADA ramps or signals, transit shelters, access routes to right-of-way, user detection technology, travel lanes, Document Ref: SS34X-BUBYE-5MP4D-6E2BT Page 1 of 3 parking, shade trees, landscaping, planters, lighting, street furniture, vendors and storm water treatment; and WHEREAS, the City of Moses lake supports development that leads to the potential for healthier citizenry, cleaner air, reduced traffic congestion, economic development, livable neighborhoods, reduced fossil fuel reliance and efficient use of right-of-way space and resources. NOW, THEREOFRE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MOSES LAKE DO ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. The Complete Streets Policy as set forth in Attachment “A” attached hereto and incorporated herein as though fully set forth shall be and hereby is approved and adopted and shall assist with the development and maintenance of transportation systems in a manner consistent with established guidance and best practices. The City of Moses Lake encourages transportation-interested entities to coordinate with the City in implementing the Complete Streets Policy to enhance the local, county and state right-of-ways designated within and adjacent to the Urban Growth Area. The City of Moses Lake directs staff to consider the Complete Streets Policy in the planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of the comprehensive multimodal transportation system initiated after the adoption hereof. SECTION 2. This Ordinance shall take effect and be in force five (5) days after its passage and publication of its summary as provided by law. Adopted by the City Council of the City of Moses Lake, Washington and signed by its Mayor on October 26, 2021. ___________________________________ David Curnel, Mayor ATTEST APPROVED AS TO FORM: ______________________________ _____________________________ Debbie Burke, City Clerk Katherine L Kenison, City Attorney Document Ref: SS34X-BUBYE-5MP4D-6E2BT Page 2 of 3 Riggs Liebrecht Myers Jackson Curnel Eck Hankins VOTE Date Published: November 1, 2021 Date Effective: November 6, 2021 Aye Aye Aye Aye Aye Aye Aye Document Ref: SS34X-BUBYE-5MP4D-6E2BT Page 3 of 3 Signature Certificate Document Ref.: SS34X-BUBYE-5MP4D-6E2BT Document signed by: Katherine Kenison E-mail: kkenison@basinlaw.com Signed via link IP: 173.209.171.7 Date: 27 Oct 2021 17:45:05 UTC Mayor David Curnel Verified E-mail:dcurnel@cityofml.com IP: 63.142.221.35 Date: 27 Oct 2021 19:50:45 UTC Debbie Burke E-mail:dburke@cityofml.com Signed via link IP: 107.77.237.36 Date: 29 Oct 2021 21:47:45 UTC Document completed by all parties on: 29 Oct 2021 21:47:45 UTC Page 1 of 1 Signed with PandaDoc.com PandaDoc is a document workflow and certified eSignature solution trusted by 25,000+ companies worldwide. COMPLETE STREETS POLICY Exhibit A to Ordinance 2991 “Multimodal in Moses Lake!” Table of Contents DEFINITIONS ...................................................................................................................... 1 VISION & PURPOSE .......................................................................................................... 1 COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY ...................................................................... 3 EXPECTATIONS .................................................................................................................. 3 ACCOUNTABILITY AND BEST PRACTICES ............................................................. 4 IMPLEMENTATION .......................................................................................................... 6 1 DEFINITIONS All Users: Individuals of all ages and abilities, including, but not limited to, pedestrians, bicyclists, public/para transit riders, people with disabilities, emergency responders, motorists, water-based (boat, kayak, canoe, etc.) freight providers, commercial vehicles, green modes (skateboards, rollerblades, scooters, etc.), delivery/service personnel and adjacent land users. Complete Streets: Safe, comfortable and convenient right-of-ways for all users no matter their age, ability or identity. Facilities: An area or structure which is built, installed or established to serve a particular purpose or transportation mode/user. Maintenance Activity: Ordinary repair designed to keep Facilities in safe working condition, such as, but not limited to, mowing, cleaning, sweeping, spot repair, concrete joint repair, pothole filling, water, sewer and drainage or other utility installation or repairs. Multimodal Transportation System: A single transportation system that appropriately and adequately accommodates two or more modes of transportation. Right-of-Way: An area, public or private, dedicated for use by the community including thoroughfares such as streets, highways, multiuse paths and walkways while also normally incorporating curbs, lawn strips, street trees, sidewalks, lighting, signage, drainage facilities, street furniture and similar features that may or may not be real property. VISION & PURPOSE “People need a safe and secure place to live, an economy that provides jobs, an efficient circulation network, alternatives to the private automobile, schools, and recreational opportunities. It is the local government’s responsibility to provide public services and facilities, develop policies, and adopt regulations to guide the growth of a city that needs the needs of its people. This plan is for the people.” ~ City of Moses Lake Opening Paragraph in the Comprehensive Plan In the spirit demonstrated by the Comprehensive Plan Introduction, this policy is for the people. The people choosing to make Moses Lake the place to live, work and visit. VISION A multimodal transportation system for the people of Moses Lake. 2 VISION: A multimodal trasnportation system for the people of Moses Lake. The City of Moses Lake recognizes the significant value Complete Streets brings to a community and thus looks to strengthen the commitment originally made nearly a decade ago (Ordinance #2644 in 2012) with a comprehensive policy update. In order to realize the vision, the City seeks to plan, design, construct, operate, maintain and fund complete streets in all new construction, retrofit or reconstruction projects subject to the exceptions contained herein. Progress towards such a vision will provide comfortable and convenient access and mobility upon, along and across right-of-ways, trails, waterways and the transit system. Such a network will be intentionally designed to serve users of all ages and abilities no matter the mode of transportation chosen. Regardless of race, ethnicity, income, religion, gender identity, immigration status, age, ability, language literacy or level of access to a personal vehicle, all individuals are valid users of the transportation system in Moses Lake. As such, the City seeks to provide a reliable, aesthetic, affordable and intentionally connected multimodal transportation system that promotes health, wellbeing, quality of life, neighborhood revitalization, economic vitality and environmental stewardship. Moses Lake prioritizes a transportation system that provides essential connections between home, school, work, recreation and commerce destinations for all users. In order to facilitate access to community destinations, the City recognizes the need for a system that complements and enhances the surrounding land use/zoning and neighborhood character. By doing this, Complete Streets are able to: • Preserve and contribute to improving the natural environment • Support vibrant, livable residential neighborhoods • Increase opportunities for improved physical health by expanding access to a network that supports recreational use and commute-alternatives • Develop inviting community spaces for gathering and utilization The City recognizes the importance of quality of life and how Complete Streets contribute to the overall health of the community by providing access to parks, trails, sidewalks, bike lanes, transit, waterways and recreational options such as community or senior centers. Complete Streets help make an active lifestyle more realistic for the Moses Lake community and such an environment contributes to a reduction in chronic disease, heart disease, stroke and depression. 3 COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY Moses Lake has a great asset in the diversity of its community. From almost forty percent (40%) Spanish-speaking and just below fifteen percent (15%) living with a disability to households with lived experiences across a broad distribution of income and generations, local perspectives can contribute to well-rounded considerations of needs, values and priorities. Aligning with the 2021 update to the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Comprehensive Plan, a Complete Streets survey resulted in the following community priorities: • Public Safety • Outdoor Activities • Social Activity (followed closely by a priority of personal health) While projects and programs are implemented to support such priorities, it is important to consider both overall community values and greatest community benefit. The Complete Streets survey identified “Transparency” as the top voted value the City should operate within when moving forward with improving the transportation network. At a tie for the second and third community-identified values, “Implementation” and “Community Engagement” demonstrated a desire from the community to see the policy be an active, living document that leads to change in partnership with those it will affect. Together, the three top values demonstrate and opportunity for the City to complete next steps after adopting the policy with support of the community and through an approach that is both transparent and engaging of the Moses Lake community. Transparency is specifically an important piece to Complete Streets policy as it relates to both accountability and appropriate use of the policy. Strength of the policy is found in the way its guidance is applied including: • Consideration of all users and all modes in new construction, retrofit and reconstruction; • Consideration of needs or gap-opportunities for all users and all modes in maintenance and ongoing operations such as resurfacing, repaving, restriping, rehabilitation or other non-construction projects; and • Consideration of how all users and all modes can continually utilizing the transportation network safely and efficiently during active projects that may infringe upon right-of- way access for any length of duration. EXPECTATIONS Completing projects in an efficient and cost-effective manner often requires coordination among multiple entities and support from the community whether residents or advocacy groups. When affected stakeholders have an understanding of policy application, projects are able to see a more streamlined process to completion. Working intra- and interdepartmentally at the City or across jurisdictions such as Grant County or Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) are expectations with future projects. A coordinated manner supports consistency in project design, construction and 4 maintenance. Non-City entities funding a project directly benefiting the Moses Lake community are encouraged to recognize this Policy and, to the greatest extent feasible, incorporate principles herein and work with City staff to contribute to an intentionally connected multimodal transportation system in Moses Lake from the earliest stages of project planning, design and engineering. Supporting Complete Streets in Moses Lake with transparency includes identifying where the application of this policy may be an exception. While committed to Complete Streets and the implementation of this policy and/or its principles, extraordinary circumstances will arise such as the following: • Where a project of any degree involves prohibited use (interstate, freeways, pedestrian malls, etc.) by law. Exclusion of specific users should not exempt projects from accommodating other permitted users. In a case such as this, In this case, an effort to accommodate access elsewhere should be considered; • Where a reasonable and equivalent project along the same corridor is already programmed to provide facilities exempted from the project at hand; • When there is a document absence of current and future need; • When the cost of accommodation demonstrations a disproportion to the cost; • During routine maintenance of the transportation network that does not change the geometry or operations such as mowing, sweeping, spot-repair, surface treatments (chip sealing or interim measures) and other similarly-identified approaches; • During an emergency (e.g., water main leak) that requires immediate, rapid response. Seeing that Complete Streets extends beyond a physical project and includes aesthetics, functionality of a community and complementary uses of the infrastructure and facilities, it is expected that both transportation and non-transportation projects seek to consider implementation of the Policy. Projects such as residential, commerce or social services hold a significant contribution to the community and its diverse users and therefore are important to consider access to and mobility of these spaces. ACCOUNTABILITY AND BEST PRACTICES As indicated in the Transportation element of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, transportation infrastructure needs are high, met with constraints and require foresight in planning for future demand. Together, these factors demand that communities are proactive in broadening access to available resources, partnerships and community support; updating this Policy from its 2012 version directly supports such an action. “By adopting a Complete Streets ordinance, the City Council has committed to building ‘Complete Streets’, which means accommodating all forms of transportation, including vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, transit and freight. Street design and location planning will need to this into account.” ~ City of Moses Lake in the Transportation Element (6-3, 2016) of the Comprehensive Plan. 5 As adopted in the Grant County Comprehensive Plan and established by the Quad-County Regional Transportation Plan, this Policy aligns with the following goals and objectives identified for the region’s transportation network: • Safety: Improving transportation and pedestrian safety • Economic Vitality: Enhancing the region’s economic vitality by promoting and developing transportation systems that stimulate, support and enhance the movement of people and goods, recreation and tourism, and access to jobs. • Environment: Protecting the region’s environment and high quality of life through transportation investments that promote energy conservation, enhance healthy communities, and protect the environment. • Preservation: Preserving and extending the useful life of prior transportation system investments. • Mobility: Enhancing the mobility of people and goods throughout the region by providing an interconnected transportation system and opportunities for choosing different transportation modes. • Stewardship: Improving the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of the region’s transportation system and growing communities with cost effective investments that have public support. Consistent at all levels of jurisdictions (local, county and region) is the emphasis of Complete Streets concepts and the acknowledgement that efforts expand beyond physical infrastructure and facilities. Such coordination among transportation-focused entities is vital and may be strengthened by considering viewpoints and consultation with additional community-focused stakeholders such as housing, social services, economic development and public health. The City of Moses Lake strives to operate within the highest of standards, best practices and latest design guidelines when considering development flexibility within safe design parameters and balanced design solutions. A balanced approach takes into consideration considers street functionality, desired operating speed, hierarchy of streets, connectivity, way- finding signs and signal variation from a human scale for the needs and comforts of all users. In general, the City will follow accepted or adopted standards when implementing this Policy and where comparable levels of safety and service are maintained will consider innovative or non- traditional options. Criteria for design shall be based on the thoughtful application of engineering, architectural and urban design principles in addition to prescriptive guidelines. Best practices, policies, criteria, standards and guidelines related to street design, construction, maintenance and operations can be found in, but are not limited to, the following: 1. American Association of State and Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) 2. National Association of Transportation Officials (NACTO) Urban Bikeway Design 3. Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) 4. Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) 5. ADA Standards for Accessible Design 6. Highway Capacity Manual published by the Transportation Research Board Additional agencies that provide support in contextual application for Complete Street include: • Smart Growth America • National Complete Streets Coalition • Washington State Transportation Improvement Board 6 IMPLEMENTATION Complete Streets is more than a checkbox in the world of transportation and actually a way of moving forward both community and economic development comprehensively. This Policy is an integral part of City operations, decision processes and serving the community well. Implementation of this Policy will begin with formal adoption and continue through updated plans, complementary policies and development processes as identified in this section. City departments most appropriate to support implementation of the Policy are Municipal Services (public works/engineering), Community Development and Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services. In close working relation with these departments, the Moses Lake Trails Planning Team (TPT) is aptly structured to provide a community perspective to the efforts. Together, the aforementioned will be able to support the following steps to implementation: 1. Develop a Complete Streets committee that includes representatives from the City, public transit, ADA users, education and employment. Consideration of expanding the focus of the Trails Planning Team may be an opportunistic adjustment. 2. Establish a project selection criteria that prioritizes the following factors via a quantitative analysis process: a. Benefit to neighborhoods with low- or moderate-income households b. Benefit to historically disadvantaged neighborhoods c. Improving access to opportunity for vulnerable users d. Supports access for 2+ modes that are not single occupant vehicles e. Value attributed to each category where access is improved for non-single- occupant vehicles including locations of employment, education, nutrition, health, safety and recreation. 3. Establish a project evaluation criteria that examines the following considerations via a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis within 6mo of project completion. a. Was there a community engagement process before, during and after the project? b. Did the project receive feedback from individuals that reflect the diversity of the Moses Lake community? i. Percent Hispanic/Latino ii. Distribution of income iii. Representation of generations iv. Neighborhood of residence c. Did any unintended consequences (involuntary displacement) result? 4. Create an annual Moses Lake Complete Streets Report that includes selection and evaluation criteria for each project and Complete Street metrics including, but not limited to, the following: a. Miles of bike lanes (sharrows, striped, protected, separated, etc.) b. Miles of sidewalk (new, reconstructed, repaired, etc.) c. Intersection improvements (crosswalks, new timing, stop signs, etc.) d. Crosswalks (striped, improved signal, signage, distance, etc.) e. ADA (curb ramps, parking, access ramps, etc.) f. Collision data (location and modes involved) g. Beautification efforts (trees, murals, façade improvements, etc.) It is recommended that the annual report be produced in partnership with the City of Moses Lake staff and the Moses Lake Trails Planning Team. 7 5. Examine Complete Streets language, goals and policy in the Comprehensive Plan for necessary updates including in the Transportation, Land Use and Housing elements. 6. Provide a Complete Streets workshop or training opportunity for the Moses Lake community including City staff, elected officials and other stakeholders by end of 2022. It is recommended to at least include planners, engineers, planning commission members and members of the City Council. 7. Establish a Complete Streets location on the City’s website where the community may become familiar with how to receive updates, provide feedback and learn. When streets are complete – safe, comfortable, convenient and intentionally connected – all users have more opportunities to be active when they travel from place to place. Complete Streets affect transportation planning, design, maintenance and funding decisions while transforming streets from a barrier to public health and equal opportunity to an asset for public health and access to opportunity enabling greater return on investment of public dollars. The City of Moses Lake recognizes this Policy is a community benefit and a responsible way to accommodate a growing community, create an inclusive environment and promote safety in a cost-effective, comprehensive way. This policy is for the people!