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Home My WebLink About2.0_General Plan Circulation Element_PA2017-141CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH PLANNING COMMISSION STAFF REPORT February 18, 2021 Agenda Item No. 2 SUBJECT: General Plan Circulation Element (PA2017-141) SITE LOCATION: Citywide APPLICANT: City of Newport Beach PLANNER: Jim Campbell, Deputy Community Development Director jcampbell@newportbeachca.gov, (949) 644-3210 PROJECT SUMMARY A brief status report on the update of the General Plan Circulation Element. DISCUSSION Since the last status report provided on January 21, 2021, City staff and consultants conducted a third virtual workshop focusing on weaving community feedback into a vision that will guide the future of mobility in Newport Beach. The February 10, 2021, workshop was attended by approximately 30 people and it focused on presenting areas of little to no policy change and areas for planned policy change. At many points throughout the workshop, Community members were encouraged to join the discussion and present what is important to capture in the update. To get the conversation started, City staff discussed the importance of maintaining consistency with the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Master Plan of Arterial Highways, as well as the process to amend it. The concept of “complete streets” and what that means for the community was also discussed, including a potential refresh of the 2014 Bicycle Master Plan. Additional topics of discussion were encouraging alternative transportation, such as bicycles and the enhancement of public transit (i.e., shuttles) to connect the various villages and neighborhoods. The community also took an interest in enhanced parking management through emerging technologies and improved curbside management for rideshare and valet services to help protect residential neighborhoods from excess commercial parking intrusion. Ideas for change included encouraging dedicated spaces for rideshare services, such as Uber and Lyft, and introducing new technologies to better manage existing parking lots. 1 INTENTIONALLY BLANK PAGE2 Circulation Element Update Planning Commission, February 18, 2021 Page 2 The entire session was recorded and can be accessed at www.newporttogether.com. Once prepared, a summary of the community discussion and the takeaways will be posted online at the same location. If any community member missed the workshop and would like to participate, a similar interactive opportunity for input is available at https://www.newporttogether.com/circulation-element-themes1. The City’s traffic and transportation consultant (LSA) is now working to prepare the initial draft update for discussion based on all community input received. Staff intends to present the initial draft to the Planning Commission during a study session tentatively scheduled for the March 18, 2021. A public workshop will also be scheduled for early April to solicit additional feedback from the community. Environmental Review This is a discussion item and no action will be taken and as a result, it is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Public Notice The agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of the meeting at which the City Council considers the item) and it was posted at City Hall and on the City website. Prepared and submitted by: 3 From:Hoiyin Ip To:Planning Commissioners Cc:Blom, Noah Subject:Agenda Item VII.2 Circulation Element Date:Wednesday, February 17, 2021 9:12:26 PM [EXTERNAL EMAIL] DO NOT CLICK links or attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. The 2/10 circulation element workshop was another very interesting one. I always wish more people knew (or were interested in) these workshops. About 30 people attended, at least 10 of them were City people and consultants. It was interesting to hear that Complete Streets is not likely for every street. I can see that. Then, there's Slow Streets. Here is a PowerPoint from Oakland. It is a carefully designed effort to reduce accidents and fatalities, and it happened to coincide with the pandemic. https://cao-94612.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/Oakland-Slow-Streets-Interim-Findings- Report.pdf I think such projects are likely to invite more people to shift to bicycling for their shorter trips. Studies are showing that a high proportion of auto trips are for distances under 3 miles. Also, Slow Streets seem to invite interactions in the neighborhood, and may be good for local shops/restaurants. Thanks! Hoiyin Planning Commission - February 18, 2021 Item No. 2a Additional Materials Received General Plan Circulation Element (PA2017-141)