DEPARTMENT: Transportation & Capital Improvements, Department of Planning and Community Development, and the Office of Sustainability
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Mike Frisbie
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT: Briefing on the SA Tomorrow Initiative
SUMMARY: Briefing on the SA Tomorrow Initiative
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The SA Tomorrow Initiative began with a public Kick-Off meeting on April 11, 2015. Since the Kick-Off, the planning effort has included several Plan Element Working Group Meetings, Partner Agency Meetings, and Sustainability Steering group meetings. Public engagement has occurred through “go-to-them” meetings including presentations to various professional, community and student organizations, and a Sustainability Forum.
ISSUE:
This item will provide a briefing on the SA Tomorrow initiative that includes the Comprehensive Plan, the Transportation Plan, and the Sustainability Plan. The Comprehensive Plan has been developing policies that will serve as the broad picture that brings together the technical work of the Transportation Plan and Sustainability Plan. The work to date has focused on Transportation, Natural Resources & Environmental Sustainability, Housing, Jobs and Economic Competitiveness (including the Military); and how San Antonio’s future Growth and Urban Form will affect Public Facilities and Community Safety, Historic and Cultural Preservation, and Community Health and Wellness.
The next phase of the Comprehensive Plan will expand the public outreach to review the policy work to date and introduce Emerging Neighborhood and Center “Types” that provide a visualization tool to help all involved imagine the future of San Antonio through 2040 within the current City limits, and within San Antonio’s Extraterritorial Jurisdiction. Annexation will also be included in the discussion of San Antonio’s future. A draft of the Comprehensive Plan is anticipated in early 2016.
The Sustainability Plan is in the final phase of development. The Sustainability Steering Committee has met twice and a roundtable with City Department leaders has met to review the Sustainability Plan specifics. Technical work to date includes a Green House Gas (GHG) Inventory and Vulnerability Assessment.
The Green House Gas (GHG) Inventory assesses GHGs emitted to, or removed from, the air over a period of time. It is an important component of monitoring Air Quality. The inventory also explores the sources and sectors to/from which GHGs are emitted. This data is being used to develop mitigation strategies and measure progress over time. This will become increasing important as San Antonio moves closer to Non-Attainment status of national Air Quality standards.
The Vulnerability Assessment assesses climate vulnerability. This assessment builds upon the 2014 Hazard Mitigation Plan which reviewed San Antonio’s historic climate record. The Vulnerability Assessment looks at historic records and employs scientifically accepted models to project the probability of extreme weather events and/or a change in climate conditions in the future. Through this projection into the future, the vulnerability of the City’s assets, resources, and people in various segments of the community can be evaluated and actions taken to reduce vulnerability.
Another important component of the Sustainability Plan is the Sustainability Return on Investment Tool that can be used to evaluate the future costs and benefits of various policy implementation practices. This tool is being employed as a pilot project to test the feasibility of tool utilization.
The Plan will culminate in a series of metrics that include Indicators, Baseline Data, Action Steps, and Targets that will be monitored over time to measure results and track progress. This information will be available to the community through an on-line Sustainability “Dashboard.”
The Transportation Plan is currently focusing public outreach on Bicycling. A survey is on-line that allows the public to provide input about bicycling in San Antonio as one form of multi-modal transportation. The survey has been announced in the print media, radio, and social media. Maps and paper surveys have also been displayed in 20+ locations around town, including bicycle shops. Intercept surveys, using iPads and paper surveys, are also being utilized during November to “intercept” the public and ask them one-on-one if they’d like to participate in this communitywide survey.
Technical work on the Multimodal Transportation Plan includes a detailed assessment of twelve (12) Corridors in San Antonio and on Project Prioritization to evaluate future transportation projects for Bond funding and other funding opportunities, such as federal funding through the Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (AAMPO) and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).
The Corridor Assessment is evaluating multimodal options on twelve “representative” corridors around all areas of San Antonio. Multimodal scenarios are being evaluated and tested for feasibility by engineering staff on the Consultant Team. These scenario options will be presented to the public as part of the SA Tomorrow initiative in upcoming public outreach events to show the public what the future of San Antonio’s corridors could look like and how they could function to help us achieve our Transportation objectives through 2040 as defined broadly by the Comprehensive Plan, and in more detail by the Sustainability Plan and Transportation Plan.
The Project Prioritization tool being developed by the Consultant Team has created indicators for eight general criteria areas that measure Congestion, Mobility, Economic Vitality, and Quality of Life. The tool will be used to rate projects presented for the FY 2017 Bond Program. The tool is based in GIS (Geographic Information System) so the factors can be efficiently and uniformly evaluated by staff. The tool and the process will also allow for projects to be rated based on different needs in different parts of the community.
Safety is a recurring theme throughout the Multimodal Transportation Plan. The City has initiated a Vision Zero campaign that focuses on the Five “E’s”: Education, Encouragement, Engineering, Enforcement, and Evaluation. Vision Zero promotes zero fatalities for all people regardless of which mode of travel they choose. This includes people driving vehicles, riding bicycles, walking, and riding transit. As the City moves toward multimodal transportation as one aspect of meeting its transportation needs, safety for all modes - and as practiced by all users of the transportation system - will be paramount.
Coordination continues with our transportation partners at VIA Metropolitan Transit. VIA is currently conducting their second regional survey to gain input as they update their Long Range Planning document for the Year 2040. Results of VIA’s work will be incorporated into the City’s Transportation Plan as we continue to work with all our Transportation partners, including TxDOT and Bexar County to build and maintain the best transportation system possible to achieve all of the goals set forth in the City of San Antonio Comprehensive Plan. A draft Multimodal Transportation Plan is anticipated by early 2016.
The SA Tomorrow Tri-Plan Initiative is on schedule to have a draft of all three plans in early 2016. The Policy work and Technical Work has been moving at a rapid pace so that all three plans will converge in early 2016. Public outreach will continue so that input into the various components of the plans can be vetted with interested stakeholders. City Council engagement is an important aspect of the planning process as we work together to envision, plan, and invest in the future of San Antonio that meets the needs of all San Antonians, today and tomorrow.
ALTERNATIVES:
This is a briefing for informational purposes only.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this briefing.
RECOMMENDATION:
This is a briefing for informational purposes only.