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CC 09-16-2025 Item No. 22 Commission Oversight_Supplemental ReportCC 09-16-2025 Item No. 22 Options on Commission Oversight of Transportation Matters Supplemental Report CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT SUPPLEMENTAL 1 Date: September 16, 2025 Agenda Item #22 Subject Options on Commission Oversight of Transportation Matters Recommended Action Provide input to staff on the preferred options for having transportation projects reviewed by commissions and provide direction to staff to take the necessary steps to implement the changes. Background: Staff’s responses to questions received from councilmember are shown in italics. Q1: I had a chance to speak with Chad and David about looking into cities that do not have a BPC but a Planning and Transportation Commission. Here are some examples to take a look at. I'm not in favor of removing the BPC, I think we should have an advisory group but we should centralized Land Use and Transportation. If you have a moment, research how these cities are doing it: ·Palo Alto: The city's Planning and Transportation Commission (PTC) is responsible for a variety of projects, including parking programs, on-demand transit services, and car-free street initiatives. ·San Carlos: The Planning and Transportation Commission makes recommendations on land use, traffic, and circulation improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists, and reviews capital improvement programs related to transportation. · Walnut Creek: The Transportation Commission advises the Planning Commission and City Council on all issues affecting parking and transportation, including the General Plan's Transportation Element. · Mission Viejo: The Planning and Transportation Commission reviews and makes recommendations on a range of transportation matters, including traffic conditions, parking, and traffic safety programs. Staff response: Palo Alto has a Planning and Transportation Commission (PTC) which advises the City Council on transportation matters. Palo Alto also has a Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee (PABAC), a non-Brown Act group which advises staff. Members of the former are appointed by Council whereas members of the latter are self-appointed. Palo Alto has had this structure for over two decades. Walnut Creek has a Transportation Commission that advises the Planning Commission and the City Council. They also have a Bicycle Advisory Committee, which advises the Transportation Commission on matters relating to bicycle planning and bicycle transportation in the city. The Transportation Commission appoints members to the Bicycle Advisory Committee. San Carlos has a Planning and Transportation Commission which advises the City Council on transportation matters ranging from review of preliminary plans to higher level review of transportation policy documents and presentations related to bike/ped safety. Their Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission was merged with the Planning Commission in 2022. Commissioners are generally well-versed and informed regarding transportation-related matters. Mission Viejo has a Planning and Transportation Committee which, in addition to advising Council on matters relating to land use and planning legislation, also acts in advisory capacity to the City Council on all traffic matters relating to: receiving complaints relating to traffic matters; surveying, reviewing, and making recommendations relative to traffic conditions, improvement of traffic conditions, and the administration and enforcement of traffic regulations; surveying, reviewing, and recommending plans for improved parking; and surveying, reviewing, and recommending safety programs, campaigns, and activities to educate the public in traffic safety. Q2: I am warming up to the staff recommendation of the Transportation and Mobility Commission, so I hope to get more clarify on the functions of such a commission. If you know of a city with a similar commission, I hope to take a look at their powers and functions section in the Muni Code to get a more concrete idea. Staff response: Staff is not aware of another City that has a “Transportation and Mobility Commission” in the bay area. However, there are cities that do have a “Transportation Commission”. The Cities of Alameda and Davis are two examples. The City of Alameda has a “Transportation Commission” with the following duties: • Develop transportation policy recommendations for City Council approval. Such policy recommendations shall be consistent with other adopted City plans and policies. The Transportation Commission shall consider the economic, community development (including environmental, aesthetic, public health and safety, and social welfare) and legal impacts of any recommended policies. • Review and advise the appropriate City departments, committees, commissions, boards, and City Manager on transportation related documents. • Review major transportation plans, including project plans and documents that affect transportation systems in the City for the purpose of providing comments and advising the Planning Board and/or City Council, when and where appropriate, on the consistency of the proposed plans or documents with established and/or adopted City of Alameda transportation policies. • Review and provide recommendations on referrals submitted by Public Works Director pursuant to Alameda Municipal Code subsections 8-1.1, 8-5.1, 8-8.1, 8-20.3, 8- 20.4 and 8-27.3. • Perform the role as an appeals hearing board as designated in Alameda Municipal Code subsection 8-1.3. The City of Davis also has a Transportation Commission, with the following powers which may be more aligned with a direction Cupertino could take: Advise City Council on matters relating to transportation and transit. • Advise on transportation programs, policies, projects, and planning efforts for all modes including active transportation (bicycle, pedestrian, scooters, etc.), transit (Unitrans, Yolobus, etc.), and vehicular. • Serve as the lead commission on implementation of transportation aspects of the Climate Action & Adaptation Plan. • Hold a public meeting once a year to review any proposed Unitrans route, schedule, and fare changes. Q3: Also, it was mentioned that MTC/VTA have some grant requirement about the existence of a commission, did you send us the exact language of the requirement in a supplemental report? I somehow couldn't find it. The exact language for MTC requirements related to grant eligibility was not previously provided in a supplemental report. According to MTC Resolution No. 4108, “each county and city is required to have a Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) or equivalent body review and prioritize TDA Article 3 bicycle and pedestrian projects and to participate in the development and review of comprehensive bicycle, pedestrian, or active transportation plans. BPACs should be composed of both bicyclists and pedestrians.” Alternatively, “an agency can apply to MTC for exemption from the city BPAC requirement if they can demonstrate that the countywide BPAC provides for expanded city representation.” Complete Streets (CS) Policy (MTC Resolution No 4493) also has implications regarding the BPAC. This policy applies to “projects funded all or in part with regional discretionary funding or receiving MTC endorsements.” Regional discretionary funding includes STP/CMAQ (OBAG) and other federal funding programs at MTC’s discretion. Several other funding sources require MTC endorsement and apply to this policy. Project sponsors applying for such funding sources must submit a Complete Streets Checklist, reviewed by a BPAC or equivalent body. According to MTC staff, “While the Complete Streets Policy (Res. 4493) does not define BPAC equivalents, the TDA-3 Policy and Procedures (Res. 4108) and its accompanying supplemental guidance do provide more details. In the interest of consistency, we would recommend following the TDA-3 supplemental guidance for the BPAC provisions of the Complete Streets Policy. Cupertino would need to demonstrate how a successor body contains the necessary pedestrian and bicyclist expertise and representation to review Complete Streets checklists and TDA-3 projects. Without a specific proposal from Cupertino on how a successor body would satisfy the TDA-3 BPAC requirements, we are unable to advise further at this point in time but would be happy to sit down and discuss further with VTA and Cupertino. Lastly, I would emphasize that without a compliant BPAC or equivalent body, Cupertino would not be able to seek regional discretionary funding or TDA-3 funding for its projects. So it is advisable for Cupertino to discuss a proposal with MTC prior to implementing a change in order to fully consider the potential impacts of those changes.”