Homefront to Waterfront Plan

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

CITY OF NATIONAL CITY

Stephen Manganiello, Director of Public Works/City Engineer

Brad Raulston, City Manager

Roberto Yano, Deputy City Engineer

Martin Reeder, AICP/Principal Planner

Raymond Pe, Principal Planner

Megan Gamwell, Economic Development Specialist/City Managers Office

NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO

Mark Nieswiadomy, CAPT USN, Commanding Officer

David Zajac, Community Planning and Liason Officer

KTUA

Michael Singleton, AICP-CTP, PLA and LEED AP/Principal in Charge

Tom Bertulis, PTOE/PE/Project Manager

Alex Samarin, GIS Technical Manager

Jacob Leon, ASLA/Associate

Silvia Fang, GIS Analyst/Mapping Coordinator

Juan Alberto Bonilla, Urban Designer/Document Production

Chris Stebbin, ASLA Mapping/Research

Jorge Nozot, Planner

CIRCULATE SAN DIEGO

Danielle Berger, Director of Planning

Juan Antonio Ramirez, Outreach Coordination

LIST OF FIGURES

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LIST OF FIGURES (CONT.)

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Figure 4-7:

Figure 4-8:

Figure 4-9: 30th

Figure 4-10: 32nd Street

Figure 4-11: 32nd Street NBSD

Figure 4-12: Diagram of the proposed Transportation Center

Figure

Figure 4-14: Phase 2 Concept for the Mobility Hub at the 8th Street Trolley Station

Figure 4-15: Refined Mobility Hub Concept at the 8th Street Trolley Station

Figure 4-16: Truck Stop Overnight Accommodations and Comfort Amenities

Figure 4-17: NEV Potential Shuttle Routes and Stops

Figure 4-18:

LIST OF TABLES

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Executive Summary ES

OVERVIEW

The Homefront to Waterfront Study proposes a vision to improve connections between the “Homefront” area around downtown National City (just east of I-5) and the “Waterfront” area around Naval Base San Diego and the harbor (west of I-5). A vision has been suggested that is consistent with the policies and goals of local and regional agencies, including the City of National City, Naval Base San Diego, SANDAG, MTS, and the Port of San Diego. With likely increases in employment and housing needs, more sustainable modes of transportation will be needed to lessen the burden of congested on transportation networks. The increase in use of sustainable modes will help meet goals related to Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) and Climate Change. This planning study will help solve several complex and interrelated issues, including air quality, livability, walkability, bikeability, safety, public health, traffic congestion, climate change, and the integration of new technologies in transportation.

STUDY AREA AND INTENT

When I-5 was constructed, it divided the Harbor District of National City from the West Side, Old Town, Mile of Cars and Downtown neighborhoods. Further barriers were added by the railroad, MTS trolley, Navy and shipbuilding industries, as well as Port District maritime operations. This study looked at connecting transit, bike, and walking, as well as new technologies of carshare, bikeshare, Neighborhood Electric Vehicles, shuttles, electric bikes, and ride hailing to help provide mobility options and increase connectivity. The intent of the study was to help citizens of National City, sailors at Naval Base San Diego, maritime workers along the waterfront, students at Southwestern College, and seniors in the downtown area to move more easily between the “Homefront” of National City and the “Waterfront” of San Diego Bay. It was also the intent of the plan to coordinate various planning projects being undertaken in the study area.

STUDY PROCESS

This study included four major steps:

The first step was to determine the transportation, equity, and smart growth goals and objectives of connecting the Homefront to the Waterfront.

The second step was to analyze the study area to determine the adequacy of connections between current and potential future land uses, including employment, recreation, shopping, housing, and lodging and the condition of these connections.

The third step was to summarize ongoing projects identified by stakeholders in the study area and how these various projects could be completed more efficiently through improved coordination and partnerships. This step included public outreach to solicit feedback from the community. Due to COVID-19, feedback was eventually switched to online surveys and information gathered and public priorities were used to develop project recommendations.

The final step was to identify potential connection and technology projects that would provide the community with more options while providing increased safety, comfort, and convenience.

FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The primary findings and recommendations from this study included:

a) Bicycle and pedestrian improvements;

b) Suggestions for Micro-Transportation/NEV/ Shuttles for the area;

c) Allocation of valuable curbside space to desirable technologies and mobility options;

d) Direction for capital investment of National City transportation funds;

e) Direction for extending the 8th Street and Roosevelt Avenue mobility projects beyond their current funded extents;

f) Suggestions on truck parking; and

g) Recommendations on transit service and route improvements.

This study identified a total of ten potential projects, including two related to the Navy, one related to truck parking issues, one related to shuttles, transit and curb management, and six related to street connection improvements.

For the 6th Street connections, improvements were made that involved roadway right-sizing for safety and comfort, improved pedestrian crossings, pedestrian-friendly traffic signal improvements, added turn lanes, and added Class IV separated bikeways to reduce the Level of Traffic Stress for cyclists and pedestrians.

The six connection projects are located on the following six corridors:

» 19th Street

» Bay Marina Drive/Mile of Cars Way/24th Street

» Hoover Avenue

» East 30th Street

» National City Boulevard

» West 32nd Street

In addition, there are three projects that are not along corridors but still facilitate sustainable movements and improved connections from the Homefront to the Waterfront. Those projects included a new state-ofthe-art six-story Mobility Hub at the 8th Street Trolley Station that will accommodate new transportation technologies and facilitate multi-modal transportation to and from the trolley station. The plan also included ideas on integrated mobility options, a bike station, NEV storage and staging area as well as bike, scooter and motor scooter options.

Another project included improvements to the So Cal Truck Stop located on Tidelands Avenue which includes new truck stop amenities for truck drivers to rest and refresh. This helps support the removal of truck parking on Roosevelt Avenue between 8th Street and National City Boulevard / Division Street. The plan also coordinates with the Navy for improved access to NAVBASE San Diego near 8th St., 19th St., Yama St. and 32nd Street.

Finally, the study developed 3D and 2D vignettes that communicate how “Mobility Mini-hubs” can allocate valuable curb space to new transportation technologies. With the advent of new technologies (e-scooters and on demand rideshare) as well as the ever-present demand on curb space from traditional transportation uses (truck loading, taxis, and parking) there is currently a need to manage curb space to accommodate these uses better. The vignettes depict mini-hubs at both intersection and mid-block locations. The study also analyzed and made recommendations for MTS transit route improvements as well as potential locations for neighborhood electric vehicle shuttle routes. The study will assist the City with integrating traditional and sustainable transportation modes with new technologies to reconnect the Homefront and the Waterfront and for supporting endeavors to obtain more funding grants.

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Live Play Work

1.1 OVERVIEW

National City was once well connected to the waterfront, but over the years, the waterfront has evolved with a variety of uses and other jurisdictional requirements that have changed this connection. In particular, the construction of Interstate 5 (I-5), which parallels the north-south railways, has proven to be an additional challenge to connect the waterfront to the city. This waterfront area is dynamically changing and is currently the subject of many studies and planning efforts. The City of National City would like to help coordinate these projects and efforts, as well as suggest ideas on how the city and its neighbors could connect with each other and work in concert with mobility and land use planning. The City would like to be a partner with the Navy and other local stakeholders to pursue grant funding to revitalize the waterfront and improve connections that align with the goals and visions of the stakeholders and agencies involved. The Navy plays a critical role in this planning effort because the waterfront that supports the mission of the Navy is also supported by the adjacent homefront.

Funding Source

This study has been funded by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) as part of their 2019 Smart Growth Program. It was issued as an Active Transportation Non-Capital Grant paid for by Transnet funds.

1.2 PROJECT BACKGROUND

1.2.1

PROJECT PURPOSE

The purpose of the study is to take a comprehensive look at connections between the people and destinations of National City and the waterfront. This study looks at connecting facilities for transit, biking and walking, as well as new technologies of carshare, bikeshare, neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs), shuttles, electric bikes and ride hailing to lower greenhouse gases and vehicle miles traveled, while increasing economic revitalization. This will be accomplished by providing for the movement of individuals from downtown National City and the westside (Old Town) to jobs, services and recreation on the waterfront (all areas west of I-5 to the edge of San Diego Bay). When I-5 was constructed, it split the Harbor District of National City from the westside and downtown areas. In ad-

dition, the working waterfront that includes the Navy and shipbuilding industries, as well as Port District maritime and importing/exporting operations, railroad operations of BNSF and public transportation related to MTS trolley lines, all served to cut-off the waterfront to the citizens of National City. Other than advocating for a slight increase in recreation associated with the Balance Plan of the Port District for Pepper Park, it is not the intent of this study to try to reclaim access to the waterfront for recreation purposes. But it is the intent of the study to help citizens of National City, sailors at Naval Base San Diego and maritime workers along the working waterfront to move easily between the “Homefront” of National City and the “Waterfront” of San Diego Bay.

It is also the intent of this plan to understand and advocate for coordination of the various planning projects being considered in the footprint of the study area. These projects are being put forward from a variety of stakeholders in the study area including:

8. The Navy

9. Caltrans

10. Port of San Diego

11. City of San Diego

12. SANDAG

13. Metropolitan Transit System (MTS)

14. Other employers/landowners located along the waterfront

1.2.2 SCOPE OF PROJECT

The grant requires the study to research, analyze and make recommendations to include:

1. Direction for Micro-Transportation/NEV/Shuttles for the Area.

2. Adjustments to allocating curbside space for future trends and mobility options at potential mobility hubs and mini-hubs.

3. Direction for capital investment of National City transportation funds.

4. Direction for the extension of the funded 8th Street and Roosevelt Avenue mobility projects.

5. Suggested adjustments to the Downtown Specific Plan if this study identifies needed changes.

1.2.3 STUDY AREA

The study area includes the full community areas of the Downtown National City Specific Plan, the Westside Specific Plan Area, the Mile of Cars Community Area and the Marina District Specific Plan Area. It includes the commercial recreation and maritime operations of the National City Bayfront known as Port of San Diego Planning District 5 and Naval Base San Diego (sometimes historically referred to as 32nd Street Naval Station). It does not include any of the City of Chula Vista. The study area includes a very short piece of the right-of-way of Main Street in the City of San Diego that immediately connects with Navy lands, as well as Caltrans right-of-ways. See “Figure 1-1: Vicinity Map in Region” on page 8 and”Figure 1-2: Study Area Limits with Specific Plan and City Boundaries” on page 9

1.3 VISION AND GOAL STATEMENTS

The study area will become a better connected place where people work, live, learn, shop, obtain services and recreate. This will be done in a manner that is clear to travelers with a successful wayfinding system. It will be an area where multi-modal services and land uses can take advantage of the high level of transit service found at three trolley stations. The circulation system will support a wide range of mobility options including biking and walking, as well as improved vehicular flows and the ability to use rideshare, hail sharing, neighborhood electric vehicles, bike share, scooter share and other Transportation Network Companies (TNCs). This study area will embrace smart growth, smart communities, complete streets and alternative funding opportunities in a manner that will support potential increases in sailors, seniors and students of the area that would utilize these services.

1.4 SUPPORTING GOALS

The following goals support the vision statement:

Provide mobility options for National City residents and Navy personnel, including "new mobility" options, such as bikeshare, Neighborhood Electric Vehicles and shuttles.

Foster a car-lite lifestyle in the downtown and the westside (Old Town) areas of National City.

Strengthen facilities for transit, walking and biking to provide mobility choices, lower parking impacts and reduce roadway congestion.

Suggest routes and projects to connect pedestrians and cyclists to the waterfront.

Improve access to transit (bus and trolley).

Strengthen the local economy by facilitating Navy personnel’s desire to visit, live, play and shop locally.

Offer healthy and clean mobility choices that also reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Improve access to destinations and housing using affordable and equitable transportation.

Manage the public right-of-way to give citizens more alternatives.

Assure safety for all roadway uses, especially the most vulnerable.

1-2: Study Area Limits with Specific Plan and City Boundaries

1.5 MAJOR FINDINGS AND PRINCIPLES

The City of National City recognizes the potential synergy between its desire to improve and grow the Downtown Specific Plan area, as well as the Westside Specific Plan area, with the employment and recreational aspects of the waterfront. The following principles will guide the recommendations of this plan:

1. The Navy is an important partner to the City of National City and the City believes it could be a destination for sailors and their families in terms of housing, childcare support, retail shopping, services and other functions.

2. The Port of San Diego has similar goals and needs for mobility and access to the area’s infrastructure.

3. MTS and SANDAG have provided transit services and the City has provided customers to the area’s transit system and wishes to continue working with and supplementing mobility choices in the area.

4. Regional connections for bike facilities rely on National City for choices both north and south, as well as east and west feeder lines to the Bayshore Bikeway. The City wishes to support these regional connections with local mobility components.

5. In its efforts to make downtown National City more equitable and economically diverse and successful, the City of National City has changed its planning policies and development standards to encourage development and to entice investments for supporting increased housing options, affordability and mobility alternatives.

6. The City of National City recognizes the balance to provide parking throughout the downtown area, but also understands the need to provide more affordable units and to support transit, walking and biking. Excess parking and below market value parking could induce more motor vehicle trips and therefore the right balance of parking should be found to encourage sustainable development and mode choice.

7. Careful curb management is critical to the downtown area since on-street parking is scarce and needs to be used efficiently while at the same time making sure the City is ready for innovations and changes in parking infrastructure and parking demand. Valuable and limited curb space needs to be allocated in a way to provide for current needs without compromising future needs.

8. The City has continued to coordinate with Caltrans and the City of San Diego, as well as with SANDAG, to accommodate the smart growth and smart mobility needs of the area.

9. The City wishes to encourage clarity in its roadway network, legibility in its wayfinding, choices in mobility and access to transit, while protecting the resources and citizens of its neighborhoods.

1.6 PLANNING PROCESS

This study consists four major steps.

1. The first step is to determine the objectives of connecting the “Homefront” to the “Waterfront.” This includes connections of sustainable transportation and planning and coordination connections between these two distinctively different areas of National City. All efforts should focus on improving transportation options, as well as access equity and the support of smart growth initiatives and mobility improvements.

2. The second step analyzes the study area to determine the current connections between current and potential future land uses, including employment, recreation, shopping, services with those origins of housing and lodging.

3. The third step summarizes the ongoing projects by stakeholders in the study area and how these projects can be best accomplished with coordination and partnerships.

4. The final step includes the identification of potential local and regional sustainable transportation connection projects that will provide the community with more options and improved safety, comfort and convenience.

The general process chart is shown on Figure 1-3: Planning Process.

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Live Play Work

Existing Conditions 2

2.1 OVERVIEW

Understanding the existing infrastructure conditions, demographics, land use and other context-sensitive information is imperative for planning a better connection between National City and the waterfront. This chapter summarizes various conditions that provide meaningful discussions of how each of the conditions support or impede pedestrian, bicycle and transit uses within the study area. This chapter also includes sections on land uses, commercial activities, access barriers, travel sheds, transit services and existing and planned infrastructure. The diverse land uses and development can be seen on Figure 2-1.

2.1.1 CLOSE BUT SO FAR

Although the distance between the homefront and the waterfront is as close as 250 feet, there are several major physical and perceptual barriers. The barriers are related to major transportation corridors such as Interstate 5 (I-5) and Harbor Drive, as well as the railroad and trolley lines. Land uses, including those dedicated and restricted land uses of Naval Base San Diego (NBSD), all serve to create barriers to easy movement and perceptions of distance. The construction of I-5 in the mid-1950s, as well as the major industrial development for maritime operations, shipping and naval waterfront facilities in the mid1920s, have permanently changed the waterfront for National City. For these reasons, access and connectivity are still an issue for the community of National City. Figure 2-2 indicates the various types of movements and intended destinations across the limited connections under I-5 and over the rail line.

WATERFRONT HOMEFRONT

WATERFRONT

NAVY

FIGURE 2-2: Study Area Analyzed

SHIPBUILDERS

NAVY NAVY

MARITIME OPERATIONS

MARITIME OPERATIONS

RECREATION

HOMEFRONT

RECREATION

2.2 STUDY AREA DEMOGRAPHICS

Gaining a clear understanding of the existing and projected demographic character of the city is an important component of the planning process for this study. By analyzing population data, trends emerge that can inform decision making and resource allocation strategies for improving connections and access to transit, biking and walking. Projected data from the 2018 U.S. Census was used to analyze the demographic and commuting characteristics of the city’s residents. Each dataset provides valuable information that contributes to the comprehensive understanding of the street network and how to improve it.

2.2.1 CURRENT HOMEFRONT POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS

The homefront area of National City is a compact area located in the heart of town and it is the city’s civic and cultural center. Easily accessible by freeway and surface streets, downtown National City is close to many regional assets within the San Diego area. It features a pedestrian-friendly, efficient street network of short blocks, human scale buildings and relatively narrow streets, making this area walkable and accessible by foot and transit.

The homefront area consists of established residential neighborhoods, commercial businesses located along major streets, an education village, institutional uses and a mix of light industrial and commercial businesses. About 18,700 residents live within a half mile of downtown, or about 31 percent of the city’s population. The households who live downtown tend to be older and less affluent. Homes downtown tend to be priced similarly to the rest of National City, although they tend to be smaller in size. Downtown residents reflect the cultural diversity of National City,

TABLE 2-1: Study Area Current and Projected Populations

and many of the downtown businesses are owned and/or staffed by members of the Hispanic and Asian communities. Many families with children live downtown, often within extended families. About one-fifth of the city’s senior population lives in the homefront area.

2.2.2 CURRENT WATERFRONT POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS

The waterfront of the study area consists of NBSD, as well as many industrial and maritime uses, most of which are in the Port of San Diego Tidelands jurisdictional zones. The Pasha group imports more than 250,000 cars per year and takes up a substantial part of the waterfront areas for parking, staging and loading vehicles on train and tractor trailers. The Navy takes up the largest percentage of the waterfront area and has a substantial number of daily users of the base, as well as a significant population of enlisted bachelor quarters and other ship-side berthing and personnel lodging.

Table 2-1 and Figure 2-3 show the current population densities of both the waterfront and the homefront. Over 44,970 persons reside in either National City (homefront) or on NBSD (waterfront).

Figure 2-4 on page 18 shows the future characteristics of both the waterfront and homefront areas. The biggest change appears to be on the Wet Side of NBSD, as well as in a few pockets of increased population in downtown National City. However, the downtown area has the potential for more than 5,000 units to be added to the study area. This population increase has not been captured by previous census projections. Figure 2-5 on page 19 shows 5, 10 and 15-minute walktimes from the major population centers of the study area. This figure also shows a 5-minute bikeshed. As can be seen, most of the area’s destinations and origins can be accessed within reasonable timeframes, although many feel that there is a great distance between the two areas within the study area.

1 Source: Naval Base San Diego Parking and Traffic Congestion Relief Plan (adj. for 2019)

2 Source: Series 13 SANDAG Forecast (modified to reflect adopted downtown 2018 Specific Plan with 5,000 units at 2.5 persons per unit)

2-3: Existing Origins Defined by Population Densities (Current Populations)

2-4: Future Origins Defined by Population Densities (Projected Populations)

*Only population centers found in the study area are counted

2.2.3 DESTINATIONS IN THE STUDY AREA

The study area consists of established residential neighborhoods, commercial businesses located along major streets, an educational village, public and community facilities and a mix of light and heavy industrial uses, commercial businesses, offices and auto services. The majority of businesses located within the study area are located in the Downtown, Old Town, and Mile of Cars neighborhoods, most of which include auto services, light manufacturing and warehouses. These establishments are interspersed throughout the residential areas on smaller parcels and are mostly concentrated between National City Boulevard and I-5. Larger lots with office, commercial, industrial uses and car dealerships dominate south E 22nd Street.

Numerous car dealerships and shops, which are part of an automobile association known as the National City Mile of Cars, can be found south of E 18th Street along National City Boulevard. Additionally, downtown National City has a concentration of retail stores and service businesses that include banks, grocery stores and eating establishments. A variety of industrial uses are mixed with limited residential uses in the Harbor District, west of I-5 (see Figure 2-7). Activity centers include employment hubs, industrial sites, government sites, retail centers, hospitals, schools, colleges, parks, open spaces and other attractions.

2.2.4 EXISTING LAND USES

Existing land use patterns within the study area are comprised of a mixture of uses that range from residential to commercial and industrial uses. The homefront area of National City is defined by a fairly conventional urban street grid pattern of primarily single and multiple-family residential developments interspersed with pockets of other land uses that include auto services, commercial retail, office, light manufacturing, institutional and warehouses. The concentrations of commercial, office and moderate density residential land uses occur primarily along National City Boulevard, 8th Street, E Plaza Boulevard and E 24th Street.

Most of the light industrial activities are concentrated west of I-5 with small pockets of heavy industrial uses near NBSD. Additionally, recreational uses include Kimball Park and Pepper Park to the west and southeast of the study area respectively (see Figure 2-8 on page 22).

2.2.5 PROPOSED LAND USE

As National City continues to develop, most land use changes within the study area are slated to occur in the Downtown and Old Town neighborhoods, with little change to the industrial dominated west side. Based on adopted documents by the City of National City and regional coordination with SANDAG, most of the single-family, industrial and commercial uses located in Downtown and Old Town will become mixed use, along with considerable amounts of commercial and office west on Wilson Avenue (see Figure 2-9 on page 23). These land use changes indicate a trend toward more concentrated development, in general, and a greater mix of uses, in particular, in the central portion of the study area. This will tend to create new demands for transportation facilities where less concentrated land uses had existed before. Housing and employment centers will be located at closer proximity, while retaining commercial concentrations along major thoroughfares. The opportunity to strengthen the connections between NBSD and other employment areas of the waterfront with major changes in residential, supporting services and activity centers just across the freeway point out the potential synergy between the growth of jobs and the growth of housing.

2.2.6 COMMUTER PATTERNS FOR THE CURRENT POPULATION

According to the 2018 US Census, there are an estimated 24,252 workers within the study area. Mode splits for workers’ commute trips are shown on Figure 2-6. Over 75 percent of workers in the study area drive to work. This suggests that investments in transit and active transportation have the potential to change the mode for trips to more non-motorized travel modes.

2-7: Existing Destinations Defined by Jobs and Businesses

*Data compiled jointly by SANDAG and the City of National City

2-9: Future Land Use Conditions

Walking Mode Share

The walking mode share measures the percentage of workers aged 16 years and over who commute to work by foot. Mode share reflects how well infrastructure and land use patterns support travel to work by foot. In the city, walking mode share patterns are connected to the relative proximity of housing to employment centers.

Bicycling Mode Share

Similar to the walking mode share, bicycling mode share measures the percentage of resident workers aged 16 years and over who commute to work by bicycle.

Public Transit Mode Share

Transit mode share measures the percentage of workers who commute to work by transit. This mode share reflects how well first mile-last mile infrastructure, transit routes and land-use patterns support travel to work by transit (see Figure 2-6 on page 20).

Vehicular Mode Share

Vehicular travel for commutes is over 75.3 percent of all trips. Figure 2-10 shows the type of driving most commuters do, with 61.4 percent of driving commuters driving alone. National City has a higher than normal amount of carpooling, with 14.0 percent using carpools.

Commute Duration

Regardless of the mode, National City commuters are spending considerable time commuting to work. Only 19.6 percent have what are considered to be a short commute (less than 15 minutes). About 30.8 percent have from 30 minutes to one hour a day commuting. Another 8.5 percent commute for more than one hour each day. See Figure 2-11 for a comparison of different commute times.

In-town Versus Out-of-town Commutes

As seen on Figure 2-12, a total of 21,276 non-residents per day come into National City for jobs, while 24,252 of National City residents travel outside of National City for their employment destinations. Only 2,590 residents both live and work in National City .

2.3 TRANSPORTATION CONDITIONS

Although limited connections occur under and over the barriers of the rail line and I-5, the gridded streets on the homefront side are conducive to growth and supporting multiple modes of travel throughout the area. The direction of the streets also supports moving individuals from the homefront to the waterfront in the right direction for the shortest distance. On the waterfront side, the streets are supportive of long-time industrial uses, but are not as conducive to other modes without some major modifications.

2.3.1 STREET CLASSIFICATIONS

The National City street system includes a community corridor street typology in addition to the functional classifications. Community corridors are those streets where the primary focus is not on throughput, but on other functions related to streets. These street types are intended to increase the comfort of walking and/or bicycling on these roads through traffic calming measures.

Community Corridors

The 2017 Downtown National City Specific Plan divides these corridors into five categories:

» “Main Street” commercial corridors: located near the center of downtown, these street segments prioritize educational, hospitality and many retail uses. These streets are lined with pedestrian scaled storefronts, usually forming a continuous storefront façade.

» Commercial streets: these street segments are dominated by commercial uses including a diverse mixture of auto, thrift and other store types.

» Multi-modal streets: transportation corridors capable of fully supporting multiple forms of transportation, these street segments are proposed to provide facilities for cyclists and neighborhood electric vehicles (NEV), as well as standard automobiles and transit.

» Green streets/urban trails: streets that create urban trails that cater to “urban hikers,” providing them with safe, visually rewarding routes throughout the city.

» Residential streets: these streets support lower traffic levels and provide access to primarily residential areas. Pedestrian safety and traffic calming should be the primary concerns as residential roadways are often used as play areas by surrounding families (see Figure 2-13 on page 26).

Functional Street Classifications

The 2017 Downtown National City Specific Plan divides streets into five categories. Functional classifications are focussed on the amount of traffic and the likely destinations of vehicular movements. The following are definitions of roadway classifications from the General Plan (see Figure 2-14 on page 27):

» Freeway: A state-designated, high-speed, high capacity route with limited direct access that serves statewide and interregional transportation needs.

» Arterial: A major local traffic channel providing circulation across the city and access to major destination points throughout the region. These are usually comprised of four to six driving lanes, often with synchronized signals to help traffic flow.

» Collector: A local conduit that distributes vehicular traffic from neighborhoods or business districts onto arterials and sometimes to other collectors. These may serve as alternate routes to arterials for movement across the city.

» Local: A low capacity, low-speed road providing direct access to individual properties within neighborhoods. These roads usually consist of two driving lanes.

Truck Routes

National City has designated trucking routes originating mainly from the Marine Terminal and are linked to regional highways. Truck routes through National City are either classified as “primary” or “alternate” routes. Primary routes are generally described as the most direct routes to freeways and are used for regional delivery. Alternate routes are those roads used to move trucks through the city to local destinations. Designated truck routes in the study area are shown on Figure 2-15 on page 28

The Strategic Highway Network

The Strategic Highway Network (STRAHNET) roadway designation is a system of roads deemed necessary for emergency mobilization and peacetime movement of heavy armor, fuel, ammunition, repair parts, food and other commodities to support U.S. military operations. The Surface Deployment and Distribution Command Transportation Engineering Agency (SDDCTEA) is the U.S. Department of Defense designated agent for public highway matters, including STRAHNET and STRAHNET Connectors. Roads found in the study area that have this designation are shown on Figure 2-15.

2-14: Street Classification

Bike and Pedestrian Facilities

National City has a relatively robust system of bike facilities found throughout the study area. There are a number of gaps, but the City has already programmed and some facilities are in final engineering and design for new bike facilities. Other planned facilities will need to continue to look for funding sources to be implemented. Some of the facilities are sponsored for regional bikeways, such as the Bayshore Bikeway. Many of the missing segments of the Bayshore Bikeway are planned for construction in the near future.

Walking facilities are generally found next to every street in the study area, with the exception of some around industrial parks on the west side. The existing bike and pedestrian facilities are used to determine travelsheds for all modes, transitsheds for transit access and use, bikesheds for biking distances and walksheds for walking to get to destinations (see Figure 2-16 on page 30).

Transit Network

The City of National City has three levels of transit service in the study area. Trolley service can be found at three trolley stations (32nd St Pacific Fleet, 8th Street, and 24th Street in the study area). This service is considered high quality premium service since it includes the trolley with frequency between 10 and 15 minutes.

The second level of quality is considered to be high frequency bus line service. Although there are no Bus Rapid Transit services in the area, there are buses and areas with multiple choices for routes, as well as a frequency of routes that are generally less than every 10 to 15 minutes. The first two service types can be seen on Figure 2-17 on page 31. General bus service can be found on Figure 2-18 on page 32

2.4 TRAVEL TIME AND DISTANCE FOR VARIOUS MODES

Access analysis must take into account the various speeds that each mode can accomplish. This translates to time and distance. This study assumes that driving as a mode of travel is not at any disadvantage under current conditions. This study considers not only active transportation (cycling and walking) and transit, but also supporting ride hailing services, such as Uber and Lyft. In some aspects, the study also will be considering the need for curb management that accommodates deliveries and the use of neighborhood electric vehicles, such as shuttle systems.

2.4.1 CONNECTED MODES

Trips should not be considered as only including one type of mode. In many cases, several chained together trip segments can be effective, as long as they are timed correctly to avoid dwell time waiting for the next mode. An example of this is shown on Figure 2-19 on page 33. This map shows a 10-minute commitment of time, starting on NBSD. For this example, the pedestrian travel would start at the interior to the base and it would take up to a 2.5 minutes to get to Gate #9. The continued walk to the trolley station would take another 2.5 minutes. Assuming a three-minute wait for a bus or trolley, the next trip segment would then include a two-minute transit ride at 30 mph. The bold lines indicate how far the transit rider would get in this 2-minute travel time period. This maps also shows the difference in attainable distance if a 5-minute bike ride was used instead of a 10-minute walk.

2.4.2 SPEEDS AND DISTANCES

A single mode trip can be compared with other modes by generating travelsheds. The travelshed is simply created by identifying a starting point, identifying a speed, and then running it through a geographic information system (GIS) analysis and the network of streets or walkways to see how far the mode will progress in a given period of time. This is shown in Figure 2-20 on page 34 where three modes are compared from the same location. Walking is assumed to be at 2.5 mph since most all can walk this speed. The speed takes into account some delays associated with major streets and traffic signals. Biking assumes 12.5 mph, another speed that most all riders can obtain. Finally, driving is assumed to average 30 mph, based on local speed limits and some delay at intersections.

Figure 2-21 on page 35 shows the transitshed for four bus routes defined as high frequency with multiple lines for transfers and that occur at least every 15 minutes during the day. The zones indicate how long it would take to get to the transit station. Biking to the station is included as the outer ring. Figure 2-22 on page 36 shows the transitsheds to the three trolley stations. Figure 2-23 on page 37 shows the distance from within NBSD to gates from inside the base. All roadway segments in yellow indicates a person can walk from that distance within less than 10 minutes. Finally, Figure 2-24 on page 38 shows how long it would take to walk from the adjacent community to one of the 13 gates analyzed. If shuttles or bikeshare were available inside the base near the gates, the feasibility for walking to the base would be increased.

2-19: Typical 10-Minute Multi-modal Trip (Walk/Wait/Trolley/Walk)

2-21: High Frequency Bus Only Transitsheds using 15-Minute Walking or 5-Minute Biking

2.5 CIRCULATION BARRIERS

The west side of I-5 as part of the homefront area contains an overall well-connected street network that is mostly in a gridded pattern, which is best for cyclists and pedestrians. Some streets in the study area have further distances between intersections and not all streets are interconnected, which is ideal for pedestrians and cyclists. As can be seen on Figure 2-25 on page 40, most of the rest of the study area lacks good access for walking and biking. Since most transit also requires walking or biking to get to the trolley or bus stops, this limited access also affects the efficiency of transit modes.

The main barriers for non-motorized road users to the waterfront or to the homefront are some of the roadways within the study area. The largest barrier is I-5, which runs north-south through the western part of National City and funnels traffic to a limited number of underpasses, namely Bay Marina Drive, W 19th Street, W 18th Street, Civic Center Drive and W 8th Street. These underpasses are generally not well designed for bikes or pedestrians.

Main Street, which connects to Division Street on the National City – San Diego border, is just outside National City limits and leads to Yama Street and another potential connection to NBSD. W 18th Street and W 19th Street are currently being designed to improve bicycle-pedestrian connections to the waterfront. The plan is for W 19th Street to be closed to motor vehicles under I-5 and open to just walking and biking, while the motor vehicle trips will be diverted to W 18th Street. The newly implemented non-motorized facility will connect with several of the project proposals in this study, as well as the Bayshore Bikeway, which is currently in design.

The Bayshore Bikeway is a regional corridor that will eventually extend 24 miles around San Diego Bay, providing a critical bicycle/pedestrian connection to several major employers, parks and many other recreational and utilitarian destinations. The objective is to develop a continuous Class I bikeway that would permit cyclists to ride all the way around San Diego Bay on low-stress bicycle facilities.

As part of the Homefront to Waterfront outreach process, W 8th Street was identified as a STRAHNET corridor. The STRAHNET is a system of public highways that are a key part of the deployment of the United States Armed forces. Consequently, the

plan is to not reduce motor vehicle capacity given its military importance. The street is currently under design, along with Roosevelt Avenue, for improvements. When implemented, the corridor will not only serve cyclists and pedestrians, but also new mobility uses, including shuttles and Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEV).

Aside from I-5, several large roads also serve as perceptual barriers to active transportation in the study area, including Harbor Drive, Bay Marina Drive and Civic Center Drive. On the east side of I-5, National City Boulevard, Plaza Boulevard and Highland Avenue are also wide, high-speed arterials that pose a perceptual barrier to active transportation in the study area.

NBSD is protected by a fence and several structures on one side and the bay on the other side, which limits access points for cycling and walking, as well as most other modes. There are security concerns to enter the base and there is only limited access at a select number of gates. There are limited human resources to operate those gates and not all gates are ADA accessible. The study intends to mitigate some of the barriers to walking and cycling to NBSD and the waterfront from the homefront.

2.6 OVERVIEW OF ONGOING PROJECTS

As part of the outreach effort, local and regional stakeholders who had been engaged with other city projects and studies were included. The following sections summarize existing and ongoing projects and studies within the study area.

2.6.1 INTEGRATION PROCESS FOR ONGOING PROJECTS AND THE H2W STUDY

As previously mentioned, the City’s CIP provides a good foundation for understanding the projects specific to National City. To better understand how the study’s objectives tie into the City’s neighboring agencies and jurisdictions, the team reviewed past and ongoing projects or studies that are within or adjacent to the study area boundaries. Part of this exercise was to also identify the agencies in charge of these studies to ensure their planning efforts and the City’s planning efforts were acknowledged for future coordination.

Stakeholders for these projects included:

» U.S. Navy

» San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG)

» City of San Diego

» Metropolitan Transit System (MTS)

» Port of San Diego

» Caltrans

There are a number of projects that have a more significant impact on this study. The projects described below are a subset all of the projects that overlap with the Study. Additional projects are discussed in more detail in Chapter 4 and in Figure 4-2.

Port of San Diego Harbor Drive Multi-Modal Corridor Study

A multi-faceted project that focuses on addressing truck traffic and goods movements throughout Harbor Drive. Congestion relief efforts, safety mitigation measures and related transportation challenges and opportunities are identified.

SANDAG Regional Military Multi-Modal Access Strategy Plan

A comprehensive plan spearheaded by SANDAG that analyzed every transportation mode used on the region’s military installations. The analyses contributed to a prioritized list of recommendations, both short and long term, that included active transportation, congestion relief, bridges, freeways and street networks.

8th Street and Roosevelt Ave Caltrans ATP Grant

A grant was awarded to the City to implement multi-modal improvements to 8th Street and Roosevelt Avenue. Improvements such as adding a multi-use path with Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV) access, lighting, planting and pedestrian and bicycle facilities are included. This project will also review the U.S. Navy operations that may take place along these corridors and ensure that proposed improvements do not interfere with them.

NBSD Parking and Traffic Congestion Relief Plan

A comprehensive plan that analyzed existing and future conditions on Naval Base San Diego to improve circulation, traffic, parking and other transportation needs. This plan takes into account future population growth of the base and how to minimize the impacts of congestion, parking and access to and from the base.

Table 2-2 on page 42 summarizes all the various projects affecting the study area and their completion status of the writing of this study.

2.6.2 CIP PROJECT PROCESS

The City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) is a planning and budgeting process which plans capital projects over the next five years. It establishes the City’s capital priorities and strategies for financing those priorities. Projects are identified by City staff and elected officials and subsequently approved for funding. The goal of the CIP is to identify, prioritize and coordinate the financing and timing of major public improvements such as streets, storm drains, buildings, parks or other facilities.

The CIP is first presented to the City’s Planning Commission for a General Plan Consistency Review before it’s presented and approved by City Council. CIP projects are categorized by the following project types:

Infrastructure

Streets, storm drains, sewer systems, street lighting, traffic signals, sidewalks and pedestrian curb ramps for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance.

Facilities

City offices, warehouses, public works yard and support structures, police and fire stations, community centers, public library and information technology (computers, data storage, public safety cameras and communications equipment).

Parks & Recreation

Park amenities such as ball fields, restrooms, lighting, landscaping, walking paths and information technology; health and quality of life facilities such as recreation centers, municipal swimming pool, gymnasium and waterfront adventure center.

Housing

Site infrastructure for infill development projects that provide housing opportunities for individuals and families at all income levels.

The H2W Study references many studies and projects that have been previously identified as part of the City’s CIP. Projects from the INTRAConnect Plan (2020) and the FY 2019 CIP Report provide a good foundation for new projects in this study to connect to and complement.

TABLE 2-2: Project Status Matrix

Project/Studies

INTRAConnect

Bayshore Bikeway

Harbor Drive Multi-Modal Corridor Study

Regional Military Multi-Modal Access Strategy

NBSD Parking & Traffic Congestion Relief Plan

SANDAG SGIP Planning Projects: 24th Street Transit Oriented Development Overlay

SANDAG SGIP Capital Projects: Roosevelt Avenue Smart Growth Revitalization Plan

National City Bike Wayfinding

Roosevelt Avenue Smart Growth Revitalization Plan

8th Street & Roosevelt Avenue Corridors

18th and 19th Street Bike/Ped Improvements

Civic Center Drive/Harbor Drive Intersection, Freeway, and Bike-Ped Improvements

2.6.3 SUMMARY OF OTHER PROJECTS IN THE STUDY AREA

The study is consistent with and supports implementation of the following City planning documents and projects.

National City Marina District Balanced Land Use Plan

The Port worked closely with the City of National City, as well as businesses and community stakeholders, to find the right balance of maritime, commercial, recreation and public access land uses. Public outreach was an integral component of the process that included small stakeholder working sessions, public meetings and individual meetings with interested parties.

The National City Marina District Balanced Land Use Plan (Balanced Plan) is a result of this outreach and consists of the following:

» Expansion of Pepper Park by more than 2.5 acres.

» Realignment of Marina Way, which will serve as the buffer area between commercial recreation and maritime uses.

» East-west and north-south public access corridors, with pedestrian, bicycle and visual access.

» Better configured/more contiguous commercial recreation and maritime uses.

National City Downtown Specific Plan

The National City Downtown Specific Plan (Specific Plan) provides the framework for future development and public improvements for a 158-acre district for downtown National City. The Specific Plan’s purpose is to provide a guiding policy document to support smart growth and the revitalization of down town. This is accomplished by encouraging and facilitating appropriate development, enhancing the public realm, improving mobility, effectively managing parking, providing a more streamlined development process and continuing to preserve historic and character defining buildings.

National City INTRAConnect Plan

The purpose of the INTRAConnect Plan was to improve neighborhoods so that its residents can walk, take transit, bike or take a short drive to meet their daily trip needs. The main goals were two-fold: recommend (1) land use changes and (2) mobility projects. Objectives include strategies to increase the support of local trips and travel versus regional trips and long-distance commutes, evolving land use planning efforts that support smart infill growth to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and vehicle miles traveled (VMT), and developing place types that represent the right mixture of land use, transit, public facilities, housing and street patterns that support active transportation and transit. Other objectives include providing equitable distribution of transportation, land use and public space improvements for all nine neighborhoods and building upon previous investments in transportation, transit, parks and public spaces.

Bayshore Bikeway

The Bayshore Bikeway is a regional corridor that will eventually extend 24 miles around San Diego Bay, providing a vital and scenic connection to major bayfront employers, as well as tourist and recreational destinations. Approximately 16 miles of bike paths have been built to date. The rest of the bikeway consists of on-street sections designated as either bike lanes or bike routes. SANDAG is developing additional improvements to the Bayshore Bikeway based on the Bayshore Bikeway Plan, which was adopted by SANDAG in 2006, to identify opportunities to improve the bikeway primarily along the east side of the San Diego Bay. The objective is to develop a continuous Class I multi-use path that would allow people to ride all the way around San Diego Bay on a dedicated path away from city streets. Segment 5 was selected to receive funding from the statewide ATP funding.

SANDAG SGIP Planning Projects: 24th Street Transit Oriented Development Overlay

The 24th Street Transit Oriented Development Overlay (TODO) study will comprehensively analyze the study area surrounding the 24th Street Transit Center to plan a new vision for the area to include transit-supportive land use, improved mobility and parking options, and an enhanced public realm. The study will result in a general plan amendment, rezone, smart growth and public mobility improvements, and program-level environmental clearance. The proposed study will advance mobility hub concepts by increasing accessibility to the 24th Street Transit Center, which serves as a major transportation hub for the area. This will be bolstered by positioning future transit-oriented development within the project area, thus increasing services and housing within the catchment of the transit center for residents, commuters and visitors. The anticipated increase in transit users will be complemented by a comprehensive approach to mobility consistent with SANDAG goals, both at the 24th St Transit Center, and adjacent properties through a condition of development.

As of the writing of this Study, the 24th Street TODO had published an Existing Conditions report and an Urban Form report. Project recommendation development is in progress and should take into some of the items outlined in Chapter 4 of this Study such as the proposed NEV shuttle routes.

Outreach, Analysis, and Ideas 3

3.1 COMMUNITY OUTREACH

The study area and its respective objectives requires input from a variety of stakeholders and community members to make informed decisions. The City’s goal was to ensure that stakeholders affected by proposed recommendations were involved in a collaborative effort. As a result of this goal, the study outreach process consisted of both in-person meetings and digital tools to gather feedback.

The outreach process included engagement with two major types of stakeholders: public agencies and the general public. These stakeholders were engaged in different formats to maximize their involvement.

3.1.1 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT: PUBLIC AGENCIES

This study spanned multiple agency jurisdictions, many of which involved public agencies such as the U.S. Navy, MTS, SANDAG, the Port of San Diego and the City of San Diego. These agencies were made aware of this study and invited to provide feedback.

The Navy played a major role in the planning process because of the overarching goals and objectives of the Homefront to Waterfront grant requirements. The Navy was invited to participate through a series of stakeholder meetings that covered a variety of topics. The desire to encourage Navy families to live, work and play in National City, as well as to use multi-modal options to travel to and from their destinations, was a shared goal of both the Navy and the City of National City.

Four meetings were conducted with Navy stakeholders. Topics of discussion included areas of cooperation and concern, housing, on-base/off-base connections, gate changes and access points, multi-modal circulation improvements focussed on Roosevelt Avenue and 8th Street, and the identification of recommended projects. The feedback collected from these meetings was critical to understanding both short and long-term project recommendations.

3.1.2 PUBLIC SURVEY

The public was primarily engaged through an online survey that contained questions regarding multi-modal access, connections and mode change. The survey also asked participants to review and comment on proposed projects. The survey was announced via the City’s online communication channels and was made available to the public for three weeks.

A total of 113 people completed the survey and provided comments. The results were analyzed and used for the development of potential projects. The survey also provided the City with a current view of people’s opinions, concerns and desires regarding an improved connection between the homefront and the waterfront that could include increased options for pedestrian, bicycle and transit facilities. Figure 3-1 depicts a summary of the results from the survey.

According to the survey results, the majority of National City residents and visitors continue to rely on a personal car for their primary mode of transportation. About 77.7 percent of respondents live in National City, while 25.9 percent work there. Approximately 85.0 percent of respondents drive to get to downtown and 87.6 percent drive to get to destinations on the waterfront such as Pepper Park, the Marina and NBSD. When asked what would make them more likely to bike within the study area, respondents answered separated bike lanes that are protected from the adjacent travel lane with a physical barrier. Likewise, respondents stated that trees to help buffer and provide shade and a free electric shuttle that would run regularly from downtown to the trolley stations would encourage them to walk more to destinations and take the trolley respectively. In addition, over 88.4 percent of respondents would like to see a free or reduced electric vehicle shuttle and official pick-up/ drop-off locations throughout downtown National City and the waterfront.

These results communicate the importance of improving the walking and biking infrastructure in the study area, as well as better curb management focussed on drop-off points that could help to implement shuttle routes that would facilitate movement between the homefront and the waterfront.

3-1: Public Survey Summary

3-1: Public Survey Summary (Cont.)

3.1.3 CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION PRESENTATIONS

The study was presented to both the Planning Commission and the City Council. The project team sought feedback from city officials throughout the study to ensure findings would reflect and address everyone’s objectives and be a viable document for future project endeavours.

3.1.4 PLANNING COMMISSION

The Planning Commission presentation was held on May 4, 2020. The presentation included an overview of the planning process, goals and objectives, analyses, stakeholder coordination and recommendations. Feedback from Commissioners included general support and enthusiasm for what was accomplished in this planning effort. A Commissioner commented on the importance of coordination between the City and its neighboring agencies such as MTS, SANDAG and NBSD due to the study area’s overlapping boundaries. Commissioners also expressed the importance of using this study to pursue future grant efforts to move recommendations forward in a timely manner.

3.1.5 CITY COUNCIL

The City Council presentation was held on Tuesday, June 2, 2020. Local processes did not require an adoption of the plan, only an acceptance of the overall findings and recommendations. No project will be implemented without Council or departmental actions, including environmental review (if required) and budgeting prioritization processes.

3.2 GAP ANALYSIS

Beyond council, commission, staff and public input, another sources of input came from the analysis of available data. A gap analysis was performed to identify where easy and safe access is not at the level it should be to meet the project goals. Additionally, barriers and potential transit and shuttle routes were identified as part of this analysis to address improved access.

3.2.1 GAPS THAT COULD BE CLOSED WITH IMPROVED TRANSIT ACCESS

As shown on Figure 3-2, walksheds were used to define access between the existing trolley stations and transit stops found within the study area. Walksheds were created for 5, 10, and 15-minute walk times from these transit stations using the existing road network. The analysis depicts that there is sufficient coverage for the 5 and 10-minute walksheds from these stations throughout the Downtown, Westside, and Mile of Cars planning areas. The 15-minute walkshed is generally distributed evenly throughout the study area, but special consideration should be given to the perception of a destination being more than 15 minutes away from a transit station. The test of easy and convenient access should be focussed on the 5 to 10-minute walk times.

It is important to note that almost all transit stops and one of the three trolley stops are east of Interstate 5. Furthermore, the dispersed street network with larger street blocks, the industrial land uses, and NBSD property lines west of Interstate 5 also contribute to larger gaps in the 5 and 10 minute walk times.

Too far to walk

Too far to ride

Lack of service Difficult to find

No direct route Need drop-offs

3-2: Gaps or Issues Related to Accessing Transit

3.2.2 GAPS THAT COULD BE CLOSED WITH IMPROVED WALKING ACCESS

The composite walkshed map was created using data points from the existing trolley stations, high frequency transit stops, business locations, population centers and high-volume NBSD gates within the study area. The population center points were based on geographic centroids of its respective census tract/block group. Walksheds were created for 5 and 10-minute walk times from these points using the existing road network. Figure 3-3 shows that the study area has suitable coverage throughout the Downtown, Westside and the northern section of the Mile of Cars planning areas.

The walkshed gap analysis around NBSD and the two trolley stations near the base provides interesting findings that correlate with previous conversations with NBSD stakeholder meetings. The northern section of the study area, centered around the Pacific Fleet Trolley Station, depicts adequate coverage for the 5 and 10-minute walkshed; however, access from this trolley station quickly dissipates due to NBSD’s layout, the rail lines and Harbor Drive. Improvements to the 32nd Street and the 8th Street Trolley Station could potentially address some of the gaps to provide better access to NBSD.

The map does highlight access gaps in the south and southeast sections of the study area, as well as in interior parts of NBSD. People that live, work or play in the Mile of Cars planning area may find it more difficult to easily access the 24th Street Trolley Station due to the larger street blocks and greater distances.

The waterfront area is also affected by the walkshed gaps. A person would not be able to walk within 10 minutes from their home east of Interstate 5 or the 24th Street Trolley Station to Pepper Park or the National City Aquatic Center. Other First-Last Mile improvements, such as micro-mobility or a shuttle, would provide these vital connections to and from the waterfront. Many of the negatives related to walking to or through the waterfront area is about the lack of buffered walking facilities, the perception of distance and barriers and the lack of wayfinding, as well as many of the available walking facilities are not direct to the intended destinations.

The dispersed street network with larger street blocks, the industrial land uses and NBSD property lines west of Interstate 5 also contribute to larger gaps in the 5 and 10 minute walk times.

Too far to walk

Difficult to find

No direct route

3.2.3 GAPS THAT COULD BE CLOSED WITH IMPROVED BIKING ACCESS

The composite bikeshed map was created with data from the City’s updated 2019 Bike Network Map and the recently completed INTRAConnect Plan. The existing and proposed bike network consists of a variety of bikeway facilities, including Class I Multi-use Paths, Class II Bike Lanes, Class III Bike Routes, Class IV Separated Bikeways and Urban Trails. The City’s planning efforts in aggressively expanding its bike network to serve the community is clearly depicted in Figure 3-4. The 5-minute bikeshed gap analysis depicts that there is considerable coverage throughout the study area from the existing trolley stations, high frequency transit stops, business locations, population centers and high-volume NBSD gates.

The existing and proposed bike network in the southern section of the study area does leave room for additional bikeways that would strengthen the connections east and west of Interstate 5. Bikeway improvements to NBSD Gate 13 on 19th Street would improve connections and close some gaps from the 24th Street Trolley Station and the Bayshore Bikeway. Potential improvements and upgrades along Hoover Avenue and 30th Street would also strengthen connections between destinations.

In most cases, if there are existing bike facility gaps, proposed facilities by National City and SANDAG will fill most of these gaps. The exceptions include areas along 32nd St., as well as locations in the Mile of Cars community area. In addition, the dominance of higher speed roads, lack of buffer between bikes and vehicles, and high speed on and off ramps to I-5 all contribute to the perception that these types of areas are not good for riding. Increased buffers, wayfinding and closing down some of the gaps would help improve this perception.

Too far to ride

Difficult to find

No direct route

3-4: Biking Improvement Options to be Considered

3.2.4 GAPS THAT COULD BE CLOSED USING A NEV SHUTTLE SYSTEM

Establishing an NEV Shuttle Network is an effective strategy for closing transportation gaps for people that do not feel comfortable utilizing active transportation modes or for people that are mobility impaired. In many cases, MTS will not add more in service area routes or stops that are currently under-served for transit. However, a transit supplement like an Neighborhood Electric Vehicle local transit system could help to close some of these gaps.

The NEV Shuttle Network discussed in this study could provide connections to and from destinations throughout the study area such as Downtown, the trolley stations, the Marina and NBSD gates. The gap analysis shown on Figure 3-5 uses the walkshed and bikeshed access to transit as the base condition. It looks at areas that are more likely to be serviced by a shuttle system rather than a higher cost transit system. It is important to note that a potential National City shuttle network could compliment a proposed NBSD’s existing shuttle system.

As is the case with transit in general, the link getting to a transit stop is a major determinant in ridership. First and Last Mile gaps affect transit. The term itself is indicative of the problem. Most people will not walk a mile getting to transit or getting to their final destination. However, transit agencies like SANDAG and MTS cannot afford to bring transit closer to many of the origins and destinations that the public needs to make this a viable mode. Having a shuttle system that cuts in half the expected walking time to a transit stop would be a goal of a shuttle system.

Obstacles for a proposed shuttle network would include available street right-of-ways, traffic speeds and traffic volumes. Additional coordination would be required if the corridor cannot support a dedicated lane for the NEV shuttle. A street legal NEV can use any route, but it would need to have appropriate traffic volumes and speeds for the shuttle to share the road with other vehicles.

Too far to walk

Lack of service Need drop-offs

3-5: Gap Areas that Existing or Future Transit are not Likely to Resolve

3.3 TECHNOLOGIES AND PLACES FOR MOBILITY SHARING

One of the objectives of this study is to prepare National City for the rapidly-evolving state of transportation and mobility due largely in part to new technologies. Cities and towns across the nation have experienced some form of these emerging mobility technologies over the last few years, many which have caught both the hearts and ire of residents and city officials. The ire often comes from the existing infrastructure not being able to keep pace with the fast moving technology that these systems may require. This includes proper storage and parking of these assets, as well as use on streets that are often higher speed, limited geometry and highly congested.

The following section provides an overview of these devices and technologies that, when implemented and adopted thoughtfully, can both encourage people to use non-vehicular modes of transportation and close mobility gaps within an area. Descriptions for key words such as micro-mobility, curb management, mobility hubs and mini-hubs are included. The following chapter will describe suggested locations where these new technologies and physical site assets can be added.

3.3.1 SHARED-USE MOBILITY

Shared-use mobility is a term used to describe transportation services that are shared among multiple users. This can include traditional transit services such as buses and trains, as well as bikeshare programs and ride-sourcing services such as Uber and Lyft.

Shared micro-mobility encompasses all shared-used fleets of small, fully or partially human-powered vehicles that operate at speeds below 20 mph, such as bikes, e-bikes, e-scooters and e-skateboards. These forms of transportation revolve around the use of online apps or docking stations to request, search, unlock/lock, communicate and pay. New trends in electric motorcycles/scooters has also started to show up in the San Diego region as well.

Positive impacts of shared mobility include reduced vehicle miles travelled and parking congestion, improvements to air quality, transportation cost savings, improved physical activity and improved mobility access to under-served populations.

3.3.2 CURB MANAGEMENT

Curb management is defined as managing and prioritizing the use of public right-of-way curb space for other uses beyond single drive alone long term parking. Curb management strategies emerged in the last few years to address the growing demand of a street’s curb. With the introduction of shared-use mobility and the rapid increase of delivery services, curbs no longer serve the typical needs we’re accustomed to, such as general parking and traditional loading zones. Urban design elements, such as parklets, bikeway infrastructure/separated bikeways, green infrastructure and other complete street elements, are also contributing to the curb’s evolution.

Managing curbsides at a neighborhood scale throughout National City will make it possible to assign flexible curbside uses that reflect the surrounding land uses, active transportation and transit use. Cities are taking on curb management strategies to shift the paradigm towards curbs as flexible zones that provide multiple benefits into the future (see Table 3-1 and 3-2).

Fundamentals

Essential

Curb Functions Definition Uses

Bus or rail stops

Bike parking

Access for People

People arrive at their destination or transfer between different ways of getting around

Curb bulbs

Passenger load zones

Short-term parking

Taxi zones

Commercial vehicle load zone

Access for Commerce

Goods and services reach their customers and markets

Activation

Offers vibrant social spaces

Greening

Enhances aesthetics and environmental health

Storage

Provides storage for vehicles or equipment

Truck load zone

Food trucks

Parklets and street trees

Public art

Seating

Street festivals

Plantings

Rain gardens/Green Stormwater

Infrastructure

Bus layover

Long-term parking

Reserved spaces (e.g. for police or other government use)

Construction

Source: Curbside Management Practitioners Guide

Source: Curbside Management Practitioners Guide

3.3.3 MOBILITY HUBS AND MINI HUBS

Mobility hubs are locations where people can conveniently access transit and other forms of non-vehicular transportation. The hubs are designed to facilitate access to sustainable transportation options, such as the shared micro-mobility described earlier. Mobility hubs are excellent sources for first mile/last mile options that are critical for a person’s daily needs to and from their destinations. Amenities found in mobility hubs may include shaded transit stops, public seating, bike-share and/or e-scooter parking, NEV and electric vehicle charging stations, wayfinding signage, Mobility Support Service Centers, Kiss and Ride and ridesharing pickup/drop-off areas, and small retail stores or stands (see Figures 3-6 through 3-9).

Mini hubs take many of the best elements of a larger mobility hub, but scaled down and customized to meet the needs of its specific location. Mini hubs can be located at street corners or mid-block and contain amenities such as micro-mobility parking and charging stations, rideshare pickup/drop-off zones, or NEV shuttle stops. Mini hubs are supported by other urban design and transportation elements such as wayfinding signage, pedestrian-scale lighting, curb extensions, high-visibility crosswalks or shaded transit shelters (see Table 3-3 and 3-4).

The curb management, mobility hub and mini hub design guidelines outlined in the following section include research from local agencies, such as SANDAG’s 2021 Regional Plan, and national resources, such as NACTO’s “Curb Appeal” white paper. It is intended to provide overarching guidance for the implementation of these physical assets aimed to encourage and close gaps in National City’s transportation network.

A variety of new electric carshare, electric bikeshare, electric moped and neighborhood electric vehicles come with the need for specialty parking and charging stations.

TABLE 3-3: Mobility Hubs/Mini-Hubs Options

Transit Hub

Parklet

Drop-zone

City, Transit Authorities

City, landlord/business

City, Micro-mobility Companies

Regional transit, rideshare, park-n-ride, taxi, shared bike/scooter, bike, walk, rest

Transit Station

Shared bike/scooter, bike, walk, rest Former parking spot

Shared bike/scooter On curb/ Off curb parking Envisioned

Envisioned Mobility/MiniHubs (Intersection)

Envisioned Mobility/MiniHubs (Mid-block)

3-4:

City, Transit Authorities, Micro-mobility Companies, adjacent landlord

City, Transit Authorities, TNC, Micro-mobility Companies, adjacent landlord

Transit Hub Develop transit hubs at 8th Street Trolley Station and 24th Street Trolley Station

Parklet

National City has opportunities for parklets at cafes and restaurants to expand outdoor seating

LimeBike has been in National City since 2017

Envisioned Mobility/Mini-Hubs (Intersection) E 8th Street has opportunities for Intersection Mini-hubs

Envisioned Mobility/ Mini-Hubs (Mid-block)

City block

Transit, shared bike/scooter, bike, walk

Intersection Bulb-out/ Curb extension

Transit, rideshare/taxi/ NEV pickup/drop-off, small freight delivery, walk Mid-block

per a few city blocks in busy areas Green infrastructure

E 8th Street has opportunities for Midblock Mini-hubs Walking distance/ City block One per a few city blocks in busy areas

Plan

4.1 RELATED PROJECTS RECOMMENDATIONS

The following section provides an overview of other recently-completed and ongoing projects, plans and studies that overlap with the H2W study area. It’s important to recognize that these projects play a significant role in continued coordination between agencies to reduce redundancies and planning in silos. In many cases, the project descriptions below have been paraphrased from studies or website descriptions of these projects. The use of existing descriptions assures consistencies with the intent of each of these studies. This Study also suggests that related projects that are still ongoing should also take into consideration the recommendations listed in this Chapter to ensure efficient future coordination.

4.1.1 SANDAG REGIONAL MILITARY MULTI-MODAL ACCESS STRATEGY

The Regional Military Multi-modal Access Strategy is a collaboration between SANDAG, members of the San Diego Military Working Group, Caltrans, the County of San Diego, North County Transit District (NCTD) and San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS). The Briefing Book for NBSD was released in early 2020 and it includes a prioritized list of projects that would help meet various goals and objectives. Prioritized recommendations for NBSD in this report include various infrastructure projects that are currently underway, either in preliminary planning or engineering phases. The following three prioritized projects were identified:

8th Street Multi-use Path

This active transportation project will help close mobility gaps between NBSD gates along 8th Street, the 8th Street Trolley Station and Downtown National City. The proposed path would support pedestrians, bicyclists and an NEV shuttle system. This project is explained in more detail later in this section.

Vesta Street Multi-modal Bridge

This project includes the design and installation of a multi-modal bridge that would span over Harbor Drive. The bridge is aimed at improving traffic flow and congestion issues throughout NBSD and Harbor Drive.

Harbor Drive Multi-modal Corridor Projects

Projects are derived from the Port of San Diego Harbor Drive Multi-modal Corridor Study (described in more detail below). Prioritized projects include pedestrian crossings, truck traffic flow improvements, streetscape enhancements, parking adjustments and various other safety improvements.

4.1.2 PORT OF SAN DIEGO: HARBOR DRIVE MULTI-MODAL CORRIDOR STUDY

The Harbor Drive Multi-modal Corridor Study is a planning study that examined traffic flow between the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal in San Diego and the National City Marine Terminal. The study analyzed all modes of transportation with a special focus on improvements to truck traffic circulation and safety. Prioritized projects that affect the H2W study were organized by corridors. Continued coordination between National City and the Port of San Diego will help move potential projects forward in subsequent planning and engineering phases.

32nd Street

Multiple projects under the “Truck-related congestion, noise and pollution” category were highlighted in this study, but Project 73 is directly related to optimizing operations for street crossings. It points to the removal of the pedestrian bridges at this intersection due to the Bayshore bikeway improvements. The removal of the pedestrian bridges and alternative improvements in lieu of them are discussed later in this chapter.

8th Street/Civic Center Drive

Several active transportation projects are highlighted in this section of the Harbor Drive Study. Bikeway improvements along 8th Street, Cleveland Avenue and Civic Center Drive are described as priorities. These bikeway improvements would help close active transportation gaps to and from Harbor Drive and other sections of the H2W study area.

Bay Marina

Four active transportation projects are highlighted throughout the Bay Marina corridor, primarily focused around improving connections to the Bayshore Bikeway, the waterfront (Pepper Park and National City Aquatic Center) and the 24th Street Trolley Station.

Naval Base Projects

Several of the projects included in this section are also found in SANDAG’s Regional Military Multi-modal Access Strategy plan. The Vesta Street Bridge project is particularly important to the Harbor Drive Study because the bridge would address many issues that currently affect circulation outside and inside of NBSD. The study also suggests the possibility of allowing MTS transit bus access onto NBSD. This type of pilot project could be incorporated into the proposed NEV shuttle system discussed in the H2W Study.

4.1.3 8TH STREET AND ROOSEVELT AVE CALTRANS ATP GRANT

The 8th Street and Roosevelt Avenue multi-use path project is an important project that will provide multi-modal transportation benefits within the study area. This project would include a physically separated multi-use path with NEV access, lighting, planting and other active transportation safety enhancements. This project requires extensive coordination between NBSD, National City and MTS to ensure that certain Navy operations are not negatively impacted by the proposed improvements. Additionally, the NEV shuttle component of this project would support local and regional clean energy/low emissions goals. As of the completion of this study, the 8th Street and Roosevelt Avenue Caltrans project is in the engineering design phase with construction phases following shortly after the completion of the design phase.

4.1.4 ROOSEVELT AVE. SMART GROWTH

The Roosevelt Avenue Smart Growth Revitalization Plan outlines goals and strategies for investing in higher density mixed use development along the Roosevelt Avenue corridor. The specific development zones are described in more detail in the National City Downtown Specific Plan. The plan highlights streetscape, lighting, signage, urban greening, stormwater runoff and parking improvements that would support a healthy neighborhood. This project directly complements the Caltrans 8th Street and Roosevelt Avenue multi-use path project previously discussed. The development zones lie in the heart of the H2W study area and should be recognized for their importance in bridging the land use and circulation elements of the H2W study.

4.1.5 NATIONAL CITY MARINA DISTRICT BALANCED LAND USE PLAN, 2016

The National City Marina District Balanced Land Use Plan was a joint effort between the Port of San Diego, National City and community stakeholders to determine the right balance of maritime, commercial, recreation and public access land uses. The plan included many land use, railway infrastructure and transportation projects, but the realignment of Marina Way and Tidelands Avenue and adjustments to the Bayshore Bikeway play a key role in addressing mobility connections in the H2W study. Understanding how the street network and land uses will evolve over time is critical to proposing projects that effectively close mobility gaps and connect people to the waterfront east and west of Interstate 5.

4.1.6 NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO PARKING AND TRAFFIC CONGESTION RELIEF PLAN

The NBSD Parking and Traffic Congestion Relief Plan is an update to the 2012 Mobility Plan. It focuses on understanding the existing and projected parking and traffic congestion issues in order to provide strategies that help alleviate these issues. Recommendations in this plan include both program and infrastructure projects that directly address vehicular, transit and active transportation opportunities. Several notable projects that complement the H2W planning efforts include NEV shuttle stops and routes throughout the “Wet and Dry Side”, access to the “Dry Side” from the 8th Street Trolley Station, the construction of one parking structure near Vesta Street, installing micro-mobility stations and several other pedestrian and bicyclist enhancements.

4.1.7 OTHER NBSD PROJECTS

During the H2W planning process, the team met with NBSD stakeholders to coordinate various elements of the study’s goals and objectives. Figure 4-1 depicts these key corridor projects that reiterate the importance of continued coordination efforts between NBSD and neighboring agencies.

4.2 PROJECT RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter includes general recommendations on improvements to areas within National City, as well as areas leading up to many of the gates at NBSD. A small portion of the City of San Diego is affected by the Roosevelt Avenue multi-use path connection to Gate 32. Also, another small portion of suggested improvements fall within the Port District’s jurisdiction within the tidelands that are referred to as Planning Area 5-National City Marine Terminal. These projects include improvements to the 19th Street corridor, as well as a proposed truck stop along Tidelands Avenue.

The project recommendations that follow involve improving the transportation system in the study area and reducing the impact of motor vehicle congestion while meeting goals of increased sustainable travel and decreased GHG emissions.

Curb management is one of the most important components of these projects. In this era of “New Mobility,” where new technologies such as e-scooters, bikeshare, rideshare, automated vehicles and Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs) are competing for limited curb space with traditional technologies such

as taxis, freight, passenger loading and unloading, Amazon delivery vehicles, and of course, on-street parking, Curb Management is of paramount importance to give order and assign certain curb space to certain uses. This study develops several vignettes on potential curb management models for National City. These curb management initiatives and models work in close association with the development of NEV shuttles, autonomous shuttles and recommending transit improvements to MTS transit routes.

Many of the recommended projects focus on facilitating connections to Navy Base San Diego (NBSD), in particular, improving a transit hub at the 8th Street Trolley Station and developing a truck stop with parking and amenities for truckers. Moreover, recommendations include adding drop-off locations near the NBSD main entrance at 32nd Street, as well as improving a bike/ ped bridge just south of there. An additional project recommends that Gate 5B be upgraded for bicycle-pedestrian accessibility and made ADA compliant.

The majority of the project recommendations include corridor improvements that feed into the greater bicycle/pedestrian network within National City. They vary from large corridors such as Bay Marina Drive and National City Boulevard to smaller corridors to Hoover Avenue and East 30th Street.

Figure 4-1 shows the foundational concept of how National City could help the Navy connect better with the roadway network, as well as the trolley system administered by MTS. The City of National City is taking a leadership role in communicating the desire to be a partner with the Navy and to embrace development projects in the Downtown Specific Plan Area, as well as the Westside Specific Plan Area. This includes the development of smaller footprint housing options that include townhomes, apartments, condominiums and other multi-family housing types. The recently adopted Downtown Specific Plan allows for smaller unit sizes as low as 350 square feet (with common shared amenities) and has limited parking requirements to allow overall housing costs to be minimized. Efforts to attract sailors to live in National City, in conjunction with students and seniors, is part of an S3 (Sailor, Senior and Student) initiative to provide the housing choices and amenities that would be appropriate for the downtown area.

Figure 4-2 shows the general location of all of the overlapping studies and project initiatives in the study area. The initiatives that are most critical to transportation in the area that affect NBSD are shown on this map as well. These initiatives will continue to need close coordination between agencies. Figure 4-3 maps the location and Table 4-1 discuss the ten projects.

Pacific Fleet Trolley Station

8th Street Trolley Station

Multi-Use Path via Mc Candless Blvd

Multi-Use Path via Mc Candless Blvd and Division Street

Existing Street Connections to 32nd St.

8th Street/Roosevelt Avenue Multi-Use Path and Cycle-track with NEV Shuttle

4-2: Overlapping Projects with the Study

4-3: Project Recommendations

* Project will include shuttle routes (10a), transit routes (10b) and mini-hubs (10c) throughout the study area. Refer to Figure 4-16 for locations.

PROJECT 1

19TH STREET

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The proposed project for 19th Street would provide a critical connection from Gate 13 at Naval Base San Diego to the Bayshore Bikeway and the rest of National City’s bike network. The Bayshore Bikeway is the pre-eminent bikeway in the area and leads not just to local destinations but to destinations across the region.

The project recommendations includes reallocating road space based on low traffic volumes between Tidelands Avenue and McKinley Avenue to install a two-way cycle track. The bicycle facility would be physically separated from motor vehicle traffic to allow cycling for All Ages and Abilities (AAA) bicyclists.

A project that is currently in design as part of Bayshore Bikeway connectivity efforts is the closure of 19th Street between McKinley Avenue and Wilson Avenue to vehicular traffic and the addition of a two-way cycle track. The motor vehicle traffic would be diverted to 18th Street under I-5. Pedestrian recommendations for 19th Street include high visibility crosswalks, traffic calming and curb extensions.

PROPOSED PROJECT ELEMENTS

1 Road diet between Tidelands Ave and McKinley Ave to install two-way cycle track

2 Close between McKinley Ave and Wilson Ave to vehicular traffic and install two-way cycle track (design in progress by other consultant)

3 Pedestrian recommendations include high visibility crosswalks, traffic calming and curb extensions

PROJECT 2

BAY MARINA DRIVE/ MILE OF CARS WAY/24TH STREET

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The volume of motor vehicles on Bay Marina Drive/ Mile of Cars Way was considered too high for a roadway right-sizing project where a travel lane would be turned into a bike lane. Instead, the recommended treatment is to implement innovative bike priority lanes, modified bike priority lanes or enhanced shared lane markings to close the gap in the bike lane network. These bicycle markings should be placed along Mile of Cars Way between Hoover Avenue and I-5. The high volume and high speed of motor vehicles along the corridor make pedestrian improvements critical. At locations where there is on-street parking, the recommendation is to implement traffic calming, such as curb extensions, to reduce the speed of motor vehicles and reduce the crossing distance. Other traffic calming, such as signal coordination to reduce progression speed, could also be implemented. To meet guidelines for placement of crosswalks, the implementation of high visibility crosswalks should coincide with installing signalized crossings such as Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons (PHBs) or Rapid Rectangular Flashing Beacons (RRFBs).

PROPOSED PROJECT ELEMENTS

1 Bike safety enhancements such as bike priority lanes, modified bike priority lanes or shared lane markings

2 Pedestrian recommendations include high visibility crosswalks, curb extensions, RRFBs or PHBs

PROJECT

24TH ST/I-5 BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

As an alternative to the proposed improvements on the previous page under Project 2, a bike and pedestrian bridge could also improve connections to the two sides of I-5. The bridge could start on the west side of the trolley station since it already provides a safe at grade crossing in the station. Because of the power-lines in the area, the height gain would have to keep 10’ away from these lines at all times. A ramp held at 8% would be required. Given the height of the northbound on-ramp, the bridge would need to be high enough to also be 20 feet above the freeway. The bridge would require a number of Caltrans approved support locations and many other Caltrans requirements. The west side could include one longer ramp that would then join the Bayshore Bikeway proposed as a multi-use path in this area. This would be the safest and most direct connection between the two sides of the freeway and would be a more positive experience than the other Project 2 options. However, it would be considerably more expensive and take many years for the approval process through Caltrans.

PROPOSED PROJECT ELEMENTS

1 Ramped 10’ wide prefabricated bridge for bicycles and pedestrians

2 Support system will need to work in Caltrans approved locations and be able to be a minimum of 10’ under power cables on the east side and 20’ over the freeway. It will need to meet a <8% grade

PROJECT 3

HOOVER AVENUE

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Based on the volume of motor vehicles along Hoover Avenue and the desire to connect this part of National City with the bicycle network and ultimately the San Diego Naval Base, the recommendation is to right-size the road down to one travel lane in each direction and include a bike lane along Hoover Avenue between Mile of Cars Way to 30th Street on both sides of the street. This roadway would also be ideal to install traffic calming such as chicanes and curb extensions. To facilitate safety and comfortable pedestrian movements, the recommendation is to include ladder-style high visibility crosswalks. The ladder-style makes the crosswalks more visible to motorists and reduces maintenance costs by positioning the bars of the crosswalk away from the desire line of the wheels of the cars. Furthermore, it is suggested that the large curb returns along this street be reduced to slow turning speeds. The NACTO guide, a national guideline that has been sanctioned by Caltrans, recommends curb returns with radii from 10 to 15 feet.

PROPOSED PROJECT ELEMENTS

1 Road diet and traffic calming between Mile of Cars Way and 30th Street to install bike lanes

2 Pedestrian recommendations include high visibility crosswalks

3 Install truck aprons to slow turning speeds

FIGURE 4-7: Hoover Avenue Recommendations

PROJECT 4

NATIONAL CITY BOULEVARD

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

This segment of National City Boulevard is important to vehicle-based retail sales and customer access. In order to avoid the constant moving of vehicles from one side of the street to another or to another location on the same side of the street, efforts should be made to make the pedestrian environment safe for crossing the street and for moving down the Boulevard across the side streets. Customers visit this area from all around the region to help decide which car to purchase and are often stopping in at several dealerships that are next to each other or are across the street. Efforts of this project are to make it desirable and to improve safety that would encourage more customers to walk along the corridor.

Recommendations for this project include signal timing changes to slow progression speed along the corridor, as well as pedestrian friendly signal timing improvements at signalized intersections, including Leading Pedestrian Intervals and countdown pedestrian signals.

1 Signal timing changes throughout 2 Leading pedestrian intervals and countdown pedestrian signals throughout

5. Coordinate signals to manage speeds and calm traffic

6. Add 5-7 second Leading Pedestrian Interval (LPI)

7. Add countdown signals to all traffic signals, starting with high priority walking locations

8. Consider Right-Turn-On-Red (ROTR) restrictions at signalized intersections when warranted by pedestrian volumes

9. Consider shorter cycle lengths to reduce pedestrian delay and shorten queue lengths

10. Consider implementing pedestrian recall at high pedestrian volume crossings

FIGURE 4-8: National City Boulevard Recommendations

PROJECT 5

30TH STREET

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Similar to Hoover Avenue, based on the volumes of motor vehicles along 30th Street and the desire to connect this part of National City with the bicycle network, the recommendation is to also give 30th Street a road diet where the street would have one travel lane in each direction and have bike lanes on both sides of the street. This roadway would also be ideal to install traffic calming that does not slow the travel speed of fire trucks. One option would be to install speed cushions, which are similar to speed humps but they have cut-outs at the width of a fire truck wheel base to allow fire trucks to travel through unimpeded by the traffic calming devices. Speed cushions can be constructed of rubber, asphalt, or concrete. To facilitate safety and comfortable pedestrian movements, the recommendation is to include ladder-style high visibility crosswalks. The ladder-style makes the crosswalks more visible to motorists and reduces maintenance costs by the position of the bars.

30th Street project location

PROPOSED PROJECT ELEMENTS

1 Road diet between Hoover Ave and National City Blvd to install bike lanes

2 Pedestrian recommendations include high visibility crosswalks, curb extensions and pedestrian-friendly signal improvements at signalized intersections

FIGURE 4-9: 30th Street Recommendations

PROJECT 6

32ND STREET

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Marina District will undergo dramatic transformation in the next few years as part of the Balance Plan that the Port District and the City of National City are currently engaged in preparing. Measures implemented now will likely be short-term and therefore need to be simple. Facilities that only require striping would be preferred. Priority bike lanes to connect Marina Way Drive to Tidelands Avenue and Pepper Park are suggested. These priority bike lanes could come in the form of a continuous green stripe, 5 feet wide, down the middle of each lane, allowing cyclists and motorists to comfortably share the lane, or a sharrow every 50 feet with dashed lines on either side. Although there are not many residences close by, walking or riding to Pepper Park should be made a priority. Pedestrian recommendations include ladder-style high visibility crosswalks and curb extensions where there is onstreet parking. Other types of traffic calming could also be useful to reduce speed, such as speed cushions that have cut outs to allow emergency vehicles to travel through unimpeded.

PROPOSED PROJECT ELEMENTS

1 Traffic calming and bike priority lanes to connect Pepper Park to Marina Way Drive and Tidelands Ave

2 Pedestrian recommendations include high visibility crosswalks and curb extensions

ACCESS AND DROP-OFF IMPROVEMENTS AT THE 32ND STREET TROLLEY STATION

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Pacific Fleet trolley station at 32nd Street (City of San Diego) is a highly used transit facility and is ideally located for quick access to both the dry side and wet side of NBSD. However, due to heavy traffic congestion, the rail and trolley line and the security of the base, this area is not reaching its potential for providing alternative ways to get to and from Naval Base San Diego. In addition, in order to accommodate the Bayshore Bikeway in this general location, SANDAG is planning on removing the historic pedestrian bridges across 32nd Street and Harbor Drive without rebuilding these structures. The current situation near these intersections is that a large number of individuals are getting dropped off along the edge of streets in an unsafe and uncontrolled manner. Formal drop-off and pick-up locations are needed for all directions of travel. Not shown on this aerial is one drop-off location at the pass and decal area, eastbound Harbor Drive. Additional improvements are planned for gate 5B to allow direct access from the trolley into the dryside of the base. The existing pedestrian bridge that crosses near McKean Street would be modified with an 8 percent ramp for ADA and bike use on each side of Harbor Drive.

PROPOSED PROJECT ELEMENTS

Formal drop-off locations for: Trolley Kiss and Ride, Uber/Lyft and carpool pick-ups at:

1 Southbound 32nd St with turn-around circle added at the Exchange Gas Station access road

2 Northbound 32nd St with drop-off striped at the currently closed gate #6/5B

3 Westbound Harbor Drive - refurbished drop-off waiting plaza

4 Gate 5B ADA improvements to allow the gate to be reopened to process bike and pedestrian access

5 Accessible ramps for wheelchairs and bikes added to the existing pedestrian bridge

6 SANDAG intends to remove the pedestrian bridge with the Bayshore Bikeway. They will be replaced with intersection bulb-outs, median refuges, LPI’s and high visibility crosswalks.

MOBILITY HUB AND PARKING STRUCTURE AT THE 8TH STREET TROLLEY STATION

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

This project includes an initial phase that will upgrade the 8th Street Trolley station into a more robust mobility hub and transportation center. The first phase will include some amenities that support multi-modal transportation choices. The second phase is much more robust with major changes proposed for portions of the site. The project will require cooperation between NBSD, MTS, SANDAG, Caltrans and the California Public Utility Commission (rail line crossings), as well as the City of National City. The land at the 8th Street Trolley station is leased from the U.S. Navy. The remaining portions of the Navy real estate are not currently large enough for a cost effective parking structure. It will need to cantilever over the MTS leased area that currently contains parking for the trolley stop. A new access point into the site from Harbor Dr. is proposed as well, but will require CPUC approvals.

The proposed six-story parking structure would have a portion of the first floor as retail services, food services and a car rental facility. A portion of the structure would have to extend over the existing bus exit street and trolley parking. Levels 1-3 would be for contractor parking (those employees that work on the base but do not need to bring in a vehicle) and the general public. Navy personnel would be able to park for free on levels 4 and 5. Level 6 would be reserved for long term Navy deployment and would include tandem parking as well as deployment storage lockers for personal storage while on deployment. The structure would connect with the 8th Street Gate #9 across Harbor Drive using a prefabricated pedestrian bridge. Gate 9 would need increased personnel for security to monitor bike and pedestrian traffic and security checks. It is envisioned that the base would provide shuttle services inside Gate #9 for distribution of personnel to final destinations.

8,715 square feet

PARKING SPACES: 631 total

• 13 regular spaces removed in southern lot for new Mobility Support Service Center

• 8 handicapped spaces relocated to northern lot, removing additional 13 regular spaces

• Main MTS Lot = 99

• Overflow Lot H= 126

• Long-Term Deployment Lot G = 406

8TH STREET

NBSD has indicated that this connection will not be a priority until the land uses in the southeast corner of the dryside of the base, have evolved to uses that would benefit from this close proximity.

See Figure 4-15 for detailed site plan

PROPOSED PROJECT ELEMENTS

1 Six-story parking structure and Transportation Center

• long-term deployed sailor parking on upper floor

• PV shade shelters and deployment lockers

• paid contractor parking/public parking

2 Bottom-floor services, hospitality and retail

3 Primary structure entrance/ticketing plaza

4 Central Courtyard for ventilation, natural lighting and day uses

8TH STREET

9 Pedestrian sky-bridge across rail line and Harbor Drive to 8th Street gate

10 At-grade controlled crossing on infrequently used freight line (requires CPUC permit)

5 Gates to control courtyard (locked at night) 6 3rd to 6th floor parking over existing bus-way and MTS parking 7 Parking structure elevators 8 Drop-off for the transportation center

11 New entry security gate across the 7th St. Creek using bridge for bike and pedestrian access

FIGURE 4-14: Phase 2 Concept for the Mobility Hub at the 8th Street Trolley Station

1 Multi-use path extension (NEV capable)

2 Uber/Lyft/Kiss and Ride drop off

4-15: Refined Mobility Hub Concept at the 8th Street Trolley Station Proposed Improvements at the 8th Street Mobility Hub

PROJECT 9

TIDELANDS AVENUE TRUCK STOP ENHANCED AMENITIES

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Tidelands Avenue Truck Stop concept plan was developed to explore how the So Cal Truck Stop located on Tidelands Avenue can be transformed to better serve the needs of truck drivers. National City and the Port of San Diego initiated this dialogue as a response to the high frequency of overnight truck parking throughout National City streets outside of the Marina District. The development of this concept plan included conducting research on the services and amenities available at popular truck stops across the country. Amenities and services such as 24hour laundry, 24-hour concession store, showers, fitness centers, cinemas, TV lounges and truck washing were commonly found. These amenities and options are needed to encourage truck drivers to park on Port of San Diego streets instead of City of National City streets such as Roosevelt Avenue. The City has adopted a no truck parking ordinance along Roosevelt Avenue and therefore needs to partner with the Port on identifying other overnight parking options for drivers that may utilize some of Roosevelt’s area hotels for short overnight stays.

To facilitate a quicker and more affordable building process, the City suggested that custom shipping containers be explored to house the proposed services. Standard 8’x40’ shipping containers are commonly used for food and other concession-related services, so these containers were used to lay out the concept plan. Figure 4-14 depicts a conceptual layout that attempts to minimize the overall impact to the existing site while maximizing the amount of services and amenities. The conceptual layout includes a concession stand, laundry service, fitness center, restrooms/showers, a cinema TV lounge and a game lounge. The agencies involved should continue these planning and design efforts to take this concept one step further to actual construction.

SHUTTLE ROUTES (10A), TRANSIT ROUTES (10B) AND CURB MANAGEMENT MINI-HUBS (10C)

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The NEV Shuttle Network discussed in this study could provide connections to and from destinations throughout the study area, such as Downtown, the trolley stations, the Marina and NBSD gates. The proposed NEV Shuttle network depicted in Figure 4-15 was primarily derived from the National City INTRAConnect Plan and the NBSD shuttle routes were pulled from the NBSD Parking and Traffic Congestion Relief Plan. The proposed network would provide ample coverage, especially when supported by other First-Last Mile improvements and mobility mini hubs (described in the following section).

FIGURE 4-17: NEV Potential Shuttle Routes and Stops

It is important to note that the National City shuttle network compliments NBSD’s existing shuttle system. Proposed NEV shuttle connections along 8th Street, 19th Street and Roosevelt Avenue would provide sailors and other Navy personnel with a convenient option for getting to and from their destinations outside of NBSD. This type of gap closure would complement NBSD’s existing internal shuttle network that has provided vital inter-base connections for their Navy community (see Figure 4-16).

Obstacles for the proposed shuttle network primarily include available street right-of-ways, traffic speeds and traffic volumes. Additional coordination would determine if the corridor can support a dedicated lane for the NEV shuttle or if the corridor has appropriate traffic volumes and speeds for the shuttle to share the road with other vehicles.

Figure 4-16 also shows potential additions to MTS bus routes and stops that would fill in gap in transit support. Figure 4-16 also shows potential locations where curb management efforts could provide mini-hubs throughout the study area.

Legend

Hypothetical redevelopment

Urban mid-block drop-off with shuttle, two vehicle capacity, small ped. plaza with bike parking/bikeshare racks & charging station

Urban corner-block drop-off with shuttle, one vehicle capacity, small ped. plaza with bike parking/ bikeshare racks & charging station

Semi-urban mid-block drop-off with one vehicle capacity and bike parking/bikeshare racks

Semi-urban corner drop-off with one vehicle capacity and bike parking/bikeshare racks

The prototypical conditions found on this page are for comparison purposes only. They do represent real site conditions in National City, but are not meant to be specific recommendations for these improvements. The changes in land use are included as examples since a new development would be expected to adjust their property’s curb-management as part of their project development requirements. In general, where space allows, a mid-block would be preferred since it minimizes impedance of adjacent traffic or right turning vehicles. When corner block drop-offs are used, they should be the first right turn from the major or moderate use street.

4.3 PROJECT PRIORITIZATION

Public outreach for the Homefront to Waterfront study centered around community outreach, surveys and in-person meetings. Feedback from public outreach centered around specific streets and projects, as well as preferences for certain types of infrastructure. Survey results showed that respondents preferred buffered bike lanes over regular bike lanes and they preferred physically separated bike lanes, or cycle tracks, over all other types of bike lanes. Those preferences were grouped with their preferences for projects on specific streets to determine the project prioritization for the recommended projects. Aside from user feedback, the project prioritization of this study is also driven by its ability to connect to the San Diego Naval Base, given that a major goal of the study is bicycle/pedestrian connections to the Navy Base.

The Tidelands Truck Stop and Truck Parking is unique on the list of recommended projects and has been developed to meet the particular need of truck drivers being able to leave their truck in a safe and convenient location, get food, rest and take advantage of amenities that truck stops have to offer. Consequently, the Tidelands Truck Stop and Truck Parking was ranked on top of our list and the recommendation is that it is slated for high priority and mid-term implementation given the size of the construction project.

As far as the mobility projects, the proposed 8th Street Trolley Station Mobility Hub has the greatest potential to induce mode shift. With easy access to Gate 9 on the Navy Base, and an already significant number of users going between the Navy Base and the trolley station, improving the trolley station and creating a bonafide mobility hub would prepare the region for the 21st century. The technology of tomorrow involves bikeshare, e-scooter share, NEVs autonomous shuttles, large-scale bike storage, and on-demand rideshare. The transit station will have high-tech amenities such as real-time transit locators and electronic readout boards with up-

to-date information, as well as the latest tactile markings for the blind and the disabled to be able to access all areas of the transit hub independently. The 8th Street transit center will include Anti-Terrorism Force Protection (ATFP) modifications given its proximity to the Navy Base. Phase 1, developing the MTS Mobility Hub Amenities, is recommended to require mid-term implementation and should be high priority due to its extensive potential impact. Phase 2, which is the NBSD Parking Structure and Pedestrian Bridge, is recommended to be medium priority and will likely require long-term implementation due to its size and complexity.

The projects at S 32nd Street, including making Navy Base Gate 5-B ADA accessible, is a series of projects that will improve the connectivity and accessibility to the Navy Base and has high stakeholder support. These projects would also improve the bike/ped bridge over Harbor Drive for bicycle use and it would create several drop-off locations near the main entrance to NBSD. The aforementioned projects are recommended to have short-term implementation and should be high priority. Moreover, the project would modify an existing pedestrian bridge over Harbor Drive, north of the future Vesta Bridge at Vesta Street over Harbor Drive, so that it is more bicycle/pedestrian friendly. That project is recommended to be medium priority and will likely require long-term implementation because, similar to the NBSD Parking Structure and Pedestrian Bridge, it is also a complex project.

As far as the corridor projects, the 19th Street project came out both at the top of the survey list and the cycle track requests, and therefore is high on the project prioritization list. The project also connects directly to Gate 13 on the Navy Base, so it meets the connection requirement. Furthermore, it connects with the Bayshore Bikeway, which has been previously described in this document as the pre-eminent bikeway in the region. Connecting Gate 13 to 19th Street and then with the Bayshore Bikeway will allow people on the Navy Base to bike and walk to a significant number of destinations in the area. This project is recommended to have short-term implementation and should be high priority, given its benefits.

Hoover Street came up high on the survey list as highly desirable and it involves high quality bike facilities rather than a shared lane. Another project that meets those two requirements is W 30th Street, although W 30th Street is not as close to the Navy Base and doesn’t have as many connectivity benefits as the Hoover Street project. They both are able to remove a travel lane, due to low road volumes, and give significant space and a lower stress environment to cyclists traveling along the roadway. With traffic calming and high-visibility pedestrian crossings included in the project, the corridor improvements will help both cyclists and pedestrians when completed. These projects are recommended to have mid-term implementation and should be medium priority.

The proposed projects along Bay Marina Drive/Mile of Cars/24th Street and National City Boulevard will improve corridors along critical links of the bicycle/ pedestrian networks in National City and they received strong support in the public comments. Both corridors are high volume high speed corridors that are especially challenging for pedestrians and cyclists to traverse. Bay Marina Drive is given a high priority (and mid-term implementation) due to its proximity to the Navy Base and its increased potential to increase bicycle/pedestrian connectivity. The project will receive several high-visibility crosswalks with added signalization to facilitate those crossings and therefore will be a benefit to both biking and walking between the homefront and the waterfront. The National City Boulevard project includes several signal timing modifications, including Leading Pedestrian Intervals (LPI), which are known to have the highest benefit-cost ratio of any pedestrian safety mitigation measure. The project is recommended for short-term implementation given its small size and low priority. Due to its size, it is likely better suited as a potential developer investment and mitigation project rather than a grant funded project. The other mobility projects on this list are better suited as grant funded projects, although could possibly be used as potential developer investments.

The last project is along 32nd Street. Although it is close to the south end of the Navy Base and facilitates access to Pepper Park, it is located in a rapidly changing area and therefore is more likely to be a relatively temporary project compared to the other projects on this list. This project would implement bicycle priority lanes as well as pedestrian improvements, including ladder-style high visibility crosswalks, and is still considered to be an important project as it is located in a geographic region that has been underfunded for infrastructure projects and leads to the Sweetwater Shared Use Path, another important regional bicycle and pedestrian path, along with the Bayshore Bikeway, that serves as an important backbone to the region’s non-motorized transportation system. This project is recommended for high priority and shortterm implementation.

Table 4-2 summarizes the prioritization of projects. Priority in this table relates to the need as identified by the consultant team and verified by staff and public input. The term of implementation refers to the difficulty in finding funding or the steps necessary for approvals and implementation. Grant fundable is a general assumption on if this project fits a variety of potential grant sources based on the benefits and objectives of the project. Finally, developer investment either means this could be paid for privately or as a condition of a permit or approval process.

TABLE 4-2: Summary of Prioritization of Projects

4.4 FUNDING SOURCES

Federal, state, and local government agencies invest billions of dollars every year in the nation’s transportation system. Only a fraction of that funding is used to develop policies, plans and projects to improve conditions for bicyclists and pedestrians, let alone for integrating land use and reduced GHG and VMT reduction strategies.

Appropriate funds are available, although they are limited and often hard to obtain. Desirable projects sometimes go unfunded because communities may be unaware of a fund’s existence or may apply for the wrong type of grant. In addition, there is increasing competition between municipalities for the limited available funds.

Whenever federal funds are used for bicycle and pedestrian projects, a certain level of state and/or local matching funding is generally required. State funds are often available to local governments on similar terms. Almost every implemented active transportation or complete street program and infrastructure in the United States has had more than one funding source, and it often takes a good deal of coordination to pull the various sources together.

According to the publication by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), an Analysis of Current Funding Mechanisms for Bicycle and Pedestrian Programs at the Federal, State and Local Levels, where successful local bicycle infrastructure programs exist, there is usually an active transportation coordinator with extensive understanding of funding sources, such as Caltrans. City staff are often in a position to develop a competitive project and detailed proposal that can be used to improve conditions for bicyclists and pedestrians within their jurisdictions. Some of the following information on federal and state funding sources was derived from the previously mentioned FHWA publication.

Other potential funding sources include local sales taxes and fees that may be implemented as new funding sources for active transportation projects. Additionally, private funding sources can be used to fund active transportation projects, such as Children’s Hospital in Seattle funding a Bicycle Boulevard in that city.

4.4.1 FEDERAL SOURCES

The legacy of MAP-21 (Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century) has ended and has been replaced by the FAST Act (Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act) as of December 2015. The FAST Act provides funding through December 2020 for surface transportation infrastructure planning and investment. The Surface Transportation Block Grant Program was created with the passage of the FAST Act in 2015. It provides funding to state and local agencies for maintenance and development of surface transportation infrastructure, including bridges, tunnels, bus terminals, federal-aid highways and other capital projects.

The bill also contains a small step forward on complete streets and requires states and localities to consider the needs of all users on the road. In addition, the FAST Act creates a priority safety fund to reduce bicycle and pedestrian fatalities. This new bicycle and pedestrian education program will focus on education for law enforcement, motorists, drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians. Overall, the FAST Act is an improvement on MAP21 for pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure projects.

4.4.2 STATE SOURCES

National City should continue to pursue state level grants through programs such as Caltrans’ Active Transportation Planning (ATP) and Sustainable Transportation Planning grants, the Strategic Growth Council’s Sustainable Community Planning Grants,

Urban Greening Grants, California Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and through the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP).

Caltrans’ Active Transportation Program (ATP)

The Active Transportation Program was created by Senate Bill 99 (Chapter 359, Statutes 2013) and Assembly Bill 101 (Chapter 354, Statutes 2013) to encourage increased use of active modes of transportation, such as biking and walking. The ATP consolidates existing federal and state transportation programs, including the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), Bicycle Transportation Account (BTA) and State Safe Routes to School (SR2S), into a single program with a focus to make California a national leader in active transportation. The ATP is administered by the Division of Local Assistance, Office of Active Transportation and Special Programs.

This is a competitive program to:

» Increase biking and walking trips

» Increase safety

» Increase mobility

» Support regional agencies greenhouse gas reduction

» Enhance public health

» Benefit disadvantaged communities

» Include a broad spectrum of projects

Projects that are not awarded funding through the Caltrans ATP cycles are sent to the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), the regional Metropolitan Planning Organization, for consideration for funding through their programs. It will be important to coordinate efforts with adjacent jurisdictions on projects that affect and benefit both cities. Coordination and joint efforts also strengthen an application due to combined benefits for multiple jurisdictions.

Caltrans’ Clean Mobility Options

Caltrans has recently released the Clean Mobility Options Grant Program that builds on the ATP program, but adds energy efficient and clean fuels programs, including fuelling stations, charging stations, accommodation of clean vehicle parking and carshare and motorcycle/ scooter share programs that use electric fuel sources.

4.4.3 LOCAL SOURCES

Local sales taxes, fees and permits may be implemented as new funding sources for bicycle projects. However, any of these potential sources would require a local election. Volunteer programs may be developed to substantially reduce the cost of implementing some routes, particularly multi-use paths. For example, a local college design class may use a multi-use route as a student project, working with a local landscape architectural or engineering firm. Work parties could be formed to help clear the rightof-way for the route. A local construction company may donate or discount services beyond what the volunteers can do. A challenge grant program with local businesses may be a good source of local funding, in which the businesses can “adopt” a route or segment of a route to help construct and maintain it.

San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) TransNet

TransNet is the voter approved half-cent sales tax for transportation projects in the San Diego region. It is administered by SANDAG. During the 60-year life of the program, funds will be generated and distributed among highway, transit and local road projects in approximately equal thirds. So far, more than 650 highway, transit, bike and pedestrian, habitat conservation and local street repairs have been completed.

Table 4-3 identifies potential federal, state, and local funding opportunities that may be used from design to maintenance phases of projects. Due to trends in Low Impact Development (LID) and stormwater retention street designs, funding sources for these improvements not only increase the chances for first and last mile improvements, but can also be incorporated into streetscape and development projects. Refer to funding sources for specific details on funding cycles.

4.4.4 PRIVATE SOURCES

In addition to federal, state and local funding options, private funding sources are also available for active transportation projects. Private funding can be obtained through a variety of sources, including non-profit organization, corporations, private foundations and partnerships, among others. Private funding sources can also be acquired by applying though advocacy groups, such as the League of American Bicyclists and the Bikes Belong Coalition.

Land and Water Conservation Fund (LCWF)

Urban Community Forestry Program

U.S. National Park Service/ California Department of Parks and Recreation

U.S. National Park Service

Surface Transportation Program (STP) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)/ Caltrans

Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)

Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP)

Recreational Trails Program Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)/ Regional agency may also

EPA Brownfields Clean Up and Assessments

Sustainable Communities Planning Grant and Incentive Program

TABLE 4-3: Federal Funding Sources (Cont.)

Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Department of Agriculture, Forest Service

Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grants Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Public and Indian Housing

Safe Routes to School, Minigrants National Center for Safe Routes to School and Caltrans

Safe Routes to Parks, Activating Communities Program

Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP)

Land and Water Conservation Fund (LCWF)

Urban Community Forestry Program

U.S. National Park Service/ California Department of Parks and Recreation

U.S. National Park Service

Surface Transportation Program (STP) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)/ Caltrans

Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)

Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

Recreational Trails Program Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)/ Regional agency may also contribute

EPA Brownfields Clean Up and Assessments

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

TABLE 4-4: State Funding Sources

Sustainable Communities Planning Grant and Incentive Program U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Urban Revitalization and Livable Communities Act

Community Development Block Grants

Urban and Community Forest Program Department of Agriculture, Forest Service

Community Forest and Open Space Conservation

Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grants Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Public and Indian Housing

Safe Routes to School, Minigrants National Center for Safe Routes to School and Caltrans

Safe Routes to Parks, Activating Communities Program

and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP)

TABLE 4-4: State Funding Sources (Cont.)

Bus and Bus Facilities Program Grants

Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities

TOD Planning Pilot Grants

Land and Water Conservation Fund (LCWF)

Parks and Water Bond Act of 2018 (Prop 68)

Statewide Park Program Prop 84 Round 2

Proposition 117 - Habitat

Federal Transit Administration (FTA)

California Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR)

Watershed Program

Stormwater Flood Management Prop. 1E

RobertiZ’Berg-Harris (RZH) Grant ProgramProp 40

TABLE 4-5: Local Funding Sources

Community Based, Environmental Justice and Transit Planning

Active Transportation Planning Grants (ATP)

Transportation Development Act (TDA) Article 3 (SB 821)

Sustainable Transportation Planning Grants

Regional Improvement Program

Safe Routes to School Programs (SR2S)

Traffic Safety Grants

Local Partnership ProgramCompetitive and Formulaic

Sustainable Communities Planning, Regional SB 375

California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)

California Transportation Commission (SB 1 funds)

Strategic Growth Council/ Department of Conservation

Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation (EEMP) California Natural Resources Agency and Caltrans

Strategic Growth Council Urban Greening Program

California Cap and Trade Program

Urban Forestry Program (Leafing Out, Leading Edge and Green Trees Grant)

Cal EPA, Air Resources Board

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)

TABLE 4-5: Local Funding Sources (Cont.)

TABLE 4-6: Private Funding Sources

TABLE 4-6: Private Funding Sources (Cont.)

Cultivating Healthy Communities Grant Program Aetna Foundation

Obesity Prevention Regional Grant Program

PeopleForBikes Community Grant Program

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