SUBJECT/RECOMMENDATION:
Title
Authorize a work order to Fehr and Peers, Corporation, to prepare an Active Transportation Plan that will update and replace the city’s Shifting Gears Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan in an amount not to exceed $174,990.00 per Code of Ordinance Section 2.563(1)(c), Piggyback, and authorize the appropriate officials to execute same. (consent)
Body
SUMMARY:
The City Council approved the Shifting Gears Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan in 2006. Since then, the City adopted Clearwater 2045, Clearwater Downtown Redevelopment Plan, and US 19 Corridor Redevelopment Plan, approved the Complete Streets for Clearwater Implementation Plan, and amended the city’s Community Development Code (CDC) to support improved mobility and access.
Typically, bicycle and pedestrian plans are updated at least every ten years to address changes in demographics, land uses, and the transportation network as well as shifts in mobility options such as car share and micromobility vehicles. As residential and commercial contexts change over time, plans for transportation infrastructure and mobility options need to be updated to meet new conditions. Staff believes that the most appropriate update for Shifting Gears is an active transportation plan that expands the scope beyond bicyclists and pedestrians to account for the needs of all “non-motorized” travel in the city. The City of Clearwater Active Transportation Plan will address current and future conditions in support of the city’s goals for mobility, safety, accessibility, quality of life, and economic growth. The Active Transportation Plan will use improved crash analytics to identify high crash locations and proven countermeasures to increase safety for people walking, bicycling, and using other forms of active transportation. The plan will also develop a planned network of connected streets that are amenable to active transportation travel.
According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), active transportation is defined as mobility options powered primarily by human energy, such as bicycling and walking, and provide positive health impacts. Active transportation also includes micromobility, which is described as any human- or electric-powered transportation device, including bicycles, scooters, electric-assist bicycles (e-bikes), electric scooters (e-scooters), and other small, lightweight, wheeled conveyances (FHWA). The Mobility Chapter of Clearwater 2045 Comprehensive Plan states that active transportation provides tangible community benefits by increasing daily physical activity levels, reducing pollution, increasing exposure to local businesses, and improving social well-being and sense of community. The city’s incorporation of active transportation facilities into the overall transportation system is an important contributor to the ability of people to have choices in how they travel, either by necessity or for leisure. Policy M 2.2.4 in Clearwater 2045 states that the city will update Shifting Gears based on research and analysis conducted in support of the county’s Advantage Pinellas: Active Transportation Plan, which was approved in April 2024.
Fehr & Peers was selected based on their extensive experience developing active transportation plans, familiarity with reviewing land development codes for revisions that support walking, bicycling, and other modes of active travel, and their work updating the Advantage Pinellas: Active Transportation Plan this year. That project provides an understanding of existing conditions in the city and how improvements would benefit the local transportation system and regional connections.
As detailed in the scope of work, Fehr & Peers in conjunction with city staff, will assess existing active transportation facilities, identify needed improvements to support building a network of connected non-motorized pathways, and prioritize key corridors and intersections to initiate projects that would enhance active travel opportunities. Staff will work with Fehr & Peers to evaluate the CDC and draft revisions in support of projects that provide people with additional non-motorized mobility options in the future. The Active Transportation Plan will allow the city to pursue additional grants to not only implement the plan’s priority projects but also secure funds to install proven safety infrastructure and features and to increase active transportation routes and connections as part of a citywide network. As the city recovers from the Hurricanes Helene and Milton, supporting the development of an active transportation network can be an important part of building a more resilient transportation system.
Community engagement will be integrated throughout the process including the creation of a Stakeholder Group and holding in-person public outreach events. Two virtual public engagement programs will also be published to gather input from a wide-ranging audience. In addition, a Technical Committee consisting of city staff from many departments will participate in bi-monthly meetings throughout the project. Information gathered from these engagement opportunities will help guide the development of the Plan. This project is anticipated to take sixteen (16) months inclusive of the city’s adoption process.
In 2023, Forward Pinellas, acting as the Pinellas Planning Council and Pinellas County Metropolitan Planning Organization, approved 9 firms to provide professional planning support services including Fehr & Peers. Authorization to Piggyback Contract RFP 23-0365, Planning Support Services, valid through August 1, 2026, is requested.
APPROPRIATION CODE AND AMOUNT:
Funding for this contract has been included in the fiscal year 2024/25 budget in special program M2101, Planning Study Fund.
STRATEGIC PRIORITY:
Funding the development of the Active Transportation Plan will provide transportation planning and development guidance that provide people with healthy, affordable modes of travel in support of Strategic Plan Objectives 1.2, 1.4, 2.4, 3.2, 4.1, and 4.4.
