To: Board of Supervisors of Sonoma County
Department or Agency Name(s): Department of Health Services
Staff Name and Phone Number: Barbie Robinson, 565-7876
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Vision Zero Sonoma County Grant Agreement
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Authorize the Director of Health Services to execute an agreement with the Sonoma County Transportation Authority to receive revenue to provide Vision Zero planning services intended to prevent severe injuries and fatalities caused by traffic crashes as part of a California Department of Transportation Sustainable Communities Planning Grant in the amount of $534,088 through April 30, 2022.
B) Authorize the Department of Health Services to adjust their fiscal year 2019-2020 budget through the first quarter consolidated budget adjustments process.
end
Executive Summary:
In November 2018 the Sonoma County Transportation Authority submitted an application for the Fiscal Year 2019-2020 California Department of Transportation Sustainable Communities Grant Program. The grant application was a collaborative effort between the Sonoma County Transportation Authority and the County of Sonoma Department of Health Services to fund a Vision Zero Sonoma County planning project. On May 17, 2019 the Sonoma County Transportation Authority received notice that the California Department of Transportation had selected the Vision Zero Sonoma County project for funding.
Through the proposed agreement between the Sonoma County Transportation Authority and the County of Sonoma, the Department of Health Services will facilitate a 2.5-year planning process for the countywide Vision Zero initiative. The planning process will result in the development of model policy language and an implementation plan to address areas throughout the County where changes are needed to prevent severe injuries and fatalities caused by traffic crashes. The Sonoma County Transportation Authority will build a data dashboard to support the Vision Zero planning process and to make public data more easily accessible to local agencies and the public.
This item also requests approval for the Department to adjust their fiscal year 2019-2020 budget through the first quarter consolidated budget adjustments process to reflect receipt of Sonoma County Transportation Authority revenue and associated expenditures.
Discussion:
Sonoma County has one of the region’s highest traffic fatality rates on both a per-capita and per-mile basis. Data from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission show that in 2016 there were 8.8 traffic fatalities per 100,000 population in Sonoma County, compared with 5.9 in the Bay Area overall. Between 2010 and 2016, there were 1,163 collisions involving bicycles in the county, with 12 resulting in fatalities. There were 855 collisions involving pedestrians, with 52 resulting in fatalities. Data from the California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System show that fatal collisions have remained steady over the past few years in Sonoma County.
Most recently however, there has been an increase in traffic fatalities. In October 2018, twelve people were killed in traffic collisions, including two pedestrians, one cyclist, and nine motorists. This represents over one quarter of the average annual fatalities. Santa Rosa’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board has identified Vision Zero as a future policy priority and County officials continue to be concerned with high-speed traffic collisions on country roads in unincorporated areas. Centralized collision data are not currently available to public works or law enforcement departments, making the prioritization of programmatic and infrastructure improvements difficult and disjointed.
In November 2018 the Sonoma County Transportation Authority submitted an application for the Fiscal Year 2019-2020 California Department of Transportation Sustainable Communities Grant Program. The grant application was a collaborative effort between the Sonoma County Transportation Authority and the County of Sonoma Department of Health Services to fund a Vision Zero Sonoma County planning project. On May 17, 2019 the Sonoma County Transportation Authority received notice that the California Department of Transportation had selected the Vision Zero Sonoma County project for funding. The Sonoma County Transportation Authority Board of Directors approved the grant agreement with the California Department of Transportation on June 10, 2019 through Sonoma County Transportation Authority Resolution Number 2019-010.
Through the proposed agreement between the Sonoma County Transportation Authority and the County of Sonoma, the Department of Health Services will facilitate a 2.5-year planning process for the countywide Vision Zero initiative. The planning process will result in the development of model policy language and an implementation plan to address areas throughout the County where changes are needed to prevent severe injuries and fatalities caused by traffic crashes. The Sonoma County Transportation Authority will build a data dashboard to support the Vision Zero planning process and to make public data more easily accessible to local agencies and the public. Total revenue available to the County through the agreement with the Sonoma County Transportation Authority is $534,088 over the 2.5-year period.
Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all. The initiative requires that policy makers and key departments commit to creating a Vision Zero action plan or strategy, which includes a focus on being data driven and equitable, and includes community input. Key agencies associated with transportation and health services from the County and from Sonoma County cities as well as policy makers and law enforcement agencies throughout the County are actively engaged as leaders and partners in the process of developing, implementing, and evaluating the Vision Zero Plan, and in sharing progress.
The Department of Health Services, in partnership with the Sonoma County Transportation Authority, has consulted with public works agency staff and citizen advisory committee representatives from the County and all nine Sonoma County cities. This group has agreed that Vision Zero is both a programmatic and a political interest. Public works agency staff within the group also indicated that a countywide planning effort would be preferable given their limited staff resources, and are supportive of a process spearheaded by the Department of Health Services.
This project takes a regional approach by coordinating a planning process across all jurisdictions within Sonoma County. The Department is not aware of any other Vision Zero initiatives that have attempted to engage an entire county in a unified planning process, and hope this project can serve as a model to other counties with small jurisdictions that could benefit from a collective process. By establishing concrete goals and action-oriented strategies, the action plan will clarify roles and responsibilities for all departments and jurisdictions countywide, establish an accountability framework, and allow smaller cities to benefit from a centralized data and research hub to apply data-driven planning to their performance measures.
This item includes a request for approval for the Department to adjust their fiscal year 2019-2020 budget through the first quarter consolidated budget adjustments process to reflect receipt of Sonoma County Transportation Authority revenue and associated expenditures.
Strategic Plan Alignment - Vision Zero Sonoma County supports the County’s goal of a Safe, Healthy, and Caring Community by working to eliminate traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all. In addition to alignment with the County’s Strategic Plan, Vision Zero Sonoma County supports the Department’s Strategic Plan goal of ensuring that all residents and community environments are healthy and safe.
Prior Board Actions:
None
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY 19-20 Adopted |
FY 20-21 Projected |
FY 21-22 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
|
221,587 |
132,216 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
180,285 |
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
180,285 |
221,587 |
132,216 |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
180,285 |
221,587 |
132,216 |
|
Fees/Other |
|
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
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Contingencies |
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|
|
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Total Sources |
180,285 |
221,587 |
132,216 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
The funding source for this work is a California Department of Transportation Sustainable Communities Grant with funding made available to the County through the attached memorandum of understanding with the Sonoma County Transportation Authority. FY 19-20 revenue and expenditures will be added to the FY 19-20 budget via the consolidated budget adjustments process. Future year funding will be included in the appropriate year budgets.
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Staffing Impacts: |
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Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Memorandum of Understanding with Sonoma County Transportation Authority
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None