Caltrans Improvement Project Design Flexibility Workgroup Janice Benton, Assistant Division Chief, Division of Design, Caltrans Kate White, Deputy Secretary of Environmental Policy and Housing Coordination, CalSTA Active Transportation and Livable Communities Advisory Group February 19, 2015 Kate

Caltrans Improvement Project Kate

WG #4 Update SSTI Recommendations to Address Workgroup Charter Actions Complete Flexible Design & Liability 2015 Action Plan Cross-Workgroups Collaboration Kate

SSTI Recommendations 5.1 Caltrans should update the design and traffic control device manuals (Highway Design Manual and CA MUTCD), and other guidance documents as necessary, to implement the new strategic plan and vision. 5.2 Caltrans should relinquish oversight of bike facilities on locally owned streets. 5.3 Caltrans should give designers the option of using NACTO urban design standards in metro areas. 5.4 Caltrans should generally rethink its approach to facilities in metro areas and town centers. 5.5 Caltrans should build more flexibility into its processes. 5.7 Caltrans and CalSTA should revisit legal guidance on the risk of innovative design practices. 9.8 Caltrans must provide room for innovative actions that further state and department goals. 10.2 Caltrans should benchmark practice against best practices elsewhere 10.3 Caltrans should work to better integrate its research program with improved practice. 10.4 Caltrans’ effort to develop an enterprise risk management system should continue and be viewed as a critically important resources for performance-based decision making. Kate SSTI RECOMMENDATIONS TO BE ADDRESSED   5.1 Caltrans should update the design and traffic control device manuals (Highway Design Manual and CA MUTCD), and other guidance documents as necessary, to implement the new strategic plan and vision. 5.2 Caltrans should relinquish oversight of bike facilities on locally owned streets. [Note: while the Department fully supports this concept, this recommendation will require a change to State law such that Caltrans is not required to set standards for bicycle facilities on locally owned streets.] 5.3 Caltrans should give designers the option of using NACTO urban design standards in metro areas. 5.4 Caltrans should generally rethink its approach to facilities in metro areas and town centers. 5.5 Caltrans should build more flexibility into its processes. 5.7 Caltrans and CalSTA should revisit legal guidance on the risk of innovative design practices. 9.8 Caltrans must provide room for innovative actions that further state and department goals. 10.2 Caltrans should benchmark practice against best practices elsewhere. [Note: Page 65 of the SSTI report, the best practices discussion focuses on the INVEST tool only. This working group seeks all forms of best practices for department-wide application.] 10.3 Caltrans should work to better integrate its research program with improved practice. [Note: This recommendation did not appear in the June13, 2014 “Caltrans Improvement Project” memo from Secretary Brian Kelly. Workgroup 4 is including this recommendation as part of our workgroup.] 10.4 Caltrans’ effort to develop an enterprise risk management system should continue and be viewed as a critically important resources for performance-based decision making. [Note: This recommendation as originally written in the SSTI report focuses on a global application of Enterprise Risk Management with an emphasis on Human Resources. This workgroup is focusing more specifically on effective decision making, particularly in design innovations.]

Workgroup #4 Charter Purpose: Increase innovation in multi-modal street design Encourage local and district autonomy Address risk averseness “culture of fear” Transform into nimble, adaptable and responsive organization “Standards and guidance are the easy part. Culture change is the hard part.” – Malcolm Dougherty Kate Reform design guidance and operating procedures

“We need to stop building transportation through communities and begin building communities through transportation.” – SSTI advisors Kate http://toolkit.valleyblueprint.org/tool/complete-streets

Workgroup #4 Members Steering Committee: Team Leads: Advisors: Karla Sutliff – Co-Chairs AJ Jimenez, Jeanne Scherer – Legal Bijan Sartipi – D4 Marlin Feenstra, Self-Help Counties Coalition Jeff Holm, FHWA Team Leads: Tim Craggs, Design Tom Hallenbeck, Traffic Operations Rihui Zhang, Local Assistance Coco Briseno, Research Katie Benour, Planning Advisors: Luisa Paiwonsky, USDOT (formerly MADOT) Gary Toth, Project for Public Spaces (formerly NJDOT) Kate

2014-2015 Action Plan Evaluate Manuals, Guidance, Tools Enhance Partnerships and Communication Educate and Train Staff, Partners, and Stakeholders Investigate Legislative Changes Maximize Delegation Maximize Appropriate use of Risk Management Deploy and Integrate Research Janice

2014 Accomplishments April: Endorsed NACTO guidelines, released Design Flexibility Memo Sept: Highway Design Manual Updated, Design Flexibility FAQs posted, AB 1193 signed Oct: 2-day Session with SSTI Advisors Nov: CA MUTCD Updated (Director’s Foreword) Dec: Research alignment with new goals Participating in other divisions efforts: Caltrans Bicycle Task Force Complete Streets Trainings AASHTO’s Subcommittee on Design/Traffic Janice Design Flexibility Memo – April 10, 2014 Reaffirms CT philosophy regarding flexibility Reiterates local entities authorities on facilities they own and operate Highlights recent improvements made by CT Highway Design Manual Update to incorporate Complete Streets philosophies “Main Street, California, a Guide for Improving Community and Transportation Vitality” Supported the use of NACTO and other guidance Highlighted importance of documenting decisions Analyzed NACTO for inclusion of concepts into HDM and CAMUTCD

NACTO Design Guides Designs were developed by cities for cities, since unique urban streets require innovative solutions. Principles cities are using to make streets safe and inviting for people walking, biking, and driving in urban contexts. Creating real spaces for people on city streets. Economic development is integrally tied into this transformation. Paramount to all of this is the safety of people on city streets. SAFE, SUSTAINABLE, INTEGRATED, EFFICIENT SYSTEM to ENHANCE ECONOMY AND LIVIBILITY Janice Provide cities with state-of-the-practice solutions that can help create complete streets that are safe and enjoyable for bicyclists. Designs in this document were developed by cities for cities, since unique urban streets require innovative solutions. Most treatments are not directly referenced in the AASHTO Guide to Bikeway Facilities. Most are permitted under the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). Authors conducted extensive worldwide literature search from design guidelines and real-life experience.

2014 Outreach May – Local Assistance Cooperative Committee May & Oct – Caltrans Legal Division June – Caltrans Bicycle Advisory Committee July & Aug – Caltrans Planning Horizons Webinars Sept – California Traffic Control and Devices Committee Oct – Caltrans Planning and Local Assistance, NACTO Designing Cities conference Nov – CA Assoc of Councils of Govt (CalCOG) Dec – Caltrans Design Management Board Janice Reform design guidance and operating procedures

Design Flexibility Incorporates context sensitive solutions based on innovative designs to address a problem to further community values, to address a problem or to promote environmental/sustainable and livability elements Typically incorporates multi-modal uses Requires engineering judgment Kate

Addressing Design Liability Primary Defenses: Design Immunity (Gov. Code § 830.6) Reasonableness Defense (Gov Code § 835.4) Document, Document, Document Reasonable Design Based on Sound Engineering Judgment (factors may include environmental enhancements, multimodal uses, community values) Proper approval Archive Late

2015 Action Items Modify all internal technical training to reflect design flexibility Delegation of more design approvals to Districts Evaluate design approval process Develop standards for separated bicycle lanes Evaluate pilots/demonstration projects Explore tort reform Janice

Cross-Workgroups Collaboration Support and leverage each others efforts Avoid redundancy Communicate internally on progress Joint 2015 Outreach calendar Tim, Kate