An ambitious plan with a variety of goals, including the elimination of all traffic fatalities and severe injuries by 2030 and a dramatic reduction in driving was approved by the Redwood City Council last week.
The plan, called RWCmoves, seeks ways to improve modes of transportation other than driving and that they account for more than 50 percent of all trips by 2040.
To achieve these goals, the plan recommends more than 140 transportation projects in addition to new requirements for employers and developers — outlined in the Transportation Demand Management program — though the council would need to take further action before those projects move forward or policies take effect.
“The goal of RWCmoves is to do more long-term planning for transportation in and around Redwood City,” Mayor Ian Bain said in an email. “It’s designed to ensure that people can get around safely and efficiently whether they are walking, biking, driving or taking public transit.
“The document is directional, and does not commit the city to any specific project,” he added. “All future transportation projects will involve a robust community input and discussion process before they proceed.”
Recommended projects are organized into two tiers while the biggest ones, including railroad grade separations or redesigned interchanges, are grouped under “signature projects.” There are seven of those.
Tier one projects have the “greatest impact in achieving the city’s long-term mobility goals” and there are 19 of them listed in the plan. They include additional bike lanes and bike parking, traffic calming measures and wayfinding signs, and largely cost between $100,000 and $750,000.
To help pay for these projects, the plan recommends updating the city’s transportation impact fee program and continue pursuing grant funding. The list of projects will be re-evaluated every two to three years.
The new Transportation Demand Management Program is one of the latest components to be added to RWCmoves. If the council agrees to implement it, then developments and businesses of certain sizes would be required to reach certain transportation goals. For example, residential developments of 25 units or more and businesses with 50 or more employees downtown would have to reach a drive-alone rate of 33 percent or less. Downtown workers and residents currently drive alone at a rate of 50 percent.
In suburban areas, drive-alone rates are significantly higher as are the targets.
To reach these goals, the city might require developments and employers depending on their size to provide educational activities, shuttle service, new bike racks or transit subsidies, to name a few possibilities.
RWCmoves also includes a variety of statistics on transportation in the city today. Seventy-three percent of residents drive alone and 10 percent carpool to work. More residents walk to work than the 2 percent who bike to work daily, though 15 percent of survey respondents said they would bike to work if better facilities were offered. Five percent of residents take transit to work.
(650) 344-5200 ex. 102
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