Transportation & Economic Development Report to Town Council - July 5, 2011

TRANSPORTATION & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Year End Report to the Town Council July 5, 2011

Cover Page (upper le photo): Paige Green Photography

TRANSPORTATION

Program Overview The overarching goal of the Transporta on program area is to ensure mobility for all modes of travel (automobiles, bicycles and pedestrians), in a manner that maintains an excep onal quality of life for Danville residents. Transporta on ac vi es fall into five broad categories.

Local Traffic Opera ons. This func onal area manages an interconnected system of traffic signals, signage, and roadway striping that collec vely channels the flow of traffic throughout Danville’s roadway network. This area also manages curb markings installa ons as well as parking management town‐wide.

Transporta on Planning. This func onal area address the long‐term transporta on needs of town, including the prepara on of transporta on plans, coordina on of local and regional transporta on ini a ves, transporta on demand management, and the assessment of proposed developments for poten al transporta on impacts.

Transporta on Improvement Projects. This func onal area oversees the planning, design and construc on of transporta on capital projects within the community. In addi on, Danville plays an ac ve role in the management of regional transporta on projects that may have an impact on local traffic pa erns.

Traffic Calming & Traffic Safety. As a commitment to community character and livabil‐ ity, this func onal area implements the Neighborhood Traffic Management Program (NTMP), the valley‐wide Street Smarts traffic safety program, and the Safe Routes to School program that is currently funded by a federal grant.

Regional Advocacy and Partnerships. Danville takes a leadership role on regional agencies, and leverages strategic mul ‐agency partnerships, to assure that the Town’s interests are represented and that the community receives its fair share of regional, state and federal transporta on resources.

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TRANSPORTATION

Traffic Opera ons Danville owns and maintains 51 interconnected traffic signals. These signals are programmed to operate as a synchronized system, moving vehicles and people throughout the town’s roadways, some of which carry over 30,000 vehicles per day.

Traffic Signal Controller Upgrade. Many of the Town’s traffic signal controllers, the computerized sys‐ tem that assigns “green me” at each of the intersec‐ ons, are aging and require significant upgrades. A mul ‐year ini a ve to update 35 of these controllers, funded by State Proposi on 1B, has been ini ated.

This year, the controllers at five signalized intersec‐ ons have been upgraded.

Traffic Signal Synchroniza on. The Town con nually strives to improve traffic signal coordina on along key roadway corridors. In 2010, the Town was awarded a mul ‐agency grant from MTC to assess the traffic sig‐ nal coordina on along the Sycamore Valley Road and Camino Tassajara corridors, from I‐680 to Mustang Soccer Complex (Camino Tassajara/Ballfields).

Traffic signal controller programming

Capital Improvements Sycamore Valley Road/San Ramon Valley Boulevard (SRVB) Improvements Project. While late spring rains caused delays, construc on re‐started in full force by mid‐June. Prior to the July 4th parade, the cri cal components of the project were completed and all lanes were re‐opened to traffic.

This project is designed to alleviate the southbound San Ramon Valley Boulevard to eastbound Sycamore Valley Road le ‐turn delays, par cularly during the evening commute, by crea ng a dedicated lane that provides direct access to the I‐680 southbound on‐ ramp. In addi on, the project added a missing seg‐ ment of bike lane between the SRVB and the on‐ramp.

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Sycamore/San Ramon Valley Road Improvement Project

TRANSPORTATION

Traffic Calming Since its incep on in 1996, Town’s Neighborhood Traffic Management Program (NTMP) has served over 70 neighborhoods throughout Danville. The neighbor‐ hoods that are currently working through the commu‐ nity‐based engagement process include:

 Bolero Drive (Greenbrook area)  Ocho Rios Drive (west Danville)  Dunhill Drive (Tassajara Ranch neighborhood)  Vista Drive (near Vista Grande Elementary School)

Neighborhoods that are not ac vely engaged in the NTMP receive traffic calming through targeted police enforcement and the benefits of a radar display trail‐ er, which had 40 mul ‐day deployments targeted at Radar speed trailer 20 loca ons throughout the town.

Traffic Safety: Share Our Streets Launched on June 21, the first day of summer, the “Share Our Streets” campaign reminds the primary three user groups of the road about being responsible and sharing the roads with each other.

The campaign was developed to reduce the poten al for collisions among the roadway’s user groups during the summer season when outdoor recrea onal ac vi‐ ty ‐ from running to cycling ‐ is more prevalent.

Among collisions involving vehicles and bicycles in Danville, 53% of cyclists were found at fault and 47% of drivers were found at fault. This sta s c reinforces the need to reach out to all user groups.

The campaign will be implemented in three phases: educa on (June 21 ‐ July 18), warning (July 19 ‐ August 15), and enforcement (August 16 ‐ September 12).

“Share Our Streets” is a joint collabora on of the Town’s Transporta on and Police Departments.

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TRANSPORTATION

Street Smarts Promotes Traffic Safety

Street Smarts Program ac vi es

Launched in 2004 as the Town’s traffic safety educa on campaign, the program quickly grew into a valley‐wide program with three public agency partners: the City of San Ramon, Contra Costa County, and the San Ramon Valley Unified School District. Street Smarts operates three core programs at each grade level:

 Elementary School “Storybook” Poster Contest. In its 7th year, the poster contest a racted 604 poster submissions from students throughout the San Ramon Valley, a 45% growth from prior years.

Students illustrated pages of a storybook, Mr. Bo le’s Zoo, all about the fun of walking or biking (rather than being driven) to school.

The awards ceremony, held at the Dougherty Valley Performing Arts Center, a racted over 600 a endees who filled the center to capacity and required the use of a closed circuit television for late arrivals to view the ceremony in an annex. Tori Campbell, KTVU Channel 2 morn‐ ing news co‐anchor, served as Master of Ceremonies.

 Middle School “Be Reel” Video Contest. The video contest offers two opportuni es to create videos that demonstrate how “Walking and Biking to School Together is the Cool Thing to Do.”

During fall 2010, 24 video entries (involving 76 video produc on par‐ cipants) were submi ed. In spring 2011, 67 entries video entries (involving 189 produc on par cipants) were submi ed. Finalists from both the fall and upcoming spring contests were screened and judged at its awards ceremony on May 18, 2011 at Danville’s Village Theatre and Art Gallery.

 High School “It Happens” Campaign. The “It Happens” campaign ro‐ tated to Dougherty Valley High School in 2010. Designed as a “hear it from your peers” campaign, it is a reality web‐based program that cap‐ tures teens, on video, recoun ng real life stories of heart pounding near‐misses. This year, seven “webisodes” of such real life incidences were chosen for produc on and each of these webisodes were played at Dougherty Valley HS, reaching 1,670 students.

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TRANSPORTATION

Safe Routes to School In 2009, the Street Smarts Program was awarded a $290,000 federal Safe Routes to School grant both expand the valley’s exis ng traffic safety edu‐ ca on efforts and grow the program to encourage the number of children bicycling and walking to school. The federal grant has enabled Street Smarts to augment programming at the elementary and middle school grade levels.

 Bike Rodeos provide an opportunity for children to learn about the safety aspects of riding a bicycle in a safe, controlled, hands‐on envi‐ ronment. The federal grant has enabled the significant expansion of bike rodeos in the 2010‐11 school year, with 19 bike rodeos providing hands‐on guidance to 1,670 students valley‐wide.

 School Assemblies educate students about the basic tenets of traffic safety in a fun and interac ve se ng. The half‐hour assemblies typi‐ cally features Sam, the safety car, who has his own trading card and a loyal following. In the 2010‐11 school year, Street Smarts conducted 20 elementary school assemblies, reaching 12,467 students; and 8 middle school assemblies, reaching 2,552 students.

 Traffic Safety Videos developed and produced specifically for schools in the San Ramon Valley, with a school‐specific segment, were pro‐ duced as a part of the Safe Routes to School effort. These videos were selected as a Telly Award Bronze Winner out of nearly 11,000 entries from all 50 states and 5 con nents. Since 1978, The Telly Awards

honor the very best local, regional, and cable television com‐ mercials and programs, as well as the finest video and film pro‐ duc ons, and work created for the Web.

 Walk Bike Challenge is

an 8‐week online challenge that promotes

walking and biking to school. A er registering, students can log‐in the number of days they’ve walked or biked to school and the number of miles they traveled. The more miles traveled, the more prizes the stu‐ dents, their class, and their school earns.

Safe Routes to School ac vi es

In the upcoming 2011‐12 school year, addi onal programs ‐ including a Walking School Bus and Walk to School Day ‐ will be offered.

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TRANSPORTATION

Transporta on Planning The Town’s transporta on planning efforts include long range systems planning; transit, bike and pedes‐ trian planning; and development review. Highlights of the past year include:

 Par cipa on in the development of the Transpor‐ ta on 2035 Plan for the San Francisco Bay Area, which specifies how $218 billion in an cipated federal, state and local transporta on funds will be spent in the Bay Area during the next 25 years.

 Review and input toward ABAG’s Sustainable Communi es Strategy development effort, a Bay Area wide ac on plan that es land use planning to transporta on planning efforts and funding.

 Par cipa on in the development of the county‐ wide Contra Costa Transporta on for Livable Com‐ muni es (CC‐TLC) and Pedestrian, Bike & Trails Funds Programs funded by Measure J.

 Review of the Danville Hotel, Weber, and Magee Ranch development traffic studies.

Transporta on on the Web Consistent with Danville’s Web 2.0 efforts to bring informa on and services to the finger ps of its resi‐ dents, the Town’s “Traffic & Transporta on” web pag‐ es have undergone a significant update.

Check out these new pages for in‐depth informa on about the program areas described in this report: www.danville.ca.gov/Residents/ Traffic_and_Transporta on/

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TRANSPORTATION

Regional Advocacy Danville takes a leadership role at regional transporta‐ on forums to ensure the Town’s interests are well represented. A highlight of regional efforts include:

I‐680 Auxiliary Lanes Project (Segment 2). Danville is ac vely working with the Contra Costa Transporta on Authority (CCTA) in pursuit of federal and state fund‐ ing to complete a missing segment of the auxiliary lanes system in the San Ramon Valley. Recently, the project was selected as one of only two projects in the State of California to be considered for a $5 million federal grant to help close the project’s funding shor all. The Federal Highway Administra on (FHWA) is expected to award grants by fall 2011.

Tri‐Valley Transporta on Council (TVTC). Danville currently serves as the Chair of this 7‐member organi‐ za on, and is leading a dual effort to update the TVTC’s traffic impact fees (charged to new develop‐ ment) and its Strategic Expenditure Plan (SEP). Once complete, this updated fee program would provide cri cal revenue to fund regional projects, such as the I ‐680 Auxiliary Lanes Project (Segment 2).

TRAFFIX Student Transporta on Program. Danville took the leadership role in developing this student transporta on system aimed specifically at reducing traffic conges on at areas around key school sites within the San Ramon Valley. Funded by Contra Cos‐ ta’s 1/2‐cent transporta on sales tax measure, this program resulted in a reduc on of about 400 vehicles per intersec on approach near the Green Valley and Diablo Road intersec on. At the conclusion of its se‐ cond year of opera on, the Program serves over 1,200 students at 7 schools, reaching 105% of its sales goal.

This represents an increase of 20% in sales system‐ wide, despite a drop in student popula on.

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Interstate 680 rehabilita on night work

Wai ng for the TRAFFIX bus in Danville

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Program Overview The overarching goal of the Town’s Economic Development program is to promote economic vitality for all Danville businesses and residents. The program consists of five key elements:

 Business Development. A founda onal cornerstone of economic development prac ce, this program area consists of three categories of efforts that nurture business growth and investment:

 Business Reten on and Expansion ac vi es that focus on addressing the needs of exis ng businesses, encouraging them to stay (reten on) and grow (expansion).

 Business Crea on ac vi es focus on suppor ng and nurturing business to diversify the local economic tax base. In this effort, Danville collaborates with partner agencies.

 Business A rac on ac vi es are a supplement to other economic development efforts, and focus on iden fying and bringing in companies from outside of the area. Danville’s role in this program area is limited to providing informa on and facilita ng dialog among interested par es and/or the permi ng process.

 Market Development. This program area consists of ac vi es that seek to bring in new revenue to the community by leveraging local assets and a rac ons. Much of the Town’s efforts in this area is focused on promo ng Danville as the regional shopping and dining des na on of choice.

 Infrastructure Development. This program area involves the con nual maintenance and improve‐ ment of public infrastructure as a means of facilita ng business growth and investment.

 Workforce Development. This program area focuses on partnerships with regional workforce development programs and educa onal ins tu ons whose mission is to prepare the local labor pool to meet the needs of new or evolving employment sec ons (such as clean tech).

 Organiza onal Development. This program area involves looking for forums and other on‐going opportuni es to exchange ideas, address issues and leverage collabora ve efforts with the business community.

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Business Development Danville Business Concierge Consistent with the goal of promo ng and encouraging a vibrant and healthy local economy, the Town offers a complimentary “Business Conci‐ erge” service which provides one‐on‐one permi ng consulta on with new or exis ng businesses.

The Town staff organizes mee ngs with the appropriate permi ng de‐ partments (planning, building and engineering) to provide a business with the informa on necessary to start or expand. During FY 2010‐11, the Busi‐ ness Concierge facilitated 101 mee ngs for new and exis ng businesses.

Business Resource Guide The recently completed Business Resource Guide was created as an infor‐ ma onal resource booklet that can be customized with informa on that meets each individual business’ needs. A Business Resource Guide can be assembled for any business by contac ng the Business Concierge.

Retail Incen ves Program In 2010, the Town Council adopted a Retail Reten on & Promo on Incen‐ ves Program (“Retail Incen ves Program”) which made available $400,000 in grant funding to the retail community during a severe eco‐ nomic downturn.

I want to thank you so much for To date, the Town has the thought and considera on awarded and disbursed 42 the Town puts into the develop‐ retail marke ng and pro‐ ment of new businesses … mo on grants; 31 retail Your sign reimbursement program not only façade improvement and enabled me to purchase adorable, eye‐ fee waiver grants; 6 coop‐ catching signs, but allowed me to invest era ve adver sing grants addi onal funds into my business which I for retail center; and two wouldn’t have otherwise had. This boost retail marke ng work‐ has given me a li le more me to establish shops. This represents an my business and make it successful. investment of approxi‐ Sweetly, mately $317,000 into the Didi Jus n‐Reed local business community.

Business development efforts support local entrepreneurship

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Market Development Market development efforts focus on promo ng Danville’s natural assets and local a rac ons.

Shop Danville First This call‐to‐ac on rallies the collabora ve efforts of the Town, Danville Area Chamber of Commerce (“Chamber”) and the Discover Danville associa on (“DDA”) to promote Danville as the regional shop‐ ping and dining des na on of choice.

These efforts include the monthly produc on of an “advertorial news page” that features every‐ thing Danville has to offer. The news page is pub‐ lished in the San Ramon Valley Times and Valley Times, with a circula on of 35,537 and a total readership of 88,600.

Business Promo on Funding Each year, as a part of the Financial Plan process, the Town considers awarding approximately $50,000 in Business Promo on funding grants.

In FY 2010‐11, the Town awarded and adminis‐ tered 12 Business Promo on funding grants that were u lized by organiza ons such as the Cham‐ ber, DDA, and the Museum of the San Ramon Val‐ ley to host and market special events that pro‐ motes commerce in Danville ‐ from the Art & Wine and Doggie Night to the Spirit of Danville Holiday Shopping Event.

In the upcoming 2011‐12 fiscal year, the Town will be offering “Online Media Mini Grants,” a new grant funding category to help businesses and business organiza ons learn how to promote themselves u lizing online media and social media tools. These mini grants will be introduced at an upcoming Online Marke ng Workshop, scheduled for August 16, 2011 at the Town Mee ng Hall.

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Regional Economic Development Promo ng Regional Tourism Building off of the success of the Tai Chi Dayca on at the Tao House, the Town’s regional tourism efforts now promotes self‐ guided day trip i neraries in Danville with a theme for every member of the family, from “Ladies Day Out” and “Arts and Cul‐ ture” to “Fun for the Holidays.” All six self‐guided i neraries can be found on ShopDanvilleFirst.com

Promo ng Walkability and Accessibility Market research iden fies Danville’s a rac ve walkable down‐ town and ample free surface parking as two of its major regional tourism assets. In an effort to promote these characteris cs, the Town recently completed a Downtown Walking Map, a Historic Walking Map, and a Public Parking Map complete with public parking loca ons and me zones.

i‐GATE: A Regional Public‐Private Partnership i‐GATE is designated by the Governor’s Office of Economic Development in 2010 as one of six inau‐ gural “innova on hubs” intended to accelerate investment and economic development around research centers. As an innova on hub, an objec‐ ve of the i‐GATE program is to help create inno‐ va on and entrepreneurship opportuni es in the green transpor‐ ta on and clean energy technology cluster that surrounds the two Department of Energy na onal laboratories in Livermore. The i‐ GATE innova on hub consists of three programs:

1. i‐GATE NEST Incubator provides support services and re‐ sources to young companies with the goal of developing them into financially viable businesses.

2. i‐GATE Academic Alliance is an effort which seeks to bring research and academic ins tu ons, and its associated research talent, to the Tri‐Valley.

3. i‐GATE Development Corp is a 501c3 non‐profit which a mission to facilitate the construc on and use of research and academic facili es in associa on with the iGATE inno‐ va on hub ini a ve.

The Town of Danville is one of 36 partners in the i‐GATE program.

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SPECIAL EVENTS

Building Community through Special Events Each year, downtown Danville plays host to a large number of special events that reinforces a sense of commu‐ nity and civic pride. The Town dedicates staff resources from Economic Development, Police and Maintenance services to plan and coordinate the logis cs necessary to insure public safety.

Devil Mountain Run

Event Logis cs

Hot Summer Nights Car Show

Ligh ng of Old Oak Tree

Fine Art Faire

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Planning Mee ngs

Contact Informa on RESPONSIBILITIES

Transporta on Planning, Projects, and Funding Regional Transporta on Commi ees Economic Development

Traffic Opera ons: Signals Neighborhood Traffic Management Traffic Study Analysis

Traffic Opera ons: Signage, Striping, Curb Markings Downtown Parking Management Regional Transporta on Commi ees

Street Smarts Program TRAFFIX Student Transporta on Program Economic Development

Business Concierge Economic Development Special Events

STAFF

Tai J. Williams, Director

Transporta on Services | Economic Development 925.314.3313 | Email: twilliams@danville.ca.gov

Nazanin Shakerin, Traffic Engineer 925.314.3390 | Email: nshakerin@danville.ca.gov

Andy Dillard, Traffic Engineering Associate

925.314.3384 | Email: adillard@danville.ca.gov

Nat Rojanasathira, Program Coordinator Transporta on Services | Economic Development 925.314.3382 | nrojanasathira@danville.ca.gov

Jill Bergman Economic Development Manager 925.314.3369 | jbergman@danville.ca.gov

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