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Porterville staff presents draft active-transportation plan, highlights gaps on east'west connectivity and safety hotspots
Summary
City staff and consultant presented the draft Active Transportation Plan, showing high levels of traffic stress for cyclists on major arterials and identifying Olive, Henderson and Wharton avenues as collision hotspots for bicyclists and pedestrians.
Porterville staff on July 15 presented an update on the city's first Active Transportation Plan, describing analysis of existing conditions, community engagement and proposed next steps. The plan covers walking, bicycling and other nonmotorized travel and is funded by the Tulare County Association of Governments (TCAG).
Why this matters: the plan will guide investments in sidewalks, bike lanes, shared-use paths and safety programs and help the city compete for future grant funding. Staff said the draft plan will form the basis of recommended projects and a review period before council consideration in the fall.
What staff reported: Community Development Department staffer Luisa Zavala and engineering staff outlined the plan's goals, the analysis of travel behavior and a level-of-traffic-stress (LTS) assessment for nonmotorized users. Findings presented included: 78% of work commuters drive alone and fewer than 1% use bikes or public transit; major east'west connectivity is limited because State Route 65 bisects the city; many arterials and collectors were scored as LTS 4 for bicycles (high stress) because bicyclists must share lanes with vehicles; pedestrian LTS was lower in developed neighborhoods and higher in undeveloped/industrial areas.
Safety data: Staff said a 10-year collision review showed 206 bicycle-involved collisions in city limits, with 55% involving minors and 13 categorized as fatal or severe. Olive Avenue, Henderson Avenue and Wharton Avenue were identified as frequent locations for bicycle collisions. In the same period the city tallied 205 pedestrian collisions, 37% involving minors and 34 categorized as fatal or severe; many pedestrian collisions occurred along Olive and Henderson avenues and Main Street.
Engagement and next steps: Staff described two pop-up events, a public workshop and a community survey conducted in English and Spanish. Work continues to convert community input to project recommendations; staff plans continued outreach (including a pop-up at the Aug. 5 National Night Out event) and anticipates returning the draft plan to council in the fall.
Quotes: "The plan will include recommended projects and programs and will help the city compete for future grant funding opportunities," Luisa Zavala said during the presentation.
Background: Consultant GHD (Melissa Estrada and Holly Murphy) assisted the city, with Estrada attending via Zoom for the meeting. The plan will be hosted on a public website with an interactive map and is intended to direct future active-transportation investments and help secure outside grant funds.
