City staff outlined a finalized curb‑management framework and next steps toward an action plan intended to reorganize how the city uses curbspace for safety, equity and multimodal access.

Trent Schultz, transportation demand‑management coordinator, briefed commissioners on the framework’s goals—safety, inclusive access, mode shift, economic vitality, and efficiency—and six focus areas: complete green streets guidance at the curb; development support and curb guidance; events and construction; experiments and spot treatments; payment and compliance tools; and policy updates.

Funding and schedule: transportation planner Liz Callan told commissioners the effort has $500,000 in carbon‑reduction program grant funding for the action plan and that staff expect to hire a consultant via RFQ and complete initial work across 12–18 months beginning early 2026. "We have $500,000 in carbon reduction program grant funding that will support this effort," Callan said.

What the action plan will do: staff said the consultant will help develop data collection and utilization analysis, planning and policy recommendations (including curb pricing and fee recommendations), a prototype curb allocation plan for two smaller areas, monitoring and evaluation frameworks, and stakeholder engagement. The prototypes are intended to show how policies could be applied at the curb in different contexts (one commercial district and one lower‑demand/residential area).

Key issues raised: commissioners asked how citywide the effort will be, whether it will address quiet residential streets as well as downtown corridors, how to phase implementation to produce early wins, and whether changes could require comprehensive‑plan updates. Staff said they expect citywide policy recommendations and two prototype areas for detailed curb allocation, while full curb‑by‑curb mapping of the entire city is out of scope for the initial plan.

Enforcement and equity concerns: commissioners and alder members pressed for attention to enforcement (delivery vehicles double‑parking, loading‑zone compliance), the role of smaller delivery vehicles and cargo bikes, and how curb changes may affect people experiencing homelessness. Commissioner Robbie Weber urged the team to examine incentives for smaller‑vehicle deliveries and better use of on‑site loading areas; other members asked that equity impacts be considered in policy design.

Next steps: staff said they will release the RFQ soon, hire a consultant, collect curb data, produce recommendations and prototype plans, and begin some early implementation where feasible while the full action plan is developed.