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HomeMy WebLinkAbout27. 15-118 MARCH 10, 2015 15-118 RESOLUTION (CARRIED__7-0____LOST______LAID OVER______WITHDRAWN______) PURPOSE: SUPPORT RESTORATION OF COMPLETE STREETS LAW, RESTORE FUNDING FOR TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES PROGRAM AND KNOWLES-NELSON STEWARDSHIP FUND PROPOSED TO BE ELIMINATED OR DRASTICALLY CUT IN SB 21 INITIATED BY: PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION: Approved , WHEREAS the Governor’s proposed 2015-2016 state budget (Senate Bill 21) would repeal the State of Wisconsin’s Complete Streets law, which requires that bicyclists and pedestrians be taken into account whenever a road is built or reconstructed using state or federal funds; and WHEREAS, there are multiple ways to receive exceptions to the Complete Streets law if a project is economically unfeasible or if projected use by pedestrians and bicyclists is too light; and WHEREAS, the Complete Streets law has worked well in practice and the Governor’s choice to eliminate it will result in fewer safe places to walk and bike; and WHEREAS, the Governor’s budget would cut the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) by $2 million, effectively eliminating state support for this program and leaving only federal support. TAP is used for a variety of pro-biking initiatives, including bike plans and facilities; and WHEREAS, the Governor’s budget would essentially eliminate the Knowles- Nelson Stewardship Fund, which works to purchase and protect land including funds for trail and riverwalk purchases. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City of Oshkosh urges the Governor and Legislature to support restoration of the Complete Streets law as well as restore funding for the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) and the Knowles- Nelson Stewardship Fund all proposed for elimination or drastic budget cuts within Senate Bill 21. MARCH 10, 2015 15-118 RESOLUTION CONTD BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the appropriate City staff is hereby authorized to forward a copy of this Resolution to the City of Oshkosh's locally elected legislatures and to request those legislators to consider restoration of full funding for the above referenced programs. � ��.,. 1HK ,f H oN n�e w��ren TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council FROM : Darryn Burich Director of Planning Services DATE: March 4, 2015 RE: Support restoration of Complete Streets Law, restore funding for Transportation Alternatives Program and Knowles-Nelson Stewardship fund proposed to be eliminated or drastically cut in the 2015-2016 State Budget - SB 21 (Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee recommends approval) BACKGROUND On February 19, 2015, the Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee endorsed a resolution to support restoration and funding for three components of SB 21(2015-2016 State Budget) that will have a negative impact on pedestrian and bicycle activities within the city, region and state. The Governor's office has introduced a two-year state budget (SB 21) that has implications for pedestrians, bicyclists and biking safety. More specifically, the budget, if approved as drafted, would repeal current legislation and eliminate funding for programs as follows: • Repeal Wisconsin's Complete Streets law; • Cut funding for the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP); and • Essentially eliminate the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund ANALYSIS Complete Streets Wisconsin's Complete Streets law requires that bicyclists and pedestrians be taken into account whenever a road is built or reconstructed with state or federal funds. There are many ways to get an exception if the project would be too expensive or if use by bikes and pedestrians is projected to be too light. The law works well in practice, yet the proposed budget would eliminate it altogether which would mean fewer safe places to walk and/or bike. Wisconsin's Complete Streets Law was passed by the state legislature in 2009. Following national models, Wisconsin's law provides that our state's Department of Transportation (DOT) "ensure that bikeways and pedestrian ways are established in all new highway construction and reconstruction projects funded in whole or in part from state or federal funds." The law allows exceptions to be granted in cases: • where bikes and pedestrians are prohibited, like Interstate highways; • where the cost are excessive; • where an absence of need has been demonstrated; • where there are constrained environments; and • where the community refuses to accept an agreement to maintain them. Complete Streets is not a requirement that the DOT must construct bicycle and pedestrian facilities on new highway construction and a more accurate way to read the law is that it requires only that bicyclists and pedestrians be taken into account when a new road is being built or reconstructed. The DOT has recognized that facilities that might accommodate bikes and pedestrians can also end up serving motorists and even prolong the life of a road and it acknowledges that building in these facilities at initial construction is less expensive than retrofitting them. Complete Streets ends up benefitting motorists by building facilities as a clearly marked or separate space for bicycles and pedestrians which means less conflict on the roads and improved traffic flow. There's no funding in the state budget that is set aside just for Complete Streets projects and costs are absorbed in the overall projects as they occur, which is usually either insignificant when compared to the overall expenditure and the investment will likely save money over time. Transportation Alternatives Proqram (TAP) Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) is used to support a variety of bicycling and walking initiatives, including bike plans and creation of facilities. The proposed budget would eliminate all $2 million dollars of state support for this program, leaving only federal dollars. TAP is one of only a few programs at the federal or state level to help fund projects for bicycling and walking. The 2015-2016 budget proposes eliminating all state support for TAP, which stood at $2 million over the last two years. Federal funding, equating to about $14 million over two years, will remain in the program. In the current grant cycle about two-dozen grants were awarded to local governments while several dozen were turned down showing that there's much more demand for the program than available resources, even under its current funding level. Since the inception of TAP (which has had various names over the years) in 1993, about 700 projects have been funded throughout Wisconsin including sidewalk and on-street improvements, bike and pedestrian trails, riverwalk developments, trail extensions, and Bicycle & Safe Routes to School planning efforts. The program requires a 20% local match, which creates local buy-in and helps the money go further and has been a successful and fruitful partnership between national, state and local governments. The proposed budget—SB 21 would take the state out of the partnership entirely from a financial perspective. At $2 million, TAP makes up just a fraction of a percent of the almost $1.4 billion that the Wisconsin DOT says it needs over the next two years to make up the difference between current revenues and road construction and maintenance needs. Eliminating this funding was not the idea of the DOT and was not in the department's proposed budget. The Knowles-Nelson Stewardshiq Fund The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund works to purchase and protect land for future generations and funds for state trail purchases are included in the program. The proposed budget would stop all purchases for over a decade. In the early 1960's, Wisconsin Governor Nelson created a program to buy land for the purposes of outdoor public recreation called the Outdoor Recreation Act Program (ORAP) that paid for new and expanded state parks, campgrounds, beaches, trails, wildlife areas and more. Over the years ORAP fell into disuse but was reignited in 1990 as the Nelson and Knowles Stewardship Fund. At its height, the Nelson and Knowles Stewardship Fund reached annual funding levels of$86 million but was reduced to $50 million in 2010, at the level it is currently: $50 million in funding supports approximately 200 land purchases a year and is similar to other programs in most states. The proposed state budget would stop all purchases until the ratio between the total amount expended from the program and debt service reaches a ratio of$8 of cumulative expenditures for every $1 of debt service. The projection on when that would occur is 2028. Essentially, this would freeze new purchases for the next 13 years while the accumulated debt gets paid down to the ratio that has been set only for this program. It is important to remember that land often becomes available sporadically and once an opportunity is missed it may not come again. The Wisconsin Bike Federation, the Wisconsin Park & Recreation Association, and other advocacy/interest groups are opposed to these portions of the two year state budget—SB 21. They have contacted multiple agencies within Wisconsin to support the restoration of Complete Streets and the funding of the TAP and Stewardship Fund in the proposed bi-annual budget. FISCAL IMPACT Undetermined, however Complete Streets assures that projects funded in whole or in part from state or federal funds receive review for compliance with, among other things, the city's sidewalk policy, Comprehensive Plan, and Pedestrian and Bicycle Circulation Plan. Additionally, the loss of Transportation Alternatives Program funds and the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund as a funding source limits the availability of the city to receive assistance on bicycling and walking programs and riverwalk and trail development. RECOMMENDATION The Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee approved the resolution at its February 19, 2015 meeting. Approved, �° � —� C�a�� �� ������'