Title
Neighborhood Pathways Program Update
Recommended Action
Information only. No action requested.
Report
Issue:
At the March BPAC meeting, City staff and members of neighborhood groups that have worked on a Neighborhood Pathways project discussed their experience with the program.
Staff Contact:
Michelle Swanson, AICP, Senior Program Specialist, Public Works | Transportation, 360.753.8575
Presenter(s):
Michelle Swanson
Background and Analysis:
During the last BPAC meeting, people who have participated in the Neighborhood Pathways Program answered three questions:
• What was challenging?
• What went well?
• What changes would you suggest?
Staff took notes of that conversation, which are attached. Some of the main ideas that emerged from the discussion were:
• The program was more formal than neighborhood groups expected, which made it harder to work on.
• People want the program to be simpler, but the legal and administrative requirements do not allow for a simpler program.
• The projects were more costly than people expected.
• These projects have a high value to the community.
During the March BPAC meeting, City staff said that we will not issue a call for Neighborhood Pathways projects in 2018. We also said that we are evaluating the structure of the program. We will use the feedback that people shared during the March meeting as part of that evaluation.
The City will begin a process to write a Transportation Master Plan later this year, and Neighborhood Pathways will be part of that larger planning effort. The BPAC and the public will have many opportunities to give input on the Transportation Master Plan. We are considering a Neighborhood Pathways program that weighs the relative priority of each pathway based on objective criteria applied across the City.
While we are not issuing a call for Neighborhood Pathways projects in 2018, we are still seeking funding in the preliminary 2018-2023 Capital Facilities Plan. The program will have funds for future projects.
City staff will also give an update on the Ensign Pathway.
Options:
None - information only
Financial Impact:
Funding for this program has varied between $100,000 - $175,000 each year. It is funded by the Voted Utility Tax.
Attachments:
Neighborhood Pathways discussion notes
Link to Neighborhood Pathways webpage