The 2016 Active Transportation Plan will be an update of the 2011 Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. The focus of the 2016 Plan update is to match State Active Transportation Program guidelines, incorporate innovative bicycle facility designs, and promote high priority projects.

The Transportation Agency budgeted $60,999, to be paid for out of TAMC reserve funding, to continue preparation of the Active Transportation Plan update in the 2016/2017 fiscal year budget. The Plan will position high priority projects to be more competitive for grant funding, such as the State’s Active Transportation Program that had $240 million available in Cycle 3 on a competitive basis. 

In addition to creating an Active Transportation Plan that will meet the State's guidelines, and identifying high priority bicycle and pedestrian projects, this effort will also focus on analyzing key gaps in the existing and proposed bicycle and pedestrian networks, identifying opportunity sites for innovative bicycle facility design, and designating areas for enhanced regional and local connectivity.

At the May Committee meeting, staff presented the criteria that will be used to rank proposed active transportation projects. TAMC plans to hire a consultant to develop conceptual plans and cost estimates for the highest priority regional projects in order to make them competitive for State and Federal funding. Based on input from both Committees, with refinement from staff the project ranking criteria is included as an Attachment, and includes the following categories:

In May, Committee members from the Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee and the Technical Advisory Committee participated in a mapping activity to review projects currently in the 2011 Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan and identify potential new bicycle and pedestrian improvements throughout Monterey County. Some improvements identified by both Committees, and members of the public, include: 

• North Monterey County: bike and pedestrian path connecting Castroville to Moss Landing
• Carmel-by-the-Sea: bike and pedestrian path along Missions Fields
• Carmel to Monterey connection
• Fort Ord Regional Trail and Greenway
• CSU Monterey Bay: Inter-Garrison bike and pedestrian path
• CSUMB connection to Seaside via General Jim Moore and 6th Ave
• Pacific Grove: protected bike lanes along Forest Ave
• Pacific Grove: Asilomar to the Recreation Trail connection
• Salinas: bike lanes along West Alisal St from Blanco Rd toFront St
• Seaside: bike lanes along Fremont Blvd, cycletracks where feasible
• Gonzales: bike path connection between Gonazales and Chualar
• Soledad: bike lanes connecting Soledad to the Pinnacles National Park
• King City to Pinnacles connection
• King City to San Antonio connection via Jolon Rd
• San Ardo: cycletrack along Cattleman Rd, and sidewalks on Cattleman Rd, College St, Main St and Godchaux St

Staff requests Committee input on the bicycle and pedestrian improvement projects received to-date. Staff will continue outreaching to bicycle and pedestrian stakeholders throughout the County to obtain more input on active transportation improvements that should be included as part of the Plan. Committee members and members of the public are invited to participate online, via an interactive Wikimap set up for the Plan: http://bit.ly/tamcatp .