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RESOLUTION NO. R-1314-112: A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, ADOPTING THE COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN ESTABLISHING A FRAMEWORK FOR TRANSPORTATION DECISIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE PLANNED, DESIGNED, AND MAINTAINED TO INTEGRATE VEHICULAR, WALKING, BICYCLING, AND TRANSIT USE WHILE PROMOTING SAFE AND EFFICIENT OPERATIONS FOR ALL USERS IN THE COMMUNITY.
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BACKGROUND: The process of developing the Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) began in the Fall of 2010 at the request of the Norman City Council. In 2011/2012, the City undertook a scoping process called “Moving Forward” to determine whether the City needed a CTP and, if so, what form it should take. The Council Community Planning and Transportation Committee served as the Steering Committee for “Moving Forward”. A diverse group of citizens representing multiple stakeholder groups in Norman served as the Visioning Committee. Extensive surveys were taken in Norman to determine the pulse of the community. At the end of that process, City Council concluded that a CTP is needed for Norman.
The development of the Comprehensive Transportation Plan that you are considering now began in the Fall of 2012. On November 13, 2012, City Council approved a contract with the firm of Freese & Nichols, Inc. from Dallas, Texas to assist the community with the final plan. City Council also appointed a 45-member Citizens Visioning Committee to guide the process. The Council Community Planning and Transportation Committee served as the Steering Committee. An extensive public information and input process has taken place over the past 16 months.
Development of the CTP was an open and collaborative process that involved citizens, multiple entities and various interests groups. The Citizens Visioning Committee met with the plan development team on five different occasions to refine goals, develop a set of objectives for the Plan, affirm the identification of the existing transportation conditions, discuss and prioritize the transportation system and policy needs for Norman, and provide feedback on potential system improvements. The plan development team also conducted two public open house and one OU student open house events and made presentations to the Chamber of Commerce Aviation / Transportation Committee, the City Bicycle Advisory Committee and the Norman Downtowners Association. Several interim presentations were also held with Council subcommittees and citizen groups to review and discuss the existing conditions and needs, modal plans, policies and programs, and implementation strategies.
The final draft of the CTP was presented to the Planning Commission on March 13, 2014 and the first Public Hearing conducted during the April 10, 2014 Planning Commission meeting, during which, the Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend City Council adoption of the plan.
DISCUSSION: The “Moving Forward” Plan will serve as Norman’s long-term vision for a range of transportation options and accommodations including personal and commercial vehicles, bicycling, walking, public safety, airports and public transit services. The CTP will work in concert with Norman 2025 and any updates to the City’s Land Use Plan.
The plan provides a framework for the development and implementation of an efficient and comprehensive transportation system using clearly articulated guiding principles, goals and objectives. It assesses the condition of the current transportation system from the regional and local mobility perspectives and identifies future needs under forecasted transportation conditions. It also introduces updated street functional classifications with new design guidelines and special corridor considerations. Finally, it provides an implementation plan with specific actions aimed at creating a special place to live, enhancing mobility for all user groups, facilitating proper operations and maintenance, appropriate fiscal stewardship and economic vitality, implementing projects and programs and identifying potential sources of funds for capital improvements.
If approved by Council, the priority action items for staff and the Council Community Planning and Transportation Committee over the next twelve months will include:
Coordination of the Transportation Plan with the Land Use Plan Update
Coordination with the Regional Transit Dialog Preferred Alternative and planning of Rail Stations and Land Use Concentrations to support it.
Design Criteria and Standards for Complete Streets
Traffic Impact Assessment Guidelines
RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of Resolution R-1314-112, adopting the Comprehensive Transportation Plan which establishes a framework of transportation decisions and improvements planned, designed and maintained to integrate vehicular, walking, bicycling and transit uses while promoting safe and efficient operations for all users in the community.