Walk & Roll Palm Desert: Active Transportation Study

So, What is Active Transportation?

Active transportation refers to human-powered transportation and low-speed electronic assist devices. Active Transportation is a critical component in developing and implementing sustainable community strategies, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing public health, and making the region a more enjoyable place to live, work and play.

While Active Transportation traditionally addresses walking and biking, Palm Desert also supports golf carts and transit in our mobility choices. In addition to expanding mobility options, Active Transportation adds to the accessibility of our roadways and enhances the safety of our roadways

What is Palm Desert Currently Doing, and How Can You Help:

The City of Palm Desert is working on a project to help identify gaps in the walking and bicycling network and develop recommendations to address the identified gaps.

This project will take ideas outlined in the General Plan and other City-adopted plans to create a more complete and well-connected network for people to walk and bike. While these documents will be used to set the standard for connectivity, this project will focus on new ways to form integrated connections and to reduce mobility barriers for people walking and biking within the pedestrian core of the City.

Recent Active Transportation Updates (as of 5/15/2023):

• From 2019 to now, the City has added 35.9 miles of new and upgraded bikeways and pedestrian facilities.
• In Fiscal Year 2022/2023, the City has upgraded and installed 10.9 miles of bikeways (part of the 35.9 miles).
• Over the next three years, the City plans to upgrade and install another 35.4 miles of new bikeways and pedestrian facilities.
• Starting with FY 22/23, the City committed 40% of its streets capital improvement budget ($26.1 million) over the next five years.
• CV Palm Desert has participated in building a regional multi-agency bike path that connects most of the cities of the Coachella Valley. And we’ve gone beyond the base project with several enhancements of our own:
• PD Link Phase 1 Project 707-20 – This project connects the CV Link bike path to the Civic Center and the downtown commercial district.
• Walk ‘n Roll Palm Desert Project 565-21 – This project analyzes locations of existing bike paths/sidewalks and creates links to close gaps in the network. I completed the study, and the project team is progressing with the design phase.
• Haystack Improvements Phase II – Installs bike lanes with a concrete barrier separating the cycle track from vehicular lanes.

Walk and Roll Phase One:

The first phase of this project will close with a prioritized list of improvements based on various factors, including community input. The project's second phase will include the final engineering design and cost estimates for the highest-priority projects. Ultimately, the projects identified may become part of the City’s Capital Improvement Program or be considered for future grant funding.

Current Status (as of 5/15/2023):

Based on prioritization scoring, City staff is looking to implement a program that will fill in gaps in the City’s bikeway and pedestrian facility network in a phased approach. Refer to the attachment Bikeway Types for illustrations and example locations of the different types of bikeways envisioned in the Walk and Roll PD program. The program is proposed to be implemented using the following procurements methods:

• Progressive Design/Build: The City advertises a Request for Proposals with a scope that includes the design and construction of the project; the City awards a contract to the best team with an initial amount for the design, then, following completion of the design, the City amends the contract for the construction amount.
• Design-Bid-Build: The City procures the designer first, the designer completes the design, then the City procures the contractor.

The proposed program will also bundle bikeway implementation with existing projects or programs. For example:

• The City’s annual roadway slurry seal program in recent years has been a vehicle for updating bikeway markings or filling in bikeway gaps and is proposed to implement over eight miles of Class 2 and Class 3 bikeways.
• The construction of the North Fire Station requires the widening of Gerald Ford Drive, an improvement that will implement one mile of buffered Class 2 bikeway.

The Walk and Roll Palm Desert Implementation Plan will result in the addition of over 28 miles of new, upgraded bikeways and sidewalks to the City’s active transportation network. Walk and Roll Palm Desert fulfills the following priorities identified in the City’s Strategic Plan:

• Tourism and Marketing – Priority 1: “Improve access to Palm Desert and its attractions to enhance the ease of lifestyle.”
• Transportation – Priority 1: “Create walkable neighborhoods and areas within Palm Desert that would include residential, retail, services and employment centers, and parks, recreation and open space to reduce the use of low occupancy vehicles.”
• Transportation – Priority 3: “De-emphasize single/low-occupancy vehicles and optimize modes of travel (bus, carpool, golf-cart, bicycle, and pedestrian).”

Please see the presentation from the March 23, 2023, City Council meeting for more details on the current status of this project.

Chip In and Help Spot Gaps

Your input is essential to the success of this project. Use any or all of the tools below to contribute to this project. These tools allow you to:

• Post ideas on improving the walking environment
• Post ideas on improving bike infrastructure
• You're able to drop a pin to identify spots with common issues for walking or biking
• Respond to a brief survey on bike and pedestrian issues in Palm Desert
• Send City staff questions and feedback