Bicycle Transportation Plan Preparation and Processing

To be eligible for Bicycle Transportation Account (BTA) funds, a city or county must prepare and adopt a Bicycle Transportation Plan (BTP) that addresses items a. - k. in Streets and Highways Code Section 891.2. If a city plans to use a countywide BTP to establish their eligibility for BTA funds, the countywide BTP must include a discussion of the Items a. - k. in Streets and Highways Code Section 891.2 for that city, in addition to the discussions of these items for the unincorporated areas in the county.

Following adoption, the city or county sends the plan to the appropriate Regional Transportation Planning Agency (RTPA) for approval. RTPA approval consists of verifying the plan to be in compliance with Section 891.2 and the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). Following RTPA approval, the local agency submits the plan, adopting resolution, and RTPA letter of approval to the Bicycle Facilities Unit for review to ensure the plan addresses the required elements.

Bicycle Program staff employs a checklist approach to BTP review, to determine if the plan includes the required elements. The review does not “grade” the information provided in the discussion of the required elements. Each required element should be addressed in the plan, regardless of applicability to the local agency preparing the plan.

The following are examples of acceptable discussions of required elements:

Item (c) A map and description of existing and proposed bikeways.

The City of Obsidian has no existing bikeways. A list of proposed bikeways and a map are included in Chapter 3.

Item (d) A map and description of existing and proposed end-of-trip bicycle parking facilities. These shall include, but not be limited to, parking at schools, shopping centers, public buildings, and major employment centers.

Bike racks in the County of Caldera are located at the Lava Fountain Shopping Center, all grammar, middle and high schools, and all Smokin’ Rabbit Transit stops. The County intends to install bike racks at the new regional government center complex and the Summit Crater Community College campus currently under construction. The land use map on Page 6 includes these locations.

Local agencies have successfully employed various approaches to ensuring that their plan addresses the required elements and that the location of the information is apparent to the reviewer:

Mirroring items a. - k. in the plan's Table of Contents (especially if the sole purpose of the BTP is to qualify for Bicycle Transportation Account funding.)
Adding a supplement that focuses on items a. - k. (some agencies have employed a question and answer format stating the element and responding with the applicable discussion.)
Including a page that identifies the locations in the plan where the reviewer will find discussions of the required elements.

Bicycle Facilities Unit staff in the Headquarters Division of Local Assistance are available to assist local agencies with interpretation of the BTA guidelines.

Ken McGuire (916) 653-2750 ken.mcguire@dot.ca.gov

David Priebe (916) 653-0036 david.priebe@dot.ca.gov

The links below connect to adopted and approved BTP’s provided on local agency web sites.

City of Morgan Hill Bikeways Master Plan

http://www.morgan-hill.ca.gov/html/DocCenter.asp?category_id=240000080

City of Santa Cruz Bicycle Transportation Plan 2004

http://www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/pw/trafeng/bikepl2004/bikepl.html

Marin County Unincorporated Area Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan

http://www.co.marin.ca.us/depts/pw/main/bike/tableofcontents.pdf

OCTA Commuter Bikeway Strategic Plan

http://www.octa.net/default.aspx?id=6288&terms=commuter+plan