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Councilmember McGovern thanked staff for the opportunity to give the document further consideration. She requested that staff consider meeting with the school board to discuss any areas which directly or indirectly affect local schools. She said that she has concerns surrounding the plans for Foothill Road, noting that the narrow portions heading towards Castlewood have already seen several bicycle accidents. She requested that staff strongly consider creating a dedicated space there for cyclists rather than asking them to share the road. She also suggested that the proposed shaded bike racks include a seating bench. Councilmember Thorne said the document is very thorough and well done. He considered some of the goals to be fairly aggressive and asked if staff still considers them realistic in light of decreased state and county funding opportunities. Mr. Tassano explained that the vision of the plan assumes that a number of the proposed projects will be constructed in conjunction with general overlays. He stated that the committee wanted to identify these improvements as priorities in every project possible, acknowledged that the goals are aggressive, and that both the committee and public would ask that the City do everything it can to reach them. Vice -Mayor Cook- Kallio said that schools have a vested interest in bicycle safety and asked if there would be any possibility for joint grant writing. Mr. Tassano explained that one of the major funding sources, Safe Routes to School, requires that the City have a master plan as well as a letter of support from its schools. In the past the standard agreement has been for the City to do any on- street improvements and for the school district to cover those that are off street. He noted that with the district's current funding constraints, staff would look to include all off- street and on- street improvements in these projects. Councilmember McGovern asked how cyclists will know when to use sidewalks as bike paths versus the street. Mr. Tassano explained that it is legal for cyclists to ride on all Pleasanton sidewalks and that all shared paths will be well identified. Councilmember McGovern doubted that the public has knowledge of these things and asked that the education campaign address them clearly and said identified priorities do not seem to coalesce with areas of known safety issues. Mr. Tassano stated that collision patterns are considered individually and that in reviewing these locations, it was found that the majority of incidents were the result of uninformed cyclists and not correctible. Councilmember Sullivan said the new focus on circulation is well done and comprehensive. He requested more information on the section of Iron horse Trail that has been identified as a special study zone. Mr. Tassano explained that the northern section of Iron Horse Trail has been either sold off in parts or absorbed into different types of linear park facilities. He said that the City is currently working in conjunction with East Bay Regional Parks District to develop a more specific plan for each location. Councilmember Sullivan said the trail is a high priority matter for many cycling advocates and asked when they could expect a completed trail that runs through Hacienda. Mr. Fialho said in 5 to 10 years, if funding becomes available. He expanded upon Mr. Tassano's statements, explaining that while some properties in that corridor carry public easements, others do not. A significant part of the project entails working with property owners to develop the necessary trail alignment. City Council Minutes Page 4 of 7 September 15, 2009