All Points Bulletins

THE MOBILITY ELEMENT (Mar 29, 04)

WHAT IS IT AND WHY SHOULD I CARE? (Oct 23, 03)

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The Mobility Element is a part of an overall General Plan update that began with City Council adoption of the Strategic Framework Element of the General Plan on October 22, 2002. The Strategic Framework Element sets forth the City of Villages strategy to address the challenges of growth and improve quality of life. Policy direction is provided to protect the natural environment, increase housing affordability, enhance neighborhoods, increase mobility, create economic prosperity, provide for equitable development, and provide public facilities. New growth is to be targeted in mixed-use village centers in order to create lively activity centers, provide housing, preserve existing low density residential neighborhoods, improve walkability, and help support a state-of-the-art transit system. Strategic Framework Element mobility recommendations call for reshaping our transportation system into a multi- modal system that gets us where we want to go and minimizes environmental and neighborhood impacts.
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MOBILITY ELEMENT (Mar 29, 04)

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The Mobility Element is being drafted to expand upon Strategic Framework Element policies, to update the existing General Plan Transportation Element (last updated in 1985), and to propose new polices where needed. A status report and outline of the draft Mobility Element (and other General Plan elements) can be found at: www sandiego.gov. Click on City of Villages.
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Mobility Element issues include:
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* Land use and Transportation. Better integrate land use and transportation by focusing much of the City's new growth within walking distance of transit services.
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* Walkable Communities. Design and retrofit our city so that walking is a safe, comfortable, and frequently used form of transportation.
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* Environmental Quality. Recognize the broad environmental impacts from motor vehicle operations and infrastructure and seek to minimize those impacts.
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* Transit First. Support implementation of a transit system that is so attractive and convenient that transit will become the first choice of travel for many trips.
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* Streets and Freeways. Improve driving conditions and balance the needs of multiple users of the public right-of-way.
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* Intelligent Transportation Systems. Improve the efficiency and safety of the transportation system through traffic control, information dissemination, freeway lane management, emergency management systems, crash prevention and safety, and other means.
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* Transportation Demand Management. Manage traffic congestion by promoting alternatives to driving alone. Optimize the performance of the street and freeway system without adding expensive new infrastructure.
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* Bicycling. Develop a safe and effective bikeway network that serves commuter and recreational riders and encourages more people to bicycle.
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* Parking Management. Address parking supply and demand to meet the needs of multiple users, while reducing the amount of land devoted to the automobile. Develop innovative regulations and parking management programs. Consider parking facilities as part of the community infrastructure and develop community- specific solutions to parking problems.
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* Environmental Justice. Develop transportation policies and programs that result in the fair treatment of all people.
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* Goods Movement. Maximize the safe and efficient movement of goods through the City of San Diego while minimizing potential negative impacts.
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* Intercity and High-Speed Rail. Provide San Diego s residents, employees, and visitors with more choices and better service for their intercity trips through support for intercity and high speed passenger rail projects. These projects can help reduce demand on our freeways and at our airports by providing alternatives to auto and air travel for longer intercity trips.
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* Financing. Influence and prioritize the collection and use of transportation revenues.
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* Airports and Noise. These sections to be updated. This list is subject to change, as we are open to your suggestions for additional topic areas. We will also provide the opportunity for meetings as needed to allow for live person-to-person communication and discussion.
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If you have contributions to the Mobility Element, please dial up the city website www sandiego.gov and click on "City of Villages" or contact Ms. Nancy Bragado at the address and phone number below. There have been e-mails about draft proposals for the Mobility Element, that you might like to read. Taken together they are the current draft for the Mobility Element. If would like the e-mails, you should contact:
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Senior Planner Nancy Bragado
City Administration Building, MS 4A
202 C Street, San Diego, CA 92101
nsbragado@sandiego.gov (619)533-4549
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There will be future public participation and workshops about the Mobility Element, but you should read the e-mail drafts first, to get the flavor of what's happening. If you walk or bike or drive your own car or use the bus or trolley, you might want to contribute to the Mobility Element. Mobility and transportation aren't high on anyone's list of really great things to do, but planning the future of mobility and transportation is important enough that I hope you will read through the draft and offer ideas for improvement.
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