CITY COUNCIL AGENDA PACKET - Laserfiche WebLink

Application :: Page 5 of 18 The NHSTA grant would also allow PPD to focus both enforcement and education efforts in bicycle safety and, more specifically, toward the community’s younger bicycle riders. Funding from the NHSTA grant will assist PPD in prioritizing those efforts as well as continuing bicycle safety enforcement and educational efforts throughout the city. Additionally, this grant would allow PPD to fund bicycle safety/ helmet enforcement positions and bicycle safety presentations that would focus on younger bicyclists going to and from school. The last bicycle safety presentation held by Pleasanton was in 2017. Training & Education: PPD has continued to hire new Police Officers over the past few years and there is a need for the new officers to attend RADAR and LIDAR School. Speed remains one of the City's top three primary collision factors and the ability to have more officers trained on our equipment can lead to more enforcement and education for drivers in our city. Placing officers in a position to enforce speed violations can reduce the number of injury collisions. The OTS Grant would provide us the opportunity to have specialized enforcement for speed and have more RADAR/LIDAR trained officers. Community Outreach: A significant aspect of this grant is educating the community and increasing awareness regarding traffic safety. This is accomplished through press releases and the use of social media hubs. Currently, PPD has 10,700 Twitter, 17,700 Facebook, and 9,280 Instagram followers. Additionally, PPD works with the Pleasanton Bicycle Coalition who meets every two months. Member of PPD Traffic Unit and members of the Pleasanton Traffic Engineering Office attend each meeting. Bicycle safety concerns and new legislation are discussed and recommendations for types and areas of enforcement are heard. As a result of these meetings recommendations are also presented to the Pleasanton City Council. Equipment: The Pleasanton Police Department currently utilizes antiquated PAS devices when investigating impaired drivers. Requested funds would be utilized to purchase new PAS devices with updated computer software utilized to gather and analyze PAS data. Additional training will also be funded for personnel in the calibration, certification of these devises, to include courtroom testimony. Currently PPD has one portable traffic message board equipped with a radar/traffic data classifier. This message board is constantly used throughout the city at the request of citizens for specific speeding complaint zones. These are often on major thoroughfares and residential streets. Additionally, this sign board is used in traffic control at many of the city’s major events to include the fairgrounds, parades, and street closures. With speed identified as the number one leading PCF for injury and fatal collisions in Pleasanton, funding from NHSTA would help PPD acquire a new portable public safety message board equipped with radar/traffic data classifier. This data can be used for statistical purposes and supporting evidence for traffic recommendations to Pleasanton Traffic Engineering and City Council. Conclusion: PPD has developed a reputation for excellence in traffic safety. Receiving a grant from NHSTA OTS would allow PPD to expand and better support traffic safety efforts in Pleasanton and neighboring agencies of Dublin and Livermore. Without support from NHSTA, PPD’s traffic safety will generally consist of two motorcycle officers working enforcement when possible while still responding to and investigating all collisions. Without this grant, PPD will see a continued reduction in citations issued and educational programs offered while experiencing a continued escalation of collisions and a rise in the number of community members injured. NHSTA OTS funding would provide a vital resource to improve traffic safety and community engagement opportunities. For the reasons cited above, PPD requests OTS Grant Funds which would allow us to expand our traffic efforts to reduce collisions, educate our community and make our roadways safer for everyone. Page 207 of 782