Item 12 - Select Locally Preferred Alternative for the First Street Multimodal Boulevard Study

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FJ 1� City of Santa Ana I First Street Multimodal Corridor Technical Memorandum Funding The project was funded through a REAP 2.0 grant administered by OCTA and SCAG. The grant focuses on improving access for low-income housing through improved pedestrian, bicycle and transit options. While the City did receive a short extension, the grant will expire in December2026. Additional funding may be needed to complete the design (depending upon the timing and elements of the locally preferred alternative and the limits of the improvements). The City is working closely with OCTA to secure additional funding for construction engineering and construction of the selected improvements. Goals and Objective The goal of this project is as follows: Improve the travel environment along First Street and connect people to places through a variety of reliable, safe and affordable travel options. This can be achieved by: • Prioritizing vulnerable roadway users.The success of implementing improvements should be measured by its ability to improve safety and accessibility for pedestrians and bicyclists. • Reducing vehicle speeds and address basic safety. • Adding trees and landscape to create shade and make the corridor visually appealing. Creating a unified design for the corridor will improve the quality of the travel experience. • Adding new north-south crossings to improve connectivity across the street. With a limited number of existing controlled crossings, First Street serves as a barrier between communities north and south of the corridor. • Creating a continuous, high-quality bike network that connects to north-south regional routes. Most bicyclists currently travel on the sidewalk due to safety concerns riding in the street. Providing wider sidewalks to accommodate either a Class 1 multiuse path or Class IV bikeways improves safety for both pedestrians and bicyclists. • Enhancing and improving transit performance and the rider experience. Provide features such as dedicated lanes or bus priority to improve the efficiency of buses along this highly traveled route. Existing Conditions Pedestrians and Bicycles For this analysis, First Street is grouped into three segments, each with distinct characteristics that coincide with neighborhoods and districts identified in the City's General Plan. While district boundaries outside the city core are more flexible and may overlap due to shared characteristics such as architectural style, scale, and overall character,the 3