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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-28-2008 BAC minutes MINUTES Regular Meeting of the SAN LUIS OBISPO BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE Council Hearing Room, City Hall 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo March 27, 2008 Thursday 7 p.m. MISSION: The purpose of the Bicycle Advisory Committee is to provide oversight and policy direction on matters related to bicycle transportation in San Luis Obispo and its relationship to bicycling outside the City. ROLL CALL: Kevin Christian (Chair), Jean Anderson, Tim Gillham, Ben Lerner, AND Glen Matteson. Trevor Keith (Vice Chair) and Tom Nuckols were absent. Staff: Peggy Mandeville, Principal Transportation Planner, Michael Codron, Associate Planner, Michelle Lakey, Minutes Clerk. PUBLIC COMMENT: Adam Fukushima, SLO County Bicycle Coalition, noted that he presented Congresswoman Lois Capps with photos of the Bob Jones trail dedication and spoke to her about some of the community’s bike trails and their current condition. The Coalition asked her for an earmark and explained the community’s support for these projects. The Rotary Club is working on a fundraiser asking people to contribute money to finish a bike path from Foothill to Campus Way. The fundraiser will help provide the missing link to finish this bike path. This will also help to get awareness out for the Railroad Safety Trail bike path. Adam introduced a new member of the Coalition staff, Dan Rivoire. He is an Americorps member and their bike valet coordinator. MINUTES: January 17, 2008 Action: Committee member (CM) Jean Anderson moved, and CM Matteson seconded to approve the minutes as amended. The motion passed unanimously. ACTION ITEMS: Agenda Item #1: Orcutt Area Specific Plan Planner Mandeville introduced the project noting that the Committee reviewed a previous draft of the project and provided comments last year. Because the Committee’s comments do not appear to be addressed in this hearing draft, staff suggested now is an appropriate time to reaffirm the Committee’s previous comments and offer any other recommendations. 2 Michael Codron, Project Planner, provided the Committee with a summary of the Specific Plan’s circulation components. He noted that he will add a note to the circulation plan explaining the proposed Class 1 trail in the northeast quadrant is a conceptual alignment. Planner Codron explained the current Orcutt Area Specific Plan is a Public Hearing Draft. He noted that item 5 on the Committee’s previous comments can be clarified to identify a specific bridge and include wording that bicycle bridges are suitable facilities for supplemental funding. He explained that future bus stops will be determined once rider usage can be determined. Due to grades and feasibility, Planner Codron stated that the Industrial Way location for the bridge would work the best. He also explained the issues with the proposed alignment of a creek bike trail that ends at Johnson Avenue. Public Comments Phil Gray, owner of one of the Specific Plan properties, supported everything that has been shown in regards to Class 1 and 2, except for the bicycle/pedestrian bridge over the railroad tracks that connects to Industrial Way. He felt that the cost is too high for the benefits to be received. The houses will be priced higher if this goes through. He would like the pedestrian/bicycle bridge over the railroad tracks taken off of the Specific Plan. He felt that the bridge will cause a lot of safety problems. He felt that in the long run it would not be used as intended, but the bridge would become a danger for children living in the area. Jean Helphenstine, representing the 144 acres of the Righetti property, commended the work of Andrew Merriam and Michael Codron in developing the Specific Plan. She hoped that the Specific Plan will be received well by the Committee. She stated that thirteen owners are involved in this proposed project and that the property owners do not support the bike bridge over the railroad tracks. She understood the desires of the bicycle community in this regard, but felt that it will not be cost effective. She also stated that she does not feel that the bridge is connecting riders to a safe neighborhood. She felt that the bridge would be used for only recreational purposes. Overall she felt that there is little demand for the bridge. Dale Sutliff, SLO Bicycle Club, felt that there are a lot of missing unsafe pieces to the bicycle circulation puzzle. He would like to see clear connections from east to west from Orcutt Road to the proposed area. He questioned that even with the Bullock Lane extension with the Class 1 what would connect the two. He noted that there would be no clear point of connection to the Class 1 trail that goes from Johnson and Orcutt to the railroad trail. He would like to eliminate confusion for the bicyclists and drivers. He felt a better option would be to take the Class 1 and turn it east to the Tiburon Drive connection and connect it to Orcutt Road. Dick Muick, representing property owners in the Orcutt area, brought up some history of car accidents in the area. He is worried about safety in regards to some of the paths on the Conceptual Circulation Plan. Mr. Muick supported the suggestion that the text should clearly state the bike path in the northeast quadrant shall take a reasonable alignment in regards to future development. 3 No further public comments were given. Committee Comments Chairperson Christian stated that sight distance and traffic volumes are important in determining if the bike trail should connect to a street at mid-block. He noted that the Plan should follow the same guidelines as when planning a regular street. He is concerned about the marked Class 2 where there is no road currently being proposed. He wondered why there cannot be a tunnel under the railroad tracks. He didn’t agree that there should be a Class 1 continuing at B Street to Tiburon. He felt a parallel street route to the Class 1 trail would only create problems. He would like staff to look at potential realignment of paths ending near Johnson/Orcutt area. He would like to see the Class 1 path behind the proposed site for a school to connect to the path right at the boundary behind the park/school and residential area. This would eliminate a bad intersection with the currently proposed path. Committee member Lerner, appreciated the public’s comments about the bridge over the railroad connecting Industrial Way to the new planned community. He felt that the only way to get around these tracks would be to go way out of the way causing an island in the middle of the area. He understood that the Industrial Way location for a bridge might not be the best location, and he would like to see if there could be one placed farther north possibly aligned with Prado Road creating a continuous route. He did not want to isolate this neighborhood by not having the bridge over the railroad tracks. Committee member Gillham felt that eliminating the proposed bridge at Industrial Way would be an option to consider. He stated that the distance between Orcutt and Tank Farm is not so great that bicyclists could not be directed over to Sacramento through the neighborhood. He felt costs should be factored into making a decision. He would like to see the Class 1 path realigned at Johnson and Orcutt. Committee member Anderson agreed that the Industrial Way bridge is not the ideal solution. She was not sure what the solution or a better alternative would be at this time. Committee member Matteson was concerned about the cost of the bridge and felt it would be used by children and people wanting to get to the Marigold Center. He supported keeping a grade separated crossing at that location and would like to see a connection to the creekside trail to keep it parallel to the creek, and make the future crossing at Industrial Way open to funding from other sources. He felt that putting the price burden of the bridge solely on the property owners in the project is not necessarily the best idea since it will benefit people on both sides of the railroad tracks. He would like to eliminate the Class 1 path north of B Street. Committee member Lerner moved, seconded by Committee member Matteson to keep a crossing over the railroad tracks at Industrial Way. 4 Ayes: Committee members Lerner, Gillham, Anderson, Matteson & Chairperson Christian. Noes: Absent: Vice Chair Keith & Committee member Nuckols. Motioned passed 5:0. Committee member Matteson moved, seconded by Committee member Gillham to leave the option open to share the cost for the grade separated crossing with other than owners in the new proposed neighborhood. Ayes: Committee Members Lerner, Gillham, Anderson, Matteson & Chairperson Christian. Noes: Absent: Vice Chair Keith & Committee member Nuckols. Motioned passed 5:0. Committee member Lerner moved, seconded by Committee Member Anderson to research potential locations for a crossing other than at Industrial Way. Ayes: Committee Members Lerner, Gillham, Anderson & Chairperson Christian. Noes: Committee member Matteson Absent: Vice Chair Keith & Committee member Nuckols. Motioned passed 4:1. Committee member Lerner moved, seconded by Anderson to realign east/west Class 1 path to generally follow the Bicycle Transportation Plan and determine the final alignment at the time of future subdivisions with the goal of developing a reasonable alignment with respect to the development and providing bike path connections at intersections (and not at mid-block locations). Ayes: Committee Members Lerner, Gillham, Anderson, Matteson & Chairperson Christian. Noes: Absent: Vice Chair Keith & Committee member Nuckols. Motion passed 5:0 Committee member Matteson moved, seconded by Committee member Lerner to eliminate the Class 1 facility between C Street and the potential school site and align it to what is currently shown as the Class 2. Ayes: Committee Members Lerner, Gillham, Anderson, Matteson & Chairperson Christian. Noes: Absent: Vice Chair Keith & Committee member Nuckols. 5 Motion passed 5:0 Committee member Anderson moved, seconded by Committee member Lerner to drop the Class 2 bike lane in the traffic circle. Ayes: Committee Members Lerner, Gillham, Anderson, Matteson & Chairperson Christian. Noes: Absent: Vice Chair Keith & Committee member Nuckols. Motion passed 5:0 Agenda Item #2: Collision/Volume Location Review Given the time, Committee member Matteson moved, seconded by Committee Member Lerner to continue Item #2 to the next BAC meeting scheduled for May 15, 2008. The motion passed unanimously and the item was continued without discussion. DISCUSSION ITEMS: Agenda Item #3: Committee Member Items • Speed Surveys- Item continued without discussion. • Bicycle Boulevards- Item continued without discussion. • Bikes on Buses Update- Committee member Gillham explained that 280 surveys were completed and submitted to Rideshare. This survey was done to see if there was enough room on the bike racks on the city/county buses. The survey showed that 40% of people who filled out a survey are using a bike/bus combination in their commute to work and have been unable to put their bike on transit at least once because all of the rack spaces were full. • Other Committee Member items- o Committee Member Anderson noticed that the “wave” bike racks that are not permitted for use in the City are being used at the new businesses next to Trader Joe’s. She also would like the Committee to think about who their audience is when passing out flyers or brochures and what the design should be. o Committee Member Gillham has noticed construction signs in the bike lane on Laurel Lane. o Committee member Matteson provided staff with an old newspaper article. Staff will copy the article and share it with the Committee. Agenda Item # 4: Staff Items • Madonna Bike Path- Planner Mandeville noted that the City Council has approved a memorandum of understanding with the property owner wanting to 6 donate the bike path as an air quality mitigation and Cal Trans has contacted the City to request they be included in discussions as the design moves forward. • Santa Rosa/Foothill Update- Planner Mandeville has been unable to observe the intersection, but will try to do so before the next meeting. • Bicycle Safety Education Contract- The San Luis Obispo County Bicycle Coalition has been hired to perform these duties for the City. • 2007 Paving Projects Update- Planner Mandeville noted that she meets with the paving engineers on a quarterly basis. • Tentative agenda items for next meeting: o Swearing in of BAC member o Election of Chair and Vice Chair Meeting adjourned at 10:00 pm to the next regular meeting at 7:00 pm on May 15, 2008 at 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo.