HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-21-2016 BAC Minutes
Minutes
Bicycle Advisory Committee
Council Hearing Room, City Hall, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo
Thursday, January 21, 2016 at 7:00 pm
MISSION:
The purpose of the Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) 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:
Chair Deragon called the meeting to order with reading of Mission Statement at 7:00 p.m.
Present: Peter Deragon (Chair), Jim Woolf (Vice Chair), Lea Brooks, Paula Huddleston
and Howard Weisenthal
Absent: Catherine Machado and Randol White
Staff: Transportation Manager Hudson, Transportation Planner/Engineers Crisp, Schwartz and Rice,
and Recording Secretary Opstad
STAFF INTRODUCTION: Transportation Manager Jake Hudson shared Job Description Update
toward the re-crafting and filling of Active Transportation Manager position in which role will have
deeper emphasis on both bicycles and pedestrians placed in context of entire circulation system.
Recruiting should occur in next month. In the interim, Jake Hudson will be staffing BAC Meetings.
PUBLIC COMMENT: None
MINUTES: November 19, 2015
Action: Committee Member Woolf requested two editing corrections: page 2, line 15: “for all 5 phases”
to “for phase I” and page 2, line 48: “consider…[bicycling]” to “place a high priority on bicycling.”
Committee Member Weisenthal moved to accept as amended. Chair Deragon seconded the motion.
The motion passed unanimously.
PRESENTATION ITEMS:
Agenda Item # 1: Annual Traffic Safety Report
Transportation Manager Hudson summarized and discussed overall report on the highly effective
tracking program, as run in partnership with San Luis Obispo Police Department, which monitors
collision activity in public right-of ways. The 15-year old program prioritizes the city’s highest-collision
intersections and ranks them toward developing mitigation strategies. The latest 2014 statistics
indicate a comparatively low overall injury & fatality collision rate on record (second to 2012), a
continuing trend that can be correlated to specific improvements, made in addressing traffic patterns.
The allocation of funding for improvements in pavement and bicycling facilities are reflected in the
lower number of statistical collisions involving cyclists over the last four years. Mr. Hudson indicated a
series of identifiable intersections, now resulting in a series of impending projects to address their
collision patterns, divided into three categories: 1.) New Projects (i.e., Monterey/Grand Avenue and
Marsh/Santa Rosa Street, addressing “permissive left turns” and flashing yellow arrows); 2.)
Continuation of Prior Pattern (i.e. approximating the effectiveness of green bike lanes on Santa Rosa
Street); and 3.) Two Large Projects (California & Taft and Broad Street Corridor), noting that funding is
currently unavailable but actively pursued. Mr. Hudson noted that other high-ranking intersections
cited are: Chorro & Mill (speed surveys pending); Broad & Orcutt; Monterey & Osos; and the Calle
Joaquin & LOVR Interchange (both during current construction phase and under prior configuration).
Mr. Hudson explained that overall funding for safety project upgrades in phases amounts to
$3,000,000 and to be garnered through fees from development, fair share portions, further grant
pursuance.
Committee Member Brooks alluded to other cycling-dangerous city intersections not displayed in the
data. Chair Deragon commented on how favorably discernible the green bike lanes were in rainy
weather. Committee Member Huddleston inquired as to the possibility of implementing pedestrian
islands as refuge in potentially hazardous intersection crossings. Committee Member Weisenthal
mentioned that California Boulevard has the anomalous distinction of experiencing several rush hours
during the day.
Public Comment:
Myron Amerine stressed the need for advanced double-stop-bars or pedestrian cross-hatch marking
at certain cyclist-green intersections, indicating that California Boulevard and 101 onramp as important
area. Mr. Amerine congratulated the City staff on the efficacy of the Report; opined that because it is
driven strictly by collision reports, it doesn’t capture the incidences in which bicycles and pedestrians
are affected negatively by paved surface conditions. Mr. Amerine also inquired whether any form of
delineation could be rendered at California & Taft, while awaiting intended fundraising for the
construction of a roundabout.
DISCUSSION ITEMS:
Agenda Item #2: Highland/Chorro Bike Access (Page A-22 of Bicycle Transportation Plan)
Transportation Manager Hudson provided a brief background of the Capital Improvement Project from
the most recent Financial Plan, the purpose of which related to high volume of cyclists crossing
Highway 1 from Cal Poly onto Highland Drive and wanting to turn left on Ferrini and North Chorro, but
a median exists on the downhill prohibiting clean access and creating directional flow challenges.
Improvement was not specified but two leading concepts considered and Staff requested feedback: 1.)
Cutting a slot in the median; and 2.) Creating a small Class I facility on adjacent City-owned parcel
that “cuts” the corner, a more expensive option and one that would need to involve the County. A
monument sign and sidewalk enhancement project is underway in that arena, so combining it with a
shared-funding, parcel throughway project could be considered prudent.
Committee Member Brooks inquired if it was possible to consider performing both options and
inquired if Cal Poly had been approached about building the Class I Trail across the parcel.
Committee Member Weisenthal cautioned that traffic occurs on Highland Road, awaiting the traffic
light and the 10% downgrade with difficult sight lines create dangerous riding conditions for a
proposed median slot and that the steepness of the parcel would warrant a switchback-style pathway.
Committee Member Huddleston inquired whether the Class I facility path would be bi-directional in
consideration of whether cyclists would actually access the uphill and lobbied for the cutout as a more
instantaneous and cost-effective solution given that it would also be a safe one.
Public Comment:
Myron Amerine, lobbied in favor of the cutout slot of the median as ample solution, citing a preference
for Ferrini and Chorro as safer arterials to Foothill even for cyclists riding into SLO on Highway 1.
Agenda Item #3: BTP Prioritization Plan
Transportation Staff filed no presentation, so fielded questions.
Vice-Chair Woolf opined that in meeting mode-share requirements some ancillary cycling-related
projects have been undertaken; explained that some projects don’t contribute to the cross-town routes
that need to be finished and built in order to encourage a motorist-to-cyclist culture shift. Vice Chair
Woolf stated his belief that a shift in focus to these cross-town routes, creating “bike freeways”, is
required more than either expending further capital on small upgrades or revamping the Bicycle
Transportation Plan. Woolf considered how this shift in prioritization occurs, whether it involves impact
fees for facilities or other means, and indicating it is up to Committee to state priorities in this context
specifically to Staff.
Committee Member Brooks explained that the projects funded, that when EIR’s are out on
developments (i.e., Avila Ranch and San Luis Ranch) some very specific bicycle connectivity projects
would become evident. Committee Member Brooks proposed rendering an aerial, color-coded and
timeline map specifying “What’s Proposed” and “What’s Being Funded,” so that considerations on
smaller pieces required to complete safer and more accessible cross-town routes would be simplified.
Agenda Item #4: Committee Items
Adopt-a-Trail Sub-Committee Report:
Committee Member Brooks announced that February 13th, Saturday, 9 AM-Noon, is new date for work
party on Prado-LOVR section of Bob Jones Trail, accessible by bicycle, and will consist of tree-
planting and trash pick-up. Brooks shared that SLO does not have an Adopted Trails Program for
maintenance work; while work parties for mountain bikers on open spaces do occur, goal here is to
create and determine logistics for a volunteer program, beginning with this work party.
Newcomers Sub-Committee Report:
Committee Member Brooks reported that this year-old sub-committee’s primary goal is to develop a
packet of information focused on multi-modal transportation choices and specifically geared toward
new residential developments in much same way as SLOCOG zeroes in on employers. Brooks
considered that ultimately realtors and management companies might be ultimately approached
toward passing same information to renters new to SLO. Mr. Hudson reported that one of his goals
was to improve trip reduction monitoring and tracking program via employers.
Agenda Item #5: Staff Items
Railroad Safety Trail and Bob Jones Trail Updates:
Jake Hudson spoke with Capital Engineer, looking back at plans for RRST now that grant is in-hand
and needing to revise sections (50% completed). Hudson expects construction to commence in 2017
with SLOCOG programming grant-funds at their February Meeting. Once designs are completed, then
environmental review and analysis are commenced.
Update on Capital Improvement Bike Projects:
Transportation Manager Hudson reported on Transportation Monitoring in which Staff will now be
counting bike trails, performing corridor segment counts for bicycles and Bike & Ped counts at
intersections for peak hours. Staff is basing mode split not on survey info but on actual, potentially
more accurate hard counts. Traffic Operations Report on mode shift data will start in May; this report
presents operational issues (i.e. delays) as they relate to bicycles and pedestrians and should be
presented to Council near end of summer. Mr. Hudson also reported on the Bob Jones-Octagon Barn
Connection in which studies are already completed and the next step is an environmental compliance
review in conjunction with the County; this is expected to be complete towards May. Next, Hudson
discussed the Safe Routes to School Project: In working with Pacheco and Bishop’s Peak schools,
there is no defined project as such, but plan-developing effort will ensue for current financial cycle to
identify a series of projects that will help access that area with improvements.
Transportation Manager Hudson provided details on the Prado Road Creek Bridge widening project
that is currently in its design-environmental stage; reported that staff is looking for opportunity to
potentially develop an undercrossing to alleviate cyclists having to come out to the intersection;
explained that widening is scheduled for 2018; highlighted that the funding source is identified as a
Transportation Impact Fee program due to the bridge being deemed “structurally deficient” by the
State and it qualifies for Bridge Rehabilitation Program. Lastly, Hudson listed the status of the Bicycle
Facility Improvements Account (most of projects completed); the Highway and Safety Campaign
(finished in October); the BTP Implementation CIP (discussion continues with property owners across
Prado extension section); Chorro-Foothill Bike Box (revised project proposal in process with owners of
vacant site on corner for curb setback); Laurel-Orcutt Class I Facility Connection Improvement
(engineering work contract awarded); Broad Street Bike Boulevard Plan (overall plan development
work scheduled to start in March; prioritizing northern section); and Bob Jones-Prefumo Creek
Connection (tied to San Luis Ranch parcel development). Hudson discussed new fee programs, as
influenced by Assembly Bill 1600 Study, for all transportation improvements which focuses better on
multi-modal components. Mr. Hudson announced next meetings pertaining to developments are
January 27th (Froom Ranch: Initiation to Planning Commission), February 2nd (Avila Ranch: Council
Study Session) and February 10th (San Luis Ranch: Planning Commission Conceptual Review).
City of San Luis Obispo BFC Report Card and Feedback:
Transportation Manager Hudson summarized details and made recommendations based on League
of American Bicyclists’ Report Card: 1.) Make minor amendment to Bicycle Plan per expanding
network for varying facilities (i.e. buffered bike lanes); 2.) Target bicycle education to specific groups
(i.e, women and elderly); 3.) Create closed arterial/open street events; and 4.) Encourage Cal Poly
and Cuesta to become Bicycle Friendly Designations as well as convincing the City to file an
application as an organization. Committee Member Brooks indicated inviting new SLOPD Chief to
upcoming BAC Meeting to garner her viewpoints on bicycling and recommend providing upgraded
bike law enforcement education to officers,
ADJOURNMENT:
The meeting at 9:34 p.m. to the next regular meeting of March 17, 2016.
Respectfully Submitted,
Brad T. Opstad
Recording Secretary