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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-18-2018 ATC Minutes Minutes – Regular Meeting Bicycle Advisory Committee Council Chamber Room, City Hall, 990 Palm St, San Luis Obispo Thursday, January 18, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. 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. Lea Brooks (Chair) called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. ROLL CALL: Present: Lea Brooks (Chair), Ken Kienow (Vice Chair), Jenna Espinosa, Timothy Jouet, Jonathan Roberts, Howard Weisenthal Absent: Layla Lopez Staff: Transportation Planner / Engineer Jennifer Rice, Active Transportation Manager Adam Fukushima, Transportation Manager Jake Hudson, Recording Secretary Lareina Gamboa Public Comment on Items Not on the Agenda Lydia Mourenza, resident, reminded the committee and staff that the City would no longer receive funding from the closure of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant and that the Safe Routes to School Plan should be revisited before the City moves forward with it. She has seen a decrease in students heading to Pacheco Elementary School and does not want the city to waste money on a new route that may not get used. MINUTES: November 16, 2017 CM Howard motioned to approve the Minutes with no amendments. CM Jouet seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. December 14, 2017 A correction was made about the Adopt-a-Trails subcommittee item to add CM Jouet on the subcommittee, not CM Roberts. CM Kienow motioned to approve the Minutes with amendments. CM Weisenthal seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. ACTION ITEM: Agenda Item #1: Broad Street Bicycle Boulevard Transportation staff gave an update on the planning effort for the Broad Street Bicycle Boulevard including a summary of the community outreach conducted over the course of the last year and technical analysis on the two alternatives as determined by the City Council study session on August 15, 2017. Analysis included the benefits and tradeoffs of each alternative. Staff also provided information on the proposed phasing of the project and the performance monitoring proposed throughout the project implementation. Public Comment: Lydia Mourenza, resident, informed the committee that most homes were built in the 1920s and 30s and were not built with wide parking spaces, or even garages, therefore leaving residents to rely on on-street parking. She also had concerns about the project’s compatibility with garbage and recycling collection. She mentioned challenges with living in a parking district especially on the elderly. Garrett Otto, resident, is in favor of the project and believes many in the community want the protected path as well. He is concerned with safety first and encouraging more people to bike. He does not believe that trash collection or driveway access are significant issues. In addition to the Preferred Alternative, he suggested speed humps on Lincoln Street since it is already seeing overflow from those who try to bypass Chorro Street. With the extra traffic calming measures, he encouraged staff to pick a couple of elements from Phase II to push forward a project that some have been waiting a long time for. He understands the Ferrini crossing is very important and should be a high priority but hopes that striping on Chorro and Broad streets would occur during the temporary implementation. T. Keith Gurnee, resident, mentioned the lack of garages and driveways for some residents and gave an overview of when his home was built in the 1980s. When he obtained his permit to build, he had to decide on a three-story residence, the garage being the first story, or to park on- street. At the time, the City decided there was ample space for on-street parking, so he proceeded with a two-story home. He favors improvements to the underpass but is hoping for the Lincoln Street option. He has made many trips by bicycle and does not see a need for the project. He also has never seen a report on bike vs. car accidents in the area and questions the safety need. John Valpa, resident, says his neighborhood is impacted by parking and removing parking would be detrimental to the community. He stated that Chorro Street traffic is too fast and congested. He prefers the Lincoln Street alternative as a place to bike with his grandson and hopes the City will choose that alternative. Myron Amerine, resident, thanked staff for all the work they have done in designing and implementing this plan. He supports the full application of the Preferred Alternative and when he bikes and walks he does not, and will not, go out of his way to take the Lincoln route. He asked the Committee to consider City policy, the LUCE 20% mode share goal, and presented percentages from other cities who have succeeded and surpassed this mode share goal. He also encourages two-way cycle tracks for being more appealing to a wide range of cyclists and hopes they will be pursued more often. Liz Silveira, resident, likes Lincoln Street and uses it herself. She thinks more signage could make it better. She worries that the Preferred Alternative will put more vehicular traffic on Lincoln Street, creating a busy side street. She hopes that planters will not be considered on Chorro since there is a question of who will maintain them. She appreciates that the City is encouraging bicycling but wonders where they will park once they reach downtown. Questions and Discussion: Staff answered committee questions including those regarding parking demand, trash collection, and the design of the protected bikeway. CM Kienow motioned to recommend to the City Council the adoption of the Preferred Alternative. CM Roberts seconded the motion. The motion passed with a majority 5 to 1 vote, with CM Weisenthal voting “no”. CM Weisenthal then motioned for a reexamination of the Broad Street Bike Boulevard using minimal diverters, traffic calming devices along Chorro Street with shared lane marking, and that staff investigate the possibility of closing the entrance of US 101 off Broad Street as an alternative to the Preferred Alternative. The motion died for lack of a second. COMMITTEE AND STAFF ANNOUNCEMENTS ● Applications for BAC members are due on January 19th, and new officer elections will take place at the March meeting. ● There will be a City Council meeting on February 6th. On the agenda is the BAC’s transition to an Active Transportation Committee (ATC). ● As discussed at the December meeting, there will be a special BAC meeting in February. Staff will send a doodle poll to the BAC members to help decide on a few potential dates. ADJOURN CM Weisenthal motioned to adjourn the meeting at 8:16 p.m. CM Jouet seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. Respectfully submitted, Lareina Gamboa Recording Secretary MINUTES APPROVED AT THE MARCH 15, 2018 MEETING