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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee - 02/12/2020 Bike & Pedestrian Committee Meeting Minutes Wednesday, February 12th, 2020 @ 5:30 p.m. South Burlington City Hall, Champlain Room 575 Dorset Street 1. Welcome and directions on emergency evacuation procedures (5:30 p.m.) a. Committee members attending: Nic, Bob, Cathy, Bill, Donna, Dana, Haveleh, Amanda b. City members: Ashley c. Community: Skip Hockner (6:10pm) 2. Changes or additions to the agenda (5:35 p.m.) a. No changes to the agenda 3. Comments from the public not related to the agenda (5:40 p.m.) a. See Skip Hockner comments in DRB, section 7 4. Consideration of minutes from the previous meeting(s) (5:45 p.m.) a. Motion to accept by: Bob makes motion i. Second by: Donna ii. All in favor, no opposed. 5. Updates from the City - Ashley (5:50 p.m. - 15min) a. No information for scoping studies. Need full report from Paul, been getting piece-meal. b. Airport parkway: plan at 30%. Reviewing right of way information with property owners. c. South Dorset: negotiating with Stantec Firm. d. Underwood: Waiting for warmer weather to do scoping. 6. Major - Speed limit Change discussion - Nic/Bob (6:05p.m. - 20 minutes) a. Objective: define the planned scope and approach for this effort. i. Nic: What is strategy? Do we pick specific streets? Hinesburg road? Do we do an engineering study? Need more research and work, but don’t want to go down that avenue if the committee doesn’t want to pursue that. 1. Bob - CCRPC can do a study, takes a lot of time. a. Amanda - need to do traffic study/counts. Depends on how big the study is. If it’s a state road, the State can do the study. i. SB city can ask the State to do study. b. Nic - doesn’t seem to give opportunities for altering speed limits based on other transportation options. c. Donna - more of an enforcement issue. 2. Nic - put bike lane on 40mph road, still high stress. Need to get speed limits down. 3. Cathy - Should focus on streets people want to ride on. Examine ways to make them safer to ride on, this is part of that goal. 4. Donna - Go back to designating by street type, existing streets, not just new roads. Like to revisit with Paul. Donna started this document in the past. 5. Bob - next step, talk to Paul. Hard to justify any road in SB being over 35mph, with how busy it is. 6. Donna - Energy Committee is pursuing this as well. ii. No need for vote or motion - Nic and Bob will continue to put energy and effort into pursuing and progressing. 7. Major - DRB Topcs - Cathy (6:25 p.m. - 25min) a. Objective: Review & vote on proposal to build a running list of DRB bike/ped-related projects for ~monthly review by the team. i. Cathy - would like to make list of current projects. b. Objective: Review proposal to DRB by applicant for Maplefields development of gas station and restaurant at corner of Queen City Rd and Shelburne Rd. i. Cathy - we asked if crosswalk could be moved to same side of intersection. DRB supports suggestion. 1. New proposal from VTRAN now includes moving crosswalk to south of intersection, and widening sidewalk on east side of road. 2. Nic - do we have an opportunity to comment? a. Cathy - DRB requested to get our comments. b. Nic - Would be nice if crosswalk aligns with bike path. i. Ashley - can’t because of existing electrical box. Can widening apron to align with red path. c. Amanda - remove green at end of rec path? i. Ashley - can ask if they can align better. d. Cathy – current markings to divide two lanes and traffic lights - they may not want to move these. 3. All for the proposal. ii. Skip Hockner added to discussion at 6:22pm 1. Can possibly smooth rec path on west side to align with cross walk. 2. What do we want to see for lighting on west side of rec path? Need ideas, want to have lights on property. 3. Cathy - when is next meeting? a. Skip - March 4th. 4. Donna - will there be a site lighting plan? a. Skip - already a plan, but limited, can only be on property. b. Donna - we could say we would like lighting on that part of the path, we could recommend to city. i. Skip is happy to support. ii. Ashley will send out packet from previous DRB meeting. 1. Donna will review, and send feedback to Skip. iii. If SBBPC provides feedback and information before March 4th meeting, can present and discuss. iv. Donna - can present alternative solutions - ones that meet city requirements, and others that are better lighting the rec path. c. Donna - you planning any trees or bushes? This can make it harder for light to illuminate outer areas. i. Skip - a lot of them. Lower shrubs are better in some instances. d. Nic - are you lighting dumpster area? i. Skip - would not be goal to illuminate these areas. e. Donna will work with Skip to make suggestions for lighting that would benefit both the path and the city 8. Major - Present January DPW Meeting summary & actions - Bob (6:50 p.m. - 15min) a. Objective: Bring team up to speed & get their input on the latest DPW interface i. Bob - Justin agreed to pursue the ‘No Right on Red’ alignment with Committee’s recommendation at Swift & Spear. Would be better if “No Right on Red” was up on the wire. According to Justin, adding two RRFBs to each pole are on the schedule, this upcoming construction season. ii. Joy Drive: 1. Amanda - maybe need reminder to look for pedestrians and bikers on path? What precedent are we saying by adding sign? On record saying not a fan of putting signs on stop signs to look for people. a. Shawn wants to add a sign to add to stop sign. Pick one and add it quickly. b. Ashley - could be a part of campaign to raise awareness c. Nic - do we put a yield for bikes sign? d. Amanda - should we also do sign for bikers to know to yield or look for drivers? iii. Rec path repairs: Justin said DPW will do Nowland & Dorset, and Stonehedge & Szymansky repairs this upcoming construction season. iv. Dorset Street rec path: will put in fencing at Grand View and 1 Kennedy Drive. May replace section of existing fence with better and newer fence. v. Swift Street extension: According to Justin, neighborhood committee had hired its own traffic study and action to lower vehicle speed is in process. vi. Maintenance worksheet: could use help filling out and locations. Seeing a lot more vertical cracks. Bob has inquired to Justin whether or not this could be due to City using pickup trucks loaded with salt to clear the wider recreation paths instead of the smaller sidewalk snow blowers. 1. Cathy – Is maintenance worksheet just rec paths? a. Bob - all: includes crosswalks painting, RRFB outages, etc. b. Send changes to Bob. vii. Airport parkway striping: Bob measured in 3 locations; the east side striping is 12’ vehicle lane and 3’ bike lane instead of 10’ & 5’, respectively, until you around the old Pizza Putt. Justin will be fixing in 2020. viii. Tilley Drive and crosswalk: try to work with Landowner about options. Need to talk to Paul - he said he is working with VTRANS and Pizzigalli 1. Want to know physical Act 250 trigger and timeline. 2. Bob - sounds like Justin wants to cooperate. 3. Bob – asked if it is okay to keep pursuing this crosswalk as part of the committee priorities? No opposes to continuing efforts. 9. Communication & Outreach discussion - Cathy (7:05 p.m. - 15min) a. Objective: Refine & define what tools are most appropriate and when to use each. i. Cathy - Need communication plan - when and how, and legally allowed to. ii. Asking to put article on front page of SB web page is difficult. iii. Can talk to other committees and propose cycling though committee posts. iv. Cathy who has to approve our posts on Front Porch Forum? 1. Ashley can posts. Can only posts 2 a month, should be fine if there aren’t other updates needed. v. Cathy - when she has submitted articles to The Other Paper, has signed as herself and as part of the SBBPC. Is that okay? 1. Ashley hasn’t heard of any issues. 2. Donna - rules from editors may have changed. 3. Ashley - been more pressure to get more articles on website, may be easier to get some up right now. a. Nic - it was easy to get the White Street info/story up. vi. Cathy - proposes coming back with an outline and ideas for stories to write and create. Committee members to email Cathy ideas. 1. Havaleh - SOBU news - we could have two page spread for summer and/or fall. 10. Updates: Ongoing Committee Work (7:20 p.m. - 30min) a. General updates from committee members (~3-5min per person) b. Havaleh - public engagement - can do Bike night out at SOBU nights. Earl’s does donate 2 bikes. i. Needs dates, to start reserving. Suggested earlier in July for day light. Can do e- bike demo’s, partner with energy committee to share energy savings, practice putting bike on bus racks, bike patrol info. ii. Send list of things to do, committee members can sign up and give ideas. c. Bob - CCRPC study. Would have been good to attend for traffic lights. Recommend others look at it. 11. Confirmation: Next meeting Wednesday, March 11, 2020 @ 5:30pm 12. Adjourn (by 8:00 p.m.) a. Ended at 6:55pm.