HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee - 09/23/2015BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN COMMITTEE
SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES 09-23-2015
The Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee held a special meeting on Wednesday, September 23, 2015 at
5:45 pm in the small conference room at the city office building located at 575 Dorset St. The purpose
of the meeting was to review and propose changes to the city’s draft of the Comprehensive Plan with a
focus in the areas of interest to this committee.
Members Present: Dana Farr, Chair; Cathy Frank, Vice-Chair; Jamieson Goodwin, Clerk; Amanda
Holland, Roy Neuer;
Members Absent: Donna Laban, Bob Britt
City Representative: Maggie Leugers, Director of Recreation & Parks; Paul Connor, Director of Planning
& Zoning
Also Present: Lou Bresee
Meeting began at 5:45 pm.
1. Comprehensive plan review items of note:
a. Throughout the document there are references to the Recreation Path Committee,
please update references to Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee.
b. Section 1 Page 1-2, General Description, fourth paragraph; Addition of current length of
recreation path to highlight quality of resource.
c. Section 2 Page 2-16: Objective 5; Add interconnecting neighborhoods as a feature via
recreation path.
d. Section 2 Page 2-22 Strategy 17; Could this be stronger with added emphasis on walking
and biking? Perhaps: “Develop transportation capacity across all transportation modes
including with emphasis on bike and pedestrian, while inclusive of transit and autos.”
e. Section 2 Page 2-30, Principal Existing & Planned uses list; Recommend inclusion of the
Recreation Path in both Active Recreation and Passive Recreation bullets.
f. Section 2 Page 2-30-31, City Parks, Lands & Facilities list; Include Recreation path as a
facility.
g. Section 2 Page 2-32, South Burlington High School-Middle School; Inclusion of proposed
complex of trails (including MTB) surrounding the school property? Further discussion
by attendees revealed a concern of proposed trails not being surfaced in this plan and
on the map. Outcome: Recommendation to add a strategy on Section 2 Page 44 to
develop city wide trail system/map which would increase knowledge of little known
areas to visit or utilize for recreation and transportation means.
h. Section 2 Page 2-49 Add strategy which encompasses maintenance and
expansion/development of Recreation Path as a means to improve Quality of Life and
ease of exploration.
i. Section 2 Page 2-52, Spear Street, second paragraph: Repaving in 2013 “improved
conditions” but the committee highlights that this area is still inadequate and unsafe for
both bicycles and pedestrians, emphasizing a need for further improvement, whether
widening or use of alternative means of modification.
j. Section 2 Page 2-59, Future Needs and Trends; Recommend highlight/explanation of Act
34/Complete Streets legislation that mandates many design and safety standards for
street/sidewalk usage. Some discussion amongst attendees showed that this might
warrant adding as a mention within the Inventory section (Section 2 Page 2-50)
k. Section 2 Page 2-62 Strategy 35; “Plan for safe pedestrian and bike access to all schools
and support efforts to educate and encourage more children to walk or bike to school. “
l. Section 2 Page 2-62; Add a new strategy encouraging alternative methods of
transportation, by providing facilities to users, such as secure bike parking, washing
facilities, etc.
m. Section 2 Page 2-65 Proposed Improvement Project 9, Purpose; “To improve pedestrian,
cyclist, and vehicular safety at this intersection.”
n. Section 2 Page 2-72 Energy introduction; Amend second paragraph to include mention
of “alternatively powered” transportation methods or words to that effect.
o. Section 3 Page 3-34 Recreation Paths, second paragraph (B&P goals); Replace
paragraph, perhaps: “Due to significant residential development and growth in this
sector, B&P committee has identified many Bicycle and Pedestrian related Infrastructure
needs.
Due to time constraints the Committee attendees will compile remainder of self-identified issues
found to be of low/minor importance for brief review at the next regularly scheduled meeting of this
Committee (Wednesday, October 14th at 5:30 in South Burlington town hall located at 575 Dorset
St). Paul Connor also provided a draft of the map to be included with the Comprehensive Plan for
review in which the Committee could markup to add or remove items that should be reflected as
potential priorities for the Comprehensive Plan.
Further discussion continued around the need to develop priorities for each of the city quadrants,
but also to develop a standing set of criteria that would help to identify top priorities for the
Committee and the city. These items are to be added to the agenda for discussion and review in
subsequent Committee meetings.
Attending members of the Committee noted displeasure at the inability to provide timely and
meaningful input on the composition of the city’s Comprehensive Plan draft document reviewed this
evening. It was felt that the committee was leaving many gaps in desired changes that would be
capable of being manifest had the Committee been included in the process to update
Comprehensive Plan earlier.
The Committee thanks Paul Connor, Maggie Leugers and Lou Bresee for their assistance in reviewing
the document, providing input and assisting the Committee with recommendations to be presented
to the Council for review.
Meeting ended at 8:35 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Jamieson Goodwin, Clerk