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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee - 03/08/2023 AGENDA South Burlington Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee City Hall 3rd Floor, Room 301 at 180 Market Street South Burlington, VT 05403 Participation Options: In Person: Room 301 – 180 Market St Assistive Listening Service Devices Available upon request Electronically: meet.goto.com/SBCity/cityplan2024 Join By Phone: +1 (408) 650-3123 Access Code: 493-069-485 6:00 PM Wednesday March 8, 2023 1. Welcome, Emergency Exit and Virtual Meeting Instructions, Gratitude – Havaleh (6:00 PM) 2. Changes or additions to the agenda – Havaleh (6:03 PM) 3. Comments from the public not related to the agenda – Havaleh (6:05 PM) 4. Consideration of minutes from February 8, 2023 – Havaleh (6:10 PM) 5. ***Updates from the City – Erica (6:15 PM) 6. ***Review updated safety recommendations – Safety Working Group (6:25 PM) 7. Review plan for May bike month event – Havaleh (6:40) 8. Updates Ongoing Committee/Liaison Work: (6:50 PM) 1. Chair updates – Havaleh 2. DRB Update – Bob 3. DPW/Safety – Bob, Dana, Amanda, Doug 4. Bike Friendly Community Planning/Greenway progress – Nic 5. Communications/Outreach/Follow up from January discussion – Donna 6. Mapping – Amanda, Nic 7. Signs – Nic, Donna, Dana 9. Confirm April 12, 2023 Meeting (6:55PM) 10. Adjourn Bike/Ped Meeting and Begin City Plan 2024 Community Conversation (7:00PM) *** Attachments Included 104 Landfill Road, South Burlington, VT 05403 www.southburlingtonvt.gov tel 802.658.7961 • • • • • • • • • • Draft Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee’s Prioritized List of Policy and Safety Recommendations to the City Council and City Staff Updated as of February 22, 2023 A) The Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee recommends that the City Council adopt the following Policy statements in support of pedestrians, bicyclists, and other vulnerable road users of the City’s roads: 1. All pedestrian crosswalks and road double yellow lines and bike lanes/fog (white) lines should be painted at least once per year, preferably in the spring, unless the markings from the prior painting are still clearly visible to oncoming vehicles. Some crosswalks located on roads with heavy vehicle traffic may need to be painted in the spring and fall for year-round safety. The cost was estimated by the former DPW Director at approximately $60-80K per year versus the present budget of $40K starting in FY2023. The City’s budget should increase by $10K per year starting in FY2025 until it reaches an adequate level to achieve this policy goal as determined by the Director of Public Works. 2. The City Council recognizes the need to maintain the City’s bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and the importance of incrementally increasing the City’s annual budget for such infrastructure maintenance at a sufficient level to maintain the integrity of this precious resource. There is an ongoing need for the general fund to support the cost for the DPW to trim branches and brush from shared-use paths, sidewalks and traffic signals including Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs). Also, due to the age of many sections of the shared-use path network, it is recognized that many areas need repaving and/or crack filling due to tree root damage and normal wear and tear and have become unsafe. B) The Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee recommends that the City Council direct City Staff to complete the following projects that were brought to the City Council in 2019 and supported: 1. Complete the upgrade of the remaining 8 RRFBs crosswalk locations so that each pole has lights facing both directions like how it is done in Burlington and all other surrounding towns. As an example, one need only travel down Pine Street in Burlington. Please note that 27 of 35 such locations have been upgraded to date. With only one light facing each direction, drivers are not seeing the flashing light on the single Draft pole clearly in many situations, notably when making turns, following too closely behind other vehicles, or otherwise. This is evidenced by drivers not regularly stopping to allow bicyclists or pedestrians to cross at non-upgraded locations. The upgrades are funded by Penny for Paths monies. 2. Install solid barriers of some type (guard rail, fencing, etc.) to prevent northbound vehicles on Dorset Street from using the recreation path between just south of Songbird Road (across from Faith United) and 1 Kennedy Drive. Vehicles are using the recreation path as an additional travel lane to get around cars stopped to make a left turn onto Songbird Road or to make right turns onto Grandview and Kennedy Drives. (Note – the Committee has continually observed vehicle tracks on this section of the recreation path during snow events. For example, on 12/8/21, 3 sets of vehicle tire tracks were visible on the rec path during that day’s snowfall). This project was first included in the FY19 CIP to be constructed in FY21 using Penny for Paths funding and still needs to be constructed. [As a further update, based on a January 2023 draft crosswalk CCRPC scoping report, the Committee believes the need for such a barrier at Songbird Road and south on Dorset is no longer needed once the planned bump-out that has been designed into a crosswalk across Dorset Street connecting the shared-use path on Songbird to the shared-use path on the east side of Dorset should solve the problem of vehicles using the recreation path as an additional travel lane to get around cars stopped to make a left turn onto Songbird Road.] C) The Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee recommends that the City Council direct City Staff to review and analyze the following additional safety recommendations and report back to the Council within a 6-month timeframe whether it concurs with implementation of some or all of these recommendations. For those staff concurs with, please provide the Council with the estimated cost to implement, funding sources and expected timing of implementation: 1. Perform a Speed Limit review of South Burlington streets to aid in the safety of both vehicle drivers and vulnerable road users (i.e., pedestrians and bicyclists). Initial focus should be on roads with speed limits of 35-mph and higher. Arterial roads including Spear Street, Dorset Street, Hinesburg Road, Patchen Road and Airport Parkway require immediate attention as these were once rural roads allowing outlying towns to primarily pass-through to South Burlington’s core and Burlington. Today, due to the City’s housing expansion and regional trends, these roads are now “neighborhood roads” and require lower speeds and traffic calming enhancements to protect all users of these roads. In fact, in the January 2023 draft CCRPC crosswalk scoping report, a crosswalk across Hinesburg Road from the sidewalks at the ends of Dubois and Butler Drives was Draft found to not meet warrants due to the 45-mph speed limit. That speed limit is imposed on the residents of South Burlington who live in the nearby neighborhoods by the State of Vermont. The City asked VTrans to review that speed limit in 2021 and VTrans did not agree to reduce it; a Catch-22 when the City wants to construct a crosswalk at this location. Please note that a cyclist was struck and killed near this location in October 2022. 2. Seek approval from VTrans to install Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) at the 3 new Hinesburg Road crosswalks at Ruth Street, Prouty Parkway and the Awasiwi Trail as the current crosswalk design is dangerous for bicyclists, pedestrians, and school and GMT bus riders. The RRFBs were included in the FY22 CIP project description and would be funded 100% using Penny for Path funding. Please note that the Prouty Parkway crosswalk is a crucial link in the Committee’s Safe Routes to School route. 3. Flashing “School Zone” signs should be installed on Dorset Street and Kennedy Road near the High and Middle Schools and near each of the elementary schools. 4. Install RRFBs at Market Street crosswalks, 4-way stop signs on Market Street at the entrance to City Hall and the Marcotte Central School, flashing “School Zone” sign near the Market Street intersection with Marcotte Central School and temporary or permanent traffic calming measures such as bump-outs and speed bumps/tables to help slow traffic on Market Street. 5. Install additional flashing radar speed-reading signs to remind vehicle drivers of the speed limit. Consideration of placement of these signs should include Williston Road, Hinesburg Road, Dorset Street, Market Street and Spear Street. Although there is a required capital investment, it pales in comparison to the cost required for police traffic enforcement. Doug to verify if speed cams can be deployed in Vermont and, if so, how they can be connected directly to the DMV for processing so they do not create more work for the police department. 6. A “No Right on Red” sign needs to be installed southbound on Dorset Street at the intersection of Swift Street that illuminates only when the pedestrian controlled, pedestrian crossing light is activated in “white” to indicate to pedestrians that it is safe to cross. Vehicles are too often in a hurry or do not even fully stop to take a right turn on red and do not realize the walk light is on. Draft 7. Improve shared-use path and sidewalk lighting throughout City including on Dorset Street and Kennedy Drive. The Committee has noted that vehicle lanes appear illuminated but the shared-use paths along Dorset and Kennedy are dark. The City should evaluate the existing system in terms of documenting whether fixtures illuminate the bike and pedestrian infrastructure (angle of illumination) at the same time minimizing light pollution as much as possible. [As an update, a CCRPC scoping study is currently underway to evaluate adding shared-use path lighting to Kennedy Drive as a prototype for future lighting additions.] 8. The next time the Kimball Avenue fog lines are painted, the vehicle lanes should be reduced to 11’ from 12’ so that the bike lanes can be widened from 4’ to 5’. The speed limit should also be reduced to 35-mph. 9. A raised crosswalk be used at the Nowland Farm Road entrance to Hubbard Park and speed bumps be added upon approach from east and west before reaching the crosswalk. Additional traffic calming enhancements should be added along the full length of Nowland Farm Road. 10. The City deploy each year a minimum of 8 vertical, in-road "It’s the law, Yield to Pedestrian" signs except in the winter at some of the City's most dangerous crosswalks and at the first crosswalks that non-residents encounter as they enter the City. This should include the crosswalks at the northernmost Spear Street crossing at the western end of the new UVM sidewalk, Spear Street at Nowland Farm Rd/Deerfield Rd, Dorset Street at Midland Avenue, Patchen Road at Richard Terrace, and Airport Parkway at the Northern Meridian Retirement Home. 11. The City should also consider deploying diamond-shaped “Share the Road” signs upon entering the City on the City’s arterial roads including Williston Road, Shelburne Road, Spear Street, Dorset Street, Hinesburg Road, Patchen Road and Airport Parkway.