HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee - 08/12/2015
Approved 9-9-15
BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN COMMITTEE
MINUTES 08-12-2015
The Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee held its regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, August 12, 2015
at 5:30 pm in the small conference room at the city office building.
Members Present: Cathy Frank, Clerk; Donna Leban; Jamieson Goodwin; Roy Neuer; Dana Farr;
Amanda Holland; Bob Britt
Members Absent: none
City Representative: Maggie Leugers, Director of Recreation & Parks
Also present: none
Meeting began at 5:35 pm.
1. Introductions – Welcome to our three new committee members, Bob Britt, Amanda Holland,
and Jamieson Goodwin.
2. Presentation on Programs and Scope of SB Parks & Rec Department - Mission is to connect
people, programs and partnerships. One specific partnership is with the Winooski Valley Park
District (WVPD). Additionally the department has just worked with the Lake Champlain
Committee to add Red Rocks beach as a stop on the Lake Champlain Paddlers Trail. The
department sends out a Newsletter once a month. Bike-Ped Committee can use this to
communicate with SB residents if they wish. The city has a huge acreage and large number of
programs for all ages. Included in that is our Rec Path which is 27 miles long. Staffing is limited
however and the department is in the process of looking at staffing needs 1, 5 and 10 years out.
Comments: Roy – walking paths: neighborhood paths outside the park network are missing
items on everyone’s agenda. Should our committee take on the task of doing an inventory of
neighborhood trails?
3. New item added to the agenda: Update on Underwood Property plans and progress.
4. Election of officers: For Chairperson: Dana Farr, motion Frank/Leban, vote unanimous; Vice-
Chair: Cathy Frank, motion Leban/Britt, vote unanimous; Clerk, Jamieson Goodwin, motion
Britt/Neuer, vote unanimous.
5. Approval of June Minutes: Goodwin/Frank, unanimous (abstentions – Neuer, Farr, Britt, Holland
– all were not present at the last meeting.)
6. Review of Committee Handbook – Mission and Duties. The first 6 items were reviewed and
then a more complete discussion followed for item #7 (a – h) Duties of the Recreation and Parks
Bike Pedestrian Committee.
• C. Make recommendations to Public Works for system maintenance needs and meet
quarterly with Director of Public Works - while we have made recommendations we have
not been able to meet with the Director of Public Works in at least the past 2 years or done
what was once a yearly ride of the bike path with the Director of Public Works. We need to
renew our efforts to meet with him going forward. Maggie with schedule this.
• D. Make recommendations to the Police Department about security needs on the path – we
have not done this although the committee did have a discussion about enforcing dog leash
requirements on the path.
• E. and F. Prepare a yearly budget and submit a yearly report as part of the annual city
report. We have not done either of these in a formal way. The committee did give a report
to the City Council last year.
• G. Recommend future development of the Recreation Path system, including routes,
approximate costs and time frame – we have not done this well in the past 3 years and need
to place emphasis on it.
• H. Review all proposed developments and zoning changes which come before the DRB
and/or Planning Commission for the impact on the recreation path. While we have worked
closely with DRB we have only recently started to get timely updates from the Planning
Department. This needs to continue. Should we assign coverage of attendance to various
city committees to bike/ped committee members? (Planning, Development review).
• Action: Bob and Amanda will review Mission and Duties and report at the next meeting.
7. Review of Committee Handbook – Vermont Open Meeting Law – Vermont’s Open Meeting law
was explained and discussed.
8. Follow up on Motion made at our last meeting: At the last meeting the Committee
recommended that Planning and Public Works look into the feasibility of implementing short
term solutions to difficult bike/pedestrian crossings: Places where right turns on red make it
hard for pedestrians and cyclist to cross safely, repainting pedestrian crosswalks each spring and
extending the length of flashing lights on Kennedy and Williston roads, and the bike path
crossing Shelburne Road. (Motion: Matt/ Second: Donna – vote unanimous)
Report: Maggie talked to Justin – will look into right on red, repainting pedestrian crosswalks in
spring – will consider it. Crosswalks Solar lights – only flash on right side, not on the left side.
There was a lengthy discussion on the problems with the flashing solar pedestrian lights as well
as regular pedestrian walk lights. (Dorset and Swift flashes for pedestrian signal for 4 seconds,
then flashes “don’t walk” for 11 seconds more- so there is a total of 15 seconds before the light
changes). Also drivers don’t know what they should do.) Article in Other Paper as to how to use them.
MUTCD – Google traffic control devices Amanda will look into that. This topic needs follow up at the next
meeting.
Dana explained the excel sheet on solar pedestrian crossing lights she developed to allow us to do an
inventory on what is working or not working with them.
Maggie reported that the Public Works department has agreed to implement Bike rack standards that
Burlington has – as money allows. Amanda reported that VTrans has money for bike racks.
Motion: Cathy/ Donna - Bike/Ped Committee recommends that the Planning Commission adopt the City
of Burlington Bike Rack Standards for private development, as well as city properties.
City’s Comprehensive Master Plan – committee will read through it and discuss at the next meeting.
Maggie will send us link. Put on next month’s agenda. Look for how it deals with interactions between
bike/ped and cars – The plan needs to be bike/ped friendly.
Other Business:
• Underwood Property Update: Maggie reported that the department was negotiating a MOU
with Common Roots to develop and maintain public garden plots on the property. Cathy gave a
brief overview of where the bike-ped path would fit into the new park and how it would
eventually connect to South Village, and urged the committee to keep it in the forefront of the
discussions about the sequence of implementing the development plan for the Underwood
property. It should have as high a priority for park development as the other features in the
master plan since it is a key link in connecting South Village and other neighborhoods to the
south that exit onto Spear Street.
• Hinesburg Road Sidewalk: Roy asked about the progress, if any, on building a sidewalk on
Hinesburg Road from where is now stops to Tilley Drive. Money has been allocated for at least
part of the project. Maggie will ask Justin.
• Walking path along the Winooski: Roy proposed that the city build a walking path along the
Winooski River SB line.
• Cheese Factory Road: Donna mentioned that Cheese Factory Road was very unfriendly to
walkers and cyclists despite the popular destination of the Bread and Butter Farm. Autumn Hill
Rd. is a potential connection for getting walkers and cyclists safely to Cheese Factory Rd.
Jamieson mentioned that a house that was at the end Autumn Hill Rd. was now for sale. It was
one of the impediments to getting a right-of-way to connect to City Owned land. Maggie will
check with Paul
Next Meetings – Sep 9th, Oct 14nd Wed, Nov. 11, Dec 16
9. Motion to adjourn: Donna/ Roy, unanimous.
Meeting ended at 8:05 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Cathy Frank, Clerk