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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTransportation Minutes August 2017ASHLAND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION MINUTES August 23, 2017 Transportation Commission August 23, 2017 Page 1 of 5 CALL TO ORDER: Graf called the meeting to order at 4:02 p.m. Commissioners Present: Joe Graf, Sue Newberry, David Young, Corinne Vièville, and Kat Smith Commissioners Absent: Dominic Barth Council Liaison Present: None Council Liaison Absent: Mike Morris, and Rich Rosenthal SOU Liaison Absent: Janelle Wilson Staff Present: Mike Faught, Scott Fleury, Brandon Goldman, and Tara Kiewel ANNOUNCEMENTS None CONSENT AGENDA Approval of Minutes: July 20, 2017 Commissioners Newberry/Young m/s to approve minutes as amended. All ayes. Minutes approved. PUBLIC FORUM Joanna Foster 915 Bellview Ave. #1 Read from attached document. Gabriel Lipper – 923 Bellview Ave. #1 Gabriel said the 2013 study on Bellview was due to complaints about speed. He has lost 3 different cats on this street. Since the last study he has had a child and there are more children living on the street. He said that most of the neighborhood supports installing speed bumps. Gabriel said that Tolman Creek Rd. was the intended route for the neighborhoods main traffic flow, but traffic is actually routing down Bellview. There is a long straight away on Bellview toward Siskiyou where there is an issue with speeding. He thinks where the speed study is happening is where people are slowing for the stop and where the alleys are merging onto Bellview. Gabriel thinks speed bumps would be awesome. Louise Shawcat -870 Cambridge Louise asked for a follow up on the bicycle education program and the two grade schools that didn’t want to participate. She inquired if we could work with Chamber of Commerce to advertise the Zagster bike program. She announced that Southern Oregon Climate Action Now is having a master climate protector course the Monday after Labor Day in Talent. Louise is also interested in having the commission follow up on the cars idling issue. NEW BUSINESS Planning Type III Roles and Responsibilities Brandon Goldman, Senior Planner, explained Type I planning actions are administratively approved, Type II are approved by the Planning Commission, and Type III are approved by Council with recommendations from the planning and other directly related commissions. Goldman explained that the Normal Neighborhood Plan was an example of a Type III planning action that came before the Transportation Commission due to the planning of a new street system, identifying which streets would be arterials, and the establishment of a shared street type. Goldman explained a privately initiated action such as annexation or rezoning are also examples of planning actions that would involve the transportation commission. Goldman added that the privately initiated actions have a pre-application ASHLAND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION MINUTES August 23, 2017 Transportation Commission August 23, 2017 Page 2 of 5 process which is a way to address issues that may arise and to provide feedback to the applicant. Newberry asked if the only way the planning actions come to this commission is to be put on the agenda or if there are any public involvement hearings. Goldman explained that public hearings are part of the Planning Commission and planning actions would come to the Transportation Commission as part of the pre application process. Young remarked that with the Normal Neighborhood Plan the Transportation Commission was not involved early enough in the process and was not represented on the Ad Hoc Committee. Young stated that the entire process was a challenge. Newberry asked how we could have a better communication between commissions because there are often shared and overlapping missions. Goldman mentioned that formal or informal liaisons attending other commission meetings might be helpful. Newberry used the visibility issues on Bellview as an example of where the commission could have made a recommendation. Newberry said she would have recommended bulb-outs on the sides of the alleys for better visibility. Newberry asked if they had been attending those meeting would they have been able to comment on those types of things. Goldman said in that particular situation probably not because the street was already in place and approved before the development was built. Goldman added the developer had met the requirement of automobile access, and they are developing their private parcel and public improvements like streets are not typically included in these types of plans. Goldman went on to say that vision clearance issues could be raised to the planning commission for consideration and that bulb-outs would be a street design issue. Faught said Public Works is in charge of the street standards and once they are in place then Planning must follow those guidelines. Newberry mentioned that she would like to see a traffic calming program created. Young stated that we should be looking at holistic approach to planning that should require interconnection between commissions. Newberry remarked that Ashland is mostly built out and that each change that is made affects another area of town. Goldman said that for individual planning actions a balance must be struck between reviewing each of them and having clear criteria so that an applicant can fill out a proposal. Goldman added that we cannot change the standards after an application is submitted and we must look to the master plan and legislated decisions before applicants apply. Young asked if there is a number of units for a development that sends a planning action to the Transportation Commission. Goldman explained that Type III planning actions are the only actions sent to the Transportation Commission. Goldman stated that a larger scale development would have recommendations from the Engineering and Public Works staff if a traffic analysis needs to be provided as part of the application. Graf asked for clarification about the process for Type III planning actions. He asked if at the pre-application stage applicants are told to see the Transportation Commission and if they don’t the application is rejected. Goldman stated the application would be incomplete and not approved. Graf asked about the process when the City decides to make changes. Goldman explained there is no pre-application if the City initiates the changes. Newberry summarized for clarification the ways Transportation Commission is engaged in the planning process is the Type III planning actions and changing standards. Goldman elaborated that Type III actions can be private or public and the private applications have an accelerated timeline which is why there is a pre-application process. TASK LIST Discuss current action item list Citizen requests for speed and volume analysis on Bellview Fleury explained that a traffic study was done in 2013 and 2017 on Bellview in the same location. Fleury ASHLAND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION MINUTES August 23, 2017 Transportation Commission August 23, 2017 Page 3 of 5 acknowledged that the locations of the studies may not be optimum for the highest speeds and said the studies showed the specific times of day people are speeding and the information was then sent to Officer MacLennan for enforcement. In addition the speed trailer has been put on Bellview. Fleury stated the studies showed that volume decreased from 2013 until now by over one hundred vehicles. Fleury told the commission there is a fifteen foot vision clearance requirement for the alleys and it should have been required for the developer to do curb striping, but that would also impact the limited parking. Fleury said we’re now trying to fix an issue after the fact. He added that bump- outs would create vision clearance, but that would be a capital infrastructure cost. Fleury told the commission that we are currently collecting data from higher up the street on Bellview. Fleury explained that speed bumps would not be installed in the right of way, but rather speed humps, tables, or cushions are design measures for traffic calming. Fleury mentioned the Albany, Oregon traffic calming program which requires neighborhoods to do outreach and be involved partners with the city. Fleury encouraged outreach to explain speed issues and impacts on neighborhoods. Smith asked who would take financial responsibility for a traffic calming program. Fleury explained that it depended on the program and that Albany puts some on the financial responsibility on the neighborhood for data collection. If a neighborhood requests traffic calming they would be ranked according to a set criteria and then it would be budgeted. Graf asked what would be the next step. Fleury said collecting the next set of data and then discuss developing a traffic calming program. Hersey/Wimer Signal Road diet will be presented to Council by staff in September. Super Sharrows Faught showed the commission different examples of the proposed sharrows from the Kittelson & Associates, Inc. report and said he will be recommending the solid green super sharrows in the middle lane to Council. Smith asked if there are any planned modifications for bike lanes to have green markings through intersections. Faught said this was something to look at in the future, but this current project was connecting the missing links in the bike lane. The report had also recommended installing a stop sign at Oak and E. Main and to change the speed limit through downtown. Faught explained that our traffic engineer does not agree with these recommendations, and he will not be recommending to them to Council. Graf mentioned that the report is recommending additional signage and Faught added that if this is adopted by Council we will make recommendations on what we would do. Fleury mentioned that the Kittleson report recommends public outreach education. Vièville mentioned that trucks unloading in the bus stops continues to be an issue. Diamond parking needs to be contacted regarding this issue. Fleury mentioned that he would reach out to RVTD. Nevada Bridge Extension Project Faught told the commission that a new grant application needs to be submitted and that staff is working on it. Faught told the commission this bridge could be important in the case of a Cascadia event and that it was discussed at the last Council Study Session. Iowa Street Safety Concerns Smith asked if the walking audit is scheduled for Iowa Street. Fleury said that it will be scheduled after school is back in session. Newberry asked if the scope of the audit will include collecting crash data. Fleury explained it will include turn count movements, peak hour volume at all of the intersections, a walking audit, and a public hearing at a commission meeting. ASHLAND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION MINUTES August 23, 2017 Transportation Commission August 23, 2017 Page 4 of 5 Main Street Crosswalk Truck Parking Young asked for an update on providing alternative truck parking on Main Street where trucks have been blocking crosswalks. Fleury mentioned that ODOT has a signalized light at Water Street in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) which would remove parking from that area. Fleury is waiting to hear from ODOT for a timeline on this project. Faith Ave. Street painting Smith announced that Faith Ave. will be closed for street painting and a block party August 26 and 27. Smith described to the commission that the street will be painted in a twenty eight foot area with a colorful pathway that will include; cedar waxwings, gold finches, robins, California poppies, sunflowers, and bees. This is the first street painting permit issued in Ashland and Fleury mentioned that Smith has been diligent in following the permit to the letter and has contacted the appropriate emergency departments. OLD BUSINESS None FOLLOW UP ITEMS Downtown Parking Plan Faught explained the downtown parking plan was taken to Council and accepted which means it will move forward. Faught added that Public Works will be managing the Parking Plan with existing staff and we will keep collecting data so we can make plans. Graf asked about the expanded parking enforcement area. Faught explained that we will work with Diamond Parking and that some business have requested more enforcement. Faught is mentioned he is pleased that it is moving forward. Transportation System Plan Update-Selection Process Fleury stated the solicitation closed on August 1, 2017 and that one proposal was received. The grading team is finishing the grading process which should be finished by the next commission meeting. Fleury was concerned that only one bid was received and said staff will make a next step recommendation after the grading process has been completed. Graf mentioned that we want to do it right and we may want to consider other options. Zagster Bike Share Program Fleury updated the commission that three bike stations were currently installed and that two additional stations will be installed at Safeway and Growler Guys at the end of September. Young asked about stations at SOU and Ashland Hospital. Fleury mentioned the hospital doesn’t currently have funding but are interested and SOU will be installing soon. Faught shared with the commission he saw people using the bikes the day after the stations installed and talked with the riders who were from out of town and they were very excited. Vièville mentioned that the bus stop between Clay and Glendale had a gravel pad and that after the bike rack was installed someone has removed the gravel and it is now a dirt pad. Fleury said he would talk with the Street Department to put the gravel back. Smith told the commission that she had contacted the 4J School District and the Springfield School District to get information on their car idling policies. Newberry said that Ashland does have an ordinance that the commission should review. COMMISSION OPEN DISCUSSION Newberry discussed commission goal setting and wanting to get community input and suggested doing this charrette style. Fleury mentioned Council will be going into their planning and it might be beneficial to see what the Council ASHLAND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION MINUTES August 23, 2017 Transportation Commission August 23, 2017 Page 5 of 5 goals are and inviting commission chairs. Vièville asked about using a wheelchair for walking audit on Iowa street. Newberry mentioned that walking audits work best when all groups are represented. Next Meeting Date: September 28th, 2017 Meeting ADJOURNMENT: Meeting was adjourned at 6:14 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Tara Kiewel Public Works Administrative Assistant