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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999-05-20 Bicycle & Pedestrian_MIN BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN COMMISSION Thursday, May 20, 1999 Meeting Minutes Members Present: Tim Garry, Landon Hilliard, Tom Powell, Russ Rickert, Theresa Johnson, David Young, and Council Liaison Wheeldon. Jesse Ferraro arrived late. Staff present: Maria Harris and Derek Severson. I. CALL TO ORDER: Tim Garry called the meeting to order at 5:08 p.m. II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: March 18, 1999 Harris stated these minutes would be available for the next meeting. III. PUBLIC FORUM Wheeldon introduced Benjamin and Suzanne Sawyer who had assisted her at the Morning Glory aid station on Ashland Free Ride Day. Susan Lanfield noted she was present due to her interest in eventually serving on the commission. IV. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION A. Bike Rack Recommendation: Blackstone Audio/27 Mistletoe, Steve Black Harris noted that an agenda was sent to Mr. Black but he was not present. Wheeldon noted that she had spoken with staff, as she was concerned that mixed messages might be being sent, but feels that this was not the case here. Stated that the information given to Mr. Black was correct, and he had not followed through on it. Young stated he had looked at the rack, and feels it would accommodate four bikes creatively. He would be willing to allow this rack, but will defer to the group. Noted that there is little bike traffic in the area, and that occupants keep their bikes inside. Powell questioned Mr. Black’s testimony, which indicated he had been given misleading information. Wheeldon stated that after talking with staff she believed the correct information was given and that Mr. Black may have misconstrued it. Garry expressed his concern with setting a precedent for non-conformance with standards. Stated that he felt standards should be followed consistently. Harris noted at staff level, there are many attempts by applicants to get around standards. Powell questioned the alternative design allowed in the ordinance. Harris noted that alternative designs would need to be approved by a Senior Planner, and would essentially be racks where bikes could be safely secured by a U-lock. Generally, standard U-racks are cheaper and more available than alternative designs. Harris confirmed that the commission is charged with making a recommendation here, and that the staff advisor would make a decision. Hilliard feels that the rack used here would only handle three bikes. Harris noted that many applicants feel that bike parking is unnecessary, suggested that parking facilities must be treated equally now to lay the groundwork for looking at bikes and autos more equitably in the future. Garry emphasized that more people will use bikes in the future, and facilities will need to be in place. Wheeldon agreed that things need to be set up in the planning stages. Young/Wheeldon m/s to recommend requiring the standard rack. Voice vote: All AYES. Motion passed. Benjamin Sawyer questioned whether there was a policy to get new racks installed at existing sites. Harris explained that those buildings in the downtown (C-1-D) zone are given racks, but a retrofitting policy has not been discussed elsewhere. Wheeldon suggested that this might be considered in the future, and noted both BiMart and Shop-N-Kart as potential retrofit sites. B. Ashland Free Ride Day Debriefing Garry thanked everyone who helped with this event. Re-emphasized that the Commission had chosen not to look at numbers or quantitative impacts but rather to emphasize efforts at the schools and throughout the community. Stated that there was a good spirit to the day, the weather was good, and there was a good community response especially at the schools. Noted the posters that were displayed downtown and on RVTD buses. Stated that 152 people stopped at the high school station and that 2/3 of these were students. Noted that teachers completed 7 surveys. Hilliard noted that there were few people at the Evo’s station, but stated that those who did stop were energized. Noted that 17 people stopped, and 11 surveys were completed. Rickert noted a steady flow of people. Stated that 28 people completed 11 surveys, but noted that 8 people were walkers who were unaware of the event. Emphasized that there were teachers and students participating, and generally a lot of support from the educational community. Jesse Ferraro arrived at 5:40 p.m. Wheeldon noted Morning Glory opened late, and that people congregated. 79 people completed 48 surveys, including a KinderSpirit group of children on a whole-day field trip using buses and bikes. Young noted that the Brother’s station had 30 people, and 28 surveys were completed. Stated that the wind and the traffic were difficult, but Brother’s was great for their support. Noted excellent media coverage and the artwork displayed. Noted that RVTD buses were busy, but many riders were unaware of the free fares. Benjamin Sawyer suggested closing a lane on Siskiyou Boulevard for one day as a symbolic act to draw attention to bikes and pedestrians. Feels this might be controversial, but that it would be worth thinking about. Wheeldon suggested spending time looking at ideas for next year. Garry urged continuing the Free Ride Day effort, without concern for success or failure. Cited the positive effects on the school audience, and noted the positive response to the young trials rider who spoke at the school. Suggested keeping the event, and looking at expanding things with more exposure and more stations. Wheeldon suggested including this on the goals to be addressed sometime this year. Wheeldon noted that the surveys should be reviewed at some point, and questioned how data should be compiled and used. Young suggested storing the surveys and moving on. Garry noted that he would be compiling the information for the high school. C. Goal Setting Harris explained that there were posters on the board, which included information on the powers, duties and responsibilities of the commission, and “The Four E’s.” Harris explained “The Four E’s” as elements that were consistently present in communities that were successful in encouraging bicycle and pedestrian transportation. Listed these elements as Engineering/Planning, Education/Safety Awareness, Enforcement, and Encouragement/Promotion/Publicity. Explained that there were posters on the walls for each of these categories, with items on each poster from previous member suggestions. Each commissioner then selected items from the posters that they wanted to see the commission work on in the next year. Wheeldon noted that many items for which no interest was shown are valid, and could be incorporated into the larger picture. Emphasized that she would not want these items to be lost. Garry noted that there was a connection between some items, and suggested that those items could be paired and worked on in combination. Rickert suggested working on two items per month, and requested a copy of the list. Also suggested that the items for which the most interest was shown could be given priority. Wheeldon requested that the date of the next meeting be changed to June 10, and asked that at that meeting the commission consider changing the meeting time to later in the evening for the remainder of the summer. Each item from the list was identified as long-term, short-term, or on going, and Harris noted that she would compile this information for the commissioners to review. Suggested that at the next meeting, the items could be put into “goal statement” form, and members could look at who would like to work on each item. Wheeldon/Ferraro m/s to reimburse Garry $36 to cover his out-of-pocket expenditures for Free Ride Day. Voice vote: All AYES. Motion passed. Johnson stated that she would like to take one of the Free Ride Day surveys and try to work on a report format to make sense of them. V. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business the meeting adjourned at 6:39 p.m. Next Meeting: Thursday, June 10, 1999 at 5:00