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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-10-17 Bicycle & Pedestrian_MIN Bicycle & Pedestrian Commission th, October 17 2002 Regular Meeting Minutes Roll Call Catron, Reynolds, Nutter, Spear, Beaudoin, and Chapman were present. Baxter arrived late. Marvin and Hartzell were absent. Call to Order Chapman called the meeting to order at 5:03 p.m. Reynolds and Catron were introduced to the commission, and they briefly discussed their backgrounds and reasons for wishing to serve. Approval of Minutes th Spear/Beaudoin m/s to approve the minutes of September 19, 2002 as presented. Public Forum Clara Ammons/83.5 Morton Street noted that she was a pedestrian, cyclist and bus passenger who did not own a car. She expressed concern with the state of sidewalks in Ashland, especially in the older areas of town. She added that she fell on Siskiyou recently, and pointed out than an 80-year old friend will not walk due to bicyclist behavior in passing pedestrians. She also expressed concern that cyclists are not educated to be courteous. She noted her personal experience in Wisconsin where bells are required and there are specific guidelines for behavior when passing pedestrians. She expressed her frustration with having to be constantly on the alert for bikes. Baxter noted that there is a history of problems with bicycles on Siskiyou, where the sidewalks were once the designated bikelane. Nutter explained to Ammons that there was a representative of the police department on hand, and he suggested that she consider passing her concerns on to the City Council as well. Chapman also recommended contacting the Public Works Department. Harris clarified that in Ashland, property owners are responsible for sidewalk repair, and she added that in extreme cases the city contacts owners, or simply fixes the sidewalks and bills the owner. Review BTA Safes Routes to School Proposal Harris noted that there was a separate memo included in commissioner packets from Scott Bricker of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA). Baxter asked about status of the Oregon Community Foundation grant; Harris stated that BTA had not heard as of their last contact. Spear asked for clarification of the request made to BTA after the last meeting, and Harris responded that she had sent a request for information after the last meeting. Chapman noted that he was interested in the real cost of the BTA’s school program. Catron added that bike education is extremely important for kids and adults, and he stated that adults seem to be as prone to problems as kids, if not more so. Catron noted that while he has no authority as a police volunteer, he regularly observes problems in passing pedestrians and riding against traffic. Chapman concurred with the need for education and enforcement, and he discussed the bike safety and barrier removal elements of the Safe Routes proposal. There was discussion of the existing BTA bike safety program that may be ending due to a lack of funding. Harris noted that the funding was via grants, as well as funds from the city and the state. She emphasized that at this point, only the $1000 per year from the city remains, and she pointed out that this would not even cover the costs of the program in one school. Reynolds questioned whether the PTA could be a funding source for schools. Chapman stated that ODOT would still do matching grants, and he added that it would require at least $3000 in additional funds plus the matching grants to keep the program running. Catron emphasized there is a lot of grant funding available. Chapman expressed his concern that this commission was not told that the program would be ending until now, and he added that the BTA has now demonstrated failure in keeping a program underway. Baxter stated that Marvin had been looking at working for the 2002-1017_Bike Min.doc Page 1 of 5 BTA on this program, and he concurred that the BTA seemed to have failed in keeping funding going or communicating the potential threat of failed funding. Baxter stated that he was not sure what this meant for the commission’s future work with the BTA, or for the future of BTA programs. Chapman stated that he had spoken to Rogers, and he stated that she did not know how the BTA would get funds. He suggested that one hurdle might be that funds go through the BTA in Portland. Chapman added that one possibility would be to open a BTA- Ashland office or use some sort of Ashland placeholder for funds. Chapman stated that Rogers would like to continue working for the BTA, but he added that she needs $30/hour to teach. Baxter noted that this was considerably more than an elementary teacher makes. Nutter questioned whether the program would really need to go through the BTA, or if it could be done directly by the commission. Harris stated that the BTA provides administrative and training components that could be difficult to provide locally. Beaudoin asked what was available locally in lieu of hiring someone like Rogers. Baxter concurred with Harris that the BTA had effective existing administrative functions in place. Harris agreed that not being notified of the programs difficulties was a problem, but she pointed out that the program was originally to be a three-year program to be passed on to community. She stated that she was not sure what was done to prepare for the passing on, but she added that the community bears some role in not taking the reigns. Harris explained that there is a small amount of funding for BTA program administration for the whole state. She added that the commission has previously been fairly unattached to program, and she explained that she sees barriers on BTA’s side on the part of commission and community. She stated that they have had great difficulty getting parent volunteers. Reynolds asked if the program was flawed, and she suggested that it may need to be looked at. She suggested that the previous manager of the program may have had limited skill-sets in recruiting volunteers; she emphasized that there was more than just the logistics of running a class involved in keeping a program going and building momentum. Harris agreed and stated that the resource limitations are a barrier here, as $1500 per school does not come close to getting the necessary ground work done. Chapman stated that the $1500 estimate included 6 hours of administration for every 8 hours of class time. Chapman noted that he had heard offers of funding, and that he feels there is money out there. Reynolds concurred that money should not be a problem. Nutter noted that there is some difficulty when the program rests with one person working part time. Members concurred. Reynolds added that if there was a problem with funds coming through Portland, it could be arranged to have the funds come through the Ashland Schools Foundation or some other local group, and she emphasized that it would just take focus and time Nutter stated that he felt there needed to be a person from this commission involved, and he suggested that he was not sure it would work even with funding. Catron suggested looking at Frank D’Entremont’s Community Service Volunteer database, and he emphasized that there are many willing volunteers in Ashland. Baxter noted that Rogers made efforts to recruit volunteers from this commission and through local publications, and he added that she was being paid to complete the classes. He emphasized that the spadework to find funds needed to come elsewhere. Catron emphasized that volunteers might be willing to write grants, administer programs and seek funding. Chapman asked that discussion return to the Safe Routes program, and he stated that he didn’t see it as a separate program but rather as a continuation or expansion of the bike safety program. He emphasized that the programs could be presented in combination. Baxter agreed that combining the two programs made the most sense to him since it would be easier to get the funding going and it would mean that one person could focus on the classes. Chapman suggested that there be two focused events a year in the fall and spring, and maybe a third through P.E. classes. He emphasized that this would make it very close to a regular, part-time job, especially if the programs were conducted valley-wide. Baxter questioned what the commissioners would do if the received grant funds and could move ahead: would they want to partner with the BTA, or would they prefer to try to separate and duplicate? He emphasized that without the BTA the program would have to restart again, from scratch. Reynolds asked how the program could become self-sustaining without asserting its independence from the BTA. Nutter questioned the City’s efforts to address these sorts of issues as stated in the comprehensive plan; Harris explained that this was part of the City’s long term vision as identified in 1996. She stated that while items have been included in the Public Works budget for years they have not yet been funded. She stated that she did not feel any funding would be seen in the near term. Nutter questioned if council request would be effective. Harris compared to this issue to the housing coordinator position, another item that 2002-1017_Bike Min.doc Page 2 of 5 was turned down for several years in a row in the budget process. Harris stated that her impression from speaking to Scott Bricker of the BTA was that bike safety teachers do not have the networking, fundraising or administrative skills necessary to do it all. Reynolds recommended having one part-time, local administrator to supplement the teaching position. Harris suggested that the BTA’s administrative base in Portland was not deep enough to split and come here. Chapman summarized the discussion, and explained that the group seemed to be leaning toward a Rogue Valley-branch BTA. He added that the feeling seemed to be that money sent to Portland does not all come back to Ashland. Harris stated that the task would then be to set up the institutional base here, in addition to keeping classes underway. Reynolds reiterated the level of skills and coordination that would be needed to administer and network. Spear questioned whether the point of the discussion was to determine whether to partner with the BTA. Harris clarified that at the last meeting the commission stated that it wanted to partner but had asked for further information on what the program would look like. She added that the funding issue had arisen since that discussion. Harris stated that partnering is now in question given the fate of the bike education program. Harris clarified that the BTA’s grant application to the Oregon Community Foundation was for a safe routes program for one school in each of four communities. Baxter stated that this would work well with the commission’s previous plan to use Lincoln School as a pilot school. Chapman stated that this all made sense until the bike education program funding fell through. Nutter asked if a decision could wait until members had the opportunity to speak to Marvin and the BTA to see what comes of the current funding crisis. Baxter suggested helping the BTA with a safe routes program if they receive the OCF grant, despite any issues still to be worked out, and resolving to work to fix the flaws as a financial supporter of the current bike education program. Baxter emphasized that the commission had been unable to get the program started on its own, and that the BTA provides a chance of getting underway. He added that the commission’s preliminary work would actually assist the BTA in putting there program in place. Baxter stated that he was interested in further discussions with the BTA relative to whether they would accept money conditioned on their receiving the OCF grant, and in discussing details of the program as they see it. Baxter concluded that he sensed reluctance on the part of the other commissioners. Chapman suggested that the commission was not reluctant but merely wanted some assurance that there would be funding available prior to pledging support. Harris stated that the BTA had achieved results in the past, despite fundraising difficulties. Beaudoin stated that he had no problems with the BTA, and he added that he saw no other realistic option. Reynolds questioned what the BTA wanted from this commission. Baxter gave Reynolds a brief background of the program’s history with the commission and the difficulty that had been encountered in getting underway. He explained that the commission still has the materials that were prepared, and he added that there had been trouble overcoming the inertia of getting a new program underway. Reynolds asked whether the city already had safe route information compiled. Harris explained that the city had some basic information on where there were sidewalks, but she emphasized that there was no inventory of the conditions that are a big part of the safe routes program. Reynolds agreed that a qualitative evaluation was needed. Harris added that the program was also a matter of getting into the schools and making the program happen. Baxter reiterated the history of difficulties in getting students to map safe routes and then to use them. Reynolds suggested that could be done as an after school item. Harris stated that the commission needed to decide whether there was sufficient interest to pursue a partnership with the BTA, and if so whether the commission was willing to contribute funds given the possibility that the funds from the OCF might not come through. Baxter suggested contacting the BTA and telling them of the commission’s interest in helping with funding, and then asking if they could discuss the matter further, beyond the scope of the memo that was copied in the packets. Baxter explained that there needed to be a determination of how the commission and the BTA could work together if commissioners decided to provide fund. It was clarified that funding assistance from the commission would need to come from the commission’s budget, which currently has $3300 available. Catron asked whether this would be a one time grant or some sort of perpetual support. Baxter stated that he did not feel that the commission was ready to commit funds, and he explained that he would like to verify what the relationship would be and how the money would be used. He concluded that he would suggest not committing to provide perpetual support. There was discussion of whether Lincoln School was set as the preferred location for the pilot school. After discussion, members 2002-1017_Bike Min.doc Page 3 of 5 stated that the Middle School might be a more logical pilot site. Baxter/Nutter m/s to instruct staff to draft a letter to the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) informing them that the commission was considering funding the Safe Routes to School program as described in the Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) grant materials and would like to talk about the form the program would take and how money would be spent. It was noted that this not intended as a commitment to provide resources at this time, but rather a request for feedback and further communication. Voice vote: All AYES. Motion passed. Baxter and Harris agreed to work on this further, with the hope of receiving a letter or BTA attendance at a future meeting. It was agreed that the commission would come back to the issue of funding a part-time fundraiser later. Light Distribution Baxter stated that he had looked into the fix-it tickets used by the U.C. Davis campus police and also by the Berkeley city police. He explained that if a cyclist was cited for having an unsafe bike they were given a fix-it ticket, and noted that if the problems were fixed the cyclist did not need to appear in court or pay the citation. He gave background to new members that the commission had purchased lights for distribution to cyclists and was now trying to determine the best way to distribute them to riders without lights. Baxter noted that the idea had been to distribute lights through the Police Department when citations were issued. APD Office Thom Cook stated that warnings are far more common than citations with fines; Cook suggested that distribution in a manner similar to that used for bike helmets might be better. Harris noted that the lights purchased retail for $30, and stated that she had checked with APD Chief Fleuter prior to purchasing the lights. She added that she would confirm possible options for light distribution with Fleuter. Catron suggested an article or editorial in the Tidings addressing bike safety in general and including the light distribution details specifically. Catron also invited members of the commission to walk his Community Service Volunteer (CSV) beat with him. Reynolds asked about setting up a low cost distribution program, similar to that used for the helmets, to distribute the lights at a low cost with some promotion. Spear explained that the intent had been to transform being stopped by a police officer into a positive experience. Harris stated that the light supply would be depleted quickly at so far below retail. Reynolds urged the commission to impose some sort of limit and to somehow address the issue of taking business away from bike shops. She also questioned whether this program would reward violators who were not proactive to begin with. After discussion, members agreed that the primary offenders receiving lights would be college students. Catron noted that most students he speaks to as a CSV volunteer are very receptive and are only breaking rules out of ignorance. Baxter/Beaudoin m/s to direct staff to contact Police Chief Fleuter about the feasibility of a fix-it ticket program to distribute lights. Voice vote: All AYES. Motion passed. Siskiyou Bike Survey Harris stated that she was still working on this item and waiting for further information, so she suggested bringing it back for discussion at next month’s meeting. She explained that the survey would be looking at bicycle and pedestrian traffic counts before and after the boulevard redesign to see what effect the redesign had. She stated that she was trying to get previous counts to use in organizing the second after portion of the survey. Harris asked members to think about this item and to consider volunteering; she concluded that it would be simple to get an idea of how these transportation system improvements affected bicycle and pedestrian traffic. 2003-2004 Budget Request Harris noted that there was some flexibility in the timing of this item over the next two meetings. She explained that the commission would receive $500-750 for training, materials, etc. and there would also be line items for projects. She added that the commission did not have its own budget per se. Nutter stated that he was hoping to ensure funding for the BTA bike safety and safe routes programs, and he asked what would be appropriate to request now. Harris noted that the commission had not spent anything out of this year’s budget yet, and she added that the commission still had $3300. Spear noted that the commission could spend $3000 and then request $3000 more for next year. 2002-1017_Bike Min.doc Page 4 of 5 Nutter asked whether staff had any word on the cost of signage and maps. Harris explained that the directional signage costs would be around $2800 and she added that she was still looking for another funding source within the city budget. She noted that if other funds could not be found the commission would need to set aside $2800. Harris clarified that this would not be a fast project, and she emphasized that it could wait if more pressing needs were identified. She added that staff could work on locating resources elsewhere, and she noted that the signs might not get in the ground by the end of this year anyway. She emphasized that the signs that were already paid for were up and in place. Chapman suggested that he would like to fund the BTA bike safety program in schools so that the program would be able to finish out the school year this fall. Harris stated that the program was in four schools this year. Chapman stated that the BTA would need $2250 to fund three schools, at half of the estimated $1500/school. It was agreed that this item would be included on the agenda for the next meeting. Reynolds suggested throwing all funds to the bike safety program, and recommended earmarking $2550 ($3300 available minus the $750 in annual expenses) in order to get matching funds from ODOT. Nutter asked how the safe routes program would get underway. Reynolds asked that the BTA contacted about finishing the program in schools this year – how the program would work, how the ODOT fund match would work - and seek a proposal in response. She questioned if this would be enough to get going the program back on its feet before failure. Nutter asked for Harris’ read on this proposal, and she responded that she did not know the feasibility of saving the program this fall. Chapman stated that he would ask the Traffic Safety Commission (TSC) to see if they could come up with half of the needed $2250. Reynolds/Nutter m/ to direct staff to contact BTA and offer $2500 out of the budget to try to re-implement the program in the earliest timely manner to get launched before weather becomes a challenge. Voice vote: All AYES. Motion passed. Signage & Maps Moved to next month’s agenda. Schedule New Member Orientation Harris stated that she would speak to new members after the meeting. Budget Update Harris stated that there was currently $3300 available. New Business Harris noted that there was a meeting room available in the Community Development and Engineering Services Building at 51 th Winburn Way (the former Hillah Temple site) that would be available beginning with the December 19 meeting. Members agreed that future meetings should be scheduled for this room. Agenda Items for Next Meeting Items identified for discussion at the next meeting included a continued discussion of partnering with the BTA, the Siskiyou bike survey, and fix-it tickets as a way to distribute lights. Adjournment There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:04 P.M. Next Meeting 5:00 p.m. on November 21st, 2002 2002-1017_Bike Min.doc Page 5 of 5