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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-07-20 Bicycle & Pedestrian_PACKETCITY OF ASHLAND BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN COMMISSION Agenda Thursday, July 20", 2006 @ 5:15 P.M. Siskiyou Room @ 51 Winburn Way Community Development & Engineering Services Building CALL TO ORDER II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: June 15th, 2006 III. PUBLIC FORUM - Business from the audience not included on the agenda. (Limited to 5 minutes per speaker and 15 minutes total.) IV. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS Budget Update Sk8Guard Rack Installation Update Subcommittee & Liaison Reports V. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION North Main Multi -Use Path (Marvin) Discussion of Use of Bike Swap Funds (Harding) BTA Funding (Harding) UBI Scholarship (Harding) Bikes/Helmets for Migrant HeadStart (Harding) Leauge of American Bicyclist's BFC Feedback Letter Car Free Day (9/22/06) Int'I Bike/Walk/Scooter to School Day (Week of 10/2 —10/6) New Business Agenda Items for Next Month V. ADJOURNMENT Upcoming Meetings Next Regular Meeting - Thursday, August 17th, 2006 at 5:15 P.M.. In m°omiomplialmm c vm hIt m.Phe ,Aall liiealmlqmmith Dis,mmbihfim ;s Act, it' Vou mm:emwd spec,mal <mssislaniiii°:,L' to Ibis immi�nwfimq,, jklease m°rmmmtao 1hic Citly Admmmimmistm°amm,ur s Olive al (;m 41) 401N..601011.2 (IIII'TY p6mmiav mmmmmmah m gym. 8001.^7.35-2"90M), :Y111114otffk°.ffl min 72 hours Illmm°ia r to lime mmm.m"°.ling vimaiUl emm'able mime Cifk) mtm°ah:m�, re"'mmuommah'Ic mmiirm m�� mm��m�mmmmr:mm ^� to Ir;°mISUI am <1CCI ssflh1fily. to Clh e lxicv imm�,!, (2 (TR 3 .102 35.104 1A.R), "Fide ]) Bicycle & Pedestrian Commission June 15th12006 Regular Minutes Roll Call Tracy Harding Tom Marvin (absent) Chair Dylan Robbins Selene Aitken Council Liaison: David Chapman Staff: Derek Severson, Associate Planner Rachel Teige, Recreation Superintendent RVTD liaison: Paige West, RVTD/TDMPlanner Traffic Safety Commissioners: Colin Swales High school liaison: Vacant Call to Order Chair Robbins called the meeting to order at 5:20 p.m. Arnold Bleicher David Young Vice Chair Julia Sommer Paul Rostykus Steve McLennan, Police Officer Matt Warshawsky SOU liaison: Nathan Meyerson (absent) Approval of Minutes — May 18t", 2006 Rostykus/Sommer m/s to approve the minutes of May 18'h, 2006 as presented. Voice vote: All AYES. Motion passed. Public Forum None. Bike Swap Update (Recreation Superintendent Rachel Teige) Recreation Superintendent Rachel Teige presented a final update on the 2006 Bike Swap. She explained that improvements were being considered to address issues observed this year, including monitors and color -coded price tags to ensure prices were marked clearly and understandably for customers and cashiers. She noted that the total funds now available for Bike Safety Education were $7,076.48. There was discussion of the substantial increase in attendance, which was up to over 650 people through the gate, and it was noted that this may be due in part to higher gas prices. Teige commended the volunteers on their commitment and professionalism. Teige discussed the fact that one bike sold was defective, and was apparently put together from parts just to be sold. Shortly after the purchase, the buyer had problems which they were unable to resolve with the seller. Teige coordinated with volunteer Egon Dubois from the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) and was able to resolve the issue; Dubois did the repairs himself after a bike shop quoted the buyer a cost of over $200. Teige suggested that some reassurance of functionality was needed from the sellers, or alternatively a disclaimer could be prepared. Members agreed that agreement from sellers on the functionality of the bikes or some sort of lemon law or disclaimer were appropriate, but generally indicated that the swap should not take responsibility for the condition or functionality of the bikes being sold. Teige indicated that she would check to see how this issue was addressed through the Ski Swap. Young/Chapman m/s to recommend that the Ashland Parks Foundation pay Egon Dubois from Bike Swap funds for his time and materials for the repairs completed on the defective bicycle sold at the 2006 Bike Swap. Voice vote: All AYES. Motion passed. It was suggested that efforts be made next year to educate buyers, and to clearly communicate that the City of Ashland, Parks Department, Bicycle & Pedestrian Commission, and the Bike Swap would take no responsibility for the functionality of the bicycle being sold. 2006-0615 Bike & Ped minutes Page I of 4 Budget Update Severson noted that as voted last month, the remaining funds had been used to purchase helmets for distribution in local schools, which was being coordinated by Chapman and Traffic Safety Commissioner Keith Massey. Chapman noted that the helmet distribution had been well received, and reiterated that any helmets not distributed would be forwarded to the Parks Department office for distribution with the helmets that were purchased using Bike Swap funds. Severson noted that he had been in communication with the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) about Commission support of their bicycle safety education programs. He stated that he expected to receive an invoice shortly, and added that he had communicated to the BTA that the Commission had requested that a more concrete request be submitted for the coming year, and that it be submitted nearer to the July 1 start of the fiscal year. Severson noted for Teige that he had informed the BTA of the Commission's recommendation that the Parks Department also provide $1600 in support for the bicycle safety education programs using Bike Swap funds, and indicated that she should expect an invoice shortly. WGuard Rack Installation Update Severson noted that he was working with the Public Works Division and Street Department on installation, and had had an initial meeting with the Historic Commission's Review Board because the placement in the downtown is within a National Register Historic District. He indicated that he now needed to get the full Historic Commission's sign -off on the installation and placement as well as approval from the City Administrator prior to scheduling the crew to install the racks. He indicated that he expected this to just after the Historic Commission's next meeting to be held July 5t" Subcommittee & Liaison Reports Severson noted that the Public Works Department had approached him requesting a letter of support from the Commission for a grant application which would fund 90% of the roughly $275,000 cost of installing sidewalks along a section of Laurel Street in the vicinity of Helman School. He added that he had draft plans showing the proposed installation, and that he had drafted a letter based on one that was prepared by Public Works for the Traffic Safety Commission to sign. Rostykus/Robbins m/s to authorize the chair to sign the letter supporting the Public Works Department's Laurel Street Sidewalk grant application. Voice vote: All AYES. Motion passed. Who Rides Where/Bike Safety (Guest: Traffic Safety Commissioner Matt Warshawsky) Severson introduced the newest Traffic Safety Commission Matt Warshawsky, and explained that Warshawsky had submitted a letter of concern which was included in last month's packet. Warshawsky was struck by a car while stopped on his bike in the downtown, and during that incident was informed of an Ashland ordinance which requires that cyclists ride within five feet of the curb. Warshawsky expressed his concern that this was out of compliance with state law, which allows cyclists more flexibility to ensure their safety. APD Officer MacLennan indicated that the current Ashland ordinance is typically not enforced, and that officers default to the Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS). There was discussion of how the exceptions in the ORS allowing cyclists to "take the lane" provide more flexibility to respond to situation -specific conditions and increase rider safety. Rostykus/Chapman m/s to direct staff to draft a letter requesting that the City Council consider an ordinance change to amend AMC 11.52.030.E to bring the ordinance into line with the current O.R.S. 814.430 relative to cyclists "taking the lane" when appropriate for their safety. Voice vote: All AYES. Motion passed. Election of Officer - Secretary Severson explained the duties of the Secretary, noting that these would consist primarily of running the meetings if both the Chair and Vice Chair were absent, and of taking notes of the proceedings in the event that the Planning staff liaison was absent. After a lengthy silence in which no one indicated a willingness to serve in this role, Chair Robbins offered to provide candy and flowers to the secretary each year on Secretary's Day. Aitken reluctantly volunteered, noting her personal candy preference for Dagoba Chocolates. All of those present expressed their unanimous consent that Aitken be made Secretary. 2006-0615 Bike & Ped minutes Page 2 of'4 North Main Multi -Use Path Severson noted that while Marvin was absent he had submitted a letter from a co-worker by fax which was distributed to those present. This letter supported the idea of a bike path along North Main, and requested an interim step consisting of a fog line/bike shoulder stripe on Highway 99 from Butler Ford to about Schofield. The letter indicated that this should be done regardless of jurisdiction as an interim step. Severson explained that jurisdiction is a significant issue with this request, as the majority of the area involved is within the county, and is entirely under state jurisdiction, meaning that the request would have to be coordinated both through the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and Jackson County, as well as the City Public Works Division for the portion within Ashland. Discussion of Striping of Bikelanes & Paths Young expressed his concern with the state of the striping along Mountain Avenue near Havurah Shir Hadash, noting that the lane line is not clearly visible and emphasizing that this was more of a concern given the proximity to retirement communities further out on Mountain where there are more drivers with eyesight and reflexes that have declined with age. Chapman noted that there is a similar problem with the striping on Tolman near East Main. Severson indicated that he would follow-up with Jim Olson to see about the striping maintenance schedule and the possibility of new striping and/or bubble reflectors in these locations. Car Free Day (9/22106) Subcommittee members explained that they were hoping for regular weekly meetings now that the event is getting closer. They indicated that they have been working primarily via e-mail in recent weeks, but would begin meeting regularly and would soon need support from the commission at large. They asked that Robbins consider approaching bike swaps in the near future, and Sommer noted that she had prepared a letter for local employers to encourage employee participation in the event. She asked that anyone interested take letters to distribute. West confirmed for Sommer that RVTD was working with JPR on underwriting event announcements. Intl BikeMlalk/Scooter to School Day (Week of 10/2 -10/6) Rostykus noted that he had brought this up for the agenda, and asked that it be promoted at Car Free Day. West suggested that it could be coordinated with the Walking Wednesday program as well. She explained that there was a $1500 SafeKids grant that was being split between Walker and Helman Schools, and that both schools had committed champions who were promoting walking and biking to school. She indicated that the program had been very successful last year, and that it was the first full year program conducted in Ashland. She stated that there were more than 90 kids walking in one school at the Walking Wednesday event at the end of the year. She noted that volunteers were needed to support the annual event by leading groups of walking children on October 4`h, and that this would begin at about 7:30 a.m. West also discussed the efforts she and Harding had made along with former Bicycle & Pedestrian Commission Chair Lexi Delgado to look at walkability in the vicinity of the Siskiyou School at 631 Clay Street. She noted that they had conducted a walkability survey and prepared route maps, and indicated that signage and easements were needed. Severson explained that typically, planning actions from a private applicant are responsible for installing their own signage, but he added that it would be something the Traffic Safety Commission might consider looking at. He stated that he would make Jim Olson aware of the issues; Traffic Safety Commissioner Colin Swales indicated that the Commission had recently looked at signage needs in this area at length, but added that they had been unaware of the school's plans during that review. Signage Rostykus noted that he had ridden the Central Ashland Bikepath (CAB), and added that the signage previously installed through the efforts of this commission were very well done. He added that elsewhere there are signage needs that need to be addressed, such as at Ashland Street near the cemetery. Chapman asked that Severson find and provide copies of the previous signage map. Severson noted that the previous effort cost about $1500, which the commission had been prepared to pay for. The cost was picked up by Public Works through the Street Department in the end as it tied in to other work being done 2006-0615 Bike & Ped minutes Page 3 of 4 at the same time, but he added that he would expect that placing additional signage would have to be at commission - expense. Bleicher added that he would like to see mileage markers along the CAB so that if there were an emergency, a first responder could be easily directed to the appropriate location to provide assistance. Warshawsky added that he felt that maps placed in strategic locations, such as at Eagle Mill Road , at the Dog Park, and elsewhere, would be of great assistance as well. Members indicated that this map would need to be more clear than the current trails map, and should indicate hazardous areas, traffic volumes, etc. Severson noted that there would be cost and process involved with preparing a new map. He added that he believed the GIS Department was in the process of development a signage layer for the GIS system. Dubois suggested that while he is all for maps, he felt that signage on the roads should be the higher priority. Bike Racks Severson noted that he had looked into the inquiry from last month about bike racks at the Grange. He explained that there was no bicycle parking required on their plans, and that at this point after the project is completed the city could not approach them years after the fact to require bike parking be installed. He stated that Commission members could approach the Grange privately and make them aware that the Commission and customers would like to see racks installed, and suggest that if they are interested they could contact Planning Staff about rack standards and possible placement. He added that the lot has little room for rack placement, and that any racks installed would have to work with the current parking and circulation as well as the approved landscape plans as well as being close enough to the entrances to be used. Young noted that he is a frequent customer who rides his bike to the Grange, and he indicated that he would be willing to approach them to this end. Powers & Duties of the Commission, Meeting Times, Individual Goals, Expectations & Time Commitment West raised the issue of broadening the Commission's focus to encompass transit and skateboards as well. Members discussed the possibility of further involvement in the planning process through review of current planning applications, and considered the necessary modifications to the meeting schedules and agenda that would tie into conducting land use public hearings. The group decided to request staff bring any actions involving larger scale bicycle & pedestrian issues to the commission's attention rather than reviewing individual actions. The commission also discussed the possibility of preparing a hand-out for distribution to applicants at the pre -application conference phase, and asked that staff bring back the related regulations for commission review next month. Robbins indicated that he would be willing to work on preparing such a hand-out. New Business West provided an update on the current status of proposed RVTD service cuts and fare increases, noting that Route 4 in Medford near RVMC would be cut, and that there would be a $2 fare district -wide. Chapman indicated that the council was working to have Route 10 remain free and cut Route 5 to provide free half-hour service. West discussed the RVTD budget process, noting that a vote on the budget was expected on the 281h, and adding that some drivers were being laid -off. She indicated that service might be restored or increased in the future, if a revenue source such as a payroll tax were determined. Bleicher indicated that he would be absent from the July meeting, and Severson stated that he would be absent as well if his requested time off were approved. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 7:07 p.m. _Upcoming Meetings: 5:15 P.M. Thursday, July 20` — Regular Meeting in the Siskiyou Room 2006-0615 Bike & Ped minutes Wage 4 of 4 BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN COMMISSION 2006-2007 BUDGET UPDATE July 201"12006 2006-2007 PROJECTS Bike Safety Education/Safe Routes Car Free Day like Swap h_Helmets, etc. Maps Other(???) TOTAL BUDGET D FOR FY'05-06 AMOUNTS APPROVED TO DATE W COMMISSION FUNDS $750 in Commission Funds available in addition to the $3,300 in Program Funds. These are set aside for subscriptions, conference attendance, etc. REMINDER: The Bicycle & Pedestrian Commission does not have the budgetary authority to appropriate funds, and cannot enter into contracts for services. Requests to fund outside organizations should be directed to make application for funding to the City Council through the annual budget process. BIKE SWAP FUNDS Funds generated from the Bike Swap are under the control and management of the Ashland Parks Foundation, a private non-profit affiliated with the Parks Department. The Foundation has indicated a willingness to allow the Commission to make recommendations for the expenditure of these funds; staff would strongly recommend that any motions for the use of these funds be framed as recommendations to the Ashland Parks Foundation in order to avoid any confusion about the status of these funds or the Bicycle & Pedestrian Commission's role in managing them under Oreqon state budget law. CITY OF ASHLAND Memo Date: July 201", 2006 Derek Severson, Associate Planner From: Staff Liaison to the Bicycle & Pedestrian Commission To: Bicycle & Pedestrian Commission Re: Proposed Installation of Skateboard Racks within the Downtown Bicycle & Pedestrian Commissioners, As mentioned last month, it was determined in June that installation of the Sk8Guard skateboard racks on the Plaza would require formal approval of the full Historic Commission (even though the three -member Historic Review Board has already signed - off) and that final sign -off by the City Administrator had to be obtained prior to scheduling the installation. The Historic Commission discussed the request and approved the installation at its July meeting. Final sign -off from the City Administrator is pending as this memo is being prepared. In reviewing the installation at the Library, staff noted that there would be some difficulty installing a rack along the sidewalk as originally proposed without intruding into the clear width "travel lane" of the sidewalk. As such, staff is looking at installing both Library racks at the rear of the Library, near the existing car and bike parking. Staff will contact the Library to finalize installation details there, prepare a press release, and schedule the installations with city Public Works crews as soon as possible. I'm attaching maps showing the proposed locations for the racks, as well as photos of the areas proposed for the installation and of the racks themselves. Bicycle & Pedestrian Commission 51 Winburn Way Phone:541.552.2040 Ashland OR 97520 Fax: 541.552.2050 www.ashland.or.us TTY: 800.735.2900 �r F] W, p" P 'r i( Vul M1 mmunity June 9, 2006 Derek Severson Assistant Planner 51 Winbum Way Ashland, OR 97520 Dear Derek Severson: LEAGUE OF AMERICAN BICYCLISTS 1612 K St., NW, Suite 800 Washington, DC 20006-2850 WEBSITE www.bicyclefdendlycommunity.org EMAIL bikeleague@bikeleague.org PHONE 202.822.1333 FAx 202.822.1334 As you already know, the League has re -designated Ashland, OR a Bicycle Friendly Community at the Bronze level. The award is presented only to communities with remarkable commitments to bicycling. You should be very proud of this accomplishment. I have enclosed the award and specific feedback from the League of American Bicyclists on what you can do to make Ashland, OR more bicycle -friendly. Your designation will be due for renewal in May of 2008. At that point your community will be reevaluated so we urge you to make as many improvements as possible in the meantime! If you would like to order additional Bicycle Friendly Community road signs, please complete the enclosed order form and return it to the League. Once again, congratulations on your efforts to create a community that is truly bicycle - friendly. Sincerely, ,.. 21 tP ...�..... _..._ �,a. Bill Nesper Program Manager League of American Bicyclists LEAGUE OF AMERICAN BICYCLISTS 00 " 1612 K St., NW, Suite 800 1 Washington, DC 20006-2850 WEBSrrE www.bicyclefriendlycommunity.org I EMAIL bikeleague@bikeleague.org IC GN r t),),nd y CvoffilCnunity PHONE 202.822.1333 1 FAx 202.822.1334 Feedback on Ashland's application to be designated a Bicycle Friendly Community Ashland is well on its way to becoming a Silver level Bicycle Friendly Community. Reviewers noted that with continued improvement in some key areas, the city will quickly move up the ranks of Bicycle Friendly Communities. Highlights of the city's application included the fact that 79% of the community's arterial streets provided wide shoulders or bike lanes for cyclists, the Car Free day, improved connectivity through the city and SOU campus, and the expansion of the Safe Routes to School program. Ashland should continue expand its education programs including Safe Routes to School and motorist education efforts. Therefore, reviewers provided the following suggestions to further promote cycling: Increasing bicycle use. The City should continue to develop its commuter encouragement and trial commute program; continue to increase encouragement of bike commuting through Bike Month or Bike to Work Day programs; and encourage local employers to offer guaranteed ride home programs, secure bike parking and showers at workplaces. Olympia, Washington holds a Bike Commuter Contest during Bike Month and encourages people to participate in the month -long Contest to see who can ride the most number of days or miles in the month of May. The growth in participation has been stunning. Olympia also offers city employees a $2 per day incentive for commuting by bike (as well as for walking, riding the bus or carpooling). Each year, approximately 50 to 60 of the City's 600 employees participate in the Bicycle Commuter Contest. Visit www.climatesolutions.or; for more info. Expand motorist education and Share the Road encouragement programs by creating informational hand-outs for drivers and cyclists. Use valuable information from the League's Ride Better Tips in your outreach education and encouragement efforts. See the Ride Better Tips pages at http://www.bikelea ug e.org/resources/better/index.php • Work on motorist education and encourage bike commuting with a Bike Month or Bike to Work Day celebration and use of Share the Road psa's -- http://www.bikelea u�g/pro na�ikemontl / Expand the Safe Routes to School Program in every school. In Arlington, Virginia a team visited every school in the County with representatives from Department of Public Works, the Police and Schools to assess conditions for walking and biking to each school. A list of problems and solutions was developed measures were identified to address problems. Short-ter>n projects such as painting crosswalks were done right away while larger construction projects are on -going LEAGUE OF AMERICAN BICYCLISTS 1612 K St., NW, Suite 8001 Washington, DC 20006-2850 w wEesrre. www.bicyclefriendlycommunity.org. I EMAIL bikeleague®bikeleague.org Icy�ci! r'n y Community PHONE 202,822.1333 1 FAx 202.822.1334 ht!p://www.saferoutestoschools.org/ More funding than ever before is available for both infrastructure and non -infrastructure projects in the federal transportation bill, SAFETEA-LU, among several other sources at both the federal and state levels. • Continue to expand the bicycle network and fill gaps and to connectivity. CITY OF AS H LAN D July 6, 2006 Derek Severson Community Development 51 Winburn Way Ashland, OR 97520 Re: Banner for Car Free Day Dear Derek: I wanted to inform you that the Banner Application you submitted to the City of Ashland for the Car Free Day banner, to hang on East Main Street the week of September 18, through 25, 2006, has been approved. I have enclosed the approved permit and have forwarded a copy of to the Electric Department. As usual, the $125 banner fee has been waived. Please contact the Electric Department directly to arrange for the banner hanging at 488-5357 (90 N. Mountain). If you have any questions, please give me a call at 488-6002. Sincerely, Diana Shiplet Executive Secretary Enc: cc: Scott Johnson, Electric Department ADMINISTRATION 20 East Main Street Ashland, Oregon 97520 www.ashland.orms Tel: 541 488-6002 Fax: 541488-5311 TTY: 800-735-2900 o� I1°AINTI I> UN III.UVI10 PA If NI 07/06/2006 08:45 FAX 5417746397 ODOT Tech Center 0 001/001 07/06/06 08:51 V541 488 5311 CITY HALL-ADMIN. 16002 BANNER APPLICATION PLEASE WRrrE BELOW EXACTLY WHAT WILL BE PRINTED ON TIDE BANNER. ALL BANNERS WILL BE REVIEWED FOR ANY OFFENSIVE OR INAPPROPRIATE MESSAGE CONTENT BY THE CITY OF ASHLAND AND ODOT. NO ADVERTISING O.PANY M7VD IS PERUtTTE'D ON THE BANNER PLEASE FILL IN THE INFORMATION REQUESTED BELOW AND PRESENT THIS FORM TO TIC.: CITY ADMIlVLSTRATOR AT CITY HALL, 20 EAST MAIN STREET, ASHLAND. UPON APPROVAL OF YOUR APPLICATION BY THE CITY ADNENISTRATOR, THE CITY WILL OBTAIN PERMISSION FROM ODOT, AND THE $125 FEE WILL THEN BECOME DUE. NAME OF ORGANIZATION/: e� �;)V�vkv% 4 �� ('ok i- - ?elzSty-jRV-' COMMKS %Vl CONTACTPERSON' llti J �*PHONE: Dire lc. Sev� rso� ��2.— Z.a� ADDRESS OF ORGANIZATION/CONTACT: �CVLrcxo v-) t /1/t v r y 9evJovmk-- on wV A Wvv WEEK REQUESTED FOR BANNER: (FOR CITY USE ONLY) TRIS APPLICATION IS: APPROVED FOR A CITY OF ASHLAND CO -SPONSORED IN 1 NOT APPROVED. DATE: W-i�Io�G M THA BE ro CITY AD T'R , I`OR K DATE FEE PAID: (FOR ODOT USE ONLY) ODOTFAX 541 7744ii349. AFTER S1GNAT(JkE, BF_Tl1R?NTn CITY OF ASF1r AND FAX 541-4RR-5311 THE ABOVE APPLICATION IS: APPROVED 0 NOT APPROVED, DATE: 7-(p - Dip Revised 5/10/06 romwER" .. m Ro1;r Pl Tt5 July 11, 2006 CITY OF -AS H LAN D Anushka Coskan ODOT Roadway Engineering Services, Room 222 355 Capitol Street NE Salem OR 97301-3871 RE: APPLICATION FOR PEDESTRIAN & BICYCLE GRANT Dear Ms. Coskan: Enclosed please find the City of Ashland's application for the 2008/09 Pedestrian & Bicycle grant. Our proposal this year is the upgrading and improvement of one of Ashland's busiest at -grade railroad crossings: East Main Street. This project proposal widens and improves the crossing to provide a safe smooth crossing for pedestrians, bicycles and mobility scooters. The City has received approval for this project from ODOT Rail Division and from CORP Railroad in the form of Crossing Order No. 50367 issued on March 17, 2006. While the order also authorizes the replacement of the vehicular crossing surface at East Main Street, our grant application is solely limited to upgrading, improving and widening of bicycle and pedestrian crossing surfaces. This crossing improvement is the first of many scheduled improvements in Ashland in an effort to make all rail crossings more assessable to all persons using alternative means of transportation; especially our elderly and handicapped community who use wheel chairs and electric powered mobility scooters. This project is strongly supported by the Ashland City Council, the Ashland Traffic Safety Commission and the Bike and Pedestrian Commission. In addition, rail crossing improvements have been established as a priority goal by the City Council and have been placed on our Capital Improvement Program for completion within the next three years. Plans for the East Main Street crossing improvements are currently being developed by OBEC Consulting Engineers and are expected to be completed in late July. This project can commence as quickly as funds can be available. We feel strongly that this project will provide a definite and long lasting benefit for Ashland's pedestrians, bicyclists and handicap transportation users and hope that you concur. If you require any further information or have any questions, please feel free to call at 541 /488-5587. Sincerely, ernes N. Olson City Surveyor/ Project Manager CC: Paula Brown, Traffic Safety Commission, Bike & Pedestrian Commission, Nancy Slocum Engineering T-et-549/488-5347 20 E. Main Street --Fax: 541-/488-6006 Ashland, Oregon 97520 =TTY: 800/735-2900 www.ashland.or.us G:\pub-wrks\eng\dept-admin\TRAF\Grants\2008 09 ODOT Bike Ped Grant Consider Ltr 7 06.doc VOLUME 9 NUMBER 3 SUMMER 2006 The Healthy Transportation Network: Linking Safety and Community Design By Jeffrey Rosenhall E funds support a technical assistance program that draws on the expertise of three nonprofits and the California Department of Health Services to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety and increase physical activity in the state of California. Fielding Calls for Assistance A frustrated city manager wants to see more kids safely walking and bicycling to school. A community advocate eyes an abandoned rail corridor that could be transformed into a trail for walking and bicycling. An employer wants to increase the number of employees commuting to work by bicycle. What do these individuals have in common? They each see nonmotorized transportation as a way to promote healthy community change. Additionally, each have sought assistance from the Healthy Transportation Network (HTN) a TE- funded project that assists California's communities, traffic engineers, and pedes- trian and bicycle advocates in increasing safety for pedestrians and bicyclists and encourage environments that promote everyday physical activity. The Healthy Transportation Network The Healthy Transportation Network (HTN) is a joint project of the California Center for Physical Activity and the State and Local Injury Control Section within the California Department of Health Services (CA DHS). The project partners with California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and three nongovern- CALTRANS APPROVED THE TRANSPORTATION ENHANCEMENT FUNDS TO SUPPORT THE HTN PROJECT FOR THREE YEARS. FUNDS ARE PRIMARILY USED FOR PROVID- ING WORKSHOPS, TRAININGS AND OTHER TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND BUILDING AND MAINTAINING THE WEBSITE. TEIN THE NEWS................................3 RESOURCES........................................ 3 TRANSPORTATION ENHANCEMENTS FY 05 SPENDING REPORT SUMMARY .. 4 Ojai Valley Trail, Calif. (Lorili Toth) SAVE THE DATE ................................. 6 mental stakeholders: the California Bicycle Coalition, Local Government Commis - HAVE YOU sion, and Rails -to -Trails Conservancy's Western Regional Office. The California Bike Coalition brings a statewide network to bicycle safety outreach efforts. The WORKED FOR Local Government Commission has expertise working with local municipalities Y EARS and fostering change. The Rails -to -Trails Conservancy facilitates creation of trails used for transportation and recreation, IMPLEMENTING When the HTN responds io a technical assistance question, it taps the exper- A TE PROJECT? tise of all partner organizations. Community leaders who request assistance work with the HTN project coordinator to determine their needs. The project coordi- nator then refers the request to the appropriate HTN partner agencies for follow - WE WANT TO up. The HTN also hosts a website (http://caphysicalactivity.org/htn.html) which RECOGNIZE contains a searchable database of case studies from communities across California that have successfully integrated pedestrian and bicycle safety education into larger EXCELLENCE! community design efforts. NTEC WANTS TO FEATURE NEW Expanding the Reach To date, the HTN project staff and partners have helped communities imple- PROJECTS THAT REPRESENT THE ment projects to enhance pedestrian and bicycle safety through a variety of meth - BEST TRANSPORTATION EN- ods. The HTN has highlighted some of the best available pedestrian and bicycle safety information on its website, encouraged large employers to make bicycle HANCEMENTS PRACTICES IN safety training available to employees to increase bicycle commuting; evaluated EACH OF THE 12 FUNDING abandoned railway corridors to make recommeIldations for trail conversions; pro- vided safety and health -focused feedback on community walking and bicycling CATEGORIES IN THE UPDATE OF facilities; and worked to promote safety with local leaders and community stake - ITS PUBLICATION "ENHANCING holders in low-income neighborhoods. At the core of all these efforts is the HTN's commitment to enhancing and ensuring safe transportation options for pedestrians AMERICAS COMMUNITIES, A and bicyclists. GUIDE TO TRANSPORTATION The HTN staff has made presentations at conferences and seminars targeting audiences from nutrition, social marketing, physical activity, public health, trans - ENHANCEMENTS." portation and local government. For example, in 2005 the HTN gave a project presentation at Rails -to -Trails Conservancy's TrailLink Conference, and presented THIS Is NTEC's PRIMARY a round table discussion on promoting pedestrian and bicycle transportation at the PUBLICATION USED TO INFORM 133rd annual American Public Health Association conference. THE PUBLIC, MUNICIPALITIES, Tapping TE Funds to go the Distance AND ORGANIZATIONS ABOUT Caltrans approved the Transportation Enhancement funds to support the HTN project for three years. Funds are primarily used for providing workshops, TRANSPORTATION ENHANCE- trainings and other technical assistance, and building and maintaining the website. MENTS. SEE NTEC's WEBSITE The project is guided and managed by the four partner organizations. Technical assistance will continue to be available to all Caltrans districts and counties FOR HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR throughout California as needed through May 2006; a proposal for TE funding to PROJECT FOR REVIEW. continue the project for an additional three years is pending. WWW.ENHANCE:! ENTS ORG; r, On the Books The HTN has been busy addressing technical assistance requests. The frustrated city manager mentioned earlier worked with the HTN to facilitate an educational meeting for parents and teachers and host a walkable community workshop at the neighborhood school. The trail advocate was assisted in convening other commit- ted partners from the city, public health, law enforcement and parks and recreation to discuss future trail developments. And the employer in Southern California received lunch time presentations to encourage new bike commuters. The HTN will continue to answer requests as they roll in. Judging by this year's calendar, California is tapping into the benefits of safe nonmotorized transportation. For more information, please contact Jeffery Rosenhall, HTN project coordi- nator with the California Center for Physical Activity, at 916.552.9885 or jrosel-lha@dhs.ca.gov. TR6's'N6ti6nal Cooperative Highway NCHRP REPORT 662 Research Program (NCHRP) Report 552: Guidelln'es for Analysis'of Investments In Bicycle Facilities .includes methodolo- ." gies and tools to estimate the cost of various` bicycle facilities" and for'evaluating their potential -value and benefits. The ,ot the tool report is designed to help transportation planners integrate bicycle facilities into their overall transportation .plans and on a The Urban L project -by -project basis. The research described in the report Places,by,Adr has been used to develop a set of web -based guidelines, available on the Internet at www.bicyclinginfo.org/ bikecost/, that provide a step-by-step worksheet for esti- mating costs, demands, and benefits`associated with CBtpn specific facilities under consideration. "VrdlP0 www.trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=6093 The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) have a new pedestrian safety tool available on its website. The Pedestrian Safety. Guide and Countermeasure ��: Selection System is a tool designed to assist safety pro- fessionals with the selection of countermeasures to ad- dress pedestrian safety and mobility problems. The SAMMAMISH, WASHINGTON A rail -trail was recently opened for use in King County, Wash- ington. The 11 mile East Lake Sammamish Trail was built on a former railroad line from Redmond to Issaquah. The rail -trail connects these two cities and points along the corridor to a 40-mile trail system in the surrounding area. The gravel trail is currently accessible for pedestrians, and mountain bikes or hybrid bikes. Plans, are in the works to pave the trail to increase its use by other modes of transit. The $1.6 million trail was funded in part by a Transportation Enhancements award. [Seattle Times, March 18, 2006] ANAMOSA, IOWA A historic wrought iron bridge in Hale, IA was relocated to Wapsipinicon State Park. Three 100-foot trusses were trans- ported to the State Park via large military helicopters, drawing crowds to watch the spectacle. Now, the bridge will be part of a three-mile recreational trail. The bridge, which was in place since 1879, can now be enjoyed by more members of the community who frequent the trail. An $84,000 Transportation Enhancements,award helped to fund the project. [DesMoines Register, March 9, 2006] BEAVER FALLS, PENNSYLVANIA Beaver Falls recently opened its first rail -trail on April 29, which was funded in part with a $263,000 Transportation Enhance- ments award. The trail follows the bed of an old Pennsylvania and Lake Erie rail spur. The trail offers a contrast of scenery. River views and grassy fields lined with trees and birds are mixed=use, new urbanrst,"" and highe�,;den sity projects that don't "fit the mold;'` Tut ate ihe,kinds of envirdriments where pecipje: want to live, work, play, and shop Case studies, describe walkafale,; mixed -use town centers, and pedestrian -focused, communi- ties in urban and'suliurban settings Order the book from the 'Urtan Land Institute,at www.uli.org intermixed with signs of the area's industrii Falls Mayor Karl Boak hopes to continue im with the help of the rail -trail. Plans are also extend the trail further north until it reach€ [Pittsburgh Post -Gazette, April 27, 20061 STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA A new film which documents the state of bridges throughout history was funded in it Transportation Enhancements award. The fi River Gorge Bridge, the Wheeling Sus pensic Clifford Hollow Bridge among others. In ad Virginia's 17 covered bridges are featured: " West Virginia's Im detai out various brid9es' unique purpose and'history in transp It connects these bridges to artistic and "scenie values+ economic productivity. It is n eant`as both an archive educate. "Crossings" -will be distributed to various ou including the Public Broadcasting, System, the West Vi Board of Education, state libraries and additional medi State journal,, March 30, 2006] MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN er a the New ind the A ititled: es the ortation. and and'to rginia a. [The A lighthouse originally built in the 18005 has been restored with the help of a $1' 23 million Transportation Enhancements award and with $246,000 in matching funds raised by the North Point Lighthouse Friends. The lighthouse is now the center point and meeting place in an Olmstead -designed urban park in Milwaukee. It has been renovated to serve as a museum of maritime history. [Shanghai Daily, February 19, 2006] IN Transportation Enhancements FY 2005 Spending -Report Summary TEC has published the annual spending report entitled Transpor- tation Enhancements: FY2005 Summary of Nationwide Spending. This report is prepared by the National Trans- portation Enhancements Clearinghouse (NTEC) to provide an overview of how states have spent Transportation Enhance- ments awards over the lifetime of TE. To date, $8.03 billion have been made available to the states for TE activities since 1992. The $8.03 billion number includes the final FY 2005 apportionment total announced on April 12, 2006. However, rates used in the text are based on the apportionments as of September 30, 2005; the end of the fiscal year. That number is $7.98 billion. Using data from NTEC's nationwide project listings, state Departments of Trans- portation (DOTS) programmed 89.7 percent of available funds for more than 20,890 projects through FY 2005. Further, the states collectively and cumulatively have received 74.1 percent of the funds available, a slight decrease from the 75.3 percent rate reported at the end of FY 2004. Reimbursements through FY 2005 are at 59 percent, up from 57.4 percent in FY 2004. While all are informative, it is the cumulative obligation rate that is the most useful for understanding TE expenditures as the other two show either a requested amount (programmed) or a much delayed final count (reimbursements). Obligation and reimbursement rates are noteworthy because they are indicative of the relative progress with DISTRIBUTION OF FEDERAL FUNDS BY TE ACTI Landscaping and Scenic BeautKication $1,167 (16,3%) Scenic/Hilt. Hwy Programs $473 (6.5%) Acguistion of Scenic/Hest. Easements $218 (3.1%) Bike/Ped. Safety/Educ ,O' Historic Preservation $310 (4.3%) Total Programmed Funds: T $7.1 billion for 20,914 projects through 2005 Rehab, Hist. Transp. Facilities $789 (11.0 Rail -Trails $56 which projects move from selection to implementation and are a measure of the lag between project selection and implementation. NTEC's research finds that there are vari- ous reasons for project delays, but none are singularly re- sponsible for slow project delivery. The report also addresses the distribution of these funds across the 12 eligible TE activities. To date Bicycle & Pedes- trian Facilities combined with Rail -Trails receives the most funding, 5 5. 0 percent of programmed funds. Landscaping and Scenic Beautification received 16.3 percent of pro- grammed funds. Historic Preservation combined with Preservation of Historic Transportation Facilities received 15.3 percent of programmed funds. Together, these five categories account for 86.6 percent of pro- . . ............ — grammed funds. The national numbers reported here VITY are benchmarks of the program as a whole. Each state's unique totals are much more informative of the state's particular TE program. For the complete state by state breakdown, please order the report. %) The report is available now. It is avail- able for free by mail order or download at 4 (7.9%) www.enhancements.org. Billboard Removal t Lr$21 (0.3%) �,' Archaeological Planning/ Research $36 (0,5%) Env. Mitigation $72 (1.0%) Transportation Museums $79' (1.1 %) Programmed amount: the amount of money that the state programmed for state approved projects Obligated amount: the amount FHWA has promised to pay out to the states on a project by project basis Reimbursed amount: the amount actually paid to the state when the project is completed.