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Home My WebLink About2007-11-15 Bicycle & Pedestrian_PACKETCITY OF ASHLAND BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN COMMISSION Agenda Thursday, November 15t", 2007 @ 5:15 P.M. Siskiyou Room @ 51 Winburn Way Community Development & Engineering Services Building I. CALL TO ORDER II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: October 18th, 2007 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 Subcommittee & Liaison Reports V. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION Bike Swap Coordination/Logistics BTA Funding Request North Main Street Fog -Line (Follow -Up from Last Month) Oak Street Fog -Line Request (Follow -Up from Last Month) Transportation Commission (Follow -Up from Last Month) Glennview Street (Follow -Up from Last Month) On -Going Discussion of Commission Goals New Business Agenda Items for Next Month V. ADJOURNMENT Upcominq Meetings Next Regular Meeting - Thursday, December 20th, 2007 at 5:15 P.M. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Administrator's office at (541) 488-6002 (TTY phone number 1- 800-735-2900). Notification 72 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to the meeting (28 CFR 35.102-35.104 ADA Title 1). City of Ashland Bicycle & Pedestrian Commission Membership Roster (Updated November 6t", 2007) 1. 4.30.2008 Steve Ryan 657 C Street 951-1409 resolutionvideo a0vahoo.com 2. 4.30.2008 David Young 747 Oak Street 488-4188 Chair dyouna @ ieffnet.ora 3. 430.2009 Julia Sommer 1158 Village Sq. Dr. 552-1942 Vice Chair iuliasommer@yahoo.com 4. 4.30.2009 Selene Aitken 446 Helman Street 482-7567 Secretary seleneaitken@vahoo.com 5. 4.30.2010 Michael Church 2669 Takelma Way 488-2245 mickchurch@amail.com 6. 4.30.2010 Matthew Seiler 264 Walker Avenue 973-8953 or 482-2111 x345 Mseiler74@hotmail.com 7. 4.30.2010 Jim Olney 361 Wiley Street 482-1057 olnevit@mind.net 8. 4.30.2010 Tom Burnham 1344 Apple Way 482-4467 tb1937@charter.net 9. City Council David Chapman 390 Orchard St 488-0152 Liaison davidchapman@ashlandhome.net RVTD Liaison Steve Maluk 3200 Crater Lake Ave 608-2411 TDM Planner Medford, OR 97504 s.maluk@rvtd.ora Planning Staff Liaison Derek Severson 51 Winburn Wy. 552.2040 Associate Planner seversod@ashland.or.us Police Dept. Liaison Steve MacLennan 1155 E. Main St. 552-2809 (voicemail) Police Officer macienns@ashland.or.us Traffic Safety Liaison Colin Swales 461 Allison St 488-0939 colinswales@qmail.com Youth Liaison (SOU) Vacant Youth Liaison (AHS) Vacant (The nine voting members are shown in bold. Four constitutes a quorum per AMC 2.22.030) Bicycle & Pedestrian Commission October 18t", 2007 Regular Minutes Roll Call: Vice Chair Julia Sommer, Secretary Selene Aitken, Jim Olney, Mick Church, and Steve Ryan Chair David Young (absent), Matthew Seiler (absent), Tom Burnham (absent), Council Liaison: David Chapman Staff: Derek Severson, Associate Planner Steve McLennan, Police Officer RVTD liaisons: Steve Maluk, TDMPlanner High school liaison: Vacant SOU liaison: Vacant Call to Order Vice Chair Sommer called the meeting to order at 5:17 p.m. Approval of Minutes — September 2007 Members discussed the Primary Goal chart attached to the minutes, noting that Sommer did not wish to be included under "Continue to offer bicycle safety education classes..." while Aitken was willing to be added in her place. Church noted that the question mark next to his name could be removed in the Transportation System Plan update item. Olney indicated that he was willing to work on the subcommittee for North Main Street. The minutes of the September 2007 meeting were approved as amended. Voice vote: All AYES. Motion passed. Members were directed to follow up with Severson if they wished to make any changes to the chart. Public Forum Huelz Gutcheon spoke about the need to allow bicycling on sidewalks in the downtown provided that it was done at pedestrian speed. He also suggested that signage needed to be changed to be more congenial, and suggested "Please walk your wheels." It was suggested that he discuss these items with Police Chief Holderness to identify any issues their implementation might create for the Police Department. John Fisher -Smith noted that Oak Street serves as the primary connection for bicyclists coming from the downtown or the railroad district to the Greenway connection at Nevada Street, and suggested that the bicycle facilities on Oak Street are lacking. He stated that the speed humps in place are ineffective, and that drivers do not drive well when they perceive themselves to be in the same lane with cyclists. He discussed the psychological role of bike lanes in easing cyclist and driver discomfort by providing a clear delineation within the travel lane. He noted that the Oregon Bicyclist's Manual calls for a minimum width of three feet for bike lanes, and suggested that a lane width marker or fog line rather than a formal bike lane could be provided. Sommer suggested that this item be on the next agenda, and that follow up with the Traffic Safety Commission might be in order as well. Subcommittee & Liaison Reports Severson noted briefly that there had been an announcement of the need for youth liaisons mentioned during the last televised council meeting; he stated that with two recent pedestrian involved accidents near SOU some pedestrian enforcement actions would be returning; he presented a map detailing a historic record of accidents in town involving bicyclists, pedestrian and skateboarders; he noted that pedometers, helmets, and lights are now available for purchase at cost in the Parks Office; and concluded that volunteers working on the Wheeldon memorial were in the process of finalizing details of the benches with the Parks Department. Ryan presented an update on the last Traffic Safety Commission meeting. Aitken noted attending the IAMP CAC meeting with ODOT in Young's place, and discussed draft Technical Memo #4 dealing with Exit #14. She stated that the discussion at the meeting had to do with how the Citizens Advisory 2007-1018 Bike & Ped minutes Page 1 of 4 Committee (CAC) and Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) are working together, resulting in the current changes at Exit #14. It was noted that the current proposal has bikepaths and pedestrian sidewalks on both sides. She added that Exit #19 currently is shown with an 8 % foot shoulder. Members questioned the design status, whether the shoulders on Exit #19 were on both sides, and whether the bikepaths and sidewalks on #14 were combined or separate. Members noted they would email questions and comments to John MacDonald, the ODOT staff person on the project. Aitken noted that the next meeting was scheduled for December 12`h at 5:30 p.m. Adult Bicycle Safety Education League of American Bicyclists -certified bicycle safety instructor Bill Heimann noted that most bicycle safety education programs don't address adults, and he suggested that trained adults can train their children. He emphasized that an adult bicycle safety education program is needed in Ashland, and pointed out that law enforcement officers could be trained, and the local judge could be contacted to more stringently enforce laws relating to bicyclists and impose a diversion program involving bicycle safety education. Heimann stated that there is presently a one -day league road course that is offered regularly; he noted that this course includes both classroom and road components, and suggested that all commissioners should attend. He also indicated that it would be beneficial to contact the University, and suggested that they should require a license, with a bicycle safety education course requirement, before allowing students to ride on campus. Sommer questioned the cost of implementing such a program, and who would put it into place. Heimann responded that instructors could be trained through the League program. He emphasized that he wasn't looking for a part-time job himself, but stated that he would be willing to help establish a program. Aitken, Chapman, Church, Maluk and MacLennan indicated that they would be willing to discuss this further as a subcommittee. MacLennan noted that the judge was actively enforcing laws relating to cyclists, and added that he thought she would be willing to utilize an educational diversion program if one were available. BTA Request for Support for Bicycle Safety Education Programs Severson provided background on the request. He noted that the request had just been received, and he had not had time to do sufficient research. He expressed concern that fully funding the total amount requested could deplete the available Bike Swap funds, making it impossible to adequately promote the Bike Swap and impacting the ability of the Swap to replenish those funds next year. He recommended delaying consideration of the request for one month to allow him to contact BTA in order to discuss the request, and to contact the Recreation Superintendent in the Parks Department to get a feeling for how much needed to be kept in the Bike Swap fund as a reserve to cover operating expenses. There was discussion of whether the BTA would be willing to subsidize classes if the full request could not be funded. Dubois suggested that in his experience, the BTA has recognized that Ashland has a long history of supporting the program and he thought they would do what they could for Ashland. Severson noted that the amount of the request represented a subsidy already, as other communities trying to establish programs are being asked to fund the full program cost and Ashland is being asked for only about one-half of the total cost. Heimann noted that it seemed like the amount of the request has increased significantly over the years, and he suggested that it seemed like it had reached a stage where it would be more appropriately directed to go through the budget process. He noted that he was on the Budget Committee. Maluk noted that they have used TDM funds to support programs in other communities regionally, and suggested that he would look into whether any funding might be available to help the BTA program in Ashland. Kat Smith, bicycle safety instructor with the BTA, discussed the nature of the programs offered and invited volunteers to assist in the classes. She stated that she would email members to make them aware of the next opportunity to help. Ryan suggested that he would like to see the full cost of the program broken down, along with long range projections. 2007-1018 Bike & Ped minutes Page 2 of 4 There was general consensus to delay consideration of this request until next month to allow staff time to do some follow up research on the request. North Main Eric Dittmer noted that he had been talking to ODOT about putting a fog line on North Main Street from Schofield into town as far as practical, and stated that he was requesting support for this request. He explained that ODOT had been initially willing to further explore the idea, provided that they had concerns that local cycling advocacy groups would take issue with the painting of a fog line that did not equate to providing a standard -width bike lane. Chapman discussed the issues involved and the history of North Main, and there was general consensus that Ryan would begin a draft letter of support for Dittmer's request. It was suggested that Dittmer might also approach Siskiyou Velo for similar support, and it was noted that both Bill Heimann and Bicycle & Pedestrian Commissioner Tom Burnham were good contacts at the Velo. Severson noted that the discussion Dittmer had with ODOT and the recent consultant presentation on arterial streets had both raised the issue of further bicycle and pedestrian improvements. One item raised as a public question and discussed by the arterial streets consultants touched on reducing North Main Street to two lanes with a shared center turn lane, and using the additional available width to accommodate bike lanes and sidewalks. He clarified that the consultants had emphasized that at 19,000 average daily trips, North Main was close to the boundary where this was feasible, and added that they had suggested that the Council would need to determine if the additional congestion resulting from a reduction in lanes would be a worthy trade-off for providing needed bicycle and pedestrian facilities. He noted that this would likely only be accomplished through a jurisdictional exchange with ODOT, as had been done with Siskiyou Boulevard, wherein ODOT would redesign and improve the facility and then turn it over to the city to maintain. Sommer noted that something similar had been done in Berkeley on Marin Street, where a successful "bicycle boulevard" was created. Sommer/Olney m/s to recommend that staff look into the options of a jurisdictional exchange on North Main Street to provide bike lanes and sidewalks for improved access and bicycle and pedestrian safety on North Main Street. Discussion: It was noted that the Commission was in favor of the concept of a two-lane arrangement with a shared middle turn lane. Discussion: Aitken noted that she would want some assurance that such changes would not create a problem for emergency vehicles trying to reach the hospital. Voice vote: All AYES. Motion passed. Transportation Commission Severson noted that a motion had been passed at the Council meeting on Tuesday night to create a standing Ad Hoc Transportation Commission with the Bicycle & Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Commissions as elements. He suggested that this would move forward the discussion and shift its focus from whether to combine commissions to how to combine commissions. He suggested members begin thinking of issues they feel are important to address in a combined commission, such as how to preserve the advocacy focus of the commission or how to maintain a strong bicycle and pedestrian focus on the new commission. Chapman clarified that his intent in making the motion wasn't necessarily to combine Commissions, and might instead result in a third commission. He indicated that at this point, staff would be working to bring back recommendations on how to implement the motion. Severson suggested that with staffing issues, he felt it likely that any recommendations would include combining commissions for the potential gain in staffing efficiency. He indicated that he would keep the Commission posted as this item moves forward. Car Free Day & Car Free living — 2007 & Beyond... Tracy Harding presented the Commission with $136.69 that had been generated from T-Shirt sales at the event, and asked that it be added to the Bike Swap fund to support bicycle safety education. She indicated that her involvement in this event rose out of her tenure on the Commission. She suggested that after having the same event in the same place for three years, and with her term on the Commission over, she felt it was time for the Commission to take the reigns of the event and let it reinvent itself according to the vision and energy of the current membership. 2007-1018 Bike & Ped minutes Page 3 of 4 Maluk spoke to the value of the event, and noted the importance of maintaining the momentum that had been established. Sommer suggested that Car Free Day be a discussion item on the January agenda so the Commissioners could determine how future observances of Car Free Day would be handled. Holiday Schedules Severson asked whether the November 150' and December 20th meeting dates fit everyone's schedule. Olney noted that he would be absent from the December 20th meeting, and other members indicated that they would check their schedules and make Severson aware of any conflicts. New Business None. Agenda Items for Next Month On -going goal discussion, Oak Street bikelanes/foglines; BTA Request, North Main fog line letter and follow-up; Transportation Commissions; Glennview Street shared facility request Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 7:00 p.m. Upcoming Meetings: Regular Meeting — November 15th, 2007 at 5:15 p.m. 2007-1018 Bike & Ped minutes Page 4 of 4 BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN COMMISSION PRIMARY GOALS 2007-2008 Continue (& Expand) Education Efforts ............................... . Commissioners Description _ Young, Aitken, Olney, Burnham, Chapman Continue to offer bicycle safety education classes in Ashland schools through on -going partnerships with the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, Parks Foundation, and Traffic Safety Commission. Bike Swap. Seiler, Sommer Continue to promote Car Free Day (& car free living) � Young Expand community outreach efforts (recruit youth liaisons and developpartnershipswith the schools) Sommer, Seiler, Young etter utilize the media — Daily Tidings, Tribune, City Source, radio, TV Olney, Burnham Continue and Expand Safe Routes to School efforts for all Ashland schools. Infrastructure Linkages ............. & Connections �. Commissioners .... ............... � ...-......-_Descri tion Description .. _ .-. _... .__ Church, Ryan - --................�--.................... Partner in the upcoming Transportation System Plan (TSP) update to identify current facilities in place and needs for new facilities to address needed connections. Burnham Work to enhance existing maps of bicycle facilities and trail systems. �....._ Olney _ _ — vity needs Continue to identify and develop connectivity adjacent to all Ashland Schools as part of Safe Routes to School efforts. Sommer, Chapman, Olney Consider ways to provide improved bicycle and pedestrian facilities from the downtown north to the city limits along North Main Street. To Explore the Benefits of a,' 'Trabsportation Commission" Commissioners Description Ryan Seiler, Young, Burnham, Olney This could entail combining the Traffic Safety and Bicycle (Ryan to act as liaison to Traffic Safety) & Pedestrian Commissions to gain staff efficiencies, and broaden the focus of each Commission to better address transit while still retaining the current areas of interest of each Commission. Subcommittees: Adult Bicycle Safety Education: Aitken, Chapman, Church (Maluk, MacLennan (+l-), Bill Heimann) North Main Street Walkability/Bikeability: Sommer, Chapman & Olney (Severson & Swales) Ordinance Review: Burnham & Young Wheeldon Memorial: Young, Olney & Chapman (Severson, Paula Brown, Midge Thierolf, David Beaudoin) BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN COMMISSION FY 2007-2008 BUDGET UPDATE November 2007 PROGRAM FUNDS $3,300.00 COMMISSION FUND: 750.00 $750 in Commission Funds available in addition to the $3,300 in Program Funds. These are set aside for subscriptions, conference attendance, etc. CAROLE WHEELDON CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND: $2,000 BIKE SWAP FUNDS $8,201.92 (as of 11/05/07) 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 mana_gin_g them under Oregon state budget law. 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. ASHLAND PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION 340 SO. PIONEER STREET ASHLAND, OREGON 97520 COMMISSIONERS: . Don Robertson JoAnne Eggers L Director' Michel Gardiner Jim Lewis r TEL: (541) 488-5340 Melody Noraas FAX: (541) 488-5314 Rich Rosenthal November 2, 2007 Attn: Ashland Bike and Pedestrian Commission From: Rachel Teige, Recreation Superintendent, Ashland Parks and Recreation Re: Ashland Community Bike Swap Request Ashland Parks and Recreation worked with the Commission and the Bike Swap Committee starting in the spring of 2004 to ensure the continuation and success of the Ashland Community Bike Swap. The Ashland Community Bike Swap has been a tradition in the community for 17 years and was started by the Ashland Schools Foundation. As our recreation program continues to expand, staff looks at ways to share resources and dollars. Staff does this with all of our programs and special events to ensure continued viability. The Ashland Parks and Recreation Department would like to request a paid staff person to oversee the coordination of the Ashland Community Bike Swap. The Ashland Parks and Recreation Department staff time is becoming more limited throughout the year. The amount of time requested for this project would be up to 70 hours and the contractor would be paid the Ashland Living Wage which is $12.43 per hour. Included in the 70 hours of coordination is securing sponsors and donations, leading committee meetings, obtaining entertainment and volunteers, volunteer training, day of event coordination and after event wrap up. The total cost, not to exceed $900, would be paid out of the Bike Swap Funds. The Ashland Parks and Recreation Department would like to continue to work with the Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission to educate and encourage the public to use alternative forms of transportation. The Ashland Community Bike Swap is one great way to continue that education. Thank you for your consideration of this request. ncerely acing Rachel Teig Recreation Superintendent Ashland Parks and Recreation (541) 488-5340 tei geed; ash l.an.d. or. us Home of Famous Lithia Park CITY OF AS H LA N D Memo DATE: November 9, 2007 TO: Bicycle & Pedestrian Commission FROM: Derek Severson, Associate Planner & Staff Liaison RE: Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) Request for Funds History As noted last month, this commission tried for several years to implement a bicycle safety education program in Ashland Schools, but we weren't able to make such a program a reality until the opportunity to partner with the BTA presented itself in 1999. The BTA is a bicycle advocacy group headquartered in Portland that conducts bicycle safety education and safe routes programs around the state, works on bicycle -related legislation, and works to improve the environment for cyclists in Portland and around the state. As part of the bicycle safety education program, the BTA provides a nationally recognized curriculum, trained instructors, and a fleet of bikes, and coordinates the program with each school. It was the stated intent of the Commission and BTA from the beginning that the bicycle safety education program should become self-sufficient, and in committing Bike Swap funds to bicycle education there is now a mechanism in place to move closer to that original intent. Current Request The current $12,800 request for support of bicycle safety education programs in Ashland is significantly higher than in past years, and Staff feels that it is important to emphasize that the only funding source directly available to the Bicycle & Pedestrian Commission is through our budgeted program funds. These funds were originally directed to the Commission to support bicycle safety education programs, and historically have been used primarily to support BTA or for other related efforts including Car Free Day promotion and the purchase of helmets, lights and pedometers. Currently, there is $3,200 available in Commission program funds. The Commission could also recommend that the Traffic Safety Commission match, or partially match, any support for the BTA. In the past, $1,500 has been the upper end of funds they've had available for such requests, and their Staff liaison has indicated that a similar request would be considered this year. Any motions for the use of these funds should be in the form of a request to the Traffic Safety Commission, and in the past the requests have been to match funds committed by this Commission up to $1,500. The Parks Foundation, a private non-profit associated with the Parks Department, has also allowed the Commission to make recommendations for the use of the proceeds of the annual Bike Swap, which are committed to being used for bicycle education. The current balance of this fund is $8,201.92; however a request on tonight's agenda asks that $900 from this fund be set aside to hire a Bike Swap event coordinator. In discussions with Parks Department staff, it has also been indicated that a reserve of at least $700 should be maintained for operational and promotional expenses related to the Bike Swap. As such, Staff believes that at most $6,600 would be available in Bike Swap funds to partially address the BTA's request. Any motions for the use of these funds should be framed as recommendations to the Parks Foundation. Staff Recommendation Staff believes that the partnership with the BTA represents one of the Commission's biggest successes, and that the momentum of this success should be maintained. However, with all available funding sources taken into account, there is at most $11,300 available to respond to the BTA's request if the Commission wishes to provide for the costs of conducting and promoting this year's Bike Swap, which will generate funds for future bicycle -related educational programs in Ashland. Bicycle & Pedestrian Commission Tel: 541-552-2040 51 Winburn Way Fax: 541-552-2050 Ashland, Oregon 97520 TTY: 800-735-2900 www.ashland.or.us SOURCE � � ��.�.....�..............._................................_..AVAILABLE FUNDS Commission Program Funds $3,200 _......_.... Bike Swap Funds throe eDarks F"ouq t T)IT... $6 600 Traffic Safety Comimissron (could re fae t L tc .._ 1,5 0 Available funds in considering BTA request $11,300 Staff has no specific recommendation as to an appropriate amount of support; Staff believes that the issue for the Commission is how much support can reasonably be granted without negatively impacting the Bike Swap or other established Commission goals. Commissioners must look at the funds available, the long history of successful partnership in bringing bicycle safety education to Ashland Schools, and whether other goals such as establishing adult bicycle safety education and diversion programs or enhancing city bicycle maps will require funding during the current fiscal year. In reviewing the current BTA request, Staff noted that the amount requested includes six classes proposed at Talent Elementary School (outside of Ashland), and that the BTA is also seeking 100 percent support (i.e. $800 per class) for these six classes from the City of Talent. If the Talent courses were removed from the current request, and the Commission considered funding one-half of the total class offerings in Ashland as requested by the BTA, the total request would be reduced from $12,800 requested to $10,400 (11 BSE classes @ $800 + 8 PSE classes @ $200). As such, Staff believes that $10,400 is the upper limit of what should be considered. Whatever the amount ultimately arrived upon, Staff would suggest that motions be based on the number of classes ultimately taught in Ashland schools during the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, 2008. A recommended potential motion if the Commissioner were to opt for $10,400 in support would be: I move to provide Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission program funds in an amount not to exceed $2,900, to request that the Traffic Safety Commission partially match this support in amount not to exceed $1,500, and to recommend that the Parks Foundation provide an amount not to exceed $6,000 from Bike Swap funds, to support the Bicycle Transportation Alliance in conducting bicycle and pedestrian safety education classes in Ashland Schools during the 2007.2008 fiscal year, with the total combined reimbursement from these three sources not to exceed $10,400 and to be determined at a rate of $400 per bicycle safety education class taught in Ashland schools during the current fiscal year and $100 per pedestrian safety education class taught in Ashland schools during the current fiscal year. Payment would be made first from the Bike Swap funds, then from the Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission program funds, and lastly from Traffic Safety Commission funds, as needed based on the total number of classes offered in Ashland schools during the 2007.2008 fiscal year, with the BTA to provide a detailed breakdown of the number, type, date and location of all classes actually taught during the current fiscal year no later than June 23, 2008. The intent of this motion as worded would be to fund the request as proposed at fifty percent of the cost of classes offered in Ashland, excluding the Talent classes, and to base reimbursement on one half the cost of each class so that the total payment would be reduced proportionally to any reduction in the actual number of classes. Staff also believes it would be appropriate to utilize Bike Swap funds first, then Commission program funds, and finally Traffic Safety funds if the number of classes conducted is reduced. Funding the request as detailed here would retain a reserve of approximately $300 in Commission program funds for the remainder of the year, and a reserve of approximately $600 in the Bike Swap fund after paying for an event coordinator, promoting and conducting the 2007 Bike Swap. Given that the amount being requested to support this program now significantly exceeds the resources directly available to this Commission, Staff will contact the BTA to suggest they pursue financial support for future programs through the City's annual budget process, and information on the application process will be provided to them. Bicycle & Pedestrian Commission 51 Winburn Way Ashland, Oregon 97520 ,,rrww.ashland.or.us Tel: 541-552-2040 Fax: 541-552-2050 TTY: 800-735-2900 October 16, 2007 City of Ashland Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission C/o Derek Severson, Assistant Planner 20 E. Main Street Ashland, OR 97520 Dear Ashland Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission, In my travels around the state this past summer I met with many people who have great interest in a variety of Safe Routes to School programs, but no single group struck me as more genuinely interested in the value of our Bike Safety Education program than yours. If you recall the afternoon that I visited there was a young boy at your meeting who was interested in the Commission's work but ironically he attended a school where our curriculum was not taught. While it's sad that he didn't have the opportunity to learn about bike safety, it's also impressive to say that he attends the only school that the program has not taken ground in yet. Bike Safety Education has clearly grown in Ashland and this can directly attributed to your support. I want to thank you for the Commission's past support and encourage you to think about ways to become more innovative. One way that we know might interest Ashland area students is to develop a Skateboard Safety Education program. We have heard from many sources that there is great interest in providing such a relevant and useful tool that matches the Ashland area's recognition of skateboarding as a form of transportation for youngsters. Another area where you could be involved is to learn more about the BTA's Bicycle Boulevard campaign and perhaps use this idea as a tool for thinking about Safe Routes to School funding applications for Ashland area schools. Regardless, we are pleased to inform you that our Bike Safety Education class is working and has been successfully teaching kids to be safer in Ashland since 1999. As a brief reminder, our Bike Safety Education Curriculum is a 10-hour course that teaches 51h thru 8th graders how to safely ride a bike on the street. It provides a fleet of mountain bikes with gears and handbrakes, hundreds of helmets, teaching tools, the curriculum and video, volunteers and a trained instructor for every participating school. The following two tables show an estimation of the grades, numbers of classes and season in which we worked with Ashland last year and what we anticipate for the coming year. A second Bike Safety Instructor is now living and teaching in Ashland so we have the capacity to grow our program, as follows. 2006-07 School Year # of School # of Classes Season students Vol. hours Ashland MS 8 fall 06 210 158 Helman ES 4 fall 06 107 68 John Muir ES ! 1 s ring 07 24 2 Walker ES 5 spring 07 141 86 Talent MS 6 spring 07 183 140 24 665 454 2007 - 08 School Year BSE School # of Classes Season Ashland MS 8 fall 07 Heiman ES 4 fall 07 John Muir ES 2 spring 08 Walker ES 5 spring 08 Talent MS 6 spring 08 Bellview ES 3 s rin 08 28 You should note that our goal to teach Bike Safety Education in John Muir Elementary School was met. While we taught one class, the course was welcomed and we anticipate teaching more classes in the coming year. For 2006-07 we proposed teaching in Bellview Elementary School and did not meet this goal, but we feel confident we will be able to work with Bellview and introduce Bike Safety Education by the Spring of 2008. In addition to our Bike Safety Education course, we have also developed a Pedestrian Safety Education course that is currently being successfully taught to 2nd and 3rd graders in our Portland Safer Routes to School program. We are also updating our PSE curriculum this winter with plans to add mapping, route finding and a pre- and post-test to be given to students to measure the effectiveness of the course. The BTA plans to train all Bike Safety Instructors in teaching Pedestrian Safety during the winter, so that this new course can be offered by early 2008. 2007 - 08 School Year PSE School # of Classes Season Heiman ES 4 Winter 08 John Muir ES 4 Winter 08 Walker ES 5 Winter 08 Bellview ES 3 Winter 08 16 We have found that the cost of $800 per class for Bike Safety Education is, in fact, accurate. In addition, we anticipate the cost of teaching Pedestrian Safety Education to be $200 per class. With this in mind, the total cost of teaching both BSE and PSE in Ashland will be $25,600. We are asking the Commission to support the BTA in funding half of these classes (14 BSE and 8 PSE), for a total of $12,800. Our partners who have supported us in the past that we will request support from again include: • Ashland Food Cooperative: Community Grant, $2000 (request to be made), • ODOT matching grant: unknown amount, based on the percentage of children taught in Jackson County compared to the rest of the state*, • Siskiyou Velo: $1000 (secured) • Asante Health Systems: $2000 (request to be made), • Ashland Community Hospital: $500 (request to be made), • City of Talent: $4800 (request to be made). *After several years of increased interest, we have finally secured funding to purchase a second bicycle fleet to be used in Jackson County. The Carpenter Foundation has generously awarded the BTA $5000 to purchase bikes to be used to teach our BSE curriculum in Central Point. The G.I. Joe's Foundation has also awarded $1000 toward this project. Starting a program in Central Point will benefit Ashland by providing higher numbers of schoolchildren who will benefit from the ODOT matching grant, thereby increasing the percentage of children taught in the area. As you can see, the numbers are growing and we are all benefiting from the successes of these programs. With your support, we hope to reach our goal of offering Bicycle Safety and Pedestrian Safety Education in all Ashland schools. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at 503.226.0676x19, angela(abta4bikes.org, or our local Ashland Bicycle instructors, Egon Dubois, at 541.482.2347, egonamind.net, or Kat Smith at 541.326.7517, katsmith78@hotmail.com. Thanks again for your consideration. Warm regards, Angela Koch Safe Routes to School Director CITY OF ASHLAND November 15, 2007 Eryca S. McCartin, PMP Project Leader Oregon Department of Transportation Rogue Valley Area Office 100 Antelope Road 9' White City, OR 97503 r Ms. McCartin, At our October 18, 2007 meeting of the Ashland Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission, Southern Oregon University Professor Eric Dittmer asked us to support his ongoing requests to O.D.O.T. that fog lines be painted on the southbound lanes of North Main Street from the railroad overpass to Helman Street. Eric Dittmer and others have been requesting such a fog line for several years now, and we believe that such a fog line would increase the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians entering and exiting our city, encourage multi -modal transportation choices, reduce VMT, air pollution and congestion, and demonstrate commitment to state planning goal 12. Of course safety is first among these priorities. Please paint fog lines in these locations. Respectfully, David Young, Chair City of Ashland Bicycle & Pedestrian Commission cc: Paula Brown, Bill Molnar City of Ashland Derek Severson, Associate PlannerlPlanning Department Staff Liaison Bicycle & Pedestrian Commission Tel: 541-552-2040 �. 51 Winburn Way Fax: 541-552-2050 Ashland, Oregon 97520 TTY: 800-735-2900 ,_ �� -.ashland.or.us seversod(W ash land. or. us Connecting Oregon's Community Traffic Safety Advocates ACTS Oregon Annual Training The Amazing Race for Oregon Safety The training is over but the memories created will keep us laughing. The Amazing Race for Oregon Safely started with the ACTS Oregon Annual Meeting. New board members Rob Nou, Burns Police Department and Ed Simon, Retired OLCC were introduced. Mark Alexander, Ontario Police Department, was recognized for his four years of service on the ACTS Oregon Board. We will miss his insights into the needs that ACTS Oregon can help address in Eastern Oregon. A wonderful luncheon started us off with energy for the upcoming sessions. Conference evaluations were positive and motivating. The attendees found the General Session "Crash Injury Mechanisms & Restraint Technologies" with Rob Kaufman to be very informative and useful. Comments on the "Race" included, "Lots of fun and yet a tremendous way to get more training without it feeling like training!" "Green Machines were awesome," and "It was a nice break from the listening portion of the conference." The closing session also received encouraging feedback. Attendees found the positive statistics in Carla Levinski's presentation "Five Years of Progress" supportive of our work. Many also found Betty Groshong's closing comments inspiring and renewing. The workshop evaluations were also affirming that the conference went well. The Child Passenger Safety workshops were rated "Excellent" with "Great information." The Community Traffic Safety session evaluations had many constructive comments. Law enforcement attendees connected with Jody Vaughan's comments on officers observing drunk driving as opposed to relying on blood alcohol levels. Jody strongly supports the fact that many drivers can be under the legal limit yet still a hazard on the road. Sergeant Tim Plummer received comments like, "He made information real" and "Brings the topic to life, keep up the good work." On the second day Lisa VanWinkle presented her Safe Routes to School work in Eugene. Attendees comments included "Lisa's work was a great example of good work in progress." Comments also indicated that attendees would like to see more grantees present at conferences. This will definitely be kept in mind for the upcoming year. In general the feedback indicated that everyone gained something from the training. This would not be possible without presenters and the active participation of attendees. ACTS Oregon would like to thank Rob Kaufman —Crash Investigator, Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, CIREN/NHTSA, Greg Raisman—Portland Office of Transportation, Jody Vaughan —Deschutes County District Attorney Office, Sergeant Tim Plummer — Oregon State Police, Robert Tibbetts —La Grande Fire, Lisa VanWinkle—Smart Ways to School Lane Transit District, Carla Lavinski— ODOT—Transportation Safety Division, and Betty Groshong—LCSW and CPS Technician Instructor for sharing their knowledge. 0 The 2008 Oregon Transportation Safety Conference will return next fall. We are beginning the planning and welcome topic and presenter suggestions. Please send your ideas to Kate Murphy at katem@actsorego.org. Volume 6, Number I Cindy Storlie— take Oswego Poll Department Practicing Distracted Driving! Ruth Harshfield presenting Mark Alexander a plaque for service on the Board of Directors. Wendy Hays — Clackamas county social Services Full steam ahead on the green machine! Sheba Wooddell— Hubbard Police Department brought along her training partner "Ranger Dawg." Traffic Safety Connection • Oct./Nov, ., ._ . r .. ... ...... ... ., . ,, . For information call 503-643-5620 or 1-800-772-1315........................................................ ..1 ACTS Oregon STAFF Ruth Harshfield Executive Director ruthh@actsoregon.org Gayle Watts Child Passenger Safety Program Coordinator gaylew@actsoregon.org Sandy Holt Child Passenger Safety Technician Coordinator sandyh@actsoregon.org Kate Murphy Community Traffic Safety Coordinator katem@actsoregon.org Tory Brixey Administrative Assistant safety@actsoregon.org BOARD MEMBERS Tony Tirico, President Bend ttirico@ci. bend. or. us Lucie Drum, Secretary Portland lucie-drum@amr-ems.com Daniel Marcisz, Treasurer Medford MarcisDE@jackson co un ty. org Larry Christianson McMinnville dejaceo@msn.com Tammy Franks Hillsboro TFranks@LHS.ORC Stephen J. Manning Keizer stephen687@earthlink.net John Naccarato Oregon City johnnac@co. clackamas. or. us Rob Nou Burns robtnou@centurytel.net Ed Simon Newport simonsez@actionnet.net Mike Stupfel Salem Michael.Stu pfel @state. or. us Beth Wemple Portland BWEMPLE@kittelson.com Graphic Design by Melissa Gannon Redmond Tech Class Thank you Redmond Fire Department for hosting the Redmond technician certification course. Many thanks also are extended to the Bend Fire Department and Debbie Miller, ODOT Region 3, for letting the students utilize their monthly fitting station for the class clinic. The latest group to join the child passenger safety certification community include: Jennifer Williamson —Redmond Fare and Rescue, David Wheeler —Sisters -Camp Sherman RFPD, Dale Thoreen and Abbi Brown —Baby Phases, Nate and Alyssa Lemmon—Community Volunteers in The Dalles, and Michelle Dearden—Dearden, Megaard & Association. In addition to seven newly certified technicians the class also benefited from the teaching of Oregon's newest certified Child Passenger Safety Instructor. Congratulations Robert Tibbetts —La Grande Fire Department. The rest of the instructor team consisted of Betty Groshong,—Resolutions Creative Conflict Management LLC, Cindy Storlie—Lake Oswego Police Department, Dan Marcisz—Jackson County Sheriff's Office and Sandy Holt —ACTS Oregon. Mary Kay Johnson —Legacy Emanuel Hospital assisted as a technician assistant throughout the course as well. The class was a great success thanks to the collaboration and efforts of all those involved. Great job everyone! 7Wo Studies Indicate Digital Billboards not a Problem for Drivers Tantala Associates, an engineering consulting firm based out of Philadelphia, and Virginia Tech Transportation Institute both conducted studies on how digital billboards affect driving behavior. Both studies were prompted by the claim that digital billboards with a six to eight second graphics change are more distracting then the standard billboard. Tantala approached the study with a sequential and spatial analysis of seven digital billboards Thank You: Elliott Eki along an interstate in Ohio. A comparison was conducted within an eighteen -month time span. Researches examined crash statistics with conventional billboards then with converted billboards. The results indicated that digital billboards had no affect on the crash rate in that area. Virginia Tech took a different approach to the assessment of driver behavior. They placed cameras in the vehicles of thirty-six drivers to monitor eye glance patterns. The findings showed that digital billboards do attract more attention then other billboards, however they do not cause a measurable change in driving behavior. To view the Tantala study, visit http.y/tantal.com/oaa. Go to www.oaaa.org to download the Virginia Tech study. AAA Oregon Idaho's Portland Public Affairs Director, Elliott Eki retired in September after working at AAA for the past 7 years. He became interested in child passenger safety in 2001 when he contacted us about hosting checkup events at the AAA offices throughout Oregon. After hosting several events he was shocked to see how many parents and caregivers were not using or installing their child safety seats correctly. He became determined to have AAA become a part of the solution. In 2002 he hosted a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician course at the AAA Office in Portland. As a result, he became certified with ten other AAA employees. In addition to hosting this class, Elliot revived and improved the car seat loan program for AAA members. This service was appreciated by families in need of a child safety seat while traveling. He remained certified for 5 years. During those 5 years he hosted several checkup events with support from the other AAA technicians. He also assisted at many local checkup events in and around the Portland area. Elliott and the other AAA Certified Technicians set up appointments for seat checks at their offices checking several hundred car seats. Elliott also supported ACTS Oregon as a member of the Child Safety Seat Resource Center's Strategic Planning Task Force in 2002. He helped us find more efficient ways to reach families, agencies and caregivers throughout Oregon with their child passenger safety needs. Continued on Page 4 Traffic Safety Connection •Oct./Nov, .....................................Click on www.actsoregon.org for Traffic Safety Information in Oregon ..... ............,........................ 2 Commercial Vehicle Belt Use Law As of January 1, 2006, Oregon's safety belt law requires occupants of commercial vehicles (defined in Oregon Revised Statute 801.210 as vehicles which are used for the transportation of persons for compensation or profit) transporting 15 or fewer persons to use safety restraints. This rule applies to occupants ODOT—Transportation Safety Staff Hosts International Conference in Portland More than 460 safety experts from around the United States and abroad met for four days in Portland as ODOT's Transportation Safety Office hosted the Governors Highway Safety Association annual meeting. The conference focused on strategies and programs that have been effective in reducing traffic crashes and fatalities. Keynote speakers included Nicole Nason, administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; Fred Wegman, managing director of the SWOV Institute for Road Safety Research in the Netherlands; and Ian Johnston of the Monash University Accident Research Centre, Australia. "The notes of appreciation and recognition are still arriving from around the country," said Troy E. Costales, administrator of Transportation Safety at ODOT. "The Oregon core team did a fantastic job of pulling everything together." Rear - Facing Is the Way to Travel In the United States, best practice is to keep children in the rear - facing position beyond the minimum requirements of 1 year and 20 pounds. Children should not ride forward facing until they reach the maximum rear -facing limits of a seat that allows rear -facing up to at least 30 pounds. Unfortunately, most parents are eager to turn their children around because they are not of shuttles, taxis, limousines, vans or any other type of vehicle meeting the statutory definition. Among these types of vehicles, taxi cab drivers are the only occupants excepted from this rule. The law specifies that drivers of these vehicles are not responsible for ensuring that any of the passengers buckle up. Passengers over 16 years of age are responsible for securing their own safety belt and also for ensuring that any child accompanying them is properly restrained. If a vehicle is subject to these rules, it is suggested companies make a quick inspection of the safety belts in their vehicles make sure they are easily accessible and in working order. In addition, ODOT— Over 75 volunteers from Oregon were recruited to work and attend the conference. "The volunteers did a great job helping to ensure that everything ran smoothly. We appreciated being included and sharing Oregon hospitality with people from all over the nation," said Ruth Harshfield, ACTS Oregon Executive Director. Community traffic safety advocates, ACTS Oregon Board members, Oregon Transportation Safety Committee members and Governor's Advisory Committee members benefited from scholarships and the opportunity to attend the conference. Transportation Safety also provided free exhibit space to highlight a number of Oregon programs. Trauma Nurses Talk Tough, Oregon Safe Kids, Portland/Metro SAFE Kids, Think First, Clackamas County Safe Communities and ACTS Oregon shared the booth. to Transportation Safety Division is offering free stickers which may be posted in vehicles to inform customers of this new requirement. The stickers are approximately 3" x 4", black on white, and bear the message "SEATBELTS MUST BE WORN IN THIS VEHICLE" in English and in Spanish. Stickers come six per sheet, and you may order as many sheets of these as you wish by calling ODOT— Transportation Safety Division at 800-922-2022. Costales said that a comment from Mike Laski, Iowa's highway safety director, really hit home. Laski said, "It is so nice to be retiring after 29 years and have the best GHSA meeting be this one in Portland. You guys should be proud of yourselves." Just a reminder, the 2008 Lifesavers Conference will be held in Portland on April 13-15, 2008. Registration on or before February 29, 2008 is $250. Visit www.lifesaversconference.org. educated on the significant safety benefits that occur when a child remains rear -facing. This lack of education leads to misunderstandings that ultimately decrease how safely children are being transported. For example, there is a misconception that children are uncomfortable or at risk for leg injury by having their legs up on the vehicle seat or bent when kept rear -facing. In reality there is no documented case of children's legs or hips breaking or being injured in a crash due to riding longer rear -facing. There are plenty of cases of head and neck injury in forward -facing children that could have been prevented if the child had remained rear -facing. Keeping children rear -facing as long as possible can help prevent permanent or fatal injuries. An example of the benefits of keeping children rear -facing longer are prominent in Sweden where it is standard practice to keep children rear -facing up to the age of 5, or as much as 55 lbs. In the U.S., motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death for children. The extra protection offered by rear - facing seats is something that parents should take advantage of as long as possible. For more information on this topic visit http://www.cpsafety. com/articles/stayrearfacing. aspx. Traffic Safety Connection • Oct./Nov.....................................Click on www.childsafetyseat.org for clinics scheduled in Oregon ........................ ......,.............. 3 Check Up Clinics and Fitting Stations Please check www.childsafetyseat.org under Child Passenger Safety/Calendar for current list, specific dates, locations and times. Date city Location Address 10/27/2007 Beaverton Police Department 4755 SW Griffith Drive 10/28/2007 Beaverton Saturn of Beaverton 4250 SW 139th Way & TV Hwy 11/01/2007 La Grande Fire Department 1806 Cove Avenue 11/03/2007 Albany Fire Department 120 34th Street SE Station #12 11/07/2007 McMinnville Fire Department 175 E 1st Street 11/08/2007 Beaverton Kuni Cadillac 3725 SW Cedar Hills Boulevard 11/08/2007 La Grande Fire Department 1806 Cove Avenue 11/10/2007 Lake Oswego Fire Department 300 B Street Beaverton Police Department 4755 SW Griffith Drive 04/10/2007 /10/2007 -11,11,/15/2007 Milwaukie Fire Department 2930 SE Oak Grove Boulevard La Grande Fire Department 1806 Cove Avenue 11/16/2007 St. Helens St. Helens Fire 105 S 12th Street 11/17/2007 Dallas Fire Department 915 SE Shelton 11/17/2007 Portland Fire Department 2915 SE 13th Place & Powell FREE GDL Workshop Schedule 2007/2008 Time 8:45 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. 11:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. 9:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. 10:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. 12:00 P.M. to 1:30 P.M. 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. 9:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. 8:45 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. 10:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. 9:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. 10:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. 11:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. Portland Public Schools hosts Graduated Driver's Licensing Workshops to help youth develop safe driving behavior and parents discover how to best support young drivers. Before your child gets behind the wheel attend a workshop together! Everyone is welcome and may attend the workshop location that is most convenient for them. November 5th 7:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. January 7th 7:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. February 25th 7:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. March loth 6:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. Lincoln High School Franklin High School Grant High School Emanuel Hospital Thank You. - El I lott Eki Continued from Page 2 Working with Elliott at many events in the 5 years he was certified was delightful. His humor was contagious. He worked well with families explaining car seat safety clearly, demonstrating proper use and installation. He will be greatly missed in the child passenger safety community and can retire knowing that he made a difference helping hundreds of Oregon children travel safer! Thank You Elliott! December 3rd 7:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. Madison High School February llth 6:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. Emanuel Hospital March 3rd 6:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. Portland Christian Traffic Safety Connection • Oct./Nov. — . ..... - ................. ..... Click on www.childsafetyseat.org for clinics scheduled in Oregon ............................... ,... ___ ... 4