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HomeMy WebLinkAbout6.1.16 Ashland Downtown Parking & Circulation Committee Minutes ASHLAND DOWNTOWN PARKING MANAGEMENT&CIRCULATION AD IOC ADVISOR`COMMITTEE MINUTES June 1,2016 CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 3:30 p.m. in Council Chambers, 1175 East Main St. Regular members present: Chair Dave Young, Pam Hammond, Marie Donovan, Michael Dawkins, John Williams, Joe Graf, John Fields, Lisa Beam, Cynthia Rider(arrived at 3:49), and Emile Amarotico Regular members absent: Lynn Thompson, and Joe Collonge Ex officio(non-voting)members present: Katharine Cato, Michael Faught, Bill Molnar, Lee Tuneberg, Pam Marsh, and Sandra Slattery Ex officio(non-voting)members absent: Mike Gardiner,and Rich Rosenthal City of Ashland Staff members present: Tami De Mille-Campos ANNOUCEMENTS APPROVAL OF MINUTES Minutes of May 4, 2016 Minutes approved as presented. PUBLIC FORUM Paul Rostykus,436 Grandview Drive He shared two concerns. The first is double parking of trucks, particularly the one he saw on Saturday on North Main and Church Street where it narrowed it down to one lane and caused visibility issues. The other concern he had was that he had heard bicyclists do not shop downtown. He is a bicyclist who lives up on Grandview Drive,which is a hill to drive up or bicycle up, and he rides his bike to shop the downtown. COMMITTEE MEMBER QUESTIONS Faught said there was a lot of conversation at the last meeting and he just wanted to provide a moment to address any questions that the committee members had. Fields said this is a good turnout as far as the community goes and he appreciates people coming to the meetings and participating. He pointed out this has been going on for 2�/2 years and the original mission was to solve the park- ing problem. Then 3 months ago we took it all on.After 2 �/2 years of studying the parking problem we got to a point where we said we would hire a parking consultant that would manage it and create a committee who will study it so he isn't sure if we are entering into another 2 1/2 year study of transportation planning. He added you may think this is the end of the process but he feels it is just the beginning. Chair Young said he respectfully disagrees about that being the charge of the committee. This was the part of the Transportation System Plan update that was completed in 2012 that was cut out. Fields said his only concern is that we spent 3 meetings working on a mission statement but never reflected back and looking back he doesn't see it. Faught shared that we weren't quite ready to begin the public process but after misinformation got out there the Chamber hosted a public meeting and they got some good questions. He added the committee's charge did include multi-modal, it's just that they spent 2 1/2 years on the parking and the reason they did that and the reason it will likely take more time on the other is that they are complex. Now that we have a plan that we think will work on the parking side,we begin the process for the multi-modal piece. Because of the complexities and short term/long term impacts that it may have on the economic development side of it,we have to be careful that we do the right things as we move forward.To Fields' point, it is early on in this process and there is no pending decision to not do any of the pro- posed multi-modal projects,we've simply started that conversation with this group and there will be a lot of feedback and input opportunities with this committee and there will be a public input process as well once it gets to the City Council. ASHLAND DOWNTOWN PARKING MANAGEMENT&CIRCULATION AD HOC ADVISORY COMMITTEE June 1,2016 Page 1 of 9 Donovan shared her feeling is the Chamber's role in this process has been misunderstood and misrepresented. It feels like they have been misinterpreted as being against bicycle lanes because some of the voting members are questioning costs and impacts to the downtown businesses. She isn't sure where this information is coming from be- cause that is not true. They are asking tough questions that need to be asked.This committee is charged with not just representing one small group of people,this impacts everybody. HARGADINE PARKING GARAGE RECENT FEE INCREASE AND UTILIZATION Matt Warshawsky, 2331 Morada Lane He said he hoped everyone had a chance to read his email (see attachments). His wife (OSF employee)and several other employees have utilized the parking structure in the evening as a safe place to park because it is located next door. Previously they had been able to purchase a monthly permit and were told that evenings weren't really en- forced, although the permit says it doesn't cover evenings.When she went in to purchase the permits for the rest of the summer,she was told that not only were the rates going up but more importantly,they would be enforcing in the evenings. He said this has an adverse effect on the employees on the employees that rely on that. It is really the only safe place for people working at night to park. This change takes effect today, so he is hoping to quickly push some- thing through that will allow people to continue to be able to purchase the pass for parking in the evening. He added that the$2.00/hour rate for someone earning$15.00/hour is a significant chunk of their income and for most of the evening employees, alternative transportation options are not feasible. Faught said he appreciated Matt coming forward with this issue. He said the City Administrator, Dave Kanner, has asked him to share with them that he has a proposal that would fix this pretty quickly. The proposal is to prepare a resolution to modify the fee structure to allow for an evening or an all-day parking pass for council consideration at their next meeting unless the committee disagrees with the plan. The proposed resolution includes a stipulation that no more than 40(combined total)nighttime and all-day parking permits shall be sold in any month from March through October, in order to ensure that the parking structure doesn't fill up with permit-holding employees of downtown businesses during peak tourism season. Matt voiced some concern with this being limited to 40 permits. Linda Fait, Diamond Parking, shared she doesn't think that is going to be an issue. Faught explained that the sense of urgency that Kanner is proposing would require this committee to act on this now, rather than waiting for a future meeting. Chair Young felt it would be useful to have time to consider the ramifications of this. Maybe something is implemented and then reevaluated again at the end of summer. Cato said with respect to the needs that have been expressed by Matt, how is Kanner going to handle all of the res- taurant employees who work late at night and need a place to park?She stated our task force is taking a deep look at employees in downtown,which there are over 2,000 employees,all of which work different hours and have differ- ent needs. DawkinsMilliams m/s to approve the City Administrator to proceed with taking this proposal to Council. Discussion: Rider pointed out that she was late to the meeting and wasn't here for the entire discussion. She said this is a big issue for OSF employees. Dawkins said he made the motion with the intent that the ongoing committee would delve deeply into this.This is just to take care of this immediate need. Graf asked who is now eligible to pur- chase these parking permits. Faught said his understanding is the limit is on evening passes and anyone is eligible to purchase a pass.There was some discussion on pricing. Matt said Fait doesn't think there is going to be a problem with 40 evening passes but they haven't been available before and the cost effectiveness of day passes has always been much lower.Williams said the reason he seconded the motion was because of the belief that the City Adminis- trator has a solution. Rider said she definitely supports it but she does wonder if 40 passes is enough and also whether 6:00 pm is a good evening start time. She thinks it is a good thing to look at further. Tuneberg said he was happy we were getting to this discussion because he and Fait had been talking about this 6 years ago. He thinks the 40 pass limit is accurate. 6:00 am-6:00 pm is daytime hours and 6:00—2:00 am is ASHLAND DOWNTOWN PARKING MANAGEMENT&CIRCULATION AD HOC ADVISORY COMMITTEE June 1,2016 Page 2 of 9 nighttime hours. He added that they cannot do permits to meet every individual group of employee's downtown. He thinks there are a wider set of issues to look at beyond just the Hargadine. We also have to remember that it isn't easy for daytime employees either;we have talked about precluding daytime employees from parking downtown alto- gether and being designated somewhere else. He thinks this will need to be revisited as we go along. Slattery appreciated Tuneberg's comments and said that one of the questions that came up in the meeting this morn- ing was"what is a reasonable distance for an employee to have to walk to work?"She said she believes it is a differ- ent with daytime employees versus nighttime employees. One thing that has come up several times in this group is business owners not wanting their employees to walk very far distances at night which is unreasonable from a risk and safety standpoint. She said it has great implications in many of the conversations that have been had regarding satellite parking and people navigating that distance. Tuneberg appreciated that but he added that during the winter months it is dark for most people when they come in to work in the morning and it is dark when they go home after work. He added that he is hearing these similar complaints from his employees, many of which have young children and satellite parking will be difficult for most of them when they have emergency situations or things that require them to leave work to handle something (doctor's appointments, school pick up). All in favor. Motion passes. Faught said we received an email from Allan Weisbard (see attachment) regarding the Hargadine being underuti- lized.Allan was invited to this meeting but was not in attendance. Faught said he thinks this should ultimately go to the new committee that will continue this work but since we aren't quite there yet, he wanted to provide an oppor- tunity for Allan's input. He pointed out that Rick Williams had studied the Hargadine parking garage and those results are attached. 3 LANE TO 2 LANE—CONTINUED DISCUSSION John Fisher-Smith, 945 Oak Street He and his wife both ride their bikes every day and it's a part of their lifestyle. He passed around a copy of a guest opinion article that he wrote for the Ashland Daily Tidings which was in today's paper. He added the opening state- ment by John and David in the Daily Tidings was concerning to him. He had a background in urban design planning and architecture for many years with a large firm in San Francisco. He said he respects everyone on this committee and their efforts put into this. He is very discouraged today because,from his point of view, having had experience in this field, solving the parking problem for the city is different than solving traffic flow/multi-modal through downtown. They are 2 different charges. He thinks that the circulation design for downtown needs to be done by a small group of planners working out the solutions. Roy Sutton, 989 Golden Aspen Place(read attached letter) Nancy Driscoll, 348 Fair Oaks Ave She lives down by Mountain Meadows and has lived here for 13 years. In that time she has increasingly used her bike and now her electric bike. She has reduced her car use by 50%annually.As a person who has increasingly dis- cretionary timelines for where she needs to be as a partially/fully retired person. She thanked everyone on the com- mittee for continuing to make it safe for her and other people who ride their bikes. She hopes we continue to allow people to travel safely across town. Teri Coppedge, 2927 Barbara Street She said she has been a serious biker since the 90's. She used to commute to Talent and she would ride Highway 99 before the bike path was even there. The scariest part was actually coming through downtown Ashland. She strongly endorses anything we can do to make the area safer. She is interested in whether this is just going to be a bike lane or an actual protected bike lane where you have some sort of physical barrier to stop the cars from getting into the bike lanes. She thinks that is a wonderful thing. She also would like the committee to consider whether you would put the bike lane between the sidewalk and the parking lane so that bikes and pedestrians are going along in the same place instead of bikes and cars. Kat Smith, 770 Faith Avenue She is a former bike safety educator and instructor here in town through the bicycle transportation alliance and RVTD. She has worked with many families and their children and one of the barriers that they identify for biking is the ASHLAND DOWNTOWN PARKING MANAGEMENT&CIRCULATION AD HOC ADVISORY COMMITTEE June 1,2016 Page 3 of 9 corridor that is being discussed today.A lot of them have identified that having a bike lane through there would re- move that barrier and improve their accessibility to the downtown. Currently a lot of them take up the full lane be- cause ORS 814.4302C says they can do that. Now that she is a mother she does it because she is comfortable do- ing so and that bike lane helps create that safer environment for families to ride downtown. She, her partner, and their 4 year old bike downtown to eat at the local restaurants, shop at local shops, go to Lithia Park, go to the library etc. Biking is her 4 year olds favorite way to get around. She added, they lived car free for a year and there are many people in the community who do so for a variety of reasons(financial, environmental impact etc.). When we are cre- ating this bike lane downtown we need to recognize the services we are providing for that demographic as well. Jeff Sharpe, 553 Fordyce Street(read attached letter) Julia Sommer, 1158 Village Square Drive(read attached letter) Paula Sohl,283 Scenic Drive She is in favor of Ashland being a very smart bike friendly city but she did want to comment on the return traffic on Lithia Way where the bike lane disappears over the bridge. She suggested if the turn onto Water Street was an ex- clusive lane then we could avoid the terrible merging that happens when you get back onto Main and it would also make room for a bike lane. Vanston Shaw, 608 Drager Street He is in support of the recommendations which he has heard from the committee related to the bike lane and the 3 lane to 2 lane conversion on Main Street. He said when you look at Lithia Way there is a lot of bike traffic and the reason is because there is a bike lane. He added, you just don't see the same level of bike traffic through the down- town on Main Street.As a biker himself, he thinks it makes a lot of sense to go that direction and he would appreciate the committee going through with this and the Council approving the 3 lane to 2 lane conversion with the bike lane. Bryan Sohl,283 Scenic Drive The Mayor, Council and many citizens have strongly supported Ashland developing a climate and energy plan, which is currently being developed.An ad hoc climate and energy committee has been appointed,which he serves on.A consultant has been hired at a significant expense to develop a climate plan and the committee and consultant will present this to Council in January, 2017.This plan will outline ways to reduce Ashland's carbon footprint and make Ashland more livable.As a private citizen, he feels this commission has an opportunity to lead by example. He added, he works in Medford and lives in Ashland and he rides his bike frequently. He thinks it is easier to ride his bike to Medford than it is to ride through town to the YMCA, his church or the local watering holes. Ray Mallette, 314 Luna Vista Street His family moved her about a year and a half ago from Burlington,Vermont where over 30 years ago they took the downtown area (5 blocks)and closed it off to vehicular access. Since then,they have a pedestrian mall there and businesses have thrived in that environment. It has a lot of big chain stores and local stores as well. His impression of Ashland is that we have an equivalent beautiful downtown area, however he feels there is way too much traffic moving through even though the speed limit is only 20 mph. He has been impressed with the bike lanes around town but he did notice the bike lane is missing through downtown. He shares the same concerns that other people have in terms of parked cars and managing your way through the turning lanes. He was also surprised that there was very little outdoor dining use. In Burlington, they took up both sides of the street and left a center area open.Anything that can be done to get traffic slowed down and get people walking around would be an advantage. John Baxter, 831 Liberty Street He said he had wrote a letter but it is longer than 2 minutes so he will just go over the main talking points. He sup- ports the 3 to 2 lane conversion plan that he has seen. He is a very experiences bike commuter who has been biking since the age of 6. He routinely bikes downtown for professional reasons (4-5 times/week)and as an experiences cyclist he can say that travelling southbound through downtown on a bike is intimidating and unpleasant.You can imagine what that feels like for an inexperienced rider or even to someone who may just be visiting.When he goes downtown he goes on Lithia Way/Siskiyou Blvd where it has nice bike lanes.When he goes back home he uses B Street and there are a lot of cyclists who do the same. For people who are concerned with the potential impact on the business community,which he thinks is a legitimate concern, he would point out that all of those people that choose ASHLAND DOWNTOWN PARKING MANAGEMENT&CIRCULATION AD HOC ADVISORY COMMITTEE June 1,2016 Page 4 of 9 to ride on B Street are people that are not going passed the businesses along Main Street. He thinks this has the po- tential to improve the downtown economy. He added, if you want to know how many people go downtown on their bikes,just go by the Shakespeare Festival during the green show and try to find a place to park your bike in the bike coral! Casey McEnroe, 193 Eastbrook Way He really thinks we should have a bike lane because it is much safer for bicycle families, like his, to bike around downtown especially during special events (first Friday)when there are more people out. Liese Murphree, 229 Granite Street She said they are also a biking family and they brought their 2 daughters with them to this meeting. In fact, one of her daughters got to ride on Main Street for the first time with the pack of cyclists that were heading to this meeting. She said she doesn't normally allow her children to ride on Main Street because it isn't safe. The consequence of them not being able to ride on Main Street is they walk their bikes on the sidewalk through downtown instead. When they run errands or ride to the library and they're pushing their bikes on the sidewalk that presents challenges with con- gestion and safety. The alternative is they go on B Street or down the bike path. She would love to see a bike lane through downtown because as cyclists would say, it's a lot bigger deal for them to go several blocks out of their way than it is would be for a car to do so. She'd like to see this as a safer connection for kids who use it to get to school. Eric Bonetti, 2552 Old Mill Way He stated his comments are tied to the safety and circulation regarding bike paths, although not specifically in the downtown.A few weeks ago he was driving past the high school looking at safe passage for his kids that will be at- tending the school in the coming year. He noticed on Mountain (north and south directions), there are no bike paths. He thought that was a huge oversight and he decided to call the Principal and ask if there were any future plans and they said they didn't know but recommended he come to a City meeting to address it. His daughter attends Bellview, which has a bike path and the middle school does too but the high school seems to have been neglected. Louise Shawkat, 870 Cambridge She pointed out Ashland has a climate and energy action plan in development and the bulk of our greenhouse gas- ses come from transportation,walking and bicycling. Transit is the most sustainable mode of transportation. To be a resilient city we need to focus our energy and resources on conserving and enhancing our strong and vibrant down- town and embracing the south end by creating a more appealing district. The two most common interventions are to improve biking and walking infrastructure. The City needs to create an efficient public transit system to carry people from one end of town to the other. Our town is book ended at the north and south entrances by lodging and event facilities. She thanked the committee for the months of work that have gone into a vision for Ashland's transportation but there is more work to be done by all the citizens. The current plan requires good listening skills, cooperation, cre- ativity and patience. She said this will cause temporary discomfort and upheaval,frustration and fear. She thinks the City government, the citizens of Ashland and the local businesses are up to the task of embracing the changes that are being offered. Kathryn Thalden, 550 Ashland Loop Rd She thanked the committee for all the work they've done. She has been at the meetings and she thinks they have come up with a wonderful process for how to address parking in the future. She also thanked Faught for the concept for the downtown. She believes at this point it would be wise to reach out even further for expertise because we are looking at a plan that is for the next 50 years at least. Right now we have the opportunity to create an urban area where cars, bikes, pedestrians and delivery trucks are all accommodated but it goes further than that. It gives us an opportunity to create a place where residents and tourists want to spend time downtown,where shop owners see their businesses thrive,where signage makes it easy to find parking,where a canopy of healthy trees shade side- walks and streets,where there are places to sit and eat, and where attractive light poles add to the streetscape as well as create safety and security. There are so many groups in Ashland who have particular interests in this devel- opment(bike riders, shop owners,visitors)which makes it hard to accommodate everyone. She hopes this commit- tee will look at hiring an urban designer expert to come in. She is a Landscape Architect and did urban design and she knows we haven't nearly covered all of the possibilities so she urged the committee to look further. Colin Swales, 143 8t"Street He shared that he was lucky enough to be at the meeting that the Chamber put on earlier this morning but sadly ASHLAND DOWNTOWN PARKING MANAGEMENT&CIRCULATION AD HOC ADVISORY COMMITTEE June 1,2016 Page 5 of 9 there were only 3 people present from the general public and the rest were invitees, although it was meant to be open to the public. He said it would be great if this committee could get a real public meeting so that we could hear from the rest of the citizens/residents and visitors because this type of meeting isn't the best place to have this kind of dialogue. He said this morning's meeting was interesting, the planning consultant mentioned that he was here in 1999 talking about our downtown plan. There was also the 1966 downtown plan that Michael Dawkins' Dad helped produce.Then there was a 1988 plan. None of which have been implemented and here we are again. We need a decent design,which will make it a comfortable place for everyone to share. Linda Peterson Adams, 642 Oak Street(read attached letter) Ron Adams, 642 Oak Street(read attached letter) Ronald Cue, 1155 Fern (read attached letter) Jeanine Moy, 779 Oak Street(see attachment for references) She pointed out that most of what she wrote has already been covered by the previous public speakers. She thanked the committee for allowing public comment and for being active citizens. She thinks it is really important that we pro- vide bicycle infrastructure and safe biking for people in this town. It is clearly good for people's health, and it's good to have for both biker and driver safety. To address some of the concerns that cane up earlier, such as worrying about the parking problem, she doesn't think these things are mutually exclusive.Addressing the biking problem through downtown will address the parking problem. More people on bikes means less people trying to find a parking spot. There was a study done a few years ago by a UCLA Professor names Donald Shoup, it was called "The High Cost of Free Parking".As Professor Shoup wrote"minimum parking requirements act like a fertility drug for cars."She said if we are also worried about funding and the cost of things then why don't we just charge for parking?There are bene- fits to the local community; studies have shown that people are more likely to spend more time shopping if they are on their bike. She said if you ask any cyclist coming to downtown, they don't just park and go in/out of one store,they park their bike anywhere and then they tend to walk the whole strip. One example is in San Francisco on Valencia Street, after it was narrowed to calm traffic two thirds of merchants reported improved business and sales.An equal number of merchants indicated they would support additional measures such as tree planting, sidewalk widening, and transit improvements. She pointed out she did a small social media survey and about 1/3 of those people cited they weren't in good enough shape to bike.Another 1/3 said they felt like it wasn't safe, as related to not having a bike lane. The other 1/3 said they don't feel safe because of driver behavior.There were about 60 respondents out of a Facebook group of 4,000. Chair Young thanked everyone for coming and speaking. He welcomed everyone to come to meetings of other com- missions/committees. He said some of the things mentioned by a couple of people are the purview of the Transporta- tion Commission which meets on the 4t"Thursday evening each month. Kim Parducci (Southern Oregon Transportation Engineering),Jeff Bernardo(OBEC) Parducci informed the committee that Jeff Bernardo from OBEC is here to answer some of the questions related to construction phasing and design and how that's going to work. She thinks it would be best if there are any questions for Jeff to go ahead and ask those first because he is down from Eugene for this meeting and she is here every meeting and could finish her part at a future meeting. He said Faught asked him to be here to briefly talk about some of the questions that had come up at a previous meeting with regards to what type of strategies might be employed with a project of this type and how best to minimize impact to downtown businesses. He said we all recognize that the citizens and businesses feel the effects of a construction project and especially one in which you are potentially changing the way the facility operates out there. It is probably safe to say there is no way to eliminate impact but the focus would be thinking about ways to minimize them to the greatest extent possible. The more strategies that you employ to minimize impacts to traffic and businesses, the longer it takes and therefore costs generally go up so it is always a matter of weighing options. Bernardo shared some of the strategies that could be employed: *Require night work. ASHLAND DOWNTOWN PARKING MANAGEMENT&CIRCULATION AD HOC ADVISORY COMMITTEE June 1,2016 Page 6 of 9 *Limit number of blocks under construction. *Alternate each side of the road. *Provide alternate surfacing (rubber matting)from pedestrian channelization to business entrances. *Limit sidewalk closure to less than 24 hours for cure time. *Coordinate with trucking industry for delivery access. *Provide loading zones for trucks. Hammond asked if there has been a study done on how much the businesses were affected during re-design con- struction projects in Phoenix,Talent, and Medford. Bernardo said that isn't anything his firm has studied. They tend to focus more on the design and implementation. Faught said he wasn't aware of any but he will look into it. There was a recent downtown project in Sisters, Oregon that OBEC worked on and he plans to contact them. He added he was in Glendale, California on vacation a few weeks ago and they had some projects going on. He talked to a few of the businesses and it seemed like the nighttime construction was working pretty well. Chair Young said this presupposes a pretty major project but we don't have a design and yet the scale of this is mak- ing some assumptions and showing major impacts. He feels that without a plan this is somewhat premature. He asked what assumptions were made. Faught said he had them look at the 3 lane to 2 lane concept in terms of cost and staging.The key point here is we were trying to answer general questions about what kind of strategies would minimize impacts to businesses. On a separate note he doesn't think there is enough time for Parducci to start on her stuff today, so maybe we want to just talk about next steps and have her come back at the next meeting. Donovan said we are at this level in the meeting and the meeting is almost over,yet there was supposed to be 55 minutes dedicated to this agenda topic, and while she appreciates all the public comment,that was sort of an orga- nized event.What ends up happening is the agenda goes out the window and that takes over. It is the culmination of the entire plan that the committee is wrestling with and at this point in time this plan has so many details that we ha- ven't even scratched the surface of. Because the committee has spent a lot of time on the parking portion of the plan she would like to make a recommendation to move that portion through. Donovan/Rider m/s this committee recommends moving the parking portion of the plan forward. Discussion: Faught can see an advantage of moving that part of the plan forward. He pointed out we would still need to have a public input process before sending it forward to Council. Graf All in favor. None opposed. Motion passed. Graf is concerned about passing the parking on because one of the key pieces of the re-design is that we can't do the multi-modal piece without thinking, to some degree, about the parking. It feels cleaner to him to do everything at once but at the same time it feels better to pass on to the parking group, although that may be the same group of people anyways. Chair Young pointed out we generally warn or post action items and this wasn't on the agenda as the public might have a stake in this. He also mentioned he knows this was an idea that came from Councilor Marsh or the Chamber. He was copied on an email from Councilor Marsh to Faught about a month ago, around the same time of the news- paper article. For full transparency he wanted to share that,whether it has merit or not, this is something that is being discussed outside of this committee and this is a strategy. He also said from a public meetings law standpoint,the action item not being noticed, doesn't feel clean to him. Donovan pointed out we voted on something at the beginning of this meeting that wasn't on the agenda and we've done that at past meetings as well. Chair Young shared he thinks that is a slippery slope. Donovan disagrees and she is suggesting the plan be taken forward and then it is part of a public process where more people can be in- volved,which then ultimately goes forward to Council. Chair Young said he respects that and it makes sense. He said Fields said it clearly, his idea of being on this commit- tee was to deal with parking. His idea, having been on the Transportation Commission and going through the entire Transportation System Plan (TSP) process, subsequent to that which was 2 years, it was adopted minus the down- town part which was deferred to this committee. If there are members of this committee who thought this was really about parking and then thought the parking portion would be handed off and move on, he has no problem with that in ASHLAND DOWNTOWN PARKING MANAGEMENT&CIRCULATION AD HOC ADVISORY COMMITTEE June 1,2016 Page 7 of 9 isolation.What it does is leave this committee in charge of the actual transportation elements when a number of peo- ple on this committee don't have the institutional history, nor the transportation expertise. Fields said he is fine with never making a decision. He has been working on this for 35 years. Elevating the complex- ity beyond parking never allows you to do anything and what happens is, it just sits there and you get more consult- ants. He doesn't see why you can't just put a bike lane in on the right lane and make it clear that it's a bike lane with striping. For about$20,000 you could probably make a pretty workable bike lane through downtown. Changing the width and elevations of sidewalks means paving, which if we are going to touch the paving we need all new storm/sewer lines, and a bunch of electrical work needs to be done. The current estimate could be 5-6 million but to do it correctly it is probably closer to 10 million.We have 20 million worth of paving around town that has been ne- glected so he is trying to simplify. He would like to start making some decisions. He thinks there is some low hanging fruit that we could be moving forward on. He would support this motion and at least move something forward,then figure out what their scope of work is in regards to the TSP. Dawkins said he agrees with a lot of what Donovan and Fields have said. From the beginning, he has seen this com- mittee as another stab at trying to do a downtown plan because as we've noticed, the sidewalks are deteriorating,we have unhealthy trees etc.There are a lot of things that need to be done and because we took this from the TSP this needs to be finished, even if it takes 10 years. Marsh said as the Council liaison she is really an observer and mostly tries to stay out of the conversation. Since she has been brought into the conversation by the Chair she would appreciate the opportunity to explain what Young was referring to. She said a couple of meetings ago she was listening to Graf comment on how much detail about trans- portation was not in the draft report, because the draft was really a conveyance of the discussion on parking. As she sat there she thought it would be great to get all of that parking stuff out of the report and then see what is left and what still needed to be put into the document in order to make it a sound, substantive document. She thought maybe it would be a great way to move the conversation forward. She did send an email to Faught and copied Young and Slattery,just to pass on an observation from the sidelines. She added there was a little bit of an implication that this was an attempt to implicate the process and that was never the intent. Donovan said her motion was triggered more by Fields when he mentioned it several meetings ago. She said she wasn't a part of the email mentioned and actually doesn't know anything about this email. Young said this motion reminds him of the motion that was made during the TSP process,which was to kick the can down the road. What he fears is that what this committee has done a very good job of looking at parking. In his expe- rience of 22 years of working on this issue, it's always been about parking and as soon as it gets to other modes of transportation it gets shut down and we never move the ball forward. His fear is,the can got kicked down the road in 2012 and we are now to 2016 and are cutting out the parking portion and then we are submitting ourselves to an ur- ban re-design study.Whereas, repeatedly he has mentioned that the road diet was done as a pilot program and was monitored, studied and modified with an open mind and open heart, He fully supports the urban re-design but in the meantime we could do a pilot to test it out(striping, painting, parking)while working out the details. Beam echoed some of the comments that were made and she thinks it would be exciting to move this piece of the plan forward, let Council take a look at it and let the public have an opportunity to interface with the Council.That would give the committee the space to work on other elements of our downtown that need a lot of help. She doesn't think there is ever anyway to parse the two completely because it is complex and one requires the other, but their ability to push and move forward keeps getting sidelined. Graf said it's important the committee doesn't think the work is over just because they have moved the parking for- ward. There's a lot of really important work to do to improve our downtown in a number of ways that will benefit all citizens of Ashland. He said if we all understand that, then that takes his concern away. Slattery asked for clarification on whether the intent is that before this goes to Council there would be a public pro- cess. Faught said the committee would have a public process similar to the water/sewer master plan process. He will bring that information back to a future meeting so the committee can understand the process. Graf asked if this is going to be an addendum to the TSP and if that is so,will that go to the Transportation and Planning Commissions. Faught said he would need to check with Molnar on that but he doesn't think the parking piece would need to go ASHLAND DOWNTOWN PARKING MANAGEMENT&CIRCULATION AD HOC ADVISORY COMMITTEE June 1,2016 Page 8 of 9 through them. Faught asked the committee if they would like to take a break on meeting during the summer. The consensus from the committee was that they would rather continue meeting especially since this meeting was cut so short due to the amount of public comment and the fact that if they take a break it takes longer to get back into the swing of things. Slattery said she would like to have some thought and conversation on that because we weren't able to get to the meat of the agenda until after 5:00 pm and that makes it difficult to get the work done which is causing burnout and frustration.We need to find a way to let people have access to sharing their thoughts/concerns without taking up the entire meeting. Faught said one of the things that he promised the group is that we are going to set up a page on the city's website to share questions/answers and data. Slattery said we need to manage the time better in future meet- ings. NEXT STEPS The next meeting will be held on July 6, 2016 at 3:30 p.m. ADJOURNMENT Meeting adjourned at 5:40 pm Respectfully submitted, Tami De Mille-Campos,Administrative Supervisor ASHLAND DOWNTOWN PARKING MANAGEMENT&CIRCULATION AD HOC ADVISORY COMMITTEE June 1,2016 Page 9 of 9 �re 0 (1) 1,- 4--J u 4-J 00 0 4-J D fa L 0 u (1) 0 0- ,_I_— 4-J 0 D W 04 4- 0 4-J 5 0 (D col 100 ai vo 7 C: ON Q) +-J u u — 4- 0 D (10 u U) 10 :1-- X0 NI CD CD (D 4--) -C 03 u M (D W. w81, M > 0 -0 c a) 0 _0 M M Ln o 0 u < 4-J SIP E V) 4-J 73 V) u (1), _0 LU (D u M C: C M, tic W C > 10 0 0 0- (ul M L- M 4-1 0 4-J 73 o c L- M T- "j, 2 V) -c _0 QL (L) 0 V) 0 10 A-Z w E > 73 E (Y) C 4-j Ln Lo -�Z CD 0 93 ul w z 2 (D L- A* %k -0 0 CL (1) M -3 C: t 0 t10 U M t),o 0 D t M 0 < U R CL M 4- 0 Lri 0 V)ul u 73 W C: M $.- M M rq 73 C. 4-1 0 uo U arm, -FZ 0 LO V) Et _0 M 4-J c 0 Z3 Ln 0 00 0 ol V) u t4--J M E TEE D 73 X C E 0 M < Ln -2 U) (DI 0 tw CO 4— u 73 M 0 0 M 0 L-1 W U U) LL (3) H u I C) C) X C)M I 4-j 0 0 C lix x 0 r-L (D' M C: Ln til D 0 rH ur) M r) V) CD V) V) u 0 Ql) rd > (7U �J- V) 0- M m M 0- 0- CL u Z) D u 0 D u u u 0 u CL bb u ul u u 0- < L 0 > >-' 4-j V) tA 0 ttz ru C) zt, L U- f: } <r r� {t �i Y T -a 'E T v7 :r v, o -0 0 7-3 - t+- " o w w t • � 4-' %t D m _ o +� q) 4-1 4--1 a - ' rE a) Ln CL CL - a 0 w -I-- C) ClCD O o < , E E 0 CD -� v 1 _0 - a '<r g CD 0- +E- ;x -0 o C to r Vim? - Q n u E � 73 aW _Q 3 S Q3 ntn ,— .0 o • --' --� - U) o � _ <� m o ,�. o � [ ao :# -0 4-J M LA Mtit t 'U a- + c o � .� ° (A 4-) 0- k +-i Q) CL 0 m 4--- — ' - — 0 _ 0 -- MEN �, � �., a - o , , ace .. 0 a +� o Ln aL 4--' 4--) txo " "' _ U r.L 0 r-4 17 o a — o z % M aj # o a -i-, U) a)c a) m -0 0 From:Warshawsky, Matt [m a,i Ito:mwa rs h aws kyfLazeotech.cgy m Sent-. Monday, May 23, 2016 7:30 PM To,: Dave Kanner; Mike Faught Subject,Adverse effects of parking fee,changes for Hargadine Its come to my attention that the city has changed the parki s, and more importantly decided to start,enforcing,parking 'in the Hargaidine.parking structure at,night. This has created, an adverse effect that will impact some of our lower income worke�rs, creating a choice between ir owrt person bty. sacrificing a significant percentage of their income �for parklng fees, or the al saf My wife works backstage in the wardrobe department at OSF. This department, along with the w1gs department consists of about 22 women, most of who make around $15 /hour, which may sound like a,reasonable amount until you consider,they only are employed 10 months of the year. The problem "is that these people work many night,shows and have to stay after the show ends for an hour or more,, at which time the crowd of people have dispersed and they are left walking to their cars done, in the dark, often,as late as I am. The Hargadine parking structure, ity, and good. lighting, provides the only with its immediate locale, o rage cve by th OAF F secur' safe place for these people to park. Until now, they had been advised by Diamond parking that they can buy a,monthly pass that covers the day parking, and then still park in the Hargadine parking structure at night because parking was not enforced. This has apparently changed. The pass cost has risen to $3�0, which, since it does not cov er nights, is not particularly cost effective when half their work hours are m the evening and the cost to parl,,,the entire daylight hours is only $2. But more importantly, with enforcement'of parldn uc ig the strture at,night, these employees will have to choose between i safety payng $1.0 to park in a safe loca�tion isking, or r their saiety by parking somewhere that requires th-em to walk a signific ant distance i n the dark, on mostly unlit streets., GIven their $15/hr pay rate,,the $10 fee amounts to over 10% of their gross income for a 6,hour show call. Having served on the trans portation commission for a number of years, 1.understand many of the reasons that probably went 'into these changes, but I believe the-, changes have inadvertantly affected those who most,need toutilize the Hargadine parking structure,, and can lestafford it. I very much encourage you to consider options to allow these employees to use the structure at night without a significant drain on their income. My first suggestion.would be to simply ma the,parking pass cover the night, or,provide,an.option to purchase a,pass for the:evening at a reasonable cost'. If there is a concern that locals will purchase a pass so they can hit the bars every week, perhaps you can require proof of night time employment.. There are probably other Options,. slo,% SUBMITTED BEFU"RE MEETIONu 11 i d s I also hope you will wove on this as quickly as since on June I st in slightly possible, � more than one weeks time, You will effectively adding a 1 % tax to some o ' r feast paid employees of the city. My wife, for example, will have to pay 120 in parking fees to parkin Hardigine ill �u June because of these changes. Before it was $20. Since f don't want her risking her safety 1 parking elsewhere,, our alternative to paying this fee is for Luc to drive her to work (6 miles round trip), then at I am, wale up our 8 year and put her in the car so that we can pick her up. ar n Thanks n Matt Warshawsky �v n ;n f �t �r ax �n f t t G From:Allan Weisbard <aweisbard�vahoo,com> Sent:Thursday, May 26, 2016 3:12 PM To: Pam Marsh; Carol Voisin; Rich Rosenthal;dygu g@jtffn,gt,_grR Subject:June 1st Downtown Parking Meeting Hello Carol, Rich and.Pam and David, I have had a professional counseling practice Downtown for more than twenty years. Personally, I ride my bike to my office 90% of the time and I feel very fortunate to be able to do so. As much as passible I would like to see downtown pedestrian and bicycle friendly for both residents and visitors. I also know that a vibrant downtown is important for the economy and the success of my awn business,. If parking is too difficult for my patients they will be less willing to choose me for the services I offer. I have reviewed some of the committee minutes and the parking consultants 56 page report. I appreciate and am impressed with all the time and resources which our community has expended to create equitable and viable solutions. I walk by the Hagardine Parking structure quite frequently on my lunch hour and often there is very low utilization of the parking spots. In tallying with Linda at Diamond parking,, I realize now that noon my be a low usage time but by the time matinees start it i s more heavily utilized. I also see that increased signage is proposed for all of the city lots. I still wonder ifthere is way that some of the spots could be utilized to encourage shopper parking there. I am thinking perhaps free two hour spots or if people bring their parking stub they receive a discount of the fee from the participating merchant. Possibly that might even be something the city could subsidize. Again, I appreciate all the effort and hope that a creative, win-win solution can be found. Sincerely, Allan Weisbard SUBMITTED BEFORE MEETING i To. City of Ashland Wednesday, June 01, 2016 Attn: Downtown Parking Management and Circulation Ad Hoe Advisory Committee Subject: Public Input Ref: "Guest Opinion: Make Ashland more bike-friendly" Daily Tidings, today, Chair and Members of the Committee; My wife Dot and I ride our bicycles around Ashland daily. For our own and the public safety we urge you to approve the Multi Modal Plan for Main Street without further delay. Statistics prove that dedicated bike lanes increase safety and benefit businesses along the route. The city has assured merchants that parking spaces displaced by truck bays will be replaced. What is best for Ashland, in my opinion, includes a wide range of concerns for the common good, including: a green and sustainable lifestyle, population demographics, public well-being, climate change action, education, public health and welfare. Ashland has come a long way toward becoming a 2 1st-century multi- modal city, incorporating unbiased emphasis on auto, pedestrian and bicycle. We have begun to reap the benefits of bike lanes on Siskiyau Boulevard and on Ashland Avenue; overcome the hazardous conditions on North Main by incorporating the traffic calming "Road Diet". What remains is to introduce traffic calming and a southbound bike lane through downtown, connecting the al ready-existing bike lane entering from North Main with the existing southbound bike lane on Siskiyou. Sincerely John Fisher-Smith 945 Oak Street Ashland, OR 97520 *A__MS_,'FHLAND DAILY By John Fisher-Smith June o 1.2016 l :01 AM Guest Opinion. Make Ashland more bl*kem friendly 'what would it take for Ashland to rank among the top five bike-friendly small towns: Davis,Calif., Boulder,Colo.,Corvallis,Care.,Bellingham,Wash.and Missoula,Mont.? First:To connect the existing bile lane entering from North Main through the Four-block downtown to join the bile lane on Siskiyou. If you Agree please attend the monthly meeting of the Ad-hoe Downtown Parking and Circulation Committee today,June 1,from 3:30-5:30 p.m.at the Council Chambers on East Main Street next to the police station,and urge adoption of the downtown portion of the Transportation System Plan Update with southbound bile lane. The ad hoc committee has been charged with completing the downtown portion of the 2012 Transportation System Plan Update since its appointment by Mayor John Stromberg in 2013.The new plan for downtown incorporates two traffic lanes with restricted truck loading bays(available for automobile parking after p.m.);widens pedestrian sidewalks and adds a southboun.d bike lane connecting existing hike lanes from north to south of the downtown. Statistics prove that protected bike lames increase safety and benefit businesses along the route,and the city has assured merchants that parking spaces displaced by truck bays will be replaced. What is best for Ashland,in my opinion,includes a wide range of concerns for the common good, including: a green and sustainable lifestyle,population demographics,public well--being,climate change, education,public health and welfare.The committee appears to represent mainly the concerns of the Chamber and downtown. For years nay wife Dot and I have ridden our bicycles daily for shopping or to visit OSF,SOU and other activities.Cycling meets our need to reduce our carbon footprint by leaving our hybrid cars in the garage -- PILIS the added convenience of not hunting for parking.Cycling Helps keep us fit and lively,gives u energy#pumps oxygen into our lungs J maybe promotes long life,who knows,wc5re both i n our late ei ghtie . We may be justifiably proud of our cit 's ongoing efforts to beep up with changing times.In my grandparents'day, 1 th-century Ashland was a'horse and buggy" spar town on a passenger railroad;later, Ashland morphed Into a th-century automobile city on a freeway.Today,A shland is becoming a 2 I t- century multi--modal city with unbiased emphasis on auto,pedestrian and bicycle. The city has already reaped the benefits of bile lanes on Siskiyou Boulevard and on Ashland Avenue; already overcome the hazardous conditions of a four-lane Forth Main by incorporating the traffic calming "RoadDiet,"What remains is to introduce traffic calming and a southbound bike lane through downtown, connecting the already-existing bike lane entering from North Main with the existing southbound bike lane on Sisiou. I think a groundswell of public support is needed so I'm asking ucerned persons to show up at the, d- hoe Downtown Parking and Circulation Committee today and urge rapid implementation of the downtown portion of the Transportation Plan Update with southbound bile lane by the committee,Public Wor Director Mile Fau lt,the mayor and City Council. John Fisher-Sinith lives in Ashland. n �n #h #Y J 'w t St III ISM. I% II 2v J �n if t{ {j I.' W r' 1 i# i} >j <5 I {j J u n e 1.,1 To: Ashland Downtown Parking Management and multi-modal Circulation Ad Hoc Advisory Committee Dear Committee Members, I congratulate you for the accomplishment's that you, have, made so far in being named the, nation's "'Most Improved, Bicycle City"' by The League of'American, Bicyclists. This citation was based on a number of factors, but an extremely important one,was your committee's emphasiS on bicycling a,s part of your multi-mo,dal planning. When I first moved to Ashland around 12 years ago,, I saw�that it"was considered a "bicycle friendly" city. I was,somewhat surprised at this,designation because ofthe absence of bike, lane on downtown's Main Street. I grew up in Hollywood before bike lanes existed, One day, as a pre-teen or teen, I was riding my bike on, a busy,street in a business district not unlike, our Main Street. Unaware of my approach, a driver in a parked car suddenly opened his door: directly in -front of me and I spilled onto the lane next to his car. Fortunately, no moving car was in that lane at that instant or else I probably wouldn't be here,to,congratulate you. Ever ,since that time, I have been extremely cautious. about bicycling alongside parked cars where no bike lane exists. Although 11 still bicycle, I have, ruled out riding on downtown's Main Street. In, my adult years in Los Altos, in the Bay Area, lbicycle commuted to the train station while working in San Francisco and bicycle commuted around 10 miles each way while working at SRI International in Menlo Park., At SRI, I was,the chair of the employee's bicycle committee and, as such, was consulted by representatives of Men,lo Park to help 'in the redesign of the city?s major intersection, on El Camino. Thus, I believe that I have a per,sonal knowledge of and appreciation for bicycling benefits and safety. I strongly endorse,the current plan to reduce downtown's Main Street to two automobile lanes plus a, blips lane] Roy Sutton 989 GoldenAspen Place Ashland, Oregon 9752,0 (541)301-8762 { i Greetings, I'm Jeff Sharpe, 553 FordyceSt Thanks to the committee for your service to the City. oroper downtown bike lane, gill complete a city-wide bicycle network, and encourage citizens of all ages and abilities to bike c r basic transportation. T h e U.S.I Ts current Policy Sto tement on Bicycle n d Pedestrian A ccommodot n Reg ulation Recommendations... states that "Every transportation agency... has the responsibility t improve conditions and opportunities for walking and bicycling... Because f the numerous p pp individual and community benefits.., including health, safety, environmental,transportation, and quality of life ...agencies are encouraged to go beyond minimum standards to provide safe and convenient facilities for these modes." Mere are a couple ar u entsf r ke,epingthe-proposed bike-lane- GHG Emission Reduction. The it 's 2015 GHG Inventory found that ResidentialOn-Road Travel accounts for a full 1 % of our it 's GHG emissions. A 2015 studv from the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy found that Bicycling can cut carbon emissions from city transportation footprints by 11 percent. Public Health. More biking results in higher levels of physical activity, increased transportation safety, and reduced Noise rid Air pollution for our m unit . All of these are correlated with higher levels of public health. Reduced Congestion. Reducing the number of private vehicles reduces traffic congestion, improves conditions for pedestrians and bicyclists, and creates a positive cycle—as the community sees more people aping and biking, more people feel comfortable walking and bicycling, and the healthier the city becomes. Safer streets. Communities with higher rates of walling and bicycling tend to have lover crash rates for all travel modes. One reason may be that motorists drive more cautiously when they expect to encounter bicyclists, More walkers and bicyclists can also improve personal security by providing c ore "'eyes on the street." Stronger sense of community. ommitting to improving conditions for walking and bicycling brings families, neighbors, school officials and community leaders together. The sense of community builds as children and parents develop walking and bicycling buddies, and fun travel routes. Social Equity. Encouraging and enabling bicycling tr nsport tion reduces costsfor the family, community and school district. Families save on gars, the City spends less on building and maintarining roads and the school district spends less on busing. Business opportunities. connected bile system opens the door for local Bicycle courier services. More bilges mean better conditions and streets for all road users 'including motorists. They not only pollute less, but take up less sparse and do less damage to our roads. Please provide wise counsel, and recommend a Drell-designed downtown bike lane be included in the downtown cirulation plan. Thant you l 6l 1!1 To: Downtown Parking Management and Circulation Ad Hoc Advisory Committee From: Julia Sommer,Ashland citizen, former Transportation Conunissioner Cc: Mayor Stromberg & City Council I'm here to support your consultant's recommendations to convert downtown Main St. from tlu-ee lanes to two and implement Ashland" long--promised multi-ino al transportation system. As Ashland embarks on an ambitious, expensive Climate and Energy Action Plan, it would seem even more obvious that a bike lane through downtown, along with increased bike parking, a downtown shuttle, and pull-outs for deliverer trucks are all o-brainer, low-hanging fruit. All of these recommendations have been made for many years, b multiple citizens, commissions, committees, and consultants,to make downtown Ashland a pleasanter, safer, healthier place to be. The fact that some downtown business owners continue to stand in the way of progress is very unfortunate and belies Ashland's reputation as a progressive town interested in quality of life and environmental protection. In the 12 years I've lived in Ashland, I have never had a problem finding a place to park my car. I do,however,have trouble finding a place to park my bike. The welcome forth Main bike lane has made it even more obvious what a safety hazard it is for bicyclists to be thrown into downtown vehicular traffic. I'm sure you've noticed how many bicyclists are older—we're not all car-dependent. And how many bicyclists Ravel with chilch en. Of course, every bicyclist downtown means one less car looking for parking. I would also think that downtown business owners would be in favor of widening sidewalks and improving pedestrian street crossings. After all it's pedestrians who come into our stores and eat on our sidewalks. t Downtown businesses succeed if they have something to offer that people want, not t# because they offer oodles of parking spaces. It's interesting to note that the costpopular n g places to live and visit are those with the least parking that value people over cats. ;v Personally, 'm so tired of this discussion and merchant obstructionism.,that I'm now hoy otthig downtown businesses whose owners are anti-bike and anti-multi-modal { transpoilatio , window displays to the contrary. t encourage is clists and waltzers to do the same. Clearly, these merchants don't want out business.iness. r: �t �n �r ;n t x Linda Peterson Adams 642 Oak St. gardengriotashla I are not a member of the Chamber nor am i a business owner. But I am a card carrying citizen of s lnland. I sh op regularl i n do r ntown,go to plays,attend tine fiIm f st vaI and cu 11nary fe st vaIs and a rtici pate 'I n Soli everts. I do my grocery shopping at the Co-o f , M a rket of Choice and Shop Kart. I regularly east out at our fine eateries. I walk through and around town every day. I ride my bile o downtown streets and the bike path. I've used the trolley when provided at local events. {also use ca r. As I read the Tra nsportat on System Plan, I see that ore of the maim goals is to "I m p rove bicycle and pedestrian facilities and enhance transit service to make Ashland a loss auto dependent community". I ` app rove of this laudable goal. I believe that having a d di d bile lame(and morebike ar ing)in the dontow n co re i s are �ro ri t project our toed- to meet this goal. I applaud tine Co nett s work or parking. I hope that you will continue to work on the all i porta nt issue of modal equity. I've heard downtown Ashland business owners say that very fever of their customers are bicyclists and they see very few bicyclists downtown.They say the bicyclists that do ride through downtown don't stop to shop because itFs too hard to carry goods home on a bicycle.They say that the most bicyclists buy is coffee r meal at a restaurant. One owner told of a customer on a bile who rode home and got his car to return for his purchases.Another owner said that tourists don't bring their bile on the air PI a ne.Another mentioned the aging demographi c of Ashland residents and visiting tourists who don't want to ride bikes up the hills of Ashland,These are all reasons why we don't need a bike lane in downtown Ashland; just more parking f r cars,thank you. Maybe the reason business owners see very few bikes downtown is because it is not terribly safe or inviting without a dedicated bike lame and bike parking is limited. But the decision of whether to have a bike lane or not shouldn't be decided solely on its effect on local business. Main St. belongs to all Ashland residents, It's not a mail paring lot. It's a public road and should be safe for bicycle traffic regardless of whether that traffic is travelling through, or stopping for coffee,going to a play, restaurant,whatever�There are plenty of cars that use Bain St.that are just passing through,too. N ot all car drivers are looking for a parking space. Contrary to what some business owners think,there are lots of bilge riders in Ashland.There are lets of bike shops,sales and service.There's a well known bicycle school:the United Bicycle Institute whose students come from all overthe countryto learn bicycle mechanic skills. Electric bikes are becoming increasingly popular in Ashland and elsewhere to conquer the hills for the less athletic. At least one local bike shop rents electric bikes. Many tourists bring bikes on vacation,electric and conventional. Bicycles can have baskets, panniers, and even trailers to haul goods bought in our local stores.The City of Ashland even loans bilges for free. WouidWt it be nIce if tine people borro gyring those bikes could ride them safely downtown?And if those loaner bikes weren't hidden array under the underpass on eater St :. Downtown business owners should not have the right to veto the stated goals of this city to reduce our carbon footprint and encourage clean energy modes of travel. l strongly support modal equity in Ashland. Ron Adams 642 oak St. Ashland 61649@msn.com To: Transportation Committee From: Ronald Cue Re: Downtown Circulation Dian Deduction of Main St from 3 to 2 lanes I arm a 40 year resident of Ashland and have watched the various modifications to the roadways of the city over that time. I have also worked at ODOT at the technical center and have some, but limited, knowledge of traffic design plans. It seers the issues here regarding this part ofth plan are threefold — bicycle travel from Heiman St to Siskiyou Blvd through downtown} parking on the downtown streets, and one not mentioned too much in the study - traffic congestion downtown. The first two, bikes and parking, are addressed extensively in the proposed plan, but the latter is given short shrift. First, with respect to bike tragic, because the lack of bike lanes through the downtown, vehicles and bike share the same roadway space, which is dangerous, particularly to the bicyclist. The assumption seems to be often mad that vehicles and bikes must share the same route. That assumption limits the possible solutions. The Plan gives a high priority to a bicycle route through or around downtown, not only on II,IIain St. - , but also on B St. -13 from Oak to North rth Mountain. Father than run the bike route through the heavily congested and space limited Main St, -13 could be expanded to take off at Central and f . Alain (Briscoe School) and connect with B St. at Water r and them reconnect t Siskiyou at Sherman via 5 th St. (old Safeway store) This allows the bicyclist t avoid the congested and dangerous downtown and also eliminate the need for the lane reduction to two lanes to allow space for bike lanes. Second, I will not address the parking solutions. Third} the largest concern I have is the continued traffic congestion in the downtown. For a town concerned with the importance of preserving its downtown character for residents and tourists, one of the most disturbing aspects is the traffic congestion downtown. The plan does not appear to address this issue. Deducing Main St. from three to two lanes would clearly exacerbate the current problem. Admittedly, part of the current problem is lack of traffic control devices at Main and Oak St and at Main and t St. plain St. is one way and, therefore, is conducive to the timed lights that can be utilized to control speed and flow of traffic. however, because we yield to pedestrians crossing Main St. at uncontrolled intersections, this can throw the timing off, resulting in backups and further congestion. The plan has a nice design for the Oak St. intersection routing with a traffic light. However, there is no provision for a light at the 'I t St. intersection I suggest that one be added to the plan to help alleviate traffic flow problems. (There are also some sight line problems at that intersection, which a light would help.) Further and more importantly, with respect to traffic congestion, I believe that the current plan be considered only In conjunction with an overall city plan to reduce traffic congestion in the downtown areas by simply reducing the amount of traffic. would be curious to see the results of a traffic study to determine what percentage of daily traffic count on downtown Main St. i "through" traffic, that is, traffic without downtown being the destination, i.e, college students or residents going to their homes. I suspect that a large percentage i "through" traffic For example, part of the reasoning for the proposed Nevada St, bridge was to allow an alternate route for "through" traffic, I have advocated an additional half l- interchange at Mountain Ave with a north bound on ramp and a southbound off ramp. This would allow college and resident drivers to bypass downtown. I realize this would not rake Forth Fountain Ave, residents very happy.) l was not a proponent of the "load Diet}l on North Main St, but recognize the need for the to rn lane for safety pr poses with the added benefit of proved i n g room for blue lanes. However, that same safety concern (rear end collisions) is not present in the downtown area on Main St., due to it being one way. Bile lanes are needed, but can be accommodated by a parallel alternate route on St. In summary, absent traffic data to the contrary, reduction of the lanes from three to tvo would result in making a bad traffic congestion situation worse. It would nice to have only to lanes to allow for paring and bile lanes downtown, but first the City needs to find a way to reduce this "through" traffic. Three final thoughts. If the decision is made for lane reductions, please include a light at Vt and Main to maintain traffic flow. Second, do not sell this a "temporary" trial when the cost of traffic lights alone will be a million dollars or more. Third, please consider an overall traffic plan for the city that reduces downtown "through" traffic, Let's fame a proposal to F CT for that half interchange.) Thank you for your consideration, r Jeanine Moy e,an i nemoi, mail.comi A 6/1/15, ASHLAND DOWNTOWN PARKING MANAGEMENT & CIRCULATION AD HOC ADVISORY COMMITTEE I live in Ashland) work full time at a non-profit and I drive, bike, walk, and run with my dog through the downtown Ashland streets:. I want to first say 'Thank You for, serving the, people of th�is town. Thank, you for the opportunity to provide public comment. In that vein, I it youi do what is right, for the, greatest, good' — for modal equity, for community building, for our environment. Creating a bike lane doesn't need to be a contentious issue, nor, does it. need 'to be part, of'a big fancy plan 'that takes a decad'e-to,implement, The reasons are simple- ........ (1) For individuals, 'iit is clear that `mprov"Ing, bicycle transportatown, can leadAo increased publ*lc health*., Biking work is, an important form of physical activity and increases fitness while decreasing obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease (Gordon-Larson 2009) (Carvell 2000) (2) For lindividuals, it 'is, clear that a Wke lanes Mill "increase safety for both bikers and drivers Bike lanes and traffic calming are crucial for reducing the risk of injury and death: For Ashland cyclists: Studies have shown that the presence of bike lanes reduces deaths among, cyclists, by 315% (World Health Organization 2004), and injury rates by 50% compared to cycling with vehicle traffic (Reynolds 2009) For Ashland drivers: a study examining the exact same street design changes 4, in! Ashland's road diet (north of downtown) showed crashes being reduced by between 17-62% (3) Not only does 'lit, make the streets safer, but, it encourages, bl"cycle, use — "bu'lild 'it and they will c ell 62 percent of people who live near protected lane projects "',would be more likely,to ride a bicycle if motor vehicles and bicycles were physically separated by a-barrIier." Monsiere, C, et a/., 2014 - LiessotI�isfrolr,Y7 07e Gt'-eet7 1-anig,, _1' onal Institute f611- ............I................-—-------III- ...... IL rig rtation and Conlurittnifie, A survey of Portland, Oregon, protected bike lane users found that 70 percent of respondents thought the lane made CyCrfing safer and easierI. Motorists generally thought itdidn't make driving any less convenient or slower. Orly three percent, of cyclists didn't use the protected lane, compared to before it was installed, when 12 percent ofriders rode in the street instead of in the bike lane., Monsere, C,, et al., 20,11 - w.ME'vattia,fi'Or7 of Int",iolvative B Fac,ififies, SW Broad'�vcay f,yc/e Tr ck WSti,�iuriri,1<10. a k Strervw et B,t,,iffbre.d Hike L a/17 es �l An informal social media survey on facebeel was put out to over 4,,0010 Asl land folks, with over 70 responses to, the question "What are, your personal reasons for not biking around (downtown) Ashland as much as, you might like to.? Aside from claiming bad If itness 'levels, the otl er top answer related to not feelirIig safe in the streets,: citing both driver behavior and lack of bike lanes. (see responses attached) Social is Informall Survey: answers 'to, "What, are your personal reasons for not biking around (downtown) Ashland as m,uch! as you might like to,T$ - from Ashland' Peeps facebook, group as of 6/1/15 (more answers can be seen in the Ashland People, and I' love Ashland face book groups) (4) BeneIfits to local business and community Bike able and walkable towns encourage people to, spend time and' be patrons of local shops,. U n large"less we it a--'�I) parklin 61 fe rac , the a ddition or orIi of subtrkti a few parking 9 spots is not going to change traffic issues an'd influence people s behavior regarding shopping downtown., c'y V l zr)r A N D if we are worried a b o u t p a rk i n g s-ots...e n co u rag in g mere pelop le to b 1 ke we u I d'-' VJ make more spots available. 10 Yr A, 2012 study b' the EPA, "Smart r wth and Econom�ic Success',- Benefits for Real Y Estate Developers, Investors, Businesses and Local Governments' - `7 "k 01 S Economic Advantages of Smart, Growth Strategies An, increasing number of people are looking for vibrant, diverse places to live and work,. 'They want more housing an, transportation options and the ability to walk or bike to meet their daily nee S-7 cites the example: I AI o After,traffic lanes on Valencia'Street, in, San F'ranciscio s Mission District were narrowed to accommodate bike, lanes and calm traffic, two-th'rids of merchants reported improved business and sales., An equal number of merchants indicated they would support additional measures such as tree planting, sidewalk widening, ana transit 'improve ments. (5) For Community diversity anid modiall equity For those who cannot, afford a car, yetwork in Ashland (for a service industry that powers the to n), biking/walking/public transit may be their only option SOU students, Ashland School District students, are a significant, cons tit uenvy ire town that could benefit from, safer bike lanes (6) For our changing climate, for our consistency with gireen, lues The science is in. We need to reduce CO2 emissions, because our slim ate is, rapidly changing,:. Easy to witness in Ashland, we have been experiencing weather extreme, drought, forest fire and it is time for us to do our part. Increased bike use is a clear alternative to vehicle use in a small town, and it would be an easy step to take in reducing our local carbon dioxide emissions. As the City of Ashland is currently considers a Climate Action Plan, 'this is a no-brainer step in the right direction a'v I,* Th.e rs rese Pedeen Need a helmet J Daynah, Like Reply 'I klay'-)3) al-T:5531,01111 Bitarb Allagee Residents and vis.114ors who don't pay attention. I stick to th Side streets whenever possibJe. Plits many,streets are pretty burnpy.There's also the issue of drivers openin"thei r�door without lookinig., i generall,y prefer to walk than broke and woulid 9 iove...See N�Iore Liken Reply - 4 23 z,tf 55:18pni Edited Braxt 11 on Reed BlIke lanes are:dangerous and not allowled to ride on,sidewalks downtown.Bicyclists are alsoticketed often�for minor traffic violations,that are notr I blatant safety concerns. Lilkle a, Reply lta),, at 4'J")7pi'n, I 1 Bill ley AAA what Barb said. 1 �. ll I still don't want a�r lel i � r i i liuw the City ounsel i coils i l ring. f Marni oopjiia n,Too rr r- r.r There are drivers(III over not paying attention to bike " . Car doors open into the i lair driveis turn directly in firo t ofyou cars run stole signs,Ot . I ride on the sidewalks every though t"r r not supposed to. It teels so much saa,fier,. Kathariiie Lockwood Lang if had a ti,clectric like I'd ride to town.My Hill is super,steep., A r Josh Gross Sweaty balls and the lank ol"segregated bike la ties., ., Like . Reply m Wendy layna r d Bike lay.es are not going to Care your problern,�my friend. Like * l �l l � t s Josh Gross, reg t bike lanes WOUld cur niy problem.ofnot har ng thertr. I it my sweaty balls,part of being ormally,recognized as"a lily.e friendly r i ess," is having a shoiver/changing roorn,for employees. Like . Reply . 6 niri i l l Margurite Charneytoo much traffic. I stick to the bike nth when Possible Edited in tewa t 1 ride with my daughter in a trailer behind me and that makes nl 1 pretty vulnerable when needing to,go into left trrrrr la n --I feel' like drivers n idea arse,a nuisanct.PILIS eves when l am in the bike,large it tieels like people ride wa.,aaa yyy to Cl.µ.SeeTorre [Jke . Reply, Livvy RtatnosI agree with the ntim. nt that,.drivers are no't considerale,or aware flltw I've ail 1*11 ELIgene for rany years and drivers were typically really a ut ou and aware off,Cy listo I mean n ident still happen b It drivers baredon't soom to think they own the road niore so. I think ultur• 11y this, rn is not la°iwn to be biker fiwin11y so it rernah'is so, Like ° Reply „ l 1 W111"rr Brrrrarral au Mybike's broken and I'm poor, N 1 ; -1t, 124pt'n Like �� Reply - 3, , Nlii.y'..)j Monika Neri-Ball It"s dang,erous. Like Reply 'I N11z,1A,"'23' 4"It L I 1:2 Gina.Rae Devi Bike lanes not consistent and,honestly,..I.have a heavy cruiser combo and HATE so m any�giant hills stude emoticon, ,Like Repl,,y I Nki);,23 8,t 4:27,pi,ri Shannon Burt-tiss 1.don't eveti,like driving Flu wrut own,so if I go riding I try to stay,on side roads and bike paths. w. Ili, , 17"dited Like Repty , 21 - NJ ay 1:3, Oat Alicia Sewitslq,I would rather wa,lk. Lik eply W2. - Nik)y 23" cry,4-.3Jpu Franco Well Waaaaaay,too inuch traffic to fee]saf6 inns bike. L puke R,c p 1,y .a I K'A 2 3 Ci t 4:3 4,r) SEMI= Xintlier Elysjuin Ibike I)T ail the tinie., I don't initid the traffic or People,but theii,again I'm not a super cautious person. owned a scooter iii SF and,zoomed through traffic at,like 50rnph,on the daily* I,ike Reply, 3 Nlkly 23 all-4:38pin, j CloudThe"nill-ne Time coti,straints an.d inclines.Second one is lazy but honest Like - Reply - 1 23 al 50)P,111.l Rick Caldis I love biking arOU,nd Asliland but Yes,there are:a lot of people,who,are,not hip tothe people-on bikes.Being that,I j A tha,n Ash I and,An d IVS J:Ust a matter of ust moved,here a Year ago and use the bike around Boulder al I the fiffle,,five times I bigge�i look.L.See More Like - Reply .51 -3 at 5:.34j),tip­i f itcd Ferry,Martin Do bike into' downtown;then ditch it and-walk! I..,ike - Reply - Nlay 23 A 5:25pin N Patilvicia NV There's a cluillenging hill(to me,atiyNvay)bet'vveen hoine and downtown. L,ike R,eply 2 Nfic-lv""62-`3 (,it 5-"'251,I)III Maillee Hicks Frn constantly appalled by the number of individtials who drive witholut c re for bicyclists. I bike Pretty mu ch. everywhere even though I do have to push in, bike when I get too thr above the boulevard.I moved here flr ni Sail Francisco where,I Could always...See More Like Reply 5 Nll,(,,i) 22,') 'M 5:4 1 pa,i Victor Wari-Ing,I have up my car about 6 months ago,and now I bike and walk everywhere...including downtown. My butt and thighs are niore taut r it.* ) Like- Reply 6- NI:3\1,2`3 (jl 5,%4'7j-),ni Thionias Vance,1.was bom her and 1.havecycled her niost of my life.I now live outside town so if I need to ha.ul,anything that, doesn,"t fit in a backpack it's the ca-r, I'm an aggressive rider and I also filly expect to be cut off,Pulled in fi-ontofand harassed by.-See Nloi-e Like ° Relfl,),) Iiti ,23 id 6-291,)N�,ii E-Idited Cha McIlLickti replied I 11eplY Susant Yeagley I to this town for the variety of biking options., 14"Jin to bike:around town,and challenging,hills,single trac k when you�vant it., I corne ffom,a place where there Nvere no bike lanes and LOTS of steep hills so biking around town here is easier. I agre.See More [Ake Rep],Nr 2 6.,49pni ................. Megan Young The bike path doesn.'t come out hwy 66, Like Reply, 1 '4"!3 tal 6JOpm ICI to DiPaoli,I love the adventure of riding my bike downtown..You have to have as sense f htimor to deal with�fll tile sometime spacey drivers. I feet like ridling bikes downtown is the only way to deal with the crazy,traffic,during tourist sealsoil.I will avoid town a.-See Morli I-Re Reply 4 NIC,ly 2-'.3,af 7:361-n'ui Orch,id N/land,ala,replied 4-Replies, If Robert Canape bike looks sideways fail , Reply tat 7,-,i44pnI Peter GrossI live up a big-ass hill."rhat is the only reason,When 11 lived iti the flats I was a biking n1aniael Like Reply, 3, NIU,23 al,7:57pi"I'l Lisa DiPaoli rcllphed I Reply h Cruz Qircia"I'lie police a,lways think I must have sto[eti that bike. L i k e Reply" 1 13,ial HJ,Jjjqrjj Craig -I IfIt should be,safer for,KIDS to bike. I.J.ke Reply 1, NA(a\,24,z'o-5:3311,111 A Max 1)eL,(-11'1lo replied 5 Replies, 0,rchid Mandala I have been.riffing in S.Orego n for 25+years. I ull a Bob Yak trailer behind my mountain bike. 1 abide by 0 e P rules of the road, One of inybiggest pet peeves is people in,cars that tre,at me as though 1.ani a pedestrian,wavilig me through an intersecti.,..Sce More I,i 1 - 1 I y , 9, N,',It, "C",�I �i t 6-.0 h,iwwu I yte Ziegler teplied, - 9 Rep lie s, Linda SlEi-bu I love all the biking thamas with 3 kids on.the ba kl 11.1 Like , Reply - 3 - kiay'2 1;,,it 6:06ilin Nhax Del.allo Actually I will amendii,.iy initial statement.Although drivers Nvho don't look over their 17ight shoulder when turning 11ght'pose a Serl,011S threat to biker safety, it is those WHO DON'T USE THEIR BLIN KERS that tire the most,d-angero-LISS.That really is the nips *See More. L,ikel Reply 5, NitiN,24.....it 6:2-4ilitu Kris tliui Lelfevei-Tbo niari, cars that emit exhaust. y Like Reply I NN,,Lt -1 (a Y art ,Latnesr Thomas I prefer to comm Lite w/ilny car and get on Nvith my dtay,and reser iiy mountafn bike,forpleasure time.Till Peak Oil, I er,America is driven by It. Like Reply.m2 k1a,y24 Z08:4-2a;-ri David'DeNloss,so much lack of persoti,alrespo'nsibilityl I No wonder so many people to home.,They think othet-swave to"'Be 1 -, o , l C cai-eful" instead of being preseat.Lol.Get out and take mspronsibi.lity for yourself,stop blaming,others,be causel Or pit nI i 11 and,keep I aiiiing others-ilk like -,Reply ka),24,try Brittany Bri,00k-e replied, - 4,Replies Anna Hutnphreys Years ago,when the bike path was closed along Hwy 99 for maintenance, 1'�,vas clipped by a side view rnirror 'by a car going 60 mph. I wasn't hurt.,but the experience was enough to send me into panic when a car goes whizzing by me. Even ith downtown's s.,.SeeMore II.Ake R.cpl,.y 3 Nlli-]iy 2"'; 4 Anna ljuniphteys replied.- I RelAy "I"'Yler B Hawkins If I lnii not bliking, it"'Is because Frn [lazy,Ash,land is,an ideal place,fior biklng. I'd like to see a,south bOUnd lane on lithia way for c clists, but it doesn't Prevent me frorn taking tip my own lane as I am legally obligied to do so. 'Y LO i ke Reply 2 23 at 8,501,ini Nick Beshara w,vid Fin way too rich and self indulgent—And what s with the lack ofparkingl?Sonietimes I have to walk a block 1,two,getting my new loafet-s,all dirty.Som,leotie should clean this pl LIP',too! Tired of all the:hippies.(Satire) Like Reply - 3 - kia�,23 at 8-52ptn, Brittany,ffi-ooke"I'lli,is town is extreniely bike ftietid ly,there really shOLIld be no excuses to-walk, bike,or publiely cornmitte niore. I literally ride my bi verywhere and,have never had a problem! It's all Perspective. Like Rej,,fly 2 '2 1 1 9,1 Tyler B I 1awkins,It is all Perspective,and I feel had for anyone who has had a negative experience with motorists and,,aflow that to cloud,their percep,tion of safety. 1.wish,there was to e of a bike culture here:where we could create fun rides that allow pe ple 1 0 to share their knoNvIedge of Ole roa,ld. It warns the bliggest cycl,ing groups are roadies and nun bikers and the corni-nUter representation is relatively absent. 1-,,ike Reply 2 N,"l,t,ty 23-('11 9:5 1 I)m Brittany Brooke rePlied • I Reply RI Ka,ty Hall Rep EVERYON-E is on their phones. 1,Jke Reply 2 Nlay,`24 at T 11, F.'(1 i ted Nick,Besliara fail replied 2 Replies Tiffiany Hownt-d I dont like Nvearing a,heltnet! Like R e p I y N11 a. 2 3 a 2 11) r; J Cat Gotrllirt safety, most drivers are looking at th it-phones and there rent enough bike lanes Faitli,Jatntes l want to ride to work and all over town,,but 1.don t have the right gear for transporting ray corriputer.etc.safbly. (Waterproof S le bags,storage basket,reflectors,,etc.)Will be biking more in the summer now,though itb the wariner weather, Like Rep[ Ali �4 at 1(:' �ir: Kristin Kristina Lefever J rrrrirr l p -i there 1713 page or Nvritcup that give'S.More inforniation about the l event that needs support? I Kalle Boetinlein On Siskiyou,it�'s the lack of bibs lanes and.the danger of riding too close to parked cars(danger o being d,00re M Otherwise,I bibs everywhere,just avoid Siskilyou tic to A/13,streets,), 211 1. Shane A.Beauchanip i.Nvas thinking becoming a bile tnes seriger in ashland.. l',,ikeµ Reply I W1(r 3 (,i 9:59ptn Cheri ll o,n Sjwrber l bibs all arOUnd,town.The only places'[don't go are up the steep bills! Lip Schmidt A friend has been hit 5 times while whi,le biking around here,plus we live 4 iniles,from toNvn. We still lei t'rr chught r bile to t. wn.,,bait it scares ine to death ever`time: h leaves the hose. JaniesT[iot'nas replied I Reply Ellen.C.'a rl b ll For nearly all my Ashland ert-lands 1 wa.1k and don't/won't bike.I.intentionally tionally lr t a place to live which made� l irig possible. iw� lire feels LID.Sl nd,t don't find,bik t b crr�il'" rt. N u .. Bob Jones'Noise andair pollution on main drags.,Chance f getting,brit by 1. torr vehicle.,Heavy traffic,most places I ride r biker but only in certain tires -arid places,Nvith plenty of visibility, rb/li bt . Bob,Janes PILIS., l r'i e sidewalks,alot. Li1 , l e1 1 y ° `kcly 29 pit 1 :3,94rn,i i m 1 Matireen Rol irrt n;Slack,Not able to rid tip the bill to my Ouse. Donald Olson A good "b&sic bike skills"course would help lot ofpeople. I've attended couple mthe pat 1 mh r ,and benefitted,a lot._ ey an cover thin tips-from-chi l h l cyclists don't necessarily 1 x N lien,to take the tare;where'to ni let lell,t rn, learning,to look over your shotil l r safel -riding ith one hand safely. I-Akeplyr ,seer ay its '.. )pj1,. 1 ti.alc Olson Tho motorcycling world really got this"'skills,"COUrse thing figured out.Ofcour they also have the effective coercion IoNver motorcycle insurance rates,after you tabs a motorcycle skills course. r Wendy a.yii r(l I" love to bike rota d more btit it's dAngerous for my kids Nvithout,more bike lanes.I'm looking foil and'to tl,. road died i L 1 L �91111 to This copy is for your personal,noncommercial use only.YOU can order presentation-ready copies for distribution tO YOUr colleagues,clients or custotmers here or LISe the"Reprints"tool that appears next to any article. Visit �.n�tre�rint�sxom� for sa es and additional inforrnatioiii. Order a reprint of this article now. August 14,2010 Fill ree Parlkli*ng Comes, at a Price By TYLER COWEN IN our society, cars receive considerable attention and study — whether the subject is, buying and selling, them th ja i congestion they cause or the dangerous, things we do 'in the ik x i and talking on. 'cellphones while driving, But we haven't devoted nearly enough thought to how cars are usually 0,"# ideployed, namely by sitting n parking, spaces. i this a serious economic issue.? In, fait, 1 's a classic tale of how subsi'dies, use restrictions, and price controls can steer an economy i wrong �ections,, Car 4 owners may not want to, hear this, but we have way too much free parlcing., Higher charges for parking spaces, would limit our trips by car., That would cut, emissi'ons,l alleviate congestion and, as a side effect, improve land use. Do�nald C. S110L,q), professor of'Urban lanning at the tTriJi've�t'sii(y o t'Cal 1*1,0,rntqLLo,s, P I I -page book, "The, A o,e I le hasmade this "idea a cause, as presented in his 733 High Cost of Free Parking. Many suburbanites k-e free lark-ing for granted, whether it's in the lot of a box store or at home in the driveway. Yet the presence of so many parking A#0 ul subsidy to cars and spaces is an alli l ac f t o regulation and serve s as w a poerf car trips. Legally mandated parking lowers the, market price of parking spaces,, often, -to zero. Zoning and development restrictions often require a liar er of parking spaces attached to a store, or a, smaller number of spaces, attached to a house or apartment block. 1-0 If developers were allowed to face alrectly the high land costs of providing so much, parking, the number of spaces would be a result of a careful economic 0 calculation rather than a matter of satssf ing a1egal requirement. Parking wouldy1n be scarcer, land more likely to have a,price — or a, higher one than it does now and people would be more careftil about when and where they drove. The subs*d* i ies are largely invisible to drivers who park their, cars, and thus free or cheap parking spaces feel lilw natural outcomes of the market, or perhaps even an entitlement. Yet the law is aflocatn I 1 g this land rather than. letting market prices adjucticate whether we need more parking, and, whether that parking should be free. We end Lip overusing land for car s and overusing cars too,. 'You don't have to hate sprawl, or automobile,s, to want to stop subsidizing tnat, way of life, As, Pro,fessor Shoup wrote in* parking requirements, act like a llity Mi tinum, ._--drug for, cars."' Under a ..ore sen&iI)Ie policy, a parking space that is currently free could cost at # 11 1 least $,100 a, month — and maybe much more — in many Ainerican, cities anu suburbs. At the bottom end of that estimate If'a commuter dr ives to work 20 days a month, current parking policy offers a s ub&icty of$5 a day — which is more than the gas and weaj,,,--and-tear costs may round-tr* s., n ip commute .1 essence, the parking subsidy outweighs many of the other costs of driving, including the sol" tti,e tax, In densely populated q'i"fies ll e New York, people are accustomed to paying high prices for rk , which has helped to encourage a relatively efficient, gh-de s y use of s ace, Yet even New York is reluctant to enact the ftill social cost of the automobile into policy.-Proposals to impose congestion fees h Ile ave, failed ot't call p and on:-street parking is priced articiaily Manhattan s1treels, are ul off"saes cruising around looking for cheaper on-street parking rather than pulll g into a lot. The waste includes i s lost time: and h "t it-ISt"t'Litecl the costs of running those engines. By contrast Sati FrCI, to connect parking meter prices, to supply and demand. w'th prices bei Ojusted, over time witnin a general range of 25 cents to $6 ng a an hour., Another common pracuce in many cities, is to restrict on-street park-ingto residents or to short-term a k r i s a mit of, say, two, hours for trmale nts. That makes, r easy for residents and for people who are running is errands. her fees and permit prices would help shore tip the ailing budgets of local, governments. Many parking spaces are extremely valuable, even if that's not reflected in current market prices. In fact, Professor Shoup estimates that many American parking spaces have a higher economic value than the cars, sitting in them. For instance, after includingnstruction and land costs he measures the value of a co I Los Angeles parking space at over $31,000 — much more than the worth of i. ,many cars, especially when. considering their ra:P*d, depreciation., If we don 't give away cars,, why give away parking spaces? Yet 99 percent of all, automobile trips in the United States end in a free parking space, rather than a parking space with. a market price. In. his book, Professor Shoup estimated that the value of the free-parking subsidy to cars was at least $127 billion in 2002, and, possibly much more. PERHAPS most important, if we're going to wean ourselves away from excess use, of fossil fuels, we need to remove current subsidies to energy-unfriendly r, ways of life. Imposing, a tid-trade system or a direct carbon tax doesn't 10 seem politically acceptable right now. But we can start, on alternative paths that may take us far,,, Imposing higher fees for parking may make further changes more palatable by helping to promote higher residential density and support for mass transit. As Professor Shoup, puts it: "Who pays for free parking? Everyone but the motorist." Tyler Cowen, is apt-ofessor of economics at George Mason University, xt_, ��-C�i✓��� �/ / / 07 IAA-,J lit �t,�- --� ` n, Llf o At-f-I�- _t IIQ Az SUBMITTED AFT-E'-R ::-M.E--':ETING' Tami Cam o From Katie, Boehnilein <kbo,ehn]e'in 1@g,mai1.corn> Sent* Wed nesday, J une 0 1 1 2 6 4:07 PM To,., Tani Campos s0ject: Downtown parking committee Hello! My name is Katie Boehnlein and I live in downtown Ashland at 193 Oak Street. I am an avid bicyclist and bike commuter. I don't own a car. Overall, I think Ashland is, a great place to ride a,bike. I can easily get to everywhere I want to go via the,Ashland bike path, Bear Creek Greenway, and certain side streets. I like that Lit is Way is an easy way to get out,of town.,With a convenient bike lane (excluding the "Intersection of Litbia, and Pioneer, which 'is, obstructed due to tour buses at this,time of year). S�Iskiyou Blvd is,my main frustration with cyclin in Ashland. Since it doesn't have a bike lane, I often feel like I have to assert myself in tbe full lane in.order to avoid getting passed by cars, (narrowly), or getting doored by I parKed cars., It�would be very nice to,have a bike lane on.this goad. Since it is the main thorougMare through 1 1 Iland, and,one of t he ma,i n downtown.streets town, it would make complete sense. I used to I've "n Poi (,Broadwa, \ I track. long t lengt "h" ng s made cycli through downtown.easy and safe. y) nas a cycle a much of is . h. "t 1 'You can.contact me at this address and phone,number if you have,any ffirther questions or need comment rom me! I would like to be at the meeting today but I have class and cannot make 'it. Best wishes, Katie Boeluilein 193 Oak Street- Ashland 5103-545-1121, MEETIN'0"""' TT TER 1 I I v A4 II ao II II II II o II � II II c II � II II N � II O li II j II I II � II Z II II c II I I V II O � I C I c I a o II o II cz ,a N II N II o"� II •� o CO) o II fl II 5� I � � L II L II arc I W Z I I o II = lomIL � li II II co V II V) II II O II z II Z J�mCo II II WZ a� i ~ a� I ti ° O ° II o II II � Z N a� ° II N II I N � O W a I V I LD II LD II II Q II Q Z II z II N II N W II I II O II •� o II � I N I I p ti � II W U I ~ II � II II II I v II II II vo II II II II II II d, � II II II � •v II o, II II c II ao ` II 00 ` II v II II � II II V II lip no gel IT A,- IV II � II � AVf�� �o I oJ� �Q � p , <� ,, �� � lQ�� I�o�^j `� 0� � �I a lQ���\��op�^ 04 OE�V 9J �V J� p Ss V J� J �Pt, � V ° b� 0 b� ° (�o 4 �o �] Vo V `QllCl� Q (1 Oo 1-7 �Q°i • II � II oc II II tG fl Q O � 'C U � O