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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1990-1011 REG MINMINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING ASHLAND CITY COUNCIL OCTOBER 11, 1990 ROLL CALL Mayor Golden led the Pledge of Allegiance and called the meeting to order at 7:30 P.M. on the above date in the Council Chambers. Laws, Williams, Acklin, Winthrop, and Arnold were present. Reid was absent. PUBLIC HEARING Foster Bike Study - Planning Dir. Fregonese gave the staff report. He gave stats on preferred modes of transportation and numbers of vehicle trips per day in various parts of town. Downtown is reaching capacity for V.T.D.'s. Rees Jones, Bike Commissioner, said the big issue is safety on Siskiyou Blvd., and that bikepath has a history of accidents for which the City has been paying claims. Roger Noyes, Bike Commissioner, said that commission did not accept Foster's proposal for the section from N. Main to the City limits, and would like to see the road hazards and storm drains fixed. John Seligman, Bike Commissioner, said they recommend leaving the downtown section as it is but reducing the parking lane from eight feet to seven feet, and encouraging people to park closer to curbs. On E. Main they propose enlarging the outside lanes and narrowing the inside lane. Ken Gosling, Bike Commissioner, said they propose signs to 1) encourage bicyclists to ride on the road shoulder on Siskiyou from Highway 66 to Tolman Creek Rd.; and 2) make motorists aware of the presence of bicyclists on the road. They recommend that the median strip on Siskiyou between Gresham and Highway 66 be reduced by five feet on each side, but side streets not be closed off. Pam Barlow, P.W. Admin. Asst., said the Bike Commission encourages the City Council to recognize the importance of bicycling by adopting the Foster Plan, with recommendations made by that commission. Public Mearing - Edmund Dews, 407 Siskiyou Blvd., does not feel the Siskiyou Blvd. bikepath is dangerous, he is concerned with destroying the aesthetic value of the median, and feels the Historic Commission should review the plan. He is also concerned with the cost. Terry Skibby, Historic Commissioner, said the Boulevard median has historical value and should be left as is. Marjorie O'Harra, 1235 Tolman Creek Rd., said cyclists should obey traffic laws and motorists educated on how to share roads with them, and she does not want the median destroyed. She then read a letter from Virginia Cotton who is against cutting the median. Leon Swartzberg, Jr., spoke about safety hazards for bicyclists on N. Main St. Evelyn Strellman thinks coming out of cross streets onto the Boulevard would be more hazardous if the median is narrower. Charles Inman recommended putting bicyclists on one side of the Boulevard and pedestrians on the other. Rick Landt thanked City officials for having the study done and he is concerned with taking away the grass and planting flowers on the median. Bob Special Meeting - Ashland City Council - October 11, 1990 - Page One Foster Bike Plan (Continued) O'Harra, 1235 Tolman, asked that the median be left as is, and said using alternate routes i.e.E. Main Street takes approximately the same amount of time. Stan Shadle spoke in favor of the plan. Bob Cusumano said cutting the median by three feet instead of five might be a good compromise. A resident said cyclists need consistency to learn to ride well and striping is a safety factor. Russ Rickert, Pres. of Siskiyou Wheelmen, said that group supports the Bicycle Commission and autos decrease livability. Esther Sohler, 505 Fairview, asked that consideration be given to people who can neither walk nor ride a bike. Jim Ragland, 91 Gresham, gave a short history of the Siskiyou bikepath, said alternates need to be found and the median should not be cut. Renee Rickert, Siskiyou Wheelmen, echoed that group's support of the Bicycle Commission. Robert Howell supports the Boulevard proposal and said three feet may be okay. Richard Ernst said parking should not be allowed downtown. A resident suggested looking at a railroad right-of-way. There being no further testimony from the audience, the public hearing was closed. Williams said the Commission has looked at railroad right-of-ways but there are big obstacles to overcome; and State standards of six-foot bikelanes have been adopted. He thanked the Council for holding the hearing, and said the three foot compromise can be considered. On a question from Winthrop, P.W. Dir. Hall said the Highway Dept. does have a bicycle group who are open to reasonable suggestions. Williams said this is a conceptual plan and exact costs are not known, but approval is necessary in order to move ahead. Acklin said she hoped everyone can work together to come up with a good solution to the concerns expressed. Winthrop thanked the Bicycle Commission for their efforts. ADJOURNMENT - The meeting adjourned at 9:40 P.M. Nan E. Frankl in City Recorder Catherine M. Goldin Mayor Special Meeting - Ashland City Council - October 11, 1990 - Page Two