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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-03-04 - BPAC Minutes Meeting Minutes DESCHUTES COUNTY BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE Thursday, March 4, 2010-Noon to 2:00pm Redmond City Hall-Conference Room Members present: Cheryl Howard, Matt Martin, Eli Ashley, Michele Sims, Sami Fournier, Jim Stone, Glen Bates, Chuck Humphreys, Kevin Tanski Agency: Devin Lee- Redmond Police Department, Mike Caccavano-City of Redmond, Shirlee Evans, City of Redmond, Rick Root-City of Bend, Laura Conrad-Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, Jeff Monson-Commute Options, Kim Curley-Commute Options, Susan Peithman-BTA Guests: Michael Magee Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 12:05pm. Introductions Prior Minutes Kevin moved to approve the minutes for the February 2010 BPAC meeting with minor corrections. Jim seconded. The committed voted to approve the minutes with corrections unanimously. Redmond Projects Mike Caccavano made power point presentation outlining the following projects with noted highlights: 5th Street Project is underway from Glacier Avenue to Jack Pine Avenue. Improvements include accessible sidewalks and ramps. Black Butte Avenue Project is currently under construction. Street will be constructed to collector street standards. This segment will provide connection from schools to downtown. 6th Street This was the downtown demonstration project. Extension of this project is under consideration to the north of project area. Rimrock Drive This project will include a shared/dedicated pathway. Highway 126 Couplet 27th Street Dry Canyon Trail This is a paved multi-use path. Some property acquisition was required to complete trail. Staircase at Spruce Avenue was highlighted. Kim-She has encountered parents with a perception that this trail is unsafe for kids. Is there any merit to this? Redmond PD conducts regular police patrols in the canyon and there is no greater level of criminal activity on the trail than throughout the city. Chuck-Is there bike access across the canyon? Only at Black Butte Avenue on bike lanes. Cheryl-ADA compliance? Accessible access is provided at several points along the canyon. Roundabout at 27th Street/Yew Avenue Redmond Question-Are roundabouts safer for bikes? Education of both cyclists and motorist is key. The “take the lane” method of navigation for cyclists is considered the safest. Other comments/suggestions -Geometry of south side could lead to higher speeds on exit. Mike Caccavano noted this street is a dead end with few vehicle trips. -Speed should be 15 mph. -Early geometry change entering the roundabout will force slower speeds. -Contact Robin Lewis, Bend Transportation Engineer, for information on experiences. -Two lane roundabouts are not a problem for cyclists. -39th/Glisan in Portland is a bad example of a 2-lane roundabout. -Design with foresight of future demands to avoid congestion and/or need for reconstruction. Bicycles on Arterials 6th Street has 60 feet right-of-way, 12-foot travel lanes, and 8-foot parking areas. $4 million+$750 K from federal funds dedicated for improvements to 6th Street. Chuck-There is a similar situation in Sisters on Cascade Avenue. He questioned why encourage use on busy street. Rather, use side streets. He also suggested reducing speed from 35 mph. Devin-PD rarely sees speeds at 35 mph. Speeds are usually lower. -Michael Magee-Redmond, Washington has example of designated bikeway of one block over from primary street. Recommends dedicated facility on 7th street. Susan likes this idea but stresses the need for it to be part of an interconnected network. Other comments/suggestions -reduce speed and add share the road markings. -reduce travel lanes/parking bay widths and add bike lane. This will also create a safer environment for pedestrians. Chuck-What do business owners think? They have not been consulted yet. Sami-Is there a bicycle/pedestrian crossing of the bypass at Antler Avenue? Yes, a surface crossing. New High School Location The new high school will be located in the southwestern portion of the city at the edge of the city limits. Opening is planned for Fall 2011. There are limited facilities to the school site currently. Redmond seeks suggestions to encourage alternative transportation to the site. Sami-South Canal Boulevard facility with extra pavement strip is great. It is nice for climb and limited sight lines. Susan- How is connectivity and are there alternative accesses locations? Limited currently but will be added with future development and additional connections are planned. Jeff-Meet with the principal to establish a “philosophy” for use. Committee agreed that the location is currently prohibitive for alternative uses because of remote location and lack of surround development and infrastructure. Field Trip Walking tour of projects in downtown area. Centennial Park The park is currently under construction. Funding provided by urban renewal dollars. Anticipated completion is Spring 2010. 6th Street Demonstration Project This project is complete. Midblock crossing highlighted. Curbing ramps can be a tripping hazard. Future construction of ramps will use sloped curbing. Jeff noted good job lining ramps up. Cheryl noted good access and more room with no news boxes. Sami inquired about bike rack design. Mike noted they spell out “Redmond” and “Oregon” on each side of the street. Updates Commute Options Jeff is working to establish Commute Options as a regional transportation demand management agency. BPAC Business Safe Sidewalks Award Vote postponed to April meeting. Grant Calendar Kevin will e-mail information for feedback. Big Chain Ring Award Call for nominations will go out soon. COACT Eli is primary BPAC representative. Cheryl will be secondary. Inclusion of BPAC representative on COACT will be at Next BOCC Meeting on March 11th. Open Floor Skyliners Road Issues Sami provided background. She had example of proposed signage. BOCC postponed a vote on the ordinance until April and asked that BPAC provide alternatives. Michelle questioned use and value of $100 event fee. Sheriffs Office has no official comment on this issue. Committee agrees education is critical. Construction schedule may be moved from 2016 to 2012. Workshops with BPAC, cycling community, property owners, and other to be conducted. Note: Next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 1, 2010 in Bend. Adjournment Meeting adjourned at 2:04 pm.