Bicycle / Trails Advisory Committee

Bicycle/Trails Advisory Committee (BTAC) Meeting Minutes September 26, 2022 LifeStyles Center, 800 Battlefield Blvd N. 5:00 PM VOTING MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Rogard Ross Vice Chair Don Burke Aaron Bull Whitney Katchmark Timothy Stephens Tina Bodnar Greg Curl Wendy Schofer STAFF/OTHERS PRESENT: Kevin Finn, Planning Department Troy Eisenberger, Public Works Tracy Jones-Schoenfeld, Public Workds Ana Elezovic, Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Elliot Caldwell, East Coast Greenway Alliance Travis Davidson, 757 Bike Mission Tom Lilley, Citizen Fred Casioppo, Citizen Chris Patterson, Citizen Steve Froncillo, Citizen _______________________________________________________________________________ Chair R. Ross called the meeting to order at 5:00 PM INTRODUCTIONS: Committee members and staff introduced themselves. MINUTES: Approval of June 27, 2022 meeting minutes; Motion to approve minutes made by A. Bull and second by T. Stephens, all members present voting for. NEW BUSINESS/DISCUSSION: a. Public Works Update T. Eisenberger provided an update on several ongoing trails and connectivity projects, including the pathway connecting Western Branch to the Suffolk line. He also informed the Committee that the City would be submitting three (3) proposals for the Reconnecting Communities Grant and provided a brief update on the Great Dismal Swamp Accessibility study. Several committee members requested additional 1  information on ongoing and upcoming projects. b. Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Update A Elezovic updated the Committee status of the Parks Master Plan and an Urban Forestry Management Plan. She also gave a recap on the previous week’s Indian River Park and Trails meeting, which had a good turnout from a diverse array of stakeholders and users. T. Stephens requested additional information on directional signage within the park, speaking against the idea. W. Katchmark suggested different trails for pedestrians and bikers to reduce conflicts, A. Elezovic spoke to how they may not be the best solution. c. Planning Update K. Finn provided the Committee an update on the Trails and Connectivity Plan, with the RFP still being in the works due to staffing shortages and departures within the Planning Department. K. Finn went on to discuss the Industrial Waterfront Study, stating that the study kicked off in July, with the consultant currently gathering data and planning their community engagement strategy. Lastly, the Committee requested information on the Coastal Virginia Commerce Park, also known as the Frank Williams Tract. BTAC was particularly interested in leveraging the site’s development to extend the Great Dismal Swamp Trail to North Carolina. d. Bylaws R. Ross introduced the bylaws and requested if there was a motion. Motion to approve the bylaws made A. Bull and seconded by T. Stephens, all members present voting for. Following the discussion of the bylaws, the Committee discussed the upcoming election of officers at the October meeting. Nominations/volunteers from the floor included R. Ross continuing as Chair, D. Burke continuing as Vice Chair, and G. Curl taking the Secretary role. e. Committee Vacancies/Recruiting R. Ross gave a summary of the current positions that needed to be filled, a total of six including a representative to represent the equestrian community in Chesapeake. f. Bikes and Trails Brochure R. Ross introduced the idea of having a brochure, with the help of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism, that detailed various trails and bike/pedestrian infrastructure. D. Burke and W. Katchmark volunteered to review a draft document. g. Member Updates/Suggestions/Questions T. Lilley gave the Committee an update on Bike Your Park Day and how it that may be a future outreach event for BTAC. R. Ross expressed his intention to create a Planning subcommittee to address the planning of events, including BikeFest. Various members and staff suggested Bike to Your Parks Day on September 24th, National Walk to School Day on October 26th, and others as future possible events for BTAC to get involved in and promote. h. Upcoming Events A Elezovic shared information on the Autumnfest Celebration and Arbor Day Ceremony on October 1st at the Chesapeake Arboretum. 2  i. Monthly Optional Group Outing D. Burke suggested a ride starting at Autumfest and the Arbor Day Celebration on October 1st. OPEN FORUM: R. Ross requested the E. Caldwell provide a quick update and he expressed his enthusiasm for the direction Chesapeake is heading in terms of growing connectivity. T. Davidson with 757 Bike Mission introduced himself and that his organization has updated his mission to include advocacy and looks forward to working with BTAC in the future. T. Lilley raised concern that duration of pedestrian crosswalk light was insufficient at some locations. This also raised the concern that traffic light sensors fail to recognize bicycles rendering them ineffective for bike traffic; with a question of what can be done to correct this. NEXT MEETING: The next meeting will take place on October 24, 2022. ADJOURNMENT: Motion to adjourn made by A. Bull and seconded by T. Stephens, all member present voting for. Meeting adjourned by R. Ross at 6:07 PM MEETING MINUTES APPROVED: __10/24/2022___________ 3