Everett Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC)

TAC MINUTES August 15, 2019 In attendance: Members Staff Guests T.J. Fournier Ryan Sass, Public Works Sonja Bodge Renee Quistorf Scott Bader, City Council Adi Cruz Tyler Rourke Sabina Araya, Transit Richard Smith Tim Miller, Public Works Al Furiak Maryjane Hacker, Police Kelsey Svaren, Public Works Meeting called to order at 8:05 a.m. Chaired by Tyler Rourke  M/S/P for July 2019 Minutes. Announcements & Requests to Add Agenda Items  Al asked if there will be closures on Grand Avenue while the Grand Avenue Park Bridge is installed. He expressed traffic concerns regarding the closures on Rucker Avenue and West Marine View Drive. o Tim stated that the City will not close Grand Avenue for the installation of the Grand Avenue Park Bridge.  There was a very brief discussion concerning the 10-day closure on West Marine View Drive, touching on the need for BNSF to approve dates within a certain time frame so the bridge can be placed.  TJ asked for an update on the Lime scooter pilot program. o Ryan stated that there was a briefing at City Council the previous evening regarding the program. There are approximately three weeks left to gather data and then the City will work on analysis. He noted that the scooters have travelled almost everywhere within Everett city limits.  A brief discussion followed about use of scooters in lieu of cars, Everett Municipal Code regarding scooters, and scooter education.  Tyler asked about the possibility of conferring with the Bicycle Master Plan during planning periods for pavement overlays. A brief discussion took place concerning the different planning needs for overlays versus more complex changes to City streets. Citizen’s Comments   Sonja Bodge expressed concerns regarding pedestrian safety, specifically in the Delta and Riverside neighborhoods. She noted that other neighborhoods appear to have more signage and safety features already in place. She also suggested that the City informs the Bayside and Northwest neighborhoods once BNSF agrees to dates for the West Marine View Drive closure. Engineering Report  Ryan stated that the Rucker Streetscape Project is going well so far, with few complaints from residents. He noted that adding a direct point of contact between the stakeholders and contractor has made communication much easier. He added that the City will also need to close part of Hewitt for the project.  Ryan noted that the Alverson Stormwater Separation Project is nearing completion. They are currently ahead of schedule but have slowed down and will probably finish closer to the original timeline.  The Connecting Washington projects through WSDOT are all moving forward, and Ryan plans to present details regarding alternatives further along in the planning process.  Scott asked if the City has set a date for Hoyt Avenue to reopen. Ryan responded that the first phase of the Rucker Streetscape Project, which includes Hoyt Avenue, should be done in September. Police Report  Maryjane noted that the parking survey in the downtown business district is still ongoing.  There was a discussion regarding street parking within Everett city limits, including infractions, use of disabled parking placards, and restrictions for Parking Enforcement Officers pertaining to Everett Municipal Code.  Maryjane briefly explained the process of reporting infractions online, noting that some Parking Enforcement Officers spend up to two hours a day fielding through messages on the online system.  Al asked if there is a way to assist with speeding issues along West Marine View Drive near Legion Memorial Park. o Maryjane noted that anyone can request a radar trailer to be placed in problem areas. They usually deter offenders, but the new pedestrian crossing at Alverson Boulevard and West Marine View Drive seems to help mitigate the speeding issue in that area. Transit Report  Sabina noted that there have been some detours and temporary bus stops implemented due to road construction and the Farmer’s Market, with few complaints received so far.  Everett Transit participated in National Night out at Horizon Elementary, where participants enjoyed seeing one of the City’s new electric busses. Transit plans to continue participating in outreach events in the future.  Sabina stated that City Council will be talking about transit needs in the City of Everett at the next meeting, August 21st, pushing the Transit Development Plan to their August 28 th agenda. The third workshop for the TDP will take place in November.  The Washington State Transit Association is hosting its yearly conference, which includes a bus rodeo. Sabina announced that two City of Everett bus drivers will participate and encouraged everyone to come down to Tukwila on Sunday to watch and show support. Agenda Items: Item 1: – Speed Limits Setting Informational Briefing, Presented by Timothy Miller, Public Works  Ryan – As a preface to the presentation he mentions this is the beginning point of addressing Tyler’s concerns regarding speed limits in the City. This first presenation discusses the foundations and baseline info on the topic of setting speed limits.  Tim presented a summary of the key speed limit related requests Tyler previously raised: o Reduce the city default speed limit from 30 MPH to 20 MPH o Reduce the speed limit of city streets designated as bicycle routes that do not include bicycle lanes to 20 MPH o Reduce the speed limit of city roadways designated as a bicycle route with bicycle lanes to a maximum of 30 MPH o Allow community members within a neighborhood to request a 20 MPH speed limit along local, non-arterial streets, with priority given to streets that lack sidewalks  General Speed Limit Setting Methodologies are designed to result in recommended speeds that: o Are related to crash risk o Provide a reasonable basis for enforcement o Are fair in the context of traffic law o Are accepted as reasonable by a majority of road users  Tim referenced how State Law sets default speed limits for various types of roads, and what the City default speed limits are posted. He also presented graphics showing speed limits of the streets in Everett.  Tim presented a graphic useful for understanding the concept of the 85 th percentile speed:  He touched on the four general approaches in the broader Traffic Engineering community to setting speed limits, providing examples and pros and cons to each approach: o Engineering Approach – Widely used in US o Expert System Approach – Widely used in US, Canada o Optimization – No Adopters o Injury Minimization – Used in Sweden, Netherlands  Tim reported the City has used with success the USLIMITS2 expert system to validate the speed limit on Mukilteo Blvd.  Key considerations emphasized regarding setting speed limits: o The 85th percentile speed method is attractive because it reflects the collective judgment of the vast majority of drivers as to a reasonable speed for given traffic and roadway conditions. o This is aligned with the general policy sentiment that laws should not make people acting reasonably into law-breakers. o Setting a speed limit even 5 mph below the 85 th percentile speed can make almost half the drivers illegal. o The road authority cannot simply lower the speed limit and expect substantial compliance. Drivers are unlikely to fully respond except in the face of almost constant enforcement. o Using the 85th percentile speed as a basis ensures that the speed limit does not place an undue burden on enforcement, and provides residents and businesses with a valid indication of actual travel speeds.  A discussion ensued concerning the following topics; the impact of speeding vehicles on City infrastructure, consistency of speed limits on roads that transition between municipalities, tracking and comparing traffic data for future evaluation, and modification of speed limits on City streets.  Item 2: 2019 TDP – Recommend for Council acceptance Sabina Araya, Transit  Sabina noted a few minor changes from the first draft of the TDP presented at the July meeting. She then asked the committee for a recommendation to Council to accept the final draft of the 2019 TDP.  M/S/P for recommendation of the 2019 TDP to go to City Council. Item 3: September 2019 Service Change Informational Briefing, Sabina Araya, Transit  This agenda item was postponed and will be presented at the September meeting.  Adjourned at 9:51 am Next Scheduled Meeting: September 19, 2019