Everett Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC)

TAC MINUTES November 21, 2019 In attendance: Members Staff Guests Renee Quistorf Scott Bader, City Council Bob Creamer Jennifer Tanner Michael Schmieder, Transit Ann Morgan Tyler Rourke Tim Miller, Public Works Richard Smith Maryjane Hacker, Police Al Furiak Corey Hert, Public Works Kelsey Svaren, Public Works Meeting called to order at 8:08 a.m. Chaired by Tyler Rourke  M/S/P for October 2019 Minutes. Announcements & Requests to Add Agenda Items  Tyler took a moment to acknowledge the completion of construction on Hoyt Ave between Pacific Ave and Wall Street and expressed satisfaction with the new bike lane. Citizen’s Comments  Bob Creamer announced that Audubon Washington is a host partner for the Snohomish County Transportation Forum this evening at 7pm at the Snohomish County PUD. Washington State passed a bill earlier this year committing to running entirely on clean energy by 2045. Engineering Report  Tim noted changes along Hoyt Avenue that the public will notice now that the streetscape has re-opened. The design of the project implements new crosswalks and complies with ADA requirements, which impacts parking availability. The City plans to help accommodate areas that could be served by alternative options, such as elongated loading zones.  Corey added that the City is close to opening the cross section of California and Rucker Avenues. There is not a set opening date, but it should be completed by the January TAC meeting. Police Report  None Transit Report  Michael expressed enthusiasm for the completion of the crosswalk at E Marine View Drive and 10th Street.   Michael noted that Transit is currently working on a glass replacement project for bus shelters in the City: o Phase 1 includes the Evergreen corridor, which will replace 31 missing panes of glass by the end of 2019. o Phase 2 consists of North Everett, which will be completed in early 2020. o Phase 3 covers the rest of Everett.  Michael also gave an update on the electric buses, noting that three of the seven operating buses had significant down time during the month of October. He added that they are showing high comparison to the diesel buses and are currently very close to a one for one replacement.  Renee asked for an update regarding the art installation aspect of the North Broadway Transit Improvement Project. o Michael stated that he is unsure of the exact timeline, but the art installation is still a part of the project and will focus on the bicycle parking component of the shelters.  Bob asked about Community Transit’s presentation to City Council and what Everett Transit’s role is. o Michael responded that Everett Transit is providing all information to the appropriate parties in order to consider and discuss Community Transit’s proposal. Agenda Items: Item 1: Impact of Initiative 976 Informational Briefing; Ryan Sass, Public Works  Ryan addressed that Initiative 976 has left the City with a lot of uncertainty in terms of transportation related projects. City staff will be challenged to figure out how to raise additional funding and/or scale back projects in order to meet new budgetary restrictions. He added that there are disadvantages to cutting or delaying maintenance projects, as they could be much more costly in the future.  Ryan added that Connecting Washington projects in partnership with WSDOT will also be affected. Governor Inslee suspended many projects from moving on past their current phase while the State works to figure out how funding will change. The City is involved in a few Connecting Washington projects and it is unclear the extent in which they will be affected.  Ryan further explained that Connecting Washington projects are written into law and require fresh legislation to change the project scope, which may be complicated, time consuming, and delay projects further.  Committee members discussed factors that may have led to the passage of Initiative 976 statewide, in addition to the need for public education regarding how it will affect the City of Everett moving forward.  Ryan added that Public Works is currently working on the 2020 Pavement Overlay plan and will keep the committee updated on changes attributed to funding allocation. Item 2: Red-Light and School Speed Zone Cameras Informational Briefing; Tim Miller, Public Works  Tim began the briefing by noting that the City of Everett does not plan to equip all intersections with cameras, only those that pose a high safety risk as identified with a thorough data collection process.  The main intent is to focus on vehicles speeding straight through intersections during red light cycles. They will coordinate with traffic lights and take pictures to show cars in the intersection while the light is red. The camera identifies vehicles, not drivers.  School speed zone cameras would capture images of vehicles speeding in marked school zones during pre-determined hours when students are likely to be present.  The City would lease equipment through a neutral third-party company, who are required to complete monthly maintenance. This helps to ensure that there is no conflict of interest and guarantee that vehicles are not being ticketed when they are complying with the law.  The committee briefly discussed challenges and requirements of the school zone cameras, the impact cameras could have on police resources, and the need to write or amend existing ordinances.  Tim and Ryan added that the City would restrict how revenue collected could be used and that the program is designed to generate less revenue over time as people change their habits and comply with the law.  The committee spent a few minutes asking Tim and Ryan about elements of the program, discussing potential pros and cons, and ways to inform and educate the public before it’s implemented.  M/S/P for recommendation to City Council and the Safety Subcommittee to move forward with school zone cameras and red-light cameras in intersections deemed appropriate by the City of Everett. Item 3: Reduce Speed Limit to 30 MPH on Roadways Designated as Bike Routes with Bike Lanes Informational Briefing; Tim Miller, Public Works  Tim started the presentation by introducing a chart showing existing bike routes where the speed limits are listed above 30 MPH.  Tim gave a more in depth look at the following bike routes: o 45 MPH – Airport Road – 6 thru lanes (2 HOV) o 35 MPH – 112th Street – 4 thru lanes o 30 MPH – 100th Street – 2 thru lanes  Tim also shared information regarding bike routes with speed limits listed at 25 MPH, specifically highlighting W Mall Drive, which has 2 thru lanes.   After the introduction, Tim presented an updated version of the first chart, adding in a column for the 85th percentile to show a more accurate depiction of the prevailing speed of motor vehicles along these routes.  Due to time constraints, the rest of this presentation will take place at the January 2020 meeting. Item 4: Selection of 2020 TAC Chair and Vice Chair  Tyler briefly explained the voting process and opened the floor for nominations.  Tyler and Richard received nominations, with Tyler elected Chair and Richard elected as Vice Chair for 2020.  Adjourned at 9:45 am Next Scheduled Meeting: January 16, 2020