Citizens Advisory Committee on Transportation

November 2023 Citizens Advisory Committee on Transportation Meeting Minutes 1) Meeting is called to order at 7:00 p.m. 2) Administration a. Roll call a. Erin Kampschroer (Chair) – Absent b. Andrew Olesen (Vice Chair) – Present c. Arthur Agin (Member) – Present d. Jessica Hegenbart (Member) – Present e. Stuart Whitaker (Member) – Present f. John Bentrup (Member) – Present g. Jenna Brummond (Planning Liaison) - Present h. Tara Hoff (DPW Liaison) – Present i. David Snyder (City Council Liaison) – Present j. Kerri Oddenino (Principal Planner) – Present k. Public: i. Tom Ready, Karen Ready, Pat Conley, Joyce Migdall, Martin Barna, Dave Gustafson, George (last name not mentioned), David Beddoe, and several others unnamed in attendance b. Agenda Adopted c. Review of October Minutes 3) City Council Liaison Report a) Councilman Snyder presented on preparation for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and spoke on the funding gap for Metro. Noted that the City is continuously looking for funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects along with signal prioritization. b) Stuart Whitaker commented on that for Metro, there needs to be more emphasis on increasing revenue and increasing ridership. 4) Public Comment a) Tom Ready of Poplar Drive made a public comment on the previous vote by CACT to revalidate previously collected signatures for Poplar Drive’s Neighborhood Traffic Calming case. CACT voted 5-0 in favor of not having Mr. Ready revalidate previously collected signatures and to proceed to collect new signatures on adjacent lanes (Tracy, Gibson, and Robinson Lanes). b) George (last name not mentioned) made a public comment on the large number of bicycles using the sidewalks on Broad Street. Asked to consider the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists and to limit bicyclists using sidewalks on busier streets such as Broad Street. c) Pat Conley made a public comment in support of the Bicycle Master Plan Update and noted the difficulty of getting to Meridian High School and the East End. Also noted that more bicycle lockers and even adding bike wash stations would help at major destinations to remain accessible to all commuters. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, call 703-248-5297 TTY711.  d) David Beddoe made a public comment on looking to apply for the CACT vacancy and also emphasized wanting to help improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety in the City. e) Joyce Migdall made a public comment on keeping sidewalks available for bicyclists to use, as Broad Street can be unsafe for children. 5) Bicycle Master Plan Update Presentation a) Kerri Oddenino presented on the Bicycle Master Plan Update on existing conditions and needs assessment of bicycle facilities in the City. The presentation elaborated on the plan’s goals and objectives, field visit observations, level of traffic stress, and potential routes and spots for improvements. b) CACT made comments on differing realties from LTS results such as Park Avenue, E Columbia Street, and West Street at a higher LTS than listed in the existing conditions analysis. Additional comments on introducing how to ride bicycles in schools, education, and transportation marketing to promote riding bicycles around the City. 6) DPW Update a) Tara Hoff presented updates on the 20 MPH Campaign and the W&OD Trail Crossings. i) The new 20 MPH Signs are now being installed, and should be completed within the next week. The Sign Unveiling Ceremony will be on 11/16 on Little Falls Street outside of City Hall. ii) Staff received a report from traffic data collection at the W&OD Trail Crossings and it is under review. The counts were completed at the end of September 2023. 7) NTC Monthly Update a) Staff presentation of recent progress with NTC cases. Next steps for Staff include marking speed hump placements for Greenway Downs, receive feedback on speed hump placements from the E Columbia Street Neighborhood Working Group, review possible administrative light solutions for E Jefferson Street, and work on getting other NTC projects through the petition phase. b) CACT voted to unpause the E Jefferson Street Case, which passed 5-0. Elected for Staff to review potential administrative light solutions due to “low” priority result. 8) Greenway Downs 60% Plans a) Staff sent out notification of the 60% plans letter to residents. The consultant also painted on striped markings for all curb extensions in the project. Public comments for the 60% plans are due by November 16th, 2023. 9) Adjourn (approx. 9:30 p.m.), passes 4-0