Citizens Advisory Committee on Transportation

September 2024 Citizens Advisory Committee on Transportation Meeting Minutes 1) Meeting is called to order at 7:04 p.m. 2) Administration a. Roll call a. Arthur Agin (Chair) – Present (Left at 8:00PM) b. Stuart Whitaker (Vice Chair) – Present a. Jessica Hegenbart (Member) – Present b. David Beddoe (Member) – Present c. Sarah Myers (Member) – Present d. David Snyder (City Council Liaison) – Present e. Andrea Caumont (Planning Commission Liaison) – Absent f. Jenna Brummond (Planning Liaison) – Present g. Haejin Kim (DPW Liaison) – Absent h. Kerri Oddenino (Principal Planner) – Present i. Members of the Public: a. John Bentrup, Michelle, Alison Kelly, Arthur Binkowski b. Agenda Adopted c. Review of August Minutes a. August 21, 2024 Minutes were approved 5-0. d. Adoption of Policy Changes for CACT All Virtual Meeting Policy & Remote Participation Policy a. CACT adopted the All Virtual Meeting Policy, passes 5-0. b. CACT adopted the Remote Participation Policy, passes 5-0. 3) City Council Liaison Report a) Councilman Snyder updated CACT on the Bicycle Master Plan will need to move forward as a part of the comprehensive plan which requires VDOT approval, at the direction of the City Attorney. The review by VDOT will take several months (100 days of review). b) Kerri Oddenino noted the plans could move forward with design for the three priority routes with fully funding the projects later. Work on those routes can proceed under the October Budget Amendment if Council chooses. c) Jessica Hegenbart asked if there was an agreement reached with Bedo’s, Councilman Snyder stated there is now an agreement for extending the sidewalk in front of their property. d) Councilman Snyder reported on regional issues including Metro funding and closing the $700 million gap. Chair Agin asked about the Vision Zero/Complete Streets Policy and Councilman Snyder explained it would be a commitment to advance both Vision Zero and Complete Streets looking at other jurisdictions. 4) Public Comment a) Public comments for NTC cases moved under the NTC report. 5) Bicycle Master Plan Update Final Work Session a) Kerri Oddenino presented on the Bicycle Master Plan Update and the recent changes since CACT saw the item and changes from the work session held with Council. Staff plans to 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.  come back to CACT in January, and there is a 100-day review period with VDOT to become a part of the comprehensive plan. The plan as a part of the comprehensive plan makes the plan more rigid and stronger from a legal perspective. b) Major updates since the August work session include revised vision goals to reinforce “all ages and abilities”, aim to achieve Bicycle Friendly Community Status, updates to future routes, additional information on improving existing bike routes, and formatting changes. c) Vice Chair Whitaker and David Beddoe expressed concerns about using the term “Strong and Fearless” and how it does not always apply. David Beddoe asked if the plan needs to be altered before going to VDOT. Kerri Oddenino responded that VDOT is progressive on transportation for ped/bike and had light comments on the “Mobility for all Modes” chapter. d) Kerri Oddenino walked CACT through the changes in the master plan including the new text highlighted in red and new images. Vice Chair Whitaker requested measurable goals for bike lane miles/facilities and asked about the criteria for postcard mailer recipients. Kerri Oddenino noted the postcards were sent to residents near priority routes within ~150 feet. Vice Chair Whitaker, Jessica Hegenbart, Sarah Myers, and David Beddoe requested a more expansive effort to notify residents of the Bicycle Master Plan Update and priority routes. 6) DPW Update a) Haejin Kim could not attend the meeting, but passed on the following update: The SOP for the Rapid Response Crew’s Project Selection is still under review by the City’s operations team. Once the review is complete, likely in October, we will share the SOP with the CACT for feedback. 7) NTC Monthly Update a) Staff presented recent progress with NTC cases. VDOT is on track to approve the Final Project Design Plans and the 100% plan comments have been resolved. The IFB process is slated to start in October. For Noland Street and N Roosevelt Street, staff are currently working with the working groups to develop light/heavy solutions. The speed humps for E Jefferson Street are scheduled to be installed in Fall/Early Winter 2024 with the paving of the street. Staff are reviewing comments from the S West Street Neighborhood Working Group. 8) Sherrow Avenue Case Prioritization a) Staff presented the prioritization case memo requesting CACT to vote on next steps for Sherrow Street. CACT voted 4-0 in favor of unpausing the case and moving forward with the development of light and heavy solutions. b) The requester, Alison Kelly gave public comment supporting traffic calming solutions for Sherrow Avenue, citing issues like speeding, street noise, and the road being a popular cut- through. She highlighted pedestrian activity from nearby schools and noted that many animals have been hit by vehicles. Arthur Binkowski also raised concerns about poor visibility at night, particularly for dog walkers, and mentioned that speeding continues despite the presence of a bus stop for Mount Daniel. c) Sarah Myers requested prioritizing and unpausing the case considering the sharp curve on Sherrow Avenue and to take into consideration of nearby schools and parks. 9) Fowler Street Case Prioritization a) Staff presented the prioritization case memo requesting CACT to vote on next steps for Fowler Street. CACT voted 4-0 in favor of unpausing the case and moving forward with the development of light solutions. b) Jessica Hegenbart commented even with speeds slightly above 20 MPH, there is still risk for pedestrians. 10) Poplar Drive Hill Case Prioritization  a) Staff presented the prioritization case memo requesting CACT to vote on next steps for Poplar Drive Hill. CACT voted 4-0 in favor of unpausing the case and moving forward with the development of light solutions. b) Jessica Hegenbart commented the location near Greenway Downs and how neighbors are concerns that traffic may use Poplar Drive as a cut through after the project is completed. 11) Committee Member Roundtable a) Considerations to Improve Annual Paving Program Funding Memo i) Vice Chair Whitaker presented edits to former member John Bentrup’s memo to adopt as a CACT recommendation. Jessica Hegenbart suggested excluding references to brick use on crosswalks to keep the memo focused on paving, which David Beddoe supported. ii) Councilman Snyder recommended adjusting the memo’s goal from a fixed $2.4M to “up to $2.4M per year” for some flexibility. Vice Chair Whitaker agreed to revise the wording and bring the updated version to a vote at the next meeting. iii) Public comments in the meeting chat from John Bentrup are listed below: (1) Thanked CACT for improving the document but noted that while the $2.4M figure is ambitious, delays in paving increase costs significantly. He estimated that a 15-year paving cycle would cost $1.6M, suggesting the group consult DPW for a more accurate assessment. He cited Timber Lane, which has not been repaved in 30 years, as an example of a street in poor condition. Bentrup also mentioned former DPW Director Zak Bradley's concern that brickwork can damage the rubber edges of snowplows. 12) Agenda Setting a) Items on next month’s agenda include the Missing Links Memo. 13) CACT voted to extend the meeting at 9:00 p.m. until 9:30 p.m., passes 4-0 and at 9:30 until 9:40 p.m. Adjourn (approx. 9:40 p.m.), passes 4-0.