Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee

City of Mountain View Minutes Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee Wednesday, February 24, 2021 6:30 PM Video Conference with No Physical Meeting Location This meeting was conducted in accordance with State of California Executive Order N-29-20, dated March 17, 2020. All members of the Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee participated in the meeting by video conference, with no physical meeting location. 1. CALL TO ORDER Lada Adamic called the meeting to order at 6:31 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL Staff members present: Transportation Manager Ria Hutabarat Lo, Transportation Planner Aruna Bodduna, Traffic Engineer Lorenzo Lopez, Associate Civil Engineer Darwin Galang, Assistant Public Works Director Damian Skinner 16 members of the public were present. Present 5 - Committee Member Terry Barton, Committee Member James Kuszmaul, Committee Member Kalyanaraman Shankari, Vice Chair Valerie Fenwick, and Chair Lada Adamic 3. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC None 4. MINUTES APPROVAL 4. Minutes Approval Approve the B/PAC meeting minutes for January 27, 2021 with the following edits for Item 6.3: Add comments on a disconnect between the Police report and mapped data, and non-automobile collisions (between bicyclists, or bicyclists and pedestrians). Adamic/Shankari - 5/0/0 Yes: 5- Committee Member Barton, Committee Member Kuszmaul, Committee Member Shankari, Vice Chair Fenwick, and Chair Adamic 5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 6. NEW BUSINESS 6.1 Grant Road and Sleeper Avenue Intersection Study Darwin Galang and Project Consultant Andrew Dickinson provided a presentation. City of Mountain View Page 1 Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Minutes February 24, 2021 Committee Public comments David West from Yorkshire Way noted that many neighbors are not wealthy. He supported Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons (PHBs) (Alternative 1 or 2) and suggested prohibiting u-turns on southbound Grant Road. Bruce England from Mountain View Coalition for Sustainable Planning recommended implementing traffic calming prior to speed studies to facilitate lower speed limits on corridors like El Monte. He favored Alternative 2 with a pedestrian refuge. Silja Paymer noted that the intersection functions as a 4-way crossing for bicyclists. She requested crossings on both sides of Sleeper to avoid bicyclists crossing on wrong side or without a light—as happens on the south side of Hyde Park, London. She supported either traffic signals or beacons on both sides of Sleeper, and opposed LED crosswalks. Dale Kuersten commented that he has been pursuing this project for a decade. As a retired firefighter, he is aware of speeding here, and supports Alternative 2 with a PHB and pedestrian refuge. Resident Molly Carlson requested that the City maintain left turns on Grant Road to maintain access and avoid traffic diversion. She felt that the traffic data underestimated left turns. She also noted that LED crosswalks are not noticeable for motorists and she was opposed to the existing condition (Alternative 4). April Webster noted that she frequently bikes this route and is concerned about speeds of more than 35 mph. She support a signal or something more than a crosswalk. Committee comments James Kuszmaul supported either the PHB or traffic signal and noted that there is no sidewalk on the southside of Sleeper. He asked if a bulbout could be considered to reduce turning speeds and crossing distance. Shankari requested options to allow bike through movements to Cuesta Park such as a median opening. She generally did not favor options with treatment on one side only because they require bicyclists to dismount or wrong-way ride. She had planned to advocate for traffic signals (Alternative 3), but was open to PHBs. Lada Adamic favored Alternative 1, 2 or 3. She would prefer crossings on both approaches, but supported Alternative 2 with the pedestrian refuge, and suggested that the City could later upgrade to a full signal if there are ongoing issues. Given the trail connection, she felt the 700-foot radius was too limited. Valerie Fenwick requested lighting over the crosswalk and favored Alternative 2 to reduce pedestrian conflicts with vehicles. She commented that in the UK people can push for a longer crossing countdown. She also requested that the City design for slower speeds along arterials rather than accepting high speeds. Terry Barton acknowledged diversity in the neighborhood and supported Alternative 2 due to the way that it addressed left turn conflicts. MOTION: Recommend Alternative 2 with a Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon (PHB) and pedestrian refuge. Fenwick / Barton – 4/0/1 – Shankari abstaining. City of Mountain View Page 2 Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Minutes February 24, 2021 Committee Yes: 4- Committee Member Barton, Committee Member Kuszmaul, Vice Chair Fenwick, and Chair Adamic Abstain: 1- Committee Member Shankari 6.2 Sign Placement in City Rights-of-Way Lorenzo Lopez provided a presentation on the City’s new standard operating procedure (SOP) for sign placement in City rights-of-way. Public comments Bruce England commented that there is too much clutter on sidewalks, which makes signs easy to ignore and goes against the Council goal of encouraging active modes. Committee comments James Kuszmaul and Valerie Fenwick acknowledged the Measure C mandate and noted that the public had not been aware of the signs or expense. They urged staff to reduce the minimum distance between signs and the curb to less than 18 inches. Valerie Fenwick also commented on concerns of sign blight and sign fatigue, which had been cited earlier as a reason for not signposting rolled curbs in her neighborhood. Lada Adamic expressed disappointment that people did not realize the signs were coming, and wondered if the City could experiment with not putting the signs in initially. B/PAC members confirmed that the item satisfied the B/PAC motion from January 27, 2021, and recommended adjustments to the SOP to place poles as close to curb as possible to maximize pedestrian space (in the last resort situations). 6.3 Transportation Development Act (TDA) Article 3 Funding Ria Hutabarat Lo provided a presentation on the Transportation Development Act funding. Public comment Bruce England supported banking funds for this year, and suggested the following ideas for funding allocations in future years: intersection improvements at Church/Shoreline, more responsive Citywide bike detectors, and blue light bike detection feedback system. Committee comment: B/PAC received this information. 6.4 Pedestrian Master Plan Review Ria Hutabarat Lo presented information on the Pedestrian Master Plan update. Public comments Silja Paymer requested consideration of extending the Castro StrEATS program to enhance walkability, and David West seconded this idea. Committee comments City of Mountain View Page 3 Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Minutes February 24, 2021 Committee Members made the following comments: * Prior year comments are still important and valid. * Add an item to address street furniture in the sidewalk and close sidewalk gaps; * Ensure City standards specify smooth driveway and curb cut transitions, and intersection bulbouts to reduce turning speed and crossing distance; * Recommend streamlined and proactive processes such as the neighborhood traffic management process, which currently requires neighborhood initiation; * Incorporate lessons from the COVID period such as sidewalk standards that allow people to walk side by side, rather than ADA minimum distance; * Encourage developers to break up large blocks with paseos and provide bicycle commuting facilities like showers; and * Undertake a combined Pedestrian Master Plan and Bicycle Transportation Plan. 6.5 B/PAC Fiscal Year 2020-21 Work Plan No changes were provided. Shankari asked if staff been in contact with schools about transportation implications of reopening as case rates go down. James Kuszmaul also noted that all the Suggested Routes to School on the website are showing a 404 error. 6.6 Santa Clara Valley Transportation Agency (VTA) Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) Update Greg Unangst shared about the 2/10/2021 VTA BPAC meeting, which covered bus stop balancing, and Caltrans Program Initiation Documentation (PID) for interchange projects at 101/San Antonio and 101/Ellis Street. These $14 million efforts include bike and pedestrian improvements. 7. COMMITTEE/STAFF ANNOUNCEMENTS, UPDATES, REQUESTS, AND COMMITTEE REPORTS 7.1. Staff Comments Aruna Bodduna reported on 16 AskMV tickets last month, mostly relating to pedestrian and bicycle maintenance items. Other announcements included the Strategic Plan community meeting (2/25), vaccinations at the Community Center, AccessMV community meeting (2/28), and Community Shuttle funding recommendation to VTA Board as part of the Innovative Transit Measure B funding program. 7.2. Committee Comments Valerie Fenwick requested information on the Council adoption of a change to the bylaws and last quarter’s near miss data. Lada Adamic noted that she had observed children learning to ride on the Monte Loma black top, so hoped that any school fencing would allow a an open gate after hours. 8. SET DATE AND TIME FOR NEXT MEETING 9. CALENDAR 10. ADJOURNMENT Lada Adamic adjourned the meeting at 9:16 p.m. City of Mountain View Page 4