Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee

City of Mountain View Minutes Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee Wednesday, August 25, 2021 6:30 PM Video Conference with No Physical Meeting Location This meeting was conducted in accordance with State of California Executive Orders N-29-20 and N-08-21, dated March 17, 2020 and June 11, 2021, respectively. All members of the committee participated in the meeting by video conference, with no physical meeting location. 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Adamic called the meeting to order at 6:33 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL Staff members present: Transportation Manager Ria Hutabarat Lo, Transportation Planner Aruna Bodduna, Principal Civil Engineer Robert Gonzales, Associate Civil Engineer Marichrisse Hoang, City Traffic Engineer Lorenzo Lopez, and Active Transportation Planner Brandon Whyte. Present 4 - Committee Member Terry Barton, Committee Member James Kuszmaul, Vice Chair Valerie Fenwick, and Chair Lada Adamic Absent 1 - Committee Member Kalyanaraman Shankari 3. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC Eighteen members of the public were present. Holger Isenberg noted that he did not receive notification for the August 4, 2021 community meeting regarding El Camino Real. Mariia Leos asked about the vision for El Camino Real. 4. MINUTES APPROVAL 4.1 Approve Meeting Minutes Approve the minutes from the B/PAC meeting on June 30, 2021, with a correction to indicate Adamic’s support for the Caltrain underpass from Showers Drive to San Antonio Circle and her desire for the City to improve access between Del Medio and Mayfield tunnel. Yes: 4- Committee Member Barton, Committee Member Kuszmaul, Vice Chair Fenwick, and Chair Adamic Absent: 1- Committee Member Shankari 5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS None City of Mountain View Page 1 Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Minutes August 25, 2021 Committee 6. NEW BUSINESS 6.1 Hoang provided a presentation on the Stierlin Road Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements project. Public comments: Bruce England appreciated the 11-foot travel lanes and discouraged wider lanes. He observed that people cross further north of the proposed crossing location on Shoreline Boulevard. He would like landscaping on the slip lane island. He also encouraged a post-speed study to facilitate lowering the posted speed limit on Stierlin Road. Tim Oey requested that the bikeways be wide enough for riding side-by-side and asked how bicyclists should make a left turn with a protected bikeway. He also asked if there is a barrier requiring cyclists to divert from sightline travel at the corner of Shoreline Boulevard and Montecito Avenue. Finally, he noted that on Stierlin Road, the 7.5-foot parking and 5-foot bike lanes put cyclists in the door zone. Holger Isenberg noted the conflict zone where cyclists turn left across the slip lane to access Montecito. He also had concerns about right hook conflicts at Montecito Avenue and Shoreline Boulevard. Mary Dateo requested the closure of the slip lane to traffic to create safer conditions for pedestrians and cyclists. She also suggested the creation of a mini-park from the slip lane island. If traffic allowed, she requested a minimal width facility. Committee comments: B/PAC members generally expressed appreciation and support for the designs presented. Kuszmaul requested no through traffic through the slip lane but to allow only temple traffic. He also requested narrower lanes on Stierlin Road. Barton stated his desire for more greenery in the triangle island. Adamic was hesitant about the bike lane on Stierlin compared to the continuation of the sharrows. 6.2 Bodduna provided an informational report on the Peninsula Bikeway. Public comments: Tim Oey supported El Camino Real as a bike superhighway connected to the VTA Central Bikeway in San Jose and Santa Clara. Holger Isenberg asked what type of bike riders the facility was designed for and noted that El Camino Real is noisy and dangerous. He preferred the Caltrain corridor. City of Mountain View Page 2 Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Minutes August 25, 2021 Committee Mariia Laos asked if they considered creating dedicated bus lanes for El Camino Real. Mogens Lauritzen suggested a median bikeway such as that on El Monte Road under 280 in Los Altos Hills. He noted that he would not use the facility without a solid barrier. Serge Bonte noted that there are a lot of driveways, which gives him concern. Committee comments: B/PAC members generally appreciated the multicity coordination, supported the report findings, and encouraged staff to pursue other routes in addition to El Camino Real. Barton noted the poor bridge surface of Wilkie Way if used as an alternative bikeway to El Camino Real. Adamic also supported the report findings but encouraged all routes to be further pursued. She was disappointed that a bikeway along Caltrain was not present in Mountain View like in Palo Alto. 6.3 El Camino Real Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements Whyte provided a presentation on the El Camino Real Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements project. Public comments: Jerry Steach requested that the City not put disproportionate emphasis on El Camino Real as a bikeway. Serge Bonte requested that parking removal occurs with the construction of a bikeway. Without a bikeway, the outside lane becomes a de facto travel lane. Holger Isenberg noted the problem of reaching destinations on El Camino Real and asked about combining a wide path for pedestrians and cyclists. Tim Oey supported the concept of converting parking to bikeways to create a complete street, and he believed that El Camino Real could be made attractive for cyclists. He noted that a wide sidewalk is used as a shared-use path in Helsinki, Finland. Bruce England supported the transformation of El Camino Real but requested consideration of feeder streets such as Calderon. Specifically, requesting bicycle detectors and project coordination on these feeder streets. Kevin Ma supported the improvements and encouraged attendees to consider the long-term vision, including more residents and retail planned along El Camino Real. He noted that on-street parking is not a right, and it is good to have multiple travel options. Committee comments: Kuszmaul supported the project and hoped that there could be fewer cars and more alternative modes of travel on El Camino. Fenwick was excited about the project and encouraged staff to consider pedestrian improvements along sidewalks where possible. City of Mountain View Page 3 Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Minutes August 25, 2021 Committee Barton fully supported the project, specifically for focusing on health and climate change. MOTION: Recommend the following two actions to the City Council: 1. Approve converting on-street parking to new protected bikeways along El Camino Real northwest of Castro Street; and 2. Support the Los Altos City Council approval to convert on-street parking lanes to new bicycle facilities along El Camino Real, between Rengstorff Avenue and Cesano Court. Kuszmaul/Fenwick – 4/0/0 – Shankari absent – passed. Yes: 4- Committee Member Barton, Committee Member Kuszmaul, Vice Chair Fenwick, and Chair Adamic Absent: 1- Committee Member Shankari 6.4 Draft Fiscal Year 2021-22 Work Plan Whyte presented the Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee’s Draft Fiscal Year 2021-22 Work Plan. Public comment: Bruce England asked about a review of the Pedestrian Master Plan and integrating it into the Active Transportation Plan item. He also asked about having bike rides and having Mountain View Police Department be prepared to respond to questions about near-miss data. He also requested information about the repaving schedule in a public place. Committee comments: Fenwick asked about reviewing police data quarterly. She wanted to ensure that the Pedestrian Master Plan reviews are reflected in the Active Transportation Plan. Lastly, she requested follow-up answers from Mountain View Police Department regarding crash and near-miss data. Barton was interested in discussing model ordinances on issues such as shower facilities and bike parking at development sites. Adamic asked about providing input on items that generally don’t get presented to B/PAC, such as gates on trails and trail design. MOTION: Accept the Bicycle/Pedestrain Advisory Committee Fiscal Year 2021-22 Work Plan. Fenwick/Kuszmaul – 4/0/0 – Shankari absent - passed. Yes: 4- Committee Member Barton, Committee Member Kuszmaul, Vice Chair Fenwick, and Chair Adamic Absent: 1- Committee Member Shankari 6.5 Santa Clara Valley Transportation Agency (VTA) Bicycle & City of Mountain View Page 4 Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Minutes August 25, 2021 Committee Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) Update Adamic provided an update on the August VTA BPAC meeting, including information on the TDA3 funding, complete streets designs for Bascom and Tasman, and an online update to the Community Design and Transportation (CDT) Manual. 7. COMMITTEE/STAFF ANNOUNCEMENTS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS 7.1. Staff Comments Whyte provided updates, including the Silicon Valley Bike Summit held on August 12-13, which included a bike ride by Whyte. He also conducted outreach at the Farmers Market and requested that B/PAC members participate at future markets. Whyte also noted a business open house on August 12 and community open house on September 7 regarding the Castro Pedestrian Mall Study. Finally, he mentioned a Caltrain bicycle advisory committee meeting on Rengstorff grade separation on July 15. Whyte provided an update on AskMV items, including 15 tickets in July and 8 in August. Public comments: Bruce noted a bike ride on September 12 with Lenny Siegel. Tim Oey gave kudos on the AskMV reports. Committee comments: Fenwick appreciated the transparent approach to the AskMV and noted that pedestrians sometimes do not yield to motorists in the Villa/Castro intersection. 7.2. Committee Comments Adamic commented that no Safe Routes to School materials were sent out to students at the beginning of the school year. She stated this is the time of the year to encourage kids to bike to school and the City is not seizing the moment. Barton supported the idea of walking and biking to school and requested a clearing of bushes on the way to school. Fenwick noted that the personal delivery devices (PDDs) do not yield on the sidewalk and are not being operated as they are supposed to. She also stated that she appreciates the walkable nature of the downtown. Adamic concurred regarding the conflicts with PDDs. 8. SET DATE AND TIME FOR NEXT MEETING: Next meeting September 29, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. 9. CALENDAR 10. ADJOURNMENT Adamic adjourned the meeting at 8:45 p.m. City of Mountain View Page 5