Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee

City of Mountain View Minutes Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee Wednesday, April 27, 2022 6:30 PM Video Conference with No Physical Meeting Location During this declared state of emergency, the meeting will be conducted in accordance with California Government Code § 54953(e) as authorized by resolution of the City Council. Please contact city.clerk@mountainview.gov to obtain a copy of the applicable resolution. All members of the Bicycle Advisory Committee will participate in the meeting by video conference, with no physical meeting location. 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Fenwick called the meeting of the Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee (B/PAC) to order at 6:31 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL Staff members present: Active Transportation Planner Brandon Whyte, Transportation Manager Ria Hutabarat Lo, Crime Analyst Kelly McKeel, Officer Dan Frohlich, Public Works Director Dawn Cameron, Assistant Public Works Director Ed Arango, Associate Engineer Joy Houghton, Principal Civil Engineer - Capital Projects Robert Gonzales, Caltrans District 4 Division Chief for Project Management Nick Saleh. Present 5 - Committee Member Lada Adamic, Committee Member Terry Barton, Committee Member Kalyanaraman Shankari, Vice Chair James Kuszmaul, and Chair Valerie Fenwick 3. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC Twenty-four members of the public were present. Dwight Rodgers noted that Los Altos has No Right Turn signs that light up to prohibit right turns when the pedestrian button has been pressed. He suggested that Mountain View consider the same treatment. Bruce England provided information on two upcoming bike rides. 4. MINUTES APPROVAL 4.1 Approve Meeting Minutes MOTION: Amend the mintues to reflect the moment of silence held for Andre Retana. Kuszmaul/Shankari - 5/0/0 - passed. MOTION: Approve the minutes from the B/PAC meeting on 3/30/2022. City of Mountain View Page 1 Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Minutes April 27, 2022 Committee Kuszmaul/Barton - 5/0/0 - passed Yes: 5- Committee Member Adamic, Committee Member Barton, Committee Member Shankari, Vice Chair Kuszmaul, and Chair Fenwick 5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 6. NEW BUSINESS 6.1 Pedestrian and Bicycle Collision Data McKeel provided information on collisions involving pedestrians and cyclists from the first quarter of 2022. Public Comments: Dwight Rodgers informed B/PAC that he is creating traffic safety videos to for Graham Middle School. Committee Comments: Shankari requested that the Vision Zero presentation be made available publicly. 6.2 El Camino Real Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements - Update Whyte provided an update on the El Camino Real pedestrian and bicycle improvements that are planned to be included in the Caltrans repaving project in 2023. Public Comments: Bruce England noted that the repaving project has high value because it is difficult to ride along the pavement right now. He also noted that some riders may prefer a side street, but there are different users with different needs and that the El Monte and Escuela intersections are very uncomfortable. Silja Paymer indicated that she would prefer permeable bollards to raised curbs for the protected bikeways. Dwight Rodgers supported the use of bollards over curbs for protected bikeways. He also requested that if sharrows are used, they be placed in the middle of the lane, stating that curbside placement promotes unsafe passing. He also stated his preference for pedestrian hybrid beacons over enhanced LED crossings. Serge Bonte commended the new pedestrian crossings, high-visibility crosswalks, and bike lanes. However, he was very concerned about delaying protected intersections without a clear date for construction. He requested that the City include these improvements as part of the Capital Improvements Program. He also objected strongly to sharrows on El Camino and asked that something be done to avoid that. He also requested No Right Turn on Red at key intersections. Amy Rhoads expressed appreciation for the work but deep disappointment for the slow progress. She noted that El Camino at Grant is a very dangerous intersection with a disproportionate number of crashes. She stated her disappoint that short-term solutions are not being considered. City of Mountain View Page 2 Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Minutes April 27, 2022 Committee Birgit Werner asked why she did not see Vision Zero policies in the design plans. She asked for the City to prioritize preventing deaths over inconvenience. Jordan Moldow expressed disappointment that the City has a Vision Zero goal but that the project avoids change and instead prioritizes traffic flow. He requested leading pedestrian intervals at Grant and El Camino. He suggested that the user interface should be obvious, providing an example that sharrows should be in the middle of the lane if you are supposed to share the roadway. Committee Comments: B/PAC members all expressed a dislike for sharrows on El Camino Real. Shankari and Adamic strongly objected to the use of sharrows and indicated their belief that few people would want to ride on El Camino with a sharrow. They asked if the sharrows could be reworked as soon as possible. Fenwick stated that she hates sharrows and that if they are used, they need to be centered in the motor vehicle travel lane. Barton and Kuszmaul also expressed their dislike for sharrows. Kuszmaul, Barton, and Fenwick stated their appreciation to staff working with Caltrans to integrate elements into the repaving. Adamic and Fenwick expressed excitement about repaving and bike facilities on El Camino Real. Kuszmaul stated his support for bollards as part of the protected bikeway, as they allow for bikes to enter or leave the bikeway as needed and prevent vehicles from blocking the bikeway. He also requested that a distinction be made between right-of-way limitations and decisions to support multiple car lanes. He requested that if Environmental Impact Reviews are too onerous that this is communicated to our state legislature so that changes can be made. Finally, he asked for improvements that can’t be included in the Caltrans project, be included in the Capital Improvement Program. Fenwick requested advanced stop bars, leading pedestrian intervals, and no right turn on red signs. She suggested that if they could not be done with this project, they occur with another later project. Fenwick indicated she did not favor flexible bollards as part of the protected bikeways. Shankari made a motion to strongly suggest that the designed sharrows be revised to include at least bike lanes throughout the project area. Fenwick and Barton stated they did not want to delay the project. Kuszmaul made an amendment to have the sharrows changed to bike lanes as soon as possible. Shankari withdrew her motion. She also stated that if Caltrans transitions a bike lane to sharrows on El Camino Real, they are setting users up for failure. She suggested that an alternate through route be provided. MOTION: B/PAC requests that buffered bike lanes be converted to protected bikeways where possible. Kuszmaul/Shankari - 4/1/0 – passed with Fenwick against. MOTION: City of Mountain View Page 3 Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Minutes April 27, 2022 Committee B/PAC requests Caltrans to revisit the potential to replace sharrows with Class II bike lanes. If sharrows are still used, B/PAC requests sharrows be placed in the center of the travel lane, signage to warn people of sharrows, signs to suggest alternate routes, and signs to suggest using the sidewalks. Shankari/Kuszmaul - 4/1/0 – passed with Barton against. 6.3 Fiscal Year 2022-23 Capital Improvement Program Arango provided a presentation on the CIP including roll-forward projects. Public comments: Dwight Rodgers commented that there are other items that are more important than pickleball courts. He noted that he would like more elements focused on safe access to schools. Greg Unangst asked what happened to Stevens Creek Trail extension, Mayfield undercrossing, and the Farley/Villa undercrossing. Amy Rhoads commented that there are many children who take Miramonte, and requested that Miramonte reconstruction include bike lanes. She requested improvements at the most dangerous intersections over pickleball courts. Cherie Walkowiak provided strong support for the extension of the California Street Pilot. Mary Dateo noted that the Environmental Sustainability Task Force requested more east-west routes such as the California project. She requested that a separated bike lane on Evelyn Avenue be added to the Capital Improvement Program. Jordan Moldow expressed support for the California Street project and asked for consideration of interim or low-effort facilities while the long-term facility is designed. Committee comments: Barton, Fenwick, and Adamic supported the California Street expansion. Shankari and Adamic stated their support for the two-way bikeway on Miramonte between Hans and Castro. Shankari requested that the Latham Street Neighborhood Traffic Management Study be planned together with the Latham Street Bicycle Boulevard concept. She was also interested in the mobility hub project at the transit center. Adamic stated her support for investing in fun activities [pickle ball] as well as safety. She stated she is delighted by how many people are biking in the City. She requested an interactive map for Capital Improvement Program projects. Kuszmaul stated his appreciation for the inclusion of bike and pedestrian improvements in repaving projects. He supported staff resources to execute on smaller citywide efforts such as no right turn on red and leading pedestrian intervals. Fenwick suggested the City consider a pedestrian scramble at Castro and Central City of Mountain View Page 4 Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Minutes April 27, 2022 Committee Expressway. She noted difficult lighting and sight issues in the Highway 101 underpasses. She requested bike lanes on Miramonte south of El Camino to Castro Street. 6.4 B/PAC Fiscal Year 2021-22 Work Plan Whyte provided information on the Work Plan. Whyte also provided information on Bike to Wherever Day, and the Bike Rodeo held on May 21. Public comment: Bruce England requested volunteers for the Bike to Wherever Day Energizer Stations in Mountain View. Committee comment: Fenwick requested standard operating policies about adding bike lanes as part of repaving projects. 6.5 Santa Clara Valley Transportation Agency (VTA) Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) Update Adamic indicated that the last VTA BPAC meeting was canceled. 7. COMMITTEE/STAFF ANNOUNCEMENTS, UPDATES, REQUESTS, AND COMMITTEE REPORTS 7.1. Staff Comments Whyte provided information on previous public outreach events, including Safe Routes to School efforts. He also provided a review of the latest AskMV tickets. Public comment: Bruce England suggested putting information about AskMV on the rotating banner of the website. He also noted conversations about creating bicycle and pedestrian access from the Sahara Village mobile home park. Finally he stated his support for dark sky compliant lighting. Dwight Rodgers noted that he has been working with the Graham Middle School principal to produce traffic safety videos for students. 7.2. Committee Comments Kuszmaul noted that 2,300 households in Mountain View have zero cars and half have one car. Fenwick stated her appreciation for staff's work to respond to Ask Mountain View tickets. Fenwick also suggested a standard operating procedure or ordinance to require bikeway and pedestrian facilities in repaving projects. 8. SET DATE AND TIME FOR NEXT MEETING: The next meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. on June 29, 2022. City of Mountain View Page 5 Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Minutes April 27, 2022 Committee 9. CALENDAR 10. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 9:52 p.m. City of Mountain View Page 6