Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee

City of Mountain View Minutes Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee Wednesday, March 29, 2023 6:30 PM Plaza Conference Room and Video Conference, 500 Castro St., Mountain View, CA 94041 1. CALL TO ORDER Acting Chair Stone called the meeting of the Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) to order at 6:30 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL Staff members present: Public Works Director Dawn Cameron, Assistant Public Works Director Damian Skinner, Transportation Manager Ria Hutabarat Lo, Active Transportation Planner Brandon Whyte, Assistant Public Work Director Ed Arango, Principal Civil Engineer Robert Gonzales, Associate Civil Engineer Hoa Nguyen, Associate Civil Engineer Kathryn Robertson, Traffic Engineer Carla Ochoa, Traffic Engineer Darwin Galang, Principal Management Analyst Laurel James, Marcelo Consentino (Consultant with BKF), and Trent McGowan (Consultant with BKF). Present 4 - Committee Member Lada Adamic, Committee Member Terry Barton, Committee Member Valerie Fenwick, and Vice Chair John Stone Absent 1 - Chair James Kuszmaul 3. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC Fifteen members of the public were present. April Webster provided comments on “Green is the new Complete”. She encouraged the City to include green infrastructure in street projects. Jesse Cupp asked BPAC to recommend to City Council that biking be permitted along the Castro Pedestrian Mall. 4. MINUTES APPROVAL 4.1 Approve Meeting Minutes MOTION: Approve the BPAC meeting minutes of February 22, 2023 with corrections to reflect Member Fenwick. Fenwick/Adamic - 4/0/0 - passed. Kuszmaul absent. Yes: 4- Committee Member Adamic, Committee Member Barton, Committee Member Fenwick, and Vice Chair Stone 5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 6. NEW BUSINESS City of Mountain View Page 1 Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Minutes March 29, 2023 Committee 6.1 California Street Complete Street Improvements, Pilot, Project 21-40 Nyugen, McGowan and Consentino provided a presentation on California Complete Street Improvements pilot project. Public comment: All members of the public that spoke expressed general support for the project. Simeon Frank asked that the segment from Showers to San Antonio be included in the final project and suggested protected intersection treatments. April Webster supported the road diet. She requested green elements such as planters as part of the pilot. She also requested a midblock crossing from Rengstorff to Ortega. Cliff Chambers requested K71 flex posts, a midblock crossing between Rengstorff and Ortega, and planters as part of the pilot. Chris Perry suggested rubberized dividers rather than flex posts. Brian Cargile suggested large planters. Jesse Cupp suggested planters or art opportunities. He also stated his support for rubberized barriers. Finally, he noted the prevalence of vehicles and trash cans in the existing bike lanes. Joyce Yen supported midblock crossings and greening of the street. Peter Capetz requested green elements, right-hook mitigations and clear success metrics. Silja Paymer asked if the corner of Showers was designed for children since it will be a future school location. She also requested that protected intersections be designed to allow cyclists to ride straight. She supported a midblock crossing at Rengstorff-Ortega and greening elements. Mary Dateo requested that the project connect to San Antonio Avenue and bike facilities in Palo Alto and Los Altos. She asked for examples of different barrier types, including planters. Bruce England asked for strategies to prevent garbage bins and parking in the bikeway. Holger Isenberg asked if the corner islands were designed to allow cyclists to continue traveling straight ahead. He also asked what efforts are made to prevent vehicles from traveling between the island and the curb. Committee comment: BPAC generally supported the project. Adamic and Barton requested metrics for evaluating the project pilot phase and a clear way to accommodate delivery vehicles. City of Mountain View Page 2 Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Minutes March 29, 2023 Committee Adamic expressed the need for effective speed management. Fenwick noted the project was initiated after the death of a Willam Ware. She suggested more child-friendly facilities at Showers and detached sidewalks that provide better ADA-accessible conditions by eliminating steep driveway curb cuts. Fenwick stated her preference for flex posts over paint and planters over flex posts. She requested a mid-block crossing between Ortega and Rengstorff. Finally, she expressed concern about facilities that suggest to motorists that cyclists are turning right when they are going straight or result in cyclists hitting the islands. Barton noted that Council considered this project even before the death of William Ware. He requested slip lane removal at Showers and the use of better dividers than flex posts; he supported planters. Stone asked for curb cuts on the slip lane at Showers. He also requested green infrastructure and informational boards about the project be posted. 6.2 Miramonte Avenue Improvements, Project 20-01 Robertson provided a presentation on Miramonte Avenue Improvements. Public comment: Chris Perry expressed appreciation for the project, especially the 6' divider. April Webster expressed appreciation for the road diet. She also requested a parking-protected bikeway for other segments and trees in the cycle track median. Silja Paymer supported the road diet and noted that traffic is fine with the single lane of traffic during the sewer-main replacement. She requested leading pedestrian intervals at signalized intersections, sharrows through intersections, greenery along the median, and signage regarding the cycle-track ending. She asked if the City considered removing the parking on the east side and turning this into a green-complete street Mary Dateo asked whether cyclists would stop before crossing at Hans. She suggested closing the last block of Hans to vehicles. Bruce England asked for attention to pedestrian facilities and green-complete streets. Jesse Cupp supported more trees and shade. Committee comments: BPAC generally supported the project. Adamic, Stone and Barton supported accommodating student patterns in the design with the two-way cycle track. Fenwick and Adamic requested the project be extended to El Camino Real. Adamic and Barton asked the City to work on a paseo from Graham to Boranda. Fenwick requested rolled curbs at driveways to ensure accessibility and notification to residents of the possibility to underground utilities. She suggested creating a diverter at City of Mountain View Page 3 Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Minutes March 29, 2023 Committee Hans and Miramonte and supported greening elements to create shade. Fenwick also requested directional rather than diagonal curb ramps. Adamic asked that greening be balanced with visibility for bicyclists. Barton encouraged green planting along the bike median. Stone requested that the 13' left turn lane be made 10' and the additional 3' be reallocated to the bicycle buffer to reduce dooring. He also asked for the merge from 2 to 1 lane occur on the far side of Cuesta to provide space for a bus island. 6.3 Advisory Body Input on the Fiscal Years 2023-24 and 2024-25 Council Work Plan Potential Projects James provided a presentation on FY 23-25 Council Work Plan Potential Projects. Public comment: Silja Paymer asked BPAC to consider the biodiversity strategy, street tree plan and park plan (including Water District trails). April Webster requested prioritization of the Local Road Safety Plan and Vision Zero. She asked that this be amended to include the Safe Systems approach and a green streets plan. Bruce England suggested that BPAC request the prioritization of legislation, the Active Transportation Plan, and green streets. Committee comment: BPAC Members supported several possible Council Work Plan Projects presented in the list below. The projects they supported are indicated by the project number below. FY 23-25 Council Work Plan Potential Projects List 1. Develop a comprehensive Homelessness Response Strategy 2. Develop a Community Workforce Agreement 3. Expand access to broadband across communities 4. Update the Race, Equity, and Inclusion Action Plan 5. Explore strategies for supporting renters not covered by the CSFRA 6. Explore applying for County grants to support childcare 7. Review and propose revisions to the R3 Zone standards that consider form-based zoning, incentivizing stacked flats, and updated rowhouse guidelines" 8. Facilitate affordable housing development at the VTA Evelyn site 9. Begin development of a Moffett Boulevard Precise Plan 10. Implement Displacement Response Strategy actions 11. Develop a strategy to facilitate low- and middle-income home ownership 12. Review and update the Shoreline Community Shoreline Area Plan 13. Develop comprehensive updates to the Downtown Precise Plan 14. Review and update the Gatekeeper process 15. Downtown office cap 16. Develop a Citywide Transportation Demand Management Ordinance 17. Develop a City Active Transportation Plan 18. Prepare the Citywide Travel Demand Update City of Mountain View Page 4 Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Minutes March 29, 2023 Committee 19. Design and construct Castro Grade Separation project (Continue to implement the Transit Center Master Plan) 20. Bring the Local Road Safety/Vision Zero Action Plan to Council for adoption 21. Develop guidelines for micromobility, including a scooter share pilot 22. Expand the Safe Routes to School Program 23. Begin construction on the Stevens Creek Trail extension 24. Define biodiversity requirements for landscaping 25. Update the Community Tree Master Plan 26. Develop a Citywide Decarbonization Plan (transitioning from SAP-4) 27. Complete a Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment 28. Develop a Dark Skies ordinance 29. Review and update the historic preservation ordinance 30. Develop a Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan 31. Develop an ordinance to ban vaping sales citywide 32. Conduct a holistic citywide review of parking regulations 33. Revitalize Gateway Park 34. Implement strategies for a vibrant downtown, including the Castro Pedestrian Mall 35. Begin implementation of the Economic Vitality Strategic Plan (multiple projects) 36. Develop a comprehensive storefront activation program 37. Conduct Public Services Study 38. Complete a Cost Allocation Plan and Master Fee Study 39. Implement an online permitting system 40. Explore the feasibility of a potential 2024 revenue measure 41. Review and make amendments to the Municipal Code to remove contradictory, unenforceable, or otherwise outdated sections 42. Place a measure on the 2024 ballot to amend the City Charter (clean-up/modernization) Fenwick supported: 1, 5, 6, 10, 17, 19, 23, 34, 36 and 41. Adamic supported: 1, 17, 20, 22, 24, 25, 28, 30, 34, and 41. She suggested addressing staffing gaps for bicycle and pedestrian projects. Barton supported: 17, 20, 32, and 30. He suggested a project that focused on trails. Stone supported: 1, 10, 16, 17, 20, 22 and 41. He stated he sees potential in 9 and 7. BPAC Members as a group supported: 1, 10, 17, 20, 22, 30, 34 and 41. They noted that the Active Transportation Plan, number 17, was their highest priority. 6.4 BPAC Fiscal Year 2022-23 Work Plan Lo provided information on the Work Plan and Tentative Agenda List. Public comment: None. Committee comment: Fenwick stated her appreciation for the El Monte Corridor Study being presented in April. 6.5 Santa Clara Valley Transportation Agency (VTA) Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) Update City of Mountain View Page 5 Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Minutes March 29, 2023 Committee Adamic noted that there has been a countywide movement to increase education on Safe Routes to School and that the County is in the early input stages of the Vision 2050 Plan. The County is also developing its Active Transportation Plan; the website is ActiveSantaClara.org and is collecting input until May 30th. She noted that recommended facilities include protected bikeways on Central Expressway. Public comment: None. Committee comment: None. 7. COMMITTEE/STAFF ANNOUNCEMENTS, UPDATES, REQUESTS, AND COMMITTEE REPORTS 7.1 Staff Comments Lo presented updates including the March 25th bike ride, TDM ordinance, Bernardo Undercrossing, Bike to Wherever Days, the upcoming Earth Day ride, and free Smart Cycling Training. Public comment: None. Committee comment: None. 7.2 Committee Comments Barton noted that the County is not advising bicycle travel on La Honda, the only route to the coast. He requested that Mountain View never provide this sort of advisory. Barton also noted that Costco, a key destination, removed their bike rack. He indicated that a parking study would be needed to take action. Finally, he asked for codified bike parking standards. Stone stated that he would be doing an Earth Day presentation at Sunshine Gardens Apartments on how to bike to get your groceries. Fenwick reported that new signs are appearing on non-narrow streets regarding illegal sewage dumping. She stated her concern that some residents might be making false complaints. She indicated her disappointment in seeing these new signs when the neighborhood-requested signs for no parking on sidewalks were previously declined due to cost and sign clutter concerns. 8. SET DATE AND TIME FOR NEXT MEETING: 9. CALENDAR 10. ADJOURNMENT City of Mountain View Page 6 Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Minutes March 29, 2023 Committee The meeting was adjourned at 9:47 p.m. Submitted for approval by Brandon Whyte. City of Mountain View Page 7