City Council Community Planning and Transportation Committee Meeting

CITY COUNCIL COMMUNITY PLANNING AND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE MINUTES April 27, 2017 The City Council Community Planning and Transportation Committee of the City of Norman, Cleveland County, State of Oklahoma, met at 4:30 p.m. in the Conference Room on the 27th day of April, 2017, and notice and agenda of the meeting were posted in the Municipal Building at 201 West Gray and the Norman Public Library at 225 North Webster 48 hours prior to the beginning of the meeting. PRESENT: Councilmember Allison, Clark, Karjala, and Chairman Holman ABSENT: Councilmember Hickman OTHERS PRESENT: Mayor Lynne Miller Mr. James Briggs, Park Planner Mr. Angelo Lombardo, Transportation Traffic Engineer Ms. Syndi Runyon, Administrative Technician IV Item 1, being: CLEVELAND AREA RAPID TRANSIT (CART) RIDERSHIP REPORT INCLUDING SAFERIDE AND EXTENDED SERVICE FOR THE MONTHS OF FEBRUARY AND MARCH 2017. Mr. Taylor Johnson, Planning Intern with Cleveland Area Rapid Transit (CART), highlighted CART Ridership Reports for February and March 2017, and said ridership has decreased 11% from February and March, 2016. He said fiscal year-to-date ridership (July to March) had a decrease of 0.4% over the same period last year. He said construction continues to affect the ridership count on Main Street and Lindsey Street routes. For the one-week manual count in March, there were 204 riders who traveled with bicycles and 189 riders with wheelchairs. Fiscal year-to-date ridership for February was 893,350 and 1,005,679 for March. CARTaccess ridership for February and March increased 18% over the same months last year with an average daily ridership of 143 riders. Year-to-date, primary zone ridership increased by 6% and secondary zone ridership increased by 148%. Mr. Johnson said CART Appreciation Day was held on April 17th on the University of Oklahoma (OU) campus to promote alternative forms of transportation as well as to celebrate bus drivers. Ms. Karleene Smith, Marketing Specialist for CART, said CART Staff meets monthly with the CART Transportation Advisory Committee whose members have been riding some of the routes to educate themselves about the bus system. She said while riding one of the routes, they discovered a problem with not having enough space for wheelchairs on the bus. She said two Committee members were not able to ride the route due to that problem and this is something CART will Community Planning and Transportation Committee Minutes April 27, 2017 Page 2 Item 1, continued: be reviewing and identifying how many people have been left at a stop because a wheelchair position on the bus was needed. CART is also reviewing Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) issues at the Sooner Mall stop in coordination with Mr. Shawn O’Leary, Director of Public Works, who is currently planning a comprehensive ADA assessment of all public rights-of-way in Norman, including bus stops. Mr. Doug Myers, CART Director, updated the Committee on a state legislation bill that would require public transit providers to permit guns on buses. The Oklahoma Transit Association has voted to oppose Senate Bill 397 because it would have a serious safety impact on passengers and drivers. Mayor Miller said this is another example of the State preempting cities and the Oklahoma Municipal League and Association of Oklahoma Governments (ACOG) are also against the bills. Mr. Myers urged everyone to contact their representative to oppose the bill. He said CART is concerned about driver and passenger safety since mentally unstable people ride the transit system. Ms. Smith said a permit application has been submitted to the City to move the bus stop at 24th Avenue S.W. and Lindsey Street for safety reasons due to Lindsey Street construction. Ms. Smith said CART is working with Tulsa Transit on a joint Request for Proposal (RFP) to purchase buses as funding becomes available. CART anticipates replacing two buses per year over the next five years with an option for five more buses for a total of 15 if funding permits. The joint procurement with Tulsa Transit will allow CART to purchase vehicles in a timely manner and standardize its fleet. Ms. Smith said CART will be submitting a grant application to ACOG for Transportation Alternative Program funding through ACOG. The projects currently being discussed include the Brooks Street Transfer Station improvements (water fountain and bike share racks), bus stop wayfinding signs, and OU bike infrastructure. Chairman Holman said he is happy to hear the news about the water fountain. Items submitted for the record 1. Cleveland Area Rapid Transit Ridership Totals for the months of February and March 2017 2. Cleveland Area Rapid Transit Monthly Reports for February and March 2017 ***** Item 2, being: PRESENTATION BY CART REGARDING THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA BIKE SHARE PROGRAM. Mr. Johnson said the University of Oklahoma (OU) Bike Share Program began April 4th and is being operated by Gotcha Group who partnered with Buchanan Bicycles, a local company, for maintenance and repair of the bicycles. He said the bicycles are very sturdy and durable. Users can rent the bicycles with a credit card through a phone app called app.socialbicycles.com. He said once the Community Planning and Transportation Committee Minutes April 27, 2017 Page 3 Item 2, continued: bicycle is reserved, the user is given a four digit numerical code to unlock the bicycle, which can be returned to any Gotcha bicycle hub within the system boundaries. The program currently consists of 75 bicycles with10 hub locations on OU’s campus. Councilmember Clark said she has noticed the bicycles are not always being returned to a hub and asked if that is a problem. Mr. Myers said it is a bit of a problem, but OU is using this as a learning tool right now. Councilmember Clark suggested OU educate freshmen students about the Bike Share Program as part of the annual orientation process for new students. Mr. Johnson said the bicycles are free for one hour that includes a 30 minute hold time to allow users to shop or eat. Any usage over the one hour period will result in a $5 per hour overage charge (charged by the minute) that will be automatically charged to the user’s credit card. There is also a $5 charge for locking the bicycle outside of a hub area. If the bicycle is locked outside of the total system area, there is a charge of $50 (proposed to discourage locking bicycles out of system area). Mr. Myers said students are credited $2 if they ride a bicycle from south campus and lock it at the main campus and vice versa. Mr. Johnson said from February 6 to April 19, 2017, 1,386 students, faculty, and Staff signed up and to-date net revenues totaled $963.37. He said 4,262 overall trips have been made, 2,575 repairs have been reported, and 2,287 repairs have been resolved. Councilmember Karjala asked if the $5 overage charge is commiserate of other programs reviewed and Mr. Myers said most universities are charging $10 minimum, but OU felt $5 was a reasonable fee to begin the program with. He said Auburn University has the same program and after 16 days of service they had 652 trips while OU had 4,582 trips. Councilmember Allison asked what OU is budgeting per year in expenses to add on to this program and Mr. Myers said students initiated the program using Student Association fees in the amount of $200,000 for the first two years. He said 75 bicycles cost $100,000, which does not include the cost of bicycle racks or pads which OU paid for from parking funds. He said after the first two years, OU will consider sponsorships to fund the program. Councilmember Allison asked if the Gotcha Group has staff in Oklahoma and Mr. Myers said no, they are out of Virginia and they generally hire a local business to repair and maintain the bicycles. He said Buchanan Bicycles has been able to handle repairs, but if the fleet grows OU will most likely hire local students for additional help. Mayor Miller asked at what point would OU need additional bicycles and Mr. Myers said OU is at that point now, but it is not within the budget to purchase additional bicycles. He felt the program needed to operate for at least one year before OU would consider budgeting for additional bicycles; however, there is a currently a demand for more hubs and bicycles. Councilmember Allison asked Mr. Angelo Lombardo, Transportation Traffic Engineer, if transportation grants are available for funding these types of programs and Mr. Lombardo said yes. Mr. Myers said OU is applying for grant funding, but that funding is very limited. Community Planning and Transportation Committee Minutes April 27, 2017 Page 4 Item 2, continued: Chairman Holman asked what revenues the program is expected to bring in the first year and Mr. Myers said zero. He said OU is currently waiving all fees and trying to educate students on the proper use of the program. OU is being very lenient right now and Councilmembers suggested OU be lenient on the first violation, but start charging after that. Mr. James Briggs, Park Planner, asked about fleet replacement factors and Mr. Myers said bicycle replacement is a part of the cost of the program so Gotcha Group will replace bicycles, as needed, as long as the program is active. Items submitted for the record 1. PowerPoint presentation entitled, “Crimson OU Cruisers, the University of Oklahoma Bike Share Program” 2. System Report for OU Crimson Cruisers dated February 6 through April 19, 2017 3. Flyer entitled, “CART. We connect you.” ***** Item 3, being: PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION REGARDING AMENDMENTS TO THE BICYCLE MASTER PLAN AS RECOMMENDED BY THE BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE. Mr. Lombardo said the Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) wants to update the Community Planning and Transportation Committee (CPTC) on their recommendations for amendments to the Bicycle Master Plan. He highlighted the different types of bicycle transportation facilities that include a Bicycle Route – a street signed for bicycle use by sharing the roadway with motor vehicle traffic; a Bicycle Lane – a portion of a roadway which has been designated by striping, signing, and pavement markings for the preferential or exclusive use of bicyclists; and a Bicycle Path or Shared Use Path – a bikeway physically separated from motorized vehicular traffic by an open space or barrier and either within the highway right-of-way or within an independent right-of-way. He said shared use paths may also be used by pedestrians, skaters, wheelchair users, joggers, and other non- motorized users. Mr. Lombardo said most of the bicycle routes in Norman are “shared road” routes that are broken down into either advanced or basic routes. He said advanced routes are on streets with high volumes of auto traffic and are for experienced bicyclists who are comfortable in most traffic conditions. Basic routes are on streets with low to moderate traffic volumes and lower speeds for more casual or younger bicyclists who are less confident in traffic without special provisions for bicycles. Mr. Lombardo highlighted location modifications needed to change roadway segments from proposed to completed, to add new roadway segments to bike path, and to modify roadway segments from one type of bicycle facility to another. He said these changes require Council action and amendments include: Location No. 1 would reflect the extension of the bike lane designation to Indian Hills Road between 48th Avenue N.W. and 60th Avenue N.W.; Location No. 2 would reflect a completed basic route on Hamden Avenue/Highland Village Drive between Porter Avenue and Rock Creek Road; Location No. 3 would reflect a completed basic route on Rock Creek Road between 36th Avenue N.W. and Pendleton Drive; Location No. 4 would reflect a designated bike Community Planning and Transportation Committee Minutes April 27, 2017 Page 5 lane on Rock Creek Road between 48th Avenue N.W. and west of 36th Avenue N.W.; Location No. 5 would reflect a designated bike route on Brandywine Lane between Lindsey Street and Beaumont Drive; Location No. 6 would reflect a basic route on Rock Creek Road between 60th Avenue N.W. and 48th Avenue N.W.; Location No. 7 would reflect a basic route on Rock Creek Road between 60th Avenue N.W. and 48th Avenue N.W.; Location No. 8 would reflect a bike route on 72nd Avenue N.W. between Rock Creek Road and Tecumseh Road; Location No. 9 would reflect a bike route on 72nd Avenue N.W. between Tecumseh Road and Franklin Road; Location No. 10 would reflect a bike route on Franklin Road between 72nd Avenue N.W. and 60th Avenue N.W.; and Location No. 11 would reflect a basic route on Brookdale Drive, Gloucester Lane, and Parkside Road between Main Street and Robinson Street. Councilmember Clark asked if the bike signs are for automobile driver awareness and Mr. Lombardo said it serves two purposes, 1) it lets the bicyclist know this street is part of the bicycle network and 2) it lets the motorist know they could encounter a bicycle. He said bicyclists can be on any roadway whether it is signed or not. Mr. Briggs said bicycle signs were initially installed as a wayfinding system to help keep bicyclists on the bicycle route. Dr. Tom Woodfin, BAC Chair, said cameras are being installed at controlled intersections on bicycle routes so when a bicyclist rolls up to the intersection, the camera will see the bicyclist and change the light. He said once the route is on the approved Bike Route Map it becomes a priority to have camera detection as part of the infrastructure. Chairman Holman asked if the Cedar Lane and Classen Boulevard intersection has a camera and Mr. Lombardo said yes. Councilmember Clark asked if residents are notified their street is going to be a bike route and Mr. Lombardo said no, but there have never been any complaints from neighborhoods. Chairman Holman asked if the City has a Complete Streets Policy in the Transportation Master Plan and Mr. Lombardo the City does not have an adopted Complete Streets Policy although it is a recommendation in the Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP). He said Staff has been working on a draft policy and Council will be reviewing that soon. Transportation Enhancement Program Mr. Lombardo said the last two transportation funding bills created a conglomeration of different programs that were not typical roadway funded programs, such as Safe Routes to Schools, Transportation Enhancement Program, and Recreational Trails Program. He said these programs now fall under the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) and ACOG has been given more control and discretion over that funding, which is good news for Norman because Norman does not have to compete with the entire State for funds. He said applications for funding are due May 12th and ACOG decided to pool several years of funding (Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2015 through FFY 2020) in order to provide a larger amount of available funding. He said $8.4 million will be available to communities in the metropolitan area. The types of projects looked at favorably include on road and off road trail facilities; infrastructure related projects that will provide safe routes for non-drivers, including children, older, adults, and individuals with disabilities to access daily needs; conversion and use of abandoned railroad corridors for trails; infrastructure related projects that will substantially improve the ability of students to walk and bicycle to school; and activities to encourage walking and bicycling to school. Community Planning and Transportation Committee Minutes April 27, 2017 Page 6 Item 3, continued: Transportation Enhancement Program, continued: Mr. Lombardo said the ACOG Bicycle and Pedestrian Bicycle Committee helped develop criteria that includes a $600,000 maximum funding request per project; no maximum project size; no limit to number of applications; a maximum cap of 56% per entity ($4,704,000); and engineering costs will be eligible. Mr. Lombardo said the TAP application for Norman includes five infrastructure projects as follows: • Constitution Street (Jenkins Avenue to Classen Boulevard) o High priority multi-modal trail in CPT o Connects several apartment complexes with OU Campus o High bike/pedestrian counts at the present time o $600,000 Federal Funds/$400,000 match • State Highway 9 Multi-modal Trail (Segment C – 36the Avenue S.E. to 48th Avenue S.E.) o High priority multi-modal path in CTP o Connects to Segment B – Phase 1 (between 24th Avnue S.E. and 36th Avenue S.E.) scheduled to begin construction this summer o $600,000 Federal Funds/$400,000 match • Flood Avenue (Robinson Street to Tecumseh Road) o High priority multi-modal path in CTP o Creates eight mile loop around the airport o Norman Forward Project (local match) o $600,000 Federal Funds/$1,400,000 match • McGee Drive Sidewalk (East Side)/State Highway 9 to Cherrystone Street o High priority sidewalk in CTP o Completes sidewalk improvement along both sides of McGee Drive o School access route (Monroe Elementary) o $240,000 Federal Funds/$60,000 match • Wayfinding Signage o Completes implementation of adopted plan (State Highway 9, Robinson Street, 24th Avenue N.W., Flood Avenue, and Tecumseh Road) o $160,000 Federal Funds/$40,000 match Mayor Miller said she thought the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) was constructing the multi-modal path along Highway 9 to Lake Thunderbird in conjunction with the East Highway 9 Widening Project. Mr. Lombardo said during the public input process for the Highway 9 project, it was clear there was interest on the part of the Norman community and City Council to that effect; however, ODOT decided not to do that. He said ODOT offered to support applications from Norman for other transportation funding to build the path a segment at a time. ODOT is allowing Norman to construct the path on State right-of-way, which is a big hurdle, but there will be challenges with crossing creeks and streams where structures will need to be constructed. Community Planning and Transportation Committee Minutes April 27, 2017 Page 7 Item 3, continued: Bike Skills Course Dr. Woodfin said the proposed Bike Skills Course is targeted towards the segment of Norman’s school population that is not currently served by any particular facility and are not participating in group sports. In a survey for the Park Master Plan there was an indication that 60% of students were interested in biking, cycling, etc. He said the Bike Skills Course’s generally include flow courses, ramps, tunnels, etc., and are accessible to children, teens, and adults whether they are beginning bicyclists or more serious riders wanting to practice their skills. Dr. Woodfin said the BAC recommended a location for a Bike Skills Course that has been endorsed by the Parks Board. The location at 24th Avenue S.E. and Lindsey Street is designated park land owned by the City that consists of approximately 12 acres of land currently not being used by the City because there are already three neighborhood parks serving the area. He said although the area is well served by parks, it is not well served by a sports facility, which is what a Bike Skills Course would be considered. He said people in wheelchairs can use the facility as well as bicyclists, skaters, etc. The budget proposal includes a two-year project funded by Room Tax Funds for design work in FYE 2018 ($20,000) followed by construction in FYE 2019 ($225,000). He said construction figures will be adjusted once final design and location are approved. Dr. Woodfin said the Course needs to be professionally designed and constructed so it will last for years and be easy to maintain. Councilmember Allison asked if maintenance expenses have been considered within the budget and Mr. Briggs said once the facility is constructed, the local bicycling community will help maintain the facility because they will be invested and take some ownership. He said the bicycling community currently maintains a bicycle trail around Lake Thunderbird and they do a great job because they feel invested in its use. Bike Friendly Community Application Dr. Woodfin said the League of American Bicyclists (League) determines if cities are bicycle friendly and can be approved to be in the Bicycle Friendly America Program (BFA). The League’s BFA Program provides a roadmap, hands-on assistance, and recognition for states, communities, universities, and businesses. The BFA Program is a tool for states, communities, business, and universities to make bicycling a real transportation and recreation option for all people. Each community applies to be recognized as a Bicycle Friendly Community through an application process that gives the League information about bicycling conditions and efforts to improve those conditions. The report card created for each community features key data from the application and some federal data to provide context. The popularity of the program speaks for itself and since 2016, more than 700 communities have applied and 372 communities have been awarded a Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum designation. Mr. Lombardo said even if a community does not quite make the grade, applying is well worth the time. The application process helps create new partnerships and momentum for bicycle improvements in a community, allows for the collection of essential bicycle- related data in one place, and results can be used to show policymakers how their community stacks up against similar communities across the nation. In addition, each applicant receives customized feedback and technical assistance. Community Planning and Transportation Committee Minutes April 27, 2017 Page 8 Item 3, continued: Bike Friendly Community Application, continued: Mr. Lombardo said the City of Norman first applied in 2008, and was encouraged to make further improvements before any designation could be made. The second application was submitted in 2009, and Norman received an honorable mention. The League indicated the two most important items for Norman to work on are 1) Adopt a Complete Streets Policy and 2) Expand the Safe Routes to School Program and create a plan to implement more in-school bike education. The League also suggested increasing the number of arterial streets with bike lanes, increase cycling opportunities and training for adults via League Certified Instructors, collect more bike cash and usage data, and further investigate cycling in new construction and planning. In 2011, the third application was submitted and Norman was awarded Bronze level status and the League indicated Norman needed to continue to increase on-street bicycle facilities, increase targeted enforcement from law enforcement, adopt a Complete Streets Policy, consider a Bike Share Program or bike fleet, and provide ongoing training for Staff. In 2016, the fourth application was submitted and Norman again received Bronze level status with the same recommendations made in 2011. The Bronze level status is good for a four year period, but Staff can re-apply anytime during that period if they feel Norman has met benchmarks to attain a higher level of designation. The ten building blocks of a Bicycle Friendly Community include arterial streets with bike lanes; total bicycle network mileage to total road network mileage; public education outreach; share of transportation budget spend on bicycling; bike month and bike to work events; active bicycle advocacy group; active Bicycle Advisory Committee; bicycle friendly law and ordinances; current Bike Plan; and bike program staff to population (1 per 70,000 people). Mr. Lombardo said Norman meets many of the building blocks, but falls short on staff to population, arterial streets with bike lanes, sharing of transportation budget, and total bicycle network mileage to total road network mileage. He said there are ongoing and future arterial road projects that include bike lanes so Norman is getting closer to meeting that benchmark. He said Norman has an excellent rating on educational outreach, has a Bicycle Advisory Committee, bicycle laws/ordinances, and a Bicycle Master Plan. He said an adopted Complete Street Policy would also be beneficial. Mr. Lombardo highlighted key steps to obtaining Silver level status as follows: • Ensure that high speed and/or high volume roads to not pose a barrier to bicycling in the community. It is important for the bike network to be safe, comfortable, and navigable for people of all ages and abilities. Road and/or lane diets may be appropriate for calming traffic while providing safe and comfortable places for people to bike or walk. • Increase the amount of Staff time spent on improving conditions for people who bike or walk. • Identify neighborhood or district-scale areas to target bicycle investments in order to create connected networks within those areas. In urban areas with high speed and/or high volume roads this may take the form of a “minimum grid” of separated bicycle lanes or similar high quality facilities. These neighborhood and district-scale networks can serve as nodes for a larger community-scale network. Community Planning and Transportation Committee Minutes April 27, 2017 Page 9 Item 3, continued: Bicycle Advisory Committee Activities Dr. Woodfin highlighted BAC activities over the past year that included setting up an education booth during Earth Day Event that included a Bike Rodeo; participating in the Lindsey Street Complete Street Workshop; participating in streets and bridges bond discussions to include bike lanes and sidewalks; mapping locations for bike lane striping; discussing red light camera locations; recommending updates to the Norman Comprehensive Transportation Plan; participating in the OU Bike Master Plan; representing BAC at the ACOG Bike/Pedestrian Advisory Committee; participating in the Saxon Park Jog and reviewing bike trails for Saxon Park; participating in the Rock Creek Multi-Use Path Extension Project/Legacy Park Trail Inclusion Project/Flood and Robinson Streets Reconstruction Project discussions; assisting with the Bicycle Friendly Program application; participating in the downtown bike rack competition; collaborating with CART on a bus wrap for “Share the Road” advertising; participating in League Cycling Instructor Training Workshop; and participating in the Open Streets Event that included three neighborhood bicycle rides. Mr. Lombardo said if the CPTC accepts the recommendations and projects presented tonight the recommendations and projects will be placed on City Council’s agenda of May 9th for approval. Councilmembers said they give full support for the recommendations and projects presented. Mr. Lombardo said on May 9th, Council will also be adopting an annual proclamation designating the month of May as Bicycle Month and May 19th as Bike to Work Day in the City of Norman. Items submitted for the record 1. Memorandum dated April 24, 2017, from Shawn O’Leary, Director of Public Works, to Council Community Planning and Transportation Committee 2. PowerPoint presentation entitled, “Bicycle Advisory Committee Annual Update and Recommendations,” City Council Planning and Transportation Committee, presented by Dr. Tom Woodfin, Bicycle Advisory Committee Chair, and Mr. Angelo Lombardo, Transportation Engineer, dated April 27, 2017, 3. System Report for OU Crimson Cruisers dated February 6 through April 19, 2017 ***** Item 4, being: MISCELLANEOUS PUBLIC COMMENTS. None ***** The meeting adjourned at 5:55 p.m. ATTEST: _________________________________ ___________________________________ City Clerk Mayor