Bicycling & Shared Path Advisory Committee

Meeting Minutes Salem Bicycling Advisory Committee Wednesday, July 1, 2020 6:30 p.m. Remote Meeting Members Present: Eric Papetti (Chair), Jayne O’Leary, Alexandra Maranto, John Wathne, Colleen Downie, Michael Williamson, Josh Gillis Members Absent: Matt Caruso, Kylie Sullivan, Joe O’Neil, Michael Jaros Also Present: Tom Devine, Senior Planner Call Meeting to Order Papetti calls the meeting to order. Devine describes the remote meeting format and procedure for providing public comment. Public Comment Papetti opens the meeting for public comment. Ward 6 Councilor Meg Riccardi expresses concern about the Zagster bikes that remain across the City while there is no longer a bike share program. Staff Update Devine provides a series of updates to the Committee: • The City is looking at the multiple new funding sources that support COVID- related placemaking. The new MassDOT Shared Streets program is tied to Barr Foundation technical assistance. Potential projects may include improvements to Wilson Street to delineate travel lanes and make potential bike and pedestrian improvements. Another potential project is to improve the intersection of Broad and Jackson Streets by the Collins Middle School. The City is applying for a quick build sidewalk extension project on Essex Street between Hawthorne Boulevard and Liberty Street. • City staff, Councilor Bob McCarthy, and Salem police are continuing to look at improvements to the striping at the intersection of Winter Island Road and Fort Ave. The question of what the physical barrier will be for the bike path remains. Papetti has emailed staff regarding his experience riding the path when a car entered the bike lane in the area of the South Essex Sewerage Treatment Plant. He is concerned about the discussion of the aesthetics of the barriers delaying the implementation of safety measures. He sees this as a safety project. Gillis also expresses similar concerns. He observed a car using the bike lane as a travel or turning lane. And people park their cars by the Cat Cove Marine Lab 1  parking partially into the bike lane. Maranto states that when cars are parked at Cat Cove, drivers cannot see if bike are crossing Winter Island Road. Papetti asks Devine to communicate these concerns to other City staff and requests that he follow up. Williamson asks whether pylons could be placed in the corridor again, even temporarily. Downie asks why the path isn’t painted green. Papetti replies that the thinking for green currently is to use it selectively only for high conflict areas, though some places do it differently. Downie says some of these areas may indeed be high conflict. • The Harbor Connector Path is open. Bump outs have been added to the crossings. Plantings, lights, pedestrian flashing beacons, and the ramps are being wrapped up. • The MassWorks Bridge Street project is expected to be rebid this month with the revised scope. • The Washington/Mill/Canal Street improvements to connect the Salvo Path to the downtown bike lane network may be advancing soon with newly identified funding. • Jayne O’Leary and John Wathne had observed construction happening on the Canal Street bike path. This work will proceed through the summer and fall. Papetti asks for a specific update from MassDOT on that project. • Papetti says the Traffic & Parking Commission had been asked to review changes to parking on Washington Street along the new Hampton Inn. The Commission voted to request that staff investigate the feasibility of a protected bike lane in that area. Bike and Scooter Share Devine reports that with the bike share’s operations ceased, all the bikes remain warehoused across the City. The leasing company that owns the bikes has not followed through on their commitment to remove the bikes. The City is now ready to collect and store the bikes itself. The City has requested that the bikes be unlocked to allow their removal without damaging them. Williamson suggests since they are already outside, they could be stored temporarily outside. Papetti asks if they could be claimed as abandoned property and given to those who need them. Wathne asks if it is hard to remove the locking devices. Devine says it can be done easily, but not cleanly. Devine says there is a bureaucratic process to dispose of City property, which would apply if the City claims the bikes as abandoned property. He would suggest that the leasing company that owns them sell them or donate them, without the city being a party to the transaction. Councilor Riccardi says she has had constituents reach out with interest in the bikes because the inventory of bikes for sale is currently limited. Her brother works for Bikes Not Bombs. They took some decommissioned bike share Lime bikes and it ended up being more of a liability, because they had to be modified due to their customization. They actually had to be paid to take the bikes. The batteries were considered hazardous waste that had to be disposed of. However, she would like to see something 2 good come of these bikes, perhaps getting them into the hands of residents. Papetti thinks the Zagster bikes are less customized. Devine states that the Traffic & Parking Director has been spearheading this and the Department of Public Services is prepared to remove the bikes from the streets. There is impatience within the City about the bike remaining left across the City and Devine expects them to be removed soon one way or another. Maranto hopes that the bikes will not be picked up and dumped. Wathne suggests partnering with a local nonprofit to do the legwork for this. Wathne suggests consulting with Salem Cycle regarding their usability. Gillis notes that Uber bikes had been crushed when they were decommissioned. Downie wonders if Salem State or the Plummer Youth Promise could take the bikes and repair them as an activity that aligns with their mission. Harmony Grove Road Feasibility Study Devine reports that the study is proceeding and Downie will report to the Commission after there is another working group meeting, which has not been scheduled yet. Strongwater Crossing/Osborne Hills Subdivision Trails Document reviewed: Cropped photograph of compiled plan sheets with trail locations highlighted. Untitled and undated. Devine shares his screen to display the trails plan. He reports that the Planning Board tied the completion of the trails into the project’s two zoning districts: single family on the right with the smaller lots and residential conservation on the left with bigger lots. The single family zone trails are required to be completed before a certificate of occupancy can be issued for the first house in the residential conservation zone. The trails in the residential conservation zone are required to be completed before a certificate occupancy can be issued for the last house to be constructed in that zone. Devine doesn’t have the information regarding what is done so far and hopes members of the Committee can report back if they explore the area. He adds that the Planning Board required that the trails be low disturbance, so new trails would be constructed without substantial impact and existing trails would be left as is. Papetti notes that there are important potential connections into Spring Pond area and Peabody. O’Leary says she has passed through these trails on a larger ride through the area. It will need regular maintenance once complete. Devine reports that the developer is seeking approval from the Planning Board for modifications to the project and this will be before the Board on July 23. Miscellaneous Devine asks the Committee to save the date for a July 21 remote listening session for North Street improvements. He says that thus us the time to show up and ask others in your network to show up if you advocate to bike facilities. Williamson requests that 3 Devine email the date to the Bike Committee. Papetti suggests that the City put its best foot forward and not focus entirely on creating a plan that bothers the least number of people. Catherine Seiferth of Buffum Street offers to disseminate the event flyer in her neighborhood. She also suggests that the City produce an updated bike map. Document reviewed: Massachusetts Department of Transportation, Highway Division, Plan and Profiled of Bridge Street/Route 107, in the City of Salem, Essex, Preliminary Concept Submission, 4/21/2020. Devine shares MassDOT’s Bridge Street concepts with the Committee. The Committee makes the following comments: • How was the scope of this project determined? • Why is there a gap in bike infrastructure from Washington Street to the Bridge Street/Ayube Bypass? Consider converting wide sidewalk on northern side of Bridge Street to multiuse path as City staff have previously explored. • Consider a bike connection through the City’s “Crescent Lot”. Devine asks members to send any further comments by email within a week. Devine will be sure MassDOT receives all comments and will reaffirm that the City has established a vision for Washington Street up to Bridge Street with Toole’s concept. Other Business Meeting Minutes Wathne motions and O’Leary seconds to approve the May 6, 2020 meeting minutes and all vote in favor. Adjourn Wathne motions and O’Leary seconds to adjourn at 7:50 p.m. and all vote in favor. *** Approved by the Bicycling Advisory Committee on October 14, 2020. 4