Bicycling & Shared Path Advisory Committee

Meeting Minutes Salem Bicycling Advisory Committee Wednesday, October 14, 2020 6:30 p.m. Remote Meeting Members Present: Eric Papetti (Chair), Alexandra Maranto, John Wathne, Colleen Downie, Michael Williamson, Matt Caruso, Connor Ryan, Kylie Sullivan, Michael Jaros, Josh Gillis Members Absent: Jayne O’Leary 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 to the meeting to public comment and there are none at this time. Staff Update Devine provides the following updates: • Willson Street striping is complete and posts and signage (including speed feedback and flashing pedestrian crossings) will be installed this month. The City will collect speed data when complete to compare before and after speeds. • Toole Design Group is continuing design work on Lafayette Street restriping plan, which will ultimately come before the Bike Committee. • The City expects to hear from the state in November regarding its MassWorks application for improvements to the Washington and Bridge Streets intersection. • The zebra armadillo bike lane buffer barriers for Fort Ave. have arrived and will be installed shortly. The Committee is interested in the plan for plowing with these barriers in place. • Work continues on the second phase of the Canal Street path, with drainage and rough grading currently underway. • The traffic calming pilot program ended in September and data is being evaluated to be presented to the Traffic & Parking Commission. • For the North Street improvement project, feedback from the July public meeting is being compiled and the City will hold one or more meetings this fall to present design alternatives. 1 The Committee requests an update on the Harmony Grove Road Multiuse Path Feasibility Study. Papetti reiterates his wish to see city bike racks that served the defunct Zagster bike share system to be relocated to more useful locations. Discussion of Concepts for Bike Connections on Bridge Street Document reviewed: SUGGESTED BIKE PATH ALIGNMENT FROM TRAIN STATION TO INTERSECTION AT JAIL, JMW/9-21-2020 Wathne presents his sketch to the Committee and the group discusses it. Papetti suggests that the City make sure to keep any data being collected by the smart signals within the area shown on the sketch, since these could inform any future study. Papetti also wonders how we can make what is shown on the sketch into an actual project. The Committee is supportive of the concept. Update on Highland Park / Salem Woods Trails This item is tabled to the next meeting. Discussion of Potential Bike Friendly City Designation Papetti notes that Beverly recently received a bronze designation from the League of American Bicyclists as a Bike Friendly City and wonders whether Salem should pursue it. He states that it is a good way to document and track progress toward the city’s bike infrastructure goals. Several members express interest in assisting to collect data for this effort. FY21 Community Preservation Plan – Request for Comment/Input Devine explains that the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) asks for comments from boards and commissions each year for its annual update to the Community Preservation Plan. The plan includes specific review criteria that the CPC uses to select projects to award funding. The Bike Committee provided comments on the plan in a previous year to request that the inclusion of bike infrastructure be a criterion in their review of funding applications and they incorporated this into the plan. Caruso observes that the current Community Preservation Plan makes many references to bikes, including the 2018 Bike Master Plan. The Bike Committee has no new comments on the plan. Introduction of New Member Newly confirmed member Connor Ryan introduces himself and expresses excitement about being on the Bike Committee. Meeting Minutes 2 Wathne motions and Kylie seconds to approve the July 1, 2020 and August 5, 2020 meeting minutes and all vote in favor. Adjourn Wathne motions and Williamson seconds to adjourn at 7:49 p.m. and all vote in favor. *** Approved by the Bicycling Advisory Committee on December 2, 2020 3