Bicycling & Shared Path Advisory Committee

Meeting Minutes Salem Bicycling Advisory Committee Wednesday, January 6, 2021 | 6:30 p.m. Remote Meeting Members Present: Eric Papetti (Chair), Michael Williamson, Alex Maranto, Colleen Downie, Connor Ryan, Matt Caruso, John Wathne Members Absent: Michael Jaros, Kylie Sullivan, Jayne O’Leary, Josh Gillis 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 that time. Staff Update Devine (and others where noted) provides the following updates: • City offices are operating again with just a skeleton crew as a temporary COVID precaution. Staff remain accessible by phone and email. Appointments are required for in-person business. • The City and Toole Design Group are pulling together a preferred design for North Street based on all input received to date. City staff would like to present the preferred design at a joint meeting of the Bike Committee and Traffic & Parking Commission. February 28 and 25 are possible dates if the two groups are willing. It would be a further opportunity for public input. Members support having the joint meeting. • Bikes Not Bombs took all the remaining Zagster bikes and a handful of the old Salem Spins bikes. The City is reaching out to artists to see if any of the dilapidated bikes that no one has taken yet could be used as material for public art. Otherwise, these last bikes will be taken by scrappers. • The City came to an understanding with BlueBikes to establish a framework for expansion into Salem. They had to make an exception to their usual requirement that any new station be within ¾ of a mile from an existing station. The system is different from Zagster and dockless programs. There is a substantial upfront capital cost. Devine submitted a Shared Street & Spaces grant application to fund a large portion of the capital. If awarded, the funds would need to be spent by the end of May, so that is when the system would launch. The system would 1  start with 8 stations and 50 bikes. Stations would likely be located at the 8 most popular Zagster dock locations. The City hopes the program will later expand into other North Shore Communities. Salem State University will support the program in some way, with details to be determined. • Fort Ave. snow removal: Ahead of the recent snowstorm, the City left the Fort Ave. “zebra armadillo” delineators in place and directed plow drivers to avoid them, with tall orange cones added as a visual marker. The street was plowed and the two-way cycle track was plowed separately. It was reported that just one armadillo was knocked out of place by a plow. Papetti did not notice any missing armadillos. Ryan reports finding one armadillo that was in place without being anchored. Williamson said that his wife found the melting snow between the path and roadway caused icy conditions on the path. Maranto appreciated that the mound between the path and roadway created a protective barrier. Caruso notes that there has not been discussion about salting or sanding bike routes. The group discusses the equipment used to clear bike routes. • Willson St. snow removal: The City had already removed the flexposts prior to the snowstorm, so the City cleared snow from this roadway and bike lanes as it would any other roadway. The City has collected vehicle speed data before the buffered bike lanes were created with posts and paint, after installation, and is continuing to collect data with the posts removed. • Off-street path snow removal: Devine reports that snow was removed from the City’s multiuse paths shortly after the roadways were cleared. Williams notes that a snowbank blocked access to the path at Webb Street. Maranto says entrances to the Bridge Street bike path are blocked by snowbanks and a segment of that path between March St. and the Carlton School did not get plowed. Papetti has observed that the paths have been cleared, but not at the intersections. • Michael Williams had previously raised a question about path connectivity between the path being constructed at Bridge Street and the new development at Flint and Mason Streets. Devine states that the Bridge Street path will connect to the existing path at Leslie’s Retreat. Devine says there is a gap on paper between the new development and the new Bridge Street path. Williamson has observed that the Flint and Mason St. development does connect to Leslie’s Retreat park despite any gap on paper. • Williamson has identified a blank wall on Broadway that is a public art opportunity because it is very visible from Phase 2 of the Canal Street Path that is under construction. The group agrees to consider pursuing this when the path is complete. • MassTrails grant: The City is preparing a grant application to convert the quick- build two-way cycle track on Derby Street, between Webb St. and Memorial Dr., from paint and posts facility to a curb-separated multiuse path. The award would be announced by July first and it would be constructed within 12 months from then. • Papetti states that Toole Design Group’s concepts for the Winter Island Road/Fort Ave. area at the last Traffic & Parking Commission were well received and there was a strong consensus around one of the options. 2  • Papetti notes that the former HMA property at Franklin and North Streets has a proposed ambulance facility. There is a MassDOT right of way at the site. Discussion of Bike Friendly City Application Devine completed the contact information, community profile, and some narrative sections. He is prepared to pick up where any members leave off if they are able to make progress on sections as discussed previously. Maranto says she is trying to find information the organization that led safety classes and group rides. Meeting Minutes – 11/4/2020 Ryan motions and Wathne seconds to approve the November 4, 2020 minutes and all vote in favor. Adjourn Caruso motions to adjourn at 7:33 p.m., Wathne seconds, and all vote in favor. Approved by the Bicycling Advisory Committee on May 5, 2021 3