Bicycling & Shared Path Advisory Committee

Meeting Minutes Salem Bicycling & Shared Path Advisory Committee Wednesday, February 1, 2023 | 6:30 p.m. 98 Washington Street, First Floor Medium Conference Room and via remote participation Members Present: John Wathne (Chair), Cat Seiferth, Matt Caruso, Annie Wolf, Eric Papetti, Connor Ryan, Josh Gillis, Colleen Downie, Michael Jaros Members Absent: Alex Maranto, Walter Morrell Also Present: Tom Devine, Senior Planner Call Meeting to Order Wathne called the meeting to order. Public Comment Wathne opens the meeting to public comment and there are none. Staff Update Devine reports on the following items: • Councilor Jeff Cohen is coordinating with Papetti and Wathne on a draft bike parking ordinance. Papetti and Wathne will coordinate. Bluebikes Bikeshare Program Data, Promotion, and Expansion Document shared: Salem Bluebikes Data, Through 1/29/2023 (Slide deck) Devine shares data from January. Ridership is down as expected for the winter and in line with some of the peer communities, but behind systemwide ridership. Wathne suggests comparing Salem’s winter drop with the system as a whole. Caruso is interested in seeing the starting and ending rides. Devine shows the proposed locations of the three additional planned stations for Derby Street, Bridge Street Neck, and Vinnin Square. The group suggests signage directing people to the Vinnin Square station. Discussion of Feasibility to Move North Street Bike Lanes Off Street Between Foster and Osborne Streets 1 Document share: North Street Protected Bike Lane Feasibility Between Foster Street and Osbourne [sic] Street, Toole Design, 12/6/2022. Devine provides an implementation update on North Street. The City is planning to add an additional crosswalk at Dearborn Street. Staff may propose a joint Bike Committee / Traffic & Parking Commission meeting to review the project in November as a one-year evaluation of data for parking, speed, crashes, and bike ridership. Devine provides responses to some of the questions and comments the Committee provided at its previous meeting on the above-referenced memo. He notes that there is no schedule or funding for the project, but the memo and Committee’s comments will inform an eventual future project. • While raised crosswalks may be effective for accessibility and safety, there are no crosswalks across North Street at this block. A sidewalk level path along North Street could have raised crosswalks across the side streets. But this is just one block of proposed sidewalk level paths, so it would have to come down to return to the buffered path in the street. But it has been noted that the Committee is interested in seeing raised crosswalks implemented where feasible. Seiferth adds that raised crosswalks are more effective in getting cars to slow down and be attentive because they are more apparent. Downie notes that she has seen painted 3-D crosswalk in the region. • Caruso had provided a Boston example of a shared path that is painted to delineate bike and pedestrian space. Wolf states that a path without delineation she used in Mexico was chaotic. Wathne suggests a rumble strip to indicate to cyclists a transition into an area with pedestrian conflict. Devine will draft the Committee’s comments share with group. Wathne states that the design should follow all applicable path standards. Open Space & Recreation Plan Update Downie attended the recent OSRP public forum. She says that bikes and accessibility beyond cars was brought up by others in her breakout group. And the examples of park designs provided for discussion ran the gamut. The bike data from the meeting spurred discussion later online. Devine encourages the Committee to complete the OSRP survey and consider attending the next public forum. Meeting Minutes The group tables the 11/2/2023 draft minutes because they only received them today. Introduction to Bike Master Plan Status Map Tool Wathne explains that when he met with the Traffic & Parking Director, he was surprised to learn about how much work is happening to implement the 2018 Bike Master Plan. 2 He requested an interactive map tool that shows the status of all the plan’s recommendations. Devine shares the tool on his screen and demonstrates it. He states that the tool was developed by Salem Transportation Planner Brendan Linard. The group asks to have existing bike facilities displayed by type and also to show Bluebikes stations. The group discusses potential timing for the next Bike Plan update. Adjourn Jaros motions, Wolf seconds, and all vote in favor to adjourn at 7:34pm. *** Approved by the Bicycling & Shared Path Advisory Committee on 5/3/2023. 3